Chapter Eleven
By the time they were finished it was close to dinner time. Cam left a little ahead of Hannah and recruited all of the men, and Mike, to help peel potatoes while she got the chicken ready to fry. Mike helped her shuck the corn. He was quick and efficient at the chore which Cam filed in the back of her mind for future reference.
Hannah had little to do but make fresh biscuits. Cam set the table with a dark green tablecloth and their best dishes, cutler, glasses and cups and saucers. Mike was given the salt, pepper, cream, sugar and butter to put on the table. Cam retrieved a jar of honey, plus raspberry and blackberry preserves as they were kept on a shelf that was too high for Mike to reach.
Dr. McAllister and Gordy excused themselves immediately after dinner to finish some paperwork. Gordon's case was coming up in a couple of weeks. He wanted to go over everything to make sure he had the names of all the witnesses - and a list of evidence to be presented.
Dr. McAllister was checking the records on some of his patients and deciding which ones he most needed to check up on at home and which would be in to see him at the office.
For a couple of hours Cam gathered the items she was planning on exhibiting. There was a quilt, a dress, an embroidered tablecloth and some sketches she'd done - from memory - of Laramie.
When everything was neatly packed in a box to be brought to the grange building in the morning she took Mike and Duncan out for one last romp before bedtime. When they returned to the house the two youngsters went to bed. Cam was. by nature, an early to bed, early to rise person. She'd shown that during her first visit to Laramie when, despite the long trip, she was up doing chores before anyone else awoke. She volunteered to put Mike to bed so Slim and Jess could read, whittle or play checkers. Daisy was free to discuss gardening, recipes and sewing patterns with Hannah.
Mike's bedtime story that night was about Scottish rebel - to some an outlaw - Rob Roy McGregor.
"He was really that famous?"
"He was," Cam told him. "Even more famous than Jess. The people knew Rob Roy so well that never, ever did they put his picture on a wanted poster."
"Wow! Wait'll I tell Jess!"
"Tell him tomorrow, Tiger," the girl said. "It's time for you to go to sleep."
"Cam?"
"Yes, Mike?"
"Can Duncan sleep with me tonight? He can take Buttons' place. I miss Buttons already."
"Let's ask him," Cam suggested, whistling for the dog who was in the parlor with the adults.
When he came to them Cam asked, "Duncan, do you want to sleep with Mike tonight?"
The puppy looked at the young boy's eager face and jumped up on the bed to give him a face washing while his tail wagged furiously back and forth.
"Well, I guess that answers that," Cam smiled. "Duncan, off the bed. You sleep on the floor."
Once she was sure the puppy would stay put, she kissed Mike good night and blew out the lamp. She left the door open a couple of inches in case Duncan needed her to let him out for a few minutes. He hadn't had an accident for months and she intended to keep it that way. Slim and Jess were coming down the hall as she did so so she told them about leaving the door slightly ajar.
Off to bed she went. The men turned in and shortly thereafter the three McAllisters and Daisy did as well. Duncan did wake Cam up once, but within ten minutes after that they were back inside and sound asleep.