21

Copper cooked supper for the Morton family. Ruby would have none of lying in bed, so she sat at the table with her newborn bundled in her arms. Everyone, excluding Ruby, grinned from ear to ear partly from happiness over the baby and partly from relief that Ruby was alive. Ruby looked stunned, like she’d been poleaxed. Copper kept turning from the stove just to look at the beautiful baby. In the rush to get out of the house, she had forgotten her scales, but she guessed him to be ten pounds.

“No wonder you had shortness of breath, Ruby,” Copper said. “I can’t believe I missed that you had a baby that big in your belly.”

“You can’t believe it? Mercy me, I feel such a fool.”

“But aren’t you happy?” Emerald said, taking the baby from her mother and bouncing him in her arms. “He’s so beautiful.”

“Should Ernie go fetch Mr. Tierney?” Copper asked.

“I reckon not,” Ruby said. “I live here. He visits Sundays.”

Copper looked at the chubby newborn lying in his sister’s arms. Obviously Mr. Tierney did more than visit. She couldn’t wait to share this story with John. But it would go no farther. She was scrupulous in guarding her patients’ privacy. John was the guardian of her secrets.

“You done real good, Miz Tierney,” Ernie said. “Why, this fine boy will be our baby’s uncle.”

“Ernie,” Ruby said, “I hate to be a bother, but I crave a glass of cold buttermilk. Would you mind to go to the springhouse and get some?”

Ernie backed out the door, never taking his eyes off Emerald and the infant. “If that ain’t a pretty picture.”

Ruby craned her neck to make sure her son-in-law was out of earshot. “Miz Pelfrey . . .”

“Please call me Copper.”

“Copper, really how did this come about? I ain’t had my visitor for a year now. If I’d have had the barest inkling such a thing could happen, I would have told Mr. Tierney to keep his this-’n’-that at home.”

Copper checked the new potatoes. She dumped in a bowlful of just-shelled peas. She’d let them cook a few more minutes. She tapped the fork against the lip of the pot and put the lid back on. “Turn-of-life babies are not that uncommon. It can be a very fertile time. It’s like the body’s not quite ready to give up on reproducing. I once helped deliver a set of triplets to a fifty-five-year-old woman. Like you, she thought the disorder in her health was from her turning a certain age.”

Ruby slapped her own cheek. “Surely not.”

“Yes, triplets and all over four pounds. It was the talk of the town.”

“Was ary of them normal?”

“Fit as fiddles—the whole lot of them.”

“Triplets.” Emerald’s face got dreamy. “Oh, I’d love me a set of triplets.”

“Don’t wish for such,” Ruby said. “You’ll bring trouble to this house.”

Ruby was like many women up here in the mountains. She was stalwart and strong—always expecting the unexpected. Stories circulated of women dropping a baby at the end of a row of corn they’d just weeded and then going right on to the next, or having a baby in the middle of the night and then getting up to cook breakfast or do a wash. Many were poor as Job’s turkey and couldn’t afford the time to lie abed. And most, like Ruby, were too proud to be waited on.

Copper knew her own situation was unusual. Because of her first marriage, she had money of her own. John was a hard worker and often worked for wages, but having money in the bank afforded her family luxuries not available to most folks in the area. Having a nice house with room for her small clinic and a hired girl like Manda allowed her the ministry of midwifery God had led her to. It also helped that John was not arrogant. He didn’t base his manhood on what she did or what she had. His only complaint was that he missed her when she was gone.

Copper dusted pieces of trout with cornmeal. They popped and sizzled when she laid them in the skillet. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten but a few bites of leftover corn cakes today. Supper would sure taste good.

Ernie returned and started filling glasses with buttermilk. Copper cut the corn bread. Emerald dished the food onto plates.

Ruby said, “I wish I’d known you were coming, Copper. I’d have baked a pork cake.”

Everyone laughed as they took their seats.

“Another time.” Copper sat with her hands folded in her lap. She would give Ernie an opportunity to offer grace. If he didn’t, she would ask if she could. He didn’t, but Ruby did.

“Lord,” she prayed, “how can we thank You enough for the blessings of this day? For food on the table, this boy in my arms, for You bringing Copper to me in my time of need, for all these and more, we give You thanks. Amen.”

The fish flaked when Copper cut it with her fork. It was moist and tender. “Ernie, this fish is delicious.”

“Oh, I can’t take credit,” he said. “Miz Tierney’s the fisherman in this house.”

“I caught them last evening,” Ruby said. “I went fishing before the pains laid me out.”

Copper didn’t know when she had enjoyed an evening more. This family was so full of kindness toward each other.

Ernie even insisted on doing the dishes. “You cooked,” he said when Copper began scraping the plates. “I’ll see to this.”

Copper got Ruby settled with the baby. It took a lot of coaxing to get him to nurse. Fat thing just wanted to lie about being adored. Copper could have just carried him home with her—he was that delectable. As if Ruby would give him up.

Besides, if Copper’s suspicions proved correct, she would be busy enough with her own in about eight months. She hadn’t told John yet. She’d give it a couple more weeks to be certain. Hopefully, he would be as happy as she was. He had his reservations, she knew, but he would come around.

Emerald poked her head around the doorframe. “Your husband’s out front.”

