The Preacher's Bride: A Golden Valley Story (Brides of Birch Creek Book 6)

by Laura D. Bastian

  Michael laughed. “Oh, I’d fretted about that often enough. I had told myself I didn’t care what she looked like. I was just so alone and ready to be a family and have someone to call my own that the fact a woman had answered my advertisement was reason enough to marry her.”

  “How long had you been planning it before you sent the advertisement?” Benjamin asked.

  Michael shrugged. “A few months at least. I’d done some work for a couple who stopped by my blacksmith shop. When I learned she’d answered his advertisement and that you could get a bride that way, I figured I might as well give it a shot.” Michael looked at Benjamin. “So I heard that the new Mrs. Morrison is someone you knew from home. Is that right?”

  Benjamin nodded. “She grew up just down the road from my grandparents. I spent a few years there in my youth.” He wasn’t going to mention that he was eight years older than her and could barely remember the girl. He had known her parents and her older brother more.

  “It must have been nice to know your bride at least a little before you wed. Of course, if it had been years since you’d seen each other, I’m sure there is a lot you would have to relearn about each other.”

  Benjamin nodded again. He wished he knew how to ask for advice from Michael about how to make a marriage that started out on such short notice become one that was full of respect and mutual benefit, but also how to find love. Of course, asking someone in his congregation about how to fall in love with his own wife was just something he couldn’t do. Especially when most everyone thought they had known each other well enough before to choose this marriage.

  “One of my favorite parts of our early marriage was all the talking we did. Late at night as we were preparing for sleep, we’d talk until we couldn’t stay awake anymore.” Michael laughed. “Now, as soon as our heads hit the pillow, one of us is asleep in minutes. Raising kids is more exhausting that all my physical work at the blacksmith shop ever was.”

  The door of Michael’s boarding house opened and a young child stood in the doorway. “Papa! Mama says dinner is ready!”

  “I’ll be right there, pumpkin.” Michael waved to acknowledge the girl then looked at Benjamin. “Enjoy this early part of your marriage as you get to know each other more and more. Time flies fast and before you know it, you’ll have a bunch of little ones running around. But it’s all worth it. I’d never give up my family or the hard work it takes to keep a woman happy. She gives me so much more in return than I could ever give her.”

  “Give your family my best,” Benjamin said. “I’m glad to hear they’re feeling better. I hope to see you on Sunday if things are well with you all.”

  “If not this week, then next week for sure. Tell Mrs. Morrison hello from us. We look forward to meeting her in person soon.”

  Benjamin left the Clarks’ home with more questions about his own wife and marriage than he’d had this morning.

  Michael’s advice to talk with her late in the evenings as they were falling asleep just didn’t seem possible yet. He wasn’t ready to commit to things that deeply and she seemed happy enough to have a room to herself and to keep her distance from him. Besides, his late nights had always been spent studying and reading.

  There would need to be more time to get comfortable enough before things progressed to the point they’d be sharing a room.

  As he walked home, Benjamin kept losing his train of thought. He should have been mentally going over his sermon for Sunday. Instead, he kept thinking about how little he knew of his wife. Maybe tonight, during dinner, they would talk about what things had been like growing up.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Amelia looked up from the stove when the door opened. She had hoped to have dinner ready by the time Benjamin returned home, but she had just gotten started. If he headed directly to his office to work, she would be hard pressed to get him to join her.

  Of course, with Sunday only a day away, he probably had a lot to work on to finish his sermon.

  The sound of his footsteps coming into the kitchen made her heart rate quicken. She glanced behind her and when he smiled at her then pulled out a chair at the table, she sighed in relief that he wasn’t going to go hide away.

  “How was your day?” Amelia asked.

  “I managed to visit a lot of families,” Benjamin said. “Got in trouble with a few of them.”

  Amelia turned around and looked at him. “What happened?”

  Benjamin smiled as he met her eyes. “I was told in no uncertain terms that the next time I stop by, I needed to bring you with me.”

  “Really?” Amelia asked, as a warmth built in her chest. “That’s interesting.”

  “Well,” Benjamin said. “It makes a lot of sense. Everyone wants to get to know you better. The short bit of visiting we were able to do on Wednesday after the wedding wasn’t enough.”

  “That’s true,” Amelia said, adjusting the pan on the stove top to get it in the right place for the heat from the fire inside to cook the stew. “It was all over so quickly. I do hope I’ll be able to remember the names of everyone we talked with.”

  “I’ll be sure to introduce you again,” Benjamin said. “And folks here are really forgiving. They’ll understand.”

  Amelia nodded. “That’s good to know. It feels like a wonderful town.”

  “I see you kept working more in the garden. Will you need my help tomorrow?” He looked toward the room he’d been sleeping in where his books were visible through the open door.

  “I’m sure I could manage it on my own if you need to keep working on your studies.”

  Benjamin sighed. “I am still not quite finished with my message for Sunday. This has been quite the week and my normal routine has undergone a few changes.” His soft smile did a little to ease her guilt at throwing his life into chaos.

