Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Turner (13 page)

Pleasant’s eyes widened. “But I … I’ve never taken care of an animal in my life. Not even a puppy.”

“No time like the present to start,” Sadie said with a happy smile and a pat on the back. “Don’t worry, taking care of animals is much easier than you might think. Certainly easier than taking care of a husband.”

“I say, wife, that’s not very fair,” Harrison objected. “We are
not
hard to care for.”

“So
you
say,” Belle retorted with a wry smile.

Colin placed his fists on his hips. “You mean, after all the years we’ve been married, you’re just
now
saying that I’m difficult?”

“I can vouch I’m nothing of the kind,” Harrison glared at Sadie.

“I didn’t say you were that difficult,” Sadie shot back. “Only that you weren’t as easy to care for as, say, a laying hen. Some days I wish I only had to scatter corn on the ground and leave you to it.”

“Oh,” Harrison replied. “Well, that’s all right, then.”

“Don’t let ‘em scare ya none, sweetie,” Eli said with a grin, taking Pleasant by the hand. “I’m real easy to take care of. Just feed me a few meals every day, keep the house clean, maybe mend my clothes and I’m a happy man.”

Harrison and Colin tried to hide smiles but failed miserably. “What are you two grinning about?” Pleasant asked, worry in her voice.

“Nothing to concern you, Miss Comfort,” Harrison said. “You’re going to marry a good man and have this lovely little cottage. It will be wonderful once Eli gets it done.”

Pleasant’s eyes brightened.
Cottage
did sound nicer than
shack
. It was all a matter of perspective, she supposed. “Well, so long as I don’t have to climb a ladder to get to bed, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s the spirit,” Belle said with a smile. “And don’t fret – Sadie and I will help too.”

“Yes,” Harrison agreed. “And we’ll start things off by giving you a few cattle as a wedding present.”

“Aw shucks, Harrison,” Eli said. “Ya don’t hafta do that.”

“Perhaps, but we’re happy to,” Colin remarked.

Eli unexpectedly pulled Pleasant into his arms. “Ain’t that wonderful? They’re gonna give us some cows! I can’t wait to teach ya how to milk one.”

Pleasant paled. “I can hardly wait.”

“If we don’t get back to town and get our business done, you’ll be waiting longer than you need to,” Sadie said. “It’s time we headed home.”

Eli stared at Pleasant as if he just realized she was in his arms. Pleasant, on the other hand, was still thinking about cows and didn’t really notice. “I guess I can wait a few more days,” he said softly as he studied her. “But I don’t think I can last much longer.”

Pleasant blinked a few times as his words registered. “My dress,” she said, reminding him in a voice just as soft. “We need to finish it.”

“I know. I cain’t wait to see ya in it. Yer gonna be the prettiest bride Clear Creek’s ever seen.”

She blushed. “I don’t know about the prettiest, but … I do want to look nice for you. Every bride should look nice for her future husband on her wedding day.”

“I agree.” He smiled, let her go, wrapped her arm around his and escorted her to the wagon as the others trailed behind.

“Would you like to come join us for supper tomorrow, Eli?” Harrison asked.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, never taking his eyes from Pleasant’s. His head suddenly spun to the other two men. “That is, if’n I don’t have guard duty. If’n I do, I’ll try to get word out to the ranch.”

“No need – I’m sure one of us will be coming into town tomorrow,” said Colin.

“We most certainly will,” Sadie added. “We have Pleasant’s dress to work on, remember?”

“There’s your answer, Eli,” Harrison said. “One way or another, we’ll see you tomorrow.”

Eli nodded, took Pleasant’s hands in his and gave them a squeeze. “‘Til tomorrow then, sweetie. Ya have a nice rest of the afternoon and evenin’, ya hear?”

Heat crept into her cheeks – and a few other places – and she took a deep breath as she stared at him. “I’ll certainly try.”

“Ya do that.” He released her and helped her into the wagon as Harrison and Colin did the same with Sadie and Belle. With a slap of the lines Colin got the horses moving as everyone waved their goodbyes.

