by Lisa Prysock
“Tuesday at three o’clock it is. I should be able to decide by tomorrow about where. I just need a little more time to consider it.” Jenny blushed, leaning closer to him, her lips still feeling the warmth from his. Evidently, he was pleased with everything she’d suggested. Now she only had to make up her mind about the location. For some reason, she couldn’t quite decide, but at least she’d narrowed her choices to three.
For now, she changed the subject. They were progressing a little further out in the country, and surely nearing the home belonging to the Brooks. She smiled approvingly at the horses again as they trotted along past another farm. “You certainly know how to choose a nice team. I’m surprised you chose bay mares. Most folks don’t know how to do that properly and consequently, they think they always need to choose stallions instead.”
Zane appeared to be pulling the reins in a bit to slow the team down as he watched for the correct drive. “Caleb’s farm is the third one on the right, so we’re almost there. That’s his barn up ahead in the distance. I did have some tips from my father about choosing a team for a buggy. If their gait, build, and height are similar, it makes all the difference. Their color is important to consider, too. Chestnuts and bays are the hardest to match. Not all browns look the same.”
“You are absolutely correct, Dr. Beckham. My Pa would be impressed.” She looked around, taking in the view of the barnyard and the farmhouse as he turned the horses onto the lane leading to Lady Slipper Cottage Farm. The main barn was straight ahead on the right, the farmhouse on the left of the drive.
Chapter 9
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
Proverbs 27:9, NIV
IN A SHORT WHILE, THEY were welcomed into Caleb and Lottie’s home, and then seated around the dining room table. Olive green and gold brocade drapes hung on the windows with cream lace panels. There was a small walnut hutch with glass doors in one corner, a walnut table and chairs, and a fireplace in the room. A mahogany buffet was placed beneath the windows with two oil lamps on it to illuminate the room. She’d been shown the sitting room across the hall upon arrival with its blue damask drapes, an oriental rug, a wooden parlor bench and two rocking chairs drawn up to the fireplace, a bookcase, and a small round table with a kerosene reading lamp between the rockers. Everything was cozy and yet spacious. Jenny felt at home almost immediately.
They’d introduced her to a servant, Miss Corabelle Dash, who ate dinner in the kitchen with Lottie and Caleb’s children, Harry and Cora. The children were about the ages of five and three. A feast awaited them on the buffet with a platter of roasted chicken, mashed turnips, baked carrots, fried okra, shelled peas, butter beans with stewed tomatoes, and cornbread muffins. Caleb asked Zane to say the blessing, and finally Jenny’s heart was bursting with joy again.
“Zane must have told you I’m from Kentucky to lay out such a fine southern meal as this,” Jenny remarked as she smiled at the delicious food on her plate after the solid prayer given by her fiancé. “It’s like coming home being here. Thank you so much for inviting us to dine with you.”
Lottie smiled at her warmly. “I confess he did tell us, and Corabelle helped me considerably with the preparations, so it wasn’t any trouble. Do save room for the brown sugar apple dumplings, the doctor’s favorite we’ve recently discovered.”
“Brown sugar apple dumplings? Is that what I smell? I think we’ve died and gone right to Heaven.” Zane grinned as he scooped up some of the mashed turnips onto his fork. “You won’t find cooking as wonderful as this in all of Europe.”
“How are you enjoying Minnesota?” Caleb asked Jenny.
“I like it so far, what I’ve seen of it,” she replied, buttering her cornbread muffin. “It appears to be good farming land, rich soil, green grass. Much flatter than Kentucky. We have a lot of hills and dales, ridges, and crests. We’re in the foothills of Appalachia, so the further east one goes, the more mountainous the terrain. Lexington is beautiful with its meadows and slopes. We’ve got lots of four-board and split-rail fences, and horses. My Pa owns a horse farm.”
“That’s what Zane mentioned. How lovely for you. Was the war kind to your family, I hope, if there is such a thing as war being kind?” Lottie passed her a trio of crystal dishes, each bowl holding a different kind of preserves. There was blackberry jam, orange marmalade, and elderberry jelly. Jenny chose the blackberry jam and passed the trio to Zane, on her left.
