tied to the back of it, which sent Ryder’s face into a huge grin. “Well ain’t this a surprise?” he said. “I didn’t know you had a bay mare.”
“I don’t.” Harrison told him as he climbed down. “This is Mr. Turner’s new mare. He heard I was coming out here today and asked if I’d bring her. I told him I didn’t think you’d mind, and he sent along the stud fee. ”
Ryder walked to the back to inspect the horses as Harrison reached up and took Honoria from Sadie. He turned and handed her to Constance who took the baby with delight. “ Hellooooo” she cooed. Honoria took one look at her and passed wind. “Oh, well if you’re going to be that way about it, I shan’t hold you any longer.”
“Oh, you might as well get used to it,” Sadie told her as her feet touched the ground. “They all do that.” She watched as Harrison went to join Ryder, then leaned toward Constance and spoke in a low voice. “In fact, I think we’re going to have another addition to the family soon.”
Constance raised her brow at the disclosure. “Who?”
“Belle!” Sadie whispered in delight. “But for Heaven’s sake! Don’t say anything to the men! Especially Harrison!”
“But he’s not the father. Colin …”
“I know, but Harrison gets all out of sorts when it comes to babies. He was horrible with me! I can’t imagine but he’ll drive Colin crazy with horror stories and how to do this, and how to do that. Belle is waiting to make sure before she tells Colin.”
“How wonderful!” Constance said as Honoria let go a belch to rival any man’s. “Oh, perhaps you’d like her back?”
Sadie shook her head. “Like I said, you might as well get used to it.”
“I could better get used to the idea of motherhood if the process would only start.”
Sadie gave her a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”
Constance pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“You mean the two of you haven’t … are you serious? What’s going on? I know it’s only been a couple of days but …”
“He’s worried I’ll be with child right away, and doesn’t want to have a baby in …” she indicated the cabin with a toss of her head. “… that.”
“OH!” Sadie excla imed. Her mouth dropped open and she put a hand to her stomach as if suddenly sick.
“Wait until you see the inside,” Constance commented dryly.
“Oh, Constance!” Sadie breathed. “If I had known he was so ill prepared, I never would have allowed …”
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine, and his I suppose. We both wanted to get married and didn’t think enough about the details of living.”
“No, this is not your fault. It’s mine, and Ryder’s. I’m terribly sorry for this. No wonder he … well never mind. Let’s go inside.”
Constance sighed, adjusted Honoria on her hip, and led Sadie into her humble abode, complete with a finger-licking Cutty who was finishing up his flapjacks.
“Oh my goodness!” Sadie said as she saw him. “I wasn’ t expecting anyone else to be here. Hello.”
He turned but an inch or two in her direction, grunted a greeting, then bent his head to the table.
“ Cutty, this is Sadie Cooke, Harrison’s wife,” Constance announced. “She came to pay me a visit, isn’t that nice?”
“Uh-huh,” he mumbled. He reached for his hat and pulled it onto his head, almost as if he didn’t want Sadie to see him. Why be embarrassed about his appearance now? He did n’t when he was around herself or Ryder. Not even when he was in town. Maybe, Constance thought, she was rubbing off on him.
Cutty got up from the table and hurried past them. He looked at Constance who stood just behind Sadie. “I’m gonna go help Ryder,” he said, his voice gruff.
“Fine,” she remarked as she stared after him. He shut the door and was gone. “My, but he’s grumpy all of a sudden. I wonder what could be wrong?”
“He’s an odd one. I heard August telling Harrison about him last week. He’s
“I don’t.” Harrison told him as he climbed down. “This is Mr. Turner’s new mare. He heard I was coming out here today and asked if I’d bring her. I told him I didn’t think you’d mind, and he sent along the stud fee. ”
Ryder walked to the back to inspect the horses as Harrison reached up and took Honoria from Sadie. He turned and handed her to Constance who took the baby with delight. “ Hellooooo” she cooed. Honoria took one look at her and passed wind. “Oh, well if you’re going to be that way about it, I shan’t hold you any longer.”
“Oh, you might as well get used to it,” Sadie told her as her feet touched the ground. “They all do that.” She watched as Harrison went to join Ryder, then leaned toward Constance and spoke in a low voice. “In fact, I think we’re going to have another addition to the family soon.”
Constance raised her brow at the disclosure. “Who?”
“Belle!” Sadie whispered in delight. “But for Heaven’s sake! Don’t say anything to the men! Especially Harrison!”
“But he’s not the father. Colin …”
“I know, but Harrison gets all out of sorts when it comes to babies. He was horrible with me! I can’t imagine but he’ll drive Colin crazy with horror stories and how to do this, and how to do that. Belle is waiting to make sure before she tells Colin.”
“How wonderful!” Constance said as Honoria let go a belch to rival any man’s. “Oh, perhaps you’d like her back?”
Sadie shook her head. “Like I said, you might as well get used to it.”
“I could better get used to the idea of motherhood if the process would only start.”
Sadie gave her a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”
Constance pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“You mean the two of you haven’t … are you serious? What’s going on? I know it’s only been a couple of days but …”
“He’s worried I’ll be with child right away, and doesn’t want to have a baby in …” she indicated the cabin with a toss of her head. “… that.”
“OH!” Sadie excla imed. Her mouth dropped open and she put a hand to her stomach as if suddenly sick.
“Wait until you see the inside,” Constance commented dryly.
“Oh, Constance!” Sadie breathed. “If I had known he was so ill prepared, I never would have allowed …”
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine, and his I suppose. We both wanted to get married and didn’t think enough about the details of living.”
“No, this is not your fault. It’s mine, and Ryder’s. I’m terribly sorry for this. No wonder he … well never mind. Let’s go inside.”
Constance sighed, adjusted Honoria on her hip, and led Sadie into her humble abode, complete with a finger-licking Cutty who was finishing up his flapjacks.
“Oh my goodness!” Sadie said as she saw him. “I wasn’ t expecting anyone else to be here. Hello.”
He turned but an inch or two in her direction, grunted a greeting, then bent his head to the table.
“ Cutty, this is Sadie Cooke, Harrison’s wife,” Constance announced. “She came to pay me a visit, isn’t that nice?”
“Uh-huh,” he mumbled. He reached for his hat and pulled it onto his head, almost as if he didn’t want Sadie to see him. Why be embarrassed about his appearance now? He did n’t when he was around herself or Ryder. Not even when he was in town. Maybe, Constance thought, she was rubbing off on him.
Cutty got up from the table and hurried past them. He looked at Constance who stood just behind Sadie. “I’m gonna go help Ryder,” he said, his voice gruff.
“Fine,” she remarked as she stared after him. He shut the door and was gone. “My, but he’s grumpy all of a sudden. I wonder what could be wrong?”
“He’s an odd one. I heard August telling Harrison about him last week. He’s
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