Chapter Four
While Trevor bathed, Ruby paced in the bedroom. Every so often, she’d peer out the window only to see the snow on the ground rising to alarming heights. What would happen if they could not escape the house?
The day had flown by. She’d bathed in the lukewarm water, which had been heavenly and taken her time dressing. Drying her hair by the fire had been amazingly relaxing.
Trevor had been gone exactly two and a half hours. She knew this because after bathing and dressing, she’d sat facing the fireplace keeping an eye on the clock and jumping each time there was a noise outside.
As much as Ruby wanted to get to know her new husband, with each passing moment she became more and more nervous. It was natural of course with what would happen in the marriage bed that night.
She had to divulge her embarrassing secret. How he reacted to the information would determine how they would proceed forward. Although she’d considered divulging it in their correspondence, it had been much too private a matter to do so. Besides, what if someone else had opened the letter and read it.
No, this was something she had to do in person.
Trevor entered the room and she could not believe her eyes. He was shirtless, entirely bare from the waist up. After giving her a cursory glance, he went to the wardrobe in search of something.
Her mind went blank for a moment, lips parting and breathing elevated at the sight. As he moved, she couldn’t help admiring his wide back and thick arms. When he turned sideways, his flat stomach took her attention next and something in her stomach tumbled. It was as if hundreds of butterflies took flight and celebrated in the air.
The man was exceptional. Not that she had much experience in seeing men bereft of clothing, but it didn’t take intimate knowledge to admire a well formed physique. It occurred to her this was probably the best time to broach the subject she’d been avoiding. While he searched for whatever it was he was to don.
“I must admit something to you that may impact how you feel about our marriage. It’s imperative that I do so before anything… physical happens between us.”
He paused, lifted his head, and scanned her up and down. “What is it?”
The man was blunt. Although he seemed of an easy nature, not becoming overly alarmed at her almost setting the house on fire that morning or asking assistance with preparing a bath, he did not mince words.
“Well, you see.” Ruby wrung her hands stopping when he looked to them. “I have not. I should say. I am not untouched. What I mean to say is I was engaged…to a man…he died of course,” she babbled. She needed to stop babbling. “I don’t mean of course, as it was expected. Although being he went off to war, I suppose it was to be expected. Some men returned, he did not,” she finished weakly.
Trevor’s right eyebrow lifted and he was silent for a few moments. How she wished in that moment that the ground would miraculously open and swallow her whole. It was mortifying to say the words aloud. To admit the lapse in judgment that would impact her for life.
“I see,” he replied, then turned and took one of the shirts from atop a neatly folded pile.
When he turned to put on the shirt, her eyes rounded at the view of his broad chest with just a sprinkling of hair down the center.
It was her first time seeing a man so nude and so up close. Although she’d been intimate with a man, they’d not actually removed all their clothing.
It had been a hurried unromantic affair with only a few kisses shared before he took her and it was all over. It had been an effort to reassure themselves he would return unharmed, and they’d get married. In hindsight, she’d never regretted it. Not with him dying so soon afterward.
She lowered her gaze when he looked to her. Not knowing him, she couldn’t decipher if it was interest or disapproval in his eyes.
“I understand. Things happen during wartime that normally would not. I am sorry for your loss.” He spoke evenly without influx. “It does not affect the fact that I have a need for a wife, nor will it change how I treat you. You have my full respect Ruby.”
Unable to keep from it, a whimper escaped followed by another until she wept openly with relief. Trevor wrapped his arms around her as she wept. It was the most tender of moments in the patient way he stroked her hair and murmured assurances until she finally calmed.
“If you keep crying, I will have to change my shirt again,” Trevor teased.
She lifted her face up to him, sure she looked a fright with a reddened nose and swollen eyes. “I’m so sorry Doctor Collins. It has weighed so very heavily on my mind to tell you this.”
There was a slight lift to the corners of his lips. “Will you please call me by my first name. We are married after all.”
“Yes, of course.”
The same eyebrow lifted and Ruby couldn’t help but smile.
“Trevor.”
