She heard the sound of her brothers stumbling through the outside door and loudly taking their boots off in the mudroom. They were joking around about something and tumbled into the kitchen, wrestling with each other. She stood up and moved to the cabinet to get out a few glasses for water. They were sure to be thirsty after working hard all morning. They were certainly dusty enough for it.
“You’re such a bum!” Oscar and Dave appeared to be directing their teasing toward Alfred, the youngest. Oscar gave Alfred a shove and the three of them laughed, pulling their hats from their heads.
“Hello, sis!” Dave came over to where Ella was pouring water into the three cups from the cool pitcher. He took one of the cups from the counter and gave Ella a kiss on the cheek. “How’s your day been? Another long one of cooking and cleaning for ungrateful brats?”
Ella giggled, giving him a narrow look. Her green eyes were sparkling. “I certainly have. How did you know?’
He shrugged. “It’s what you usually do.”
He went back to the table and sat in one of the chairs. “That’s too true, my brother,” Oscar said.
“Don’t you think it’s about time you got yourself a life, sister?” Alfred said.
“What would you know about having a life, Al?” Dave said. “I’m older than you, and I know you don’t know anything about getting a life.”
“She needs a life outside this farm, outside this house.”
Dave nodded, moving his eyes back to his sister, who was setting the cups down in front of her other two brothers. She went back for her own drink. “I agree with you, Al. She is in need of controlling her own life.”
“You know Papa isn’t going to let me go anywhere. I’ll be taking care of him until long after you three are gone.”
“I’m planning on getting married next year,” Dave said. “You know that. It could be anytime that these guys leave this place. You can’t stay here. You can’t let Papa force you to stay here.”
“I am not sure I have much of a choice.”
The three boys didn’t look at her, and there was a quiet pause in the conversation. “Well, before we start feeling blue,” Dave said. “How are you doing with your new book, Alice’s Wonderland, is it?”
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Ella corrected with a nod, sitting next to Oscar. “I’m about done with it.”
“Are you enjoying it?”
“Yes, very much.”
“What have you got for when you’re done?” Oscar asked, giving her a narrow look she didn’t understand.
“I…I don’t have another book to read right now. I reckon I will be reduced to reading the newspaper.”
Dave gave her a big smile. “I think we can remedy that situation for you, sis.” He nodded at Alfred, who jumped up with a delighted look on his face. “We’ve got something for you.”
Ella felt a bit of excitement. It was rare that she felt that way. She smiled wide and assumed she wouldn’t be reading the newspaper when she was done with Alice.
After a few moments, Alfred returned with a book wrapped in brown paper and a string. When he offered it to her, she took it and held it in front of her as if it were made of fragile crystal. “Oh, boys!” She said.
“Go ahead and unwrap it, sis!” Oscar said in such an excited voice; it was almost like it was his present she was receiving. She smiled at him.
“It’s not my birthday, boys, what is this for?”
“You are stuck in this house too much, Ella,” Oscar said. “You cook and clean up after us and do everything. We don’t want you to feel unappreciated.
“How could I possibly? It’s my job.”
“That’s just it, Ella,” Dave said, leaning forward. “It isn’t your job. It was mama’s job and papa’s job. Mama can’t do it, but papa shouldn’t have made you do it. He’s never going to get married again; that’s obvious. He will never get over mama. But he has made you into a housekeeper. You aren’t a housekeeper, and we want you to know we love you, and we’re grateful for you.”
Ella pulled in a deep breath of emotion. “Oh, thank you,” She whispered.
“Now will you please open that up so we can all see your face?”
She smiled so big; her cheeks were hurting from it. She felt tears come to her eyes but blinked them away so she could examine the book they had gotten her. She gently peeled back the paper, looking up every now and then at each of her brothers. They were watching her face.
When she had the paper off, she turned the book over to read the title. Her eyes widened, and she ran her fingers over the leather-bound cover. “Oh, boys! Oh, thank you!” It was a dark brown book, and the title was written in gold embossed letters. “A Study in Scarlet.” She read aloud. “By Arthur Conan Doyle. Oh, my. This is so beautiful!”