Mail-Order Matriarch by Amelia St James

Author:Amelia St James [James, Amelia St]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“So this is what a cobbler looks like?” Thea leaned over the hot dish, sniffing greedily.

“It is. Don’t tell me that you’ve never tasted peach cobbler before?” Lindsay’s eyebrows raised as she stared at the girl.

“I haven’t.” Thea turned toward Kaitlyn. “It smells delicious, though. Will you be staying to have some with us?”

“Actually, I’ve decided to board here until I find the perfect husband I’ve always dreamed about.” Kaitlyn closed her eyes and smiled, inhaling deeply. When she reopened them, she glanced at Elly. “Tell me, what are my options? Do you have any men for me to choose among? I want someone rich who has never been married before and who doesn’t have any bad habits.”

Lindsay put her head down, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she quickly turned her attention to the dish in front of her. Her shoulders shook as she began to serve the cobbler onto plates.

“Actually, I don’t have any yet, but I’m expecting letters to start coming in soon.”

Brows furrowed, Kaitlyn said, “What do you mean, you expect letters to come? How can you be so sure that there are men out there looking for a wife?” She stared hard at Elly as two red spots formed high on her cheeks.

“There are single men out west who are looking for a bride. Don’t worry.” Elly spoke more confidently than she felt, turning her head when Lindsay belted out a laugh. Glaring at Lindsay, she watched as her friend angled her chin, hoping she wouldn’t scare Kaitlyn away.

“Dear, there are tons of anxious men out west. It’s as Elly said--there are men there who are just waiting for the chance to see a woman in person, let alone have a wife. Don’t fret.”

Wrinkling her nose, Kaitlyn said, “If that’s the case, why aren’t you married yet? You must be anxious, since you’re so much past the marrying age.”

Lindsay gasped. “I am not.”

Kaitlyn turned to look at Elly before returning her attention to Lindsay. Her back stiffened as she said, “You look like you’re closer to thirty than twenty.”

Elly watched Lindsay’s face turn crimson. She stood, putting herself between the two women. “It isn’t of consequence. There’s a perfect match for everyone.”

Lindsay raised her gaze from the floor, staring at Elly doubtfully. The uncertainty Elly saw there made her heart ache for her friend.

“There is.” She reached for the plates near Lindsay’s elbow. “Come, let’s enjoy this cobbler that Thea helped make.” Smiling at the girl, she asked, “How did your first cooking lesson go?”

Thea waited until everyone was seated before saying, “I still prefer hunting to cooking, but it’s alright.”

Kaitlyn looked up sharply. “You hunt? As in kill animals for food?” She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Thea nodded. “And clean them. I just never learned to cook what I hunted.” She dropped her gaze to her lap. “My Pa always did the cooking. Said he didn't trust me not to burn the food.”

“That’s not rational. And not proper. You shouldn’t be using a gun and a knife, even if your father was watching.

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