Penny Candy Christmas

by Chula Stone

Port Bend Kentucky, 1874

Will and Benjamin Wingate burst into the shop as boys will and headed straight to the candy jars. "Hello, Mr. Cray. Could we have a licorice whip, please!" As Will fished his penny out of his pocket, Logan Cray finished wiping down the glass of the display front where the pocket knives and awls lay shining on their black cotton beds.

"Can't we have a peppermint instead, Will? It looks so good," Benjamin wheedled.

"Stop talking like a baby," Will scolded. "Miss Penny's right behind us and if she hears you whining, she won't let us get anything. We already agreed to get the licorice because it's easier to split between the two of us." Will resented having a governess to look after him. He was after all fifteen and soon to be leaving to go back East to school, but he didn't want to start a fuss with her right here in the general store.

"But the peppermint is my favorite. We don't get candy very often. Why not get what we really want?" At age ten, Benjamin felt very strongly about his candy selections.

"All right, if you really want it," Will agreed, feeling sorry for the boy who would soon be left with no one but the mousy Miss Penny. "We'll figure out some way to split it. I promised you candy today and that's what you'll get."

"It's good for a man to keep his promises," commented Logan as he approached. "And I'll bet you didn't know this, but today there's a sale on candy. It's two for one penny, so you can each get what you want." The look of joy and relief on their faces was enough repayment for his impulsive gesture. Logan doled out the candy and watched with amusement as the boys enjoyed their treat.

The bell on the shop door clanked again when the door opened to admit a thin spare woman of about twenty-five. Logan knew she was in charge of Major Wingate's two children, but wondered why none of the soldiers at the nearby fort had even begun to court her. Though she was not beautiful in the classic sense, Logan had always admired her quiet patience and can-do attitude. "Here you boys are. But what's that you've got? Candy? Is that what you spent your last penny on, Will? And how did you get two pieces of candy with just one penny?"

"Mr. Cray said there was a sale on. We got two for one," Benjamin explained proudly.

Penny looked suspiciously at the boys for a moment then asserted, "We don't need charity, Mr. Cray. I'll pay you for the other stick." The look of concern that clouded her features and the guilty expressions on the boys' faces told Logan that their budget probably did not extend to treats like candy and the boys knew it. Logan had noticed before how carefully Penny shopped, especially toward the end of the month.

"No need to pay me, Miss Penny. The candy is on sale today and Will here paid his penny. That's not charity. It's just good business."

Penny considered this for a moment then shrugged. She had heard stories about Logan and his unorthodox business dealings which she remembered s with a spark of interest that she squashed immediately, bravely and from the habit of many lonely years. Such a man could have no interest in a woman like herself. "Thank you very much, then." Turning to the boys with a resolute smile she asked, "Are you two about ready to head home? We've got to get to work on your lessons."

"We'll be right along, Miss Penny. Why don't you go on without us?" Will snickered.

"Because I know you'll get lost between here and the house and not get that essay written for tomorrow, that's why. Will, you've got to pay more attention to your schoolwork," Penny reminded him.

"I don't see why I should even go to school here anymore. I've already been accepted to Anderson's Academy back in Virginia. They don't care what I do here," Will argued.

"Please, we'll discuss this at home," Penny chided. "Mr. Cray doesn't want to hear all this." She glanced self-consciously at the shopkeeper in a mute apology.

"I'd think that the son of Major Ross Wingate would have more pride than to neglect his studies, no matter what school or teacher they were for," Logan remarked. "Your Daddy is a great man. He'll be back eventually. Do you want him to hear that you've been slacking?"

"Slacking? I don't slack. I just don't want to waste my time on essays and kid stuff. I'll get busy on the important work at the Academy when I get there in January. Nothing will happen if I don't do that little essay, so why bother?" Will reasoned in a superior, mocking tone that irritated Logan. How could Penny allow the boy to show such disrespect.

"Miss Penny here and Miss Jennifer at the school want you to do it. That should be enough for you. I don't care much for your attitude, young man, and if I hear any more of your sass in my store, I might just have to tell you to take your trade elsewhere," Logan stated.

The look of shock on his face was classic and Penny could have wept with gratitude. Most of the men in town were employed by or dependent on the Army, so they hesitated to bring the Major's son up short. Apparently, the shopkeeper had no such qualms and Penny gave him another, more interested glance.

