by Leigh, Nerys
“Yes. Just a few touches here and there, some paint, and it’ll be perfect. Would you mind if we had some colour on the walls? Just a bit?”
He shook his head in happy confusion. Just a moment ago there had been tears in her eyes, now she was making plans for their home. Women were amazing. Strange, but amazing.
“Anything you want to change is just fine by me. Truthfully, I’ve been so busy with the farm that the house was really just a place to sleep and eat. I haven’t done much to it at all since I bought it other than fix what needed fixing, so whatever you want to do, go ahead. Just tell me what colour and where to put it and I’ll have the walls painted in no time. The general store in town stocks paint in all kinds of colours. I’ll be going to the market on Wednesday so you could come with me if you’d like.” He was so relieved she wasn’t crying that he didn’t seem to be able to stop talking.
She smiled and he wished the chair was closer to the bed so he could reach out and take her hand. Although maybe it was too soon for that. But he still wished.
“I’d like that very much,” she said.
“So, um, you’re not sorry you’re here?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh no, not even a little bit. I just miss home is all. But I chose to come here.” She looked down, her cheeks turning the most becoming shade of pink. “And I’m truly glad I’m your wife.”
All the words left his head in a rush. “I... uh... I’m real glad you’re my wife too. You have no idea.”
She laughed, covering her mouth with her fingertips, and the sound ignited a warmth inside him he’d never felt before. If he’d been able to look at his own heart, he wouldn’t have been surprised to see it glowing.
Where she was lying on the floor, Bess raised her head from her paws and listened for a moment before scrambling to her feet and bounding out the door.
Footsteps heralded Will’s appearance in the open doorway. “Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs Goodwin’s here. And she has food.” He disappeared again.
“Mrs Goodwin?” Sara said.
Daniel couldn’t help smiling. Things were looking better and better.
“Mrs Goodwin is a local legend. You are going to love this.”
Chapter 3
Sara sat on the bench on the porch behind her new home and gazed at the distant mountains bathed in the orange glow of the sunset. It was a breathtaking sight and she wondered that she’d lived her whole twenty-three years without seeing anything so magnificent.
She silently thanked God for bringing her to this place. She was still embarrassed at her emotional reaction to Daniel’s mention of her family earlier. He’d done nothing but make her feel welcome and the last thing she wanted was for him to think she didn’t want to be there.
She snuck a surreptitious look at him from the corner of her eye where he sat at the other end of the bench. He seemed more relaxed than when they’d arrived at the house, one foot resting on the opposite knee and his arm draped over the back of the bench towards her. She had an almost overwhelming urge to slide closer to him where it could settle around her shoulders. She remained where she was, however, a cushion at her back and a shawl wrapped around her instead of Daniel’s arm.
It was the first time they’d really spent any time alone other than on the journey home, and she was glad of it. She liked Will very much, but she found herself wanting to talk to Daniel, just the two of them.
Will had left not long after supper. He hadn’t said where he was going, but Sara had caught Daniel’s look of disapproval. But he hadn’t said anything to her about it so it wasn’t her business.
She and Daniel had been sitting together on the bench for a while, Bess stretched out at their feet, watching the changing colours of the evening and talking. It was wonderfully comfortable. Initially she’d worried it might be awkward, their first real conversation, but after months of exchanging letters it felt... right.
“I must ask Mrs Goodwin for the recipe for her beef stew and dumplings,” she said, pulling her shawl tighter around her against the falling temperature. “I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything quite so delicious in my life.”
Daniel’s eyes went to her shawl then moved to the space between them and for a moment Sara thought he might move closer. She was disappointed when he didn’t.
“Mr Goodwin is a very lucky man,” he said with a smile. “I suggested to her once that if she opened a restaurant people would come from miles around, but she said she just enjoys cooking for her neighbours. She’s convinced an unwed man can’t cook for himself so she likes to bring us meals every once in a while. I’m ashamed to admit it, but she’s not far wrong where Will and I are concerned.”
“Does that mean she won’t bring you meals anymore now I’m here?” She held one hand to her chest in mock horror. “I’m so sorry.”
He chuckled. “I think I’ll live. And I recall you mentioning your cooking skills in your third letter. I’m looking forward to sampling them.”
Sara suddenly wished she hadn’t tried so hard to impress him. “Well, I thought I was a good cook, but having tasted Mrs Goodwin’s stew and dumplings I’m not so sure.”
He gave her a smile that made her heart shiver. The ethereal light of dusk had turned his sun-kissed skin caramel and glistened in the dark waves of his hair. And to think she’d thought Henry handsome. He didn’t even come close to holding the tiniest stub of a candle to Daniel.
“I’m going to love your cooking,” he said.
“But you haven’t even tasted it yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. I know I’m going to love it.”
The way he was looking at her, his eyes glowing with warmth, sent her heart from shivering to thumping. She suddenly wanted to kiss him so badly she had to scrunch her toes in her shoes to keep from throwing herself across the space separating them. He held her gaze for so long she felt sure he was going to take the initiative and move closer.
