“I do apologize, little fellow. Are you a fellow?” Lothar said as he went down slowly to pick the dog up into his arms. He inspected the dog and saw that he was, in fact, a fellow and in good health.
Lothar scratched him behind his floppy ears. He was a mutt, and yet, Lothar could not leave the animal to fend for itself, even if the dog had done well for itself this far. He kept the dog in his arms and hoped that Gemma might take more of an interest in this gift than she had with the flowers. Lothar walked away slowly in case the owner was nearby.
When he was certain he was not simply stealing the dog, he made the last part of his journey to meet Gemma for tea. He felt confident with his plan and would not deviate from it.
He would find a way to help her understand his perspective and, of course, be open to hers. Likewise, he wanted a woman to share his life with and not just be there to cook and clean. Furthermore, he had no idea how some men could treat their wives as though they were just helping.
Perhaps I had given her the impression that I was not myself today as well. Had I given her a reason to believe I am like all the other men, that I am untrustworthy? Something has changed since I had seen her last. I have to find out what has happened and find a way around it.
Lothar put the dog down to see if the little guy needed to relieve himself. Lothar watched the dog. He did not know if Gemma liked dogs. He may have to travel back with him. Lothar’s legs started to feel as heavy as lead. He was relieved when he saw that it was only a few more miles ahead. Soon Gemma’s house came into view. Its opulence could be seen from a distance away.
Lothar noticed there was a carriage that had stopped in front of the Castwell’s estate. It could be anyone, yet his mind went to if it could be another suitor.
Perhaps that is the reason she was different towards him. Perhaps she had found someone new. Well, I am about to find out. The man had better be ready to fight then,Lothar thought as he approached the Castwell’s estate.
Lothar found it a new sensation to be this jealous. It was his fate after he had mocked his cousins and the jealousy they constantly felt with their wives. It was no way to live, though he now started to understand how it felt when you found someone you care about, truly care about.
He had thought he had cared about Henny, and she had not even blinked when he had announced he would marry another. Now, he felt as though the same would happen with Gemma. That he was already of little interest to her. Lothar turned around and made his way back home. He decided that his romantic gesture would have to wait until the next day.
Well the walk was not a complete waste.Lothar thought as he shifted the puppy’s weight in his arms.I found this beautiful dog that will find a home with me or with Gemma. Hopefully both of us together.
Chapter 9
Gemma was surprised by how slowly the day had gone by. Lothar had asked her if he could call around noon. She had tried to keep herself busy with garden work and had made good progress with the new land. Gemma had suggested that they incorporate both her and her father’s ideas into the planning of the new land her father had acquired.
Half of the land had been cleared of the wild grass and trees, and was now leased by tenants. All crops grown on their land would be shared in part with the Castwells. Furthermore, the rest of their unleased land would be used for crops as well, both to sustain their family and still have enough to sell in the market. It was a way of doing things that would grow their investment by saving money and bringing in more.
You have to be strong when he comes here today. It does no good for him to see how much you have missed him.Gemma thought as she checked on the seedlings. The winter that had been slowly creeping in was already bitterly cold.
“I would have thought that we had at least a few weeks to get these crops strong enough for the coming cold. Now I am not even sure we will have any to plant,” Gemma said with worry as she hunkered down to inspect the tiny plants that already looked weakened by the frost.
“This weather is rather unusual. It has not been this cold in nearly twenty years,” her father said as he stood with one hand to his hip and the other scratching his forehead thoughtfully.
“It could just be another difficult winter. However I did hear that a volcanic eruption last year had caused weather changes worldwide. There had been a whole page in the papers dedicated to covering it. It very well may be that we are only now starting to feel the effects thereof,” Gemma said gravely.
“Forgive me but I do not see how a volcano somewhere on the other side of the world could be making our weather cold,” her father replied with a frown.
“It is quite fascinating actually, “Gemma said as she got to her feet and dusted the soil from her hands. “Mount Tambora’s eruption was the biggest in centuries. It has to do with the fact that the volcano had thrown so much dust and ash into the air that it had covered the air in a cloud that reached for miles and miles.
Of course we might not have any of the dust or gas here, yet the effects can be felt the world over. They wrote from places like Ireland and America, stating a harsh winter that depleted crops. Why, people even froze to death, it was quite serious,” Gemma explained and as usual she found herself running away with the topic. She loved knowledge, knowing what events happened and how it affected nature and people.
“That is interesting, I had no idea. Do you have any ideas on what we can do about it?” her father asked looking on the point of panic.
“We could look into crops that do better in very cold climates. It will take long to get here granted, though I feel that while other land owners may have healthy plants before we have even planted, ours will make it to harvest.”
“Do you think it will work, dear?” her father asked.
“I have no doubt, father. I think if we work hard, we will see it all come to fruition,” Gemma answered.
“Well you have not let us down dear. Do you think it may be time for breakfast yet?” her father asked.
“We must actually begin preparations for a time when food will be scarce,” Gemma continued on, then realized he’d asked her another question.
“Right, I am going to see if it is perhaps time for tea, as I am not sure about breakfast. While I am inside, I shall speak to cook.” She then switched her focus again. “We should start keeping more quantities of food that can be stored for winter,” Gemma said emphatically, and was off towards the house.
Mother and I will have to make body blankets for the horses,Gemma thought as she made her way around the estate to the back entrance. It was where the servants would come and go as they performed their duties and was the quickest route to the kitchen. Once Gemma had made a list of what cook would be able to store for months. She handed one copy to Cook and held onto another.
“We have got to steer clear of food items that can get spoiled quickly. We need to focus on saving money were we can. I have a feeling that basic items will go up in price during winter,” Gemma explained as cook nodded enthusiastically. Cook was a neat, friendly lady. Her robust form was evidence of her fine culinary skills.
