The Mistaken Mail Order Bride (3 page)

“Oh, I forgot to get him some clothes,” he
said, lowering his voice. “I had business to take care of with two
men, and then I asked the preacher and Lois to come over.”

“There’s a lot happening at once,” she
assured him. Then she added, “I washed his clothes and hung them in
the second bedroom to dry. But I suppose more would be good,
especially at a time like this.”

“I’ll go to Mike and Ida Conner’s and see if
they have spare clothes. They have ten children, six of which are
boys, so I’m sure they’ll have plenty of clothes on hand.”

Just to make sure she heard right, she
asked, “Ten children?”

The corner of his lips turned up. “Not to be
crude, but he says the only way to get her to shut up is to take
her to bed. Considering they’re in their mid-thirties, you can
guess how often he’s had to do that.”

Her cheeks warmed.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to be
so blunt. It’s been years since I was back East. I forgot how
different things are back there.” He paused then added, “I should
warn you that people are more bold in their speech out here. We
tend to say whatever’s on our mind.”

“Not everyone back East was careful with
their speech,” she replied, her mind unwittingly going to some of
the things the soldiers had said before they killed her mother.

“People are people wherever you go, but some
places encourage them to watch their tongues better than
others.”

“I’ll get used to it.”

He glanced over at Caleb then turned his
attention back to her. “The preacher isn’t here all the time. He
travels to the towns in the area, and he’s been waiting for your
arrival. He plans to head out right after we marry. Do you mind if
we exchange vows before I get Caleb some clothes?”

“He didn’t sleep much on the way here. I
suspect he’ll be asleep for a while yet.”

“I’ll take him to our room and close the
door so we won’t wake him.”

The way he casually mentioned their room
made her blush, a fact she hoped he didn’t notice as he carried the
swaddled child to the bed.

Once he shut the door, he said, “I should be
back soon.”

She indicated she understood and took the
time during his absence to get a better look at her new home. It
was small, but it was clean and free of clutter. Her husband-to-be
was considerate enough to get the place ready for her, and he was a
man who wasn’t given to excess. That was a strong contrast to the
world she’d grown up in. The days of elaborate gowns and small
luxuries were long gone.

But, she’d have more than she did after the
war ravaged her father’s land. There was plenty of food, and though
she had much to learn about cooking, she was thankful for the fact
she’d have food to cook. After going through a year of endless
hunger, she didn’t think she’d ever take food for granted
again.

The front door opened, and she turned away
from the shelves lining the kitchen walls, unaware she’d let her
mind drift to the barren land she’d come from. She hadn’t expected
that being in her new home would make her think so much of the one
she’d left behind. But mixed in with the excitement of having a
warm place to live, plenty of food, and a kind husband, she also
experienced a wave of sorrow.

The matter of coming out West seemed like
such a simple thing when she answered his mail-order bride ad. Now
that she was here, a part of her wondered just how well they’d get
along. Would this be one of those marriages her friends had
mentioned—the ones they were willing to settle for in order to be
comfortable? Or might this bear the fruits of love?

Her intended walked into the cabin first,
the old preacher following close behind. “It didn’t take as long to
find him as I expected,” he told her, gesturing to the preacher.
“He was on his way here.”

The preacher came over to her and took off
his hat. “Two weddings in one visit,” he said. “This is a good
month. Did he tell you I married Abe Thomas and Phoebe Durbin not
too long ago?”

“No, sir,” she replied, smoothing out the
wrinkles in her dress the best she could. “I’m afraid there wasn’t
much time to talk, given all the excitement.”

“Oh, well, it’s no wonder. You’re a lovely
bride, just as Phoebe was. I tell you, it does this old heart good
to see two people united in marriage. Few things are more
beautiful.” He took out the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped
his eyes. “You’ll have to forgive me. The older a man gets, the
more sentimental he becomes. It comes from years of seeing the good
and bad, and let me tell you, you appreciate the good so much more
as you get older.”

