by Merry Farmer
“Yes.” Athos’s expression lit even more. He tightened his hand around hers in a handshake that showed his strength and his tenderness. After he let go of her hand, he continued to smile at her without moving.
“I think Papa likes her,” the younger of the two middle boys, Lael, whispered.
“I like her,” Thomas said in full voice.
Athos laughed and backed up, shaking himself out of whatever thoughts he’d had. “Miss—Elspeth, I’d like you to meet my pride and joy, my wild brood of scamps and ruffians.”
“Papa!”
“We are not!”
“No fair!” The children protested, laughing.
“This is my eldest, Hubert.” Athos crossed to the other side of the cluster of children to the young man with pimples. He then turned to the older set of twins. “And these are my little ladies, Ivy and Heather. This one over here is Vernon.” He moved on to ruffle the next boy’s hair. “And this is Lael. These two misses are Geneva and Millicent.” He squeezed each of their shoulders as he named them. “And this little ragamuffin is Thomas.”
“I’m the youngest,” Thomas announced, then shot on into, “My mama died when I was born.”
Tension seized the entire group. It gradually dissolved as Athos laughed nervously. “I’m sure there will be plenty of time to talk about that later. But right now, I believe Rev. Pickering is expecting us over at the church. Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
“We are!”
“Let’s go!” The children rang out in chorus.
“He was asking Miss Leonard,” Hubert informed the others.
Another chorus of, “Ohh,” followed.
In spite of the shock of the situation, Elspeth laughed. They truly were a sweet bunch of children, even if they did come at her like a hurricane.
“You may call me Elspeth as well,” she told them, clasping her hands in front of her as she did when she was teaching.
“Not Mama?” Millicent asked.
Elspeth blinked, startled. “Well…I…I suppose…” She glanced to Athos for help.
“Let’s head over to the church first and we’ll figure out the rest of it later,” he said. “Elspeth?” He offered his arm as if he wasn’t used to escorting women and wasn’t sure that was still the way things were done. He didn’t seem to know what to say to her either.
The children rushed ahead of them and lingered behind, chattering to each other, chasing after a dog that they were apparently friends with who had trotted by the platform to see what was going on, and ran this way and that. There was so much motion and commotion that Elspeth’s head spun. She supposed she should ask about her luggage, whether it would be removed from the train, or whether Athos had stationmaster duties he should attend to since the train was there, but a pair of non-uniformed men seemed to be taking care of things. Virginia walked with them, but her attention was taken up as Ivy and Heather asked her about horses.
They had traveled half the distance to the whitewashed church set back from the tracks and surrounded by a well-maintained yard, and Elspeth still couldn’t think of a thing to say.
“Afternoon, Athos,” a handsome man in a buckskin vest with a sly look called out as they passed. He stood talking to a handsomely-dressed but sad-looking woman.
“Morning, Sam, Bonnie,” Athos replied with a wave.
The sad woman, Bonnie, smiled, the smile not quite reaching her eyes. “Is this your mail-order bride, arrived at last?”
Athos paused long enough to say, “Yes it is. This is Miss Elspeth Leonard. Elspeth, this is Miss Bonnie Horner, who owns the, uh, um, an establishment in town.”
“How do you do?” Elspeth greeted the woman, ignoring her confusion at the way Athos had introduced her. Going by his words alone, Bonnie should be someone disreputable, but she was dressed as conservatively as a preacher’s wife and no one seemed to bat an eye at her.
“I do just fine, Miss Leonard,” Bonnie answered.
“And this is Sam Standish,” Athos went on. “He owns the town’s saloon.”
“Ma’am.” Sam touched the brim of his hat.
“Mr. Standish.” Elspeth inclined her head to him.
“Did that train bring my shipment of whiskey?” Sam asked.
