“I was only trying to be nice.”
He could see she made an effort to stop laughing. It didn’t entirely work.
“Maybe you are trying too hard.”
“Maybe I am.” Davy scratched his chin. “I guess I am nervous, too.”
He pulled on the reins as the door to the ranch opened. Never was Davy more delighted to see someone.
“You should be in bed.” He said as he greeted the older woman.
“That’s a fine greeting, isn’t it? Where are your manners? You could at least lift down your new bride and introduce her to the staff.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Davy jumped down and walked over to the other side of the wagon to help Mary. He put his arms around her waist and swung her down to the ground. Her sweet perfume smelled good. He drew her closer and kissed her gently on the forehead.
“Mrs. Sullivan, welcome to your new home.”
Davy smothered a laugh as Mrs. H pushed him aside in her eagerness to meet his bride.
“Oh aren’t you the bonny one? Good thing you are married already or my boys would be all over you. Come inside, child, or you will catch you death. Davy, grab the bags.”
“Now do you see why I am more scared of her? She orders me around as if I was one of her sons.”
“You coming or going to stand there all night bellyaching?”
Mrs. Higgins took Mary by the arm. “Come on. I have dinner ready. You are bound to be hungry after your long day. I am sorry I missed your wedding. Someone had to hold the fort out here. With the boys away, it was only Henry and me. He doesn’t do much so there you have it.”
Davy snorted. Henry, his right hand man, wouldn’t be too happy to hear Mrs. Higgins dismiss him so casually.
Chapter 19
Mary looked around her new home. It was lovely, bigger than she had imagined. Mrs. Higgins gave her a tour of the house, chatting away the whole time. There was a huge open fireplace in the sitting room, a table with eight chairs in the dining room and a large kitchen. Upstairs, she had counted four bedrooms.
“Is one of these your room, Mrs. Higgins?”
“Oh no dear, I don’t live in the house. I have my own little home just out the back there. You cannot see it now as its dark.”
“You mean all this is just for Davy?”
“Yes, well, it was the family home. Old Mr. Sullivan, bless his soul, came here years ago. He built a smaller house but it was pulled down and this larger one built when the Master and Mrs. Sullivan were wed. I didn’t live here then. When I arrived, Davy was about five. Daniel was two or three and Martha was pregnant.”
Mary listened or at least she tried to. If Mrs. Higgins went home to her own house that meant she and Davy would be alone. Her heart beat faster as Davy walked back toward them.
“I put your bags in the bedroom. I will have to leave you with Mrs. Higgins until I see to the animals. Are you alright?”
She looked at her husband, seeing concern in his eyes. Did he think she wasn’t up to all this? “I am fine, thank you.”
“Henry has seen to the animals. Why don’t you sit down with your new bride and eat your dinner.” Mrs. Higgins brushed her hand across the table as if to remove some dust.
“Don’t fuss. I will be back in ten minutes. I want to check the calves.” Davy ran before Mrs. Higgins could argue.
“Like a new father he is, the way he fusses around those calves.” Mrs. Higgins tutted, not seeming to notice the fire in Mary’s cheeks at the thought of Davy being a father.
“Why don’t you sit down, Mrs. Sullivan?”
“Mrs. Higgins, please call me Mary. I look for Davy’s ma when I hear anyone say Mrs. Sullivan.”
“I can’t be calling you Mary but I will settle for Miss Mary. Would that work for you?”
Mary couldn’t believe she had gone from being a servant in a big house to being the mistress of this ranch. She touched the gleaming wooden dining table.
Davy returned as promised, water still glistening on his face. He had obviously washed up for dinner. He smiled as he took his seat opposite her. Although the dining room was huge, the candles Mrs. Higgins had set on the table made it appear quite intimate. She served both of them. Mary’s mouth watered at the delicious smells. She had been too nervous to eat after the wedding.
“Now, I have left dessert in the warmer and coffee on the stove. Have a good night and I will see you first thing in the morning.”
