by E. Walsh
Sarah reached into her purse and took out the ad she’d torn from the paper. She handed it down to Jess and he looked at it as if he’d never seen the words before.
She wondered why he was pretending to know nothing about the ad. Was it because he was embarrassed in front of the sheriff? Men were so very strange. Perhaps she should have wired him first.
Jess held the ad out so she could take it back. “I’m sorry Miss, but I know nothing about this. There’s been some kind of mistake. I’ve never put an ad in a paper for anything, much less a wife.”
“But the ad is accurate, is it not?” Sarah asked. She felt herself getting frustrated. She struggled to maintain her composure. She read over the ad. “Your wife is deceased, isn’t she? And you have three children, do you not?”
“Well, yes, but...”
“Then what mistake am I making, Mr. Johnson? Whether you were responsible for placing the ad or not, clearly you have a need for a wife for yourself and a mother for your children!”
The sheriff didn’t bother hiding the grin beaming from beneath his moustache. “What do you want me to do, Jess?”
Jess looked like a nervous cat in a room full of rocking chairs. He took off his hat and dusted it against his leg. “The facts of the ad are correct, ma’am, but I do not need a wife. Take her back to town Sheriff. I’m sure there are lots of fellas there that would be happy to oblige the lady.”
“All right, Jess. Sorry to have wasted your time, Jess.” He clicked his tongue and snapped the reins to turn the horses around.
“Sheriff, please stop this buddy and let me off...” Sarah was so flustered she could barely speak. “I am not done speaking my mind. No Southern gentleman would have treated me like this.”
“Just take a deep breath, Miss,” he said, giving her a sideways smile. “We’re gonna go see Jess’ sister, Eleanor. I have a feeling she’s the one who placed the ad. She’s been trying to marry Jess off for months now.”
Sarah felt as if she’d been struck a hard blow. “Oh no... What have I done...”
* * *
Chapter Nine
As Jess watched the Sheriff and the crazy woman leave, he started to fume. What on God’s green earth was going on?
Why would such an obviously wealthy young woman want with him and his three children? It just didn’t seem right. In any case, why did she come? She had all the details right.
Then it dawned on him. It had to be Eleanor but how did she manage that, surely Harry didn’t go behind his back to do Eleanor’s bidding, not on something like this.
He stopped what he was doing. He’d have to sort this out. Eleanor had to explain herself, she couldn’t just take things into her own hands, they weren’t children any longer.
*
The Sheriff let Sarah stew in own juices as they made the short ride to Eleanor Wickett’s house. He could tell that Sarah McIntosh’s arrival was a total surprise to Jess Johnson. The only person who could have possibly placed the ad was Eleanor. If it turned out she wasn’t, a trip to the Western Union office would tell the true tale.
“Now when we get there, you let me do the talking,” the sheriff said, an air of authority in his voice. “Eleanor is overdue with child and I don’t want to alarm her.”
“I would never alarm anyone,” Sarah said, nose in the air.
“Good to know, Miss. We’ll get this sorted out, but be prepared to come back to town with me.”
Sarah opened her mouth to speak but the Sheriff looked away from her. It wasn’t a request. She was out of her depth here so she remained quiet despite her nature to speak out.
When they arrived at the Wickett’s farmhouse, the sheriff reminded Sarah again to let him do the talking. He hitched the reins and called out. “Hello? Is anyone about?”
The farmhouse door was open and there was smoke from the chimney so he knew Eleanor was around. She finally appeared at the door, fat as a tick ready to pop. She came out onto the porch wiping her hands with her apron. Harry came from around the side of the house with a wood axe resting on his shoulder.
“What brings you by, Sheriff,” Harry asked, joining his wife at the foot of the porch steps.
“Well, sir, seems this young lady is here in response to an ad in the Savannah paper about a man needing a mail order bride.” He fixed his gaze on Eleanor. “And oddly enough, the intended groom don’t know nothing about it.”
