A Home at Trail's End (20 page)

“The grassland along the river seems just about perfect for cattle,” he said. “I'm not opposed to the idea of raising dairy cows.” He grinned at her. “I like milk and butter and cheese.”

“And my Clara knows how to make some mighty fine cheese.” Asa smacked his lips.

“That's true,” Elizabeth said. “Mother's cheeses are the best.”

“Cheese…” Jess sighed. “That sounds wonderful.”

“I'll bet that next Thanksgiving, if not sooner, we'll have cheese at the table,” Elizabeth proclaimed.

As Asa, Jess, and Brady continued walking around the fence line, Elizabeth lingered back with Eli, shyly slipping her hand into his. It felt so good to be here with him right now. She could hear the sounds of Matthew's fiddle and JT's guitar as the two warmed up for their after-dinner music. Meanwhile Ruth was helping Clara to serve the dessert. A perfect day.

“Brady was talking to me on our way over here,” Eli began. “There's something that I need to talk to you about.”

“Oh? Is something wrong?” She studied his profile as he gazed over the pasture, admiring his straight nose and firm chin.

He turned to look at her. “Not really wrong. But Brady would like to live over here…on your parents' property.”

“Brady wants to live with my parents?”

“Not with them. But he'd like to have his house near them.”

“But he has a house on our property.”

Eli nodded. “And he feels badly about that.”

“Why?”

“Because he wishes he'd said something sooner. Otherwise I never would have pushed to get his little cabin up. But I had the leftover lumber, and I thought, why not use it to get a roof over Brady's head? I didn't like the idea of him living in your father's tent when the weather gets wetter and colder. He's an old man.”

“Yes, that makes perfect sense. But Brady doesn't want his little cabin?”

“He's willing to live in the tent…just to be closer to your parents.”

“I wonder why he wants to be closer to them.”

“Partly because he feels they could use his help. He talked about how they were all getting older and how they can help each other. But more than that, Brady really admires your father. And they've been turning out some nice-looking pieces of furniture together.”

“Yes, I've seen some of it.”

“I reckon Brady feels like they could work together more easily if he was living over here.”

“It would save him a lot of walking,” Elizabeth admitted.

“And he is getting older.”

“So are my parents.” She nodded. “I suppose it does make sense. Too bad you went ahead and built that little cabin.”

He shrugged. “Maybe we'll think of a use for it.” He peered at her. “Brady is worried that you'll be hurt if he moves over here.”

She considered this. “Well, I might have been hurt if you hadn't explained it. But it does make sense.”

“And there's another thing.” He lowered his voice. “Nobody's supposed to know, but your pa is teaching Brady to read.”

She grinned. “I heard about that already.”

He smiled. “Well, keep it under your hat.”

She looked to where Asa, Jess, and Brady were coming back toward them now. “So should I tell Brady that I don't mind him moving over here?”

“Not right now. I promised him I'd speak to your parents too. But if you don't mind, I can let Brady know that you understand. I know that will be a comfort to him.”

“Yes, of course. And let him know that I appreciate knowing he'll be over here to help my parents if they need it. And after all, like he said at the table, he's a free man. He can live wherever he wants to live.”

“Well…not exactly.” Eli frowned.

She nodded, remembering Oregon's recently passed legislation—the three-year limit for Negroes to reside here. However, if Brady kept to himself as he'd been doing, if he avoided town and other settlers, perhaps no one would notice. They could only hope.

Chapter Fifteen

I
do not understand you,” Malinda said to Elizabeth on Saturday evening. As usual, they were sewing by the fire. The children were all in bed except for Belinda and Amelia, who were spending the night with Evelyn and Lavinia in town. The Prescott men had decided to make the most of a recent dry spell by traveling to Empire City to pick up some supplies for the mercantile.

“What is it you don't understand?” Elizabeth asked as she stitched the hem of the curtains she was sewing for the front window of her house. She still hadn't seen the window, but Eli had given her the measurements. She'd found the red and white gingham fabric at the mercantile and felt it would look charming in the cabin. She'd gotten enough fabric for additional curtains for the kitchen cupboards as well as a tablecloth.

“I do not understand how you can appear so calm and nonchalant with your wedding less than a week away.”

Elizabeth just laughed. “Oh, is that all?”

“Well, my wedding is three weeks away and I'm a bundle of nerves.”

“Perhaps that's because your wedding is a bigger, fancier affair than mine.”

Malinda frowned. “When you say it like that it feels as if you are judging me.”

“I'm sorry. That's not how I meant it. The truth is I'm really looking forward to your wedding. I think everyone is.”

“But you're not looking forward to your own?”

“Of course I am.” Elizabeth set her sewing aside. “But maybe I'm looking more forward to the marriage…settling into our house…feeling like a family again.”

“Oh.” She nodded. “Yes, that makes sense.”

“Remember how you felt when you came to Oregon? How you looked forward to putting down roots, moving into a real house?”

“I most certainly do.”

Elizabeth returned to hemming the curtain.

“Even so,” Malinda persisted. “Are you not a little bit excited about your upcoming wedding?”

