A Touch of Grace (6 page)

A
S
J
UNE DANCED WITH BLOOMING LILACS
and the issue of whether Sophie would sell the boardinghouse was settled, the new chief discussion of
Will they or won’t they?
held the folks of Blessing in thrall. While the men seemed to think Hjelmer had to go where he could do the best, the women were tearfully praying that Penny would not be forced to leave.

When Grace entered the store, she studied the stony look on Penny’s face. Did she really have a choice? Didn’t the Bible say women were to go where their husbands led? At least that’s what her mor said, but no one wanted to even think of that.

Penny saw her and half smiled. “Good morning, Grace. What can I get for you today?”

“I have a whole list.” She laid the paper on the counter. “I thought maybe I would go see Sophie while you filled this.”

“That will be fine. She is some tired.”

“I know.”

“How’s young Mr. Gould doing?”

“He is working hard. He said he even likes milking the cows. He is over helping Tante Ingeborg in the cheese house again today.”

“Did you bring a wagon in or walk?”

“The buggy. Why?”

“Some parts came in that Lars ordered. I thought perhaps you could take them back to him.”

“Of course, if there is room.” While she wanted to ask Penny about her decision, she couldn’t bring herself to ask the questions. Sometimes things were better left unknown. “I’ll be back later, then.” Once out the door, she took a deep breath, as if she’d not taken one since she’d entered the store, and exhaled. The sorrow failed to follow her outgoing breath. She realized it was selfish to want everything to stay the way it was. Sophie had come home, and no one else should leave. People moving in was fine. It was the leaving that tore her apart.
I don’t ever want to leave Blessing
, she told herself for more than the second time.

Does that mean never to travel or only never moving away?
Grace knew Sophie still dreamed of traveling again and that she wanted Grace to go with her. So yes, traveling was different than moving. And school too. Astrid would be leaving in the fall for nursing school, but she would be coming back like Elizabeth did. She cut off her thoughts as she approached the boardinghouse. Though how they would travel with twins was beyond her. And deep down Grace had a sense Sophie was not telling her something about Garth Wiste. Most likely Sophie was just dreaming about the traveling.
Maybe I
should come in and stay with her
. Grace let her thoughts roam again. She might have a better chance of seeing Toby if she was in town. But sitting out on the front porch of the boardinghouse might be a bit obvious. He’d not come to the graduation festivities after the ceremony. She jerked the screen door open with a bit more force than necessary. What was she supposed to do? Trip him on his way home from work?

She checked Sophie’s room. It was empty, so she headed into the dining room, also empty, went through the kitchen, empty, and out to the back porch, where she found everyone. Even Mrs. Sam was sitting down, for a change.

“Miss Grace, I’ll get you a glass.” Mrs. Sam started to heave herself out of the rocker, but her daughter, Lily Mae, beat her to it. The older woman sank back into her chair with a sigh and a thank-you while Grace and Sophie greeted each other. Newborns Hamre and Joy were sleeping in a large basket next to Sophie. Hamre kept making sucking motions with his lips.

“Here. I bring strawberry swizzle, prettier than lemonade.” Lily Mae set a tray on the low table. “Last of the canned strawberries.”

“Good thing the berries are coming on pretty soon.” Grace loved strawberries … well, berries of any kind but strawberries the most. She loved the smell, the color, and the taste, and that they were the first crop of the summer. While those growing in the gardens were bigger, the flavor of the small wild ones haunted her.

“Are any ready yet at Mor’s?” Sophie asked.

Grace shook her head. “Not in the hollow either.”

“Have you talked with Penny?”

“Only a bit. I stopped at the store and left our order.”

“I thought you might have done that.” Sophie looked around. “I feel so left out of everything.” She gave herself a bit of a shake. “No, enough about me. Tell me how Penny looked.”

Grace stared at her sister. Was this a new Sophie?

“She is sad, not like herself.”

“The whole town is sad.” Sophie waved off a loose fly from above the babies. “I know it’s sad to say good-bye, but it can be interesting too to start a new life in a new place. Maybe Penny will be happier in Bismarck.”

