Page 402 of Conveniently Wed
He laughed as he lit the wick. “I do love your spunk.”
She followed him to a door that opened to a staircase down. “After you.” He took her elbow firmly while she picked up her skirt to descend the steps. The dim, dank place they entered caused an instant chill. She was glad for the glow of the lantern and the warmth of Josiah’s touch. The sound of trickling water and the moisture in the air had her curious.
“This”—he lifted the lantern to his full height, pointing to a cement-lined cistern—“gives us our own fresh water supply. The rainwater from the roof is collected into drainpipes and filtered into this tank. Delilah uses the pump in the kitchen with no need to haul water.”
“How impressive. This would save so much work. You wouldn’t believe how many hours I’ve spent hauling pails of water from the pump to the house, and you’re telling me this no longer has to be done?”
“I knew a hard-working girl like you would value this. I couldn’t take just any girl to the cellar and expect appreciation.”
She grinned up at him. Their eyes locked in the flickering lantern light. Where had her anger from the day before disappeared to? Why did she feel more comfortable with angerthan the unsettling thought of liking this man who was now her husband?
“Do you have riding wear?” he asked as they climbed the steps.
“I had my brother’s dungarees, but Ma wouldn’t let me pack them. She insisted that living with you, I would be expected to be a lady. Then she informed me that, after years of riding with my brothers, women are expected to ride side-saddle in a dress and bonnet. Can you imagine the agony? Why, I would land on my backside for sure.”
“You mean you actually wore your brother’s clothes?” His eyes widened as they stepped into the hall.
Heat rose up her neck, but her pride held her steadfast. “Not all of us are born into privilege, Mr. Richardson, and have fancy clothing for every occasion. Some of us are common hard-working people who have to make do with whatever works.” She turned away from him and walked down the hall.
“Whoa, Katherine.” He caught her and reached for her arm. “I didn’t mean to insult you. But that day at the creek, you had your horse.”
Katie nodded. “Yes?”
“You were wearing a dress, not dungarees.”
She didn’t want to remember that day, much less talk about it, especially with him. “I wore the dungarees under the skirt, for propriety’s sake, but I sure haven’t ever ridden side-saddle, and I’m not about to start now. And you might as well know, in those last years of war, when deserters and rogue blue coats roamed the countryside, I wore a complete outfit of male clothing. It was the only way I could go outside safely and attend to the farm. From a distance, a passerby would take me for a young boy, and I was left alone. I learned my lesson that day in the woods.” Tears pooled in her eyes, and she blinked them back.
“That was smart. Really smart. The war brought out the ugly in so many.” He gathered her close.
She stiffened and backed away.
Both his hands flew up. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I only meant to comfort.”
The touch of a man, any man, made her want to run. She'd had to work hard to become comfortable when Charles would respectfully give her a hug. They had never got beyond that point. And now, with all the strength she possessed, she forced herself to stand still and not bolt like a scared jackrabbit. She bit down hard to stop the quiver of her lips, and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
“There are going to be many things we don’t know about each other,” he said, the deep timbre of his voice steady, “but, in time, that will change. And even though you might surprise me, I want you to share your life with me, as I will with you. Does that make sense?”
She had no words.
“I know you don’t want to recall that day in the woods.”
She shook her head.
“And I promise I won’t bring it up again until you’re ready to talk about it. But you have to know, when I arrived on the scene, you were in a very compromising situation.”
She could not bear to look at him.
“Do you know why I believed your story?” His hand tenderly slid under her dropped chin to raise her eyes to meet his. “I looked into your eyes, the way I am right now, and they shared your soul. I believed every word. Now, I’m asking the same of you. When I tell you that you can trust me with your life—past, present, and future, I mean it. I’ll say no more, other than your mother should have let you bring the dungarees.” He turned from her. “Let’s head outside.”
Katie stood for a moment without moving. His words penetrated deep into her heart. Were her assumptions about him wrong? She had no answer.
But she had to hurry to catch up, as he’d already disappeared through the door.
He stood on the portico waiting when she stepped out. “Ready?” He offered his arm.
“Ready.” She slipped her hand into the crook. The sheer size and strength of his forearm felt strange beneath her fingertips.
“I’ll show you my favorite first. The barn. I had it rebuilt because it burned down while the Yankees were using it as a field hospital. They then resorted to using some of the rooms on the main floor of the house. I can tell which rooms by the blood stains on the wood. Someday, all of that will be either replaced or refinished, but necessities such as this barn were the priority.
