A Prairie Rose

Chapter 21

Though she had been the first to go over her Mother's lap, Hattie's tears fell for longer than mine. I had situated myself into a tender sitting position, trying to ignore the awful sting in my backside as I sniffled and wiped away my last several tears, and as Hattie lay on the bed just inches away from me and continued to weep. 

I could not blame her- her Mother had dealt a very sound spanking. 

"At least it wasn't the strap," I tried to comfort, the tears in my voice rather defeating the purpose. "Grace's whipping ended before ours, and she' still crying. Hers was worse."

Hattie glared up at me, her cheeks and eyes both red from tears. "Well I'll bet Daddy didn't bare her !"

I sighed, squirming as I tried to find a less-sore position to sit in. I finally gave in, and just curled my knees up to my chest. "No, I suppose not."

Hattie stopped crying before Grace- but I thought that perhaps Grace's pride was just as wounded as her backside. I had heard her being sent to the corner, whereas Hattie and I just had to stay on our bed. Less than an hour later, though, Grace was called from the corner and Hattie and I were called from the bedroom to stand before their parents, in front of the fire. 

"Grace, I don't ever want to hear you speak to your Mother like that again," Her Father scolded, his voice stern, but gentler now. Grace kept her head lowered as he scolded, properly chastised. "She does everything she can for you girls- gives you everything she can, provides as well as she can. I do, too. This journey West hasn't been easy for anybody, but we all need to do our part. I expect you to be respectful and obedient to your Mother. You mind her, you mind me, and you take care of the little ones when needed"

Grace's voice shook, as if she were still on the verge of tears- she sounded her proper age now rather than the front she tried to put on. "Yes, Daddy."

"And what do you have to say to your Mother?"

She sniffled, glancing up. "I'm sorry for sassing you, Mama."

Mrs. Hansen didn't look upset- she reached out to touch her daughter's cheek, wiping away the tears. "Thank you, Grace. I forgive you."

Then her eyes moved away from Grace, back to Hattie and I. "Girls- when I tell you to mind somebody, I expect you to mind them. That means you are respectful, you are obedient, and you do not talk back or argue. If you take an issue with it, you come and ask me about it, but you do not behave the way you did today. What do you have to say to Grace?"

I felt the blush on my face, but knew reaching up to cup my cheeks would only serve to bring attention to that fact rather than hide it. "I'm sorry for not minding you, Grace. And making you fall. I really didn't mean for you to. Honest. I like you. You're pretty and smart and funny."

It was the truth, surprisingly. I did like Grace. She was bossy and irritating and kind of whiney, but she was still smart. She was good at math and reading, just like I wanted to be. She was able to cook over fire without burning herself, and mince things with just a flick of her wrist without ever cutting herself, and knew how to can things and make brine. She had pretty long hair that I wished I had, and she had a fast, witty, sarcastic sense of humor that her Mother did not appreciate, but I found amusing. And, though she was undeniably not yet grown, she had a pretty almost-womanly curve to her that I only hoped I would one day have, as well. 

For perhaps the first time ever, Grace smiled at me. Just a tiny smile, but still a smile- an honest one, I thought.

Eyes fell on Hattie, who was glaring at the ground. When she did not speak, her Father prompted her. "Harriet?"