Alice

by Kirsten Osbourne

  “I suppose we’ll find that out tomorrow,” Lewis said gruffly. “But I appreciate your gesture. Let’s get back inside, Alice. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  Alice nodded and realized she had been holding her breath. Before she could turn to follow Lewis into the store, she noticed Mark waving at her with a small sad smile. Alice waved back, hoping Lewis wouldn’t see and get annoyed. She went back into the mercantile, where Lewis was complaining about Mark.

  “I can’t believe that man, acting like he’s some expert, then he comes and delivers the wrong shipment! Who does he think I am? A man he can fool?” Lewis paced back and forth across the mercantile.

  “I didn’t get the impression that he thinks that of you, Lewis. It’s possible they were all honest mistakes.” Alice hoped she wasn’t overstepping, but she could tell something was bothering Lewis.

  Lewis nodded. “I’m just worried about all of our customers and being able to provide them the items that they need.”

  “That makes sense.” Alice hoped she could get Lewis’s mind off the error. He seemed to be getting worked up, and Alice knew Ruby wouldn’t like him to come up when he was so upset. “Do you still want me to unpack the merchandise that is correct?”

  “Yes, I suppose that would be helpful. Thank you.” Lewis wandered back toward his desk.

  Alice went to the back room of the mercantile and began checking her lists again. It was shaping up to be a long day.

  The following day, Alice was washing the windows of the mercantile when Mark’s wagon pulled up. He was alone this time. Mark parked the wagon nearby and carried a single box toward the mercantile.

  “Good morning.” Mark set the box on the ground next to Alice and watched her work.

  “How are you?” Alice wanted to be polite but was cautious based on the previous day’s events. She didn’t know if she could trust Mark.

  “I’m fine. I’ve brought some fabric for Lewis that was missing from yesterday’s order as well as the money he paid me up front,” Mark explained.

  “You should probably go in there and talk to him about that.” Alice kept her attention fixed on the windows.

  “Alice, please look at me for a second.” Mark rested a hand gently on her arm.

  Alice felt a tingling sensation on her arm where he had touched her that spread throughout her entire body, making her feel warm and happy. “Yes?”

  Mark took a deep breath. “It would make me feel terrible if I knew you didn’t trust me. Can you please give me another chance? I’m still trying to figure out how to run my uncle’s business. I made a mistake, and I’m doing everything I can to make it up to you and your family.”

  Alice considered this carefully. She was fiercely protective of her family and didn’t trust anyone who would try to cheat them in any way, as Lewis had accused Mark of doing. “I don’t know.”

  Mark nodded sadly. “I understand.” He bent down to pick up the box again. Alice opened the front entrance for him. Through the window, Alice could see Lewis come out and greet Mark.

  Alice wasn’t sure what to think. It was a good sign that Mark had come back with the money Lewis had paid him. That meant he was probably not one of the corrupt traveling salesman Cletus had warned the family about. Nowhere didn’t get too many of those because it was a small town with very few citizens. That meant there was less money to be swindled, so crooks and thieves didn’t often stop there on their way to larger cities.

  She still didn’t know much about him, though. She decided to focus on her work at the mercantile and try to forget about the man and the way he made her feel. Even if he had kept his word today, she didn’t know if she could trust him fully. One thing was certain. She was very glad she had declined his invitation to dinner. If word got out that she had gone out to dinner with a possibly corrupt businessman, that would reflect poorly not only on her, but also on her whole family.

  Alice finished cleaning the windows and went inside the mercantile. Lewis and Mark were still talking in hushed tones in the corner. Alice gathered all the rugs and took them outside to clean them.

  As she beat the rugs together and dust flurried everywhere, she admired the humid heat of the day. Living in Nowhere was much different than living in Orlan, New York, where she and her sisters had hailed from. She favored the warmer climate and was glad that she’d ended up here. It felt like the exact right place for her.

