tightened.
As if he heard her thought, Asa stepped out of the barn and, when he saw them, halted.
Colton halted.
Lily halted.
Judith clung to Lily’s hand and drew her forward. “I’m so happy you accepted my invitation to have lunch,” she said a bit louder than usual. “Hello, Asa! This is Lily and her brother, Colton. Children, this is my husband, Asa Brant.”
Asa sized up their guests, his expression unreadable. “Hello, children.”
He studied Judith as if asking a question and awaiting the answer. And she mouthed, “Pie. Shirt.”
After studying the little girl’s makeshift dress, his shirt, he nodded slowly. He inhaled. “What’s for lunch?”
Judith thanked him with a smile. He was going along with her plan without asking questions. “I made salt pork and beans and some brown bread. And—” she hoped this would help lagging Colton come the last few feet to their door “—I baked cinnamon—”
“Cake!” Lily crowed. “It’s good.” With these words she revealed that they’d already sampled one.
“Better wash up,” Asa said. He walked over to the outdoor pitcher and basin and began to soap his hands.
Lily let go of Judith’s hand and ran to stand beside Asa. “I know how to wash my hands all by myself.”
“Good.” Asa handed her the bar of soap. He glanced over his shoulder. “Boy?”
Colton caught up with Judith but did not approach Asa. He waited till he and Lily were done. When Asa stepped away from the basin and went to pump more water into the pitcher, Colton washed his hands, but stuck close to Judith, still watchful of his sister. That told Judith much. They did not deem her a threat, but the man of the house might be.
Soon the four of them with clean hands sat at the table, the children side by side on a bench, which was usually tucked away against the wall. Asa offered his customary brief grace, and then Judith began to dish up bowls of the beans, fragrant with molasses, and thick slices of bread. The contrast between the children’s clean hands and their grimy faces and matted hair caused Judith to itch to give both children a good scrubbing, brushing and combing.
“Can I have butter on my bread?” Lily asked.
“You may if you say please,” Judith replied automatically.
“Please, can I have butter on my bread?” Lily asked.
Judith buttered a slice thickly and set it on the girl’s plate.
“What do you say?” Asa prompted, sounding stern.
“Thank you,” Lily said, then bit into her bread. “Mmm.”
Grateful for the way Asa had gone along with this unexpected turn of events, Judith still worried. How could they keep the children here? Would Asa want that? What did the town do with orphans here? But were they orphans or runaways? How had these two little ones ended up on their own in a cave?
She chewed mechanically, trying to come up with what to do. The children ate as if starved. The pork and beans disappeared. Soon she was setting a second cake on the table, the first having served as successful bait.
Asa ate his portion and then looked at Colton. “Think you know something about a pie that disappeared from our windowsill?”
Colton jerked up from the bench.
Why had Asa said this? Not knowing and not wanting to contradict him, Judith held her breath. Would the children bolt?
“Sit back down,” Asa said. “I’m not going to turn you over to the sheriff.”
Judith stilled. She did not know what Asa was doing so she had no way of countering it, softening it.
Colton stayed standing, wary.
“We took the pie,” Lily said. “We were really hungry, and Colton’s trap didn’t catch anything. Sorry.” The girl bowed her head and set a forkful of cake back on her plate.
Asa looked to the brother. “That what happened, boy?”
“Yes, sir,” Colton said, facing Asa squarely.
“Then I have a few chores you can do to work off what you owe me...us.”
At first Judith had to swallow a protest, and then she saw the wisdom of this. Or thought she did.
“What kind of chores?” Colton asked.
“I’m sharpening the blade of my plow. You could oil my plow harness.” Asa glanced toward Judith. “You have something Lily can help with?”
“Yes. She can dry the dishes and help me dust,” Judith improvised.
“I can do that,” Lily said, sounding happy that the chores were not beyond her abilities.
Asa looked to Judith, communicating something she couldn’t decipher. “Then we have a deal.” He rose from the table. “Children, thank Mrs. Brant for lunch. Good meal, ma’am,” he said, which was his usual end-of-meal phrase.
The little girl consumed the rest of her cake in two bites. “Good meal, ma’am,” Lily parroted.
Colton sat back down, finished drinking his glass of milk and ate the last bit of cake. “Thank you for the good lunch, Mrs. Brant.” He stood again. “Where’s that harness?”
“Where is that harness, sir?” Asa prompted.
Colton glared, his lower lip protruding. But he repeated the sentence, though with a surly edge.
Judith held her breath. Had Asa gone too far? Would he push the children to run?
Instead, Colton followed Asa outside. Lily drained her glass and popped up. “I can help.”
Judith rose and carried most of the dishes to the dry sink and counter. Lily followed her like a shadow and watched her intently. “I like your house,” the little girl said.
“Thank you. I do, too.”
The two of them chatted. Lily seemed happy to contribute her part, but she avoided all questions about her family. Once the little girl looked about to cry, so Judith returned the conversation to something light and easy.
The afternoon was far along when Colton appeared at the open cabin door. “You done with your chores, Lily?”
Lily looked up at Judith, her expression begging her to say no.
But the chores were done. “Yes, but won’t you stay—”
“We gotta go,” Colton insisted. He waved insistently at his little sister. “Come on.”
Lily left Judith’s side and went to her brother. Just before they left, she turned. “Thanks...thanks.”
Colton
