Crumpets & Cowpies: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 1)

by Shanna Hatfield

  As she warmed her hands by the cozy fire, Maggie glanced at the lace-covered table where a silver tray held an assortment of treats and steam rose from a delicate china teapot.

  “This is lovely, Jemma. Do you have tea every day?” Maggie turned her back to the heat and held her hands behind her as Jemma stood by the sofa. Admiring the lovely furniture and the artful way Jemma arranged it, she had no idea a little loving care could turn Thane’s rough cabin into a welcoming home.

  “No, although we did before we left England. I do pop on the kettle and make myself a cup of tea most afternoons. There is something about the ritual of heating the water, brewing the tea, and sitting quietly to sip it from one of my mother’s teacups that brings me a measure of comfort and peace.”

  “It sounds wonderful.” Maggie took a seat in Lily’s rocking chair. A sigh escaped her as she settled against the thickly padded seat and back. She closed her eyes and rocked the chair a few times before returning her gaze to her friend. “This is the most comfortable chair I’ve ever sat in.”

  “Lily picked it out at Mr. Patterson’s furniture store.” Jemma smiled as she handed Maggie a cup of tea on a saucer. “She spied it and begged to have it, and neither Thane nor I could tell her no. I think it reminds her of the rocking chair we had in the nursery at the cottage.”

  “Have the children missed being in England? Have they settled in here?” Maggie laughed when Jemma told her about finding Lily with the bulls a few weeks ago. “I do believe your little Lily is going to be quite a handful.”

  “Yes, she is, but I’d rather have her that way than not be interested or engaged in the world around her.” Jemma placed a few treats on a plate and handed it to Maggie.

  Maggie sampled a dainty sandwich, took a bite of something Jemma called a crumpet, and tasted an egg custard tart. Everything was delicious and she asked Jemma for a recipe for the tart, liking the hint of nutmeg with the rich, creamy filling.

  “No wonder Thane seems so happy these days,” Maggie observed, helping herself to another bite of the tart. “You’ve created an inviting home, feed him delicious food, and are everything a man could ask for in a wife.”

  Jemma clanged her cup against her saucer and set both down on a side table, staring at her friend. “You think Thane is happy? With me?” Jemma waved her hand around the room. “With this?”

  “Of course! He’d have to be blind and stupid not to be and I know for a fact he isn’t either of those things.” Maggie grinned as she took a sip of her tea. “I wouldn’t believe it if I couldn’t see it firsthand, but you’ve done the thing Thane vowed would never happen.”

  “What might that be?” Jemma asked, curious and somewhat befuddled by Maggie’s words.

  “You’ve made him fall in love.”

  Jemma sat back against the sofa, opened her mouth to speak, then found words failed her. It couldn’t be. Thane didn’t love her.

  He tolerated her. Teased her. Frustrated her as much as she annoyed him.

  Somewhere in the past few months, they’d become good friends.

  But love?

  No, it was impossible to think of the man falling in love with her.

  “He didn’t have to marry you, Jemma. He wanted to.” Maggie observed as she took another sip of her tea.

  “He married me for the children, so they wouldn’t be uprooted from everyone they knew and because he needed someone to care for them. I was the logical choice.” Jemma stared at Maggie, wanting to believe her but afraid to hope Thane could hold feelings for her.

  Maggie smiled knowingly and set down her tea. “If that’s all he needed you for, he would have hired you as his nanny or found one. After swearing he’d never wed, he didn’t seem to have any trouble taking you as his bride. He might not admit it to himself, but he’s in love with you. As sure as I’m sitting here enjoying this lovely tea, Thane Jordan loves you. You can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, and feel it in the air when you get close to each other. Sparks fairly fly off the two of you.”

  “But he… we… no, it can’t be true.” Jemma forgot about maintaining a proper posture and slumped against the soft cushions of the sofa. “I dare not hope such a thing.”

  “Why not? It’s obvious you love him, and you are married, after all. One thing I learned is not to waste a single day you have together because they can end all too quickly. I think you should not only dare to hope he loves you, but also acknowledge the truth of the matter. I’ve known Thane for a long time and I can tell you right now, he’s never been as happy and content as he’s been since you and the children moved to the ranch.”

