“That may be,” Joe said as he hung his hat on the hook just inside the door and turned back to the lady. “I was just about to make some coffee if you’d like to wait a few minutes, see if he arrives.”
The lady sighed and tried to brush some of the soot off her dress, but it didn’t move. “You sure you want me inside your shop in this state?”
Joe laughed. “I probably have enough soot in there to match you. Come on in.”
Joe took her hand and helped her down from the buggy. Her hand was warm and surprisingly soft, and he bit his tongue rather than ask her what had happened. His mother talked enough for the entire family, and since his pa had died, he and his brother had been pretty quiet. Safer that way—in his house at least.
He gestured to the client chair he kept by his desk as he pumped water into the coffee pot, stoked the fire and set it on the stove. He reached for a clean cloth as the lady settled in the chair. He watched her from the corner of his eye as she looked up and down Allen Street. Even through the soot, he could see she had lovely skin, and her hair was silky even though it was covered in grime—long brown locks in a braid.
He soaked the cloth in the water that was a little warmer now and wrung it out over the water barrel he used to cool hot steel. She took it gently from him when he held it out to her, her eyes offering gratitude along with sadness.
She coughed for a bit, and as she wiped the soot from her face, he realized that it was the young lady he’d met the previous day at the Occidental.
“Oh,” he said, startled. “Miss Blanchard. I didn’t recognize you, what with the...”
“That bad?” she asked as she wiped the soot from her eyes.
He’d thought she looked somehow familiar—her soft, green eyes had struck him once again—but he truly hadn’t recognized her from the day before. He noticed now that she was wearing the same dress but it bore little resemblance to the way he remembered it. He’d watched her leave the Occidental and recalled thinking how lovely she was. What could possibly have happened to her since that time? Would it have had anything to do with the altercation he’d witnessed?
“Are you all right, miss?” he asked when he couldn’t bear his curiosity any longer.
She glanced down at the black rag that had been clean and white when she’d started wiping her face. He took it from her and rinsed it again. She reached for it again gratefully and began wiping her hands.
“I haven’t even a mirror left to my name.”
He couldn’t help thinking that she wouldn’t want to see one at this particular moment, but opted not to mention it.
“What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?” he asked softly as he sat back in his chair.
She handed the rag back to him, and as his hand brushed against hers, his heart tugged at the sadness in her eyes. He felt the familiar pull—that his mother regularly urged him to resist—to help her.
“I’m not exactly sure what happened, to be honest,” she said as she fiddled with the reticule she held. “I returned home to my family’s ranch last night after my day in town to find it ablaze. I tried everything I could to save it but...”
Her voice trailed off as she shook the bag in her hand and several coins jingled. Not many, he could tell.
“What a tragedy,” he said, as it was all he could think of.
“Yes, quite. The house went up in flames as well as the smokehouse. A year’s worth of inventory and income, gone.”
“I’m so sorry.” Joe reached for her hand out of instinct as she lowered her head, a sob escaping her as he did. “Was anyone injured?”
She caught her breath and looked into his deep, brown eyes.
“Injured? Oh, no. My parents passed a while back, and I couldn’t find Percy. I don’t know if he’s still there and I just didn’t find him...I truly don’t know.”
“Percy?” Joe asked, curious to know if that was her husband—and surprised that he wanted to know.
“Our ranch hand. He’s a little older, and I hope—well, I hope he wasn’t...”
“Oh, I see,” Joe said as he released her hand and stood to pour her some coffee. He wasn’t sure what to say—not sure how he could help her short of offering to look for Percy, whom he did not know. He didn’t know the young lady, really, either.
He held a cup of coffee toward her, unsure what to do next. It was clear she had little money and he wasn’t sure she had much of a plan.
She looked at the coffee and held up her hands. “I really should be going. Do you think your stable hand will be here soon? I need to figure out what to do. If I even have any options.”
Joe set down the coffee and looked out the window. Without hesitation, he said, “I’ll take care of the buggy. You go ahead. It can stay here as long as you need.”
