Lucinda grinned at Aurelian's unnecessary explanation of what a lake was. "Oh, I thought those were rivers," she said, a touch of cheerful sarcasm in her words.
The mood dampened slightly as they began to talk about going back east, or in Aurelian's case, not going back east. He was in a different boat than she was. He had nothing to go back to, where she had her family.
"I know what you mean." She reached across the table to take his hand impulsively. She understood, even if she had given up Francis's homestead. It wasn't that she didn't care about everything they'd sacrificed, it was that she knew it was impossible for her to take care of the homestead on her own.
She looked down at their hands, and then up at him.
"So you're working the farm with Wyatt. What happens when he gets old enough to move away and get married?" It was a long time before Wyatt would actually be old enough to marry, but it was worth thinking about.
"I know what you mean," the woman reached across the table to take his hand impulsively.
Oh he noticed alright but did not pull away, why would he? He figured she was probably just lonely, being a widow n' all. He full well knew the sorrow of losing a spouse you were in love with .
"Fair enough," he nodded.
"So you're working the farm with Wyatt. What happens when he gets old enough to move away and get married?"
Aurelian smiled, "That'll be some years yet I figure. Although Clara left the nest a whole lot earlier than I ever figured."
"Besides, Wyatt tells me he's never gettin' married, he hates girls. I asked him about the girls in school, even all of them? And he said they were worse than Clara," Aurelian chuckled.
"We both know that can change though as boys get older."
"Well, Clara seems happy," Lucinda ventured. "I hope her life with Jacob is easy." She looked down at her hand which still clasped Aurelian's, and finally let go, grinning at Wyatt's philosophy about marriage and girls.
"Enjoy him hating girls while you can," she said with a laugh. "Soon he'll be like Hector, following me around like I've bewitched him!"
At first she'd tried to be polite to Hector, but living with Jemima and Mrs. Wigfall had soon shown her a better way to deal with the young man. She let his sister or his mother take care of Hector, and just kept to her room when she wasn't eating.
"But never mind about Hector," she continued. "How was Clara's pie? Up to her usual standards?" She looked down at the empty plate. He had sure cleaned the plate up, so it must have been good.
"Well, Clara seems happy," Lucinda ventured. "I hope her life with Jacob is easy."
"I think she is. I know she loves him deeply....Clara never does anything other than all out," Aurelian smiled.
He leaned in closer to Lucinda then as if to tell her something hush hush.
"She is pregnant. She doesn't want people to know yet. She only admitted it to me when I outright asked her. It's not showing obviously yet but I could tell," Aurelian confided in the woman.
"It's going to complicate their lives alright. I know that well, having been a father three times," he added, then figured he should explain, "We did lose a child at birth sadly."
Wyatt was still too young for any such serious things and Aurelian pointed out the boy had yet to discover girls as it were.
"Enjoy him hating girls while you can," she said with a laugh. "Soon he'll be like Hector, following me around like I've bewitched him!"
"Oh that young Wigfall....I know of him. Friend of Jacob. Clara does not like him. But - and don't tell Clara I said this - but Clara does not like a LOT of people," he smiled.
"But never mind about Hector," she continued. "How was Clara's pie? Up to her usual standards?"
"Always. A bit of a father bragging about one's own but did you know that she won the pie baking contest at the Kalispell fall fair the very first time she entered. She was the youngest contestant and almost no one knew her. But then Mrs. Pike had not entered that time or it might have been a harder decision by the judges. They both love their baking though. They make a good team. Mrs. Pike is the mother that Clara no longer has............if that makes sense?"
Lucinda's eyes widened. Clara was pregnant? Newly married Clara? She wondered if Jacob knew. The shock on her face was evident as she stared at Aurelian. Luckily, she didn't have to respond since Aurelian continued.
It's going to complicate their lives alright. I know that well, having been a father three times," he added, then figured he should explain, "We did lose a child at birth sadly."
Lucinda looked down at the table, her shock dissolving into sadness, both for Aurelian and for herself at the reminder of her own dead children. "I was pregnant three times." She stopped and swallowed away the grief, not planning on saying anything else unless Aurelian asked her.
The conversation moved on to Clara's pies. Lucinda was impressed that Clara had won prizes for her pies. She smiled at Aurelian's fatherly bragging. "I didn't know that. She doesn't seem like the type to boast about her own accomplishments, though. And...to be fair...we only met today."
She sobered at the mention of Clara's mother. "Why, yes, that makes sense. Emeline strikes me as a very motherly type. I think she's the reason I wanted to stay, even if I didn't realize it at the time."
"Well, Clara seems happy," Lucinda ventured. "I hope her life with Jacob is easy."
"I think she is. I know she loves him deeply....Clara never does anything other than all out," Aurelian smiled.
He leaned in closer to Lucinda then as if to tell her something hush hush.
"She is pregnant. She doesn't want people to know yet. She only admitted it to me when I outright asked her. It's not showing obviously yet but I could tell," Aurelian confided in the woman.
"It's going to complicate their lives alright. I know that well, having been a father three times," he added, then figured he should explain, "We did lose a child at birth sadly."
