Abner's Adventure

by Kirsten Osbourne

  “I’ll carry that!” Abner shouted, lunging forward to grab Catherine’s carpet bag. Instead he tripped over Catherine’s skirt, nearly taking her down with him.

  Catherine gasped and stood up tall, straightening her skirt.

  “I am so sorry, Miss! I mean, Catherine!” Abner said.

  Micah steered the trunk away from him. “Abner, let me handle this. Why don’t you just chat with your intended?”

  Abner shot Micah an appreciative look. The pastor was a kind and humble man. Abner was glad he was the person who would be performing the marriage ceremony.

  Abner tried to think of something Catherine would be interested in on the walk toward the church. All he could think about was the odd look on her face. He had a feeling that things weren’t working out very well. Finally, he thought of a question he could ask. “What’s your family like? Do they all live in Massachusetts?”

  A troubled look passed over Catherine’s face. “My family was killed in a terrible fire a few years ago. I’m the only one left.”

  Abner immediately regretted asking the question. Now he was truly at a loss for words. “My parents are dead, too,” he finally blurted, uncomfortable with silence.

  Catherine shook her head. This young man seemed to have no manners whatsoever. How could they possibly be married? They had nothing in common.

  Micah attempted to help out. “Catherine, I’ve heard Boston is beautiful at this time of year. Is that right?”

  Catherine smiled brightly for the first time since stepping off the bus. “Yes, I loved to take walks by the harbor. The sea breeze is positively delightful.” She wondered if she should say anything about her days riding through the countryside on horseback. She wasn’t sure if it was very ladylike, but considering Abner’s lack of manners, it probably didn’t matter. “It’s even better on horseback.”

  “You like horses?” Micah asked.

  Catherine nodded.

  “Well, we have plenty of those around here. Here we are.” Micah opened the front door to the church and gestured for Catherine to step inside. Abner followed quickly after, trailing Catherine like a lovesick puppy dog. Micah hoped things would work out between the two of them.

  A beautiful young woman greeted Catherine with a huge smile and a bouquet of flowers. “I’m Chrissy. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

  Catherine felt her spirits lift. “That’s so kind of you. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome! I’m going to be a witness to your ceremony since my mother is busy with my younger brothers and sisters,” Chrissy explained.

  “This is my daughter,” Micah beamed proudly.

  “Let me show you where you can wash your face and have a moment to yourself.” Chrissy took Catherine’s arm and led her into the living quarters attached to the church.

  Abner exhaled loudly and plopped down onto one of the church pews. “Do you think she likes me?”

  Micah cringed. He didn’t want to lie to Abner, but he also didn’t want to hurt the man’s feelings. “She’s probably exhausted from her travel. It may take a few days for you to get used to one another.”

  Abner nodded. “That makes sense. Boy, isn’t she pretty, Pastor?”

  Micah shook his head. “I’m a married man, Abner, and soon you will be, too. You’ll soon learn that it’s not good form to speak of a woman’s looks unless she’s your wife.”

  Abner shook his head wearily. “I have a lot to learn.”

  Micah smiled. “Don’t worry too much. I’m sure things will work out.”

  Abner sighed. “I hope so.”

  After a few minutes, Chrissy and Catherine joined the men. Catherine had a white flower tucked delicately behind her ear.

  “You look beautiful,” Abner whispered.

  Catherine simply looked down at the floor.

  Micah looked Abner in the eyes and then turned his gaze to Catherine. “Are you ready?”

  Abner nodded eagerly. A moment later, Catherine bobbed her head as well.

  “Today we are gathered in this church to declare the love between Abner Phelps and Catherine Peartree. Marriage is a sacred bond between two people, and Abner and Catherine will not enter into this bond lightly. Do you, Abner, take this woman, Catherine, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

  “Yes! I do!” Abner cried.

  Catherine rubbed her ear and took a step back.

  Micah continued. “Do you, Catherine, take this man, Abner, to be your husband?”

  Catherine hesitated. She wasn’t sure about anything. She was exhausted, confused, and a little annoyed. But she quickly realized she didn’t have a choice. “I do.”

