likely either …
“Oh, that’s too bad. It’s always fun to meet new people around here. Speaking of which, we’d better get downstairs. Mama and Auntie Belle will want to introduce you to the family if you’re having supper with us.”
“Yes, of course.” She glanced at her blue gown. “I’m not overdressed?”
Honoria noted her simple yellow calico. “No, I’m underdressed – as will be the rest of my family. Sorry about that.”
Pleasant laughed again. She was beginning to like Honoria and hoped they’d become good friends. “I’ll forgive you and your family.”
“Thank you, Miss Comfort.”
“Please, call me Pleasant.”
Honoria cocked her head to one side and smiled. “That’s a fitting name.”
Pleasant blushed and smiled. “Thank you for that.”
“Shall we?” Honoria swept a hand toward the bedroom door.
Pleasant preceded her and they went downstairs where the families were gathering for supper. And what a gathering it was! “There are so many!”
“This is nothing,” Honoria remarked. “You should see when the cousins are here.”
“I can only imagine.” Pleasant noted all the children happily chatting away or playing, not to mention the adults, who at this point were staring at her.
“Here we are!” Honoria announced.
Sadie made her way through the crowd. “Everyone come into the parlor and meet our guest!” she yelled.
No sooner had she said it than children came from every room and ran for the parlor, several running into Pleasant in the process. She almost fell over, but Honoria caught her just in time. “My word!”
“I’m sorry about that. The little ones are always excited when we have a guest.”
“You won’t have one if they trample me,” Pleasant replied, trying to keep her temper in check. She kept having to remind herself she was no longer in Savannah. This was the Wild West – which obviously included wild children.
“That’s it, gather ‘round!” Sadie called as Honoria guided Pleasant into the center of the room.
“There now, I think we’re all here,” someone said. Pleasant recognized the voice – it was Harrison, Sadie’s husband. She hadn’t even noticed him in the crowd.
“All right everyone, line up as best you can and we’ll proceed with the introductions,” Sadie said loudly.
Children scrambled to comply. They ranged from what Pleasant guessed to be about nine or ten up to sixteen or seventeen. “Who’s the oldest?”
“I am,” Honoria said with a hint of pride.
“Are we ready?” Sadie asked then turned to Pleasant. “Now, I know you’re not going to remember them all after introductions. But they so wanted to make your acquaintance.”
Pleasant smiled and nodded. “There are … so many. Surely they’re not all yours. That is, you and your sister-in-law’s.”
“Oh heavens, no,” a woman said from behind her. “Some of these belong to Logan, our foreman.”
Pleasant turned to face a pretty woman with dark blonde hair. “How do you do?”
“Very well. I’m Belle Cooke.” She grabbed one of Pleasant’s hands and gave it a healthy shake, then glanced at everyone gathered and back again. “You’d best brace yourself.”
Pleasant’s eyebrows rose in worry. “So it seems.”
Sadie put her hands on her hips. “Of course you already know Honoria.” She stepped to the line of children and pointed to a handsome dark-haired boy with hazel eyes. “This is Maxwell, and next to him is Clinton and standing behind him is Savannah.” The boys looked very much alike, only one was shorter than the other. Savannah, a blonde with the same eyes as her brothers, peeked around Clinton and smiled at her.
Pleasant gave the children a small curtsy. “How do you do?”
Savannah giggled as her brothers blushed and fidgeted.
“They’re a little shy at first,” Harrison said.
“Colin you know, and now Belle,” Sadie continued. “And these are their children, Jefferson, Adele, Thackary, Sam, and last but not
“Oh, that’s too bad. It’s always fun to meet new people around here. Speaking of which, we’d better get downstairs. Mama and Auntie Belle will want to introduce you to the family if you’re having supper with us.”
“Yes, of course.” She glanced at her blue gown. “I’m not overdressed?”
Honoria noted her simple yellow calico. “No, I’m underdressed – as will be the rest of my family. Sorry about that.”
Pleasant laughed again. She was beginning to like Honoria and hoped they’d become good friends. “I’ll forgive you and your family.”
“Thank you, Miss Comfort.”
“Please, call me Pleasant.”
Honoria cocked her head to one side and smiled. “That’s a fitting name.”
Pleasant blushed and smiled. “Thank you for that.”
“Shall we?” Honoria swept a hand toward the bedroom door.
Pleasant preceded her and they went downstairs where the families were gathering for supper. And what a gathering it was! “There are so many!”
“This is nothing,” Honoria remarked. “You should see when the cousins are here.”
“I can only imagine.” Pleasant noted all the children happily chatting away or playing, not to mention the adults, who at this point were staring at her.
“Here we are!” Honoria announced.
Sadie made her way through the crowd. “Everyone come into the parlor and meet our guest!” she yelled.
No sooner had she said it than children came from every room and ran for the parlor, several running into Pleasant in the process. She almost fell over, but Honoria caught her just in time. “My word!”
“I’m sorry about that. The little ones are always excited when we have a guest.”
“You won’t have one if they trample me,” Pleasant replied, trying to keep her temper in check. She kept having to remind herself she was no longer in Savannah. This was the Wild West – which obviously included wild children.
“That’s it, gather ‘round!” Sadie called as Honoria guided Pleasant into the center of the room.
“There now, I think we’re all here,” someone said. Pleasant recognized the voice – it was Harrison, Sadie’s husband. She hadn’t even noticed him in the crowd.
“All right everyone, line up as best you can and we’ll proceed with the introductions,” Sadie said loudly.
Children scrambled to comply. They ranged from what Pleasant guessed to be about nine or ten up to sixteen or seventeen. “Who’s the oldest?”
“I am,” Honoria said with a hint of pride.
“Are we ready?” Sadie asked then turned to Pleasant. “Now, I know you’re not going to remember them all after introductions. But they so wanted to make your acquaintance.”
Pleasant smiled and nodded. “There are … so many. Surely they’re not all yours. That is, you and your sister-in-law’s.”
“Oh heavens, no,” a woman said from behind her. “Some of these belong to Logan, our foreman.”
Pleasant turned to face a pretty woman with dark blonde hair. “How do you do?”
“Very well. I’m Belle Cooke.” She grabbed one of Pleasant’s hands and gave it a healthy shake, then glanced at everyone gathered and back again. “You’d best brace yourself.”
Pleasant’s eyebrows rose in worry. “So it seems.”
Sadie put her hands on her hips. “Of course you already know Honoria.” She stepped to the line of children and pointed to a handsome dark-haired boy with hazel eyes. “This is Maxwell, and next to him is Clinton and standing behind him is Savannah.” The boys looked very much alike, only one was shorter than the other. Savannah, a blonde with the same eyes as her brothers, peeked around Clinton and smiled at her.
Pleasant gave the children a small curtsy. “How do you do?”
Savannah giggled as her brothers blushed and fidgeted.
“They’re a little shy at first,” Harrison said.
“Colin you know, and now Belle,” Sadie continued. “And these are their children, Jefferson, Adele, Thackary, Sam, and last but not
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