The Blacksmith's Bride

by Laura D. Bastian

  She shrugged and turned to the wall. What did he expect? He brought someone else to their little house, and she was going to deal with it like a grown up. Besides, they were married, and she was still more fully covered than most of the clothes she’d worn in her own time.

  Stifling a giggle, Susan pulled the blanket up and settled into the bed. Michael would need to make up his own mind on where he was going to sleep. She was tired and ready to close her eyes and dream of long hot showers and root beer floats.

  ***

  Michael gingerly climbed onto the bed with his wife. It was still so odd to think that he was married to her, but now things were even more awkward than before. He had a young man living with them now and that would make married life interesting. Susan seemed to think it funny, and that both relieved him and infuriated him.

  Why was she not upset that they couldn’t be alone? Was it because she didn’t want to be alone with him? That this new house guest would postpone any kind of marital relationship he might hope for? Because he’d really done it to himself with this choice to take Jessie on as an apprentice. It would have never mattered before when he was single.

  With the weather being as mild as it was, they could easily have Jessie sleep out under the stars, but that wasn’t very neighborly. And without a shed or a barn, he couldn’t bring himself to ask the boy to sleep somewhere else.

  Michael would just have to get to work on that shed sooner than he’d planned. Or he could buy some lumber needed for adding another room onto his cabin with the extra money he’d get with having two extra hands. Of course, he could easily just go cut down the logs himself and make a shed from some of the smaller tree branches. Packing it with mud and grass to plug up the cracks. It would keep the rain off for the most part. And by the time winter rolled around, they could either have another room added on to the house here, or maybe Jessie’s uncle would have made some other arrangements for his nephew.

  Michael didn’t get very far with all his plans as exhaustion started to take over. At least he wouldn’t stay up all night tossing and turning or even be too distracted by the warm body beside him. Maybe if he worked himself extra hard every day, he could handle sleeping in the same bed as Susan.

  Michael rolled to his side, and was more than a little shocked when Susan rolled as well and snuggled herself against his back. He froze and waited for a moment, but relaxed a fraction when he realized she was completely asleep.

  Maybe eventually sleep would find him.

  ***

  Susan woke to the sound of crying and it took her a moment to figure out where it was coming from. Michael, right next to her was completely still and as she strained to listen for the crying that had brought her from her sleep, she realized it was Jessie over in the corner. She listened for a few moments, wondering if he would need some comforting, or if he’d rather have her pretend she hadn’t heard it and just let him have a few minutes to express his sorrow.

  Before long, the crying ceased and Susan lay her head back down on the pillow.

  “I think he’s asleep now,” Michael whispered, surprising her.

  “I didn’t know you were awake too,” Susan whispered back.

  Michael only hummed a small sound.

  “Was he crying for long?” Susan asked after a moment.

  “No, not long. I think he woke from a dream. I did that a lot not long after my parents died.”

  Susan reached for his hand, finding it resting on his stomach. He thread his fingers through hers and she squeezed his hand gently.

  “He’ll do this off and on for a while. I think he’ll adjust though. Seems like a strong boy.”

  “I’m glad you were willing to help out,” Susan said, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand.

  “It doesn’t bother you that we took him in?”

  “No, not at all,” Susan said. “In fact, I think it was a wonderful idea. People need people. I want to be able to help where I can.”

  Jessie rolled over and made a couple of noises almost like he was waking up and Michael gave a quiet shush to silence Susan’s words. She held still and waited, knowing she could tell Michael more of her plans for helping people come out west in the morning. And with Jessie here, she knew having a place like her boarding house would be important.

  She closed her eyes and tucked her forehead against Michael’s arm as she drifted off to sleep again. This time she knew she’d dream of him. She needed to get Jessie a room of his own so she wouldn’t have to share a single room house with anyone but Michael.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Michael was surprised he slept as well as he did. Though the presence of his wife right next to him occupied a lot of his thoughts, he also felt incredibly comforted. People really needed people. Susan was a good woman and he was lucky she hadn’t put up a fit when he ended up bringing Jessie into their lives. It wasn’t like they were his parents or anything. But the boy was another mouth to feed and it would mean more work for Susan.

  Michael got out of bed before the sun came up and gathered the eggs from the chickens, then whipped up some breakfast as quietly as he could while Susan kept sleeping. It was nice to do something for her. Besides, he enjoyed seeing the completely open way she slept. Her hair flying in all directions and her cute little mouth open just a little as she slept.

  Michael moved over to Jessie and woke him up, sending him outside to the outhouse in order to give Susan some privacy when he woke her.

  “Good morning, Susan.” Michael sat on the edge of the bed and touched her shoulder. “I’ve got some eggs made up and Jessie is outside. I’ll give you a few minutes if you’d like then we can have breakfast before Jessie and I head out.”

  Susan sat up and brushed her hair back out of her face and Michael had to hold himself back from reaching for a strand she missed. “Thanks for making breakfast.” Susan’s sleep deepened voice hit him right in the chest and Michael leaned over and kissed her softly.

