Mail Order Matron (Brides of Beckham Book 9) Page 5

  “Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be another long day.” He tucked her head onto his shoulder.

  “I can’t sleep all pressed against you this way!” she protested.

  “Sure you can. You’ll even like it.” He stroked her back soothingly until her breathing became even. “Good night, sweet wife.”

  *****

  Julia woke to Edward kissing her, his hands stroking up and down her sides. “It’s time to get up, sweetheart.”

  She sighed, stretching. “Is it morning already?”

  He laughed. “You’re not a morning person?”

  She shook her head. “Not in the slightest. I get up and do what I’m supposed to do, but I’d rather laze in bed for another hour or two.”

  He rolled out of bed and pulled his clothes on, his back to her in the pre-dawn darkness. “Farm life means being up before the rooster.”

  She grumbled. “I should have thought of that before I married a farmer, shouldn’t I?”

  He laughed softly. “I’ll be back with the milk and eggs in a minute.”

  When she heard the front door close, she jumped out of bed and quickly dressed for the day. She hurried into the kitchen and started the stove and the coffee immediately. She’d decided to toast some of the bread from the day before to go with some eggs and bacon. She preferred her eggs with a soft yolk, and he seemed to be happy with anything she cooked.

  She made him four eggs and herself two. She served the toast with butter, but put a small pot of preserves on the table. He must have found them in town. She promised herself she’d find time to go berry picking that day. She’d seen a patch along the narrow lane that led to their property. She’d love to make some pies and her own jams. She remembered making jams with her mother growing up and had always enjoyed the experience immensely. She mourned the mother she’d grown up with still, but she’d been mourning her for sixteen years.

  When he came in with the milk and eggs, she had the table set and coffee in front of each of their plates. He set his burdens down and washed his hands, moving to sit across from her. He took her hand in his as he said the prayer for their meal. It was the first time he’d taken her hand for a prayer, and she liked it immensely.

  He looked down at the eggs with a big smile. “I tried to figure out how to make eggs this way, but I just kept ruining them! I broke the yolk every time.”

  “This is my favorite way to eat eggs. Unless I have some cheese and then I like to make an omelet.”

  “I like these just fine. Thank you for always having meals ready for me.”

  She was pleased that he was so grateful for everything she did. Her mother had never thanked her for anything, and having someone who actually appreciated her made her feel good. “I’m happy to do it.”

  “Is there anything you need me to do for you before I get to work today?” he asked.

  Julia nodded. “Would you bring the tub in? I feel like I’m covered in filth from the train still, and I really need a bath.” The tin tub was leaning against the side of the house. She could have managed on her own, but they both knew it would be much easier for him.

  “Sure. I’ll get it right after breakfast.” His eyes met hers impishly. “Do you need me to wash your back for you? It’s hard to get yourself.”

  “I think I’ll be okay.” She blushed profusely, looking down at her empty plate. She was shocked at how much he talked about intimacies. She stood and took her dishes to the sink to wash them, and while she was there, she put some huge kettles of water on the stove to heat.

  He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her back against him. “You’re so much fun to tease. Who’d have thought a woman of your age could still blush so much?”

  “Are you saying something about my age, Edward Allen?” She turned in his arms, her hands on her hips.

  He laughed. “Course not, Mrs. Allen. I wanted a woman who was at least thirty, remember?”

  “Just not necessarily a woman who had never married who was over thirty?”

  “I wouldn’t change that about you for anything.”

  “Hmph. Not even for a willing wife in your bed?”

  He hugged her tightly. “I’m not angry with you for that. I’m a little…anxious to get to that part of our marriage, but your feelings are more important than my physical desires.” He kissed her quickly. “Now let me go drag that tub in. I’ll empty it at noon, so don’t you try to do that yourself.”

  “I won’t.” She saw that the first pot of water was boiling, so she pushed it toward one edge of the stove and put another in the middle. She finished the dishes while he dragged the tub in, and he poured the first two pots of hot water into the tub for her, and followed them with some cold.

  “Test the water and see if it’s to your liking.”

  She put her hand into the water. It was still steaming, but not so hot she’d burn herself. “That’s perfect. Thank you.”

  “You sure you don’t need my help?”

  “I’m sure. Go get some work done!”

  He laughed as he left, shutting the door behind him. She stood at the window and watched until he was out of sight before quickly stripping out of her clothes and sliding into the tub. She didn’t think he’d return before she finished, but he was in a playful mood, and she wasn’t sure.

  She washed quickly, making sure she washed her hair as well, before jumping out of the tub and dressing. It was getting chilly in the mornings, and she shivered as she put her clothes on.

  She planned a simple bacon sandwich for lunch, because she wanted to surprise him with a pie for supper. She spent the morning cleaning out the cabinets, scrubbing them down, and rearranging them to her specifications.

  He didn’t say a word about having bacon sandwiches for lunch. He just thanked her for cooking for him. “What are your plans for the afternoon?” he asked. He looked around the house. “I can’t see that there’s much more that needs to be cleaned!”

