Piper and Truda chatted about everything except what was on both their minds. They pointed out this or that tree or flower. Talked about the rough road. Swatted at horseflies. They had left Hyden behind and were riding side by side on a broad stretch of trail while Piper towed General behind her before Truda finally mentioned Dr. Jack.
“Do you like him, Piper?”
Piper played dumb. “Who? Jamie?”
“Don’t be obtuse.” Truda sounded irritated. “I don’t have to ask if you like Jamie. That’s plain as day. And I’m glad to see it. But don’t tell your father I said that. He has made it very clear your friendship with Jamie is not to be encouraged. Told me that in no uncertain terms after Jamie showed up in Louisville the day you left.”
“Oh?” Piper saw no reason to tell Truda she’d seen Jamie at the depot. With that blonde. “Do you know why he was in Louisville?”
“You, of course.” Truda gave her a look. “To formally court you, it seems, since he went to your father’s office to ask permission to call upon you.”
“He didn’t need permission for that.” Piper gripped the reins so tightly Bella stutter-stepped, not sure what Piper wanted, and General bumped against Bella’s rump. Piper pulled in a slow breath to relax.
Truda didn’t seem to notice. “I agree, but he did ask anyway.”
“I’m sure that went well.” Piper could only imagine what her father might have said to Jamie. None of it good.
“You will be glad to know your young man didn’t take no for an answer and made his way out to your house. Regretfully, you left that morning for here. Della says when she told him you weren’t there, Jamie looked like he’d just found out the last piece of cake was gone.” Truda laughed. “It’s all about food with Della, but I might look sad too if I found out somebody else got the last piece of her strawberry supreme cake. That woman can cook.”
“You’re making my mouth water.” And my heart race, but Piper wasn’t about to admit that. Even to Truda. The blonde on the train platform was fading away. Perhaps no one special after all.
“But I’m not talking about Jamie and you know it. I’m asking about the doctor.”
“Oh, Dr. Jack.” Piper kept a straight face as she glanced over at Truda. “I’ve only talked to him a few times, but he seems very nice. I hear he’s a fine doctor. Why? Are you feeling ill?”
Truda stripped some leaves off a trail-hugging bush and threw them at Piper. “You know very well why I’m asking, and it has nothing to do with my health. Or maybe it does. I have to admit my heart skipped a couple of beats when he came out of the hospital and called me by name. He remembered me from all those years ago.”
Piper picked a leaf out of her hair. “And you remembered him.”
“I did. And look at me acting like a silly teenager.” Truda blew out a breath. “But it was so odd. Or maybe that’s not the right word. Not odd at all. Rather remarkable or—”
“Incredible? Amazing?”
“Very incredibly amazing. We started talking as if all those years since I met him simply melted away.” A smile lit up her face. “You’re not going to believe this.”
“It’s already a little unbelievable, but let’s hear it.” Piper slowed Bella to an easy walk. She wanted to see Truda’s face.
“I think I’m in love.” Truda’s eyes widened in astonishment. “With a man I’ve met twice. Obviously, the mountain air has made me lose my senses.”
“Could be you should slow down your runaway heart.”
“Slow down? Heavens, no. I love it. I love being in love.” Truda laughed. “At my age you don’t want to ponder too long if you have a chance for love. Of course, I have no idea if Jackson is feeling anything at all the same as I.”
“He did invite you to dinner.”
“So he did. And should he invite me to a church chapel to say I do, I might be ready for that too.”
“Whoa, Truda. Don’t you think you should have at least three or four meetings first?”
“Tomorrow will be three. But of course, you’re right. I’ve gone crazy.” Her smile faded as she peered over at Piper. “It might be better if you could embrace a little more craziness. And that boy Jamie too. The two of you tiptoe around each other as though you’re on the edge of a great precipice and if you fall, you’ll be swallowed up in a bottomless abyss.”
“Swallowed up,” Piper echoed.
“Exactly,” Truda said. “Actually that might not be so bad. Swallowed up by love. If you aren’t too afraid to trust the feeling.” Truda gave Piper another look. “And I promise you, should Jackson and I move forward along this path, I’m not going to be afraid to embrace the feeling.”
“I’m not afraid,” Piper said.
“Then what are you?”
“A courier who purposely planned not to think about guys all summer while at Wendover. I never expected Jamie to show up.”
“And I never expected to see Jackson again. Life is full of the unexpected.”
