Hyacinth (Suitors of Seattle) (9 page)

"You mean...she actually had to go to meet her future husband with her mother right there beside her?"
  He was stunned that Mrs. Sullivan had taken things that far.  Surely she had to know that mail order brides were not supposed to show up with their mothers in tow.

"Yes!  Jasmine told the whole story to us younger girls when she got back.  She said that Eli didn't know she'd brought her mother and sister along, so when he
saw her at the station, he grabbed her and just started kissing her right there in the middle of town in front of God and who knows who else...and our mother.  Mama insisted he let her go, and he did, but he wouldn't put off the marriage even for a day.  Jasmine said you could almost see the steam coming out of Mama's ears she was so angry with him."  She let out a giggle as she pictured the scene.  She was going to use that in a book someday.  She knew she was.  Someone had to!

Lawrence laughed, the sound music to Hyacinth's ears.  He didn't laugh nearly enough in her opinion.  She was certain it was due to his loneliness. 

"I can't believe your mother didn't box his ears right there and then.  She doesn't seem like the type that would put up with public displays of affection where her daughters are concerned."  He shook his head, musing over the possibility.  "Especially her unmarried daughters."

"Oh, she's not!  There wasn't a whole lot she could do about it, though.  Daisy was there to marry him, and he didn't know she was coming to begin with.  I'm sure he'd have been a great deal more circumspect if he'd known she was coming."
  She grinned.  "Or maybe not.  Eli is not a man to let a woman run all over him.  That's for certain."

Lawrence shook his head.  "Oh, I'm certain he would have.  No man wants to kiss his future wife for the first
time with his soon to be mother-in-law watching!"  He wasn't sure it would stop him, though.  He looked at Hyacinth and imagined what it would be like to see her for the first time, knowing they'd be married in only a few hours.  Would he really be able to keep his hands to himself?

"I'm sure that's true."  She sighed.  "I don't think I can travel out East to meet your mama, though.  If she could come here, I'd
be thrilled to meet her."  She hated telling his mother 'no' about anything, knowing she could very well be her future mother-in-law, but she also knew she had no choice in the matter.

He frowned.  "I'll write her and invite her to come here.  Of course, if I had a wedding to invite her to, she'd be more excited to
make the journey."

Hyacinth shook her head.  "Not yet.  I need to be sure first."
  She didn't know how else to put it.  Yes, she loved him.  Yes, she wanted to be his wife.  Would she feel the same way when Tuesday came around, though? 

"Be sure of what?"

She simply shook her head again.  What woman wanted to tell the man they loved that she thought he went through temporary insanity every seventh day? She certainly didn't.  She'd have to talk to him about it someday, but today was not the day.  She wondered idly if it was possible to have a man committed one day per week and released on the other six?  Was there an asylum that would work with her that way?

Chapter
Seven

If all else fails, give her a puppy.  Women love to play with puppies, and it gives them good practice for motherhood down the road.  You will find that any woman, no matter how unhappy with you she seems, will immediately love you if there's a sweet puppy involved.  Do your best to make certain he's housetrained before you take him to her, of course.  No woman wants to be cleaning up dog mess all the time.  William Livingston, Advice Column to Lonely Men published in The Seattle Times, January twelfth, 1897.

Lawrence read the words again, thinking about everything his mentor was suggesting in the article.  He didn't know whether or not Hyacinth liked dogs, but it seemed like a good idea.  It would have to be an older puppy to already be trained when he got him, but he'd find something.

He wandered over to the mercantile to see if there were any notices of people looking to find new homes for puppies.  Surely someone needed to find a new home for a litter of pups.  He would pick out a tiny furry puppy.  He could already see Hyacinth cradling it against her, loving it with all her heart.

While he read the board, a small boy came in with tears streaming down his face.  Lawrence looked down at him, frowning.  "What's wrong?"
  He hadn't had much to do with children in his life, but he hated seeing anyone cry.

"My mom say
s I have to get rid of my puppy because he's a nuisance."  He rubbed his hand over his eyes, streaking tears and dirt everywhere. 

"Really?  Is your puppy housetrained?"
  If he was housetrained, he didn't see a reason why he wouldn't be the perfect puppy for Hyacinth.  A dog was a dog, right?

"He does his business outside," the boy said.

"Well, I might be interested in buying your puppy then.  You see, there's this lady I love, and I think if I give her a puppy, she'll love me more.  What do you think?"  Lawrence didn't really expect to get good advice on love from a young boy, but it was always nice to feel like your opinion was valued.

The boy shrugged.  "I don't know
nothin' 'bout no girls."

"That's something we have in common."  Lawrence hated to agree to take the puppy sight unseen, but if the dog was housetrained, what did he have to lose? 
"Why don't I come over and get your puppy?"  Surely it would work out.  He needed a puppy, and the boy had one.  It was providence.

