Mail Order Mayhem (Brides of Beckham), Page 3

  She shrugged. “My father didn’t like any of the men who asked to court me. I never really felt like I was in a hurry to marry. My life was full with my volunteer work.” She purposely left out the information about Horace. How would he feel knowing she was engaged to marry two different men? She’d taken off her ring and left it under her pillow at home, knowing someone would find it.

  He nodded. “What type of work did you do? You didn’t mention it in your letter.”

  “I volunteered at a local orphanage.” She smiled thinking of the children there. “I worked there after school from the time I was fifteen. After I graduated, I went on to working there full time.”

  “So you like children?” His voice sounded hopeful as he asked that question.

  “Oh, yes. I love them. I’d like a whole houseful.”

  He took her hand and squeezed it in his. “I’d be happy to help you with that.”

  She felt the blush creep up her neck and cover her whole face. When he touched her, she felt a tingle run up her spine. It was so different than how she’d felt when Horace had touched her. She cleared her throat, searching for a new topic. “What were your adoptive parents like?”

  “They were fine. Strict, but good. They didn’t beat us or anything, but they sure expected us to work hard. So we did. They let us go to school in the winter when it didn’t interfere with farm chores.”

  “Do they still live near here?”

  He shook his head. “Mr. Gunderson died when I was sixteen. I stayed on and helped Mrs. Gunderson, but she died a few years later. They left me the farm. My brother works in town at the mercantile. He always hated farming and moved to town as soon as he could.”

  “It sounds like you and your brother are close.”

  “As close as brothers can be. His wife was the one who insisted I send off for a bride. She said she wanted nieces and nephews to spoil.” He smiled down at her as he drove. “They don’t have any children yet, but she’s in the family way.”

  “I can’t wait to meet them both.”

  “Anne’s been chomping at the bit to meet you since your letter came. Al is excited, but not like Anne is. Of course, Al’s pretty laid back. Nothing much gets him riled up.” He pointed off into the distance. “That’s my farm over there. I wish I could take you to see it now, but we really don’t have time.”

  She strained her eyes looking at the house. It was bigger than she’d expected. She figured she’d end up in a small sod house in the middle of nowhere. The house was made of wood and looked sturdy. She could make out a barn as well. “How much further to town?”

  “A few miles. We’ll be there in about twenty minutes or so.”

  She smiled. Twenty minutes wasn’t too far to drive if she needed supplies, or just craved some female companionship. Her life wouldn’t be nearly as desolate as she’d imagined. “It’ll be nice living so close to town.”

  He nodded. “I like it. I’m close enough to go in when I need to, but not so close my neighbors are constantly banging on my door needing something.” He pointed to the right. “Our closest neighbors live over there. They’re a family of seven. Five kids. All red heads with freckles. Name’s O’Malley. Trust me, you’ll know them as soon as you see them.”

  As they drove into the small town, she looked around her with wide eyes. There was almost nothing there. There were several houses, a general store, and a small church. That was all. “Is there no school? No doctor?”

  He shook his head. “The church doubles as the school. No sense in putting up another building when they’re never used at the same time. The doc works out of his home.”

  He stopped the horses in front of a small white house with roses and tulips growing in the yard. He walked around and gave her his hand to help her down. “This is my brother’s place.”

  A young woman with blond hair piled high on her head and dark blue eyes hurried outside. “You must be Maude! I’m so happy to meet you.” She threw her arms around Maude and hugged her tightly. “I’m Anne. Let’s get you ready for your wedding!” She kept an arm around Maude’s shoulders, calling over her shoulder, “Make yourself useful and bring in her bags, John!”

  The house was small, but welcoming. Maude inhaled deeply of the scent of fresh cookies. “Something smells good!”

  Anne grinned. “I’ve had a real craving for sweets the last few months.” She patted the huge mound of her belly with an affectionate sigh. “Only two months to go.”

  “Do you want a boy or a girl?”

  Anne shrugged. “I’d be happy with either one, but I keep telling Al it’s a girl just to get his goat. He thinks you should always have a boy first so he can fight off the suitors of any girl that comes along.”

  John stepped into the house with Maude’s bags. “Where do you want them, Anne?”

  “Put them in the spare room.” After he set them down, she made a shooing motion with her hand. “Go away for a bit. We’re going to get your bride ready.” She looked at the clock on her mantle. “We’ll see you at the church in thirty minutes.”

  After he’d left, Anne gave her full attention to Maude. “You’ve been on that train for days. I had Al heat up some water, so there’s a bath ready for you in the spare room.” She led her to the bedroom with the bathwater already filled. “Take a quick bath, and I’ll fix your hair for you. We don’t have time for you to wash your hair and dry it, so just leave it pinned.”

  She closed the door after giving her instructions, and Maude breathed a sigh of relief. She undressed quickly wishing she had enough time to wash her hair for her wedding. At least she’d be clean, though, and that was what really mattered.

