Outrun the Moon(43)

What was Headmistress Crouch thinking? She may as well have asked these girls to shoe a horse rather than wash their own dresses.

Katie puts her fists on her hips. “That’s not fair. We’ll never finish in time.”

“Well, the fact is, there are only four tubs, and eleven of us,” says Elodie. “It makes sense that the most eligible should do their laundry first.”

Francesca clicks her tongue disapprovingly and looks toward the back door. I wonder if she knows about the courtyard.

Minnie Mae crosses her doll-like arms. “Ruby’s eligible.”

Elodie and her cronies laugh, and the hanging blade on Ruby’s forehead unsheathes.

“My mother always says, ‘You can shine up a rock and call it a gemstone, but it’s still a rock.’” Elodie twirls a finger around a curl. “It’s going to take more than those dried weeds to get you a husband.”

Ruby’s hand flies to her rosemary sprig, and her wounded expression makes me want to swab the smugness off Elodie’s deck. The bow on Minnie Mae’s head starts to quiver as she faces off with Fancy Boots, with fists clenched. I have never seen the babyish Minnie Mae look so fierce, but a dust-up is on the brew.

I clear my throat. “The sooner we let Elodie and her friends finish, the sooner we may finish. Let’s take our laundry out to the courtyard to air while we wait.”

Francesca catches my eye and nods. “I agree. As Shakespeare wrote, ‘In a false quarrel, there is no true valor.’” She takes her wicker basket, and I do the same.

Elodie releases a prim smile. “I’m so glad that you see reason. We’ll make sure to save some of the Wilksies for you.”

I’m pleased to see Katie, Harry, and the twins follow us to the exit. Once outside, Francesca and I switch on the lanterns.

The girls blink in surprise at all the equipment.

“What’s this?” asks Katie.

“This is where the laundry is done,” I say quietly.

A surprised laugh bubbles from Minnie Mae’s mouth, but Katie drops her basket. “Well, grasshoppers! I thought this was where they played croquet or something.”

“What are those tubs inside for?” Ruby glances back toward the laundry room.

“Probably for hand-washing the underthings.” Father always did the delicates separately.

“You know how to work these contraptions?” Minnie Mae peers into one of the copper boilers.

“We’re not going to use those,” I tell her. “Hot water shrinks wool.”

Minnie Mae’s mouth drops. “You mean those other girls are going to ruin their dresses?”

I give her a reassuring smile. “We’ll tell them to lay off the custards.”

No one speaks for a moment, but then we’re all giggling. Elodie and her cronies deserve a little soak in hot water for their nastiness.

I pick up one of my dresses and give it a shake. “I have seen my maids do the laundry. They use an assembly-line method to maximize efficiency.” I throw the dresses into one of the large aluminum tubs, then add water using the pump placed conveniently at the lip. “Katie, fill that one for the rinsing.” I nod toward the adjacent tub.

She hops to the task.

Francesca sprinkles a box of flaked soap into my tub, then fetches two dollies for agitating the water. Together, we work the dollies, causing froth to appear. The others watch with more interest than laundry warrants, and I try to put on a good show, churning with vigor. After that’s done, we squeeze out the dresses and dump them into the rinse water.

I take a wooden stick and plunge the soap out of the dresses.

“May I do that?” Harry reaches for the plunger. For the first time, I notice she has dimples when she smiles, just like Katie. The realization rubs some of the damp from my bones.

“Thank you, Harry. Katie, after she finishes, you can put the dresses through the wringer.” I nod toward a contraption with a crank handle attached to the rinse tub. “Just watch your fingers. Minnie Mae and Ruby, you can hang them when they’re done. After two shifts, we’ll switch places to keep things interesting.”

We go about our tasks. Katie enjoys cranking the wringer so much that we let her continue. “I used to play baseball with the boys.” She flexes a muscle. “I’ve still got it.”

By the time the night air loses its heaviness, probably sometime after four, Francesca and I are hanging the last of the dresses while Harry and Ruby drain the tubs. Minnie Mae has collapsed on the ground, her face glowing with sweat, and Katie stretches out beside her.

“We did it. I even have time to press my hair,” Minnie Mae says. She holds up her hands, which are red and wrinkled from the water. “Mama would bust a valve if she saw this. Hope it’s not permanent.”

Katie scoffs. “A’course not. But if you’re worried, you can use lard to soften your hands. That’s what Gran does.”

Minnie Mae fans her legs with her skirts. “You always talk about your gran. Don’t you have a mama?”

“My parents died in an accident when I was a baby. It’s been Gran and me ever since I can remember.”

Francesca pulls a clothespin from her mouth and pins up the last dress. “What’s it like in Texas?” It’s the first time I’ve seen her speak to Katie.