Mail Order Mistake (8 page)

After the men left that night, Malinda lay awake in bed thinking about the things
Harriett had told her would happen between a husband and wife.  Even with how strongly
she felt about Wesley, she couldn’t imagine letting him do that to her.  Not yet anyway. 
Maybe in a month or two….

*****

“So
,
how was dancing with my girl?” Wesley asked Patrick during their short walk back
to Wesley’s home.

“I stepped on her foot.”

“On purpose?”

“Oh, yeah.  She needed to understand that we’re just not right for each other.  We
don’t even move together well on the dance floor.”  Patrick grinned at his brother.

“What did you two talk about?”

“The weather.”

“You didn’t!  She’s going to think you’re the most boring
,
clumsy man alive.  I hope she doesn’t think I’m the same way because we’re brothers.” 
Wesley laughed.

“I’m sure she doesn’t.  She all but ran back to the table to be with you.”

“That’s a good thing.  You need to keep your hands off my girl.”

Patrick shook his head.  “I wouldn’t have touched her if you hadn’t come up with this
idea to make sure Ellen didn’t like me and Malinda didn’t like you.”

“It was a stroke of genius on my part.  Admit it.”

“I’ll admit nothing of the sort.  You think too much of yourself already.”

“Spoil sport.”  Wesley opened the door of his house and walked straight back to his
room, closing the door behind him with a snap.

*****

Malinda helped Ellen cook dinner for the men the following night.  As usual, she followed
Ellen’s instructions and did what she was told.  In the back of her mind she wondered
how she could possibly cook a meal on her own that wasn’t eggs or pancakes, but she
decided she wouldn’t worry about it until the time came.  If she added something else
to worry about, she’d be overwhelmed. 

Ellen asked Malinda to bake the cake
for dessert
, and Malinda did it happily.  She liked to bake as much as she disliked cooking. 
After the thought popped into her mind, she realized she didn’t really dislike cooking,
she just felt uncomfortable doing it.
  Maybe as she did it more, it would be more enjoyable for her.

While they cooked, they chatted about how things were going with the men.  Ellen couldn’t
seem to stop talking about how wonderful Patrick was.  Malinda was pleased to see
her sister so happy.  How could she not be, when Ellen had sacrificed so much for
her?  She almost felt guilty about the hours Ellen had worked with her
,
teaching her the most basic household chores when she’d wanted to be reading a book
or just talking with her friends.  Gradually Ellen’s friends had quit inviting her
to do things, because she always said she had to take care of her sister.

By the time the men came, they had dinner on the table and most of the dishes were
washed.  They only had to do the few plates they’d eaten off of, because Ellen was
fastidious about doing the dishes as they went along.  Malinda didn’t see why it was
so important, but she did it the way her sister wanted to keep her happy.

When the men arrived, Patrick handed her a bouquet of flowers. She hadn’t expected
that.  She looked over at Wesley in confusion as he gave one pink rose to Ellen. 
It was as if each of the men were setting out to court the other’s woman.  Malinda
was angry at first, and then she realized that it was part of the deal they’d made.

At dinner, the others talked while Malinda stirred her foo
d
on her plate.  She wasn’t very hungry after watching the way Wesley was hanging on
Ellen’s every word.
  Did he have to make it look like he was really interested in her?

Ellen kept giving Patrick confused looks, but he pretended not to see them as he focused
on Malinda, who would rather not have his focus.  When she served her cake, Malinda
put it down in front of Wesley, hoping to impress him with her baking skills.  Ellen
didn’t have to worry about impressing a man with her cooking because she was good
at it, but Malinda needed all the help she could get.

After dinner, she followed Patrick out to the porch.  She didn’t know what to say
to the man, so for a moment she stood staring out into the night.  “It’s a nice clear
night.”

“We have a lot of those in the summer here.  I love summer.”

Malinda turned and looked at the man who was sure to be her brother in law.  He was
sitting on the wide porch swing, moving it gently to and fro with his foot.  “I do
too, but I like winter better.  There’s just something about being snowed in and sitting
in front of a hot stove wrapped up in a quilt that makes me smile.”

Patrick patted the swing beside him.  “Come and sit with me.”

Malinda sighed.  She didn’t want to sit beside him, but if she didn’t, was she violating
their agreement?  If she did, was she being hateful to her sister?  She’d never been
in such a difficult situation.  Finally she walked to the swing and sat beside him,
staring straight ahead into the darkness.

“So what do you like to do in your spare time?” he asked.

She shrugged.  “I like to bake, sew and read mainly.  I used to enjoy being outdoors
all the time, but since Father died, it just makes me sad.”
  She didn’t add more to it, because she really didn’t want him knowing anything about
her.   The way the men were switching partners was making her extremely uncomfortable.

“I can understand that.”  He draped his arm around her shoulders, and she wanted to
move away from him.  How dare he touch her that way?  He cared for her sister, didn’t
he?

“What do you like to do?”
  As she asked the question, she leaned forward so his arm wouldn’t be touching her
any longer.

“I enjoy reading books about finance and walking.”

“That sounds terribly boring.”
  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she covered it with her hand.  She shouldn’t
have said that.  She knew she shouldn’t have said that, but he was making her crazy.

He laughed.  “Not afraid to say what you think, are you?”

“Why would I be?  I can’t hide who I really am from a man and not expect him to be
disappointed if we marry.”
  There, would that cover up her embarrassment?  Probably not, but it was worth a
try.

They rocked in silence for another minute.  “Do you want to go for a walk?” he asked.

