A Gathering of Memories (11 page)

Mandy wasn’t long at the small desk, and she deliberately said nothing about her mother.

Pa,

We’re staying with Silas and Amy Cameron on the other side of town.

Mandy

Mandy read the note over several times before she folded it and put it into her pocket. Then she joined everyone in the yard.

“Silas, what is all of this?” Mandy heard Amy ask as she approached the wagon. “My list wasn’t very long.”

“Well, I did some shopping of my own.” He had an innocent sparkle in his eye, and Amy wondered how long it would be before she found out what he’d been up to.

“Carrie, what did Mark have to say?”

“He said my throat is better and to keep gargling.”

“He doesn’t want to see her until next week.” Silas supplied the rest of the story as he loaded packages into everyone’s arms and told them to take them into the living room.

Amy had just taken some things into the kitchen when he heard Becca squeal with delight in the living room. She went in to find Silas opening package after package of fabric, all lightweight and summery in beautiful blues, greens, yellows, and reds. There were plaids for the boys’ shirts and solid colors for special wear, calicos, and even some corduroy. Amy stood in the door and felt tears sting her eyes. Just that morning as she prayed she had asked the Lord to help her broach the subject of clothing to Mandy without offending her.

“Now,”
Silas was saying, “I didn’t know your mother and I wouldn’t want to do anything you might consider disrespectful of her memory, but you’ll notice I didn’t buy any black material. What I’m trying to say is I don’t want you to wear black for a year as is sometimes customary. I somehow doubt your mother would have wanted it that way. There is a solid forest green and a navy blue if you feel you really need to be in mourning, but I for one will understand and agree with you if you don’t.” He had said most of this with his eyes on Mandy and Carrie, for he knew they were the ones who would make this decision. Mandy looked uncertain and Silas steeled himself for whatever she was about to say.

“Everything is wonderful and you’re right about Mama, she wouldn’t want us to mourn, but Silas, we can’t pay for this. Even if I went into town today and found a job, why, it would be months, maybe a year, before I could pay for all of this fabric. I don’t mean to put down your hospitality, but we’re eating you out of house and home and I think that’s enough.”

“Mandy,” Silas interrupted, for he knew she would go on. “Please listen to what I’m about to say to you. And not just you, Mandy, but all of you. For whatever reason, one that I try not to question, God has not given children to Amy and me. But if He did, I can tell you they would not be paying for their own food and clothing while under my roof. They would have their chores, as I did when I was a kid, and they would help out, the way you all do. However, they would not be working in town or expected to help put food on the table and clothes on our backs.

“If we were struggling financially it might be different, but again for an unknown reason, God has given us more than enough, and we want to share what we have with you.

“The only payment I want is to see the boys in new pants and shirts and you girls in as many dresses and bonnets as this fabric will make. I didn’t buy anything for undergarments; I’ll
leave that up to Amy the next time she’s in town.” He said all of this comfortingly in his deep, gentle voice. The five children took it all in, on their own individual levels of understanding, and thought he was the most wonderful man on earth.

The first to move or make a sound was Carrie, who came unselfconsciously and put her arms around Silas and hugged him. He hugged her back, holding her tight for a moment and kissing her forehead as he released her. Becca needed no prompting after that, for she was clearly the “cuddler” of the group, and Silas gave her a great squeeze before releasing her with a kiss also.

Clovis went for a hug but Silas was sensitive to Levi’s feelings, and when the boy held his hand out Silas shook it, even though he wanted to crush the child in his arms. He also ached to hug Mandy, but she stayed across the room from him and thanked him with her heart in her eyes. Silas knew that for now it was enough. She accepted what he said as well as the gift of fabrics, and someday he believed they would be close enough to share an embrace.

He was careful not to look at Amy during any of this, knowing how close to the surface her tears would be. She rescued them both when she said Mandy needed the wagon. They were able to go their separate ways without awkwardness.

“Okay, Mandy.” Silas lifted her easily onto the wagon seat and handed her the reins. She blinked in surprise, but he didn’t notice. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

When Amy had mentioned taking the wagon, Mandy hadn’t really heard the words. If she had, she would have told her immediately that she’d never driven a wagon before. And now as she looked over her shoulder and watched Silas move in his long-legged stride across the yard and back to the house, she wished she’d been more attentive.

“How hard can it be?” She asked the question after a moment’s thought and noticed the horse’s ears flicked a little. She tried to remember what she’d seen Silas do and almost without realizing it, began imitating him. In the next few seconds she was headed down the road toward town, thankful that the team had been pointed in the right direction.

Ross sat astride the horse he had borrowed and made mental notes on the land before him. Why would Aaron Marks be interested in this lot? It wasn’t very remarkable—Baxter offered much better. From what he could tell after studying the map, it was owned by a man from Reedsburg.