Will shuffled his feet and looked away. "I didn't mean any disrespect," he muttered.

"You call it respectful to skip out on your schoolwork?" Logan asked. When he received no reply, he suggested, "You get on home now and get started. I want a word with Miss Penny here." Both boys scuttled out the door into the cool autumn sunlight while Penny turned to Logan.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Cray. I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy. He minds me less and less every day," admitted Penny. "And the way he sneers. I'm sure his parents will be aghast, but it's only sometimes and I don't see how I can stop him."

"What he needs right now is a man to take an interest in him, Miss Penny. You do so much for both those boys, but you can't be a man to them. When is their Daddy expected back at the Fort?"

"He was expected back almost six months ago, but he's been here only sporadically since I first came. I was only hired to look after Will and Benjamin for six weeks when their mother fell ill and I'm still here after almost a year. I never expected to be able to stay this long, but now, I don't see any way they'll be able to do without me before December. The only drawback is that we'll probably be here just the three of us for Christmas."

"You could take the boys with you back home for the holidays if you wanted to, I suppose," Logan suggested. "Maybe your father or a brother could help you straighten them out."

"There's not much family left really. Just a couple of distant cousins. But even more, I'm afraid if I took the boys to my family, the Wingates might think I can't handle them. They are good children and I'm sure they would mind me if I had a little help." She looked wistfully at the Army wagon rumbling by and Logan understood.

"But none of the soldiers will help you, will they? They don't want to anger the Major so they won't tell the boys to toe the line. Is that it?" Logan asked.

"I suppose that's essentially the case," Penny replied.

"Well, I'll be happy to talk to them and help you any way I can," Logan promised. Penny's smile of gratitude lit up her whole face and made Logan's heart jump with hope. Since he had arrived in this town to take over the shop for his uncle, he had been trying to catch Penelope Rayburn's eye. At last he felt as if he might be succeeding in his goal. As Christmas drew closer, he hoped she would have more reason to check the mail and trade in his shop so he would get to see her more often. If only he could figure out a way to spend time with her away from the shop.

The next afternoon, Will and Benjamin came into the store again. "I was wondering if you got in any new dime novels in the supply wagon, Mr. Cray," Will inquired. "We've read everything we've got."

"And how is it that you have time to read dime novels but don't have time to do your lessons for school?" Logan wanted to know.

Before he could answer, Penny opened the shop door, but this time she did not hold back her irritation with Will. "Your teacher tells me you neglected to turn in that essay again," she scolded. "You told me you finished it. What happened?"

"I just forgot to turn it in, Miss Penny. I'll do it tomorrow. I need to take Potbelly out for a ride right now." Will forgot all about the dime novels and headed out the door with Benjamin at his heels.

"Just one minute, Will," Penny began. "Riding that horse is not more important than your lessons. If that essay is not on the teacher's desk by tomorrow morning, I'm taking your saddle and you won't ride Potbelly for a week. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Will answered as the door shut behind him.

"Was Will in here after candy again? I didn't know he had any more money. He hasn't been begging candy from you now, has he?"

"No, not at all. He came in to ask if I got any dime novels with today's supply wagon shipment, but forgot all about them when you came in."

"I'd love to take a look at your dime novels if you received any," Penny said.

"Several new selections did come in on the wagon just this morning. How about a candy stick while you browse?" She accepted his gift with a smile sweeter than the treat he gave her and his heart turned over in his chest, making speech difficult. When he found his voice, he asked, "Would you like to look at the detective stories, the westerns or the romances?"

"Oh, I'll take a look at them all. I'll only take one with me today, though, so I'd better make it a western that the boys can read after I'm done. Also, Miss Doris buys them from me after the boys finish with them, and she loves the westerns, too."

"You treat those boys as if they were your own. I really admire that kind of dedication," Logan remarked.

"They're the only children I have. I enjoy taking care of them," she replied.

"But some day their parents will return. What will you do then?" The question was perhaps too personal, but Logan couldn't help asking.

Penny seemed to have no hesitation telling him her plans. "I'll go on to the next job and the next family. I hope to get a position with a family with younger children so I'll be able to stay for a longer time."

"What about a family of your own?"

"If it hasn't happened by now, I doubt it will happen. I could go out farther West, I suppose, where women are scarce. I could probably catch a husband that way, but I hate the idea of going so far away just to get a man. I really don't need a family of my own. I have a full and happy life, Mr. Cray. I enjoy my work and my novels enough to keep me content." She blushed then, and turned away. "I can't believe I just said all that to you. It's just that you're so easy to talk to. I've never been able to talk with men before. I'm afraid this candy has loosened my tongue."

