Page 8 of Mail Order Midnight
“It sounds like we need each other, if only to be around people who are on the same schedule we are!” She smiled. “Just promise me our children won’t be forced to adhere to our schedule, and they’ll be allowed to love mornings if they choose to.”
“Oh, absolutely. I don’t mind being awake when others are asleep. The world is too precious to only see when it’s crowded. I hope my child will understand that, but if he or she loves mornings, I won’t say a word.”
“How many children do you want?” Constance asked.
“I don’t know…four or five? You?”
“Sounds good to me. There were three in my family.”
“I have six brothers. I’m the youngest.”
“I’m the oldest,” she said with a smile. “Did you like being the youngest?”
“I probably would have enjoyed it more if my brothers hadn’t constantly teased me, but it’s okay. They’re all farmers now, and I’m doing something I love.” Leonard turned onto another street to loop back around to their house.
“You don’t think they love farming?” she asked.
“I honestly have no idea. They always seemed like the type to do whatever was expected of them. They were expected to be up early, so they were. They were expected to farm like Pa, so they did.” He shrugged. “I didn’t do anything expected of me, I’m afraid.”
“I will just be careful to have no expectations. Well, other than not drinking or…”
“Or cheating? How about I just promise not to break the ten commandments, and we’ll all be content.”
“That works for me.” Staring straight ahead, she asked the question on her mind. “Do you expect to consummate the marriage tonight?”
“No, I really don’t. I figured we’d take our time getting to know one another before we jump into that.”
“How much time are you thinking?” she asked.
“I have no idea. Maybe tomorrow, but maybe not for a month or two. We’ll see how it goes.”
“All right.” Constance would have preferred a date to mark on her calendar, so she knew what was expected, but that was all right. At least he was being kind about waiting.
“Supper was wonderful tonight. You must have experience cooking.”
“From the time I was twelve, my mother expected me to make supper for the family twice per week. She’d been teaching me up until that point, but that’s when she declared I was old enough to plan, shop for, and make a meal. I’ve always enjoyed cooking.”
“Good. I really enjoy eating.”
She laughed. “I will probably bake a cake tomorrow. Is there anything in particular you’d like me to make for our midnight meal?” Oh, how she loved knowing midnight would be part of her day.
“Hmm…I’m awfully partial to roast.”
“Then I’ll see to that. I didn’t notice one in your ice box, but if there’s a butcher nearby, I’d be happy to buy one for us.”
“There is. I’ll give you a quick walking tour tomorrow so you can learn where everything is. We live in a good spot because it’s easy to walk to church, the mercantile, and the butcher shop. You won’t need to wait on me to drive you places.”
“I can hitch up horses and drive,” she said softly. “I’ve been doing it my entire life.”
“I think it’s great you know how, but hopefully you won’t need to.” He turned to walk up to their house. “I’m glad you’re here, Constance.”
“I’m really happy to be here.”
He gave her time to get ready for bed, and she put on her nightgown and climbed between the sheets. She was tired, but it was a good tired.
When Leonard joined her, he sat down on the edge of the bed and removed his clothes before sliding into bed. He obviously didn’t wear a nightshirt as her pa always had. Reaching out to her, he pulled her close, kissing her forehead gently. “Sleep, and we’ll have another busy day tomorrow,” he told her.
Constance snuggled close to her new husband. She’d never slept with another person, so it was strange, but she had a feeling she would like sleeping with him. There was just something about the man that made her feel safe and at home.