Harry glanced at the lovely redhead sitting next to the sheriff, then looked at his wife. “Eleanor, what have you gone and done now?”
Eleanor shooed him away. “It’s nothing to do with you,” she said. “Go help the lady down. Sheriff, come on inside and bring our guest. I have a pot of coffee brewing.”
Eleanor talked big, but she was none the wiser than Harry. No replies had been received from the ad, so why would a woman travel half way across the country to marry a man without adequate correspondence first. Surely this woman was in some kind of trouble or running from the law. Eleanor found herself regretting not leaving well enough alone.
Sarah didn’t say a word. She followed them all inside the farmhouse and took chair at the end of a small table in their kitchen. The Sheriff and the man named Harry made small talk as the woman named Eleanor poured them all a cup of coffee. She sat at the other end of the table and offered a smile.
“I’m Eleanor and this is my husband, Harry,” she said. “And you are?”
“I am Sarah McIntosh of Savannah, Georgia,” Sarah said. Eleanor thought her southern accent was delightful and told her so. It wasn’t much of an ice breaker. Sarah was already thinking about what she’d say to her father when she slunk home.
The Sheriff took over the conversation. “Well, it’s like this, Miss McIntosh has arrived to marry Jess, but low and behold, he knows nothing about any marriage invitation or newspaper ad, and he was quite put out when we spoke a few minutes ago.”
“Oh Lord,” Eleanor said. “You took her directly to Jess? Why on earth would you do that?”
“How on earth would I know to do anything different?” he asked, frowning at her. “It took me about ten seconds to figure out the truth. You want to spill the beans or should I?”
“You are a clever man, Sheriff. Yes, I had the ad placed.”
Harry butted in “How could you, Eleanor? How did you? You haven’t been in town in months?”
“The doctor placed the ad for me. He knows of someone who got a wife through the paper and they are very happy. I just want Jess and the girls to be happy. He was never going to do anything himself. It’s time for him to move on. He deserves some lightness in his life. This whole time here has been nothing but a struggle for him, with Mary not being well. I want him to have what we have.”
She grabbed Harry’s hand and he kissed his wife’s forehead. Her heart was always pure and full of love. And her head was always full of ideas that gave him heartburn.
* * *
Chapter Ten
It didn’t take Jess long to figure out who had placed the advert in the paper on his behalf. He fumed the entire way from his place to Eleanor’s. Rather than ride his horse over he chose to walk, giving him time to settle down and think out his words.
He was about to storm in when he heard Eleanor speaking in the next room. He stopped and took a deep breath. She loved him, that was for sure.
When she spoke to him about marrying again it was always from a practical perspective but now he could hear how she really felt. He stepped in the doorway and cleared his throat as he entered.
He held his hat in his hands and stared down at it as he spoke. “First off, I want to apologize to you Miss for my behavior. You are, no doubt, used to more gentlemanly manners, but I was caught off guard. No excuse, just the truth. I’m sorry and I hope you’ll forgive my lack of manners.”
As she looked at him, Sarah could see a man who had loved and lost. It was something she had never experienced and she felt a strange feeling towards him. For the first time in her life, she wanted to help.
“No need to apologize, Mr. Johnson, I understand that you were taken unawares.”
“Well, I’m sorry you wasted a trip,” Jess said. “You seem like a real nice lady and I’m sorry your time was wasted coming here.”
Eleanor started to chime in, but Harry placed a hand on her arm to shush her.
Sarah looked at the handsome man standing before her. She considered herself an excellent judge of character and she decided right then and there that Jess Johnson was a good man. Clearly, life had tested him. His brown eyes revealed a man with a broken heart. His downcast nature told her that a warm hug and reassurance that things would indeed be all right would do him a world of good.
She put on a bold face and said, “Mr. Johnson, perhaps my trip was not wasted. I believe the Lord leads us with reason. I would not be here if He didn’t want me here, regardless of how it came to be.”
“You mean you want to stay?” Eleanor asked?
