Twilight's Serenade (13 page)

“Now what do I do?” he asked no one in particular.

He glanced to where Laura was already waking. She looked at him and began to pucker her lips. “Where’s Mama?”

“She’ll be here soon,” he said. Just then, Darya’s fascination with him ended, and she began to cry again.

Yuri didn’t know what to think. He shifted the baby carefully and brought her to his shoulder as he’d seen Britta do. This only served to irritate the infant more. At the baby’s increased howls of protest, Laura began to cry.

“It’s all right, Britta . . . Mama will be here soon.”

He attempted to sit down beside Laura, but she wanted no part of it. “Go away. I want Mama.”

“I’m sorry, Laura. She isn’t here yet,” Yuri said, more sternly than he’d intended. “She’ll be here soon enough, I promise.”

Laura looked at him as if he’d suddenly grown horns. She began to wail in earnest, which only caused Darya to cry more. Yuri thought if Britta didn’t come soon, he might well join them.

When she did arrive a few minutes later, Yuri could see that she was still quite tired. Nevertheless, he thought her more beautiful than ever before. Funny, she’d always just been a little girl to him—a little sister. After last night, however, he found himself thinking of her otherwise. She was a grown woman— lovely and sensible—and . . .

“You certainly have a mess on your hands,” she said with a grin. “I’m sorry I overslept.”

“I didn’t know what to do,” he said, thrusting the baby at her.

Britta took Darya. “Well, you’re their father, and you really should learn.”

There was no real rebuke in her tone but rather an amused conciliatory manner. She gathered Laura to her side. “Now you know what you must do,” she told the girl. “The bowl has water in it and is ready for you to wash your face. After that, you can get dressed. I left your things out on the chest at the end of the bed.” She turned to Yuri. “Laura is a big girl and can wash up and dress herself. Can’t you, Laura?”

The child looked up and nodded. “I dwess myself.”

He stood amazed at how quickly order came out of chaos. Before he had fully dressed and shaved, Britta had the children secured and breakfast on the stove. When he joined them at the table, Yuri could only smile in admiration at the petite young woman.

“You make it seem so easy,” he said, taking a bowl of oatmeal from her hands.

“It’s just a matter of routine now,” Britta replied. “It wasn’t this easy in the beginning. I have to say, I relied a great deal upon my mother to show me what to do. Despite having cared for Phoebe’s children when they were young, it’s not the same as having full charge.”

She tied a dishcloth around Laura’s neck to keep food from her clothes, then took her seat beside the child. “Will you say grace?”

Yuri bowed his head and offered thanks for the meal and added silent gratitude for the quiet and order that had been restored. He opened his eyes to find Britta looking at him and smiling. It was almost as if she could read his mind.

“I’m heading into town. Do you need me to bring back anything?” he asked between bites.

“I don’t think so. We stocked the cabin pretty well before you moved in. I think we’re set for a little while. Mother or Kay will bring more milk for the baby after they finish with their chores.”

“I heard your mother say that she’s planning to sell one of the milk calves.”

Britta nodded. “Yes. She has a long list of folks who want to buy them. Beef isn’t as easily attainable up here as elsewhere, but folks still crave it. Whoever buys it will probably feed it until fall, then butcher it.”

“And what of your family? Will they have enough meat for themselves?”

“Oh, we always do. Father smoked pork last fall and we still have quite a bit. Plus there is smoked salmon and pickled herring. He’ll hunt for anything else we need. Mother and Kay always put in a garden to match no other on the island, and there are always berries. Remember when we would go berry picking? You and Dalton would come along to protect us girls.” He nodded and she continued. “We will be canning all sorts of things as summer comes on. Then, too, Mother has plenty of money, and she orders in a good supply of the things she can’t grow. So food is usually not an issue.”

“What might be an issue?” Yuri asked. He longed to find a way to make himself truly useful.

“I can’t say. I’ve been gone longer than you have.”

