Amelia Changes her Fellow, Page 7

  "Wow! There's a bathing room, complete with running water and a commode! This is unbelievable!" Barton turned on the sink faucet to try it out.

  "Why? Because you thought the first space was all you had?"

  "Yes, and I was grateful for it."

  "Kiowa guessed as much, which probably worked in your favor by being so humble and sincere."

  Barton turned off the sink's faucet before he explored the next room. It was a bedroom with matching mahogany bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, and washstand.

  "Will Kiowa and Mary be moving their furniture to their new home? I can make do on the floor until I can afford a bed."

  "Kiowa said to tell you all the furniture stays here. And believe me, Mary has already filled their new home with plenty of new furnishings."

  There was one more door across from the bedroom, and Barton opened it, thinking it would be another bedroom. Instead, it was small, about six by eight foot, with a desk, chair, and lots of shelving, and a heavy metal safe.

  "What was this room used for?"

  “I can't tell you that," Amelia shrugged her shoulders.

  "Kiowa is your brother-in-law, so I assume you know. Does this room have something to do with him being able to afford all the businesses he owns?"

  Amelia stared at him a second before her mouth widened in a smile.

  "It's one of those family secrets I can't tell you unless you're one of the family," Amelia tossed at him as she walked back to the front room. "I'm sure the coffee is ready now. Let's eat lunch."

  Barton stood in the doorway between the two sections, shaking his head with wonder. The front room was plain white-washed board walls and wooden floor, and simple but sturdy furniture. The back living area had papered walls, carpeting, and such fancy furniture he'd have to take a bath every night after work and put on clean clothes to sit in it.

  He could offer Amelia a better home right away. They could even rearrange the layout to include the front room, making it into extra bedrooms. But could he afford to buy the building in six months knowing it's value and contents now?

  Barton thought all his wishes and goals were met before noon, but now he wasn't so sure.

  He closed the door between the two sections, almost wishing the second area didn't exist.

  Chapter 10

  "He seemed to be excited about taking over the blacksmith shop but then..." Amelia tried to explain to her mother as they prepared supper together.

  "But then what?" Amelia's mother prompted Amelia as she lifted the boiled potatoes out of a hot pan of water.

  "He seemed troubled after we walked through the apartment."

  “What do you mean?" Her mother was good at keeping the conversation going with just a few words.

  "Barton thought the front room was the living quarters and the back section was a storage area."

  "As we all did until Mary's accident and Kiowa moving her to his home. I can see why Barton was shocked at seeing the interior. I was too."

  Amelia couldn't believe the difference in the two areas when she first saw it, but she was used to it now.

  “Barton stopped and pulled off his boots before walking inside and mumbled about he'd have to bathe every day before sitting down on the fancy furniture.”

  "With that bathing room, he'd have that luxury. I'd love to sink into that full-sized porcelain tub myself."

  The blacksmith quarters were far fancier than the Shepard home, which had never been updated. They pulled a tin tub off the back porch and into the kitchen when they wanted to bathe, usually only on Saturday evenings. Filling it with one bucket of hot water at a time and emptying it the same way.

  "Mama, have you ever thought of adding a bathing room in this house?" Amelia asked as she looked around the kitchen. The downstairs was so small, they'd have to enclose the back porch, or add on to the house, but it would be doable.

  "Yes, I have, after seeing the changes Mack made to Mary's house to accommodate her lack of mobility. Not that I'm getting old, but a bedroom and bath downstairs would be nice."

  "And when are you starting on the remodel?" Amelia asked teasingly, not sure her parents would ever change anything about this house.

  "As soon as my children are married and have their own homes," Darcie shot back.

  "Really? Tate and Luella's wedding is around the corner now that they rented a place." Her brother rented a small home a block away from the saddle shop. Luella was continuing her job as school mistress through the school year to help with expenses.

  And herself? She could see herself moving into that nice apartment with Barton.