  She bathed hurriedly stepping out of the tub ten minutes after Anne shut the door. She reached into her bag and pulled out the wedding dress she’d carefully folded and wrapped in paper to keep it from wrinkling. She put on fresh undergarments and stepped into the dress her mother had painstakingly sewn for her. She wished her mother could be there to see her marry, but she immediately pushed the thought from her mind.

  She couldn’t reach the buttons on the back, so she opened the door and called Anne. “Would you help me button up?”

  Anne immediately hurried into the room buttoning her quickly. When Maude turned to face her, her eyes were twinkling with excitement. “That shade of pink is just perfect on you. You make a beautiful bride.” She pushed Maude into a chair and went to work on her hair. “I thought something simple would be best for the wedding. We don’t really have time for anything elaborate.”

  As she worked with her hair she chatted quickly, talking about all of the women in town most of who had helped with her wedding supper.

  When she was finished, Maude turned to a mirror and looked. Anne had expertly fixed her hair into a dramatic up do with a few loose curls left to frame her face. Maude was surprised at the effect. The lack of sleep from the days on the train had given her a fragile look that wasn’t at all normal for her, but worked well with the hair. She was amazed at how she looked. She smiled and thanked Anne. “You’re going to be a good sister.”

  Anne grinned. “I have eight brothers, but for the life of them, my parents couldn’t give me a sister. I’m so thrilled I’m getting one in you!”

  Maude smiled, hugging her new friend. “How much time do we have?”

  Anne hurried out of the room to consult the mantle clock. “We’re a minute late as it is. We need to hurry over there.”

  Maude sighed. She really wished her parents could have been there. This was a huge step to take without their knowledge or consent. She didn’t feel bad about leaving Horace, but she felt terrible about running off without letting her parents know she was leaving or where she was going. She should have left a note, but was too afraid they’d follow her and put an end to her plans.

  “My father is going to give you away. I thought it was better than not having someone to do it for you.”

  Maude smiled. “Thank you for that. I wasn’t looking forward to walking dow
n the aisle by myself in front of so many strangers.”

  Anne hugged Maude tightly. “Don’t think of us as strangers. We’re future friends.”

  Chapter Five

  Maude’s heart was pounding so loudly during the minute walk to the church, she was surprised people weren’t rushing out of their homes to find out who was beating a drum. Anne walked calmly beside her chattering happily about everything from her preparations for the baby to the wedding supper. Maude knew she was talking to try to steady her nerves, but it wasn’t helping, and was actually making her a lot more nervous.

  When they reached the church, Anne took a bouquet of flowers that was left on a chair just inside the door and handed them to Maude. She reached up and fussed with Maude’s hair for a minute, and then whispered, “You’re beautiful. John is going to swallow his tongue.” She picked up her own bouquet and the woman who’d been hovering at the back signaled someone to start playing the organ.

  As she took short even steps toward the front, Maude thought, She must be my matron of honor. I didn’t even know! Maude looked to the couple standing next to her. The woman, who had signaled the organist, whispered to her. “I’m Anne’s mother, Judy Allen. This is my husband, Harvey.”

  Maude mumbled softly, “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Harvey Allen held his arm out for Maude to take and slowly walked with her up the aisle. John was waiting at the front with a huge smile on his face, obviously pleased Maude was finally here and they were about to marry. When her hand was placed in John’s she felt a quick burst of panic. What am I thinking? I’m standing here in front of total strangers about to marry a man I met just a few hours ago. I have to get out of here!

  John squeezed her hand as if he realized the panicked thoughts rushing through her mind. His eyes met hers and his steady gaze was all Maude needed. She smiled tentatively and turned to the pastor, listening to him talk about the importance of marriage.

  She never knew later how she was able to give all the right answers at the right times, but apparently she’d done okay, because a few minutes later, the pastor announced they were man and wife and invited John to kiss her.

  Maude had only ever been kissed by Horace, and she wasn’t looking forward to kissing John in front of all these people. She hoped he didn’t try to stick his tongue down her throat as Horace had.

  His head lowered to hers slowly, and she closed her eyes as his lips brushed hers softly. Maude was surprised when it was over so quickly, and even more surprised that she wanted it to keep going. She opened her eyes and saw John smiling down at her, and she smiled back feeling more positive about her future than she’d dreamed possible.

  They turned to the congregation gathered there and the pastor introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. John Powers. Maude breathed a sigh of relief. Even if her parents were able to find out what had happened and arrived now, it would be too late. She was married.

  The wedding supper passed in a blur. She was introduced to so many new people she knew she’d never keep them all straight. Through it all, John was at her side. They ate the meal provided by the ladies of the town, and talked to everyone around them. The only person Maude really wanted to be speaking to was her husband, but she didn’t have a chance.

