“No, not at all.”
Selina settled the spoon back into the pot of beans. “How come you do then?”
“I see things differently than Haydon. I believe a woman’s place is in the home.”
“In some ways you’re just like most of the menfolk back home,” she said on a sigh.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, they’re always orderin’ women about like big bullies. Showin’ them very little respect. Don’t let their wives have a mind a their own. The women that do speak up, they pay dearly for it with a whippin’. Years ago, I made up my mind that no man would ever boss me around like that.”
“I know, I know. Boy do I know.” He picked up the fried meat and bit into it, trying to discern what it was. Sort of tasted like chicken but wasn’t shaped like chicken. It was rounder and the bones were closer together. Strange, he didn’t remember anything that looked quite like this in the cellar. He took another bite, still unable to tell what it was. “What is this?” he finally asked around the bite.
“Snake.”
“Snake!” Michael grabbed for a napkin and spit the lump of chewed up meat into it. He downed the rest of his milk, barely able to contain his revulsion as he did. “Selina, what were you thinking? People don’t eat snake.”
She looked like nothing in the world was amiss. “Sure they do. Why, back home we ate it all the time. And plenty of other critters, too.”
“What do you mean?” He bore down on his teeth until they ached, waiting for her answer and dreading it at the same time.
“Oh, you know, squirrel, possum, groundhog, bear…”
“Squirrel? Possum?” He swallowed hard. The more she named, the more the snake shifted from his stomach into his throat. He waved his hands in the air in complete surrender. “Stop. I’ve heard enough.”
He shoved his plate away from him, caught her gaze and held it firmly with a sternness she would not be able to misconstrue, “Listen to me. I don’t ever want to eat any of the things you’ve just mentioned. There is no reason or need to. We have plenty of beef, pork and chicken.” He emphasized each word to get his point across, then waited for her to tell him how she wouldn’t let any man tell her what to do. Well, this was one area where he would not back down. She could go right ahead and sleep in the barn over that one.
He waited for anger to blow out from her like steam from a locomotive. Instead she put her head down. “I’m sorry, Michael. Where I come from, food is scarce. A body eats whatever it can find. I just couldn’t throw the meat away.” She spoke so softly that remorse darted through him.
He’d never been poor, so he had no idea what it was like to be hungry enough to eat snake, or possum, or squirrel. He shuddered just thinking about it. But she had, and he needed to remember that.
He reached for her hand. It felt so small in his. “I’m sorry for being so harsh, Selina. There was no way you could have known I don’t eat things like snake. But next time, it’s okay to leave it. It won’t go to waste. Some animal who needs a meal will find it and eat it.”
She yanked her gaze up to his and her eyes brightened. “I never thought of it that-a-way. You’re right.” Selina scraped her chair across the floor and stood.
“Where you going?”
“To fix you somethin’ else.”
“No need to do that. There’s plenty of fried potatoes and biscuits and beans. I’ll just eat them tonight.” At least she had started making larger portions. For that he was grateful.
“You sure? I can cut you off a piece of ham.”
“No, this is fine. Thanks. Now sit down and eat before your food gets cold.” He smiled, and her lips tentatively curled upward as she lowered her small frame onto the chair.
She removed the snake from his plate and heaped more of everything else onto it.
“Thank you, Selina. I really am sorry if I hurt your feelings about the snake. Like I said, I’m just not used to things like that.”
“I reckon you ain’t used to a lot of things I do,” she said while putting food onto her plate. Her portions were still small, but each day they were growing. “I know I’m different, Michael. And I know I ain’t what you’re used to and I understand.”
“You’re right. I’m not used to your ways. But that doesn’t mean I can’t learn.” Did he just say that? He shoved a bite of potatoes into his mouth to keep it from saying anything else equally as stupid.
“You mean that?” Hope sparked in her beautiful brown eyes.
Knowing he’d put that sparkle there made his heart smile. Maybe he needed to open his mouth more often, after all. “I do.” And he found he really meant it, too.
“I’ll try and learn to do things the way you like them. But—” she held up her finger “—some things I ain’t changin’.” She glanced over toward the sofa at the wolf curled up in the old cage Michael had found in one of the sheds.
Her looking over at the pup had him working his jaw. For his sanity’s sake, he hoped bringing strange, dangerous animals into the house was something she would try to change, too, but he had his doubts.
As they finished eating in silence, he was glad he hadn’t given in to the thoughts of sending her back. For her sake, he would do whatever it took to make this work so she would never have to go back to the unimaginable poverty she had endured.
Selina stood. Dishes clanked and silverware rattled as she started clearing the table. He picked up his dishes and was getting ready to take them to the sink but Selina stopped him. “I can get these. You need to go lie down and rest a spell.”
“Thank you, Selina.”
“You’re welcome. Now scoot.” She gave him a light shove toward the living room.
He laid down onto his stomach on the sofa and within minutes felt himself drifting off to the sound of rustling soapy water and dishes quietly clinking.