  Susan pulled back as if shocked and Michael looked at her, trying to figure out what he’d done wrong.

  “Morning breath,” Susan said, bringing her hand to her mouth and looking at him as if mortified.

  Michael laughed. “Nothing I’m worried about.” He moved in closer and tried to kiss her again, but Susan turned her head away with a giggle. “I don’t mind the neck, if that’s all I get.”

  Susan didn’t fight him as he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and nuzzled into her neck and then gave her little nibbley kisses. Her warm body made him want to just climb back into bed and stay there with her, exploring more than just her neck, but he knew he had jobs to do, not to mention Jessie could come back in at any moment.

  “Tomorrow morning, maybe I’ll be able to see the other side?”

  Susan mumbled something, and though he wasn’t sure what it was exactly, he was sure it was an affirmative response. Michael stood up and as he stepped away from the bed, Susan’s sound of complaint gave him hope he had done something right.

  “I’ll go have Jessie help bring in some wood and give you a chance to get dressed for the day. See you in a few minutes.”

  Susan pulled the blanket off her legs then climbed out of bed and Michael hurried outside so he wouldn’t be tempted to stay.

  He took his time walking around the house then when he found Jessie on his way back from the outhouse, he showed the boy where to find the firewood and showed him where the axe was for when they’d need to split some of the logs into smaller sections that worked for the inside cooking stove.

  After they split a couple pieces and piled them into their hands, they headed back to the house. Susan had just returned from her trip to the outhouse and the three washed up quickly then sat down to breakfast.

  “What are your plans for the day?” Michael asked as they gathered the dishes up and took them to the small wash basin.

  Susan put the skillet he’d used to cook with on the counter and turned to him. “I have a couple ladies I was going to talk to. Some h
ave given me some ideas for things to do and I wanted to get some input on an idea I had. I’ll have to tell you about it when I get a few more questions answered.”

  “Sounds good. Have a great day. Should we try to come home for lunch, or will you bring us something?”

  Susan gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll bring you something. Then later today I’ll make up some more bread. And Mrs. Lewis was going to show me how to get some cheese started.”

  “Looking forward to it.” Michael wished he could kiss her more thoroughly, but with Jessie right there, he figured he probably shouldn’t. He nodded for the boy to follow him out and the two headed to the smithy for a long hot day. It would be nice to have Jessie there with him. He was almost certain they could get the required work done before late afternoon, allowing him to get back home and get started on building another room. Or even the shed first and get the cow close by.

  ***

  Susan mixed up a batch of bread as she mentally mapped out her day. She wanted to make sure the women wouldn’t be bothered by all her plans. And she would need some help. If only she had some money to get started. If she was in her own time, she could go to a bank. But they didn’t have a bank here. The nearest bank was miles away. And she doubted some bank in the 1880s would give a woman like her money. In fact, they wouldn’t even consider her as an option since she was married. They’d want to do all the business with her husband.

  And though Michael was a good man, he wasn’t the one behind this plan.

  She had some money back home, but it was useless to her now.

  Susan stopped in the middle of kneading her bread. What if she had Dr. Lachele get it for her? She could pay the woman back in her own time if she could get her some money to use here in the past.

  It might actually work. Susan could find out how much it would cost to get the lumber and the building materials as well as the furniture and supplies. She would want at least six rooms to let and space for her own family. A few kids for sure. Plus a kitchen and dining room.

  She just wished she knew how long it would be until indoor plumbing would be an option. And could she get gas lamps like they had back east, or would it be better to just plan to use the oil lanterns they had now?

  She could go easy on that and spend the money on the size of the place.

  But now to find the location. She’d have to walk the town and look around. It would be nice to be in close proximity to the church, the mercantile, and when a school was built, to that.

  Excitement built in her at the thought of all they could do for the people in Birch Creek.

  Once her bread was in the pans, ready to rise, Susan closed the door to her little house and headed back to the mercantile to talk with Mrs. Howard. Maybe their little quilting bee would be ready to go.

  Upon arrival at the mercantile, Mrs. Howard was nowhere to be found, but her son, Colten, met her with a smile. “How can I help you, Mrs. Clark?”

  “I was looking for your mother. She said she was going to get a few of the ladies in town together to start a quilting bee.”

  “Ah, that’s right. I believe she said she’d be asking the preacher if they could hold in there at the church. Those pews are movable so they could get it set up in the back.”

  “Thank you,” Susan said and headed back outside and toward the church. As she neared the building, she saw Mrs. Howard standing outside with the young preacher. Susan gave the man a look and wondered what his background was like. She wasn’t aware of him being married. And Susan wasn’t sure if the preacher was allowed to have a wife or not, but she’d make sure to look into it.