“It was, much like it was for Zane’s family. It wasn’t without seeing losses all around us though. As you say, war is not kind and has no friends. There are no real victors in any war. There are always losses on both sides.” Jenny paused to allow the others to converse, but they seemed eager to hear her story, judging by the listening ears which leaned toward her. So, she continued. “There were a few battles around Lexington and other parts of Kentucky, but somehow, we came through it unscathed.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Caleb nodded. “War is rough.” He had a look in his eyes that said he was far away, remembering something of his own experience with war. Zane had introduced him as Captain Brooks, she remembered, sure he’d been to battle.
When no one else added anything to the conversation, she continued. “Many of our Kentucky friends lost sons, brothers, and fathers in the war. We had to watch out for the bushwhackers wandering over from Missouri, so Ma kept us close to home. I was a young girl, and it seemed like the fighting would never end. War, war, and more war. I was glad when it was over, and by that time I was fifteen. All I’d ever seen or heard of was war, but I knew it was for a good cause. My Pa was on the side of the Union. My family believed people like Miss Dash should be free, and my Pa went away to fight for it. He and my Ma spoke out about it many a time at town hall meetings and such. Seeing as how he came home to us safe, I feel the Lord shined down His favor upon us. Perhaps ‘tis because I’m the eldest of five daughters not born to the fray. I think God knew my mother wouldn’t have been able to send five sons off to fight when he gave her daughters, but we have cousins, aunts, and uncles who didn’t fare as well.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your cousins, but I’m glad your immediate family came through safe and sound.” Lottie tasted some of the delicious, tender chicken.
“Thank you, yes.” Again Jenny paused, hoping to give someone else a chance at conversation. When no one else said anything, she continued. “I stayed home with Ma and my sisters. Pa put me in charge of the horses and the farm; taught me how to load, aim, and fire a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. Then he went away for a long time while we fought the war on our knees in prayer, and sometimes by doing a man’s work while Pa, and others like him, were away.”
“You must’ve had a great deal of responsibility on you at a young age as the oldest during wartime with your pa away...” Caleb commented.
She nodded, “Plus our lessons. We were tutored at home until I went to Miss Clara’s Finishing School after the war, and there were plenty of chores to do on the farm. How weary my sisters grew of me telling them what to do around Blue Violet. Whether mucking the stalls, pumping water into the troughs, milking the cows, or filling the feeders, it was like another kind of war on the home front. I never knew which of the girls were going to make a fuss, but Ma made them listen and obey. She read us passages from the Bible every morning at breakfast, and then more at night. If all of our chores were done on the farm and the household without any arguing, Mama would treat us to a reading from Jane Eyre. We thought, if Jane could get through her misery, surely we could get through ours. It’s still one of my most treasured novels.”
“I do love Charlotte Brontë,” Lottie smiled. “You now speak the language of my heart.”
“Lottie’s a writer,” Zane explained as he sliced into a second cornbread muffin.
“Oh, how wonderful ‘tis to meet you,” Jenny smiled, turning back to her hostess. She wanted to say more on the topic, but her tongue seemed to sti
ck to the roof of her mouth and her throat went dry. She quickly drank some of her lemonade.
“I’m sure you had a celebration when your pa came home.” Lottie buttered her mashed turnips and then reached for the salt and pepper shakers.
Jenny set her glass down after taking a sip of the refreshing drink. “Oh, did we ever! I’ll never forget the look on Ma’s face when he came riding down the road toward Blue Violet.” She turned to Lottie and added, “That’s the name of our farmstead. My Pa didn’t walk home like so many others. Somehow, he went to battle upon one of our horses, and he came home on the same horse. The good Lord even kept his horse safe. Not so much as a scrape on either one of them.”
“That is amazing!” Caleb grinned. “I take it your father was with the Cavalry?”
She nodded, and then tasted some of the mashed turnips. “Aye, he was with the 14th Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Pa says he was assigned the duty of scouting in the mountains against the Confederates.”
