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Book: Nordin, Ruth Ann - South Dakota Series 02 - Bid for a Bride by Frederique
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Authors: Frederique
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her. With a relieved sigh, she scanned the buildings, grateful Addy had insisted on giving her the tour of the place.
After John parked the wagon, they got out and went to gather paint. Eliza led the way, explaining to Lucy that William Jafferty went by the nickname Old Willy. "He’s one of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet," she rambled on.
Beside her, Lucy noticed Brian smile, and she smiled too, though probably for a different reason than Brian did. She was enjoying the way Eliza could talk about anything and make it sound interesting.
She’d never come across anyone as engaging as Eliza before. Eliza had a way of putting people at ease and making them feel as if they were important.
They stopped at Old Willy’s place, and Eliza knocked on the door. A woman holding a one-year-old child on her hip opened the door. "Good morning, Daphne," Eliza said and leaned forward to ruffle the little boy’s hair. "My goodness, every time I see you, you get bigger. I hardly even recognized you."
"Yes, well, he’s been getting into everything." Daphne laughed and bounced the baby on her hip.
Eliza straightened back up. "Daphne, Brian married Lucy yesterday. Lucy’s from Minnesota."
"Oh yes. I heard we had a new person in town," Daphne said. "How are you, Lucy?"
"Fine," Lucy quietly replied, surprised by the commotion going on inside the house. If she counted right, four children ran around the kitchen to get things ready for an early lunch.
"Did you come to talk to Willy about some paint?" Daphne asked, reaching up and stopping her child before he could pull her hair.
"Actually, we did," Eliza said. "Is he around?"
"He’s out back in the shed. You can go on to the backyard if you wish. It’d be easier than coming through the house."
Daphne glanced over her shoulder and sighed as one of her children screamed. "Rachel, let Bob put that dish on the table."
"But he keeps picking it back up," Rachel complained.
"Let him do that. It won’t kill anyone." Daphne looked back at the visitors. "It’s like this all the time.
After awhile, you don’t even notice all the noise."
Lucy wondered how that was possible but decided to take the woman’s word for it.
"Well, you and Willy are doing a fine job of raising them," Eliza said. "They’re well-behaved in public, and that’s where it counts the most. That way, you look good."
Daphne chuckled. "I never thought of it like that."
"We’ll go on back to the shed and see about that paint. Now, you be good to your mother," Eliza told the children before leading the way to the shed.
After they collected enough paint, they went to the mercantile where Lucy got to select the supplies she needed for making curtains and chose what she wanted to make for meals.
"I hope you don’t mind if I ask you to cook with me on occasion," Eliza told her. "You’re picking some mighty fine things that I’d love to eat but can’t make well enough for it to be edible."
"I don’t mind," Lucy replied. "To be honest, I’d like it."
"You’re not pulling my leg, are you?" She chuckled.
"No. I mean it."
Eliza gave her a quick hug. "You know, ever since Brian got to be the age where he could court girls, I had this dream of being friends with the one he ended up marrying. Sometimes I don’t make it to town except once every month or two, especially in the winter. And as much as I enjoy John and Brian, it’s not the same as having another woman to talk to. I really like you, Lucy. I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine."
Blushing, Lucy said, "I agree." Uncertain of what else to say, she turned back to the shelf in front of her and selected more items for her basket.
When they finished shopping at the mercantile, John borrowed a horse from Frank and hooked it up to the buggy, and Eliza took the reins of the wagon so they could all go home. Though Lucy had plenty of room now on the seat, she sat close to Brian and held his hand.
Chapter Eight
Two
After John parked the wagon, they got out and went to gather paint. Eliza led the way, explaining to Lucy that William Jafferty went by the nickname Old Willy. "He’s one of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet," she rambled on.
Beside her, Lucy noticed Brian smile, and she smiled too, though probably for a different reason than Brian did. She was enjoying the way Eliza could talk about anything and make it sound interesting.
She’d never come across anyone as engaging as Eliza before. Eliza had a way of putting people at ease and making them feel as if they were important.
They stopped at Old Willy’s place, and Eliza knocked on the door. A woman holding a one-year-old child on her hip opened the door. "Good morning, Daphne," Eliza said and leaned forward to ruffle the little boy’s hair. "My goodness, every time I see you, you get bigger. I hardly even recognized you."
"Yes, well, he’s been getting into everything." Daphne laughed and bounced the baby on her hip.
Eliza straightened back up. "Daphne, Brian married Lucy yesterday. Lucy’s from Minnesota."
"Oh yes. I heard we had a new person in town," Daphne said. "How are you, Lucy?"
"Fine," Lucy quietly replied, surprised by the commotion going on inside the house. If she counted right, four children ran around the kitchen to get things ready for an early lunch.
"Did you come to talk to Willy about some paint?" Daphne asked, reaching up and stopping her child before he could pull her hair.
"Actually, we did," Eliza said. "Is he around?"
"He’s out back in the shed. You can go on to the backyard if you wish. It’d be easier than coming through the house."
Daphne glanced over her shoulder and sighed as one of her children screamed. "Rachel, let Bob put that dish on the table."
"But he keeps picking it back up," Rachel complained.
"Let him do that. It won’t kill anyone." Daphne looked back at the visitors. "It’s like this all the time.
After awhile, you don’t even notice all the noise."
Lucy wondered how that was possible but decided to take the woman’s word for it.
"Well, you and Willy are doing a fine job of raising them," Eliza said. "They’re well-behaved in public, and that’s where it counts the most. That way, you look good."
Daphne chuckled. "I never thought of it like that."
"We’ll go on back to the shed and see about that paint. Now, you be good to your mother," Eliza told the children before leading the way to the shed.
After they collected enough paint, they went to the mercantile where Lucy got to select the supplies she needed for making curtains and chose what she wanted to make for meals.
"I hope you don’t mind if I ask you to cook with me on occasion," Eliza told her. "You’re picking some mighty fine things that I’d love to eat but can’t make well enough for it to be edible."
"I don’t mind," Lucy replied. "To be honest, I’d like it."
"You’re not pulling my leg, are you?" She chuckled.
"No. I mean it."
Eliza gave her a quick hug. "You know, ever since Brian got to be the age where he could court girls, I had this dream of being friends with the one he ended up marrying. Sometimes I don’t make it to town except once every month or two, especially in the winter. And as much as I enjoy John and Brian, it’s not the same as having another woman to talk to. I really like you, Lucy. I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine."
Blushing, Lucy said, "I agree." Uncertain of what else to say, she turned back to the shelf in front of her and selected more items for her basket.
When they finished shopping at the mercantile, John borrowed a horse from Frank and hooked it up to the buggy, and Eliza took the reins of the wagon so they could all go home. Though Lucy had plenty of room now on the seat, she sat close to Brian and held his hand.
Chapter Eight
Two
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