Aundy (Pendleton Petticoats #1)(6)
Author: Shanna Hatfield

Sighing, Aundy got to her feet, put her empty cup on her plate and carried them both to the kitchen. It was awkward to wash them one-handed, but she managed. She didn’t take time to examine her new home. Instead, she walked back to Erik’s room and nudged the chair she’d sat in earlier close to the side of the bed.

Gingerly taking Erik’s hand in her own, she held it on her lap, rubbing the back of it with her right hand. Her left arm ached and throbbed and she was sure a multitude of bruises would show up tomorrow, but she ignored the pain and her discomfort, instead feeling sorrow for the man who had offered her a new home, a new life.

His breathing sounded shallow and raspy in his chest, but at least he continued taking one breath after another. His arm felt cool, so Aundy carefully slid it under the covers and reached up to smooth the hair back from his forehead.

Seeing a Bible on his nightstand, Aundy turned up the wick in the lamp and pulled the leather-bound book to her lap. Opening to one of her favorite Psalms, she started reading.

An hour later, she realized she really should either go to bed or find a more comfortable chair. Turning down the lamp, she set the Bible where she found it.

Unwilling to leave Erik alone, lest he should awaken or need her, she decided since they were technically married it would be okay for her to sleep on the other side of his bed. It had more than enough room for two people to rest comfortably and she was so tired.

Finding a quilt in a trunk in the corner of the room, she slowly stretched out on the bed, mindful of not disturbing Erik, and spread the quilt over the top of her. Turning on her right side, she closed her eyes, planning to take a short nap.

Awakening to the sound of footsteps on the porch, Aundy tried to remember where she was. Opening her eyes, she looked around an unfamiliar room, taking in a chest of drawers, a nightstand and a small closet.

Rolling onto her back, her arm felt heavy and she lifted it, surprised to see it bandaged with splints.

Her dream was real, not just a nightmare that would disappear with the morning light.

Sitting up, she noticed Erik looked just as pale and still as he had when she’d fallen asleep.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she tossed the quilt onto the trunk where she’d found it and walked into the front room. Noises from the kitchen drew her that direction and she wasn’t surprised to see Nora taking food out of a basket and setting it on the table.

“Mornin’, honey. You were sleeping so soundly when we came in, I told Garrett to keep the hands from banging on the door and waking you,” Nora said, walking over and giving Aundy a gentle hug.

“Thank you,” Aundy said, feeling worse than she did the night before.

“Do you think you could eat a little something?” Nora asked, as she took cups from the cupboard and set about making tea.

Knowing food was Nora’s way of reaching out and helping, Aundy nodded her head. Eating a bite or two would make the woman happy and after all her kindness, Aundy wouldn’t deny her that.

Nodding her head, Aundy sat down at the table while Nora slid a plate with two muffins in front of her. A jar of jam and a bowl of butter appeared and Nora cut open the muffins, slathering them with both.

Putting a cup of hot tea beside Aundy’s plate, Nora waited while the girl bowed her head over her meal and gave thanks, then sat sipping her own cup of tea quietly.

Eating both muffins, Aundy realized Nora was a wonderful cook and appreciated the good food as it filled the empty hollows in her stomach.

“You’ll no doubt have a lot of people trooping through here today. How about I iron a dress for you and we see about pinning your hair up?” Nora asked, rinsing the few dishes and putting them away.

“People?” Aundy asked, getting to her feet. Her head felt fuzzy and she was having trouble paying attention to what Nora was saying. Blinking her eyes, she regained control of her focus and looked at the older woman. “What people?”

“Doc and Pastor Whitting for starters,” Nora said, setting an iron on the stove to heat. “The hands will all want to come meet you and see Erik. Pay their respects.”

Aundy didn’t feel up to dealing with anyone today, but she would put on a fresh dress, allow Nora to help with her hair, and accept whatever the day would bring.

Going to the bedroom where Garrett and Jim left her things, she chose a dress and left it on the bed then gathered a few necessities and went to the bathroom. Returning to the bedroom, the dress was gone so she wandered to the kitchen where Nora was pressing out the last of the wrinkles.

