Mail-Order Matriarch

by Amelia St. James

  Thea squared her thin shoulders. “Because she’s only three years older than I am and doesn’t want a fifteen-year-old stepdaughter.”

  Elly’s hand found its place against her stomach, her maternal protectiveness responding in anger to Thea’s situation. If the babe in her womb was a girl, she’d never allow a new husband to force her to marry at age fifteen.

  Making up her mind, Elly said, “Thea, you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you want. I will not be contacting your father for more money, and therefore, you do not have a timeline for finding a husband.”

  Clearing her throat, Lindsay looked at Elly emphatically. When she didn't acknowledge her, Lindsay said, “Elly, I need to see you in the kitchen, please.”

  Elly stood and straightened her mourning skirt. Smiling at Thea, she said, “Please excuse me. I will be back in a moment.”

  Once the two women were alone in the kitchen, Lindsay spun to face her. When she spoke, it was in a harsh whisper. “What are you doing? You already have one child to care for.”

  Elly put her hand on Lindsay’s arm and said, “I know. But she’s still a child. I can’t have a hand in marrying her off before she’s fully grown.”

  “You're not the one who put her in this situation. You aren’t running an orphanage.”

  “She stays. I’ll find a way to provide for her.”

  Biting her lip and shaking her head, Lindsay stared a moment before saying, “For your child’s sake, I sure hope more than unwanted, underage girls show up to board here.”

  Chapter Seven

  Elly heard rustling in the kitchen as she dressed, chiding herself for sleeping later than normal. She stretched, trying to shake off the fatigue. When she walked into the kitchen, Lindsay was bustling at the oven and Thea was putting plates on the table.

  “Good morning.”

  Thea smiled shyly and said, “Hello.”

  Elly glanced at Lindsay, hoping the woman had gotten over her frustration with her, but the pinched smile on her lips indicated otherwise.

  “Morning, Elly.” Lindsay flipped the eggs she was cooking and said, “Breakfast is nearly ready. Do you want coffee?”

  The smell of coffee assaulted Elly’s nose and her mouth began to water unpleasantly. She covered her mouth with one hand and turned to leave.

  “Is it the eggs?”

  Shaking her head, Elly fought the nausea.

  “The coffee, then?”

  Nodding, Elly edged away from the table and turned toward the door.

  “Here, I’ll set it out of the room.” Lindsay grabbed a towel to cover the handle of the percolator and quickly fled the room. When she returned, she opened the window and used the towel to move air around the room. “Better?”

  Still not trusting herself to speak, Elly nodded and swallowed hard.

  “What’s wrong?” Thea’s eyes widened as she watched the exchange between the two women.

  Smiling, Lindsay said, “She is expecting a little one.”

  “Oh.” Thea’s shoulders dropped.

  “What’s wrong?” Elly moved to the girl’s side, waiting expectantly for an explanation.

  “You won’t be wanting me to stay here, after all.”

  “No, that’s not true.” Elly shook her head. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Thea stared at the floor. “I’ll do chores and help with anything you need.” Tears began to well in her eyes. “And I can hunt. I’ll be able to bring in meat for you to eat. I can fix that broken door upstairs even.” She looked up at Elly as the tears began to slide down her cheeks. Her long blond hair hung limply around her shoulders as they shook. “I’ll do my part. I promise.”

  Elly felt her throat tighten as she stared at Thea, wondering what the poor girl had been through in such a short lifetime. Reaching for her, Elly gathered Thea in her arms as Lindsay hurried from the stove.

  Lindsay wrapped her arms around them, sniffling as she tried to regain her stoic composure. After a moment, she spoke. “Sweet girl, you are safe here.” She swallowed hard before returning to the stove, wiping her eyes as she went.

  “We’re glad you’re here, Thea.” Elly pulled herself away and held Thea at an arm’s length, watching the girl as she considered what Elly had said. After a moment, she nodded her acceptance.

  “Eggs are ready, Loves. Sit, sit.” Lindsay nodded towards the empty chairs as she hastily wrapped a towel around the cast iron skillet handle and carried it to the table. She scooped a generous amount of food onto Elly’s plate before turning toward Thea. “Here you are.” She smiled reassuringly as she sat down.

