She nodded up at him. “I am happy to hear that.”
“Your bonnet isn’t necessary, and you probably won’t need those gloves.”
She grinned and stripped them off her hands, proceeding to her bonnet, which she happily took off and sighed.
Andrew laughed. As they walked, the boys had begun an action-packed game of tag where they ran around and around their father and Ella. She was delighted to see them having fun together. Like her brothers, they seemed to get along very well. That was an indication to her that their father had treated them well. She didn’t ask what happened to their mother. She assumed that would come out in due time.
Carl was running in the smallest circles, narrowly darting around his brothers when they came to “tag” him. As he ran around Ella, he reached out and brushed his hands on her skirts lightly. She noticed and smiled wide. The third time he came around that way, she hung her hand down so that would brush it when he went past. He did so and spun around to stare at her.
When she laughed, he laughed too and continued running.
Adorable! She thought.
Chapter Three
The house was large and roomy. There were only a few pieces of furniture in each room and several colorful rugs on the floor, but it did seem there hadn’t been a woman living there for some time. She wondered how long it had been when she went in through the front door and saw the layers of dust on the furniture and window sills. It wasn’t untidy. In fact, everything was in its place. But it was dusty and looked depressing. She wanted to immediately throw open the curtains and let in the light but feared it would only show the dust in the air.
It was fairly late, but Andrew had kept a pot of beef stew on the fire, waiting for her to get there to feed them all.
“I hope you like beef stew.”
She nodded. “I do.”
It would be the first time she had eaten a meal she had not prepared herself. She found it to be one of the tastiest meals she’d ever eaten. It made her wonder if she was not the good cook she thought she was. That brought a secret smile to her face.
She was catching looks of approval from Andrew and was glad of that. She was slender, had been told she was pretty and had a strong sense of self-esteem that probably had come naturally from her father. Though strict, her father had always been fair.
Andrew wasn’t strict with his boys. In fact, she noticed quickly that he let them have their way more often than not. She was shocked that they were well-behaved at all, considering he treated them like they were not responsible for anything. She had arrived on a Saturday night and was expecting church in the morning. When no one seemed to be up early enough, she asked Andrew whether they were going.
He seemed surprised but proceeded to get his sons ready to go. Their loud protests let her know going to church was not a common occurrence.
Once again, she was shocked by their behavior in public, not that they were rowdy but that they were not. They stayed quiet and still all through the service, with the exception of Carl, who had taken to leaning over and whispering loudly in her ear anything that came to his mind. She had a quick, strong affection for Carl, who seemed to be the sweetest little boy she’d ever met.
After the service, Andrew introduced her to everyone he knew in a proud tone that made her feel special. Carl held on to her hand or her skirt the whole time, forgoing his tag game with his brothers for the first time.
Before they reached the wagon, Ella felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Myrtle Leamon, Andrew’s sister, giving her a wide smile. “Hello, Ella,” She said, warmly, pulling the young woman into an abrupt hug. “I’m so glad you are here to help Andrew with his boys. He needs help, as I’m sure you’ve seen.”
“Myrtle, don’t you start now,” Andrew said, good-naturedly, lifting Carl up into the wagon. He smiled at her, and she returned it with one of her own. She looked back at Ella.
“That’s my brother. He’s such a card.”
“Which one?” Andrew asked.
“Oh you.” Myrtle shook her head. “Now, Ella, I’m going to come by in the morning and help you settle in. Is that all right with you?”
Ella nodded. “I would love that, Myrtle, thank you!”
“It’s my pleasure, believe me. Andrew needs someone, as I said. And you look absolutely lovely, honey.”
“Thank you again.” Ella’s cheeks flushed, making her look even prettier.
“If you need anything, such as cleaning supplies or groceries, we will gather them from the garden or come to town to the market. Does that sound good?”
“It sounds very good, Myrtle. Thank you.”
Myrtle just laughed and nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning about seven.”