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“And a turtle, an eagle, and a castle. Thanks for teaching me this game.”
“You’re very welcome. Let me know if you see anything else fun.”
“I will.” She resumed her watch.
They passed the school shortly thereafter and Anna said, “Keep going and you’ll see Livy’s road.”
The Watson place was about a mile and a half from the school. The house reminded Regan of the Lee place in that it was built of timber and stone but it was much larger. A pack of hounds loped out to meet them, barking excitedly. Anna explained, “They don’t bite. The big one’s Basil. That’s Daisy, Seth, Julia, and Willis.”
“Odd names for dogs,” Regan said as the pack ran alongside the wagon.
“Livy’s granpa named them after Livy’s aunts and uncles.”
“Oh I see.”
When the wagon reached the porch, Lucretia, wearing a worn canvas apron over her skirt and blouse, stepped through the door. With her was her granddaughter, Livy, who Regan had met previously at the school. Livy’s grin showed her missing front teeth. “Hi, Anna!”
“Hi, Livy!”
“Hi, Miss Regan,” Livy called.
“Hello, Livy. Good morning, Lucretia.”
“Morning, Regan. How are you?”
“Good. Wondering if you have a hen or two and some eggs I might buy.”
“Yes, on both. Come on, and I’ll walk you round back.”
Livy asked Anna, “Do you want to see my pony?”
Anna looked up at Regan who said, “Go ahead. I’ll find you once Mrs. Watson and I are done.”
They climbed down from the wagon. Anna ran off with Livy and Regan walked to the back of the property with Lucretia.
Lucretia said, “Anna is smiling more. Glad to see the change. When she would come with Minnie she wasn’t allowed off the wagon. Might get dirty.”
Regan sighed.
Lucretia added, “Don’t mean to talk out of turn, but I don’t like Minnie Gore, nor the way she treated Anna. Doc Lee marrying you is the best thing he could’ve done for the girl.”
Regan wasn’t swellheaded enough to agree but did like the small changes she was seeing in her stepdaughter.
“So, you’re needing a few hens?”
“And some eggs.”
“I have some hens I readied for sale last night.”
Lucretia removed the lid of a large copper’s barrel. Inside, among large blocks of ice were a dozen or so plucked hens. Regan was glad they weren’t strung up individually on a tree branch like stockings on a clothesline. She had no desire to serve her family turned fowl.
Lucretia picked through the offerings and showed Regan two nice plump ones. “I’ll take them both.”
They then walked to the large henhouse. Regan put a dozen eggs in the basket she’d brought along and cushioned them with the tea towel inside. “I’d like to eventually get a few laying hens.”
“I can sell you three or four in a week or two. Rooster too.”
Regan was pleased to hear that. Back home, they’d had a large henhouse, so she knew the ins and outs.
