CHAPTER 3
Rowena
“Miss, Jerry and Eliza can’t come to school today.” The little gap-toothed girl with blonde braids looked up at Rowena with a frown.
“Why not, Jessica?” Rowena knew it was common for children to stay home when their families needed help.
The little girl suddenly looked shy. “They have no food or firewood,” she said reluctantly, then scampered off to play in the snow with the other children.
Rowena had noted the absence of the two children, but it hadn’t occurred to her that something might be wrong. Their father had been ill; perhaps the family needed help. She would make inquiries.
That afternoon, she was waiting when Jake drew to a stop outside the schoolyard, the sleigh whispering over the mud-spattered snow.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted, jumping down to help her get settled as he always did. “How was your day?”
“It went smoothly enough, thank you,” she answered. “How was yours?”
He grimaced. “I had a broken saw that caused quite a delay, but apart from that, it went well enough.”
She bit her lip. “Could we … could we go somewhere else before we go home?” she asked.“Would that be inappropriate?”
He looked at her in surprise. “Where do you need to go?”
“To the Jasper farm. Little Jessica told me that the children didn’t come to school today because they have no food and no wood. She lives next door. I’d like to check on them; their father has been ill, and perhaps the family needs help.”
Jake’s forehead creased in concern. “Of course. I didn’t know about it or I’d have already gone out to check on them. We can’t take winter lightly in these parts. Folks have been known to starve or freeze to death because they’ve been alone. Under the circumstances, I believe it would be appropriate. But to be sure, let’s ask Mrs. Hill if she would go with us. She’ll know what to do if they’re sick.”
“All right,” Rowena agreed.
A few minutes later, Jake stopped the sleigh outside the modest wooden cottage on the town’s main street. “I’ll ask her,” he said, jumping down from the sleigh.
Rowena waited as he went to the front door. She couldn’t quite see what was happening, but she heard voices and then a moment later, Jake was back.
“Mrs. Hill is checking on a man who fell ill yesterday,” he said. He frowned, looking up at the sky. “She won’t be long, but as much as I’d like to wait for her to return, I’d like to get out there before darkness falls. Would that be acceptable?”
Rowena thought for a moment. “And as much as I’d like to have her with us, it’s more important to reach this family if they need help,” she decided.
“All right. We don’t know what we’ll need or how long it might take,” Jake agreed. “It’s best if we go sooner rather than later.” He glanced sideways at her. “And you need to be the one to go since it was one of your students who raised the alarm.”
“I just hope we can help them,” Rowena said as Jake flicked the reins and the horses moved smoothly down the road. Their harness bells jingled in the frosty air, and the sleigh runners whispered and creaked across the snow as the horses’ hooves made muffled thuds on the soft surface.
Rowena took a deep breath, glad to clear her head after a day of children’s chatter and making decisions over a thousand minor matters. The air was so clean and crisp, and despite the low cloud hanging overhead, it was good to be outdoors. Jake’s warm bulk was nestled beside her; his solid shoulder pressed against hers, and she resisted the urge to lay her head against it and rest.
They left the town and headed down the road towards the Jasper farm. It wasn’t long before they passed through the belt of forest on the lower reaches of the mountain and they soon reached a clearing with a cabin, a barn, and outbuildings. There was no smoke rising from the chimney and Rowena knew Jessica was right. This family was certainly in need.
“Harold! Are you there?” Jake called, stomping onto the front porch, his boots covered in snow.
There was no answer for a long moment, and sudden fear struck Rowena’s heart. Were they too late?
But after what seemed like an eternity, the door opened a crack, and Rowena heard a child’s voice. She scrambled down from the sleigh and made her way to Jake’s side.
“It’s me, Miss Williams,” she said gently, hoping her voice would make the child on the other side feel more at ease.
The door opened then, and young Jerry stood there, his fair hair rumpled and a smear of dirt on one cheek. Eliza peeked from behind him, tear stains on her little face, and in the background, Rowena could hear a toddler crying. Jerry was visibly cold, shivering as the frigid air from outside hit him.
“What’s wrong, Jerry?” she asked gently. “We came to see if you need anything.”
Tears pooled in Eliza’s big blue eyes as she moved to stand beside her brother. “Momma and Pa are both sick. And we’re cold,” she whimpered, her slight shoulders shaking.
