Madeline: Bride of Nebraska (American Mail-Order Bride 37) (4 page)

Hank and Caleb carried one of the caskets over to the graves and set it alongside one of the holes. Jim and Silas moved the other.

Before Reverend Young began the funeral service, he gently placed his hand on Caleb’s shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. “Do you want George to be here for the funeral?”

Caleb was taken aback by the question. He hadn’t even thought of poor little George. He glanced around at the men, as though they might give an indication of how he should answer. Would his nephew even understand what was happening? Would it upset him even more than he already was?

“Walter finally got the boy to sleep, just before we came out here to dig,” Jim offered in an attempt to help.

If George had finally settled down, Caleb certainly didn’t want to wake him now. He turned to the reverend and wiped a tear from his eye. “Nah, let him sleep. He won’t understand what’s happening anyhow.”

Reverend Young gave him an understanding nod and pulled his travel Bible out of his coat pocket. All of the men immediately removed their hats and Reverend Young began the short funeral service.

When the short prayer service was complete, the four men carefully lowered the caskets into the ground. Jim and Silas offered to stay behind to fill in the graves, for which Caleb was grateful.

As Caleb returned to the wagon, the reverend followed him instead of heading back to his own horse. Caleb noticed and turned toward him, a curious look on his face.

The reverend spoke low and quiet. He wasn’t certain what, if anything, Caleb had told his men about his bride. “Now, I know you’ve had quite a horrible day and it’s totally understandable if you did…but did you forget what today is?”

Caleb chewed his lip for a moment. “Tuesday?” he offered, not certain what the reverend was talking about.

It took everything in him to not smile at that moment. The reverend knew that Caleb was lost in grief, but how did one forget one’s wedding day? “There’s someone waiting for you at my house,” he hinted and watched Caleb’s face as the realization dawned on him.

Caleb, dumbfounded that he could have forgotten his wife, stood still for a moment with his mouth hanging open, frozen in shock. He looked up at the setting sun and realized that Madeline’s train must have come in hours ago. A blush swept across his face. What must the reverend think of him! And Madeline!

Reverend Young could not help but chuckle a little. “C’mon, son. Let’s get the wagon back to your house and get you cleaned up. My wife is taking care of Miss Nelson. She’s waited this long. A little longer won’t hurt none. Unless you’d rather postpone the wedding? She could always stay with us until you got things settled around here.”

Caleb looked around, as though the answer were lurking nearby and might jump out at him. On the one hand, it would be nice to wait until they had caught his brother’s murderer. They had no idea who it could be, or even if he were still around. Then Caleb remembered little George. He would need Madeline’s help to keep an eye on George while he worked on the ranch and helped the sheriff however he could.

“Hank, I’ll need your help,” Caleb said loudly as he climbed onto the wagon seat. He looked down at the reverend. “I have a wedding to get to.”

Hank, who was the only person outside the reverend and his wife who knew about Caleb’s mail order bride, nodded brusquely and mounted his horse.

Unsettled at the thought of riding alone with a murderer on the loose, Reverend Young nodded. “I’ll ride back with you.” He turned and mounted his horse as well. Together they rode back to the barn to unhitch the oxen and put the wagon away before they cleaned up for the wedding.

Chapter 3

Madeline felt like a new woman after her bath. Once her hair was washed, she had soaked in the tub until the water began to cool while Ella combed her hair dry before the wood stove, then scrubbed herself clean when Ella left to start making supper.

Once she was clean and dry, Madeline put on a new dress that she had made while she waited those four days between getting her ticket and boarding the train. It was a simple dress of blue and white gingham with a row of blue buttons down the bodice. She pulled her hair back into a respectable bun and made her way into the kitchen.

“Can I help?” Madeline asked as she saw her friend bustling about the kitchen.

Ella smiled. “That’s all right. I’m used to doing it alone. You just sit and rest. Thank you for offering, though.”

“I insist. You’ve done so much for me already. Let me return the favor. Please?”

“Well, how can I say no to such a kind offer?” Ella sighed in defeat. “Here, you can help peel the potatoes.”

They had just taken the beef roast out of the oven and placed it on a platter when they heard horses in the yard and the sound of a buggy’s wheels crunching on the dry dirt and rocks.

Madeline looked up at Ella, suddenly nervous. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she realized she was about to meet her new husband for the first time. “How do I look?” she asked Ella nervously. Her hands were suddenly shaking like a leaf.

Ella smiled at Madeline and helped her remove the apron she had been wearing. “Absolutely beautiful,” she told her new friend. Madeline had the kind of beauty that shone through and diminished whatever she was wearing so it faded into the background. Ella could not help but think that Mr. Stark was one lucky man!

By the time the men entered the house, Ella had the potatoes and carrots on the platter with the roast and had placed it in the warming oven to keep warm. She and Madeline waited for the men in the front parlor, where the wedding ceremony would take place.

