by Annie Boone
Susannah’s smile faded to a frown. She was silent for a moment.
“Well, you can help out around the house. I said in my letters that I needed a hand around here. You’ll just have to dust your way into our good graces.”
She was trying to joke, but Susannah really didn’t find much humor in the situation. Eleanor was too beaten down to expect kindness, even from her own family. They’d gotten her out of Boston just in time.
Chapter Three
Over the next several days, Eleanor took over almost every chore in the house. She swept and scrubbed the floors, cooked the supper and washed the dishes, then took the laundry out to wash before Susannah could lift a finger. Finally, Susannah was forced to have a talk with her.
“Really, Eleanor, you’re not my maid,” she said seriously. “I’m not the sort to go having you do everything for me. We should at least take turns with the work, or else I’ll grow so lazy you’ll have to carry me to church.”
Eleanor smiled. She actually had far less to do here than she had in Boston. A household of three could only produce so much work in comparison with one of eight, no matter what the size of the home itself.
“It’s really no trouble. I don’t know what I’d do with myself otherwise.”
Susannah shook her head.
“I don’t know what to do with myself, now. You’re going to turn me into a lady of leisure, and then you’ll leave one day, and where will that leave me?”
“If it bothers you that much, we can share the work. Starting tomorrow.” Eleanor disappeared into the kitchen before Susannah could say another word. She sighed and returned to the sitting room, plopping down into a seat. She picked up some needlework, but put it down again almost immediately.
Poor Eleanor. She was such a hard worker, and she never had anything come of it. Susannah could open her home and her heart to her, but there must be something more she could do. Eleanor deserved more.
Frowning, Susannah watched her slip past the open doorway with a broom in her hand. She must have been so lonely, too. She had her husband without even the comfort of a child to remember him by.
Suddenly, a smile lit up Susannah’s face. She knew exactly what to do with Eleanor. And for the first step, she needed a new dress.
Chapter Four
The next day after breakfast, Susannah hitched up the buggy and dragged her guest into it for a ride to town. She had told Eleanor that they were running an errand, but refused to be more specific than that. She did, however, look extremely pleased with herself. When the buggy came to a stop in front of a dressmaker’s shop, Eleanor stared with wide eyes.
“What are we doing here?” she asked nervously. Did Susannah think her clothes were too poor? She didn’t have money for a new dress. Eleanor had spent almost everything she had on train tickets.
“A treat for you,” Susannah said, smiling at her. “Every woman deserves a new dress every now and then. Come now, you probably haven’t had a new dress in a year.”
Eleanor hated to admit it, but it was true. She took immaculate care of her clothes because they had to last. She couldn’t afford to replace them.
“I can’t say you’re wrong,” she murmured.
“Of course you can’t,” Susannah said cheerfully. “Now let’s have some fun.”
The next hour was a whirlwind of fashion plates and fabric samples. Eleanor was shocked at how up-to-date the fashions in Colorado were. She’d thought someplace this far west would be behind the times, but the designs she was shown weren’t that far off from what the ladies in Boston wore.
News travels quickly these days. she reflected. After all, it only took me a few days to get here.
In theory Eleanor picked patterns and fabrics, but really it was Susannah doing the picking. Without her friend lurking at her side making suggestions, Eleanor would have bought something very different.
Normally, Eleanor would have sewn her clothes herself, and would have made them as she could manage while still maintaining propriety. Under Susannah’s guidance, Eleanor was measured up for a matching skirt and jacket, in pale blue stripes with just a tasteful bit of dark blue ribbon for trim. This was to be well tailored, as Susannah insisted that she stop trying to hide herself under a flour sack. She hadn’t even seen the finished article, and Eleanor already felt self-conscious.
“A nice suit like that you can wear just about anywhere,” Susannah said. “Out for walk, to church… We can get you a little bonnet, too. With a white feather in it.” From the gleam in Susannah’s eye, Eleanor rather suspected that Susannah was the one who wanted a bonnet with a white feather. “And stop making that face. You’re a lovely young woman. Nobody is going to be offended if you wear clothes that actually fit.”
Eleanor shifted uncomfortably. It was going to take her some time to get used to not hiding her body, probably longer than Susannah would like. Susannah would like her to be comfortable already. Eleanor would have liked to never get comfortable with it at all, but she was determined to be brave. After all, she thought, I’ve already come this far.
At Susannah’s insistence, a couple of blouses were added to the pile, along with material to make another new skirt.
“You really don’t have to do this for me,” Eleanor said again as Susannah discussed payment with the shop assistant. “I can make do with what I have. You’re already doing so much.”
Susannah close her pocketbook with a definitive snap.
“Well, if you’re that worried about it you can make us an extra special supper. I may have been here for a few years, but I still remember your cooking,” Susannah said, smiling. Eleanor didn’t think that was an equivalent exchange, but she quickly agreed.
“How about this Sunday?” Susannah suggested. “We can have a nice Sunday supper.”
“Sounds perfect. I’d love to cook for you!”
