Chapter 5

5

A undy swung open the kitchen door as the sun began to chase away the early morning darkness and walked toward the chicken coop with a determined step.

After her tour around the farm with Dent the previous afternoon, she was confident she could at least feed the chickens and gather eggs. She located the bucket filled with feed Dent said she should give the chickens and carefully opened the door to the enclosed pen then shut it behind her. The chickens were still inside the coop, sitting on their nests.

Aundy used her good hand to shake the bucket, making a racket she hoped rousted the chickens. Quickly switching the bucket to her other hand, she held it against her waist and tossed out handfuls of the feed, calling to the chickens. "Here chick, chick. Here chick."

Soon, chickens were all around her, pecking at the feed. Aundy emptied the bucket then entered the coop, sticking her hand in the nests like Dent showed her. As she gathered the eggs, she felt a growing satisfaction in having accomplished something worthwhile. Although a little frightened by the chickens, she decided they were only harmless birds, after all.

As she reached the last nest, a sharp stinging on her leg drew her gaze down. A little rooster pecked at her. He stared up at her with angry eyes. Aundy started backing toward the door. The sound he emitted made Aundy's eyes widen with fear and she hurried out of the coop and through the chickens as they ate their feed. Frantic, she worked to lift the latch on the gate. The rooster flew up with his spurs set to dig into her.

Anticipating the attack, Aundy raised her arm and the rooster's head connected with her cast, thumping loudly. He fell to the ground and she escaped the pen, closing the gate behind her. A quick glance into the bucket revealed she hadn't broken a single egg in her haste to get away from the rooster.

When she turned away from the coop, she discovered several sets of eyes looked her direction. Dent and the hands all stared at her, most with smirks on their faces.

"I see you met Napoleon," Dent said, trying not to laugh. He and the boys heard a commotion in the coop and hurried over in time to see the little rooster chase Aundy to the gate. It was hard to keep from breaking out in chuckles when she held up her cast and knocked the bird senseless.

"What a fitting name." Aundy stared at the rooster that had yet to move. "I didn't kill him, did I?"

"Probably just stunned him is all." Dent watched as the bird shook his head and staggered to his feet.

Aundy decided she and Napoleon needed to reach a compromise or one of them was going to have to leave the farm, and it wouldn't be her. "Too bad. I'll have to try harder next time. Chicken stew would have tasted good for supper."

The hands broke out in laughter and watched as Aundy walked up the steps to the kitchen door, disappearing inside.

"Chores won't do themselves," Dent said, pointing toward the barn when the men continued to stare at the house. He didn't get a chance to talk to them about Aundy keeping the farm the previous evening, but if he were a betting man, he'd wager after breakfast they'd be short a few more hands. He supposed he ought to get it over with and quit putting off the inevitable.

He removed his hat, ran his hand through his hair, and released a sigh. "You might as well all know, I spoke with Mrs. Erikson yesterday and she intends to not only keep the farm but be in control of it."

"You mean that citified woman thinks she's gonna run this place?" one of the men asked, glaring at Dent in disgust.

"That's what the lady said." Dent glared back at the hand, daring him to say anything more.

"Then I quit." The man stalked off toward the bunkhouse.

"Any of the rest of you agree with Harry?" Dent asked, looking at each face and anticipating a few more would follow. At the nod of three more heads, Dent shook his and pointed toward the bunkhouse.

"Pack your gear and I'll get your wages ready for you. You can light out after breakfast." Dent was disappointed but not surprised. With the four men leaving, that left him with just four other bodies besides his own to do all the work. Aundy was going to have to hire more men if they hoped to make it through spring calving and farm work.

He hated to start the day with bad news, but he needed to let her know what was going on as well as discuss paying the men. Erik always took care of paying wages and the men received theirs at the end of each month.

"Come in," Aundy called as Dent raised a hand to knock on the door. He didn't know how she knew he was out there, but he opened the door, took off his hat, and stepped inside. She smiled at him over her shoulder. "If nothing else, I guess I'm good for providing the morning entertainment."

