A Home at Trail's End (22 page)

Lavinia laughed. “Well, yes. I had to leave so much furniture behind, but I insisted on a few comforts.” She led Elizabeth around, showing her their home, which by frontier standards was quite luxurious.

“I told Hugh that everything we brought for our own use could always be sold in the mercantile should times get hard.” She grinned. “It's a bit like living in your storeroom.”

“A very lovely storeroom.”

Lavinia even showed Elizabeth the bedrooms—all three of them. “One for Augustus and one for Evelyn. Although I imagine Evelyn will not be living her for more than a year or two.”

“Has Evelyn found a beau too?”

“I do believe she's got some fellows with their eyes on her.”

“I shouldn't wonder.”

“When Evelyn marries, we will turn this room into a study.”

“Very nice.” Elizabeth nodded, trying not to be overly impressed with the advantages that wealth could provide. Even if her own house was rustic and meagerly furnished, she would be wholeheartedly thankful for it. And she knew it would be filled with love. Not that the Prescotts' home was not filled with love. She had no reason to think that. But she also had no reason not to rejoice with Lavinia over her new home. “This is a truly beautiful place to live,” Elizabeth said finally. “The Lord has blessed you and your family, and I could not be happier for you.”

Lavinia smiled happily. “Oh, that makes me feel so glad to hear that.” Her smile faded. “I do worry sometimes that our situation might make others jealous. In fact, Hugh warned me not to invite just anyone up here. And I do understand his rationale. But it is such fun to share it with someone. And I felt that you would be more understanding than most.”

“My mother would delight in seeing your home too,” Elizabeth told her. “She left a very fine house behind in Kentucky. Although she won't admit it, I know she misses certain things, such as her china dishes and her beautiful bedroom furniture.”

“The very sort of items I someday hope to carry in our mercantile.”

“That day may be a long way off. At least for most settlers.”

“Oh, mark my word, Elizabeth, it's not that far off. This is beautiful country, and I feel certain more settlers are coming. I have no doubts that all of us—or at least most of us—will have very fine houses again someday.”

“You already have one,” Elizabeth reminded her.

Lavinia shrugged. “Yes, well, this is quite livable for now. But in time, after our town grows and our business prospers, I want a real house built on our land. I want a place where my grandchildren can run and play.”

“Yes.” Elizabeth nodded. “I understand that.”

Lavinia led her to the kitchen area. “As you can see, I am cooking on a real stove now. However, I must confess my cooking skills have not greatly improved since we were on the trail. Thanks to you and your mother, Evelyn has become quite adept at cooking—something, I'm sure, some young man will be most appreciative of someday.”

“I hope you're not in a hurry to get Evelyn married off,” Elizabeth said.

“Not at all. That girl is too valuable here.”

“Isn't she just barely sixteen?”

“She will be seventeen in May. And she is still attending class with Mrs. Taylor. Did you know that Mrs. Taylor not only speaks Latin, but French and German as well? Who would have known?”

“Besides the languages, JT is delighted that she is teaching the children to read music. And my Ruth practically thinks that Mrs. Taylor hung the moon. I had no idea she had so much to offer.”

“I suppose it was a blessing in disguise…” Lavina sighed as she checked a pot that was on the stove. “I mean…that she is with us now.”

“Most certainly.”

“Evelyn insisted on helping me to make us a soup,” Lavinia told Elizabeth.

“Oh, my…and I only expected to come for tea.”

“Well, certainly you must be hungry. Evelyn was sure you would be.”

“As a matter of fact I am,” she admitted.

“It's potato and sausage.” Lavinia moved the pot to a cooler part of the stove.

“Sounds delicious.” Elizabeth looked over to where the kitchen table was set with fine china dishes and silver. “The table looks beautiful too.”

“That was my idea,” Lavinia declared. “It makes me feel so festive to use my good dishes. But I hope you don't mind eating in the kitchen. It seemed more sensible than the big dining table.”

“Not at all. It's very cozy in here.”

Soon they were seated, and Lavinia invited Elizabeth to ask the blessing. “Your family seems so much more experienced at that than we are,” she said quietly. Elizabeth prayed, and they both began to eat.

“This soup is wonderful,” Elizabeth told her.

Lavinia nodded. “It is good, isn't it? I'll be sure to tell Evelyn you liked it. She was so happy to hear you were coming.” Lavinia's mouth puckered into a frown. “Although I must confess that we were very disappointed about your insistence that no one bring gifts to your wedding. Why in the world did you do that? And mind you, I am not only asking as a businesswoman, but as a friend.”

Elizabeth didn't want to say anything to diminish Malinda in her soon-to-be sister-in-law's eyes. “It just seemed the right thing to do. Most of the settlers can barely feed their families, let alone try to come up with two wedding gifts in a month. Eli and I are not in need of gifts.”

“But perhaps your friends and neighbors should have been the ones to decide that.”

“Perhaps.” Elizabeth buttered her biscuit. “Seeing this butter reminds me, my mother is a very good cheese maker.”

“Cheese?” Lavinia's eyes lit up. “Oh, how I miss cheese.”

“I wonder if it would sell well in your store.”

“Oh, I'm sure it would. I would certainly buy it.”

“Well, we have decided that as soon as our cows begin giving milk—mind you, it won't be until a year from now, if we are lucky—my mother and I will begin making cheese.”

“That is wonderful. Consider me your first customer. And I will sell it in the mercantile too.”

After their meal, they got back downstairs just as Flo came into the store. And while Elizabeth shopped, Lavinia and Flo visited together like old friends. Sometimes Elizabeth found it hard to believe that these two women, who would one day be sharing grandbabies, had come from such completely different economic situations. But the Oregon Trail and the frontier eliminated some of the social barriers that were common in the eastern part of the country. Not all of the barriers, of course, but many. At least for the time being. Elizabeth had no idea how all the various relationships would fare on down the line. But for now they all needed one another. And the tighter their little community remained, the greater their chances for success. Or so it seemed to Elizabeth.

