Reverie (Hollow Hearts Book 1) (5 page)

The ten days leading up to Mrs. Calhoun’s departure flew by. Hetty was busy with travel preparations and helping to close down the house for an indefinite amount of time. She worked long hours escorting Mrs. Calhoun on her final social calls and assisting with a never-ending stack of correspondence to make arrangements while struggling to find time to pack her small number of possessions for her relocation to the Wheeler ranch.

Hetty had met the remaining Wheeler family members after church one Sunday and was surprised to learn that they were all very excited to have her join them. Elizabeth Wheeler turned out to be quite kind and made Hetty an instant friend. Hetty found that Elias’s boyish charm quickly put her at ease, and Lottie was just as darling as Hetty expected. Isaac was mysteriously absent from their post-church meeting, and Hetty wondered if he were avoiding her after their awkward and tense encounter when he’d offered her the job. It didn’t matter, though. Hetty felt like this family would welcome her, and she was excited about the prospect of getting to know them better.

She was informed that Isaac would drive her to the ranch the next morning to help her move her things. There wasn’t much, of course, just her clothing, a few books, and a few keepsakes from her parents that the orphanage passed along to her when she left to work for Mrs. Calhoun. It looked like a meager amount compared to the trunks and items being transported to Philadelphia. Mrs. Calhoun and Sol would depart in the morning. Mrs. Calhoun had given a quick, unemotional goodbye before retiring early to rest for the trip. Hetty couldn’t help feeling sad to see the woman go. Mrs. Calhoun had been kind enough to give her a chance and, despite her cold nature, had not made employment in her home unpleasant. But she’d promised to write when she was settled, and Hetty knew she’d welcome the correspondence with her former employer.

In celebration of her last night in the magnificent home, Sol prepared her favorite venison stew, fresh bread, and chocolate cake. They enjoyed a quiet meal together in the kitchen, since the formal dining room and the furniture created by Isaac lay covered in sheets. She helped him clean up the meal and couldn’t resist the urge to cry as he said his goodbye, knowing they would depart very early the next morning.

Hetty didn’t have a problem showing her emotions and pulled the old man into as strong a hug as she could muster. “I will miss you so much, Sol.” Tears escaped her eyes. “You are the closest thing I have to family and it breaks my heart not to know when I will see you again.”

“And I will miss you, child. Remember, I’ll be back in a few months after I see that Mrs. Calhoun is settled with her sister. You just take care of yourself. Enjoy this new job and remember that Old Sol keeps you in his prayers.” The old man pushed her back slightly and kept his hands on her arms. He looked in her eyes, gave her the kindest smile, and said, “Miss Hetty, you do good for this old man’s heart.”

The next morning was a bustle of activity, most of which happened before Hetty even opened her eyes. From her small room she could hear trunks being carried to the wagon, Mrs. Calhoun barking orders, and the final tasks to close down the house being completed. Since she’d said her goodbyes the night before, she stayed in her room until the noise quieted and she knew they’d departed for the train station several towns away. Hetty rose from her bed, dressed quickly, and pulled her hair up in her usual bun. Her trunk sat in the foyer waiting to be transported to the ranch. She exited the room, walked to the foyer, and placed her cotton nightgown and hairbrush within it. She knew Isaac would be here soon, so she made her way to the kitchen to retrieve the biscuits she knew Sol would leave for her. When she heard the wagon pull up outside, she brushed the few crumbs from her lap, reached for her shawl, and headed for the porch.

When she stepped outside the chill washed over her. She pulled her shawl closer and waited for Isaac to make his way up the walk. She was surprised to see that it wasn’t Isaac walking toward her, but his brother, Elias.
Is he avoiding me?
she thought.
Is he regretting offering me the job?
It didn’t matter. She was determined to do her job well, and she took comfort in the fact that Elias was smiling as he stepped on the porch.

“Good morning, Elias,” she said, returning his smile.