Elizabeth laughed again. “I most certainly am.”

“But you don't show it.” Malinda peered at her.

Elizabeth pursed her lips, unsure of how much to say. “Do you want the truth, Malinda?”

“Yes, of course I do. We're best friends. Why wouldn't you tell me the truth?”

“The truth is I've been trying to play my wedding down for your sake.”

“For my sake?” Malinda looked shocked.

“You were so opposed to the date,” Elizabeth told her. “You wanted me to wait until spring and—”

“Oh, I'm all over that now.” Malinda reached for her scissors. “I don't mind if you get excited over your wedding.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said calmly. “But perhaps I'll wait for a few days before I get overly excited.”

Malinda laughed and then held up the quilt top she was working on. “Look, it's all done.”

Elizabeth studied the colorful piece. “Oh, Malinda, it's beautiful. Do you think you'll have it finished before your wedding?”

Malinda's brows arched. “Oh, I should say so. I invited a dozen women over here for a quilting bee on Thursday.”

“Really?” Elizabeth frowned. “Was I not invited?”

Malinda shrugged. “I thought you'd have your hands full with your own wedding preparations by then.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth tried not to feel hurt. But missing out on a quilting bee felt like a real slight. “Yes. I suppose I could go to my mother's and help her with—”

“Your mother will be here,” Malinda said. “Working on the quilt with me.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth felt more than slighted now. She felt hurt. “Well, perhaps I'll go visit Jess and—”

“Jess will be here too.”

Elizabeth was about to insist that she should participate in the quilting bee as well, but that would be like inviting herself to a party. Bad etiquette. But what sort of manners was it for Malinda to invite Elizabeth's family and leave her out?

“I'm very tired,” Elizabeth said quietly. “I think I will turn in.”

On Sunday, Elizabeth was trying to put her best friend's thoughtlessness behind her. It was silly to be offended by the slight. Besides, she felt certain that if she told Malinda she wished to come, Malinda would probably welcome her with open arms—or at least she'd welcome her help in serving lunch. However, Elizabeth felt just stubborn enough not to mention it. She felt even more stubborn after sitting through Reverend Holmes' sermon about Daniel in the lion's den. To be fair, it was probably the most positive sermon she'd heard him preach. But it was nothing compared to her father's.

Even so, she shook hands and thanked him. “I was greatly relieved to hear you were feeling much better this week,” she said. “And that was a fine sermon, Reverend.”

He looked slightly surprised. “Thank you, Elizabeth.”

Now Eli stepped up to shake his hand, also praising his sermon.

“I look forward to your wedding on Saturday,” the reverend told them both.

“We're looking forward to it too,” Eli assured him.

Asa and Clara came up to the reverend next as Eli and Elizabeth went outside to where the children were playing in the yard.

Before long, Eli was enticed to go over and visit with some of the men. They wanted to hear his story of how he'd hunted down the cougar. Then Elizabeth, seeing that Lavinia was standing by herself, went over to talk with her. As they chatted about the mercantile, Elizabeth got an idea. “Will you be open for business on Thursday?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, of course. We're always open on Thursdays,” Lavinia assured her. “In fact, Hugh and Julius should be back from Empire City by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, and I'm sure we'll have the shelves freshly stocked by Thursday.”

“Good.” Elizabeth nodded. “Then I shall come and do some shopping.”

“Do you need things for your new house?”

“Oh, I'm sure that I do. I plan to go through my things this week and make some lists.”

“I've heard that Eli won't let you see your house until after the wedding.” She chuckled. “I told Hugh that could be a bad sign.”

“A bad sign?”

“Yes—that is, if Eli were trying to get you married before showing you the house because it is a complete disaster.” She laughed. “Although I'm sure that's not the situation, Elizabeth. But it would be funny, don't you think?”

Elizabeth frowned. “I'm not sure it would be very funny. But I am fairly certain that Eli has built us a fine home. My father and brother and JT have helped him with it, and I cannot imagine—”

“Yes, dear…I'm sorry. You'll have to forgive my humor.”

Elizabeth patted her arm. “Don't give it a thought.” She sighed. “I suppose with the wedding less than a week away, I'm finally starting to feel a bit nervous.”

“That's only natural.” Lavinia's cheery countenance faded slightly as she lowered her voice. “Although I still find myself regretting that you're not marrying our Will.”

“But you do get on well with Malinda, don't you?”

Lavinia made a small shrug. “I suppose I haven't had the opportunity to get very well acquainted yet, whereas you and I solidified our friendship on the Oregon Trail. I still don't know what I would have done without you and your family.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Friendships made on the trail are lasting ones.” She was tempted to ask Lavinia if she'd been invited to Malinda's quilting bee, but she knew that was rather meddlesome. “So will you be working at the mercantile on Thursday afternoon?” she asked.

“You can count on that.” Lavinia glanced down the street to the imposing building. “And if it's not busy in the store when you come, perhaps you will want to come upstairs and have a tour of our new living quarters. Not everything is finished yet, but we are trying to make ourselves at home.”