“She seems like a sweet girl, but was a bit surprised that she was asked to stay in town rather than come out here. As far as I can tell, she took it in her stride.”
“She wasn’t mad?” Tom asked.
Jenny shook her head.
“I caught a slight irritation in her voice once, but she certainly wasn’t mad,” she replied. “I gave her some money to try and help her, but don’t tell your father that.”
Tom just laughed.
“Is she pretty?” he asked.
It was Jenny’s turn to laugh.
“Typical man,” she teased her son.
“What?” Tom protested. “It’s not all I’m interested in, but I want to know.”
“Yes, she’s pretty,” Jenny told him. “She’s petite, with auburn hair and green eyes, but enough about that. Help me get these horses unhitched and in the stable.”
The conversation halted as they concentrated their efforts on the work. It was Tom that led the animals inside. He put them in the stalls before bringing them food and water. Jenny loosened the harness from the wagon and stored it before getting the covers from behind the seat to cover the vehicle. She was just finishing when her son came back out. They linked arms as they walked across to the house.
“Where is she staying?” Tom asked.
“I arranged for her to stay at a room in town,” Jenny replied. “The owner is Mrs. Lester, but you probably don’t know her.”
Tom let out a snort of derision.
“How would I know anyone,” he said. “I’ve managed to get away from work here once to go in to town and have a look around. The place was so quiet while I was there that I didn’t see anyone.”
“It is a bit like that,” Jenny replied. “On the occasions I have been there I’ve only spoken to a couple of people.”
“It’s not right that we left her there,” Tom said.
Jenny let out a sigh.
“No it’s not,” she replied. “But there is no point in trying to convince your father he is wrong. You know what he is like.”
“Only too well,” he complained and shook his head. “I’ve been getting the lectures all day about how important it is to be a good provider. All he cares about is the farm.”
Jenny wanted to say it wasn’t true, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. There was a certain truth to the comment that she knew all too well.
“What’s she going to do?” Tom went on.
“She was a teacher in Boston and she asked me to show her where the town schoolhouse was,” Jenny answered. “She appears to have her mind set on asking if there is anything available for her there.”
They got to the house and walked inside to the sight of James sitting drinking coffee at the wooden table. He looked up at the sound of them entering.
“Is everything alright” he asked.
Tom knew the question wasn’t aimed at him, but he was quick to give an answer
“No it’s not alright,” he complained. “You invited a girl here through a mail order bride agency and when she arrived decided she wasn’t welcome at the farm.”
James tightened his lips at his son’s impertinence, but tried to ignore it.
“I wasn’t speaking to you,” he replied before turning his gaze on his wife. “Did you sort things out?”
“Well, she’s still here,” Jenny replied. “But I got the impression she didn’t have much choice in the matter. I don’t think she has much money.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” James went on and picked up his coffee to take a drink.
“It still isn’t right,” Tom complained.
“I think Tom is…” Jenny started, but said no more as her husband glared at her.
“We agreed on this,” James said.
“You agreed on it,” Tom replied. “I certainly didn’t.”
“Look the farm comes first,” James snapped and the legs of the chair screeched across the floor as he abruptly got to his feet.
He picked up the cup of coffee and stalked out of the door before any more was said and as far as he was concerned it was the end of the conversation. There was a flare of light in the darkness as he struck a match and lifted it up to the cigarette he placed between his lips. Jenny looked at her son and could see the annoyance written all over his face.
“Look, just do what your father wants for the moment and we’ll try and get Mary here as quickly as we can,” she said quietly.
Tom looked at his mother and put a smile on his face.
“I’ll try,” he said, but he knew he was lying even as the words came out.
The news his mother revealed that Mary might try and get a job at the local schoolhouse was putting an idea in his mind. It was the opportunity he was looking for to get what he wanted. Even as the plan was still coming together in his head, he knew he was going to try and put it into action.
Chapter 5
Mary lay on the bed staring at the ceiling and trying to keep her mind from the thought that she might very well have made the biggest mistake of her young life. When she joined the mail order bridal agency it seemed like the perfect solution to her problems. It would provide her with a convenient way to meet a man that might bring some passion in her life and also give her a way to get out of Boston.
As she remained resting on the bed in the small room of Mrs. Lester’s home, she wasn’t so sure she did the right thing after all. She was basically now alone as far as she could see and left to her own devices in a strange town. There was no way of knowing when she would see Jenny or any other member of the Addison family again. Even more worryingly, she had no idea how long it would be before she got to the farm and met then man she was supposed to be there to marry. She felt abandoned and let out a sigh.
