“I should pick up your order. I’ll just be a minute.”
Becky returned from the butcher shop a short time later, stowed the meaty-smelling package in a crate behind the seat and climbed aboard.
Mutti directed her to a road heading south. “It’s only half a mile or so, and it’s flat from here. I can’t wait until you see the orchard in bloom. It’s a sight to behold.”
“What kind of trees are they?”
“Apple. There are five different varieties, and James plans to add another next year.” Sadness clouded Mutti’s blue eyes, as though she realized she wouldn’t live to see that day. She brightened quickly. “My boy isn’t content to leave things as they are. He’s always seeking ways to improve the orchard and make tasks easier. He figured out a way to give me running water in the kitchen.”
“Running water? I can’t imagine having such a thing.”
“I know he can seem a bit gruff at times, but he really is a fine man. You’ll see.”
Since Becky didn’t know how to respond, having only her initial impression to go on, she kept quiet.
Before long they approached rows of trees crowned with pink and white blossoms. “How beautiful!”
Mutti patted her arm. “I knew you’d like them.”
“This is your orchard? It’s wonderful. The bees like it, too. I can hear them buzzing from here. And the fragrance...” She inhaled deeply. “It’s delightful.”
Pride shone in Mutti’s eyes. “William started the orchard when we first arrived. James helped until he left for college, but my boy’s the boss now. He hired Quon and Chung Lee to help him. He met the brothers while he worked on the railroad.”
“They’re Chinese?” She’d never met anyone from China before, although she’d walked past two Chinese men working at a laundry in Placerville. They wore unusual clothing—loose-fitting, hip-length tunics, flowing trousers and pointed wicker hats. What she’d found most interesting were their long black braids and lovely singsong way of speaking.
“They are. They’re hard workers just like James and are fiercely loyal to him. He thinks the world of them.”
“Will I be cooking for them, too?”
“No. They live in one of the two cabins beyond the barn and get their own meals. Get ready for another turn.” Mutti pointed to a wooden sign bearing the name O’Brien Orchard. “That road ahead is ours.”
Becky led the team down a narrow lane to their left, with the O’Brien’s property on the north and an oak-studded field on the south. Before long there was a break in the apple trees. A house came into view, a darling place with white clapboard siding and a redbrick chimney. Green shutters with hearts cut out of the centers hung at every window.
She parked in front of the house, looped the reins over the porch railing and helped Mutti from the wagon. A whiff of peppermint from an herb garden on either side of the two steps gave Becky a sudden longing for a cup of tea and a nap. She might be able to enjoy the first, but the second was wishful thinking. The next few hours she’d be busy getting settled in and doing her best to convince Mr. O’Brien she could handle the job.
Mutti propped open the door and invited Becky inside. “Welcome to your new home. I would show you around, but the trip tired me out. I think I’ll lie down for a few minutes. If you’ll get your carpetbag, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
Excitement swirled in Becky’s chest. For the first time in years, she wouldn’t have to worry about waking in the night when her brother stumbled in drunk.
It didn’t take her long to stow her few items in Mutti’s bedroom, the far one of the three that occupied the western half of the house. She took a quick peek out the window. A huge wooden tank supported by a sturdy base towered over one end of the backyard—the source of the running water, no doubt. A clothesline had been strung across the other end. Beyond the yard were trees, trees and more trees. She couldn’t begin to imagine how many apples they would produce. “Would you like me to close the curtains, Mutti?”
“Yes, please. And then feel free to get acquainted with your new home.”
“I’ll see to the horses first.” Although Dillon had never let her drive, he’d left her to see to the team many times.
“One of the Lee brothers should be around and would be happy to take care of that for you. Now, you must promise you won’t let me sleep too long. I want to help with supper.”
“By all means.” Becky closed the bedroom door and smiled at the cheery scene that greeted her. A breeze fluttered the red-and-white gingham curtains at each of the three windows. Sunlight bathed the spacious room, and the sweet scent of apple blossoms filled the air. Four chairs formed a half circle in front of the impressive rock-faced fireplace that took up a large portion of the back wall, giving the room a homey feel.
The most well-appointed kitchen she’d ever seen occupied the other end of the room. A modern stove with a hot-water reservoir sat in the corner, with varnished counters stretching several feet from it in either direction. Shelves and hooks above the counters held a seemingly endless supply of pots, pans and utensils. There was even a pie safe. She put the meat inside, where the cooler air from below would rise up through the mesh shelves and keep it fresh.
She opened the floor-to-ceiling cupboard just inside the front door and stared in disbelief. She’d never seen so much food in one pantry before. No more racking her brain to come up with decent meals from next to nothing. Working in a kitchen as pretty and well stocked as this one would be a real treat. “Thank you, Lord.”
The horses whickered, reminding her they were waiting. She went in search of the workmen. Wooden barrels were stacked under the eaves of a massive barn to the east. Hens clucked and pecked at the ground in a fenced area in front of a sturdy chicken coop. Smoke curled from a soot-black chimney pipe at one of two cottages beyond the huge building.
A short man wearing a plaid shirt, trousers and slouch hat wielded a hoe in a good-sized plot between the barn and the orchard. If it wasn’t for the long black braid hanging down his back, she wouldn’t have known he was Chinese. She made her way to him. “Good afternoon.”
He jumped.
“I’m sorry I startled you. Are you Quon?”
He shook his head. “I Chung. Who you?”
“I’m the new nurse Mr. O’Brien sent for—Becky.” She wouldn’t provide her last name unless necessary. The fewer people who knew it, the better. Not that Dillon would be asking for Becky Martin, but just in case... “His mother said I could ask you to help me with the horses.”
“Yes, miss. I go.” The short man dropped the hoe and sprinted toward the wagon. Mutti had said the Lee brothers were helpful, but Chung’s quick response went beyond that. No wonder Mr. O’Brien thought so highly of his hired hands.
She should go inside and get to work, but the apple trees whispered her name, begging her to pay them a visit. After her days cooped up on the train, she could use a walk. Mutti wouldn’t need her for a while, and Mr. O’Brien wasn’t around, so she could do a little exploring.
Becky strolled beneath trees bursting with pale pink blossoms. A single flower floated from a branch overhead, the soft petals brushing her cheek as it passed. She caught the beautiful bloom in midair, buried her nose in it and inhaled nature’s perfume.
Several rows in, she spotted trees frosted with white flowers. She started toward them, but a movement in the distance caught her eye. Squinting, she tried to make out what it was. An animal. Not too large, but quick. It flew toward her, a streak of grayish-brown with a gleeful bark. She smiled. “Oh,