“Oh, tomorrow I’ll bake bread and some nagoonberry pies.I’m sure the men will gobble them up.In the afternoon, I’ll go out for more berries.I want to collect as many as I can while it’s ripe.”
“What will you do when it’s cold and there’s no more foraging?”
She laughed.“I’ll bake, sew, cook, clean, and hunt.I want to get as much food stored as possible for winter, and then this winter, I can do indoor things...”
“Do you ever simply sit still and read a good book?”
She shrugged.“Not in a very long time.Before my mother died, I was reluctant to do a lot of work.As soon as she was gone, I had to take care of my siblings.I liked the feeling of pride after a full day’s work.So, I always do as much as I can.”
“I plan on taking Saturday and Sunday off.Do you think you’ll have time to spend with me?”
“You could go foraging with me!”she suggested, and he wrinkled his nose.
“I’ll make you a deal.I’ll forage with you, if you’ll take time to picnic while we’re out.”
“That would be wonderful.I happen to like picnicking with you.”
He took her hand and pulled her into his lap.“I think you just like working more.”
“I don’t.I just don’t want to eat nothing but bacon sandwiches all winter long.”
He chuckled.“That’s what I’ve done for years...when I could get bread.Usually, it was bacon and hard tack.”
She wrinkled her nose.“I prefer things to be a little more appetizing.”
“I do too.Now that it’s an option.But that requires you to work hard, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
She laughed.“No matter how you feel about it, I don’t think I can live any other way.”
*****
BELLE ROSE EARLIERthan usual on Saturday morning to do her baking for the store before they went out foraging.She prepared the picnic as she waited for the bread and cookies to be finished.
Everett walked to the store with her and wasn’t at all surprised to see his men gathered there waiting for his wife to bring food to them.
One of the younger men who worked for him, a man named Sebastian, frowned as they walked into the store.“Damn.I was sure hoping she’d divorce him.”
Everett stopped short.“There is no divorce being planned or even thought about.Please get that out of your head.”He couldn’t believe his men would talk so freely about his marriage with him right there.
Belle ignored it all and walked to the counter, giving Katie the baked goods and eggs she’d gathered.Katie quickly noted what had been brought in.“What are you two up to today?”
Belle smiled.“We’re foraging and then going on a picnic.I want to ensure we get all the ripe berries we can before the birds get them.”
“Just remember, I’ll happily buy any extra jam you make.”
“I have started a crate that I’ll bring when it’s full.I’m sure I’m doing too much, but I want to ensure we have enough, and that makes me a little crazy as I work.”
“I’ve noticed,” Katie said, a huge smile on her face.
As Belle and Everett left the store, he asked about the man who had made the comment about the divorce.“Has he spoken to you before?”
Belle nodded.“I told him then there wouldn’t be a divorce.”
“I really need to post Mrs.Tandy’s address somewhere so all the men can write to her.The ones who know how to write that is.”
“I’d offer to help them, but...I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I don’t either.”