“Good night Mrs. H but I insist you stay in bed until at least noon. We intend sleeping in, don’t we, Mary?” Davy said cheerfully as he picked up his fork.
“Do we?” Mary couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice. Desperation made her daring. “Mrs. Higgins, why don’t you stay a while and chat with us?”
“Not tonight, dear. Newlyweds need some time alone.”
With that she was gone. Mary turned back to her husband. He was eating as if it was his last meal. She picked up her fork but her appetite had vanished. Her hand shook slightly so she put the cutlery back on the table.
“I thought you would be hungry. You should eat something. Keep your strength up.”
Bile rose from Mary’s stomach. What did she need to keep her strength up for? Oh dear God, what had she done. She stood up quickly, causing him to scramble up as well. “Sorry, please sit and eat. I am very tired. Would you mind if I went to bed?”
“This early? I thought we might sit a while. Mrs. H lit the fire in the sitting room. It should be quite cozy now.”
Mary stood staring at him. She couldn’t conquer the fear in her stomach.
Davy looked at his bride. She looked like a deer caught in a trap. The poor girl was terrified. He was such a clutz. “Mary, please sit down and eat something. You will feel better.” To his relief, she sat but didn’t reach for a fork. He picked it up for her and spearing a morsel of steak on the fork, lifted it to her lips. “Try this. It’s good.” He said softly. She opened her mouth taking the meat delicately. He had to look away. She was so kissable. He continued to feed her for a little bit in silence.
“Mary, um, well I…” Davy stammered.
“Yes?”
Darn it but the wariness was back in her eyes. He had to get her to trust him otherwise it was going to be very uncomfortable for both of them.
“I just wanted to make sure of the sleeping arrangements.” Davy fiddled with his collar. This was harder than anything else he had ever done. She wasn’t making it any easier. Her cheeks were rosy now, flushed with embarrassment he guessed. It made her look even more attractive. “I thought you might prefer to take the larger room. I will sleep in my old room for now.”
“You will?” She stuttered but he didn’t miss the hope in her eyes. He nodded, causing her to close her eyes and take a deep breath. “Thank you.”
“This is all new to both of us. I think we should wait until we know each other a little better before we have a real marriage.”
“A real one?”
“You know.” At her look of confusion, he took a deep breath. Would he have to spell it out for her? “I know we are married but there is no rush is there?”
Mary shook her head. Relieved that was over and there was no further misunderstanding, Davy stood up and started to clear the table. “Do you want to have coffee in the sitting room or would you prefer to go to bed?”
“I will help you clear first, then coffee would be nice.”
Together they cleared the table, washed and dried the dishes.
“Mrs. H will be pleased. She is always complaining I don’t wash up after myself.”
“I guess you are busy on the ranch although you might have to tell me what you do?”
“Why don’t we go into the fire and sit a while?”
Talking to her was so easy, Davy didn’t realize how much time had passed until Mary tried, but failed, to stifle a yawn. He stopped.
“Sorry. I didn’t sleep very well last night.”
“It’s me. Once I get talking, I never know when to shut up.”
Davy stood and held out his hand to her. He walked her toward the stairs. He felt her stiffen; her nerves were probably getting the better of her as he walked her up the stairs. She is so brave. Coming all this way to wed a stranger and finding herself all alone with him at night. She must be terrified. Tenderly, he squeezed her hand hoping his touch would help settle her. They came to a standstill outside the bedroom door.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Sullivan.”
“Goodnight.”
It was no use; he had to kiss her just once. He had been patient all evening and it was his wedding night after all.
Chapter 20
Relief swamped her. He’d said goodnight and didn’t appear to want to follow her inside. She turned to go into the room but his hand stopped her. Turning her gently toward him, he brushed his lips against hers. Her heartbeat quickened as she moved closer to him. She tilted her face not wanting the kiss to end. With a moan, he gathered her closer the pressure of his lips making her open her mouth. She jerked in surprise as he deepened the kiss. She savored the sensations. Surprised she found she liked it. A lot! He pulled away.
