Page 12 of Beyond Montana's Sky
The old man jerked a thumb toward the house. “In the kitchen, where she usually is this time of day, teaching our oldest great-granddaughter to bake biscuits.”
A genuine smile lit Cai’s face. “We’ve come at the right time.Mormor’sbiscuits, whether slathered with butter, jam, or sorghum molasses, can’t be beat.”
Farfarscowled. “The folks of Morgan’s Crossing try to claim Mrs. Brungar, who runs the boardinghouse, bakes the best in the county. But we know better.”
“That we do.” Cai crooked an elbow. “Shall we go prove this biscuit claim?”
“I really must be going.” Edith glanced at the surrey.
The old man shook his head. “Let’s give your team a rest and some water before you head back. Don’t you worry none. We’ll take good care of ’em.”
“I have no doubt.”
Edith smiled more warmly atFarfarthan she ever had at Cai.
The man lifted his chin in the direction of the house. “Go on and try my wife’s good cookin’.”
They walked along the stone path. Edith admired the quality of the paving—how well the stones fit like puzzle pieces and how smooth the surface. “Did you construct this path, too?”
Cai extended a foot and tapped a bluish rock. “I placed this stone.” He tapped another. “And this one. At one point or another, all of us worked on the project, sometimes in a group, other times just an individual with some time on his hands. Sort of like a giant puzzle. We collect rocks from all over the ranch, but especially the garden and the alfalfa field when the shovel or plow turns them up. EvenMormor, the matriarch of Driscoll Ranch, laid a few. Well, mostly, she pointed to a particular rock and had a slave boy, often me—” he tapped his chest with a thumb “—carry it to where she wanted and mortar it in.”
The walkway split. Part continued on to the front door, and the other circled around to the side. They’d almost reached the house when a voice called from behind, “Cai!”
They stopped and turned to see young Frank-Swen trotting after them.
He halted and cast Edith a sheepish look, his face reddening, before glancing back at Cai. “Can I talk to you for just a moment?”
With a frown, Cai released Edith. He tipped his head toward the kitchen. “This won’t take long. Head on in. I’ll be right behind you.”
Wondering what that conversation was about, Edith continued on the path. The side entrance had a small overhang, sheltering a narrow porch. A bucket of scraps destined for the pigs sat next to the door. A big washtub and washboard hung from heavy hooks on the walls. She walked past them across the porch and pushed open the blue door, painted in the same Mediterranean hue as the shutters.
Edith paused in the doorway of the large kitchen and didn’t make herself known, sending a quick glance around. To her surprise, she liked what she saw.
Aside from the thick log walls, the interior was as nice as that found in a mansion, with polished plank floors, white upper and lower cabinets and soapstone counters, a plumbed sink, and a big pie safe. A monster, six-burner stove sent welcomed warmth into the room. A spacious hutch sported a mismatch of dishes, from practical tin and enamelware, to colorful pottery that looked Swedish, to a set of brown transferware. Next to the hutch stood a large wooden icebox—a finely-carved piece of furniture—not unlike the one in Caleb’s kitchen. An opening on the far wall, which once must have been a window looking outward, had the glass removed and a broad shelf laid on the sill to allow dishes and food to pass through the open rectangle into the dining room.
Edith was growing more aware that Cai must be a man of substance, which made him more eligible. She certainly didn’t like knowing that detail about him. The man was too attractive for his own good.For my own good.Thinking of him as an uncouth cowboy—ranch owner or not—made it easier to keep an emotional distance between them.
A gray-haired woman, who must beMormor, and a young blonde girl of about seven stood at the near end of a long table, the wood nicked and stained from generations of use. The elder woman rolled out a circle of dough on the enormous breadboard and set the rolling pin aside.
The girl perched on a small stool, wearing a faded, too-large apron, for the hem was at her ankles and the strings wrapped around her waist several times. Like her great-grandmother, she wore her hair in two braids, wound around her head in European peasant fashion. With an expression of great concentration, she held a jelly jar upside down, pressing it into the dough.
“Never twist the glass,”Mormorcautioned. “Just straight down and straight up, or you’ll seal the edges and the biscuits won’t rise.”
How many times had Edith been in the kitchen when Mrs. Graves cooked but hadn’t paid any attention to the woman besides giving her a request? In Sweetwater Springs, one didn’torderservants, especially hardworking females—not if you wanted to keep them. Unmarried women were too rare and couldn’t be replaced without sending to the East for a new maid, who might not be as good as the one you lost. Early on, Edith made that mistake with Caleb’s maid-of-all-work.
Luckily Mrs. Graves and Jed, as the man-of-all work, remained consistent employees. Edith had to do some cooking and mending tasks, especially on Mrs. Graves’s day off. Since the opening of the hotel, housekeeping became easier, because once a week, the female chambermaids took turns cleaning Caleb’s house.
Even with her dour disposition, Mrs. Graves was an admirable cook and housekeeper, and extremely loyal to Caleb. But she’d never been pleasant to work with, so Edith—indeed, the whole household—stayed out of her way as much as possible. In contrast, Charlotte somehow managed to work her baby magic and find the woman’s soft spot.
Edith stepped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She unwrapped her scarf and unbuttoned her coat but didn’t remove it.
Both Andersons females looked up, curiosity on their identical faces, differing only in age.
“I’m Edith Grayson.” She gestured toward the door. “Cai’s right behind me.”
“Mr. Livingston’s widowed sister?” The older woman cocked her head.
Edith nodded.