  "I gave your father the deadline of one year from your wedding date to have the remodel done, not started."

  Amelia laughed, imagining her parents arguing about it. Her mother liked change, but her father did not. Even something as simple as new kitchen curtains would throw Papa in a tailspin.

  Maybe Barton was like that too, wanting things simple and plain.

  "Do you think Barton's problem is that he doesn't like a decorated home? Mary went a little overboard in their secret apartment."

  "I bet he's worried he'll have to buy all that expensive furniture if he buys the blacksmith building."

  "Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it makes sense. He was fine with the simple furnishings in the front room, and then we walked into—"

  "A fancy home with imported Persian rugs, upholstered matching parlor furniture, a black and white tiled bathing room, complete with that bathtub—which I'm saving my pennies for one like it—"

  "Yes, that's it! Barton's worried about how he can afford to buy it.

  “What am I going to do, Mama? I really like the man—and his new home,” Amelia confessed.

  Her mother turned toward Amelia, her back to the work table and her arms crossed.

  “I thought you liked Wesley Preston?”

  “No, well yes, I like Wesley, but as a friend. Your group set us up with certain suiters, but we’ve changed…around a bit since we’ve been meeting in the evenings.”

  “We have to get to know your man, and soon with the way things seem to be progressing. Ask Barton to Sunday dinner.”

  “Will it be everyone? Gabe’s and Mary’s families too?”

  Amelia didn’t know if she wanted to spring the whole family on Barton all at once in this tiny home. Barton had met everyone after church but being stuck together for a couple of hours was a different situation.

  “How about the six of us, counting Luella. Will that work for the first time?”

  “Yes, thank you, Mama.”

  Tate and Luella would help keep the conversation going around the table. And Gabe and Iva Mae’s young children, sweet as they were, wouldn’t be interrupting an important meal.

  “How are the rest of the couples getting along? Any other matches yet?”

  “Are you spying for your group, Mama?” Amelia couldn’t help asking.

  “I’m just curious is all. Six young men arrive in town looking for jobs… and just happen to meet six young women…” Darcie laughed, knowing full well they both knew the meeting was a setup.

  “How are the Brenner girls adjusting to town, besides the presence of possible suitors?”

  “Maisie is the one who's taken charge of the dress shop. She has a good eye for color and styles of dress that would look best for a woman. Squires Miller and Maisie hit it right off with their matching happy personalities.

  “I think Maggie is enjoying living in town, away from the responsibilities she’s always had caring for her siblings. She’s the salesperson when you walk into the shop. Peter Gehring spends most of his time talking to Maggie when we’re together.”

  “And Molly? She’s so quiet.”

  “Molly would prefer to go back to the Cross C Ranch to ride her horse and herd cattle. I think she enjoys the sewing though, maybe because she can do it in the back room. She’s shy, making it hard for her to talk to the men. Peter sat with her at our Sunday lunch, but the two of
them didn’t seem to have much to say to each other.

  “Tobin tries to draw her into the conversation. Horses seem to be their common interest. But, none of them have paired up and spent time as a couple instead of staying with the group.”

  “Who does Nadine like? I wasn’t sure we should include her in our match-making scheme, but the men came as a group, and we needed a sixth girl,” her mother confessed.

  “Nadine hasn’t really shown any preference, but she talks to Wesley since he’s working in the hotel with Ethan.”

  “I’ve been over to visit Helen and did see Nadine and Wesley working together in the office behind the front desk. They reminded me of Helen and Ethan when they met twenty years ago. Mother and daughter are so alike in their nature. I hope Wesley is laid back enough to let her lead.”

  “And what’s wrong with that? It’s the 1890s, and we all believe in the suffrage movement.”

  “Yes, it’s a different era than when I was a bride. What about Avalee? She seems to like her job being Dr. Pansy’s assistant.”

