Dogs

6 AM the following morning, Matilda got up and made her bed freshened up and dressed.  Wondering what the day would bring preoccupied her mind as she went downstairs to breakfast.  Stella greeted her with a cup of coffee and asked how she had slept.  "Wonderfully", replied Matilda. Stella smiled and gave Matilda an inquiring look and asked, "I guess someone enjoyed her dinner last night?"  Matilda said, "I suppose, Mr. Robinson isn't so bad after all."  Stella laughed as she went about her daily chores.

Matilda finished breakfast and decided she needed to send word to her parents and let them know how things were progressing.  Stella provided her with the necessary stationary items for her to write her letter.  Matilda told of the trip and things she had seen on her way.  She described Mr. George Robinson and everyone she had met.  She explained about the wonderful music, flowers and dinner.  She said to send Marry her love.  She didn't mention Ted Barne's.  She didn't see any reason to.

She took her letter to the Post Office and sent it on it's way.  It was almost 9 AM and she needed to get ready to meet George.  She stopped by the General Store to see what she could get as a little gift for George; after all, he had been very nice to her.  She found a nice men's shaving set and purchased it with glee.  She asked the shop keeper to wrap it up as it was a gift.  With her bundle in her reticule she arrived back at the Whayberry with enough time to clean her face and change into a more suitable dress for traveling.

10 AM she came out to the front of the Whayberry to find a buggy harnessed to a matching pair of rhone mares and George waiting to help her into the buggy. The buggy was not very big.  Matilda had to sit so close to George that her hip and leg were pressed against his.  She was nervous about the familiarity of their bodies being pressed so close together.  George was at such ease that by the time they got out of sight of town Matilda had forgotten all about it.

They traveled through grassy meadows, then scrubby cedars and finally pine trees.  They came through a thickly wooded area and were suddenly being escorted by about 6 dogs.  They were all happy to see George and curious about Matilda.  George informed Matilda that he liked dogs.  He looked at Matilda, "You do like dogs, don't you?” he asked.  She smiled and said, "I love dogs.  Dogs are always happy to see you and they help make a place feel safe."  George smiled and replied, "Exactly!  I knew you'd like 'em."

The buggy with it's 6 dog escort continued on for about another half mile when George's ranch came into view.  When George had said he had cattle, he wasn't kidding.  Matilda looked at the various sectioned off pastures with so many cows in each one.  George beamed with pride as he saw the impressed look on Matilda's face.  "Just wait 'til you see the house", he said to her.

They traveled about another quarter mile past pastures of cattle.  Then, the house was visible.  "Oh, my", Matilda said.  The house was three stories high with a root cellar off the kitchen.  It was painted a dark green with white trim and gingerbread detailing.  There was a white picket fence around a front yard and another small dog was in the yard.  It yapped excitedly at George and Matilda.  "Matilda, this is Sadie.  She is a Yorkie.  She is a house dog." He said while watching for a reaction in Matilda.  No reaction came.  Matilda squatted down to greet Sadie and was met with doggie kisses and Sadie jumping into her arms.  "Aren't you just the cutest thing?" Matilda said.

George gave Matilda a tour of the house.  Matilda carried Sadie the whole time.  Mr. Lee appeared from the kitchen area and asked if we were ready for lunch.  Matilda smiled and said, "Mr. Lee your food is wonderful; but I can't eat as much as last night."  Mr. Lee just looked at Mr. Robinson, "Lunch?" he asked.  "Yes Mr. Lee.  Perhaps we could just have sandwiches?"  George said.  Mr. Lee went off to the kitchen grumbling in Chinese to himself.

George smiled at Matilda and gently said, "Mr. Lee thinks you don't like his food."  Matilda was concerned and put her hand on George's arm.  She said, "Oh, no!  I don't want to offend him!  I love his food!  There is just so much of it!"  George was encouraged by her act of familiarity and put his arm around her and said, "Don't worry.  Mr. Lee just doesn't know you yet."  Matilda liked how it felt to have his arm around her.  She walked with his arm around her to the patio where Mr. Lee was serving lunch.

They ate sandwiches made from left over prime rib from the night before.  George gathered some strawberries from his garden for them to have as desert.  It was good food and good company.  Sadie even got a small sandwich of her own.  Clouds were drifting overhead and with a full stomach it was comfortable to just sit in the lounge chairs.  Sadie fell asleep in Matilda's lap.  Soon thereafter, Matilda drifted off to sleep as well.  George just sat and watched the two of them sleep.  They looked so peaceful.

Matilda awoke to a small nose and doggie kisses on her cheek.  Sadie was done napping so Matilda must be too.  Matilda had not intended to fall asleep.  She looked about and discovered that fatigue must be contagious because George had fallen asleep in the other lounge chair.  Matilda got up as quietly as she could and tip-toed away from George.  With Sadie following her as though they were long time chums, Matilda finished her tour on her own.  She, (and Sadie), visited the chicken coup, the dairy barn, the horse barns and the equipment barns.

George awoke and was concerned by Matilda's absence.  He went through the house and checked with Mr. Lee but couldn't find her.  He was worried she might have tried to walk back to town.  He went out where the buggy and the faithful 6 dog assortment were all lying about lazily.  George knew that if Matilda had gone off down the road the dogs would have gone with her so he was comforted by the napping canines.  Matilda came walking back toward the house from the barn area with a flower in her hands that she twirled in her fingers.  George was relieved to see her.

"I was gonna have you stay until after dinner but I don't like the look of those clouds." George said.  Matilda bent her head back to look at the sky.  "Do you think it will rain?" She said.  "I do." George said in a serious tone.  George got his palomino saddled up and fastened it to the back of the buggy.  He told Matilda he would leave the buggy and team at the livery stable for her to use whenever she wanted to come out to the ranch.

They traveled back through the pines with the 6 dog accompaniment.  George told the dogs to, "Go home!"  They left.  The buggy traveled next through the scrubby cedars when the wind began to pick up.  The team on the buggy didn't like the wind.  They began balking at bushes that were blowing.  They made it through the grassy area just as the rain began.  The rain came down in sheets.

George pulled the team up in front of the Whayberry and helped Matilda inside.  Matilda said, "You're not going back in this storm are you?"  George looked at the rain pelting the horses and turning the roads slick with mud.  "Let me take the horses to the livery stable and I'll come back and we can talk about it." He replied.  Without even thinking about it he bent down and kissed her on the mouth.  Pulling his coat up over his neck, George ran back out and climbed into the buggy.  Matilda put the back of her hand against her lips as though she could still feel him there.

George got the horses safely lodged at the livery stable and the buggy secured in a stall.  Matilda was wet and shivering.  Stella came up to her and said, "Dear you are gonna' catch your death standin' there in those wet clothes."  Matilda told her she was waiting for George and that he may have to stay because of the storm.

Stella had Steve put the bath into Matilda's room and sent Matilda up.  "I'll take care of George.  Now you git on up to your room."  Stella said.  Matilda went up to her room while Stella informed Steve that George was going to have to stay and to put him in room 3.  Stella started heating water for baths.