  Micah smiled. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Congratulations.”

  Abner grinned from ear to ear and leaned in close to Catherine. He brushed his lips against hers gently. Catherine kissed him back tentatively. She felt stiff in Abner’s arms. He didn’t think she seemed like she was enjoying herself. But before he could think too much about it, Catherine was pulling back from him and clutching him. Abner took her delicate hand in his. He had a wife!

  Chrissy rushed up to Catherine and Abner. “You’re married now! I’m so happy for you two.”

  “Thank you,” Catherine replied.

  “Thanks, Chrissy!” Abner beamed from ear to ear. Finally, all of his dreams had come true!

  Catherine felt the weariness from her travels catch up with her. “I think I need to sit down,” she said, swaying.

  Micah and Abner grabbed hold of her arms and held her steady.

  “Poor dear, you must be exhausted. Abner, take her home at once!” Chrissy commanded. She was a great deal younger than Abner, but she obviously knew the man would obey.

  Micah chuckled. “I’m sure you can tell where she gets that from,” he commented to Abner. His wife, Sarah Jane, was quite particular. She often told other people what to do. Although Sarah Jane and Micah had adopted Chrissy, the young woman clearly took after both of her adoptive parents.

  Abner looked at Catherine, concerned. “Are you feeling all right? I’ll take you home, and you can get some rest.”

  “Thank you,” Catherine said gratefully. She told herself that she was just tired, and in a few hours, she would probably come to her senses and realize Abner was a wonderful husband. Right now, though, it was hard to see past his odd manners. All she wanted to do was sleep.

  Abner racked his brain for things to talk about as they exited the church. They bid goodbye to Micah and Chrissy and started to walk toward Abner’s house. Abner dragged Catherine’s trunk behind him, and Catherine followed, walking slowly. “It’s not too far.”

  Catherine nodded. She wasn’t sure how much longer her eyes would stay open. As they walked, she thought of dozens of questions for Abner, but she was so drained that she couldn’t bring herself to ask any of them. They walked in silence until they came to a small, rustic home.

  “Here we are,” Abner announced proudly. “Home sweet home.”

  Catherine tried to force herself to smile. “I need to get some rest.”

  “Of course!” Abner set her trunk aside and opened the front door for her.

  Catherine stepped inside. It was dark, and she couldn’t see much, but there would be plenty of time for that later.

  Abner led her into the bedroom.

  Catherine saw that a thin blue blanket had been stretched on top of the bed, not quite covering it. It didn’t look very comfortable, but Catherine was just grateful to be somewhere she could rest. “I just need a few hours of sleep,” she mumbled.

  Abner stood watching her, unsure what to say or do.

  “A little privacy?” Catherine asked.

  Abner swallowed. “Yes, of course.” He left the room, pulling the curtain closed. He had only known his bride for less than an hour, and things were already off to a rocky start. He slumped down in one of his armchairs in the living room. What was he going to do?

  When Catherine woke up, she panicked, not remembering where she was. The room w
as still dim, and she couldn’t see a thing. She stumbled toward the curtain, yawning. As she opened it, letting some light in, the events of the past few days came rushing back to her. She was a married woman now.

  Catherine looked around the room, finally able to see. Clothes were stuffed under the bed, and the wardrobe was overflowing. There was an inch of dust on the floor and even more on the door frame. She frowned. What type of household did her new husband keep?

  She tentatively walked outside the small room and into the living area. Abner sat at the kitchen table, an eager look on his face. “Are you hungry? You slept for ten hours straight!”

  Catherine gasped. She looked out the windows and realized that the light she saw was from the morning sun. She also noticed it was raining. “I didn’t realize I was asleep for that long. You must think me very impolite.”

  Abner shook his head. “Not at all. You were tired. But—er, I had to sleep, too. So I stayed out here. I didn’t want to startle you.” Abner pointed to the sofa.

  Catherine saw another thin blanket on top of it. Despite her unease, she was touched. It was sweet of Abner to allow her to sleep peacefully without interruption.