As if to prove her words, a snake slithered across their path. Truda gasped and Dickens did a few fast steps to the side. Piper kept a firm hold on Bella’s reins and those of the horse she was leading.
“Just a harmless cowsucker. Not a rattler,” Piper said.
“That’s a relief. I guess. But I have to admit, I’m not fond of snakes. Whatever kind.”
“Suze says snakes are plentiful up here. She’ll happily tell you all about them and how good they are for the ecology. She should be a biology teacher.”
“I hear your Jamie has a position as a schoolteacher next year. At least, that’s what your father said.”
“How did Father know?”
“I suppose Jamie told him.”
“I’m glad he’s telling everybody else something,” Piper muttered under her breath. The trail narrowed and she moved out in front of Dickens, towing General behind her.
Just because Truda was going off half-cocked, ready to believe she was in love with a man she hardly knew—actually didn’t know at all—that didn’t mean Piper had to follow suit. But then, her father wanted her to marry a man who was practically a stranger, and she had agreed to consider such a match. At least Truda thought she was in love. Piper knew she was in love. Just not with Braxton Crandall.
Nurse Freeman came out on the porch when they rode up. “Danny, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. But I’m glad to see you if you’ve brought the medicine I need for a patient tomorrow. And very glad to see you bring me a horse!” She peered around Piper toward General.
“I do have a package for you from Nurse Thompson.” Piper slid off Bella to pull General forward. “And Miss Aileen sent you General.”
“Wonderful.” The nurse looked from the horse to Truda, still on Dickens. “Forgive my manners. I shouldn’t have welcomed General before you, ma’am, but I am desperate for a horse with my Lady going lame. I have some babies threatening to come anytime now.” She smiled. “But it’s always a pleasure to entertain one of Mrs. Breckinridge’s friends.”
“This is my aunt, Truda Danson, as well as Mrs. Breckinridge’s guest,” Piper said. “Truda, Nurse Freeman.”
Truda groaned as she dismounted. “It feels good to have my boots on terra firma again. I’m not the horsewoman my niece is.” She stepped over to shake Nurse Freeman’s hand. “But very nice to meet you, Nurse Freeman. I’m anxious to hear about your work here in the mountains.”
“Wonderful,” Nurse Freeman said. “Come in and I’ll make some tea while Danny sees to the horses. Nurse Hankins is caring for a sick child in her district. And I must call on an expectant mother later today. She has some weeks to go, but we keep a watch on our mothers. Perhaps you’d like to ride along after the horses rest a bit.”
“That sounds great.” Truda handed her reins to Piper. “Can you handle all three horses?”
Nurse Freeman answered for Piper. “Don’t worry about Danny. I’ve found these courier girls can do almost anything you ask of them. Your niece milked her first cow here the other day, and then painted our woodwork and porch posts. I daresay three horses will be no problem at all for her.”
Piper hoped they would save her some tea, but the nurse was right. The horses came before pleasure. Always.
At the barn, poor Lady was standing light on one of her back hooves. After Piper rubbed down the other horses and watered and fed them, she lifted Lady’s leg to check her hoof, but the shoe looked okay. She did feel some heat around her fetlock. The mare might have stepped wrong on a rock or in a hole. Kermit would know how to treat it back at Wendover.
She was heading to the house when the nurse and Truda came outside. Nurse Freeman said, “I should have had you leave the saddles on two of the horses. We’re going to make that visit now, but the cabin is just down the way. Not far.” She looked over at Truda. “An easy trail, I assure you.”
“If you think your patient won’t mind all of us barging in on her,” Truda said.
“Most of our mountainfolk like meeting brought-in people.” Nurse Freeman smiled. “At least that’s what they call those of us who come from beyond the mountains. As curious as you might be about them, they’re every bit as curious about you. And it will only be two of us. Danny can stay here and fix supper for us. Do you think fried chicken sounds good?”
Piper spoke up. “I don’t know how to fry chicken.”
Nurse Freeman waved her hand to dismiss Piper’s concerns. “It’s easy. You heat some grease in a frying pan, coat the chicken pieces in flour, and fry it up. And you can peel some potatoes and boil them.”
That didn’t sound terribly hard. “All right. Is the chicken in the refrigerator?”
