Aundy (Pendleton Petticoats #1)(24)
Author: Shanna Hatfield

“Nice to meet you both,” Aundy said, shaking each of their hands. “Why don’t you wash at the sink and join us for supper? You can get settled in the bunkhouse after we eat.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they both said, not needing to be asked twice to sit down to a hot meal.

Conversation was lively as they ate. When the meal was finished, Aundy asked Dent to stay for a few minutes. He helped her clear the table, discussing what work needed done the following day, and how he thought the sheep and Nik were doing.

“Do you think Nik would be receptive to being tutored?” Aundy asked Dent with her arms buried deep in the dishwater.

“Tutored? What for?” Dent asked, wiping off the kitchen table with a rag.

“He’s such a bright boy, but it’s obvious his education is severely lacking. I assume he probably hasn’t had any schooling since his parents died. With a sharp mind like his, he could do better for himself than being a shepherd all his life,” Aundy said.

“He does seem like a good kid and he is smart, at least from what I’ve seen,” Dent said, carrying the two chairs back to the dining room. “But he spends all his time out with the sheep. Even insists on sleeping out there with them. How do you propose to teach him? You can’t go sit out there in the sheep pasture with him.”

Refraining from saying she could if she wanted to, Aundy instead offered another solution. “What if one of the men watches the sheep for an hour or two in the evening? Nik could stay after supper and work on his book learning while I do dishes and get things ready for the following day.”

“Don’t see anything wrong with that, but you won’t get Fred out there,” Dent said with a grin.

“Thank you for pointing out the obvious,” Aundy said smiling at her foreman. “Do you think we need to hire another shepherd?”

“No. I think Nik can handle the sheep just fine. We don’t have too much problem with coyotes around here and once he and the sheep settle in, I think he’ll realize he doesn’t have to watch over them day and night,” Dent said. “I’ll have Lem and Hank take turns with the sheep in the evenings for now, provided you can talk Nik into being your student.”

“Thank you, Dent. I’ll speak with Nik tomorrow,” Aundy said, nodding her head at the foreman as he went out the door.

Aundy listened to Nik recite his multiplication tables while she washed the dishes one evening.

Although reluctant to leave his sheep, Nik was an eager student and quickly jumped into his studies with enthusiasm. Aundy had been tutoring him in the evenings for the last week and the arrangement had worked well. The hands took turns keeping an eye on the sheep while Nik stayed in the house after supper. Even Fred had taken a turn without much complaint.

According to Dent, he caught Nik conjugating verbs that afternoon when he rode by to check on him. The other men had quietly mentioned that Nik was constantly talking about something new he’d learned.

Grateful for her mother’s inheritance that had paid for her, Ilsa and Lars to receive a good education, Aundy dug through her things and found one of her old school books. Raiding Erik’s bookshelves provided more material for Nik to study. As soon as she went to town, Aundy planned to order more educational supplies for the boy.

And buy him some new clothes.

His pants were too short, his shirtsleeves hit inches away from his wrist and his shoes were worn completely through. She wondered that Mr. O’Connell didn’t provide better for the boy. When she asked Nik about it, he shrugged his shoulders and said he was just the shepherd. Spending most of his time with the sheep, they didn’t care what his clothes looked like.

“Let’s work on your spelling,” Aundy said as she began drying the clean dishes and putting them away. She would say a word and Nik would spell it. He got about half of them correct. The ones he did not, she made him write on a sheet of paper. Finding a dictionary in Erik’s things, Nik was supposed to look up the definition of each word and learn it, along with the proper spelling.

“Very good, Nik,” Aundy said, when he spelled the last three words correctly. “I think that’s enough learning tonight.”

“Please, may I study a little while longer?” Nik asked, picking up a copy of Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift.

“Certainly,” Aundy said, smiling as Nik lost himself in the adventure. She had no idea he would be so excited for the opportunity to further his education. It was like pouring water into a bottomless pitcher. He never seemed to tire of learning. She wondered, with the right opportunities, what type of career Nik might grow up to have. A mind as sharp as his shouldn’t be wasted sitting in a pasture watching sheep. “Why don’t you read aloud and I’ll enjoy the story, too.”

