Authors: Mackenzie Morgan
“Where are we going to find them?”
“They’re probably spending their days playing out back. We just need to start paying attention.”
Chapter 22
Back to Milhaven
Monday morning Kevin got to Wildcat Mountain before most of the household was up. But light was spilling out of the kitchen windows, so he knocked on the front door.
Ashni had a mug of coffee in her hand when she opened the door. “Good morning,” she said as she handed Kevin the coffee. “Rhianna is not quite ready. We will wait for her in the kitchen. I have some sweet rolls ready to come out of the oven.”
Kevin was on his second cup of coffee and had just finished a sweet roll when Rhianna walked in carrying her bag. “I thought you said you didn’t want to stay at the castle.”
“I’m not.” Rhianna picked up one of the sweet rolls. “I’m staying at Doreen’s.”
“The furniture might arrive today, but that doesn’t mean the house is ready to live in.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Ashni was afraid if they kept talking they’d end up arguing, so she interrupted. “Myron, I have some rolls for you to take with you. Darrell was especially fond of these rolls so be sure he gets one before Chris eats them all.”
Kevin laughed as he took the bag she held out for him. “This will make their day. Thanks.”
“You are welcome.” Ashni turned to Rhianna. “If you are meeting your friend at eight, you need to go.”
Rhianna nodded and put her hand on Kevin’s arm. “Can you drop me off at the construction site before you head back to the castle? You won’t need to stay.”
Kevin started to insist she drop by the castle, but he decided it wasn’t worth an argument. Ten minutes later, he was back in his office.
Chris heard Kevin moving around, so he went in and shut the door. “She didn’t change her mind, did she?”
Kevin shook his head. “She wanted to go straight to Doreen’s. I didn’t argue with her.”
“When are you taking her back?”
“I’m not. She brought her bags back with her.”
Chris glanced around. “Where are they?”
“At Doreen’s. She’s planning to stay there tonight.” Kevin leaned back in his chair. “She’s serious about not staying here, Chris.”
“All right. We can work with that. Just means you and Nikki will be taking your evening walks on the other side of Milhaven.”
Kevin shook his head. “After running around with Marshall all day, she’ll be too tired to walk that far and back.”
“Use the key. She’s used to it. Anyway, that’s this evening’s headache. Right now, you have these to worry about.” Chris handed Kevin a fresh stack of messages. “This morning’s mail was heavier than usual. Apparently a lot of people had nothing better to do this weekend than dream up problems for you to solve.”
~ ~ ~ ~
While Rhianna waited for Doreen, she took a quick look around. The bedroom doors still needed to be hung, but it would be easier to move the furniture in without them. A couple of the kitchen cabinets needed to be finished and hung, but overall the house was ready to be lived in.
Doreen arrived a few minutes after Rhianna got there. Jana had baked two dozen muffins and made a dozen sandwiches that morning so Doreen would have something to offer the men who helped them unload and get the furniture to the right rooms. Jana had said if you want men to carry furniture upstairs, you better be prepared to feed them.
When Doreen told Rhianna what Jana had done, Rhianna laughed. “I should have thought of that myself. That’s how I bribe my brothers.”
“You can cook?”
“Enough to get by,” Rhianna admitted. “Nothing like Blair though.”
“But you can cook. Jana’s been teaching me how to make some stuff, but I need more.” Doreen looked at Rhianna for a moment. “Were you serious about taking me up on that bedroom?”
“For a while anyway, hopefully through the spring, but I can’t say for sure. I never know what may come up. When are you thinking about moving in?”
“Today.”
“Me, too. I stashed my stuff in one of the closets upstairs. Where’s your stuff?”
“I don’t need much for one night. I’ll get my stuff later.”
“Have you packed?”
“Not a lot of packing to do. When Myron rescued us, we had the clothes on our backs and that was it. Joan made sure we got clean clothes when we got here and Jana gave me a few things, but until Chris took me back to my house in Parson’s Branch, that was it. The stuff I brought back from there is still packed up in Jana’s attic.”
“I can get Chris or Myron to get it for you.”
Doreen shook her head as they sat down on the steps to wait for the wagons to arrive. “They’ve already done so much for me. I can handle this one.” A blush crept up her cheeks. “Besides, Rigel’s already offered to help me.”