  “What are you going to speak about?” Amelia asked.

  “That’s the thing,” Benjamin said. “Everything I had been working on earlier this week no longer feels right. I’m not certain if I have chosen the wrong topic and if I’m being guided toward something different, or if I should just work through my doubts and keep going.”

  She didn’t want to ask what his topic was, just in case he felt she was overstepping her role. Trying to find the most helpful response, she said, “The wonderful thing about the word of God is that it’s applicable to everyone at every time. So I’m sure no matter what you settle on, you’ll give a good message.”

  “I hope so,” Benjamin said. “I’ll be staying up late tonight working on it. But it is nice to sit here and talk with you for a bit.”

  “I’m glad you came to join me. Cooking isn’t difficult, but it can be a little boring at times.”

  “Did you say you cooked for your parents while they were still alive? Your mother did most of the care-taking of your father as he got more and more ill?”

  “Yes,” Amelia said. “I ran the house while Mama took care of Papa. But they were always close enough to talk with. I think that is what I miss the most about them being gone. Not having Mama to talk to. Papa eventually forgot a lot of what he had known. That was the hardest part of losing him. We lost a little more every day.”

  “I’m sorry you had to experience something so hard. I’m sure your mother was grateful for your presence in the home to help shoulder the burden she carried.”

  Amelia smiled and wiped her eye. “She was.”

  Benjamin looked at his hands, splayed out on the table. Amelia wasn’t sure what else to do or talk about. She was pleased he had come to talk with her, but now that he was silent and contemplative, she hesitated and turned her attention back to the stew.

  “Do you need any help with dinner?” Benjamin asked.

  “This will be a few more minutes until the potatoes and carrots are soft enough. If you could cut some bread and get some water, that would be wonderful.”

  Benjamin stood and did as she had asked, then once it was on the table he sat back down and looked around the room.

/>   “Is that your Bible?” he asked after a moment.

  “It is,” Amelia said. “It was my mother’s. She taught me how to read from these very pages.”

  “A good book to learn from for sure,” Benjamin said. “That’s wonderful you have her book. It must bring you a lot of comfort.”

  Amelia smiled. “That it does. I read it constantly once she was gone. It helped me feel close to her. While I was on the train, it kept me focused on the good things in my life.”

  “God is good,” Benjamin said. “I’m happy to know you have such a firm understanding of his goodness and grace. Sharing a love of the Lord with a companion in life is important.”

  Amelia’s heart swelled. He’d given her a few compliments tonight that warmed her soul and helped her feel hope for their future together. She knew that over time, things would become comfortable and normalized. Hopefully, they could find love as well. Love between a man and a woman was one of the greatest gifts in life.

  ***

  Benjamin woke to the sounds of Amelia working in the kitchen. He had managed to go to bed earlier last night instead of staying up late reading and contemplating more on his sermon. He got up and dressed quickly, then folded the bedding he’d laid out on the floor and set it on a chair.

  He checked quickly to make sure he was presentable, then went to join her in the kitchen. “Good morning, Amelia,” Benjamin said as she turned around.

  The surprise in her eyes was evident and he smiled at the way her expression changed from surprise to pleasure at seeing him. The knowledge that she liked him enough to be happy to see him gave him hope. Now if only he could figure out a way to be comfortable enough with her to interact each day without feeling awkward at the sight of her. Of course, when he thought about it, he was no longer as surprised to see a woman in his house every time he turned around.

  “Good morning,” Amelia returned. “How did you sleep?”

  “Fine, thank you,” Benjamin said. The floor was beginning to cause him a few aches and pains, but until there was an option for another bed that was large enough the two of them could share it, he wouldn’t mention the hard floor. He did not want to rush things.

  “What are your plans for the day?” Amelia asked. “Do you need me to do anything specific for you?”

  “I do need to finish up my sermon for tomorrow. There are a few people I usually visit on Saturdays. Would you like to come with me?” he asked. “I don’t want to get in trouble for leaving you home today.”

  Amelia’s expression fell slightly and he wished he could take that last sentence back. He should have just let her know he wanted her to join him for her company. Sure, the folks in town would love to visit with her, but that wasn’t the reason he wanted to take her with.

  “I can join you if you’d like. I have some housework to do and needed to water the garden.”

  “I’ll help with the watering,” Benjamin said. “I’ve left all this work to you and I don’t know how you’ve managed to do it all and still get the house in better shape than it’s ever been in.”

  Amelia smiled and Benjamin vowed he would do what he could to make her smile more often. The softness of her features turned positively beautiful as the light in her eyes sparkled when he said something nice.

  She took a couple of plates off the cabinet, then grabbed the utensils and set the table for him then returned to the stove top for the skillet and placed their breakfast on the table.

  “I have completely neglected my normal routines now that I’ve had your help. Please forgive me. I should have gotten up early to check for eggs and to feed the chickens.”

