Carolina made this child fatherless
. Then another stinging thought crossed her mind. What if it had been someone under her father’s command? Or Charles’s?
Daniel reached over and rested his hand on the top of the boy’s dark mop of hair. “It’s all right, Jake. I understand. I know your ma well enough to know she wouldn’t raise you to do a thing like that.” His voice had lost its stern tone, and he looked at Katherine. “I’ll go on with the garden while you fix him up. Send him on out when you’re done.”
Jacob looked up hopefully. “You mean it? I’m going to be working here?”
Daniel raised his eyebrows. “You do understand this isn’t going to be easy or fun?”
“I know, Mr. Kirby.” Jacob looked at him as seriously as an eight-year-old could look. “There’s no school since everybody’s planting, and I’m tired of wandering around town. I want to be a farmer like my pa.”
Katherine watched a wave of guilt pass over Daniel’s face. “You can work here so long as it’s all right with your ma.”
A huge smile lit up the youngster’s face, and he looked at Katherine and Mary.
Katherine mustered up a smile. “I believe there might be some peppermint candy somewhere about the house. Isn’t that so, Mary?”
“Yes.” Her friend smiled. “Why don’t we go take a look?”
As she went to follow Mary and the excited young boy went into the house, Daniel grasped Katherine’s hand. “I almost forgot about my hand,” he explained and then flashed an impish grin. “I like peppermint, too.”
“Well, I suppose. As long as you behave.” Katherine found herself unable to resist playing along, but she quickly reminded herself friendship was all there could ever be between them.
Handsome men like Daniel Kirby don’t fall for women as plain as me
.
Daniel was hitching the team up the next morning as he waited for Jacob to arrive. He hoped Adele would let the boy work in spite of Katherine’s presence. And his. After all, he had failed to protect the life of her husband, and now he was asking her to trust him with Jacob on a daily basis. Farming wasn’t the same as going off to war, but it certainly had its own share of dangers.
Sweat was already beginning to form on his brow. It was going to get warm today. He looked up at the sky in frustration. He was well behind where he should have been at this point in the season.
He shook his head. Jonah wouldn’t have gotten behind, even without help. His older brother had been a gifted farmer. He could make every bit of sunlight count for something.
His hand ached as he pulled on a strap, quickly reminding him of Professor Harris’s visit. A prayer rose in his mind, but he bit it back.
What’s the use?
Katherine came out of the house just then and walked out to the poultry yard on the other side of the garden. Daniel watched as she stepped into the chicken coop to collect eggs. She’d seemed reserved yesterday evening in the parlor. Even Mary had commented on how quiet she’d been. She’d given the excuse she was tired and left for her room earlier than usual, before they’d had a chance to talk.
He heaved a long sigh. It was going to be a long day today with or without help. He hoped she wouldn’t be too tired to talk tonight. Their conversations in the evening were a lifeline, a connection to something now lost to him.
At least He hasn’t taken that away, he thought. At least not yet
.
He was just about to take the horses out to the fields when Jacob arrived. And he wasn’t alone. The boy was walking up the drive alongside a wagon carrying three freemen, one of whom Daniel instantly recognized.
“Simon Peter!” he exclaimed as he strode over to them.
The wagon springs creaked with relief as the man climbed down. He was a sturdy, muscular man, a head or two taller than Daniel.
Unperturbed by the man’s height, Daniel looked up at the man with a grin. “Are you still the tallest man in the county?”
“Sure as
. Then another stinging thought crossed her mind. What if it had been someone under her father’s command? Or Charles’s?
Daniel reached over and rested his hand on the top of the boy’s dark mop of hair. “It’s all right, Jake. I understand. I know your ma well enough to know she wouldn’t raise you to do a thing like that.” His voice had lost its stern tone, and he looked at Katherine. “I’ll go on with the garden while you fix him up. Send him on out when you’re done.”
Jacob looked up hopefully. “You mean it? I’m going to be working here?”
Daniel raised his eyebrows. “You do understand this isn’t going to be easy or fun?”
“I know, Mr. Kirby.” Jacob looked at him as seriously as an eight-year-old could look. “There’s no school since everybody’s planting, and I’m tired of wandering around town. I want to be a farmer like my pa.”
Katherine watched a wave of guilt pass over Daniel’s face. “You can work here so long as it’s all right with your ma.”
A huge smile lit up the youngster’s face, and he looked at Katherine and Mary.
Katherine mustered up a smile. “I believe there might be some peppermint candy somewhere about the house. Isn’t that so, Mary?”
“Yes.” Her friend smiled. “Why don’t we go take a look?”
As she went to follow Mary and the excited young boy went into the house, Daniel grasped Katherine’s hand. “I almost forgot about my hand,” he explained and then flashed an impish grin. “I like peppermint, too.”
“Well, I suppose. As long as you behave.” Katherine found herself unable to resist playing along, but she quickly reminded herself friendship was all there could ever be between them.
Handsome men like Daniel Kirby don’t fall for women as plain as me
.
Daniel was hitching the team up the next morning as he waited for Jacob to arrive. He hoped Adele would let the boy work in spite of Katherine’s presence. And his. After all, he had failed to protect the life of her husband, and now he was asking her to trust him with Jacob on a daily basis. Farming wasn’t the same as going off to war, but it certainly had its own share of dangers.
Sweat was already beginning to form on his brow. It was going to get warm today. He looked up at the sky in frustration. He was well behind where he should have been at this point in the season.
He shook his head. Jonah wouldn’t have gotten behind, even without help. His older brother had been a gifted farmer. He could make every bit of sunlight count for something.
His hand ached as he pulled on a strap, quickly reminding him of Professor Harris’s visit. A prayer rose in his mind, but he bit it back.
What’s the use?
Katherine came out of the house just then and walked out to the poultry yard on the other side of the garden. Daniel watched as she stepped into the chicken coop to collect eggs. She’d seemed reserved yesterday evening in the parlor. Even Mary had commented on how quiet she’d been. She’d given the excuse she was tired and left for her room earlier than usual, before they’d had a chance to talk.
He heaved a long sigh. It was going to be a long day today with or without help. He hoped she wouldn’t be too tired to talk tonight. Their conversations in the evening were a lifeline, a connection to something now lost to him.
At least He hasn’t taken that away, he thought. At least not yet
.
He was just about to take the horses out to the fields when Jacob arrived. And he wasn’t alone. The boy was walking up the drive alongside a wagon carrying three freemen, one of whom Daniel instantly recognized.
“Simon Peter!” he exclaimed as he strode over to them.
The wagon springs creaked with relief as the man climbed down. He was a sturdy, muscular man, a head or two taller than Daniel.
Unperturbed by the man’s height, Daniel looked up at the man with a grin. “Are you still the tallest man in the county?”
“Sure as
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