  Finally, after two hours of talking to strangers, John took her hand and led her to his wagon. Someone had helpfully stowed her bags in the back, so they didn’t have to worry about getting them. Everyone waved as they drove away, toward the house that would be her new home.

  A casserole had been given to her for their dinner so she wouldn’t need to cook on their wedding day. She held it on her lap as if it would protect her from the unknown. As they left the town for the country roads, she heard herself breathe a sigh of relief.

  He glanced at her, speaking for the first time since they’d left the church. “Glad it’s over?”

  She laughed and nodded. “I know I’m supposed to enjoy being the center of attention on my wedding day, but I don’t know any of those people. It just felt strange.” She didn’t add that she wouldn’t have enjoyed being the center of attention even if she had known everyone there.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I just assumed you’d want a big wedding, so I arranged it. I probably should have asked you what you wanted. I just didn’t have the chance.”

  “No, this was nice. I’m glad I’ve at least met everyone.” She paused looking out over the pretty prairie. “I liked Anne. I think she and I will be fast friends.”

  “Anne’s a good person. She’s really excited to have a sister. She told me it was my duty to marry and provide her with a sister she could be friends with.”

  Maude couldn’t help but grin. “I can just hear her saying that.”

  He left the main road and drove the narrow path to his farm. “I’m sure you’re going to need to make some changes to the house. Do whatever you need. If you need supplies, let me know, and we’ll go into town to get them.”

  She was pleased to hear he didn’t mind if she made changes. She loved the idea of setting up her house the way she wanted it. “I’ll take stock and see what we need to get. If I’m going to be cooking for you, I’m sure I’ll need to get some supplies.”

  “Anne stocked me up with a lot of things. She said you could at least start with what I have on hand.” He paused. “Before you see the house, I’m going to warn you. I tried to get it cleaned up, but I’m just not very good at the type of thing. Anne would have helped me, but with as pregnant as she is, I didn’t want her to be doing any heavy cleaning for me when she has to do it all at home already.”

  Maude wondered if it could possibly be as bad as he was making it out to be. After he helped her down from the wagon, she walked toward the door. He opened it for her and she looked inside. She swallowed hard as she saw the mess. He hadn’t exaggerated one bit.

  The front door opened up to a large room which was a kitchen, dining room and sitting area combined. She could see the piles of dirty pots and dishes. There was a thick layer of grime on the floor throughout. The sitting room had books and tools of some sort scattered everywhere.

  The house was a two story, and she could see the stairs leading to the second floor. “What’s up there?” she asked with a smile, trying her best to hide how she felt about the filth. She knew what she’d be doing for a long time to come.

  “Why don’t you go have a look around? I’ll get your bags from the wagon.”

  She slowly climbed the stairs apprehensive about what she’d see. There were three bedrooms, the largest of which was the messiest. The two smaller bedrooms didn’t look as if they’d been touched for years, so they were covered in dust, but they didn’t have the same level of chaos as the main bedroom. There were clothes thrown everywhere in the master bedroom. The sheet was filthy, and she knew she wouldn’t be sleeping there until she’d changed the sheets and washed the quilt.

  The furniture was well made and of quality wood, but the neglect it had seen over the years was obvious. She sighed and immediately began picking up the clothes from the floor. By the time John arrived with her bags, she’d already stripped the bed and had made a pile of things to be washed. She hoped he had spare linens because she wouldn’t have time to wash and dry the bedding before nightfall.

  She felt the anger wash over her in waves. He’d left this huge mess knowing she was coming to clean it up. Why couldn’t he have spent just a couple of hours to make the house semi-presentable for her? Did having a wife mean nothing to him?

  He walked into the room behind her and carefully placed her bags in the corner. She didn’t turn to him, even though she had to know he was there. He sighed heavily. She was angry, and honestly, she had every right to be. He knew he’d messed up by not getting the cleaning done. He kept promising himself he’d find time for it, but he’d wanted to get the crops in the ground before she arrived, and he’d barely made it as it was. He was half afraid to speak to her.

  “I’ll uh…I’ll just go and milk the cows and put the horses
in the barn. I’ll be back in about an hour.” Or two, he thought to himself as he quickly left the house. He felt like he’d really been fortunate to find someone as pretty as she was to come all this way to be his wife. He hoped he hadn’t messed everything up by not doing more to prepare for her.

  As he unhitched the horses he found himself hoping she’d be the kind of bride he needed. Would she be willing in bed when she had to spend time just making the room clean enough to sleep in?

  Maude dug through the chest of drawers in the corner of John’s bedroom, slamming each drawer in turn as she searched for clean linens. Finally, she found a clean set of sheets and a pair of pillowcases. What was wrong with him that he was willing to live in that kind of filth and not clean up after himself? She thought wistfully about the maids she would have had as Horace’s wife, and then she stilled. She could feel the way her skin crawled when Horace touched her. No, she’d made the right decision.