Charlotte thought the light would have faded. This day felt as if it had lasted at least a week. But she was mistaken, it wasn’t yet anywhere near dusk. While she held Grace, she allowed all of them to climb into the wagon and inspect what was there. That would be the next job, sorting it all out again, but this immediate situation needed to be addressed first. She directed Ada where to find the ham, onions, bacon, potatoes. She wondered briefly if Joseph Beacham had any hunting abilities at all then answered her own question in the negative.
“Is there firewood?” she asked and Brewster went running for it.
They put the pot of congealed stew on the floor with the hunk of iron-hard bread beside it. It was not easy cooking and holding Grace at the same time. Every time Charlotte went to touch something, Grace’s small hands got there first. Charlotte finally turned dinner over to Ada.
There was another knock at the door. “Is this Joseph Beacham again?” Ada grimaced. Brewster answered the door and it was Joseph, who appeared apologetic.
“They’re always sending me somewhere for something. Pardon for bothering you again but Mrs. Hutchinson wants me to say to you that she does need a word.” Charlotte imagined that Mrs. Hutchinson, whoever she was, needed more than a word, but this problem could also be dealt with, somehow. She understood the questions this woman might have, and only hoped she would have answers.
“How do I find Mrs. Hutchinson?”
“She’s in the offices upstairs. Ada knows.” Ada grimaced again. Apparently Joseph Beacham was lacking in a certain kind of appeal.
Charlotte was gratified watching the four of them eat, even Grace.
“Now I do have to gather my wits about me and talk to Mrs. Hutchinson,” she said. “Who she is?”
“She’s the colonel’s wife,” Brewster said seriously. Charlotte thought he probably had the fort’s entire chain of command committed to memory.
“And what’s your opinion of her, Brewster?”
“She’s the one who said to let us stay here.”
“Ah.”
“Though she might tell you some things,” Ada said.
“And those would be what?”
“That I was ungrateful and rude to Mrs. Bixby.”
“And who is Mrs. Bixby?”
“The major’s wife who was supposed to take care of us but didn’t really want to.”
“Anything else?”
“Maybe she’ll mention hateful too,” Ada added.
“Impressive. I’ll find out all the reasons later because I’m sure there are good ones. Can’t wait to hear.”
Ada let out a huge sigh of relief. “You aren’t disgusted?”
“Ada, please at all times remember this. Whatever you’ve done, no matter how atrocious or disheartening you or anyone else thinks it may be, first thing is I trust you and second is I promise you I’ve done a thousand times worse.”
26
26