  “Do you think Helen knows Avalee’s been pretending to have a fiancé to discourage someone from courting her?” Amelia asked her mother. Something was going on with Avalee that no one knew about until recently.

  “No, well, not until I overheard it on Sunday at our group meal. Anyone, or someone? There’s a difference,” Darcie asked before she started mashing the potatoes.

  “Avalee won’t say.”

  “Is that man the one she’s calling her fiancé, or the person she’s trying to convince she already has one? Either way, for her safety, you better find out and convince her to talk to her father or the Marshal about him,” Darcie pointed the metal potato masher in Amelia’s direction.

  “I will. I hadn’t heard about it myself until Sunday. But why would she meet with the men and us if she had a fiancé?” Amelia asked as she took the plates off the shelf for their meal.

  “Exactly. Find out or start carrying pistols.”

  “Mama!”

  “I’m just saying be prepared. I’m only trusting this group of men because Kaitlyn brought them together... and the marshal, your father, and every other person in town is watching out for the six of you.”

  Amelia started to open her mouth to protest, but then closed it when she realized what her mother said. They should be prepared to face anything, just as the Peashooters had been back twenty years ago.

  Clear Creek was a settled town now, but things could happen, and they had to be prepared if someone threatened one of their own friends, future husbands, or children.

  Amelia would bring it to the attention of her friends the next time they met. It might be time to form a society of their own.

  Chapter 11

  "How long have you had your saddle shop, Sir?" Barton asked as he, Reuben Shepard, and his son Tate, sat at the dining room table, waiting for the women to finish dishing up the meal and sit down with them. And to get Mr. Shepard to talk about his family instead of Barton's.

  "Almost twenty years. Started the shop when Tate was just a toddler," Mr. Shepard replied.

  "Amelia and I grew up in the business. I think Amelia chewed on leather when she was teething instead of a baby rattle," Tate teased Amelia as she came into the dining room with a bowl of steaming brown gravy.

  Barton had been hungry walking into the home and smelling the pot roast, but his appetite had waned with all of Mr. Shepard's questions.

  "What do you expect with us being in the shop all day while our parents worked? At least I didn't pull off my clothes and run naked down Main Street like you did," Amelia gave as good as she got when her brother teased her.

  Barton felt a pang of regret, wishing he and his brothers' childhood would have been like the Shepards.

  "Hey, but I was just a baby."

  "Oh, you pulled that same stunt until you were four, at least it seemed that long," Darcie Shepard said as she followed Amelia with the platter of roast. "You hated to have clothes on during the summer, and I swear you ran naked down the street more times than your Uncle Adam could count and catch you. I finally gave up, knowing you'd come home eventually."

  What a contrast of Amelia and Tate growing up in a safe little town instead of the slums of New York City as he and his brothers had to endure. If his parents would have settled in a small town, would that have made a difference?

  "Amelia said you left New York City when you were ten years old. What was your father's trade before you lost him?" Reuben shifted the questioning back to him.

  Amelia sat down beside Barton and put a hand on his knee. He didn't realize until then that his leg was bouncing up and down with his fidgeting.

  "Worked in a factory, same as I did," Barton said, glad that Amelia's touch calmed him down.

  "Now that we're all seated, let's join hands and say grace," Darcie commented.

  Barton gladly grabbed Amelia's hand and relaxed as she squeezed his hand. But his right hand had to grasp Reuben's left. Reuben held up his palm and looked Barton in the eye. Barton laid his palm against the older man, then bowed his head, hoping his hand wasn't shaking.

  After saying the table prayer together, hands were released, and bowls of food started being passed around.

  "You said you worked in a factory? What kind? Weren’t you a little young to do that?" Tate asked Barton, as he took a large portion of mashed potatoes and plopped it on his plate, making a well for the gravy that would follow next.

  "Textiles. Most of that kind of factories were run by child labor except for the supervisors. I was just one of many,” Barton wanted to leave his parents out of the conversation as much as possible.