Two men entered the parlor with the reverend. Madeline was not certain at first which was her husband, as both men vaguely matched the description she had read in the gazette. She twisted her hands nervously behind her back as she waited with baited breath.

Reverend Young gestured as he made the introductions. “Miss Madeline Nelson, I’d like you to meet your fiancé, Mr. Caleb Stark, and his top ranch hand, Mr. Hank Sanders.”

Madeline smiled a nervous welcome to the two men. She glanced briefly at Mr. Sanders, but her eyes settled on her fiancé. He was the taller of the two men, though neither was what you would call short. He was a bit younger looking than the other man-- handsome, strong, and rugged. Yet Madeline knew all too well that a person’s looks had nothing to do with their character.

Caleb stood stock still in the doorway, awestruck at how beautiful his bride was. His vision narrowed to where Madeline was all he could see and the rest of the room faded from view. He couldn’t believe such a beautiful woman would soon be his wife. If only Ben could be there to see her! His jaw set as he thought of his brother and a tightness filled his throat.

He nearly jumped from his skin when Reverend Young tugged at his sleeve to move him alongside his bride. He forced a smile for Madeline past the tears for his brother that threatened to fall.

Hank and Ella took up positions alongside the groom and bride, the reverend opened his Bible, and the wedding ceremony commenced.

Throughout the brief ceremony Madeline could tell that something was seriously wrong with her husband, but she could not imagine what it could be. He seemed genuinely upset about something, though, and she wondered if he was disappointed in her somehow. He certainly had not been in a hurry to meet her at the station, although his delay did allow her to enjoy a nice hot bath.

At the end of the ceremony, Caleb gave his wife a chaste kiss on the lips. He felt awkward kissing a woman he had only just met, especially in front of other people. He wanted to enjoy the wedding, to enjoy being married, yet all he could think about was his brother’s murder and his poor little nephew back home. This was certainly not a great start to their marriage.

Madeline could tell that Caleb was distracted by something. He barely even looked at her before the quick kiss he had bestowed on her. Her brow furrowed as she wondered what could be wrong. Her first instinct was to assume he had found fault with her, but she did her best to push those negative thoughts away. There had to be something else bothering him.  He honestly was not paying enough attention to her for the problem to lie with her.

Caleb took Madeline by the hand and headed toward the door just as soon as he had kissed her. Her trunk and carpet bag were sitting near the door, and he wanted to get them loaded into the buggy and get home to his nephew as soon as possible.

“Wait! Mr. Stark…” Ella called out in an attempt to stop him. She was hoping that they would stay for dinner, so her new friend would not have to cook as soon as she arrived at her new home.

Caleb stopped halfway to the door, a quizzical expression on his face. “Yes, Mrs. Young?”

“I was hoping the three of you might stay for dinner. We always have plenty.”

Everyone in the room looked from one to the other. The men knew the true urgency of Caleb, Madeline, and Hank getting home quickly, but the women just looked confused.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Caleb said politely. “There’s something that needs seeing to back home.”

Flustered, Ella would not be dissuaded. “Well…at least you can take some of the food back with you so your bride needn’t cook on her wedding night.” She turned and bustled into the kitchen to quickly pack up some of the food. “And don’t forget the box outside the door!” she called from the kitchen.

Reverend Young, Caleb, and Hank looked at each other and shrugged. Sure enough, when they opened the door to take Madeline’s bags to the buggy, they found a crate sitting just outside the door. It was covered with a flour sack, so they had no idea what was inside.

Hank and Caleb loaded the trunk, carpet bag, and crate into the back of the buggy. By the time Caleb returned to fetch his bride, Mrs. Young had a picnic basket packed with food and was handing it off to Madeline.

“Thank you ever so much, for everything,” Madeline told Ella. She gave her friend a quick hug as she took the basket from her.

Ella hugged her in return and whispered in her ear. “If you have any problems, you come right back here to me. Understood?”

Madeline nodded and gave her friend a last squeeze before turning to her husband. She could not believe how rude he was being to their hosts, hurrying her home the way he was. She marched out the door and climbed into the waiting buggy, setting the basket of delicious smelling food in the center of the seat. She pointedly did not wait for her husband to help her up.

Caleb and Hank put their hats on before stepping outside and bid their farewells with a tip of their hats to Reverend Young and his wife. Caleb climbed into the buggy and immediately set off for home, a grim look on his face. Hank followed alongside the buggy, his rifle at the ready.

The ride home was a silent one. The sky was aglow with the last vestiges of a beautiful sunset. While fully aware of his beautiful bride beside him, Caleb kept his eyes on their surroundings, uncertain if the murderer were still around. Madeline tried to enjoy the sunset while it lasted, but was still irritated with Caleb for rushing her out the way he had.