Dent grinned in spite of himself. "You did just fine for your first time in the chicken coop. That lil' rooster is full of attitude, but I have a feeling he'll leave you alone for now."

"If he doesn't, you'll have to teach me how to kill a chicken. I've plucked and cooked them, but never had to execute one before." Aundy glanced at Dent as she continued wiping off the eggs and placing them in a basket on the counter. "Napoleon may make me anxious to learn that particular skill."

"Missy, you are something else," Dent said, leaning against the door. He watched Aundy carefully hold an egg in her hand then use a soft cloth to wipe it clean. "I've got some news you aren't gonna like, but need to hear."

"Oh?" Aundy set down the egg and gave him her full attention.

"I told the men you're planning to run the farm and four of them quit this morning." Dent hoped Aundy didn't take it personally. The hands would have quit if any woman had taken over the farm. It wasn't that they disliked her, just the idea of having a woman as their employer.

"I suppose I should have anticipated the possibility of that happening." Aundy took a seat at the table and stared down at her lap. She was quiet so long, Dent didn't seem to know what to make of it. He finally pulled out a chair and straddled it.

"We need to pay them for wages due. Erik always paid everyone on the last day of the month, so we need to talk about pay for all of the hands."

"I recall seeing the monthly withdrawal in the ledger book, but it slipped my mind that you all will want your wages soon." Aundy lifted her gaze to look at Dent. "If I forget going forward, please just remind me. It won't be intentional. I'm just not used to taking care of paying wages. Do I need to go to the bank to collect the funds?"

"Yep. Erik usually went in and got the money, picked up supplies, and made a day of it."

"I see. Do you know how much is owed the men who are leaving?" Aundy vaguely recalled a list of payroll in Erik's ledger.

Dent listed the men's names and the amount of wages they were owed. Aundy told him she would have the funds ready for him by the time the men were finished with breakfast.

"That would be good, Missy." Dent decided they might as well get all the problems out on the table. "We can't operate five men short, which is what we'll be now. We've got to hire more help."

"Do you feel comfortable hiring more men?" Aundy could judge character, but wasn't sure she'd know what to look for in a hired hand.

"I can do that." Dent sat quietly for a moment, lost in his thoughts, before looking at her across the table. "If I help you write an advertisement, can you make sure it gets in the paper? We could post it around town, too."

"That would be satisfactory. Perhaps after you pay the men and see them on their way, we can come up with something I can take to town. I'll need to go to the bank to collect wages for the rest of the men. If anyone needs supplies, please let me know and I can pick them up when I go.

"How are you going to get to town?" Dent asked. She couldn't drive the buggy and she didn't know how to ride a horse.

"I'm not entirely certain, but I'll figure something out," Aundy said, getting up from the table. Dent stood, shook his head, and walked outside.

Aundy sat back down at the table and raised her gaze heavenward, praying for strength and wisdom. She was going to need an extra helping of both to get through the day.

She went to Erik's desk, took out his ledger, and noted a final payment made to the four men who quit along with the date. She took out a scrap of paper and wrote down the amount of wages from the previous month and placed it in her pocket then began opening drawers, hoping to find some cash Erik might have on hand. After searching through the desk, she came up with enough to pay one of the men.

Since there was no help for it, she walked to Erik's bedroom and stood with her forehead resting against his door. Slowly turning the knob, she looked around the room for a moment before stepping inside.

Nora made sure the room had a good airing and clean linens covered the bed, but everything else was just as Erik left it.

The nightstand drew her attention, so she looked there first for any money he might have left behind. Grateful when she found his wallet, she emptied it then searched the dresser. A box shoved in the back of one drawer contained more than enough money to cover the wages of the men leaving.

Relief flowed over her. Aundy took out what she needed, put the rest of the money back in the box and returned it to Erik's drawer. She needed to clean out his things, but she'd worry about it another day.

Hurriedly exiting the room, she shut the door behind her and walked back to his desk in the front room. She placed money in four envelopes, addressing each to the appropriate farm hand. After setting the envelopes on the kitchen table, she finished cleaning the eggs, made herself a simple breakfast, and waited for her foreman to return.