  A little while later, Mark came out of the mercantile, no longer carrying the large box. He had a smile on his face. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

  “Actually, I was just thinking that myself.” Alice was surprised at Mark’s cheery tone, considering the situation at hand.

  Mark smiled. “Lewis and I had a good talk. I still have a lot of work to do, but he appreciated that I made an extra delivery today and that I returned his money. I hope that I’ll be able to make it up to him.”

  Alice nodded her head and held the rugs still for a moment, not wanting to get dust all over Mark.

  “And more importantly, I hope I’ll be able to make it up to you,” Mark added.

  Alice could feel her pulse race faster. “Me? What do I have to do with all of this?”

  “You’re my future wife. I need to earn your trust so you accept when I propose to you.” Mark spoke the words as calmly and confidently as if he were telling her that the sky was blue or grass was green.

  Alice felt a bit overheated and dizzy, like she wanted to lie down. Who did this man think he was? She had never met anyone as sure of himself despite his many mistakes. He clearly had faults and was working to improve them, which seemed like a good thing. But she hadn’t known him long enough to understand if his word was as good as he seemed to think it was.

  Mark could sense that he’d gone a bit too far. “Alice, I’m sorry. I’ve said too much. I would never want to make you uncomfortable in any way. Please, forgive me.”

  “Of course.” Alice still felt a little ill. She wanted to go home and lie down, but her work ethic was too strong to leave in the middle of a day’s work.

  “Before I go, I have something for you.” Mark pulled out a small, gift-wrapped package for Alice.

  “What’s this?” Alice was confused.

  Mark held the gift out. Alice set down the rugs and brushed her hands off on her apron. She accepted the gift and began to unwrap it.

  Inside the wrapping paper was a small blue book. Alice opened it, and there were lined sheets of paper inside.

  “I saw you doing many calculations yesterday and reading through Lewis’s ledgers. I thought you might like having your own book to write them in,” Mark explained.

  Alice couldn’t believe he’d brought a gift just for her. “Thank you,” she said, touched that he had noticed her reviewing the ledgers. She had to admit, there was a part of her that was thrilled to learn he had paid such close attention to her. And the book would certainly be useful as she began to help Lewis out more with the mercantile.

  “I promise I’ll stop bothering you soon, but I do have one question before I go,” Mark continued.

  “What’s that?” Alice looked back toward the mercantile. She did have more chores to attend to, but she also enjoyed speaking with Mark.

  “Pardon me for saying this, but you seem different than other young women I’ve met around here. Did you grow up in Nowhere?” Mark hoped he wasn’t being impolite.

  To his relief, Alice smiled. “As a matter of fact, I didn’t. I was born in New York and orphaned as a baby. I grew up in an orphanage there. A few years ago, my sisters and I moved here to Nowhere and were adopted by Edna Petunia and Cletus Sanders.”

  “Cletus Sanders? That’s the town judge, isn’t it? I remember my uncle mentioning his name!” Mark seemed excited about the connection.

  “Yes, that’s my adoptive father. He and Edna Petunia have done everything to make us feel at home here in Nowhere,” Alice continued.

  “My uncle always said he was a great man,” Mark reminisced. “So was m
y uncle.”

  For the first time, Alice realized that Mark was probably still grieving the loss of his uncle. She hadn’t really thought about his struggles because he presented himself as a strong, confident man. But the more she thought about it, she realized that he was probably having a very challenging time. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  Mark looked at Alice intently. “Thank you, Alice. I appreciate that. I miss him every day.”

  Alice wanted to change the subject. She felt a bit awkward talking about Mark’s late uncle. “Since I answered your questions, maybe you can answer one of mine.”

  “Of course. Ask away.” Mark grinned.

  “Where did you grow up?” Alice figured she’d start with a basic inquiry.

  “I was born in Austin. My parents own a small shop there, selling many of my uncle’s products. But I was the youngest of five children, and they had too many mouths to feed. They sent me to live with my uncle when I was just a boy,” Mark explained.