“How do you like being at the Milton Farm? Isn’t Ella the sweetest? Her farm is so beautiful, too.” Lottie smiled, appearing lost in thought as she considered Ms. Milton’s farm.
“The very best,” Jenny agreed before tasting a bite of the muffin.
“Are you staying in the peach room or the violet?” Lottie inquired as she stirred some of the beans and tomatoes absentmindedly.
“I’m in the violet room. How’d you know? Did you stay there, too?” Jenny’s eyes widened.
“Oh yes, some five years ago now, wouldn’t you say, Caleb?” Lottie glanced up at her husband who was slicing into his chicken.
“Yes, I believe so.” The captain nodded. “The happiest five years of our lives.” He looked across the table at his wife, his eyes sparkling as he shared a romantic gaze with Lottie. Jenny could tell they were deeply in love by the way they interacted with each other.
“You were a mail-order bride, too?” Jenny asked, turning to look at Charlotte Brooks.
Lottie nodded. “Yes, I was, and so scared. Yet, excited all at the same time. It was hard to leave my home in Georgia and start over in the north. I didn’t know a soul, except for Corabelle and my Pepper.”
Jenny glanced at the White Maltese sleeping in a corner of the dining room, occasionally looking around the room. Then the dog would put her head back down on her paws, stretching out on the floor.
“Has Zane taken you to see his mansion?” Caleb sliced some of his chicken.
“He has! It was a divine experience. I feel so blessed,” she admitted, catching the doctor gazing at her, searching her expression to see if she still approved of his home. His hazel eyes told her he longed to share it with her.
“What was the name of that architect you mentioned, the one Ella referred you to for the design of your new home?” Caleb asked.
Zane drank some of the lemonade in his goblet. “Phillip Hayden from Boston, Massachusetts.”
“Yes, that’s the name I heard you mention before.” Caleb nodded. “He’s done a fine job with the plans for your mansion.”
Zane nodded. “It’s quite a story. Here’s the long and short of it. Hayden designed a church in St. Paul and Ms. Milton adored it. She inquired about the architect’s name when she learned I was planning to build a mansion here to sink my roots in Pelican Rapids. In any case, when she discovered he was a Boston architect, she contacted her cousin for more information, a Mrs. Crenshaw. Mrs. Milly Crenshaw wrote back, highly recommending him. Turns out he’s a personal friend of Mrs. Crenshaw. She owns a matchmaking agency in Boston and helped Ms. Milton get started in the business. Apparently, Mrs. Crenshaw found a husband for Phillip Hayden’s daughter. Her husband is a former United States Marshal.”
“Isn’t that something?” Caleb ate some more of his chicken and smiled contentedly. “This chicken is so juicy. I don’t know how you and Corabelle do it. Perfect every time.”
Lottie smiled as she scooped up a few peas with her fork. “Thank you, husband.”
“I drove past it the other day to see the progress. I’ve been meaning to ask, is it a stucco and cobblestone exterior? It looks amazing. Lottie and I are looking forward to seeing it now that the builders are done.” Captain Brooks reached for more cornbread.
Zane smiled and nodded. “You have a good eye, Caleb. You are correct. ‘Tis a stucco and cobblestone exterior. We plan to invite you to join us for dinner one evening after we’re married and Jenny is settled in.”
“I’m sure she’ll have her hands full with decorating, at least for a while,” Lottie commented. Then Miss Corabelle Dash brought the children to the table to kiss their mother goodnight. Charlotte Brooks slid her chair back to lean down and hug them. Throwing her arms open wide and wrapping them around her children, she said, “Good night my little darlings, sleep well, and say your prayers.”
“Good night, Mama,” Harry said.
“Nightie night, Mama,” Cora repeated.
Lottie kissed their foreheads, and the children went to Captain Brooks for a repeat of the entire scene as Zane and Jenny looked on. When Miss Dash took their little hands in hers and led them toward the staircase in the hall, the blond-haired children stared at their guests with eyes as big and blue as those of their mother. Cora clutched a ragdoll in her arms, and Harry, a wooden horse. They were eager to hear the bedtime story Miss Dash had promised to read them.
