by Kit Morgan
Perhaps ignorance really was bliss.
“Where are we?” she asked to change the subject.
“About a hundred miles out of Buffalo. We’ll be stopping there in a couple of hours, then pick up another train west tomorrow. In the meantime, we can eat, then go to bed.” He put his arm around her. “I could use a hot bath as well.”
“Shameful!”
Lottie and Sam turned as best they could to see who’d spoken. A plump woman with a huge hat sat behind them, her eyes narrowed. Sam glanced at her, then the arm he had around Lottie. He smiled. “On the contrary, we’ve just married.” Lottie tried not to giggle as he flashed the woman a brilliant smile and faced forward again.
She leaned toward him. “Well done.”
“That was nothing. I’ve had lots of practice.”
Lottie gazed at him in admiration. She noticed little things about Sam Cooke the more time she spent with him, and was beginning to enjoy his idea of using their journey to get to know each other. “How so?”
His smile was crooked. “My great-aunt Irene.”
“Who?”
Sam laughed. They heard a “humph” from the woman behind them, but ignored her. “Great-Aunt Irene is the toughest old Irish battle-ax in the world, I think. She strikes fear into the stoutest heart even now.”
“How old is she?”
“Well into her eighties, I would imagine.”
“My goodness!”
“The tougher the bird, the longer it lives,” he quoted.
“Is your great-uncle still alive?” she asked.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
“I can’t imagine living that long. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that age.”
“Really? Clear Creek is full of folks well into their eighties and nineties.”
Lottie studied him to see if he was joking. Judging from the look in his eyes, he wasn’t. “How is that possible?”
Sam shrugged as he removed his arm from around her and stretched it. “I don’t know. It’s just the way things have always been.”
Lottie faced forward, her mouth half-open. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Is your town immune to old age?”
He chuckled. “Hardly. We’ve had our share of sickness and death over the years. But there are a few folks who’ve dodged both one way or another. Avoided accidents, beaten sickness, ducked Great-Aunt Irene’s ladle.”
She stretched. “What?”
He pressed his lips together and shook with silent laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’ll find out when you meet Great-Aunt Irene. If she doesn’t have a ladle in her hand to smack you with, she has her trusty hatchet.”
Lottie gaped at him. “However do the people in your town live to be as old as they do with her around?”
“Very carefully,” he said with a grin.
Lottie narrowed her eyes and her mouth formed into a firm line. “Sam Cooke, I don’t believe a word of it.” He laughed. “Stop teasing me!”
He laughed louder – loud enough to elicit an angry “shush!” from the woman behind them. He glanced over his shoulder at her and snorted.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Lottie said, fighting a fit of giggles. She lost, and soon had the attention of over half the passengers.
“Nothing to worry about,” Sam called out. “Just a humorous quip of my wife’s!”
Lottie gasped. “Sam Cooke! Behave yourself!”
He took her hand again as he tried to stifle his chuckling. “Oh, if you think I’m bad, wait until you meet my father …”
* * *
Sam gazed into Lottie’s eyes, bright with mischief. He was glad he’d been able to make her laugh. She had a wonderful habit of tensing up slightly right before she burst into giggles, like a marionette coming to life, and he loved to watch her do it.
He absently rubbed the back of his neck again. His nights on the floor and in a train-car seat to keep himself under control had certainly done their job. In fact, he might not be in any shape to consummate their nuptials tonight either.
Switching hotels the night before leaving Lawrence had been Ferris’s idea, and he was glad the man thought of it. Sam was becoming besotted, his mind clouded with nothing but thoughts of life with his new bride. If he didn’t want her to know his true financial status until they got to Oregon, the expensive hotel he and Ferris were staying in would’ve been hard to explain. Ferris, of course, had kept their original room, the cad! Even now he was in a different car of the train, probably reading a book.
But Sam had something better than a book to keep him company. He gave his wife another sideways glance and smiled. Lottie was sweet, kind, caring and, if his guess was right, tenacious. A good trait to have, especially at the Triple-C. There was lots of work to be done, even if the women of the ranch were the wives of prominent cattlemen. Living under the same roof helped, as it meant only one household to take care of.
That made Sam think – would Lottie want to live in the main ranch house with the rest of his family? It was fine if she didn’t; he’d lived there all his life, but he could adjust to living in one of the smaller houses on the huge spread. The Cooke family had built up quite the empire over the last thirty years, becoming one of the richest cattle families in the West. There was plenty of room. So maybe moving into one of the smaller houses would be a good idea. Perhaps sudden wealth would be too overwhelming for her.
He looked at her again. She’d calmed from her earlier laughter and was watching the scenery roll by. He smiled at the innocent look on her face and the freckles sprinkled across her nose. His parents were going to love her – not to mention the rest of the family. He wished everyone could meet her, but some family members lived too far away to make her acquaintance.