  “Was that hard to be away from your parents and siblings?” Alice had never known her biological parents, so she didn’t know what it would be like to have to move away from them. But she knew she’d be devastated if she had to leave her sisters. Over the years, the girls had become inseparable.

  Mark shrugged. “I don’t remember much about my time in Austin. Most of my earliest memories are of my uncle.” He looked off into the distance, lost in thought. “My job was to help him with deliveries, and he always told me that one day, the business would be mine. But we always thought we had several years before he passed. He never taught me about inventory or packing shipments or working with the people who make the products. When he died, I found myself adrift in a world I knew almost nothing about.”

  “That must have been very difficult.” Alice surprised herself by putting her arm on Mark’s wrist. She felt sorry for Mark. He hadn’t been raised with his parents or siblings, and now he had lost his closest relative. Alice couldn’t imagine what that would feel like, to be all alone in the world.

  Mark’s face brightened. “It is difficult, but that’s enough about me and my sad story. I don’t like to dwell on the negative. Ironically, that was something I learned from my uncle. He was always positive, even when he fell ill.”

  “That does seem like a good habit. I also try to adopt a positive attitude,” Alice agreed.

  “In that case, I think it’s my turn to ask you a question.” Mark liked that Alice’s hand was still resting on his wrist. He enjoyed any opportunity to be close to this lovely young woman.

  “I thought you said you were going to let me get back to work.” Alice tried to wear a stern expression, but she couldn’t keep from giggling.

  Soon, Mark was laughing, too. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but I’m afraid you’re right. I did promise I’d let you get back to work. I have a feeling that Lewis wouldn’t like it if I stole his star employee. Although . . .”

  “Although what?” Alice asked, hanging onto Mark’s every word. She had never met anyone like him before. She was fascinated by every word he said. Even though she knew she needed to get back to work, she could have listened to him talk to her all day.

  “One day, it is going to be my fault that you can’t work in the mercantile anymore.” A mischievous grin danced across Mark’s lips.

  “Is that so?” Alice felt the same fluttering feeling in her stomach as Mark leaned in toward her.

  Mark nodded, putting his mouth up to Alice’s ear and whispering. “It’s going to be the day I make you my wife.”

  As Mark returned to his wagon with a jaunty wave, Alice couldn’t move. Her entire body felt heated, and she felt the new tingling sensation in her stomach spreading out across her lower body. She loved the way she had felt when Mark whispered in her ear. For the first time, she thought about what it would be like if he touched her in other places. Alice tried to gather her thoughts so she could get back to work, but she couldn’t. She was reeling.

  Chapter 4

  When Mark arrived at the mercantile the following morning with a new shipment, he looked dejected. Alice couldn’t help but speak up.

  “What’s wrong?” Alice asked as she opened the door to the mercantile. It was before eight o’clock and Lewis hadn’t yet come downstairs. She went back to the counter and began scrubbing it with a wet rag.

  Mark sighed. “I feel like everyone in this town doesn’t like me very much. No one seems to trust me at all.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Alice was perplexed. She had found the people of Nowhere to be kind and helpful at all times.

  “Since I have daily meetings with Lewis, I thought it might be a good idea to rent a room in a boarding house so I don’t need to drive back and forth several times a day,” Mark explained. “But I visited three boarding houses yesterday, and all said they were full even though they didn’t seem crowded at all.”

  Alice thought about this for a moment. “That seems odd to me, but maybe they really don’t have any space left. Is there anything else troubling you?”

  “Yes, there is,” Mark admitted. “I went to the ice cream parlor last evening because I was craving something sweet. The man behind the counter said something very odd. I told him about my business, and he said, ‘Oh, yes, I’ve heard all about your business.’ What does that mean?”

  Alice nodded in understanding. “Nowhere is a small town. Word travels fast here. I’m guessing that people have heard about the mistakes with the shipment. People here do tend to take some time before they trust outsiders.”