Pleasant’s eyes lingered on Eli as they pulled away, and she took one last look at the tiny cottage –
keep calling it that, it helps
– that would be her home. Once again she reminded herself that becoming a mail-order bride had been the right thing to do. After all, she could’ve done a lot worse than Eli Turner.

T
he ladies’ sewing
circle went to work on Pleasant’s dress the next day with a will. Were they anxious to see her wed? She had no idea, but she liked that they were trying to speed things along.

Yet when she thought of Eli’s small cabin –
cottage, cottage …
– in comparison with the house at Comfort Fields, she cringed. She’d had servants, beautiful gowns, a bevy of brothers for protection (and, admittedly, a source of irritation) and a father who, until he ran out of money, doted on her.

She sighed as she tried her best to stitch. What did she miss most, her family or the money? Of course she missed her brothers, especially her twin Matt. They’d been very close growing up, but the war and the chaotic aftermath had driven a wedge between them, one that grew as the years passed. As the family’s money dwindled, so did their relationship.

But she had to admit that Matt was growing into a fine young man. He had other interests – women and horses, for instance – and spent more and more time with his brothers. What did she expect him to do, sit around and discuss her latest new dress? Matt was grown up and that was that.

She did wonder how mad he was at her leaving the way she had. But she hadn’t heard a peep out of any of them, and likely never would. They had no idea where she’d gone, and no way of finding out except maybe to wheedle it out of Aunt Phidelia. By the time they did, if they did, she’d be married. There’d be nothing they could do.

The morning wore on, and the ladies made good progress. They were just finishing up for the day when Pastor Josiah King, Annie’s husband, came out of the church office to check on them. “How are things coming?”

“Very well,” Annie said. “Eli and Miss Comfort could marry after church on Sunday if they wanted.”

Preacher Jo, as he was called, smiled and looked at Pleasant. “My, my, that would be something.”

Pleasant looked between him and his wife. “Sunday after church is fine with me. I’m sure Mr. Tur … er, Eli will think so too.”

Preacher Jo laughed. “Oh, I know the two of you won’t mind, and neither will the rest of the town. If we have the wedding Sunday after service, they’ll all want to attend.”

Pleasant blanched. “They will?! But … but they don’t know me.”

“They know Eli,” he said. “Besides, we love weddings around here and the entire town has been to … oh, let me think, just about every one. Isn’t that right, Annie?”

“I wasn’t here for the first few,” she commented. “And I don’t know if you can count the one in the livery stable.”

“Oh yes,” he said with a chuckle. “We won’t count that one.”

The other ladies still present giggled. Pleasant glanced around the sewing circle, trying to figure out what the joke was. “You officiated a wedding in the livery stable?” she finally asked.

“Yes, though it was rather … unofficial.”

Pleasant’s face screwed up in disgust. “Who in their right mind wants to get married in a livery stable?”

Preacher Jo’s smile was tight-lipped. “No one. Including, in that case, the bride and groom. Though they did come around.”

“He’s talking about Mr. Berg, our old blacksmith at the time, and Madeline Van Zuyen,” Belle muttered. “You’ve heard us mention them before.”

“Yes, but why would they get married in the livery?”

“It was a shotgun wedding,” Grandma Waller clarified. “With actual shotguns.”

Pleasant’s mouth flopped open. “Wha-a-a-at?!”

Preacher Jo nodded to himself in recollection. “Let’s see, that was back in ‘59. The third wedding I ever performed here – and still the only one where I had to threaten to take an English duke’s gun away.”

“And shove it up his nose,” Grandma added.

Pleasant’s head was spinning. She’d heard of shotgun weddings, but this was the first time she’d met someone involved in one, let alone one so bizarre. “Oh, that poor girl.”

“Not hardly,” Preacher Jo said. “Though Mr. Berg did get more than he bargained for when he got hitched to Madeline Van Zuyen, that’s for sure.”

The ladies laughed in agreement, and Pleasant knew she was missing something. Had Belle or Sadie mentioned anything out of the ordinary about the couple? Not that she recalled, but they’d spoken only briefly of them …

“Has anyone heard from them lately?” Mary Mulligan asked.

