A Headstrong Woman(8)
“Alexandria, this is a busy, working ranch and I can’t run off to town every few days. You need to ask Millie to show you how to make a complete list and …” Elijah stopped short when he realized that the men were watching the whole exchange and that Alexandria stood, head bent as though defeated. Elijah rubbed his hands over his face. She had made a mistake. Everyone made mistakes, himself included and his marriage to Alexandria the biggest of those.
He turned to the men. He could not be away from the ranch this afternoon; he would have to ask one of them to escort her. He eyed Sparky who was watching him; jaw clenched and anger radiating from his intense gaze. Elijah had already figured out that the young man was sweet on his wife. Russ refused to meet Elijah’s gaze and Nick actually looked rather amused by the whole exchange. Elijah, not certain that he completely trusted the man, kept a close eye on that one. His gaze landed on Jonathon, the only one whose expression remained impassive, nothing in his demeanor suggesting that he was wondering if Elijah knew that his wife was afraid of him.
“Jonathon, can you escort her please? I’m not comfortable with her making the trip alone.”
“Sure thing, boss, no problem,” Jonathon assured him before he turned to enter the barn.
When Elijah turned back to his wife it was to find her already half way across the yard. He excused himself and followed her. He caught up with her just inside the house where she was part way up the stairs.
“Alexandria,” he called and watched as she turned to face him; her expression was cautious. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. You’re just a child, you’ll get the hang of it,” he intended his statement to be helpful.
“A child?” Alexandria’s smile was brittle, “A child to raise your child; isn’t that ironic?” Alexandria turned, her back ram rod straight and continued up the stairs. Elijah propped his fist on the banister and dropped his head to his fist. What a mess he had made.
Alexandria entered her room, rage and hurt causing tears to spill over. A child! The man married her and then had the audacity to call her a child. If she was such a child why had he chosen her to be a glorified nurse maid turned prisoner? Alexandria impatiently splashed her face with water and blotted it dry. She had no use for tears and no time. Mr. Stewart would be waiting to escort her. She dressed quickly and efficiently in an appropriate dress and wrapped her braid into a thick configuration on her head before securing it. Her task completed, she stood before the mirror and raised her chin, squared her shoulders, and fixed her composure back in place. She didn’t want a near stranger being privy to her quiet anguish and she didn’t want to give Elijah any more power to hurt her. With determination she went to collect Lilly and exited the house.
The wagon stood ready; Mr. Stewart waiting.
“Eli asked me to pick up a few things while we’re in town,” Jonathon explained the choice of wagon over buggy.
“That’s fine,” she assured him as she set Lilly on the high seat and prepared to climb up after her.
“Here you go, Ma’am,” he quickly stepped forward to offer her aid over the wheel.
“Thank you,” Alexandria offered a polite smile and nod.
Jonathon circled the wagon and climbed onto the seat, he wasn’t certain but he suspected that Alexandria had been crying. He glanced her direction and then at the road ahead.
“I’m sorry to inconvenience you, Mr. Stewart, I’m afraid I bungled my first attempt at lady of the manor. Fortunately I am nothing if not tenacious; I’ll master it yet,” Alexandria attempted to make light of her very public humiliation.
“You haven’t inconvenienced me at all, it’s a beautiful afternoon to be out,” he assured her. “As for mastering the lady of the manor I assure you aren’t the first or the last newly wed to struggle with that. I came home one evening to find Emily sitting in the floor beside a burnt mess that should have been dinner.”
“Emily?”
“My wife, she died several weeks ago.”
Alexandria flinched at his words, “I’m sorry for your loss. I didn’t mean to cause you to…”
“No, no, you have nothing to apologize for; I brought her up. Actually it feels good to talk about her. I hadn’t realized until just now that I hadn’t and that makes me nearly as sad as losing her.”
Alexandria wasn’t sure what to say to that. Lilly, who had been watching Jonathon since they left the house, suddenly abandoned Alexandria’s lap for Jonathon’s.