“You should know right now that I don’t believe in spanking children.” She remembered all too well her own father wielding his razor strop on her backside. Adele would never do that to a child.
“Good, because I don’t, either.” He opened the door, and smoke came rolling out.
“Oh, my God, it looks like your house is on fire.”
“Lissa! Where are you?”
“I’m here, Daddy.”
She sounded so small.
Adele fanned her face, pulled a hankie from her sleeve and covered her mouth. She recognized the acrid scent and coughed.
Edward ran through the smoke into the kitchen.
Adele followed him, her nose and mouth covered with her hankie.
Whatever was on the stove was burning.
Edward grabbed Lissa from the chair she stood on and ran outside.
Adele looked around, found the sink, put on her gloves and pulled the burning skillet off the stove. When she got it into the sink, she pumped water inside. Steam combined with the smoke making it nearly impossible to see, but Adele made her way to the door and hurried outside, propping the door open with a piece of firewood that was stacked on one side of the porch.
Edward turned as she stopped by him and Lissa. “Thank you.”
She waved him away. “It was no trouble. We’ve all set pots on fire.” Adele looked down at Lissa. The little girl cried with her arms wrapped around her father’s waist and her face buried in his side..
“Hello, Lissa. My name is Adele and I’m your father’s new wife. You and I will be learning how to cook together. We can even make cookies. Would you like that?” She’s the spitting image of her father…thank God.
Lissa gazed up at Adele, her dark blue eyes wide. She nodded and then turned her face into Edward’s leg.
He reached down and patted her back. “Lissa, what do you say to the nice lady?”
Keeping her face on Edward’s leg she shook her head.
Edward looked up, shrugged and then gave her a sheepish smile. “She’s a little shy.”
“It’s all right. We have a long time to get to know each other. Before we get too much more involved, I need to clean the kitchen and then I need a real bath whether anyone comes in or not. I can’t stand it any longer. Do you have a bathing room or just a bathtub? I want to know where to carry the water and I’d rather know now than wait with a bucket in my hand to find out. Those metal handles are too hard on my fingers.”
“We have a bathing room. If you’d clean up the mess I’d appreciate it. Mrs. Underhill is off today. Thank you. This upheaval was not how I anticipated the two of you to meet.”
Adele laughed and waved a hand toward the kitchen behind her. “No one could have anticipated this mistake.”
He chuckled. “No, I suppose not.” He looked down at his daughter. “Lissa, what were you doing at the stove?”
She let go of his leg and backed up a step then she started swaying back and forth, holding her hands behind her. “I was helping Cookie.”
“Cookie walked out madder than a wet hornet. So, what were you really doing?”
“He wouldn’t let me help. So, I got a chair and helped, anyway.” She looked up at her father through her lashes. “I guess I didn’t do so good.”
Edward frowned. “What were you trying to cook?”
“Bacon.”
Edward closed his eyes, and his mouth formed a thin line.
Adele would bet he was counting to ten.
When he finally opened his eyes, he frowned at his daughter. “You know better than this. What in the world got into you? Do you realize you could have burned down the whole house?”
Lissa’s lip quivered and large tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Papa. I was just trying to help.”
“Those crocodile tears won’t work on me this time, nor will they work on Adele.”
“That’s right.” Adele nodded and folded her arms across her chest.
“And, seeing that Adele will now be responsible for your education, including the reprimands, she’ll tell you what your punishment is for this mess.”
Adele narrowed her eyes and mouthed coward before turning her attention on Lissa.
“What do you think your punishment should be, young lady?” Adele put her hands on her hips. “Your papa told you what might have happened and he didn’t even mention that you might have been killed. So, what should it be? And don’t say none or be too easy on yourself, because that attitude will only make it worse for you when you hear the real reprimand.”
“I…I guess I should go without supper and…and go straight to bed?”
Adele put her right elbow in her left hand and then placed her index finger on her chin. She tapped her finger. “It’s just a quarter past two now and a long time until bedtime. I think that’s a good punishment. What say you, Papa?”
Edward nodded. “It is indeed. Go to your room. We’ll come tuck you in at bedtime.”
Lissa gazed up at her father, smiled and took his hand. “I don’t really have to go to bed now, do I, Daddy? She’s not my mama. She’s—”
Her father dropped her hand. “You will go to bed now. I told you I would abide by Adele’s decision and she’s given you a reasonable punishment.”
Lissa had no more tears. She turned and stalked into the kitchen.
Edward shook his head. “She’ll make it very hard for you to like her, but she really is a good girl down deep. Give her a chance.”
Adele smiled. I remember my brothers and sisters and how they acted. I know exactly what Lissa will do. “I intend to give her all the time she needs. I’ll smother her with love, but I won’t put up with her antics. You said you’d back me up, and I expect you to keep your word. She’ll work to pit us against one another.”
“I said I’d agree with you, and I will. You’ll just have to trust me.”
She lifted a brow. “I guess we’ll have to trust each other. Now, if you’ll show me the rest of the house I’d appreciate it. Then I’ll get after the kitchen. The smoke should have dissipated by the time we return.”
He grabbed her bags. “Let’s walk around to the front door.”
She nodded and walked beside him like they were an old married couple.
“Tell me, what did your wife look like? Lissa appears to take after you. She has your beautiful deep blue eyes and golden streaked dark hair. You’ll have to beat the boys off with a stick when she gets older.”
Edward sighed. “I know. Lissa doesn’t take after Catherine in any way, thank God. I don’t know how well I’d do if she looked like her mother. Catherine was very fair with pale blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes. She was tall and slender.”
“In other words, she was the direct opposite of me.” Adele laughed. “I guess that’s a good thing. You won’t be calling me her name when you’re angry. And since I’m very opinionated, that’s liable to be often.”
“It’s true, you are very different from her, and I’m glad of it. I happen to like coppery red hair and beautiful light green eyes.”
Adele’s face heated. “Thank you. That’s nice of you to say. You remind me of my husband.” Though Richard wasn’t really my husband, Edward actually does remind me of him, with his dark hair and blue eyes. What if Richard comes? Will Edward see the resemblance and then wonder about my feelings for him? Feelings that I know will grow. I’m already attracted to him, and he treats me well, so far, but I must keep my heart protected. I don’t want heartbreak as I had with Richard.