Lone Pine Bride (The Brides of Lone Pine #1)(37)

“You’re a clever man,” Monica said.

“I’ve learnt as I’ve gone along.”

“Our food will be ready soon,” Hannah said. “I’ll put it on plates and bring it through.”

“I need to set up a bed down here,” Seth said. “I’ll put it in the other room and you and Wilfred can sleep there, Monica. The boys could go in one of the rooms upstairs and Lucille in the other one. I’ve got two double mattresses on the double bed so we’ll use one of them. We could bring down the bed frame and the boys sleep on the mattress on the floor.”

“We can manage the floor,” Wilfred said.

“Where will you sleep?” Monica asked.

“In the barn. Maybe Hannah could go in with Lucille.”

“You need to be together.”

“I can sleep in the barn,” Hannah said without thinking. She turned away at the blush which rose as she realised what she had said.

“Are you sure?” Seth asked, looking at her a bit intensely.

“Yes.”

She had said it so she couldn’t back out, she thought, and life was becoming more than complicated. She went into the kitchen and Seth followed her to lift the big pot off the stove.

“I’m sorry,” she mouthed.

He smiled and started to pour the water away before lifting the vegetables out to put on the plates she had set out. “I forgot the fish,” he said.

She giggled and felt a bit better. They were both a couple of novices where a lot of things were concerned but he was clever overall. Building his house, straightening a broken leg, rescuing people, running a farm. The lady who got him would be well cared for, she felt sure.

“Do you have cheese?” she asked.

“Yes. I’ve got a round in the cellar where it’s cool. My mum taught me how to make cheese and I sell it. I do that locally and also in Independence and a few other places.”

“Go and cut some off. I can squash the potato and the cheese will melt on top of it.”

“I’ll be back in a minute.”

And it worked, Hannah was relieved to find as she squashed the potato with a fork and they cut thin slices of cheese to cover it. She put food carefully round the plates, piling them in little mounds with the corn on its cob at the middle and the vegetables and potato round it.

“That looks good,” Seth said, picking up two plates and making for the kitchen door.

“It does, doesn’t it?”

“Seth will be impressed.”

Seth? She didn’t want to think about him. They carried the plates through, sat on the floor with theirs next to the children who had done the same and everyone looked at Seth.

He glanced at Hannah and she put her hands together. Pray. They expected him to pray and, of course, he was the host. He took her hand on one side and Aaron’s on the other and everyone joined hands. “We thank You, Father, for this food and for looking after us today. Please bless and comfort all those who have had a difficult couple of days. In Your Name, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

“Amen,” everyone chorused and started to eat.

“This is delicious,” Monica said. “You’re a good cook, Hannah.”

Hannah smiled. “Not really. I just threw in all the ingredients and Lucille did the sweet which you’re all going to love.”

“I made custard,” Lucille said. She looked at Hannah. “Papa says we can help design a new house. Where will we live until it’s built, papa?”

“Here,” Seth said. “There’s plenty of room.”

Wilfred shook his head. “No. We cannot impose on you.”

“It’s not an imposition.”

“Newlyweds need their privacy,” Monica said.

“When we need privacy we’ll go in the barn,” Seth said.

“We could go in the barn.”

“Let’s not worry about things at the moment,” Hannah said. “I’m sure everyone in the community will help one another to rebuild and you, Wilfred, can do the designing along with the children. I wouldn’t mind building a house. I’ve never done that before though I used to go on building sites with my father sometimes.”

“He’s a builder?” Wilfred asked.

“He doesn’t do the building himself nowadays but he owns a building company. I wish he was here because I know he’d give advice on building and help everyone.”

“We can build too,” Lucas said. “Can we start drawing plans tonight, papa?”

“We could if Seth has paper.”

“I do,” Seth said and the conversation flowed freely while they ate. Onto local affairs, world affairs, what they were doing on their farms. Onto the best way to build a house. Onto Hannah’s journey, some of which she described graphically. Many topics were covered but the earthquake was not mentioned or anything that had happened. Seth had not even told Wilfred and Monica about the deaths in Lone Pine yet. Afterwards the children sat with Wilfred while the adults cleared.

“It’s been a frightening day for them,” Monica said to Hannah while they washed up the dishes. She shuddered visibly. “We could so easily have perished in that house. We would have if you and Seth hadn’t come along. I was convinced we would because we had been trapped for hours before you arrived. Every now and again it keeps coming over me and makes me shudder. You were so brave to come in after us and you were nearly killed because you got out last.”