Ashley Merrick - India: Bride of Indiana (American Mail-Order Bride 19)

by Ashley Merrick

  “It’s beautiful,” India breathed.

  “We need to hang our stockings, too!” Julia pulled three stockings out of the bag. They were all red with white trim and the names Julia, Sammy, and Richard were embroidered across the top. India noticed that there was one more stocking left in the bag, and guessed that it had been Amy’s.

  “We have to get a stocking for India,” Julia said.

  Richard smiled. “We will. I will get one for her this week.”

  They hung the stockings on cast metal stocking holders that Richard set on the mantel above the fireplace.

  “Look! It’s snowing!” Sammy ran to the window and pressed his face against the glass, staring outside at the falling snow. India watched the snow fall and felt that it added the perfect touch to what was feeling like a magical day. She’d always love the holidays though growing up. The Christmas season was a special time, the time of happiness and hope. And baking.

  “Who wants to make sugar cookies this afternoon? I found some cookie-cutters the other day and thought it might be fun to make some different-shaped cookies and dust them with sugar.”

  “I want to make cookies,” Julia said.

  “Can I help? I can sprinkle sugar on them and eat them and let you know if they taste all right.”

  India chuckled. “Yes, that is a very important job. We need to make sure they taste just right.”

  They had a fun afternoon making cookies. Later on after dinner and the children had gone to bed, India and Richard settled into the den and Richard put a log on the fire. India worried that she might see a repeat of his dark mood from the night before, but instead it was as if that had never happened. Richard was his usual quiet self, and they chatted a bit and read for several hours before heading upstairs to bed.

  Chapter 11

  India went to the church in South Bend for the first time on Sunday. Richard had said that his whole family would be there and that they had been attending that church for as long as he could remember. It was the white church that Sammy had pointed out the first day that India had driven into town. She had thought that it looked pretty from the outside, with its simple lines and elegant stained-glass windows. It was even nicer inside. It wasn’t fancy, but the design of the windows let in plenty of light and bathed the room in a warm glow.

  Richard led them to one of the pews where his family always sat. They had arrived a little bit early, and as they sat there, India watch the other parishioners file in. She didn’t know many of them yet, but she saw a few people that she recognized, such as Irene and Jim, the owners of the mercantile and Evan the butcher. They all smiled and waved as they took their seats.

  India noticed a woman about Richard’s mother’s age with a younger woman who she guessed was probably her daughter look over at them, as they sat in the opposite pew. The younger woman glanced her way with interest and then her eyes grew cold. Although it wasn’t at all cold in the church, India shivered. She wondered if the young woman might be Olivia. There was no reason for anyone else to give her such a hard look. If it was Olivia, she was actually quite a beautiful girl. Her hair was very blonde and it was all twisted into a complicated bun of sorts, with delicate curls framing her face. She was a taller than average woman, and very slender. She looked elegant and fashionable in her pale lavender dress. India felt a bit frumpy by comparison in her favorite blue dress, which was starting to look as though it would need mending again soon along the hem.

  Laura and Jason came rushing in moments before the service started and slid into the pew beside them.

  “I just couldn’t get out of my own way this morning. I didn’t think we were going to get here on time,” Laura said.

  “It was a little too close for comfort,” Jason agreed.

  The service started, and India enjoyed the sermon. Pastor Jonathan was a young pastor, and full of energy. This was his first Christmas season at the church. He spoke about the importance of giving all year round but especially at this time of year when those who had little seemed to have even less, especially if they had families to take care of. He spoke about silent giving, of the importance of giving without the expectation of receiving anything in return including recognition of the gift. It was a moving sermon and he seemed to have everyone’s attention.

  When the service ended, everyone met up outside and Richard’s brother Jim invited them all back to his house for Sunday dinner. Richard had explained that they took turns on Sundays after church hosting dinner for the rest of the family.

  They were walking to their buggies to head home when India heard an unfamiliar voice by her side. She looked up and saw the beautiful blonde woman with the sour expression, her mother a few steps behind her.

  “Richard, so lovely to see you and this must be the new bride—Indian, I believe?” the blonde woman said.

  “It’s India,” Richard corrected her and then added, “India, this is Olivia Thompson and her mother, Evelyn.”

  “Right, I knew it was an unusual name. Nice to meet you.” Olivia smiled, but it was a fake smile that didn’t come close to reaching her eyes.

  India disliked her immediately and that rarely happened, “You too,” she said politely.

  Laura was on India’s other side and there was a mischievous tone to her voice as she said, “I’ve invited India to join us on Wednesday for women’s club. Isn’t that great?”

  Olivia’s eyes grew dark and stormy. “Yes, that’s great,” she said through clenched teeth.

  “See you then,” Laura said cheerfully.

  As soon as Olivia was out of earshot, Laura leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Have I mentioned that I’m so glad that he didn’t marry her?”

