Chapter 7
Evie joined her parents at the breakfast table. Upstairs was absolute chaos with her siblings running in what seemed to be twenty different directions even though there were only nine people involved. Twelve if you counted the various staff members.
“Good morning, my dear,” Mother said as Evie paused by her chair to kiss her cheek.
“Good morning, Mother. Father.” Evie wondered if perhaps she should just tell them about her issues with nursing.
It wasn’t like it would take all that long, and with the coming onslaught of people for breakfast, none of them could long keep it the topic of conversation.
Of course, they’d want to talk about it later.
“Morning, everyone,” Evan said, dashing into the room like a man on a mission.
He grabbed two pieces of buttered toast and headed for the door.
“Sorry I can’t stay. Evie, I’ll be here exactly at ten to pick you up.
We’ll pick up Max Garrison on the way and then meet up with Carl and the others and drive over to the lake. ”
Evie didn’t even get a chance to acknowledge him. He was already gone when she looked up.
“Well, he was certainly in a hurry,” Father said, looking over the edge of his newspaper. “It would appear he has something important to accomplish. And what’s this about going to the lake?”
“Just something Evan put together for a few of us,” Evie replied, taking her seat. “He wanted to spend the day with Christina, so it worked to his advantage.”
“And Max Garrison is joining you?” Mother asked. “That’s something new.”
“Yes.” Evie placed her napkin on her lap. “We both enjoyed meeting Max and thought it might be fun to include him.”
“So, it would seem with the others matched together, Max will be your escort,” Mother stated more than asked.
“I suppose so.” Evie smiled. “I enjoyed his company last night. He doesn’t seem at all offended nor intimidated by my intelligence, which is quite refreshing.”
Father snickered from behind his paper at this.
Evie heard voices coming down the hall getting louder and louder. The Turner children were hungry and well rested. All normal discussion came to a screeching halt, and Father put aside his paper knowing what was soon to come.
First into the room was Jared. At nine years of age, he was often the first to make his presence known. He bounced all the way over to their mother and wrapped his arms around her.
“Good morning, Mother!” he shouted. “We’re going horseback riding today!”
“Yes, I know,” Mother replied, hugging him close. “I don’t need to ask if you’re excited.”
“I’m so excited. Horses are the very best. I’m going to have two hundred horses when I get older.” He peeled himself off her and ran to his father’s open arms. Hugging him quickly, Jared then plopped into the chair beside him. “Why can’t you come riding too?”
Before Evie heard what her father had to say about the matter, she saw Jim and Abigail enter the room in some rapid-fire discussion.
The two were both fifteen, with Abigail having been adopted just days after James, who preferred to be called Jim, was born.
When Mother had heard about the orphaned infant girl whose mother had died at Bethany Home, she’d insisted they had room and ability to raise her alongside their son.
After all, Mother had dealt with twins before.
There was a closeness between Jim and Abigail that was rivaled only by Evie and Evan.
They were seldom all that far away from each other, and their glances and nods reminded Evie of how she and Evan often communicated.
She smiled when they glanced her way. Each murmured a greeting as if realizing they had been far too consumed with their own conversation.
Next came Meri. She took a seat as thirteen-year-old Penelope and eleven-year-old Winifred went to kiss their mother.
Mother, ever attentive, looked over their hair and riding habits before nodding in approval. “You two are quite lovely today. Are you looking forward to your riding lessons?”
“Yes, Mama,” Winifred said, unfolding her napkin. “But I wish I could ride astride like Jared and Jim. They can go really fast, but I can’t.”
“Ladies ride side saddle, my dear. It’s just the way things are done.”
Evie smiled at her little sister. Winifred was another of those adopted into the brood, but she so completely shared Evie and Mother’s features that everyone assumed she was born to the Turners.
Penelope, on the other hand, had an unusual tint of red to her brown hair.
Mother said it harkened back to a great-uncle on her mother’s side.
Evie rather admired it and sometimes wished she could have been the one to inherit that little bit of difference.
The rest of the boys finally made their way into the dining room.
Andrew, at twenty, was dashingly handsome.
