“And you like ducks.” It looked like the shape was half-done and Brianna could make out a beak and the long body typical of a duck.
“I do. They’re often gliding along the ponds here and I’ve always thought they were beautiful.”
“You have a real talent at that.”
“Thank you. I love doing it and it’s relaxing, too.” After a moment, he turned his attention back to carving again and Brianna went back to her book. He was easy to be around and she found herself relaxing and enjoying his company. Perhaps this marriage could work out. It seemed promising so far.
* * *
The next month passed quickly and Brianna and Paul fell into an easy companionship. By the end of the day, both were usually exhausted—Paul, from working in the farm from dawn ‘til dusk and Brianna from expecting and from being with young children all day. The students were used to her now and except for the occasional quarrel, they were mostly well-behaved, even Millie and Peter. She still kept an eye on their lunches and always had extra food with her, in case she was hungry, which she often was, or in case any of the students looked like they needed a bit extra. At least once or twice a week, Millie and Peter either had nothing or very little for their lunch and Brianna was able to help. It infuriated her and she wanted to ride out there and talk to their father, but Paul talked her out of it.
“It’s not safe for you. He doesn’t have much. He’s also a heavy drinker and unpredictable. That could be a dangerous combination. More than likely it would just make things worse for those children. If he’s embarrassed and ashamed, he’ll likely lash out and they could see the brunt of his anger, or you. No, it’s best to leave well enough alone. Just keep bringing extra food. That’s the best way you can help those children.”
“I suppose,” she’d agreed reluctantly.
Brianna remembered that conversation as she stepped into the classroom and noticed that Peter and Millie both looked unusually grimy and disheveled. Peter had streaks of dirt across his cheek and Millie’s hair looked matted in the back. They were both quieter than usual and when lunchtime rolled around, they both hung their heads and looked miserable while their classmates started eating. This was the third day in a row that they had no lunch. She called them both up to the front and handed them each a sandwich. She’d packed extras that morning just in case, after being surprised when they’d had no food yesterday. She was concerned now. This had never happened before.
“Is your father sick?” she asked them. That was the only explanation that she could imagine.
They looked at each other and then Millie spoke softly.
“He’s gone. We haven’t seen him in three days. We have no idea where he is.” She tried to sound brave and strong, but a quivering lower lip betrayed her.
“Your father is gone? You’ve been staying there alone? How did you get here today?” She knew their home was at least four or five miles away.
“We walked,” Peter said.
Brianna was horrified that these small children had been staying completely alone and fending for themselves.
“Did your father mention that he was going somewhere? What was he doing when you last saw him?”
“He didn’t say anything about going anywhere. He was just drinking, as usual. When we woke up, he was gone.”
“All right, we’ll look into this for you. You’re both going to come home with me tonight, have a good night’s dinner, and a bath and we’ll see if we can find your father.”
* * *
By the time Paul came home for dinner that evening, Brianna had given each child a hot bath and showed them the bedrooms they’d be sleeping in that evening.
“I have my own bedroom?” Peter was in awe of the big bed with the fluffy pillow and soft blankets.
“Yes, you’ll get a good night’s sleep so we can have a productive day in class tomorrow. Now, let’s sit down to eat.”
She was ladling hot soup into bowls when Paul came through the front door. He did a double-take when he saw two blond children sitting at the dinner table.
“Hello, everyone. I didn’t realize we were having company.” He took his jacket off and then walked over to the stove. “Something smells delicious.”
“Thanks, it’s a chicken stew. Peter and Millie are going to be staying with us tonight. Their father has been gone for a few days and we’re not sure when he’s coming back.” She didn’t want to say more than that in front of the children.
He smiled at the two children who both looked a bit fearful of his reaction. “Oh, well, that’s just fine. They can stay as long as they like.” He then turned his attention to Brianna. “I’m just going to go wash up and then I’ll be back for soup, too.”
Brianna set steaming bowls out for all of them along with a loaf of warm bread and butter.
* * *
Once everyone ate and the children were tucked into bed, Brianna and Paul discussed the situation.
“We don’t know much, just that he’s been gone for three days. The children last saw him drinking heavily, as usual, before they went to bed. They haven’t seen him since.”
Paul frowned. “David and I will take a ride out there tomorrow and if there’s still no sign of him, we’ll let the sheriff know as well.”
“I hope you don’t mind that I brought them home with me. I didn’t know what else to do and I just wanted to keep them comfortable and well-fed, at least for one night.”
“Of course I don’t mind. And I meant what I said earlier. They are welcome to stay as long as they need to. I have plenty of room.”
“I’m so glad that you do.” Brianna had a soft spot for the two children. Her heart went out to them. It must be so hard losing their mother so recently and having such a horrible father. She secretly hoped that he might stay away a few more days, so she could fuss over them a bit longer.
