Page 315 of Conveniently Wed
“I said I want us to get hitched.” Marvin took a step forward while Aundy backed up behind Dent. Maybe she should have let him run the man off without speaking to him. If Marvin Tooley was the last man on the planet and the only way to keep from falling into a black abyss was to marry him, Aundy would gather her skirts and jump into the dark void without looking back.
“No.” Aundy glared at him. “No, Mr. Tooley. I won’t marry you. The only reason you ask is that you want my farm. The answer is no.”
“Figured you’d see it that way.” Marvin scratched his rotund belly. “Then I’ll make you an offer. I’ll buy your place, fair and square. Everything on it, and I’ll even let Dent and the boys keep working here, just to prove my generous nature.”
Marvin threw out a figure that made Aundy laugh.
Dent and Marvin both stared at her in surprise.
“I can assure you, Mr. Tooley, I may be a woman, but my father didn’t raise me to be a stupid one. The house is worth more than that by itself. If you’re trying to insult me, you have more than accomplished the job.” No longer afraid of the man, she stepped forward. “I’ll say this once and you can tell it to whomever you like, but my farm isn’t for sale. Not today, not tomorrow, not next month, not ever. I’m not interested in your deal or proposal and I won’t be, so please don’t offer again. Furthermore, my hands are not property. They are trusted friends so don’t speak of them in such a manner. I’m sure you can find your way off my land. Good day.”
Aundy turned and marched back inside the house, shutting the door firmly behind her before going to the kitchen and making herself a bracing cup of tea. She sat at the table sipping it when a knock sounded on the kitchen door. Dent stuck his head inside, grinning broadly.
“Well, Missy. You sure set ol’ Marvin on his ear. He lit out of here so mad, I’m fairly certain a layer or two of dirt may have steamed right off him,” Dent said, letting out a chuckle as he sat down at the table and took the plate of cookies Aundy held out to him. She got up and poured him a glass of milk before resuming her seat.
“I didn’t intend to make an enemy, but I’d die before I married someone like Marvin Tooley. I refuse to let the likes of him get his grimy hands on Erik’s farm.” Aundy’s anger stirred again at the thought of what Marvin Tooley suggested. Insulted, she couldn’t fathom how he would think she’d be interested in tying herself to a filthy old man like him.
“Truth to tell, Marvin doesn’t have any friends and he likes it that way. I heard he had a nice little family a long time ago, butsomething happened to them and he wasn’t ever the same after it.”
“That’s terrible.” Aundy helped herself to a cookie from the plate near Dent and dipped it in her tea before taking a bite. “I should have been kinder, but he caught me off guard.”
“As fair warning, you ought to know he won’t be the last. I heard some talk last time I was in town that there’s a young widow out here and some fellers think they could take advantage of you.”
“I’d like to see them try.” Aundy was glad Garrett continued to provide shooting lessons. She was proficient with Erik’s revolver and as soon as she got the cast off her arm, she planned to become equally as skilled at handling his rifle. A little gun that would fit in her reticule caught her eye at one of the stores the last time she and Nora went to town. With the information Dent just shared, she didn’t think it would be a bad idea to look at purchasing it or something similar.
“Just be careful, Missy. Some of the men around here aren’t what they seem.” Dent cautioned before finishing his milk and taking another cookie.
Recently, Aundy had been able to use her arm enough to do a few things, like baking. The sweets she made endeared her to the hands who hadn’t abandoned her and the farm. Fresh-baked pastries also went a long way in soothing any ruffled feathers about a woman taking over the place. She’d also made an effort to get to know her employees. She liked the men who stayed behind to work for her.
“Dent, what would you think if I decided to sell the cattle? Do you think it’s the best decision?” Aundy wanted his opinion about the matter that weighed so heavily on her mind.
Instead of answering immediately, Dent brushed the crumbs from his cookies off the table into his hand and carried them to the sink. He leaned against it for a moment before answering herquestion. “As much as I hate to say it, there is no way we’re going to make it with so few hands and so much work to do. If you sold the cattle, it would definitely ease the burden or you could think about renting out one of the sections of ground. Garrett would rent the one that borders their farm. If you did that, we might be able to make things work. A few more hands would sure make a big difference, but if we didn’t have the cattle to look after, we could get along okay.”
“That’s what I thought.” Aundy sighed, resigned to selling Erik’s Shorthorns. She knew from his letters how proud he was of his herd, but she needed to save the farm and if selling the cattle would accomplish it, then so be it. “I’ll speak with Garrett about finding a buyer. He said he knew someone in Umatilla who might be interested.”
“That’s a sound plan, Missy. Don’t worry about it overmuch. Erik would be proud of how hard you’re trying to keep things going.” Dent smiled at her as he picked up his hat then walked out the back door.
She certainly hoped what she was planning wouldn’t have Erik turning over in his grave. From the information she’d read and from what J.B. told her, she had more in mind than just selling the cattle.
Due to her gender, she'd gotten the farm into an unexpected bind. Creative thinking might be the only way out of the mess she unknowingly created. They were far behind on the farm work because the hands had been taking care of the cows as they calved. Now that the calving was mostly finished, Dent split the work between the cattle and fields.
Garrett had been good to send over extra help, but he had his own place to run. Aundy told him he had to stop sending over his men because he needed them at Nash’s Folly. He’d argued with her, but she refused to discuss the matter further.
Since their disagreement, she hadn’t talked to Garrett. She missed his friendly smile and deep voice. Steadfastly refusing to examine the reasons why his absence made her sad and lonesome, she needed to clear her head.
Aundy rushed out to the barn and caught one of the hands coming out the door. She asked him to saddle Bell. Although she’d ridden the horse several times, Dent worried she’d fall off and hurt her arm. He’d only allowed her to ride under close supervision.
The voice in her head warned her to be cautious, but Aundy chose to ignore it. She wanted to feel the warm spring breeze on her face and think about what she needed to do. Quickly settling her full skirt over the back of Bell, she rode off toward one of the pastures.
Dent would have a fit if he found out she’d gone off by herself, but she loved riding. She’d never envisioned herself on a horse, let alone riding it astride, but found it both exhilarating and calming. Bell seemed to like being out in the fresh air as well, tossing her head and taking a few dancing steps.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it, Bell?”
The horse appeared to nod her head and Aundy smiled. She loved the farm, the rolling fields that would soon be bursting with wheat, the green pastures, and the open sky. The animals brought her much joy, except for the chickens. She disliked the chickens and had a deep-seated fear of them flogging her, but she tamped it down and dutifully gathered the eggs every day.
The little rooster, Napoleon, had given her a wide berth since she knocked him senseless with her cast. Nonetheless, she didn’t trust him. Convinced he plotted his next evil move, she kept an eye on him the entire time she gathered eggs. As soon as she brought her sister to the farm, Aundy decided gathering eggs would become Ilsa’s responsibility.
A smile crossed her face at the thought of her lovely, feminine sister carefully plucking an egg from a nest. Aundy couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled inside her from spilling over her lips.
