The Baby Bequest

“Quite right,” Mrs. Ashford agreed. Unfortunately, she added, “I knew that Dutch boy would make trouble.”

“It wasn’t Gunther’s fault!” Amanda stomped her foot.

“That will be enough sauce from you, miss.” Mrs. Ashford’s face reddened. “Now get busy washing the dishes before I wash your impertinent mouth out with soap.”

On this unhappy note, Ellen said her thanks and descended the steps into the deep honey of twilight. Since she’d moved into her quarters, a large room behind the schoolroom, she’d dreaded the lonely evenings, which gave her too much time to fret, which she began as soon as she touched ground.

What should she do about Gunther Lang? Why didn’t his older brother realize the situation he’d put Gunther in? Her mind drifted back to home and brought up her sister exchanging vows with Holton. How long did heartbreak linger?

When she walked through the trees into the schoolyard, she was surprised to glimpse Kurt Lang, sitting dejectedly on the school step, clearly waiting for her as his horse grazed nearby. Of all people, he was the one she felt least ready to face—she had no doubt he’d come to discuss the fight.

“Mr. Lang,” she said.

He jumped up and swept off his hat. “Miss Thurston, I am sorry I am come so late. But I know Gunther had a fight. Please, I ask—do not put him out of school.”

Ellen walked toward him, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. This disturbing man put her at a disadvantage. He was handsome like Holton, but he never tried to charm her like Holton. Mr. Lang reminded her more of a determined bull.

Nothing she’d said so far concerning Gunther had made the least impression on him. She knew in her heart that there was nothing she could do to help Gunther fit in—too much separated him from the other students. But how could she make this man believe her? See he was doing harm to his brother?

Glum about her prospects at persuading him, she sat down on the school step, facing the river. He sat down a polite distance from her. For a few minutes neither of them talked. Finally, she cleared her throat. She would try once more.

“I realize that you want Gunther to learn more English so he is better prepared for life here.”

His powerful shoulders strained against his cotton shirt. “Yes, that is so.”

Her heart went out to him, a man trying to raise a teenage brother and a little boy by himself. Nonetheless, why did he have to be so stubborn? “But Gunther is too much older and too sensitive about being different from the others. Making him sit with little children won’t work.”

“Gunther must learn to obey.” Mr. Lang’s words rang with deep feeling.

She tried to imagine what was driving this man to continue to put his younger brother in such a difficult situation. Maybe if she talked about her family, he might reveal something about himself.

“I have a younger sister.” She didn’t mention that her elder brother was full of himself or that she’d had a baby brother, too. It cost her enough to speak of her sister Cissy and what her sister had unwittingly put her through. She paused a moment, grappling with her own rampant emotions. “My parents made the mistake of always saying to her, ‘Why can’t you be more like your sister?’”

Where am I going with this? How is this being helpful?

She shook herself and then drew in a breath. “Nothing you do or say is going to change Gunther’s mind or behavior. The struggle is not between you and him. It’s really between Gunther and this new set of people, this new place.” She sighed.

Several moments passed before he spoke. “You speak truth. But Gunther is too young to know what is good for him.”

“Human nature will not be denied.” Each word increased her confidence that making the lad attend school would not end well. “Gunther is a young man and we’ve put him in a situation that wouldn’t be normal for any lad his age. You see that.”

“Yes.” Mr. Lang didn’t sound happy or convinced. He rose. “I will keep Gunther home tomorrow. I must go, and think.” He bowed his head politely, his unfailing courtesy impressing her once again.

“I think that’s best.” Ellen watched him don his hat and ride away. She stood motionless long after he’d vanished through the trees. Even after he had disappeared from view, his image stayed with her. A handsome, brave but troubled man. She wondered if his broad shoulders ever tired of the responsibilities he carried. The deep sadness she sensed in him drew her sympathy.

She shook herself and went inside, her own heart heavy. Never far from her mind were the charming words Holton had spoken to her. She reminded herself that she must stop noticing Kurt Lang so keenly. After everything she’d been through with Holton, the last thing she needed was to be the focus of whispers about the foolish old-maid schoolmarm.

Of course it was one thing to stop noticing him. It was another thing to stop thinking of him completely.

Chapter Four

Standing outside the Stewards’ cabin after Saturday supper, Kurt tried to figure out exactly what he was doing there. He’d been surprised when the Stewards had invited him and his family to eat with them and Miss Thurston. The meal had been tasty, and he’d enjoyed talking about farming and the fall hunting with Martin, who was about his age. Unfortunately, Gunther had eaten in sullen silence, in contrast to Johann’s lively chatter.

As the sun had disappeared behind the trees, a sudden awkwardness Kurt couldn’t understand sprang up.

“Mr. Lang,” Mrs. Steward said in a voice that didn’t sound quite genuine, “I wonder if you would save Martin a trip and drive my cousin back to the schoolhouse?”

The question startled him. And it also startled Miss Thurston. He saw her glance at her cousin.

In Germany, this request would have caused Kurt to suspect matchmaking. Here, however, he could not think that he’d been invited for this reason. So why?

Miss Thurston’s face turned pink, revealing her embarrassment.

“Yes,” Martin spoke up, sounding as if he’d been rehearsed about what to say, “I have my wife’s pony hooked up to my cart. It only carries two adults, so perhaps your brother and nephew can just walk home?”

Now Miss Thurston’s face burned bright rose-red.

“I am happy to,” Mr. Lang replied, mystified. What else could he say?

Gunther favored both of them with an odd look but gestured to Johann to come with him, and the two headed down the track in the fading light of day.

Kurt took the reins of the two-wheeled cart as Martin helped Miss Thurston up onto the seat beside him. She clung to the side of the bench as Mr. Lang flicked the reins and they started down the track to town. He noticed that she sat as far from him as she could. He hoped she didn’t think he’d engineered this so that he could be alone with her.

Kurt couldn’t think of anything to say to her. When they were out of sight of the Steward cabin, she finally broke the silence.

“Since we’ve been given this opportunity to talk, just the two of us, there is something that I have wanted to discuss with you, Mr. Lang.” Her voice quavered a bit on the last few words, as if she were nervous.

“Oh?” he said, hoping for enlightenment.

“After the fight at school, you kept Gunther home only one day, right? Have you been sending Gunther to school the rest of this week?”

He stiffened. “Yes, I send him. What do you mean?”

“I thought as much. He has been playing hooky.”

“Hooky?” Mr. Lang turned his gaze to her.

“Sorry. Playing hooky means not coming to school.”

Kurt wanted to explode; instead he chewed the inside of his mouth. But he tried to stay calm for Miss Thurston’s sake. “Why does he not obey me?”

“Sometimes it’s not a matter of obedience,” she replied, sounding hesitant.

“Then what is it about?” he asked, his cheeks burning.

“Isn’t this really about whether Gunther learns more English and more about this country?” she replied in a gentle voice. “Our history and our laws? Isn’t that what you want, more than his obedience?”

Her question caught him off guard. He stared at her, noticing the wind playing with the light brown curls around her face. Startled by both her question and his sudden awareness of her, his mouth opened, and then closed tightly.