Posted August 10, 2022
Emeline had slept well, and when she awakened, was free of the sickness that had been plaguing her mornings. Sitting up, she rubbed sleep from her eyes, then reached for her robe.
"Good morning, Mr. Pike," she smiled as she stood and went to the window, "did you sleep well? I feel refreshed and ready for the next adventure!" Well, maybe not that hale, but certainly up to a long day of travel. "I think a quick bath, then breakfast and finishing packing...what time does the train leave?"
Posted August 11, 2022
"Mornin' wife." He said in response, "Well, train leaves just past noon, so we've plenty of time to finish with packing. If you like we can go down to breakfast in the dining room, 'course you can't go dressed like that, you'd be expected to wear a hat."
He needed to speak with Bill about the music box and this fund for young Tom. Neither was a bad idea, or out of the question. It was just not what he would have thought about doing, that was Em. He smiled at the thought, she would think of those things that he didn't.
Posted August 12, 2022
"You are lucky, Mr. Pike, that I have a good bit of decency, or I'd take you up on that!" Emeline laughed, a part of her wishing she was so bold as to traipse down to breakfast in her nightdress and hat!
"Give me thirty minutes, that should do for the bath and getting dressed." She kissed him lightly, then asked, "Do you want to wait, or should I meet you down there?" It would be a good way to get the day started -- cleaned up and with a hearty meal in their bellies!
Posted August 13, 2022
"I'll wash up and dress then I'll head down go over the idea of the music box and the fund for Tom. By then you'll probably be down and we can have breakfast. That sound alright to you?" He asked.
The night had awakened something in him he had not felt before, the need to be a real husband, a provider for a growing family, at least from what she had said about having children and quite a number of them. He took her by the shoulders and kissed her.
"I'll see you down there, and, no rush." With that he stepped into bath room and quickly cleaned up, then dressed and headed downstairs.
Posted August 16, 2022
As much as she was tempted to lounge in the bath, Emeline cut her time short, although she did feel refreshed and ready to take on the long day. She choose a solid and blue plaid dress that had the fashionable bustle, but was lighter and easier to move around in.
Lillian helped her with her hair, same as the dress -- simple and easy to maintain -- and barely forty minutes had passed when she wandered into the dining room and spotted Barnabas. Smiling, she kissed him on the cheek as he rose to meet her.
"You're looking very handsome this morning, husband. Did you miss me?"
Posted August 20, 2022
"But of course, any time I am away from you I miss you. So, speaking of looking wonderful this morning, you fill the bill!" She was perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, except perhaps his mother.
"I know I said I would see you downstairs, but I thought I would come up and let you know that all the arrangements are taken care of, and I left my gloves on the entry table." He swept up the gloves and put them in his coat pocket, Black broadcloth, like a thousand others out there, oh there were herringbone and several other fabrications for men's suits, but they all looked the same.
It was generally the vest and puff tie that set the man apart. Barnabas had a multi-shade paisley vest with a bright red puff tie with a gold sick pin, and, his top hat.
"So I can wait or, go down, whichever you prefer." He added with an easy smile.
Posted August 21, 2022
"I'm ready." Emeline moved up beside Barnabas and took his arm. "You are looking handsome and dashing this morning, we'll make quite the entrance!"
It was interesting to see him in so many different types of clothes, he cut a handsome figure in his fancy duds, but was ruggedly roguish when he was in his buckskins.
"Little Elrod is famished this morning, but at least he isn't trying to crawl his way out this morning!"
Posted August 21, 2022
"Well' we can't have that now can we?" He asked sounding quite serious about the matter. "I'd say we'll be eight to ten hours to Reno on the Truckee River, So if we take the ten am, well we'd be there say eight, eight-thirty tonight. Get a room and spend the night, maybe get out and walk a bit. How's that sound?" And it was the question of when they would reach Reno, for they could surely pull in at six in the evening, or anywhere in between.
"Certainly better than by coach or horseback." He added as they entered the dining room. He took out his watch, and checked the time just to be sure of his calculations.
Posted August 22, 2022
As much as she enjoyed riding Noel around town and out to the ranch, Emeline was more than happy not to have to ride a horse for the next few months, especially one she wasn't familiar with, and as for the coach, she wouldn't miss the jostling at all!
"Well, we haven't been on a boat on a river, right? So there's something new for us." Indeed, they had already had many 'new' experiences, and Emeline was glad of it. Certainly, there were so many more things to see and do, but with what they'd already done, it was far more than most people, who just trudged through life, never venturing more than a few miles from home.
"You just lead the way, and I will follow!" She thought for a second, then asked, "What is there in Reno? Isn't there a large lake up that way? Of course, I'd wager that it has nothing on our waterfall!" They could travel the World, and she was sure that there wouldn't be any place as lovely as home!
Posted August 23, 2022
"Well, we haven't been on a boat on a river, right? So there's something new for us." Indeed, they had already had many 'new' experiences, and Emeline was glad of it. Certainly, there were so many more things to see and do, but with what they'd already done, it was far more than most people, who just trudged through life, never venturing more than a few miles from home.
"No, that's true, we have yet to be on a boat on a river, I am not sure that's possible on the Truckee." He offered, And he was not sure what might be available on the Truckee River, if anything. "But who knows, never say never, my love, there will always be that chance."
"You just lead the way, and I will follow!" She thought for a second, then asked, "What is there in Reno? Isn't there a large lake up that way? Of course, I'd wager that it has nothing on our waterfall!" They could travel the World, and she was sure that there wouldn't be any place as lovely as home!
"There is, Tahoe, huge, we'll go up, that won't be a problem, now, as for Reno I'm not sure it's been a while since I last saw it. She was growing, receiving and shipping supplies up the hill, then there's the lumber business out in the valley, Washaw 'er Washoe I believe. Lots to see and do. We'll see a lot of it go by from the train headed up to Virginny as they call it.