Wyatt was still too young for any such serious things and Aurelian pointed out the boy had yet to discover girls as it were.
"Enjoy him hating girls while you can," she said with a laugh. "Soon he'll be like Hector, following me around like I've bewitched him!"
"Oh that young Wigfall....I know of him. Friend of Jacob. Clara does not like him. But - and don't tell Clara I said this - but Clara does not like a LOT of people," he smiled.
"But never mind about Hector," she continued. "How was Clara's pie? Up to her usual standards?"
"Always. A bit of a father bragging about one's own but did you know that she won the pie baking contest at the Kalispell fall fair the very first time she entered. She was the youngest contestant and almost no one knew her. But then Mrs. Pike had not entered that time or it might have been a harder decision by the judges. They both love their baking though. They make a good team. Mrs. Pike is the mother that Clara no longer has............if that makes sense?"
Lucinda's eyes widened. Clara was pregnant? Newly married Clara? She wondered if Jacob knew. The shock on her face was evident as she stared at Aurelian. Luckily, she didn't have to respond since Aurelian continued.
It's going to complicate their lives alright. I know that well, having been a father three times," he added, then figured he should explain, "We did lose a child at birth sadly."
Lucinda looked down at the table, her shock dissolving into sadness, both for Aurelian and for herself at the reminder of her own dead children. "I was pregnant three times." She stopped and swallowed away the grief, not planning on saying anything else unless Aurelian asked her.
The conversation moved on to Clara's pies. Lucinda was impressed that Clara had won prizes for her pies. She smiled at Aurelian's fatherly bragging. "I didn't know that. She doesn't seem like the type to boast about her own accomplishments, though. And...to be fair...we only met today."
She sobered at the mention of Clara's mother. "Why, yes, that makes sense. Emeline strikes me as a very motherly type. I think she's the reason I wanted to stay, even if I didn't realize it at the time."
"I was pregnant three times." She stopped and swallowed. She didn't say anymore but then she didn't need to, Aurelian got it and frowned.
"I'm sorry. That must have been terrible for you and your husband," he responded in sympathy.
They both didn't want to dwell on all that sadness in both their lives so he moved on to talking about Clara's baking skills, a little bragging like a typical proud papa.
"I didn't know that. She doesn't seem like the type to boast about her own accomplishments, though. And...to be fair...we only met today."
"Oh she wouldn't bring it up but she was quite proud of that blue ribbon she won. Can you blame her?" it was a rhetorical question.
He then mentioned that Emeline has played a vital role in Clara's life as a sort of replacement mother figure, hoping the woman would get what he meant.
"Why, yes, that makes sense. Emeline strikes me as a very motherly type. I think she's the reason I wanted to stay, even if I didn't realize it at the time."
"Oh I believe that. I was impressed with her the very first time I met her and felt very comfortable with allowing Clara to work for her," he nodded.
"Say.....pardon me if this is too bold, I am not good at this sort of thing but.." Aurelian paused for the right words, "....would you want to come out to the farm once and see how the Redmonds do farming? Not that it is in any way spectacular but you might just want to take a look, I could cook up something or ...........maybe a smarter move...ask Clara to make something I could serve. Feel free to decline, I would not take offense."
Lucinda stared at the table, absorbing Aurelian's sympathy. She knew everyone out here dealt with loss in one way or another, but Aurelian's loss seemed so similar to hers. It made the loneliness seem less lonely.
She was surprised by Aurelian's proposed outing to the farm and stared at him open-mouthed for a moment. Then, slowly recovering her sense of propriety and ability to talk, she nodded. "When I left the homestead, I never wanted to see another farm again. But your farm...it sounds different than the one I left. So...yes, Aurelian, I would be happy to go out to the farm with you."
She smiled at the last bit of Aurelian's invitation. "I would be happy to cook a meal while I am out at the farm, but I'm sure it would be a better meal if Clara cooked it."
Some of the sparkle had come back into her eyes at the prospect of going out to the farm. But then she realized there was a problem. "I don't own a horse. How would I get out to the farm?" She knew very well how she could get out to the farm - ask someone from town going out that way to take her - but if Aurelian offered to fetch her she wouldn't refuse him.
"When I left the homestead, I never wanted to see another farm again. But your farm...it sounds different than the one I left. So...yes, Aurelian, I would be happy to go out to the farm with you."
Aurelian was a bit taken aback by that first part but managed a smile, "Well, most farms are probably basically the same but I suppose each have their own personal touches too depending on who lives there, that sort of thing. I don't claim mine is anything special but I have become quite attached to it."
"I would be happy to cook a meal while I am out at the farm, but I'm sure it would be a better meal if Clara cooked it."
"No, no, I wouldn't think of inviting you out there and then making you do the cooking. You will be my honored guest. Besides when I ask Clara, it is a valid excuse for her to come back home and I get to have her home with me even if it is just a few hours. I don't mind admitting, I miss her," Aurelian replied.
"I don't own a horse. How would I get out to the farm?" she suddenly considered.
"Not an issue. I would of course come and pick you up. I have a wagon, you need not even get on a horse," he had a quick answer for that problem.
"Honestly, all you have to do is say 'yes' and I got it from there," he smiled.