  Abner coughed. “I don’t know if you normally eat breakfast, but . . .”

  Catherine saw that Abner had set two bowls out on the table. She couldn’t tell what was inside them, but it looked like a thick, brown slop. She tried not to grimace. “Yes, I’d love to.”

  Abner grinned. He stood and pulled out a seat for Catherine to sit down in.

  Catherine took a small bit of the slop on her spoon and sniffed at it. “What exactly is it?”

  “A Phelps family recipe,” Abner explained. “We call it musgo.”

  “Is that a family name?” Catherine inquired politely as she swallowed her first bite.

  “No. It stands for ‘everything in the ice box must go!’” Abner chuckled.

  Catherine nearly gagged on the porridge-like substance. It tasted awful, but she didn’t want to be rude. “I think from now on, I’ll handle the cooking around here.”

  Abner’s eyes widened. “Oh, that would be wonderful. I’d really like that.”

  Catherine smiled. There was one thing they already agreed on. That was progress, wasn’t it? Suddenly, Catherine felt tiny pinpricks on her head and shoulders. She shrieked and stood up.

  Abner hopped out of his seat and grabbed a pot from the cupboard. He stuck it underneath where Catherine had been sitting, then moved her chair over a bit. “Sorry about that. Here you go.” He took his seat again and began eating his porridge.

  Catherine stared in horror at the water dripping into the large pot. “Why is water coming into your house?”

  Abner paused between bites. “Leaky roof. It only leaks about half of the time.”

  “You mean, this has happened before and you haven’t fixed it?” Catherine asked in disbelief.

  Abner shrugged. “I’ll get to it eventually.”

  “How long has this been going on for?” Catherine sighed.

  Abner thought about it for a moment. “Maybe two or three years? I can’t remember.” He happily returned to his food, shoveling spoonfuls of it into his mouth.

  Catherine mimicked wiping her mouth off with a napkin, but Abner didn’t seem to understand. Streaks of food covered his upper lip and chin. Catherine shook her head in dismay. She couldn’t believe how dreadful his table manners were. “I think I’ll start unpacking,” Catherine told Abner.

  Abner looked at Catherine’s bowl. She had barely had anything to eat. Maybe women really didn’t eat breakfast after all! “Aren’t you still hungry?”

  Catherine shook her head. “Not at the moment.” After watching Abner scarf down his food, she had lost her appetite completely. Not that the food had been particularly appealing to begin with.

  Abner followed Catherine into the bedroom, where Catherine opened her trunk and began shaking out her clothes and re-folding them. “I need to go to work. Will you be all right here by yourself?”

  “Yes, of course,” Catherine told him. She actually looked forward to the chance to be alone with her thoughts. The past few days had been chaotic and stressful, and she wanted to take time to absorb it all.

  Abner nodded, looking a little sad. “I’ll miss you while I’m at work,” he said with a lovesick expression.

  Catherine put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. He really did seem like a sweet man. She hoped she’d be able to teach him some basic housekeeping skills.

  Abner leaned in to kiss Catherine, but she turned her cheek instinctively. Abner turned away so she couldn’t see his face. “Goodbye!” Abner called as he raced out the door.

  Catherine breathed a sigh of relief once he had gone. She was grateful to be out of the factory, but life in Texas was nothing like she had expected. For one thing, the house was a mess. For another, Abner seemed to have no social grace or manners. And finally, she was all alone in an unfamiliar place. She didn’t have a soul to talk to or confide in.

  She wanted to sit and cry, but what good would that do? She took a deep breath, stuck her chin out, and got to work. She was going to be the best wife she could possibly be.

  Chapter 4

  Abner found it difficult to focus on his work as a ranch hand. Thoughts of Catherine filled his mind and distracted him from anything he tried to concentrate on. She seemed beautiful and kind, but there was something about her behavior that was bothering him.

  "What's bothering you, Ab?” Felix, Abner’s best friend, asked as they stacked bales of hay in the barn.

