The Matron Read online

  "Thank you." She said the words automatically. She'd heard the same sentiment so many times over the years. "Have you ever been married, Tino?"

  "No, ma'am. Never even come close."

  Cassie wasn't certain what to say to that. She felt bad for him. People with no real connections with others were sad people indeed. "Where do you live?"

  "Here and there. I mainly go where the work takes me." He didn't add that he traveled around so much searching for his brother. It was a long story to explain, and he preferred people come to their own conclusions. If they treated him like he was less of a man for traveling in a seemingly aimless way, well that was their call.

  "Do you always drive people in a bus?" she asked.

  "Oh no. I was doing some repairs on the church, and they asked me if I knew how to drive. Next thing I knew, I'd agreed to drive from Upstate New York to Texas."

  "We appreciate the ride. It's much better than having nowhere to go." Cassie covered her mouth to hide her yawn. She'd slept less than the girls had. It was well after two when she'd finally fallen asleep, and she was up before five.

  "Why don't you rest your eyes for a bit? You don't have to talk to me. I'm being paid to do a job."

  "That doesn't mean you have to do it in solitude." Cassie yawned again. "But I will nap, just this once. I was up half the night packing my things. Once I was finally in bed, I tossed and turned. I've never lived anywhere but Orlan."

  "My condolences, ma'am." He grinned, glad she couldn't see his smile from behind him.

  Cassie gave a half laugh as she turned to get more comfortable. She wasn't fond of buses, but they were traveling faster than they would have been with a covered wagon or on foot. She supposed she should be grateful for the convenience.

  *****

  It was close to noon when Tino let his hunger get the best of him. He was surprised at how quiet the ladies all were through the morning. Every single one of them slept, and he stared at the road. He felt oddly responsible for the whole lot of them. He couldn't wait until they were in Texas and settled so he could return the bus and move on with his life. He wasn't made to act like a father.

  He parked under the shade of a tree, still in New York. It was spring and the flowers were in bloom. He was certain the girls would like that.

  "Where are we?" Cassie rubbed her eyes, wishing she could have slept for several more hours. She looked behind her and saw the girls starting to stir without the motion of the bus.

  "Still in New York. It's almost noon, and I'm getting hungry. This looked like a nice spot to stop."

  Cassie looked out the window and smiled. "The girls are going to want to stay all day."

  "I'll go start a fire." He kept his head down, not wanting her to see that he was pleased at the idea of making the girls happy. What was wrong with him?

  He found some sticks and got the matches from the back of the bus. There was a circle of rocks where some other weary traveler had obviously had the same idea. Probably several of them. There were big boulders close by that could be used as chairs.

  Cassie stepped off the bus, her arms full of quilts. "These will be nice to sit on. Now, where's the food?"

  He gestured to the back of the bus, and she walked there, digging through what he'd brought. She frowned. There wasn't a lot there for a quick meal. She found what she needed for some pancakes, though. There was bacon as well. It wouldn't be the best meal in the world, but it would fill their bellies. After they stopped for the evening, she'd be certain to cook enough for lunch the next day. That way they could just heat it up in the hour they had.

  The girls slowly found their way off the bus, going into the trees to take care of their personal needs. Cassie expertly mixed the pancakes and put the cast iron frying pan over the fire, carefully setting the bacon in.

  Betsy, one of her sixteen year old charges, was the first to return. "Betsy, you mind the bacon, while I finish mixing up the pancakes."

  "Yes, ma'am." Betsy was soft-spoken and eager to please. She rarely spoke unless someone spoke to her first.

  As the other girls trickled back from the woods, she assigned them each a task. Some spread blankets, and some readied a basin with water from the lake. Tino, watching them work together with the ease of years of practice, was fascinated. Each girl almost seemed to know what she'd be assigned to do before Cassie said a word.

  Less than twenty minutes after he stopped the bus, they were all seated with plates in their hands. He took a bite of bacon, and saw everyone staring at him. "What?"

