"I hadn't thought of remarrying, either. I just wanted to go home. But now...well, you're my home now. You and Wyatt, you're my family. And I would never back out. I think you know that, but just in case you don't, I love you, Aurelian, and I will never leave you. 'Til death do us part."
Lucinda squeezed her husband's hand and met his eyes, her expression sober. But she didn't stay that way for very long. There were so many things in life that one could worry about, but this wasn't the time to think about them. She was thinking about their dessert, and her stepdaughter. "Do you think we should wait for Clara to come out to talk to us, or should we sneak around the back so she doesn't have to leave the kitchen?"
"I hadn't thought of remarrying, either. I just wanted to go home. But now...well, you're my home now. You and Wyatt, you're my family. And I would never back out. I think you know that, but just in case you don't, I love you, Aurelian, and I will never leave you. 'Til death do us part."
He reached out and squeezed one of her hands, "Oh I do know that. I'd have never asked you to marry me if I didn't think you would be faithful and a proper mother for Wyatt too. We are in this til the end, just the way I want it."
"Do you think we should wait for Clara to come out to talk to us, or should we sneak around the back so she doesn't have to leave the kitchen?" Lucinda now suggested.
That made sense, Aurelian nodded affirmatively.
"I like that idea. It seems we are both on the impatient side. Let's do this," he stood up and waited for her to rise then the couple went straight on thru to the back kitchen.
Clara turned to see who was entering HER kitchen? After all, Constance was already within, picking up a plate of food readied for another customer.
"Father..............Lucinda," she liked the woman but no, she would never get to the point where she would call her Mother. She had only had one real mother.
Daughter," grinned Aurelian.
"Well, do you have a complaint about your food? If so, I do not wish to hear it," Clara declared, with a straight face.
And so Lucinda and Aurelian both made their way back to the kitchen to surprise Clara. And she did seem surprised to Lucinda, who suddenly worried that her impulsive idea might not have been the wisest. But fortunately Clara met them with humor, although you wouldn't know it was humor from looking at her stoic expression.
Lucinda threaded her arm through Aurelian's. "I don't know about him, but my only complaint about the food is that I finished it! I could have eaten a whole cow cooked like that roast beef." She realized this comment would probably prompt some sort of ultra-practical response from Clara and hasted to say, "Or maybe just a whole roast. I know you can't make a roast out of the whole cow."
She hadn't always known that, but now that she was cooking more she'd had to familiarize herself with many different cooking terms and ingredients, including cuts of meat.
"How is little Emeline? You don't have her peeling potatoes already, I hope?" Lucinda said this with a dimple poking out. She wasn't sure if Clara would find it amusing or not. Although she and her stepdaughter got along fairly well, Lucinda was still trying to figure out how to really connect with Clara, especially after they'd been apart for so long over the winter.
Aurelian grinned, Clara had cracked a joke, something she used to never do.
"I don't know about him, but my only complaint about the food is that I finished it! I could have eaten a whole cow cooked like that roast beef," Lucinda hastened to say, "Or maybe just a whole roast. I know you can't make a roast out of the whole cow."
"Why thank you, Lucinda. Had I know you were so voracious I would have cooked the hooves too," Clara remarked in that deadpan fashion of hers.
"My dear wife is making great strides in her cooking, daughter dear. You would be proud of her. Besides if she doesn't do the cooking then it would be me doing it and well..........we all know how that would go," Aurelian jumped in.
"Good for you then," Clara addressed the woman, "I am certain Wyatt is happy then. You know, he is in a growing spurt. Last week I saw him and he looks a good couple of inches taller."
"How is little Emeline? You don't have her peeling potatoes already, I hope?" Lucinda inquired.
"Emeline is fine. She is a happy baby, always smiling and gurgling happily. Must take after Jacob not me," Clara answered then added, "No additional commentary needed, Father."
Aurelian only chuckled.