Chapter Three – Settling In
Elizabeth woke the next morning to find the sun brightly shining into the room. She jumped out of bed, wondering how she could have slept so late. She groaned as she looked down at her crumpled clothes and realized that she hadn't even changed out of them the previous night.
She ventured out to the main room, half expecting to see constable Birch still there, but his crates were all gone and the men were both absent. She relaxed some, realizing that the cabin was officially all hers, or theirs, now. It needed a lot of softening up – something that she was sure the men who had lived here before had never done, but their personal crates had not been delivered yet.
She wondered into the kitchen area and noticed a note on the table.
Dear Elizabeth,
I didn't want to wake you this morning. I am sure you needed rest after our trip. I'll be gone until dinner, but I'll arrange to have the crates brought in by some of the villagers.
Love,
Jack.
Elizabeth wondered what she would do with herself until then. She glanced around for a tub, desperate for a bath. She found one hanging conveniently from the wall. She went to the kitchen area and stopped short. There was no running water in their house – a detail she had missed in her weariness last night.
She headed outside to find the pump, but there wasn't one. A bucket stood by the door with shallow amount of water in it. There had to be a stream or river around, but she should probably wait for Jack to show her, instead of lugging the heavy bucket in her search.
With nothing else to do, Elizabeth decided to do some nearby exploring without the bucket. She set out east of the cabin, hoping that the curious eyes of the villagers would not be following her.
The sight of the mountains was beautiful. Snow covered their peaks, while reds, yellows, and browns spotted the bases of the mountains among the vast number of evergreens. Their new home and the village were nestled a valley. As she walked, Elizabeth kept her eyes open for another white woman who she might be able to communicate with and befriend, but didn't see anyone at all.
After about 30 minutes of walking, her search proved fruitful and she found a rushing river. It was far too fast-moving to cross, but surely the water could be used...though a 30 minute trek was certainly inconvenient. She sat down by the edge of the water, determined to at least wash her face and hands. She was startled by how icy-cold the water was, but continued in her task. As she brought a handful of water to her face, she heard a loud snort to her left, and froze.
Slowly turning her head, she found herself facing an enormous moose standing several yards down in the shallows of the river. His head was half-bent toward the water to drink, but his eyes were on her and his nostrils were flaring in anger – their heavy exhales appearing as clear puffs in the cold air. Elizabeth remained still, heart pounding in her chest. She did not know if these creatures were dangerous, but considering its size and solid antlers, she would stray on the side of caution. Her neck began to cramp from holding it at that angle, and her feet, covered in about an inch of water, became painfully cold. Finally, the moose decided disinterest in her, and moved on.
Deciding she had experienced enough adventure for the day, Elizabeth re-laced her shoes, and headed back toward the cabin. Her stomach growled, and she realized she had not yet eaten anything today. Unfortunately, Abigail's cafe was now further than a stroll down main street.
As she approached the cabin, she saw several young Indian men stacking their crates by the door. Elizabeth blushed to see how little they wore.
"Thank you!" she called out to them as she drew nearer. The men turned to stare at her, their faces stern and unemotional. Suddenly one said something to the rest in their language and pointed to her skirts. They all laughed and stared more before turning to leave. Elizabeth turned red, wishing she knew what it was that they were mocking.
She used the rest of the afternoon to arrange some of the items they had brought with them. Her books of course – though there was no shelf, she stacked them neatly in the sitting area. They had only room for a portion of her collection, while the rest remained in Hope Valley.
A few cups and plates went in the kitchen. Two rough shelves had been nailed to the wall there. A quilt from back home made a huge difference on the bed in the little room and made her feel slightly less homesick.
By the time Jack returned, Elizabeth had sat down for a rest with a book.
"I see you've made a mark on the place already." He said with a grin as he removed his hat and set it on a crate by the door.
"Do you like it?" Elizabeth asked, rising to give him a hug. He folded her into his embrace. He smelled of the outdoors – fresh air, pine, and sweat.
"What I really like is that I'm finally alone with my wife."And with that he kissed her until she felt her knees weaken. They continued the exchange until a series of giggles causes them to pull apart.
Elizabeth gasped at the sight of a group of village children with their faces pushed up to their window.
"Shoo!" Jack told them with accompanying hand motions, though his face was lined with humor.
"I guess curtains should be next on your list." He grinned at her.