Page 6 of Mail Order Meeting
“I couldn’t have gotten nearly this many on my own!I think six or seven of these are my kills.You areveryskilled as a hunter!”Belle said.
“It’s a passion of mine,” Lula said.“When I had time off at the hotel, I would go out and get a few rabbits.There was a nice lady in town who loved rabbit stew, and she paid me well.I was able to save a lot more money that way.”
“That was smart.I just kept working extra hours for the hotel, and that money didn’t add up quickly.”
“I always knew I wanted to get away from the hotel and have a life of my own...I didn’t think I’d marry again.When the opportunity to marry Sebastian arose, it seemed like the smart thing to do.Especially when all my friends started to leave, and the hotel was always short-staffed.When they started requiring a sixty-hour work week, I knew it was time to go.”
Belle smiled at Lula.“I’m glad you’re here with us.I hope you’ll keep hunting with me.Having the burden fall on my shoulders the way it has...well, it was getting to be too much.”
“I’m happy to hunt all day every day.”
Belle laughed.“Wait until it’s dark twenty-two hours per day.It won’t be easy.”
“I hadn’t thought of that in regard to my hunting...I’ll still do my best.”
“It’s not just that it’s dark...It’s bitterly cold.Much colder than Massachusetts, and there aren’t a lot of animals to hunt.Most hibernate.”
Lula sighed.“So choose another hobby for winter?”
Belle nodded.“Quilting, knitting, sewing...it’s all needed here.And if we do that, we can all gather in one cabin to work.Trust me...it will be great!”
“I really hope so.”
Lula couldn’t take her mind off her conversation with Belle later as she prepped the rabbit for the stew she would make.She knew she had an open offer to get food from one of the coldhouses, but she had no desire to do that.She’d rather eat fresh meat as she could.Soon enough, frozen meat and dried fish would be the lion’s share of their diet.She wasn’t ready for that to happen.She would do everything she could to keep up a steady stream of fresh meat.
When Sebastian walked in the door at the end of his workday, he was pleasantly surprised at how clean his house was.He’d always kept it tidy, but washing the walls and scrubbing the floors were foreign to him.
He inhaled deeply and sighed.“What are you cooking?It smells delicious!”
“Rabbit stew.I learned it from a lady in Beckham, who was always willing to buy rabbits from me whenever I got them.On my day off, I’d go into the countryside with my bow and arrow, and see how many rabbits I could shoot in one day.”Lula grinned at him over her shoulder before serving two piping hot bowls of stew.
“What was your record?”he asked, grinning at her.
“Twenty-two,” she replied.“But today, we got twenty-three between Belle and me.I’m actually quite pleased!I’ve been assigned to hunt until it dries up, and then I’ll need to choose something else.”
“I had no idea I was marrying a huntress!I will not complain one iota.”
After he’d taken his first bite of stew, he closed his eyes and sighed.“This is wonderful.I hope you made a lot.”
“I did!We should have enough for you to take it for lunch tomorrow.If you don’t mind leftovers.”
He chuckled.“It’s not beans or oatmeal.I’m thrilled to eat this for two meals.”
“Oh, good.I was hoping you’d enjoy it as much as I do.”
After they’d eaten, she washed the dishes while he talked to her about his day.She was surprised at how comfortable she already felt around him.
When she was finished with the dishes, she searched for something he could take the stew to work in.After a bit, she decided that a small pot with a lid wrapped in cloth would be the best bet.She’d heat the stew in the morning, and hopefully it would stay warm until he had a chance to eat it.
“I’ll be hunting with Belle again tomorrow,” she said.“I’m sure we’ll get more rabbit, but is there another meat you’d like me to try for?”
“Venison,” he said automatically.“Or moose.Honestly, if you kill it and cook it, I’ll eat it without complaint.”
“That will certainly make my job easier,” she said with a grin.“How would you feel about duck?Belle told me today she has a great receipt for duck and dumplings.”
“I would eat duck without a problem.I’m not a picky eater at all.I grew up eating klippfisk, so anything tastes good to me.”
“What is klippfisk?”she asked.