“Oh, my dear.” Rowena knelt and gathered the little girl in her arms. “We’re here to help. May we come inside?”
Jerry stepped aside to let them in and they closed the door. Jake looked at Rowena. “We don’t have much time,” he said, worry creasing his brow. “I’ll try to get them some wood before dark.”
“I’ll see what I can do here,” Rowena answered, already heading for the bedroom. The toddler’s wail ended abruptly when she saw a stranger, and the man on the bed raised his head feebly. The child burrowed into her mother’s side, but the woman lay still on the bed. Rowena could see that it was a struggle for her to breathe.
“Mr. and Mrs. Jasper,” she said, gently placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s Miss Williams. I’m here to help.”
The man opened his eyes and tried to speak, but all that came out was a croak. He tried again.
“Cold,” he managed.
Rowena knelt so that she was at eye level with him. “We’ll get wood,” she said. “Do you have food?”
“No food,” Mr. Jasper managed. “We have supplies but no one to prepare …”
“All right. I’m going to tell Mr. Brooks that we need to get you some food.” She rose to her feet. “Don’t worry,” she said gently. “We’ll take care of everything.”
She hurried to the porch, where Jake had found some wood and was loading the wood box.
“It isn’t much,” he said. “We’ll have to find them some more to even get them through the night.”
“They have no food, Jake. The children are cold and hungry.”
Jake thought for a moment. “All right. Let’s light the fire with the wood we have here, and then head back into town. I’ll call up some of the men to help with wood, and perhaps you can find Mrs. Hill. She’s the nearest thing we have to a nurse, but she’s good. She’ll know what to do. She’ll get some of the other women to help with food.”
Rowena felt a surge of relief in her heart. “I wouldn’t have known where to start,” she said. “Thank you. Now we have a plan.”
Jake took the wood inside and set the fire in the stove, patiently coaxing the feeble flame to life. When it was going, he turned to Jerry.
“Can you look after the fire while I’m gone?” he asked.
The young boy nodded.
“Good. There’s enough wood to last until I return, and when we come back, we’ll bring more wood and some food. So don’t worry.”
The boy’s pinched face looked relieved. “Thank you, sir,” he responded.
“You’re welcome, Jerry,” Jake said kindly. “How did your little friend know that you needed help?”
“Because she asked her father to stop to see if we were coming to school.”
Jake was puzzled. “Why didn’t she tell him you needed help?”
Jerry shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t think of it.”
“Well, thankfully, she did tell Miss Williams. “Being cold is not pleasant, is it?”
Jerry shook his head. “No, sir. We were so very cold last night. Ma and Pa tried to keep the baby warm between them, but me and Eliza couldn’t get warm. And this morning, Ma was even sicker.”
Jake put his hand on the lad’s shoulder. “We’re going to see if we can get Mrs. Hill to come out,” he said kindly. “She’ll know how to care for your folks.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jerry scrubbed a dirty hand across his small face. “We’ll be waitin’ for ya.”
Jake and Rowena made their way back into town. Jake dropped Rowena at Mrs. Hill’s house while he went to find some men who could help with the wood and barn chores. Rowena explained the situation, and it wasn’t long before the motherly Mrs. Hill took charge. She donned a coat and they hurried down the street, stopping briefly at several houses with their request.
Before long, women appeared carrying food, and two offered their assistance with tending to the sick. Rowena was amazed at the spirit of neighborly concern that sprang to life when they asked for help.
The gloom of a winter night had descended when Jake reappeared, followed by two other men carting wood on large sleds.
“Would you like to go home?” he asked Rowena as he stood just inside Mrs. Hill’s front door.
Rowena looked at Mrs. Hill.
“You go on home, dear,” Mrs. Hill said. “There’s not much you’ll be able to do. Mrs. Wallis is coming out with me, and between us, we’ll take care of the children and prepare a meal for the family. And the men will stack the firewood and do the barn chores.”
“Thank you,” Rowena said fervently. “I had no idea how we would go about helping this family, but it’s all under control.”
Mrs. Hill smiled. “You haven’t lived here long, have you?”
Rowena shook her head. “This is my first winter.”
“We take care of each other out here,” Mrs. Wallis added, a cloth sack full of beans in her hand. “Especially in winter.”
