Chapter 12
12
A undy released a sigh as she looked up from the weeds she pulled from her flowerbed on the front side of the house. Marvin Tooley jerked his horse to a stop at the end of the walk.
Quickly rising to her feet, she brushed off the knees of her skirt and met the grumpy man halfway across the yard.
“Mr. Tooley, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?” Aundy asked, forcing herself to greet him with a smile.
“Ya dad-burned fool woman! Did ya really go and buy a herd of sheep?” Marvin spewed a disgusting stream of tobacco just inches from Aundy’s feet.
“My goodness, news travels fast around here, doesn’t it?” Aundy struggled to be pleasant although she’d rather yell at her nasty neighbor. “As a matter of fact, I did buy some sheep. Would you like to see them?”
“No, I don’t want to see ‘em.” Marvin glowered at her. “What I want is ‘em gone. They stink, they’ll bring diseases to our farms, and they ain’t nothin’ but a nuisance. You get rid of ‘em, or I’ll do it for you.”
“Now, see here, Mr. Tooley. You have no right to tell me what to do on my own land. Unless you’d like me to return the favor, I suggest you get on your horse and ride back down the road.” Aundy’s rising temper made her fight to hold on to her ability to be civil.
“Why, I ought to…”
“Bid the lady good day,” Ashton Monroe said, as he dismounted his horse and walked briskly to Aundy’s side. “If I’m not mistaken, she asked you to leave.”
“Should’ve known ya’d be in cahoots with the troublemaker,” Marvin said. He glared at Ashton as he mounted his horse then turned his attention back to Aundy. He spit another stream of tobacco her direction. “Ya ain’t heard the last of this, Miz Erickson. Far from it.”
Marvin smacked the end of his reins to the rump of the horse and raced down the lane in a cloud of dust.
Aundy watched him go, wondering how she’d missed Ashton’s arrival. She’d been too distracted by her conversation with Marvin.
Her attention shifted to the man standing next to her with his seeming impeccable manners. She gave him a long look. Dressed in an expensive tailored suit, Ashton wore a brocade vest, silk tie, and crisp white shirt. His boots were polished to a high shine and the hat he held in his hand looked like it had recently been brushed or was new.
Ashton Monroe gave the appearance of a southern gentleman, but Aundy’s bruised shoulder reminded her that he didn’t always behave like one, at least when he wasn’t in the presence of ladies.
“Thank you, Ashton, for your assistance with Mr. Tooley.” Annoyed another man had come to her rescue, Aundy wished he had waited to see if she could handle the situation before getting involved.
Was there something about her that screamed helpless female? She was quite certain the men she’d met since moving to Pendleton would be hard pressed to find a woman more capable than she was at taking care of herself. With her fierce determination to be independent, there was no reason she couldn’t face whatever came her way.
“I’m just glad I was here. No telling what could have happened if I hadn’t run him off when I did.” Ashton puffed out his chest as he spoke.
Aundy would have laughed aloud if she could have gotten away with it. Ashton would have demanded to know what was funny and she didn’t want to explain to him he looked like her pompous rooster, Napoleon.
“Yes, wasn’t I fortunate that you happened to come by this morning?” The tone of her voice dripped with sarcasm and she turned away so she could roll her eyes without her unexpected visitor noticing. “I suppose you heard about my sheep and are here to tell me I’ve lost my sense and need to sell them.”
“Not at all, fair lady.” Ashton took her elbow in his hand and walked her up the porch steps so they could sit on two chairs by the door. “I did hear you’d purchased sheep and thought I’d stop by to make sure everything was going well. Your hands aren’t fond of the animals, or so I’ve heard.”
“That is a fact,” Aundy said with a smile.
Ashton laughed and launched into a conversation about interesting things he’d seen on his last trip out of town. For a few minutes, Aundy forgot her work and troubles as she listened to Ashton’s tales.
When Nik strolled around the corner of the house carrying Butter, she rose to her feet. Aundy hurried down the steps and took the lamb from the boy. “Nik, this is one of our neighbors, Mr. Ashton Monroe. Ashton, this is Nikola, my shepherd.”
“Nikola. Sounds like a foreign name. Are you not from around here?” Ashton asked, turning a probing gaze to Nik.
“No, sir.” Nik looked at the man before him with a disinterested glance before returning his attention to the lamb Aundy held.
“Well, Mrs. Erickson, I won’t detain you from your duties any longer this morning,” Ashton said, setting his hat on his head and stepping away from Aundy and the lamb. “Enjoy your day.”
