by Sarah Banks
As she stood there, the shutters on each window began to open from the outside, one by one, banging against the siding, lighting the church’s interior brilliantly.
Shortly after, a side door near the front of the church opened and a woman bustled inside. She turned and called, “Thank you children. I have some fresh lemonade and sugar cookies. Wait for me on my porch and I’ll fix you up a tray.” The woman smiled as the children cheered and turned to see Anna standing near the front of the church, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Well hello there. You must be Anna,” she said warmly, setting down a small stack of books she carried onto the nearest pew.
“Yes I am.”
“My name is Molly Brown, my husband is pastor here.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Mrs. Brown,” Anna said sincerely.
“And you as well. And please, call me Molly, everyone does. We’re not too formal around these parts. We heard the train come and go, my husband and I. We thought maybe you weren’t on it. It’s happened before,” she said matter-of-factly.
Anna thought how devastating it must be for a man to advertise for a wife, send his hard-earned money for a train ticket and wait weeks in anticipation of her arrival, only for her to never arrive at all.
“We’re always so excited when a bride rolls into town,” Molly continued. “They seem to be coming more and more frequently. I would bet my dear husband marries at least two every month. Now that the train has come to Sweet Creek, well the town is growing by leaps and bounds.”
“That’s wonderful. It seems like a very nice town. And it’s a very lovely church,” Anna admired.
Molly clasped her hands to her chest with delight, “Isn’t it though! We just love it,” she exclaimed. She looked past Anna through the empty church. “Where’s the lucky groom?”
“Delayed. He sent along his daughter Harry, I mean Harriet. A neighbor’s wagon was stuck in the mud blocking the road. I’m supposed to wait for him here although I really have no idea how long he will be,” Anna explained.
Molly nodded. “Well then, come on over and we’ll have some tea and cookies while we wait. I baked them just this morning. They are quite delicious if I do say so myself. Besides, the church is too cold and drafty. We only light the stove during Sunday services.”
Anna felt her stomach growl in anticipation. She blushed. She hadn’t eaten since last night. “That sounds wonderful but will Jack know where to find me?”
“Of course he will,” Molly assured her. “Our home is just behind the church, everyone knows it.”
“Alright.”
Anna followed Molly out the side door of the church to the whitewashed home located about thirty feet diagonally behind the church. There was a well-worn path leading from the side stairs of the church to a white picket fence, a darling little flower garden and the front porch of the home belonging to the pastor and his wife. Harriet and the boys were waiting on the porch for the sweet treats Molly had promised them. They must have opened the shutters to the church for Molly Anna realized.
Molly instructed the children to wait on the porch and for Anna to follow her inside. The door led into a warm, well-kept kitchen filled with the savory aroma of a stew cooking over the fireplace. The home was simple and lovely inside and out and just what Anna wanted for herself. She wondered what Jack’s home would be like.
Molly gestured to a chair. “Just let me set the kids up with some lemonade and cookies before they burst from anticipation,” she said with a smile, glancing at the children on the porch. They peered through the window watching Molly’s every move.
Anna smiled. “Of course. Can I do anything to help?”
“No, no. I’ll only be a minute. Please sit. You must be exhausted from your trip. As soon as I get the children settled, I’ll make us a fine pot of tea and put together a tray of cookies. I’d offer you some stew, but it’s not quite ready yet.”
“Tea and cookies sounds lovely and will be more than enough,” Anna said, sitting at the oak dining table. She watched as Molly set out a tray and added four cups. She divided the cookies into four stacks of two and filled the cups before delivering the tray to the children.
“Stay on the porch while you have your juice and cookies. And you can leave the tray right here and I’ll come out later after you’re done to collect it,” Molly instructed the children in a kind voice. She closed only the screen door and Anna smiled at the children’s excited chatter as they dove into their sweet snack. Molly immediately went to the stove to start the teapot. Within minutes, she was setting up a tray for the two of them and bringing it to the table.
“Thanks Mrs. Brown!” Harriet called loudly, waving as she finished her juice and cookies and jumped off the porch, skipping the steps, she landed on the dirt sending up a cloud of dust and almost squashing a plant with miniature purple flowers. She immediately started to run and the boys jumped off the porch and ran after her. Harriet feigned right and then ran left, out of sight, laughing all the way.
Anna and Molly turned to each other with a smile.
“That Harry, she’s a lovely girl, full of light, love and laughter, a miracle really considering everything. It was such a shame when she lost her mother. Devastated poor Jack. And I was so worried for little Harry. But I am so glad that you’re here now,” she said, setting a plate of cookies in front of Anna.
Molly served the tea and sat down, pushing the plate of cookies closer to Anna. “They won a blue ribbon at last summer’s festival. Two years in a row,” she said proudly. “You’ll be here for the festival this year. It’s the third week in June and really a darling little jubilee. Your family will have a wonderful time.”
Anna hadn’t been able to participate in many activities outside the home back in Chicago. She looked forward to becoming part of the community Molly so clearly adored.