Chapter Five
“I want to invite one of your friends over, to introduce to Eleanor,” Susannah said that evening, after Eleanor had gone to bed. She and Lucas were together in the sitting room, watching the fire sink lower on the hearth.
“One of my single friends, I assume,” Lucas said, looking at her from the corner of his eye.
“They might just happen to be single, yes. It might just happen that one of them falls in love with a friend of mine who also happens to be single.”
“No. We’re not doing that,” Lucas said flatly. Susannah huffed.
“Lucas!”
“Susannah, I won’t have you using my friends as a courting service. I have a reputation to maintain and professional relationships to uphold. None of that is compatible with also trying to marry people off to my wife’s widowed friends.”
“You don’t have to try to marry anyone off,” Susannah said innocently. “I’ll handle that part all by myself. I think I’ll be good at it, too.”
“I said no and I meant no.” Reaching over, he picked up a newspaper and opened it with an air of finality.
Susannah put her knitting aside and got up, sitting on the sofa next to Lucas.
“Don’t you want what’s best for Eleanor?” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. Sighing, he laid the paper on his knees so he could put his arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly.
“Of course, I want what’s best for Eleanor, but I also want what’s best for my friends. Interfering in their personal lives isn’t helping. I would advise you not to interfere too much with Eleanor, either. You may wind up hurting more than you help.”
Lucas enforced his point with a gentle kiss to Susannah’s forehead, but she continued to look unhappy.
“People need to find their own way in life. I’m sure Eleanor will find her path soon. And she’ll be pleased with herself for figuring it all out on her own,” he said. “Now, let’s go to bed.”
It seemed to Susannah, as she followed Lucas up the stairs, that finding your own path was all well and good, but one could probably find it much faster if someone else showed you the way.
Her determination to find a husband for Eleanor grew with each step she took. Eleanor’s trip to Colorado was going to be a very fruitful one, indeed.
Chapter Six
Eleanor awoke Sunday morning feeling cheerful. It was going to be her first service in Pine Ridge, Colorado and she was eager to meet the pastor and all her fellow church-goers. If she was going to make any friends other than Susannah anywhere in this town, it would be there.
Not only that, her new suit had arrived the day before. It was wonderful, the light blue jacket tailored in such a way that Eleanor hardly recognized the woman in the Jessup’s small mirror. Where Eleanor was dumpy, this woman had a well-shaped, if a bit large, figure. And Susannah had been right that that shade of blue was very flattering. Eleanor hadn’t had something that nice to wear in years. It made her feel excited, like a young girl going to her first dance instead of a widow going to church.
The three of them all piled into the buggy after breakfast and rolled into town. They were far from alone. The churchyard was full of horses and carts, buggies and wagons, and a fair number of people simply walked. Right before they walking through the church door, Eleanor was struck by a wave of anxiety.
She was the new person in town. Surely everyone would be looking at her. And she was wearing that suit. Susannah said it looked wonderful, but Eleanor was sure all it did was make her look like a big, round, blue poof, despite what the mirror had shown her.
Being the local sheriff, Lucas took a seat near the front of the church, and it seemed like a torturously long walk. If it weren’t for Susannah pulling her along by the arm, she might have fled.
Eleanor was right about being watched. Heads craned on necks as people tried to get a look at her, some more subtle than others. Susannah cast an eye over the crowd as they walked to the front pews, searching for any eligible bachelors who looked interested.
To her surprise, the man who came to mind was one who wasn’t in the church at all. Matthew Connor, a successful rancher and close friend of Lucas’s, rarely attended church. Susannah knew for a fact that he was extremely single. He hadn’t done much other than build his ranch for ten years.
Matthew was a wealthy man, and a kind one. He would treat Eleanor well if they were to marry. Of that she couldn’t be more certain.
Now she just had to figure out how to make them get married.
After the service ended and Eleanor had been introduced to Pastor Judd and what seemed like every lady in town, the Jessups and company left the church. Susannah looked down the road as Lucas untied the horses, bouncing on her feet with some inexplicable energy that he had long since stopped questioning.
“I’m going to run down and visit old Mrs. Henderson,” she said suddenly, folding her bag behind her back. “She’s been poorly, lately, you know. No need to wait, I can just walk home. Eleanor should probably go on back with you if you don’t mind. She must be tired after meeting all these people, and I hardly need company just to visit Mrs. Henderson.”
With that, she dashed off. Lucas gave her a suspicious look, but didn’t argue. Susannah had already disappeared down the street, anyway. Hopping over wagon ruts, she crossed over to the Pine Ridge branch of the Rocky Mountain Cattle Association and pushed open the door. Her face lit up as she stepped inside.
“Matthew Connor!” Susannah said, tripping lightly across the room. “Just the man I was hoping to see…”
Chapter Seven
“There’s going to be a guest?” Eleanor said blankly. Susannah was standing in the kitchen door, looking extremely pleased with herself.
“Yes. I just so happened to run into a friend of Lucas’ while I was at the store, and I invited him over for supper tonight.”
Lucas, who was passing through the main hall on his way out back, stopped to butt in.
“Susannah…”
His wife glared at him.