  When they reached Jim’s house, the others were already inside and Jim’s wife Mary was putting a large ham into the oven to warm up. Soon after, India found herself sitting at the end of a long table in the dining room, with Laura to her right and Richard’s two single brothers, Ed and Mark, to her left. They filled their plates with sliced ham, scalloped potatoes, and green beans. Jim said grace, and then they all dug in. India found herself amused by the back-and-forth banter between Ed and Laura. Ed was as much of a talker as Laura. Mark sat quietly, taking it all in and looking as amused as India felt.

  His brothers were both very handsome and when Ed turned on the charm in her direction, he was quite the flatterer.

  “Those boys in Boston are crazy. You would’ve been engaged within a day if you lived here,” Ed said to her softly.

  “I don’t know about that,” India said with a smile.

  “I’m serious. You’re a beautiful girl. If you ever get sick of my brother, I’m available.”

  “I thought you were in no hurry to get married?” his brother teased him.

  “Who said anything about getting married?” Ed said with a chuckle. A moment later, he added, “Of course I’m just kidding. I’m sure I’ll get married someday. I just haven’t met the right one yet.”

  After they finished eating and all the plates had been cleared, India was in the kitchen adding some sugar to a cup of coffee when she saw Richard standing by the living room window looking outside. It was still light out but it wouldn’t be long before the sun would start to set. India walked over to him, holding her coffee.

  “Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea?”

  He turned at the sound of her voice. “No, thank you. I’m too full for another thing.”

  India stood beside him for a moment, following his gaze. She saw a family of three deer standing by a tall oak tree. They were beautiful to watch, until something spooked them and they ran away. She turned to rejoin the others, when Richard spoke again.

  “I noticed you talking to my two brothers. Ed is very popular with the ladies. No doubt he was trying out his charm on you.”

  India chuckled. “He is quite the flatterer. I can see why he’s popular.”

  “Women always seem to go for that type, the handsome ladies’ man. I’m not sure if he’ll ever settle
down.”

  “I think he will. He said as much, when he meets the right woman.”

  Richard had a pensive look on his face for a moment, and then said, “But will he recognize that she’s the right one when he meets her?”

  “I’m sure he’ll know,” India said. When Richard got like this, quiet and introspective, she often wondered what was really going through his mind.

  He turned to her and said, “We should probably head out soon. Are you about ready?”

  India took another sip of coffee. Her cup was almost empty. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  * * *

  When they arrived home, India helped to give both children a bath, and then after a light supper of tomato soup and toast, she read out loud to them both. Sammy leaned against her on the sofa, while Julia sat in the opposite corner, listening intently as she read Alice in Wonderland to them. Finally, when Sammy was almost asleep and Julia’s eyes looked heavy, she put the book down and Richard came and helped her get them both up to bed.

  They sat for a while in the den, reading and talking a bit. Richard told her about an accident they’d had in the factory a few days before.

  “I was really worried as it looked really bad at first, but the doctor said he’s going to be all right. It’s just a badly broken leg and he’s going to have to stay off it for at least six weeks. He won’t be able to work at all.”

  “What happened?” India asked, feeling awful for his employee. When accidents like that happened in Lawrence at the factory where she’d worked, it had been devastating for the employees because they didn’t get paid if they didn’t work, even if the accident wasn’t their fault. For this man, especially if he had a family, to go six weeks or longer with no pay could be devastating.

  “He was working under one of the wagons, attaching the wheels, when the jack that held the wagon up slipped and the wagon fell onto his leg, pinning him below it. He couldn’t move at all at first, and we weren’t sure of the extent of his injuries. Fortunately, it was just his leg that was affected.”

  “I hope he has savings. This is a terrible time of year to go without pay,” India said.

  Richard looked at her curiously. “He won’t miss a day’s pay.”

  “He’ll be paid even if he doesn’t work?” India had never heard of such a thing.

  “Of course. It’s not his fault this happened. It’s our responsibility to make it right, and paying him for his lost hours and his medical bills is the least we can do.”

  India was impressed. “Not everyone does that you know.”

  “I know. We weren’t all in agreement about this, but they all came around. It’s the right thing to do.”

  India was quiet for a moment, thinking about how lucky the employees were who worked for her husband’s company.

  “Are you happy that you came here?” Richard asked quietly.

  His question took her by surprise. “What do you mean? Of course I’m happy.”

  “I suppose I just wondered if you had any regrets. I know this couldn’t have been easy for you, to up and leave the place you’d lived all your life to marry a man you barely knew.”

  “I have no regrets. My sister and mother had already left by the time I met you, and my friends have all left as well or will be leaving soon. There is nothing left for me there anymore. This is my home now.”

  “All right. Well, I just wanted you to know I’m glad that you are here. I enjoy your company and you’re very good with the children.”

  “They’re very good children. It hasn’t been very difficult.”

  “I agree. But nonetheless, I just wanted to let you know. I think things are going very well.”

  “Thank you, that means a lot to me.” India was glad to hear it. A yawn escaped and she realized it was past her usual bedtime.

  “I think I’m going to head up now. See you in the morning.”

  “Good night, India.”

