Beulah's Brains: A McClain Story (The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides Book 2)

by Kirsten Osbourne

  “Why would it?” she asked.

  “Well, you don’t seem to be very fond of men. Do you feel like you can protect yourself?”

  “If you’re asking if I can shoot a gun, no, I can’t. I’ve never been taught, but it’s something that’s always fascinated me. I’ve read enough about it that I’m certain I could assemble a gun with my own two hands if I was given the pieces. Do you want to teach me to shoot?”

  Jack’s mind immediately thought of holding her with his hands covering hers. He would be happy to have her pressed back against him as he taught her to shoot. Why not? It could be fun. “I’d be happy to teach you. Would you like to learn tomorrow?”

  “I have a wedding in three days. Spending one of those days learning to shoot instead of preparing for the wedding would be absolute folly. Perhaps next week.” Beulah liked the images of him teaching her to shoot that popped into her head, but she needed to worry about backing away from him, not moving closer. “About having seven sons . . . shouldn’t someone have warned me that your family works that way? I only want to have daughters.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen, but you can keep wanting it all day long.” He stopped at a fence and leaned over it. “Most of the herd is on the other side of this fence. We have thousands of head of cattle, and we will continue to add more. I plan to make this the largest ranch in Texas by the time my seventh son is born.”

  “Why do you feel the need to have the largest ranch? Are you someone who always has to be better than the next man?”

  “Why, yes, I am. I believe that being your best is one of the most important things a man can do. Don’t you?”

  Beulah shrugged. “No idea. I’ve never been a man.” She’d rarely been around men. She’d had male students, but never having really gone anywhere but the orphanage where she’d been raised had kept blinders on her eyes where the opposite sex was concerned.

  “Tell me about your family. You’ve met my parents. What is your mother like?”

  She shrugged. “I was left on the doorstep of a foundling home as an infant. I have no memories of a real family. I just know the woman who ran the home, and she was my surrogate mother. I have her last name.”

  “I didn’t know you were an orphan.”

  “Does that bother you?” She turned her back on him. “I’m sorry if you were looking for a wife with a pedigree, but I don’t have one. I’m simply a woman, nothing more and nothing less.”

  “I couldn’t care less about your family. You could have told me you were half Indian and half African, and I wouldn’t care.” He shrugged. “My family has always been open to people of all races. We pride ourselves on hiring cowboys from any race, and there is no favor given to those who are white.”

  Beulah looked at him and nodded. He’d just gone up a notch in her eyes. “You have a good attitude about such things. I’m impressed.”

  “Thank my parents. They’ve taught me to be this way.” He took her hand and walked her over toward the stables. “Do you enjoy teaching?”

  Beulah nodded. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever done. I would have been a doctor, but as an orphan, there were no funds for a women’s college, so instead, I’m a teacher. I spend my spare time studying anatomy texts, though. I see no reason not to learn as much as I can about my chosen profession on my own.”

  “I’m sorry that life has been difficult for you.” And he was. Jack had always had things easy, and he found that he wished she had as well. It would have been nice to know she’d chosen to move to Texas to become his bride and not been forced into it, but he knew better.

  “I’ve had a good life. Unlike many orphans, I was taken into a home owned by a wonderful woman who did her best by every single orphan.”

  “I’m glad you weren’t an orphan on the streets somewhere or put on a train to be adopted by anyone who would take you. I don’t think that’s a good situation for children. I know a few who were pretty much forced to be servants to the families who took them in.”

  Beulah nodded. “I’ve heard stories like that.” She wasn’t sure what else to say to this man. He was about to be her husband, and all she knew about him was that he expected to have seven children and his manners were grossly lacking. “What hobbies do you have?”

  “Hobbies?” He shrugged. “I enjoy playing card games, and I like to train horses. That’s one of my favorite things, honestly. I often train horses and sell them to other ranchers.” Thus making him even richer than his father had been before him. There was no reason to talk to her about money, though. He didn’t want her to marry him for his wealth.

  “That sounds like it could be both fun and lucrative.” She looked toward the house and realized he’d taken her far from the main building where his parents were. She felt a shiver run down her spine. Was he trying to lure her away for nefarious reasons?

  “I know what you’re thinking, and I promise not to do anything you don’t want. I did want a chance to kiss you again. I want to see if my memory is playing games with me, or if your kisses really were as potent as I remember.”

  “Potent?” She’d never heard the word used when describing kisses. She’d rarely heard the word at all.

  “Yes, potent. Your kisses made me feel as if I could fly and take on all the world at once. That’s what I mean by potent.”

  “You didn’t feel like that before my kiss? Because I have to say, you come across as a man who doesn’t think he has any flaws or shortcomings. Isn’t that true?”

  He shrugged. “Oh, I do know I’m not perfect. I don’t even pretend I am.” He stopped walking and turned to her, his hands going to her waist. “Now, let’s see if my memory is correct.”