The early morning light filtering into the room through the closed curtains eventually convinced her to make a move. There was no point in staying in bed and all she could do was stick with the plan she came up with the evening before. A visit to the schoolhouse would let her know whether there was a position there for her. If there was it would be a start to getting a foothold in the town. If there wasn’t…, well she didn’t want to think about that. It would likely mean she couldn’t stay, but there was no point in worrying about it until she spoke to the schoolmistress.
Throwing the covers back, she swung her feet down to the floor and sat for a few seconds just looking down at her case. The first order of the day was to get unpacked and select something suitable to wear. She got to her feet and picked up the case to set it down on the bed. Opening it up, she began to pull out her clothes. The memory of the conductor on the train seeing her underwear flashed through her mind and she felt the flush of warmth on her face and between her thighs. The latter was not altogether unsurprising, but she was still slightly ashamed of the sensation.
There was nothing she could do to stop it, so she simply tried to ignore it as she picked up her dresses and petticoats first then walked across to the wardrobe to hang them up. When she finished, she moved back to the bed to get her underwear and other small items then knelt down at the base of the wardrobe to store them away in a drawer. Getting to her feet, she flicked through the hangers and selected the clothes she wanted to wear that day. Her concentration on it was what got her mind off the conductor staring at her panties and it calmed her down.
The metal basin and jug of water on a stand in the corner of the room gave her a chance to freshen up first and she stripped off her nightgown to do it. The cold water chilled her and she was quick to finish then grabbed the towel from the back of a chair to dry herself. Five minutes later she was dressed and using her large hairbrush to tidy her auburn tresses. She moved to the curtains when she was finished and pulled them open to the sight of a small, tidy garden.
The early morning sunshine warmed her and she stood at the window as she considered what to do. She wanted to be at the schoolhouse before classes started for the day to give her a chance to speak to the teacher, but suspected that wouldn’t be for
around an hour or so. There was no point in being there before the place opened, but she didn’t want to just sit in her bedroom. She remembered Mrs. Lester saying the evening before that she could use other parts of the house, so decided to just go and sit in the lounge.
The smell of coffee hit her straight away when she opened the door and she guessed that her host was an early riser. She walked to the kitchen door to look in and saw Mrs. Lester sitting at the table with her hands around a cup.
“Good morning,” Mary said.
“Morning dear,” the elderly lady replied pleasantly as she raised her gaze from the table to look across the room. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes thanks,” Mary answered. “Is it alright if I sit in the lounge?”
“Come in here dear and keep me company,” Mrs. Lester said with a smile. “It’s not often I have people here.”
Mary returned the smile as she stepped in the room and moved towards the table.
“Get yourself some coffee and bread if you want,” Mrs. Lester said.
“Are you sure it’s OK?” Mary said hesitantly.
“Of course it is,” Mrs. Lester went on. “You can’t be starting the day on an empty stomach.”
The pang of sadness was unexpected, but the words of the elderly woman almost matched those her mother used to say to her. She was lost in her thoughts for a few seconds as memories of her parents flooded back.
“Is something wrong?” Mrs. Lester asked.
The words shook Mary out of the thoughts and she let out a sigh.
“What you just said,” she admitted. “It reminded me of something my mother used to say.”
“Used to say?” Mrs. Lester said.
It was politely inquisitive and Mary went on.
“She and my father died a few months ago,” she said. “They succumbed to a cholera outbreak in Boston, where I’m originally from. I was a late child and my parents were elderly. They didn’t really have the strength to fight off the effects of the illness.”
“I’m sorry to hear that dear,” Mrs. Lester sympathized. “Is that the reason you left Boston.”
Mary nodded her head as she moved across to the counter and cut a slice of bread. She got some butter from the fridge and spread it on the bread then got herself a cup of coffee. Nothing more was said until she was sitting at the table.
“Too many bad memories in Boston for me now,” she went on. “I decided to get out and try something different from city life.”
Mrs. Lester nodded her head.
“It’s the same reason I ended up here,” she said. “When my husband died, I sold up our land and decided on a quieter life. Mind you that was twenty years ago and I didn’t expect to live in Oakford for quite so many years.”
“I’m sure you’ll see out many more,” Mary told her.
“Who knows,” Mrs. Lester said with a smile. “I’m 88 and still feel strong. I enjoy my life and as long as I’m not a burden to anyone, I’ll keep enjoying it.”
“Do you have any family here?” Mary asked.
