The next morning, Helen, as predicted, woke up around 6:30. Elizabeth was tired from the big day before but she got up, changed Helen's diaper and got them ready for the day. She had the day off from the orphanage though.

Abigail told her that her new life called for a new schedule at the orphanage so she would now need to arrive at 8:00 with Helen but leave in time to get home and cook dinner for Jack. Also, she was only going to work five days a week, with Saturday and Sunday off.

Elizabeth and Helen walked out into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.

"Hey, baby girl, wonder what Dat likes for breakfast?"

She looked in the icebox and found some eggs and milk. She smelled the milk to make sure it was fresh and it was.

Then she realized she also needed to make bread that day. And she needed to unpack and go to the store for a roast or something.

Jack walked out, his hair disheveled and wearing his sleeping clothes. He yawned and went over to give Helen a kiss.

"Good morning, Daisy girl."

"Dat!" She grinned up at him so he picked her up.

"Morning, Elizabeth. Did you sleep well?"

"Morning. As well as I could with a two and a half year old next to me," she said with a laugh.

"Do I smell coffee?"

"Yes. It's almost ready. I'm afraid all I have for breakfast is eggs. I'll make sure to be well stocked from now on."

"Eggs are fine."

She looked up at him and nodded. Gosh, he looked cute in the morning. She blushed and stirred the eggs in the skillet.

"So, I assume you'll go to the store today?"

"Yes. I also need to go to see Doc Shepherd."

Jack looked at her, startled. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm sorry. I need to ask him to stop by the orphanage soon and check all the kids. He comes every few months to make sure everyone is healthy."

"So do you help him a lot?"

"Help him?" she asked, sliding a plate of eggs in front of him and Helen.
"Careful, Helen. Eggs are hot."

"Do you help him check the kids?"

She was still confused but she answered. "Sometimes I sit there to keep them calm, I suppose."

He nodded and held out his hands. "Let's say a blessing." She sat and slipped her fingers into his and bowed her head, keeping an eye on Helen.

"Dear Lord, thank you for this food and the hands that made it. Thank you for my new wife and for Helen. Please help us to be good examples to others that we meet and help us to always be thankful for everything you provide. Through Jesus name, Amen."

"Men!" Helen shouted earning a smile from Jack and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth sipped her coffee as she helped Helen with the eggs on her plate. She ate most of them and then Elizabeth finished.

"Me-Me, walk?"

"Soon, sweetie. We are going to walk over to the store once we clean up the dishes."

"Yay!"

"Let me give you some money," Jack said, standing up from the table.

"No need. I have some of what you gave me before you left."

"You do?"

"Yes. Enough to get us a nice roast or ham and some potatoes maybe. Does that sound good?"

"Anything you make will be just fine, I'm sure. After all, Abigail says you are a fine cook. I'm looking forward to testing that out."

She smiled at him. "Alright then, I will make you a nice meal."

He took his plate to the sink and washed it and then dried it before putting it back on the shelf.

"You don't have to wash your own dishes, Jack, but thank you for doing it."

"Habit, I guess," he shrugged. "Well, I am going to go get ready for work. I need to be there shortly."

She nodded. The urge to kiss his cheek was there, mostly because of the fact that he was so considerate and now her husband. She watched him walk away and down the short hall to his bedroom.

"Ok, sweet girl, are you ready to go?"

"Ya. We go."

Elizabeth washed her dish and then grabbed Helen's shoes. As she was putting them on her feet, Jack walked up.

"Okay, I'm off. I'll see you tonight?"

"Yes. Have a good day." She stood and waited for him to say goodbye to Helen. As he started to leave she stopped him. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

She wanted to thank him for marrying her, for making it possible for her to be a mother, for providing a good home, for being kind. Instead, she just stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek. "See you later."

….

That afternoon, Elizabeth made ham and potato soup for dinner, flavoring it with salt and pepper and letting the ham cook long and slow in the pot. She also made two loaves of bread and everything smelled delicious.

