Page 24 of The Gold Rush Bride

“That you are. And I appreciate it. So we’re agreed. You will spend your cash, and we’ll save the gold.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Sally returned with the coffee and their meals on a tray.

Seeing how much Sadie enjoyed adding the sugar and milk to her coffee amused him. Both were rare commodities in Dawson City. He wondered how Kitty kept them in stock. The way into the town was getting easier, at least in the spring and summer. Coming over either Chilkoot or White Mountain Pass was difficult for most of the year, but the trek was easier in the warmer months and now there was the tram.

Regardless of which way the gold seekers used, they still had to traverse the Yukon River and hundreds of miles of rapids to reach Dawson City. This alone made it amazing that Dawson City had the variety of goods available that it did.

Barnaby shuddered, remembering his and John’s harrowing trip down the river. John had almost drowned. Barnaby had tied him to the boat to keep him from falling out.

He shook his head to let go of the memory and sipped his coffee.

“You seemed way off yonder somewhere.” Sadie cut a piece from a medallion and put it in her mouth.

“I was just remembering something. Nothing important.”Now. It had been pretty important then.

Her eyes flashed open wide. “Wow, this is delicious. It’s so tender and is juicy. There is a freshness to it I’ve never had with beef.”

He smiled. “Elk, if it’s butchered right, is very lean meat that has a slight gamey flavor to it, but I think that’s mostly from what the animal eats. They don’t get any hay or grain. Sometimes, it’s too strong, and the meat is only good for stews or chili.”

“Well, this doesn’t seem to be too strong. It’s wonderful.” She cut another piece off and then made noises of appreciation.

Barnaby had a hard time waiting for her to finish her meal. He’d already finished his and was eager to go to the room and get a bath and then make love to his virgin little wife. He would make sure she enjoyed it. If he didn’t, she wouldn’t want to do it again, and he absolutely wouldn’t want that.

He’d been attracted to Sadie since he first saw her causing a ruckus at the saloon. And then when she’d fallen face first, after he laughed, all he wanted to do was lift her up and tell her all would be well. He’d eventually carried her, and she’d felt so right in his arms, he hadn’t wanted to let go. And now she was his wife, to have and to hold, and he expected to hold her and make passionate love to her...if she hadn’t changed her mind.

Finally, she finished and dabbed her mouth with her napkin.

“I’m ready. I hope they have plenty of hot water. I’m soaking until my muscles are limp.”

He chuckled. “I don’t think they have enough hot water in the town for the time you would like to soak.”

“You’re probably right.” She stood.

Barnaby stood too, put a hand on her back at her waist and guided her out of the restaurant and to the hotel’s front desk.

Kitty was still there.

“We’re ready for those baths now.”

She smiled. “I’ll send the men over right away.” She turned and walked through a curtain to their left.

“Let’s go to the room and wait.” He guided her again down the hall to the right of the desk.

Theirs was the last room on the right. Kitty had been correct; the sounds of the street were much quieter.

“Oh, my.” Sadie raised a hand to her mouth. “This is a much bigger room than the one I had before.” She turned toward Barnaby. “And look. She brought us towels.” She pointed at the bed where several towels sat. On top were two washcloths with two bars of soap. “It was so kind of Kitty to provide us with soap, too. Do you suppose she gave us the honeymoon suite?”

The room was half again bigger than Sadie’s first room. The bed was the same size but with white iron head and foot boards. The nightstands, bureau with attached mirror and chest of drawers were all painted white. The wallpaper was cream colored with red roses attached to green vines streaming through it.

Each side of the bed had plenty of room for a bathtub.

Sadie set the carpetbag with their clean clothes in it on the bureau. She bent over and unlaced her boots and removed them.

“If she has one, this could be it. I’m not aware of every room or what they look like.”

She smiled up at him. “No, of course, you aren’t. I didn’t mean you’d seen them all, just that in your talks with her, she might have mentioned it.”