“I’m sure you do.” She knew she already felt
that way, and she was only twenty-four. But then, war had a way of
making people grow up faster than they otherwise would have.
Forcing the thought aside, she said, “It’s very kind of you to wait
for my arrival before leaving town.”

“I’m happy to be here.” He slipped the
handkerchief back in his pocket and waved her intended over. “Don’t
be shy, son. We can’t do this without you.”

“Don’t we need a witness?” Caroline
asked.

“I got that taken care of,” her intended
assured her. “Lois said she’d be right over.”

As if on cue, an elderly lady came into the
cabin. “I got a pie in the oven, so don’t get longwinded, Preacher.
I know you can talk a person’s ear off if they give you a
chance.”

Despite the exasperation on the preacher’s
face, Caroline couldn’t help but be amused. Lois struck her as a
fun lady, still full of energy and life. It was like seeing her
grandmother all over again, and she was glad for it. Having
something, even something this small, that was familiar would help
her adjust to her new life much faster.

“I promise not to ramble,” the preacher said
then glanced at Caroline’s betrothed and winked. “Alright. Go on
and get over to your bride before Lois scurries on out of here for
that pie.”

Lois did her best to look offended, but the
slight smile on her lips betrayed her.

Caroline’s intended went over to her, and
her heart did a sudden flip-flop. Now that the moment had come, she
wished she’d brought some smelling salts. It suddenly struck her
that she was promising herself to him. Yes, she was well aware
she’d be marrying him when she took the train out West, but that
knowledge was all in her head. It was something to be done out of
necessity, and those kinds of decisions seemed so black and white
when she made them.

Now she was standing next to a stranger, and
the thought kept going through her mind that she’d overlooked
something important. But for the life of her, she couldn’t imagine
what that was.

“If you’re inclined, you may join hands,”
the preacher began.

Her intended reached for her hand, and she
placed her hand in his, realizing—much too late—her palms were
sweaty. She offered an apologetic smile and prayed he wouldn’t
notice. She should have wiped her hands on her skirt. That would
have been the appropriate thing to do. It’s what her mother had
taught her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Goodness,
but the war had taken so many lessons from the softer world she’d
grown up in away from her.

“Marriage is a beautiful thing,” the
preacher began, “and it is my pleasure to bring together two people
who are in the springtime of youth. Two people, might I add, who
have years of love and laughter to look forward to. There will
undoubtedly be trying times. All marriages have them. However, I
offer a word of encouragement I hope you’ll remember from time to
time in the years to come. It’s not the circumstances that define
what kind of marriage you’ll have; it’s what you choose to do with
those circumstances. Marriage is work for both husband and wife.
Yes, some years will be better than others, but if you remember to
put the other before yourself, you’ll be much better off than most
out there.”

Lois groaned. “I told you I only have five
minutes to do this.”

“I’m getting to the heart of the thing,” the
preacher told her. With a smile at Caroline and her intended, he
continued, “I encourage you to stick with it. The first year is one
of the best, but it’s also the one of the hardest. You’re getting
to know each other. There’s bound to be fights. Both of you are
used to doing things a certain way, and now you’ll have to learn to
adapt to each other. My advice is to compromise. Marriage is give
and take. It’s not always easy to bring together two lives and make
it one, but in marriage, you’ll be seen as one.”

“You’ve been rambling far too long,” Lois
interrupted. “Get on with the vows already.”

“Alright, alright.” The preacher shook his
head. “I did promise her five minutes. Do you,” he turned to the
gentleman, “take her,” he gestured to Caroline, “to be your wife.
Will you love her and honor her, keep her in sickness and in
health, through good times and bad, for richer or for poorer, all
the days of your life, forsaking all others as long as you both
shall live?”

“I do,” her intended replied.

The preacher glanced at Lois, who was
looking at the small clock above the fireplace mantel, probably
counting the exact minute she needed to bolt for the door. He then
turned to Caroline. “Do you promise to do the same with him?” he
gestured to the gentleman holding her hand.

“I do,” Caroline replied.