Her shoulders softened as she stood and she offered a weak smile. She opened her reticule and reached inside.
Joe held up his hands and shook his head. “No, please, I’ve no need of your money. Please, let me help in this small way.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t impose...”
“No imposition,” he said quickly and reached to open the door for her. He found himself wanting to follow, to see how she did, or what she did, but he bid her good luck and closed the door behind her. He watched as she walked up Allen Street slowly, and didn’t turn away until she was safely inside the mercantile. He wondered what she’d think when she finally reached a mirror, the cloth having done an inadequate job of clearing the soot, but he somehow had the sense that she’d be able to take care of herself...and reminded himself that if his mother was there, she’d tell him to mind his own business, and that no good ever came of helping.
Chapter 11
“My goodness. What happened to you? You look a fright!” Suzanne exclaimed when she opened the door of the mercantile to let Olivia in. She’d stood on the boardwalk for a few moments before she’d squared her shoulders and decided to knock. She had to tell Suzanne about the inventory as soon as possible and the soot could wait, as far as she was concerned. She was too exhausted to care much about what she looked like, but judging by Suzanne’s reaction, and the earlier reaction of the blacksmith, she must look horrible.
Olivia sat down in the chair Suzanne pulled her toward and let her face fall in her hands.
“Suzanne, it’s horrible. The ranch has burned, and all the inventory and Percy is—well, I don’t know where Percy is and it’s all gone. All of it.” The words tumbled out and Olivia didn’t stop until she realized Suzanne hadn’t spoken. She looked up to see Suzanne leave the mercantile to return seconds later with Sadie in tow.
Sadie’s hand flew to her mouth at the sight of Olivia, and she rushed over and wrapped her in her arms, soot and all. Olivia’s heart burst and she sobbed into Sadie’s shoulder, feeling the comforting hands of the twins stroking her hair.
When she caught her breath, she sat up straight. She looked from one twin to the other, their faces shadowed with concern. “I don’t know what to do.”
An uncomfortable silence fell and Olivia sniffled, wiping at her face with the handkerchief Suzanne had given her. It was black when she pulled it away and she shook her head.
“I really just came to explain that I don’t have any of the inventory we spoke about yesterday. It was nowhere that I could see—none left at all. It must have all burned before I got home,” she said slowly, standing and pacing on the heavy wooden planks of the floor.
“Olivia, don’t you worry about that. We’ll find a solution,” Sadie said as she glanced at Suzanne. “We have lots of suppliers to choose from. We just like yours best.”
Olivia frowned. “I know you do. And I don’t mean to sound selfish, but I have no other income. I was counting on my sale to you to carry me through the winter. Now I have nothing at all. Not even enough money to stay at the hotel but for a night.”
“Oh, dear,” Sadie said as her eyebrows furrowed. “We can worry about a better plan after you get cleaned up. But for now, I’d love it if you came to stay
with me. Tripp and I have room.”
“I couldn’t possibly impose,” Olivia said as she sat back down. “I just need a good night’s sleep. I’m sure I’ll come up with something.”
“Olivia, don’t be silly. We can talk more about this later at supper. Let’s get you over to Sadie’s so you can get some rest. I don’t suppose you slept much, and it was a long ride into town.”
Suzanne and Sadie waited while Olivia tried to sort out what to do. There was no ranch to go back to, and while she hated to impose her troubles on anyone else, sincerity and concern radiated from both of the twins.
“I...I believe I must accept your kind offer. But only for a short while, until I can sort this out.”
Sadie breathed a sigh of relief as she reached for Olivia’s hand. “Come, let’s go now. I’m not needed tonight at the Occidental. We’ll have time to get you a bath, and we can talk about it more over supper.”
Olivia struggled to put one foot in front of the other as she followed Sadie, almost blindly. It was early evening by the time they arrived, and her fingers clung to the oak bannister to help her up to the room Sadie indicated she’d stay in. Her eyes were as heavy as lead and she struggled to smile, thanking Sadie for her kindness before she plopped onto the bed.
