Word Count: 24,024
Summary of Events:
Rowynna went to the general store to pick up some dry goods and spent time pondering her mother's behaviour toward her nieces and nephews, prompted by the proprietor's comments. Parker and Linwood went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Swanson's daughter and her husband, who had come to Alberta after receiving a telegram seeking information Linwood had sent to Ontario. Rowynna was waiting for her mother to finish a conversation outside the bank when Vella appeared and took Rowynna to meet a man Vella thought would be a suitable beau, but Rowynna thought otherwise and fought to get away from Vella . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
At that moment Rowynna broke free and took off back the way she’d been towed, only to be cut off by another miner who looked at her with interest.
When Rowynna went to flee back she saw Vella and the man from the house were following after her, so Rowynna hopped off of the boardwalk and onto the street to get around the man and continue on her way back to safety at top speed.
In spite of calls — some of which she recognised as Vella’s voice — urging her to stop, Rowynna kept running, deliberately winding her way around town in an effort to lose them until she was certain that she had escaped them entirely.
Satisfied that she was safe, Rowynna made her way home and collapsed wearily against the door as soon as she was inside.
“Mother?” Della emerged from the kitchen. “What happened Rowynna? Where is Mother?”
“Probably still talking to Mrs. Morris outside of the bank,” Rowynna replied in a rush.
“Then why are you here?” Della asked.
“Miners were chasing me,” Rowynna replied.
“What?” Della asked. “Why?”
“I met a girl who’s convinced she’ll find me a beau and she thought that they would be fine candidates,” Rowynna replied.
“Oh,” Della said quietly. “Are you alright?”
Rowynna nodded. “They didn’t get close enough to touch me.”
“Who is this girl?” Della asked.
“She’s only recently moved to town,” Rowynna replied. “She’s not much older than I am, I don’t think, but she thinks I’m going to become a spinster if I don’t find a man now.”
“Oh, this is that girl?” Della asked.
“Yes,” Rowynna replied, feeling like she was starting to have her breath back now.
Della sighed. “I think you need to tell her that you don’t need the help.”
“I tried,” Rowynna replied. “She kept talking over me and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“You can be more than a little forceful when you want to Rowynna,” Della said. “I’m surprised that you’re being this meek.”
“She seems like Mother, in a way,” Rowynna replied. “She expects to be listened to when she talks, and largely dominates the talking, but doesn’t have an ear to hear anyone else with.”
Della nodded. “Maybe you and I will have to go out together and see if we can’t tell this girl that she needs to leave you to find your own beau in your own time.”
“After all, it’s not like I even asked for any help or expressed discontent with my present status,” Rowynna said, shedding her coat.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t go back to Mother?” Della asked. “She’s going to be quite upset if she finds that you’ve disappeared on her.”
“I don’t know how long they’re going to keep looking for me,” Rowynna replied. “I would rather face Mother than them.”
Della tilted her head, not inclined do disagree, and said no more. Rowynna followed her sister into the kitchen, staying away from the front windows would probably also be a good thing to do in order to keep herself from being found.
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