It was then she realized he was about to kiss her. It was so long in coming, the only other time had been the quick peck after being pronounced husband and wife. Ruby’s eyelids fell closed as his lips covered hers. The kiss wasn’t soft, nor was it demanding. It was …. Well, it was perfect.
He deepened the kiss, his hands pulling her against the hardness of his larger body, and Ruby felt every inch of hers come to life. She wasn’t sure who proceeded to do what next, but they’d not leave the bedroom for several hours as nature took its course.
***
His wife was timid and yet at the same time quite receptive to his attentions in the bed. Trevor was pleased. It was gratifying to know she’d enjoyed their first time together. That morning waking with someone in his bed had been startling at first but gradually he’d relaxed, enjoying the feel of his wife snuggled against his side. The fire had gone out during the night, however under the blankets they were quite warm.
Now as she stood beside him in the kitchen, he felt her constant study of him.
Currently, she scrambled eggs as he instructed. Thankfully the henhouse was well protected just outside the back door where he’d moved it for the winter. In the enclosed wooden structure that he’d insulated with hay, the birds would fare the winter without much worry.
Once the scrambled eggs were cooked and slices of ham were heated up, they plated the food that was to be accompanied with coffee, making for a simple meal.
Throughout the meal, she continued to steal glances at him. “How will we tell if we suit?”
“I suppose after some time we will become accustomed to one another. Our true personalities will surface and then we’ll know.”
She frowned down at her plate. “I suppose we won’t always get along. There will be times when we may even argue.”
It was refreshing that his new wife spoke her mind. “I hope you will always continue to be as frank with me. I was told by Pastor Tilly that communication is particularly important in a marriage.”
Her right brow lifted. “I find it annoying that he didn’t give my friends and I any counsel.”
Trevor had thought the same. Although the storm threatened, there could have been a few moments dedicated to allowing the women to at least catch their breath. “I suppose he expected us to tell you what he said.”
“What else did he say?”
He cleared his throat. “To be honest and patient since you come from a different life and are not accustomed to life here. He asked that we come to him with any doubts or ....”
“Or?” Ruby asked.
“I forgot the rest,” he admitted. “I’m sure it will come to me.”
“Indeed.” She gave him a disbelieving look.
The pastor had told them in the case there were any problems with consummation they were to read the bible verse on submission by their wife. Trevor and the other men had exchanged looks while trying not to laugh out loud. He doubted a woman would submit in such a way if her husband read from the bible. If anything, she’d probably take the thick book and hit him over the head with it.
“Are you finished?” Ruby stood and waited for him to hand her the plate.
A few hours later it became clear they would be snowbound for days. He’d always hated when it happened in the past. Now however, Trevor decided it was not a bad thing at all. It would force him and Ruby to spend time alone, get to know each other, converse and enjoy uninterrupted time in the bedroom.
“I believe we’re forced to remain indoors as the snow has now reached the point where walking through it is impossible,” Trevor told Ruby, who looked from him to the windows with alarm.
“How is that possible? What if it doesn’t melt for weeks? How will we eat?” She rose from the chair next to the hearth and hurried to the window. “Oh dear.”
He couldn’t help teasing her. “Do you always fret so much?”
“Fret?” By the look of astonishment, she didn’t like his comment. “Doctor Collins have you no sense of how horrible the current situation could become. We could be trapped here without food. What if we run out of firewood.”
“There is a very large stack of wood behind the house, piled next to the chicken coop. The chickens, who are very warm by the way, provide eggs daily. We can also eat the chickens.”
She listened without speaking, so he continued motioning for her to follow him into the kitchen.
“I am fully stocked with necessary sundries.” He motioned to the panty and opened the door to reveal shelves of neatly arranged items. “Everything we need to survive a winter is here.” He pushed at a ham that hung drying from a rope. “We have extra meat in here as well.”
She wandered back to the front room. “I suppose this gives us time to get to know each other better.”
After settling back into the chairs, Trevor put his feet up on a low stool and studied his pretty wife.
She folded her legs up on the chair and held up a book. “I like to read. I found books on the shelf in the other room. Although most are medical in nature, I did find a few that are not. Do you read often?”