Rhianna laughed. “Enough said.”
For a moment, they sat in silence. Then Doreen said, “I need to do something for the people around here, for the guards who’ve helped us, the townspeople who donated so much stuff for us when we first got here, but especially for Jana for putting up with me for so long. I need to do something extra special for her.”
“Why not throw a party after you get the house finished? If you wait until Blair gets here, you know the food will be good, and that way it’ll be from her as well.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” Doreen laughed. “Food is probably the best gift I could give those guards for helping me, not that they don’t get plenty of good food at the castle. I’ve heard Miranda’s a wonderful cook.”
“She is, but men never get tired of eating good food. Maybe we can get a keg of scog from Tolliver’s, too.”
“I might have enough money for that,” Doreen said thoughtfully. “Cryslyn did say there was some money left in my account after she paid for the lumber and furniture. I know I’ve still got a bit to buy, kitchen stuff, linens, things like that, but I bet I can spare enough for some scog.”
“I’ll get it,” Rhianna said. “But I’ll have to give you the money and let you pay for it. Otherwise it’ll get billed to Myron.”
“I can’t let you do that. I owe you, too.”
Rhianna shook her head. “You don’t owe me a thing. I had fun, more fun than I’ve had in a long time. Consider the scog my contribution. After all, I’ll be living here for a while.”
“You’ll still do the gardens, won’t you?”
Rhianna nodded. “But that’s for fun. Now, if I’m not mistaken, that cloud of dust over there might be the wagons.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Shortly before lunch, Karl knocked on Kevin’s door and asked if he had a minute to talk.
“Please interrupt me,” Kevin said as he leaned back in his chair. “I’ve had all the paperwork I can stand. What’s up?”
“Gov. Shardin’s coming this evening to discuss bringing those women and children here. Does it matter when he brings them?”
Kevin thought for a moment. “I know what I’d like to do, but I don’t have it set up yet. Do you think he’d wait a week? Maybe bring them next Monday?”
Karl shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“If for some reason he wants to bring them earlier, let him,” Kevin added. “I can keep them here if I need to, or send them to Fenway’s. It’s only four women this time.”
“And three children,” Karl reminded him. “I can have Joan find some housing for them if you want me to.”
“Let’s leave that as a last resort. I hate to ask the people of Milhaven to take in anyone else right now.” Kevin paused. “Didn’t Gov. Shardin bring us a list with their names and where they were from?”
Karl nodded.
“Wonder if any of their husbands were in the mines.”
“Think they may be up at the camp?”
“Worth finding out.”
Karl stood up. “I’ll give Gen. Crandal the names of the three who were married. He can send someone up to the camp to find out.”
“If any of the husbands are there, have them come back with whoever goes up. I’ll talk to them and see what they want to do.”
~ ~ ~ ~
By dinnertime all of the furniture was in the house and where it belonged, thanks in large part to Rigel and a few of his friends. Each bedroom had a bed, bedside table, chest of drawers, armchair or rocking chair, and a second table suitable for writing, books, or a sewing box. Doreen’s office had a large desk with drawers on both sides of the knee hole, two long tables, her chair, and two chairs for visitors. Both parlors had couches, chairs, lamp tables, and at least one table for activities such as Octuro. The table Cryslyn had ordered for the dining room would seat twelve, sixteen if necessary, and in case that many might be eating, she’d ordered sixteen chairs. In the kitchen, there was a large work table and a smaller dining table with chairs for six.
As Rhianna and Doreen walked through the house shifting a chair here and a lamp table there, they talked about linens, bedspreads, curtains, pictures, and lamps. When they were done, Doreen sat down at the kitchen table and looked at the long list. “Where am I going to get all this stuff? And who’s going to pick it out?”
“As to where, probably Tolliver’s. But I can’t help with the who. Decorating’s not my thing.”
“I thought all elves were artistic.”
“That’s a myth, just like all humans are greedy, or dragons would just as soon kill you as look at you.”
“How do you know that’s a myth?” Doreen asked. “Have you ever met a dragon?”
“Actually, yes, Glendymere, and a more gentle soul you couldn’t hope to meet, as long as you don’t make him angry.”
“You know Glendymere? Seriously?”