“Your sister does such beautiful work,” Nora said as she ironed the hem of the gown and then held it out to admire.

“She is good at what she does,” Aundy said, missing her sister and wishing she could talk to her about what was happening.

“Let’s get this lovely thing on you and see what I can do with your hair,” Nora said, walking toward the room Aundy was using. With her dress on and her hair combed, she felt more like herself.

Standing in front of a big cheval mirror, Aundy decided she looked presentable and respectable. Her pale blue and cream gown was one of her best dresses and Nora had managed to pile all her hair on her head in the popular poufy Gibson girl style, leaving some soft tendrils to fall around her face and neck.

She truly didn’t care about her appearance today, but for Erik’s sake, she would stand straight and tall, speak softly and kindly, and honor him in every way she could. Although they’d had to leave her sleeve unbuttoned to fit over her broken arm, Aundy hoped it wouldn’t draw too much attention.

“Goodness, honey, you certainly look lovely. Blue is most definitely your color,” Nora said, admiring how nice Aundy looked. The girl was modest and humble when it came to her appearance, not seeming to realize how her height combined with her figure and the confident way she carried herself would be sure to turn a few heads. Her crown of golden hair, sky-blue eyes and creamy skin would make people take notice of her.

Aundy turned a tear-filled gaze at Nora and offered the kind woman a small smile. If Nora kept being so nice to her, she’d have Aundy in tears. Reaching out, Aundy squeezed Nora’s hand and nodded her head.

“I don’t know what to do or where to start today,” Aundy admitted as she and Nora returned to the kitchen. Nora put a big pot of water on to boil and made more coffee.

“Why don’t you…” Nora was cut off by a sharp knock at the kitchen door. Opening it, she smiled and welcomed in Erik’s foreman.

“Dent, this is Erik’s bride, Aundy,” Nora said, motioning toward the tall, blond girl standing by the table. “Aundy, this is Dent. He’s worked here for years and years, back when Erik’s folks were still with us.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Dent,” Aundy said, mustering a smile for Erik’s foreman. The man was shorter than Aundy, but had kind brown eyes. Whiskers covered his weathered face, but he approached her respectfully and Aundy appreciated the way he took off his hat and tipped his head her direction.

“It’s just Dent, ma’am. No mister is necessary. I’m right pleased to meet you. Erik has been so excited about you coming, he could hardly stand the wait until you got here,” Dent said, running his hand through his thick brown hair, sprinkled with liberal doses of gray. “We’re all happy to have you here.”

“Thank you,” Aundy said, feeling tears burn the backs of her eyes again.

“Garrett told us about the accident yesterday and what the doc said. I’m mighty sorry to hear about it. Mighty sorry,” Dent said, nervously twirling his hat around in his hands. “If there’s anything we can do to help you settle in, you let me know.”

“I will,” Aundy said, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat. She was not someone given to emotional displays and usually managed to keep her feelings on a tight rein, but today was going to be a challenge.

“May I see him?” Dent asked, looking from the kitchen in the direction of the front room.

“Certainly,” Aundy said, nodding her head as Dent walked out of the room.

“He’s a good man, honey. If you need anything, you just let Dent know. He’ll take care of you,” Nora said, adding pieces of stew meat and vegetables to a pot of boiling water. “I thought I’d make up a big pot of stew. No telling how many might be here to eat today and this will feed a good crowd.”

The doctor and pastor arriving prevented Aundy from dwelling on the thought of the house filling with company.

Checking on Erik, the doctor brought his bag to the kitchen and set out the supplies for casting Aundy’s arm. Nora volunteered to help while the pastor returned to sit with Dent in Erik’s room, taking along a tray Nora prepared with coffee and muffins.

Once the cast was in place, Aundy sat with it resting on the table, waiting for the plaster to harden. Asking the doctor what she could and couldn’t do with her arm, he was giving her detailed instruction when Garrett walked in the door followed by a man he introduced as Erik’s attorney, Mitchell Lawry.

“I asked Mitch to stop by today and give you some papers,” Doc said, leaning back in his chair and eating his second muffin.