“Thank you, Mr. Monroe. I plan to.” Aundy largely ignored her departing company as she scratched Butter behind his ears. The lamb leaned his little head against her chest and Aundy thought she heard him release a contented sigh.
“Time to feed this one?” she asked Nik. He’d tried to get several of the ewes to take the orphaned lamb, but none of them seemed interested in feeding the hungry baby. Nik suggested they bottle-feed him. Dent found a baby bottle Erik had used with a runt piglet the previous year and they were able to keep Butter fed with it.
“Yes, ma’am. He let me know he was nearly starving.” Nik pointed to slobbers on his pant leg. “He’s hungry enough to eat anything that doesn’t run away from him.”
Laughing, Aundy set down the lamb. She and Nik fed him then the boy started to pick up Butter to take him back to the flock.
“You can leave him here, if you like.” Aundy waved her hand toward a grassy spot in the shade of a tree in the yard. We’ll close the gate on the yard and he should be fine, don’t you think?”
“He might make a mess of your flower beds,” Nik said, shaking his head. “I think I should take him back.”
“Oh, he’ll be fine. If he causes too much trouble, I’ll bring him out to you,” Aundy said, realizing it was almost noon. “Would you like to eat lunch with me before you go back out?”
“Are you sure, ma’am? I don’t want to leave Bob in charge for too long.” Nik glanced nervously toward the pasture where his dog kept watch over the sheep.
“It will just take a moment to make sandwiches.” Aundy motioned to the lamb. “Why don’t you wash up and I’ll bring the food out here. We can eat on the porch and keep an eye on Butter.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nik smiled then headed around to the pump on the side of the house.
Aundy returned carrying a tray laden with sandwiches, glasses of milk, and cookies. She asked a blessing on the food then she and Nik talked while they ate.
She asked his thoughts on the hands who wanted to work for her. Nik said he liked them and they always worked hard for Mr. O’Connell. They were used to working around the sheep, so they could help as needed.
Appreciative of his honesty, Aundy was grateful the men would arrive that evening. Her hands were doing more than their share as it was and she knew she needed to hire someone to cook for them. She didn’t want to be tied to the kitchen and it was going to be impossible to learn to manage the farm if she was the one who prepared two big meals a day for the men.
Since her other advertisement was for farm hands, she decided to place an ad for a cook in the newspaper. She hoped someone would respond to it. If not, she was going to have to resign herself to cooking for hands.
“Thank you for the meal, Mrs. Erickson.” Nik helped himself to one more cookie and gulped down the last of his milk. He carried the tray inside the house then followed her outside. Nik picked up Butter and took him back to the flock for the afternoon.
Aundy waved at Nik as he whistled his way back to the sheep. She counted her blessings over his arrival. Although he’d spent the last four years without any parental guidance, he was a sweet boy with a positive outlook on life. It was hard not to smile when you heard his happy whistle floating out on the breeze.
After washing the lunch dishes, Aundy changed into a riding skirt and shirtwaist with a light jacket. She took down her hair and braided it then tied a ribbon on the end. She pulled on her boots and ran out the kitchen door to the barn, carrying a basket of cookies.
Quickly saddling Bell, she headed toward the road and waved at George as he worked on a fence near pasture across from the house. In no time, she turned up the lane to Nash’s Folly, rode past the house, and dismounted.
Aundy walked Bell to the barn. One of the hands greeted her and took the horse’s reins, encouraging her to go on to the house. She raised her hand to knock on the kitchen door but it swung open and Nora greeted her with a cheery smile.
“How is the shepherdess?” Nora teased, pulling her inside with a hug.
“Fine.” Aundy set her basket on the table and removed her jacket, leaving it on a peg by the back door. “How’s Mr. Hong?”
“Much better.” Nora peeked into the basket and took out a cookie. “He insists we call him Li, or at the very least Hong, but no mister.”
“Oh. That’s interesting.” Aundy glanced around Nora’s tidy kitchen. The smells of a roast cooking filled the air with a rich, beefy scent. Belatedly, she realized she should have put something in the oven for supper.
“What’s that look for?” Nora asked, catching the frown that passed across Aundy’s face.
“I need to hire a cook for the men. They’ve been taking turns, but they are so busy I’ve started cooking two meals for them. I can’t learn what I need to about farming and cook for them all, too. I don’t know what to do.”
“Why don’t you put another advertisement in the newspaper and leave a notice at the post office?” Nora asked, walking with Aundy toward the bedroom where Li Hong stayed.
“I can, but it didn’t work very well the last time.”
