Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Turner (6 page)

“We aren’t completely uncivilized out here, Miss Comfort,” Belle said jokingly. “Though I’m sure Clear Creek is still a far cry from Savannah.”

“Indeed it is,” she said. “Tell me, where are you from? I detect a slight accent.”

“Boston, originally, but I’ve lived here for nearly twenty years.”

“So long?”

Eli stared at her. “Well, I’ve lived here all my life. My sister even longer.”

She looked up from admiring her place setting. “I would imagine so, Mr. Turner. Especially if she’s an older sister.”

Eli wanted to groan. Could he have made himself sound dumber? Maybe he’d better shut up while he was ahead.

Thankfully, Colin bowed his head to give the blessing. When he was done, they began to eat. “Mmm … my compliments, Mrs. Cooke. This pot roast is outstanding,” Miss Comfort said.

“It’s Mrs. Dunnigan’s recipe,” Harrison said. “Quite a few women in town use it.”

“Mrs. Dunnigan? From the mercantile?”

“Yes, my aunt,” Belle put in.

“Oh yes – your husband informed me earlier.” Miss Comfort glanced around the table. “Do all your relatives live in Clear Creek?”

“Mine don’t,” said Mr. Kincaid. “I got me an older brother back in Texas.”

“Have you seen him since you’ve lived here?” Miss Comfort asked.

“‘Fraid not.”

She paled and stopped eating, a horrified look on her face. “And … how long have you lived here, Mr. Kincaid?” she asked weakly.

“Let’s see, I started working for the Cookes back in … ‘58, ‘59? Consarnit, I can’t remember. It was before the war …”

“It was ‘58,” Susara told him.

Miss Comfort set her fork down. “So you haven’t seen your family since then?”

“Nope.”

She looked away, her eyes closed, as if to shut them against great pain.

“Are you all right, Miss Comfort?” It was the first time Eli had used her name, and he realized that he didn’t even know what her first name was. She’d signed her letter P.A. Comfort, and P could stand for just about anything …

She looked at him, her eyes slightly misted. “Quite all right, Mr. Turner. Thank you for asking.”

He nodded, not sure of what he could do for her. She wasn’t all right, he could tell. Maybe she was homesick, and the thought of going years without seeing her family pained her greatly. He hoped that as her husband, he’d be able to ease that pain – and silently vowed to do whatever he could to see it done.

A
fter supper
the children went outside to play hide-and-seek in the barnyard. “Is it difficult having so many children living on one ranch?” Miss Comfort asked Belle.

“Not at all. There are only twelve altogether.”

“Yes, of course, but what about school?”

“I take them with me,” Susara said. “I’m the town schoolteacher.”

Miss Comfort’s eyes widened. “You are?” She quickly looked at Eli. “Were you Mr. Turner’s teacher?”

Susara smiled and glanced between the two of them. “Indeed I was.”

Pleasant watched him give a tiny shake of his head. She’d done her best not to be too obvious in her perusal of him during the meal, but it wasn’t easy. He wasn’t as polished as her brothers, but there was something incredibly attractive about him, more than just being handsome. He had … presence, as her mother would have said. There was an easygoing confidence in how he carried himself, the way he sat and conversed with everyone at the table.

But she was curious to know how well-educated he was. He certainly didn’t speak like an educated man. “Mrs. Kincaid? Forgive me if I’m … I was wondering …”

Susara seemed to be amused by her half-question. “Eli was a good student, if that’s what you were wondering,” Susara said. “He had excellent penmanship.”

Pleasant noticed him fidgeting, and wondered what the schoolmarm was leaving out. “Did he, now?”

“Yes, though there were some incidents …”

Eli gulped.

“… such as the time he wrapped up a box of beetles and gave them to me for Christmas.”

A hand flew to Pleasant’s mouth to stifle a giggle. “He did?”

“Oh yes,” Susara said, smiling at Mr. Turner. “He was also very good at tying knots. He once tied his sister to a tree behind the schoolhouse. It took me a while to discover her.”

Mr. Turner groaned.

“Discover her?” Pleasant asked, a little shocked. “Didn’t she call for help?”

“Emeline? Heavens no, she was far too proud a child for that. Actually, she was trying to chew through the ropes when I found her.”

Mr. Turner began to laugh nervously. “Oh my – I’d plumb forgot ‘bout that!”

Pleasant looked at him, aghast. “I’m sure your sister hasn’t.”

“I’m sure she hain’t. But I did a lot worse to her growin’ up – and she to me. After all, she is my
big
sister.”