The papers he referred to turned out to be Erik’s will, leaving everything he owned to Aundy.

“He came in last week and had these drawn up. They’re legal and binding, in the event of his death. Doc and Pastor Whitting thought you’d want to know sooner rather than later that Erik provided for you,” Mitch said, taking a drink of the coffee Nora handed him. “You’ll see copies of his investments, holdings, bank statement. It’s all there.”

“Thank you for bringing this out,” Aundy said, tapping the stack of papers with her fingers. “I appreciate it so much.”

“My pleasure, Mrs. Erickson. Your husband is a smart businessman and a good friend,” Mitch said, finishing his coffee and getting to his feet. “If there is anything I can do to help you, just let me know.”

Grateful for the presence of Nora on one side of her and Garrett on the other, Aundy stared at the rain-soaked grave that swallowed Erik’s coffin as two men slowly lowered it into the hole.

Unable to concentrate on the words Pastor Whitting was saying, Aundy fought back her tears as she stood ramrod straight, heedless to the achingly cold wind and frigid rain falling on the large gathering at the cemetery.

Although Erik had no family, the number of people attending his service indicated he was rich in friends.

If his kindness to her through his letters and the things he had done in preparation for her arrival attested to his character, Erik would leave behind a legacy of a good, thoughtful man who put others ahead of himself.

Lingering for three long days, the doctor kept Erik medicated so he didn’t feel pain, but it also prevented him from being lucid.

Sitting next to his bed, holding his hand in hers, Aundy was reading passages aloud he’d underlined in his Bible when she felt pressure on her fingers. Looking over, she was surprised to see Erik’s pain-filled eyes staring at her.

“Aundy,” he whispered in a raspy breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Erik, don’t be sorry. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” Aundy said, smiling as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“You’re a good wife,” Erik said, weakly. “Thank you for coming.”

“You’re a wonderful husband, Erik. Thank you for marrying me, for providing for me. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.”

“Glad to do it,” Erik said, closing his eyes and drifting off. He drew his last breath a few hours later.

Mourning a life cut short and the loss of her dreams, Aundy grieved for the life she and Erik would have built together as she stood at her husband’s graveside.

Thinking of other funerals, other lives that ended too soon, she felt a sob wrack her shoulders and pressed her lips together to keep it from escaping.

Nora, who stood to her right, found her hand and squeezed her fingers, trying to share comfort and strength.

Aundy felt like she was beyond comforting. She was tired of death, tired of mourning, tired of life taking such unexpected and unpleasant turns.

Two years earlier, her father and fiancé, her beloved Gunther, died when the trench they were digging for a new water line collapsed and buried them, along with three other men. By the time the company they worked for dug them out, only one of the men survived. After their funerals, Aundy’s mother took to her bed and died a month later.

Struggling to keep her family together, Aundy’s younger siblings looked to her for strength and guidance. Ilsa was only fifteen at the time and Lars was eighteen. He ran away a few weeks later, leaving his sisters a note saying he was off to make his way in the world and not to worry about him.

Trying to deal with so much loss in such a short time, Aundy threw herself into looking for a job, applying for secretarial and teaching positions, but found it impossible to secure anything due to her lack of experience. Desperate for work, she took the job as a seamstress at the factory. She managed to keep their apartment for a while before she had to let it go.

Ilsa agreed to work for their aunt in her dress shop. Aunt Louisa would provide room and board, promising to pay Ilsa a dollar a week for her work and allow her access to all her scrap fabrics to use as she wished. Although both girls thought Louisa was harsh and mean-spirited, it was a better alternative for Ilsa than factory work.

Packing up the belongings they absolutely couldn’t part with, Ilsa took most of them with her to Aunt Louisa’s while Aundy kept a few heirlooms and moved into a boarding house near the factory. She helped cook and clean in the mornings and evenings in trade for her room and board, saving every penny she could, hoping someday life would improve.

Bone-tired and dispirited after a miserable day at work, finding Erik’s ad had been like discovering a ray of light on a pitch-black night.