She looked down at her dress, that had once been covered with bright yellow flowers. It was completely black, now. She thought she shouldn’t even be sitting on a bed covered in so much soot, but couldn’t muster the energy to stand. She could find no words and lifted her lashes toward Sadie as best she could, desperately trying to make sense of what had happened in such a short time.
“Sadie, I’m sorry,” she said softly.
Sadie rested her hand on Olivia’s shoulder and brushed back some of her curls that had fallen across her face. “Don’t worry, Olivia. Everything will turn out all right. You’ll see.”
The gesture and Sadie’s kind words brought tears to her eyes, and she laid back on the soft bed, not even enough energy to remove her dress, as Sadie closed the door gently behind her.
She leaned back on the bed and said a prayer of thanks for the roof over her head—even if it wasn’t her own. Before she could even remove her shoes, her eyes closed to merciful darkness and she fell fast asleep.
Chapter 12
Olivia sat bolt upright as the grandfather clock downstairs struck seven. Panic shot through her as she looked down at her dress. If she didn’t hurry, she’d miss supper, and she’d wanted to help. How could she have slept so long?
She groaned as she wiggled her toes—she hadn’t even taken off her filthy boots. How could she have been so tired to not even do that?
The empty room was lovely—she hadn’t even noticed when they’d arrived, she’d been so tired. A porcelain washbasin and pitcher stood on the white, marble top of the oak vanity. It was very similar to her room at home, and she shook her head, reminding herself that she had no home. This was Sadie’s, and she’d kindly offered to share.
Supper would be soon, but she didn’t have time to wash up. Besides, she needed much more than just to rinse her face. She rushed to the door and down the stairs. She would find Sadie and see if she had time to clean up before supper. Shoot, she didn’t even have a dress to change into. Nothing at all.
Halfway down the stairs, her stomach rumbled at the delicious aroma of coffee and bread. Sadie must have been working all afternoon, all on her own, and with a baby on the way, to boot. Heat crept into Olivia’s cheeks as she quickly pulled her hair back and swung open the door to the kitchen.
She’d been fully prepared to apologize and help with supper, but the kitchen was empty. A warm pot of coffee sat on the wood stove and a warm loaf of bread graced the table, a jar of marmalade set to the side.
Where could everyone be? She paced for a moment, wondering if they’d been tied up at the restaurant or the mercantile. She crossed over to the back door and stepped out onto the small porch, breathing deeply of the fresh, cool air. She looked left and right and squinted at the sun as it sat atop the mountains to the east. East? She spun on the porch to get her bearings. Yes, that certainly was east and if it was, then it was—morning?
Oh, goodness, I slept all night!
Her stomach knotted as she rushed back through the house and grabbed her bonnet. She must apologize. Sadie and Suzanne had wanted to talk to her more about the inventory, and the Grooms’ Gazette and a host of other things and she’d slept right through the evening.
She shook her head as she climbed the steps to the mercantile. The sign still said, “Closed,” but she knocked anyway, needing to apologize, needing to—well, talk to someone.
“Olivia!” Suzanne said as she came from around the counter of the mercantile, wiping her hands on her apron. “I’m so glad you’re here. We didn’t have the heart to wake you last night, you were dead to the world. You look—well, a little more rested, if not much cleaner.” She smiled as she held her hand to Olivia’s cheek. “How do you feel?”
Heat crept into Olivia’s cheeks as she looked down at her dress.
“Like I’ve been run over by a herd of cattle,” Olivia said as she returned Suzanne’s smile.
Suzanne’s blue eyes twinkled as she squeezed Olivia’s hand. “Let me run and get Sadie. She’s been anxious to talk with you.”
Olivia wandered the aisles of the mercantile as she waited. She took in a deep breath as she lifted her chin. She’d decided on the way over to the mercantile that she may as well make the best of things.