  Instinctively, Jemma knew she could trust Maggie to keep her secrets and offer good advice. “How can I know for certain he loves me? He won’t even… he refuses to…he hasn’t yet…”

  “I’d bet you my whole store that Thane loves you, if I were a betting woman. What does he refuse? What won’t he do?”

  “To um… to… well, we haven’t exactly… he promised he wouldn’t…he vowed we…” Jemma struggled to find a delicate way to say she and Thane had yet to consummate their marriage.

  Maggie grinned and rocked back in the chair. “You mean to tell me that Thane Jordan married one of the most beautiful women he’s ever seen and vowed he wouldn’t make her his true wife?”

  Jemma’s cheeks flamed with hot embarrassment, but she nodded her head. “He promised I’d share everything but his bed when he proposed this arrangement. Technically, we share a bed, but he stays on his side and I stay on mine.”

  Eyes wide with disbelief, Maggie stopped rocking and stared at Jemma. “That right there should tell you how much he loves you. Any man but Thane, and maybe Tully, would have broken that promise within a few days. They certainly wouldn’t have lasted this long. You’ve been married what, about two months or so?”

  Jemma glanced at the clock. “Eight weeks, three days and twenty-three hours.”

  Humored by the situation, Maggie resumed her rocking. “Oh, you sweet, naive girl, he definitely loves you. Now, we need to figure out a way to force him to realize it. Did you like the bedroom set? When Thane wired Tully to order one, he asked me to help pick it out.”

  “No wonder it’s so lovely. Thank you.” Jemma rose to her feet and motioned Maggie to follow. “Would you like to see it?”

  After admiring the bedroom set and the quilt Jemma purchased for the bed, they returned to the sitting area and Jemma refreshed their tea.

  Time passed quickly as they sat visiting. They both looked up as Thane and Tully walked inside followed by Jack.

  “Tea time, is it?” Thane asked, smiling at his wife and Maggie. “Hope you saved me some.”

  “There is gracious plenty.” Jemma retrieved more plates and cups, carrying them to the low table in front of the sofa. Jack took a seat in the side chair closest to the fire while Tully sank onto Thane’s old overstuffed chair close to the rocking chair where Maggie sipped her tea.

  Thane leaned down and kissed Maggie’s cheek before taking a seat next to his wife on the sofa. She handed him a cup of tea and a plate of treats. Spying the custard tarts he favored, he bit into one then drank his tea.

  Tully slathered a warm crumpet with butter and jam, taking a big bite before slurping his tea. As he glanced around the room, his eyes rested on his hostess. Despite their obvious differences, the woman domesticated his friend and put a warm light in his eyes that had never been there.

  Jemma looked like she belonged in some fancy drawing room with her creamy complexion, perfectly styled hair, and expensive gown. Back ramrod straight, holding a delicate cup and saucer in her hands, she was the epitome of a grand lady.

  Thane, on the other hand, sported a pair of worn denims, splotched with mud and manure from working around the cattle earlier that day. The faded flannel shirt he wore with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows appeared out of place next to Jemma’s finery. Judging by the stubble on his face, Thane had been in too big of a hurry to shave for a few days or had misp
laced his razor again.

  In the past weeks, Tully had witnessed the two of them butting heads over one thing or another. Thane goaded Jemma just to see how she’d react most of the time, not because he needed to prove his point.

  As he stared from the woman of noble birth to the man who worked hard every day to wrest his ranch from the Eastern Oregon scrubland, Tully couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped.

  Thane glanced at him as he took a bite of a jam-filled cookie. “Care to share your joke with the rest of us?”

  “The two of you go together like crumpets and cowpies.”

  Jemma choked on her tea and set down her cup while Thane gently thumped her on the back and handed her his napkin. Maggie shot Tully a cool glare, letting him know he’d crossed over a line.

  “I just meant that Jemma is such a fine lady and Thane is about as rough and tumble as they come. By the way, these crumpets are tasty, especially with jam sinking into all the little holes. Mmm, mmm. I could get used to your English tea parties, even if Thane prefers biscuits to crumpets.”