  India woke out of a sound sleep and instantly recognized the sound of Sammy crying. She was out of her bed in a flash and made her way quietly down the hall. This time, she was the first to reach him. She approached his bed and lightly touched her hand to his forehead.

  “Sammy, honey, it’s India. You’re having a bad dream. I’m right here.” She sensed Richard and Julia behind her and added, “We all are.” The crying stopped for a moment and Sammy looked around the room at the three of them.

  “Just a bad dream, Sammy. You can go back to sleep now.”

  “Can I come sleep with you?” Sammy asked.

  “Of course,” Richard answered, and stepped toward the bed.

  “No, with India.” India was shocked.

  “Is that all right with you, India?” Richard sounded just as surprised.

  “Of course it is. Come on, Sammy.” She took his hand and helped him out of bed. They walked to her bedroom and she helped him into the bed. She tucked him in tightly, then climbed in next to him.

  “Sleep well, Sammy. I’m right here if you need me.”

  But he was already fast asleep.

  Chapter 12

  The next few days passed uneventfully, and with no more bad dreams from Sammy. When Wednesday came, India found herself both looking forward to and a bit nervous about the woman’s club meeting. Laura had said that she would come by to pick her up, so they would be going together. India was glad for that. She had never belonged to any kind of a woman’s group like this, although she had heard of them.

  It looked like the room was set for about thirty-five women. Laura had wanted to get there a bit early, so that she introduced them to India as they arrived. There were a few familiar faces among the group—Richard’s mother and sister-in-laws as well as Irene from the mercantile, and of course, Olivia and her mother.

  Once everyone arrived and were seated, the servers started to bring out bread and soup and then the luncheon meal which was baked chicken. There was a small table in the corner of the room where several children, including Sammy and his cousins, had a stack of toys to play with and grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for their lunch. As soon as the meal was over, the meeting began and Olivia stood to address the group.

  “I’m not sure if I mentioned this, but she is the president this year, so she is running the show.”

  India chuckled. “No, I don’t think you did mention that.”

  Laura grinned. “Well, I did want you to come, you know?”

  “So, if we are all in agreement, our next fundraiser will be an evening event at the Windsor Hotel. A night of music and cocktails, appetizers, dancing and a silent auction, with all proceeds to benefit this year’s needy fund, to help families with financial hardships during this holiday season. I think we can all agree this is a worthy cause.”

  Laura smirked. “It’s a wonderful cause, but I think she’s more interested in the charity event itself.”

  “I feel badly saying it, but I think I agree,” India said softly, taking care that no one around them could overhear.

  Laura looked delighted. “I’m not a mean person, I’m really not, but she just gets under my skin. You’ll see why when you spend a little more time around her.”

  India wasn’t looking forward to that. “What do we need to do to help with the event?”

  “There are a bunch of committees, each handling different aspects of the event. I am helping with coordinating the donations for the silent auction items and working with the hotel to choose the food and decorations. I can put you with me on both of those committees if you like?”

  “I’d like that. They both sound fun.” India didn’t know much about silent auctions but she did love food. It would be fun to be involved in choosing the menu.

  When the meeting ended, many of the women lingered over coffee. Laura and India went to say goodbye to Kay who was sitting with Olivia and her mother.

  “What did you think of the meeting?” Kay surprised India by asking. She’d hardly spoken to her at all since they’d met.

  “It
was wonderful. A lovely cause. I’m happy to help,” India said.

  A curious gleam came into Olivia’s eyes. “I’m so happy to hear that. I have the perfect committee for you,” she began.

  But Laura quickly cut her off. “India has already gracefully agreed to assist me on the silent auction and hotel coordinating committees. She has expertise in both areas.”

  Olivia’s face fell. “Oh. Well that’s just wonderful then.”

  “Olivia is just doing a wonderful job as president,” Kay gushed. “Don’t you think?” She posed the question to the group at large, but looked at Laura who took a deep breath before answering. “Just fabulous, really. We should be going. See you all soon.”

  “Honestly, she’s a lovely woman, but I don’t understand her obsession with that Olivia,” Laura said as they climbed into her buggy and got Sammy settled in the back seat.

  “Well, it seems like her mother is a close friend. Maybe it stems from that?” India suggested.

  “You’re probably right. She’s actually not a bad person. She’s just so wrong for Richard. I’m surprised that Kay can’t see that.”

  “People see what they want to see,” India said. She was thinking of Richard and his belief that he was too scarred to be worthy of love. He didn’t see beyond his own scars. She supposed many people didn’t and she knew he was still bothered by the occasional stares he received when people saw him for the first time. She’d been with him at the mercantile recently when a young child had seen his face and started to cry. The boy’s mother pulled him close to her and immediately apologized to Richard, who told her it was nothing. But the telltale red flush that ran up his face said otherwise. He’d been mortified. He didn’t realize that children were easily upset at the silliest things, but especially things that were unfamiliar to them. It didn’t mean that he was a monster, though she could tell that he thought of himself that way and it made her sad for him.