  One of the girls with blond hair and blue eyes made a face. "We say grace before we eat."

  Cassie shook her head. "Sarah Jane, it's not your place to correct your elders." She didn't care if their whole lives were in upheaval, her girls were going to act with the manners they'd been taught.

  "Yes'm." Sarah Jane lowered her face, but Tino could tell she wasn't truly contrite.

  "Hope, would you mind saying our prayer?" Cassie asked, looking at a young girl with dark hair and brown eyes.

  Hope nodded. "Heavenly Father. We thank You for the food You've provided. Thank You for a bus to take us to Texas and for not making us walk, even though You let us get kicked out of our home by some of Your people. We pray that You will forgive people who do bad things in Your name. In Jesus's name. Amen."

  Tino bit his lip to keep from laughing. He was relatively certain that wasn't the kind of prayer Cassie had been looking for. "Amen," he said loudly. He liked Hope. He hated when girls felt like they weren't allowed to be honest about how they felt. Even if she never complained about her situation, she had made her feelings known in that prayer, and he could only applaud her for it.

  Cassie was smiling at the girl, an expression of love on her face. "Thank you, Hope."

  Hope just smiled and focused on her food. Tino looked between the two of them, wondering if Cassie had known that's what Hope would say in her prayer. He thought she probably had known, and his respect for her went up another notch. He'd never met a woman he could truly respect, but he knew sitting across that fire, there was a woman worthy of it.

  Chapter Three

  While they rode that afternoon, Cassie decided not to waste their time in the car, and assigned each girl a specific Bible passage to memorize about whatever she felt the girl should work on. "I'll listen to your recitations around the campfire this evening. It will be a nice way to pass the time."

  Tino realized as he listened to Cassie why she was so good at her job. She truly cared about the girls, but not only that, she was determined to make them better people. They had spent some time sleeping that morning, but she wouldn't allow them to even waste their time on the long journey. No, they'd all be productive. He found he admired the woman more with every minute he spent with her.

  At sunset, as promised, Tino found a quiet spot along the side of the road for them to set up camp. He worked to set up tents while the girls got supper ready. All of them worked together laughing and joking. He noticed that the smallest of them sat on a rock beside the fire and sang to the others. Her voice was pure and true. He didn't know if she was trying to get out of work, or if that's how they preferred things, but he liked it.

  Cassie called him to eat much later. "I'm sorry it took us so long to cook tonight. We'll get the hang of getting supper over a fire."

  He looked at the plate she handed him with a smile. "It took you so long to cook, because you made a real meal. This looks downright appetizing." He wandered over and took his spot across the fire from Cassie, watching her through the flames. She'd made fried potatoes with bacon mixed in. He wasn't certain what kind of seasoning they'd put in, but it smelled good.

  "Hattie, would you say grace for us this evening?" Cassie asked one of the younger girls. She was a redhead and seemed to have a sparkle permanently in her eyes. Tino had noticed her that morning. She seemed almost excited to be going on an adventure.

  "Yes, ma'am." Hattie bowed her head. "Heavenly Father, we thank You for this me
al You've provided and for this journey. Thank You for providing us with a bus and a skilled driver like Mr. Hayes. We will be eternally thankful that You didn't allow us to be ejected from our home with nowhere to go. We pray all of this in the name of Your son. Amen."

  Tino closed his eyes to savor the taste of the food as he took the first bite. "Cassie, this is pure bliss on my tongue. How did you make this?"

  Cassie laughed softly. "I came up with the idea of what to fix, but I could never have seasoned it so perfectly. Sarah Jane is a miracle woman with food."

  Tino looked at the girl who had gotten onto him for eating without waiting for a prayer earlier. "Thank you, Sarah Jane. This is delicious."

  Sarah Jane nodded. "God has given me the gift of food. I take all His gifts seriously."

  Tino sighed. She seemed like a sweet girl, but her religious fervor was a bit much for him. It was already much later than he'd expected to be eating. They'd have to get to their bedrolls almost immediately after the dishes were finished. He looked at the youngest girl who had been singing instead of working. "You have a beautiful voice."

