pick out your clothes for today?”
“Uh huh, ” said Rebecca. She took Anna’s hand and together, they picked what she was to wear.
“Where is your hairbrush?” Anna asked.
Rebecca pointed to the dresser. Anna found a comb and a brush. She sat in the rocker, and had Rebecca stand between her legs and brushed her hair to its full, lustrous best. “What color ribbon do you like? Can you show me?” she asked.
She picked Rebecca up and took her to the dresser drawer she had indicated, In the drawer was an array of ribbons. “You pick the one you like and I’ll fix it in your hair.” Rebecca picked one and Anna sat back down and put it in the front part of Rebecca’s hair, offset to the left. “Now, if you can get your shoes, I’ll help you with them.”
With Rebecca sitting in her lap, Anna soon had her shoes and socks on. She held her in front of the mirror and asked, “Now, see how pretty you look?” Rebecca smiled at the image in the mirror and nodded her head. “Now, let’s go see if your Papa is back.” They went into the kitchen. “Well, Auntie Beulah, what do you think of our little girl? Isn’t she just about the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen?”
Beulah nodded in agreement. They heard the stamping of boots on the back porch and then Josiah came striding into the kitchen. “Don’t you look pretty this morning? Who got you dressed?”
Rebecca pointed to Anna, and said, “She did.” She hugged Josiah, her short arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled the child’s chair to the table and placed Rebecca in and lowered the tray.
“Good morning again, Beulah,” he said. To Anna, he said, “Good morning again, honey.” And kissed her cheek.
“Is that the best you can do, cowboy,?” Anna asked.
“No, actually, I can do better than that.” He proceeded to demonstrate.
When he released her, she licked her lick as if tasting them. “That was better,” she agreed. Beulah chuckled her agreement.
Beulah put the breakfast before them. Anna indicated the other chair, and asked, “Beulah, won’t you sit and eat with us?”
“Oh nome, Miss Anna. That wouldn’t be fitten.”
“You said I was the lady of the house and could do what I wanted, didn’t you?”
“Yessm.”
“I would like for you to sit and eat with us.” Anna didn’t see the smile that flitted across Josiah’s face.
Later, he told her, “Beulah ate breakfast most every morning. Caroline insisted on it. She didn’t know where you stood, so she took the way she thought was right. I think you made her day.”
“Mother always had the nanny eat with us, Anna said. “When father was home, it wasn’t allowed. “Servants have to know their place,” she mimicked.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about him now. You’re here. All you have to worry about now is me,” Josiah said. “Or maybe the Indians. We have occasionally had problems with the Lakota Sioux. They take a few head of cattle now and then, but we don’t worry about that. They need to eat too.”
“After last night, I guess I had better worry about you,” she said, with the hint of a giggle.
“I guess you had better. I might do it again,” he said.
“You know where I’ll be,” she replied.
Seeing the laughter in her eyes, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “I had better get out of here and get some work done,” he said.
“What time do you finish?” she asked.
“Well, on a ranch, there’s always something that needs doing. If it isn’t fences to be mended, it’s strays to be rounded up, horses to be broken, saddles to be mended, things like that.
“Beulah, we’re going to be moving to the far pasture this morning, so I won’t be in for lunch. Can you fix me a cold lunch?”
It was nearly dark when Josiah returned to the big house. “I’m so tired, I can’t even spit,” he said. “We moved about
“Uh huh, ” said Rebecca. She took Anna’s hand and together, they picked what she was to wear.
“Where is your hairbrush?” Anna asked.
Rebecca pointed to the dresser. Anna found a comb and a brush. She sat in the rocker, and had Rebecca stand between her legs and brushed her hair to its full, lustrous best. “What color ribbon do you like? Can you show me?” she asked.
She picked Rebecca up and took her to the dresser drawer she had indicated, In the drawer was an array of ribbons. “You pick the one you like and I’ll fix it in your hair.” Rebecca picked one and Anna sat back down and put it in the front part of Rebecca’s hair, offset to the left. “Now, if you can get your shoes, I’ll help you with them.”
With Rebecca sitting in her lap, Anna soon had her shoes and socks on. She held her in front of the mirror and asked, “Now, see how pretty you look?” Rebecca smiled at the image in the mirror and nodded her head. “Now, let’s go see if your Papa is back.” They went into the kitchen. “Well, Auntie Beulah, what do you think of our little girl? Isn’t she just about the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen?”
Beulah nodded in agreement. They heard the stamping of boots on the back porch and then Josiah came striding into the kitchen. “Don’t you look pretty this morning? Who got you dressed?”
Rebecca pointed to Anna, and said, “She did.” She hugged Josiah, her short arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled the child’s chair to the table and placed Rebecca in and lowered the tray.
“Good morning again, Beulah,” he said. To Anna, he said, “Good morning again, honey.” And kissed her cheek.
“Is that the best you can do, cowboy,?” Anna asked.
“No, actually, I can do better than that.” He proceeded to demonstrate.
When he released her, she licked her lick as if tasting them. “That was better,” she agreed. Beulah chuckled her agreement.
Beulah put the breakfast before them. Anna indicated the other chair, and asked, “Beulah, won’t you sit and eat with us?”
“Oh nome, Miss Anna. That wouldn’t be fitten.”
“You said I was the lady of the house and could do what I wanted, didn’t you?”
“Yessm.”
“I would like for you to sit and eat with us.” Anna didn’t see the smile that flitted across Josiah’s face.
Later, he told her, “Beulah ate breakfast most every morning. Caroline insisted on it. She didn’t know where you stood, so she took the way she thought was right. I think you made her day.”
“Mother always had the nanny eat with us, Anna said. “When father was home, it wasn’t allowed. “Servants have to know their place,” she mimicked.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about him now. You’re here. All you have to worry about now is me,” Josiah said. “Or maybe the Indians. We have occasionally had problems with the Lakota Sioux. They take a few head of cattle now and then, but we don’t worry about that. They need to eat too.”
“After last night, I guess I had better worry about you,” she said, with the hint of a giggle.
“I guess you had better. I might do it again,” he said.
“You know where I’ll be,” she replied.
Seeing the laughter in her eyes, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “I had better get out of here and get some work done,” he said.
“What time do you finish?” she asked.
“Well, on a ranch, there’s always something that needs doing. If it isn’t fences to be mended, it’s strays to be rounded up, horses to be broken, saddles to be mended, things like that.
“Beulah, we’re going to be moving to the far pasture this morning, so I won’t be in for lunch. Can you fix me a cold lunch?”
It was nearly dark when Josiah returned to the big house. “I’m so tired, I can’t even spit,” he said. “We moved about
Similar Books
