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“I had no idea. I think that’s wonderful.”
“You don’t?” she asked. She didn’t mind if he couldn’t, but it would be good to know.
He shook his head. “I never had the opportunity to learn.”
“Would you like me to teach you?” she asked. She was more than willing.
“I don’t know…what if I’m not smart enough to learn?”
“You are. I promise.” They turned on the road then and headed back toward the house. She was glad because exhaustion was setting in. “Why don’t we plan to work together after supper in the evenings? I’ll sit with you and teach you your letters and the sounds they make.”
“They’re my letters? Why aren’t they your letters?”
Cassandra laughed. “I think I like you.”
“I know I like you. And I’ll take you up on your offer. I’ll be at the house every evening after supper.” He grinned. “I might sweet talk Mrs. Royal into a supper invite for every night as well.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” she said. “Then we could spend more time together getting to know one another.”
When they reached the house, he smiled at her, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. “Thank you for the lovely walk, and the sweet offer,” he said. “I won’t come for reading lessons tomorrow with it being the fourth and all, but I’ll come the next evening, if you’ll have me.”
“I would enjoy it a great deal. I’ll talk to Mrs. Royal about it.”
“And I hope you’ll save me a dance at the Fourth of July picnic and fireworks.”
“There will be dancing?” she asked. “I’ve never really learned to dance. I went to a few dances back home, but I always stood in the corner and watched.”
Wade sighed. “A woman as beautiful as you should never be a wallflower.” With a wave, he turned away, and she wondered where the man slept. Was there a bunkhouse or something? She’d have to ask Mrs. Royal.
When she went inside, she saw that Cameron and his mother were sitting at the table. “Who were you with?” Mrs. Royal asked, a sly smile on her face.
Cassandra shrugged. “Wade asked me for a walk, and I accepted. He seems like a very nice man.”
“Oh, he is, dear. He’d make you a wonderful husband.”
“I was thinking along the same lines,” Cassandra agreed. “How would you feel if he started coming over in the evenings after supper? I want to teach him to read, and he’s agreed.”
“Of course, he has,” Cameron muttered. “Man’s not a fool.”
“No, he didn’t seem to be a fool at all,” Cassandra said with a smile. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be off to bed. I haven’t slept lying down in over a week, and I’m very excited at the prospect. It’s funny the things that you don’t think you’ll miss are the first things you want back. I will never take sleeping in a real bed for granted again.”
“Good,” Mrs. Royal said. “Sleep well. If you need anything, feel free to just look for it.”
“Thank you! Goodnight.” As she hurried up the stairs, Cassandra found herself humming happily to herself.
As she went into her room, she glanced in the small mirror above the washbowl, and she giggled. She was a mess. Her hair was going in every direction, and she had dirt smeared across her nose. Her mother would have a fit if she knew she’d walked with two men in one evening with dirt on her nose. She was happy to be in the west though because her penchant for dirt didn’t seem to bother anyone.
She set her cornflower on the dresser provided, and she smiled at it once more. She’d never imagined a man would want to court her with flowers and gifts. The men she’d known just wanted her help planting flowers for the girls they liked, who of course hadn’t been her. Why would they like her?
As soon as school was out every day, she’d walked home barefoot, as long as the weather was fine. She would then be covered with dirt up to her knees, and the boys would laugh at her, but she’d never minded. And here? No one seemed to mind. She should be able to find a husband who would love her for who she was.
She needed to sit down and write Elizabeth Tandy immediately, so Elizabeth would know how well she fit in.
She changed into her nightgown and fell into the bed that was so prettily made. It was a little too…well, feminine for Cassandra’s taste, but it was a place to sleep and that’s all she cared about at the moment.
She prayed to thank God for getting her to her destination safely, and that there was a place on earth for women like her. Women who didn’t fit into the mold all men seemed to want to cram women into. Instead, she was her own person, an original if you will. And she was somewhere that she would be respected for that.
She wasn’t able to stay awake long enough to continue her prayer. Instead, her mind kept drifting away, and she finally fell asleep in the middle of it.
