The Proper Wife by Winnie Griggs

Author:Winnie Griggs
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2011-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Eli followed Penny and Sadie down the stairs, calling himself all kinds of a fool for not discussing sleeping arrangements beforehand. He and his soon-to-be bride needed to have a discussion, indelicate as it might be, before their wedding day.

As they strolled back to the boardinghouse, the two adults let Penny filled the silence with her excited chatter, mostly questions for Sadie about how they would decorate her room.

Eli listened to the easy way Penny chatted with Sadie, saw the frequent smiles on her lips and lightness in her tone, and wondered how Sadie managed to draw her out. Why hadn’t he already known his sister’s favorite color or why she had picked that particular room for her own? Why hadn’t he even thought to ask?

When they finally reached the front porch of the boardinghouse, Eli turned to his sister. “Why don’t you go on inside and see how Mrs. Collins is feeling this morning? I need to have a few words with Mis—with Sadie in private.”

“Okay Eli.”

He turned to Sadie. “Would you stroll with me?”

“Of course.”

He led them away from the busier part of town, taking a few minutes to gather his thoughts. He wasn’t certain how she would react to the subject matter he needed to broach. “It occurs to me that we should discuss our expectations for, well, for how we will conduct the more personal aspect of our marriage.” Yes, that was a sensible way to approach the topic.

He raked a hand through his hair, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead. “I mean, naturally, as husband and wife, there is a certain, um, intimacy that is normally expected.”

Why didn’t she say anything? Surely she understood—

He suddenly remembered she’d said her mother had passed away when she was nine—Penny’s age—and that she’d been raised by her father and brothers. It was possible that there’d been no one to take on the duty of preparing her for her wedding night. The thought of taking on that duty himself made a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Perhaps he was mistaken.

“Miss Lassiter, that is, Sadie, how much, I mean, what do you know of—” he cut a glance her way.

Her expression had a gently puzzled look. “How much do I what?”

He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze forward again. She was more of an innocent than he’d expected. But if this had to be done, then best to get it over with quickly. “How much do you know about what goes on between a man and a woman once they are married?”

She bent slightly to pick a bit of lint from her skirt. “Since I’ve never been married myself I naturally have no firsthand knowledge.”

Firsthand knowledge—good grief he should hope not! “That is how it should be. I was speaking of a more intellectual knowledge, perhaps relayed to you by a married woman of your acquaintance.”

She shook her head sadly. “There are very few married women on the ranch and none that I’ve had that sort of conversation with.

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