Away from all her family and friends? Seems to me you’re talking
about yourself again
.

Grace took a good swallow of her drink and helped herself to a lemon cookie.
Where are these thoughts coming from? Why is Sophie’s
attitude bothering me?
“Any other news?”

“Mr.Wiste’s house is nearly finished, and Rebecca’s ice cream parlor should open on the Fourth of July, just like she hoped.”

“Who is going to make her ice cream?”

“I forget. She’s going to carry some of the new kinds of candy too. Hershey bars, just think.”

“How do you know?” Grace asked.

“She came by and showed me pictures from a catalog where she ordered tables and chairs and a refrigerated chest, something like they use on the trains.” Sophie stroked Joy’s back as she began to wiggle a little. “We are getting telephones here in Blessing soon.”

“Telephones?”

“Like they have in Grand Forks and Grafton. They are looking for someone to be the operator. Penny was going to let them put the board up in her store, but now if she is going to sell the store …” The words hung on the air, broken only by the sparrows chittering up in the cottonwood tree.

“Are you going to have one here at the boardinghouse?”

“Of course. People will be able to call for reservations like in a hotel.”

“Maybe I should apply for the position of operator.” Grace paused, waiting for her sister’s reaction.

“Grace, you can’t—” Sophie gave a hoot. “You are so funny.” She stopped and stared at Grace. “Oh, how I wish you could. Do you ever dream of hearing real sounds?”

“I used to but not anymore.” She set her glass on the tray. “I’m sure Penny has the order ready. If you’d like, I could come and help you awhile tomorrow.”

Ask her if she’s seen Toby. I can’t. Sure you can. Be casual
. The two sides of her thoughts engaged in fisticuffs while she talked.
I want to
see Toby, and when I do, I shall just ask him flat-out what is going on
. With that firm resolution she stood and smiled at Mrs. Sam and Lily Mae. “Thank you.”

Mrs. Sam fanned herself with her apron. “Cooler weather sure would be a big help.”

“I know.” Grace stopped at her sister’s side. “You behave now.”

“What choice do I have?” Sophie looked up at her sister. “I want to give them everything I can.”

“Oh, Sophie, you are.” Grace leaned down and hugged her sister. “I’ll tell them one day about your summer of the double Bs.”

Sophie gave her a confused look.

“You know, bench and bed.” Grateful at the bark of laughter from Sophie, Grace headed back to the store, made sure all of her supplies were loaded, and climbed up in the buggy to back the horses. While tempted to drive by the flour mill construction, instead she took the road past the schoolhouse and on toward home.

Samuel and Mr. Gould—she still couldn’t call him Jonathan, it was not proper—met her at the barn to remove the parts from the rear of the buggy and rode with her to the house to unload the kitchen supplies. “Mange takk,” she answered when they offered to take the buggy back and unhitch it. She could feel eyes studying her back as she made her way up the steps to the house, the packet with sewing notions and flannel for more diapers to hem under one arm.

You weren’t very friendly
, one voice reminded her.
You were polite
but barely
. She rubbed her forehead. Having two voices arguing was tantamount to a headache at times. This was a fairly new thing, these voices arguing in her mind. Of course she thought with her mind and dreamed there too, but argue? No. She tried to think when it had started. After Sophie ran off and married Hamre was as near as she could figure. But that was also when the deep down loneliness started. How grateful she was when Sophie came home, yet the arguing voices didn’t go away and neither did the empty feeling, even when she was with Sophie. Had they both changed so much? Only when she was with Astrid now did she really feel like herself. But fall would be here soon too.
Then who will I be?
Grace, assistant teacher for her mor or Grace, preparing to marry Toby Valders?

The house seemed still without all the schoolchildren running up and down the stairs or slamming doors when they went outside, sending the vibrations up her legs. Even though they couldn’t speak without their fingers, they could create a restless busyness. Grace followed her nose to the kitchen, where her mother was taking a chocolate cake out of the oven.

