Lone Pine Bride (The Brides of Lone Pine #1)(22)

“We’d like it if you stay with us tonight,” Sadie said. “I think I’d feel a bit more secure because everything is so new. That is, if you don’t mind.”

“I could go and ask the doctor to call in and tell your mother,” Ronald said.

“Fetch them and we’ll do a meal,” Seth said. “I’m sure Sadie’s mother will want to be with you. She’ll also want to see the baby.”

But Hannah didn’t want to see anyone, she thought, and how could she avoid it if the doctor came? She walked through to the kitchen and began to help peel the potatoes.

“I don’t peel them at home,” he whispered.

“Nor me. The kitchen maid does it and the cook does the rest. Ouch!”

The knife slid, sliced a bit into her finger and Seth grabbed her hand and walked her over to the sink. He ran the water over it.

“I’ll put a plaster on it,” he said, reaching into one of his pockets. He had quite a few pockets, Hannah noticed, which were at various points on his pants leg. Taking out a little box he pulled a small piece of flattened chamois and placed it on the cut.

“That will keep it clean,” he said. He took a handkerchief from another pocket, cut off a strip and tied it round the plaster. “Now go and sit down and I’ll do the potatoes.”

“That’s not fair for you to do everything,” she whispered. “You’ve already done so much.”

“It’s quite fair. You obviously can’t be trusted with a knife.”

He grinned, turned back to his work and all she wanted to do was watch him. He really was good looking, she thought, and whoever was engaged to him would have a very nice face to look at. She would also have a practical husband who could deliver babies, deal with cut fingers and peel potatoes without cutting himself.

She stifled a giggle and walked through to where Sadie lay with the baby. She had gone to sleep and the infant was securely held in her arm to the inside of the sofa. She had gone through a lot, Hannah thought, and been very brave. It must have hurt but she had not complained or made a sound. Would she be as brave when she had a baby, that was, if she had a baby?

She sat on another sofa, put her head back, closed her eyes and when Seth walked through a few minutes later she too had fallen asleep. He sat beside her and looked at her sideways. She had a nice profile, he thought, and she was a nice lady. On that thought he dozed off also.





Chapter 6


Hannah and Seth slept for an hour, Sadie for two and they were all a bit worried when Ronald did not return. Maybe something had happened to him if there were falling rocks, Sadie said. She had never been in an earthquake but everything would be unstable.

“I’ll go and check,” Seth said. He looked at Hannah. “Will you be alright?”

“We’ll be fine,” she replied and wanted to go with him. There had been quite a few aftershocks, some of them fairly violent, and on the way she had seen a lot of rocks and quite a few trees. He could so easily be hurt.

“Take one of the horses,” Sadie said. “It will take ages for you to walk.”

Seth made his way outside and Hannah followed him. “You need someone with you,” she said. “I don’t like you going alone.”

That felt good, he thought, having someone worry about him, and she really was a nice lady. Rachel would be like that too and hopefully Hannah would continue to be a friend. Seth might not be so happy about it but they would be friends as two couples. He bent to kiss Hannah lightly on the cheek.

“I’ll be alright,” he said. “I know the country round here well.”

“Where does Sadie’s mother live?”

“In Lower Pine, fortunately.”

“You need something to eat.”

“I’ll have something when I get back but you and Sadie eat. She’ll need food.”

But Hannah didn’t want to, she found, particularly in view of Seth having no food, and Sadie said she would have some bread and cheese and wait to have a meal with everyone else. What did need doing was the eggs being collected because neither of them had done that in view of the baby. Would Hannah mind collecting them?

She had never collected eggs before, Hannah thought as she went outside with a large basket. She hadn’t even thought of where they came from though she knew, of course. Someone would deliver eggs and other food to their house and then the kitchen staff would deal with it.

She looked at the hills which stood a little way away. They must have been affected by the earthquake and probably many rocks came down the slopes, and even trees. It was too far to see. She went into the barn where Sadie had directed her and began to throw the food Sadie had told her to give the hens onto the floor. They clucked and made for it, obviously hungry after having to wait beyond their feeding time.

She collected the eggs and laid them carefully in the basket. Big eggs and there were a few chickens with the hens. They were so cute, she thought as she lifted one to hold for a minute. She stroked it, set it down and tried not to think of the fact that one day it might end up on someone’s dinner plate. Would she be a good farmer’s wife if she thought of that?

She set the basket down near the door and walked further down the barn to where there were horses. The cows were in a fenced in field and she was sure Ronald would milk them when he returned. Anyway, she had no idea how to milk a cow and her Seth would, no doubt, have farmhands to do that.