Dinner

 

Two hours later, she had hung up all her belongings and had confirmed nothing had broken on the trip. She decided to go for a walk and see what Whayberry had to offer as a town. She pinned her hat into place and fixed her hair. She realized as she looked at her reflection in the mirror of the dressing table that she appeared rather drab. She chooses a daisy from the bouquet and pinned it to the hat. "There, that is better", she said to herself quietly.

 

Matilda opened her door just as Sam was preparing to knock on it. "Oh…you startled me", she said. Sam gave her an envelope and a big grin, "It’s a message for you", he said and ran off so fast she didn’t have a chance to ask who it was from. Matilda grabbed her reticule and descended the stairs with the envelope in her hand. Steve was working, taking inventory of the bar for the saloon. Stella was back cooking in the kitchen. Matilda stopped at the counter where she had checked in and opened her message. "Please do me the honor of joining me for dinner this evening at the Whayberry at 7 PM". It was signed Mr. George Robinson.

 

Matilda walked from shop to shop without really seeing anything. Her mind was so full of curiosity, nervousness and excitement that she really couldn’t have told you anything she had seen in town. On her way back to the Inn, Matilda discovered a small park just a short way from the Inn. She found an old stone bench in the shade of an oak tree. She sat down to reflect upon her circumstances. She had known Ted Barnes two years and he never once had given her flowers. Ted was short and prematurely balding from a receding hairline. He was fancy. He wore the finest clothes and drove a lovely carriage. He did bring her gifts when he returned from business trips. Matilda sighed, "It really didn’t matter, he was Mary’s now.” she thought to herself.

 

Upon arriving back at the Whayberry Inn, Matilda smelled the amazing aroma of beef cooking. She poked her head into the kitchen to let Stella know how wonderful the dinner she was cooking smelled. To Matilda’s surprise there was an older Chinese fellow doing the cooking. Stella walked into the kitchen carrying a basket of fresh vegetables from her garden. Stella smiled at Matilda and said, "Hello Matilda. Have you met Mr. Lee?" "No", Matilda replied. "I thought you made all the great food here at the Whayberry", she said to Stella. Stella smiled a coy smile and replied, "Usually I do. Mr. Lee is on loan to us for this evening’s meal." "Oh", Matilda said as she realized that he was there to cook the meal she and Mr. Robinson were to eat. Stella shooed Matilda out of the kitchen commenting as she did that Matilda needed to go upstairs and get ready.

 

Matilda looked at her reflection in the dressing table mirror as she brushed her long red hair. She wasn’t bad looking. "Ok, perhaps I am not as pretty as Sally but I am not too bad", she said out loud to help convince herself. She wiped her face with a cool, damp cloth that Stella had placed by the pitcher and basin. Matilda looked at her eyes in the mirror. They were a deep green with small flecks of gold her nose was straight; not to big, not to small. Her mouth was a bit large with full lips. She really was a beautiful young woman but she didn’t realize it.

 

Matilda straightened the gown she had put on for dinner and placed another daisy in her hair. She bit her lips and pinched her cheeks so she didn’t look as pale as she usually did. She took a sip of water and a deep breath. "Well, here we go Matilda. There’s no turning back now", she said to herself as she caught a final glace of her reflection. She began her descent of the stairs with nervous twinges in her stomach. She realized the normal clamor of the saloon was replaced by beautiful music. She wondered who could be playing in such an obviously gifted manor.

 

The lighting wasn’t bright but it was not as dark as when she had first arrived. Candles where everywhere. The chandelier that she had not really noticed before had at least 20 candles on it alone. The light was glowing through the crystals and sent beautiful colors dancing around the room. As she stepped off the stairs into the dining area she observed a table set for two. There were roses in a vase on the table and exquisite china and silverware. The white tablecloth almost looked like a canvas that this scene must have been painted onto.

 

The large man who had been playing the piano stood when she entered the room. "Oh, please don’t stop", she said. "As you wish", the man replied. Matilda watched the man play. He almost looked obsessed with a fever as he pounded the keys with passion and skill. Matilda sat at the table listening to the music. She was really enjoying it but began to think perhaps she had been stood up. The music ended and Matilda clapped furiously. The large man who had been playing the piano came to the table beside Matilda. He took her hand in his and kissed it lightly. Matilda blushed profusely.

 

George Robinson was clean, shaven except for a moustache and wearing a fine suit. Matilda wasn’t sure it was really him. She said, "I am waiting for someone". "I know", he replied as he took the other chair at her table. George was a very large man. He was tan with beautiful black hair and blue eyes.

 

Matilda began perspiring from her frazzled nerves. She was thinking of when she had first met Mr. Robinson the day before and the man who was sitting at her table now. "Where they the same man?" she thought. She realized she was staring at him with her mouth agape. She closed her mouth and absently began buttering a roll.

 

George apologized for his previous day’s appearance. He told her he had been out with his cattle for some time and hadn’t had time to get cleaned up to meet her properly. He said he just came in to town to make sure she had arrived safely.