In his slumbering state, he felt small but strong and gentle hands pressing against his shoulders and up and down his back, working in a circular motion. “Um. That feels nice,” he slurred. The hands worked their way up his neck and massaged his scalp. Warmth spread through him. His eyes darted open and he rolled over onto his side with a start.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“No. No. Not at all.” A piece of her slipped into his soul. He bolted off the sofa with the need to put distance between them. “Listen, I’m tired. If you don’t mind, I’m going to bed now.”
Hurt flashed through her eyes, and again he felt instant remorse. She had no idea what had been running through his mind, and he had hurt her with his rash actions.
“Thank you, Selina, for working the kinks out of my muscles. They feel much better now.”
She nodded.
“Good night.”
“Night.”
Leaving her standing there, he hurried to his room and closed the door, bracing his back against it. Not only was he starting to respond to Selina emotionally, but now even his heart had responded to her physical touch. Even though the woman was his wife, the whole idea of being connected to her scared him to the core.
Selina took the pup out of her cage and hugged the animal to her chest. She flopped on the sofa and stared at the closed door to Michael’s bedroom. It stung that he had run from her like that.
Rubbing Michael’s broad shoulders and back, running her fingers through his soft hair, had felt right and yet it had been all wrong. She had made her husband afraid of her. And just when they were starting to talk like normal married folk, too.
All she had wanted to do was draw the ache out of his muscles. But that had obviously been a mistake. In the future she’d be careful to keep her hands to herself. That was going to be mighty hard to do. She loved him. Loved how she felt when she touched him, when she was with him. Felt like she belonged to him, and she did, too. But in name only.
Lord, I want a real marriage. I’d be much obliged to You iffen You would work that out. Thank You kindly, Lord.
When she finished tending to the pup�
��s needs, she pressed her ear against Michael’s door, listening for any noise. Not hearing any, she went to the pantry and removed the books, the writing slate and the chalk from behind the canned food. She sat in one of the living room chairs and lit the lantern that was on the table between the chairs. She pulled her sewing basket closer so she could hide her learning stuff down in the material if Michael got up.
For a long time, she practiced writing her letters and silently pronouncing them.
Wood squeaking and feet padding across the floor snagged her attention. She shoved her things to the bottom of her sewing basket, picked up the nightgown she’d been making and commenced to sewing.
Michael stepped into the living room with his hair all rumpled, with nothing on his feet and wearing only a nightshirt that came just past his knees.
“You still up?”
“Nah. You’re just dreamin’.” She sent him a silly grin.
“It’s kind of late for you to still be up, isn’t it?”
She glanced over at the tall pendulum clock. A grandfather clock, Michael had called it. “I can’t believe it’s ten after midnight already.” Telling time was one thing she had learned to do. She laid her sewing in her basket and rose. “I’d best get to bed so I can get up in the mornin’.” She stopped in front of him. “How come you’re up? Can I get you somethin’?”
“No. I just got up to get a drink and then I’m going right back to bed.”
“Oh. All righty then.” Selina turned to leave, but his arm reached out and snagged hers.
“Selina, thank you for getting the kinks out earlier. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at all if it hadn’t been for you.”
“You’re welcome.” Him saying that made her insides feel good.
Neither one moved.
His eyes roamed her face, stopping at her lips. She pulled in her bottom lip with her teeth.
The pup gave a short howl, yanking her attention away from Michael. She stepped past him and retrieved the pup from his pen. “I’d better take her outside for a spell.”
From across the dimly lit room, Michael was still staring at her. She pulled the pup closer to her chest and made her way to the door. “G’night, Michael.”
“Good night, Selina.” His voice sounded deeper, broken even.
When she stepped outside out of earshot of Michael, she whispered, I love you, Michael. And I’m praying that one day I’ll be deservin’ of you and that you’ll love me back.
Chapter Seven
Michael woke to banging on his door. He jumped up, pulled on his pants and headed to the front door, swinging it open. Dan, Tom Elder’s seventeen-year-old son, stood there looking skittish. His shirt was untucked in several places and his red hair stood straight up.
“Dan, what are you doing here? What’s all the ruckus about?”
“Ma’s having her baby,” Dan said between gasping breaths. “I went to Doc’s house first, but he wasn’t home. Ma told me to fetch your wife. Hurry. She said it won’t be long now.”
“I’ll get her. Come in.” Michael turned and almost bumped into Selina.
“Sadie havin’ that baby now?”
“Yes, ma’am. She asked me to come fetch you.”
“I’ll get dressed and be right there.”
“If you don’t mind, ma’am, I’ll wait. You can ride on the back of my horse.”
“No need.” Michael jumped in, not about to let his wife run all over the country in the dark with Dan, a boy who was known to get into mischief. “I’ll get a couple horses ready and have them here by the time Selina gets dressed.”
Selina laid her hand on his arm. “No need for you to do that, Michael. You need your rest. I’ll be fine. Just go back to bed and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“No.” He gently removed her hand. “I’m going with you.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“I’ll help,” Dan said to Michael. The two of them ran to the barn and readied the horses.
Michael’s intent had been to go back and get her, but Selina met them halfway. They mounted the horses and raced into the night.
When they arrived at Tom’s place, Selina jumped down and ran to the house. Michael followed. Neither bothered to knock.
