Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Turner (5 page)

Eli thought a moment as he studied the youth. He was no longer a boy, but not quite a man. He remembered what he was like at that age. His older brother either had a huge influence on him, or threatened him to get him to join up. “What’s yer horse’s name again?”

“Mitzi. She’s the gray mare with the black mane ‘n tail. Real purty. Promise me ya’ll find a good home for ‘er?”

Eli finished tying the knot and patted the kid on the back. “I promise.”

“Thank ya, Deputy,” he said with a genuine smile of relief. “Thanks a lot.”

“Don’t mention it. What’s yer name?”

“Ninian, sir. Ninian Rush.”

“Ninian? That’s a different sorta name.”

“Yeah. Teddy calls me Ninny for short.”

“Not real brotherly of him, is it?”

“No, guess not,” the youth agreed. “My ma usta call me Nan.”

“Used to?”

Ninian met his gaze. “She died ‘bout three months back. Our pa’s gone too.”

“So your brother Teddy came along, gathered ya up and thought he’d teach ya his business?”

“That’s ‘bout the size o’ it, Deputy.”

Eli sighed. Poor kid. “Well, Nan is better than Ninny, I guess.” He sighed once more as he studied the boy again. “I’ll take good care of Mitzi for ya, Ninian. And the foal too.”

“Can I … if’n I’m able, come get ‘er?”

Eli saw the love the boy had for his horse. “Sure. Soon as yer able.”

Ninian nodded before he straightened and faced forward, a look of firm resolve now on his face. The youth was ready to face whatever was next. Eli hoped the judge would go easy on him. He’d have to make sure Ninian told the judge everything he’d just told him.

Tom gave a loud whistle to signal they were about to leave. Eli mounted his horse and rode over to his brother. “I’ve got somethin’ to pick up and take back to town. I’ll catch up to ya.”

“What is it?” Tom asked.

“The boy’s horse. Told him I’d keep it for a while.”

“Boy?” Tom turned in his saddle to face him. “How old?”

“Says he’s fourteen.”

Tom shook his head. “Land sakes, they get younger and younger. All right, go round up their horses and take them over to Chase at the livery.”

Eli nodded, spun his horse around and headed for the trees. He wondered what caused the boy to join his brother in an outlaw gang, other than the loss of his parents. Whatever it was, he hoped it didn’t ruin his life for good. He pushed the thought aside – the sooner he and the others got this band of ne’er-do-wells locked up, the sooner he could meet his mail-order bride. He just hoped he didn’t discover that the outlaws were better company.

* * *

“
Y
ou do
all your own laundry?” Pleasant asked, her voice a little shaky. She needed to get a hold of herself.

“Oh, I know it sounds like a lot of work.” Sadie crossed the kitchen and grabbed an iron kettle off the stove. “But it’s not if you have enough help. My daughter Honoria has become quite an accomplished cook.”

Pleasant studied the pretty girl sitting across the kitchen table from her, peeling potatoes. Honoria Cooke looked to be the same age as Pleasant, with her mother’s long, thick, sable brown hair and her father’s dark eyes. She was beautiful and would have no problem fetching a husband, that was for sure. “So are you proficient at sewing too?” she asked the girl.

“I’m not, but I’m better than my sister.”

“Your sister is barely ten years old,” Sadie reminded her.

Honoria smirked at her mother. “You weren’t supposed to say that, Mama.”

Pleasant smiled. “I wish I had a little sister to compare my skills to. Maybe I’d feel better about them.”

“I get the impression you haven’t sewn much.” Sadie said.

“Not unless you count embroidery – that’s the extent of my experience. I can’t tell you how much it pains me to admit that.”

“My sister can’t admit she’s not as good a seamstress as I am,” Honoria volunteered. “She’s stubborn that way.”

“I’m afraid I have no excuse like your sister – I’m certainly not ten.” Pleasant sighed. “No, I’m just inexperienced. Where I came from there was no need to learn.”

“Where is that?” Honoria asked.

Pleasant hesitated. Should she tell them? What if her brothers came looking for her? But if they did, they wouldn’t be looking for a woman from Savannah per se, but a dark-haired Southern girl named Pleasant Comfort. Never mind her accent or anything else – the name was enough. “Savannah, Georgia,” she finally said.

“Savannah?” Sadie exclaimed with a smile. “Why, that’s the name of our youngest!”

