Romance: Mail Order Bride "The Ideal Bride" Clean Christian Western Historical Romance (Western Mail Order Bride Short Shorties Series) (155 page)

Chapter Two

Jenny only knew that her future husband was six feet tall with dark hair. When the train came to a stop, she grabbed her canvas bags and walked off the train. Jenny scanned the crowd and noticed a sea of cowboy hats with no way of knowing what color hair was underneath. Finally, she spotted a man with his hat in hand and a swath of dark hair. His green eyes were searching also at each woman as she stepped off the train. She knew she’d found Gavin Hennessey and she swallowed hard as her heart skipped a beat. He must have realized it was her because he started walking towards her.

“You are Jenny, I predict. I was only told that your eyes were violet, which is something you don’t see every day. I’m Gavin and this is my Aunt Nell who came along so you weren’t uncomfortable traveling with a strange man.”

“You guessed right, I’m Jenny Fisk, or rather Mason. My trunk should be thrown up from the cargo hold in minutes.”

“The wagon awaits. You look like a sturdy woman, although you could use some meat on your bones.” Nell looked Jenny up and down as if she was a side of beef purchased at market. “My husband Caleb and I have looked out for Gavin since the tragic death of his parents. We’re anxious to move to the city and leave ranching behind because living among the pigs and chickens was not our choice. A mail order bride seemed a good solution because we couldn’t expect Gavin to find a bride the regular way as he believes in romance and true love. That ended poorly the first time he tried.”

“No need to bring up the past, Aunt Nell.” Gavin said as he quickly changed the subject. “Point me towards your trunk and I’ll carry it to the wagon.”

Gavin was courteous and handsome in a rugged cowboy sort of way. He was only in his twenties but his skin was tanned and weathered. His smile was welcoming and his teeth were whiter than Jenny had ever seen. Freckles dotted his nose, which were the result of exposure to the sun and he was surely a muscular man. Gavin was by no means fat or skinny, either, and he towered over Jenny at six feet. Jenny was little more than 5 feet tall, which led many to underestimate her sturdiness. Gavin handled her trunk with no problem and the three sat in a row on the wagon bench. Jenny was used to a covered carriage at home and she had only been in an automobile once.

“I’m sure this looks different than Boston.” Gavin held the reins with Nell beside him and Jenny on the end. “That’s somewhere I’ve never been and will never go. It’s no place for a cowboy.”

“I agree with you, Gavin. City folk back east have manners and such that you don’t possess,” Nell said with a scowl that seemed to be permanently fixed on her face.

Jenny spoke up: “Not everyone has manners back east. They only dress like they do and many fake it.”

Gavin laughed. “I’ve thought that but never said it. You have a good read on folks, as I do, and I think we’ll get along if that’s any indication.”

“Texas looks different and smells different than home. When I stepped off the train, the smell smacked me in the face and I didn’t like it. It’s dry and dusty but in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve grown to like it,” Jenny commented as she took off her coat because the hot sun was beating down.

“The engine on the train must have had something to do with the foul odor. Texas is all I’ve ever known but I like it. In the mornings as the breeze blows, it smells fresh. The ash and juniper trees that surround the pond give off a musky scent.”

Jenny craned her neck to maximize the feeling of the sun on her face. She felt sick on much of the ride, which took a few weeks, but she was beginning to feel better. Her stomach pains were worrisome. The last thing she needed was illness in the company of strangers. The occasional stand of trees or herd of cattle were the only things that interrupted the vista. In the distance, a house came into view, which Jenny guessed was the Hennessey ranch, her new home. Jenny had never seen a house with no stairs. There was a lot to get used to in Texas but at least it was far away from her reputation in Boston and a clean slate was awaiting her as Mrs. Hennessey. They rode up the dirt road to the squat brown house. A man was sitting on the front porch who Jenny assumed was Uncle Caleb.

“Welcome!” He came bounding off the porch, led by his potbelly. “You must be the bride from Boston.” Uncle Caleb picked Jenny up and gave her a bear hug. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, and I hope that these two critters didn’t scare you off. We don’t bite– at least I don’t.”

“Jenny Mason, and yes, I’m the bride from Boston.” Jenny lifted up her sleeve and showed her arm. “No bite marks yet.” She laughed.