  Amelia looked up. “There is nothing to forgive. I don’t mind taking over the household things. I understand how important your time is. I’m just grateful I am able to help you where I can.”

  “You are a great help. Thank you. Once things settle down a little and I can get my work done for the sermon, I’ll do better at helping you next week.”

  ***

  Amelia was pleasantly surprised at how much more attentive and interactive Benjamin was today. She had begun to think most of the time they spent together would have just been during meals, but with his help in the garden, the watering was completed in short order.

  The two then walked the streets, stopping to say hello to the neighbors and to have a chance to get to know a little more about the people she would soon come to call friends.

  Folks shared tips and tricks to keeping their yards looking nice and all the women promised to share seeds or starts on the different plants they loved in their own yards and gardens. The growing season here was different enough from back home that Amelia appreciated hearing about the different ways the folks took care of their gardens and harvest so they would have enough food to last the winter.

  As they walked toward the Mercantile after talking at the last house, Amelia glanced over at Benjamin. “I think there is a lot for me to still learn about this area. I’m glad there are a few more months before the cold weather will settle in.”

  “We’ll do a lot of cooking with the potatoes and carrots and onions that last a long time. The squashes and pumpkins and corn will last a while as well. I will miss all the fresh vegetables when it freezes.”

  Amelia nodded. “It would be nice to have them all year long. But it just makes it that much more special when the weather warms up again.”

  “A new life, every year.”

  “I’m excited to learn how to do the jams and jellies that work best with the fruits that are here. And drying apples seems easy enough. Your apple tree looks really full. It will be nice to have something sweet in the winter months.”

  “One of the families I visited the other day has a hive of bees they’re thinking will be splitting up soon. Have you ever tried bee keeping?”

  Amelia shook her head. “No. Is that something you want to try?”

  Benjamin shrugged. “I would want to find a book about it and study it first. Of course, having them show us how to do it would be nice as well. Can you imagine having honey year-round?”

  “You can get it during the winter?” Amelia asked.

  Benjamin shook his head. “No, I meant that we could get enough jars of honey by keeping our own hive that we could have some through the winter. Then each year, we’d harvest more.”

  “I’m willing to learn if you are,” Amelia said. “It would be good to have a supply of honey. I know a lot of folks back home used honey in their cooking and to help preserve some of the fruits.”

  They talked for a while about their options and how to continue to improve their yard and the growth of the garden and plans for their future. Though most of their discussion related to the house and the yard, Amelia felt as if they were moving past a bit of a block between them. The fact that he was talking to her about the future and what it would mean for them to have a supply of food and provisions for the coming years was huge.

  He never mentioned anything about the need to provide for a family of their own, but she could almost feel it was in his thoughts.

  Perhaps, in time, he could grow to love her.

  ***

  Saturday passed quickly and Benjamin realized that even though he wasn’t fully prepared for his Sunday sermon, he wasn’t all that worried about it. As he walked through town with Amelia, visiting with folks they passed, he understood her personality and her values a little more with each stop.

  It came as no surprise that any time they stopped at a house where someone was working on either gardening, or laundry or wood splitting, she would slip easily into helping where she could. More than once she took a fussing child that hung onto their mother’s skirts and entertained them to give their mother a little more freedom of movement.

  Amelia would often hum or sing or tell little stories to the child while Benjamin took a few minutes to check with the families on what they might need help with. Benjamin pondered more than once why the sight of her holding a young child affected him so much.

>   Before they left each place, Amelia had promised to come by again and play with the children to help the mother from time to time. At the last house, Benjamin chuckled as they departed.

  “What?” Amelia asked after they were out of hearing distance of the family.

  “I’m not sure if you’ll have enough hours in the day if you keep your promise to come take all the children for a while.”

  Amelia smiled at his comment then seemed to consider it for a moment. “What would you think if I did something a few times a week. We could allow the children who aren’t old enough to attend school yet to come to the church. I could play with them there, teach them some Bible stories and give their parents a free hour or so to get some work done.”

  “I think you’ll have a lot of parents eager to take you up on that. And if it is something you’d like, I see no problem with that. I’m sure I could be there to help if you’d like me to. Of course, if there are a lot of little ones, you may need more help than just me.”

  Amelia smiled up at him and the pleased look on her face made him happy that he’d been the one to help put it there.

  “I will need your help for sure. As for others, we’ll see if we could find another adult without young children that might be interested in helping out.”

  “Did you attend a children’s class when you were younger?” Benjamin asked. “Is that something that was common back in Ohio?”

  “No, I never attended anything like that. I just thought it seemed like something to try.”

  “We may as well give it a go.” Benjamin moved a little closer to Amelia and took her hand in his, then brought it up to the crook of his arm and they continued toward home.

  Spending the day with Amelia had given Benjamin a lot to think about. His plans for his sermon tomorrow had finally come together and he knew he would need to make a lot of changes on what he’d already started. Yet he didn’t want to leave Amelia and hide away in his study. He allowed the words he might say to the congregation tomorrow to flow in his mind while he helped peel potatoes for dinner.