Madeline: Bride of Nebraska (American Mail-Order Bride 37) by Mia Blackwood

Caleb was still asleep before she undressed and got ready for bed.
    She blew out the oil lamp and climbed into bed. It might not have been how she imagined her wedding night, but she was grateful for the chance to sleep alone in peace. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Chapter 4
    Madeline awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing. She opened her eyes to find herself in a strange bed, sunlight pouring through a dirty windowpane. She stretched and rubbed her eyes, then suddenly remembered where she was.
    She jumped out of bed and dressed quickly. The room was so cold that she could see her breath. She made the bed, then slowly made her way down the hall. She peeked in at her husband and his nephew. Both were still sound asleep, so she left them and quietly made her way downstairs.
    She walked into the kitchen and took a good look around. She needed to know what supplies were available to her before she could decide what to cook for breakfast. The stove had gone cold during the night, so she got the fire going before checking the cupboard and root cellar for supplies.
    She came up from the cellar disappointed. Other than the things she had quickly placed down there after dinner the night before, the shelves were rather bare. That did not bode well for meals throughout the winter. That was when she spied the crate from Ella still sitting on the kitchen table. Hope sprung in her heart and she made her way over to it.
    She knew that the contents of the crate were a wedding gift from the reverend and his wife, but when she pulled back the empty flour sack that covered it, she knew that her new friend Ella had packed it herself. Inside the crate were jars of various spices and seasonings, small sacks of cornmeal, flour, and sugar, a loaf of bread, and some fresh butter. It wasn’t much, but she would not need to run for more supplies for a few days at least.
    Then a thought struck her. Her husband had mentioned having ranch hands. She had met two of them herself. Would she be expected to cook for them as well as her husband and his nephew?
    Madeline chewed her lip as she thought about it. She could wake Caleb and ask him directly, but he had been worn out from everything that had happened the day before. He certainly could use more sleep. Besides, she did not want to wake poor little George. The boy had been through enough and definitely needed to sleep.
    Movement from outside near the barn caught her eye, so she decided to see who might be up. If it was Hank or Walter, she would not feel afraid to ask them about the meal arrangements. A basket near the door caught her eye and she took it down from its peg. If a rooster woke her up, that meant there were chickens. If there were chickens, there would be eggs.
    She hurried outside and into the bright sunlight. She squinted a bit against the light in an attempt to see if the man near the barn was indeed Hank. It appeared to be, so she walked faster to catch him before he scurried off somewhere.
    “Morning, ma’am,” Hank said to Madeline with a tip of his hat.
    “Good morning,” she replied, crossing her arms against the cold. “Would you mind if I ask you something? I didn’t want to wake Caleb, after the day he had yesterday.”
    Hank studied her a moment, pleased that she was showing concern for Caleb. She was his wife, but they had only met about twelve hours ago. He nodded in response to her question.
    “Do…will I be expected to make breakfast for everyone on the ranch or just the main household?” She really needed to know if she would need to worry about every meal, but breakfast was her first priority.
    Hank smiled. “Nope. Cookie makes our meals in the bunkhouse. You just worry about you and Caleb…and little Georgie.” He cleared his throat softly. He was uncomfortable asking her this question, yet he needed to know. “How are Caleb and the boy doing?”
    “Still asleep, last I checked. Do you think I should wake them?” Madeline hated the