He sighed, looked past Lottie and out the window. The green forests of western New York were nothing like the rolling Oregon prairie. He wondered what Lottie would think of it, then wondered when he should present her with her new dress. He’d almost done it last night, but had decided to wait instead. Tonight would be more appropriate, and more fun. Or maybe he should present her with the other article of clothing he’d purchased for her …
“Are we there yet?” she asked in a teasing tone. “The next station, I mean.”
“I’m afraid not, but almost. Why don’t you close your eyes and rest?”
“I might do that,” she said with a smile.
Sam grinned. She was wonderful! His eyes roamed her face, coming to rest on her lips. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming, but the woman behind them would probably smack him with her reticule. For a moment, he wondered if his great-aunt Irene had any relatives back east …
“I’ve never stayed in hotels before,” Lottie said quietly, her eyes closed. “I wonder what the food will be like in the next one?”
“I hear in some the food is quite satisfactory.”
She opened her eyes and faced him. “You don’t talk like a cowboy.”
“That’s because I’m not … a cowboy, that is. I’m a rancher. Not quite the same.”
She eyed him. “Hmmm…”
He held his hands out in innocence. “Truly.” He didn’t own the Triple-C, after all – his grandfather Jefferson, his uncles and father did. He hadn’t inherited anything yet, just a claim to a few acres …
“I think you’re teasing me again. Where did you go to school?”
Uh-oh. Now what was he going to say? “School? Er …”
“You speak better than Leora or me. Where did you learn to talk like that?”
“I had good tutors.”
“Who?”
What could he say? “My family, of course. My uncles didn’t always live in Clear Creek.”
“Ohhhh, that’s right – they came over from England.”
“Quite so.”
She didn’t ask anything more and closed her eyes again. He watched her a few moments more, then did the same. He’d have to dodge her questions regarding anythin
g having to do with his family’s status. He still wanted her to like and grow to love him based on him as a man and that alone. It was easier to talk only of himself, as he really didn’t have much except for some land in the southeast corner of the ranch. Maybe he should consider building a house on it, now that he was married.
“Wake me when we get there,” Lottie told him softly. She was clearly tired, and he wondered if the excitement of the last few days hadn’t taken a toll on her. Maybe their wedding and preparations for the journey had been enough to tucker her out. No matter, he’d make sure she had a nice rest.
Sam put his arm around his wife again, despite the audible huff of the woman behind them, pulled his hat over his eyes and relaxed in the knowledge that he’d been blessed with a good woman.
* * *
Lottie awoke with a kink in her neck, but at least she felt rested. She glanced at Sam who sat, chin on his chest, his hat pulled over his eyes, softly snoring. For some reason her stomach fluttered. She hadn’t heard him snore before and wondered what it would be like to listen to such a simple thing night after night. She remembered how her father would snore when he fell asleep in his favorite chair, and sighed.
“Papa,” Lottie whispered as the flutter in her stomach gave way to a pang of loneliness. Her parents had been gone for years, but the pain remained. Sometimes she dreamed they were still alive and would tell Leora to see if she had dreams too. But her sister was more private about such matters – she only spoke of the fire that killed their parents when she had to.
The train whistle blew to let the passengers know they were coming into the next station – Rochester, New York. Here they would spend the night. Lottie caught herself staring at Sam, then gasped when he reached up and pushed his hat back as if he’d caught her at it too. “What’s the matter?” he asked, confused.
“Nothing. We’re here,” she told him.
“Thank the Lord,” he said and sat up. “I’m famished. How about you?”
“Yes, very.” She watched the other passengers stir, preparing to depart. “I wonder what it’s like,” she said to no one in particular.
“What?” Sam asked.
She sighed then smiled. “What it’s like to ride on one of the really fancy trains, the ones with sleeping berths.”
“Ah, yes. It’s …” He snapped his mouth shut.
“Have you ridden on such a train?” she asked, curious. What a silly question, Lottie, she thought, of course he hasn’t. But his reaction made her wonder. “Are you able to afford them?”
Sam stood. “Well … it doesn’t cost these days what it used to. I’m sorry I couldn’t get us tickets on a better line – this was all there was out of Lawrence.”
“It’s quite all right,” she assured him. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself on a fancy train anyway.”
He took one of her hands and pulled her from her seat. “Well, Mrs. Cooke, you never know. One day you might find yourself in a Pullman car.”
“What a dream that would be,” she said.
Sam gathered their belongings and guided her off the train to the platform. Unlike the previous night, when they’d stayed in the nearest hotel along with most of their fellow passengers, this time they walked a few blocks to a slightly nicer establishment.
“Ahhh,” he sighed when they entered their room for the first time. “Isn’t this a beautiful sight?”
Lottie stood behind him, not sure if he was talking about the bed or something else. When she stepped around him she not only saw a bed big enough for the two of them, but also an open door through which sat a bathtub. She too sighed.
“You can use it first,” he told her. “I’m sure we’ll both sleep better after a good hot soak.”
She nodded in agreement. “Let’s go to dinner first, then see about having some water brought up.”
“Brought up?”
“Well … how else are we going to take a bath?” she asked, confused.
“We?” He said with a smile. “Why, Mrs. Cooke!”