Pleasant wanted to ask what sort of things, but Belle and Sadie were bringing in dessert along with Jefferson and Edith. They had coffee and pie while the children devoured two plates of cookies. “Which child is the youngest?”

“Thena,” Sadie said. “Though it’s close. There are three nine year-olds here on the ranch – she just happens to trail the others by a couple of months.”

“And our oldest is seventeen,” Harrison said. “Eighteen, once Honoria has her birthday in June.”

Pleasant nodded. Huge families like this weren’t uncommon in the South, nor living so close together. But even there, the Cookes would be larger than most. “Am I to understand that you take a wagon full of children to town with you every day for school?” she asked Susara.

“Yes, that’s right.” Susara took a sip of her coffee. “It wasn’t as easy when they were younger, but we managed. Winters are the worst.”

“Winters?” Pleasant said, her voice barely audible. Good heavens, how could she forget about winters? This far north, that meant cold – and she hated the cold.

“They ain’t as bad as all that,” Mr. Turner told her, his voice gentle. “Not if yer prepared for ‘em.”

“I wouldn’t be too worried, Missy,” Jefferson said. “You’ll be snug and warm out at Eli’s place. It’s so tiny, it’s easy to heat.”

Her eyes swiveled to him. “Tiny?”

“Sure – one room don’t need much in the way of heatin’.”

One room?
Did she hear him right?

“‘Course, I plan on addin’ onto it,” Mr. Turner said quickly. “‘Specially once we start havin’ younguns.”

Pleasant tensely looked around the beauty of the dining room. This was a normal environment for her. But the Triple-C was obviously quite prosperous. Her future husband was a deputy, a simple lawman – how much did he make? Only enough for a one-room cabin, apparently. She slumped in her chair, feeling a little faint.

“Hey now – ya sure yer okay?” Mr. Turner said. “Ya ain’t sick, are ya?”

“Oh no, I’m fine.” She quickly straightened up.

“That’s a relief. I’d hate to hafta pay a visit to Doc Drake with ya. He’s awful busy tonight patchin’ up the outlaws we shot.”

Pleasant’s eyebrows headed for the ceiling. “Shot?! You shot someone today?” she squeaked.

“Well, yeah. I ain’t gonna go into the particulars, ya bein’ a lady and all, but they shot at us first, so we shot back. I got three of em’ myself.”

Pleasant’s eyes rolled back as her body dropped away into oblivion. If only she could stay there awhile.

* * *

“
I
didn’t say shot
dead!” Eli carried his future bride into the parlor and gently laid her on a red-tufted sofa. “Dang, I never saw a woman faint before.” He looked at Colin and Harrison. “Are they like this for long?”

The brothers looked at one another. “I suppose it depends on how great the shock was,” Colin said.

“She’s still out,” Harrison said. “You must have given her a big one, Eli.”

“What?! Me?” Eli cast a worried glance at Miss Comfort. “What do I do?”

“You do nothing,” Sadie said, kneeling on the floor next to the sofa. She picked up one of Miss Comfort’s hands and began to pat it as Belle fanned her with a hankie.

Much to Eli’s surprise, it worked. Her eyes began to flutter open, and he sighed in relief. It wouldn’t do to have his future bride expire on him her first day in town. He felt so helpless when it came to things like this. A fainting woman, in his book, was best left to other females to deal with.

“What happened?” she asked as Sadie helped her up. “Did I faint?”

“You did,” Belle said matter-of-factly. “Though I can’t say I blame you.” She raised an eyebrow at Eli, who cringed in return. Clearly women from the South weren’t used to hearing about outlaws being shot. But he was a lawman – it was part of his job. He certainly hoped she toughened up quickly – he didn’t know if he could tend to a fainting woman every day of the week …

“I think for now, Eli, you’d better keep those sorts of things to yourself,” Sadie whispered. “At least until the two of you get to know each other better.”

He nodded. Not a bad idea. “Colin, can I talk to ya for a minute?”

“Certainly.” He glanced at Harrison.

Eli caught the exchange. “You too, Harrison, if’n ya don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” The three men went out to the front porch. “I think I know what you’re going to ask.”

“I
know
what he’s going to,” Colin quipped. “You want to know if Miss Comfort can stay here so the two of you can court a bit.”

Eli nodded. “Yep.”

“But why?” asked Harrison. “She’s beautiful, charming, spirited. A mite prone to shocks, but that should pass in time.”

“What if I marry her and she cain’t adjust to life out here?” Eli asked in all seriousness. “Ya saw what just happened.”

