Blake agreed that his aunt might believe that and pushed open the door in the corner of the room. “This is my office. I think it was supposed to be a nursery. The architect had some liberties with the plans after I drew him a picture of the outside of my grandfather’s home and told him how many rooms were needed.”
Eliza peeked around the corner and agreed that it was a nursery. “The Richards had a nursery in their home similar to this, but they never needed it, they had me.”
“Do you miss being there?” Blake asked.
“At times, I miss their son, Tommy. He was a good boy when his parents weren’t watching. When they were, he liked to scream and throw things. They ignored him a lot, and I think he wanted attention, especially from his father,” explained Eliza.
“How sad. I would never ignore any child of mine that way.”
“Another thing I now know about you. You’d be a good father. That’s important for a woman to know when she marries. I can confide in your aunt that I think you will be a good father and maybe she’ll think we knew each other and courted properly. I’m not used to making up stories unless they’re about heroes that enthrall a two-year-old boy. I hope your aunt believes me,” Eliza said, blowing a loose curl from her forehead.
“I think she will, and even if she doesn’t, we’re married. She can’t change that. It’s done and legal. Now, let me show you where the bathing room is, and you can wash up after your trip if you like. You’ll meet Jack at supper. He has supper with Sarah and me every evening before Sarah goes home for the night. All that’s left to see is the laundry room off the kitchen and the back gardens. Do you have any interest in the barn? I can show you that, too,” Blake said, pointing to the door at the end of the hall.
“I want to see everything,” Eliza confessed. “I have always lived in the city, and I love the idea of being in the country.”
“Then we will have a tour of the barn after supper, and you can see the gardens, too. If you like gardening, I’m sure Sarah would enjoy gardening with you. You’re the only other woman on the property.”
“I’ve never worked in a garden, but I’d love to try. Maybe I can meet the horse who pushed you in the mud puddle,” Eliza said, doing her best to hide her smile.
“That you will, but I should warn you that Buck is still a feisty horse and doesn’t take to strangers well,” Blake said.
“Then we should become good friends. I’ve never been close to a horse except when I rode in a carriage,” Eliza said and smiled as she closed the door to the bathing room, leaving Blake standing in the hall wondering how this lovely city girl would take to ranch living.
Chapter 7
Eliza woke early, still feeling guilty that Blake chose to sleep in one of the empty rooms upstairs. His explanation that she needed at least one night to become acquainted with the room before they were forced to share once his aunt moved in, did little to ease her guilt.
Eliza dressed quickly into the only day dress she owned. She had learned to cook at the orphanage, but that was for a large group of children. She took a deep breath and decided making coffee would be the best start.
Just as she put the coffee pot on the stove, the back door opened and Sarah walked inside.
Eliza gasped, and her hand flew to her chest. “You surprised me. I told you that you should take the morning off and I could make breakfast. You could spend a few extra quiet moments with Jack.”
“Nonsense,” Sarah stated. “This is your first morning here as Blake’s wife. You shouldn’t be expected to make breakfast.”
“But Blake explained to you and Jack about our marriage at supper last night. This is not a special morning for either Blake or me.”
Sarah offered a small shrug and a gentle smile. “It doesn’t matter. You are now the lady of the ranch regardless of the reason why you and Blake married. You deserve a breakfast on your first morning. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll do it differently.”
Eliza hugged Sarah. “Thank you for making me feel so welcome. I didn’t know what to expect. Blake is kind, but his aunt worries me.”
“I will tell you what I think when I meet the lady,” Sarah promised. “She does sound a bit high strung. No matter what, I will be on your side and your friend. If she is as fussy as she sounds, we might need to stick together.”
Before Eliza could answer, the back door opened, Blake entered, and Jack followed carrying a pail of milk.
“My, you two are up early,” Eliza said.
“That’s life on a ranch. There are chores to be done before we eat.”
“I’m sorry,” Eliza answered. “I didn’t know. I will rise earlier tomorrow and do whatever chores you need me to do.”
Blake laughed and shook his head. “No need to be sorry. I wasn’t including you. I’ll teach you a few things since you lived in the city if you want to help.”
“I’m not useless. Do you have a milk cow? I know how to milk a cow. I was often placed on duty in the kitchen for one infraction or another, and I learned to milk the cow when I was quite small,” Eliza answered, smiling.
“Have you ever gathered eggs?”
Eliza nodded. “Of course, if we wanted eggs, we had to gather them from the few chickens there were. We rarely had enough for scrambled eggs, but the cook would make hotcakes. I learned early on not to name the
