by Mercy Levy
Samuel stroked his beard, another favorite habit of his. He liked to think it made him look wise, “If I were to say no?”
“Then I will resign from my post, effective immediately, pack my bags and leave town within the hour.”
“You are such a stubborn woman, Miss Reiner, but I want to retain you as my employee for as long as I possibly can, so I will make you an even better offer.” He leaned forward and smiled, “The Bampton office has new employees. I do not know them personally. I do know you, however. It is just eight women working there. I want you to manage them for now. Teach them how we do things here.”
Valerie’s eyes burned with tears and she opened her mouth but Samuel raised a hand, “I’m not finished. Aside from that, you will be given lodging as well.”
He saw her rub the tears away, and continued, “Have you met my wife?”
Valerie sniffled into her handkerchief and nodded. He smiled, “Did you know that she is a mail-order bride?”
Valerie’s eyes widened, “What?”
“I came upon her post and I contacted her. We fell in love when we met. The point is,” He shifted uncomfortably; “I know it is not my place to tell you but you are a good woman, you go to church regularly. Your ethics are strong and you are as kind and humble as they come. You would make any man happy. So if they can’t see you for who you are, why don’t you tell them? Put it in the paper when you go to Bampton. I’m not saying you have to but that it is something you can try. Now,” He looked at the old clock in the office, “You can still catch the five o clock train. Go home, pack what you must and go.”
Valerie stood up and swallowed. He stood up as well, “I wish you the best of luck, Miss Reiner.”
“Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!”
With that, she rushed out of the office and ran. She ran all the way home. She packed a light bag and took out her savings. She touched the front door and swallowed. This did not feel right. But, she prayed, this would turn out to be the right decision.
She did not want to hurt her parents, despite how they seemed to feel about her. But perhaps, this decision, this offer of employment was God nudging her onto her own path. She had to believe.
CHAPTER 2
The lodgings were very comfortable. For Valerie, who had never lived a lavish lifestyle, she found the place quite to her liking. She unpacked whatever little she had and put everything in its appropriate place. It was quite late for her to go out and buy some food.
She sighed. She was so hungry.
She looked at her door and making up her mind, she went in search of her landlady.
A plump, red haired woman, with a smiling mouth, Mrs. Cullen was running this entire establishment with the help of her very young son. It was him that she found, playing in the front entrance.
“Greggory, isn’t it?”
The boy looked up, curiously.
Kneeling down by his side, she asked, “Where can I find your mother?”
The boy got up and in his haste nearly stumbled before steadying himself. Hs face turned red with embarrassment, “I’ll go call Mama.”
His idea of calling his mother was shouting out her name as he ran through the house. Valerie chuckled. Children could be so adorable.
“Miss Reiner. I do hope everything is to your liking,” Her landlady approached her, wiping her hands on a cloth. She was sweating and Valerie frowned, a little troubled, “Call me Valerie, please. And are you all right, Mrs. Cullen?”
The latter gave a short laugh, “I am quite well. I was working in the kitchen.” She smiled invitingly, and Valerie followed her into a prim and proper parlor. “Are you sure I’m not disturbing you?”
Mrs. Cullen sat down, “Do take a seat. And of course not. To be honest, I only have two tenants at the moment and the other is a Mrs. Dumphrey whom you’ll meet tomorrow.” She smiled cheerfully, “She’s quite a nice lady and will eat your ears off if you give her the chance. So,” She gave Valerie a kind look, “I am to understand from my son that you were looking for me. How may I be of assistance?”
Valerie blushed, “It is rather later and I was wondering if you provide dinner as well.”
Her landlady gave her an understanding smile, “You must be starving if you travelled so far without a meal. I was under the impression you had already had your dinner so I didn’t ask. We offer three meals a day. It is an understanding with our tenants. Since this is not a very huge establishment, we serve the meals in the dining area at your convenience but Mrs. Dumphrey likes to eat the meals together with us. You are welcome to do so if you wish it.”
Valerie’s eyes burned. She knew no one here and she had been dreading the loneliness.
Mrs. Cullen looked a bit concerned, “Are you all right, Miss Reiner?”
“Please call me Valerie, Mrs. Cullen. I will insist on it,” Valerie choked as she took out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, “You are an angel.”
The red haired woman’s face started resembling her hair, “I do say that you are exaggerating.”
“Not in the least. I am not good at making friends or meeting new people and you just made me feel so welcome that I was overcome. God works in such mysterious ways,” Valerie gave a teary smile.
“One day, Mi- Valerie, “ Mrs. Cullen put a kind on hand on her new tenant’s hand, “When we become friends, you will tell me your story. As for now,” She got up, “Let me show you the dining room. Greggory and I were about to have our dinner as well. Mrs. Dumphrey went out with some friends so she won’t be joining us.”
