Annie smiled. “Ladies, if you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your room.”
Rebekah could barely keep from staring at the lovely home as she walked down the main hallway then turned right into a shorter one. Austin exited a room at the end of the short hallway empty-handed.
Annie rapped on a closed door to her right, waited a moment, and then pushed it open. “This is a washroom. You will have it mostly to yourselves, unless we get some rainy days. If so, the men may clean up here before venturing farther into the house, so be sure to knock when the door is closed.” She moved past the open door into a room at the back of the house. “This will be your room for as long as you’re here. It belonged to Houston before he and Coralee got married and moved into their own place. Remember, you met Coralee in town?”
“Yes, we remember. Thank you so much for your hospitality.” Rebekah’s gaze roved the big room. A large bed sat on the far wall, with a desk and chair on the right, a settee and wardrobe on the other walls. The décor was a bit masculine, but that made sense once she learned the room had belonged to Austin’s brother. She walked over, looking out the windows nearest the desk.
Annie joined her. “The porch runs along this wall and in front of the washroom, so you might want to keep the drapes closed when you’re dressing.”
“That’s good to know.” Jenny peeked out the other window overlooking the porch.
Annie moved toward the door. “I’ll let you get settled. Please let me or one of the other ladies know if you need anything.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.” Rebekah smiled. “Are some of the other Hart men and their wives living here?”
“Not at present. The only Harts who live here now are GW, father of the clan, Austin, and Travis and me, although our house is nearly complete so we’ll be moving in a week or two. Bowie, the second oldest, still lives here, but he’s currently away. If I’m not around, Perla or Josefina will be happy to assist you.”
“Thank you.”
Annie nodded and left the room. Rebekah turned to her sister. “Quite impressive, isn’t it. I’ll rest well knowing you are living in such a fine place. Can you even imagine having an indoor washroom?”
Jenny shook her head and sat on the wide windowsill. “No, I never dreamed the house would have one—or that the place would be so monstrous. I fear I’ll be constantly cleaning.”
“Did Austin not tell you about his home?”
“Not that I remember. His pa probably wants his sons to marry so there will be more women to tend this big house.”
“I doubt that’s true.” Rebekah eased onto the edge of the large bed. Annie seemed so eager to leave El Regalo to move into her own home. “I fear if I lived here I’d never want to leave.”
Jenny leaned out the window, looking toward the front of the house.
“What are you doing? Searching for your fiancé already?” She waggled her eyebrows so Jenny would know she was teasing.
“Of course not.”
She studied her sister’s frowning face as she crossed the room. Jenny had relented and told Austin at breakfast that she would marry him, but something was obviously wrong with her. Was she still having second thoughts, even after their talk last night when Rebekah had listed all of Austin’s admirable qualities, while Jenny’s main argument was his age?
She pulled the pins from her hair. The breeze blowing through the open window, although still warm, cooled her sweaty head. Men were so fortunate to be able to wear short hair. She liked Austin’s tidy, freshly shaved look, so unlike the cowboy who had come out of the barn and ogled her and Jenny. Oh, he was nice looking and much closer to their age, but when he pulled off his hat, his blond hair had fallen into his eyes. Something pinched her stomach, and she looked at her sister. Jenny had taken a very unladylike pose as she bent at the waist and leaned clear out the window.
“Jenny, get back inside before someone sees you. What are you doing?”
“Oh, nothing.” She ambled toward the door. “I think I might take a walk instead of resting.”
With a loud sigh, Rebekah sat up. “Let me repair my hair, and I’ll go with you.”
“No. That’s not necessary. You go ahead and rest. I’ll stay within sight of the house.”
“You promise?”
“Of course.”
“All right. Maybe you’ll run into Austin, and he can show you around your future home.”
Jenny scurried through the door. Rebekah reached down to untie her shoe, feeling a bit uneasy. Her sister was up to something, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what. Her boots dropped on the floor, and she lay back with a sigh, ready for a short nap.
But she couldn’t fully relax. Something nagged at her. Why had Jenny seemed so eager to leave her behind? Rebekah bolted upright as a thought intruded on her rest. Surely Jenny wasn’t looking for that cowboy.