him. She waited as he did something in the kitchen.
Russell reappeared and went to the stairwell. “Ready?” he asked.
Nodding, Margaret stood and walked to him. He allowed her to lead the way. She stopped at the small landing and turned to him. Margaret searched her mind for something to say. Maybe he would kiss her good night, on the lips.
Russell watched her shapely figure from behind. The yellow gown fit well, she was plump, but nicely so. He thought her red hair was pretty too. Under his breath, he cursed that Chicago company again. This woman was going to make it more challenging to stick to his plan. He could do it though. He could.
“Good night, Margaret. Sleep well.” Russell reached for his door.
Margaret was disappointed, but resolved her heart to be patient a little while longer. “Good night, Russell. See you in the morning.”
Crickets chirped noisily in the grasses. Margaret lay in bed trying to sleep. She took deep breaths of fresh country air coming in through the window. After a time, her troubled emotions settled and she fell into a deep sleep.
Margaret arose early. The roosters had yet to crow even and it was still dark out. But she was used to getting up early and wanted to make a good impression today. She stretched and yawned in bed as her gaze wandered around the dark room. It had potential, and thankfully, the bed was comfortable.
After splashing cool water on her face, Margaret dressed. Today there was much to be done, so she decided to wear one of the blue work dresses. Margaret spied the corset resting on the dresser. Should she wear it today? It would make it difficult to breathe and move about, but still, she wanted to look attractive for her husband. After much debate, Margaret decided to wear the devise, but not to lace it tightly. She braided her hair quickly, letting it hang down her back. That would at least keep it out of her way.
Happy to make the most of her new home, she headed downstairs. Margaret walked softly on the stairs so she wouldn’t wake her sleeping husband. She hoped to surprise him with a good breakfast. She lit a lamp and quietly snooped around. There were four biscuits left over from the night before. Spotting a small container of honey in the cupboard, she set it on the table. A tin-full of ground coffee sat on a side table. Taking a pot, she set water to boil on the stove. “Now, what else can I make,” she asked out loud. There was only so much she knew how to make. Eggs! That would be easy. Margaret grabbed a linen towel and headed out the door to the hen house.
The pink and blue sky of morning was just moving in from the east and birds sang sweet songs from their perches. An old rooster watched her from the top of the hen house, too lazy to crow. In a pen full of black mud, there were several slumbering pigs. A small breeze blew in air from the horse stalls. It was considerably strong. Margaret managed to gather four eggs, which was certainly enough for two people. She was halfway through with breakfast preparations when Russell came downstairs. He inhaled the smells of morning and smiled.
It was certainly a pleasant surprise to find Margaret hard at work. That red-haired dressed up woman of yesterday hardly seemed the type to be up and going before daybreak. He watched her as she leaned over the stove to make coffee. At least today she was wearing a sensible dress that was anything but flattering. “Good morning,” he spoke sincerely.
Startled by his voice, Margaret nearly dropped the pot of coffee. After regaining her composure, she greeted him. “Good morning, Russell.”
He tried to see past her to the stove. “What’s cooking?”
She spun around quickly to flip the food before it burned. “Eggs,” she replied. “And biscuits with honey and coffee.”
He raised an eyebrow at the sound of such a heavenly breakfast.
Margaret misinterpreted his expression. “I hope you aren’t angry that I fixed this without asking first.”
Russell attempted to calm her shaky nerves. “It’s quite all right. I want you to feel at home here. In fact, I am quite pleased that breakfast is waiting for me. I’m not used to good meals,” he admitted with a straight face.
Margaret exhaled and smiled. It was the first real compliment he had given her. She was encouraged. As they sat down to eat, she stated, “I don’t know what you’ve been eating. There’s hardly anything here.”
He shrugged. “I catch food here and there. You can see why I’m so thin,” he joked.
Margaret laughed a little. He certainly did need filling out. She began timidly, “Would it be too much to ask if I wanted to go back into town today? I would like to buy some food and staples at the store. Plus some fabric for curtains.”
Russell thought for a moment. “I have work to do this morning, but I guess I could spare the time in the afternoon. Or, if you’d rather, you could go yourself.”
She considered it. If she went by herself, she could return the basket to Susan and take her time shopping. It was a good idea. “I’ll go myself. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“That’s fine. Just gives me more time to work on that barn roof,” he answered. “I’ll leave some money for you on the table after breakfast.”
Margaret smiled her appreciation. “One more thing...where’s your broom?”
Russell swallowed the food in his mouth before answering. “Don’t have one.”
Margaret raised her eyebrows. “You mean this place hasn’t been swept in three months?” she asked incredulously.
“Longer than that actually,” he answered with a crooked grin. “It sat vacant all last winter.”
Margaret just could not believe it. No wonder. “In that case, can you spare some hay? I’d like to make a broom.”
Russell waved his hand toward the barn. “Help yourself.”
In her head, Margaret silently reviewed all the things that they needed. “Do you have pen and paper I can use?” she questioned.
“Sure. It’s in my room. I’ll get it for you,” he offered.
When Russell returned, he brought not only the pen and paper, but also twenty dollars. “Do you think this will be enough to cover expenses today?”
It was much more than she had expected. “Yes, plenty. Thank you.”
Russell sat down and resumed eating. Margaret ate and wrote out her list. She paused to ask a question. “Do you have any meat in a smokehouse?”
He shook his head. “I can butcher a hog for you, but I can’t get to it until tomorrow.”
Margaret added beef to the list. After completing her task, she began noting a list of chores that needed to be done. It dawned on her to ask Russell his expectations. “Russell, I need to know what you expect of me. Are there any specific tasks you need me to do?”
The younger man leaned back in his chair. “Take care of me and the house, Margaret. That’s all I ask really. If you like animals, you can help me every now and then. They need food, water…”
His expectations were very reasonable, although it sounded like she was just going to be a maid again. Regardless, taking care of one person was mountains easier than
