He chuckled softly. “Even though Kilbourne renamed it when he set up this town a few years ago, most people keep calling it The Dells.”
Niall waved a hand toward the door. Setting down the book, she left the room and waited for him in the hall. Pointing out his study door down the hall from the front room, he led her past it to the kitchen with its large, black stove and maple table. Moving to one side of the room, he threw open one of the three doors on the walls of the room.
“This will be your bedroom. Mine is upstairs, far enough away to be proper.” Sarcasm laced his words, leaving her curious. Why did the word proper almost sound like a taunt?
He pointed out the door on the other side. “That’s the cellar. You’ll find a lot of home canned or dried foods down there. I think a lot of Father’s patients paid that way.”
“Country doctors don’t expect to get rich, I suspect.”
Her words drew a snort and then a frown from Niall. “And they can’t expect respect either. At least not in Kilbourne City.”
Whatever had happened here filled Doctor MacKenzie with a biting bitterness. The words physician heal thy self flitted through her mind. What would it take to heal this man?
She ignored his comment, ready to see more of the house. “Shall we head upstairs?”
His frown melted away as he laughed. At first, Alice stared at him in confusion. The laugh seemed odd coming from this gruff man. Then, realizing how suggestive her question seemed, Alice felt her face flame.
“Is that an invitation, Miss--?”
Her employer raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Do you know, I hired you without even knowing your name.”
“Alice. Alice Cordell.”
“Welcome to Wonderland, Alice.”
She stared at him blankly. “What is Wonderland?”
“Oh, you haven’t read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I suppose. It’s only been out a few years. There’s a copy around here somewhere, I expect, since Father read everything he could get his hands on.”
She still stared stupidly at him. Alice knew it and couldn’t think of what to say. Not after her embarrassing question. He came to her rescue.
“You don’t need to go upstairs today. We’ll save your tempting invitation for another day when you don’t need to settle in and cook a meal.”
His taunt brought the blush to her face. He gave her a satisfied look, seeing it. The man was either a bully or he liked to tease. She couldn’t be sure which, not yet.
I’ll be in the small study next to the front room. That door I pointed out to you. Bring my meal there.”
No please. He issued the command and left her alone in the room, facing a cold stove. She’d have to make a meal wearing her best traveling dress since her trunk stood in the foyer. At least the large apron she wore as a part of her uniform lay at the top of her trunk.
She limped her way to foyer to retrieve it and start her new life as a housekeeper. Not new. No, this was too much like the isolated existence she’d led with her sick father. Only this time she had no one to nurse.
A small voice inside corrected. She still lived with a man who needed healing.
Chapter 3
Alice wrote with care. She wanted to hand this list to the grocer, freeing her to browse while he filled it. Flour, molasses, Epsom salts to ease some of her aches. Currants.
She especially wanted those. Her mother’s recipe for currant tea biscuits had been passed down for generations. It was a special treat that Alice had been craving for months. Since she’d had no opportunity to bake before now, she’d gone without. But no longer if that grocer could supply the currants.
Moving from the pantry to the spice chest, she searched for the herbs and spices she most commonly used in her cooking. Dried mustard, nutmeg, sage. Yes, they were all there. Waiting for her to use them.
There had been enough flour and yeast to put together two loaves of bread. They lay on their sides now, cooling. She had found dried vegetables in the cellar the night before as she searched out what to make for her beast of an employer.
In the end, she’d opened a bottle of canned chicken the previous evening. Thank the Lord that the old doctor’s patients had paid in canned and dried foodstuffs!
This went along fine with boiled potatoes and some biscuits she’d hurriedly thrown together. Niall, as he insisted again that she call him, had looked at the tray she brought with a wry twist to his lips. Setting aside the book he held, the man picked up the napkin from the tray she’d placed on his desk.
“I see you had time to kill one of the neighbor’s chickens.”
No words of praise. Just a jab at the fact that she’d had to do little to make such a plain meal. At least, from his remark, she’d learned that there were no chickens on his property.
Remembering now, Alice added eggs to her list. That should do it. Once she had her employer’s lunch served and cleaned up afterward, Alice could head into Kilbourne City, and fingers crossed, the grocer had someone to deliver her order. Her leg still ached from the train ride, and the mere thought of carrying a heavy bag of flour added to her weariness.
Setting her list aside on the counter, Alice moved from the kitchen to Niall’s study. She needed to know if he planned to be sociable and eat in the kitchen with her. This hiding in the study to play lord of the manor didn’t sit well
