“It’s all right.” Laurie dabbed up the spill with a napkin and took the spoon. “Let me feed you.”
Tears formed in Mrs. Foster’s eyes. “What a mess I’ve made of things.”
“Now don’t start that again.” Laurie gave her a teasing smile. “I’m grateful Doc says you’ve only sprained your ankle. We’ll pray you’ll be back on your feet soon.”
“My broken arm won’t heal any time soon.” Mrs. Foster viewed her splinted right appendage. “I won’t be able to play the organ for a long time. Or even show my students proper piano technique.”
Laurie had already decided what to do about both situations. “You leave those to me. Your job right now is to get well.”
Mrs. Foster gave her a sad smile. “But, my dear, what about your position at the conservatory this coming fall?”
“My dear, haven’t you always told me to take no thought for tomorrow, as the Lord said?” Laurie struggled with her own fears about losing her teaching position, but nothing could be done about it. She must do right, which meant helping Mrs. Foster. “Besides, we have all summer for you to get well before I go back to Denver.” While her brother-in-law said the bones of older folks took longer to heal, Laurie would pray for the best, more for her mentor’s health and comfort than for anything to do with herself.
That afternoon, when she thought she’d earned a short rest, Seamus and Wes arrived from Four Stones Ranch with Tolley’s trunks, so she guided them upstairs to his room. Shortly after they left, she greeted Mrs. Foster’s six piano students. By the time she’d finished the last lesson, she needed to make the corn bread and cook the tender turnip greens she’d harvested from the garden.
She’d grown up on a ranch and known hard work all her life. But at home, many hands made light work. While she’d never abandon Mrs. Foster, this day wore her out. How had the dear lady managed all of this work, plus helping Laurie achieve her dream of becoming a conservatory teacher?
In spite of her encouraging words to Mrs. Foster, Laurie knew she must get back to Colorado’s capital city in the autumn. Otherwise her position would be given to someone else, and Laurie would be forced to say goodbye to her dreams forever. Which made her prayers all the more urgent. Perhaps even desperate.
“A bathroom?” Mrs. Foster’s weathered face crinkled with puzzlement as she sat against her pillow. “Why, who ever heard of such a thing?”
“I think it’s just the thing.” Laurie sat in the bedside chair and patted the lady’s uninjured arm.
“Same here.” Tolley stood at the foot of the bed, hands in his pockets, feeling like a schoolboy who wanted to please his teacher.
“But I can’t afford—”
“We aren’t going to talk about money.” Tolley playfully wagged a scolding finger at her and grinned, but he meant it. Several years ago, his family had made the final payments on this house, the least they could do for the widow of Major Foster. If Foster hadn’t stepped in front of the Colonel at Gettysburg, taking a bullet himself, Tolley might never have been born. The old major suffered the rest of his life from the injury, finally passing away six years ago.
“Oh, dear, I don’t know.”
“We do.” Laurie’s blue eyes sparkled, and her smile brought out that dimple. My, she was pretty today. Every day, in fact. “All we need from you is your permission, and we’ll get started.”
Tolley could see she enjoyed this as much as he did. Having a partner would help greatly, especially this partner, especially since no one in his family cared for his company. But he mustn’t think about such things now. “What do you say, Mrs. Foster?”
The lady set her hand against her cheek and gave him a wobbly smile. “I won’t turn down such a generous gift, my boy.” Her eyes watered, and she dabbed at them with a linen handkerchief. “But where will you put it?” She peered toward the open door as if trying to envision the new room’s placement.
“We can convert the smallest bedroom, the one I’m in now,” Laurie said. “I can move to the empty one next to you.”
“Since the smaller room is at the back corner and over the kitchen, the plumbing will be easy.” Maybe not easy, but Tolley relished the challenge of installing the required pipe system.
“Oh, my.” Mrs. Foster fluttered her good hand over the quilt covering her lap. “Seems so complicated. Are you sure you can do this?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tolley had prepared himself for questions. “I learned that Nolan Means installed the first bathroom in Esperanza even before Rosamond built the hotel. I asked him for advice, and he sent me to the workmen who dug the leaching field to handle the drainage. They’ll do that for us, and I’ll handle the rest, the interior part.”
“With my help.” Laurie gave him a challenging smile.
“Yep. Your help.” He wouldn’t argue in front of Mrs. Foster, but before they got started, he’d have to set some rules so Laurie would help, not get in his way.
“Then let’s get busy.” Laurie stood and bent to kiss Mrs. Foster’s cheek. “Would you like your book?”
“Why, yes. Thank you, dear.”
Laurie handed her the volume. “If you need anything, ring the bell.” She nodded toward the brass bell with a wooden handle sitting on the bedside table. The old schoolmaster who’d once boarded here had left it behind.
“It’s so loud.” Mrs. Foster clicked her tongue.
“Yes, ma’am. All the better to hear it.” Tolley laughed. “Laurie, let’s get busy.”
* * *
Laurie took the last of her dresses from the small wardrobe and moved them across the hall to the larger room. Later, Tolley and Adam Starling rearranged the furnishings for her.
“Are you sure this is where you want the vanity?” Tolley’s voice held an edge, though Laurie couldn’t imagine why.
“Well...” She tapped a finger against one cheek thoughtfully. “Another twelve inches or so to the left.”
He rolled his eyes, but Adam chuckled. “Makes sense to me.”
“Don’t encourage her.” Tolley scowled at Adam.
Adam shrugged. “It’s awful close to the stove. Might warp the wood.”
These two back rooms were heated by small woodstoves, unlike the four front bedrooms, each of which contained a fireplace built back-to-back with the adjacent room and aligned with those on the ground floor to share the house’s two chimneys.
“Thank you, Adam.” Laurie gave him her sweetest smile and noticed a hint of red beneath the tan of his cheeks. Tolley frowned at her. Did he think she was flirting with Adam? Even if she were, which she wasn’t, it was none of his business.
“All right, let’s move it.” Tolley gripped one side of the oak vanity. “Careful of the mirror.”
Once they placed it, Laurie gave them a firm nod. “Perfect. Thank you. Now, I’d better get busy with supper, or I won’t have it on the table at seven sharp.”
While Tolley chuckled, Adam questioned her with one raised eyebrow.
“Don’t ask,” Tolley said, but added, “Grumpy boarders.”
“Ah.” Adam nodded his understanding.
With all of the people who employed him for odd jobs,