Chapter 6
When Ernest returned to the house some hours later he discovered Amanda in the kitchen covered in flour. He looked around and discovered a pan of biscuits waiting to go into the oven. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight before him. Amanda nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard him.
“I see that you have made yourself at home in the kitchen,” he laughed. “I’m not sure if there is more flour on you or in the biscuits!”
“Oh, I meant to get cleaned up before you returned. I was getting hungry, and I was sure that you were too. I wanted to cook you a decent meal for our first night home, but I fear I tend to be a messy cook. Don’t worry! I will get this all cleaned up and we can enjoy our meal. I hope you like biscuits and gravy. I also fried some potatoes that I found in a bin on the back porch,” Amanda said.
“I can see that life with you is going to be enjoyable,” Ernest said. “I didn’t expect you to go to such trouble tonight, but I must admit, those biscuits look rather inviting. You had better get cleaned up before I mistake you for a biscuit!”
Amanda blushed and ran up the stairs to the bathroom. When she saw her reflection in the mirror she almost passed out. There was flour in her hair, on her face, and her dress was covered. She quickly took off the dress, brushed as much flour out of her hair as possible, and took a wet bath cloth to her face. She ran down the hall and dug in her bags to find another dress to wear for the evening. By the time she returned to the kitchen she looked somewhat presentable.
“I took the liberty of putting the biscuits in the oven while you were gone,” Ernest said. “It looks like you have everything else under control. Suddenly I am starving!”
When the biscuits came out of the oven Amanda was pleased with their appearance. It had been a long time since she had made biscuits, but these looked brown and fluffy. She said a silent prayer that they would be as good as they looked.
Amanda watched in awe as Ernest ate three biscuits covered with thick gravy and a huge pile of fried potatoes. She didn’t know if he was really enjoying the food, or if he was just hungry.
“Woman, if you feed me like this every day I fear that I will get to big to fit into my clothes,” Ernest said. “I haven’t had a meal this good in a long time.”
“I’m glad you are pleased,” she replied. “I promise there are other things that I can cook, but this was the quickest thing I could think of. I didn’t see any meat so I just threw something together in a hurry.”
“There is a smokehouse out back where I keep most of the meat,” Ernest said. “In the morning I will bring in some bacon that you can fix for breakfast, but for tonight this was perfect. Now why don’t you go upstairs and take advantage of that large bathtub and I will stay down here and clean up the kitchen. After you are finished with your bath I think I will take one as well.”
“I don’t expect you to clean up my mess,” Amanda protested. “I made it and I can certainly clean it up. I’m sure you have bigger things to do.”
“I promise you, I will not volunteer my cleaning services every night, but on this first night home I will give you a break. Now, go take that bath before I change my mind,” he replied.
Amanda turned and ran from the room. If Ernest was offering her the luxury of a bath she was going to take it. She had not had a proper bath since that last night she was home in South Carolina. She had packed some of her special bath soaps that she used when she wanted to pamper herself. Their gentle fragrance would help to soothe her soul after her long and hurried trip. It didn’t take her long to fill the tub and sink down into the refreshing water. She lathered up a cloth and rubbed the dirt and grime from her body while enjoying the feel of clean skin. She had a tub in South Carolina, but this one was much bigger and held a lot more water. She sat there in water almost up to her chin, allowing herself to relax for the first time since this wild trip began.
Downstairs Ernest was smiling while he washed up the last of the dishes. It seemed that God had indeed sent him a woman that he could enjoy spending his life with. Amanda was somewhat immature, but that could work to his good. She had not been exposed to much of the world outside of her mother and father and that could allow him to help mold her into a woman that he hoped would someday come to love and accept him. He hoped that her acceptance would begin tonight, for it was time for him to introduce Amanda to marriage on a whole different level.
Amanda had no idea what Ernest was thinking. If she did she might have just stayed in the tub until she shriveled up. But instead, the water started to cool and she decided that it was time to get out. She reached down and pulled the plug to release the water from the tub before she stood and reached for her towel. When she looked at her reflection in the mirror she discovered that Ernest was standing in the doorway. She quickly grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her while glaring at him the whole time.
“You don’t need to hide from me, Amanda,” he said. “God has united us together and has blessed us with a suitable union for both of us. He allows certain intimacy between a husband and wife that is not allowed between strangers. I happen to enjoy watching you bathe. It allowed me to see how relaxed and happy you really are, and I hope that going forward we can get much closer as our relationship grows.”
“I am happy with you, and I too hope that we will grow closer, but this is all so new to me,” Amanda said. “Over night I have found myself married to a man I never met before, I travelled across the country alone to meet you, and now I find myself sharing this beautiful home with you. I’m sure that one day I will look back at all of this and have a good laugh, but today I am still nervous. I want to please you in everything that I do, but I am bound to flounder somewhere along the way.”
“You have pleased me thus far, Amanda. Don’t think I don’t realize the changes you have gone through since the loss of your parents. But together we will make many good memories, and those memories will sustain us throughout our lives. I think that tonight is the time to show you the other side of marriage. The side where God provides personal pleasure and enjoyment that only a husband and wife can share. I need you to trust me. Please wait for me in the bedroom while I get a quick bath. I will join you in a few minutes.”
Holding the towel tightly around her, Amanda walked hesitantly down the hall to the bedroom that apparently she was going to share with Ernest. Something inside her told her that something big was about to happen, and when it does she will never be the same again. Not knowing exactly what to pray for, Amanda bowed her head and asked for God’s guidance.
The following morning it was difficult for Amanda to wake up. She and Ernest had not fallen asleep until the wee hours of the morning. But she had to get up, and Ernest had to go to work. She swung her feet off the side of the bed before reaching for her wrap. She tied a bow at her waist as she made her way down the hallway toward the bathroom. She walked up to the sink and turned on the cold water, hoping it would help revive her. After thoroughly washing her face she caught her reflection in the mirror. This morning was different from any other morning of her life. Yesterday a young girl stared back at her from the mirror, but this morning there was a full grown woman in the mirror.
Amanda was in deep thought while she was preparing breakfast. So far marriage to Ernest was so much better than anything she had ever expected. He had been so gentle and understanding with her last night, calming her fears and showing her how God intended a marriage to be. Some might think it impossible to fall in love with a person in only two days, but Amanda knew that her heart was lost to Ernest. Love had never been mentioned as part of the marriage bargain, but her love for her husband was starting to blossom, just like the spring flowers that were sprouting outside beside the front steps.
Ernest awoke to the smell of fresh baking biscuits and the woodsy smell of frying bacon. Amanda must have discovered the smokehouse and retrieved the bacon without him. He grabbed his pants and shirt to quickly get dressed before practically running down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“Well, somebody is industrious this morning,” Ernest said. “The smell of bacon interrupted my sweet dreams.”
“I could have slept a little longer, but I figured that you needed to work today and I have plenty to do around here,” Amanda said. “If you don’t mind I might even pay a visit to the barn. I would like to meet some of these cattle that take so much of my husband’s time.”
“You are welcome to visit the barn, but be careful around the cattle. They are not used to you and you might spook them. With time you will win them over, just like you did me,” Ernest said.
Amanda smiled at his remark. Ernest had done as much of the winning over as she had. She never expected so much joy out of this marriage, but she was thankful that God in His infinite wisdom had brought the two of them together.