Colin stood, hands on hips. “He has a point, brother. We’ve not had anyone from the gentle South grace our town before.”

“Oh yes we have,” Harrison was quick to correct. “The Dunnigans are from … Alabama, was it?”

“The
gentle
South,” Colin emphasized. “The plantations and all that.”

“Ah, I see what you mean. Well, there was Thaddeus Slade …”

“Egads,” Colin retorted. “Granted, he wasn’t the fainting sort …”

“Who?” Eli asked, confused.

“Thaddeus Slade was originally from New Orleans,” Colin explained. “He came to work on the hotel when Mr. Van Cleet was first building it. A horrible lecher – Harrison’s wife can explain in depth if you have the stomach for it.”

Eli looked at the brothers in shock. “How come Tom never told me none of this? Did ya shoot him?”

The brothers laughed. “No,” Harrison managed through his chuckles. “Sadie curbed his ardor by hitting him with a hot frying pan.”

Eli cringed. Sadie had gumption and lots of it. “That explains a lot. But … I don’t think Miss Comfort in there’s of the same mind should somethin’ like that happen.”

“Then you’ll just have to defend your lady fair,” Colin said. “Simple.”

“Not when I’m gone all day deputyin’. Ya cain’t expect me to take her along.”

“Of course not,” Harrison said. “You do what we did with our wives.”

Eli glanced between them. “What was that?”

“We taught them how to defend themselves,” Colin said with a shrug. “After all the things that have happened around here over the years, we weren’t about to leave them defenseless while we were out working.”

Eli nodded. Clear Creek had seen its fair share of unsavory characters over the years. Most everyone was able to take on a little trouble, more if they banded together. He’d been so used to it that he figured everyone was of a like mind. But maybe folks from the South were different – or was it just his bride-to-be? “So what do ya suggest I do?”

“You teach her how,” Colin said as if suggesting he teach her to bake cookies.

Eli ran a hand over his face. “What happens if she’s terrible at it?” After all, did he really want to put a gun into his future wife’s hands?

“Given enough time and effort, she’ll get as good as our wives,” Harrison said. “I don’t see a problem.”

Eli had a sudden vision of Miss Comfort shooting him in the foot. “I do!”

“Come now, man – pull yourself together!” Colin said with a laugh. “What could possibly happen?”

Eli glanced at the parlor window. “Plenty.” Now all he had to do was pray he was wrong.

* * *

“
B
ut why do
I have to stay here?” Pleasant asked Belle. “I thought Mr. Turner and I were to be married.” Wasn’t that what she came for?

“It will give the two of you time to get to know one another better,” Belle told her as she helped her undress. “Besides, it’s not like it’s going to be forever.”

It will be if he decides he doesn’t like me
, she thought. That alone had her tense. Everyone liked her at home. As soon as she turned eighteen, she could’ve had her pick of gentleman. All of them poor, but still … She sighed. No wonder her father had set his eyes on Rupert for her. He had money.

“I think he already likes you,” Sadie hung up Pleasant’s clothes in an armoire next to Honoria’s. “But there are things you need to learn in order to stay safe out here.”

“Safe? Oh dear – you mean against outlaws?”

“Against all sorts of things,” Belle said and looked at Sadie. “Remember that time Ryder Jones was bitten by a rattlesnake, and Constance had to save him?”

“Oh yes. If she hadn’t been able to ride well, he’d have been dead.”

Pleasant was still a couple of sentences behind. “R-r-r-rattlesnake?!”

“Don’t they have those where you come from?” Sadie asked.

“Yes, but … well, actually I don’t know.” She sat down hard on the bed. “I’m not particularly fond of snakes.”

“Well, honestly, who is?” Belle replied. “Or what about the time Duncan was poisoned?”

“Yes – Mrs. MacDonald saved the day that time. Or when Maddie got shot?”

Pleasant jumped up off the bed. “Shot?!”

“Yes, after she jumped out of a speeding stagecoach,” Belle added.

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” Pleasant said, fanning herself with her hand. “What woman jumps out of a moving coach?”

“A desperate one,” Sadie answered somberly. “She was taken against her will by some very bad men.”

“After they shot her husband,” Belle clarified.

Pleasant’s knees went weak, and down she went.

When she came to this time it was on the floor, not a nice soft sofa. “Well, that tells us what we have to work with, doesn’t it?” Sadie asked Belle as they hovered over her.

“Quite – it looks like we have our work cut out for us.”

“Us? Oh no, this is Eli’s problem, not ours. He’s going to have to see to most of her learning.”

“We can take care of some of it, though. And Honoria can help.”