Page 9 of A Letter to Adaya
Papa
Her mouth was dry.
This could not be possible. How could he possibly know she would also receive a letter from a woman in Flat River?Or did he set that up?
“Walter, when did my father leave?” Her tone was sharper than intended, and his spoon clattered into his bowl as he looked at her warily. “Did he leave before or after the other letter arrived?” Adaya narrowed her eyes, leaning forward on her elbows.
“He left two days after you went to Virginia.” Walter pushed his bowl away, straightening up to watch her warily.
“Papa says you are going to Flat River with or without me.”
“My instructions are to escort you to Nebraska or put you on a train to Virginia.”
She stared at him for a long moment and then picked up a piece of bread he had set in front of her, slathering it with some jam. Her thoughts were racing.
How could fate and her father want her to be in the same place simultaneously? Several minutes passed as she ate the bread and considered her options. Certainly, adventure sounded more interesting than returning to Virginia and the banty roosters strutting around.
“He assumed I would have opened this letter yesterday,” Adaya finally spoke, looking up to find Walter watching her as if waiting for her mind to settle. He nodded but did not speak. “Is it just the two of us? What about the horses?” Dread settled in her stomach. She had loved the animals and hoped they hadn’t been sent to a glue factory.
“Your father sold them to a man named Pickett.”
The name jolted her, and she sucked in a noisy breath. Walter had to be having a bit of fun with her.But how?Her letters were sealed.
“Pickett, what an interesting last name.” She shook her head and pressed back from the table. “I have much to do. Are you already packed?”
“I am.” Walter hadn’t shifted his position, not even a smidge. This was peculiar; he had always followed her father’s orders and never taken instruction from her before. The concept made her uneasy. “I took Miss Gertie’s room just off the kitchen when the others left. I don’t need much after all.” He grinned then and rose to his feet, dusting off his hands. “We have four days. Are you going to Virginia or Nebraska?”
“Nebraska, of course.” She passed him the letter from Mrs. Pickett. “I’ve been invited, after all.”
His eyes quickly scanned the note before releasing a hearty laugh that was new to her ears. Walter grinned at her and handed back her letter, his gentle words ringing in her head as they began their work for the day.
“All things happen in the Lord’s time. I’ll help you get packed, miss.”
Chapter Three
Adaya put her bag on the padded seat of the private car and shrugged off her wrap, placing it on the bag. Her shoulders were still heavy with the fatigue from hours of packing and moving trunks. At least the long soak in the hotel’s tub helped some with her sore muscles.
Tears gathered in her eyes as she contemplated the painstaking effort put into sorting, packing, and donating a variety of items: clothing, books, dolls, and cherished souvenirs from her visits to her grandmother’s house. She didn’t know that saying goodbye to one room in her father’s house could take so much work.
There was no way she could even imagine how her father must have felt while packing the rest of the house. After all, she found it difficult to manage her feelings while sorting through her belongings, even snapping at Walter several times. His infinite patience eventually thinned, and he disappeared for an hour, leaving her in the middle of her room surrounded by clothes. She was eternally grateful when he returned a short time later with a fresh muffin and a pot of hot tea and told her to take a break, while he moved items to the foyer to make them easier to sort.
He took many items to the Ladies’ Aid Society, as they would make sure the items would get distributed appropriately. Even though there were no medical supplies, Adaya hoped that some books and trinkets might bring a smile to a convalescing patient. Her dolls were delivered to the children’s hospital since she couldn’t take everything with her, and she didn’t know how much room she’d have once she arrived in Flat River.
There was an astonishing number of gowns that didn’t seem quite appropriate for the Wild West. She picked out two to keep and packed the rest into the trunk meant to be sent back to her grandmother’s. Perhaps Grandmother would find another use for them, or they’d be waiting for Adaya to return to Richmond in the spring.
Her father made his choice when he abandoned her alone at the house. Now Adaya needed to choose her future.
The door to the compartment slid open and Walter entered.
“Everything to your liking, Miss Adaya?”
“It is much better than the third-class car. That bench was very uncomfortable.”
Walter chuckled. “Well then, it is a good thing your father left enough money to travel this way.”
“Are you sure we can afford it?” She watched him take off his overcoat, fold it and place it on the shelf above the second bench.
“I’ve kept the travel money separate, Miss Adaya. We’ll be fine if we don’t dine on squab and liver.”