By the time they reached the ranch, the sunset had fully faded and stars were brightening the night sky. There was no moon and the road was barely visible. The barn, bunkhouse, and other outbuildings were just dark shapes against the horizon, details lost to the darkness of the night. The house itself was mostly dark, with light shining from only two windows.

Caleb pulled up as close as he could to the back porch of the house. He hurried over to help his bride from the buggy, but by the time he got there she had already climbed down on her own and was retrieving the basket of food from the seat. He sighed, moved to the rear of the buggy, and grabbed the crate.

Madeline looked up at her new home as she waited for Caleb. Most of the details were lost to the night, but it appeared to be a two-story wooden structure and was much larger than she had imagined. She had heard of the sod houses some people lived in on the prairie, and was thankful that her new home was made of wood like the houses back home. She could not wait to see it in the light of day.

Caleb balanced the crate on one arm as he opened the back door of the lean-to for Madeline. He set the crate down on a bench and walked back to the buggy. Light spilled out through the open doorway and Madeline stepped inside, uncertain of what she would find.

The lean-to itself was a small, windowless room. A bench ran along one wall and several wooden pegs ran along the wall above it. The other wall was a hodgepodge mix of tools, crates, a wash tub, and jumbled up pieces of firewood and scrap wood. The door to the house proper stood open and was clearly the source of the light.

Madeline walked past the mess and into the kitchen. The room itself was a good size. A large cook stove sat along the outer wall, near the door she had just walked through. Between the cook stove and the door stood a wood box, partially filled with various sized logs that look as though they had been carelessly thrown into the box. Glass-paned windows flanked the cook stove on either side, and even in the dark of night Madeline could tell they were filthy.

An adjacent wall held a sink complete with a pump for water. Madeline was pleased that she would not have to go outside during the winter to retrieve fresh water. The sink itself was full of dirty dishes.

In the center of the room was a large table with a lit oil lamp resting in the center. Two long benches flanked the table, though one was pushed out as though someone had gotten up and had not bothered to push it back underneath.

Across the room from the outside door stood a cupboard with multiple doors. Dishes were scattered haphazardly over the working surface of the cupboard itself. Madeline could only guess what the inside of the cupboard must look like.

A fine layer of dust seemed to coat everything. It was clear that Mr. Stark desperately needed a wife around the house. It looked as though the place had not been cleaned in ages. She had not expected a bachelor to have a tidy home, but just what had she gotten herself into?

At that moment, her husband and Mr. Sanders
came in with her trunk and carried it across the room and through an open door without a word. Madeline set the basket of food down on the kitchen table and sighed. It was clear she would have to wash those dishes first if they were to have any supper tonight.

Caleb walked back into the kitchen with Hank after they had deposited his wife’s trunk in their bedroom. He was momentarily shocked to find her washing dishes in the sink, then turned beet red as he realized what the house must look like to her. He had stayed silent and on high alert during the drive home, which meant that she knew nothing of what had transpired that day.

Shame filled him as he stood there, rooted to the spot. He barely heard his friend as Hank muttered something about bringing the crate and carpet bag into the kitchen. Caleb stared at his wife and wondered what she must be thinking. He normally had the dishes washed by the end of the day and had meant to spend the morning cleaning around the house. He certainly had not meant for her to have to get right to work the moment she arrived.

That thought spurred him into action. He moved forward and tried to take over washing the dishes, but his beautiful wife would have none of it. She shook him off without a word, scrubbing the dishes with a vengeance.

Hank came in, deposited the crate and carpet bag on the kitchen table, and made a hasty retreat. He needed to get the horses put up for the night and he could feel the tension in the kitchen. He certainly did not need to intrude on his boss’s wedding night, such as it was.

Caleb watched Hank come and go, and then fetched a clean towel from the cupboard. He proceeded to dry the dishes as she finished them. “I’m sorry about the mess, Madeline,” he muttered shamefully as he took the first plate from her hands.

Madeline, who had been working herself into a tizzy, glanced at her husband and saw how embarrassed he looked. She sighed softly and let the resentment that had been building inside her drain away. At least he was trying to help now. “That’s all right. I didn’t expect a clean house,” she admitted with a smile.

Caleb smiled shyly back at her, still embarrassed at the state of the kitchen. He had gotten in so late the night before that he had not done his normal chores before bed. He had just eaten supper and left the mess for the morning, fully intending to wash the dishes when he woke. Then all hell had broken loose.

He was trying to decide how to tell her what had happened that morning when Walter suddenly walked into the kitchen. Walter stopped walking when he saw a strange woman in his boss’s kitchen. He stood and stared at her with a shocked look on his face, his mouth wide open in shock.

“Walter, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Mrs. Madeline Stark. Madeline, this is Walter Johnson, one of my ranch hands.” Caleb awkwardly made the introductions. It only now dawned on him that perhaps he should have mentioned his wife’s imminent arrival to all of his men and not just Hank.