It unnerved her, and she wondered what he was thinking. “Sit down,” she said suddenly, before he had a chance to say or do anything else. “Your soup is ready.” She dished out a large bowl of the hearty vegetable soup, and placed it in front of him. He reached for a sandwich.
“It looks good,” he said, taking a mouthful of food. “It’s nice not having to worry about meals.” He tucked into the soup and didn’t speak again until his bowl was empty. “You’re not eating,” he said bluntly.
“There’s more,” she said, then stood and refilled his bowl without waiting to find out if he was still hungry. He was a man – of course he’d want more. She placed the bowl in front of him and walked away. He grabbed her wrist before she could get far. Mary turned to face him.
“You need to eat,” he said, staring up at her.
She contemplated him. Was he concerned for her health, or was he worried what other people would think when they saw his skinny wife, as he’d called her yesterday? “I’ve survived so far,” she said, then pulled out of his grip. “More coffee?” As she walked away, she heard him sigh.
“I’m fine,” he said, then tucked into his second bowl of soup.
Mary sat at the other end of the table and began to eat. Noah watched her every move. She wasn’t sure she could spend the next twelve months being scrutinized. No one else ever cared what she did – why should he?
When they’d finished their meal, she cleared the dishes away and placed them in the sink. She had running water. Mary thought she may never get over that. She’d spent far too many years carting buckets of water from the well to the house. She still had to boil the water to wash the dishes, to have a bath, and to do the laundry, but she didn’t care.
Despite him describing it as a ranch house, Noah’s house was a mansion in her eyes. She felt far richer than she ever imagined possible. She startled when he came up behind her.
“I’ll be off then,” he said, and his closeness warmed her. What would it be like to have him hold her like he wanted her? She shivered. She needed to keep such foolishness out of her head. A marriage of convenience was just that. Mary was there to cook and wash for him, and to keep up appearances. He was forced into marriage to keep his property, there was nothing more to it.
Except for Mary, it felt like there was. It was a silly notion, and she knew it. Perhaps if she pretended she was his housekeeper? She was promised a stipend when the contract was completed, and that would keep her going. She spun around to look at him, and brushed back a loose tendril that tumbled across her face.
He stared at her and his hand lifted but suddenly stopped. “I’ll be back in time for supper,” he said, then spun on his heels and left without another word.
Emptiness overwhelmed her.
Chapter Four
Mary had been here for nearly a month now. She’d kept her distance as much as possible, including sleeping in the spare room.
Not that her husband was happy about the fact, but if she couldn’t have the man, she didn’t want to be in his bed. Wasn’t that for the best anyway? There were days when she was certain he’d regretted demanding a marriage of convenience. It was evident in the way he studied her sometimes, and the way he stood close by, but seemed to stop himself going further. Did he yearn for more?
Many times now she thought he was going to kiss her, or put his arms around her, but somehow he’d managed to stop himself. Deep in her heart she wished he wouldn’t, but letting him would only make it harder when she had to leave. Instead she kept herself busy around the house.
She’d settled into a routine, and so had Noah. He’d mentioned the fact she was looking healthier than when she’d arrived. That was a good thing she supposed. Since arriving, she no longer felt lightheaded, and hadn’t stumbled even once. She had Noah to thank for that.
She heard the back door slam, and could picture him taking off his sweaty hat and placing it on the rack at the door. He’d go straight to the bathroom and clean up before coming to her. It had taken forever to get Pa to do the same thing, and he’d done it reluctantly. Noah seemed to do it out of respect for her.
He came to her and kissed her on the forehead, something he’d recently begun to do. It sent a shiver through her every time. “I’m back,” he said out of habit. She smiled. Mary had come to love those moments when he touched her, brief as they were. Of course there was nothing to them – it was simply Noah being friendly. She was after all, his wife.
“Anyone home,” a strange voice called from the front door.
Noah sighed, then stepped away from her. “In the kitchen.”
The moment she set eyes on the stranger she could see the familiarity. The two men had to be related.
“Mary,” he said, turning to her, “This is my younger brother, Seth.” Noah didn’t seem terribly happy to see his brother. Was he ashamed of her?
Seth looked her up and down. “Steady on,” Noah told him. “That’s my wife you’re ogling.” He grinned then,