Rhianna nodded. “But back to your problem. Who do you know who has a house like you want? That’s the person you need to ask for help in choosing things like curtains and stuff.”
Doreen thought for a minute. “I like Jana’s house, but it’s a little more formal than I want. I haven’t been in many houses around here. I don’t know what they look like.”
“All right. What kind of house do you want?”
“I like pretty things, don’t get me wrong, but I want to feel like I can sit down and relax without worrying about ruining something. Do you know what I mean?”
“I do. I was in a house not too long ago that was really formal. Everything had a place and nothing was out of place. The material on the couch was lovely, but I didn’t want to sit on it because I was afraid I might mess it up.”
“That’s what I mean. I don’t want that.” Doreen tilted her head and said, “I wouldn’t say this to anyone else, but I want a place where Rigel can relax and feel comfortable. I’d hate to have a house where he was afraid to come in for fear he’d ruin something. Know what I mean?”
Rhianna nodded. “Laryn might be able to help. Her house is like that. Let me ask her if she did it herself or if someone did it for her.”
“In the meantime, if you and I are sleeping here tonight, we need to do something about sheets and quilts.”
“Maybe I could borrow some from the castle.”
“I hate to ask Cryslyn for anything else. She’s done so much for me already. I know Jana would let me borrow some, but I don’t want to ask her for anything else either. Do you think we could get something at Tolliver’s?”
Rhianna stood up. “We can go see.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were at the store. Most people made their own quilts, so they didn’t have any luck there, but Tolliver’s did carry blankets for bedrolls. There was also some material that could be used for sheets, but without measurements, neither Doreen nor Rhianna had any idea how much material they needed, so they decided to make do with the blankets. As they were leaving, a collection of glowstone lamps near the door caught Doreen’s eye. The house would be dark by the time they got back and there wasn’t one lamp in the whole house. After she bought two, one for each of them, they went back to the house.
Shortly after they got back, there was a knock on the front door, followed by an excited bark. Doreen frowned, but Rhianna grinned. “Nikki. I’d know that bark anywhere.”
While Rhianna and Doreen made a fuss over Nikki, Kevin asked if they’d had dinner.
“Not yet,” Rhianna said. “It’s next on our list though.”
“Do you have anything fixed?”
Rhianna shook her head. “We thought we’d go to Fenway’s, but I need to talk to you about that. They won’t let me pay for anything there, not even Doreen’s food.”
“And they’re not going to. I didn’t set it up, Cryslyn did, so you might as well let it go. You won’t win a fight with her. At least I’ve never been able to.”
Rhianna frowned.
“Anyway, back to dinner. Miranda fixed a basket for me to bring down in case you hadn’t eaten. I can go get it now if you want me to.”
Doreen looked embarrassed. “We don’t have anything in the kitchen, and I mean no plates, no utensils, no glasses. I can’t even make you a cup of tea.”
Kevin laughed. “No problem. She didn’t think you’d be set up yet so she packed everything we’ll need. Back in a minute.” Before they could object, Kevin turned the key and went back to the castle. Chris had the basket sitting on Kevin’s desk ready to go, along with a carafe of coffee. Kevin picked it all up, and with a turn of the key, was gone again.
When he got back to Doreen’s house, Rhianna was on the porch with Nikki. As she opened the door for Kevin, he glanced at Nikki. “Should I take her back to the castle?”
Rhianna shook her head. “There’s nothing in here she can hurt. She’ll be fine.”
After dinner, Kevin leaned back in his chair. “You’ve done a good job here, Doreen.”
“Thank you, but I can’t take all the credit. I’ve had a lot of help. I’d give you the grand tour but we only have two lamps.” Doreen laughed. “We’d be sitting in the dark if we hadn’t gone to Tolliver’s to pick up some blankets. Neither of us thought about lamps until we saw them in the store.”
Kevin frowned. “You’re staying here tonight?”
Doreen and Rhianna both nodded.
“If you need anything we can get it for you out of the castle store rooms. I know we have extra lamps.”
Doreen shook her head. “We’ll be fine. I just didn’t think ahead. We’ll go back into town tomorrow and order some more stuff from Tolliver’s.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.” Kevin stood up and turned to Rhianna. “Would you like to go for a walk this evening?” Then he looked at Doreen and said, “You’re invited too, if you’d like to come.”