Anna reached for a cookie. They were crispy and chewy, light and sweet and were indeed worthy of winning a prize. She added a generous amount of cream and sugar to her tea, sipping it before reaching for another cookie and then asking for the recipe, much to Molly’s delight.
Molly copied down the recipe for her and they spent the next hour and a half talking like old friends. Molly was very sociable and easy to talk to. She told Anna all about the town, about herself and her husband whom she clearly adored. Anna learned that Molly and her husband hadn’t been blessed with children they very much wanted so instead she mothered the children of the town as often as possible.
Anna shared a few details of her own life when prompted and was thankful when Molly didn’t press her further. Anna wanted to ask Molly for more details about her future husband and daughter but decided against it. She would learn soon enough.
Anna felt fortified by the tea and cookies. She blushed when she realized they had eaten every single cookie on the plate and then the few remaining in the cookie jar Molly had brought over to the table. They also drank every last drop of tea in the pot and when Molly offered to make more, Anna politely declined.
“No, no, thank you very much. This was all very wonderfully delicious,” she said, pressing her napkin to her lips before setting it aside.
“I absolutely love baking. A little part of me has always wanted to open a little bakery,” Molly said wistfully.
“Oh you should,” Anna encouraged. “I would be one of your very best customers.”
Their laughter filled the kitchen and for a moment Anna forgot her impending nervousness of meeting her husband-to-be.
Molly craned her neck, looking out the window at Anna’s back. “There’s your missing groom now,” she said, getting up from the table and opening the screen door before Jack could knock.
“Come on in and meet your bride Jack,” Molly greeted warmly.
Anna brushed the napkin against her lips again and stood up quickly. She smoothed her skirt before clenching her fingers together to keep her hands from shaking. She turned to Jack.
Jack’s eyes immediately found h
ers. Anna smiled nervously. He was very handsome, tall and tanned. He didn’t smile back, his expression was inscrutable.
Molly turned and put her arm around Anna, urging her forward. “Jack, this is Anna.”
“Hi Jack,” she said softly.
“Anna,” he returned. His voice was low and even. His eyes were intense. He did nothing to abate her nervousness. Anna looked away.
“Well, I guess I’d better go find that husband of mine,” Molly said with a smile, squeezing Anna comfortingly.
“No need, I’m here,” a gravelly voice said from behind them.
Anna turned to see an older man walk into the kitchen. He lifted the lid of the cookie jar sitting on the table and peered inside. He sighed when he realized it was empty and replaced the lid. He turned to them.
“Jake, you already know Jack. This is his mail order bride Anna,” his wife introduced brightly.
“Nice to meet you Reverend Brown,” Anna said.
“You too my dear. Did you like my wife’s cookies?” He asked with a teasing gleam in his eyes. “They’re prize-winning you know.”
Anna’s cheeks burned. “I do know and yes, I loved them. They are indeed worthy of a prize. I’m, er, sorry there aren’t any left.”
“Oh stop,” Molly interrupted. “He’s just joshing you.” She turned to her husband admonishing, “Jake really.”
Reverend Brown cracked a small smile. He winked at Anna as his wife gazed at him lovingly. When he turned to Jack his expression changed.
“Jack, nice to see you son,” he said soberly.
Jack nodded.
“Never thought you’d get married again,” Reverend Brown admitted matter-of-factly.
Anna watched Jack very carefully. He paled slightly but otherwise didn’t acknowledge the remark.
“Jake really,” Molly repeated rather insistently.
“Shall we?” Reverend Brown said, gesturing to the door.
“Oh of course,” Anna said, spinning on her heel. She followed Jack onto the porch and down the steps. The foursome walked quietly to the church. Just inside the side door, Jack lightly touched Anna’s arm. She turned.
“Anna, may I have a word with you privately first?” He asked.
She nodded. “Of course.”
She excused herself and followed Jack to the back of the church. She stood next to him in the open doorway. The warm spring breeze ruffled the tendrils framing Anna’s face. She blushed and reached up to smooth her hair. She should have fixed her hair before meeting her intended. She hadn’t fixed it since before disembarking the train. It had been the furthest thing from her mind. She caught a wayward tendril and tucked it behind her ear before looking up at her future husband.
It was intimidating standing this close to him. And it was difficult to believe that they would be husband and wife in a few short minutes. When Anna answered the ad, she hadn’t imagined that he would be so young and handsome.
The picture he had sent along with his acceptance letter and train ticket had depicted a tall man, with dark hair dressed in his Sunday’s finest. She hadn’t been able to tell the color of his eyes in the picture but he wore an unreadable expression, must like the one gracing his features now.
Jack was a few years older than in the picture. His ad said he was twenty-six but he looked a little bit older than that to her. He was several inches taller than her and very tan. His ad had said he was a farmer, so his tan was probably from working such long hours outdoors. And there wasn’t a freckle on him, she thought wryly. If she even spent an afternoon outdoors she would have half a dozen or so new freckles to show for it.
His hair was longer than the picture, teasing the collar of his shirt. He was clean-shaven, in fact, he had the tiniest knick near his chin. He must’ve cut himself shaving just this morning, she realized.