“Well, I would be willing to give it a chance,” Sarah said, looking around at the wide eyes staring back at her. “I mean, I am here, so...”
“It’s just, well Miss, you don’t look like you should work on a farm,” Harry said, saying what everyone was thinking. “I mean, well that is to say, you just seem very... grand.”
Sarah gave him the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. She said, “Well, Mr. Wickett, it is true I have never worked on a farm, it is true I have no experience with children, it is true I come from a privileged background, but I am not a woman without domestic talents.”
The sheriff frowned at her. “What does that mean, Miss?”
Sarah shrugged. “I can sew, I can cook... well, perhaps that’s a stretch, but I’m willing to learn.” Her good humor brought smiles all around.
“To be perfectly honest, I do not want to be some banker’s wife who is more of a trophy than a mate. I want something of my own that I’ve helped to build. You all came here for your own reasons, now I’m here too. Don’t judge me on the packaging the good Lord gave me. I didn’t ask to be this beautiful...” She leaned in and smiled. “That was a joke.”
The sheriff laughed first, then Jess and Harry chimed in. Eleanor held a pleasant countenance, but didn’t look convinced. She looked into her brother’s eyes. She thought she might have seen a spark there as he stared at the beautiful woman at the other end of the table.
Eleanor pushed herself up from the table and held out a hand to Sarah. “Harry, get Jess a cup of coffee. Sarah, let’s you and me take some air.”
Eleanor took Sarah by the arm and led her outside. They settled onto the bench sitting beneath a shade tree in the yard.
“You are quite the powerhouse aren’t you?” Eleanor said with a sigh. The short walk from the kitchen to the yard had worn her out.
“I suppose I am,” Sarah said. “Is that a bad thing?”
Eleanor giggled like a school girl and patted a hand on Sarah’s knee. “No, Miss, that’s not a bad thing at all. I respect a woman who doesn’t just accept what society wants her to be.”
“Or her father,” Sarah said quietly. “Mrs. Wickett, what should I do?”
“Call me Eleanor.” She glanced toward the house and lowered her voice. “We need to give the men time to think about things. Let them think they’re in control. I reckon the real question is what do you want to do?”
Sarah didn’t hesitate to answer. “I would like to stay.”
Eleanor nodded. “I get the impression your father rules the roost back home.”
“With an iron first,” Sarah said.
“And you are not the type of girl to sit pretty and let someone else run your life.”
“Quite the opposite,” Sarah said. “I plan to control my own destiny.”
Eleanor gave her a nod. “And if this doesn’t work out? If my bullheaded brother rejects you?”
Sarah looked off into the distance and pondered the question. The land was beautiful and green. The sky was the bluest blue she’d ever seen. She set her jaw and said, “I will not return to Savannah. The Lord has led me here. If Mr. Johnson does not want to marry me I will pursue my happiness elsewhere. Alone if need be.”
“This can be a brutal land, Miss,” Eleanor said. “The west is a dangerous place for a beautiful girl travelling alone.”
“Then help me stay,” Sarah said, looking at Eleanor with tears in her eyes. “Please. Help me.”
Eleanor took a deep breath and let it our slowly. The baby was kicking like a mule. She put her hands on her round belly to sooth the baby’s nerves.
“I will do everything I can to convince my brother to at least give it a try, but he can be as pigheaded as the day is long. I can teach you how to cook and mend and clean. There are chores to be done. It will be hard work.”
“I’m willing to take it on,” Sarah said. She tugged a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed her eyes with it. Thank you for your help.”
“Well, seeing as how I’m the one that lured you here, it’s only right I help you make a go of it.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Wickett.”
“Call me Eleanor.” She put her hand on Sarah’s and gave it a squeeze. “All right then, let’s get back inside and tell these men what’s what.”
*
“They’re coming back in,” Harry said, staring out the window at his wobbling wife and the graceful lady. He turned back to Jess. “So, what will it be then?”
Jess made a face like a rattlesnake was crawling up his leg. He gave the men a pleading look. “Heck, I don’t know what to do. I mean, she’s just a child herself. She can’t be more than nineteen or twenty. What can she know about real life?”