  “Thank you.” Thea lowered her gaze to her plate as she quickly ate.

  Looking across at Lindsay, Elly struggled to get her emotions under control. She could see Lindsay struggling, too, beneath her strong facade. Lindsay glanced up at her, chin set in anger. Despite her emotional battle, Elly smiled. Though she hadn’t known the woman very long, she knew that look. Lindsay wouldn’t be chiding her again for inviting Thea to stay.

  “Tell me about how you learned to hunt.” Elly waited for Thea to respond, noticing how the girl kept her gaze down when she spoke.

  “My Pa taught me.” Thea hunched further over her plate, her long hair dropping forward.

  Reaching out to touch her arm, Lindsay waited until Thea made eye contact before speaking. “What happened to your mother?”

  “She died when I was six.” Thea dropped her gaze to her lap again.

  “I’m sorry. I was about that age when I lost my mother, too.” Lindsay waited for Thea to look up before continuing. “It’s difficult to grow up without the softness of a mother.”

  “Did your father raise you on his own?” Thea’s wide eyes stared at Lindsay.

  “For a little while. The famine that swept through Ireland took many lives.”

  Elly and Thea watched Lindsay as she blinked a moment before continuing.

  “My brother died from an illness that the doctor said should not have taken his life under better conditions. My father was all I had left, and he sent me away, too.” Lindsay looked at Thea. “So I understand a little bit about how you feel.”

  “Why did he send you away?” Thea’s small shoulders rose in a questioning shrug.

  “He was worried that I would starve.” Lindsay stared out the open window. “When I finally arrived here, I received a letter from our neighbors back home that he had died.”

  Elly reached across the table, taking Lindsay’s hand in her own and giving it a squeeze. Her throat felt tight as she tried to speak. “I have some peach preserves in the pantry. Let’s make a cobbler to celebrate that Thea has come to stay. What do you think?”

  Thea nodded and smiled before standing quickly. “I’m not much of a cook, but I can clean.” She began stacking their breakfast dishes and took them to the counter near the window. “And if you get chickens, I can raise them and care for them.” She smiled sheepishly. “I noticed that you only have a small garden out back.”

  “You’re very observant.” Elly smiled. “It would be nice to have our own chickens. I’ll need to get someone to build the pen, but it can be done.”

  Shaking her head emphatically, Thea said, “I can build it. I’m very handy. I just can’t cook.”

  Lindsay laughed. “Well, I think I’ll have to do something about that, won’t I?”

  “You mean you’ll teach me how to cook?” Thea smiled then, a genuine smile that brightened her face, highlighting the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks.

  “Yes.” Lindsay grinned.

  Elly watched the women in front of her in awe, wondering how so much had changed in such a short period of time. She’d gone from being completely alone to having two new friends and a baby on the way. Her heart felt full and her throat tight as she counted her blessings.

  “Elly, you don’t mind if we take over the kitchen for a while, do you?” Lindsay looked pleased, as if she’d devised a master plan to relieve Elly of her chores one at a time.
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br />   Elly held up her hand in protest, but the clanging of the door turned her attention. “I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried to the front door, grateful that her nausea had subsided as she moved under her heavy skirts in the summer heat.

  Seeing the back of a prim, neatly-dressed woman waiting in the entryway with a colorful parasol in her hand, Elly paused a moment to pinch her cheeks and pat her hair into submission. The woman’s dark, shiny locks were as orderly as the rest of her appeared to be, the deep brown shade closely matching her eyes.

  “Hello.” Extending her hand, she said, “I’m Elly.”

  Smiling broadly, the woman shook her hand firmly and said, “I’m Kaitlyn Coggsteel. I’m pleased to meet you.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a newspaper. Pointing to it, she said, “I’m here to find a suitable husband.” Raising her chin in determination, Kaitlyn stared at Elly.

  “Yes, do come in.” Elly motioned for the woman to follow her into the parlor. “We can sit in the parlor and talk for a moment. Do you have luggage with you?”

