hair. The impulse caught him off guard and hurried him to the door.
“Yes, Thursday.” He nodded, swiping his hat from the peg and heading outside. “Good night.”
As he rushed to catch up with his brother and nephew, many thoughts swirled in his mind. Why had the brother come? Perhaps he’d come to persuade Miss Thurston to leave?
The thought of her being removed from their town felt like someone slamming a door inside him. The school had become the center of their community and Miss Thurston had brought such life to Pepin. He remembered the lift he’d felt when Johann and the other children recited the preamble, and thought of the change he’d already seen in Gunther after just a few lessons with the teacher.
Kurt, however, refused to contemplate just how much she’d added to his life. He must not think such thoughts. Even if, by some circumstance, he felt he could pursue her, he would simply cause trouble for her. Her brother’s obvious disdain made that clear.
The thought hit him like acid, burning into his heart. The truth was, he was no good for Miss Thurston. And there was very little he could do about that.
Chapter Eight
B efore supper that evening, Martin took Randolph outside to show him all he’d done on his land over the past year, leaving Ellen alone with Ophelia. As soon as the men were out of earshot, Ophelia exclaimed, “Did you know Randolph was coming?”
“No.” Ellen held William and rocked the cradle with Ophelia’s baby with her foot.
“Why is he here?” Ophelia was making gravy and busily stirred the contents of a large cast-iron skillet.
“I wish I knew.”
“Do you think someone told him about...” Ophelia nodded toward William.
“The post doesn’t move that fast and if you didn’t write him, who would?”
“Well, you know I wouldn’t have written a word to Galena about all this. I hope my mother doesn’t get wind of it.” Ophelia sounded really worried.
“Even if she does hear of it, she wouldn’t dare say anything against my character,” Ellen said, trying to sound convincing.
“Humph,” Ophelia made the sound. “You witnessed the scene she enacted when she visited here only last year. Do you think your brother’s worried about Cissy? I mean do you think there’s some trouble concerning her and Holton?”
Since this unwelcome thought had occurred to her, Ellen frowned. “Cissy did say that some people were less than welcoming to Holton.”
“I wonder why...” Ophelia turned her attention to her gravy.
Ellen shrugged, leaning down to kiss William’s forehead. The truth was she missed him during the long school days apart. She didn’t need to burden her cousin with the truth about Holton or discuss Alice. Ophelia knew Alice all too well already.
“Remember when Randy got too big for his britches,” Ophelia asked, using her brother’s childhood nickname, “and we all called him ‘Boss’ and played pranks on him?”
Ellen thought of her brother’s disapproval of her choice to live here and teach school and felt that he probably still thought of himself as boss.
* * *
Ellen sat beside Randolph as he drove the wagon they’d borrowed from the blacksmith, with William asleep in the basket at her feet. They were on their way home. During dinner with Ophelia and Martin, Randolph repeated his excuse to their cousins for coming to Pepin. But tomorrow Randolph would head back to Galena and he still hadn’t told her why he’d really come. By now, Ellen’s nerves had been stretched tight enough to snap.
Finally in the dying light of day, she and Randolph approached the schoolhouse. He helped her down and lifted the basket, then followed her to her door.
She opened the door and inside, lit a lamp on the table. Then she turned to her brother. “Perhaps, Randolph, the time has come for the truth. You must have wanted something to come all this way and for such a short stay. What is it?”
After setting the basket down by her bed, Randolph put
“Yes, Thursday.” He nodded, swiping his hat from the peg and heading outside. “Good night.”
As he rushed to catch up with his brother and nephew, many thoughts swirled in his mind. Why had the brother come? Perhaps he’d come to persuade Miss Thurston to leave?
The thought of her being removed from their town felt like someone slamming a door inside him. The school had become the center of their community and Miss Thurston had brought such life to Pepin. He remembered the lift he’d felt when Johann and the other children recited the preamble, and thought of the change he’d already seen in Gunther after just a few lessons with the teacher.
Kurt, however, refused to contemplate just how much she’d added to his life. He must not think such thoughts. Even if, by some circumstance, he felt he could pursue her, he would simply cause trouble for her. Her brother’s obvious disdain made that clear.
The thought hit him like acid, burning into his heart. The truth was, he was no good for Miss Thurston. And there was very little he could do about that.
Chapter Eight
B efore supper that evening, Martin took Randolph outside to show him all he’d done on his land over the past year, leaving Ellen alone with Ophelia. As soon as the men were out of earshot, Ophelia exclaimed, “Did you know Randolph was coming?”
“No.” Ellen held William and rocked the cradle with Ophelia’s baby with her foot.
“Why is he here?” Ophelia was making gravy and busily stirred the contents of a large cast-iron skillet.
“I wish I knew.”
“Do you think someone told him about...” Ophelia nodded toward William.
“The post doesn’t move that fast and if you didn’t write him, who would?”
“Well, you know I wouldn’t have written a word to Galena about all this. I hope my mother doesn’t get wind of it.” Ophelia sounded really worried.
“Even if she does hear of it, she wouldn’t dare say anything against my character,” Ellen said, trying to sound convincing.
“Humph,” Ophelia made the sound. “You witnessed the scene she enacted when she visited here only last year. Do you think your brother’s worried about Cissy? I mean do you think there’s some trouble concerning her and Holton?”
Since this unwelcome thought had occurred to her, Ellen frowned. “Cissy did say that some people were less than welcoming to Holton.”
“I wonder why...” Ophelia turned her attention to her gravy.
Ellen shrugged, leaning down to kiss William’s forehead. The truth was she missed him during the long school days apart. She didn’t need to burden her cousin with the truth about Holton or discuss Alice. Ophelia knew Alice all too well already.
“Remember when Randy got too big for his britches,” Ophelia asked, using her brother’s childhood nickname, “and we all called him ‘Boss’ and played pranks on him?”
Ellen thought of her brother’s disapproval of her choice to live here and teach school and felt that he probably still thought of himself as boss.
* * *
Ellen sat beside Randolph as he drove the wagon they’d borrowed from the blacksmith, with William asleep in the basket at her feet. They were on their way home. During dinner with Ophelia and Martin, Randolph repeated his excuse to their cousins for coming to Pepin. But tomorrow Randolph would head back to Galena and he still hadn’t told her why he’d really come. By now, Ellen’s nerves had been stretched tight enough to snap.
Finally in the dying light of day, she and Randolph approached the schoolhouse. He helped her down and lifted the basket, then followed her to her door.
She opened the door and inside, lit a lamp on the table. Then she turned to her brother. “Perhaps, Randolph, the time has come for the truth. You must have wanted something to come all this way and for such a short stay. What is it?”
After setting the basket down by her bed, Randolph put
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