“It’s lovely to see you, Hetty.” He covered her small hand with his, and she instantly felt more at ease about all the changes coming her way.

“It’s nice to see you, too! Is Mr. Wheeler okay? I was under the impression he would be picking me up this morning.” She didn’t want to sound disappointed, but she couldn’t help the curiosity.

“Isaac is just fine. He was working on an order when it was time to go and asked that I come in his place. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh, not at all. I look forward to our time to get to know one another.” Hetty escorted him right inside the door where her things waited to be taken to the wagon. “I don’t have much to bring with me,” she said, suddenly embarrassed by her meager trunk and bag.

“Oh, nonsense. What would we do with fancy things on a ranch anyway?” Elias winked at her and picked up her trunk with little effort. “I’ll put this in the wagon and we can head on our way.”

Hetty lifted her small carpetbag, gave one last glance around the house, and locked the door behind her. As Elias secured her trunk in the back of the wagon, she made her way down the walk and did her best to hide the nerves she felt at all the changes happening around her. When she reached the wagon Elias gently took her hand and helped her to her seat. He offered her a wool blanket to ward off the chill, and within moments they were on their way.

The drive to the ranch was quite beautiful. The trees were shadowed in the shades of autumn as peaks of color decorated the tips of the leaves. The grass was dry and brittle, and it wouldn’t be long until the vast land before her was brown and lifeless for the winter. Several deer stood alongside the road munching happily on the last of the season’s wildflowers. As they drove they passed a creek so blue and clear that Hetty couldn’t help dreaming of dipping her toes in the crisp water. As the miles stretched on Hetty and Elias fell into a rhythm and she enjoyed the fact that she was getting to know him.

“I’m really looking forward to spending time with Lottie. She seems like such a sweet child,” Hetty said, and she immediately noticed a look of pride move across Elias’s face.

“She’s an incredible little girl! I love that she’s so inquisitive—always asking questions. And she seems to harbor no fear of dirt, which makes growing up on a ranch much easier. I’m sorry my wife will not get the joy of watching her grow up.”

“Elias, do you mind if I ask what happened with your wife?” Hetty didn’t want to pry, but she knew talking about loved ones helped. She felt that way about her parents.

“We were young when Rachel and I got married. Her parents owned a small farm not far from ours. When we met it felt like a whirlwind. Suddenly I couldn’t be bothered to stay and help on the ranch, much to my father’s disappointment. I was always running off to meet her and steal a kiss if I could.” He nudged her shoulder in a manner that showed his playful personality.

Hetty was a bit shocked. It wasn’t considered proper for young folks to court without some sort of chaperone. Did Elias realize how scandalous his story sounded?

“We talked of marriage quite often. I wanted to take over the ranch and she loved the idea of being a ranch wife. In fact we took a bit of a detour in our relationship and before we knew it she told me she was with child.” Elias didn’t seem disturbed by sharing such intimate details.

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Hetty said. His story troubled her.

“No one did at first. But when it came to light that we had...done things we weren’t supposed to do, it made sense for us to marry. And that’s what we did. We had the preacher marry us less than a week later. She moved to the ranch and Lottie was born several months later.”

Hetty stayed silent. She wanted him to feel comfortable sharing. She didn’t want him to think she was judging his mistakes.

“Look, Hetty. I know how the story sounds. I know we made mistakes...mistakes we were raised not to make. But I like to think that the time Rachel and I had together was good. She was a good person. A bit more adventurous than I expected, but I was young.”

“How did she die?”

“Lottie was about six months old when Rachel passed. She was out in one of the fields. A storm was coming, and she fell and hit her head as she was trying to make her way back to the house.” Elias grew quiet, and she knew the conversation about his wife was over.

“Thank you for sharing that with me, Elias. I hope I didn’t intrude. I just want to get to know you and your family.”

“No, not at all. It’s good for me to remember Rachel. Lottie will want to know about her mother someday. I just wish I knew what she was doing in the field that day. Even being raised on a farm she wasn’t one who enjoyed the dirt or the hard work. She was in love with the idea of being a ranch wife, but I guess it was different from what she expected.”

