Page 14 of Beyond Montana's Sky
“I didn’t think Mrs. Grayson would really drive out here,” Cai protested. “I’m notthatuncouth. I mean, it’s just a wedding, all fuss and folderol. I barely know Caleb Livingston and never met Mrs. Baxter. I doubt most of the Anderson tribe are acquainted at all.”
“You know better.”Mormorswiped the rolling pin again. “Don’t we sometimes attend church?” She glanced at Edith. “Usually we hold our own services here.” She looked back to Cai. “Didn’t all the ladies enjoy Mr. Livingston’s Christmas Eve party? You weren’t there, but you certainly heard about the festivities.”
“For days,” he muttered with a shake of his head.
“You just wanted to avoid thefuss and folderol.”Mormorturned to Edith. “With one notable exception—” she jabbed the end of the rolling pin at Cai “—we do enjoy celebrations. Please put the Andersonsandone Mr. Cai Driscoll down as accepting. I don’t know exactly how many, so I’ll give you a round number of forty.”
Forty! Hopefully after the ceremony, Caleb will still have some money left in his bank.
Edith kept a pleased smile on her face. “The bride and groom will be delighted to have the Andersons attend. As will I.”
“What about me?” Cai tapped his chest, once again in playful mode. “Won’t you be delightedI’mattending?”
To disguise the leap of her heart, Edith raised her eyebrows. “In spite ofMormorsaying you’d attend, I thought you’d want to avoid thefuss and folderol.”
Welsh blue eyes twinkling, he gave her a long, slow smile. “Some things are worth putting up with,” he drawled.
She kept her eyebrows up, pretending her stomach hadn’t just flipped. “Somethings?”
“Some ladies.”
“Now, Cai, you stop your flirting.”Mormorset down her rolling pin. “Mrs. Grayson, why don’t you wash up?”Mormortook the kettle from the stove and carried it over to an alcove, home to a narrow wooden table holding several basins and an equally long, spotted silver mirror positioned horizontally above the washstand. She stopped at the one on the far right. “This is for the ladies. The cloth is clean. I just put it out this morning. The soap is my own herbal blend.”
Cai walked aroundMormorto another basin and picked up a bar of soap, holding it in the air. “Since the men don’t want to be sweet-smellin’, they use the manly soap.”
With her hip,Mormornudged him out of the way. “The manly scent is sage. The lady’s scent is lavender.”
“Ah, the pretty smell of Anderson women.” Cai leaned forward and slid a mischievous sideways glance at Edith. “And there’s Mrs. Grayson spicy rose. I wonder how that scent will combine with lavender.”
Edith gasped at his audacity and pinched her lips together.No sense rewarding the man for his outrageousness.
“Sometimes I wonder about his manners,”Mormorcommented to Edith.” Don’t blame me, or his mother. We taught him better. At times, it’s best to just ignore him.”
“Most of the time, in the interests of polite behavior, I try to ignore him,” Edith couldn’t help saying. “Although, he does seem to make that difficult.”
“I’m wounded.” Cai placed a hand over his heart, but his eyes danced with obvious merriment.
Enjoying their banter, Edith smiled back.
Mormorpoured hot water into the lady’s basin. “The plumbing is only cold water. She eyed Cai. “Bothof you wash up. Then go into the parlor, and I’ll bring tea.”
“Really, I can’t stay,” Edith demurred. “I must be getting back to town.”
“You’re not going without a bit of a rest and some food in your stomach.”Mormorsaid in a no-nonsense tone. She stepped away from the washbasin, moved to the end of the table, and picked up the jelly glass, rapidly pressing down into the dough.
Mrs. Graves packed a basket of food for the drive, but Edith hadn’t stopped to eat. Too difficult when she needed to keep both hands on the reins.
“Don’t you worry now. Supper’s not for a while, but I’ll make you something simple and quick. These biscuits, of course. I’ll fry up some potatoes and sausage patties and make gravy with the drippings. Or if you don’t want gravy on your biscuits, there’s butter—and I do pride myself on my butter—sorghum and half a dozen kinds of jam.”
All at once, Edith felt famished and conceded with a smile. “How could I say no?” She stripped off her driving gloves and set them and her reticule next to the basin, then ran some cool water into the hot.
Although she would have preferred privacy and a bathroom, standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Cai as they washed their hands gave Edith an odd sense of intimacy with the man. She caught herself watching his movements from the corner of her eye, chided herself, and focused on the basin in front of her.
Edith dried her hands and leaned forward to clean her face.Was that a smudge of dust on one cheek?How embarrassing.She dabbed at the spot, only to realize the mar was in the mirror, not her skin.
The enticing smell of Mrs. Anderson’s cooking followed them into the parlor. Except for the rugged-looking log walls, the room was surprisingly similar to the one in her brother’s house—large and full of comfortable places to sit—two chesterfields and a scattering of wingback and wooden chairs, although the leather was worn in a few places, and here and there a few cushions showed threadbare at the seams. Books practically spilled from a bookcase.
Caleb’s home hadn’t always been comfortable. In fact, some of his ornate furniture was downright uncomfortable. Not long after her arrival, she’d made a few changes, shipping some of her favorite pieces from her Boston house.And now they’ll be going back with me. Small comforts in an environment that won’t be comfortable.In fact, her mother-in-law would probably consign the pieces to the attic. She held in a sigh.
