“Let me open the tin and warm the beans a bit.”
He shook his head.“I’ll get the beans.And before I leave for work tomorrow, I’ll carry in water so you can have a bath.You’ll need to heat the water yourself, but I can bring it in.”
For a second, Belle thought about arguing with him, but finally, she nodded.“I would appreciate that.”The whole house needed a good cleaning, and she would embark on that tomorrow.Everything could wait until tomorrow.
They ate cold beans in silence straight from the tins, and then he declared it time to sleep.Belle didn’t want to use the blankets that had been on the trip, but they appeared to be the only ones.There would be laundry to do.Tomorrow.She would do it all as soon as she had the energy.
As she climbed into bed with her husband, it felt natural to move into his arms and receive his kiss goodnight.They had yet to consummate their marriage, but as far as she was concerned, that could wait until tomorrow as well.
Finally, they were home, and she was going to take advantage of that fact and sleep in a way she hadn’t been able to sleep outdoors for the past while.Tonight, she would sleep and tomorrow, everything could be sorted.
*****
WHEN BELLE WOKE THEfollowing morning, she immediately opened the trap door to the cellar to see what she had to work with for meals.After a minute or two, she carried bacon, flour, and sugar up the stairs.She wasn’t sure if she would be able to find eggs anywhere, but if not, she needed to get some chickens.
She quickly mixed up pancakes and bacon, thinking she could prepare a cake for supper if she could find some eggs.She’d have to ask Everett about them when he woke up.She moved quietly, unsure when he left for work.She’d thought they’d covered every topic on their journey, but she realized some of the day-to-day minutiae had been missed.Such as his work hours.
When he finally woke and joined her, the meal was ready.“What time do you work?”she asked.“I wasn’t sure if I should wake you or let you sleep.”
“Usually, I start around eight in the morning, but I didn’t set my alarm clock last night, so I could sleep in after our journey.I’m so glad we’re finally home.”
She smiled.“I am as well!Are you still going to take me to meet Mrs.Johnson this morning?”
“I am.You need to be able to shop and have a female companion.”
“That would be nice.”She took a bite of her breakfast before looking at him.“Are there eggs to be purchased at the store?”
He chuckled.“We sell our excess eggs at the store.There’s a chicken coop out back.There’s also a heifer that will need to be milked twice daily.I can continue to do that if you’d like.”
“Oh, no.That’s something I can do easily.Who took care of her while we were gone?”
“James did.And he collected the eggs and took them to Mrs.Johnson daily.We’ll almost always have a credit with the store, so buy what you want.If I don’t have a big enough credit, I’ll make it right after.That’s one of the reasons I want to introduce you.You’ll be able to get whatever you want on my account.”
“That’s good to know.”She smiled.“And I’m thrilled we’ll have fresh milk and eggs.”
“All the men in town shop at the store for their meals.Some can’t cook at all.Whenever Mrs.Johnson makes extra bread, the men buy it as soon as it touches the shelves.”
Belle thought on his words.She’d been working for years and hated the idea of giving up her income.Perhaps she could make bread and cakes for the store to sell.She enjoyed baking a great deal.“Would you mind if I did a little baking for the store?I would feel better if I had something to keep me busy.”
“I wouldn’t mind at all.Whatever you want to do, as long as I have two home-cooked meals every day.”
“What about your noon meal?”she asked, frowning.Surely, he didn’t skip meals with as physical as his work was.
“I take it with me.I’ll just do whatever’s left from supper.Or if nothing is left, bacon sandwiches or tinned beans work for me.”
“I can make that happen.”She pushed her plate away after eating her last bite.
There was a loud knock on the door then.When Everett opened it, he invited the man inside.“Belle, this is James.He’s been looking after our place.”
“You made it back in good time!”James said.“I wasn’t expecting you for at least another week.When I saw the smoke from your chimney, I knew I had to stop in and meet the wife.”James looked at Belle.“It’s good to meet you.Let me know if you have any trouble with Everett, and I’ll take him to task for you.”
Belle laughed.“I don’t think that will be necessary.He was a perfect gentleman to travel with.”
“You’ll never convince me of that!”James said with a grin.“Glad to have you back.Will I see you at work today?”
“I’m going to take Belle to meet Mrs.Johnson, and then I’ll be in.I’m sure there’s a ton of paperwork to get to!”
“Yup.I bossed the men around, but I sure didn’t mess with your books.Your system has never made any sense to me.”
“That’s fine.I’ll take care of it.”Everett paused for a moment.“Thanks for taking care of things for me while I was gone.”
“Any time.”
As James walked away, Everett told Belle to leave the dishes.“You can do them after you meet the Johnsons.You gather eggs, and I’ll milk the cow, and then we’ll take that walk.”
Belle groaned.“I may never go on another walk again!”
He laughed.“Of course you will.It’s too beautiful here not to.”