And then, to her horror, she yawned.
She slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening. “I’m so sorry! I’m not bored, I promise.”
His laughter warmed the chilly evening air. “I’ll try not to take it personally. You’ve had a long journey. I’m surprised you’re still awake. We should probably turn in anyway.”
He stood and opened the kitchen door, standing back for her to walk ahead of him into the house. In the parlour he lit two lamps, set one on a sideboard, and carried the other into the bedroom, placing it on the nightstand.
Pushing his hands into his pockets, he turned to face her. “The bedroom is yours. I’ll be sleeping in the parlour until we... well, until we know each other better.”
Despite the low light, she was sure she detected the hint of a blush colouring his cheeks.
“I’m pushing you from your bed?” she said, mortified.
“Don’t worry, I’ll sleep fine. For the first year I lived here I didn’t even have a bed. Just had my bedroll on the floor. To be honest, I was always so tired back then I could have slept on a rock. I’d take the other bed in the bunkhouse, but Will snores so loud after he’s been...” he paused, looking like he was searching for the right word, “...out, you’d swear the house was falling down. And I’ll feel better knowing I’m close if you need me.”
She bit her lip. She hadn’t known what was going to happen on their first night together and she’d been a little nervous about the prospect of them sharing a bed, but she certainly hadn’t wanted him to be left sleeping on the floor.
“I feel bad I’m keeping you from your comfy bed.”
“Please don’t. I promise I will be just fine.” A smile curled his lips. “And it’s not like it’s forever.” His eyes darted to the bed and then lowered to the floor.
This time it was Sara’s turn to blush. “No.” She looked down at Bess who had followed them inside and was now sitting between them, her eyes flitting between the two of them as if she was following their conversation. “Does Bess sleep in here?”
Her ears pricked f
orward at the sound of her name.
“Oh, no, she sleeps in the barn. She’s done that ever since I got her when I first moved in here. I tried to get her to sleep in the house, but she likes to be with the animals. I think she thinks she’s guarding them or something. Apparently she thinks I can take care of myself.”
Sara reached down to stroke her silky head. “I always have wanted a dog. I’ll bet she was good company.”
“That’s why I got her. It was lonely out here by myself, before Will came. A neighbour’s dog had puppies and I took one look at Bess and that was it.”
She imagined Daniel holding Bess as a tiny puppy and melted a little.
“Anyway,” he said, smiling as if he knew what she was thinking, which he couldn’t possibly. She hoped. “I’ll let you get some rest. Sleep well, Sara.”
Goodness, how she loved hearing him say her name. “Goodnight, Daniel.”
He walked to the door and glanced back at her. “You’ll never know how grateful I am you’ve come all this way to be with me. I’m real glad you’re here.” And then he left.
“I’m glad I’m here too,” she whispered to the closed door.
As she took her nightdress from the suitcase lying open on the bed, her eyes strayed back to the parlour door.
How could she have yawned?
Chapter 4
When Sara woke the following morning, the sun was well on its way into the morning sky.
Finding her watch in the pocket of her dress, she was horrified to see it was after nine and she’d overslept dreadfully. She hoped Daniel wouldn’t think she was lazy.
After washing and dressing as quickly as she could she opened the door and peered out into the parlour. A bedroll and pillow were folded neatly in the corner, but Daniel was nowhere in sight. She stepped one foot out the door before stopping and looking down at her bare left hand. Shaking her head, she returned to the bed and took her wedding ring from where she’d left it on the nightstand. At least Daniel hadn’t been there to see her forget it.
She slipped the gold ring onto her third finger and held her hand up to admire the way it looked before returning to the parlour. In the kitchen she found a blue checked dishcloth draped over something on the table. Propped against it was a note written in Daniel’s familiar handwriting.
Good morning, Sara!
I know you must be very tired so I didn’t want to wake you. Will and I are working in the fields today and I want to get an early start so I can get home before the sun sets. I’d like to show you around the farm a bit, if you’re feeling up to it.
If I had the choice I’d spend the whole day with you, but there’s always work to be done! Tomorrow after church we can have the rest of the day together. I’m looking forward to that very much.
We’ve taken our lunch with us, so don’t worry about cooking. Please feel free to do whatever you want today, except work. You need to rest, so as your husband I’m ordering you to enjoy yourself! By the way, that’s the only order I’ll ever give you. I won’t be the kind of man who treats his wife like a servant.
Bess is going out with us so don’t worry that she’s not around.
Have a relaxing day,
Daniel
Sara realised there was a smile on her face.
She was sad to have missed him, but the letter went a good way to making up for her disappointment. She read it again, twice, then she took it into the bedroom and placed it in the drawer where she’d put all his other letters to her. They were amongst her most cherished possessions and one day she planned to show them to their children and grandchildren.
A thought came to her - had Daniel kept her letters to him? She looked around the room for likely places he would keep such things before stopping herself. She wasn’t going to snoop. Yes, they were husband and wife, but snooping was definitely an activity you didn’t engage in until at least the second week of a marriage.
He might keep them in one of the drawers he had kept for himself in the bedroom.
