Autumn was drawing to a close, and the first chill of the winter winds was already making itself felt. The days had been exhausting as they gathered the last of the harvest, but now, as the sun set, they could finally rest. All the children had helped: Thomas, Rosemary, Robert, and Winifred, and now they were all relaxing in the sitting room.
Rosemary was seated at the piano, her fingers tentatively pressing the keys. She had been practising with the little her mother had managed to teach her, though Wilhelmina was not particularly skilled. The piano was a family heirloom, but it had fallen out of regular use over the years.
Thomas was warming himself by the crackling fire, his hands outstretched towards the flames, while Robert had fallen asleep on the sofa, exhausted from the day's work. He had barely made it inside before collapsing into sleep, utterly worn out by the harvest.
Meanwhile, Winifred was absorbed in an art book she had found lying around. She had recently developed an interest in drawing and had even asked Edwin to build her an easel so she could try her hand at painting.
In the kitchen, Wilhelmina had spent hours preparing preserves from the disappointing harvest. Though the crops had been a disaster, she salvaged what she could, pickling the vegetables that were worth preserving to last through the winter. She placed the glass jars in boiling water to seal them, and then sighed, weary from the day’s work.
She stepped away from the heat of the stove, removed her apron, and laid it on the kitchen table. As she left the kitchen, she found Edwin sitting at his desk.
Since their last argument, things had been tense between them. They hadn’t stopped speaking, but there was a distance between them that hadn’t been there before. Wilhelmina had been cold towards Edwin, avoiding his affections, and whenever he joined her in bed with intentions beyond simply sleeping, she rejected him with the excuse that she was tired.
Edwin, for his part, had begun to realise that perhaps Wilhelmina had been right about some of the things she’d said, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to admit it. The past few weeks had been the sort that wear a person down to the bone. Edwin wasn’t the type of man who angered easily, and it was rare for him to raise his voice to Wilhelmina. But the stress had built up, and he had let it out in ways he now regretted.
Wilhelmina watched him from the doorway, adjusting her clothes after the long afternoon in the kitchen. She couldn’t see her husband’s face, as he was turned away from her, but she knew he was stressed. She sighed softly and approached him, placing a hand gently on the desk as she looked at the papers scattered in front of him.
Edwin looked up at her. His face was gaunt, marked by the stress that had been eating away at him for weeks. This year had been more than just a bad harvest, the rains and pests had driven up the prices of the few decent foods available at the market. They earned their wages by managing the Abernathy farm, but their expenses were rising, and Edwin was struggling to balance the books.
Wilhelmina met his gaze, and though her eyes weren’t cold, they lacked the warmth they usually held. Edwin knew he had let her down recently, but he felt trapped, overwhelmed by the weight of everything that was going wrong.
“The preserves are ready, but I don’t know if we have enough to last the winter” Wilhelmina finally broke the silence “In fact, I doubt we do.” Her words hung in the air, and Edwin nodded sadly, rubbing his forehead in frustration. “What will we do if things don’t improve by spring?” she asked, her tone gentle but edged with the frustration of someone who is upset.
Though she spoke quietly, Edwin knew her too well. There was a hint of reproach in her voice. “Things will get better” he insisted, though even to his own ears, the words sounded hollow. Wilhelmina leaned slightly against the desk, her face showing a trace of the irritation she felt.
Edwin sighed, the tension between them reaching its peak. “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit? How long have you been like this? Three weeks?” He was referring to her coldness towards him, the silent treatment she had been giving him since their argument.
Wilhelmina looked at him incredulously, narrowing her eyes. She sighed and looked away briefly before turning back to him. “Don’t you think I have a right to be upset? After the way you spoke to me?” she dared to say.
Edwin lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. “Edwin, I see you working every day, working yourself to the bone. You come home exhausted from working all day, not even knowing if your efforts will bear fruit” she continued firmly “And the results speak for themselves” she added, nodding towards the window from which the recently harvested fields were visible.
Edwin was at a loss for words, tired and beginning to realise that Wilhelmina had been right about the children’s education. But it pained him to think that all his hard work might not be enough for her.
“I’m working myself to death for you, for the children, and for you” he said, his voice lacking the energy to argue.
“Do you think I don’t appreciate it? We have what we have because of you, and I would choose this life again if I could, because you are in it” Wilhelmina affirmed. Edwin pressed his lips together, struggling with his emotions. “But giving our children an education would mean they’d have a way to support themselves if the land fails us. Edwin…”
Wilhelmina’s expression softened as she saw the weariness in her husband’s eyes. “I wouldn’t trade farm life for anything, but our children… they deserve the chance to do more. Please, think about it. They can still help you when they return from school.”
Finally, Edwin’s pride gave way. There was no point in continuing to deny the truth just because he didn’t want to admit that Wilhelmina was right. He fiddled with his fingers as she spoke, realising how sensible it was to prepare their children for a future beyond the farm. He looked at Wilhelmina and nodded, acknowledging her point. “You’re right… I know you’re right…”
Wilhelmina’s eyes widened in surprise. “I… I’m sorry, love. I’m sorry” Edwin stammered, his voice heavy with regret. “It’s this damned helplessness… I feel like nothing’s going right. The farm is slipping through my fingers, and look at this pathetic harvest we’ve had.”
Wilhelmina swallowed hard, her heart aching for her husband. “You said yourself that things would get better, and they will. We’ll see better days, but while the land has its ups and downs, our children can learn the basics, enough to make a living another way if they have no other choice.”
Edwin nodded again, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. With a sigh, he stood up, prompting Wilhelmina to straighten up as well. Edwin moved around the chair and took her hands, holding them gently. “We’ll enrol them, but they’ll still have to help on the farm. There’s too much to do” he said, his voice softer now. Wilhelmina nodded, and Edwin buried his face in the crook of her neck, seeking the comfort he had missed for so long.
“I think I deserve an apology, don’t you?” Wilhelmina teased, though she welcomed Edwin’s closeness. He nodded against her shoulder before whispering “Forgive me, I won’t speak to you like that again. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
Wilhelmina smiled and shook her head. “You’d better keep your word” she said playfully before leaning in to kiss him, a kiss of reconciliation. Edwin, who had longed for her touch for weeks, returned the kiss with fervour.
Wilhelmina placed a hand on the desk, on the papers with still-fresh ink. “Edwin, for heaven’s sake, the children…” she said, laughing softly. Both of them laughed quietly, and it felt as though an eternity had passed since they had last shared a moment of joy like that.
