A Convenient Wife

A Convenient Wife Read Online Free PDF

Book: A Convenient Wife Read Online Free PDF
Author: Carolyn Davidson
head and he scrutinized her in the dim light, then decided against lighting a lamp. “I’m not real hungry,” she said quietly. “But I’ll be glad to dish you up some.”
    â€œSit down, Ellie,” he told her, and she sat on the nearest chair, then glanced up quickly, as if his firm tones might give way to anger. Placing two plates on the table, he lifted the meal she’d carried to his door and divided it, allowing himself the larger portion, knowing she would protest otherwise.
    After retrieving two forks from the cutlery drawer, he approached her, then squatted beside her chair. His hand lifted to touch her swollen flesh and she flinched. “I won’t hurt you,” he said calmly. “I just want to see how much bruising you have.”
    She nodded, sitting quietly beneath his touch, and hesilently cursed the man who had done this. “Is there more?” he asked as he rose and circled the table.
    Ellie hesitated. “Some.”
    Win picked up his fork and took a bite, savoring the flavor of chicken and stuffing. “Where,” he asked after a moment.
    Ellie looked up, startled, then replaced her empty fork on the table. “In places you don’t need to see.”
    â€œI’m a doctor, Ellie.” He took another bite, and nodded at her. “Eat now and we’ll talk about it later.”
    She sighed and obeyed his dictum, bending a bit, perhaps to hide the damage done her face, he thought. The next problem would involve coaxing her to allow him to examine the full effects of her father’s wrath.
    The few bites of food left over from their meal were scraped onto a small dish on the back stoop for Win’s porch cat, and Ellie smiled as he described the stray who’d adopted him, taking occasional meals from his hand, although he didn’t allow her entry into the house. The dishes were washed with hot water from the reservoir on the side of the big black cook stove, and Ellie dried them carefully, putting them back in the cupboard.
    â€œMrs. Dillard says you might want me to do some work for you,” she ventured as she emptied the small dishpan and wiped it out with the cloth she’d used.
    â€œThat’s right,” Win answered. “I need someone to do up my washing. I’ve had the woman at the hotel doing it, but I fear she’s partial to bleach, and my best blue shirt has blotches all over it. I’d thought you might take a hand and see if you could keep me in order.”
    â€œYou need someone to cook?” she asked diffidently. “I’m pretty well able to keep a kitchen, and I’ve always been a good hand at housework.”
    â€œI think we could work something out,” Win said quietly, watching as she wiped the table, then picked up the broom.“You don’t need to sweep right now,” he told her. “Come sit with me and we’ll talk.”
    Her eyes darted in his direction and then back to the darkness that had gathered as the sun settled beneath the horizon. “I’ll light a lamp,” he offered. “It’s getting too dark to see in here.”
    She nodded, settling in the chair across the table. Her hands were folded neatly before her, and he looked down as he lifted the globe of the lamp to light the wick. “Would you rather I lit a candle?” he asked. “I have a good supply of them.”
    She shook her head. “The lamp’s fine. You can take a look at me and see for yourself I’m not hurt bad. You don’t need to worry about my eye,” she said with a wave of her hand “I’ve seen worse on men after a Saturday night on the town.”
    â€œMen from the ranch where you lived with your father?” he asked, sitting down again to face her.
    She nodded. “I did a little mending when they got banged up. Used witch hazel and carbolic acid, and even stitched up a few cuts before you came to town.”
    He smiled, admiring
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