  Mad at his friend, Thane narrowed his glare and wished he could punch Tully in the nose. Not only had his words been insulting, they were true.

  When he walked in and found Jemma sitting at tea with Maggie, looking every bit as proper and pretty as she had the first day he met her, he couldn’t help but think how out of place she was in his chink-walled cabin.

  She needed to be somewhere like the cottage, surrounded by warmth, comfort, and beautiful things she treasured. Not on some scrubby ranch in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of ill-mannered men.

  Disturbed, he removed his hand from her back and slid over on the sofa, leaving more space between the two of them. Maggie raised a questioning eyebrow, but it went unnoticed. Thane was too lost in his thoughts to pay her any mind.

  Tully and Jemma carried the conversation until Maggie declared it time to head back to town. Although Jemma asked them both to stay for dinner, Maggie insisted she wanted to get home before dark.

  Tully and Thane went out to get the horses while Jemma helped Maggie on with her coat. Generously placing bread and sweets into a basket, Jemma tucked a cloth around the top and handed it to Maggie.

  “Something for you to enjoy later.”

  “Thank you, Jemma. You think about what I said and don’t let that obstinate cowboy fool you into thinking otherwise.” Maggie gave her an encouraging pat on the back. “I can’t leave without seeing Lily. Is she still napping?”

  “Yes. However, if I don’t wake her soon, she won’t want to go to bed tonight. She had a busy morning chasing after the dogs and one of the hands let her ride with him out to check on the cows.” Jemma opened Lily’s bedroom door and smiled at the little girl who gazed at her with sleepy eyes.

  Lily grinned when she saw Maggie in the doorway and held out her arms to her.

  “Hello, Lily. How are you?” Maggie asked, picking her up and kissing her cheek.

  “I’m great! How are you?”

  “I’m great, too.” Maggie carried her out to the front room and held her a minute until Thane and Tully returned with the horses.

  Quickly wrapping a shawl around her shoulders, Jemma took Lily from Maggie and folded the material around her as well before stepping outside. Maggie grabbed the basket of treats then hurried over to where Thane and Tully waited. She hugged Thane and whispered something in his ear then patted his cheek with a fond look before swinging into the saddle.

  The woman’s familiarity with Thane made jealous pangs stab at Jemma even though she knew it was ridiculous. Maggie was a good friend, nothing more.

  With a wave at Tully as he mounted his horse, Jemma started down the steps with Lily as her two guests rode out of the ranch yard.

  “Where you headed?” Thane asked, falling into step beside her.

  “Lily needs to use the, um… privy.” Jemma glanced at him and noticed his grin at her use of the word.

  “I’ll take her. It’s getting cold out here and you’ll freeze in that outfit.”

  Lily hugged Thane around the neck as he carried her toward the outhouse while Jemma huffed in annoyance and marched back inside the cabin.

  Jack sat curled up in a chair by the fire with a book in his hand, reading a story while eating the last sandwich on the tea tray.

  “Do you want some tea, Jack? Would you prefer a glass of milk?”

  “No, thank you.” Jack didn’t even look up as he answered, turning the next page in the book.

  Pleased that Jack found a book he couldn’t put down, Jemma stepped into her bedroom. She changed out of her gown into a dark blue calico dress sprigged with yellow flowers. After tying on a fresh apron, she returned to the kitchen and began cleaning up the dishes from the tea service.

  Jack set down his book and helped carry teacups and plates to the sink.

  “Auntie Jemma?” He asked as he leaned against the counter and watched her pour a kettle of hot water into a dishpan and shave in a few curls of soap.

  “Yes, lovey?” Jemma motioned for him to pick up a dishtowel so he could dry. He accepted the plate she handed him and began wiping away the drops of water clinging to the surface.

  “May I ask a question?”

  Glancing over her shoulder at him, she smiled. “You may ask me anything you like, Jack.”

  “Do you think my mum and papa would be terribly disappointed that we moved here?”

  Jemma stopped washing the dishes and wiped her hands on her apron. She took the plate and towel from Jack’s hands then walked him over to the table and sat down on a chair.

