“Why, Lark, a’course.”
Able to breathe easier now that Anders had arrived, Forsythia studied the man before her. Please, Lord, let him know nothing about the gambling.
“Why—why, she stood right up in church last evening, got up and left before I even finished the sermon. Caused a ruckus, she did,” Wiesel complained.
“As the eldest in the family, since our parents passed on to their reward, I will be sure and pass on your message,” Anders said. “Was there anything else?”
“She’s been corrupting my wife with her misuse of Holy Scripture, turning her against me.”
“Seems to me she helped bandage up your wife a couple of times after she fell or met some other misfortune.” Anders stared the deacon down. “Could you tell me why your wife didn’t go see Dr. Hunsaker?”
Wiesel glared over his shoulder at Jonah, who had moved closer behind him. “I-I guess that ain’t none of your business.”
“Perhaps you should go apologize to our neighbors for waking them up with all your ranting and hollering.” Jonah took another step closer.
Anders stepped out on the porch. Even though he was still a little thin and weak from his imprisonment, he towered over the ball-shaped man with the mean mouth and snake eyes.
“She’s hidin’ in that house, I know she is. You let me in, and I’ll find her.” The deacon raised one fist, then thought better of it and took a step backward, bumping into Jonah.
“I think you owe my sisters an apology.” Jonah spoke softly, then made a show of sniffing the air. “Smells like you’ve been hitting the bottle.” He raised his voice. “Anders, seems to me a letter to the head church office might be in order. As president of the board, mightn’t you want to let them know how our deacon is behavin’? I thought he was supposed to be an example for us younger folks.”
Forsythia rolled her lips together to swallow her response. This had gone from a frightening confrontation to something they would laugh about later. Interesting the difference because two men had arrived. Not that she would usually refer to her younger brother as a man. At least her heart was no longer jumping right out of her chest.
“I’m sure when Larkspur returns, she’ll be glad to discuss all this with you.” Anders leaned against the porch post as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “And perhaps by then we’ll have a new pastor in our church so the burden isn’t so heavy on you.”
Forsythia caught the gleam in her brother’s eye. She knew he and a group of the men of the church had written letters to the head office and were talking about sending a delegation to get Deacon Wiesel relieved of his position.
That old phrase “if looks could kill” sure fit here. Wiesel spun around and elbowed Jonah aside on his way to the gate. In his drunken rage, he stomped clumsily off the path and through one of the prettiest corners of Ma’s garden, which was known throughout the town and beyond.
Lilac gasped and started forward, but Forsythia held her back. No point engaging with the man further this morning.
“You ain’t heard the end of this,” Wiesel flung over his shoulder as the gate slammed behind him.
The three young women joined Anders, who sat down on the steps.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Forsythia said.
“Never went to bed. Made lists of what can go in that wagon and gathered some of it up. I hate having to do this in such a rush, but I wouldn’t put it past him to go on a drunken rampage and hurt someone other than his poor wife.”
“Good thing Mr. Holt thought ahead enough to get Lark out of here.”
“Now to get the rest of you out of here too. He’s worse’n an angry boar hog.” Anders shook his head. “He wasn’t like this before Pastor Earling passed on.”
“Power gone to his head?” Del asked. “That’s what Lark said one time.”
“He ruined Ma’s primroses.” Lilac’s voice quivered.
“I know. He’s violent every which way, it seems. We’ll just have to ask Josephine to plant more.” Forsythia stood. The sky was lightening toward dawn. “I’ll get breakfast on the table.”
“Stay for breakfast?” Del asked Anders as they all filed into the house.
“Thanks. I thought Jonah and I could get the trunks down from the attic. I still can’t believe this exodus is actually going to happen.” Anders sighed, looking troubled. “You should have a man along.”
“We’ll have Lark, and she’s stronger than many men and more than capable.”
“But, Sythia, she’s still a woman.”
“She was able to bring you home in spite of the battles going on and the ruffians who tried to steal her horse and you nearly dead.” The words came forth sturdily, but Forsythia’s chest still ached at the thought of leaving home.
“I know, and I will be forever grateful, but . . .”
“With her strong features and dark eyebrows, she can look the part more than the rest of us too.” Forsythia filled the coffeepot.
Lilac turned from setting the stove lids back in place now that she had the fire going. “When are you and Josephine planning to get married?” She placed the cream pitcher on the table, then stared at it. “We won’t have milk or cream.”
“People can live without milk and cream and eggs and all kinds of food.” Forsythia gave the mush a stir. “I’ve not made biscuits over a campfire before, but I guess we’ll learn how.”
By the time breakfast was on the table, the three trunks waited in the parlor, and Del had emptied and wiped them clean. To sweeten the musty odor, she brought lavender sachets from the wooden box their mother had used to store her dried herbs and garden seeds.
Anders said grace, and Lilac set the bowls of mush around the table. “We better be thankful for all the good things we are leaving behind.” She blinked and swallowed, but the tears burst through
