Accepting her invitation, Olivia had some cooking to do.  She and the girls said their farewells and hurried to the hotel to see if Mabel could spare some prime cuts of meat.  Hearing why she was making the request, Mabel went into the pantry to assess the inventory.  She returned with a small basket of ingredients, instructing Olivia to make her Irish stew, “You can stretch the ingredients to make everyone satisfied, then make your biscuits, and an apple crumble.  Not enough time for a pie to cool for eating.”  Hugging her mentor, Olivia took the proffered basket and appreciated the advice.  While she prepared to cook, Daisy and Anna did their best to clean and prepare the cabin for their guests.<br/><br/>The dinner table was roomy for three but would be a tight fit for six, thankfully Daisy and Anna were able to borrow two extra chairs from the school house.  Biscuits cooling and crumble baking when Jed, Billy, and Mary Ann arrived, the wonderful smell of the dinner wafted through the air, teasing their empty stomachs.  They all looked (and smelled) much better but it was obvious how tired they were.  Daisy and Anna greeted them at the door and helped them to sit at the table, very particular in the seating order, Billy beside Mary Ann, Jed between Anna and Daisy, and Olivia between Anna and Mary Ann.  They felt Jed needed to sit between them, so they could hear about the ranger’s adventures.  Billy hastily pulled the chair out for Mary Anne, before sitting down himself.  He was very taken by the pretty and self sufficient young woman, wondering what her parents would think if he asked to court her.<br/><br/>Olivia brought the tureen of stew to the table, helping to dish some out for everyone before presenting the biscuits, golden brown tops and light soft bottoms.  No one spoke much, the silence and the happy looks made Olivia feel very accomplished.  Who would have thought an heiress from Boston would be able to learn to cook a meal from scratch?  By the time the crumble cooled and coffee was ready for pouring, the guests were obviously making every effort to stay awake.<br/><br/>Always a thoughtful hostess, Olivia served a small portion to each, packing more for them to take when they left.  After coffee and crumble and the appropriate time for conversation was over, Mary Ann’s nodding head, finding support against Billy’s nearby shoulder, was the signal it was time to end the evening.  Jed praised the dessert, not too sweet and done just right, rich crumbly top and a juicy center.  Daisy and Anna helped to carry take away things to the door and waved goodbye to their guests.  The girls enjoyed a little more crumble before they were ushered off to get ready for bed.  All in all, a very memorable day, the best part being everyone was home safe and sound.  Olivia smiled, realizing they had indeed made a home for themselves in the Wild West.