Hetty looked down at her hands as they lay on the wool blanket. She said a small prayer that Elias would find peace and that she could do her part to make this transition as easy as possible for everyone. She looked out at the meadow and noticed the dark clouds moving in. “Elias, I think we might get another storm.”

He glanced at the clouds and shook his head. “Yes, it’s been an unusually wet autumn. We’re just about home, so I think we’ll be fine.” He gave her a reassuring smile and turned his eyes back to the road.

Home
, she thought.

Within minutes they were turning off the main road onto a lovely tree-lined path. The tall Aspen trees provided an intense amount of shade, which chilled Hetty despite her shawl and the blanket. It was beautiful and she felt like she was being hugged by nature’s canopy. The trees began to thin, and she saw the outline of the ranch house come into view. It wasn’t nearly as large as Mrs. Calhoun’s house, but it was a comfortable size nonetheless. The whitewash made the house look almost new, and the rocking chairs she spotted on the porch seemed to shout ‘welcome.’ As they pulled up in front of the house, Hetty noticed the flowerbeds beneath the front windows. She had no trouble imagining them filled with fragrance and color come spring. There was a large barn off to the side, and she could see the bunkhouse not far in the distance. Before she could fully take in her surroundings she was being escorted from the wagon.  Elizabeth appeared on the porch, her apron dancing in the growing wind. She walked down the steps and threw her arms around Hetty.

“My dear child, I’m so glad you’re here.” Elizabeth released her from the embrace and held her hands out as if to assess Hetty’s attire. “You are a beautiful girl!”

“Thank you,” Hetty said, noticing the faint aroma of lavender surrounding Elizabeth’s hair. “I appreciate Elias coming to get me this morning. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to have him away this morning.”

“No trouble at all!” Elizabeth said as she put her arm around Hetty and escorted her up the steps. “Elias will bring in your things, but I want to show you your room and help you get settled. Then we can have a nice cup of tea this afternoon.”

As Hetty entered the house its warmth surprised her. To the right of the entryway the living room was dominated by a large fireplace, already crackling. It was flanked by two chairs with a sofa facing both. There were a few books on the mantel and several photographs. It was the small table next to the rocking chair that captured her attention. It held a lovely and worn copy of the Bible, and Hetty imagined the family spending their evenings in front of the fire taking turns reading verses. A staircase led to what she assumed were the family’s bedrooms. As she was led down a hallway she noticed small formal dining room off to her left—the furniture no doubt built by Isaac’s hands. She also noticed a small parlor with a beautiful piano. But it was the kitchen that took her breath away.

Its large size no doubt took up the entire width of the house. On one side sat a big table where she assumed the family ate their meals. There were two beautiful wood cabinets full of dishes, pitchers, and glass. There was a large sink with a window above it, and plenty of space to prepare meals, nearly double the space she had in the orphanage when she’d been assigned kitchen duty. A wood-burning stove sat on the other wall and teased her nose with the delicious scent of something simmering. She could see rich wood beams exposed on the ceiling and a screen door that led to a small back porch. 

She noticed a doorway on the side of the stove. As Elizabeth led her through the doorway she found herself standing in a rather well stocked pantry. Shelves full of jars, flour, oats, sugar, coffee, and other kitchen essentials lined three walls. A latched door sat in the floor and Hetty knew it must lead to the root cellar. The fourth wall held a small door.
My room?
Hetty thought.

Elizabeth paused before she opened the final door. “This will be your room, dear. I hope you’ll find it comfortable.”

She opened the door and Hetty was pleased by how light and airy the small room was. She noticed a small oak dresser with dainty flowers painted on the drawers against one wall. There was a washbasin and pitcher beside it and a rocking chair in the corner. The other wall held an old brass bed covered with a gorgeous quilt, and her trunk and bag sat at the end of it. “Did you make this quilt?” Hetty asked.