As Valerie got ready for bed that night, she said her evening prayers and then thanked God for being so kind to her and leading her somewhere she felt safe and at home. The Cullens were lovely people and she really liked Mrs. Cullen. As her eyes drifted close, she wondered whether she should consider posting in the newspaper tomorrow.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast with the curious Mrs. Dumphrey who seemed insistent on finding out her entire family history and why a single young woman was residing alone, Valerie found herself standing in her new shop. It had a small front area where the bonnets were on display and customers were dealt with. A small door connected to a larger room which looked more like a school with her desk in the front, facing eight other work tables. The women eyed her warily and as she introduced herself and gave them the instructions on the kind of work that was expected from them, she managed to hold her own till it was time for lunch.
She did not know the other women and felt like an outsider so she took a stroll outside and purchased a newspaper. It was a small town, surrounded by fields. However, there was a large castle like building across those fields.
“What is that?” She asked the man from whom she had purchased the newspaper.
The man looked at where she was pointing and replied, “That there is where Lord Fergus lives.”
Valerie gave him a curious look, “Who?”
The man judged her to be a newcomer and settled down for sharing some gossip, “Lord Fergus. He owns this land. Or well, we say he does. Nobody really knows. He comes here every two weeks and he handles our problems, with the money and what not. Decent chap. His wife died, you know.”
Valerie looked sympathetic, “That’s terrible.”
The man nodded, “Right so. Had a nasty fall three years ago when she took the children for a picnic. She was a very kind woman.” He smiled, “She once gave me a basket of fruit when she heard my late wife was ill. You don’t think they would care but they do.”
Valerie smiled and taking her newspaper, she went back to Redfort Inn. The name suited its owner she thought, as Mrs. Cullen laid out her lunch on the table, “How was your first day?”
“The women seem like hard workers and they need the money so I don’t think they will create any problems. I did find out who lived in that huge castle.”
Mrs. Cullen looked a little confused as she served the potatoes and then her face cleared with understanding, “Oh, you men Lord Fergus. Terrible
business. Lady Fergus was such a nice lady.”
After some idle chatter, Valerie focused on the newspaper and searched for the marriage advertisements. She found a few and studied them. They seemed simple enough. She looked up as Mrs. Cullen sat down with a cup of tea.
“Mrs. Cullen –“
“Lydia. If I have to call you Valerie, then you should call me by my name.”
Valerie stammered and then gave up, “It’s too hard.” Her landlady laughed, “Let’s just follow the appropriate address for now and when we are more at ease with other then we can fall into it naturally.”
Valerie gave her a relieved smile, “It is just, in my home town, my parents drilled these etiquettes in me and I wanted to be friends with you but –“
Mrs. Cullen raised a hand, “Say no more. I completely understand. Why don’t you ask your question?”
Glad by the fact that Mrs. Cullen took it all in good humor, Valerie asked, “Is married life difficult?”
Her landlady was taken aback by the questions, “Difficult? Surely not!” She sipped her tea and mused, “Mr. Cullen and I were very happy.” She made a sound, “We had our ups and downs, no doubt, but he was a caring man and I loved him very much. I made him give up his habit of smoking.” Her eyes twinkled with merriment, “Oh we fought about that but he gave in. He cared very much for me and I him.”
She sighed happily, “We had a good life. It was hard when the illness took him away but he left enough savings for me to open this place up.”
“I would like that,” Valerie murmured, “Someone who loves me very much.”
“So why don’t you marry?” Mrs. Cullen looked at her over her cup.
Valerie laid out her story and then showed her the page she had been looking at.
“It’s a mighty fine idea. Why don’t you advertise?”
“I wouldn’t know where to start. What do I say? How do I phrase it?” Valerie flushed.
“I have a friend,” Mrs. Cullen mused, “She advertised as well. It did not work out the first time, but she found her husband through it. A sweeter man she could not find. I could ask her to come by at dinner.” She glanced at the clock, “And you should be leaving, if you don’t want to be late.”
Valerie grabbed her things and fixed her bonnet, “Oh thank you, Mrs. Cullen. Would you?”
Things in hand, she rushed back to the shop.
Mrs. Cullen’s friend was very supportive of the idea. “I think it is very good platform and a very honest one.”
She helped Valerie write up an advertisement. It wasn’t easy. And Valerie found it very embarrassing.
“I should be humble. Writing about what a wonderful person I am does not seem very humble.” She tried to tell Mrs. Cullen’s friend.
“Oh,” The woman waved her off, “What’s a little white lie here and there.”
However, that night as Valerie lay in bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about the advertisement that lay ready to be sent in the morning. It didn’t seem quite right. It bothered her so much that she got up and decided to re write it by herself.
When morning came, a very satisfied Valerie went to the newspaper office and asked them to post an advertisement in their column about a woman who was seeking a good and honest man to make a home with. The advertisement she had written had been simple, to the point and it had been honest. She had listed a few things about herself that she felt necessary but that was about it.
CHAPTER 3
There was no response to the advertisement for three days.
And those three days, Valerie kept her routine and tried to not let her spirits down. She got up early, went to church, came back for breakfast with her new friends and then went off to work. She found the women there quite pleasant and they had started to open up to her.
Then on the fourth day, she was about to leave the shop for her break when a young girl ran into her.
“Why, hello.”
The girl was wearing a pretty dress but it was muddied beyond recognition and one of her braids was undone. She stared up at Valerie and blurted out, “I like your bonnet.”
