Chase (Prairie Grooms, Book Four) (15 page)

Le
na looked at her two sisters, and then to Sadie. “Would doing so give me an upper hand?”

Sadie threw
her face into her hands, and moaned. “You three are impossible!” She then looked at them. “I see no need for it.”

“
Please,” said Lena.” If it would make me learn any faster, then I’ll do it.”

Jefferson came out the kitchen’s back door, carrying the two bread pans. “What in tarnation happened to these?” he bellowed.

Lena spun back to Sadie. “Please?”

Sadie closed her eyes and shook her head. “If Mr. Adams agrees, and if it will make you feel better about getting married, then fine. I personally don't see the logic in it, but then, I'm not in your position.”

“
Then it settled!” said Fina. “You can ask Mr. Adams tonight at dinner.”

“
Dinner!” Lena blurted. “I forgot all about dinner! What am I going to wear?”

“
Quick!” said Fina. “Let's go upstairs and help you choose an outfit!”

“
Oh, would you?” asked Lena in relief.

“Of course!” a
dded Apple. “It will be fun!” With that, the three sisters ran for the house and disappeared through the kitchen’s back door to leave Jefferson and Sadie staring after them.

Jefferson held both pans upside down and tried to shake the loaves free. They wouldn't budge. “Them gals are sure gonna have a hard time of it once they get married. I don't envy their husbands one bit.”

“
Neither do I,” said Sadie. “But let's not tell them that.”

Jefferson banged the pans together a few times and tried again to dislodge the contents. No luck. They stuck in the pans like glue. “My lips are sealed if yours are,” he said.

Sadie smiled, and then began to laugh. Jefferson soon followed, and together, they laughed themselves silly.

Ten

Chase checked the time of his pocket watch. She was late. No… He was early. Early, because he was nervous, of all things. He'd quit work just as he said he would, went home, got cleaned up, and then galloped back to town so he could speak with Mrs. Upton about the supper she planned for them. He wanted everything to be perfect for Lena, including the food. But the food, in all probability, was the thing he should least worry about. This was Mrs. Upton after all, and the hotel and its kitchen were her domain. She was just as good a cook as Mrs. Dunnigan, better in some aspects. Why he was worried at all, he had no idea. Come to think of it, why he was nervous he had no idea.

He couldn't wait to see her again.

He couldn't wait to find an excuse to touch her hand, even better kiss it.

He couldn't wait to touch even
more
of her, and then take her in his arms.

He couldn't wait to steal a kiss.

On second thought, he supposed he did have one thing to worry about. He didn't want to appear
desperate
to get married.

What if he came across as lusting after the pretty, English miss? How likely would she
want to marry him then? She was English born and a lady after all. Not some trollop from a saloon. But the thought of such a woman warming his bed, even if she was a high-bred lady, did have its appeal. He was a healthy man after all, and that particular aspect of marriage was a normal one, so naturally he would want to exercise his rights in that area. Besides, she would enjoy it too. At least he hoped she would.

Chase thought a moment. He'd always heard that the English were stuffy and stiff, not the sort of people one could have fun with. But the first set of cousins to arrive in Clear Creek seemed amiable enough. Why not the second set? Yet, these were not the same, he knew it, as did others in town. They carried themselves differently than Penelope, Constance, and Eloise.

Chase began to wonder why that was, when Mrs. Upton entered the hotel's dining room, and approached his table. “Any sign of her yet?” she asked.

“No, ma'am. But she'll be a
long.”

“Don't you look handsome,” s
he told him with a smile. “I bet after that little gal sees you tonight, she'll just be itching to get married!”

“
I'm not counting on that, ma'am.”

“
Why not? It's what she came here for isn't it?”

“
Yes, but she's the type that wants to get to know her intended first. I can respect that.”

“
Oh come now, if you had your way you’d have married her the moment she got off that stage,” said Mrs. Upton with a wave of her hand.

“
No doubt about it, but she seems the skittish type, and I’d really hate to frighten her away.”

Mrs. Upton studied him a moment then nodded. “I never thought about that. If it were me, I'd want to get married immediately!”

Chase had to laugh at that. “Any man would be a fool not to marry
you
right away, Mrs. Upton,” he told her with a wink.

“
Well I wish he'd hurry up!” she added. “I ain’t gettin’ any younger!”

“
Why haven't you gotten married yet?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Because I haven't found him yet.”

He cocked his head
. “How are you supposed to know? You're in a town full of men wanting to get married,” he pointed out. “What are you waiting for?”

“Like I said,
I haven't found the one I'm supposed to marry.”

He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “So you're telling me, there's just one man out there for ya?”

“
Yep, that's what I'm saying,” she said with a curt nod of her head. “He's out there somewhere. I just haven't run across him yet.”

“How ya gonna know it’s him?”

“Through patience and perseverance,” she said with a smile.

“
I'm afraid I don't understand,” he said.

“
Well, you see,” she began. “The man I’m interested in has got to have patience, but he also needs to be persistent and persevere. He ain’t gonna be lusting after me,” she said as she waved her hand to indicate her plump physique. “But even if I was a younger woman, he’d be patient, just like you’re trying to be patient with your intended. He'd be persistent in pursuing me, and he’d persevere, because what if it took a long time for me to make up my mind?”

“
Make up your mind?”

“
If I wanted to marry him, of course.”