Kaaren set the cake pan on the wooden cooling rack on the table and turned to smile at her daughter. “Did you get everything?”

Grace nodded. “And some parts for Pa that were in.” She paused. “Sophie looks very tired.”

“Did she say anything about Mr. Wiste?”

“No. But I didn’t stay a long time.”
Because I was hoping to see
Toby, and that didn’t happen. I fear I am becoming as self-centered as
Sophie used to be. Why is everyone asking about Mr. Wiste? Rumors must
be spreading if even Mor is asking
. “She said Elizabeth is not feeling well.”

“I know. Astrid was in helping in the surgery today?”

Grace nodded. “Penny wasn’t herself either.”

“These changes will be so hard on everyone.”

A couple days later Lemuel galloped up on a borrowed horse. “Dey needs you, Miz Knutson. I tole Miz Bjorklund. She say she be here in de buggy. Them babies is crying up a storm.”

“I want to go too.” Grace clenched her hands.

“We need you and Astrid here to cook for the men. Today they are eating at Ingeborg’s, so you run on over there.”

“But Sophie needs me.”

“Sophie is so busy she just needs to get through one minute at a time.” Kaaren grabbed her basket, and after dropping a kiss on her daughter’s cheek, she said, “Pray hard” and flew out the door. Grace banked the fire, emptied the crock of cookies she’d baked into a basket, and after tucking a cloth over it, walked across the small pasture to find Astrid rolling out noodles. Fresh bread was cooling on the counter, and the fragrance of beef stew wafted from the cast-iron roaster simmering on the back of the stove.

“Separate these for me, please, and hang them over that rack.” Astrid gestured to the rack on the warming shelf of the stove. She looked more closely at Grace’s face. “What’s the matter?”

Grace shrugged and shook her head. “Nothing.”

Together the two girls set the table, dumped some of the noodles into the simmering stew, left the rest to dry for another meal, and sliced the bread. Finally Astrid rang the triangle.

“Let me guess,” Haakan said as he came through the door. “The mothers are off on baby duty.”

“The galloping horse?” Lars followed right behind Haakan.

Grace and Astrid both nodded.

“God dag,” Jonathan said with a nod to both the girls.

Grace felt her mouth drop open. “You are learning Norwegian?” Her fingers flew faster than her tongue, which she had to force to make the right sounds.

“He asked, so we are teaching him.” Trygve took his place at the table. “Along with hoeing and mounding the potatoes.”

“What else can you say?” Astrid asked as she set the big crockery bowl of steaming stew in the middle of the table. “There, now, that’s all.”

“Let us pray.” Haakan bowed his head and waited for all the others. “I Jesu navn …” They all joined him in the traditional Norwegian grace, ending with amen.

“Sorry, I couldn’t say all that.” Jonathan reached for the bread platter and took the heel, which made Andrew send him a teasing glare, and then passed the platter on. “But I am learning. Mange takk.” He took the bowl of bacon-freckled greens from Samuel and looked to Grace. “If you could find the time, I would like to learn to sign also.”

“In Norwegian?” Astrid’s comment made the others smile.

“No, English.” Jonathan dished noodles and beef onto his plate. “If you can find the time, that is.”

Grace nodded as she passed the bowls and plates past her, putting some on her own, but she really wasn’t hungry. Would it be proper to teach him sign language? Or would that just start up rumors about her too. She really didn’t want Mrs. Valders upset with her.

Conversation flowed around her as the men discussed the afternoon’s work and which crops needed cultivating and who should go help with the fencing. Jonathan and Trygve were delegated to help Andrew fence and Samuel to help hoe and pull weeds in the gardens with the girls.

Grace laid her napkin on the table and, rising, excused herself. It was a strain to follow the conversations today. To keep her hands busy, she dipped a bucket of water from the rain barrel and watered the tomato plants that were using the fence for a trellis. Several buckets later she felt a sudden release and sat down on the back steps to inhale. The day’s heat washed down inside her, spreading warmth. When she returned to the house, the men were gone again and Astrid was at the stove washing dishes.