Chapter 11

I went back into the store and saw that Lilly and Lilah must have straightened things out with their mother since they were busily gathering up things from everywhere.

Mary was seated at the table and trying to make a list of items they'd already brought to her. I could see it was going to be a job.

"Looks like you'll do a good business today," I said, teasing.

"Silas won't know what to do when he gets back. He'll have to go right back and get more stock," she said.

"By the way, where does he buy his feed?"

"He gets that in Dallas too. That's one of the reasons he wants to buy a wagon of his own, so he won't have to pay to have it shipped in," she said.

"I'm afraid that isn't going to work out so well for him, I just sent Jed and Jethro and a few more of the colonel's men to take my mules and morgans out to the house and they'll be coming back with the mules and the big wagon to buy all the feed they can haul," I said.

"Oh my, I hope he does buy the wagon and team and then remembers to buy more feed. We don't have much to start with and I'd hate for anyone to run short," she said.

"Pass the word to Robert that anyone who runs short can come pick up a little from me and then pay me back when Silas has more."

"I will, but it may be a while before Silas can build his stock back up, especially if he wants to haul it himself," she said.

"That's what I meant in the first place, he won't be able to do that if he keeps staying a week at a time, he's still going to need to have some of it freighted in. Of course I'm not going to mind if he spends a lot more time traveling and you won't have to worry about being lonesome while he's gone," I said.

She laughed, and then I suggested that she make sure Silas gave her a little when he got back. She looked at me funny so I spelled it out.

"There is an excellent chance that you are pregnant already and you will almost certainly be before he gets back. You'll need to be able to blame it on him unless you want to leave him and move in with me," I said.

"I'm sure I'd like things better that way, but it would be such a scandal, and he's always been nice to me you know," she said.

"Either way is fine with me, but you know what you need to do. It's your decision," I said.

"It won't be a bother. For some reason he often wants to do it after a trip to Dallas. I know I can get him in the mood with no problem. I have learned a trick or two," she said, and then laughed.

I was outside on the boardwalk, leaning back against the wall in a chair as Jed, Jethro, and the rest came by with the mules pulling the big wagon from my new place.

They pulled to a stop and I hopped aboard the wagon with Jed and Jethro. The others were on their horses and I learned that they would load the wagon and then head back to the colonel's ranch and leave the unloading to Jed and Jethro.

"Did you find the key to the bunkhouse?" I asked when I sat down on the wagon's seat.

"Sure, no problem at all," Jed told me.

"What about food, I don't think there's any out there."

"We brought enough for a night and to get started in the morning," Jethro said.

"Coffee then, do you have coffee?"

"We didn't bother with that, we'll live one morning without it," Jed said.

"No need to. After we get loaded just stop by Silas' store and Mary will fix you up with coffee, cups and a pot. I'm sure I'll need a few extra out there anyway."

The others had already given Robert the news by the time Jed backed the wagon to the loading spot. We weren't even in the building before the other hands started loading feed sacks.

Jed, Jethro, Robert, nor I had to touch a sack and the others were done in a few minutes. The big wagon was only about half loaded before Robert was sold out.

"Did Mary send word about what to do if someone needed feed before you get more?" I asked Robert.

"Yes sir, Mr Jefferson, she said to send them to see you if they were running short," he said.

"Fine, and if you can give me the bill I'll pay Mary on the way."

"It won't take but a minute to fill one out," he said.

He was back with the bill shortly and I took it, then Jed, Jethro, and I boarded the wagon and Jethro drove it up in front of Silas' store. We all got down and went inside.

I laid the bill near Mary's paper work while she found a coffee pot, a half dozen tin cups and a three-pound sack of Arbuckle's coffee for Jed and Jethro.

Lilly and Lilah were over in the corner whispering again, and I could tell they wanted to ask me something but were each trying to get the other one to do it.

"OK, girls, spit it out. One of you might as well ask me whatever it is," I said.

"If you're going out to the new house, we were wondering if we can go see it?" Lilly finally asked.

"I'll be glad for the company but you'll have to ask your mother," I said, but most of it was to their backs as they raced to the bunkhouse room Carolyn Clancy was in.

They were back in minutes grinning from ear to ear.

"I guess she said it was ok?"

"Yes sir, but she made us promise not to get in the way."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Jed, I'm going to go saddle Boots and ride out to the place. I'll probably leave him there and we'll need to hitch the carriage so I can bring Lilly and Lilah back to town tonight. I'll need it in the morning anyway."

They headed for the wagon and Lilly and Lilah followed them. I went over to Frank's and told him the plan.

"I'll probably just put the two Morgans in the pen I'm taking Boots out of, if that's all right," I said.

"Fine with me, Bill," he said, then I saddled up and took off.

The wagon was approaching the horse barn when I got there, and Jed pulled it inside and stopped by the feed room. I was going to help them unload but they told me to show the girls the house and they'd take care of it, and then catch the morgans and hitch them to the carriage. I left Boots tied to a rail and then Lilly, Lilah, and I headed for the house after Jed handed me the ring of keys.

We went in the front door and the twins were trying to look everywhere at once. They were amazed at the running water in the kitchen and doubly so when I told them that one faucet was for hot water but that I didn't have the heater going yet.

I showed them the Master bedroom that was on the ground floor, along with three other bedrooms, then we went upstairs and I showed them the library and the four bedrooms on that floor, finally we toured the bedrooms and the other parts of the third floor.

They didn't know what to say about the indoor bathrooms with commodes that flushed and they couldn't believe there were so many bathtubs.

"This must be a palace," Lilly said.

"It's probably a lot more comfortable than a palace even if it isn't as large. Most palaces were built hundreds of years ago and they're usually drafty and hard to heat in the winter," I said.

They left me then and I went back downstairs to sit in the living room. It was only a few minutes later that Jed knocked on the front door. I went to see what was up and he had brought the carriage for us.

"We unloaded the feed, put Boots in the first stall and unhitched the mules. Jethro made sure there was water for all the stock and I put out a little feed. If that's all you know of we need to do, we'll go ahead and head for the bunkhouse and try out the new coffee pot," he said, grinning.

"That's fine Jed, and thank you. We'll probably head back to town in just a little while," I said.