Yuri continued eating. There must be something he could do to benefit the family. “I suppose I could keep cutting wood,” he said after a time.

“There are always ways to help, if that’s what you’re looking for. Mother wants to make a better house for the chickens. Then there’s a need to dig a new outhouse. Oh, and before he left, I know my father had plans to make repairs to the wood wagon.”

“I could probably do those things,” Yuri said as he pushed back from the table. “I shouldn’t be gone long unless someone offers me a job on the spot.”

“There probably isn’t much available . . . except saloon work,” Britta said, helping Laura to get the last of her oatmeal.

Yuri heard the hesitation and knew Britta’s concern. “I can’t work there,” he said, hoping to put her mind at ease. He got up and smiled. “I think we both know why.”

Britta nodded. “I’ll be praying God brings something to you.”

Yuri wanted to comment on how pretty she looked—how her hair seemed to ripple like water. He wanted to tell her that she’d looked quite alluring last night in the warm glow of lantern light. Instead, he left without another word, hoping the awkwardness he felt would pass.

He had walked nearly the entire distance to town when he spied Phoebe coming down the road. She was carrying a basket over one arm and seemed preoccupied. In fact, she almost appeared to be carrying on a conversation.

He waited as she approached, but it wasn’t until she was nearly upon him that Phoebe even noticed him there.

“Oh, I am sorry,” she said. “I’m afraid I was deep in thought . . . well, actually, prayer.”

“That’s a relief. I thought maybe you were talking to yourself,” he replied. “Are you headed out to see Lydia?”

“I was hoping to see you, as well.”

“Me?”

Phoebe nodded and shifted the basket. “I had hoped to talk you into working for me—for Dalton’s company.”

Yuri was taken by surprise. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, if you really want a job, I can definitely use you. I have no idea of when Dalton will be home, but there’s an order for three skiffs for the cannery. I don’t know how long it takes to finish such an order, but I know the boys we hired from the school are already hard at work on them. I had thought to get some extra help from the school, but they are going to one of the near islands to harvest wood. They’ll be tied up rafting it back to Sitka well into the summer.” She paused, and a pleading expression filled her face. “Please tell me you will do it. Gordon told me the boats couldn’t possibly be completed in time if we didn’t get some additional help. Especially someone who wouldn’t require extra time in training.”

It seemed Britta’s prayers were being answered rather quickly. Yuri drew a deep breath. “I know how to build skiffs.”

“Wonderful.” Her expression seemed to brighten. “Then you’ll work for me . . . for us, I mean.” She shook her head. “Sometimes I talk as though Dalton’s gone for good, but I really don’t believe that.”

“Neither do I,” Yuri told her. He could easily remember the days before Dalton and Phoebe married. A time when he, too, had been interested in courting the pretty blonde. Phoebe hadn’t changed much in all that time. She was still a strikingly beautiful woman.

“Why don’t you walk with me to the house, and we can discuss your pay. I’m afraid I don’t even know what’s fair.”

They began to walk back to the Lindquists. Yuri reached out for the basket. “Here, let me carry that.” Phoebe didn’t protest.

“I’m taking candles to Lydia,” she said, as if he needed an explanation.

“I remember you making the most beautiful candles,” Yuri said thoughtfully. “They smelled so much better than those my mother used to make.”

Phoebe smiled. “I didn’t know your mother made candles.”

“Only when necessary, and only when I was very young. Supplies were far harder to get in those days, and making your own candles was often a necessity. Of course, we used our share of candlefish, too.”

“Smelly things,” Phoebe said, wrinkling up her nose. “Still, those days seem like a million years ago.”

“We were just talking about how you and Dalton first met,” Yuri said. “Not many folks have such a dramatic introduction.”

Laughing, Phoebe kicked at a rock and sent it flying down the road ahead of them. “I try to forget just how opinionated and bossy I could be back then. I’ve really tried to change over the years.”

