“I know. I hope he is not too disappointed. When do you and Robbie plan to go out and look at the orchard?”
“In a few days. Want to come?”
“I am not sure. I will see how I feel about it when you are ready to go. It is not too far from here, I think. I just don’t know if I am ready to see the remains or the graves. It was all so sad. Mother did nothing to save herself. She made sure she died with Da.”
Reid shook his head as they went down the stairs. “She was far too attached to Da, as if he was her reason for living. You aren’t that much younger than me but maybe too young to have noticed. It is hard to admit, but if given a choice between either of us or Da she would have chosen Da without hesitation. I think she was actually a bit jealous of how you and Da shared an interest. I know the men hurt her, as they boasted of it, and I suspect that made her cling to Da even more. It was why I made sure to bury them together.”
“I planted flowers on the baby’s grave.”
“I thought it might have been Da, but it was a good thing to do. I think what you planted is spreading over the grave for it was all ablaze with color.”
“There ye are, Abbie,” said Matthew when she and Reid reached the bottom of the stairs. “Ready for a walk?” When she nodded he trotted up the stairs.
Reid looked up and called, “Shirt is hanging on the bedpost.” He grinned when the man’s steps faltered briefly before he continued up the stairs. “Ow.” He rubbed his arm where Abbie had just punched him.
“That was rude,” she said primly. “You are a guest in his home.”
“He deserved it. Still think it is my duty to punch him.”
“Punch who?” asked Robbie as he stepped into the hall.
“Your brother Matthew.”
“Ah, probably deserved.” He stepped closer and looked at the quilt Reid held then looked at Abbie. “Your work?”
“No, our mother’s. The only thing I can do is embroider and stitch up people.”
“So it was you who put the snake on Matthew’s coat.”
“It hides the mend I had to do to the sleeve.”
Robbie grinned. “Very nicely done. Like James’s dragon; better though. Hope you don’t try to hide the mend when you stitch up people.”
Abbie laughed. “No, that would make them suffer for too long, and I would have to take it apart when the wound healed.”
“Shame. Do you plan to make use of George and the wagon in the next few days?”
“Have no plans to do so,” she replied.
“Good.” He looked at Reid. “We have something to carry a few things over there that would make the decisions needed easier to make.”
Reid walked off with Robbie, both men talking seriously and quietly. They were really going to give Robbie’s idea a try. She wished them both luck. It would be good if the land continued to be worked by a Jenson. Her father would be happy, she thought, and wiped aside a stray tear. Reid now had a plan and she knew her brother liked that. She suspected it would do Robbie a lot of good as well.
Matthew came to stand beside her and kissed her cheek. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I just thought my father would be happy to think Reid was going to work the land, and had a touch of sadness. It is gone now.”
“Good, we are going to take our walk now.”
“It is not too late?”
“Nay, we have several hours of light left,” he said as he led her out, picking up a small basket from off a table on the way out the door. “Mrs. O’Neal put together some food and drink for us.”
“Does she do everything around here?”
“Seems so some days, except when it is time for a heavy cleaning. Then she drags us all in and gives orders.”
“Abbie!”
