Faith and Eliza turned toward the front door and smiled as they watched Blake pull out the empty chair and sit across from Eliza.
“How is your aunt feeling?” Eliza inquired.
“The doctor said she will be all right if she rests until tomorrow. She expects to come out to the ranch and stay with us tomorrow. I’m going to take a buggy into town and have one of the ranch hands follow with a wagon for her and Constance’s trunks and bags.”
Eliza nodded and said, “I’m sure your aunt wants to spend time with you. Is your home large enough to accommodate everyone?”
Amalie giggled and said, “His house is large enough to accommodate half the town.”
Blake shook his head, raised his hands, and said, “Let me explain. I grew up in New York and would spend summers on my grandfather’s estate in the countryside. It was a grand house with a lot of room, and I swore as a boy, I would own a house as large and spacious as my grandfather’s one day.”
Blake paused a moment to take a sip of coffee from the cup the waitress placed in front of him and continued. “When my father passed away, I inherited a goodly sum and came west to buy a ranch. I still had the boyhood dream to have a house to match my grandfather’s, which is what I set out to do.”
“It’s a lovely home,” Faith interjected. “I think Eliza will be happy with it.”
“It may seem foolish to have a large home sitting in the middle of a cattle ranch, but I was determined to fulfill that childhood dream.”
“I think that’s wonderful,” Eliza said. “We all have dreams, and I’m happy you were able to achieve one of yours.”
“Yes, um, thank you,” Blake said and swallowed. “But having a big house brings up a problem.”
“What?” asked Eliza.
“I have a large guestroom that Amalie and Faith decorated for you. I thought it would be comfortable and give you the privacy you need. However, Aunt Hortense insists on staying at the ranch house along with Constance,” Blake explained.
“If your house is large, don’t you have other rooms available?” Eliza inquired.
“I never expect guests. Besides the newly decorated guestroom, there is one room upstairs with a small bed, a simple chest of drawers, and washstand that my other rancher friends use if they can’t travel home right away. Aunt Hortense is going to insist on having the best room in the house, which is the guestroom, and Constance will have to be satisfied with the small room upstairs.”
The three women stared at Blake while he gathered his courage to try and explain.
“The problem is,” Blake continued. “Since we are married, Aunt Hortense will expect us to share a room, especially since there is no other room available.”
Eliza’s eyes flew open, and she stammered, “I wasn’t prepared for this.”
Blake shook his head and said, “I can sleep on the floor; that’s not a problem. I just want you to be aware of the situation before you decide to come home with me. I understand this is more than you expected, and if you want to go back to St. Louis, I’ll pay for your ticket.”
Faith interjected, “What about your aunt and Constance? If Eliza leaves, your aunt will force you to marry Constance after your marriage to Eliza is annulled.”
“I know,” Blake said, “and that is my problem to deal with. This is not the arrangement I made with Eliza, and I refuse to allow her to suffer because circumstances have taken a turn for the worse. I did expect my aunt to send me a telegram at some point in her trip, and I could return a telegram with the news of my marriage. It would have stopped her from traveling here.”
“Wait,” Eliza said. “I can’t go back to St. Louis. There is nothing there for me, and if my former employer would learn of my return, he would make my life miserable. I said I’d be your wife to help you with your aunt. You said you’d be my husband to assure my safe departure from St. Louis. You kept your end of our bargain. If you sleep on the floor, I think I should be able to uphold my end of this bargain.”
Blake stammered for a moment or two and finally said, “I can do that if you think it’ll work. We don’t have to pretend for long, and I promise not to call you honey or hug and kiss you to help our fictitious marriage.”
Eliza blushed furiously at Blake’s words and tapped her fingers against the white tablecloth before smiling at him. “We can act married within reason. A simple embrace or peck on the cheek in front of your aunt when you leave in the morning or return in the evening would be acceptable.”
“I can do that,” Blake assured her. “We should leave now and go home and explain things to my foreman and his wife, Sarah. She’s my housekeeper, and while they expected you, they didn’t expect my aunt and Constance.”
“I can help Sarah,” Eliza promised. “I don’t mind working, and I am a decent cook.”
“We’ll talk about all of that, and I’m sure Sarah will appreciate the help. We need to go back to the stage office and retrieve your things,” Blake said as he stood. “Ladies, I thank you for being here today and helping me. I’m not sure how I would have handled my aunt’s arrival if you hadn’t been here for Eliza.”
Amalie and Faith both hugged Eliza and promised to visit soon before Eliza took Blake’s arm, and they left for the stage office.
“Is this all the luggage you have?” Blake asked as he picked up the worn carpetbag. “Or did someone mistakenly take the rest of your things?”
“That’s all I have. I have this traveling suit I’m wearing and a Sunday dress. The simple day dresses I wore as a nanny for the Richards were purchased for