Dent knocked softly and opened the door, sticking his head inside. Aundy handed him the envelopes without a word and he hurried back toward the bunkhouse.

She mulled over her options for getting herself to town when a knock at the kitchen door brought her out of her musings. She steeled herself for whatever waited and opened the door.

"Mrs. Erikson?" The men stared down at their scuffed boots instead of looking her direction.

"Yes?" Aundy opened the door wider and studied the four hands that quit. All but one of them looked uncomfortable to be there. The fourth boldly lifted his gaze to hers with a gleam in his eye she found unsettling.

"We just wanted to thank you for paying us for a full month and for treating us good since you've been here. Us leaving ain't about you specifically." The designated speaker looked to his comrades for agreement. At their nods, he continued. "We just don't cotton to working for no woman, no matter how nice she might be."

"Thank you for providing me with that information." Aundy wanted to give them a piece of her mind. Instead, she bit her tongue and forced herself to smile. "I appreciate the work you've done here on the farm and wish you all much success in your future endeavors."

"Thank you, ma'am," the speaker said, tipping his head as they all backed off the steps and walked around to where their horses waited.

Once they were out of sight, Aundy gave in to the urge to stamp her foot. "Bunch of club-dragging cavedwellers," Aundy muttered to herself, marching into her bedroom and getting out one of her best day gowns. Quickly deciding she couldn't possibly get into her corset without assistance, she gave up and placed a call to Nora.

"Nash's Folly," a deep voice resonated in her ear, making tingles race down her spine.

"Garrett?"

"Yep, the one and only." His lighthearted tone caused a smile to break out on Aundy's face while her heartbeat skipped into a faster tempo.

"This is Mrs. Erickson. May I please speak with your mother?"

"Nope."

"Oh… I… well… I…"

Laughter filled the earpiece of the phone and Aundy held it away from her head, staring at it, perplexed, before returning it to her ear.

"I'm teasing you, Mrs. Erickson. Just a moment, I'll get her for you."

"Thank you." Aundy breathed a sigh of relief. She could hear rumbling sounds in the background then Nora's cheery voice greeted her.

"What can I do for you today, honey?"

"Nora, I hate to ask, but I sorely need your assistance with a matter here at my home. Would there possibly be any way you could come over this morning?"

"Certainly. I can be there in an hour. Anything I need to bring?"

"No, ma'am, and thank you," Aundy said, remembering that many people listened in on the phone lines so anything she said could be fodder for community gossip.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, honey."

"Thank you, Nora. I appreciate it."

She hung up from her call with Nora as Dent knocked once before stepping inside the kitchen. Aundy retrieved a pencil and a pad of paper from Erik's desk, poured Dent a cup of coffee, and sat with him at the table writing an advertisement for hired help. They worked to finish the wording when the front door shut and footsteps echoed down the hall. The two of them looked up as Nora bustled into the kitchen.

"What are you working on?" Nora asked, peering over Aundy's shoulder.

"Four of the men quit this morning when Dent told them I was keeping the farm. We're in dire need of more help," Aundy said. She looked at Dent as he stood and edged toward the door.

"With Erik gone, you're running five short? Is that right?" Nora asked, looking to Dent for confirmation. At his nod, Nora shook her head. "We can send over some help until you hire more men."

"Absolutely not, Nora. You've done so much already." Aundy rose and looked at Dent for support. Inconspicuously, he nodded his head at Nora.

"Looks like you're outvoted, Missy." Dent grinned then hurried out the door before Aundy could reply.

"Nora, I…" Aundy turned to the woman who had been mother, friend, and mentor to her since she'd stood dripping mud all over her clean porch.

"Not another word, Aundy. It's what neighbors and friends do." Nora set a basket on the table and pulled out a few jars of jam, a napkin filled with cookies, and a loaf of bread that smelled delicious, filling the kitchen with a wonderful yeasty scent.

Aundy couldn't do much cooking with one hand and tried to get by as best she could. Dent invited her to join the men in the bunkhouse for meals, but she didn't feel right about that either.

