“Hey, I did my share.” She crossed her arms and leaned toward Nick, who’d taken a matching position, so their stances were like a mirror image.
If it hadn’t been so obvious she had no romantic interest in the young man, Luke might have been nervous. His three half-sisters, upon the death of their father, had fled to Luke to escape marriages arranged by their uncle. Luke had been glad to finally have family around him again, but two of the girls had already made matches of their own, to Charles and Marshall. Luke wasn’t in a hurry for Frances to leave his home too.
“I’ll have you know I peeled every one of the potatoes you’ll be eating today.” Frances sniffed. “How come you men don’t get stuck in the kitchen like the women?”
“If you really believe my lovely Doris would have preferred to be out with me and my men this morning feeding the herd ...” Marshall dragged out the last word for emphasis.
“That’s right. Mention the Lancaster sister who’s the least willing to get dirty.” Frances straightened. “I’ve been sent out here to see that you men set the table right. Now, let’s get busy.”
“She’s going to lead one man a fine dance someday,” Charles said, his voice low.
That she was. Luke glanced at Marshall and wondered how the man was doing with his own sister challenges. Judith had come to Wyoming to serve as his hostess and help with Marshall’s young daughters. Now he’d remarried, he had two adult women to keep happy. While Luke found Judith intriguing, she had a disdainful air about her that would put off any man. It had sure kept him from inviting her to go for a buggy ride with him, in spite of how often he’d thought about asking her. With her being his sort-of sister-in-law now, it might make family gatherings like this one awkward if she were to turn him down.
“How’s everyone settling in?” Luke asked.
“You mean between Doris and my sister?” There was an encouraging touch of humor in Marshall’s question.
“Well, if anyone can get along with another woman under the same roof, it’d be my sister.”
“True that.” Marshall let out a breath. “I’ll be glad when Judith is settled in a home of her own. She was just beginning to find her way as my hostess. She’s made every effort to welcome Doris as my wife, but there are still awkward moments on occasion. My sister looks lost again, the way she did when she first came to me. I haven’t mentioned this before, but now we’re family I feel I can. Her fiancé broke off their engagement after our father was convicted.”
Luke hadn’t known that particular detail, surprised at a powerful urge to smash her fiancé’s face for hurting her. No wonder the beautiful woman could be so waspish.
“Hey, you two slackers,” Frances called. “Get your lazy hides over here. There’s work to do.”
Luke exchanged an amused glance with Marshall, and the two men headed to join Charles. Frances brooked no nonsense from any man.
* * *
Judith Breckinridge worked quietlywith the other women as they put the final touches on the Thanksgiving dinner. At this time last year, her maid had been dressing Judith’s hair in preparation for the Harrison ball. Later in the evening, she’d stood with Teddy to greet his family’s guests, her mind full of what their life would be like once they’d married.
Not anymore. Now she was only good for common labor as a kitchen drudge. The bitterness of the thought tasted like bile. How far she’d fallen in a year.
“Thank you so much for helping,” Doris said, pulling Judith into one of her spontaneous hugs. “Wasn’t it brave of Mrs. McDaniel to let us cook such a big meal?”
Judith had wondered where the Lucky L’s notable housekeeper and cook was.
Doris must have seen Judith’s confusion because she said, “She gave us the recipes and helped us, but she’s overseeing the dinner for the hands while we finish up. I hope we can host it at the Circle B next year.” Doris’s cheeks flushed with happiness.
“That would be wonderful.” Judith tried not to sound bitter.
Blinking back tears, she turned to the oven and pulled out a pan of dinner rolls. She’d never considered herself petty, but each day she was finding it more difficult not to resent the happiness surrounding her. It was unfair. She’d done nothing to shame her family, yet she carried the burden. Here in Wyoming, Marshall had been far removed from the scandal and seemed barely touched by it.
But it was different for a woman, and Judith had been forced to live through all of it. What man would ever look at the daughter of a convicted felon as a possible wife? Lilac City had many more men than women, but most of the men were dirty, uneducated cowboys and other unsavory types suited to the young women who arrived every month to work in the hotel serving the railway passengers.
Judith had even heard a rumor some men were talking about mail-order brides. That was one thing she and Frances agreed on. It was outrageous to order a wife like one did seeds from a catalog.
“We did it,” Maude cried as she and Doris removed a roasting pan with a huge turkey from the other oven and set it on the big worktable. “Wouldn’t Father be pleased to know how accomplished we’ve become?”
“I hope he’d be proud of us.” Doris took the corner of her apron and dabbed at her eyes.
A sense of shame flooded Judith. Truly, what was she becoming to resent the hard-won happiness these two sisters had found here? Nine months ago, they’d buried their beloved father and then been forced to flee an outrageous demand from their uncle. They’d had to escape two attempts to force them to return. Judith was not the only one who’d suffered at the hands of a family member. She wouldnotresent the happiness of the Lancaster sisters.
Once the three of them had moved the bird to a large platter, Judith moved to the dining-room door and opened it. As always, her eyes searched for Luke. He stood laughing with the men, handsome in a rugged, windblown way she would never have thought appealing a year ago. When he glanced her way, she dropped her gaze.
“Would one of you men like to carry in this giant bird?” she asked.
* * *