  Despite his usual protests that he was too old for cuddles, she pulled him onto her lap and wrapped him in a comforting hug. Tenderly brushing his bangs away from his forehead, she placed a kiss there and rocked him back and forth.

  “Oh, sweetheart, I think your mum and papa would be very happy to see you living with your Uncle Thane. I know I’m glad we left England and came here.”

  “You are?” Jack sat up and gave her a look of surprise. “I didn’t think you liked living here.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  Jack scrunched up his nose and rubbed it with his index finger before looking at his aunt again. “You hate all the dirt and you’re terrified of the snakes and coyotes. You call the outhouse an abomination, and you and Uncle Thane quarrel all the time. I don’t think you like him very much.”

  Jemma took a moment to collect her thoughts before answering. “You are quite correct that I am not fond of dirt or snakes or coyotes. I do hate that thing your uncle calls an outhouse. It’s utterly uncivilized. As for Thane, though, I like him very much. Although I admire and respect him, he and I enjoy saying things to annoy the other much like you enjoy stealing Lily’s dolly or pulling on Rigsly’s tail to get them to play with you. It’s all in fun. I’m terribly sorry, Jack, if you were under the impression I don’t like your uncle. I care for him a great deal.”

  “Then you don’t wish we could go home, back to the cottage?”

  “No, lovey. I don’t wish to return to England. I miss Catherine and Charles, Cook and Greenfield, and the Westons, along with some of our other friends. Sometimes I miss all of the nice things we had at the cottage, like a bathroom. Occasionally, I even miss the gentle afternoon rains, but I don’t want to live there. My life is here with you, Lily, your uncle, the ranch hands, and the new friends we’re making, like Maggie and Tully.”

  “I’m glad, Auntie Jemma. I love it here, much more than I did at the cottage, although the bathrooms were nice.”

  “Yes, they were. Now, let’s finish these dishes and you can get back to your book while I begin preparations for dinner.”

  As they stood, Thane opened the door and set Lily inside the house then hurried off before Jemma could say a word to him. Alarmed by what called him away with such urgency, she watched him eat up the ground to the barn with long strides. A few moments later, he rode out on Shadow and headed off toward one of the pastures t
o the west.

  While Jack read his book, Lily played with her doll by the fire. When she grew tired of that, she talked Jack into rolling the ball Maggie had made for her back and forth, which the boy did while continuing to read his story. Lily finally grew upset with his halfhearted efforts and stomped over to where Jemma worked at preparing dinner.

  To keep the child occupied, she gave Lily the job of setting cutlery and napkins on the table. As Lily skipped around the table singing, Jemma used leftover potatoes and vegetables from the roast dinner she served the previous day to make bubble and squeak, a traditional English dish both children loved.

  At the pleasant dinner the day before, Thane had heaped praises on her for the tender beef roast, crispy roasted potatoes, delicious vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding. As she learned to incorporate more of the spices Thane liked into her cooking, she enjoyed experimenting with them.

  Even though the ranch was remote with infrequent trips to town, the hands kept her supplied with an abundance of fresh milk and eggs, as well as beef, pork, and chicken. Although the men didn’t raise a garden, Thane purchased a variety of canned goods along with boxes of apples, and big burlap sacks of potatoes, carrots, and onions that went into a cellar by the springhouse to ensure they had plenty to eat during the winter.

  Jack closed his book and set the table while Jemma fried slices of the leftover roast and warmed the leftover Yorkshire pudding.

  Thane ambled inside and removed his outerwear as she set the meat on the table. “Looks like it might snow soon. It’s getting cold outside. Glad we’ve got everything ready for the winter.”

  While he washed his hands at the sink, Thane grinned down at Lily when she fastened her arms around his leg and stood on his foot. “Walk me to the table, Uncle Thane!”

  The precocious child rode on his foot to the table. Thane picked her up and playfully blew on her neck, making her squeal with delight.

  He set her down on the chair where they kept a stack of books so she could reach the table, then held Jemma’s chair for her and waited for her to take a seat.

  Although she’d changed her dress, he thought she still looked lovely. Too lovely, especially for an uncouth, scrabbling man like him.