“Uh.” Athos twisted to look over his shoulder. “You’ll have to ask Travis and Freddy. They’re unloading it for me. I’ve got a…well—” He glanced at Elspeth and grinned. “We’re due at the church,” Athos said, then continued down the street. The children and Virginia had slipped ahead of them, and Athos hurried as if he should keep up.
“I hope it doesn’t bother you that I’m friends with people like Bonnie and Sam,” he continued as they walked.
“Bother me? Why should it?” Elspeth blinked.
“Well, most respectable woman—like Mrs. Kline at the mercantile or the Plovers or the Bonneville sisters—don’t think it’s right to associate with a saloon owner or a whoremonger.” He missed a step, his face going red. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be using language like that around you.”
Elspeth nodded slowly. So that’s what Bonnie’s profession was. A flush of her own splashed Elspeth’s cheeks. Her mother would have insisted she shun that sort of woman, but when it came down to it, Elspeth didn’t have a moral leg to stand on there. At least Haskell was accepting of people of all sorts.
“I don’t mind.” She summarized her complex thoughts in one simple sentence.
Athos’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m glad. We’re all good people here in Haskell, make no mistake. Howard Haskell founded the town about ten years ago, and it’s developed into an interesting place.”
“Interesting?” Elspeth peeked around, but the buildings and streets, the passersby and the wagons, didn’t seem any different from any other town she’d tried to make a new start in.
“Howard insists that economic prosperity comes from embracing everyone’s talents, no matter where they come from or what sort of life they lived before. The only things he disapproves of are idleness, pettiness, and stinginess. Everything else…” He finished his statement with a shrug.
“I should like to meet Howard Haskell,” Elspeth said.
“I’m sure you will before too long,” Athos continued. “And half the rest of the town. Everyone has been eager to see me married off again. I mean—” He rushed to qualify his statement before he’d even taken a breath. “Folks around here know how difficult it’s been to manage eight children and hold down a job running Haskell’s train station.”
“I can imagine.”
“The job has grown with the town, and I haven’t had the time to sit down and figure out ways to make it easier on myself. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I believe in doing the job you’ve been given to the best of your ability without complaint. So I do. Trains come through nearly every day loaded with supplies, passengers, you name it. Someone’s got to organize it all.”
“But what about your family? Who organizes them?”
“My sister, Piper, has been helping out, but she headed back home to Connecticut for a visit just the day before yesterday. Don’t worry, she’s coming back to Haskell, but probably not until August.”
The most polite thing to say to that was, “I’m sure you look forward to her return.”
“Of course.” Athos grinned. “But I have you now.” He blinked, and his grin dropped. “I mean…that’s not to say…I don’t think of you as a sister. Or…or as hired help. Even though it will be helpful to have you around.”
“I understand, Mr. Strong.” Elspeth sent him a reassuring smile, patting his arm.
“Athos. Please,” he corrected her, color splashing his cheeks.
“I understand, Athos, that you didn’t simply send for me as a caretaker for the children.” As soon as the words were out, a horrible thought struck her and she nearly missed a step. “You didn’t, did you?”
A look of horror came into his eyes. “Oh, dear me, no!” He laughed. “I’m sorry if you got that impression.”
“I…I don’t know what impression to have.”
“It’s not just a worker that I, that we all were hoping for. It’s someone to lean on. To befriend. Raising children is more than just cooking meals and scrubbing faces. It’s being there to give hugs, listening to problems, and sharing a few words of advice and support when needed.”
Prickles broke out on Elspeth’s skin at his description. Instinct told her that while he may have needed those things for his children, he also needed them for himself. She took a closer look at him as they walked on. His expression was kind and eager to please, and he waved and nodded when they crossed paths with neighbors. Did he know that he needed the kind of emotional support he apparently wanted for his children? Mrs. Breashears said he was a special man in need of a special wife. Perhaps she wasn’t just being glib after all.
They reached the churchyard as he finished only to be greeted by a round of shrieks of excitement and cries of “Papa! Yay! Yay for Elspeth!” The dog that some of the children had chased from the platform was barking and frolicking as Vernon, Lael, and Thomas chased it. At some point between the station and the church Thomas must have tripped, because his clothes were covered with grass stains and dirt.