Helen took a good nap so Elizabeth finished unpacking the rest of her things and then decided to relax and read a book on the couch.

Jack walked in the door about five o'clock and she realized she had fallen asleep too. She heard him wince as he washed up in his bedroom. She peeked in.
"Jack?"

"Yeah. I'll be out in a moment."

"Are you hurt?"

He looked at her as she walked up next to him. "I'm just not used to this kind of labor. I have a few burns and blisters. Nothing horrible."

She gently touched his hands and he winced again. "Honey, look at your hands. I have some salve." She walked away, realizing the term of endearment at the same time he did. "Sorry, I….I'll be right back."

She walked back in with some bandages and salve a moment later. "You don't have to do this," he told her.

"Of course I do. I'm your wife. It's my job to take care of you." Again, she shocked both of them with her admission but neither said a word.

"Me-Me?" Helen called from the hallway.

"In here, sweetie." Helen walked in the room.

"Dat! Home."

"Yes, Daisy girl, I'm home. And it smells like Me-Me made something good for supper."

"Yummy."

Elizabeth finished up with his hands. "We can rub some more salve on there in the morning, just to make sure you don't get an infection."

"Thank you." His gaze made her lose her breath for a moment. "I guess I'm not used to someone taking care of me," he admitted.

"I'll always be here."

"I'm glad. We both need you, Elizabeth."

That simple phrase made her unbelievably happy. "Supper is almost ready. I think you'll enjoy it."

"I have no doubt."

….

That night after Helen was asleep, Jack asked Elizabeth to take a seat on the couch and he would make their tea. When he joined her, she was reading a book and smiling.

"What are you reading?"

"Pride and Prejudice."

"Will you read it to me?"

Her eyes met his, slightly surprised. "I don't know if you would enjoy it. It's a love story."

"I like love." He sipped his tea and turned so he was facing her. "Try me."

"I'm halfway through it. Do you want me to start at the beginning?"

"Only if you want to."

*It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife," she began.

He listened as she read for the next bit, liking the excitement he heard in her voice. She obviously enjoyed reading and the book was apparently a favorite, judging by the worn cover.

When she yawned twice within minutes, he spoke up. "You've had a long day and so have I. We should turn in."

"Yeah. Morning comes quickly."

She left the book on the table by the couch and walked with him to the kitchen. It felt very domestic and comfortable.

He took her cup and washed them both, forgetting about his bandages for a moment.

"I guess, we can give you dry bandages now." She gently removed his damp bandages and dried his hands and then wrapped them back up.

"Thank you again."

"You don't have to thank me, Jack."

"Of course I do. My mother would scold me if I didn't. I don't want to be on the receiving end of Charlotte's scolding."

She laughed. "I suppose not."

"Thank you for dinner, Elizabeth. It was very good."

"You don't have…you're welcome. See you in the morning."

….

Charlotte stayed with them for the next week before catching a stage back to Aberdeen.

At the one week of marriage mark, Jack decided to start courting Elizabeth. He wrote her a letter and placed it on the kitchen counter where he knew she would see it when she made them breakfast.

She walked out into the kitchen with Helen on her heels. She paused for a moment when she saw the letter. She tied on her apron and put the letter in her pocket to read later.

She fried up some potatoes and some eggs and added some chicken from the previous night's dinner.

Jack came out on time, as usual, when he smelled the coffee and food. "Something smells yummy, girls."

"Dat!" Helen said excitedly from the table.

"Hi, pretty Daisy girl."

"Potty, Dat!"

Jack looked over at Elizabeth. "Um, Elizabeth? Does she know how to use the outhouse?"

"We have been teaching her at the orphanage. Does she need to go?"

"She says she does."

"Can you stir the food? I'll take her out." He stepped into the kitchen and took over cooking while Elizabeth and Helen headed out the door to the back.

He noticed the letter was gone. He wondered if she had read it yet.

When she walked back in, Helen was skipping around happy and Elizabeth put their food on their plates and joined him at the table.