  No wonder Dr. Lachele liked what she did. Susan wouldn’t quite consider herself a match-maker or anything, but if she could entice some young women to come out west and meet the men of the area, then that would be something fun to do.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Clark,” the preacher said as Susan approached. “I hear you are coming up with a plan. I wondered if we might have a word before you join the ladies as they quilt.”

  Susan looked at Mrs. Howard and then to the preacher. “Of course, Reverend Morrison.”

  Mrs. Howard walked with them down the side of the chapel and into the small little office he had to the side of the front pulpit area. Susan was relieved to know the other woman was with her so she wouldn’t have to try to convince him of the goodness of her plan alone.

  “Mrs. Howard has mentioned a little of it and I must say it sounds like a fine idea, though one must look at all the options before moving ahead with something like this. She tells me you are aware of the troubles that certain establishments in Cassia have experienced because of the drinking houses there. The women you bring to your boarding house will need to be of upstanding character and have the skills and talents to improve our community.”

  “Of course, Reverend Morrison. I know I’ve only been here a few days, but I believe this place is incredible, and I’d love to do what I could to help it. And though I gave this marriage thought before I decided to come out here, I realized I was incredibly lucky to find Michael is such a good man. I wanted to make sure that any other woman who came out west looking for a better life didn’t find herself trapped with a husband that was less than stellar.”

  “That is very wise and kind-hearted of you, Mrs. Clark.” The reverend smiled and Susan once again thought she needed to help him find a wife. He was just too nice a man to live his life alone out here.

  “I see no reason the town would be against you building your establishment. So as you ladies discuss it, I’ll talk to a few of the men. We’ll need to let the sheriff and the mayor know.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” Susan said. “I have no problem going to talk to them.”

  The reverend looked at her as if she were out of her mind. She wondered if it was against some rule for a woman to talk to the men in the area, or if these guys were just going to be a tougher sale.

  Reverend Morrison looked at Mrs. Howard. “You’ll lock up the church when you’re finished?”

  “Of course. I’ll drop by the keys and bring you some dinner as well.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Howard.” The reverend bowed and walked out then Susan and Mrs. Howard joined the ladies at the quilt.

  “When do you think you’ll get this going?” Mrs. Lewis asked.

  “I hope as soon as possible.”

  “But where will you get the money? Won’t it cost a lot to build something big like that?”

  “I have a little bit saved up back east, but I wasn’t able to bring it with me. I planned to write someone and see if they could sell the things I can’t bring here and I’ll use the funds for this.”

  A younger woman with a baby on her lap looked at Susan. “I hope this isn’t impertinent, but if you have money and things back home, what made you decide to come out here in search of a husband?”

  Susan smiled. “It’s hard to explain.”

  The women all just looked at her as she studied the quilt, not sure how to even begin making any stitches. Susan knew she wouldn’t get any help with the needle and thread unless she gave them something.

  “I suppose I was rather disappointed in the options available to me. I courted a few people, but the men were no where near as gentlemanly as they should have been. Then I met a woman who gave me some information about this opportunity, promised me it would be worth trying and lo and behold, I think she was right. Now that I’m here, I just feel driven to make the option of finding a better life out here a reality to other women.”

  Mrs. Lewis shook her head. “And you think there are a lot of women who would come out here, sight unseen to find a husband. I don’t mean there’s anything wrong with our men out here, but not even having a chance to court them before agreeing to marry? I can’t imagine.”

  Susan smiled. “That’s why I thought this boarding house would be a good idea. It would give the women a safe place to live while they had the chance to meet the men out here without being forced to act on good f
aith that things would turn out all right.”

  “Can you imagine if Lester sent for a bride?” A woman across from Susan asked.

  “Poor soul,” another woman said. “Now that the single men have seen how lucky Michael was when you arrived, I can just imagine there will be some sending their own advertisements.”

  “Do you know who owns the land just to the west of us?” Susan asked. “I thought it would be a good idea to have it close enough to town where we could find someone willing to be a teacher, and even find some other jobs these women could do.”

  “I believe Mayor Wilson owns that area. He might sell, but I think he’d want a lot of money for that.”

  “I guess I’ll have to talk to him and find out how much. Then find out what my friend back home could get for my things before I know how much money I’ve got to work with.”

  The ladies around the quilt all nodded and Susan looked at them, happy to know they were on board with her. “Now,” Susan said. “Who will show me how to quilt, because honestly, I don’t have a clue what to do with this?”

  Bessy Lewis laughed and leaned over, taking the needle and thread, then showed her how to make the stitches. “I’m sure you’ll be a quick learner in this too.”

  Susan smiled. “I sure hope so.”

  ***

  Michael took the horse shoe he’d finished shaping and dipped it in the barrel of liquid to the side to help cool and harden the iron. He set it on the counter to finish cooling and turned to Jessie. “Good work, boy. I think we deserve a break.”

  “Mrs. Clark dropped off the basket of lunch while you were working. Said to tell you sorry she couldn’t stay, but that she had someone to talk to.”