This struck a chord with Yuri. “Do you think God can truly change us, Phoebe? I mean, really make something new out of what we were?”

“I do. Lydia taught me to count on God for the impossible. I hated it when I came here, remember?”

Yuri did and smiled. “It was evident that you planned to leave as soon as the first opportunity presented itself.”

“That’s true enough. But then I lost my heart to Dalton and knew he’d never leave. So I began to pray God would change my heart—teach me to love Sitka. Little by little, I found a great deal to love about this place. Now I honestly have no desire to live elsewhere.”

“But what about me? Do you think God can truly deliver me from alcohol?” He frowned.

“Yes, Yuri. I think God can completely deliver you. I know you’re probably afraid of what may or may not happen, but just keep in mind that God has already made provision for it. You will always have a way out of temptation. The Bible says so.”

“I want to believe that it’s true. I know Morris—he’s the man who helped me after I got hurt—told me that I can overcome anything with God’s help.”

He heard a buggy approaching from behind and pulled Phoebe to the side of the road as it drew up beside them. Sitting at the reins was a well-dressed man who appeared confused.

“I’m wondering if you might help me. I’m looking for the Lindquist estate.”

Yuri exchanged a grin with Phoebe. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard them call it an estate, but you’re on the right road. We were headed that way ourselves.”

The man beamed at them. “Wonderful. Might I offer you a ride in exchange for directions?”

Phoebe looked to Yuri and then nodded. “That would be very nice. Thank you.”

Helping her up, Yuri waited until Phoebe was settled before handing her the basket. Next he climbed beside her and the three of them squeezed together in the small seat.

“I’m Phoebe Lindquist. I’m married to Lydia and Kjell’s son, Dalton.” She paused and Yuri saw an anxious look shadow her face. “You aren’t here because of them—are you? Do you have word about Dalton and his father?”

“Not at all. I only know them by name, but know nothing else. Why do you ask?”

“We have reason to believe they were in San Francisco the day of the earthquake.”

“I am sorry to hear that. I was in Denver myself when word came about the quake. I once lived in San Francisco and can only wonder what remains of that dear lady.”

Phoebe nodded and seemed to slump a little toward Yuri.

“My name is Brenton Maltese,” the man continued. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Lindquist.”

“This is Yuri Belikov. He’s a very good friend of the family.” Yuri leaned forward and gave a brief two-fingered salute.

“Good to meet you both, and very fortuitous. I was afraid I might be lost.”

“It’s hard to get too lost on this island. There aren’t many roads, and everyone knows everyone,” Phoebe countered. “So what brings you here? Do you have business with Kjell and Lydia?”

“In a manner of speaking,” the man replied. “I’m engaged to their daughter Britta. I’ve really come here to see her.”

Yuri felt as though he’d taken a blow to the stomach. He couldn’t help but meet Phoebe’s worried look. She seemed to question him with her eyes, but Yuri could do nothing but shrug.

“Britta has said nothing about an engagement,” Phoebe murmured. By this time, however, they were approaching the turnoff for the Lindquist property. “You need to take this drive. Their house is up and around the bend.”

Yuri couldn’t concentrate on what Maltese said in reply. He was completely dumbfounded. Britta was engaged? Why was she caring for his children when she had agreed to marry this man? It didn’t make sense.

He remembered Lydia saying that Britta had always been her most secretive of children. This encounter definitely confirmed that point. What in the world had Britta gotten herself into now?

Chapter 10

B
ritta was elbow deep in sudsy wash water when the carriage arrived. It was unusual to have anyone drive out to the property, and she feared bad news had come about her father and brother. She glanced at the porch, where Laura was playing with her dolls while Darya lay on a blanket cooing and shaking a rattle. They were perfectly happy and unconcerned about the carriage.

Britta put diapers to soak in the kettle of hot water, then wiped her hands on her apron. She glanced to the front of her parents’ house to see who had come calling. At the sight of Brenton Maltese, she froze.
What in the world is he doing here?