  For a moment, she considered pulling away from him, but she was curious herself. It was rather like a science experiment. She would allow him to kiss her to see if there was as much electricity as it seemed like there had been. She was sure she’d discover that her memory was faulty as well, but it was worth a try. She put her hands on his shoulders and raised her lips to his, closing her eyes.

  Jack just stood and looked at her for a moment, drinking in the beauty of the woman in front of him. She was something else, this little bride of his. She was just as beautiful—if not more so—than the empty-headed women at church, but she was so intelligent. She may be lacking some of their sweetness, but he’d always been a fan of things a little more sour than most. She was perfect for him.

  He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Waiting just the three days ’til their wedding night would be all but torture, and he wasn’t sure he could do it. He certainly wasn’t going to allow her to dictate that they wait beyond their wedding night, though. No, she was going to be his, and he would move the wedding forward if anything.

  Beulah clung to him, realizing that she needed to stop with this particular experiment. What good was it to do something scientific when your mind stopped functioning as soon as it began?

  When he lifted his head, she pressed her cheek against his shoulder. Never had she thought she would have base needs where a man was concerned, but this man . . . this man was something special. Base needs or not, she wanted to hold onto him forever. What had happened to her since she’d gotten off that train?

  As they walked back toward the house, he had his arm wrapped around her waist, and her head was against his shoulder. “Mother will be taking up all your time for the next few days,” he said softly. “There are last minute preparations for the wedding, and she’s obsessed with making the ceremony perfect.”

  “Wedding?” she asked. “I really thought we’d just go before a justice of the peace.”

  “I wish. No, my mother is determined that we will have a wedding with all the frills. She is planning to adjust her wedding dress to fit you. The church I’ve attended since I was born is in Bagley, and she has talked to the pastor about marrying us. The wedding is set for two on Saturday afternoon, and she plans to have a big reception here that evening
. There will be dancing on the lawn, and she’ll serve a big cake, and we’ll all feast. You’ll probably be conscripted into cooking most of the day tomorrow as well as all of my brothers’ wives.”

  Beulah frowned. “I’m not sure I’m ready to have a huge wedding. It will only be your people and none of the people I consider my family.”

  “You have people you consider family?”

  “Well, there are three women who were like sisters to me back in the orphanage. My roommate Catalina would have been my maid of honor, if I’d been given the opportunity to have one. And Dorthy and Emmeline are the other two I consider sisters. I wish they could be here.”

  “If I’d known, I’d have told you to bring them with you.”

  “Did you even read one of my letters?” she asked. “I mentioned all three of them in my first letter to you.” She’d written two of them, the second agreeing to come and marry him.

  “No, I left that to my mother.” He frowned. “When I got your first letter, I was about to open it, but then my mother told me what it was. She’s the one who put me in that awful newspaper looking for a bride. I knew nothing about it until your letter arrived.”

  “I see.” Beulah looked over at him. “You were forced into this just as I was. Are you sure you don’t want to wait for the wedding night?”

  He laughed. “You’ve got to be joking. If I’m going to be married, I’m at least going to get what I want out of it!”

  She sighed. “I had a feeling you’d say that. I just . . . I’m not sure I’m ready to start having children immediately.”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he responded, knowing that children would come immediately. They always did to the McClains.

  “But you really don’t mind if I teach?” She didn’t want to care about how he felt about it, but she did. She’d been taught that a husband’s opinion was important, even if she didn’t believe that he had the right to tell her exactly what she should do and when.

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t mind. I do want you to know that our children must always come first. If for some reason you are sick during your pregnancy, I’ll expect you to take care of yourself and the baby and not worry about the children you are teaching.”

  “That might be difficult for me, but I do see the merit in what you’re saying. Anyone can teach the children at school, but only I can bear the child. It does make sense.”

  “I’m glad you agree.” He opened the door to go inside, finding his parents in the parlor. He sat down on the settee and pulled her down beside him. “She has seen the farm.”

  “And the error of her ways?” his father asked, winking at her.

  “There is no error to my ways,” Beulah responded. “I’m here, and I’ll be the best wife I can be, but at the same time, I’ll be the best teacher I can be. Easy enough, right?”

  He smiled. “It might be harder than you think, but I’m glad you feel like it will be easy for you.”

  His mother frowned at his father, who had introduced himself as Sebastian. “Leave her alone, Bastian. She’s an intelligent woman, who doesn’t need to be teased by you.”

  Sebastian shrugged. “How will she know I accept her into the family if I don’t tease her?”

  “You could tell me. That would work.” Beulah yawned. “I’m extremely tired. I didn’t sleep well on the train. Some people claimed it rocked them to sleep, but it didn’t work that way for me. It was so noisy!”

  “You should go to bed then. I’ll get you a bath ready in the morning,” Mary said. “Do you know which room is yours?”

  Beulah nodded. “Yes, of course. You said the one that was closest to your room. I’ll bid you all goodnight.” She got to her feet, nodding to them all formally.