“It takes a community to survive around these parts.” Mrs. Hill picked up her medical bag from the table. “We must get going; delays could be disastrous.”
“Of course. Thank you so much, Mrs. Hill,” Rowena said as they headed for the door.
The older woman turned briefly and grasped Rowena’s gloved hands for a moment. “Thank you for caring,” she said. “You’ll do all right here.”
Jake offered his arm to Rowena as they descended the porch steps. He helped her into the sleigh while Mr. Hill helped the other ladies into his sleigh. Lanterns cast strange shadows across the snow, and in the distance, Rowena heard a wolf howl. She shuddered, glad they were returning home and hoping the assistance party arrived safely.
“Please stay safe,” she called to Mrs. Hill. “I would hate to hear that a mishap had befallen you.”
“We will,” the other woman promised. “Mr. Hill has lived here for years and knows the roads well. We’ll be fine. Please don’t worry.”
Before Rowena could answer, a horse and rider loomed in front of them.
“Evenin’” she heard Charlie drawl as he addressed Mr. Hill. “May I be of assistance? I was about to head home when I heard we had a neighbor in trouble.”
“Thank you,” Mr. Hill replied. “But I think we have enough men now. Mr. Wallis is coming along with me on his horse.”
“Thank you for offering. Much appreciated,” Mrs. Hill added.
Charlie noticed Jake’s sleigh then. “Jake! You’re still here,” he said in surprise. “I thought you took Miss Williams home long ago.”
“One of Miss Williams’ students raised the alarm,” Jake explained. “We went to get help and now the help no longer needs us,” he finished with a chuckle.
“So does that mean you’re going home now?” Charlie asked.
“Sure does,” Jake replied. “I’m sure Miss Williams must be weary, and Rebecca and Zach are probably starting to worry about her.”
“Mind if I ride along?” Charlie asked. “If we meet somethin’ meanand hungry, we’ll meet it together.”
“Of course not,” Jake replied. “I don’t have lanterns on my sleigh so I’ll just let the horses find their own way home. Their night eyes are better than mine.”
“Well, we’d better go now,” Mrs. Hill said. “Take care, everyone, and thanks for caring for the Jasper family.”
Mr. Hill flicked the reins, and the horses moved steadily over the snow, leaving Rowena and Jake in silence. The darkness was almost unnerving; Jake’s sleigh was not fitted with lanterns, and they would have to find their way home without any form of lighting.
Jake turned to Rowena. “I hope Zach and Rebecca are not worried about you. I was not expecting to get you home this late.”
“I’m sure they’ll understand,” Rowena said, trying not to yawn. Now that the excitement of the afternoon was over, she suddenly felt tired.
“Ready?” Charlie asked from his horse.
“I sure am,” Jake said. “Why don’t you follow behind us so your horse doesn’t have to break the snow first?”
Charlie fell in behind them as Jake loosened the reins and the horses began the journey home. “The horses know the way home,” he told Rowena. “And Charlie is here to act as a chaperone, so no one can start any rumors.”
Rowena suddenly had another, far more alarming thought than community rumors springing to life. “Are you sure …”she couldn’t bring herself to say the words aloud.
“Sure of what?” Jake let the reins go slack as the horses found the trail.
“Sure we’re safe from wild animals,” she whispered as she looked around, as if speaking the words would bring one into existence.
Jake patted the seat beside him. “I have a gun,” he assured her.
“I feel so silly,” she admitted. “I seem to be jumping at every shadow, and everyone else is probably laughing at me.”
His voice was serious as he answered. “It’s no laughing matter. People die out here from the dangers of weather and wild animals. It’s just that people who’ve lived here for longer have learned to put on a brave face. We can’t live our lives in constant fear; that just saps our strength and our will to live. But it doesn’t mean we aren’t vigilant.”
“Oh, I thought everyone was just braver than I am,” she explained.
“Not really. No one wants to meet a mountain lion, a bear or an enraged moose. Sometimes people pay with their lives when that happens, and everyone is more vigilant then.” Jake took a deep breath. “It pays to be alert.”
Satisfied with his answer, Rowena leaned back against the seat, weariness settling in her bones like lead weights. Her head drooped, and before she knew it, she was leaning against Jake’s solid shoulder as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Jake slipped his arm around her shoulders, holding her steady as the horses plodded through the night. In her sleepy state, everything felt just right.