Chapter 37

As the afternoon shadows grew long, they heard heavy footsteps on the front porch. Then, a thud.

Lin dropped her sewing onto the settee and Violet put her book on the table beside the chair. They had discussed this possibility earlier.

They hurried to the kitchen. Lin rushed into the pantry closet and settled in as silently as a church mouse. Violet patted the left-hand pocket of her skirt, the weight of the derringer reassuring as she went to answer the door.

She peeked out the side window but didn’t see anyone. She waited, in case someone hid on the other side of the small porch. No one showed themselves so she put her hand on the latch, took a deep breath, and opened the door a crack.

No one jumped out at her so she opened it a few more inches.

She looked down.

In a metal pot on the wooden flooring sat the cutest little pine tree. A length of burlap covered its base and a red-and-green plaid bow wrapped around the top branch.

Violet leaned down and grasped the metal handle on the pot with her good hand. She dragged it across the porch floor, over the threshold, and into the front room. Ever mindful of their circumstances, she went and locked the door before she ran to the kitchen to unlatch the pantry closet.

Violet reached out and took Lin’s hand. She tugged her to the front room so they could share the Christmas gift.

“Look! Someone left us a Christmas tree—isn’t it beautiful?”

Lin still struggled to comprehend the holiday and its traditions. They had discussed it at length, but Violet wasn’t sure her friend completely understood the nature of the observance. She knew it involved a baby and gifts, and that seemed to make sense to her. But Santa, singing, and trees were still troublesome spots. Violet hadn’t mentioned the naughty and nice list or coal and stockings—and she had certainly not broached the idea that Santa visited homes while children slept.

“It is tree. Like tree at schoolhouse?”

“Yes, that’s right. It is like the one at the schoolhouse, but much smaller. This one is for us.” She touched the plaid bow and felt her heart flutter. She hadn’t realized how much she missed a decorated house until this very instant.

“Who bring tree here?”

She turned to face the other woman. “Lin, your English is getting so much better. Really, you must be sleeping with that reader I brought home. I wish my pupils were this eager to learn.”

Lin blushed. “I enjoy learning.” She pointed to the tree. “Tree?”

“I have no idea. There doesn’t seem to be a note attached anywhere. I suppose it could have come from any of my pupils.” She ran through the list of families in her mind but found no obvious choice. Most of her pupils were from families that were scrabbling to make a living. No one could afford any extras, not really.

But if it grew free somewhere it made an ideal surprise.

Yes, that must be it.

“I think someone dug it up for us. It came from their property, I’m sure of it.” A finger of doubt tickled the back of her neck, but she swatted it away. “What else could it be? No one would spend money on a Christmas tree for us, so it must be from a homestead. Yes, it has to be one of my frontier families.”

“We decorate? Like at schoolhouse?” Lin tilted her head with a hopeful smile on her face. “Make pretty?”