Pleasant glanced between the two smiling women. “It is? Well, I feel flattered in a way.”

“I’ve always loved that name,” Sadie said. “She’s playing with her brothers at Colin and Belle’s place. They’ll be home soon.”

“I’d love to meet her. She’s the ten-year-old, I take it?”

“Yes, she is. She’s inquisitive, just as stubborn as her sister says, and very much a tomboy too. But with two older brothers and all those male cousins …”

Pleasant nodded. Maybe if her family had more cousins, they wouldn’t be in such dire straits. Perhaps some uncles could have helped her father before he got himself into trouble. But alas, there were no such. Her father was an only child – Aunt Phidelia was his only living relative besides his children.

Pleasant’s eyes darted around the homey kitchen and she felt a pinch of envy. She hoped she’d have a house such as Sadie’s one day. Then perhaps, surrounded by the nice people of Clear Creek and with a loving husband, she could be happy.

B
y the time
supper rolled around, Pleasant had bathed, washed her hair and even gotten a brief rest in. Honoria helped her dress and marveled at her gown. “It’s so beautiful!”

“Thank you. It was a gift from my father for my eighteenth birthday.”

“When was that?”

“February. When’s yours?”

“I’ll be eighteen in June.”

Pleasant smiled. “Do you have a beau?”

Something in Honoria’s eyes flashed, but Pleasant wasn’t sure why. Was she angry at the question? “No. There aren’t many gentlemen around here to choose from. The only one closest to my age is …” She glanced at the ceiling with a small groan. “Eli Turner.”

“Eli? My Eli?” Good heavens, was there something wrong with the man? Honoria Cooke was a beauty to behold, just like her mother. What man wouldn’t want to marry her?

“Yes, but we would never suit.”

“Why ever not?” she asked, trying not to sound worried.

Honoria shrugged. “We don’t see eye to eye on things.”

“What do you mean? Is the man not agreeable?”

“Oh no, don’t get me wrong. I like Eli, very much. But … well, the best way to put it is that I’m rather opinionated. About pretty much everything.”

Pleasant stared at her a moment, then laughed. “You sound like one of my brothers.”

“Pray I never meet him. We’d probably kill each other.”

Pleasant’s smile faded. “I see no reason to worry. I doubt you’d ever have the pleasure.”

“Your family doesn’t plan on visiting you at some point?”

“No, I … don’t see that happening. I shall have to go to them.” Not that that was likely either …

“Oh, that’s too bad. It’s always fun to meet new people around here. Speaking of which, we’d better get downstairs. Mama and Auntie Belle will want to introduce you to the family if you’re having supper with us.”

“Yes, of course.” She glanced at her blue gown. “I’m not overdressed?”

Honoria noted her simple yellow calico. “No, I’m underdressed – as will be the rest of my family. Sorry about that.”

Pleasant laughed again. She was beginning to like Honoria and hoped they’d become good friends. “I’ll forgive you and your family.”

“Thank you, Miss Comfort.”

“Please, call me Pleasant.”

Honoria cocked her head to one side and smiled. “That’s a fitting name.”

Pleasant blushed and smiled. “Thank you for that.”

“Shall we?” Honoria swept a hand toward the bedroom door.

Pleasant preceded her and they went downstairs where the families were gathering for supper. And what a gathering it was! “There are so many!”

“This is nothing,” Honoria remarked. “You should see when the cousins are here.”

“I can only imagine.” Pleasant noted all the children happily chatting away or playing, not to mention the adults, who at this point were staring at her.

“Here we are!” Honoria announced.

Sadie made her way through the crowd. “Everyone come into the parlor and meet our guest!” she yelled.

No sooner had she said it than children came from every room and ran for the parlor, several running into Pleasant in the process. She almost fell over, but Honoria caught her just in time. “My word!”

“I’m sorry about that. The little ones are always excited when we have a guest.”

“You won’t have one if they trample me,” Pleasant replied, trying to keep her temper in check. She kept having to remind herself she was no longer in Savannah. This was the Wild West – which obviously included wild children.

“That’s it, gather ‘round!” Sadie called as Honoria guided Pleasant into the center of the room.

“There now, I think we’re all here,” someone said. Pleasant recognized the voice – it was Harrison, Sadie’s husband. She hadn’t even noticed him in the crowd.

