“Eunice Root, why are you so mean?”
My favorite cousin gave me an exasperated look. “You cannot take my best drawing pencils: they are for borrowing only — borrowing. It’s been a half a year since I’ve seen you — no pencil survives six months without you filling your sketchbook with plants.”
“I’ve graduated to people, and you have the perfect pencil for the canyons on Mother Lucy’s face,” I had started that sentence with a glow of pride, but I ended it with a grumble as I looked away.
I could feel Eunice’s intent Grey eyes, but there was no scold in her voice when she said “Why Julia, I think that is the most unkind thing you ever said in my hearing.”
“You-nice, you’re the Mayor of Nice, upholding all the Nice laws?”
Eunice bumped her shoulder gently against mine. “No. Niceness is a battle so I am the Major General.”
“Our major general is mayor now too, so perhaps you are both.”
Eunice laughed “how does a prophet have time to do all that? I was just funning. I’ve seen your Mother Lucy, and her majestic canyons echoing with wisdom.”
“Echoing is right,” I said moreosely. “She rings her bell so often, you’d think I’m living in a belfry.”
“You’re lucky your grandmother is such a storyteller. I have never heard a story like hers about Haun’s Mill.”
“Horror stories, you mean. Grama tells me too many stories of what I saw with my own eyes.”
“Her stories are not NICE stories,” Eunice conceded. “I still hear her voice in my nightmares sometimes.”
“Well I hear her voice in all my dreams because she will call to me for all manner of nonsense. Julia, stoke the fire, I’ve caught a chill.” Or “Julia, I need help to the privy. Constantly.”
“Don’t you hate emptying bedpans more?”
“Everyone hates emptying bedpans MOST. don’t think I’ve slept so little since ___ had colic that first winter. Is all my life only gonna be choosing between the very worst and only-slightly-less worse? That sounds exhausting!”
“Why isn’t Lucy helping?”
“She moved into William’s new house.”
Lucy’s sister — moved into Williams house too. With Loren.”
“All eleven?!? I wonder how hard it is to get a place by the fire on a cold winters eve.”
“So exactly how many are at your mansion house then? If you had 17 at the homestead, I reckon you could fit at least three dozen!”
“Ten?! Twice the space and half the people? Hardly seems mathematically possible. ”
“There’s Father Joseph, Mother Lucy, Mother Emma,” I said, ticking them off my fingers. “Me, JuniorJunior, Thomas— and the Lawrence sisters.”
What about the Partridge Sisters?
Only come for the washing every fortnight.
Gone. — Sylvia said that Eliza Snow said Mother pushed her down the stairs but I certainly wasn’t going to spread that nasty rumor. —- WAS clumsy and sheep witted and I could certainly see her mistaking her footing.
“At least there is no tending?”
“When the boys behave themselves, there is no tending while One of the Mothers finds me an unfinished chore. When they don’t behave themselves, I should have been watching my brothers.”
“What mischief have they got into then.”
“Bridled one of the deer for a ride. Made it almost to the Laws until a leap sent little —- flying. Scrapes and bruises, that he fully deserved, but I got talkings-to, from BOTH Mothers together then both of them separately. It was a lesson in cause and effect and he boys were closer to death in Missouri.”
“It’s true,” Eunice said. “But not very … useful if it got you a scolding. And certainly not nice.”
“Nobody can contain a pair of boys bent on mischief.”
“Not even a major General and a Mayor and a prophet?”
“Maybe if he tried— but Father Joseph just asked them if the doe was faster than the new mare.”
Eunice sounded worried “Father is saying Nauvoo is a pack of trouble, same as Missouri.”
“I don’t want to talk about Missouri.” My neck prickled like someone was watching, and I glanced around. “Last time I was here, Missouri came to drag Father Joseph away.”
Eunice linked her arm through mine. “Come then. I’ll show you the prettiest places where a Missourian come into town: we will take a picnic and keep watch.”