But she wouldn’t know because she wasn’t going to snoop.
To distract herself from temptation, she returned to the kitchen and picked up the dishcloth on the table. Underneath was a plate of sliced bread, butter, and a jar of honey, along with a glass of what turned out to be delicious freshly squeezed orange juice. Another piece of paper leaning against the glass read, Remember, no cooking! Dinner is in the pantry.
Laughing, she investigated the small pantry and found a tray loaded with smoked pork and boiled potatoes along with a jar of preserved tomatoes and two boiled eggs, plus a handful of apricots. It was a simple meal, but she didn’t mind. Another piece of paper read, Have a good day. I’ll see you later.
She held the note to her chest and sighed, well aware she had a big, silly grin on her face. She couldn’t wait for the afternoon when he’d come home.
After the bread, butter and honey breakfast, which was delicious and she decided to have as often as possible from then on, she went exploring.
Sara’s mother had taught her and her sister how to cook at an early age, so even though they had a cook, she knew her way around a kitchen. Every young lady, Mama always said, needed to know how to cook, clean, run a household and look after her husband so that he could provide for and take care of her. Having staff didn’t mean Sara would never have to do those things for herself. Of course, Mrs Worthing had never imagined her daughter would be living all the way across the continent in the wild country of northern California, but Sara was grateful she’d been prepared to be a wife.
What neither her mother nor anyone else in their household could teach her, however, was anything about farming. She didn’t have the first idea about what it took to be a farmer’s wife, but she was determined to learn.
The first thing she did was set out to investigate the barns, passing the large pump for the well which sat not far from the house. On seeing it the day before, Sara had been relieved to find running water inside the house as well. She hadn’t relished the thought of having to fetch her water from outside.
The smaller of the two was set back behind the bunkhouse where Will lived, its brown roof looming over the smaller building. The thick wooden walls were weathered to a silvery grey that shimmered in the rays of the sun, beautiful in its own way. Sara imagined a simple trellis covered with climbing roses brightening its walls and wondered if Daniel would mind. Pink would contrast wonderfully with the colour of the wood.
She tugged on one of the huge doors, expecting it to be difficult to open, but the hinges were well maintained and it swung with hardly any effort. Inside, dust motes hung in the air, a shaft of sunlight from a window high up on the wall making them sparkle and dance as she walked in.
To her right were stacks of lumber which was probably the wood Daniel was going to use to enlarge the house. Next to it a ladder ascended to a hayloft and most of the rest of the space was taken up with shelves of boxes and jars of seeds, tools, and some paraphernalia she assumed had something to do with beekeeping. Most of it she had no idea about. She had a lot to learn.
Beyond the small barn was a large enclosure surrounded by stout wooden-framed fencing filled in with wire mesh. Within the fence was a chicken coop and at least thirty chickens contentedly pecking amongst the grass and dirt. They paid her no attention whatsoever as she approached. Sara had plenty of experience eating chicken but absolutely none with the live variety. She supposed collecting eggs wouldn’t be difficult, but would she be expected to pluck and prepare one? Kill one? The thought made her shudder as she watched the brown and white birds using their claws to scratch at the earth and then gobbling up anything they found. Hopefully Daniel or Will would take care of that part.
The chicken enclosure stood next to the paddock. River and Ginger were out with Daniel and Will, but the large grassed field still held one occupant - a golden brown cow. It lifted its head from the grass and turned its gaze on Sara and, after a few seconds of study, plodded towards her.
Sara stepped
back from the fence a little as it approached. Cows were another animal she’d had plenty of culinary acquaintance with, but that was where the familiarity ended. Up close, they were disturbingly big.
The cow reached the fence and hung its head over the top, staring at her with its huge brown eyes.
“Hi,” Sara said, “I’m Sara. I guess we’re going to get to know each other over the next few days.”
The cow continued to stare at her. It was unnerving.
Being the only cow there, Sara assumed it was for milk, so it followed that at some point she’d have to milk it. She looked at the udder hanging beneath it with some trepidation.
“I’m just going to say this now, so we understand each other,” she said. “When I milk you for the first time it’s going to be awkward for both of us, but I hope we can become friends anyway.”
An ear twitch was the only acknowledgement the cow gave.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to eating.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and gingerly patted the cow between its ears. It shook its head, stared at her for a few seconds more, then turned and plodded away.
“Well, what were you expecting?” Sara murmured to herself. “A deep conversation?”
She continued past the paddock to the larger barn.
Not only was it larger, it was also clearly newer, its walls still a relatively fresh shade of golden-brown. She guessed the small barn had been here when Daniel bought the farm and this was his own addition. Inside was a much more impressive space, large enough to house a series of stalls for the animals and leaving plenty of room for a workbench, a threshing floor, and some farm related equipment Sara didn’t recognise.
Looking around her she felt a sense of pride at all that Daniel had accomplished on the small farm. And he’d done it all in anticipation of having a family. In many ways, her arrival was the culmination for him of years of hard work. She’d never before considered how much her coming here to be his wife must mean to him.