“Not for a while now,” Sadie said. “But I imagine we’ll get a letter soon.”

Pleasant shook herself. Enough of this – she needed to concentrate on her wedding. “I suppose I don’t mind the town attending my wedding if Eli doesn’t.” Truth be told, she’d always dreamed of a big wedding with a church full of people. It wouldn’t be exactly what she’d pictured in her head – she’d hardly know most of the attendees – but that was a minor quibble. However … “Oh dear.”

“What’s the matter?” Sadie asked.

“If all those people stay after church just to watch us get married, what about cake?”

“Cake?” Preacher Jo laughed. “My dear Miss Comfort, we’ll let Mrs. Upton and Mrs. Dunnigan take care of the wedding supper and cake. Don’t you worry, they’ll have it well in hand.”

“Wedding supper?” Pleasant said, a half-smile on her face.

“Of course,” said Grandma. “You’ve got to have a wedding supper at the hotel after the ceremony. Everyone pitches in and brings something. There’ll be plenty of food.”

Pleasant put a hand to her chest and smiled, tears in her eyes. She’d never dreamed she’d be in the midst of so many kind people. “You’d do that for Eli and me?”

“Naturally,” Grandma said. “I told you before – around here we help each other. You’d better get used to it.”

Pleasant covered her mouth with a hand to stifle a sob. She didn’t know why she was getting so emotional all of a sudden. Maybe because these near-strangers were so willing to help her and wanted to see that she and Eli were happy. Speaking of Eli, she couldn’t wait to tell him!

Yes, there was something far more important than the money she’d grown up with. The people of Clear Creek genuinely cared about one another. Their love and respect wasn’t hidden away deep within their own family, never to be seen beyond the borders of their property. No, they shared it freely, even with a stranger in their midst. “Thank you … so much. I think Sunday is a fine idea.”

“It’s settled, then!” Mary announced. “I’ll let everyone else know to get cooking.”

“I’ll handle the decorations, as is my usual post,” Sadie said.

“And we’ll be sure the dress is done in time,” chimed in Belle.

“I’ll make some pies for Eli,” Grandma volunteered. “In case he has a hard time waiting ‘til Sunday.”

Pleasant cocked her head in confusion. “Pies?”

Preacher Jo laughed. “Around here it’s a tradition to, ah, keep a groom well-stocked with pies until he’s married. To distract him from getting ahead of things.”

Grandma nodded. “Otherwise he’s apt to do something foolish before his wedding night.”

Pleasant slowly began to understand, and a smile formed on her face. “Well, I declare, I suppose it’s better than whiskey.”

“Tastier too,” Grandma said. “Besides, a man in his cups isn’t worth his salt the next day.”

“Though neither is a man with an upset stomach,” Preacher Jo replied.

“Depends on how many pies there are,” Belle said with a smile. “Okay, let’s meet here again tomorrow, ladies. We have a wedding to plan!”

Pleasant sat, unable to hold back her tears. The folks back home, nice as they were, wouldn’t dream of holding a wedding like this. They’d call it undignified, say that the people of Clear Creek were beneath them. She had thought that way, until she gave everything up and made a run for it. But now she saw that happiness far outweighed a bank account. And it wasn’t as if marrying Eli Turner would cause her to starve – he would do his best to provide for and protect her.

“Now there’s no need for tears, child.” Grandma handed her a handkerchief.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that … you’ve all been so very kind to me and I feel like I don’t deserve it.”

“What makes you say that?” Sadie asked. “Just because you’re new in town doesn’t mean we’re going to treat you any different than anyone else. You’re marrying Eli, our friend. Of course we’re going to welcome you with open arms.”

Pleasant sniffed back her tears and dabbed at her nose with the handkerchief. “Where I come from, things are much different.”

“You and your kin must have suffered greatly with the war,” Preacher Jo stated. “I imagine trust is a hard thing to come by.”

She nodded. “Yes, very. You’d think things would be so much better by now, but there are still so many out to … well, never mind.” She looked at the concerned faces staring back at her. “I’m glad I’m here.”

