Chapter 17

Lunch was about to be served when I got into the house. Carolyn, the twins, Marjorie, and Jimmy were already heading to the table and so I joined them. Maybel and Roberta started with the food then and I got onto my main job of making it disappear.

"Mr Jefferson, Johnny came out and he's eating at the bunkhouse. He said you told him to come out for lunch and that we'd look for a garden spot after," Maybel said, as she set a big platter of fried chicken on the table.

"Yes, I saw him at the store and asked him to come out. I had intended for him to eat in the house with us though, but I don't guess it matters," I said.

"Well I thought it was odd that you'd send him out to eat at the bunkhouse. I wasn't sure, but I figured if you invited him out for lunch you meant for him to eat with us and I told him that. He didn't think that was right though and he headed for the bunkhouse," Maybel said, and then laughed.

"Well his loss is my gain, since that leaves more chicken for me," I said, and it made Jimmy and the twins laugh.

"Do you have any ideas about a garden spot yet Maybel," Carolyn asked.

"Well, I had it in mind to keep it pretty close to the house, since at first I thought I'd be doing most of it, but somebody said my time in the kitchen was too important for me to do much gardening. If it's going to be Johnny doing most of the tending to it, maybe we should put it out a little further, so it can be bigger," Maybel said.

"You're exactly right. If it's further away from the house it can be bigger, and a bigger garden means more food. That's good planning. Besides, we've got that new house going up and as soon as they get done with that one they'll have another one to build. Johnny may spend most of his time walking from the garden to the back door to get instructions," I said.

"He better not be wastin' time like that. He's old enough to know how to raise a garden without botherin' me about it all the time. If'n he ain't we'll have to hunt another man for the job," Maybel said, bringing the garden teasing to an end.

"I'm glad to hear you say that Maybel. You line Johnny out to do anything you want him to and I'll consider it settled. If he don't suit you, just let me know and I'll look for someone else. After all, it's the meals that count, not how the food gets raised. You're the one doing the important part," I said, and then did my best to stick to my job - eating.

"Don't you worry about your meals. I appreciate this job and the nice place you have for me to stay, and I intend to make sure you have good food anytime you want some. I never even heard of a kitchen with running hot and cold water, and now I'm in one. I intend to make sure I stay here," she said, and then blushed at her own boldness.

I just smiled at her and wondered about what she'd said without saying anything about it. How in the hell did the hot water start working all of a sudden? I hadn't started a fire in any heater and I was pretty sure no one else had. Probably I should try to see what was going on, but after lunch.

Maybel showed me she was indeed proud of her job a few minutes later. She did it with two more apple pies. I'm sure she considered it job security and she was right as rain. If she kept doing things like this she'd be here until I ran completely out of gold.

I didn't have any doubts that I'd stumbled onto the best cook anywhere near here. The food was so good that even the women didn't waste much time talking during the meal. Carolyn and Marjorie had done good work on the food too, and by the time I pushed away from the table there were stuffed people in any direction I cared to look.

"It seems that everything you do turns out perfect," Marjorie said, "and Maybel is just another example. I can't remember ever eating a meal as good as that one."

"She's got my vote too. I thought I was a good cook until I got a chance to sample Maybel's wares. She is just tremendous," Carolyn agreed, and I smiled, as if I'd had something to do with it.

Of course Lilly, Lilah, and Jimmy weren't all that impressed. They were on the seefood diet. When they saw food they ate it, and that was fine with them.

"Carolyn and I would like to go to the store this afternoon to see Mary," Marjorie said.

"That is a happy coincidence, since Silas is going back to Dallas and he asked if it would be all right for Mary to stay with us during his absence. I think the asshole's appearance made him realize that she isn't quite as safe at home without him as he'd been assuming," I said.

"Oh yes, and she'll be so much safer out here. We can make sure she isn't lonesome for a second," Marjorie said.

"Yes, I told Silas we'd be pleased to take good care of her while he was away."

"And we will. Come Carolyn, lets get ready for our trip to town," Marjorie said, and the two of them headed for their rooms.

"Mama, may we come too?" Lilly asked.

"Certainly. I'm sure you two haven't seen every single item in the store yet," Carolyn said, over her shoulder.

"Jimmy, I have a little project for you if you have time," I said, to him.

"What do you need me to do Mr Jefferson?"

"I'd like for you to watch Johnny and see how he does things. Don't bother him, or get in the way, but I'd like to think you'll be able to plow one of these days. On your way out there, see if you can get Frank to have someone hitch the carriage and take the women into town," I said.

"Yes sir," he said, and took off out the back door.

Things were looking up. I should have taken more time to look this place over before it was full of people, and this afternoon should give me a chance to wander around the house a little more. The hot water coming on by itself had me wondering. Hell, I didn't even know where the heater was, and no one had mentioned it at all. I had my suspicions but nothing would beat seeing for myself.

My office was the first place I headed. I wanted to see if I could figure out how to get my computers set up so that I could get some use out of them. Of course the house was pier and beam construction, so there would be crawl space beneath the ground floor. If I could get a connection from the barn's basement and my camper trailer there would be power to run them.