“Don’t give me that look. If it was up to you we’d never see anyone at all. We haven’t seen Matthew in quite a while, and I’d love to see him for more than a quick hello on the street. And it’s only proper we start introducing our guest to the town.”
Lucas shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“Do as you wish, my love, but don’t come running to me if it backfires.” Leaning down, Lucas kissed the top of Susannah’s head, and proceeded outside.
“What does he mean by that?” Eleanor asked, giving Susannah a look. Susannah just smiled, putting her hands on her hips.
“Never you mind. Now, what are we doing here?”
Chapter Eight
The supper guest, to Eleanor’s consternation, turned out to be a very handsome man. He was tall and broad, with glinting steel-blue eyes and dark, somewhat unruly hair. A square jaw covered in dark stubble looked appealing rather than messy. To say Eleanor was intimidated was an understatement. She’d never been comfortable around handsome men, and the sight of Susannah winking at her just made it worse.
“Eleanor, this is Matthew Connor. He’s an old friend of Lucas’s. Matthew, this is Eleanor Trimble. She’s an old friend of mine who was widowed recently. How nice for two of our oldest friends to meet!”
Matthew Connor politely dipped his head to Eleanor, whom Susannah had dragged out of the kitchen with her apron on for introductions.
“Now, supper’s just about ready, so if you’ll excuse us we’ll go get everything set up.” Susannah turned to the kitchen, allowing a grateful Eleanor to escape. She was already dreading this meal.
With Susannah’s assistance, Eleanor brought all the dishes to the table and signaled to the gentlemen that everything was ready. Her hands almost shook as she took her apron off. What was Susannah thinking? Inviting a handsome man like that to eat with her? She could only imagine what he was going to think of a fat, dumpy woman who made pies.
Matthew Connor turned out to be a perfect gentleman, which from Eleanor’s point of view only made things worse. Susannah had cheerfully introduced her as a widow, which earned her a sympathetic look from Matthew. Now Eleanor was faced with a handsome man’s pity for the duration of the meal.
Matthew himself was a rancher. He lived outside of town, in what was according to Susannah quite a large house, from which he managed herds of cattle. It was just about the most Western thing Eleanor had ever heard, and if she wasn’t slightly terrified of him she would have asked if he spent his time on the range like a cowboy.
Silently, she spooned up her peas.
Matthew himself was rather puzzled. Eleanor seemed like a sweet enough woman, and she was certainly a good cook, but she hardly spoke during the meal. Even then, she only contributed to the conversation when directly spoken to. She refused to look up, either, keeping her eyes glued to her plate.
He didn’t understand what she had to be so shy about. Eleanor wasn’t just sweet, she was also quite pretty. Her figure may have been on the large side, but it was still a pleasing shape, and it gave her cheeks a certain plumpness that was quite charming. Her eyes were also beautiful, when he actually got a look at him. They were a deep, warm shade of brown, like a good cup of coffee, and her eyelashes were thick and dark. Even her hair was lovely, twisted up into a thick, glossy brown knot behind her head.
No, Matthew didn’t understand what she was shy about at all.
“Isn’t this chicken just lovely, Lucas? I must admit, I missed Eleanor’s cooking since I came to Colorado.” Susannah gave a Matthew a meaningful look, and Lucas rolled his eyes.
Well, that probably wasn’t helping. Matthew got the feeling that if he was going to get to know Eleanor at all, he was going to have to get her away from Susannah.
The opportunity to do that came sooner than he would have expected, and from Susannah herself. The crowning glory of the meal was a rhubarb pie, made with last year’s preserves, with a perfectly flaky crust worked into decorative ridges. Susannah took over the duty of cutting everyone a large slice.
“It’s such a lovely afternoon,” she said, handing a piece to Ma
tthew. “Why don’t the two of you eat this on the porch swing? It’s always good to take in some fresh air.”
“But…” Before Eleanor could voice her complaint, Susannah thrust a plate of pie into her hands and pushed her toward the door. “Susannah, I don’t—”
“I would enjoy that, if it’s all right with you, ma’am,” Matthew said. His voice was quiet but deep, easy to hear despite its low tone. Eleanor hesitated, then nodded. If Susannah was determined to make her embarrass herself in front of this man, she might as well get it over with now.
Matthew quietly led the way to the front porch, opening the door for her to pass. As they sat down on the swing, Eleanor realized he was even wider than she was. Between the two of them, they spanned almost the entire bench. She could tell by looking at him, though, that there was nothing soft or doughy about him. That was the body of a man who worked hard, every day.
They sat in silence for a short while, just eating their pie. Eleanor had expected silence. She certainly didn’t have anything to say to a handsome rancher. To her surprise, though, the silence was pleasant. Matthew was a large man, but not an imposing one, and now that she didn’t have to look directly at his face Eleanor actually felt quite comfortable. If all they did was sit and eat pie, she could handle this quite well.
Matthew cleared her throat, turning slightly to look at her.
“So what brings you to our fair city of Pine Ridge?” he asked, sliding his fork through the pie.
Eleanor hesitated before answering. She could tell him something vague and evasive, but something about the warmth in his eyes made her want to be honest.