  Mark shook his head sadly. “I don’t know if I’ll have enough time.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Alice began to buff the counter with a dry cloth.

  “At a certain point, if I don’t have enough customers, I’ll have to leave and focus my sales on a different area,” Mark told her. “But I’d like to stay here as long as I can.”

  Alice’s heart sank as she imagined Mark moving on to the next town. She wondered if he had a young woman waiting for him in every town, and that made her feel even worse. Was she just a pretty face to him, or did he mean it when he said he wanted to marry her? Alice remembered Cletus’s warnings about men who traveled for a living. She didn’t want to get her hopes up or give away her trust too freely. At the same time, she also didn’t want to lose Mark just yet.

  “What are you thinking?” Mark asked, noticing that Alice had been quiet.

  “Oh, nothing worth saying out loud.” Alice was embarrassed that she had been thinking about Mark in a romantic way. She wasn’t usually one to daydream, and she was not about to start now!

  “I think you’re being modest. I always enjoy hearing what you have to say,” Mark said, looking at Alice directly, his dark eyes boring into her.

  Alice looked down at the counter, avoiding eye contact. It was spotless. “I really need to get back to my other chores,” Alice said apologetically.

  “Of course, don’t let me keep you.” Mark gathered up his documents and went over to his usual spot at the table. He always waited there while Lewis helped customers, pulling out a small notebook and writing in it until Lewis was available.

  Alice changed the sign in the front window to “Open” and went back to the counter. A few minutes later, Lewis rushed in, a harried expression on his face. “Are you all right, Lewis?” Alice hoped everything was okay with Ruby and the baby.

  Lewis nodded. “I’m fine. But Ruby is sicker than I knew. We had to call for Dr. Harvey last night. Fortunately, she’s resting now, and Dr. Harvey said the baby is fine.”

  Alice was glad to hear that Ruby’s baby wasn’t in danger. “What happened?”

  Lewis shook his head. “You know how your sister can be. I had told her to relax and rest as much as possible. But she was apparently cooking and cleaning for hours while I was here at work.”

  Alice sighed. “That sounds just like Ruby.”

  “She did say she’s feeling a bit better than a few years back when she needed S
arah Jane’s help.” Lewis folded his hands together. “I think she just thought since she was feeling better, she could do more.”

  “I’m glad she’s not that sick. That was a very scary time for all of us.” Alice remembered that the entire family had been on edge, worried about Ruby and the baby. “I hope she’ll actually rest and take it easy. Is there anything I can help with? I’d be glad to cook or clean on my breaks from the mercantile.”

  Lewis’s face brightened. “Alice, you don’t need to do that. You’re already doing so much around the mercantile.”

  “It would be a nice break to see my nieces and nephews,” Alice laughed. “Please, Lewis. Let me help you!”

  “Maybe just a little. I don’t want Edna Petunia to come down here and tell me I’m taking up too much of your time.” Lewis scratched his head.

  Alice didn’t know if Lewis was joking or not, but she had to admit, that sounded like something Edna Petunia might do. “I’ll go on lunch breaks and just before and after work.”

  “Thank you, Alice. I appreciate it. I don’t know what we’d do without you.” As Lewis talked, he looked around the store. No customers were there yet, but he spotted Mark sitting in his usual seat in the corner. “Oh, Mark is already here? I suppose I should go talk to him.”

  “Yes, he got here a little while ago while I was opening the store.” Alice watched as Lewis went over to Mark and greeted him. Lewis seemed to be warming up after the first day when they had uncovered the issue with the order.

  Alice knew there was a stack of canned beans in the back that needed to be stocked onto the shelves. She went to the back of the mercantile and gathered as many cans as she could fit in the white apron she wore when she worked.

  She carefully walked over to the shelves and began stacking the cans one by one. Two customers came into the store, and Alice went up to them.

  “How can I help you today?” Alice greeted the couple pleasantly.

  “I’m looking for fabric for new curtains,” an elderly woman who seemed older than Edna Petunia said.