The boy eyed Lawrence, obviously sizing him up.  "He's a good dog. He costs five cents."
 

Lawrence laughed.  "All right.  I can pay five cents for the puppy.
"  He handed the boy a nickel and didn't call him a little swindler, no matter if he wanted to or not.

After the boy looked at it for a moment, his whole face lit up.  "Follow me, mister!  I'll take you to him!"

He began weaving in and out of the crowded boardwalk, and Lawrence followed as closely as he could.  When they reached the outskirts of town, the boy took Lawrence to a small shack where a dog was tied to a tree outside. 

"That doesn't look like a puppy," Lawrence said skeptically.  The dog was huge.  He'd been picturing a tiny little dog Hyacinth could hold in her arms and cuddle.  This dog looked like he could double for a carriage horse.  "What kind of puppy is he?"
  Would Hyacinth enjoy a mutt as much as she enjoyed a pure bred dog? 

The boy shrugged. "A big' un, I reckon."

Well, that answer was certainly helpful. 
Lawrence circled the dog for a moment, before walking close and stroking his head.  The dog seemed to be thrilled for the company, so Lawrence untied him from the tree.  His nose twitched at the foul odor emanating from the animal.  He'd need to bathe him before giving him to Hyacinth.  He smelled truly disgusting.  He once again questioned if he was making the right decision, but he didn't want to disappoint the little boy.

"Thank you for the puppy," Lawrence told him, leading the dog away by the rope around his neck.  He knew little about dogs, and even less about pu
ppies, but this one seemed well-behaved.  He took him straight home and to the stable.  "Would you bathe this mutt?"

His gardener, who also happened to take care of his animals, wrinkled his nose, but nodded immediately.  "I've never seen a dog who needs a bath more than that one."

"Neither have I," Lawrence admitted.  "I think I'm in need of one myself to be quite honest with you."  His own odor was beginning to offend him, and he didn't want Hyacinth to have the same reaction.

The gardener nodded again.  "You may have spent a little bit too much time with the dog," the man told him.

Lawrence headed to the house and climbed the stairs, taking a bath.  He used a great deal of soap, not wanting to smell anything like the dog when he saw Hyacinth later.  He couldn't wait to see her face when he gave her the puppy.

*****

The puppy was clean and nice-smelling when he got to Hyacinth's house.  He knocked on the door and walked the dog to the edge of the yard so it could relieve itself, while he waited for someone to let him in. 

Hyacinth poked her head out the door, looking around.  "Oh, there you are, Lawrence.  Did you get a dog?"
  Why would he bring his new dog to her house?  Surely someone had told him how her mother felt about pets.

He walked back to her, letting the animal prance at his side along the way.  "I got you a puppy."  He handed her the rope he'd led the dog into town on.
  The smile on his face made it clear he thought she'd be thrilled with the gift.

"A puppy?" Hyacinth took the rope automatically as she frowned at the huge animal.  "This can't be a puppy.  He's huge!"
  She looked at Lawrence, her eyes wide.  What was he thinking?

"He's a puppy.  The boy I got him from assured me he was."  He looked at the dog, smiling.  "Do you like him?"
 
How could anyone help but love the dog's sweet face?

Hyacinth nodded slowly.  Where would she keep him?  Her mother wasn't fond of dogs, and she hated how destructive they were.  Would she be able to find a good place for him?  "Yes, he seems very sweet."  The dog took that opportunity to stick his head under her skirt, raising it up to show Lawrence an indecent amount of bare leg. 
She struggled to push her skirt down, noting that Lawrence didn't even pretend to look away.

When she finally got her skirt pushed back down to her ankles where it belonged, she glared at Lawrence.  "You could have helped me
, you know."  She shook her head.  Sometimes it seemed that Lawrence had no manners at all, and sometimes he seemed to understand how he should behave in every situation.  She knew it was Tuesday, not by the calendar, but by how he was acting.

He grinned.  "I would have missed out on one of the prettiest legs I've ever seen if I'd done that!"
  He wasn't even going to pretend not to like her body.  He planned to marry her, and he didn't think it was bad for him to look whenever he was given the opportunity.

She shook her head at him, hoping he wasn't going to start telling her what a beautiful body she had again.  That had been strange.  She had to wonder what his mother was like if he thought it was all right to speak to a lady that way.  "I'm not sure my mother will let me keep him.  She's not terribly fond of dogs."
  She frowned as she looked down at the puppy.  She'd always wanted a dog, though not necessarily a big one.

He frowned.  "I didn't think of that."  What was he going to do with it then?  "Can we ask her?  If she agrees, great, but if she doesn't we can keep him at my house."  He hated the idea of her not getting to live with her puppy, though.

"Will you hold him out here, while I run in and ask Mama if I may have him?"  She offered him the rope, and he took it.

