A Time to Bloom (Leah's Garden #2)(66)

“Go on.”

Del let her go and straightened with a sigh. Lark had been wary of Del visiting the family unannounced, but surely she had a responsibility to do something. No doubt it would be safer to take a man along again, as she had to the O’Rourkes, but she hesitated to ask Rev. Pritchard after last time. Who, then? Mr. Caldwell? But a lawyer might intimidate too much. Lord, please show me what to do.

———

John returned for the last few days of the week, still limping slightly but otherwise apparently none the worse for wear. No amount of gentle coaxing could get him to speak or give any indication what had happened.

Del met with Timothy on Wednesday and found him already nearly beyond Ray’s Mental Arithmetic, though his reading still floundered.

By Friday, she had to set everything else aside to prepare for the women’s meeting that evening.

Since they would meet in the church, she stayed after school to sweep and tidy, push the desks aside, and arrange the benches into Sunday-morning form for the ladies. She did a brief outline of lesson plans for the following week, then gathered her books and student papers into her satchel so she could try to catch up on grading tomorrow.

“There’s our schoolmarm.” Lark entered, basket in one hand and small notebook in the other.

“You’re here early.” Del hugged her sister.

“Brought you supper.” Lark held out the basket. “Can’t have you going hungry. Lilac is finishing the chores, and then she’ll come.”

Lilac. Del’s stomach pinched at the aromas of cold chicken and hot corn bread coming from the basket. She took it and lifted the checked cloth covering for a whiff. Maybe after they got home tonight, she could find a quiet moment to talk to her younger sister. Or tomorrow. Or Sunday . . .

“Go ahead, sit and eat. You must be worn out from the week.” Lark deposited herself on a bench and motioned for Del to do the same. “How was your day?”

Del sat down with a sigh, bowed her head for a quiet grace, then started to eat. It was amazing what a comfort good food could be. “It was all right. Nothing new with the Kinsley children. They were both present, but something’s still not right with that family. Bethany said her mother is expecting another baby.”

“Another family member to suffer whatever is going on. Maybe Adam can check in on the mother and learn something.”

“That’s what I thought, but Bethany said her pa ‘don’t hold’ with doctors.” Del sighed and caught a crumb of corn bread with her finger. “What are your plans for the meeting?”

“Actually . . .” Lark hesitated. “I wondered if you would chair it.”

“Me?” Del stared at her.

“I know, I shouldn’t spring it on you this late. I was planning to lead it, but then I thought, you’re already something of a community leader, being the schoolteacher in town. You know all the families better than I do. But if you don’t feel comfortable, I’ll do it.”

“No.” Though her stomach churned, a certainty grew too. Del set aside the food basket. “I’ll do it. As long as you’ll step in as needed.”

Lark grinned and squeezed her hand. “You can count on it.”

Before Del was ready, the church began filling with women—more than she’d expected. But that was a good thing, as long as her heart would stop pounding. Speaking in front of a classroom of children was one thing, but before adults . . . Del surreptitiously wiped her damp palms on her skirt and turned to smile and greet Mrs. Dwyer and Mrs. Weber. These were the mothers of her students, after all.

Once most of the ladies were settled on the benches, if not quiet, Lark gave Del a nod.

Del stepped to the front near the pulpit and cleared her throat. “The meeting will now come to order.” Schoolmarm indeed. She sounded like she was about to begin morning class. But how else did one start a meeting?

Amid rustling and whispers, nearly two dozen faces looked up at her.

Well, it had worked. Del smiled, hoping to belie her nerves. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I believe we are all here because we are convinced that while women may be known as the weaker sex, we nevertheless have a strength not to be trifled with. And we want to use that strength for the good of our town.”

Lilac, who had slipped in and found a seat at the side of the room, caught Del’s eye and gave her an encouraging nod.

Bolstered, Del went on. “We have a number of issues we’d like to discuss this evening, but first, I ask my eldest sister, Larkspur, to lead us in prayer.”

Lark quirked a brow as she stepped forward, as if to say, Fair enough. I sprang one on you, then you on me. Del hid a smile and bowed her head.

After the prayer, she stepped forward again. “Thank you. Now, would anyone like to say anything to begin?”

Lucretia Jorgensen lifted a hand. “I thought the main point of this meeting was to deal with that infernal liquor tent outside of town. My Edgar says it’s full of carryings-on, morning and night.”

“And how would he know that ’less he’s been in there himself?” asked Mrs. Dwyer, a sharp-nosed woman.

The storekeeper’s wife glared at her. “Business, that’s how. He has to go by the station regular to pick up supplies for the store.” Lucretia sniffed. “My Edgar would as soon light himself on fire as touch a drop of liquor.”