Page 46 - Homestead By Ann Newhouse

We have had a few weak moments since that wonderful night. I’d let John get into my head and found that if I was alone with him, which had only been a couple of times in the last month, I’d been tempted to start a conversation about his daughter’s relationships, but it would have seemed too obvious. We had been sleeping together and doing our best to be careful. If anyone had suspected, they gave no indication of knowing our secret. I had noticed Josh look at me suspiciously on occasion, but nothing had been said. Then again Mitch had given me a sly smile and a wink. I had to try and ignore him and avoid blushing.
I had decided to show Mitch the newspaper cuttings and documents my mother had given me and see if he could shed any light on the content. I hope I wasn’t causing Mitch more worry than necessary. He couldn’t tell me anything more about the people mentioned in the letters. Except the person named Margarete. This was also his mother’s first name.
I was told by Sofie that her father had suggested that I could do the provision run as soon as I returned from the latest cattle drive. The drive this time had not been a long one. We had stopped outside a small town and just camped one night. It took two days in all, so I felt fit enough to take on the run, on our return.
Sofie had asked Josh to accompany and help me, as it was my first run. I was delighted and Josh seemed to be happy about the arrangement. During my recovery, Josh had used any spare time we had, to teach me to drive. I had initially struggled as I knew nothing about cars. I had not seen many up close during my upbringing. This run would be a good test.
We were up at the crack of dawn to set off to the town which was about two hour’s drive away. John Tirrell had a couple of old Dodge trucks and a well-used station wagon. He only allowed a few people to drive them. He had agreed to allow me to take one of the trucks on the run. Josh went around the Homestead and collected a list of requests from each family. John Tirrell got nearly everything at special heavily discounted prices from the store holders, as he was a valued customer. So, we had to keep track of our spending, ticking off everything we bought and for whom. No mean task.
The journey there was uneventful, and we parked in the main street. At the end of the day gathering the provisions, Josh and I were exhausted. We came across a little café that looked homely and inviting, and the tempting aroma drew us in. The door creaked as we pushed it, and the bell over the door must have been put up by a child or midget, as It almost decapitated Josh as he entered. A young girl saw Josh struggle as he tried to unravel himself from the cord. She apologised while giggling. She brought us a pot of strong coffee and two American breakfasts, which consisted of