"I haven't been much of a smooth talker with the ladies myself," he rejoined. "It's different with you. Do you think...I might come to call on you some evening?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid it's not possible. There would be no one to chaperone us and with just the boys and I there in the house...I do thank you for asking, though." Turning a shade of red even deeper than the cherry candy she held, Penny fled the store. Logan stared after her, disappointed and confused.

Penny felt awkward and embarrassed the next day as she went to check the mail at the store. Logan smiled and made small talk as he handed her three letters and a sour apple candy stick wrapped in wax paper. She nodded her thanks and accepted her letters. The first two letters she glanced at and put in her reticule with the candy, but the third grabbed her attention. Impulsively, she reached out and took hold of his arm for support. "It's from the Major!" she exclaimed.

"You seem worried. Why don't you read it here?" he offered.

"Oh, my goodness," she whispered as she read the letter. "It seems as if the Wingates may be able to come home in a few weeks. Mrs. Wingate's health is improving and the Major is expecting to be posted back here to this Fort any time now."

"Isn't that good news?"

"Yes, it surely is," Penny replied, but her tone sounded doubtful. "Wonderful for the boys, but for me...Well, as you know, once their parents return, the boys will have no need of me any more."

"You'll stay on for a while so that the Wingates can get settled in, though, right? Maybe at that time, I could call on you. Mrs. Wingate would be able to chaperone us if she really finds it necessary. It would all be proper," Logan pressed.

She looked at him for a long moment then lowered her eyes. "I'm not sure. I don't know what to say."

Logan grinned. "That'll have to do for a 'yes' until something better comes along. But for now, you forgot your western yesterday. Here it is." He handed her the packet and when she reached out to take it, he covered her hand with his. "I hope you enjoy the books, but I also want you to remember that there's a real life out here. I may not be a western novel hero, but I'm real and I'm here and I think so much of you. I hope you'll give me a chance." She looked into his eyes for a moment, then pulled her hand from his and made her way into the street.

The following afternoon found Logan practically whistling to himself as he stacked cans of corned beef and pears neatly on their respective shelves. He heard the bell clank and stepped down from the stool to make sure that it was indeed Penny coming through the door. He grinned again when he saw her eyeing the candy sticks as she headed toward the counter where she received her letters.

They exchanged pleasantries before Logan remarked, "I guess Will got that essay turned in."

"No, as a matter of fact, he didn't," she answered as she took two letters from his hand.

"Funny. I thought I saw Will ride by on Potbelly right after school." Penny would not meet Logan's eye, so he continued, "You did take his saddle, didn't you? If that boy has gone riding anyway, despite you grounding him..."

"No, " she interrupted. "I didn't take his saddle away after all."

"You said you would, Miss Penny."

"I know. And I should do it, but he was so repentant, I simply couldn't punish him."

"You have to follow through once you've laid down the law."

"But he's only fifteen," she protested.

"Old enough to learn that actions have consequences," he asserted.

"But that horse means the world to him," she argued. "I was wrong to be so hard on him."

"Do you always think a thing to death like this? I had no idea you could argue so much," he exclaimed in frustration.

"I'm not arguing. You're arguing," she insisted.

"You aren't listening to one word I'm saying, are you?" he demanded. "That's it!" He grasped her wrist and tugged her behind the counter then through the door into the storeroom at the back of the shop. Down he sat on a crate of cotton fabric and over his knee she went. Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! His hand cracked down on her bottom more times than she could count as she sputtered in her shock and indignation. Her nether cheeks were stinging and tender by the time he quit and released his vice-like grip on her waist. She stood up and whirled to face him, breathing hard.

Her first thought was to slap his face, but before she could raise her hand she looked up into his face, flushed and tense as hers must be, she thought. He was breathing hard, too and visibly upset. Before she could speak, he demanded, "Are you ready to listen now? Or should I get a belt?"

She realized that all this energy and passion was directed at her. She had caused a strong, good, polite man to loose his temper and spank her rear end. Had she ever been this important to any man before? What was it he wanted? Nothing much. He only asked that she listen. She suddenly felt that her heart was ready to consider what he had to say. "I'm ready to listen now, Mr. Cray." And she was almost surprised to find that it was true. How could such manhandling discipline make her feel so differently towards him? Her perturbation showed in her eyes as she rubbed her stinging backside as discreetly as possible.

