RR05 - Tender Mercies (37 page)

Old Blue announced Jed’s return long before she heard the horse. When he tied up at the house, she knew something was wrong. She met him at the door.

“Here.” The telegram he handed her near to burnt her fingers. Her hands trembled so hard she could barely read the print.
Katy and baby died in childbirth. Stop. Come soon.
She raised stricken eyes to her uncle. “I told you.”

Blessing, Dakota Territory

The train wheels couldn’t turn fast enough. She peered out the dirty window, willing the train to hurry. Every time she thought of the fun-loving young woman who’d so quickly become her dearest friend, the tears started again. She’d asked
Why, God? Why Katy?
enough times that she figured her heavenly Father must be weary of her cries. Her prayers took up rhythm with the train wheels and
Please, God, please, God
clacked over and over in her mind. She was no longer sure who or what she prayed for, knowing only that they all needed His succor.

“Next stop, Blessing.” The conductor stopped at her seat. “You been here before, miss?” At her nod he continued with a broad smile. “You ever had dinner at the Bjorklund store? That Missus Bjorklund serves some of the best food west of the Mississippi. I heard they were starting a boardinghouse come spring.”

Mary Martha ordered her mouth to smile in return.
Come spring. Hard to believe it’s even near with all the sparkling snow-drifts that ridge this flat land
. Even as short a time as she’d been here, she’d forgotten how flat it was. “Yes, the Bjorklunds are good friends of mine.”

When the train stopped, a black man stood on the station platform holding a tray of sandwiches, pieces of cake, hunks of cheese, slices of pie, all ready to serve. As soon as the passengers stepped down, he nodded to the conductor and took his wares aboard.

Mary Martha checked to see that her trunk was unloaded and pulled her coat more closely around her. This was a far cry from the spring warmth burgeoning at home. Though the sun shone, there was little warmth to it, and the wind pierced her coat as though she wasn’t even wearing it. She’d just begun to wonder if they’d received her telegram when Pastor Solberg came trotting around the corner of the sack house.

“Miss MacCallister!” He panted to a stop. “Sorry I’m late. We had a problem at school.” He grinned at her, then snatched her hands and held them both. “You . . . you look wonderful.”

“I’m glad to see you too, Pastor Solberg.” The name felt strange upon her lips. She’d been thinking of him as John for so long now. She felt tears burning on the back of her eyes. “How is Zeb? What about the girls?”
How are you? Deep down inside, how are you?

Solberg shook his head. “Zeb has closed himself off to everyone. Bridget is caring for the girls. And Manda, well, Manda is why I was late. Deborah looks more like the lost waif we saw when she first came, but of the three, I’d say she’s handling this the best. It has been really hard on Bridget too, but she keeps a good face on for the girls.” As he talked, he tucked her hand under his arm and led her toward the store. “We’ll get your trunk later. Penny has dinner ready. She’s already served her
rush
, as she calls it.”

Mary Martha wanted to smooth the deepening lines from his forehead. He too looked as though the times were hard, with the sheen of moisture in his eyes. After all, he’d once loved Katy. That thought made her swallow hard. Was that why he’d taken this death hard? Was he still in love with Katy? Or had he been? And if so, was he even aware of it himself?

The thoughts rushed pell-mell through her mind like children just let loose from the schoolhouse. But when she tried to withdraw her hand from his arm, he clamped his other hand over hers. The sensation of warmth sent her doubts scurrying. This was indeed the man whose written salutations had grown progressively warmer through the months of correspondence.

“Who was the Negro that brought food on the train?”

“Oh, that’s Sam, friend of Hjelmer’s from way back. He’s come to stay. Plans to bring his family out this spring.” Pastor Solberg pushed open the door to the store, setting the bell to tinkling merrily. “She’s here!” His shout brought Penny and Goodie running from the kitchen.

“Oh, Mary Martha. I’m so glad you’re here.” Penny started by taking her hand but ended with a hug before passing her on to Goodie, who did the same.