  She smiled proudly. “I still want to do the outside of the windows, but that can wait another day or two. I thought I’d wander around and explore the area for a bit. I’ll start dinner and then do some walking. I like to take healthful walks, and once the snow settles in, that’s going to be hard.”

  “That’s fine. Do you want me to show you around?”

  “No, I’ll be fine, thank you.”

  He left after lunch, kissing her quickly and squeezing her bottom. His constant touch had her thinking maybe she should just break down and have relations with him. She certainly wasn’t uncomfortable around him any longer. She watched him go and quickly started a simple supper. It was the dessert she wanted to surprise him with.

  She rushed down the narrow road, carefully walking in one of the wagon tracks to avoid the overgrown weeds on either side of her. She got to the spot where she’d seen the berries, and on closer inspection, realized there were both blackberries and raspberries. She’d brought two pails to put the berries in, and she was thrilled. She could make a jam of each one and some combined. She’d never be able to pick all the berries, though. She’d have to come back again the following day for more.

  When she got back an hour later, she quickly cleaned the berries and mixed them with sugar. She let the mixture set while she rolled out the pie crusts and threw the first pie in the oven. She made three pies total with the berries she’d picked, knowing she’d go back and pick more to make jam with the following day. It was going to be fun to see his excitement at the new dessert.

  She’d made pork for supper, using the salt pork he’d picked up in town and adding in some carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes. She really wished she had fresh meat to cook with, but she was a city girl and much too squeamish to butcher an animal herself.

  When he walked in the house at five, he took a deep sniff of the air, and a smile covered his face. “Pie? Do I smell pie?”

  She laughed. “Maybe.”

  He walked to where she stood in front of the stove about to take the pot
with dinner out of the oven. He scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around. “Just so you know, I’m keeping you.”

  “You weren’t planning to keep me before?”

  “Well, I was, but now? I’ll fight for the right.”

  “I guess I’d better keep making pies!”

  He kissed her, a long and lingering kiss that made her melt into him, her knees going weak, before he went to sit at the table. “Dinner smells good, too.”

  She laughed. “But if I weren’t here, you’d skip straight to pie, wouldn’t you?”

  He shrugged. “I’d eat pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if no one was looking.”

  “It’s a good thing that I’m here to keep you eating your meat and vegetables then, isn’t it?” She put the potatoes and other vegetables onto the table and carried the meat over, setting it down. “Milk to drink?”

  “Yes, please.” He watched her move, so happy that he finally had a wife to take care of him.

  After their prayer, she looked at him, biting her lip. “It would be really nice to have some fresh meat to cook with.”

  He smiled. “Is that a hint?”

  She grinned. “Well, I can make do with what we have, of course, but I am used to having a butcher that I can run and see whenever I want.”

  “I could butcher one of the pullets in the morning, and then do some hunting later in the week. There are lots of birds and rabbits in the area.” He shrugged. “In another month, one of the neighbors will be butchering some of his cows, and I’ll buy one.”

  “That would be nice. Thank you. Fresh meat will be nice to mix in with the salted meat, so we can have some variety.”

  “I hope you don’t think that you need to have a huge variety to make me happy. I’m so excited to not have to cook for myself anymore, I think I’d eat dirt if you seasoned it.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind. I made a lot of mud pies as a young child.”

  She brought them each a slice of pie as soon as they’d finished eating, and his eyes closed as he savored the flavor. “Is that blackberry or raspberry?” He looked down at it questioningly.

  “Both!”

  His eyes lit up. “No wonder it’s so good.”

  “I’m glad you like them this way. I made all three pies the same, but I’m planning on picking more berries tomorrow so I can make jam. I’ll also can some pie filling so we can have pies through the winter. I’d like to pick some apples this week, too.”

  He frowned. “I’ll go with you to pick the apples. I don’t want you climbing trees by yourself.”

  She laughed. “I’m a lot stronger than you think I am.”

  He shook his head. “With all the work you’ve done since you arrived, I’m not questioning your strength. I don’t want you hurt.”

  “I’ll wait for you then. Maybe some afternoon, you can spare time to pick apples with me.”

  “There are a few apple trees on our property, but not a lot. I hope apples aren’t your favorite fruit.”

  She shook her head. “They’re not, but I do enjoy apple sauce and a good apple pie. I’d like to be able to make those for you.”

  He sighed contentedly as he finished the huge slice of pie she’d served him. “I’d like that as well.”

  Julia cleared the dishes and quickly washed them. She’d put in a full day, but after two good nights worth of sleep, she was feeling much better. When she was finished she turned to find him watching her closely. She smiled and walked to him, leaning down to kiss him briefly. “You’re always watching me.”

  He caught her hips in his hands and pulled her between his spread knees. “I like watching you. I can see the joy you have in what you do here. It makes me feel…content.”

  “I’m glad.” She stretched. “Would you like to go for a walk? Maybe we could get a few of those apples tonight?”

  He smiled, standing up. “I’d be happy to.” He found a burlap sack he’d gotten some seed in for the winter wheat, and he walked with her to the door. “Let’s go see what we can find.”