Suzanne cleared her throat as she and Sadie approached the counter. Sadie smiled and nodded at Suzanne as she and leaned back against the counter. “Olivia, I know it was just yesterday, but things have changed quite a bit since then for you, to say the least. Sadie and I have discussed this, and we think you should consider a change of even greater magnitude. I know it seems sudden, but you do know that several of the ladies in town—including Sadie—have thrown in their lot and become mail order brides.”
Olivia did know about that—some of the Archer girls had done the same as Sadie and they all seemed to be happy. But that was an option that hadn’t even crossed her mind before now.
“I know it seems sudden, but have you considered looking at some of the advertisements for a mail order bride in The Grooms’ Gazette? I was looking at it last night after you left and there are quite a few interesting advertisements,” Sadie said as she folded her hands over her apron.
Suzanne turned and reached behind the counter, pulling out what looked to Olivia like a newspaper, or some sort of magazine.
She’d never even entertained the notion of something so drastic. The day before yesterday, her biggest problem had been what to do with all the money she’d have when she sold the inventory, and planning for next year. But now—who was she to discount anything at all?
Olivia stood and reached for the newspaper. Suzanne smiled and nodded at Sadie. “We would be happy to help in any way we can.”
“Tripp and I have been very happy, Olivia, and I moved here all the way from Chicago to meet him,” Sadie said as she rubbed her belly that seemed big enough to burst. “And the baby is due soon. We’re a family.”
Olivia managed a smile as she opened the newspaper. Sadie did seem very happy, and she’d heard that she and Susan had had some other successes. But the thought...what would her pa think? Her ma? Grief washed over her as she remembered that they were both gone. They wouldn’t know anything about it except from Heaven. She truly was on her own now, with even Percy gone.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Olivia said after a few moments of weighing her very few options. She could try to sell the property at the ranch, but it wasn’t as if they had cultivated it as farmland. They’d been hog farmers ever since she was a little girl, and the hogs and the house were gone, so there wasn’t going to be much demand for the Double Barrel Ranch. And she’d sell it to Jimmy Joe Walker over her dead body.
She’d thought about what jobs she could get, but all of he
r skills were better suited for a farm—shooting, hunting, fixing guns, repairing wagon wheels, shoeing horses, slaughtering hogs...not things that were helpful for a lady to get a job in a town.
A rap sounded on the door and Olivia jumped.
“I’d better open up,” Suzanne said as she patted Olivia’s shoulder and exchanged a worried glance with Sadie.
Suzanne glanced at the clock and jumped up. She headed over to the sign at the window and turned it to “Open”, unlocking the door and crossing back to Sadie and Olivia.
The bells of the door jingled. “Is the young lady all right?” a rich, deep voice said from the door. The ladies looked up, and Olivia sighed at the sight of the first person to help her—Joe, the blacksmith.
“We’ve all had quite a fright, but she seems to be physically sound,” Suzanne said as she walked over to Joe, pulling him toward the counter by his elbow. “I didn’t realize it was you. Come on in, Joe. I’ll be with you in a moment.”
Olivia glanced back down at the paper in her hands as Suzanne said, “Like I said, Sadie and I will help you. We can sit and go through the advertisements together and see what appeals to you. You can stay at Sadie’s until you’ve found a suitable...well, a suitable suitor,” she said with a broad smile as she hugged Olivia.
“Oh, my. I don’t know,” Olivia said as she glanced from one identical twin to the other. “I’m not sure I’d fit in as someone’s wife. I’m not very good at those wifely kinds of things.” The thought of how she’d taken care of the ranch, and her father—even her mother as she’d died slowly—and she couldn’t stop the flow of tears. Panic rushed through her suddenly, and she fought to catch her breath.
Suzanne stroked her hair, and her breath began to slow as she wiped her eyes.
“Of course you are. You are a fine cook, and you’ve kept a house for years. You just have no experience with having a man in it—Percy doesn’t count—and that part’s easy to learn,” Sadie said with a smile.
The Blacksmith's Mail Order Bride Page 5