  As she walked up the stairs to her room, she thought about what a strange day it had been. She’d been in absolute euphoria when she’d thought that Jack was a mute and couldn’t tell her what to do, and then she had been so disappointed by his attitude about the wedding night. But now . . . now she wasn’t certain she wanted to wait either. His touch made her think about parts of her body that she’d never dared think about in anything but a clinical way before. There was something awfully special about Jack. And equally infuriating.

  Being married would definitely be the challenge of her lifetime. At least she had the school to look forward to, and Mary seemed to be all for it. Together, they would make sure she did what she needed to do by way of the school.

  She found her trunk and undressed, lying her nightgown on her bed. She wished she’d had the opportunity for a bath that day. Oh, she was certain she could have requested one, but it had been easier to just go along with what had already been planned for her.

  Taking the pitcher of water provided, she filled the bowl with water and gave herself a quick sponge bath, feeling cleaner than she had in many days. Back in New York she’d been able to bathe twice a week. Hopefully that could continue here, but she’d heard that Texas had water problems at times.

  Pulling her nightgown over her head, she slid in between the clean sheets and closed her eyes, saying a quick prayer, thanking God for her safe journey and praying that her future husband would prove to be a more reasonable man than he’d seemed so far.

  And then she lay in her bed awake for hours, wondering why she couldn’t sleep. She was beyond exhausted. When her eyes finally closed, she could see Jack standing there, grinning at her. It was the grin that told her he’d won. And she had to be finished with the fight.

  Chapter Four

  The next two days went by in a flurry of activity. Beulah met all of Jack’s sisters-in-law as they worked together to prepare the food for the wedding. One of his brother’s wives, Josie, helped her to alter the wedding dress Mary was loaning her.

  “I think we have it!” Josie said with a smile.

  “Thank you so much for your help,” Beulah told her. It was just hours before the wedding, and they finally had it right. Josie reminded her a great deal of Catalina, and she was happy to have a new friend.

  “I’m just thrilled to see Jack finally marrying. We all thought he’d wait longer.”

  “You did?”

  Josie nodded. “He has always complained about how empty-headed the girls at church seemed to be. He wanted a woman who was pretty but also had a brain in her head. It’s obvious he found exactly what he wanted in you.”

  Beulah laughed softly. “I’m not so sure. He wanted an intelligent woman, but he also seems to want a biddable woman. I’m only one of those.”

  Josie grinned. “We won’t tell him just yet.”

  “Oh, I’m afraid he’s known since the ride home from the train station in Bagley. I’m not one to hide who I am from anyone.”

  “It’s not like he wouldn’t know anyway. I hate that Jack always knows if someone is telling the smallest fib around him. It’s downright creepy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you know. He has that ability to know when anyone around him is lying.” Josie shrugged. “I’m not sure if I’d like it if Stan had the same ability.” Beulah already knew that Jack’s brother Stan was Josie’s husband.

  “I’m not following you.”

  Josie’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t know about the McClain curse?”

  “I don’t. What on earth are you talking about?”

  “The youngest McClain son gets control of all the family properties, which gives him the responsibility to carry on the family name. But he also gets a special power. Each generation is something different. From what I understand, the abilities can be repeated but never by successive generations. Sebastian’s ability is to be able to heal objects with his touch. So if his horse’s harness is broken, he can touch it, and it will mend itself. But Jack got the ability to tell if someone is lying to him.”

  “That’s impossible,” Beulah said with a frown. “I’m a scientist, and I know that such a thing cannot happen.”

  Josie smiled sweetly and shrugged. “I mus
t be lying to you then.”

  Beulah couldn’t stop thinking about what Josie told her. Later as she walked down the aisle toward Jack, she wondered if what her new friend had said was true or if she was pulling her leg. Or maybe she believed it to be true, but how could it really be? Such a thing was impossible, and she hated that she was questioning her own knowledge of science.

  She stood beside Jack and promised to love, honor, and obey him. Even as she said “obey,” she knew she never would. She didn’t believe in blindly doing what a man said, but she had to promise because it was part of the vows.

  As soon as the wedding was over, he looked at her. “You lied during the vows.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’ll love me. You’ll honor me. But you have no intention of ever obeying me, and that’s fine, but you should have talked to me before the vows were exchanged.”

  Beulah frowned at him. “Do you really have the ability to tell when anyone around you is lying?”

  “I do. It’s my talent as the seventh son of my generation. Each seventh son gets something.” He offered her his arm, and they walked to the back of the church, thanking people for coming.

  Through the afternoon and evening, they feasted on the food made by the McClain women the day before, and there was a small group of musicians that played so they could dance on the lawn. The first dance was just Beulah and Jack, and she realized that she had never before danced with a man. Madam Wigg had made sure everyone could dance, of course, but they had to partner up with other girls to learn. Now she was dancing with a man for the first time in her life, and it felt odd.

  Every eye was on them as he carefully spun her around the yard. “Mother said that the schoolhouse would be started on Monday. Does that please you?”

  Beulah nodded. “There’s nothing I want more.” She looked over at the house and noticed there were several men dressed in work clothes, carrying crates out of the house. “What are those men doing?”