Chapter Eleven
Three more days passed before there was finally some word about the children’s father. Colleen stopped by the school as Brianna and the children were getting ready to leave for the day.
“You’re out early,” Brianna said as Colleen walked in.
“Julia is finishing up for me so I could come say hello. Do you have a moment?” There was an odd tone to her voice that let Brianna know something was wrong.
“Millie and Peter, go ahead and get into the buggy. I’ll be there in a minute.” She started to walk the opposite way so that the children couldn’t overhear them.
“What is it?”
“The sheriff just stopped into the pub for a late lunch and told Liam that they found the children’s father. He was lying dead in a ditch about a half-mile from his house. He was holding a bottle of spirits. He must have wandered off and gotten disoriented or something, maybe fell and hit his head. He had a nasty bump on his forehead. Sheriff said it was only a matter of time before the booze did him in, the way he’d been drinking.”
“That’s terrible!” Brianna wondered how she would tell the children. Although he was a mean drunk, he was still their father.
“What will you do with the children? I don’t think there’s any other family in the area.”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I just assumed their father would be home at some point.”
“Poor little things,” Colleen said sympathetically.
“I know. I’ll have to talk to Paul and see what he thinks we should do.”
Chapter Twelve
Paul could sense that something was wrong as soon as he saw Brianna’s face. She confirmed it by following him into his bedroom and shutting the door behind them.
“I haven’t told the children yet, but their father is dead.” She filled him in on what Colleen had shared.
“Do they have any other family in the area or anywhere that should be contacted?” she asked.
Paul thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. His parents are dead and he was an only child. His wife’s parents are gone, too, and I think I heard that her only sist
er died in childbirth a few years back. I can ask around, though. Maybe there’s an uncle or cousins that I don’t know about.”
“We can ask the children, too. They might know. Do you want to tell them or should I?”
“I’ll tell them. Unless you’d rather?”
“No, please. I’d appreciate if you would. We’ll see you in a few minutes.” Brianna headed back to the kitchen while Paul cleaned himself up before joining them. How could he tell them they were orphans? Brianna was wonderful with them and they seemed to be settling in. Those poor children had been without a mother for so long and didn’t have much of a father, and now he was gone. Paul was fairly certain that there was no other family to speak of, which meant that a decision had to be made. The children could be sent away to an orphanage, but Paul had no idea where one was or how to go about doing that. The other option was to keep them. It was a lot to take on, and something he and Brianna would need to discuss and consider carefully. He had a feeling he knew how she would feel about it, though.
* * *
Paul waited until they were just about finished eating and Brianna had cleared the empty bowls from the table. As soon as she sat back down, he spoke.
"Millie and Peter, I'm afraid that I have some very bad news. Your father has gone to be with the Lord."
He could tell that Millie understood, but Peter seemed confused.
"Is he coming back?" he asked.
"No, honey. Your father isn't with us anymore, I'm very sorry to say." Brianna reached over and put her hand on top of his small one.
"What does that mean for us? Where will we go?" Millie's voice trembled and her eyes welled up.
Brianna walked over to her and pulled her in for a hug. "You're not going anywhere tonight, honey. You'll both stay with us until we can figure this out for you."
"Do you have any other family in the area, any uncles or cousins?" Paul asked.
Millie shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I've never met anyone else."
"All right. We will look into this for you both and see what we can find out. But you'll both stay here with us."
"I like it here," Millie sniffled and snuggled closer to Brianna.
"I do, too!" Peter was crying now, too, and Brianna pulled him over to her for a group hug.
"Why don't we go into the living room and I'll read a story to you both. Would you like that?"
* * *
Later that evening, after the children had been tucked snugly in bed, Brianna joined Paul in the living room, where he was tinkering with his carving. He'd been working on it steadily while Brianna read aloud to the children. He put it down though when she reached him.
"What are we going to do?" she asked.
"I'll go into town tomorrow and ask around, see if anyone knows of any relatives in these parts. I think I know the answer, though."
"They're orphans now, just like I was." Sadness radiated from her and Paul went and pulled her in for a hug.
"You're wonderful with them."
"There's something about the two of them. I've felt drawn to them both since I met them. Maybe because I could sense how alone they both are. They had only a father and he wasn't much comfort."
"No, that's an understatement." He pulled back and looked at Brianna closely.
"What do you want to do if I determine tomorrow that there are no other relatives? Do you want to send them to an orphanage?" Brianna was silent for a moment, then seemed to gather strength as she met Paul's gaze.
"No. I don't want to do that. I truly can't imagine doing that to them. I'd love to keep them, but can we do that? It's a bit more involved than adopting a litter of kittens."
Paul chuckled for a moment. "It is indeed. It's a big decision, but if you really want to, I am fine with it. We have the room for them."
Paul caught his breath at the joy that shone from Brianna's eyes.
"Could we? Really?" she asked.