She went out to meet John, surprised and pleased to see he had brought Jack along.

“Everything all right?” he asked, handing Jack down from the saddle.

She nodded.

“I got to steer, Mama,” Jack said. “I’m good at it too.”

John dismounted and sneaked a kiss to her cheek. “We brought Chessie with us so you’ll have a way back tomorrow.”

She nestled in his arms for the briefest time. Public displays of affection were not appropriate, and besides Ernie was right there.

“Thank you,” she said. “You’ve met Ernie, right?”

John pumped Ernie’s hand. “Yeah, that day in the churchyard. How’s it going?”

“I’ll just take Jack inside to meet the new baby,” Copper said, “and leave you fellows to talk.”

She held Jack’s hand and cautioned him not to be loud and not to touch the baby. “Ruby, this is my son, Jack. He’s come to pay his respects.”

Jack looked the infant over. “Ma’am, you got yourself a whopper.”

Rose smiled. “I sure do.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Not yet. I haven’t had time to think about that.”

Jack leaned against the bed and looked the baby over. “We had a baby Mama called Jumbo, but he wasn’t big like this. I don’t know why Mama called him that. Can I see his feet?”

“It was the Sizemores’ baby,” Copper explained as Ruby unwrapped blankets. “Do you know Tillie and Abe?”

“Can’t say as I do,” Ruby said.

“I need to have a get-together once all the babies are big enough.”

“Wait until I have mine,” Emerald said.

Jack swung his head around to stare at Emerald. When he opened his mouth to speak, Copper tapped his shoulder. He turned his attention back to the baby. “Can I feel of his feet?”

“Sure,” Ruby said.

Jack looked at his mother.

“Gently,” she said.

With one finger Jack stroked the newborn’s foot. The tiny toes flared. Jack laughed and did it again.

“That’s enough,” Copper said. “Remember, he’s not a toy.”

“He sure is wrinkled,” Jack said.

“Thank Mrs. Tierney, Jack.”

“Thank you for sharing your baby with me,” he said. “His feet will probably straighten out one day.”

“You’re welcome,” Ruby said. “You come back anytime.”

“All right,” Jack said. “Let me know when he’s ready to go fishing.”

As Copper ushered her son from the room, Ruby and Emerald’s soft laughter followed. “That’s one smart boy,” she heard Emerald say.

Copper couldn’t help but be proud of Jack. She had another story to share with John.

When they got back outside, Ernie took Chessie to stable her for the night. Copper walked along with John to the head of the trail that led back to Goose Creek and then on home. Jack sat astride John’s horse.

When they reached the trail, John turned and said, “Listen, Manda’s gone.”

“What do you mean—gone?”

John handed her a crumpled bit of paper.

Copper smoothed it out and read what Manda had printed. “I don’t understand. This is not like Manda.”

John shrugged. “Remy showed this to me when I got back to the house this afternoon, said she found it by the sugar bowl.”

Copper read it again. “Forevermore, what was she thinking?” She touched John’s arm. “What should we do about the girls? I never thought to leave them so long with Cara.”

John pulled her into an embrace. “They’re fine, sweetheart. I stopped on the way over here, and Cara said let them stay as long as we needed. But you’ll be back tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, early afternoon, I’d say, if Ruby continues to do well. What will you and Jack eat? I don’t want to make Remy think she has to cook.”

“Remy and Jack had supper on the table when I got home today. Mushrooms and onions over fried potatoes. It was really good, wasn’t it, Son?”

“Yup,” Jack said, looking like he was going to nod off.

Copper put her arms around John’s waist. “Thank you.”

“For what? I’m just sharing the load.”

“You make my life so easy.”

He bent his head to her.

“You two aren’t gonna start kissing, are you?” Jack asked.

“Turn your head,” John said. “I’m going to plant one on your mother.”

“Lift him down, John.”

Jack slid from the saddle and hung suspended between his parents’ arms. Copper kissed his cheeks until he squealed, “Uncle. Uncle.”

Saddled up with Jack in front, John waited. “I’ll just watch until you get back to the yard.”

Copper walked backward, waving and blowing kisses as far as she could; then she stood and watched her husband and son ride away. Her heart was full. Had a woman ever been more blessed? She thought not.

She thought of Mazy and Molly and was ever so thankful for Cara. She hadn’t worried about them all day knowing they would be safe and well cared for in her friend’s house. And Jack was with his father, not to mention Remy. Manda was a puzzle. Copper would never have thought she would go off like that. Of course she had seen Lilly to the coach first and she had a right to visit her sister, but something seemed amiss. It would be interesting to get Remy’s take on it.

Lilly’s train should be nearing Lexington by now. Copper wished she could be with her to witness her excitement. Alice was probably beside herself with anticipation. Selfishly, she still wished she hadn’t let Lilly go. She liked tight apron strings—the tighter the strings, the lesser the worry. Well, there was nothing to do about it now but wait and enjoy all Lilly’s stories when she returned.

For now she needed to get the newborn to eat and see to Ruby’s comfort. In the morning, Ernie was going to fetch a neighbor lady to help out for a few days so Emerald wouldn’t feel the need to do any heavy-duty work. Copper would be able to leave when she got there. Everything was in perfect order.