Nora removed her hat and set it on the table. "Now, what requires my assistance?"

"I need to go into town and get the men's wages from the bank, pick up supplies, and place an advertisement in the newspaper. I should be dressed in something more presentable than the clothes I've been wearing and for that, I need someone to help me put on that blasted corset. I hate to bother you, but I don't know what else to do. I would also be forever grateful if you can help me get my hair put up proper before I head into town." Aundy walked to her bedroom with Nora following close behind her.

"And just how, precisely, do you plan to get into town to run all these errands?" Nora helped Aundy remove her shirtwaist and skirt then settled the corset into place.

"I hadn't exactly gotten that far in my plans. I watched Garrett with the buggy and horse yesterday. I think I could handle it."

Nora laughed. "No doubt you'd try, but you better wait until that arm of yours has healed. My buggy is right outside and I'd be happy to run into Pendleton with you. I'll call J.B. and let him know you and I are eating lunch in town today. He and Garrett can fend for themselves."

"No, Nora. I can't disrupt your day like that."

"Yes, you can. I insist," Nora said. She expertly pulled Aundy's long hair up and fastened it in a loose pompadour before pinning a stylish hat in place.

"My gracious, but you sure have such lovely clothes." Nora admired Aundy's outfit. A skirt and short jacket, in the same striking shade of light blue as Aundy's eyes, topped a crisp white shirtwaist with thick lace around the collar and along the front. The hat, adorned with white roses, featured loops of blue ribbon that matched her stylish ensemble.

Aundy looked down and smoothed the front of her skirt with her good hand. She felt blessed to have a very nice wardrobe. Most people in a working-class family like hers wouldn't have been able to afford the clothing she, her mother, and sister wore. Their wardrobes were a benefit of having sewing in their blood and access to quality materials.

She pulled on her gloves as they walked back to the kitchen. Nora plucked her empty basket off the table while Aundy folded the advertisement she and Dent had worked on into her reticule.

"My mother's parents worked very hard before they moved to America. My grandfather was a tailor, serving only the most affluent clients. My grandmother was a seamstress and milliner. She rented a small space in a shop not far from my grandfather's. One day, he happened to be walking by the shop on his way back to his store after lunch and saw my grandmother in the window. He decided to be bold, walked right in, and asked her if she would make a hat for his mother. She agreed. It didn't take long for them to fall in love and wed."

"What a romantic story," Nora said, as she and Aundy climbed into the buggy and started down the lane. "So how did they end up in Chicago?"

"My grandfather decided there were fortunes to be made in America so he and my grandmother shipped what they could, sold the rest, and made arrangements to begin a new life in Chicago. One of my grandfather's friends started a bakery there and helped them settle in with their two young daughters. They had a large shop that offered tailored men's clothing on one side and everything a fashionably dressed woman could want on the other. My mother and aunt grew up knowing how to sew, design gowns, create hats, alter clothes flawlessly, and get the most out of a piece of yardage. They also learned how to do the fancy stitching that set their creations apart from other dress shops."

Aundy looked around, observing hints of spring as the rolling fields and pastures began turning green. The breath she drew in carried a new, earthy aroma.

"And?" Nora asked, anxious to hear the rest of the story as they made their way to Pendleton.

"A French man came to have a suit made by my grandfather. My aunt decided right then she was going to marry the man and she did. With her new last name and the loss of her Norwegian ties, she opened her own dress shop that catered to the elite in Chicago's social circles. Unlike my aunt, Mother fell in love with a common laborer. Despite my grandparents' protests she married beneath her, she didn't care. My parents were so happy and so in love. My father's charm quickly won over my grandparents, but he wouldn't take a dime of their money while they were alive," Aundy said, letting memories flood through her.

"My mother worked for my grandparents and then my aunt. Because of the skills she taught us, my sister and I both worked for Aunt Louisa, too. Ilsa does such beautiful work, she truly is talented. I don't have the patience for all the intricate stitching. When both our parents died, I took the job in the factory because I was good at basic sewing and needed the work. The factory owners thought their employees should dress in the clothes we made, so people could see the items out and about town. A clothing allotment was part of our wages."