Jenny and Zane exchanged a glance, and his hand covered hers. She wondered if they were both thinking about the nursery at his mansion being filled with sweet, joyful children like Lottie and Caleb had? The adorable sounds of the children’s discussion with Miss Dash in the kitchen during their meal had been charming and endearing. In fact, she wouldn’t have minded if the Brooks had decided to allow the toddlers to dine with them, but she understood most children were not ready for dining with adults when guests were visiting.
“You have such a lovely family,” Jenny remarked when the children were barely halfway upstairs.
“Indeed,” Zane agreed.
“And you will too, before you know it. Ella Milton doesn’t make mistakes with her matchmaking efforts,” the captain said with a grin as he glanced lovingly at his wife while she scooped out plates of the brown sugar apple dumplings for her guests.
“Thank you, Charlotte,” Zane said as she handed him a plate. “This smells so good.”
“Captain Brooks, what makes you so sure our marriage will succeed? Are there other couples you know of who have been matched by Ms. Milton’s efforts?” Jenny looked from Lottie to Caleb, back to Lottie again. “I mean, you two seem so happy, but it’s not just you, is it? I adore your home and your pleasant farm, your beautiful family, but it helps to know there are other couples who took a chance on love and succeeded.”
“Oh yes, quite a few. Rebecca and Hank Abernathy married because of Ella’s efforts. They had triplets, didn’t they darling? They’ve got a horse farm out by the old Chippewa Indian Village,” Lottie replied. “And, my dear cousin, Caroline. She moved to Missouri with her husband, but she is so happy. She writes to me often.”
“Pete and Hope Bishop,” Zane added. “Hope delivered the Abernathy triplets. She has midwife experience.” He took another bite of the dessert and closed his eyes, appearing to enjoy it.
“Now there is a look of contentment.” Captain Brooks chuckled.
“It certainly is,” Lottie agreed, laughing. Turning to Jenny she said, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“Are you saying he’s in love with the cook at Orange Blossom Manor?” Jenny teased.
“She can’t make these yet, so there’s still hope for you, my love,” Zane teased back.
“I may need a written copy of that recipe,” Jenny remarked with a grin as Lottie finished serving dessert to everyone.
“I’m happy to share it.” Lottie nodded.
Caleb remembered more couples and began mentioning them again as he tackled his dessert. “There’s Luke and Molly Ferrell, another happy couple Ella
matched who live in the area. You should hear Molly play the piano. It’s a real treat. Marni and Braden Prater, too. Both of these local farm couples are devoted to each other.” Caleb tasted another bite on his plate.
“You know there are many others who’ve come through the Pelican Rapids Mail-Order Bride Agency and settled in other states out west,” Lottie pointed out.
Zane and Jenny exchanged a loving glance again. From the look in the doctor’s eyes, she could tell it was a welcome relief to both of them to hear there were so many couples who’d used the services of Ella’s agency to find a suitable marriage partner. Her fiancé had surely heard most of this before, but for some reason, she had a feeling they both had a few wedding jitters. He’d likely needed to hear it as much as she did. The proof other happy couples not only existed, but thrived, was reassuring.
Then she knew exactly where she wanted their wedding to take place, and before she could stop herself, she heard herself plunge forward. “Lottie, Caleb, we have enjoyed our time here so much. Dr. Beckham and I would like to invite you to our private wedding ceremony this coming Tuesday. It’s at three o’clock in the afternoon. I believe we’ll have our ceremony at Zane’s conservatory.” Jenny smiled, looking at Zane. He was nodding with a smile, approving of her sentiments. “We’ll have Ella, Josiah, and Minnie as our guests as well, if they’re able to attend. After, we’ll serve some cake and punch, and then you may be on your way.”
“We would be honored to be there,” Lottie assured her. “May I show you our library before you go, Miss Lindford? I’m sure you want to be on your way soon before it gets dark.”
“I’d be delighted to see it,” she answered, glad to stand up and stretch a little after the delicious meal.
