Chapter Fifteen

L ibby sat on a rocker on the front porch, fanning herself. Lucy lay on a blanket taking her afternoon nap. Brad was giving Charlie a riding lesson. Sweat ran between her breasts from the sweltering mid-August heat. She was bored. Bored and hot.

Summers in Wisconsin could get hot, but not for this long and not with this humidity. The only fan available to relieve it was the one she held in her hand and waved back and forth in front of her face. She and Ben never had air conditioning, but ceiling and floor fans went a long way to relieving the summer's heat. Libby glanced down at her daughter.

Lucky kid. She'd give anything to be able to wear a t-shirt and... Well, not diapers, but at least a pair of shorts, not a long skirt and blouse. At least she could wear a short-sleeved blouse. Thankfully, Cora had agreed Libby didn't have to wear black since she wasn't going into public.

She wiggled her toes against the plank porch floor. If she were lucky, no one would notice she wasn't wearing shoes. And if Cora knew she wasn't wearing one of those awful corsets, she'd have a fit! Bras were bad enough. Even her bra made her hot, but not wearing a corset was a small price to pay for freedom.

Freedom. Freedom to do anything she wanted. What she wanted was something to do. Back home, she would be rushing around trying to get the things done she didn't have time to do during the school year. By now she would be lamenting the lack of time before the next school year started. She'd be planning the year, making desk and locker tags, organizing her room, and probably feeling sorry for herself because she had to leave her children with a sitter.

Right now, she'd give anything to have something to do. Cora wouldn't let her help in the kitchen or with the housework. Libby was still considered a guest and guests didn't help out. It was also what Cora and her daughter were paid for. Once she suggested helping outside or in the barn. Cora nearly fainted. A suggestion was made to write letters to her friends. Only Brad knew she had no friends to write to. One night she decided to start a journal so when she returned to her time, she would have a record of her life here. Cora was happy thinking her writings were letters and no one seemed to notice the letters were never sent, and she never received any back.

The only thing ladylike she was allowed to do was take care of the flowers and garden. She was glad it was something she actually enjoyed. There were enough flowerbeds on the property for a gardener, but Libby and old Jacob got along. Sometimes while taking care of the beds, she could actually pretend she was back home.

If it weren't for her boredom and Ben's death, Libby would be content here. She missed Ben terribly. Several times she tried to get Brad to show her where the accident had occurred, but Brad was always too busy. Or so he said. He had finally shown her the buggy he found them in, but nothing more. Sometimes she believed Brad didn't want them to leave. Libby sensed the tensing of his body whenever she mentioned going home. She hoped by seeing where they landed the children and she would take off for 2024. Maybe it's what Brad thought, too.

Certainly, his relationship with Charlie was blossoming. Charlie rarely talked about his father. He took on Brad's way of walking and talking and spent his waking hours at the barn. Brad bought Charlie the pony he was having his lesson on. Libby was afraid once Charlie knew how to ride, he would follow Brad everywhere. But then, Brad didn't seem to mind. Libby chuckled. Was poor Brad even able to go to the bathroom by himself? Except for Charlie looking so much like his father, she could forget Brad wasn't his father.

Even Lucy was thriving. She was roly-poly, starting to coo and play with her hands and feet. When Brad talked to her, she smiled and laughed. If he ever took off his mask, would she think him a stranger? She should recognize his voice, though.

Libby sighed. Maybe one of the local schools needed a teacher. What would Brad's reaction be if she mentioned it? But why should she worry about what he thought? He wasn't her keeper. A little voice reminded Libby that, yes, he was her keeper. Without him, she and her children would be lost. Lord only knows what would have happened if Brad hadn't found them. She'd simply have to be brave and ask him about teaching.

Brad never talked about neighbors or their children, so she had no idea if there was a school nearby. She would have to ask Colleen the next time they were together. Someone must be teaching their children. Libby felt her resolve strengthening. She would demand she have a job around here. If not teaching, then something else.