She shook her head.  “I really don’t.  Can we just stay here?”
  Not that the back porch was any better, but she wanted to be able to yell and have
Wesley hear her.  Patrick made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

He nodded.  “Sure.”  Again nothing was said for a full minute.

She was beginning to feel
even more
uncomfortable when he put his hand on her cheek and turned her face to his. 
He looked deep into her eyes and said, “Your sister is the most beautiful woman in
the world.”

Malinda stiffened up.  “I’m going inside.”  Really, the man was insufferable.  He
acted like he had feelings for her all evening just so he could tell her that?  She
was glad he cared for Ellen, she really was, but to have him say her sister was the
most beautiful woman in the world as he stared into her eyes?  She stood and rushed
into the house.  Wesley would make her feel better.  He always did.

She hurried into the parlor and saw Wesley sitting on the sofa with Ellen.  Neither
of them looked terribly comfortable together or happy to be there.  Malinda was relieved. 
She was afraid both of the brothers would fall for Ellen.  Ellen was just so….well…perfect,
and Malinda was nothing compared to her sister.

She walked to where Ellen and Wesley were sitting together on the couch and immediately
plopped down between them, wedging them apart.  Malinda glared at Wesley.  “I don’t
like your brother as much as I like you.”
  She knew she was frowning, but she didn’t care.  He needed to know his brother was
rude.

Wesley put his arm around her shoulders and smiled.  “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

Malinda saw Ellen slip out of the room as she wrapped her arms around
Wesley’s
neck, initiating a kiss with him for the first time.  She pressed her lips to his,
touching her tongue to his lips as he’d done with her on more than one occasion. 
His lips parted for her, and she moved her tongue inside his mouth to touch his. 
She needed to feel like she was special and wanted, and in Wesley’s arms, she never
felt like she was anything less than the most beautiful woman in the world.

When she broke the kiss she rested her forehead against his shoulder.  “I don’t ever
want to have to spend a night with Patrick again.”
 

He laughed.  “I think Ellen feels the same way about me.”  He stroked her cheek. 
“Do you think you could talk her into agreeing to marry Patrick tomorrow?  We could
have a Saturday wedding.”

Malinda shrugged.  “I’m not sure if she’s ready to make a decision yet.”  She felt
so safe with his arms around her.  He’d protect her from the world, wouldn’t he? 
She wouldn’t have to worry about poverty as long as he lived.  She knew she wouldn’t. 
Maybe she could make a decision….

After the men left for the night, she floated up the stairs in a cloud of happiness. 
Maybe she could agree to marry him tomorrow
if
he’d be willing to put off the wedding for a month or two
.
  Or she could marry him and he could put off consummating the marriage for a while
.
  Surely he’d understand she wasn’t ready for that if she just talked to him about
it.

She fell asleep with a smile on her lips.  She loved the idea of being married to
Wesley, but not having sex with him.  It would be perfect.  He could have the cleaning
and housework done just like he wanted, while she
could have the time she needed to get used to the idea of intercourse.
And they could spend long evenings on the sofa kissing and hugging.
Of course he’d do that for her.  He cared about her, didn’t he?

*****

“I think that went just as we’d hoped,” Patrick told Wesley as they walked toward
Wesley’s house.

“You sure made Malinda angry!  I don’t even want to know what you said to her.”  Wesley
grinned at his brother.

Patrick laughed out loud.  “You should have seen the look on her face
when I told her Ellen was the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Wesley laughed.  “Why did you lie to her?”

“I didn’t!”
  Patrick walked into Wesley almost knocking him over.

“You really think she’s prettier than
Malinda?” Wesley asked in surprise.

“Absolutely!  You don’t?”

Wesley shook his head.  “I’ve never seen a woman more beautiful than Malinda.”

“I guess you can believe that if it makes you stay away from Ellen.”

“They’re turning us into a couple of love-struck idiots.”

Patrick nodded.  “
Yes, they are. 
I don’t mind, though.  Ellen’s worth it.”

*****

First thing the next morning, Ellen cornered her again, demanding she make a decision. 
If she hadn’t been so bossy about it, Malinda had planned to tell her she’d made one.
  She’d been planning on telling her that she was going to marry Wesley.  She still
wasn’t certain she was making the right decision, but she knew she couldn’t marry
anyone else while she was in love with him.

Ellen’s bossiness made Malinda so angry she said she wasn’t making a decision until
she was ready, though.  Malinda loved her sister, but her bossiness was her one contention
with her.

After breakfast, they went for a walk to a park down the street that Patrick had walked
Ellen to earlier in the week.  Malinda liked the looks of the small town.  Everything
seemed peaceful.  At the park, she heard a mother call a little boy named
Tommy
and she smirked, wondering if it was the same boy Wesley had put in jail.

Soon after they arrived, Ellen left to go and help take care of a group of children
across the park.  Malinda would have helped, but Ellen didn’t give her the choice,
so she settled herself under the shade of a huge tree to enjoy a book.  She read several
chapters before Ellen came back.

“Are you ready to go?” Ellen asked, standing in the shade of the large oak tree where
Malinda was reading.  Ellen’s cheeks were flushed from running across the park to
her, and Malinda wondered if her sister would ever stop running in public.
  Malinda had always liked to run but at least she knew that it should only be done
when there weren’t people watching you.

“Yes.  Did you have fun with the children?”  Malinda could see by her face that she
did, but if she was talking about the kids, she wouldn’t be trying to force Malinda
into a decision she’d already made.