“
I can understand that,” he said. “But that's not the way it works with mail-order brides.”

“
Son, these English ladies ain’t like true mail-order brides. They’re more like arranged marriages.”

“But that's what
a mail order bride is, isn't it? Besides, in a lot of those arranged marriages, the bridegroom don't get to see his bride until they get hitched. I don't see the difference.”

“
Take my word for it, Chase Adams. Don't rush this gal, give her some space, get to know her, fall in love,” she said with a smile.

“
I was kind of worried I’d look desperate,” he admitted. “So I've been trying to go at her pace.”

“
Yes,” she agreed as she raised one eyebrow at him. “For a whole week!”

“Some time is
better than nothing,” he said with a shrug.

“Of course it is,
just try to balance it with a little romance. I think that's what these English women want. In fact, I'll let you in a little secret,” she told him.

“
All women want to be romanced, even mail-order brides. Of course, a lot of that romancing comes after their married, cause they get married so quick like. But mark my words, she’ll want
some
romance.”

“Well,
this here dinner is romantic, ain’t it?” he asked.

“
Not yet, let me fix something first,” she said and hurried off.

Chase sat and watched her flit
about the room and lower the lanterns. Daylight still shone through the windows, but without that lanterns turned up, the room grew dim. She returned to his table and turned the lantern nearest to him, down a notch. “There,” she said happily. “That ought to do it.”

“Sure is gonna
get dark in here, Mrs. Upton. How are we supposed to see to eat?”

Mrs. Upton giggled in delight.
“You just take advantage of the low lights,” she said with a wink. “And if you're lucky, you might get to do a little sparkin’.”

“
She's bringing her older cousin with her, to chaperone,” he said flatly.

The look of delight on Mrs. Upton space disappeared. “What? I thought Grandma Waller would be chaperoning you tonight.”

“
No ma'am, I'm afraid not.”

“
Well, so much for romance! huffed Mrs. Upton. She went around the room again, and turned up each, and every lantern. She ended with the one nearest his table. “Humph! Fine! See if I help give love a chance! I hope you enjoy your dinner!” She then stomped back to her kitchen.

* * *

Not a moment later, Lena arrived with her cousin Imogene. Chase noticed the determined look in the elder cousin's eyes, and wondered what she was thinking. He stood and went to greet them. “Hello ladies. Fine evening isn't it?”

Le
na smiled at him, and he fought his own excitement as his heart swelled. She was lovely, beautiful in fact. She wore a dark-blue dress that deepened the color of her auburn hair. It glistened in the lamplight, and her creamy complexion was perfection in the lantern’s soft glow. Chase had to swallow just so he could speak. “Would you like to sit down?”

“
Of course she would,” snapped the elder cousin, Imogene. “It's what she came here for, isn't it?”

“
Are you going to join us, Cousin?” asked Lena.

“
Certainly not!” she growled back. “I’m going to take a seat over there at one of those other tables, and enjoy my novel.”

Chase noted the book in
the woman's hand, and smiled in relief. He was afraid he'd be sharing the meal with her as well. “I'm sure Mrs. Upton won't mind if you do,” he told her. “She did prepare dinner for three.”

“
Of course she did,” said Imogene. “She knew you'd have a chaperone. It’s only proper.”

“
Of course,” he said. He then smiled at her and waited to see what she would do next. Thankfully she turned toward one of the tables she indicated earlier, and sat without another word. Chase fought the urge to sigh in relief, and instead pulled a chair out for Lena.

“T
hank you,” she said as she seated herself. Chase went around the table and re-took his own seat, and then realized he'd never pulled a chair out for a woman before. There'd been no call for it in his twenty-six years. In fact, he'd never really courted a woman. Nor had he had the opportunity. But he didn’t want to think about that now. “Mrs. Upton prepared a roast chicken for us,” he said. He absently straightened the silverware on the table before he put his hands in his lap. He didn't want to appear nervous, but once again realized that he was.

“
This is a lovely room,” she said. “I thought so the first time I saw it.”

He glanced around. “Yes, it certainly is. Mr. Van Cleet spared no expense.

She glanced at her cousin who was
now engrossed in her book, then turned back to him. “I hope you don't mind my asking, but how big is your place?”

“
My place? Well, I can tell you one thing, it's not as big as this.”

She laughed knowing he was making a joke. “I'm sure it's not. I was just trying to get an idea of the house I’m to live in.” Her cheeks stained pink as she looked away.

Was she embarrassed asking
such a question? “It ain't big by any means,” he told her. “But it will serve well enough for the two of us. At least until a youngin’ or two comes along. Then we’ll probably have to add on.”

“
Oh, yes, of course. Children…”

He stared at her. Did she not want children? This was the second time he noticed her hesitate when the subject was brought up. “I'd like to have three or four. That is, if it's agreeable to you.”

“I would think whatever
amount of children we have is up to the Lord above, don't you?”

“
Well, since you put it that way, then I'm asking Him for three or four.”

“
Isn't one enough?”

“
No ma'am, not when you're trying to run a farm.”

“But you’re a
blacksmith, not a farmer,” she pointed out with a nervous laugh.

“
I know, but I've always wanted to try my hand at farming, and I don't want to be a blacksmith forever.” Her upper lip twitched. On the one hand, he found it adorable, but on the other hand, he had to wonder what it signified. Was she as nervous as he was? Or was it simply the subject of children that put her on edge?