Kirsty had had a good nights rest and woke to find Nettie hovering over her with a tray of food.

“Now, this is not something I do on a regular basis girlie,” Nettie said with a soft smile.? “I’ve popped an ewer filled with hot water next to the basin on the chest of drawers,” she pointed, then added,” there’s a piece of soap and a towel to dry yourself,? when your ready? you can find me by following the smell of baking bread.”

“Thanks this smells braw!”? Kirsty sat up and took the tray her eyes wide with delight and a smile to match.

Kirsty was famished and ate everything on the tray and drank down the glass of fresh milk.? She had not had milk in weeks or slept so well in a long time.?

She did as Nettie advised and followed her nose into the big room where Nettie was removing a couple of tins of baked bread from the black leaded stove.

Kirsty set the tray down and without asking removed its dirty dishes and set them into a bucket she spotted near to the? sink with a hand pump.? She rinsed the dishes in the bucket and? looked to Nettie to ask is she wished her to rinse them under the hand pump.

“Go ahead girl, you look like you know what your doin’.”

??

Soon all of the dishes in the bucket had been rinsed and dried and Nettie had pointed in the direction where each item was stored.

“You are quite a handy girl to have around.” Nettie said and set the bread to cool before removing them from their tins.

Kirsty had been kept busy by helping to feed and also clear out the barn and tidy up a few things not so easy for the older woman to do.

She had expected Mr Standish to show up and Nettie saw her watching after they had milked the cow and goats in the evening prior to their evening meal.

“He won’t be coming tonight, Ezra will have his own work to do around town, well if he is not sat at some gaming table.”

‘Thon disnae sound good!” She frowned not amused considering it was gambling men who murdered her friends.

The next morning Kirsty was up before dawn and had milked the beasts and set down the jugs of milk into the cooler where Nettie said to store the milk.? She smiled as this was how her family had stored their own milk in the Highlands of Scotland. their winters had been cold with lots of ice and snow.? She had smiled when Nettie had showed her the dug out area in the barn where she had stored ice from the winter and it now kept her meat and milk cool .

?She had noticed that the previous days milk that had been in the kitchn had began to turn, but not wishing it to be thrown away she began to fix some traditional drop scones that would be good with coffee or breakfast.

Nettie had watched the young woman humming a tune as she poured something onto the stove top.? She raised her eyebrows but kept her mouth closed.? The smell was wonderful.

Kirsty whipped her head around and looked at Nettie and blushed.

“Sorry, I didnae wish ta bother yea,? am makin’ drop scones.”

She opened up a tea towel to show Nettie and then wrapped the hot pancakes back up again and flipped over the other four that had just began to bubble on the top of the stove.? Soon they were ready and Nettie waved her to carry on.

Nettie was treated to breakfast being made for her. coffee and Scotch pancakes with bacon and eggs on the top.

Nettie chuckled as the young girl slapped at her hand when she tried to begin washing up the dishes and pans.

“Dinnae do that.”? She explained to Nettie that she had made the mess and it was her job to clear it all up. ?

The washing up was done as were all of the chores when a hail was cried from outside.? They had not heard the sound of horses hooves outside.

The women looked at each other and smiled.

A fresh pot of coffee had just began to bubble ready on the stove.

Looked like they had visitors.

+++

Ezra had been angry with himself.? He promised himself he would not get into his bad ways again.? Mr Larabee had warned him to be on his best behaviour or else.? He knew not to run out on him again.

But he had let himself down as he had wanted to go and check on the young woman at Nettie’s.? Instead he had slept more than a day away.? He woke hungry and needing a good shave and a wash.? He stank and had headed for the bath house.

By the time he had had a bath and a shave, he had made his way to the hotel to eat.? The wine was foul, the meat was rubbery and the apple pie seemed to have salt in it.? He dared not complain again or he’d have no where to go for food.? The breakfasts were always the best here, but he had missed that as well as the lunch and had nearly missed the evening’s dinner service too.

He patrolled around the outskirts of the town for a couple of hours and then checked the town was free from trouble and kept away from the gaming tables.? His fingers itched to get in a few hands of cards but knew by the quick look he he had in the saloon it was a quiet night and only a couple of regulars sipping drinks at the bar.

He returned to his bed but did not get undressed, just removed his belt, gun belt and boots.? He set his alarm to wake him at 7am.? The hotels desk attendant had been left a note that if he was not down by 7.30am. To unlock his door and haul him out of bed.

It was not the first time the hotel staff had to do this and it would not be the last as Ezra was a very sound sleeper and loved his feather bed.

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