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Chapter Nine
To her surprise, Sydney woke early the following morning, and dressed before Lewis was even awake.
She had no idea what to do, though, because the house was clean and there was no food to cook. She sat for a short while before Lewis woke and walked into the kitchen, where she was sitting at the table.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked.
Sydney shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I thought about cleaning, but your sisters did that last night. I thought about cooking, but there’s no food to cook. What exactly am I supposed to do?”
He smiled. “What did you do in your free time in Beckham?”
“I scandalized my mother and the neighbors by biking everywhere in my bloomers.”
He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Nothing else?”
“I spent time with the orphans. I volunteered there for three years before I left.”
“That’s good,” he said. “Well, I think what we should do today is head over to Susan and Pa’s house for breakfast, and I’ll leave you there for the day. I don’t want you outside by yourself at all. If I’m not with you, and Alice can’t be by your side, then I want you staying in the house.”
She pouted. “I don’t want to be stuck inside all the time. How will I start a garden if I can’t walk outside?”
“You can start a garden next week. For now, we need to make sure you’re not found by those men who want to take you back to Massachusetts.”
“I guess that makes sense. All right, let me gather everything I want to take to Susan’s for us to sew today.”
It only took a minute for Sydney to be ready to leave. “I have everything,” she told him, standing beside the table.
“Let’s go then.” She watched as he took a pistol from the table beside the bed and tucked it into the waistband of his pants.
As the two of them walked to Susan’s, he held her hand, and talked about what she would like to be purchased so she could cook. “Having looked through all of your cabinets, I realize there is nothing to cook with. Nothing to eat from. You have no pots, no pans, no dishes…”
“Those things will have to go on the list then, won’t they?” Lewis asked reasonably.
“But…why have a kitchen if you don’t have any of those things? And where did the eggs come from?”
Lewis shrugged. “No idea about the eggs. I figured my wife, when I finally found one, would want to choose pots, pans, and dishes. What if I got a kind she didn’t like? I thought it best to wait.”
Sydney nodded. At least he could explain his lack of belongings. She only wished she had some idea of why he had breakfast foods with no pans to cook them in. Where had they come from?
When they reached the big house, Sydney went inside to find Mrs. Hackenschleimer already putting breakfast on the table. “I was hoping I could help you cook!” Sydney said.
Mrs. Hackenschleimer shook her head. “Susan is allowed to help with lunch and supper on occasion, but the kitchen is mine for breakfast.”
Sydney looked at the food on the table. “What is that anyway?” she asked, as her new family filled in the spots around the table.
“Potato pancakes and bacon,” Lewis said, smiling at Mrs. Hackenschleimer. “You’re my favorite person in the whole wide world.”
Sydney looked at Mrs. Hackenschleimer. “I think I’m going to need your receipt for potato pancakes.”
The woman grinned at her. “You are a wise woman.”
Lewis had already filled his plate and was doctoring his potato pancake. She watched as he added butter and a little pepper. Then she did the same to her own. Before she had her pancake fixed, she realized the entire family was sitting around the table.
David called for attention before praying. As they ate, he talked with Lewis about how they wanted to handle Sydney for the day. “I don’t think she should be outside at all.”
Lewis shook his head. “I don’t either. I won’t mind if she’s outside with Alice as long as Alice has her pistol. The rest of the time I want her in the house.”
“I agree. I don’t think I’d even let her outside with Alice, but it’s your decision. Someone should let Alice know to carry her pistol all day.” David looked at Thomas. “There’s something you can do, Thomas. Run and tell Alice she has to keep the pistol on her today.”
