“Oh, how festive!” Felicity clapped her hands together when she saw the greenery adorning the door and windows.
“Thank you. I had a little trouble reaching that spot right over the door, even on a stool, but I think I got the placement just right,” Eleanor replied.
Felicity turned concerned eyes toward her. “You did that yourself? In your condition?”
Eleanor wanted to laugh. She was hardly bedridden, and according to Clara and Deirdre, she’d only recently begun to actually look as though she might be carrying a baby. “It was nothing. Please don’t worry yourself.”
“But you must be careful. One step sideways off that stool, and your baby . . .” Felicity’s voice seemed to go out on the last word. She gave a little cough. “I’m sorry. It’s only that I worry about you.”
It was a kind thought, even if it was unnecessary. “I do appreciate your concern. And I’m so glad you came by. I thought we could go for a walk, if you like? There’s so much of this town I haven’t seen yet, and I imagine you might feel the same way. It’s cold, but the sun is shining.”
Felicity’s face brightened at the suggestion. “That would be wonderful.”
“Will you come inside a moment first?” Eleanor pressed the door open. “I ought to put on a thicker pair of gloves and find a scarf, or I’ll have Merrick fussing at me for not dressing warmly enough.” He was constantly asking her if she wished to move closer to the fire or if she needed a new shawl.
Felicity laughed. “Of course. Between your husband and myself, we’ll ensure you can’t possibly freeze or twist your ankle.”
Eleanor smiled as she wound the scarf around her neck and ears. Had she been so protective of Rebecca during her pregnancies? She probably had, and she silently apologized to her sister. It was endearing, and yet irritating at the same time. One might think a woman entirely lost her senses upon becoming pregnant.
She was about to ask Felicity if she was ready to go when she noticed the woman looking longingly at the biscuits remaining from that morning’s breakfast. A corner of the towel she’d wrapped them in had fallen open, revealing the golden-brown biscuits inside.
“Would you like one?” Eleanor asked. It was mid-morning, not even close to time for the noon meal, but Felicity eyed the biscuits in a way that made Eleanor think she’d missed breakfast.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t! You must be saving those for another meal.”
“Nonsense,” Eleanor said, even though that was precisely what she’d planned. She could make chicken with bread and butter that evening instead. “I’m hungry too. Why don’t we have one before we leave?”
She wasn’t hungry at all, thanks to the regular nausea finally diminishing. She only needed Edie’s tea on occasion recently, and she’d been eating much heartier breakfasts. Felicity protested again, but Eleanor retrieved the butter and a knife and made quick work of slicing and buttering two biscuits. When Felicity finished hers, Eleanor gave her the second one.
“Thank you,” Felicity said as they finally stepped out the door. “I didn’t much care for breakfast at the boardinghouse this morning.”
“Oh? Merrick said the food at the Darbys’ was quite good.”
Felicity looked away, across the road toward the mountains that rose behind the buildings on the other side. “We aren’t lodging at the Darbys’.”
Eleanor rubbed her gloved hands together. Merrick had mentioned it was the only reputable boardinghouse in town. “You aren’t?”
Felicity finally turned her gaze back to Eleanor. She shook her head. “No, although I wish we were. Richard chose the boardinghouse near the saloon. It’s . . . not ideal.”
Eleanor hardly knew what to say. With a coat and clothing like Felicity’s and a husband working at the bank, she would have imagined them staying at the grand hotel on the hill, not the most disreputable lodgings in town. “Well, no wonder you’re hungry,” she said as lightly as possible.
Her new friend smiled. “You ought to have seen the eggs this morning. I wouldn’t have touched them if I were starving, and yet some of those men asked for a second plate.”
Eleanor grinned at that. “I’ve known a few men in my life who would have done the same.”
“To be honest, it’s a rough sort of place. It’s not at all what I was used to in Chicago. I’m looking forward to the day we can move into a home of our own.”
“I hope that day comes soon,” Eleanor said as she swiped a snowflake from her eyelashes. It wouldn’t be long before the land in the valley matched the snow on the mountaintops. Curiosity got the better of her, and she added, “Where did you live in Chicago?”
“My parents had a fine home in the city. Then I married Richard, and his parents ensured we had a nice home too.” She paused and bit her lip, as if she wasn’t certain if she wanted to continue. “They didn’t approve of our decision to come here, but Richard insisted.”
They were making their own way. That explained a lot, Eleanor thought. The horses and nice clothing were trappings of their lives back in Chicago, but they had little in the way of funding. But with Mr. Inman working at the bank, things should turn around for them soon.
Eleanor was dying to know what made them leave a good situation to come all the way out here, but felt it impolite to ask. “I’ve found it quite different here in Colorado, too. Merrick’s home is larger and nicer than any I’ve lived in, and work here seems plentiful with more opportunity than existed where I came from in Kentucky.”
“Was it Mr. Benton’s decision to come here or yours?” Felicity asked.
Eleanor laughed, realizing Felicity wouldn’t have known her circumstances. “Have you ever heard of a mail-order bride?”
