Two Sisters and the Christmas Groom ( by Zina Abbott

Author:Zina Abbott [Abbott, Zina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-23T05:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 10

~o0o~

November 28, 1881

W ith laundry day at the Nighys’ amounting to nothing more than bundling the dirty clothes and hauling them next door to the Hackett Laundry, Mondays tended to be a surprisingly light work day for Annie. Other than purchasing items she needed for supper from the bakery, butcher, and mercantile, she had a couple of hours she could spend taking care of her own business in town. Rather than ask Delly to help her write a letter like she often did Mondays—which Delly had already told her she did not have time for that morning—Annie walked toward the mercantile with her mind debating on whose help she could request.

Annie’s steps slowed as she approached Brinks Mercantile. Desi Brinks would no doubt be more than willing to help her with a letter, if she was not too busy with the store. After all, her postmistress tasks would not demand most of her time until after the train arrived with the most current load of mail later that day. However, knowing how the Brinks loved to share news about townspeople, Annie felt reluctant to make her aware of some of the things she wished to tell Kate. She turned around and looked at the door to her boarding house. She knew Mrs. Howard would be busy cleaning rooms and preparing the meal for supper. She might not have time to help with a letter before Annie needed to drop it at the post office to go out on that day’s train.

Annie decided to walk the long way toward the railroad depot. Perhaps, while she tried to figure out who to ask to write the letter, she could at least become more familiar with the train schedule.

~o0o~

With an audible huff upon shedding the heavy, fleece-lined leather coat he wore when working outside, Garland McAllister plopped down in his extra chair he kept between the coal-burning heater and the window that offered natural light to the room. Located on the other side of small desk he used when he was not standing at the ticket window or overseeing matters on the depot’s loading dock, he liked to sit there and read when he had the time. He shook his head in frustration as he wondered why Monday mornings were so often like they were. It was as if having Sundays off turned the brains of the railroad workers into mush. It was probably more the case that some of them continued partaking of their Saturday libations into Sunday and were still half-drunk.

Either way, before reporting for work, Garland had bought a nice venison roast to prepare for this evening. He could hardly wait for his lunch break so he could walk to his cabin long enough to build up the fire in his stove, season the meat, and put it on to slowly roast. His mouth watered at the thought of enjoying it with the baked potatoes in white sauce flavored with herbs he planned to prepare as a side dish.

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