Lottie blushed from head to toe. “That’s … that’s not what I meant.”
“Oh. Pity.”
For Pete’s sake, what was she supposed to say to that? “I realize … that we’re married … but we haven’t even …”
Sam took her in his arms and kissed her on the head. “I knew what you meant, sweetheart. In case you didn’t notice, there are pipes attached to that tub.”
“Oh?” she said, peered around his arm. “Oh. So there are.”
He tightened his hold. “Which means no one will be hauling any water, darling. All you have to do is turn a knob.”
Lottie snuggled into his embrace. Every time he used an endearment like “darling,” she grew warm all over. As shocking as the thought was, she had a sudden inkling to share the bathtub with her new husband, all teasing aside. She shivered at the thought, not out of trepidation but anticipation.
Tonight, she knew she would know her husband in every way. Thoughts of Bob Brown were now far behind her.
Ten
Sam and Lottie ate dinner in the hotel restaurant, and even saw a few of their fellow passengers. Sam explained to her that many of the hotels closest to the train stops had less than desirable dining and some of the other, more experienced travelers had learned to explore further afield to find a better meal.
“The roast beef was quite good,” she commented as they ascended the stairs to their room. If she made light conversation, then maybe she wouldn’t feel so nervous. After they both took a bath and cleaned up, what would happen? Would Sam fall into a deep sleep and say nothing of consummation? Or would he have her the moment they entered the room? The bed was big enough for once, and this would be the first time they would share one …
She tried not to gulp when they reached their room. Sam smiled at her as he took the key from his pocket, unlocked the door and pushed it open. She started to enter, but he held an arm out and stopped her. “What's the matter?” she asked.
“I’m afraid I’ve been slack in my duties as a husband.”
“Slack? How so?”
“Well, I haven’t done this yet …” She gasped as he swept her off her feet and into his arms. “I must say, this is the first time I felt it appropriate to carry you across the threshold. I apologize for not doing so before.” He gazed into her eyes and gave her a warm smile. “I promise I shan’t be so delinquent in my duties in the future, Mrs. Cooke.”
Lottie felt her cheeks, not to mention a few other places, grow warm. She’d never felt this before and reached up to touch his face. “Well then, “she whispered. “I guess you’d better carry me across.”
“I guess I’d better,” he said as he leaned his face toward hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the room. Both were vaguely aware of a couple down the hall applauding them – fellow passengers from the train – and she blushed anew. She hoped they didn’t stare at Sam and her tomorrow if they were continuing on the same train. It was one thing for her to know this was going to be her (belated) wedding night, but quite another for others to know!
Sam pushed the door closed with his foot. “Well. Here we are.”
Lottie glanced around the room. “Yes.” She swallowed hard. “Now what?”
“I suppose we should check out the plumbing and make sure it works. I did, after all, pay extra for a room with a bath.”
“You mean we didn’t just get lucky?” she teased.
“Indeed not. You were staring at some woman’s hat when the hotel clerk asked me if I wanted it.”
“Oh, yes,” she said, remembering the hat in question. “She did have a beautiful dress … but never mind.” She gave him a lopsided smile. “This might sound silly, but I’ve never been in a place with indoor plumbing before.”
He stared at her a moment, then nodded in understanding. “Trust me, it’s a treat. Let’s enjoy it, shall we?”
Lottie nodded as he set her on her feet. “I hope I can figure it out.”
Lottie giggled. His accent delighted her to no end, and when he said things like that it made her heart beat faster.
Sam turned and strode into the bathroom like a king. Within moments she heard running water. Indoor plumbing, she thought, what a luxury! She quickly gathered what she would need and sat on the bed to wait for the tub to fill.
Sam came back out, sat next to her and, much to her surprise, bounced up and down on the mattress a few times. He then screwed up his face in contemplation.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
A huge grin formed on his face. “Just … checking something,” he teased.
Lottie’s eyes widened. She was quick to note the bed made little noise – thank Heaven for that!
“You should check the water,” he suggested. “I don’t know how warm it’s going to get.”
Lottie gave him a quick nod and sprang off the bed. She heard him laugh at her hasty retreat and hoped her face hadn’t turned crimson.
Reaching the other room, she marveled at the water pouring into the tub. It was a luxury she and her sister Leora had only dreamed of having. Their little house in Lawrence had only a privy out back, and a metal tub they kept on the back porch and put in the kitchen a few nights a week for bathing.
She shuddered at the thought, put her nightclothes on a tiny table in the corner, then went to the door and stood in the threshold. “It’s fine.”
Sam, a small book in his hands, looked up at her. “Enjoy yourself,” he said with a grin.
“I will,” she assured him and slowly closed the door.
As much a luxury as it was, she bathed quickly so Sam could enjoy it too. At home she and Leora – and their roommates – often shared the same bathwater, because who wanted to have to pump more? Besides, she figured Sam had probably shared water with his siblings and other family members on his ranch. Why would a hotel be any different? Besides, didn’t husbands and wives share everything?