Nora gave Aundy a dubious look, convinced the lovely outfit she wore did not come from a factory. The attention to detail hinted that it was handmade by someone who definitely knew her way around a needle.

Aundy smiled at Nora's raised brow. "When my grandparents passed away, my aunt didn't want the inventory from their store. She said it wasn't good enough for her clientele, so we had more bolts of fabric, trims, laces, ribbons, hat forms, and sewing supplies than you could imagine. I did the basic stitching for our clothes and Ilsa made them beautiful."

"Why didn't your mother open her own dress shop, instead of working for your aunt?" Nora asked with open curiosity.

"Mother didn't have a head for business and she didn't want to deal with the clients, so she kept the arrangement with my aunt. My father agreed to use the money we inherited from my grandparents to move to a nicer apartment and to put us in better schools. Thanks to what my grandparents left us, we were well-dressed and well-educated," Aundy said, smiling at Nora. "My mother always said a well-dressed lady who walked with confidence and spoke intelligently could go far in life. I sure hope she's right because I've got a long way to go and not a lot to take me there but a few nice clothes and a determination to succeed."

Nora laughed and teasingly bumped Aundy's side. "If that's what it takes, you'll go far, honey. You'll go far."

When they arrived in town, Nora drove straight to the bank. She remained in the buggy while Aundy went inside. Several minutes later, Aundy left the bank, and climbed back onto the seat beside Nora, appearing quite relieved.

"That went better than I anticipated, "Aundy said. "Unlike some men around here, the banker doesn't seem to mind dealing with a woman."

"Grant Hill is a nice boy. He was raised by good parents, back in Philadelphia, I think," Nora said, guiding the buggy to her favorite store. "Why don't we do our shopping? While someone carries our purchases out to the buggy, we can run over to the newspaper office with your advertisement."

"That sounds like a fine plan." A look of anticipation filled Aundy's face as Nora parked the buggy outside a large store with interesting window displays. They stopped to admire a spring scene with seed packets, baskets, and garden tools. "When do you plant a garden?"

"Not for another month or two. We have to wait until the threat of frost is past. By then, you'll have your cast off."

"I wonder if they have any books on gardening." Aundy commented as they walked inside the store. A handful of women from church stood at the counter paying for their purchases and offered them a friendly greeting.

After visiting for a few moments, Nora led Aundy toward the garden supplies. "Why do you need a gardening book?"

"I've never planted one before and have no idea how to go about it," Aundy said, picking up a garden trowel and trying to decide what purpose it served.

"Well, silly girl, I'll be teaching you all about gardens, then." Nora took the trowel out of Aundy's hand and shook her head. "Erik always planted a garden, although none of the men liked taking care of it. He has all the tools you need, I'm sure of it. If not, you can always purchase them later. We'll have to make a list of seeds you want to order. I have some extras, but you might want some different vegetables than what I plan to plant. Erik also has some lovely fruit trees."

"Fruit trees? What kind of trees?" Aundy was excited at the prospect of growing her own fruit. She had a sweet tooth and being able to make pies and crisps, as well as put up preserves for winter sounded wonderful.

"A couple of cherry, some apple, and pear," Nora said, sorting through a stack of gloves, looking for a new pair. "And peach. He brought me the loveliest peaches last summer."

Busy dreaming about the first bite of a ripe, juicy peach, Aundy forgot where she was until someone bumped into her back, nearly knocking her into a display of baskets.

"Begging your pardon, miss," a good-looking man said as he stepped back from her. Aundy noticed he was about her height and quite handsome with an aristocratic appeal. He probably had women whispering about him behind their hands for miles around.

"Ashton Monroe, I didn't know you were back in town," Nora said, looking at the man as he stared at Aundy. "You were gone when poor Erik had his accident so you probably haven't had a chance to meet his wife."

"Wife? So it's true. Erik really did send for a mail-order bride?" Ashton tipped his head at Aundy and offered her an engaging smile. "I can't believe someone as lovely as you, Mrs. Erickson, would have been unattached."

