Page 88 of Colorado Bride

“Goodnight.”

She scooted back to her side of the bed and turned on to her good side, facing him, her back to the wall.

An hour and a half later the pounding started again, waking her and Ben out of sleep.

“I think she waits until she thinks we’re asleep before starting up again.”

Ben threw back the blankets.

“That’s it.We’re making a bedroom out of the office downstairs.You can sleep on the sofa and I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“That won’t be very comfortable for you.”

He shrugged into his pants.

“I’ll pretend I’m on the range, sleeping on the ground.I’ve done that more than once.I’ll be fine.”

“What will we do with your mother during the day?Keep her locked up?I don’t particularly like that idea.Maybe we can have her do the chores that don’t involve cooking…no blades of any kind.She can do the laundry, wash the floors, dust the curtains and windows, but I can’t trust her with just me, especially now that I’m injured.I have no way to protect myself.I need another woman to help me.”

“I’ll check in town and with Maggie.Lots of ladies stop by her office looking for work.It’s become a local ladies haunt.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.I should have protected you.I’m sorry, sweetheart.I should have realized she’d gotten as bad as she has.”

“You’re too close to her to see the changes.”

The next morning Emily cooked breakfast .

After the men had gone to their jobs, Emily, Ben and Rory sat at the table.Emily was stiff and sore but was doing her best not to complain.She had a splitting headache.

“My head is killing me.I’m telling you that whiskey is bad stuff.I don’t know how people drink that stuff.I think I’ll brew a cup of willow bark tea.”

“Are you sure you can handle feeding us three meals a day, the laundry, ironing, everything about the house that you do, without Mother’s help?”

“If she hadn’t injured me, I probably could have managed but I’ll need help now like we talked about last night.I was planning on finding someone after the baby was born.I’d been thinking that maybe Rory will be married by then and his wife can help me.”

“You think that’s possible?”asked Rory.

“It is if you go see Maggie Black about a mail-order bride,” said Emily.

“That’s right.From when I saw Maggie and Emily arrived on the train was about a month, not much more.”

Emily stood and went to the stove to get the coffee pot.

“Of course, they may not find you a bride as quickly or they could find you one right away.The situation depends on the girls they have available and whether one will be a match for you.Maggie and Sally take great pride in their ability to match the right bride with the right man.”

“I guess I better go see Mrs.Black right away.”

“I guess you better,” said Emily.

Ben and Emily both chuckled.

“What about her fee?I don’t have any money for that.”

Ben clasped Rory on the shoulder.

“I’ll get you the money for the fees.We’ll call it your first earnings from the ranch.”