"All right then. Listen to me. You can't just let Will get away with disobeying you. You are in charge. You have good ideas and good instincts. You deserve to be obeyed. When you let him get away with disobedience, you also sell yourself short. That's something I won't stand for."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," she murmured. Her anger and confusion over his outrageous gesture began to fade. When he put it like that, she found herself feeling almost complimented by his actions.

"But there's another reason you can't let him off. He's got to learn to finish his duties first before he goes on to other things. What he does determines how successful he is. If you don't follow through with a promised punishment, no matter what it is, he'll get the idea that he can just break the rules, neglect his work and not mind anyone. Then once he gets out in the real world, he'll try that kind of thing and it will be a rude awakening to him when he gets in real trouble and no one will let him out of it. Do you want him to learn now or find out the hard way what happens to you when you don't obey the rules? It's either you punish him today or the sheriff will punish him tomorrow."

Penny hung her head. "I know you're right," she admitted. "I should have followed through with my promise and taken Will's saddle. But what can I do about it now?"

"It's not too late. Just be waiting at the stable and take the saddle as soon as he comes in tonight."

"I guess I should do that," she mused. Her voice betrayed her fear and hesitation.

"Would you like me to come with you? I'll tell him myself, if you like," he offered.

"Yes, that would be so helpful," she answered, enjoying the unfamiliar feeling of having a man's support.

"I'll close up the store at 5:00 and see you at the livery stables just after that. Now, I've been meaning to ask you. What did the boys say when you told them their parents are coming home?"

"I haven't exactly told them yet," she admitted. The entire conversation seemed so strange to her after what he had just done, but he was acting as if it were a perfectly normal occurrence for him to spank her like that. As if a cloud had momentarily passed over the sun before floating away past the horizon, his anger and passion had taken over for a moment then dissipated just as rapidly.

"Why not?" he wondered.

"If I tell the boys their parents are coming and then for any reason they can't come home on time, Will and Benjamin will be devastated. I thought it would be better to wait until plans are further along before I get their hopes up."

"I suppose that's wise, but it also might help Will's attitude improve if he knew his parents were coming home and would find out how he has been behaving," Logan suggested.

"I could tell them that I have heard from their father and just not mention any dates. It might help. Thank you for pointing that out."

"I want to help you, Miss Penny. That's why it frustrates me so badly when you don't listen. It occurs to me that I might ought to apologize for loosing my temper a bit just now." Here he looked down at his hands as if remembering where they had just been and what they had just been doing. "But I can't say that I'm sorry when I'm not. I think most highly of you, Miss Penny, and I can't stand to see you let people walk all over you. I've watched all these months and I've seen it more than once."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You give your time and effort into every project and cause the town promotes. You help at the school and you go way beyond the call of duty for the Wingates. But do you get the recognition you deserve? I sure don't think so."

"But I enjoy the projects and helping at school." Penny protested. "The Wingates are my employers, so of course I do my best for them. I don't do it for recognition. I'm just doing what I love to do."

"It takes a special person to give as much as you do and help as much as you help, always for someone else's family, someone else's children, someone else's problems. Take the town Christmas pageant for example. How many hours have you spent planning and practicing on those carols?"

"But that is fun. I enjoy the music and the drama."

"You also seem to enjoy contradicting me, Miss Penny. What I'm trying to say is, you work all the time and do so much on your own. If you'll let me, I'd like to start changing that. And even if you won't let me, I'm still going to keep an eye on you from now on. You need some looking after, yourself."

Suddenly, she realized the direction he was taking the conversation and it made her feel shy and confused again. "I don't know what to say, Mr. Cray. I mean, you don't owe me anything." She looked as if she wanted to continue, but then fell silent.

"Are you thinking that I also don't have any right to watch out for you? Maybe I don't, but until you tell me otherwise, I'm going to try. Can you honestly tell me you don't want me around?"

She opened her mouth to tell him she didn't need anyone, but the words stuck in her throat.

"I'll see you tonight at the livery stable then," he whispered as the shop door opened and several soldiers came in with supply lists in their hands. Penny nodded her thanks and avoided the aisles where the soldiers stood as she made her way out of the shop. Close this window [X]