  “It’s in the carriage. I’ll signal for them to carry it in for me if I decide I’m staying.” Kaitlyn scrutinized the boardinghouse as she followed Elly, running her gloved hand along the furniture as she selected a chair to sit in. She crossed her ankles and rearranged her skirts before facing Elly, her posture perfect. “First, can you tell me how many successful marriages you’ve arranged?”

  Elly swallowed hard. She didn’t want to be dishonest, but feared that Kaitlyn would leave as soon as she found out that Elly was not an experienced matchmaker. “Well, I’m actually just getting started.”

  “So you don’t have any successful matches to tell me about yet?” Kaitlyn frowned.

  Staring at her hands, Elly cringed inside and her heart pounded. She had known that she’d face questions like this, but still wasn’t prepared to answer them. She rolled her simple wedding band around her finger as a habit, speaking once her heartbeat slowed down to a normal pace.

  Looking up, Elly tried to keep her voice steady as she said, “I only know of good matches. My mother was a mail-order bride and my parents had a long and beautiful marriage. My Alexander and I were delightfully happy.”

  “Were?” Kaitlyn leaned forward slightly. “What happened?”

  “He passed away recently.”

  Kaitlyn put her hands over her heart and sighed. “So sad. Are you all on your own?” She looked around, craning her neck to see further into the house.

  “Actually, I am expecting a baby.”

  Kaitlyn leaned forward in her seat, her perfect posture slumping into a more comfortable position. “You have a baby on the way. A reminder of the love you lost?” Her eyes took on a dreamy expression as she stared at Elly.

  “Yes. And I’ve been fortunate enough to be joined by two dear souls, Lindsay and Thea. Would you like to meet them?”

  “Sure.” Kaitlyn stood. “First, let me tell my driver to bring up my bags.”

  Elly watched Kaitlyn walk to the front door, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

  Chapter Eight

  “So this is what a cobbler looks like?” Thea leaned over the hot dish, sniffing greedily.

  “It is. Don’t tell me that you’ve never tasted peach cobbler before?” Lindsay’s eyebrows raised as she stared at the girl.

  “I haven’t.” Thea turned toward Kaitlyn. “It smells delicious, though. Will you be staying to have some with us?”

  “Actually, I’ve decided to board here until I find the perfect husband I’ve always dreamed about.” Kaitlyn closed her eyes and smiled, inhaling deeply. When she reopened them, she glanced at Elly. “Tell me, what are my options? Do you have any men for me to choose among? I want someone rich who has never been married before and who doesn’t have any bad habits.”

  Lindsay put her head down, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she quickly turned her attention to the dish in front of her. Her shoulders shook as she began to serve the cobbler onto plates.

  “Actually, I don’t have any yet, but I’m expecting letters to start coming in soon.”

  Brows furrowed, Kaitlyn said, “What do you mean, you expect letters to come? How can you be so sure that there are men out there looking for a wife?” She stared hard at Elly as two red spots formed high on her cheeks.

  “There are single men out west who are looking for a bride. Don’t worry.” Elly spoke more confidently than she felt, turning her head when Lindsay belted out a laugh. Glaring at Lindsay, she watched as her friend angled her chin, hoping she wouldn’t scare Kaitlyn away.

  “Dear, there are tons of anxious men out west. It’s as Elly said--there are men there who are just waiting for the chance to see a woman in person, let alone have a wife. Don’t fret.”

  Wrinkling her nose, Kaitlyn said, “If that’s the case, why aren’t you married yet? You must be anxious, since you’re so much past the marrying age.”

  Lindsay gasped. “I am not.”

  Kaitlyn turned to look at Elly before returning her attention to Lindsay. Her back stiffened as she said, “You look like you’re closer to thirty than twenty.”

  Elly watched Lindsay’s face turn crimson. She stood, putting herself between the two women. “It isn’t of consequence. There’s a perfect match for everyone.”

  Lindsay raised her gaze from the floor, staring at Elly doubtfully. The uncertainty Elly saw there made her heart ache for her friend.

  “There is.” She reached for the plates near Lindsay’s elbow. “Come, let’s enjoy this cobbler that Thea helped make.” Smiling at the girl, she asked, “How did your first cooking lesson go?”

  Thea waited until everyone was seated before saying, “I still prefer hunting to cooking, but it’s alright.”

