exceptionally nice,â Malinda told her.
âSo far I havenât noticed all that much difference between the climate here and in Kentucky,â Elizabeth said. âAutumn in Kentucky was always lovely too. Remember?â
âThatâs true,â Malinda said. âI love autumn in Kentucky too.â
âWell, itâs a lot warmer here than it would be in Boston this time of year,â Belinda told them. âWe were usually wearing our heavy coats in early November.â
âWill it be warm like this all winter?â Amelia asked Malinda.
âIt will get cooler, and of course, the rains will come. But even so, itâs still warmer than winters were back in Kentucky.â She grinned at the two girls who would become her stepdaughters in December. âAnd I can assure you that itâs much warmer than a Boston winter.â
âDoes it ever snow here?â Amelia asked.
âI havenât seen snow once since we settled,â Malinda told them. âIt did freeze one year, but I donât think thatâs typical.â
âWell, I wonât miss the snow or ice,â Belinda announced.
âBut I will miss some things,â Amelia confessed. âLike candy stores and bakeries.â
Belinda giggled as she pointed at a well-worn shoe in front of her. âAnd new shoes.â
âAnd buying ready-made clothes,â Amelia added.
âYes, girls, we do understand.â Malinda said in a maternal tone. âIt takes some adjusting to get used to some of the deprivations of the frontier. But I believe that someday we will have all those amenities too.â
âReally?â Amelia asked hopefully. âEven a candy store?â
Malinda laughed. âWell, perhaps it will be a while before we have a store devoted entirely to candy. But surely the mercantile will carry some sweets.â
âOh, Iâm sure Aunt Lavinia will have stocked her candy case by now,â Amelia told her. âI canât wait.â
âI just hope sheâs got some of the household items Iâll be needing to set up housekeeping,â Elizabeth said. âIâve got quite a list.â
âLavinia told me theyâll be taking orders for merchandise,â Malinda said. âAlthough Iâm not sure how long it will take for shipments to arrive.â
âEli predicts that the Coquille River will be used to transport shipped goods from the coast someday.â Just bringing Eliâs name into the conversation filled Elizabeth with a girlish sort of giddiness.
âJohn used to say the same thing,â Malinda told her.
âImagine how much time that would save,â Elizabeth said wistfully.
They were just coming up to the church, and it was fun to see others milling about what Elizabeth hoped would someday be considered a real town. She estimated at least two dozen people gathered between the church and the mercantile. Certainly, it was not much by other standards, but it gave one hope.
After depositing their food baskets at the church and visiting with some of the women there, they ventured over to the new shopping establishment, pausing to socialize along the way. A freshly painted sign was prominently displayed up high on the false front.
P RESCOTTS â M ERCANTILE
E ST . 1857
âThis is a red-letter day,â Malinda said with enthusiasm as they went into the mercantile. âOur very own store.â
The place was bustling and smelled of coffee and onions as well as many other pleasant scents. People were chattering happily, and Elizabeth estimated at least a dozen adult customers were perusing the interior of the store. Several children, including her own, were gathered around the candy counter and dry goods, eagerly exploring everything. She had warned JT and Ruth to look but not to touch, and as far as she could see, they were heeding her instructions. However, JT looked as if his fingers were itching to pick up a
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