“I married Eleanor when she was fifteen,” Harry said.
“I married Martha when she was fourteen and a half,” the sheriff said. He put a hand on Jess’ shoulder and gave it a shake. “If you believe God has a hand in everything, Jess, you have to agree that He had a hand in this.”
“Well, I reckon so...”
“Maybe that’s why He sent her here, Jess. Maybe you need someone who doesn’t understand the harshness of life here. She sure casts a bright light. I think she’d be good for you and your girls.”
“I reckon...”
Harry stood at the door, helping his wife inside. Eleanor planted her hands on the back of a chair and made an announcement in a voice that told everyone there was no argument to be had.
“Jess, I know you are as wishy-washy as a bent creek,” she said, staring down her brother. “So here’s what we’re going to do. To keep things respectful, Sarah will stay here with us at night-time and spend her days with you at your place. She can get to know you and the girls, and after a week’s time, you both will agree to marry or not.”
“But Eleanor, you haven’t got enough room here,” Jess said, looking around the room. “Your place is already bulging at the seams.”
“Then the only thing to do is get married for one week and see how it goes.” She put an arm around Sarah’s shoulders. The plan they had hatched was taking shape perfectly.
“Married for one week, in name only,” Sarah said.
“That’s right,” Eleanor said, giving Jess the eye. “I will not have this young lady living in sin just because you can’t make a decision to save your life. You either marry her today or she moves in here tonight. Harry will have to sleep in the barn, but he won’t mind.” She gave Harry a look. He clenched his mouth shut.
“Dang it, Eleanor,” Jess said, exasperated. “This was your plan all along.”
He let his eyes go from his sister to those of the woman who was to be his bride. For one week, at least. “All right then. We’ll marry for one week. In name only. She can have my bed and I’ll sleep on the floor in the girl’s room.”
“Wonderful!” Eleanor said, clasping her hands together. “Sheriff, you head back into town and fetch Pastor Green and bring him back out here if you have to hogtie him to do it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the sheriff said, knowing it wou
ld do him no good to argue.
“Harry, you hitch the wagon and go fetch Jess’ girls from the school house. And fetch our young’uns, too, so they can be part of the festivities.”
“Ellie, honey, don’t you think you might be rushing things a bit...” Harry ceased his argument when she raised her hand at him. He knew better to argue with his wife, especially when she was about to pop with child.
Eleanor looked at her brother and frowned. “And you, Jess Johnson, don’t just sit there like a bump on a log. Go home and put on your Sunday clothes! We’re gonna have ourselves a wedding!”
* * *
Chapter Eleven
Her wedding wasn’t the grand affair that Sarah always dreamed it would be, but when you marry a cowboy against his will on short notice, some details have to suffer.
She wore the dress she’d come in, but did spend a few minutes tidying up her hair. Jess went home and came back ten minutes later wearing an ill-fitting tweed suit and his dusty work books. He had at least washed his face and slicked down his hair.
The Sheriff arrived with the preacher and Harry came back with a wagonload of kids. Sarah watched the kids jumping out of the wagon and wondered which ones belonged to Jess, and would shortly belong to her.
Three little girls ran to Jess and he got down on one knee to speak to them, obviously explaining the situation. Sarah noticed that one of the girls, the oldest, turned and gave her the evil eye, as if she could drive her back to Savannah just with her stare.
Eleanor introduced the preacher, a stick thin older man with bushy white eyebrows and thick hair. He didn’t seem too shocked to be officiating an impromptu wedding. To the contrary, he said, there were a number of mail order brides in the congregation now. Perhaps they could all start a club.
Eleanor told one of the older boys to go pick a bouquet of wild flowers. She went to Jess and reached up to fiddle with his bolo tie.
Jess glanced at the beautiful girl waiting to marry him on the porch and let go a long sigh. “You’ve got your way, Eleanor. I hope you’re happy.”
