Chapter Ten
Raven awakened before dawn to the ringing of an ax. Bleary and disoriented, it took a moment for her to recognize her surroundings. Once she did, she sat up slowly and ran her hands over her sleepy eyes. Surprised to find herself fully dressed, she tried to recall why. The last thing she remembered from the night before was being on the porch with Steele. She supposed she’d fallen asleep and he’d put her to bed. In spite of his outrageously scandalous nature, he’d proven his gentlemanly side again, and she was grateful for that. She hadn’t brought many changes of clothing and what she had on now was wrinkled and damp from sleep, but he hadn’t taken advantage of her by undressing her while she’d had no say.
The ax rang out again, and because it sounded close by, she assumed it might be him splitting wood. Leaving the bedroom, she walked to the back door. It was still dark out and he was halflit by the flames of two torches as he worked. His shirtless state allowed her to view his lean sculpted torso, shoulders, and arms, and even half asleep, she approved.
He brought the ax down again and in the short break of silence when he stopped to free the blade, she called out quietly, “Good morning.”
He looked up, and the wavering flames illuminated his smile. “Morning.” He set the ax aside and picked up his shirt from the grass. Pulling it on, he walked to where she stood.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“I did. How about you?”
“Let’s just say the floor turned out to be a better choice.”
She felt guilty hearing the sofa had proven inadequate. They’d both been exhausted from the travel and he’d deserved a good night’s sleep, too. “I’ll take the sofa tonight. It will probably fit me better.”
“I don’t mind the floor.”
He said it with such sincerity, she didn’t know whether to believe him or not. “We can talk about it later.”
“Okay. I’m almost done here. There’s wood in the kitchen but I didn’t think there was enough to last the day, and it’ll be too hot to chop more later. Also pumped you some water. It’s in a bucket in the washroom.”
His kindness was moving. “You’ve been busy.”
“It’s what a faithful husband is supposed to do.”
She knew he was teasing but there was a thin thread of something else that touched her feelings in a way she found difficult to name.
“I’ll carry the wood to the kitchen. You go get washed up.”
She nodded and added, “Thanks for putting me to bed last night and for pumping the water.”
“You’re welcome. Just one of many husbandly services I offer.”
Amused, she shook her head and went back inside to begin her day.
After breakfast, Mrs. Stipe gave Raven a tour of the house’s upper floor. She was shown Mrs. Stipe’s large, well-furnished bedroom with its hearth and heavy dark wood furniture, and told it was her job to make the bed daily and clean the washroom. She was also given a schedule as to when other tasks were to be completed, like putting fresh sheets on the bed, dusting, and mopping the floors. Having been a domestic most of her life, Raven had no problems with the assignments but during the tour she kept her eyes open for anything and any space that might serve as a hiding place for what she’d been sent to find.
“How often do you want the walls washed?”
“That’s done twice a year. Right before Christmas and again before the Fourth of July.”
Mrs. Stipe then led her down a short hallway.She stopped near two closed doors. “This door leads to my late mother’s room. She lived with us for a few years after the war.”
She opened it. It was shadowy and hot. The shutters were closed. There was a bed, two wardrobes, a chest, and a vanity with a mirror attached. “Most of her things are still stored here. I should probably get rid of them but I just can’t part with them yet.”
“How long has she been gone?”
“A decade in November.”
Raven wondered if the stolen document was somewhere inside. “And the room across the hall?”
“It belongs to Aubrey. I take pleasure in keeping it locked.”
“You don’t want me to clean it?”
“No. He wallows in adulterous filth. He deserves to wallow in the same when he’s here.”