“No,” Mrs. Lester answered. “My husband and I never had children. I’ve a few friends in the town and always had the company of the people that rented the room. You’re the first one in a while though.”
“Well, hopefully I won’t disturb your routine for too long,” Mary said.
“Is the plan for you to move to the Addison farm?” Mrs. Lester asked.
“To be honest I expected to be going there straight away,” Mary confessed. “It was a surprise when I didn’t.”
“It’s no problem,” Mrs. Lester told her. “You can stay here as long as you want.”
Mary was surprised that her host didn’t quiz her more about the reasons she chose Oakford in particular as a place to move to and she was glad of that. She wasn’t quite sure what she would say if she was asked. Admitting she was there as a mail order bride wasn’t something she wanted to do, but they sat drinking their coffee in silence and the question of why she moved to town was never asked.
“When does the school open its doors in the morning?” Mary queried when she finished eating.
“I think classes start at eight, but Annie will probably be there before that to get things ready for the day,” Mrs. Lester answered.
Mary looked at the clock on the wall to see it was still before seven. She stood from the table and walked across to wash her cup and plate then dried them.
“Is there a store in town?” she asked when she was finished. “I need to buy some provisions for myself. I can’t keep relying on your hospitality.”
“It’s close to the train station,” Mrs. Lester told her. “I’m surprised you didn’t see it when you got here yesterday.”
Mary cast her mind back to her arrival in the town the previous day. There were more pressing matters concerning her when she came out of the station and she didn’t remember seeing the store. She wasn’t even sure she recalled the route the wagon took to get from the center of town to Mrs. Lester’s home, but that was something to worry about later in the morning after her visit to the school.
“Do you need anything?” she asked. “I’ll go to the store later this morning and would be happy to get it for you.”
Mrs. Lester was silent for a short while as she considered the offer, but eventually shook her head.
“Well, I’ll see you later in the day then,” Mary went on.
“Good luck dear,” the elderly woman said.
Marty turned back at the kitchen door and smiled.
“Thanks,” she replied.
She walked out to the hallway and made her way along it to the bedroom. Opening her case again, she lifted out the folded papers in the bottom of it and sat down to look through them. The first certificate showed the grades she achieved upon finishing her own studies and the second showed her teaching qualifications. The letter of recommendation from the head teacher of the school she worked at in Boston extolled her dedication and commitment to educating children. She hoped they might be enough to convince the teacher in Oakford that she would be a useful addition that could help with the work in the school.
“Only one way to find out,” she said under her breath.
Getting to her feet, she went to the wardrobe to get her coat and put it on. She put the papers in her pocket then walked out of the room and made her way along to the front door. Mrs. Lester was just coming out of the kitchen when she passed it.
“I’ll see you later,” Mary said and smiled.
She opened the door to walk out into the early morning sunshine and set off in the direction of the schoolhouse. The streets were quiet again and she saw no one on her walk. That was also the case when she arrived at her destination, but the gate in the picket fence was opened so she guessed there was someone inside. She walked up to the one-room building and tried the door. It was open, so she walked inside and saw the young woman sitting at the large table at the front of the room.
“Hello,” Mary said.
The bag sitting on the table in front of the woman blocked almost all of her except her face and a smile flashed across it when she looked up. Her blonde hair was tied loosely back from her forehead and it put her delicate, pretty features fully on view. The blue eyes definitely had a twinkle in them and the wide smile put dimples in her cheeks.
“Well hello to you,” she replied. “Can I help you?”
“I hope so,” Mary told her.
“Well that sounds intriguing for…” She stopped talking when she turned her head to look at the clock on the wall then carried on. “…for twenty minutes past seven in the morning. Do you want to come to the school?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Mary answered.
The woman laughed and the pretty sound was infectious.
“Sit down and tell me all about it then. My name is Annie Townsend. I’m the schoolmistress here.”
“I’m Mary Gray,” she replied as she sat down on a chair beside the table
“Well Mary Gray,” Annie said. �
��Tell me what it is I can do for you.”
“I arrived in Oakford yesterday and…”
“Lucky you,” Annie interrupted and laughed. “What do you think of the place?”
“Quiet is the first word that comes to mind,” Mary replied.
“Quiet and conservative,” Annie said. “And I think that’s the way they like it. Where are you from originally?”
“I grew up in Boston,” Mary answered. “But life hasn’t been so kind to me recently and I wanted to get out of the city and try something new.”
Bent Over A Barrel Bundle: Western Cowboy Romance (Full Length Novels) Page 4