He shrugged. “On occasion. I order books from a catalog at the mercantile. Several townspeople have set up a lending library of sorts there. You can go to the mercantile and get new material to read.”
“That’s delightful,” she replied, lips curving upward. He couldn’t help but smile in return at how easy it seemed to please her.
“What about activities. I know this town is very small, but I imagine there are celebrations of sorts.”
In truth, he wasn’t sure if there was anything planned annually. “We do have a Christmas party that we will attend this year, of course.” He tried to remember what else happened in the small town and realized he rarely attended anything. “I believe it’s best to ask Mrs. Abernathy. She along with Reverend Tilly’s wife organize the potlucks, fairs and such.”
“I will,” Ruby replied seeming satisfied with his answer. “Do you have any family near here?”
This was the question he had a reply at the ready. Every time he was asked, he’d say the same thing. The words never varied, nor did the tone of his voice. Although the truth was not much different, not really.
“I was orphaned at a very young age. I grew up in an orphanage in Virginia until the age of sixteen.”
When he told people this, the silence that followed as they grappled with the information and tried to come up with an appropriate reply didn’t surprise him. Trevor filled the silence with other facts to divert the subject.
He continued. “After working as an understudy for a doctor, I decided to study medicine and was fortunate enough to be able to continue to work to pay for my education.”
Finally Ruby let out a sigh. “That is admirable. I could profess to enjoying receiving lessons, but I’d be lying. I detest mathematics and never wish to revisit any study of languages.”
The sway of tones in her voice brought by the strong southern accent was soothing. He wished for her to continue speaking longer. “Tell me about your family.”
Immediately her face brightened. “My father works as an actuary in Charleston. His customers are some of the most influential men in the city.” There was pride in her voice as she spoke. “Mother volunteers on the board for the betterment of Charleston. They are extremely busy, especially now that the war has ended.”
“I can imagine there is a large interest in attempting to regain some semblance of normalcy,” Trevor stated.
“Which is precisely what they are doing. Taking up the important cause of the preservation of our beautiful city. Speaking to groups about uniting and gathering resources to rebuild, restore, and refurnish the historic homes of Charleston takes all her time.”
Trevor considered what she said, but decided it was best to not comment further on what he decided was frivolous. Did the well to do people of the city not care about seeing to the less fortunate. Certainly there were many orphaned children without homes and hungry people that needed more attention than buildings at the moment.
“You seem to disagree with that I’ve stated. Do you?” Ruby asked with eyebrows raised. “Please tell me what you are thinking Doctor Collins.”
“We agreed on you calling me Trevor.”
“Yes, true.” She sat straighter and addressed him. “Trevor, will you tell me what you find distasteful?”
“You will grow to find that I am a man who is straightforward and to the point. I must tell you then that I find any focus after war to be on structures rather than people to be…frivolous.”
Ruby startled, her mouth falling open and she inhaled sharply. “There is much being done for those less fortunate.”
“However not by your mother and her betterment group members.”
A flush rose up her neck to her cheeks. “I suppose not. However, I assure you many Charlestonians are backing causes to help with housing and providing meals.”
From past experiences, it was hard for Trevor to keep from being distrusting of the elite class of people who always looked down their noses at orphans, widows, and like. They acted as if the situations of the less fortunate were their fault.
“Do you have siblings?” he asked, once again diverting the conversation.
“I do,” she replied less than enthusiastically. “Martha, she is two years older than me and married. She remains in Charleston, lives not too far from my parents with her husband, a lawyer, and their two children.”
Trevor wanted to ask what drove her to want to come west being that it seemed her home life seemed almost perfect. She’d bring it up sometime, for now he’d wait.
She looked to the fire. “In your letters, you stated that you wanted a wife to start a family. Are you disappointed in my lacking home skills?”
“Not at all. No matter how well versed a woman is in matters of running a house, the west is different. Out here everything is rustic and rudimentary.”
Outside the wind raged, the flurries of snow continued falling, and he wondered how more severe the storm would get. He hoped not to upset Ruby with the knowledge that it was the worst snow storm he’d ever encountered since arriving in Montana.