Page 30 of A Groom for Millie
“I don’t know. I don’t play cards.”
“In poker, you are dealt a hand. What you do with it determines if you win or lose. You can exchange your cards and see if you get something better, or you stay with what you were first dealt with.”
“I honestly think this whole thing is silly, but the pastor insisted that the women get married as soon as possible.”
“That was the reason for the advertisement?”
Millie nodded. “I’ll go make you some broth and tea.” She turned to go to the kitchen, but Robert called her name.
Millie. It sounded so sweet against her ears.
“Where is the privy?”
“Oh.” Millie put her hands against her cheeks. “Of course. Let me get you a pot, so you don’t have to go outside.”
Robert tried to push himself up into a sitting position. His arm throbbed with every move he made. Finally, he gave up and laid back down.
Millie returned momentarily with a chamber pot. “I’ll just put this here,” she said, placing the covered bowl next to the bed. She disappeared and closed the door behind her to give him privacy. It took all of Robert’s strength to swing his legs over the side of the bed and take care of his necessities.
By the time Millie knocked on the door, Robert was lying back in bed with his eyes closed.
“I brought you something to drink,” she said carrying a small tray into the room. She placed the tray next to the bed and sat down on the wooden chair. “Can you sit up?”
Robert leaned forward and Millie tucked pillows all around him. She leaned just close enough that the scent of roses filled his senses. She turned her head slightly and Robert saw her breath hitch. Her eyes opened and she parted her lips just slightly. Her tongue darted out, moistening her bottom lip and he saw her swallow. He wanted to see if those lips tasted as good as they looked. It was so tempting. All he needed to do was reach up and pull her down for a kiss.
Robert broke eye contact and shifted on the pillows. When he was settled, she placed the tray on his lap. “Can you serve yourself?”
Robert tried to lift the spoon. He couldn’t lift it, the weight of it was just too great. He shook his head.
“Don’t worry,” Millie said. “I can serve you.”
She scooted closer and lifted the bowl. She gently spooned the broth into Robert’s mouth, wiping his chin between bites. When she was done, he thanked her, and she left the room without saying another word.
Closing his eyes, he wondered what would happen when the town realized he was hiding in Millie’s home. He drifted off to sleep wondering what it would be like to stay on the farm forever.
December 1878
“What's going on here?” Millie asked. She had just returned from town. Her mother and Robert were sitting at the table with a deck of cards between them. Robert was moving three cards, albeit slowly across the table.
It was a week before Christmas. Robert had been at the house for nearly three weeks and no one questioned Millie regarding his whereabouts. As far as she knew the only people that had any knowledge of Robert staying at the house were her mother, Heather, and Robert. Mary Rose simply thought of Robert as a friend of the family.
During his recovery, Robert spent most of his time sleeping. Heather dropped by every other day with a small pouch of herbs for Millie to make Robert’s tea, as well as soup bones for making broth. Robert was now able to eat small meals, but they were typically on the blander side. Roast chicken and boiled vegetables were most of his diet.
They fell into an easy routine. Millie would check on him in the morning before she left for town. Regina would stay with Robert during the day. In the evenings, Millie would pull up the chair in his room and with Mary Rose on her lap, she’d read out loud from one of the novels that graced the school bookshelf. They were about one-third of the way through Robinson Caruso.
She found out Robert was a banker in Georgia before he decided to take a turn playing the gambling houses. What was to be a year’s hiatus, ended up being four. Now Robert was looking at the next adventure in his life.
She looked at Robert sitting at the table. He was wearing one of George’s shirts. Millie didn’t have the heart to throw anything away and now she was glad she didn’t. George was a taller man and his clothes hung loosely on Robert.
“We were just waiting for you to come home. Stew’s almost ready.” Regina pointed to a card Robert dropped on the table. “That one.” When Robert flipped it over, Regina clapped her hands. “That makes eight in a row.” She waggled her finger at Robert. “You can’t get anything over me now.” She turned back to Millie. “How was school today?”
“We are done until February. What did you do today?”
“Nothing much. I gathered the eggs and fed the goats. Your cow isn’t nice. She tried to kick me.”
Millie gave a little laugh. “She is known to do that.” She placed her basket on the table and took off her gloves and wrap, hanging them on the door. “Anything else?”
Regina leaned over and patted Robert’s arm. “We had a lovely conversation.”
