A Time to Bloom (Leah's Garden #2)(3)

They finished the fourth verse, and the musicians continued to play softly as Rev. Pritchard raised his arms and, with a glorious smile, pronounced the ancient words: “And now, the Lord bless us and keep us, the Lord lift up His countenance upon us and give us His peace. Amen.” Smiling, he made his way to the front door to greet all the congregation.

At Forsythia’s nod, Robbie and Sofie followed the older children outside to play. Mikael woke and stretched in Forsythia’s arms, his contagious smile evoking returning smiles from the adults around him.

“Oh, Forsythia, he is such a charmer.” Rachel Armstead wiggled her eyebrows, making Mikael chortle. “Is he walking yet?”

“Oh, so close. I figure any day now, he’ll make the decision and run to catch up to the other two. As it is now, he can crawl mighty fast.”

“Do you have something special you would like us to bring to the party? I have a whole ham I can hardly get in the oven, but it should go a long way to feeding everyone.”

“Oh, that would be marvelous. I’ll tell Lark.”

“You’ll tell Lark what?”

Forsythia turned to grin at their oldest sister, who was reaching for Mikael as he reached for her.

“Hey, big boy.” Lark bounced him in her arms, making him giggle. She smiled and nodded to Rachel. “A big ham like that would be perfect. We have a couple of young roosters I figured would bake up real well too. If you have any sawhorses so we can make tables, we’d be obliged.”

“I’ll ask Pa if he will bring benches and such.” A cloud passed over Rachel’s face. If they come was the unspoken addition. Her mother, Mrs. Jorgensen, was still having trouble with the new doctor, even though he had saved her grandson’s snakebit leg and life. She referred to that as an accidental good thing. Trust came hard for her after a charlatan doctor failed to help her other daughter.

“I’d hate for them to miss out on such a good time,” Del said.

Rachel nodded. “Me too.”

As Rachel Armstead left, Beatrice Caldwell, Henry’s wife, joined them. “I so enjoy playing with you two. It’s a shame we can’t bring the piano out to your place.”

“Why can’t we?” Lark and Forsythia grinned and nodded at the same time. “If Reverend Pritchard agrees, the men could push it up on a wagon, and you could play it right from the wagon bed. That’d make it easy to return to the church.”

“I wonder who else plays instruments,” Beatrice said.

“I think Anthony Armstead plays the concertina, which is good for dancing. Lark plays anything, and Lilac is great on a drum. At home we had an old washtub that Pa made into a bass fiddle with a rope and a pitchfork. But washtubs are too precious out here to drill a hole in one.” Forsythia glanced over at the men gathered together nearby.

Discussing “important” business, no doubt. Why was it that whenever decisions were made that affected the whole town, the men tacitly decided to leave the women out of it?

Del raised her eyebrows with a slight nod to Lark. She tipped her head at the men, and Lark gave an answering lift of her brows, then nodded in return. Good thing they had perfected silent communication over the years.

Passing Mikael to Lilac, Lark ambled over to stand just outside of the circle. Maybelle Young, the banker’s wife, also stood nearby, trying to act disinterested and failing miserably.

Del rolled her lips together to keep from chuckling. If anyone could find out what the men were up to, it was Lark.

She glanced over the rest of the gathering. She should talk to some of her students’ mothers about the next term. She’d had concerns at the end of last term that some of the older children might not come back, kept home to help with farming instead. Building up the land was important, but so was education, or the next generation wouldn’t be equipped to steward this soon-to-be state into the future. Now that she’d had a break since the end of spring term, new ideas for the coming school year popped up in her mind every day. With a larger group, she wanted some of the older children to help teach the younger—after all, the best way to truly learn something was to teach it. And she could bring in more of her sisters’ talents this year to expand the curriculum—music, art, even botany.

Rev. Pritchard approached the circle of sisters, beaming. “We sure are looking forward to that shindig at your place, ladies.”

“Thank you for announcing it this morning.” Lilac shifted Mikael on her hip. “You should bring one of your instruments and join in the music.”

“Perhaps I will.”

“Reverend, have you heard any more about when we might be able to start the school building?” Del asked. “I’d really rather not crowd your space in the church for the new term.”

“I haven’t.” He hesitated. “The focus has been on the railroad since we learned Salton would be a water stop. I’ll talk to some of the men, though.”

“Maybe we could go talk with them right now.” Del peered around him at the circle of menfolk.

“I don’t think this is the time.” Rev. Pritchard shook his head with an indulgent smile.

When will it be the time? Del swallowed back the retort. The pastor meant well. He always did. Yet shouldn’t her input matter, as the sole teacher of Salton’s young people?

Del noticed the Weber family passing by. They had six children. At least she could talk to Mrs. Weber. “Excuse me.”