‘You ought to take a bath more often James, you smell of dirt.' She said, pinching her nose with two fingers.
‘Jenny, just the person I wanted to see.' Aunty Florence said, shaking off flakes of snow from her jacket.
The weather had improved, spring being just round the corner. Jenny managed a smile, this time. Aunty Florence looked at her and frowned.
‘I take it you have some good news. Come to the front room and you can tell me all about it. Have you lit a fire?'
Aunty Florence wrapped her arms around her upper body. Jenny was on a high and barely felt the biting cold.
‘Why haven't you lit the fire? It's so cold in here, and where's your father?' She said.
‘In his work room' Jenny said. ‘Father hasn't chopped wood and the stock we had is all gone.'
Aunty Florence clicked her mouth.
‘Your father is a very busy man. Can you not chop wood yourself? What about you James, you're a young man now.'
Jenny's mouth fell. She imagined herself and James chopping down the huge trees that bordered their land, and stifled back a laugh. She and James exchanged a silent exchange at the suggestion and he covered his mouth. Aunty Florence was too much. Unfortunately, she saw the laughter bubbling up from Jenny's mouth and her anger flared up.
‘That is funny to you Jenny? I tell you my brother is a cursed man to end up with children like you. You'll end up in a very bad way I tell you. Nothing good will come out of the two of you.'
Jenny's humor disappeared. She looked at James. His face looked fearful and he inched closer to her. She didn't mind when Aunty Florence told her all those nasty things but saying them to James was horrible. Please help me be calm. She ignored her Aunt's words and sat serenely on the chaise as though she was a queen awaiting a report.
It worked and her mind calmed down.
‘Now to more important matters' Aunt Florence continued briskly. ‘I take it your letter have received a favorable response?'
Jenny thought hard. If she told the truth, she might jeopardize her chances of leaving, yet if she told a lie, she knew it was a sin against God. Her mind whirled round weighing the possibilities. If her Aunty Florence knew that she had in her possession so much money, she would alert her father, who without a doubt would take it for himself. In addition, she would not be able to make the journey to the man who had just proposed, and most likely her only chance at happiness and her own family. This would be the very last time she would lie, Jenny told herself. Her very life seemed to depend on her next move.
‘I haven't received any letter, lately.' Jenny said softly, fibbing by omission, hoping it a lesser sin.
Her Aunty Florence looked at her in disbelief. She screwed her eyes and Jenny felt as though she could see right into her soul.
‘Then what is that in your pocket?' she asked loudly.
Jenny's face went white with fear, having just tucked in the letter moments before.
‘It's n … nothing Aunty', Jenny blurted, feeling as though about to faint.
‘Show me', her Aunt demanded.
Jenny's fear was overwhelming. She couldn't reveal the letter and her plan to escape the household. She and her brother would be trapped, probably for life, one of total and utter misery.
‘I … I was working on a letter of my own', she managed a fib. I thought maybe if I shared a little more about what I can help out with, then I may stand a better chance of someone responding' she fibbed, asking God for forgiveness the very moment the words escaped her mouth. ‘I didn't want to show you yet, because it's not finished.' She added, cautiously.
Her Aunt conceded to her humility and attempt to do right by her. ‘Then what was that about? Did you not affirm that you had received favorable news?'
‘No, I just woke up this morning filled with the joy of the Lord.' Jenny said, relieved that her life may be worth living after all.
‘You're a foolish girl, making me think that we were getting somewhere. You have wasted my time.' She stood up abruptly. ‘If you do get a letter, the first thing you do is come to me and we can look at it together.'
‘Give my regards to your father. I feel too upset to stay any longer.' She said as she walked out. At the door, she turned back. ‘Your mother should have instilled better manners in you Jenny. When a visitor calls, you ought to offer them tea and a bite of something.'
Jenny kept her thoughts to herself and instead murmured a heartfelt apology. She would have liked nothing better than to prepare some tea and maybe hot scones for her Aunty. The truth was that there was nothing in the pantry. They had taken the last chunk of bread last night with bean stew. The little stew that remained was only enough for James's lunch. As soon as her Aunty left, she turned to James.
‘Let's go to town, we need a few things which I'll explain later. But James, you must agree not tell father what we buy, do you understand?'
‘Yes Jenny I know. Father would not like it if you had some pennies and never told him.' He said solemnly, looking up to his sister as best friend whom he would never betray.
Jenny pushed away tendrils of his dirty brown hair from his face. There was so much to do and so little time. Jenny rushed to her bedroom, and peeled off a few notes from the bunch that Jake had sent, and also pocketed his letter which contained instructions on how to get to his ranch in Montana.
She took James's hand and walked down the snow covered road with him. The small town was almost a kilometer away, but they were both used to the distance and soon enough they were there. Her first stop was the railway station at the edge of town.
Jenny stood in line behind a middle aged man and waited her turn.
‘I'd kindly like to buy two tickets to Weigh Bridge, in Montana.' Jenny said, adopting a mature tone.
The bespectacled man behind the counter looked up at her.
‘That's a long way away. You sure about that?'
‘Yes, my Uncle will be waiting to meet us there.' Jenny said, the lie rolling off her tongue, again finding herself asking for forgiveness.
She didn't know who knew her Aunty Florence or her father, and the less she said the better for them. The man took out a large map and laid it on the table. He trailed a finger along it, and from where she stood, Jenny stared at the map in wonder. Montana was a long way away, and for the first time felt a note of apprehension. Would they be able to travel all that way, alone? She thought to herself.
‘You're in luck young lady. The whole journey is connected to the railway, otherwise you would have to go on stage coach and I can tell you, that's only fit for very strong people.'
He then went on to tell the cost of the different classes. Jenny took the cheapest option which was the third class.
‘The third class can be a tad bit uncomfortable.' The man warned looking up at her. ‘Should you fall asleep, an unscrupulous person may steal your luggage.'
Jenny thought about the luggage which she did not own, and brushed away the man's concerns.
‘I'll take the third class please.' She said firmly. ‘When is the next train due?'
‘There's one two days from now. If you take that one, it will take you all the way to Weigh Bridge and you won't have to make another connection. I take it that is what you prefer?'
Jenny nodded.
He held her stare a little longer then with a sigh, he gave her the tickets. Thankfully, James's ticket cost half of hers, which left her with over a hundred and twenty dollars. She held the tickets tightly in her hand, feeling their implication. She and James would be on their way in two days. The journey to Montana would take four days.
‘Are we going somewhere Jenny?' James said his eyes bright with excitement.
She halted to a stop and turned to James.
‘Yes, we are me and you. We are going to start a new life somewhere far from here. I'm getting married to a farmer in Montana.' She said, enjoying the feel of the words as they left her mouth.
‘But James, this is very important. You must not tell a soul, our very lives depend on it, ok?' she warned gravely.
‘Even father?'
‘Especially father. It has to be our secret otherwise if you tell; I'll have to go alone.'
Fear crept into his eyes, and Jenny hated to scare him a possible separation between them, and worse. Still, it was the only way to ensure that he told no one.
‘I promise, I will not tell a soul. You won't leave me, will you? I promise to be good and keep the secret.'
Jenny pulled him into a tight embrace. ‘Never. I will never leave you.' She said with deep conviction and love.
‘Now come, we have to buy material and quickly make a pair or two of decent clothes for you and myself. After all, we do want to look presentable when we reach the ranch.'
‘What's a ranch?'
Chapter Five
It is their last night before departure. On the door, a loud, firm knock, times three.
Jenny answered, in surprise for who it could be.