“Land, missy, you are a sight for sore eyes.” Goodie reached to help her with her coat. “I’m sorry to hear about your ma passing on, but it’s hard to doubt the good Lord’s timing in all this. We surely do need you here.”

“Soon as we eat, Hjelmer and I will take you on out to the farm.” Penny turned the store sign to Closed and led the way back to the kitchen.

“I have to get back to the school,” Pastor Solberg said, setting Mary Martha’s carpetbag on the floor. “I thought of closing school today, but we’ve missed several weeks due to the blizzards, and the children are trying to catch up. If circumstances were different, I’d wish you could stop and see them on the way. They’ve missed you too.” He’d taken her hand again, this time without gloves. The ripples of delight were still racing up and down her arm.

Did he feel them too?

When he finally released her hand and headed out the door with a final wave, she felt as if the sun had blinked dark for a moment. She turned back to the conversation flowing around her as they sat her at the table and began bringing food.

“So, tell me, how is everyone?” Mary Martha looked from one woman to the other.

“Been bad.” Goodie shook her head. “Hard enough losing little Anna, but then Katy and the baby . . . Makes one wonder at times, ’deed it does.”

“Can’t have the burying until the frost goes out of the ground, and I think that makes it even harder. Several others died too, but not anyone you knew personally. Those two boys that the Valders adopted been leading Pastor Solberg a merry chase, but he persists, and they are settling down.” Penny passed the bread plate around.

“They done took all we had, Miz Bjorklund.” Sam pushed the curtain aside. “Now ah’m needed out at the smithy.”

“Fine, Sam, and thank you very much.”

Sam tipped his hat and let the curtain to the store drape back in place.

“We sure have been fortunate to have Sam here, with Hjelmer out speaking for the Farmer’s Alliance. There’s talk of him running for the legislature.” A little frown cloud passed over Penny’s face. “I do wish he’d stay home more.”

“Oh, and Kaaren received a book on sign language to help little Grace speak. She’s going to be teaching it at the school, so next year when the twins go to school, all the kids can talk with her. Land, you can’t believe how fast those children learn it.” Goodie leaned forward. “Why Ellie and Andrew already move their fingers real fast, and then giggle, even in church. Makes me want to know what they are saying.”

As the two caught her up on the news of Blessing, all Mary Martha could think of was the MacCallister farm and the schoolhouse.

A knock sounded at the back door.

“Come in.” Penny didn’t bother to get to her feet.

The door cracked open and Manda peeked around the edge. “Pastor Solberg said we could leave school early to . . .”

The door slammed open and Deborah pushed past her older sister. She flung herself across the room to Mary Martha, who gathered the little girl close.

“My ma is gone to heaven and the baby and Anna.” It was difficult understanding her with her face buried in Mary Martha’s skirts, but the tears that streamed down her face when she looked up brought answering ones from the women.

“I feel like a sodden old dishrag half the time.” Goodie pulled a square of muslin from her apron pocket and blew her nose.

“I know, child, I know.” Mary Martha pushed her chair back from the table so Deborah could climb up in her lap. She hugged her, patting her back and rocking at the same time.

“Did you come back for good?” Deborah leaned back to look her aunt in the face.

“Yes. For good.” Mary Martha looked up to see Manda staring out the window. Glancing from Penny to Goodie and back to Manda, Mary Martha raised an eyebrow in question. Both the other women shook their heads and shrugged.

“Manda, you want some dessert with us?” Penny got up to pour the coffee.

“No.” One word only, but it clearly showed the walls she’d put up. John had been right in his observations of the two girls. Was Zeb, too, in as bad a way as he’d written?

Mary Martha wanted to ask, but refrained since the girls were there.

As soon as everyone was done eating, Penny turned to the girl who still hadn’t left the window. “Manda, would you please run to the smithy and ask Sam to harness up the horse and sleigh?”

