“I can do this,” Lia replied. “I can come over first thing and help with baking and laundry. On days without laundry, I can clean first thing. In the afternoons I can make supper and help with whatever else there is. On laundry days, this would be a good time to take in the clothes and iron them.”
“Speaking of laundry, once the boys are in school, I will need help with the hotel laundry. We can do it at my folks’ house because of the outdoor cauldrons Mr. Medford left. It’s so hard on me to strip all the beds and then go wash all the bedding. It’s not usually that dirty, but it still requires the time and effort. I wish Uncle Harrison had thought to put in a washing station at the hotel, but I have a little wagon for transport, so we’ll make the best of it.”
“I’d be happy to help with that.”
“Wonderful. Once it’s clean, I can bring it back to the hotel and spend my evenings ironing it.”
They talked about the arrangements after school started and settled on a price. Susanna thought the payment was more than acceptable. It was far less than she might have paid in Topeka. Uncle might protest, but this was something she was doing for herself, and he would have to live with it. Her only other choice would be to leave San Marcial.
“Well, I should get back to the hotel.” Susanna got to her feet. “I see the sun has set, and there’s not much light left. No sense in me getting lost.”
“I’m sure Owen will be happy to walk back with you,” Lia said as they made their way outside, where the boys were still running circles around Owen and LeRoy. “Won’t you, Owen?”
Owen came toward them. “Won’t I what?”
“Won’t you be willing to walk back with Susanna? It’s getting rather late, and who knows what rowdy souls she might encounter.”
“Of course I’ll walk you back. I was waiting around with just that in mind.”
Susanna smiled. “That’s very kind of you.”
“It’s perfectly selfish,” Owen admitted. “I get to keep company with a pretty girl.”
LeRoy laughed. “I’d say Owen gets the better end of the deal. Susanna will just have to suffer through.”
Susanna didn’t say a word about how much she liked the arrangement. She bid Lia good-bye, then headed back toward the hotel with Owen at her side.
“I appreciate the escort. I’m still not that familiar with everything.”
“It’ll take time, even in a small town. Maybe Sunday you would like to take a walk with me after church. Better yet, a ride. Do you ride horses?”
“I do. Quite well, in fact.” She grinned. “It was a definite pleasure of mine growing up.”
“Well, then we will definitely ride. I’ll borrow a couple of horses, and we can take a picnic lunch after church and go off down the river. I know a lovely place. When we get back, we can ride around San Marcial, and you can get to know where everything is. I’ll even point out the places you should never go.”
She laughed. “Sounds intriguing.”
“It’s meant to. I have to entice you somehow.”
“You had me enticed with the horseback riding,” she declared, unable to admit that anything that involved Owen would have drawn her utmost attention.
“Then it’s a date.”
6
After church that Sunday, Susanna dressed with special care in a brown split skirt and a brown-and-yellow calico blouse. The sleeves of the blouse were long and the neck high. She hoped it would keep her skin from the harsh burn of the sun.
She looked at her carefully pinned up hair and decided to pull it all down and go with a simple braid. The honey-brown mass spilled down her back in waves. Taking up her brush, Susanna stroked it into order and then braided it into a single plait.
Last, she took up a straw hat with a wide, full brim that would offer plenty of shade. She glanced in the small mirror hanging over her dressing table. It had been a long time since she’d really studied her image in a mirror. Since Mark’s death, she hadn’t cared what she looked like. Now it seemed like it might matter.
She turned to the left and then the right, catching only a bit of her image in the small mirror. She pinned on the hat and looked again. She smiled at her silliness and chided herself for acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. Owen was quite charming, but it was too early to pretend to have feelings for him. Or was it?
Owen was waiting for her when she finally exited the hotel. He had two horses saddled and a blanket roll and pack on theback of one of the horses. “I have lunch for us compliments of the Harvey House. I hope you aren’t tired of their fare just yet.”
“No, of course not.”
“This is Daisy,” he said, leading her to the sorrel mare. “She’s a little spirited when she hasn’t been ridden, so you’ll need to keep a tight rein on her. I could have gotten you a sidesaddle, but with her I think you’ll be glad to ride astride.”