Sadie smiled. “And we’re glad to have you. Now let’s get you home. Eli is coming to supper.”

* * *

P
leasant helped take
the biscuits out of the oven, picked up the platter of fried chicken Sadie had prepared and set it on the kitchen table. Jefferson, Edith and the Kincaids were having supper in their own homes this evening, so the family was eating in the kitchen.

“Won’t Eli be surprised when he finds you baked this pie all by yourself?” Sadie asked.

“I just hope it turned out all right,” she replied nervously. “It’s my first real pie.”

“Well, the first one without one of us hovering over you,” Belle added with a smile. “I’m sure he’ll love it. Come to think of it, where is Eli? He should be here by now.”

“I hope he’s able to make it,” Pleasant said. “This pie actually looks good.”

“You want to marry him, don’t you?” Belle asked.

“What kind of a question is that?” Pleasant asked. “It’s what I came here for.”

“Yes, but there’s getting married because you’re a mail-order bride, and there’s getting married because you want to, because you
like
Eli.”

“Oh, that.” Pleasant blushed. “Yes, I am beginning to like him a lot. I suppose that helps, as I’m to marry him on Sunday.”

“I can’t say it enough – he’ll make you a wonderful husband,” said Sadie.

“I’m beginning to see that,” Pleasant admitted as she hung her head. “Now I’m more concerned about being a wonderful wife.”

“It’ll come to you in time,” Sadie assured. “It took Belle and me a while too, and I’m not talking about just cleaning, sewing, cooking and doing a man’s laundry. You have to listen to him, encourage him, counsel him at times.”

“Merciful heavens, are men really that helpless?” Pleasant asked in surprise.

“Not necessarily,” Belle said. “But they do depend on us. And they need our respect and understanding most of all.”

“What about us?” Pleasant asked. “What about our needs?”

“You have to be sure he knows what they are,” Belle said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being married all these years, it’s that they can’t read our minds. After you’ve educated your husband, it’s up to him to do what needs to be done.”

“Just as it’s up to you to see to his needs,” Sadie added. “It takes two to make a marriage – it can’t be one-sided. But Eli is perfectly capable, willing and, dare I say, eager to do his part.”

Pleasant blew out a breath. “I hope I make a good wife. I hate to admit this, but I’ve never had to be responsible for anyone before. Not even myself, really.”

“We know,” Belle said. “We were the same before we got married.”

“That’s good to know.” Pleasant hugged them both.

“You’re going to be a wonderful wife,” Belle said. “Stop fretting about it.”

Pleasant pulled away and looked at them. “I know I shouldn’t worry so, but it’s hard when it’s something I’ve never done before.”

A knock sounded at front door, interrupting the conversation. “That must be Eli,” Belle said. “Now pull yourself together and let’s have a nice supper.”

Pleasant nodded, took one last look at her beautiful pie, then went to finish setting the table.

Supper couldn’t get over fast enough. Pleasant was eager to see what Eli thought of her apple pie. She’d used a recipe Grandma Waller had given Belle years ago and insisted neither Belle nor Sadie tell her what to do.

Making that pie made her realize she’d never put much effort into anything before. All she’d had to concern herself with in Savannah was looking good and having a good time. Her father had taken care of everything. She now saw how spoiled she’d been – so much so that she wasn’t willing to face a marriage to Rupert Jerney to save her family’s beloved home.

Guilt assailed her as she watched her intended wipe his mouth with a napkin. Could she have made things work with Rupert? Had she only been thinking of herself when she ran away? Well, there was no way of knowing now. She shut the thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on Eli. “Did you enjoy your meal?” she asked.

“Sure ‘nough did, sweetie.” He looked at Sadie. “I think ya make the best fried chicken in town, Sadie Cooke. Harrison’s a lucky fella. And I’d consider myself lucky if’n ya gave Pleasant the recipe.”

“I’ll teach her how to make it myself,” Sadie said.

“Much obliged.” He grinned and winked at Pleasant. “Wouldn’t do no good to teach me. Tom’s always tellin’ me how bad my coffee is. I cain’t imagine what I’d do to fried chicken.”