Uncle Caleb helped Jenny relax and Gavin seemed happy to see him as well. Aunt Nell gave a tour of the house. Jenny would share a bedroom with her husband but they had separate beds and she was shown a private changing area. Chicken stew was simmering on the stove and the home was spotless. The wood floor would need sweeping every day and there was less clutter than in Boston. Aunt Harriette’s books alone had to be dusted every day; it was a mystery why she kept them around because she didn’t read. Jenny was looking at a photograph of Gavin as a child with his parents, she assumed, when he walked into the parlor.

“I lost track of you, Jenny. I love that photo because it depicts my parents happy as they always were. Thought you already high tailed it back to Boston and I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

“Why do you say that? It’s not as if I had a plethora of opportunities back east.”

“The situation would be overwhelming for me, if the roles were reversed. Leaving home to cook, clean and bear children for a complete stranger is a lot to take on.”

Jenny was taken aback because her situation had been presented as a clean slate and not servitude. Before she could respond, the rumbling in her stomach sent her running to the water closet. She was thankful for indoor plumbing as she vomited in the toilet. As she wiped her mouth, she realized for the first time that she might be pregnant. Jenny couldn’t believe she hadn’t guessed her condition earlier. It seemed as if Leonard Fisk was haunting her from the grave. Gavin knocked at the door.

“Jenny, are you all right? Is it something I said? Aunt Nell is waiting for you in the kitchen to show you how to properly make dumplings and set the table. Should I tell her you’re on your way?”

“I think the excitement of my arrival proved too much for my delicate stomach. I’m going to retire if it’s ok with you.”

“No problem, Jenny. I’ll give you your peace and sleep in the spare room tonight. I’ll see you for breakfast in the morning. I prefer my eggs dry and my coffee strong. Alert Aunt Nell if there’s anything you need.”

“I’ll be good as new tomorrow,” Jenny lied. The thought of eggs made her sick.

“Good, because the justice of the peace will marry us tomorrow afternoon.”

Jenny was in a state of panic as she thought of a way to make this latest development work.

Chapter Three

Jenny lay in bed feeling her tummy to see if it had started to swell. Her cycle was off after Leonard’s shocking murder and before she knew it, she was on her way to Texas. She never suspected she was pregnant because she had only been intimate with Leonard one time. He came home drunk one night and it was against her will so she pushed it out of her mind. Jenny knew that things with Gavin had to happen fast or he would know the child wasn’t his. Lying was a hell of a way to begin a marriage but she saw no option. Jenny heard pots clanking in the kitchen, which was her signal to start moving.

“Good morning, Nell. Tell me what to do and I shall do it.” Jenny was cheerful to begin the day.

“By now we should have the bacon in the pan but you obviously aren’t accustomed to waking when the rooster crows. We have a brand new icebox that I don’t entirely trust and you’ll find milk on the top shelf. The milk came from the cow yesterday and we’ll replenish the supply today when we get back from saying vows.”

“Right, right. I’ll have to put on a proper dress to get married in,” Jenny said. She was wearing a drab green dress that she didn’t mind getting dirty for cooking and chores.

“What you’re wearing is proper enough. Caleb and I leave in a week and it’s my job to get you up to speed.”

“Things are moving so quickly and I still haven’t said but a few words to Gavin.”

“He’s a man of few words, but you weren’t brought here for conversation,” Nell said flatly.

Jenny was an emotional mess by the time Gavin and Caleb came to the table. She heard that pregnancy brought with it tears and delicate feelings. She vowed to try to suppress them as best she could.

“I hope you’re feeling better this morning, Jenny. I’ll give you a few nights to collect yourself in the bedroom alone because the last thing I want to do is scare you off. After our trip in to see the justice today, would you like to take a ride to the pond with me?

Aunt Nell gave Gavin a venomous glare.

“Oh, I’m surprised because you’re so busy on the ranch, but I would be delighted,” Jenny chirped.

“Gavin, you have ranch hands ready to start moving the cattle into more fertile grazing land,” Nell reminded her nephew.

“They’re capable of doing it without me. I think spending a Saturday afternoon with my new bride is called for,” Gavin insisted.

“She’s a mail order bride, Gavin, not Mary Horning.” Nell got up from the table and walked out.

Caleb rolled his eyes. “Ignore her, Jenny. She woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Come to think of it, she always wakes up that way. Bacon’s cooked just right and I hope you have a splendid day at the pond.” Caleb was the peacemaker. He was trying to make Jenny’s coming to Texas a success while Nell was doing everything in her power to make it fail.