Nurse Freeman laughed. “My dear girl, you forget where you are. No ice boxes or those fine new electric refrigerators up on this mountain, although I’ve heard some of the centers may get a kerosene-powered cold box. That would be amazing.” She looked at Truda as if hoping she’d offer to donate one on the spot. “But no, the chicken is right out there.” She pointed to some chickens pecking in a side yard. “They hatched out this spring and are a perfect size for frying. Pick a rooster. We keep the pullets for laying.”
Piper was too astounded to speak.
The nurse went on. “One of the mountain women wrote down directions for me about how to prepare a fryer. When I came, I was as green as you, but if you want to eat up here, you have to learn some things. The instructions are on the kitchen table under the butcher knife.” She moved past Piper toward the barn. “And some tea and a cookie for you too.”
“I can’t kill a chicken.” Piper stared at the nurse. Milking a cow was one thing, but killing a chicken?
“Certainly you can. We’re counting on you. But go enjoy your tea first. I’ll saddle the horses.” She ignored Piper’s protests. “I’m not sure when Nurse Hankins will be back. According to how sick she finds the child. She might have to take her to the hospital.”
There went the hope Nurse Hankins would show up to help her.
With a sympathetic look, Truda leaned close to Piper to whisper, “When in the mountains, do as the mountaineers do.” Then she followed Nurse Freeman toward the barn.
Piper stared after them. The nurse couldn’t really expect her to slaughter a chicken. But then she had expected her to milk a cow after Piper said she couldn’t. Milking a cow was one thing. Killing a chicken was something else.
No need arguing with Nurse Freeman about it though. Piper headed to the house. She was thirsty. She needed that tea. Sans ice, of course. No ice. No ice boxes. She was foolish to ask about refrigerators. Her parents had only replaced their ice box in the kitchen with an electric refrigerator a few years before. At the time, Della had been jubilant.
If only Della were here with her now, to deal with this challenge. But hadn’t Piper come to the mountains in search of something to test her comfortable life? But killing a chicken?
On the way inside, she admired the nice white doors and porch posts. A week ago she’d never painted doors. And now painting seemed an easy enough task. She ignored the paper folded under the butcher knife as she poured her tea and munched on a thick sugar cookie.
She stepped out on the back porch when Nurse Freeman and Truda rode past. As always, Truda sat too stiff in the saddle. After the sound of the horses faded away, the only noise was a breeze ruffling through the leaves and the chirp of a bird. Piper caught a flash of red among the branches. A cardinal. In the distance, a dog barked. Closer at hand, the chickens carried on a clucking conversation. Perhaps about which one of them was destined to be supper.
Shoving that thought aside, she considered the novelty of being alone with no one near enough to call on for help. Just her and the mountain. But she wasn’t concerned. She smiled, thinking how different her summer had turned out to be than what she’d expected to endure. A round of debutante parties and events. Perhaps dates with Braxton Crandall as her father pushed her into marriage. But instead, here she stood, the mountain breeze on her face while Maxine’s words on the train echoed in her mind. “You get up high on those hills and the Lord just seems nearer.”
Standing on this porch with the birdsong in her ears, she did feel the Lord was near. That somehow he knew her lacks and could bolster her courage. She was happy to be sipping tea here on his mountain instead of seated in a parlor somewhere with an iced tea in a crystal goblet. Although the ice would be nice.
The thought of ice brought her back to the task at hand. She gave the chickens another wary look. At least she did know the roosters from the pullets. With a sigh, she went inside to slip the note out from under the thick handle of the big knife and stare at the concise directions.
Chop off the chicken head. Let it flop for a spell.
Douse it in a bucket of hot water.
Pluck off feathers.
Slit the underside and pull out the innards. Save the gizzard and the liver.
Piper looked up. What did a gizzard look like? She’d seen them fried crusty, but never before they were cooked. She shook her head. Figuring out the gizzard was the least of her worries. Killing the chicken was the big worry. She stared at the butcher knife.
Maybe there wasn’t any hot water. She couldn’t do it if there wasn’t any hot water, but a big kettle was simmering on the cookstove. Nurse Freeman must have left it there to be ready for whichever courier showed up to dress a chicken. Or rather undress it of feathers. A bucket sat by the stove too, ready for her, and a skillet was on the table next to the butcher knife.
She thought of Billy just up the hill from here. His mother had probably killed and cooked dozens of chickens. If only she could carry one of the doomed roosters up to their house and let them do what needed doing.
But no. It was her task. With a deep breath and much trepidation, she picked up the knife.