Only a nod answered her as Manda slipped out the door, barely disturbing the air in her passage, so silent was she.

“No, you just sit back down,” Penny said when Mary Martha started to rise to help clear the table. “For today, at least, you are company.”

“I’ll take care of the store then while you drive them out?” Goodie spoke to Penny as she held the hot coffeepot above Mary Martha’s cup.

“No, thanks. I’m about floating now.” Mary Martha answered the unspoken question.

Penny nodded. “That would be good, thank you. The mail hasn’t come in yet, so there’ll be that to sort. And if you run out of things to do, you could always bake cookies. Those train passengers sure do like our cookies.”

“Molasses?”

“Or sour cream.” Penny smiled at Deborah. “Would you like a cookie?”

Deborah nodded. Manda knocked on the back door and came in at the same time. “He said ten minutes. He has to finish shoeing a horse first, but he is on the last hoof. Unless you want me to do it.”

“No, that will be all right. Manda, can you think of anything you need from the store-sugar, flour, anything?”

Manda shook her head and returned to staring out the window.

“Well, I’ll take some of that soft cheese along, and let’s see . . .” Penny strolled into the store, mumbling to herself.

Deborah snuggled closer to Mary Martha. “I’m glad you are here,” she whispered.

The ride out to the farm passed in a blur as the cold and wind made everyone’s eyes water. Mary Martha squinted against the brilliant white, amazed at the difference in the land since she’d seen it. “How much longer will the snow last?” she asked.

“Into April probably, unless it all melts too fast. We usually get a late snowstorm after weather that tricks us into thinking spring has really come. You warm enough?”

Mary Martha didn’t answer. She shivered instead and pulled the elk robe closer to her shoulders.
What is warm enough? Each mile north, I’ve gotten colder it seems. No wonder everyone up here wears long woolen underwear. I should have bought some at the store
. “How are the horses doing?”

Manda shrugged. “Okay.”

Mary Martha waited, hoping for more of an answer. “How many are you training now?”

“She ain’t done so much since the blizzard. We have to finish shoveling out the corral for her to work them.” Deborah ignored the glare from her older sister. “That blizzard was some awful. We had to spend the night at the school, and there was no food. But we didn’t starve to death like lots of cows and horses did.”

Death seemed to tag along with every conversation.

Smoke curling from the chimney at Zeb’s farm said that someone was at home. A dog barked when Penny stopped the sleigh by the front porch.

“Did you get a dog?”

“Uh-huh. Pa brought it home last week. Thinks the poor starvin’ critter musta come in on the train or something. We been feeding him good.”

“What’s his name?” Mary Martha reached for her carpetbag. Sam had promised to bring her trunk out later. Manda took it from her and strode up the front steps that had been swept clean of snow.

“Spot, ’cause he has a spot over one eye.”

“Oh, thank you, God.” Bridget met them at the door. “Praise be. ou came about as fast as your telegram.” She wrapped Mary Martha in a hug that smelled of yeast and molasses and warm grandma. “Come in, come in. The coffee will be hot in a minute.”

“Where’s Pa?” Manda asked after setting Mary Martha’s bag on the stairs to the second story.

“I’m not sure. But he said . . .”

Manda left out the front door before she could finish her sentence.

Bridget looked from Mary Martha to Penny and back. “I just don’t know how to help that girl. Neither does Zeb.” She reached out and drew Deborah into her floury apron. “Neither one of us do, huh, little one?”

Dusk had near darkened to night before they heard Zeb’s boots on the porch. He brought in a pail of milk and set it on the cupboard counter before reaching for his sister with both arms.

Mary Martha hugged him close and whispered in his ear, “Zeb, I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.” He stepped back and with one arm hugged Deborah to his side. “Sure smells good in here.”

“Supper is ready.” Bridget set the pot of ham and beans in the center of the table. “Manda, did you wash your hands?”

They took their places and Mary Martha bowed her head for grace.