Nik grinned up at her and returned to the beginning of the chapter he was reading. Listening to Nik’s voice, Aundy mixed up a batch of molasses cookies. The rich, spicy dough filled the kitchen with a delicious scent. While the cookies baked, Aundy made a cup of tea and sat at the table, enjoying the story.

Taking the cookies from the oven, Aundy let them cool slightly before putting three on a plate and pouring a tall glass of milk, setting the snack by Nik. Although still thin, he seemed to be filling out a little with plenty of good food. Ruffling his hair as she stood by his chair, he grinned at her and then continued the story, stopping only to take a bite of cookie or a drink of milk.

They were both lost in the adventure when Aundy heard a loud thump from the front porch. She and Nik hurried to the door, opening it to find a small bundle of wool blazing with flame.

Aundy bit back a scream and looked up, seeing a rider clad all in black on a dark horse. In the shadows of late evening, she couldn’t distinguish any features.

“Get rid a them stinking sheep, woman, or ya’ll be sorry,” a man’s voice yelled before thundering down her lane.

Nik kicked the burning ball of wool off the porch into the grass and Aundy ran to the kitchen to get a pitcher of water. Nik tried stomping the flames, but the kerosene soaked wool was nearly impossible to extinguish. In the damp grass, it wouldn’t spread, so he watched it smolder, pulling the collar of his shirt over his nose to try to filter the stench of the burning fiber.

“Aundy? What is this? Would someone hurt you or our sheep?” Nik asked, coming to stand beside her when she returned with the water. She grasped his hand in hers, hoping it would comfort them both.

“I don’t know, Nik,” she said, still rattled by the threat. She was turning to go back in the house when Dent and Bill ran into the yard.

“Thought we heard something,” Dent said, trying to catch his breath as he took in Aundy and Nik’s frightened faces and the scorched smell of wool. “What happened?”

“Some man threw that wool on fire at the door then yelled at Mrs. Erickson to get rid of the sheep or she’d be sorry,” Nik said, looking at Dent for some answers. “They won’t really hurt her or the sheep will they?”

“Of course not, Nik. We won’t let anything happen,” Dent said, stepping onto the porch and patting Nik on the back. “Why don’t you go gather up your things and call it a night.”

“Yes, sir,” Nik said, casting one more glance at Aundy before he went in the house.

“Who do you think it was, Missy?” Dent asked, waiting to see if Aundy was going to fall apart. She had a strong backbone and not much rattled her, but most women would have been in hysterics by now.

“I don’t know, Dent. He was dressed all in black, his horse was dark in coloring and with it being almost dark out, I just couldn’t tell. I didn’t recognize his voice, though. It was higher-pitched than Marvin Tooley’s, because he made a similar threat the other day.”

“He did?” Dent asked, wondering why Aundy hadn’t imparted that information sooner. He heard some of the neighbors grumbling about Aundy bringing sheep into the area, but most of them would get over it and forget they were there in a few weeks. Honestly, he thought Aundy had a good idea with the sheep. So far, they’d been easy to care for, especially with Nik watching them nearly round the clock. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry anyone. Besides, I don’t think he’d actually do anything.”

“You never know with him, Missy. He’s a little unpredictable,” Dent said, thinking of any number of odd things that had happened over the years since Marvin had lost his family and changed into a different man. Dent thought they should at least give his threat some consideration. “If he comes around again, you let one of us know right away.”

“Giving orders now, are you?” Aundy asked, with a smile tugging up the corners of her mouth. She and Dent both knew he was essentially in charge. At least until Aundy learned what she needed to know to successfully manage the farm. Even then, Dent would still be the one giving orders and laying down the law to the men.

“Durn right I am,” Dent said, still unsettled by what had happened. If someone truly had it out for Aundy and the sheep, he worried about what they would do next.

Chapter Thirteen

The hands were walking out the door after breakfast the next morning when Aundy gave Dent a look that let him know she wanted to talk. Pouring himself another cup of coffee, he sat back down at the table and waited.