“How on earth…” Athos began, but let the question drop as Geneva and Millicent dashed around the corner of the church.
“Papa! Papa! Look, we’ve picked flowers for you and for Elspeth!”
The girls skidded to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, practically tossing a bouquet of wildflowers at Elspeth. She caught it with fumbling hands, then did what any polite lady would do and lifted it to her face to sniff.
Immediately, a bee took off from its perch on one of the flowers. Elspeth yelped and threw the bouquet away on instinct, then felt terrible as the flower scattered on the ground.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she apologized to the girls.
“Don’t worry,” Millicent smiled.
“We’ll pick you another one,” Geneva added. She grabbed her sister’s hand and the two of them tore off around the corner of the church.
“We’d better go inside.” Athos took Elspeth’s hand and started up the stairs with her.
“Me too, me too!” Thomas called, lifting his arms as if he wanted to be picked up. He settled for Athos grabbing one of his hands and helping him up the stairs.
The inside of the church took Elspeth’s breath away. Stained glass windows ran up and down the sides, and with the afternoon light streaming through them, the interior of the church was awash with color. It was light and airy, and the pulpit and chancel at the front were clean and tidy. The high ceiling also served to amplify sound, particularly the high-pitched squeals and shouts of Vernon and Lael as they ran inside the church. With the dog.
“Boys! Get Mr. Tremaine’s dog back outside,” Athos called out. He let go of Elspeth’s hand and joined his sons in trying to catch and subdue the dog.
“Papa! Keep him away from here,” Heather shouted from the front of the church. She and Ivy were busy arranging flowers near the front pews.
The dog darted between two of the pews, Vernon and Lael followed, laughing loud. There was a thump as a pile of hymnals in the row was knocked over, then another crash as Vernon leapt over the back of the pew and landed half on the dog, half on a second pile of hymnals.
“What on earth is going on back there?” Virginia glanced up from where she had been talking to a man in a plain suit on the chancel. Elspeth imagined he must be Rev. Pickering.
“No, no, no! Boys, what are you doing?” The reverend broke away from Virginia and rushed down the aisle.
“We’re chasing Bo,” Lael informed him with a shout, skittering into the aisle.
Bo the dog evidently knew the game was up if Rev. Pickering was involved. Tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, he bounded toward the back of the church, scrambling out through the open church door. Vernon and Lael attempted to follow him, but they reached the door just as Geneva and Millicent were coming in. Lael slammed into Millicent, knocking her flat on her back in the doorway.
“Oh dear,” Athos sighed as Millicent burst into tears. He rushed to her, scooping her into his arms and simultaneously comforting her and looking for injuries.
“He broke my flowers,” Millicent wailed.
“It’s okay, I picked them up,” Geneva tried to console her. “We have enough.”
“Sorry, Millie,” Lael apologized as his sister was talking.
“There, Lael said he was sorry, and we didn’t even have to remind him.” Athos set Millicent on her feet, but kept his arms around her as she continued to weep. “You’re all right. Just a little startled.”
“My flowers!”
“I’ve got some right here.”
“We’ve got more at the front,” Ivy called from the chancel.
Elspeth could only stand where she was, utterly stunned. Within the course of three minutes she’d witnessed at least five disasters. Half of the kids continued to chatter away, reassuring Millicent that everything would be all right or asking Rev. Pickering questions.
“Can I give away the bride?”
“Is a wedding magic?”
“Will Papa really be married to Elspeth just by saying ‘I do?’”
Elspeth’s head spun with the whirlwind around her. She wasn’t entirely sure how Athos managed to herd his entire brood up to the front of the church and her along with them, but she still hadn’t completely gotten her bearings when Athos took her arm again and led her to stand in front of Rev. Pickering.