  He held her hand and talked to her about the land as they walked, pointing out different things that he thought might interest her. When they reached the apple trees, she saw that they weren’t much. “That’s really not a lot of apples, is it?” She picked the apples she could reach while he picked ones that were a little higher on the branches. The trees were obviously young, because there were very few apples that he couldn’t reach.

  They managed to fill the bag he carried before they headed back toward the house. “Thank you for doing this with me.” Julia smiled up at him as they walked back, with him carrying the bag over his shoulder.

  “You’re welcome. I enjoyed it.”

  “You did? Really?”

  He laughed. “I got to spend time with you, which I enjoy, and I got to help with a dessert I’ll be eating. What could be better?” When they reached the house, he took the bag off his shoulder. “Where do you want them?”

  “Just set them there beside the work table. I’ll take care of them in the morning.” She yawned, stretching one arm above her head noticing the way his eyes followed the movement as her breasts were pushed against the front of her dress. She blushed. “I’m going to get ready for bed.”

  She hurried into the bedroom and swiftly changed clothes. She slipped under the covers as soon as she had her nightgown over her head. She lay in bed, on her side, facing the middle of the bed. She knew he’d be there soon, and they’d talk and kiss.

  Edward paced the main room while he gave her the few minutes she needed. Having her as his wife was so much better than he’d imagined it would be. She was everything he’d hoped for. She had no problem cleaning up a huge mess. She cooked like a dream. He found he was extremely attracted to her. He just wished he hadn’t promised to wait for two weeks before consummating the marriage. It was making him crazy to watch her and not make love with her.

  He opened the door to the bedroom and blew out the lamp, getting undressed in the dark. Instead of putting on his nightshirt as usual, he climbed between the sheets unclothed and pulled her against him.

  She went into his arms happily but jerked back when she realized he wasn’t wearing anything. “Where’s your nightshirt?”

  He brushed a kiss across her lips. “Wherever you put it when you cleaned up my things this morning.”

  “Don’t you think you should put it on?”

  “I prefer sleeping without it. Does that bother you?”

  Well, of course it bothered her, but she couldn’t bring herself to say so. She liked being able to press up against his bare skin. “No, it’s fine.”

  His fingers danced across the skin at the side of her neck while his lips played with hers. His hand skirted down her side and pulled her hips against his, pressing her into his erect manhood.

  She gasped with surprise when she felt him against her, but she didn’t move away. Instead, she wrapped one arm around his neck and returned his kisses, trying to tell him without words that she didn’t need any more time. She cared for him, and she was ready.

  When his hand cupped her bottom, pulling her even more tightly against him, she flexed her hips even closer.

  He pulled back and looked into her eyes by the light of the full moon streaming through the window. “I want to make love to you,” he whispered.

  She took his hand and brought it to her breast, arching against it, urging him to touch her.

  Edward wondered if she realized what she was offering him but decided he didn’t care. He was going to take all the liberties she was willing to allow him. His hand cupped her breast, and he leaned down and sucked her nipple into his mouth through the thin cotton of her nightgown. He unbuttoned the front buttons and slipped the fabric out of the way, his tongue toying with her taut nipple. “You’re so beautiful.”

  She shook her head, not believing him. No one had called her beautiful since she and Joseph had split up, and she had been young and thin then. Thinking of her former beau d
idn’t have the usual pain attached to it. Was she falling in love with her husband?

  Edward pushed against her shoulders, rolling her to her back. His hand went to the hem of her nightgown and he slowly pushed it up, his hand caressing her leg from ankle to thigh. He pushed her gown up above her waist, and his fingers trailed along her hip, to her stomach, then down through the curls shielding her innocence.

  When his hand reached her core she gasped, her breath shuddering out of her. His mouth covered hers as his fingers toyed with her opening, one sliding inside to test her readiness.

  She clung to his shoulders, surprised that he would touch her in such a way. She hadn’t known a man would use his fingers on her there and not just his man part like her mother had said. He’d said he was going to, but somehow she really hadn’t believed he’d do something so wicked. She was enjoying the sensations too much to ask him to stop.

  He pulled his mouth from hers, staring down into her eyes. “I want to make love to you, Julia.”

  She wasn’t certain how she should respond, so she simply spread her legs a little wider, letting him know he was welcome. He let out a shuddering breath, as if he’d been holding his breath while he waited to find out if she’d turn him away. His mouth crushed hers again as he kissed her, his tongue moving to mate with hers.

  He moved between her legs, bracing himself off her with his hands to keep from crushing her. She moved her hands up and down his back, touching his skin with tentative fingers. Would he mind if she touched him? He’d tell her if he did, surely.

  She felt something hard and much bigger than his finger pushing against her, in a place she’d never even dared to touch. It felt strange against her. Then he was pressing inside, and the pain startled her for a moment, making her stiffen up beneath him.

  Edward sank deep inside her, swallowing her gasp of pain, before holding still. He knew he needed to be gentle with her and give her time to adjust to his invasion.

  At first, Julia wanted to push him away from her, but she knew that wasn’t the right thing to do, so she lay beneath him waiting for him to finish. When he didn’t move, she thought maybe he’d finished, and she let out a sigh of relief. She’d done her duty, and it was over.