“No, not really,” she sighed as she scrubbed a plate. “But he thinks he has, and he spends a lot of time trying to copy what his brothers write. Even though it’s mostly scribbling, he’s proud of it. Guess I am too. At least he’s showing an interest.”
“Pride isn’t a bad thing, Laurie, except when it takes over and influences your decisions.”
Laurie turned to look at him, her face nearly as red as her hands.
“Why do I feel as though this is going to turn into another one of your lectures?” she asked before blowing a lock of blonde hair from her forehead.
“Probably because it is,” he replied with a grin. “Why do you work yourself to a frazzle when you could marry me and come live on the farm? Sure, there’s hard work there, but there are benefits too.”
“Like what?” she said with a sniff.
“Well, for one thing, you’d only have to answer to one man, me.”
“Is that so?” she replied coolly.
“Yes. And you wouldn’t be on your own. Ma would be there doing her share and she’s a big believer in stopping to put your feet up now and then. Besides, once the harvest is in and the preparations for winter are done, you’d have a few months to look forward to sitting before a warm fire and taking it easy.”
“Oh, so there won’t be any cooking and cleaning? No doing the washing? No tending to a man’s needs?”
“Well, a man does have certain needs, Laurie,” he snapped back.
“I’m well aware of a ‘man’s needs’ Matthew Whittaker. If you recall, I’ve been subjected to them before. It’s not a time in my life I’d care to repeat.”
“It wouldn’t be like that, Laurie, I swear,” Matt promised earnestly. “I’m not like Floyd Dixon. I would never hurt you or make you do anything you didn’t want to do.”
Laurie laughed.
It struck him as bitter.
“You wouldn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do, yet here you are in my kitchen, pestering me to do precisely what I’ve told you a thousand times I won’t do. How does that make sense?” she insisted, taking her hands out of the water and drying them on her apron.
“Why can’t you be reasonable?” he demanded angrily. “I know you had a rotten time being married, but I promise you the marriage bed can be pleasurable as well, if a man is patient and takes his time.”
“And you know this because you’ve been married?” she sassed, planting her hands on her hips and glaring up at him.
“Well, no, but…”
“You know nothing,” she hissed.
“I’ve been with women, Laurie. It’s not something a man typically brags about, at least not if he’s a gentleman,” he continued, feeling his face getting as red as her hands. “I haven’t had any complaints.”
“Well, isn’t that nice for you?” she replied with a tight smile. “Perhaps you’d better ask one of those women to be your bride.”
“I don’t want one of those women,” he growled back, leaning down until they were nearly nose to nose. “I want you, Laurie Dixon, almost from the first moment I saw you.”
“I’m living proof that we don’t always get what we want, Matthew. Nor do we get what we expect. Suppose, just suppose, I didn’t like anything about the marriage bed? Would you be happy with a cold woman who could barely tolerate your touch?”
“No, I don’t imagine I would be,” he admitted.
“Then I’m doing you a favor, Mr. Whittaker, by being honest with you. Could I marry you? Yes, I could. Would my life be easier? Probably, but we’d both be miserable in the long run, and it would distress your mother, something she doesn’t need at her age. Our home would become a battleground, and sooner or later you’d raise your hand to me,” she said with conviction.
“Never!”
“Yes, you would,” she insisted sadly. “Don’t think I’m not tempted, Matthew,” she continued, laying a work roughened hand against his cheek. “I am, but I know better. Your frustration would lead to anger and I won’t be anyone’s punching bag ever again. We could come to hate each other. You keep saying you want me to trust you. Maybe you need to trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”
“Ma, we finished our cyphers. Can we have pie now?” Jonah asked, coming into the kitchen.
“Of course,” Laurie replied with a tight smile. “Bring them to me, I want to see. Matt, will you cut each of the boys a slice of apple pie while I look over their efforts?”