“We’ll do the ceremony first, and then you can sign the certificate and go off to begin your life together.” The reverend spoke with the tone of someone saying they’d finish up as fast as possible so that the kids could leave.
“Don’t you need two witnesses to have a wedding?” Hubert asked, moving to stand by his father’s side. He stood taller, grinning with expectation.
“I’m afraid you’re too young to act as witness,” Rev. Pickering informed him.
“I’ll get you a witness, Papa.” Ivy didn’t wait for an answer, she tore off down the church aisle and outside.
Of course, half of her siblings needed to run with her, while the other half decided now was the time to clean up from the mess that the dog had left. In three seconds, the whirlwind had started up again.
“You’ll get used to it,” Athos told Elspeth, as good-naturedly as possible. “By eight, nine o’clock at night, they’ve simmered down.”
“What time do they get up in the morning?” Elspeth asked.
“Oh, around six? Sometimes five.”
“Oh dear.”
Ivy rushed back into the church five minutes later, dragging a middle-aged lady who was introduced to Elspeth as Mrs. Olivia Garrett. Mrs. Garrett was not only the wife of Charlie Garrett—who Elspeth had heard all about at Hurst Home—she taught some of the children. She had a sense of humor about the whole affair, and once more, everyone took their places at the front of the church.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and these, our friends—”
“And me,” Thomas added, raising his hand.
Rev. Pickering smiled. “And Thomas, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.”
The service zipped by ten times faster than the journey to the church or the preparation for the wedding had. Halfway through, Geneva noticed she was still holding the bouquet of wildflowers intended for Elspeth, so proceedings were momentarily halted for the time it took to sort flowers out. Half of the children had to have a say in which flowers should be included in the bouquet and whether all of the girls should have flowers, but the actual recital of the vows and the ‘I dos’ were over in a blink.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” Rev. Pickering said. “You may kiss the bride.”
“Papa, are you going to kiss her?” Lael asked, screwing up his face in disgust, before any action could be taken.
Athos laughed. “I suppose I
am. If you don’t mind.”
Elspeth had always dreamed of kissing her husband as the minister pronounced them man and wife. A quick thrill of excitement swirled up in her, but it was blown off course by Geneva and Millicent hopping up and down and insisting, “Kiss Papa! Kiss Papa!”
“All right.” She did her best to smile at the girls—they really were darling the way they cared for their father—and turned to face Athos.
A strange, far-away look came into Athos’s eyes for a moment, almost like worry. Then he took a breath, rested a hand on Elspeth’s arm, and leaned in for a kiss. Elspeth closed her eyes, letting his lips touch hers. A surprise rush of delight filled her as warmth and pressure, promise and hope filled her. It was more than just a quick peck, and something in the simple gesture pulled at her heart, leaving her wondering what it would be like to kiss Athos if they weren’t surrounded by a mob.
“Huzzah!” the children shouted.
Athos pulled back, his expression startled. His gaze remained locked with Elspeth’s for longer than she would have thought, and he smiled. That smile seeped right into her, once again filling her with the confidence that Athos Strong was a good man.
“If you’ll just step this way, you can sign the certificate,” Rev. Pickering interrupted.
“I want to sign a certificate too,” Thomas piped up.
“You can’t even write your name yet,” Vernon teased him.
“I can too!”
“We have been practicing,” Ivy informed Vernon, her nose in the air as if he was just another stupid boy.
“You have snot in your nose,” Vernon said.
“I do not! Papa!”
“Settle down, kids, settle down,” Athos laughed, herding the lot of them over to the table on the side where Rev. Pickering was waiting with a pen and a certificate. “Let’s do this one last thing, then you can take Miss—I mean, Mrs. Elspeth Strong home and show her the house.”
“We can take her?” Heather balked. Her surprise reflected Elspeth’s own reaction.
Athos took the pen from Rev. Pickering, signed the certificate, then handed the pen to Elspeth. As she signed, he said, “I’m afraid I have to get back to work.”