“I know, honey, but maybe someone new is in town who’d like to cook for you, or maybe someone’s situation has changed and they need a job,” Nora said as they sauntered down the hall. Li sat up in bed, looking much improved, when they stepped into the room. Although his eye was still swollen and bruised, he had it open a slit.
“Hello, Mr. Hong.” Aundy stood at the foot of the bed. “I wanted to see how you’re doing today.”
“Better.” Li nodded his head at Aundy. “Call me Li.”
“Okay, Li, but only if you call me Aundy.”
The man grinned and tried to say her name, which sounded like Audee.
Aundy smiled at him encouragingly.
“You need cook?” Li asked, having heard most of the conversation between the two women on their way to his room. He understood far more English than he could verbalize.
“Yes, I do need a cook. Do you know one?” Aundy cast a hopeful gaze his direction.
“Me.”
“You? Oh, well, I…”
“I can cook. Good cook. Make good things.” Li nodded his head so enthusiastically, Aundy was afraid he’d make his injuries worse.
“What can you cook?” Aundy asked. Her men would not be excited at the prospect of eating Chinese food on a regular basis.
“Anything. Everything. Li good cook.” The man stared hopefully at the women. “Need job, you need cook.” He pointed at Aundy.
“Can you make meat and potatoes? Biscuits? Bacon and eggs?”
“Yes. Cook American food.” Li waved his hands to emphasize his words. “I cook anything.”
Aundy looked at Nora and shrugged her shoulders.
“You get well and we’ll see about trying you out as a cook. If the men don’t complain, you can stay. Does that sound fair?”
“Yes.” Li grinned broadly, at least as broadly as he could with his wounded face.
“You work on healing, then, because we are in dire need of a cook.” Aundy smiled kindly at the man. She had a good feeling about him, even if he hadn’t exposed who beat him or what happened.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, although you might not thank me after you meet the hungry men at my place.”
Aundy and Nora returned to the kitchen, visiting for a while. When Aundy announced it was time for her to go home, Nora took the cookies out of the basket and set them on a plate. She placed a wrapped loaf of fresh bread in Aundy’s basket and held her jacket while she slipped it on.
“You should come see the sheep, Nora. We have one baby we’re bottle-feeding and he’s adorable. I named him Butter,” Aundy said as she prepared to go out the door.
“I’ll be over soon, honey. If you need anything, though, you let us know,” Nora said as she walked with Aundy down the back steps.
“I will. Thank you.” Aundy hugged her friend before hurrying out to the barn. No one was around when she walked in, so she located Bell and led the horse outside to mount when Garrett came around the corner, almost bumping into her.
“Well, hello.” Garrett shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from wrapping his arms around Aundy and kissing her. “What brings you by today?”
“I wanted to check on Li and I brought over some cookies for Nora to try. I was experimenting with a recipe and wanted her opinion.”
“Cookies?” Garrett perked up at the thought of baked goods. Aundy made the best cookies. He’d have to find an excuse to run inside the house and grab some before his dad ate them all.
“You’re worse than a child.” Aundy’s laugh resonated from Garrett’s ears all the way down to the bottom of his heart, drawing out a warm smile.
“Maybe.” He walked with her across the barnyard toward the lane leading back to the road. “How are things going today? The sheep settled in? Nik doing fine?”
“Yes. Nik is such a sweet boy and the sheep seem so docile. Fred has decided to stay, for now, and the two new hands should arrive this evening. Other than some unexpected visitors this morning, everything is fine.”
“Unexpected visitors?”
“Nothing to be concerned about.” Marvin Tooley’s threats had her worried and a little nervous. Would he really do something to her sheep? “I better get home, though.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were here sooner. I’d have come in while you were visiting Ma.” Garrett easily lifted her to the saddle. Aundy would have expressed her ability to get herself on the back of Bell without his assistance, but she liked the feel of his hands on her waist too much to protest.
“Then I wouldn’t have gotten to visit with Nora and she wouldn’t have been able to tell me what a naughty little boy you were,” Aundy teased.
“Were? I thought the two of you decided weeks ago I’m still a naughty boy.” The devilish grin on his face made heat climb up her neck and fill her cheeks.
“You’re impossible.” She shook her head and laughed again.
“That I am.” Garrett admired the way her riding skirt fit her tall figure as well as the way she sat on the horse as she started down the lane. “I’ll see you later.”
Aundy waved and urged Bell into a canter.
She raced the horse home as fast as she dared. After brushing down Bell and giving her a portion of her evening feed, Aundy hurried inside the house. Hastily changing back into her dress and tying on a clean apron, she set about preparing dinner for the men. Dent and the hands were out doing fieldwork and would arrive for dinner bone-tired. Aundy told Dent that morning to bring in everyone for the evening meal.