"Yes. If it comes back that they have no family here, we can keep them."
She impulsively hugged him and he pulled her in even tighter. He loved the feel of her and only wished he was holding her under happier circumstances.
* * *
"You're really keeping them?" Colleen sounded shocked. That Saturday afternoon, Brianna broke the news to the girls as they sat around Emma's kitchen table drinking tea.
"We are. Paul asked around with everyone in town to see if anyone knew of any relatives. There are none. Millie and Peter are orphans just like we all were and have nowhere else to go, except to an orphanage.” That was a sobering thought for all of them.
"I don't think I could send them to an orphanage," Emma said, and the others nodded in agreement.
"No, I couldn't either," Julia said.
"Even though I don't have any children yet, I don't think I could do it, either.” Colleen agreed, then added, “It's every child's dream to have a family. And it's not like many make it out of the orphanage."
"Until they are kicked out, when they're still practically children," Emma said. By the time they had all left the orphanage, it was more difficult than they'd imagined it would be. As much as they'd longed to be adopted when they were younger, by the time they turned eighteen, they were all fast friends and as close to a family as any of them had known. Being thrust out to fend for themselves hadn't been easy and they'd had to accept whatever job offers had come their way. For some of them, it had worked out well, until things changed. Emma had had a live-in position as a cook's assistant and the man of the house was a lecherous drunk who made it clear he expected additional duties from her—duties she had no intention of providing. Julia had loved her job at an accounting firm, until her boss decided to sell the company and the new owners didn't believe that a woman was capable of doing what they felt was a man's job. Apparently, they weren't the only ones that felt that way as Julia was unable to secure a new position, doing anything. The overall job market was still shaky in Boston.
Colleen had been the lucky one. She'd had a job she loved that used her talents in dress design and sewing, but it was too difficult for her to run into her ex-boyfriend who had married and had a child during the year she was trying to get over their breakup. A fresh start was what she'd decided she needed. And it had worked out well for all three of them. Brianna was hopeful that their luck would rub off on her. It seemed that it was going well enough so far, although this was certainly something she'd never anticipated.
"How do you feel about it? What does Paul think?" Colleen asked.
"I can't imagine sending them away. Paul is hard to read, but he said that they can stay if he determined that they have no other options, besides the orphanage."
"Maybe it will bring you closer?" Julia wondered aloud.
"Or drive them apart,” Colleen said thoughtfully. “Do you really want an instant family, especially with another one coming?"
"That is a lot to take on," Emma agreed. "But you're great with children."
"I've done nothing but think about this and I know it is a lot to ask of Paul and that I will have my hands full, but I also feel that they are with us for a reason. That it's meant to be for us to care for them and provide them with a happy and stable home."
"Aren't they the difficult ones?" Colleen asked.
Brianna frowned. "That's what the other teacher said, but I haven't seen it as much, except for one incident and I understand why that happened. I think any issues they've had have come from their living environment and an unstable, alcoholic father, who was clearly a mean drunk." She shuddered, remembering the scene at the barn-raising.
"With their coloring, they look like they could be your children," Julia said.
Brianna smiled at that. "They seem to like living with us. They've calmed down a bit now that they don't have to worry about having enough to eat or what kind of mood they're going to find their father in when they get home. This was a setback for them, though. No matter how awful the man was, he was still their father and they're bound to miss him."
"They're lucky to have you," Emma said.
"Maybe I'm lucky to have them, too, and Paul." Brianna was impressed by how well Paul seemed to be adapting to having two strange children staying with them, and now that it may be permanent, he still seemed okay with it. Yes, she was definitely feeling lucky.
***
Brianna was awoken from a deep sleep by the sound of a child screaming. She was disoriented for a moment and then came fully awake and realized it was Peter. She jumped out of bed and was startled at first to see Millie waiting outside her door.
"I think he had a bad dream. He sounds awfully upset."
Brianna opened the door to Peter's room and stepped inside. Peter was tossing and turning in his sleep, thrashing about and crying. She went to his bed, sat on the edge and lightly put her hand on his shoulder.
"Peter, you're safe. It's okay. You're in your bed, and Millie and I are here with you."
"I'm here, too." Brianna looked up and saw Paul standing in the doorway.
Peter slowly came awake and when he realized where he was and that Brianna, Millie and Paul were all in the room with them, he clung hard to Brianna and started to cry again. "I want to stay with you. Please let me stay."
Brianna's heart ached and she hugged the small boy to her.
"You're not going anywhere, love. You and Millie are staying with us. This is your home now."
She soothed him back to sleep and then tucked Millie back in bed and kissed her on the forehead.
"Sweet dreams, love."
"Did you mean it? Do we really get to stay here, like a real family?"
A real family. Something Brianna had never had.
BRIANNA: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Mail-Order Brides Club Book 4) Page 7