Single young ladies all over Minneapolis and St. Paul made certain that he received invitations to their parties and dances, just as they did Evan.
Andrew’s interests at the moment, however, were solely on school.
He was certain that his calling lay somewhere in medicine, but he hadn’t quite yet decided where.
He and Father spent a great deal of time in discussion on the matter.
It would seem surgical interests were currently winning.
Nineteen-year-old Jacob had been adopted into the family at six months of age after the rest of his family had been lost in a fire.
The blond-haired, blue-eyed boy had suffered several burns on his back.
Mother had taken one look at him and told Father that he needed them and they needed him.
Jacob was soft-spoken and gentle and much preferred animals to people.
At an early age, he had announced his desire to be an animal doctor.
Soon he’d be eastward bound for the New York College of Veterinarian Surgeons.
“Now that we’re finally in place,” Father announced, “let me offer up grace.”
“That’s a rhyme, Father,” Jared said, laughing. One look from Father, however, silenced him, and the boy bowed his head.
Father prayed a quick blessing and had barely uttered “Amen” when the food began to be passed in quick order around the dining room table.
Evie helped Jared with the larger platters but made certain to praise him for his strength.
He wanted very much to be grown up like his brothers and had even told their mother that he would like to no longer be the youngest in the family.
Mother told him that was impossible to change unless God brought more children into their family. Jared was not pleased.
“I have a bit of fun to announce,” Father said, glancing at Mother. She nodded and smiled.
“What is it, Father?” Jared asked as he was always inclined to do.
“There’s a circus performance a week from Monday that I thought we might all like to attend. The Forepaugh Show is widely known as one of the very best with over six hundred employees. It’s quite the production and scheduled to arrive in town next Sunday.”
“A circus!” Jared said, clapping his hands. “I want to go!”
“Do you even know what a circus is?” Penelope asked in a tone that suggested she knew he didn’t.
Jared frowned. “I know. It has animals and clowns. Nanny read me a book about a circus. You’d be surprised what I know.” He jerked his chin up as if to emphasize his authority.
Penelope was neatly put in her place. Evie might have laughed at the look on her sister’s face, but it seemed she’d already received her comeuppance.
“That is indeed part of what a circus is and so much more,” Father continued. “I have secured us tickets.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Jacob said, sliding several sausages onto this plate. “We haven’t been to a circus in a very, very long time. Count me in.”
There were comments from the other children, mostly in favor. Meri didn’t think it sounded at all exciting, but she was usually quite particular these days about her outings.
“Meri, did you enjoy the party last night?” Evie asked.
“I did.” Her sister perked up at this. “I met some very nice people. In particular, I was impressed with Ian Smith. He’s related to the Washburns and interested in their flour milling industry.
He plans to be at a party I’ve been invited to next week, so we thought we might have a chance to speak again. ”
“Perhaps if you still find him of interest, we could invite him over for our family night on Friday.”
Meri smiled and put jam on her toast. “I thought that might be possible as well.”
Evie had to smile. Meri had spoken to their parents about remaining home instead of going to college and found them quite accepting of the idea.
Already Meri was much happier and more like her old self.
Of course, Evie was really still getting to know everyone again.
After being gone for most of four years, Evie found they had all grown up considerably while she’d been away.
She felt a definite distance. Hopefully, that would fade now that she was home.
“Evie, you’re different now,” Jared said amidst the roomful of conversations.
“How strange of you to say so. I was just thinking the same about all of you.”
Jared frowned for a moment. “I am a lot older now. Next month, I’ll be ten.”
“And I’ll be twenty-two.” Evie winked. “I think we should do something special to celebrate our September birthdays.”
“Your birthday is Evan’s birthday too,” Jared reminded her.
“Yes, you’re right. So perhaps the three of us should have an outing together.”
“Maybe we could go for a very long horseback ride. I love to ride, and we could ride way out to one of the lakes and go camping. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
It sounded abominable to her, but she didn’t want to hurt Jared’s feelings. “That could be a lot of fun, but we could also take a boat ride down the river and spend the day. Just think of the adventure we might have.”
His eyes widened. “That does sound like fun. I could bring my binoculars. I might even see Indians.”