“Please go to bed now, Mary.”
She nodded, her tongue licking her lips, her eyes glued to his. Kiss me again please. She couldn’t kiss him. That would be too forward. He looked at her for so long, she thought he was going to grant her wish but instead he grazed his lips across her forehead. “I have to go.” He stalked off, leaving her wondering what she had done to upset him. Maybe he doesn’t like kissing me?
Davy almost ran downstairs and out the front door. Telling himself he needed to check the calves once more before turning in for the night. The kiss had shaken him. He didn’t intend for it to go that far. It should have been a goodnight peck on the lips. Thank God they were already married. He had promised himself he would give her time to get used to being around him before they shared a bed. But after that kiss, he wasn’t sure he would be able to keep his promise. She was totally innocent of what took place between a man and woman, of that he was sure. But her reaction to his kiss had suggested his new wife had a passionate nature. He couldn’t wait until this became a real marriage.
But didn’t women want romancing? He wasn’t in love with her. That wasn’t part of the deal. Love only led to heartache. He had experienced that once and didn’t intend ever to go down that road again. Too hot and bothered now to think about sleeping, he decided to do some chores. There was always something that needed doing around the ranch. Hard physical labor would be just the ticket to take his mind off the lady he had just left.
Mary lay in the bed going over and over the kiss. She closed her eyes, relieving every moment as she cuddled his pillow. His scent. Maybe this marriage would be like Katie and Daniel’s after all. She had been kissed before. James had often taken advantage of the fact that as a servant she was often left alone. Many a kiss they had shared but it had never resulted in the feelings she had tonight. When James had tried to deepen his kisses, her stomach had roiled in protest. Yet Davy’s kisses left her wanting more. She had almost begged him to kiss her again. Shame overcame her. What would her parents think if they knew she had behaved so wantonly? But then they had been young and in love once, too. In love? She wasn’t in love. They had only just met for goodness sake. Tossing and turning she tried her best to fall asleep.
“Good morning, Miss Mary. Beautiful day it is, too.”
Mary groaned as the housekeeper opened the drapes flooding the room with sunlight. She shot up in the bed. Just how late was it? The sun looked like it was high in the sky.
“Don’t look so scared, child. It is normal to sleep late the morning after your wedding night. I hope Mr. Davy didn’t keep you up too late.”
Mary’s cheeks flushed at the implication but she didn’t get a chance to respond. Mrs. Higgins was fussing around the room, straightening the covers. “Would you like breakfast in bed?”
“No, thank you, Mrs. Higgins. I will get dressed and be right down.”
“Why don’t you call me Mrs. H like Davy does? Mrs. Higgins is a mouthful, isn’t it?”
Mary smiled as the housekeeper left the room. She stretched before getting dressed into one of her two day dresses. Neither was really suitable for her new role but they were all she had. Her wedding dress would be kept for Church. She walked slowly down the stairs, wondering where Davy was. Then she heard him joking with the housekeeper.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He stood as she entered the kitchen moving toward her to lay a kiss on her cheek.
“Morning.” She stammered, his nearness causing her pulse to beat faster.
“You looked so peaceful, I thought it best to leave you sleep late.” His wink told her his comments were for the housekeeper’s benefit.
Embarrassed, she looked at the floor.
“I thought we might go into town and buy you a few items. Some new clothes, for instance.”
Shame overwhelmed Mary. He had obviously taken one look at her dress and seen how poor his new wife was. Davy didn’t appear to notice her embarrassment.
“You need a riding dress for one thing. We don’t have sidesaddles so you may as well learn to ride astride. Katie may have some split riding skirts in the store. If not, she can make one for you. Unless you can sew too?”
“I can but not as well as Katie. She could sell the dresses she makes.”
“I think that might have been the plan but maybe after the baby. Ma can’t wait to get her hands on another grandbaby.”
Mary blushed. Was he hinting he wanted to start making a family? He said he was willing to wait. Had he had a change of heart? Did she mind? She was so caught up in her own thinking, she completely missed what he said next. He was staring at her. Lord, he will think I am soft in the head.