“Great!” Lois cheered. “My work here is
done.” She hurried over to Caroline and hugged her. “You married a
good man. He’s honest, decent, and easy on the eyes. If I was
younger, I’d be fighting you for him. I hate to rush, but I don’t
want to burn a pie after spending all morning cutting apples and
getting the crust just right. I’ll see you again, and next time, I
promise I won’t be so rude.” She ran for the door, calling out,
“I’ll see the rest of you another time!”

The preacher’s gaze went heavenward, but the
gentleman next to her chuckled. “Lois doesn’t like anything to go
to waste, especially food,” her new husband told her. He looked
over at the preacher. “That’s all we really need to get married,
isn’t it?”

The preacher sighed. “It is. The ceremony
doesn’t have to be long. I’d just hoped it would have been more
special. It makes for a nice memory.”

“Oh, I didn’t mind at all,” she assured him.
“I thought it was lovely.”

“I did, too,” her husband agreed. “The
important thing is you were here to do it.”

Though their words were meant to sooth his
disappointment, he still didn’t seem satisfied with the way Lois
bolted on out of the house. To his credit, he offered a smile and
said, “Let me get the marriage license, and we’ll sign it. In all
the excitement, I forgot to bring it in.”

Her husband waited until the preacher left
before he turned to face her. “I hope you really didn’t mind. Lois
is a good woman. It’s just that sometimes her hands bother her, so
cooking isn’t as easy as it used to be. There’s a lot more that
goes into making pies than the preacher realizes.”

“How do you know so much about pies?” she
asked. “Have you made them?”

“No. One time when I broke up an argument
between a man and his wife, the wife went into a long list of all
the things she’d done for him, and in this list were the pies she’d
made for him. She went into detail on those. All I kept thinking
was that I’d never take another pie for granted.”

“What about the husband? Did he have any
complaints about her?”

“Well, after she went on for a good thirty
minutes about everything he’d ever done to upset her, I asked him
what he was arguing with her about. He said he couldn’t remember.
His mind had gone blank during the whole time she talked. She said
they’d been fighting because he refused to move the couch to the
other side of the room.” With a grin, he shrugged. “If you’re
guessing they started fighting all over again, you’re right.”

“Did you tell them to stop?”

“Nope. I know a lost cause when I see it. I
just put my hat on my head and left the restaurant.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “The restaurant?”

“Those two came in when they saw me
eating.”

She chuckled but quickly covered up for it
by coughing. “I’m sorry. I imagine it must be hard when people
think it’s up to you to handle their problems.”

“Unfortunately, people think a sheriff can
step in and settle arguments like a judge does.”

Sheriff? She thought he was a blacksmith.
Before she could ask him about it, the preacher came back in with
the paper.

“I got it,” the preacher said. “Had to get
Lois to sign it since she witnessed the blessed event.” He set it
on the kitchen table and chuckled. “I didn’t dare ask her to leave
her home after all the fuss she made earlier.”

“Well, she does pride herself on her pies,”
Eric replied.

“I can’t say it wasn’t worth the trip. She
gave me a slice to take with me. She’ll be coming over to bring a
couple of slices for you two when it cools.” He dug a fountain pen
from his pocket and handed it to Caroline. “I always let the bride
sign first.”

Caroline took the pen and signed her name.
Then she turned and handed it to the groom. The groom took the pen
and pressed it to the line he was to sign on, but he didn’t write
his name. She frowned. Had he changed his mind? Did he want to back
out of the marriage?

“You wrote Caroline Benton for your name,”
he said.

“Yes,” she replied. “Is that a problem?”

“But you told me your name is Allison
Jones.”

“No. I said it was Caroline Benton.”

“No, you didn’t. You never once said such a
thing. Here. Let me show you.” He went to his bedroom and came back
out with a piece of neatly folded paper. When he reached her, he
opened it and showed it to her. “This is the last letter I received
from my mail-order bride. Does this look familiar to you?”

She had a sinking sensation
she wasn’t going to like this. She accepted the piece of paper and
skimmed the unfamiliar script. The color drained from her face.
This was written by a lady named
Allie
, and what was more, she had
addressed it to a gentleman named
Eric
Johnson
.