  Abner sighed. “I don’t think I’m a very good husband.”

  Felix stopped working. “What did you just say?”

  “I’m not a very good husband,” Abner repeated mournfully.

  “Why do you care about being a husband? You’re a bachelor!” Felix laughed.

  “That’s not true! I’m married,” Abner told his friend.

  “What are you talking about?” Felix couldn’t believe his ears. Abner was the most single man he knew. He was always trying to court one young woman or another. Felix wasn’t sure how he had convinced so many of the women of Nowhere to go out with him.

  Abner explained how Edna Petunia had arranged for his mail-order marriage. “And now she probably hates me,” he finished glumly.

  Felix ran his hands through his hair. “That sounds tough. But I’m sure the two of you will figure it out. Does Edna Petunia know her very well?”

  Abner shook his head. “Catherine came from Massachusetts. She doesn’t know anyone in town. Except me.”

  Felix clapped Abner on the back. “Cheer up. You have what you’ve always wanted. It can’t be that bad.”

  Abner nodded. “I’m sure you’re right.”

  The work passed slowly, and as each hour went by, Abner worried more and more about Catherine. He wondered if he had bought enough groceries for her to cook with.

  “Ready for lunch?” Felix asked. The two men usually ate together outside in the shade of the magnolia trees.

  Abner frowned. “I forgot to pack my lunch today. I reckon I should go home and see if Catherine’s doing all right. I’ll see you after lunch.”

  “Okay. Good luck.” Felix waved goodbye to Abner.

  Abner raced toward his house. When he got there, he found Catherine in the kitchen. She seemed much happier than she had been earlier that day.

  Catherine smiled. “Would you like lunch? I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made two types of sandwiches. Do you prefer ham or tuna?”

  Abner beamed. “I like both! If I had to pick, I guess I’d say ham.”

  “Great.” Catherine placed the sandwich, cut into dainty quarters, onto a plate.

  Abner examined the plate. It was the family dishware, but it was sparkling. “Did you clean this?”

  Catherine nodded vigorously. “Oh, I washed everything. This house needed a thorough cleaning.”

  Abner hung his head, ashamed. “I’m sorry I didn’t have things
prepared for you.”

  Catherine’s heart melted. “It’s all right, Abner. You didn’t know.”

  Abner grinned. “This looks delicious.” He took a big bite of his sandwich, accidentally smearing a dollop of mayonnaise on his nose. He chewed his food noisily, mouth hanging open.

  Catherine tried to be delicate. “Abner, when you were younger, did you ever attend any special classes?”

  “What type of special classes?” More mayonnaise dripped onto Abner’s chin.

  “For things like etiquette. Manners, social customs, that sort of thing,” Catherine said, recalling her own education at a Boston preparatory school. Surely Texas had the same type of course.

  Abner swung his head back and forth. “I don’t recall anything like that. We had reading, writing, and arithmetic, though.” Abner smiled at his new wife. He wondered what she was getting at.

  Catherine sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  “What’s wrong, darling?” Abner asked. He loved calling her his darling.

  “It’s nothing,” Catherine said, glancing at the floor. She stood up and brought a tray of freshly baked cookies. “Here, I made these, too.”

  Abner whistled. “You had time to do all this while I was at work?”

  Catherine shrugged. “Cookies and sandwiches are easy. Mrs. Phillips taught me when I was a girl.”

  “Who’s Mrs. Phillips?” Abner asked.

  “She was our cook when I was young,” Catherine explained.

  Abner’s brow furrowed. “You had a cook?”

  “Of course. Didn’t you?” Catherine set the tray on the counter and began packing the cookies into a small jar.

  “No, we didn’t. My mother did all those things for our family,” Abner replied. He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Looks like I should head back to work.”

  “Have a good afternoon. I’m going to keep cleaning,” Catherine told him.

  “Thank you, darling.” Abner gazed longingly at his new wife. He wanted desperately to pinch Catherine’s bottom. She was his wife, after all, but something held him back. He settled for a quick kiss on the cheek and raced out the door back to the farm.