“Selina, am I glad to see you.” Sadie stood in the main room with one hand on her stomach and the other on her back.
Tom paced the floor and stopped when he saw them. He rushed to Selina. “Do something, please.”
“Calm yourself down, Tom. Everythin’ will be just fine. Fetch me some hot water, clean sheets…” Selina continued to give orders.
Michael stood back and watched Selina take charge, calmly and with authority.
Pans clanked on the stove as Tom put water on to heat. When it was hot enough, he took it and everything else Selina asked for into the bedroom where she now had Sadie.
With the bedroom door closed, Michael watched Tom pace, then sit, then stand and pace some more. This went on for more than two hours until a baby’s cry reached their ears.
Tom burst into his bedroom while Michael stood back and listened.
“That’s a mighty fine girl you have there, Tom.”
A loud crash echoed through the small room.
“Tom!” Sadie’s frail voice was soaked in fear.
Michael rushed inside to see what the commotion was all about. Tom lay on the floor next to a broken vase and a toppled table.
Selina knelt by him. “Got any smellin’ salts, Sadie?”
“Yes, on the shelf above the wash basin.”
“Michael, fetch me the salts, please.”
He whirled, found the bottle, and rushed it back to Selina. She waved it under Tom’s nose.
Tom moved his head from side to side and shoved Selina’s hand away. “Get that stinky stuff away from me.”
Michael wanted to step in and tell Tom not to treat his wife like that, and he would have until he reminded himself that the man was reeling from shock. With good reason, too. After nine boys, this was his first girl.
He offered Tom a hand up and shook his hand. “Congratulations, Tom. Can you believe it? You finally got yourself a girl.”
Tom’s face paled and he swayed, but Michael held him up.
Selina stuck the smelling salts under his nose again and Tom bolted alert. “I’m fine. I’m fine. I don’t need any more of that stuff burning my nose hairs and lungs.”
Selina moved it and chuckled. “Ain’t the best smellin’ stuff, is it?”
“That’s for sure.” Then, as if he remembered his wife, Tom dashed over to Sadie and dropped to his knees next to her on their bed. He reached for her hand. “Are you okay, Sadie? You don’t feel dizzy or sick or anything, do you?” Panic rang through every word.
Selina looked up at Michael with a question in her eyes.
He leaned over and whispered. “Tom’s first wife died giving birth to their last son. Tom didn’t want any more children for fear of losing Sadie, too.”
Selina left Michael’s side, walked over to Tom and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Sadie’s gonna be just fine, Tom. She’s as healthy as a horse. Easiest delivery I ever done.”
Tom looked up at her, and hope danced through his eyes. “You mean it?”
“Sure do. Now why don’t you go fix some coffee or somethin’ and let me clean up this mess?”
Tom looked at his wife. Sadie gave a weak nod.
“Thank you, Selina.” After he righted the table, the two men headed toward the door. “That’s some special wife you got there, Michael. I was so afraid when Dan said he couldn’t find Doctor Berg, but Selina handled everything just fine.”
“Including you.” Michael grinned.
“Including me.” Tom smiled. “Can’t believe I fainted.”
“Well, I’d have fainted too if I found out my wife just gave birth to a girl after all those boys.” Michael had hoped someday to have a whole houseful of children. He didn’t know if that would happen now. Unless he and Se
lina could find common ground, he refused to bring children into a world where neither mother nor father loved the other.
Tom fixed coffee and the two of them had just sat down at the table when Selina came into the room with her arms loaded with soiled sheets and bed clothes, looking more worn out than Michael had ever seen her before. Strands of hair stuck out of her long braid and brown circles hung under her eyes. Michael knew he needed to get her home so she could get some sleep.
Selina stood in front of the wash tub, filling it with soap and hot water from the stove.
“Those need to soak,” he said, standing over her shoulder. “I need to get you home so you can get some rest.”
Selina looked up at him. “I’ll be fine. Ain’t no way I’m leavin’ Sadie to wash these and to fix breakfast for her family. You don’t mind, do ya?”
“Has that ever stopped you before?” He couldn’t hold back the grin.
She smiled, too, although it was weak. “Nope.”
“Listen, I’m going to head home, then. Don’t wear yourself out, okay?”
“I won’t. Thank you for carin’.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. Her eyes bolted open, then her attention swung behind him.
He turned and found they were alone. Tom must have slipped away to Sadie.
“I—I’m sorry, Michael. I shouldn’t have done that. It was only—”
Without thinking it through, Michael pulled her to him and shut her words up with his mouth. Sweet honeysuckle and spring met his advance, and in one second he was falling through time and space into her arms and charms.
A knock sounded at the Elder’s front door. “Tom, it’s me, Doctor Berg.”
Michael jerked his head up and quickly released her, nearly sending her crashing to the floor with his suddenness. He should have never kissed her. He whirled and headed to the door, taking with him the memory of her soft lips, lips that had never even responded to his kiss.
Dead tired, Selina headed for home. Cleaning Sadie’s house, along with washing her clothes and fixing enough food to last Sadie’s family for a couple of days, had plumb worn her out.
The Unlikely Wife Page 10