“Your shelves seem better stocked than the last time I was here,” Elizabeth called out to Lavinia.

“Yes. Hugh and Julius got back yesterday. We spent the evening unloading and stocking all the merchandise.”

“You are making it rather hard on me,” Elizabeth admitted.

“What do you mean?” Lavinia came over to where Elizabeth was admiring a coffeepot. Her coffeepot from the trail was dented and stained and lidless. The idea of this shining new red enameled pot was rather appealing. Even so, she did not need it, and it was not on her list. She reluctantly set it back down.

“I made myself a list that I plan to stick to, but some of your lovely items are tempting.” She smiled. “And once we start producing cheese and other dairy products, my purse strings will loosen up some.” She held up her shopping basket. “As it is, this will do me for today. Well, along with these dry staples.” She handed Lavinia her list, waiting as she measured and weighed flour and sugar and salt and coffee and beans and all the other staples necessary to feed a family of four.

While Lavinia was packaging her things, Elizabeth peered outside and noticed that the dark clouds were indeed converging overhead. “Oh, dear,” she said. “I hope I make it home before those clouds burst open. I fear the road will turn into a bog soon.”

“I'm glad Hugh and Julius made it back.” Lavinia frowned at the window. “I told them they were pushing it. They could have easily been wading through mud by now.”

Elizabeth hoped she wasn't going to be wading through mud.

“Hello, Elizabeth,” Hugh said as he came into the mercantile.

“Good afternoon,” she replied.

“I was helping Julius with his house today,” he said as he brushed sawdust from his trousers. “Had to quit before the rain came.”

“Not in here,” Lavinia warned. “I just swept.”

He made a sheepish grin. “I'll take this outside.”

“And can you help Elizabeth with Eli's order,” Lavinia called out the open door. “But don't tell her what it is. Eli said it's a secret.”

“Will do.” Out on the boardwalk in front of the mercantile, he was busily brushing the sawdust off. “In fact, I'll be happy to load everything up for you, Elizabeth,” he called into the store. “And I'll loan you a tarp to keep it dry too. Looks like we're going to have a deluge.”

“Thank you,” she said appreciatively. “I better get going.”

“Take this to JT and Ruth,” Lavinia said as she handed Elizabeth a couple of peppermint sticks.

“Thank you.” Elizabeth tucked them into her skirt pocket, wondering if she should give the children a ride home, but when she looked at the clock, she realized they would already be well on their way. Perhaps she would pick them up on the road.

“All loaded and ready to roll,” Hugh said as he returned to the store. “If I were you, I would roll in haste.” He grinned. “And judging by those horses, I'll bet you can too. At least you can go a lot faster than when the wagon was fully loaded on the Oregon Trail.”

“That's for sure.” She laughed. “And you're right, that team can go fairly well when I let them.” She thanked Lavinia again and then, saying goodbye, hurried out to climb into the wagon. The clouds seemed to be getting lower and darker by the moment. She snapped the reins and commanded the team to go, urging them to a faster pace than usual as they got onto the rutted road. It was not a smooth road by any means, but if one kept the wheels in the ruts, and if there was no mud, it was not too terrible.

However, she was only halfway home when the sky opened up and the rain came pouring down, falling so heavily it felt as if it were being dumped by the bucketful. In no time, Elizabeth could feel herself being soaked clear down to her underclothes. She glanced over her shoulder, thankful that Hugh had thought to protect her purchases. Hopefully the dry goods would make it home without being ruined.

“Gid-up,” she shouted, urging the team to continue even though the road was quickly turning to gooey mud.

Finally, she realized that it was useless to try to go fast. Beau and Bella were struggling to get their footing in the slippery mud, and the wagon wheels were so coated that the mud was splattering all over the wagon. At one point, she considered just stopping and waiting it out. But who knew how long this downpour would last?

Eventually, she knew it was futile to remain on the road, and seeing a meadow off to one side, she wondered if that might provide a firmer surface. However, the team seemed unable to move. Thinking she could lead them over to the grass, she climbed out of the wagon and immediately slipped in the mud. Now she was not only soaked to the skin, but covered in mud as well. Climbing back to her feet, she went to the horses' heads and grabbed Beau's harness. “Come on,” she urged, pulling him toward her.

But their footing, like hers, was slipping. And the more she worked with them, the more she realized she was putting them in danger by asking them to do the impossible. The wagon was so mired down in the mud, it was going nowhere. Now she decided her only goal was to get Beau and Bella safely away from the wagon before one of them fell and injured a leg. In the pouring rain, she spoke calmly to her team, struggling to get them out of the harnesses and finally free from the wagon.

“Easy does it,” she said as she slowly led them away from the mud. “Come on, Beau and Bella, let's get you to firmer ground.” She finally got them somewhat sheltered under a stand of fir trees. And when she looked back to the road, she was stunned to see that the belly of the wagon was nearly touching the mud. No wonder the team could not budge it.

“Let's see if we can get you home,” she said as she led the horses through the grass. The ground was soft and the going was slow, but it wasn't nearly as mucky and sticky as the road had become. She found the going was easier if she kept them moving on the higher ground. But at the same time, she felt worried that she was getting too far from the road. What if she got lost?

She paused beneath another stand of trees, stopping to check her team. She ran her hands down their legs, making sure they were sound. Fortunately, other than being tired, they seemed just fine. She stroked their sleek heads, talking soothingly to them. “You two are worth much more than all the flour and sugar and coffee in the whole mercantile. And I'm sorry I put you at risk just to get my wagon home.”