Page 23 of Colorado Bride

The woman looked mutinous, and her shoulders slumped a little, but she nodded.

“Yes, you’ve made yourself quite clear.”

“Now,” said Ben, with an arm around Emily’s waist.“Emily is my wife.We got married today, just after she arrived.Emily this is my mother, Doris Logan.”

“I’m pleased to meet you Mrs.Logan.”Emily stepped forward with her hand outstretched.

Doris Logan looked down at Emily’s hand, sniffed, turned back to the stove and began stirring the contents of the pot.

Emily lowered her hand and looked at Ben.

“Mother.”

The woman turned to Emily, gave her a malevolent smile.

“Pleased to meet you.”

Then she turned back to her pot on the stove.

Ben took Emily’s hand.

“Let me show you the house.”

Emily was pleased to see that the kitchen was a working kitchen, set up for easy access to everything.The stove was probably the largest she’d ever seen.It had six burners, with two ovens, a warming shelf and fire box that all had blue ceramic doors.It was actually quite beautiful.

A table of rough hewn wood had two long matching benches and a chair at either end.It would seat about twenty people.

“How many people do you have working here?How many should I plan on feeding?”

“We have fifteen men right now.During round up and branding the number rises to twenty.That is in addition to you, me and Mother.”

Doris scowled.

“Going to take the cooking away from me now, too?”

“No, Mother.Emily is here to help you plan and prepare the meals.And help with the cleaning and other chores, too.She’s my wife, Mother, please try to make her feel at home.”

“Hmpft,” said Mrs.Logan.

Ben shook his head.

“Come with me.”

He led Emily out of the kitchen and down the hall.

“This is the dining room, but we don’t use it anymore.Since my father died, ten years ago, Mother and I take all our meals with the men in the kitchen.”

“The dining room is lovely with the cherrywood table and chairs.It’s also big enough for meals.Why not use it instead of eating in the kitchen?”

“Because it’s too formal for every day and I don’t want the men to be uncomfortable.”

“That makes sense.”

They entered a parlor or living room.Here was an upright piano and a sofa flanked by two arm-chairs.The sofa and chairs were upholstered in a flowered damask material with a blue background.A coffee table of light wood sat in front of the sofa and two taller tables in the same wood stood between the sofa and the chairs.

The room would be brightly lit during the day due to the three windows, one on either side of the front door and one on the side wall.All the windows were covered in curtains made from calico in shades of blue.

“The room is lovely.Do you play the piano?”