Love and trust went hand in hand. Taylor fell asleep praying for both.
Chapter 19
The prince of darkness is a gentleman.
—William Shakespeare,
The following morning, Taylor put her plan into action. She was going to be the perfect wife, mother, and frontierswoman. She got out of bed an hour earlier than usual and had breakfast ready when the rest of the family stirred. If Lucas was surprised to see her working so diligently, he didn't show it.
After they'd eaten and the children had gone outside with Victoria, Lucas told Taylor he was leaving. "A man passing through told Frank there was a federal judge hearing cases in Rosewood the rest of this week and all of the next. If I press, I might be able to get the custody papers ready and the petition heard right away."
"Shouldn't I go with you?"
Lucas shook his head. "I don't think you need to," he said.
She didn't agree. Surely she would need to testify and sign the papers. She didn't argue with Lucas, however, because he assured her that the judge was going on to Virginia City after Rosewood and if she was needed, he would take her there.
Taylor helped him pack and then followed him outside. Hunter had already saddled his horse for him. He handed the reins to Lucas and then walked away so that they could have a few minutes of privacy.
"Please be careful."
Lucas had been waiting for her to give him the order, and yet he was still surprised by how good it felt to hear her say the words. He didn't think he was ever going to get used to her worrying about him. Her love still overwhelmed him.
"I'll be careful," he promised. He leaned down and kissed her good-bye. When he pulled back, she sagged against him. "After we get custody of the twins, I'm going to find out what we have to do to make the boy legally ours."
She thought that was such a wonderful idea, tears came into her eyes. Lucas called the children over then and explained that he was leaving for a few days. He kissed the three of them, then told them all to mind their mother. Taylor noticed he stared at Georgie when he gave the order.
Allie cried when he left, then her sister joined in. Taylor didn't try to hush the little girls. They were doing exactly what she wanted to do. She said a prayer he wouldn't be gone long and then went back to work.
During his absence, Taylor put in a summer garden of cabbage, peas, turnips, and onions. Roily stopped by to bring her a surprise, a second rocking chair identical to the first that he had started work on months ago and never got around to finishing. He thought Victoria might want to rock at the same time Taylor was using her rocker. She was thrilled with the gift, and after she'd given him sufficient praise and accepted the fact that he wasn't going to take any money for the chair no matter how long and hard she argued with him, she changed the topic to her garden and asked his advice.
Roily ended up helping her with the chore. He made her dig up all the onions. They were buried so deep, they would never find their way up to the sun, he explained. It took her two full days of working from sunup to sundown to finish the garden.
Roily put up wire fencing around the perimeter. He warned her the fence wouldn't keep out the rabbits, but he didn't have any suggestions to offer as to how she could keep them from eating the vegetables.
Victoria and Hunter usually went outside after supper while Taylor put the children to bed. The task shouldn't have taken her any time at all, but getting the twins to cooperate took at least an hour. Neither one of the little girls paid any attention to a word she said, and she didn't know what she could do to make them obey.
After they finally fell asleep, she turned her attention to Daniel. The bedtime stories were their special time together. The only problem was that she was running out of tales about Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. She had already shortened her son's name to Daniel, and since he never corrected her, she thought he might be leaning toward that name. Yet when she asked him if he was going to choose Daniel or David, he shook his head and told her he hadn't made up his mind yet.
She tucked her son under the covers and fell asleep on the mat next to him. Hunter shook her awake. Victoria had sent him upstairs to make certain she was in the house. Taylor staggered to her feet. Hunter latched onto her arm on the way down the stairs so she wouldn't topple over.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" Hunter asked
Taylor collapsed in the rocking chair and wearily began to unbraid her hair.
"Keep what up?" she asked.
"You're working yourself to death," Hunter explained.
"You are, Taylor," Victoria agreed.
"I'm just a little tired tonight," Taylor admitted. "After I get into a routine and do what I'm supposed to do each day of the week, I'll be more organized and less weary. Everything takes twice as long now but that's only because I'm learning as I go along. Making soap should have only taken one day but it took me three."
"Are you saying you are supposed to do certain chores on certain days?" Victoria asked. She glanced at Hunter to see if he knew what she was talking about. He wasn't paying Victoria any attention, however, for he was frowning down at Taylor.
"Yes, of course," Taylor answered. "The women in the wilderness have set days for each chore. Monday is wash day and Tuesday is ironing. Wednesday is baking day and…"
"For the love of God," Hunter muttered. "Where did you hear this nonsense?"
Taylor took exception to his tone of voice and his obvious ridicule. "I read it in Mrs. Livingston's journal. It seems very reasonable to me."
Victoria sat down on the bench and folded her hands together in her lap. "You're killing yourself," she told her friend. "You put in a garden, unpacked all the trunks, washed clothes, and made enough soap to last us three years."
"But I won't have to make it again for a long time," Taylor hastily pointed out.
Victoria turned to Hunter. "She mentioned she was going to make candles tomorrow. I can't imagine why we need them. We have plenty of lanterns."
Hunter kept his gaze on Taylor. "Exactly what is it you're trying to prove?"
She was too exhausted to lie or give him a clever half-truth. "That I'm not fragile."
He was taken aback by her answer. His eyes widened, and he almost smiled. She sure as certain looked fragile to him tonight. She looked half dead to him. Her complexion was as pale as flour and she had dark smudges under her eyes.
"Who said you were fragile?" he asked, already guessing the answer.
Victoria answered him. "I'll bet Lucas did."
Taylor nodded. "I want him to realize I'm capable of making it here."
"And then he won't make you leave," Victoria said with a nod.
"Yes."
"If that isn't-" Hunter began.
Taylor interrupted him. "I would appreciate it if neither one of you mentioned this conversation to my husband. I want him to see for himself that I'm strong and determined… and happy, damn it. Now if you'll both excuse me, I'm going to bed. I've had a long day."
"Why bother going to bed?" Hunter asked. "You'll be getting up in another hour."
She had secretly asked herself that question a dozen times in the last week. It did seem to her that as soon as her head hit the pillow and she closed her eyes, the sun was starting to climb back up in the sky.
"There is no need for sarcasm," she muttered.
She went into Victoria's room to wash and change into her nightgown. When she heard the front door close, she came back out.
Victoria had thoughtfully pulled the covers back on her bed for her. A faint blush covered her cheeks, and Taylor thought perhaps Hunter had kissed her again.