Chapter Forty-Two
Runa spent most of the following morning dozing, attempting to do smaller chores when she wasn’t asleep, and failing miserably, only to have Wanda take over and chide her into going back to her place in the sitting room. After dinner, Runa stepped into the kitchen once Wanda had cleared the table and was busy doing dishes.
“Runa, you should be resting.” Wanda said, without turning to look at Runa as she washed the dishes in the old tin tub on top of the sturdy worktable, which had escaped the fire unscathed.
“I need to do something. And… I’m going to need your help.” Runa ventured. “I’m going to town tomorrow, and I need at least four pies and a dozen cookies. I can do most of the work sitting, but I’m still going to need help.”
“I can do the baking, but I don’t think Steve will let you go in to town. I don’t think you should go to town. And there is no reason to go to town with pies and cookies.”
“They’re to be gifts. For the ones who helped me.” Runa explained. “And Steve is going to let me go into town, because I’m not going to take ‘no’ for an answer. There are things that need doing sooner rather than later, so I’m going to go, even if I have to figure out how to hitch the team to the wagon myself.”
Wanda looked over at her in surprise, before laughing. She turned back to the dishes. “All right. Let me finish up here, and then we can get to baking. I am looking forward to seeing the look on Steve’s face when you tell him you are going no matter what.”
“Honestly…” Runa bit her lower lip before grinning. “So am I. A little.”
Wanda laughed again, an infectious sound. “A little is enough. Will you show me the secret to making your pies, and help make some for supper?”
“I would love to, though there isn’t really a secret to it. Just a knack, I guess. My friend Iris taught me, she’s the one who said that. That I have a knack for cooking, and could have been a cook like her in a different life.”
“A good thing, with this many people to feed. I don’t know how you managed.”
“I’m not certain how I managed at first either! I just… Cooked as much as I could and hoped it would be enough. I learned how to manage from there, but there were a few hiccups. Like not making enough bread or biscuits at first. You would think that one biscuit per person would be enough, but with this group it’s more like three or four.”
“I learned that this morning myself.” Wanda sighed. Runa had slept through breakfast again, partly in thanks to the laudanum, partly because the previous day had exhausted her. “Everyone was kind about it, but I know they are just waiting for you to get better so that-”
“Wanda, please, don’t compare yourself to me.” Runa interrupted. “I had no idea what I was doing when I arrived, and this many people… It’s a lot of people to cook for. It’s difficult until you get used to it, and I have no doubt that you will get used to it. And we all appreciate your coming here to help us so much, I honestly don’t have words for how thankful I am for your help. I don’t know how I’m going to manage the baking I want to do today, let alone how I would manage three meals a day right now.”
“You will manage with help.” Wanda smiled over at her. “Now sit down, and as soon as I am done here we can start on the baking.”
~*~
At supper that night everyone was quite pleased with the apple pies that Wanda and Runa had managed to produce for dessert. Runa had managed to have a few words with Coulson earlier in the day while the pies had been in the oven, and the resulting conversation had left him looking a bit grim.
Runa remained seated while Wanda gathered up the plates after dinner, before taking a deep breath and looking across the table to Steve, who was still at his place at the head of the table.
“I need to go into town tomorrow.” She said quietly, the room falling silent at her words. “I want to take the wagon.”
“No.” Steve said, his lips forming a thin line of displeasure.
“Yes.” Runa countered.
“You aren’t strong enough to take the wagon into town by yourself.”
“I need to go into town for a few things, and I need to talk to a few people.” Runa said evenly. “I will walk if I have to. I’m just hoping that I won’t have to.”
“You can talk to people after church on Sunday.” Steve pointed out as the others remained in place, wanting to see who would win this battle of wills. Bucky was watching the two of them with surprise and amusement; he knew how damn stubborn Steve could be, and was starting to think Runa might be a match for him in sheer mule-headedness.
“I can’t do everything I want to do on Sunday.” Runa protested. “I have to send a telegram, for one, among other things.”
“I need to go into town as well, so I can take her.” Coulson chimed in before Steve could say anything else. “A wagon can’t be that much different than driving a light buggy, although it’s been years since I’ve done that.”
Most of the people sitting around him gave him a look that told him driving a wagon was certainly nothing like driving a light buggy, and a hiatus of several years was too long.
“I can drive the wagon.” Sam offered suddenly, coming to the realization that Runa was going to go to town come hell or high water, no matter what Steve said, and it would be best to make sure she got there safely.
“Thank you, Sam.” Bucky said for Steve, who looked far from pleased. Steve couldn’t drive the wagon due to his wound, and neither could Bucky; he had tried the day they had retrieved Runa from town, but it had put too much of a strain on his own wound and it had started bleeding again.
“Thanks, Sam.” Steve agreed, giving in, though he looked far from happy about it.
“Thank you.” Runa said, as much to Steve as to Sam.
“No way we can talk you out of this?” Bucky asked once everyone but he, Steve, and Runa had left the dining room.
“No. I have to go into town tomorrow, and it can’t wait.” She sighed. “I’ll pick up the supplies I ordered last week while I’m there. I know you weren’t able to get everything on Tuesday.”
“Supplies can wait. I’m worried about your health.” Steve scowled.
“I’ll be fine.” Runa smiled over at him wearily. “And if I’m not… Well, we’ll know that in time for Sunday. It wouldn’t do for me to sleep through all of Reverend Fury’s sermon.”
Steve’s lips twitched in a slight smile, while Bucky grinned at the thought.
“I think you might be able to get away with it. Given the circumstances.” Bucky pointed out.
“True, but I don’t want to see what would happen if I did fall asleep during the service. He is rather… Intimidating.”
“You could take him, General.” Steve finally smiled. “I think you and Pepper might be the only ones who could get him to back down on anything.”
“I still don’t want to try it.”