Chapter Three
After finishing at Sally’s, Josie rushed home to finish her chores for the day. She knew she needed to have a hot supper on the table if she didn’t want to make Jack angry.
Thankfully, someone had dropped by and left meat—though she was unsure what kind it was—and potatoes on the table.
She decided to do something she’d seen her mother do a dozen times.
She chopped up the meat into bite sized pieces and dropped them into a pot.
After browning the meat, which she thought was venison, she added water as well as onions and potatoes.
Hopefully it would turn into a stew. If not, it would be a soup. At least Jack had said he wasn’t picky!
While the soup—or stew—simmered on the stove, she took the clothes off the line and carried them in, folding them on the table and putting them away. She was glad that all of Jack’s clothes were dirty because that meant she could arrange the drawers in a way that suited her.
She found a bucket and a scrub brush, and after sweeping the floors, she mopped them carefully. She knew better than to leave a speck of dirt anywhere. She’d seen how her mother had been treated when she’d made cleaning mistakes.
Actually, the reason she was such a good housekeeper was because she would go behind her mother and make sure everything was perfect. Her mother would be beaten for something else most evenings, but at least Josie helped as much as she could.
As soon as she was finished scrubbing the floor, she checked on the soup. Taking one small taste, she made a face. It was terribly bland. She quickly added salt to the soup and mixed together some flour and water to thicken the whole mess. She had no idea if it would work, but it was worth trying.
While the pot continued to simmer, she pulled out the pattern for making mukluks. There were several sizes on the pattern, and she decided she would use the size closest to his current boot size.
Jack opened the door a few minutes earlier than she’d expected, and he sniffed. “Something smells good.”
“I hope it is good. I don’t even know what kind of meat I used, but I did my best.”
He hung his jacket on a hook and looked around. “You’ve done a lot today! Did you work out what you wanted to do with your friends?”
“Not yet. I’m foraging until there’s no forage left, and then I’ll figure something else out.
I may knit or sew, or something like that.
” She put away the pattern she’d been looking at and served them each a bowl of whatever it was she’d made.
She really didn’t know if it was a soup or a stew, or just some mess, but she’d made an effort.
Putting the meal on the table, she asked, “Coffee? Milk? Water?”
“Coffee would be nice,” he said.
She had a pot on the stove, just in case that had been his answer. She quickly poured two cups of coffee and sat down. He said a quick prayer, and then they each took tentative bites of the food.
Josie was surprised that it wasn’t horrible. It was edible, and that seemed to be all he cared about. She had gone a little overboard on the salt. She’d be more careful next time.
“This is good!” Jack said. “I thought you said you couldn’t cook.”
“I can’t! I just threw things into the pot and prayed it would be edible. I don’t even know if I should call it a soup or a stew.”
He grinned. “I call it tasty.”
She grinned. “My friend Myrtle will be baking bread for us every day and a dessert every other day. That will make things much easier.”
“I won’t argue with that at all. It looks like you had a busy day.”
She nodded. “I did. I’m not one to sit with idle hands if I can help it.”
“I couldn’t have cleaned the house this well if I’d had a month to do it. I’m impressed.” Jack could feel that she was nervous around him, and he’d decided at work that day to look for ways to compliment her to help her feel more at ease. “Tell me about your childhood.”
She smiled, her gaze distant. “My father died when I was two. My mother remarried almost immediately, and I was raised by my mother and stepfather. He was a wealthy man.”
“Did you go to school?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. My mother went on to have four more children with my stepfather. I have a sister, Stella, who is three years younger than me. We shared a room until I moved out to work at the hotel.”
“Why didn’t you stay home?”
Josie shook her head. “Enough about me. How was work today?”
He frowned. There was something she was hiding, but he felt it was too soon to push for answers. “It was good. I traded all my sawmill days for logging days with Aaron. He brought you all, and I think it’s only fair. I’m not sure if the other men will do the same, but I hope so.”
“Do you prefer sawmill or logging?” she asked.
“Logging. And Aaron prefers sawmill. It gets cold in the winter, but it’ll be fine.”
“That reminds me,” she said. “I need you to let me measure your boots later. I’m making you some mukluks, and I want to be sure I get the size right.”
His eyes widened. “You’re making me shoes?”
She nodded. “I don’t want your toes to freeze off. I noticed your boots have a few holes.”
“You could make mukluks for the store as well, if you enjoy it. Most of the men wear their boots much longer than they should.”
“We’ll see how I like it before I commit,” she said with a smile.
“Good idea.” He pushed his bowl away. “I can’t eat another bite, but it was good.”
“There’s enough left that I could put it in a jar for your lunch tomorrow.”
“I would like that a lot.”
“Consider it done.” She stood and cleared the table, getting the dishes done right away.
He sat and watched her work. She was a skittish little thing, but when she got used to being married to him, he was sure she’d make a good wife.
When she’d finished the dishes, she went back to the table and asked him to remove one of his boots. She put the pattern on the table and compared sizes. “I know which size to make. Would you mind if I started working on it now? Or would you like me to wait until tomorrow?”
“Which would you prefer?” he asked. “I don’t mind either way.”
She looked at him skeptically for a moment. “Are you certain? My stepfather hated it if Mother did chores when he was around. He thought she should give him her full attention.”
Jack blinked a few times. No wonder she was nervous. “I don’t mind either way. If you need the time tomorrow to work on other things, get started tonight. I’m excited to have new boots that I won’t have to pay for. The cost of everything here is so high because everything has to be shipped in.”