  The little blond smiled and nodded. "I have a gift as well."

  Tino looked at Cassie. "Has she had formal training?"

  Cassie laughed. "An orphan doesn't receive formal training in singing. She just does what comes naturally to her." She smiled at the girl who had come to her as an infant. "Katie has always had the ability to sing that way. We had a beautiful piano at the house in Orlan, and she could play it with no training at all."

  Katie pouted. "I'm sad we had to leave the piano behind."

  Tino shrugged. "There's no way we could have fit it on the bus." He felt badly for the child that she'd had to leave such a prized possession, but he knew better than anyone that you couldn't always keep the things, or the people, important to you around.

  Cassie smiled consolingly. "Katie understands that. Music is just very important to her. She used to have solos all the time at church. We find we'd rather have her sing to us while we work. She does fine work, so that's not it. We just love her sweet voice. It makes us work happily."

  When supper was over, the girls jumped up and got to work once again. One group collected some food and started to mix things together. Another group collected the dishes and heated some water from a nearby stream.

  Cassie seemed to be directing one group while one of the older girls directed the other.

  Tino sat and watched it all in awe, amazed that they worked so well together. Had they discussed how things would go while they cooked, or did they all just know their place?

  Cassie walked over to where Tino sat on the ground on one of the blankets she'd put out. "I felt like we didn't have a very good lunch today, because there was no time to prepare it, so I have some of the girls preparing tomorrow's lunch. Just a big pot of beans, but it'll cook over the fire all night. I hope that's all right with you."

  Tino nodded. "Sounds very smart. You have very well-trained young ladies there."

  Cassie smiled. "We've worked together for many years. As older girls leave, the younger ones have taken over the harder chores. They all know how to work hard and just how I want things."

  "Can you sit with me? Take a quick break?" He found himself wanting to spend more and more time with her, something that had never happened to him before.

  Cassie shook her head. "No, I need to work with the girls. I don't want to set a bad example for them by sitting while they work." She shrugged. "Besides, I sat all day. It feels good to be up and moving around for a bit."

  Tino sighed. "Will you walk with me after they're sleeping?"

  Cassie looked at him in surprise. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Tino. The girls have to be my first priority. What if someone comes along and it's just the girls here alone?"

  He made a face. "How about if you meet me here by the fire once they're sleeping? It's a long trip with no real adult conversation."

  Cassie considered it and finally nodded. He must need to discuss something about the trip with her without the girls listening. "I will do that. As soon as the girls are down for the night, I'll come out here with you."

  "You know I set up a tent for you alone, don't you?"

  Cassie was startled. "Why, I thought I'd be sleeping with the girls."

  He shook his head. "There are two huge tents for the girls, and two small ones for you and me."

  "What are we going to do if it rains?"

  He laughed. "We'll sleep on the bus. Won't be comfortable by any means, but we can make it happen."

  She nodded, wandering back to where the girls were cooking with Evelyn leading them all. It was always easy for her to divide everyone into two work groups, because Evelyn was a natural born leader. There was no doubt in Cassie's mind that if Evelyn had been the one leading the French army they wouldn't have lost at Waterloo.

  "Stop telling me what to do, Gertie!" Sarah Jane complained. "Evelyn's in charge of our group. Mrs. Morgan said so."

  Gertrude folded her arms over her chest. "But you could be so much more efficient if you'd just listen to me."

  Cassie stepped up behind the girls. It was a fight she'd heard many times. Gertie wanted to be in charge, because she always saw a 'better' way to do things. And her ways were often better. Gertie was exceptionally bright, but her ideas came across as bossy to the other girls and they became easily frustrated with her.

  "Gertie, I need you to chop up the bacon for the beans for lunch tomorrow. No complaining now." Cassie knew from experience that the only way to stop the bickering was to step in herself and tell the girls what she needed them to do. Evelyn would be able to run things fine as soon as Gertie knew her place.

