his bride greeted him as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
Eli gawked. “Good evenin’. Ya, ya look … tarnation! I dunno how to describe ya.”
“Beautiful?” Honoria suggested from behind her, smirking as she so often did.
Eli nodded, still too dumbstruck to talk properly. He couldn’t believe he would be married to this vision soon.
Honoria giggled, shook her head and made her way past them both. Miss Comfort stood on the last step, which put her at eye level with him. “I’m happy to see you again, Mr. Turner,” she said softly.
A shiver ran up his spine and he swallowed hard. “Me too, ma’am. I mean … I’m happy to see ya.”
She smiled. “I understood what you meant. Shall we go into the dining room?”
“Uh-huh,” he said, never taking his eyes off of her.
“Then that means we’ll have to walk there,” she pointed out.
“Oh. Yeah.” He took a step back. “Plumb forgot about that part.”
She smiled as her shoulders shook with silent laughter. Lord help him, but he’d already managed to make a fool of himself, and they hadn’t even sat down to supper yet. He offered her his arm. “May I escort ya in?”
Her smile softened, and she wrapped her arm around his. “Thank you.”
Eli’s heart swelled at the contact. Never had he seen such a beautiful woman. And to think she would his, every last lovely inch. So what if she couldn’t cook or sew or clean yet? At the moment, he didn’t care … though maybe one good bellyache would cure that. He smiled as he set the thought aside and escorted his future bride to dinner.
* * *
T he meal was quite pleasant , the food wonderful – especially the bread. At least Eli thought so. If his bride could bake bread this well, what else could she do? He couldn’t wait to find out.
He also couldn’t wait to give Miss Comfort her gifts. Thankfully, the meal was winding down. He planned on having dessert with her on the front porch. It was a nice evening, not too cool, perfect for courting a beautiful lady …
Eli shook himself. Great Scott, he was beginning to sound like Wilfred!
“Is there anything wrong, Mr. Turner?” his vision of loveliness asked.
“Not at all,” he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. “Would you like to have dessert on the porch with me, Miss Comfort?” He caught the quick glance Harrison and Sadie exchanged. “I hope the Cookes won’t mind if I deprive ‘em of your company for a while.”
Belle smiled. “We don’t mind at all. Do we, Colin?”
Colin shook his head. “No, not us.”
Eli smiled. They, of course, knew about the box. Harrison and Sadie, on the other hand, didn’t. He looked at them, his smile frozen in place.
“Well, that would be fine,” Sadie slowly agreed. “We can have our dessert and coffee in the parlor while the two of you … retire to the porch.”
Colin pushed his chair from the table and stood. “Shall we see to dessert, my sweet?”
“Certainly,” Belle said brightly.
Colin grinned at Harrison and Sadie, then followed Belle into the kitchen.
Harrison glanced around the table. “What was that all about?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea.” Sadie gave Eli a quizzical look.
He shrugged innocently. “Miss Comfort, are you ready?”
She daintily wiped her mouth and set her napkin on the table. “Of course.”
Now Harrison was looking suspicious. Eli had to move carefully. He walked around the table and offered his arm to Miss Comfort, who took it with ease. He could get used to this. He escorted her from the room, swung by the chair holding his coat and whisked the box out from under it.
“What’s that?” Harrison asked.
Eli, too nervous to bluff his way through it, settled for ignoring him.
Harrison’s mouth dropped open, and he quickly turned to his wife. “He brought something for her and didn’t tell us!”
Sadie smiled and shook her head. “Really, Harrison, do mind your own business. Whatever it is, he didn’t bring it for you
Eli gawked. “Good evenin’. Ya, ya look … tarnation! I dunno how to describe ya.”
“Beautiful?” Honoria suggested from behind her, smirking as she so often did.
Eli nodded, still too dumbstruck to talk properly. He couldn’t believe he would be married to this vision soon.
Honoria giggled, shook her head and made her way past them both. Miss Comfort stood on the last step, which put her at eye level with him. “I’m happy to see you again, Mr. Turner,” she said softly.
A shiver ran up his spine and he swallowed hard. “Me too, ma’am. I mean … I’m happy to see ya.”
She smiled. “I understood what you meant. Shall we go into the dining room?”
“Uh-huh,” he said, never taking his eyes off of her.
“Then that means we’ll have to walk there,” she pointed out.
“Oh. Yeah.” He took a step back. “Plumb forgot about that part.”
She smiled as her shoulders shook with silent laughter. Lord help him, but he’d already managed to make a fool of himself, and they hadn’t even sat down to supper yet. He offered her his arm. “May I escort ya in?”
Her smile softened, and she wrapped her arm around his. “Thank you.”
Eli’s heart swelled at the contact. Never had he seen such a beautiful woman. And to think she would his, every last lovely inch. So what if she couldn’t cook or sew or clean yet? At the moment, he didn’t care … though maybe one good bellyache would cure that. He smiled as he set the thought aside and escorted his future bride to dinner.
* * *
T he meal was quite pleasant , the food wonderful – especially the bread. At least Eli thought so. If his bride could bake bread this well, what else could she do? He couldn’t wait to find out.
He also couldn’t wait to give Miss Comfort her gifts. Thankfully, the meal was winding down. He planned on having dessert with her on the front porch. It was a nice evening, not too cool, perfect for courting a beautiful lady …
Eli shook himself. Great Scott, he was beginning to sound like Wilfred!
“Is there anything wrong, Mr. Turner?” his vision of loveliness asked.
“Not at all,” he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. “Would you like to have dessert on the porch with me, Miss Comfort?” He caught the quick glance Harrison and Sadie exchanged. “I hope the Cookes won’t mind if I deprive ‘em of your company for a while.”
Belle smiled. “We don’t mind at all. Do we, Colin?”
Colin shook his head. “No, not us.”
Eli smiled. They, of course, knew about the box. Harrison and Sadie, on the other hand, didn’t. He looked at them, his smile frozen in place.
“Well, that would be fine,” Sadie slowly agreed. “We can have our dessert and coffee in the parlor while the two of you … retire to the porch.”
Colin pushed his chair from the table and stood. “Shall we see to dessert, my sweet?”
“Certainly,” Belle said brightly.
Colin grinned at Harrison and Sadie, then followed Belle into the kitchen.
Harrison glanced around the table. “What was that all about?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea.” Sadie gave Eli a quizzical look.
He shrugged innocently. “Miss Comfort, are you ready?”
She daintily wiped her mouth and set her napkin on the table. “Of course.”
Now Harrison was looking suspicious. Eli had to move carefully. He walked around the table and offered his arm to Miss Comfort, who took it with ease. He could get used to this. He escorted her from the room, swung by the chair holding his coat and whisked the box out from under it.
“What’s that?” Harrison asked.
Eli, too nervous to bluff his way through it, settled for ignoring him.
Harrison’s mouth dropped open, and he quickly turned to his wife. “He brought something for her and didn’t tell us!”
Sadie smiled and shook her head. “Really, Harrison, do mind your own business. Whatever it is, he didn’t bring it for you
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