He nodded, disappointed that she may not be able to keep the dog with her after all.  He waited as she opened the door, but the dog suddenly jerked, pulling from his grasp.  He ran into the house, bounding from room to room with both Hyacinth and Lawrence running after him. 

He ran into the kitchen, and Lawrence arrived just in time to see him jump up with his front paws on the counter and pull down the roast for the family's dinner, knocking it on the floor.  He grabbed it in his mouth and ran toward Lawrence and through the door, into the parlor, where they could hear Mary shriek. 

"Where did this thing come from?  Someone come get this beast off me!"
  Her voice was filled with panic. 

Hyacinth ran into the parlor and grabbed the rope dangling from around the dog's neck, pulling him off her mother.  He'd abandoned his pot roast in the middle of the parlor floor, on her mother's favorite rug, and had his paws firmly planted on either side of her on the sofa, licking her squarely on the mouth. 

"Oh, Mama, I'm so sorry!  Lawrence got him for me.  He's just a puppy!"  She didn't want her mother to be upset about the dog, but she didn't want to upset Lawrence or the dog either.

Mary stared at the beast
, who was happily gulping down her dinner.  "That's a puppy?"  She looked at Lawrence and shook her head.  "It must be Tuesday."

Lawrence blushed profusely.  "He is a puppy.  I got him for Hyacinth.  Do you like him?"
  He said a quick prayer that she would agree to let Hyacinth have him.

Mary shook her head.  "I'm not a dog lover, I'm afraid.  I find them rude, messy, and intrusive."  She looked at Hyacinth.  "You're not going to be able to keep him."

Hyacinth nodded sadly.  She was starting to like the overgrown beast.  "Could we keep him in the back garden?  Please, Mama?  I like him."  She patted his head as she spoke.

The dog wagged his tail so hard at being stroked, he knocked over a vase that Hyacinth knew her mother was extremely fond of.  She held her breath as she waited for her mother's response.

Mary sighed.  "Take him out there for a bit now, and see what he does.  I guess if he behaves himself, he can be an outdoor dog."  She obviously didn't like the idea, but it seemed to make Hyacinth so happy that she relented.

Hyacinth smiled happ
ily, thrilled with her mother's unexpected answer.  "Thank you, Mama!"  She led the dog from the room by his rope, noticing that he still carried the roast for their supper in his enormous jaws. 

Once they were in the backyard, she looked at Lawrence.  "I can't believe Mama even agreed to give him a chance.  We've never been allowed to have a house pet, because she says they all make her sneeze.  Iris has had small animals that she was nursing back to health, but that's all."
  She was thrilled to even be given the opportunity.

Lawrence sighed.  "I'm sorry.  I really thought that you'd like to have a puppy."
  Would he ever do anything right?  He knew the advice Mr. Livingston gave him was good.  He just didn't seem to be able to apply it well.

"I would love to have a puppy, but Mama is a different story."  She walked through the garden, leading the dog by the rope around his neck.  "Does he have a name?"
She looked down at the sweet dog, wondering about his history.

Lawrence shrugged.  "The boy I got him from didn't mention one if he does.  You'll have to name him."

Hyacinth looked down at the huge dog with paws the size of dinner plates.  "I think I'll call him Horse, because he's as big as one." 

Lawrence chuckled softly.  "I guess as long as you don't name him
Fuzzbutt I won't complain too much."

Hyacinth went to the swing at the back of the garden and sat down on it, letting go of Horse's lead rope.  Lawrence walked up behind her and pushed her on the swing.  She laughed softly.  "No one has pushed me on a swing since I was a little girl."
  She sheer delight in her voice echoed through the yard.

"Tell me about what it was like growing up in this huge house.  I can't imagine having seven siblings."
  He wasn't certain he'd want even one sibling, let alone seven.

Hyacinth described how lonely it had been for her, growing up within a large boisterous family.  "I always seemed to be overlooked.  I don't think anyone meant to overlook me exactly, but I never caused problems and was generally quiet, so they just kind of forgot about me a lot."  She sighed.  "Well, Mama and Papa didn't, of course, but my sisters did.  They'd play a game and halfway through one of them would ask, 'Where's Hyacinth?' and they'd realize they'd forgotten to invite me to play with them."
  Usually she hadn't been terribly bothered by being forgotten, but sometimes...sometimes she'd felt horribly left out.

Lawrence looked at her with new eyes at those words.  He'd always felt like he wasn't part of things at school because his mother did laundry for a lot of the families he went to school with.  He'd never thought about how it would feel to be part of a large family but just not fit in with them.  "I'll never forget you.  You're the first thing I think of in the morning, and the last thing I think about at night."

She dragged her feet on the ground to stop the swing as she'd done as a child.  She got up, walking to him and stopping a foot in front of him.  "Really?  You think about me that much?"  How could anyone care about
her
that much?  He was truly a special man.