  Gertie sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

  Cassie moved back to the other group who already had the dishes finished and were stowing them back into the box Tino had brought them out in. "Let's leave them by the fire," Cassie suggested. "We'll need at least some of them in the morning for breakfast."

  "Yes, Mrs. Morgan," Alice said, moving to do as she was told immediately.

  Cassie smiled at the girl. Alice had come to live in the orphanage when she was ten and already set in her ways. There was very little humor in the girl, and for that, Cassie was always sorry. She did her best with her, though, trying to teach her that everything in life wasn't always serious.

  Each of the girls was so different, and she loved them all equally. Ruby and Opal were the oldest of the fifteen girls that she had with her. They were twins who'd been in the orphanage since they were five. At seventeen, they didn't remember any other life.

  Evelyn was only a few months younger than the twins. She had been in the orphanage since her mother had died in childbirth, and her father had been incapable of taking care of her.

  Gertrude, Betsy, and Hope were all sixteen. Gertie was the smartest girl in the entire orphanage. All of her teachers remarked on how brilliant she was, but she had a hard time making her opinions known to others without coming across as bossy. Betsy was quiet and shy, soft-spoken, and eager to please. If anything was asked of her, she jumped to do it immediately. Hope was honest to a fault. Anything she thought typically came out of her mouth later. It was both her best feature and her biggest fault.

  Penelope and Sarah Jane were both fifteen. Penelope was an excellent seamstress and was generally good at any type of craft with her hands. She was able to take the dresses that were donated to the orphanage for the girls use, and turn them into something amazing. Without Penny, the girls would've been embarrassed to wear what they had to school. Sarah Jane had been temporarily adopted by a pastor and his wife, but they had found that they were unable to keep her. When she returned to the orphanage, she had developed a kind of religious fervor that was annoying to most of the other children. Her cooking skills were unparalleled. Cassie wished she could cook half as well as Sarah Jane.

  Minnie and Alice were her fourteen year olds. Minnie was often put in charge of watching the younger children. She was a natu
ral nurturer, she gravitated to the babies and toddlers. Alice seemed incapable of joking and laughing. She was always so concerned with propriety and serious that Cassie often worried about her. She hoped the girl found her sense of humor later in life.

  Martha and Dorothy were thirteen. Martha had come to her left on the doorstep with a broken arm at five years old. Cassie knew little about the girl's past, only knew that she'd been abused somehow. Cassie had never met anyone who was as loving as and wonderful as Martha. Dorothy found the good in everyone. She loved and was loved by everyone who touched her life.

  Teresa, Hattie, and Katie were all twelve. Teresa often wore Cassie out with her constant talking. Hattie's personality was pure sunshine. Any time any of the other children were upset or sad for any reason, Hattie could make them smile. Katie, who had just turned twelve, was the youngest of the group and she had the voice of a nightingale. Cassie had never heard anyone sing the way young Katie could, so she did everything she could to nurture the girl's talents.

  As Cassie got them ready for bed, she thought about each of their differences. She hoped that their new life in Texas would allow them to each develop even more into their own person. Leaving everything they knew behind was going to be extremely difficult, and she hoped they were up for the challenge.

  Chapter Four

  Once the girls were all settled on the ground for the night, Cassie went out to the fire to talk to Tino as she had promised. She hoped the man wasn't going to tell her that he needed to turn back for some reason, because she wasn't sure what she would do. There was nowhere to go in New York any longer. While she hated to admit it, it could no longer be her home.

  He was waiting for her, still sitting in front of the fire watching the huge black pot of beans boil. He poked at the fire with a stick looking up at her. "How do you feel today went?"

  Cassie stood beside him, feeling uncomfortable with what she should do. Should she sit beside him where they could communicate more easily or would that be forward? Finally she sat down, but kept several feet between them. "I think the girls did well with the travel." She fussed with the skirt of her dress. "How do you feel like it went?"