Aundy rushed to dish up the food as the sound of boots outside the kitchen door let her know the men were on time for supper.
Although they weren’t rowdy, they walked in laughing and teasing each other. She smiled at their good-natured ribbing as she scooped the last of the mashed potatoes into a bowl.
A loud knock sounded from the front door.
“Should I get that, Missy?” Dent asked. At Aundy’s nod, he disappeared toward the front of the house.
Aundy heard low voices then footsteps approaching the kitchen. Her new hands arrived in time to eat. It was a good thing she’d prepared plenty of food.
“Bill, would you place two more plates on the table, please?” Aundy asked, then set out more silverware and coffee mugs for the new arrivals. She turned to the newly hired men and offered them a warm smile. “Welcome, gentlemen. Please join us for supper.”
“We didn’t mean to intrude, ma’am,” the taller of the two said. They looked with both hunger and uncertainty at the loaded table as they stood holding their hats in their hands.
“No intrusion.” Aundy motioned them toward the table. “Glen, if you and George could carry in a couple of chairs from the dining room, we should be able to squeeze everyone in.”
Carefully wiping her hands on her apron, Aundy approached her newest employees. “Please, tell me your names again. I apologize, but in all the excitement yesterday, I seem to have forgotten.”
“That’s okay, ma’am,” the shorter one said, his brown eyes filled with humor. “It was kind of hard to hear yourself think with all of the hubbub going on. I’m Lem Perkins and this is Hank Lawson.”
“Nice to meet you both.” Aundy politely nodded to each of them. “Why don’t you wash at the sink and then have a seat? You can get settled in the bunkhouse after we eat.”
“Yes, ma’am.” They didn’t need to be asked twice to sit down to a hot meal.
Conversation was lively as they ate. When the meal was finished, Aundy asked Dent to stay for a few minutes. He helped her clear the table, discussing what work needed to be completed the following day, and how he thought the sheep and Nik were doing.
“Do you think Nik would be receptive to being tutored?” Aundy asked, up to her elbows in dishwater.
“Tutored? What for?” Dent wiped off the kitchen table with a rag.
“He’s such a bright boy, but it’s obvious his education is severely lacking. I assume he probably hasn’t had any schooling since his parents died. With a sharp mind like his, he could do better for himself than being a shepherd all his life.”
“He does seem like a good kid and he is smart, at least from what I’ve seen.” Dent carried the two extra chairs back to the dining room then returned to lean against the counter. “But he spends all his time out with the sheep. Even insists on sleeping out there with them. How do you propose to teach him? You can’t sit out there in the sheep pasture with him.”
Aundy refrained from saying she could if she wanted to and offered another solution. “Could one of the men watch the sheep for an hour or two each evening? Nik could stay after supper and work on his book learning while I do dishes and get things ready for the following day.”
“Don’t see anything wrong with that, but you won’t get Fred out there,” Dent said with a grin.
“Thank you for pointing out the obvious.” Aundy smiled at her foreman. “Do you think we need to hire another shepherd?”
“No. I think Nik can handle the sheep just fine. We don’t have too much problem with coyotes around here. Once he and the sheep settle in, I think he’ll realize he doesn’t have to watch over them day and night.” Dent walked to the door, then turned back to look at her. “I’ll have Lem and Hank take turns with the sheep in the evenings for now, provided you can talk Nik into being your student.”
“Thank you, Dent. I’ll speak with Nik tomorrow.”
Aundy listened to Nik recite his multiplication tables while she washed the dishes one evening.
Although reluctant to leave his sheep, the boy proved to be an eager student and jumped into his studies with enthusiasm. Aundy had been tutoring him in the evenings for the last week and the arrangement worked well. The hands took turns keeping an eye on the sheep while Nik stayed in the house after supper. Even Fred had taken a turn without much complaint.
Dent claimed he caught Nik conjugating verbs that afternoon when he rode by to check on him. The other men had mentioned that Nik talked constantly about something new he’d learned.
Grateful for her mother’s inheritance that had paid for her, Ilsa, and Lars to receive a good education, Aundy dug through her things and found one of her old school books. A raid of Erik’s bookshelves provided more material for Nik to study. As soon as she went to town, Aundy planned to order more educational supplies for the boy.
And buy him some new clothes.
His pants were too short, his shirtsleeves hit inches away from his wrists, and his shoes were worn completely through. She wondered that Mr. O’Connell didn’t provide better for the boy. When she asked Nik about it, he shrugged his shoulders and said he was just the shepherd. Since he spent most of his time with the sheep, they didn’t care about his appearance.