“Sorry. I was miles away. What did you say?”
“I asked if you would like to go visiting with Katie while I check on some other business in town.”
“Thank you. I would like that.”
“Great, I’ll go get the wagon. Mrs. H can give you a list of whatever she needs us to get at the store.”
Mary was thankful Davy had bundled up a blanket for her to sit on. Her rear end was still sore from the trip yesterday. She guessed she would get used to it. She glanced at Davy willing him to break the silence but he was staring ahead at the road.
“What’s it like working on a ranch?”
“It’s hard work but I love it. I like working for myself. I couldn’t work in town all day long, especially somewhere like the store.”
Mary looked around her at the wide open spaces leading up to the distant mountains. “It looks really peaceful out here.”
“It is mainly but you wouldn’t want to go out on your own. I will accompany you where possible. Can you shoot?”
Mary stared at Davy, her mouth hanging open.
“Don’t look so frightened. You will be safe at the ranch but just to be sure, I want you to be able to protect yourself. So can you?”
“No. I couldn’t shoot anyone.”
“Might not be a person. You could be faced with a grizzly or a rattler.”
Mary’s knees would have buckled if she hadn’t been sitting on the wagon. She looked around her wildly. A bear wouldn’t come so near to the ranch, would it?
“Don’t look so scared. We haven’t had a grizzly nearby for years.”
“Why did you have to mention it then?” She threw him a dirty look but it only made him laugh.
“You aren’t in Boston now. Out here everyone needs to know how to handle a gun. Never know when it might come in useful. We will pack a picnic and have some fun.”
Mary was saved from answering as they arrived in town. Davy pulled up outside the mercantile. Before she got a chance to step down, he was standing in front of her. “Allow me.” Reaching upwards, he put his hands around her waist and lifted her effortlessly to the ground.
Mary shivered at his touch. She didn’t want him to let her go. He seemed to agree as they stood for a few
seconds outside the store. He was looking down at her. She found herself gazing at his mouth, remembering the kiss they had shared last night. His eyes darkened as she moistened her lips. The moment was broken when Daniel opened the store door.
“Are you two lovebirds going to stand there all day or are you coming in?”
Davy released Mary with a sigh. “Go on in. I’ll find you after I complete my business.”
“Katie put the kettle on when you pulled up outside. She’s upstairs. Go on up.” Daniel said as he moved to serve a customer waiting at the counter.
“What took you so long? You pulled up ages ago. If I had known it would take you this long to come in, I could have made cookies to go with the tea.”
Mary’s cheeks flushed even more at Katie’s teasing.
“Well Mrs. Sullivan, it’s easy to see that marriage suits you.”
“Katie, stop it. You’re embarrassing me.” Mary took off her shawl and sat at the table.
“Where’s your husband?”
“He said he’ll pick me up later. He wants me to get some clothes. He took one look at my dress and announced we were coming to town.” Mary looked down at the dress. It was rather shabby.
Katie poured the tea. “He’s like Daniel. Generous to a fault. We have a couple of dresses in your size in the store. You have your tea and I will get them. We’ll need to see if they need altering.”
Mary enjoyed Katie’s company. Ellen stopped in at the store after school.
“I am making Ellen a dress for the Harvest festival. You’ll need something to wear too, Mary. Everyone gets dressed up. It’s a celebration for the whole town.”
“There is food and competitions and dancing. Last year’s was wonderful This year will be even better.” Ellen’s face lit up. “Katie, can I please try on the dress again?”
“I haven’t sewn anymore since yesterday.”
Mary smiled at the sisterly teasing, wishing Cathy was in Clover Springs. She didn’t want to upset the others so didn’t say anything. Katie squeezed her hand anyway. Her friend didn’t miss much. All too soon Davy arrived back to escort Mary to the ranch. Katie parceled up the clothes they had picked out while Davy settled the bill.
Mary: Clover Springs Mail Order Brides 2 Page 5