“I can’t start tonight!” She laughed softly. “I need to get some deer hide from Belle before I start a project like this.”
He smiled. “That’s fine.”
She stood and put the pattern with the right size marked on it in a basket on the floor. Then she reached for her knitting needles. “I thought I’d make you matching gloves, scarf, and hat for the winter.”
“I’d love that. But you don’t have to make everything for me. You can make some things for yourself instead.”
“You’ll work outside more than I will, so you need warm clothes sooner.” Josie was surprised he’d mentioned her at all. Didn’t he realize that she needed to cater to him as his wife? He’d obviously been raised very differently than she had.
“I suppose that’s fair.”
“What were your parents like?” she asked.
“My family was odd compared to other families around us. We lived in Seattle, and my mother worked as a lawyer. My father did all the cooking and cleaning. He couldn’t see well, and it made sense for my mother to work. People all thought we were strange, but I felt it was perfectly normal.”
“I’ve never heard of a woman lawyer! Or a man who took care of his home and children. How very strange.” Josie loved the idea. The woman would suddenly have some power in the relationship and not be expected to do whatever her husband said.
“I thought all lawyers were women for a long time,” he said. “When I met a male lawyer, I thought there was something wrong with him. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized just how different my family was.”
“I would love to meet your parents someday.”
“My mother would love you,” he said. “You’re trying to build a business with your friends. She’d respect that. My father would too, but Mother would be a lot more vocal about it. She’s a suffragette.”
“And that doesn’t bother you?” Josie asked, shocked at the mere idea of a woman being a suffragette. Sure, she’d read about them, but she didn’t personally know anyone who was acquainted with a suffragette.
“Why should it? I believe a woman can do almost any job a man can.”
“Almost?”
Jack smiled. “I think a woman would have a hard time doing what I do. The labor is very physical, and most women aren’t tall and strong enough.”
Josie nodded. “I’m not nearly strong enough.”
“But look what you did with the cabin today! You have strengths that I don’t.”
“I never thought of it that way.”
“Trust me. You are exactly what I needed in a wife. I’m glad you’re finally here.”
“I am too.” Josie was honest with him, but she still wasn’t certain he was going to continue to be a good man with her. What if he had a temper like her stepfather?
When it was time for bed that evening, Josie clung to the opposite side of the mattress as she had the night before. He looked over at her and shook his head. “If tonight is anything like last night, you’ll be asleep on top of me within the hour.”
She blushed, thankful for the darkness. “I wasn’t aware you knew...”
He chuckled. “I sure did. And just so you know? You can use me as a mattress anytime.”
“Thank you?”
“You’re welcome.”
*****
Josie rose early and made breakfast. While her toast was in the oven, she filled a jar with the leftovers from supper the night before.
Apparently, she would have the morning free to take care of household chores, but she would have lunch with her friends at Maggie’s house before foraging all afternoon.
She was happy to know what was expected of her, but she worried Jack would decide she was spending too much time out of the house.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t be angry with her.
As soon as he’d left for the day, she washed the dishes and picked up her knitting needles. She wanted Jack to have the necessities to keep him warm throughout the winter.
When it was half past eleven, she deposited her knitting into a basket and dressed warmly. She took a large basket to put the forage she found into.
She arrived at Maggie’s just a little early, and she happily picked up Maggie’s crying baby. “Your mama will be done soon,” Josie said. Maggie was cooking lunch for them.
It wasn’t long before the cabin was filled with eight women, two babies, and laughter. “I brought bread!” Myrtle said.
“Thank goodness,” Josie replied. “I used all the bread I got from the store yesterday for breakfast this morning.”
All of the women happily accepted their bread, and half the women got dessert. Myrtle sat close to Josie. “How is everything with your new husband?”
“He’s...not at all what I expected. He’s kind. At least he seems to be so far. My mother didn’t receive beatings until she’d been married for a year and had a girl and not a boy.”
“Just remember, you don’t have to let him hit you. Elizabeth Tandy offered to send ship and train fare if any of us were mistreated.”
“I know. I really don’t want to ask her to do that, though.” Josie took a deep breath. “He didn’t even complain about supper. Someone put meat on my table, and I turned it into a soupish stewish thing. He said it was good.”
“We need to work on some cooking lessons.”
“I bought a book of receipts from the store yesterday. I’ll be coming to you with questions often.”
Myrtle grinned. “I’ll answer every one of them.”
After lunch, they all scattered. Josie was again with Sally, and they foraged together. “When we’re done today, we’re going to take the forage to Maggie’s to divide. Belle will bring us all meat for our suppers. Usually, she brings everyone the same thing, but sometimes she brings choices.”
“Since I don’t know how to cook or know what my husband enjoys, I’ll take whatever I can get and pray that I can find a receipt in my brand-new cookbook.”
Sally chuckled. “Any one of us would be happy to teach you to cook.”
“I’ll probably have Myrtle teach me,” Josie said. “She’s very talented in the kitchen!”
“And I know the two of you are very close. Do you think she’ll really start a bakery?”
Josie nodded emphatically. “Myrtle never thinks about doing something for long. She’s too eager to start whatever it is.” She had always looked up to Myrtle, and she wanted to be more like her.
“That’s so true,” Sally said, shaking her head. “She’s kind of scary sometimes, don’t you think?”
“She’s scary? I heard you grew an incredible garden, started a pig farm, and fished for salmon!”
Sally laughed. “I gave up the salmon. Agnes is taking that chore from me.”
“Still...You knew when you got here what you wanted to do. I hope I can figure out what I’ll do soon!”
“You will. Trust me.”