“Let’s work on your spelling,” Aundy said as she began drying the clean dishes and putting them away. She would say a word and Nik would spell it. He got about half of them correct. The ones he did not, she made him write on a sheet of paper. With the dictionary she found in Erik’s things, Nik was supposed to look up the definition of each word and learn it, along with the proper spelling.
“Very good, Nik,” Aundy said, when he spelled the last three words correctly. “I think that’s enough learning tonight.”
“Please, may I study a little while longer?” Nik picked up a copy of Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.
“Yes, you may.” Aundy smiled indulgently as Nik lost himself in the adventure. She had no idea he would be so excited for the opportunity to further his education. It was like pouring water into a bottomless pitcher. He never seemed to tire of learning. She wondered, with the right opportunities, what career Nik would choose. A mind as sharp as his shouldn’t be wasted sitting in a pasture watching sheep. “Why don’t you read aloud and I’ll enjoy the story, too.”
Nik grinned at her and returned to the beginning of the chapter he read. She listened to Nik’s voice and mixed up a batch of molasses cookies. The rich, spicy dough filled the kitchen with a delicious scent. Aundy made a cup of tea and sat at the table, enjoying the story while the cookies baked.
After removing the cookies from the oven, Aundy let them cool slightly before putting three on a plate. She poured a tall glass of milk, setting the snack by Nik. Although still thin, he seemed to be filling out a little with plenty of good food. She ruffled his hair as she stood by his chair. He grinned at her again then continued the story, stopping only to take a bite of cookie or a drink of milk.
They were both lost in the adventure when Aundy heard a loud thump on the front porch. She and Nik hurried to the door, opening it to find a small bundle of wool blazing with flame.
Aundy bit back a scream and glared at a rider clad all in black on a dark horse. In the shadows of late evening, she couldn’t distinguish any features.
“Git rid a them stinking sheep, woman, or ya’ll be sorry,” the man’s voice yelled before he thundered down her lane.
Nik kicked the burning ball of wool off the porch into the grass and Aundy ran to the kitchen to get a pitcher of water. Nik tried stomping the flames, but the kerosene-soaked wool was nearly impossible to extinguish. In the damp grass, it wouldn’t spread, so he watched it smolder, pulling the collar of his shirt over his nose to try to filter the stench of the burning fiber.
“Aundy? What is this? Would someone hurt you or our sheep?” Nik stood beside her when she returned with the water. She grasped his hand in hers, hoping it would comfort them both.
“I don’t know, Nik,” she said, distressed by the threat. She turned to go back inside the house when Dent and Bill ran into the yard.
“Thought we heard something.” Dent tried to catch his breath as he took in Aundy and Nik’s frightened faces and the scorched smell of wool. “What happened?”
“Some man threw that wool on fire at the door then yelled at Aundy to get rid of the sheep or she’d be sorry. They won’t really hurt her or the sheep, will they?” Nik looked at Dent for reassurance.
“Of course not, Nik. We won’t let anything happen.” Dent stepped onto the porch and patted the boy on the back. “Why don’t you gather your things and call it a night.”
“Yes, sir.” Nik cast one more glance at Aundy before he went into the house.
“Who do you think it was, Missy?” Dent waited to see if Aundy would fall apart. She had a strong backbone and not much rattled her, but most women would have been in hysterics by now.
“I don’t know, Dent. He was dressed all in black, his horse was dark in coloring and with it being almost dark out, I just couldn’t tell. I didn’t recognize his voice either. It was higher-pitched than Marvin Tooley’s, because he made a similar threat the other day.”
“He did?” Dent wondered why Aundy hadn’t imparted that information sooner. He heard some of the neighbors grumbling about Aundy bringing sheep into the area, but most of them would get over it and forget they were there in a few weeks. Honestly, he thought Aundy had a good idea with the sheep. So far, they’d been easy to care for, especially with Nik’s constant watch over them. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to worry anyone. Besides, I don’t think he’d actually do anything.”
“You never know with him, Missy. He’s a little unpredictable.” Dent recalled any number of odd things that had happened over the years since Marvin lost his family and changed into a different man. He thought they should at least give Marvin’s threat some consideration. “If he comes around again, you let one of us know right away.”
“Giving orders now, are you?” A smile tugged up the corners of Aundy’s mouth. She and Dent both knew he was essentially in charge. At least until she learned what she needed to know to successfully manage the farm. Even then, Dent would still be the one giving orders and laying down the law to the men.
“Durn right I am,” Dent said, still unsettled by what had happened. If someone truly had it out for Aundy and the sheep, he worried about what they would do next.