  Kaitlyn looked up sharply. “You hunt? As in kill animals for food?” She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

  Thea nodded. “And clean them. I just never learned to cook what I hunted.” She dropped her gaze to her lap. “My Pa always did the cooking. Said he didn't trust me not to burn the food.”

  “That’s not rational. And not proper. You shouldn’t be using a gun and a knife, even if your father was watching.”

  Shaking her head, Thea spoke emphatically. “He didn't watch. He sent me out on my own and expected me to bring home dinner. It was my job to provide the meat.” She forked another bite of cobbler, pausing with her calloused hand raised. “You think I’m improper?”

  “No.” Kaitlyn blushed. “I didn’t mean that you are improper. Only that it wasn’t proper of your father to raise you with so little gentling.”

  “Why do you think I didn't have any gentling?”

  Looking around the table, Kaitlyn shrugged her shoulders as if what she had to say was obvious. “Your hair is hanging in your face and your posture is terrible. Your nails are dirty and you don’t chew with your mouth closed.”

  Tears filled Thea’s eyes. Elly reached across the table to squeeze the girl’s hand as Lindsay stood quickly, her chair tipping behind her.

  “You say one more unkind thing to the girl, and you and I are going to have a problem.” Lindsay’s chin jutted out as she clenched her fists at her sides.

  Kaitlyn’s face fell as she stared up at Lindsay. Her hands shook as she folded her napkin and placed it on the table. Rising slowly, she said, “I’m truly sorry. I’ll gather my things.”

  “You can’t leave!” Thea rose and shook her head, tears streaming down her face. Pushing past Lindsay, she stood before Kaitlyn and clutched her arm. “What you said is right. I need to be taught to act like a lady.” She turned back toward Lindsay. “You will teach me to cook. She can teach me to be a lady.” She stared at Kaitlyn with wide eyes. “Please, tell me you will.”

  Kaitlyn backed away from Thea, biting her lip. “I think I’ve worn out my welcome here.”

  “Lindsay? Elly? Do something.” Thea’s voice was barely a whisper. “Please.” She closed her eyes as if watching Kaitlyn leave was too
painful.

  Exhaling loudly, Lindsay stepped forward. “I’m sorry I was so gruff. Please stay. Elly will help you to find a husband, and I’ll be nice.”

  Elly’s head began to swim as she strained to hear Kaitlyn’s response. She was glad that Lindsay apologized, but the only paying boarder to respond to her newspaper ads was about to walk out the door and Elly’s disappointment was deep. She tried to shake off the dizziness, breathing deeply and exhaling slowly. Though it still hadn’t passed, she stood and took a step toward Kaitlyn, falling hard as her world turned black.

  When she came to, she felt the soft cushions of the parlor couch beneath her, though her right hip ached terribly as if she’d struck the floor with it.

  “Elly? Please say something.” Thea stood near her head, glancing nervously at Lindsay who was sitting on the edge of the couch, clutching Elly’s hand. Kaitlyn was wringing out a wet cloth.

  “Don’t make her talk before she’s ready. Here’s a cloth for your head.”

  “Thank you, Kaitlyn.” Elly pushed herself to a more upright position. “I’m sorry to give you all such a fright.” She smiled weakly. Her head felt thick with fog as if she could sleep for a week. Shaking to clear it, she gingerly felt her hip. It was sore and probably bruised but would mend.

  “Are you in pain?” Lindsay’s eyes were wide with concern as she studied Elly.

  “I’m fine.” The worried faces hovering over Elly made her feel self-conscious. “Please don’t fret. I just had a dizzy spell.”

  “We need to get the doctor,” Kaitlyn whispered to Lindsay. “I’d go but I don’t know my way around town yet.”

  Elly pushed her way to a sitting position, resting her feet on the floor. “I’m fine, ladies. I’m not the first to pass out while expecting a baby, and I won’t be the last.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?” Kaitlyn twisted the gold bracelet on her wrist, pacing.

  “I’m sure. It’s nothing a strong cup of tea won’t cure.” Elly smiled more confidently than she hoped. She’d need to be much more careful not to faint. The risk of hurting the baby was too high.