“All right everyone, line up as best you can and we’ll proceed with the introductions,” Sadie said loudly.

Children scrambled to comply. They ranged from what Pleasant guessed to be about nine or ten up to sixteen or seventeen. “Who’s the oldest?”

“I am,” Honoria said with a hint of pride.

“Are we ready?” Sadie asked then turned to Pleasant. “Now, I know you’re not going to remember them all after introductions. But they so wanted to make your acquaintance.”

Pleasant smiled and nodded. “There are … so many. Surely they’re not all yours. That is, you and your sister-in-law’s.”

“Oh heavens, no,” a woman said from behind her. “Some of these belong to Logan, our foreman.”

Pleasant turned to face a pretty woman with dark blonde hair. “How do you do?”

“Very well. I’m Belle Cooke.” She grabbed one of Pleasant’s hands and gave it a healthy shake, then glanced at everyone gathered and back again. “You’d best brace yourself.”

Pleasant’s eyebrows rose in worry. “So it seems.”

Sadie put her hands on her hips. “Of course you already know Honoria.” She stepped to the line of children and pointed to a handsome dark-haired boy with hazel eyes. “This is Maxwell, and next to him is Clinton and standing behind him is Savannah.” The boys looked very much alike, only one was shorter than the other. Savannah, a blonde with the same eyes as her brothers, peeked around Clinton and smiled at her.

Pleasant gave the children a small curtsy. “How do you do?”

Savannah giggled as her brothers blushed and fidgeted.

“They’re a little shy at first,” Harrison said.

“Colin you know, and now Belle,” Sadie continued. “And these are their children, Jefferson, Adele, Thackary, Sam, and last but not least, Parthena.”

Pleasant could only stare. All the Cooke children were comely, no wonder considering their parents. “How old are they?” she asked.

“Jefferson, our oldest, will be sixteen in November,” Colin said. “Little Theena just turned nine.”

“Theena – what a lovely nickname,” said Pleasant.

“We think so,” Colin said with pride. “And may I introduce Harrison’s and my stepfather Jefferson and his wife Edith.” An older man and his wife stepped forward. They looked to be somewhere in their sixties, the same as the Dunnigans.

“Hello,” she greeted.

“We don’t stand on no fancy ceremony here!” the man barked then grabbed her in a hug.

Pleasant grunted in response. “Oh! Well, so nice … to meet … you.”

“Let go of her, Jefferson, before she expires for lack of breath!” his wife said. But as soon as he let her go, Edith grabbed her in the same manner.

This naturally resulted in the same grunt. “Oh my, how friendly … you all are.”

Edith let go and gave her hand a vigorous shake. “Nice to have ya here!”

Pleasant took a step back so she could catch her breath. She unconsciously smoothed the skirt of her dress as she did and sucked in a lungful of air.

“And this is Logan Kincaid our foreman and his wife Susara,” Sadie went on.

Good grief! There’s more?
Pleasant thought as she smiled at the dark-haired man and his pretty blonde wife. “Hello,” she managed then braced herself. She wasn’t sure she could survive any more vigorous hugging.

Thankfully, they shook her hand instead. “Welcome to Clear Creek,” Susara said.

Pleasant nodded and smiled.

Sadie then pointed to the children behind them. There were so many people in the parlor they were spilling out into the foyer. “And here we have Owen, Martin, Ferris and … Eli!”

Pleasant jumped. “Eli?” she whispered and tried to see past the Kincaids.

“Eli! What are you doing here?” Sadie asked as she waded through the children toward the front door.

A man stood in the foyer, surrounded by several children of varying ages. His dark eyes locked with Pleasant’s blue ones. His breath caught and for a moment he looked as if he couldn’t speak. “I …” He swallowed hard. “Well, ain’t it obvious? I’m here to fetch my bride.”

* * *

E
veryone standing
between Eli and his bride parted. It was all Eli could do to talk. She was so lovely she literally took his breath away. His stomach flipped itself into a frenzy and his hands began to sweat.
That vision in the blue gown … is mine?
he thought to himself. He could scarcely believe it – yet there she was, the only one in the room he didn’t know. But he would – oh yes indeed, he would.

That is, if he could get his feet to move. He gulped back his initial shock and slowly made his way toward her. The entire house had gone quiet as everyone, even the younger children, watched him approach. When he finally reached her his mouth slowly fell open as he gawked, his hat in his hands.