The man was either full of poppycock, as her father used to say, or had impaired vision. A glance at the thick fringe of lashes around his intense, dark eyes, made her doubt he had any problems seeing.

"Thank you, Mr. Monroe," Aundy said, tipping her head demurely. Her mother instilled impeccable manners in both her daughters, despite the fact their father thought it was a bunch of unnecessary nonsense.

"My condolences on your loss, Mrs. Erickson, particularly so soon after your arrival in our little town." Ashton took Aundy's gloved hand in his and pressed a light kiss to her knuckles.

"Again, thank you, Mr. Monroe."

He released her hand and gazed into her eyes. "I insist you call me Ashton. All my friends do, and I certainly hope you'll allow me to be your friend."

Aundy gave her head a barely perceptible nod, watching Nora roll her eyes. "Very well, Ashton."

"That's better." Ashton beamed a brilliant smile Aundy's direction. "Now, what brings you ladies to town today?"

"We had a few things we needed to do." The smile Nora turned to Ashton lacked any real warmth or sincerity. "What about you?"

"Just a few business matters that sorely needed my attention," Ashton said, glancing from Aundy to Nora. "Perhaps you ladies would join me for tea at Dogwood Corners one afternoon?"

"Perhaps." Nora placed a hand on Aundy's arm to keep her from saying anything. "We need to get through calving season first."

"Oh, yes. How is the illustrious cattle business at Nash's Folly?" Ashton asked.

The disdain in his voice shocked Aundy.

"As good as ever," Nora said. She looped her arm through Aundy's and gave it a gentle tug. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to finish our shopping."

"Of course, Nora. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Erickson." Ashton tipped his hat solicitously. "I look forward to seeing you again."

After watching him walk toward a group of men gathered at the back of the store, Aundy glanced down. Nora's narrowed gaze followed him.

She gave Aundy a look of warning. "Don't let his nice manners and fancy talk turn your head, honey. He's not one to dally with. As handsome as he is, not to mention smooth talking, Ashton has broken more hearts than you can imagine. He's nothing but trouble when it comes to pretty women."

"Yes, ma'am," Aundy said, following Nora to the store's counter. "I don't believe he'd be interested in someone like me anyway."

"What do you mean?" Nora stopped to study Aundy's face.

"You know, someone plain and simple, without wealth or station or beauty," Aundy said, stating what she felt was a fact. "Besides, I have no interest in becoming involved with a man. None at all. I've only been a widow for less than two weeks."

Nora laughed and wrapped an arm around Aundy's waist. "You may not have grown up wealthy or in high society, but there is nothing plain or simple about you, honey. We all know you and Eric weren't in love, didn't really know each other. I wouldn't worry too much about being the grieving widow. After all, we did talk you out of wearing black. When the right man comes along, the one who makes your stomach fill with butterflies and your breath catch in your throat and all sense fly right out of your head, you'll be ready to rethink that notion about staying away from the male species."

Aundy looked at her friend in surprise and felt a grin tugging up the corners of her mouth as Nora smiled back at her. She'd never admit it, but Nora had accurately described what happened to her whenever she was near Garrett.

The women finished their shopping, placed Aundy's ad in the paper, and left word with a few of the businesses in town they were hiring out at the Erickson farm.

At a charming little restaurant, they enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Nora introduced Aundy to several people she hadn't yet met.

Aundy insisted on buying lunch then the two women climbed into the buggy and headed out of town.

"When Ashton invited us to Dogwood Corners, where is that?" Aundy asked. Curiosity about the strange yet handsome man nearly got the best of her.

"That direction," Nora said, pointing down a road as they passed it. "If you follow that for a mile or so, you'll see a big house up on a hill. He had dogwoods sent out here and hires a gardener to try to keep them alive. So far, he's been successful, although with our cold winters, I don't know how."

"I'm sure the trees are lovely." Aundy tried to envision an imposing house surrounded by dogwoods. She didn't think she'd ever find out what it looked like, and that was probably for the best.