Clover steadied herself. If she was disappointed with her new home, she did not want to reveal that to Ballard. As they turned the corner, she nearly gasped with relief. It was not the sort of architecture she was accustomed to, but it was no rough cabin either. A sizable two-story plank house sat in a small hollow. It had a large wraparound veranda and Ballard had obviously taken care to leave shade trees standing nearby. A huge stone chimney rose on either side and a smaller one poked up over the roof from the back. Stables and a tidy corral lay just beyond, as well as several smaller outbuildings. She could also see thatBallard was in the process of building more paddocks for his horses.
As they drew up in front of the house, a man stepped onto the porch. He was reed-thin with a head of thick, snow-white hair. Ballard introduced them all to Adam Dunstan, his hired man. Clover could see that Adam was intensely curious about Ballard’s early return with a new wife and added family in tow, but he just murmured a greeting and began to help Shelton and Lambert unload the wagons.
Ballard took Clover’s hand and led her into the house, signaling her mother, brothers, and Molly to follow. Clover noticed that the women kept her brothers a few steps behind them, staying close enough to hear what Ballard was saying, yet far enough away to allow her and Ballard to exchange a few soft confidences.
“We can start upstairs, lass, so we will be out of the way when the lads bring your things up,” Ballard said, leading her toward the stairs that rose from the front hall.
The second story was unfinished. She saw only two doors. The other rooms were marked out by finished walls and tacked-up blankets. As Ballard dragged her toward a door, Clover counted six blocked-out bedrooms.
“This is to be our room,” he said as he opened the door and tugged her inside.
A fireplace dominated the outer wall and a large, roughly hewn bed dominated another. Two bear rugs covered most of the floor. Clover did not want to consider how Ballard had obtained them. The wardrobe, clothes chest, and bedside tables were all handmade. Although the furniture had none of thefancy decorations she was used to, the pieces were beautiful in their heavy, solid simplicity.
As he dragged her through the other rooms, she realized that Ballard, Lambert, and Shelton were adept at making what they needed. There were only a few pieces of store-bought furniture. Clearly Ballard had planned his house carefully, with a keen eye to upgrading it as his fortunes improved.
Molly enthused over the kitchen, set in a side wing that extended out from the rear of the house. Ballard showed Clover the other four downstairs rooms, each with corner fireplaces, then hurried her outside. She found it hard to keep up with him as he showed her the stables, the barn, the smokehouse, the chicken coops, the privy, the springhouse, the icehouse, and even the small log cabin he had built as his first home, which now served as Adam’s quarters. There was even a summer kitchen which he said he would eventually attach to the main house. Clover began to wonder when the man had time to raise horses. He had barely indicated the outlying fields, recently planted apple orchard, and kitchen garden when they returned to the house to unpack all their things and cook a meal.
By the time Clover crawled into bed that night she was exhausted. She smiled faintly as Ballard slipped in beside her and tugged her into his arms. As he ran his hand up and down her sides, her fatigue faded. Her passion for him flared to life and she snuggled closer.
“Ye have nae said much since we arrived,” he murmured as he encircled her neck with soft, nibbling kisses.
She smoothed her hands over his strong, warmback. “There has not been much chance to talk. Actually, I did wonder when you found time to plant your fields and raise your horses.”
“I didnae build the house all on my own, or the stables and the barn. We had one of those fine, neighborly parties where nearly everyone for miles around comes to lend a hand. Although I have plenty of other work to do, there are times when I can work on the house. I built most of the furniture in the evenings and over the winter.”
“Ah. That explains the lumber and tools downstairs.”
“I can move them, clear it all out, if ye want.” He undid her nightgown, carefully kissing each newly exposed patch of skin.
“Keep it as it is for as long as you like. There is plenty of room here.” She murmured her pleasure when he cupped her breast in his hand. “It does seem as if you can do most anything you set your mind to. I hope I can learn to be half as self-sufficient. A great deal of what you do for yourselves, others did for us.”
“Ye will learn, lass.” He tugged off her nightgown and tossed it aside. “I had to. This place has been my dream for a very long time. Sometimes I think I was born dreaming of it. Even as a lad I was always seeking to learn things that would help me build this place. I pestered carpenters and made a nuisance of myself at farms, always trying to see how things were done. Every job I did taught me another skill. ‘Twas all work with my hands, though—building, farming, and tending the animals. Now that I am that much closer to fulfilling my dream, I see that I should have taken the time to learn to read, to write, to figuremore than a length of board or the exact amount of seed needed to bring in a good crop, and to act as the gentry act.”
“And I am sure you will learn those skills as well. Probably a great deal faster than I learn to cook.” She smiled when he laughed. “I hope you continue to be amused by my mistakes.”
Ballard kissed her, softly growling his appreciation when she responded to his hunger with equal intensity. As he moved his hands over her slim body and she responded with eager passion, he knew she had missed their lovemaking during the journey as much as he had. She trailed her fingers up the inside of his thigh and lightly touched his erection. He shuddered, hoarsely whispering his approval. His lovemaking grew fiercer as she caressed him, but she offered no complaint. When he finally joined their bodies, she met him stroke for stroke, curling her lithe form around him in eager welcome. His release came but a heartbeat after hers and then he collapsed in her arms. It was several minutes before he had the breath to speak.
“It appears ye are a quick learner after all, lass.” When she giggled, he briefly grinned against her skin and prayed he could keep this part of their marriage alive, no matter what difficulties lay ahead.