  “What about school then?” Tate asked.

  “Rarely attended but learned anyway,” Barton noted to keep it simple. He worked so that Gordon could attend.

  “Did Amelia tell you I grew up in upper New York state?”

  “No, Sir,” Barton waited for him to comment about visiting New York City and thinking what a great place it was.

  “Cold state. After I served my time in the war, I wandered down to Kansas and worked at the Bar E Ranch before starting our business in town.”

  Yeah, Barton remembered being cold in New York too, because they didn’t have proper clothing, nor heat in their tenement housing.

  “Why did the six of you decide to settle here, rather than near Topeka where you grew up?”

  Reuben asked a legitimate question that Barton needed to answer truthfully, but without hurting others.

  “I’ll just say not everyone in the group had good adoptive parents. We thought it best to start fresh elsewhere for their sakes.”

  “Good choice. I regret missing part of my son, Gabe’s childhood, but moving to Kansas was better for me, and all of us,” Reuben nodded to his wife at the end of the table.

  “Good meal, Mrs. Shepard. I appreciate your invitation.”

  “You’re welcome, but Amelia and Luella cooked the meal tonight,” Darcie winked at her daughter, and Barton noticed the slight blush that spread across her cheeks.

  “I need the practice since Tate and I will be eating in our own home soon,” Luella jumped in. “My family always eats in the hotel dining room. I’ve worked with the cooks but never prepared small meals.”

  Amelia had told Barton about how Helen and her first set of girls managed hotels in Pennsylvania before accepting the invitation to come to Kansas. The whole town seemed to be a collection of people who moved here from elsewhere, same as he and his brothers. Hopefully, in twenty or so years, Barton and Amelia would be inviting prospective mates for their children to their dinner table.

  Barton listened to the three women talk animatedly about Tate and Luella’s upcoming wedding and the events leading up to it, including a quilting bee this coming week.

  “You know, we should start quilting everyone’s quilt tops with six prospective weddings in the near future,” Darcie noted, looking alarmed that no one had thought of that yet. “Each woman usually has
thirteen tops ready to quilt. Including Luella’s that makes…”

  “Ninety-one quilts,” Barton supplied, being good in math even though he never had proper schooling.

  The three women looked horrified. Was it a sin not to have your quilts done by your wedding?

  “Oh, my word! How could we have forgotten such an important thing?” Darcie wailed. “The Peashooters will meet and start working on the problem immediately.”

  Luella and Amelia looked at each other and tried their hardest to keep straight faces.

  “What? You have to at least have your wedding quilt done before you marry,” Darcie scolded them.

  “Darcie, I don’t think you’ve ever referred to your church group as the Peashooter’s before,” Reuben smiled at his wife.

  “Everyone else calls us that, so why not?” Darcie waved her hand in the air to dismiss the statement.

  “Did the first mail-order brides who arrived here twenty years ago bring finished quilts or quilt tops with them?” Amelia asked.

  That caused Darcie to pause a moment to think. “I really doubt they had either. Most women arrived with what they could fit in a carpet bag. My sister Millie had her hands full with Tate and one bag.”

  “I doubt Mama had a quilt along with us four little girls in tow. She made sure we each had our portrait of our fathers though.”

  Barton looked over to Amelia for an explanation. She leaned over to whisper, “Each of the four daughters had different fathers.”

  He had noticed the four older Paulson daughters, all with different colors of hair and facial features, didn’t look like each other or Helen.

  “The other thing to consider is that each woman has her wedding dress ready too,” Luella commented. “I’ve already picked my dress out of the Five-Trunk Room at the dress shop.

  Again, Barton looked to Amelia to explain. “Cora Hamner used to have a bedroom with five trunks in it, where women could pick out a new dress for her wedding. Cora’s mother collected dresses from her Boston friends and shipped them to Cora. Now, since Cora has a dozen children who fill up her house, the five trunks were moved to the dress shop in town.”