Letters and Love

Chapter Twenty-Three: Elizabeth

Mrs. Harper refused to let me help her cook dinner, saying I could begin helping in the morning. When he came in, Mr. Harper was as gracious as his wife and welcomed me to their home. Their two sons didn't seem to know how to speak to me, which resulted in a great deal of teasing from their parents.

The crow of a rooster roused me shortly after dawn. I could hear the rest of the family already moving around the downstairs of the house. As I stretched my arms over my head, I couldn't believe how rested I felt. I'd fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and hadn't woken up once.

And now I had a day of getting to know Noah. When would he arrive? What would we do when he came?

I'd thought I was prepared for life in the west. The youngest Harper son had stared at me in astonishment when I had admitted I didn't know how to ride or drive a wagon. Something I hadn't thought to ask my cousins to teach me. And how could I have overlooked it? I knew Noah's land was outside of town. Walking just wouldn't be enough as it had been back home.

I pushed the thought from my mind. My hosts were already up and it would be rude of me to remain in bed. By the light of the rising sun, I dressed quickly. It was a relief not to put on my travel stained black gown. Would anyone judge me for the grey dress I put on? It had been barely a month since Mother...

Tears pricked my eyes at the sudden reminder. Breathing out, I closed my eyes and tried to shove my grief away. I had kept it at bay this long and I refused to allow it to encroach on me today.

It took a minute before I felt able to climb down the ladder to the kitchen. It had been generous of the Harper boys to give up their sleeping space for me. Mrs. Harper had assured me that her boys didn't mind sleeping in the barn and that they'd done it many times over the years, but that seemed a strange thing to enjoy.

"Good morning," Mrs. Harper greeted. She stood at the table, scrambling some eggs. I could smell coffee in the air. "Do you mind mixing up some flapjacks for me while I get these eggs done?"

"I'll be happy to." The ingredients were already on the table, and it felt natural to get to work next to her. "Mornings start early here."

"Not always," Mrs. Harper said with a laugh. "Come winter, this hour will be pitch black out. There's no point in rising so early to try to do chores when you'd only have to light a lantern to accomplish anything. Winter is when we sleep in and rest up for the rest of the year."

"I hadn't thought of that. It seems I have a lot to learn." More than I'd thought. My confidence that I could make this work had been shaken by the realization. Would Noah become frustrated with how much I didn't know?

"All of us have something we would do well to learn," the other woman told me. "Even when we think we're pretty good at something, there is always something to learn so that we can be better."

Maybe she meant that to be reassuring, but it only worried me more. Had I made a mistake in thinking I could learn enough to be an equal partner to Noah? Would I only be a hinderance since I would always be a step behind?

Mrs. Harper didn't seem to notice my abstract state of mind. She kept up a steady stream of commentary of all the things she'd had to learn when she was first married.

The sun was just over the horizon when the men of the family came in. Mrs. Harper and I had the table set and breakfast ready. After a sincere blessing, everyone dug into the hearty meal of scrambled eggs, bacon and flapjacks.

Once all the dishes had been emptied completely, the family split up to go about their tasks. Mr. Harper and his sons were going to be clearing a portion of their land to get ready for next year's planting season. Mrs. Harper, on the other hand, had late vegetables to collect from the garden.