When they were the only two left in the kitchen, Aundy sank onto her chair with a cup of tea. “I have a favor to ask.”

“I’m in trouble now,” Dent teased. “What do you need, Missy?”

“Can you spare someone to watch the sheep for a few hours today or at least check on them? I want to take Nik to town with me. He absolutely needs some new clothes and I honestly wouldn’t mind the company,” Aundy said, knowing she was going to leave Dent shorthanded while she and Nik were gone. Lem and Hank fit right in with the other hands and they all worked well together, even though none of them particularly liked keeping watch over the sheep.

“I’ll have Lem keep an eye on the sheep, but are you sure it’s a good idea to go to town. What if…”

“Don’t start that,” Aundy said, holding up her hand. “I won’t allow anyone to scare me into getting rid of the sheep. The men around here need to realize I’m made of sterner stuff than they think and a little bit of burning wool isn’t going to change my mind on the matter.”

Dent hid his grin behind his coffee cup. He had an idea if someone backed Aundy into a corner, she’d come out swinging and probably win.

“Okay, then. Want me to tell Nik he’s about to go on an adventure?” Dent asked, getting up and placing his coffee cup in the sink, along with the other dishes.

“Yes, please, and have him take a bath, too. I don’t want people wrinkling their noses at him when we go shopping today,” Aundy said, grinning at the protests Nik would no doubt utter at taking a bath in the middle of the week. “I’ll be ready to go at nine. Tell Nik to meet me at the barn then.”

“If you say so,” Dent said, snitching a cookie on his way out the door.

After doing the dishes and writing out a shopping list, Aundy put on her yellow and cream walking suit Garrett had so admired and styled her hair on top of her head with a few loose tendrils trailing down her neck. Pinning her hat in place, she picked up a pair of gloves and her reticule, stuffed the grocery list inside, checked to make sure the house was set to rights and hurried down the kitchen steps toward the barn.

Dent had the horse hitched to the buggy and Nik was sitting on the seat, looking clean and anxious for an adventure.

“Ready?” Aundy asked, climbing in beside him, and giving him a once over. His hair was carefully combed into place and he’d left off his tattered old cap. Although his attire wasn’t new by any means, these fit a little better than the clothes he normally wore. He’d attempted to polish his shoes, but they were so far gone it did little but highlight their sorry state.

“Dent said I’m to accompany you to town today,” Nik said, practicing his newly learned manners.

“That is correct, kind sir,” Aundy said, giving him a nod and a wink. “I think I’ll sit back and enjoy this beautiful day while you drive the buggy.”

“Really?” Nik said, picking up the reins, excitement filling his face.

“Really, just be careful. No wild racing or terrifying tomfoolery,” Aundy cautioned, trying to look and sound serious.

“No, ma’am,” Nik said, giving the reins a gentle flick that started the horse moving forward.

Visiting with Nik on the way to town, Aundy listened to him talk about his family, his heritage, and things he enjoyed doing when he was a small boy.

As they drove down a busy street in Pendleton, Nik turned his attention to handling the horse in the traffic.

Stopping near Aundy’s favorite store, they went inside where Aundy gave her shopping list to the clerk to fill while she took Nik over to the ready-made clothing section. She helped him pick out two pairs of denim pants, a pair of pants to wear to church, and four shirts, along with a sturdy pair of boots and a new hat.

“Aundy, this is too much,” Nik said, his eyes shining with gratitude and awe. “I haven’t earned this much pay. I can’t take this.”

“You can and you will,” Aundy said, patting Nik on the back. “Anyone in my employ will be properly fed and properly clothed and that’s all there is to it.”

Nik looked at her and saw her grin, smiling in return. “Yes, ma’am,” he said rubbing his hands over his new shirts. Aundy quietly asked the clerk to add socks and underclothes for the boy as well, which he did.

As the clerk boxed up her purchases, he snapped his fingers and grinned. “Those seeds you ordered just arrived, Mrs. Erickson. Let me get them for you.”