“I don’t know who Mary Horning is or was and I don’t have time to care because I have to get ready to say my wedding vows. I won’t make a fuss and Nell told me there was no need to change clothes, but I’d like to at least change my dress.”

“That’s the spirit, Jenny. Nothing wrong with injecting a bit of sophistication into this household.” Caleb cleared his plate and left Jenny and Gavin alone in the kitchen.

“You must know by now that my Aunt Nell is a handful. Caleb is my father’s brother so I’m not related to Nell by blood – thank God. Nell has always doubted the existence of romance, and if you knew my parents, you’d know it exits. They had true love. Nell wished you to be a downcast and unattractive woman. But you are a lovely, clever woman who brings buoyancy to the ranch.”

“I’ll gladly accept your compliments when you know me better,” Jenny blushed. “I’ll be out in front after I change. Wouldn’t want to become Mrs. Gavin Hennessey in a grease-splattered frock.”

“I may as well put on a clean shirt for the occasion. I’ll hitch up the team and meet you out front.”

Jenny brought out her favorite blue dress, which had satin piping. It wasn’t brand new or too formal—perfect for the occasion. She pulled the sleeves on and it was perfect, but when she tried to fasten it, it was too snug. Jenny was beginning to think that marriage to Gavin wouldn’t be so bad. She almost forgot she was pregnant. Jenny thought quickly and did the best she could with the buttons. A blue duster would keep her back concealed and no one would see. Jenny pulled her hair up in a loose bun and walked out to meet Gavin.

“You look beautiful, Jenny, but aren’t you going to be warm? The coat can be left here because I’m sure it will only get hotter this afternoon.”

“No. It’s a matched set and I never wear one without the other,” Jenny said as if she knew the first thing about fashion.

“Suit yourself. We can sit on the bench in back and Uncle Caleb can ride the wagon with Nell next to him. In order to make the marriage official, we need two witnesses and they will fulfill the duty.”

“Perfect. You do know I was married once and that my husband died. I don’t know why I’m telling you this now. I have to learn to keep my mouth shut.”

Gavin smiled. “I had Mr. Kellogg at the mercantile find out all about you from your Mr. Galbo. I know you were wed to a crook and are lucky to be done with him. I had numerous women to choose from and I knew when it said you have violet eyes and you love to read that you were the one. Nell thinks I should have picked a woman with farm experience or someone who bragged about their cooking, but those things can be learned.”

“I’m relieved that you knew.”

“It’s not as if you’re pregnant with your dead husband’s child,” Gavin laughed.

Jenny was relieved that they had arrived at their destination. She didn’t know how she was going to respond to Gavin’s comment. It was especially troubling because Jenny was beginning to feel as if Texas might work. Gavin helped Jenny out of the wagon and because he had nothing to compare it to he had no idea she had put on weight.

In a small town like Olean, Texas, they didn’t have a courthouse as Jenny expected there might be. The Justice of the Peace was also the sheriff, mayor and likely he held a number of other official duties in Olean. His office was used for events like weddings and it was connected to the jail. After a few words, a ring was on Jenny’s finger and Gavin was directed to kiss the bride. Gavin leaned in and Jenny expected a quick kiss on the cheek. Gavin was full of surprises: he put his hand behind Jenny’s head and pulled her in for a delicate kiss on the lips. Her knees were weak and this time it wasn’t a result of being pregnant.

“Well, that’s done with. We should return to the ranch immediately because there’s work to be done,” Nell said as she quickly ushered them back to the wagon.

“There’s plenty of day left. I told Jenny we would go down to the pond and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We’ll stop in the barn on the way back to the house and Jenny can help milk the cows,” Gavin said as he helped the new Mrs. Hennessey back on the wagon.

“I can’t wait to milk a cow. I’ve never had the opportunity to be around farm animals, so I’m excited.”

Aunt Nell shook her as the wagon traveled the rocky road back to the ranch.

“I know you’re about to say something nasty, Nell,” Caleb said. “Let the newlyweds be happy for a moment at least.”

Jenny felt happy having the wedding part of the deal finished but she was unsure about having Gavin marry her without the facts. The longer she spent with him the more she thought that she would tell him the truth. To pass the baby off as his would be devious and Jenny would have to deal with the consequences that came with the truth.