Love Inspired Historical November 2014 by Rhonda Gibson, Winnie Griggs, Regina Scott, Danica Favorite

seemed she’d gone to the trouble of learning everyone’s names. And her method of settling them when their baggage arrived had been surprisingly effective, proving that there was a place for discipline, as long as it wasn’t taken to extremes.
    She’d also shown both resourcefulness and concern when she’d turned her porch swing into a rocking chair to accommodate Molly. That soft expression on her face when she’d thought herself alone with the toddler had been sweetly transforming, as if she
did
have some semblance of maternal instincts.
    He could forgive her her routines and other rigid nonsense if he was certain that deep down she really did have the kids’ best interest at heart.
    But how could he be sure?

Chapter Eight
    E ileen moved to the cupboard to take stock of her place settings once more. Mr. Tucker’s insistence that the entire household eat at the same time was regrettable, but she would have to make it work. To her relief she did have the right number of place settings, but only because Daisy and Regina had thought ahead and sent her some extras. Not everything would match, of course, and some of the children would be drinking from mugs rather than glasses, but there was no help for it. She cringed at setting such an unharmonious table, but she would just have to put the best face on it she could.
    She momentarily considered eating separately. With Ivy and Dovie she had been able to justify keeping her distance. They were boarders and there were boundaries to be maintained. She hadn’t wanted to invite familiarity, hadn’t wanted to invite the kind of closeness that would make her boarders feel comfortable prying into her personal life. If that made for a lonely life, so be it—she’d had enough of being judged and found wanting.
    But
these
were not boarders—Mr. Tucker and the children were guests. Which meant she had obligations as their hostess. And that included presiding over the meals. Besides, she’d told Mr. Tucker she believed the children should be trained in the proper way to behave. She had a duty to teach them, and how better than by example?
    Eileen counted the dishes and silverware one more time. She hoped the children would be careful—if any of these plates were broken she had nothing to replace them with.
    As she crossed the room, her thoughts shifted from the dishes to Mr. Tucker. What a strong sense of family he had. It was as admirable a quality as it was foreign to her. She had two younger half sisters, but she hadn’t been raised with them, and her mother and stepfather had been distant. So this bond he was so passionate about was difficult for her to understand.
    But it sounded like something she might have enjoyed.
    Perhaps there was a reason these children—and Mr. Tucker—had ended up in her home. They obviously needed some order and discipline in their lives, and that was something she could definitely provide. It had taken a bit of persuasion, but Mr. Tucker seemed to have finally understood that.
    And it had not escaped her notice that he hadn’t spent any time thinking through his options given the situation. Of course, said situation was recent and he’d had other things to contend with in the meantime.
    Still, she received the distinct impression that he wasn’t the sort to do much planning. Which might be something he could get by with in the usual way, but this was hardly a usual situation. And one should always strive to do more than merely
get by.
    Eileen headed down the hall to the bathing room. She carefully took stock of her towels and the supply of firewood. She’d taken several cold baths lately to conserve the wood, but a good hostess wouldn’t expect her guests to do the same. She had a vague idea that little children caught chills easily, and the last thing she needed was to have to deal with sick children.
    In this room, at least, she had no need to worry about what her