He had dark blue eyes with tiny crinkles at each corner. She thought they only served to make him more fine-looking. He had similar lines around his mouth. Anna wondered if they were from happiness or worry. She hoped they were from smiling and laughing and not a result of the tense mouth that he currently wore. It must have been so difficult for him to lose his wife so young and raise a young daughter, she thought. All while running a farm and trying to run a home. It was an incredible load to carry all by one’s self. Anna hoped she could ease this man’s burden and become a part of their little family.
Jack ran his hand through his hair and glanced outside as Harry ran past, the three boys still giving chase. He watched her for a moment before turning back to Anna. He ran his hand through his hair again and cleared his throat.
“Jack, is everything alright?” Anna asked worriedly.
“I wanted to apologize for not being at the train station when you arrived,” he started.
“That’s quite alright,” she insisted, reaching up and catching a tiny bit of mud from his neck with the tip of her finger. He tensed at her touch.
“Mud,” she explained, showing him her finger before rubbing her thumb and index finger together. The mud dried and flaked away. “Harriet explained…between guffaws,” she added with a teasing smile.
Jack’s lips twitched at the corners as he watched his daughter run about the churchyard. He nodded before resuming his tense look. He ran his hand through his hair again.
“Is there something else?” Anna asked, searching his eyes. Her voice sounded unnaturally high to her own ears. She had an uneasy feeling kindling inside of her. She waited for him to speak, wrapping her arms around her waist as if trying to protect herself from what was to come.
“I advertised for a bride to help raise my daughter, to take care of our house, to cook, to do laundry… I’m not looking to be intimate with her, or to have any more children.” He paused, his eyes intent upon her as if to gauge her reaction. “If we do get married, I want to be clear that this would be a marriage in name only.”
Anna didn’t know what she had been expecting to hear, but it certainly wasn’t that.
“A marriage of convenience,” she said slowly. The words sounded hollow to her ears. She could feel Molly watching them from the front of the church. Anna glanced at her and saw the worried look on her face. Molly couldn’t hear the conversation, but she could most definitely tell that something was amiss. It was written all over her expression. Anna fought to keep her own face carefully blank. She looked back at Jack. He was nodding.
He seemed relieved that she understood what he was getting at and that he didn’t have to explain any further. She looked past him, over his shoulder, her eyes staring off into the distance, to the beautiful Colorado landscape of grassy fields split by trees and a winding line of water, framed by mountains far in the distance. The water shimmered. Sweet Creek, she realized.
Anna focused back on Jack. He was watching her carefully. Worry furrowed his brow but he hadn’t yet said anything further. Anna thought over her options and realized she really didn’t have many. She couldn’t return to her cousin’s home. So it was either move back in with her grandfather or a marriage of convenience with Jack.
Of course she wanted a marriage that would be more than in name only. Although avoiding her lecherous cousin’s husband had been her foremost priority in answering the ad, so had been the chance at finding happiness of her own and at the very least, having children of her own. She never thought for a moment that her future husband might not want more children, especially since he already had a daughter. Why? She wondered.
Anna had always envisioned herself as a mother. And now he was making it very clear that she would never be a mother to her own children. But she couldn’t go back, her mind screamed. She had nothing to go back to.
It took her a moment to realize Jack had continued to speak. She focused carefully on his words. He was talking of a return train ticket, having taken her silence as a rejection of his proposal. Anna almost felt as if she was listening to an intimate conversation between him and someone else.
She interrupted. “Alright. I agree to your t
erms.”
He stopped speaking and studied her face. She was careful to keep her expression blank, trying not to reveal her inner turmoil when all she wanted to do was cry.
Jack looked as if he wanted to say something else but didn’t. Neither spoke for a full minute as they stared at each other until he finally nodded. “Okay,” he said softly.
Anna looked away and willed herself, for just a little while longer, not to cry.
He held out his hand. She placed her hand in his, her fingers ice cold against his warm, dry palm. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and walked them to the front of the church.
“Is everything alright?” Molly asked, as soon as they had reached the front of the church.
Anna nodded and tried to force a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Fine,” she managed.
When Anna turned to Reverend Brown, she found him practically scowling at Jack.
Anna looked at Jack. He was returning the pastor’s gaze, not quite a scowl, but there was a slight frown between his brows. When he noticed she was looking at him, he turned to her and the wrinkle smoothed out and his expression was blank once more.
“Are you ready?” Molly asked her.
Anna nodded.
Molly touched her husband’s arm. Reverend Brown’s expression softened. “Go ahead dear,” she said softly.
The ceremony was a short exchange of vows. When it came time for Jack to place the ring on her finger, he didn’t have one. The last piece of Anna’s heart broke. It spoke volumes to what kind of relationship they would have. He had had nearly two and a half months since placing the ad to purchase a cheap wedding band and he hadn’t. She might as well be the hired help, she thought, except that she wouldn’t be earning any wages.
“It’s alright,” Anna forced out, her eyes forward. “Please continue.”
