The Sun and Moon and Stars

Chapter V

“I was hoping to go with you the next time you went into town.”

He sucked in a small breath and pulled away, apprehension shadowing his face. Frances quickly explained. “I only wish to mail a letter and pick out a few things for the children to replace my pennies. I am afraid my supply is drying up.”

Julian took a few moments but then conceded. “I suppose that can be arranged. We’ll have to take the children with us. They’ll enjoy spending some time away from home. It isn’t often they get the chance to go into town.”

“And what of your wife?”

“One of our neighbors usually comes and spends time with her when there is no one around, just in case something happens to her. She is an old friend; she enjoys time with Helena. They used to get together often enough, quilting and embroidering and whatnot.”

“I do not mean to sound intrusive, but you left Helena with just the children when you came to pick me up from the train station. Could not something happen to Helena then as well? And with no one around that could help?”

He shook his head. “Winnie knows to press an ear to her mother’s door and listen for anything out of place once in a while. She also knows the way to the neighbor’s homestead if something goes wrong. It isn’t the best option, but I can’t bring them with me each time I go into town and our neighbor’s wife can’t watch them.” 

Frances smiled. “Having the children with us will be wonderful for them. Perhaps they can help me pick out their own prizes, but I think that it might get out of hand. When do you think you’ll be needing to go into town next?”

“I finished an order yesterday. A few cabinet shelves. But I’d like to have another done before we go. Perhaps at the end of this week?” 

Frances nodded. “Thank you for letting me accompany you.

Julian arched an eyebrow, a shadow of a grin on his lips. “You sound as if it would be a burden. Should I be worried?”

Frances shook her head and shrugged, an unsuspecting rush of heat flowering on her face. She spun on her heel and scurried away, an excuse of having to check on the children mumbled from her lips.

That afternoon, with Rebecca fast asleep in her bed and Winnie and Jem playing in the creek, Frances decided that it was time to liven up the dinner menu. But she needed butter. She looked all over the house for a butter churn but even with some tidying it was nowhere to be found. For a moment, she considered asking Julian but he was hard at work and she knew she would find it eventually if she kept looking. Besides, she had the time. 

The barn door swung open a foot and Frances peered into the dark building. Hazy sunshine filtered in through the dirty windows, casting squares of light on the sawdust floor. A single aisle lead to the back of the barn, stalls covering the wall on the right and two or so on the left at the far end. The left corner merged with the aisle into an open clearing where garden tools hung and lay around, collecting spider webs. On the back half of the barn a second floor had been installed, a ladder leaning against the wall. 

Frances walked among the gardening rakes and shovels, her eyes peeled for a butter churn. With cows, there must be one laying around. As if on cue, a cow mooed from her stall. Frances looked over. A brown and white cow rested her head on the stall door, big brown eyes gazing at her with a blank curiosity. Frances smiled. She had always liked cows. They had always reminded her of her mother: warm, steady, and comfortable. Even despite her mother’s dislike for any animals. 

She turned back to the piles of tools and realized she would not find a single thing in the mess. She began to organize the tools: rakes and hoes in one corner, shovels and spades in another. Buckets and pails in a third and all other tools in the last. Frances grunted as she wrapped her arms around a pile of hoes and rakes and placed them in their corner. Most of them were identical and only a couple were broken. What would a carpenter have need for all these gardening tools?