after a few minutes. There were always chores, if I couldn’t think of anything else.
I didn’t think anyone had noticed until Lan caught me in the pump room near the end of winter and gave me what for.
“You’re fretting over nothing,” he said flatly.
“I am not,” I said.
“Are, too. And if Mama or Papa notices, it’ll be trouble.”
“It’s not over nothing,” I said. “I thought at least you’d understand. And they won’t notice.”
Lan snorted. “They’d have noticed already, if they weren’t watching Rennie so close.”
“Rennie? What about Rennie?”
“If you’d been paying attention, you’d know,” Lan said in his most irritatingly superior tone. Lately, he’d taken to acting as if he was really a year older than me, instead of just a year ahead in school.
“If it’s that plain, I don’t need you to tell me,” I shot back. “I’ll figure it out myself in a day or so.”
“Go ahead and try,” Lan said. “Maybe it’ll keep you from worrying about going home for Diane’s wedding.”
“Helvan Shores isn’t home,” I said without thinking. “Not for me.”
“Me, either,” Lan said, but he didn’t sound like he really meant it. Then he added, “But it is for Mama and Papa, and all the older ones who stayed, and even Rennie and Hugh.”
“Huh.” I paused for a second. “I never thought of that.”
“No, you were too busy worrying when you shouldn’t be.”
“When I shouldn’t be? How can you say that? You remember how they were, all the cousins and the uncles and aunts. Don’t you?”
“Sure I remember,” Lan said. “But unlike you, I’ve actually thought about it. This is Diane’s wedding; nobody will want to spoil it for her. And she always liked you when we were little, so she won’t mind if you stick close. And besides—”
“Besides what?”
Lan gave me an evil grin. “Besides, if it hasn’t occurred to them that you’re the twin sister of a double- seventh son, they’ll remember it pretty sharp if they try anything nasty.”
“Lan! You can’t magic people just because they’re mean.”
“Why not?”
“You can’t! Uncle Earn will get a policeman to come arrest
Lan looked at me and shook his head. “You goose! I won’t have to put a spell on anybody. All I have to do is remind them what I am and what I can do, and make it plain that I’ll have a mind to do something pretty quick if they don’t watch how they behave to you.”
“You think that’ll work?” I said hopefully.
“Of course it will.” Lan patted my shoulder. “So stop fretting.”
I hesitated. “I’ll try.”
If I didn’t manage to stop worrying completely after that, I could at least reassure myself that Lan was on my side. It even worked, sometimes, as long as I didn’t think too much about Uncle Earn.
CHAPTER 13
BRANT WILSON CAME BACK TO MILL CITY IN EARLY SPRING THAT year, a month and a half before we were to leave for Helvan Shores. He and the other men had finished building out at the Rationalist settlement, and he’d come to town to take back the first round of womenfolk and supplies. While he was in Mill City, he stopped by to let Papa know how the settlement was getting on and to say thanks for the help. He said he’d be back as soon as the plowing and planting was finished, if not before, and he seemed disappointed when Papa told him we’d be out East for the spring and summer. Most of the expedition ladies had given up by then, but Rennie and three others saw him off when he left.
Then, in mid-May, it came time for most of the family to leave for Helvan Shores. There was a lot of arguing about exactly who was going to go on the first trip. Papa had to stay in Mill City to finish teaching his classes. Rennie wanted to stay in Mill City and take care of the house for Papa while Mama and the rest of us were gone, and I wanted to stay just to keep away from my cousins for as long as possible. Papa insisted that he didn’t need any more taking care of than Mrs. Callahan looking in twice a week, and Rennie should go along with the rest of us.
Mama wouldn’t hear of leaving me behind, but she was all for Rennie staying in Mill City. She said Mrs. Callahan couldn’t finish planting the garden, or keep it weeded and watered, in just two visits a week, and Papa was sure to get caught up in his study and forget. She and Rennie argued hard, but Papa just shook his head.
So Rennie packed her trunk and got ready to go with us. She didn’t even pout. Jack said it was because she still expected to change Papa’s mind, but Nan said he was being unfair and nobody could pout with something as splendid as a wedding coming up. Nan had been old enough when Julie got married to remember how it was, and she was pleased as anything about being a bridesmaid this time.
In the end, it seemed, Jack turned out to be right. On the very last morning, while we were getting ready to go to the train station, Rennie came flying in through the door, crying, “Mama, Papa’s changed his mind! I’m to stay here after all!”
“What?” Mama looked up from her sewing box, where she was hunting for dark blue thread to sew back the button Robbie had just torn off his good suit. “Never say it!”
“He did!” Rennie said, frowning. “Right before he left for class.”
“But the trunks have already been sent off!” Mama said.
Rennie’s face cleared. “Oh, I’ll come to the station with you and get mine, and change my ticket. Papa explained it all to me, and gave me the money to pay for the ride back.” She held out the coins for proof.
“Well, if that isn’t just like him,” Mama said. “Why couldn’t he have changed his mind last week, if he was going to do it at all?”
“Maybe he didn’t want to come right out and admit to your face that you were right all along, Mama,” Allie said slyly.
Mama laughed. “It wouldn’t be the first time. Jack, stop that—we’ll be late to the train if you tear your trousers and have to change. Rennie, would you finish this?”
So Rennie finished sewing on Robbie’s button and helped round everyone up, and we all took the hired wagon to the train station. Rennie went straight to the ticket window to change her ticket, then saw us off. I felt a little hollow as I waved good-bye.
The train trip back went by much faster than I wanted. I tried not to let on how scared I was, and mostly I succeeded. Lan noticed, but he just bopped me on the head and whispered “Goose!” which made me feel better.
When we got to Helvan Shores, Uncle Stephen and our two oldest brothers, Frank and Peter, met us at the station with enough carriages to hold all of us and the luggage. Mama exclaimed about the expense, but Uncle Stephen only smiled. “It’s not as if we hired them for the occasion, Sara. Now, where’s that list Tilly made up? We’ll need it to load the carriages properly.” He started rummaging through his pockets, but Frank stopped him.
“I have it right here, Uncle,” Frank said. “Mama and Rennie are to stay with Aunt Tilly; that’s closest to Diane’s rooming house, so it’ll be most convenient. Allie’s with Sharl, and Nan’s with Julie.” He looked at them apologetically. “The aunts thought you’d be a help with the little ones, and they neither of them have space for more than one person.”
“It’s fine with me,” Allie said. Nan looked thoughtful for a minute, then smiled and nodded.
“Uncle Thom and Aunt Grace are taking Robbie and Jack,” Frank continued. “Hugh is already bunking with me, and Lan’s going with Uncle Stephen. Eff—” he hesitated “—is going to stay with Cousin Marna.”
My heart sank. I hadn’t thought at all about where we’d be staying, but now that I did, it was plain as plain that we wouldn’t all fit in any one house. Sharl and Julie both had tiny homes that were full up with childings; Diane and the boys were still rooming out. Some of us would have to stay with aunts and uncles, and it only made sense to spread us out so the work wouldn’t all fall to any one family. But with all that, it was even plainer than plain that