The land to the north was not only owned but occupied. If Ross turned in his saddle he could see the Jackson place, its rundown condition evident from the short distance. Marks had wanted information on that land also. The map showed
the Jacksons only owned about six acres. Why would Marks bother? The question nagged his brain as he continued to survey the land.

Vibration on the ground that traveled through the horse and to its rider caused Ross to look for someone approaching. Surprisingly a wagon that looked very much like Silas’ came toward the Jackson house at a very brisk pace. The driver sawed on the reins in an abrupt movement that caused the horses to stop but not rest. They tossed their heads and one animal brought his front hooves off the ground.

As Ross heeled his own mount into motion he could easily picture those horses bolting if the holder of those reins did not let up and quickly.

“Ease off on your hold,” Ross commanded as he came aside the wild-eyed team. “Easy now.” Not until the team was completely settled did he turn to look at who was on the seat.

If he’d thought the horses were frightened and upset, he wasn’t sure what to think of Mandy’s wide-eyed stare at the animals she obviously had no idea how to handle. Her knuckles were white on the leather straps within her hands, and she didn’t seem capable of taking her eyes off the now-calm horses.

“Amanda,” Ross called to her from his place by the wagon. His horse stood docile as he’d dismounted and stepped to where he could help her from the seat.

“Amanda.” He called to her a second time and reached to take her hands. She let the reins go easily after feeling the pressure of his hands and then stood, still shaken, in front of Ross after he had lowered her to the ground. He watched her cross her arms as though cold and finally knew why he had not been able to dispel her from his thoughts since the day of the funeral. He had never seen a creature in such need of cherishing. He suspected she’d never experienced special treatment or loving care.

“Are you alright?”

“I should have told Silas that I’d never driven a wagon before, but I didn’t want him to have to take me. And we were doing fine until a gun went off at the edge of town and the horses nearly broke into a run. I don’t think they liked the way I was handling them because they’re always calm for Silas. He makes it look so easy.” She came to a rather breathless halt and simply looked at Ross. Even though she was a little upset about the horses and wagon, he was a feast for her eyes.

His face was tan and his hat pushed back on his head showed the shine in his hair and the clear blue of his eyes. As Mandy studied him she felt her heart turn over. In the last few days she had convinced herself that he really hadn’t been that good-looking and thinking of him had been disrespectful to her Mama. But he was so kind, and Mandy was drawn to him no matter what her head told her heart.

Saying nothing during her scrutiny of him, Ross was still working on the fact that she hadn’t told Silas of her inexperience with horses. She could have been seriously hurt. When Silas and Amy found out, he was sure they would be quite upset. And they
would
find out, because when she was finished with whatever business had brought her here, he’d drive her back.

“Thank you for taking care of the horses. I have to go in now and get some things.” She turned away and heard him say he’d wait for her.

Mandy didn’t argue, even though she felt it unnecessary. She was a little shook but she knew what to do now, at least she thought she did.

There was no sign of her father having been present, but when Mandy stepped through the door she noticed an unfamiliar smell. Assuming the house was musty after being empty, she placed the note on the table and the moved into the bedroom toward the dresser. Mandy reached in the top drawer to
a small bundle of papers held together by an old string. She wasn’t sure what all would be in the sheaf but she wanted to wait until she was back in her room at Camerons to open it.

Closing the drawer, Mandy stopped as the corner of an old photograph caught her eye. She lifted it carefully from beneath an old shirt of her father’s and stared in awe.

“Amanda?” When she didn’t answer his summons from the kitchen Ross stepped to the door of the bedroom to find her. She didn’t look up from the photo, and Ross moved behind her to see what held her attention. He sucked in a quick breath when he saw the image on the paper. It was Amanda, a beautiful Amanda.

“It’s my mother.” Mandy spoke as though she could read his thoughts. “I’ve never seen it before. I can’t think why she never had it out.”

The woman in the picture was not the woman that Mandy knew, recognizable, but not the way she remembered, and Mandy was fascinated by what she saw. The woman in the picture did not have deep lines of disappointment, hard work, and grief etched on her face. Her cheeks were not sunken and loose. The children had never seen this face, a face that radiated happiness and peace with no worries of where the next meal would come from, or how cold the next winter would be and whether the wood box would hold.

Mandy hugged the picture to her for just a moment before making her way back out to the wagon. As she walked, her mind conjured up a fleeting memory of the young woman in the picture smiling at her.

Ross was right behind Mandy, and she saw instantly that he’d turned the team around and tied his own mount to the back.

“You really don’t have to ride with me, Ross, although I thank you for your trouble.”

“You could have been hurt if this team had run away with you. Your family needs you right now, and I
will
see you back to Silas’ to make sure you get there unhurt and in one piece.” Ross immediately regretted his tone with her.

He watched Mandy take a step away from him and eye him warily, her papers and photo clasped to her as though they could offer some sort of protection.