Oddly touched, Valerie took it off, “Would you like to have it? I have another one just like it.”
The girl looked at the outstretched hand which held the bonnet and then at Valerie, and spoke in a small voice, “But my hair is ruined and Nanny will be so angry.”
Valerie tucked the bonnet under her arm and smiled, “Then why don’t we fix it so that Nanny doesn’t find out. May I?”
The girl nodded. Valerie opened the door and ushered the girl in. Then seating her on her stool, she opened her braids and started fixing the little girl’s hair.
As she patted the hair and placed the bonnet on the girl’s head, she looked up and saw a well-dressed man looking into the shop through the glass window. The man stared at her and then looked at the little girl.
Valerie immediately stepped in his line of sight and narrowed her eyes. “Jane, dear.” The girl hummed, playing with the ribbons of the bonnet, “Do you know that man?”
The girl looked up and her eyes widened, “Father!” Jumping out of her seat, she rushed out and ran towards the man who put a hand on her shoulder and murmured something. The girl nodded and said something, pointing to Valerie who stood inside the shop.
The man nodded and looking at Valerie, he tipped his hat politely and walked away, with the girl running alongside him.
It was a strange experience in all and she was about to tell Mrs. Cullen about it over dinner but forgot.
The next day a letter arrived for Miss Valerie Reiner.
“Dear Miss Reiner,
I saw your post in the newspaper and I found myself quite intrigued. A working woman from a respectable family is quite rare and your advertisement was so straightforward that I found it very appealing. Honesty and dedication is a trait that I value, so let me also be honest. I am a widower with children and I wish to seek a woman who will accept both me and my family, so if you think that this is not an odd situation at all, I would be quite happy to hear back from you.
Yours faithfully,
Henry”
A widower.
Valerie pondered over the letter. She had never had many ambitions in life but she had hoped to start a life together with a man her age and have a family. However, she had never imagined that she might be taking on an entire family. Wouldn’t she feel left out? They would have their own routines and rituals and she would be the odd one out.
She took a deep breath and told herself that this might be another nudge from God onto her rightful path. She had to take a chance. And really, what harm could there be in writing a letter?
She picked up the pen and two days later, she posted the letter,
“Dear Mr. Henry,
I admit that I find the prospect of taking on an entire family a little unsettling but God works in mysterious ways. I am terribly sorry for the loss of your wife. And please tell me a little about yourself and your children. I am not expecting you to be very wealthy. I just want a partner who is a good man. Money can be earned but character is crucial.
Yours faithfully,
Valerie”
It was a short reply but Valerie did not know what else to say. So when she posted this letter she felt very satisfied. One of the women was down with a cold so the shop was short staffed so when the bell at the entrance of the shop jingled, Valerie went to greet the customer. To her shock, it was Jane with her father, who seemed to be a very imposing man. Not one to be intimidated by wealth or status, she greeted them warmly and was pleased to see Jane wearing her bonnet.
“You are the owner of this establishment?”
Valerie smiled, “Not at all. My employer opened a branch down here and I am overseeing it. Are you here to buy a bonnet for you daughter, Mr- ?”
“Henry Fergus. And you have met my daughter Jane.”
Valerie was a little startled but she chose not to let it show, “You’re welcome to the shop, Lord Fergus. And so is
Jane.”
The little girl beamed up at her, “Everybody liked my bonnet.”
Valerie smiled at her, “Did they now? I’m glad.”
Lord Fergus put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder and spoke, “You are Miss Valerie Reiner?”
Slightly taken aback that he knew her name, Valerie nodded, “Yes. Did you need something from me, Lord Fergus?”
He gave her a quiet smile and Valerie nearly swallowed her tongue. That tiny smile transformed the stern faced man into an oddly appealing one. “No. Jane wanted to buy a bonnet. Go on,” He urged his daughter.
“I want two bonnets,” Jane demanded, holding out two fingers.
She looked so adorable that Valerie felt a rush of affection towards her. Looking down at her, Valerie asked, “Well, what kind of bonnets are you looking for Miss Jane?”
Excited over the prospect of choosing bonnets of her own choice, Jane started rambling, “I want butterflies and a pink pony and kittens on it and puppies too!”
Valerie’s eyes widened with the list of demands the child had clearly thought out. Then, she laughed gaily, “How about I make you a special bonnet with butterflies on it and one with three kittens? How would you like that?”
The girl’s lip wobbled, “No ponies?”
Carefully considering her answer, Valerie soothed her, “Well, you see, the King of all ponies has a magic rule. Don’t you know about it?”
Jane leaned forward, her eyes wide, “What rule?”
Valerie sighed, “That no ponies should ever be put on a bonnet. Or he will get very upset. And we don’t want that, right?”
Jane shook her head, frantically. She was at that tender of five, where magic existed for her. “No ponies,” She said, firmly.
“Very good, Miss Jane. Now, should I have the bonnets delivered to you when they are finished?”
She looked towards Lord Fergus who looked faintly amused at her successful manipulation. He spoke carefully, “No, I think Jane and I will come again.”
