The Four Winds

Loreda grieves over the loss of her best friend, Stella. One night, unable to sleep, she wanders outside and finds her father smoking by the old windmill. She tries to convince him to leave the farm behind, but before they can discuss it, Elsa calls them back inside. Loreda sees the defeat in her father’s eyes and blames her mother for it. The next morning, Elsa takes coffee out to Rafe, who sits in the family cemetery. He pleads with her to leave, to head west, but she can’t see a way forward with no money and no transportation. She wants a legacy to leave her children, and the land is their only possession.

Elsa ponders Rafe’s unhappiness as well her vow to “love, honor and obey” (106). She decides that her love for Rafe and her commitment to their marriage should outweigh her love of the farm. She finds him outside and tries to broach the conversation, but he kisses her passionately, trying to recapture the intimacy of their first night together. He sends her back to bed, promising to join her soon. The next morning, Elsa wakes up in their bed, alone. After morning chores, she searches for Rafe.