He watched her, as if trying to get a clue as to if she had read it. She wasn't giving anything away. He did notice though that she only ate what Helen left on her plate.

"Is that all you're going to have?"

"Yes. I don't eat much in the mornings. I just usually finish what the kids don't."

"There's more in the pan, isn't there?"

"Yes."

"I'll get it for you."

"It's ok. I'm fine, Jack. You can take it for your lunch though, if you'd like."

He still seemed concerned but he took what she suggested to work that day.

….

That evening, he asked about her day as he watched her eating her dinner.

"It was fine. Doc Shepherd came and did checkups on all the kids and everyone was healthy."

"Doc!" Helen said, liking the word. "Doc!"

Jack frowned slightly and Elizabeth caught it. "What, Jack?"

"Nothing." She still hadn't said anything about the letter he wrote and now he was feeling jealousy again over the Doc getting to spend time with Elizabeth and Helen when Jack couldn't.

"Do you have something against Dr. Shepherd?"

"No. What would I have against him?"

"I don't know but you don't seem to like me spending time with him."

"I…you can spend time with whomever you want, Elizabeth."

"But for some reason, you don't want it to be the doctor."

"It's fine." It wasn't fine. Now he was getting all bent out of shape about the time he didn't get to spend with his own wife and they weren't even more than just friends. "I think I am going to turn in. Goodnight, Elizabeth."

"Jack, please." She put her hand on his arm. "I got your letter." He stopped and looked at her hand on his arm and she immediately dropped it. "I wrote you back."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It's on your pillow."

"Elizabeth…."

"Jack, I don't know what's going on but I wish you would tell me. I don't want there to be anything bad between us. I like our friendship."

He wanted more than that and he was willing to go as slow as she needed but he felt conflicted about the doctor.

"I do too." He sat back down and decided to be honest with her. "That day that Sammy was sick and the doctor told you that he would be fine and you…."

"I what?"

"You hugged him."

She thought back to that day. She had been so scared and emotional. She was happy when it was just a cold so she had hugged him. Why was it bugging him?

"Yes."

"I felt something that day. I felt like maybe you would want to be with the doctor."

"And not you?"

"Yes. I know that we are married in name only…."

"Jack. Yes, we are married and that is that. I am your wife. I chose you to marry."

"Every time you talk about helping him with something, and now Helen…"

"You get jealous."

"No. I just want you to be with me."

"I am. This ring," she said, holding up her hand that had his mother's wedding band on it. "This ring is my promise to you, Jack. I know that we haven't known each other long and so you don't know that you can trust me yet, but you can. I will never choose someone else over you. I promise. I take our vows seriously."

He nodded. He felt slightly embarrassed about his jealousy now.

"Let's go read a few more chapters, okay?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. I will get the tea."

…..

Elizabeth reread his letter as she sat in bed a bit later.

Elizabeth,

I just want to take a moment to thank you. To know that Helen is safe and loved while I can't be with her, eases my worries and fills my heart with joy. I know that as she grows into a young woman, she will have the perfect person to guide her through those big changes. Thank you for being willing to do that.

Also, thank you for marrying me. I never knew what it was like to have someone, a lovely someone, nurse my wounds and care for my needs before, except for my mother.

To have a wife listen to stories about my day and drink tea with by the fire and read books with is something I hold dear.

Forever your husband and friend

Jack

His letter made her feel wonderful. He appreciated her as a woman, a mother, a friend and as a wife. That meant the world.

….

Down the hall…

Jack opened her letter and smiled.

Husband,

I've always associated that word with friend, confidante, provider, and protector.

You have proven in only eight days of marriage to be every single one. In addition, you have proven to be kind, thoughtful, loving, and a good father.

I admire so much the love you have for your little Daisy girl. Your patience with her, and me, is so beautiful.

Thank you for taking care of us, for making it possible for me to live my dream of becoming a mother. I'll be forever grateful.

Your wife and friend,

Beth

*Excerpt from Pride and Prejudice