of his large home into living quarters for his newly acquired help. She had also learned that despite the air of formality Martha and Millie maintained that Millie had cared quite deeply for the first Mrs. Morris.
Elijah didn’t seem particularly pleased that she had befriended the proper house keeper but when he had made his protest she had silently raised her chin in challenge and he had not pressed the matter. If she didn’t befriend Millie who was she supposed to talk with? Elijah? Their conversations had become stilted exchanges of information on Lilly or need to know matters of house business. Maybe she could befriend the hands that Elijah wouldn’t let her anywhere near? Alexandria was now miles away from her mother and sister and the warm camaraderie they had shared day in and day out as they worked. All of her days growing up in the vast, beautiful landscape where neighbors were measured in miles between homes rather than blocks, had not prepared her the isolation of an empty, loveless marriage.
“Good morning,” Elijah greeted as he entered the kitchen where the two women were working in companionable silence while Lilly nibbled on a piece of toast.
“Good morning,” Alexandria returned coolly before handing him a cup of coffee. Elijah, his eyes dark with regret, nodded and turned to the table and his daughter. Alexandria caught Millie’s understanding gaze and busied herself with taking the biscuits from the oven. Of course Millie knew the state of Alexandria and Elijah’s pathetic excuse for a marriage; it would be impossible for her not to notice their separate rooms.
“Here we are,” Millie set a bowl of breakfast potatoes onto the table. “Will there be anything else?”
“Join us, Millie,” Alexandria invited almost desperately. She managed to cajole Millie into joining them as often as she could; any buffer between her and her husband was welcome.
“My place isn’t at the table…”
“Join us, Millie,” Elijah ordered. He seemed almost as relieved as Alexandria for the distraction of another body.
Alexandria felt relief flood her as she claimed her seat and filled her plate with food she would do little more than pick at. Elijah and Millie chatted as they ate and Alexandria retreated into her thoughts. She was pulled from those thoughts by a knock at the door and looked up curiously as Elijah stood to answer it. Any break in their monotonous routine was welcome to Alexandria.
“Mornin’ Rand; is there a problem?” Elijah’s deep baritone floated to her ears.
“No, sir; a man just rode in and says he’s lookin’ for work,” the familiar voiced responded. Rand was good friends with Alexandria’s brother and was engaged to one of her school chums.
“Well, send him to the house after he has some breakfast and I’ll see him; we could use some extra help.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alexandria heard the echo of boots moving away and the click of the door before Elijah’s heavy foot falls brought him back to his breakfast. He and Millie resumed their conversation as though they had never been interrupted.
Elijah stood after he finished eating, “I’ll be in my office looking over some things.”
Alexandria watched him leave and then stood to help clear the table.
“You go on; I know you wanted to get started,” Millie nodded toward the door.
“Thanks, Millie,” she offered the woman a grateful smile.
Alexandria scooped Lilly onto her hip to carry the child outside. She wanted to weed the garden and give Lillian a chance to run off some energy before the day heated. She opened the door to stop short as she found herself face to face with buttons, not an altogether common occurrence for her at her height. She titled her head up to meet two cobalt blue eyes that immediately stole her breath at the amount of pain she found there before the man schooled his features and his eyes became guarded. Somehow that pain struck an all too familiar chord in her own heart. Alexandria took a step back and struggled to find her composure. Neither of them had spoken but it seemed as if a moment of kinship had passed silently and inexplicably between them.
“You must be looking for my husband,” she finally spoke the first acceptable words that came to her mind.
“Yes, Ma’am,” the man nodded.
“Follow me,” she instructed and turned to lead him to the nearby office.
“Elijah, your visitor is here,” she announced and turned to leave.
Elijah quickly stood and moved to greet the tall, slender man who now filled his office door way.