Page 296 of Conveniently Wed
Eyeing the wonderful bathtub, Aundy closed the door behind her and used the old towel to wipe off as much mud as she could before sinking into the steaming water.
While the hot water relaxed her sore, abused muscles, she continued to send up prayers on Erik’s behalf. She couldn’t hear what Garrett whispered to Nora, but by the looks on both their faces, it had to be bad. She felt guilty soaking in a tub of hot water with a bar of fragrant rose soap Erik had no doubt purchased for her scenting the air while he lay unmoving in his bed. As soon as she was clean, she’d go sit with him and hold his hand. It was the least she could do.
Frustrated by her attempts to wash her hair one-handed, she was relieved when Nora knocked and stuck her head around the door. “Need any help?”
“If you don’t mind, I could use some with my hair,” Aundy said, looking chagrined.
Nora soaped Aundy’s hair, maintaining a running conversation while she worked. “Did Erik say you were from Chicago?” Nora busied herself massaging Aundy’s scalp.
Aundy didn’t think anything had ever felt so good and closed her eyes to savor the experience. “Yes, ma’am.”
“He said something about you being a seamstress. Is that correct?”
“I worked as a seamstress in a factory that made ready-made clothing. Our mother taught my sister and me to sew when we were quite young.”
“Did your sister work in the factory with you?”
Aundy shook her head. “No, thank goodness. Ilsa has a rare talent with a needle. She works for my aunt, creating gowns for some of Chicago’s most elite clientele. I would not have allowed her to work in the factory.”
“Oh? Why not?” Nora asked, unfamiliar with what factory work entailed.
“The hours are long, the pay is poor, and the working conditions are less than pleasant,” Aundy said, managing to suppress a shudder.
Her beautiful, delicate younger sister wouldn’t have lasted a week in the factory. Some of the male supervisors weren’t above making life miserable for the pretty girls who turned down their attentions. On top of that, the work was backbreaking, sitting in front of a sewing machine for hours on end with insufficient lighting. Aundy never had any problems because she wasn’t perceived as one of the young, attractive girls. Instead, she was lumped in with the matrons who went unbothered, for the most part.
Determined to make a better life for herself, and eventually her sister, Erik offered Aundy the opportunity when he asked her to marry him.
Educated and intelligent, Aundy hadn’t been able to secure any suitable work when she found herself desperate to earn an income, which was why she took the job in the factory. Her family needed the money and didn’t have the luxury of waiting for a good job to come along.
“Does your sister still work for your aunt?”
“Yes, she does.” Aundy’s tone took on an edge as she thought about the cruel woman who held her sister’s fate in her hands. “I was hoping to eventually bring Ilsa out here to live on the farm. Erik mentioned in one of his letters that he wouldn’t mind. He just asked that I wait a few months to give us time to get used to being married. Now, I…”
Nora placed a gentle hand on Aundy’s head as the girl struggled to keep the tears filling her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. Erik’s bride seemed to be a levelheaded, capable girl who took things head-on and without a lot of fuss. She would make any rancher or farmer a good wife, especially someone like Erik who was older and somewhat set in his ways. “Everything will work out just fine, Aundy. Don’t you worry.”
“Thank you, Nora,” Aundy whispered, squeezing the woman’s hand in her right one.
Nora laughed as she noticed Aundy’s fingers looked shriveled from the water. “Let me see if I can find something for you to wear until Garrett and Jim get back with your clothes. We need to get you out of there before you melt into the water.”
In a rush, Nora left the room but soon returned with a warm flannel robe in a dark shade of blue. She handed Aundy a towel then turned her back, giving the girl some privacy.
“I appreciate your help,” Aundy said as she briskly rubbed her skin dry with a rough towel then pulled on the robe. A masculine scent clung to the fabric and she knew it must belong to Erik.
After watching her struggle to dry her long, blonde tresses, Nora took over, using the towel to squeeze out the excess water.
A noise from the front room sent Nora scurrying out the door while Aundy waited in the bathroom. She heard the clomping of boots in the hallway, going past the bathroom door, and the sound of something heavy being set on the floor in the next room.
The men’s footsteps thudded toward the front of the house as a knock sounded on the bathroom door. Nora opened it and motioned Aundy to follow her to the bedroom next door, where her trunks sat against one wall.
“The boys used some burlap at the barn to get your trunks clean, although I think that one,” Nora pointed to the trunk with the broken lid, “is sadly beyond saving. I’ve got your dirty clothes soaking so we can get that nasty mud out of them.”
Nora unfastened the straps and latches on the trunks, pushing up the heavy lids and watching as Aundy dug inside, taking out clothes. The sensible girl chose a dark green dress she could wear without a corset. Although wrinkled, it was clean and serviceable.
Nora smiled, admiring the fine stitching that made the dress unique. “Did you or your sister make this dress?”
“Ilsa made it for me. As I said, she’s the one who’s talented with a needle. I can run a sewing machine with the best of them, but Ilsa makes things lovely,” Aundy said while Nora helped her dress.
Nora studied the bruising on Aundy’s injured arm. She didn’t like the looks of a knot that formed under the skin. “Where’s your hairbrush, honey? I can help you with your hair.”
