mountains already. “Well, how nice for him.”
Silas left his horse in the barn, sauntering over in trousers and a checkered tow shirt. “Howdy!”
“I wasn’t expecting you.”
He grinned. “I’ve been remiss. I came to apologize for being so distracted.” His boots clunked on the wooden steps. “How are you, Saffron?”
I smiled. “Better now.”
“You look like a cleaning woman.”
“I am. We’ve been working all week. I’ll put in a notice at the post office for another maid, but I haven’t been able to do it yet.”
“I could’ve,” said Amelia. She shrugged. “But it slipped my mind.”
Silas glanced at her. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
An awkward moment passed, as the conversation died, and wanting to be alone with Silas, I took the initiative. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”
“An excellent idea.” He held out his arm.
I observed Amelia over my shoulder, noting her expression bordered on a smirk. This sudden animosity towards Silas puzzled me, but I did not want to dwell on that at the moment, preferring to enjoy the moment instead. I had been waiting nearly two weeks to be alone with him.
“I have to explain my tardiness,” he said.
“I know you’ve been busy. We’ve all been distracted by the bear attacks.”
“Yes, but we’ve had company as well. I was going to tell you when I saw you at the funeral, but we never had a moment to ourselves.”
“That’s true.”
“My mother’s sister arrived with a friend. I was called upon to help entertain them.”
“Oh.” My feet crunched over the gravel in the drive, as we strolled towards the pond. I could see pa in the pasture on a horse, cutting a lonely figure. “That’s kind of you.” He had escorted women around town, while I had been waiting to see him.
“Now that the ordeal is over, we can resume our courtship, if you wish.”
I glanced at him. “Yes, I wish it. Do you?”
“Of course, my dear. No more funerals for us and no more black.” He considered me thoughtfully. “I prefer you in work duds any day to hideous black.”
“I should mourn for Lucy. She was more than a maid to us.”
“Wear a black bonnet in her honor or a shawl. That should be sufficient.”
We had reached a line of trees, and pa, being out in the pasture, began to trot towards us, moving across an uncultivated field, which sported yellow sunflower-like weeds, which grew in abundance now.
“Will you stay for supper? Amelia’s roasting chickens.”
“I can’t. I’ve a reception for The Commerce Club. They voted me in as chair a few months ago, and now I’m obliged to attend every meeting.”
There was always some function or another that required his attention. “Then perhaps tomorrow night?” I looked hopeful, as pa inched closer.
“Come to town tomorrow for lunch.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Hello, Mr. Fossett. How are you today?”
“Just fine, Silas, and you?”
“Well enough. I came to see Saffron.”
“She’s been waiting for you, son. It’s about time you showed up.”
Embarrassed by that, I said quickly, “Yes, well, we’ve all been preoccupied. I’d invite you into the house, but it’s a mess.”
“I can’t stay long. I just wanted to see how you were. The church is hosting a luncheon on Sunday afternoon, but perhaps we can see a play at the Merrimen Theatre House tomorrow night. I know you’ve seen it already, but we could do the Variety Music Cavalcade again.”
I would agree to almost anything to spend more time with Silas. “Yes, I’d like that.”
Pa, knowing I wished to speak to my beau in private, said, “I’ll leave you two to discuss your plans. It was good seeing you again, Silas. Don’t be a stranger.” He encouraged the horse to turn towards the road.
“Thank you, Mr. Fossett.” He took my arm. “Let’s go back.”
I fell into step beside him, wishing he didn’t have to go so soon. “So, tell me about your mother’s sister. How does she like Fern Valley?”
Silas left his horse in the barn, sauntering over in trousers and a checkered tow shirt. “Howdy!”
“I wasn’t expecting you.”
He grinned. “I’ve been remiss. I came to apologize for being so distracted.” His boots clunked on the wooden steps. “How are you, Saffron?”
I smiled. “Better now.”
“You look like a cleaning woman.”
“I am. We’ve been working all week. I’ll put in a notice at the post office for another maid, but I haven’t been able to do it yet.”
“I could’ve,” said Amelia. She shrugged. “But it slipped my mind.”
Silas glanced at her. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
An awkward moment passed, as the conversation died, and wanting to be alone with Silas, I took the initiative. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”
“An excellent idea.” He held out his arm.
I observed Amelia over my shoulder, noting her expression bordered on a smirk. This sudden animosity towards Silas puzzled me, but I did not want to dwell on that at the moment, preferring to enjoy the moment instead. I had been waiting nearly two weeks to be alone with him.
“I have to explain my tardiness,” he said.
“I know you’ve been busy. We’ve all been distracted by the bear attacks.”
“Yes, but we’ve had company as well. I was going to tell you when I saw you at the funeral, but we never had a moment to ourselves.”
“That’s true.”
“My mother’s sister arrived with a friend. I was called upon to help entertain them.”
“Oh.” My feet crunched over the gravel in the drive, as we strolled towards the pond. I could see pa in the pasture on a horse, cutting a lonely figure. “That’s kind of you.” He had escorted women around town, while I had been waiting to see him.
“Now that the ordeal is over, we can resume our courtship, if you wish.”
I glanced at him. “Yes, I wish it. Do you?”
“Of course, my dear. No more funerals for us and no more black.” He considered me thoughtfully. “I prefer you in work duds any day to hideous black.”
“I should mourn for Lucy. She was more than a maid to us.”
“Wear a black bonnet in her honor or a shawl. That should be sufficient.”
We had reached a line of trees, and pa, being out in the pasture, began to trot towards us, moving across an uncultivated field, which sported yellow sunflower-like weeds, which grew in abundance now.
“Will you stay for supper? Amelia’s roasting chickens.”
“I can’t. I’ve a reception for The Commerce Club. They voted me in as chair a few months ago, and now I’m obliged to attend every meeting.”
There was always some function or another that required his attention. “Then perhaps tomorrow night?” I looked hopeful, as pa inched closer.
“Come to town tomorrow for lunch.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Hello, Mr. Fossett. How are you today?”
“Just fine, Silas, and you?”
“Well enough. I came to see Saffron.”
“She’s been waiting for you, son. It’s about time you showed up.”
Embarrassed by that, I said quickly, “Yes, well, we’ve all been preoccupied. I’d invite you into the house, but it’s a mess.”
“I can’t stay long. I just wanted to see how you were. The church is hosting a luncheon on Sunday afternoon, but perhaps we can see a play at the Merrimen Theatre House tomorrow night. I know you’ve seen it already, but we could do the Variety Music Cavalcade again.”
I would agree to almost anything to spend more time with Silas. “Yes, I’d like that.”
Pa, knowing I wished to speak to my beau in private, said, “I’ll leave you two to discuss your plans. It was good seeing you again, Silas. Don’t be a stranger.” He encouraged the horse to turn towards the road.
“Thank you, Mr. Fossett.” He took my arm. “Let’s go back.”
I fell into step beside him, wishing he didn’t have to go so soon. “So, tell me about your mother’s sister. How does she like Fern Valley?”
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