Honoria stepped over to him and elbowed him in the ribs.

Eli jumped. “Howdy!” he squawked. “I’m … I’m Eli Turner, ma’am.”

Her eyes were as wide as his. He hoped she wasn’t as shocked at his appearance as he was at hers. If she was, was it a good shock or bad? He knew he wasn’t as handsome as the Cooke men or others in town, but he wasn’t hideous either. He was just Eli, like his brother was just Tom, or their sister was just Emeline. Nothing special about any of them, as far as he was concerned.

“How do you do?” the vision standing before him said.

Her smooth Southern accent took his breath away all over again, and he smiled. “Well, I’ll be. Say somethin’ else.”

She looked nervously at the others. “Excuse me?”

Eli’s smiled broadened. “Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am, but ya got the purtiest accent I ever did hear.”

“Did you hear that, brother?” Colin called to Harrison across the room. “Our accents have become commonplace.”

“I dare say, it was bound to happen,” Harrison replied in amusement.

Eli’s bride glanced around again. “We were in the middle of introductions, Mr. Turner. It seems you arrived just in time to … join in.”

Was she joking? But there were a lot of folks crowded into the one room – at least twenty if his guess was right …

“Okay, enough!” Sadie called out. “Children, you know where to go!”

The children scrambled for the kitchen, almost knocking Eli over. He stood his ground in order to shield the woman standing before him – he didn’t want to see her get trampled. But he needn’t have worried – she stood, feet apart, bracing herself against the torrent making its way out of the parlor. Their eyes met and locked as children bumped past them.

Once they cleared the room, Eli smiled at her. “Howdy … um, I’m yer intended, Eli Turner. Sorry I wasn’t in town earlier today to meet the stage.”

She smiled tentatively in return. He almost swooned on the spot – what a pretty mouth she had! “I understand you were preoccupied.”

He nodded grimly. “Sure was.”

Her eyes roamed over him. “I trust the situation with the outlaws is well in hand?”

He suddenly straightened. “Oh yes, ma’am. We done got them varmints locked up and wired for the judge to come.”

“Judge? You mean you haven’t one in this town?”

“Not yet, no – just a circuit judge that comes from Oregon City. We sent a message so he’ll come ‘round.”

She slowly nodded as she studied him, looking as if she was trying to take in as much of him as she could before they left the room. Which everyone else had – only Sadie and Harrison remained in the parlor with them now.

“Would you like to join us for supper, Deputy?” Sadie asked. “I’ll set another plate.”

“Thanks, Sadie,” he said, never taking his eyes off of … good grief, what was her name again? Comfortable? No, that couldn’t be right. It would come to him. Dag, maybe he should’ve taken a nap before coming over – he didn’t feel very sharp. “Much obliged,” he finished.

“I’ll seat you across from Miss Comfort.” Sadie left the parlor.

Comfort! How could he forget a name like that?

Harrison cleared his throat. “Ahem …” Eli and Miss Comfort both slowly turned to him, and he couldn’t help grinning. “Why don’t you escort your future bride into the dining room, Eli?”

“Oh! Oh yeah.” He offered her his arm. Her eyes flicked between his arm and his face a few times before she took it, and he almost sighed in relief. He took a deep breath and escorted Miss Comfort into supper.

Suppertime at the Triple-C, Sadie explained while setting an extra place for Eli, involved both the kitchen and dining room. The children, Jefferson and Edith took the kitchen table, while the other adults used the dining room. This arrangement worked especially well when Logan, Susara and their brood joined them. The kitchen table sat fourteen and the dining table twelve, but Eli was still surprised there were empty seats left.

“Don’t seem the same ‘round here without Duncan,” he commented as he pulled out a chair for Miss Comfort.

She sat, an astonished look on her face. “There’s more of them?!”

Colin and Harrison laughed. “Yes, our older brother Duncan and his wife,” Harrison volunteered. “They reside in England now.”

“For a time we had quite the houseful, even before the children started coming,” Sadie added.

Eli smiled as he sat. “Sure is a nice place, the Triple-C. Always do enjoy comin’ out here, never mind who’s here.”

Miss Comfort looked around the table, resplendent with chintz place settings and steaming hot food. Sadie must have put out her best china for the occasion. “How nice. Everything looks wonderful.”