 

Matilda realized there was chemistry between them. George Robinson was tall. She figured he must stand at least 6 feet 5 inches tall. He was a big man. He wasn’t fat; just big. He had a barrel chest, wide square shoulders and a narrowing waist. His arms and legs were very strong, "Probably from handling his cattle", she thought. With his collar length, black hair and those beautiful blue eyes that disappeared into narrow chasms when he smiled, George Robinson was more handsome then her fantasy of him she had created from his letters.

 

George smiled at Matilda who had been staring at him and buttering the same roll for at least 5 minutes. "I think that roll is buttered", he said wryly. Matilda blushed as she realized she had been caught looking at George with a star-struck, cow-eyed look. She felt very silly and began flustering about with her napkin.

 

George could see how ill at ease she was and poured her a glass of wine. Matilda looked a little shocked at the glass and informed George that she had never had alcohol before. George explained that it was a very good, smooth red wine from the vineyard and winery of a friend of his who lived in California and that he had saved it for this very occasion. Matilda smiled somewhat more easily and sipped her wine. "It is very good", she said with a small giggle.

 

"I hope you like prime rib", George said. Mr. Lee brought in a cart with soup, salad, more rolls and a vegetable tray. "It will be our main course", George continued. Matilda couldn’t believe that everyone wasn’t fat with all the food they had at meals. When she was at home with her parents and siblings a little bit of food had to go a long way to keep everyone fed.

 

"I love beef", she said. "Isn’t beef expensive here?" she asked. George smiled and said, "Not when you own the cattle." Mr. Lee left the cart beside the table and returned to the kitchen. George served Matilda soup and salad and placed the vegetable tray and a fresh basket of rolls on the table.

"So, Matilda, or should I call you Mattie or is there something else you would like me to call you?" George asked. Matilda had pretty much always gone by Matilda and was only ever called Mattie by her Father. "Matilda would be fine", she said perfunctorily. "So, Matilda, what brought such a beautiful young lady as yourself to answer my advertisement?" George asked.

 

Matilda thought George was just being a gentleman by calling her beautiful. She had always despised her red hair, green eyes and pale skin. She smiled at him and said, "May I call you George?" "Of course", George said as he leaned a little closer to her. "George, the flowers in my room are lovely. Thank you for them." She said. George had almost forgotten about giving those to Stella to put in her room. "I wanted you to feel welcome." He said. "Oh, I do. It was a very lovely gesture", Said Matilda.

 

George decided if Matilda was going to eat her food, he better do the talking for a while. "Tomorrow, if you’re up to it, I would like to call upon you. I would like to pick you up in my buggy around 10 AM." George stated. Matilda was in the middle of eating some of her salad and could not reply with words; so she gave him a nod in the affirmative. "I’ll be picking you up at 10 AM and we will have about an hour travel time to my ranch", George continued. Matilda wasn’t sure if that meant she was moving in with him tomorrow or if she was just going for a visit. She nearly choked on a piece of lettuce when he said this.

 

George must have picked up on her thought process and said, "I just want you to get a look at the place. I’ll bring you back here after dinner tomorrow." He said as he looked at her with caution as though he thought he had just scared her off. Matilda visibly eased after hearing the whole plan.

 

Mr. Lee came back out to retrieve the cart and used dishes. "You ready for steak?" He asked Mr. Robinson. "Yes, Mr. Lee. That sounds great." George replied. George refilled Matilda’s wine glass and adjusted his napkin to prepare for the prime rib. Mr. Lee pushed the clattering cart of used dishes back to the kitchen.

 

Mr. Lee removed the used dishes and cleaned off the cart before reloading it with plates full of sumptuous prime rib, horseradish sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy and peas. He also put a fresh basket of rolls on the cart and returned to the table side. He placed the plates in front of the two diners. Mr. Lee surveyed to make sure all was as it should be then took his cart and returned to the kitchen.

 

Matilda was already somewhat full from the soup, salad and rolls. She looked at the plate and mechanically picked up her fork and knife. She knew George said something, but she was concentrating so hard on eating her food, she really didn’t hear him. "Did you not have much beef at home?" He asked. Matilda heard the word home and looked up at him as though in shock. "I am sorry. What did you say?" She asked. "You look a bit tired." George said. "Perhaps the wine is relaxing you a little?" "Yes", Matilda said. Matilda was thinking about home and realized she was somewhat homesick.

 

George talked a bit about his cattle and the other animals on his ranch. In his way, George was trying to help Matilda know she wasn’t alone. He wanted her to know she was home; with him. Matilda could eat no more. "Mr. Lee is a talented chef." She said. "Yes he is invaluable to me", said George. Matilda blinked twice and said, "Stella said he was borrowed for tonight’s dinner. He was borrowed from you?" "Yes", George replied. "Mr. Lee is one of my employees." All Matilda could say was, "Oh."

 

Mr. Lee brought the cart back to the table to retrieve the dishes and replace them with desert plates. The desert was vanilla custard that Matilda enjoyed in spite of her already very full stomach. Matilda and George became a little more comfortable with one-another as they sat at the table visiting about the ranch and the next day’s excursion.

When the clock struck 11 O’clock George stood up and announced that he needed to be headed home. He took her hand in his and got very close to Matilda. He put his other hand gently on her cheek and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night my beautiful lady" he said. "Good night" she replied and floated up the stairs to bed.