Olivia could see how much he enjoyed getting under Mabel’s skin. They could
bicker for hours over nothing, as if they’d already been married for about two hundred and fifty years.
Avis turned toward Mabel. “Does she have to arrange for someone to meet
her and stand guard while she gets off for a drink of water?”
“Honestly, Avis Killion, I don’t know why you always have to be so contrary.
Obviously, the driver is responsible for her safety during the entire journey, including the stops.”
“I haven’t seen many stage drivers I’d entrust with the safety of a woman I cared much about.” Avis wiped up gravy with a piece of bread.
Olivia closed her eyes, imagining night after endless night of this.
“Can you pass me those mashed potatoes?” Tobey broke in. “Your gravy is as
good as ever, Mabel. You’ll have us all busting out of our britches. Anything interesting in the Pittsburgh paper?” he asked Avis.
“They caught that gang was robbing all the banks, so I guess it wasn’t anyone
we know.” Avis seemed to be waiting for a laugh, but no one obliged.
“I’d like to please be excused.” Olivia wiped her mouth and put her napkin
next to her plate.
“Why you haven’t hardly eaten a thing,” Mabel protested.
“I’m full. It was delicious, Mabel, but I’m tired.”
“Some people might think a young lady could spend some time with her
family.” Mabel frowned.
“Leave her be, Mabel,” Avis said softly and Olivia pushed her chair back.
Mabel’s hushed voice followed Olivia to the stairs. “Honestly, you don’t have
to make it sound as if I hound the poor girl. You know as well as I do that she
lacks the guiding hand of an older woman. And you know I care for her just like
I was her big sister.”
Olivia went up and flopped onto her bed, pulling the quilt over her. She
shivered, wishing she had stopped to take some hot stones from the shelf under
the stove. She plumped the pillow and her hand touched the guidebook she had
found among Uncle Scruggs’ things. It was the kind they printed up for folks planning to make the journey out west, over the Mississippi and across the
plains. Olivia had gotten it out of the attic and all but memorized it, reasoning that if she prepared herself for everything it talked about, she would certainly be
able to manage the much simpler journey to Michigan. The guidebook explained
what was needed to set up a farm, how to survive in the outdoors, how to make
medicine from various plants, and how to preserve different kinds of foods. It even listed the quantities of flour, sugar, coffee, beans, cooking oil, whale oil, soda, baking powder, and salt that a family needed to survive for the first year.
She sat up and started thumbing through it again, but shoved it back under the pillow at the sound of a soft tap on the door.
“You feeling okay?” Tobey asked as he peeked in.
“No worse than usual. You feel like going for a walk?”
“A walk? It’s starting to get dark and it’s freezing out there.”
“I thought we might go down to the cemetery,” she said. “Lay some green
branches on Father’s grave.” She knew it was unfair to use that excuse to drag
him out of the house, but felt desperate to get away. The constant drone of Mabel’s voice downstairs made her feel like a prisoner in her room.
Tobey sucked in a deep breath and pursed his lips. “Okay, I guess, but just there and back.”
When they came down and reached for their coats Mabel raised an eyebrow.
