The Unlikely Wife

by Debra Ullrick

  Esther brought their drinks and cookies. It felt strange being waited on.

  As Esther left, they both took a drink of their tea. Rainee set her small plate with the cup on it on her lap so Selina did the same.

  “Michael is right. When I first arrived here, Haydon did not want anything to do with me. I was so hurt and confused I did not know what to do. I had no money and no place to go. I could not go home, either, because my brother had beaten me until I could no longer bear it. That is when I placed the advertisement. I thought I was coming here to a man who really wanted me. Was I ever shocked to discover that not only did he not send for me, but he did not want me, either.”

  “I know the feelin’,” Selina whispered, staring at the cup in her lap.

  “What do you mean?”

  Selina drew in a deep breath. Gathering up as much courage as she could, she caught Rainee’s eye. “I need someone to talk to about this. Promise me you won’t say anythin’ to anybody about what I’m fixin’ to tell you, okay?”

  “It will not leave this room. I assure you.”

  Did Selina dare trust her? The last person she trusted had done her dirty and now she and Michael were paying for it.

  Then again, Rainee hadn’t told anyone about their reading and writing lessons, so maybe she could trust her about this, too. Besides, the woman knew what it was like not to be wanted by the man she’d come to marry.

  “Remember when I told you that my friend Aimee wrote those letters to Michael for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, Aimee didn’t write what I’d told her to. But I didn’t know that until after I got here and had Michael read the letters to me that Aimee sent him. Aimee had stretched the truth about some things. Plus, most things were what she’d say and do, not me. And she left out a lot of things, too. Michael was mighty shocked when he saw me.” Selina tore her eyes away from Rainee. “Aimee never did tell him I couldn’t read or write and that I carried a rifle and hunted. Or that I wore a cowboy hat and boots and trousers.”

  Rainee giggled.

  Selina yanked her eyes toward her sister-in-law, frowning and wondering if she was making fun of her.

  Rainee stopped laughing. “I am sorry, Selina. I am not laughing at you. It is just that I have always wanted to dress like you.”

  Selina’s mouth dropped open. “You did? Are you joshin’ me?”

  Rainee shook her head. “No, no. I always have.”

  “Well, I’ll be. Ain’t never heard anyone like you say somethin’ like that before. They usually make fun of me.”

  “What do you mean ‘like me’?”

  “Someone who’s got money. I ain’t had the best of luck with rich folks.”

  “Neither have I.”

  Again, Selina’s jaw fell open. “What do you mean?”

  “Most people who come from wealth are such snobs and can be quite hateful.”

  Selina didn’t know what to say to that.

  “I really do envy you, Selina. I would love to wear a pair of trousers. Dresses are so binding. I would love to be like you. Free. A breath of fresh air.”

  The back of Selina’s eyes stung. “Thank you kindly, Rainee. Nobody’s ever said anythin’ like that to me before, either.”

  Rainee laid her hand on top of Selina’s. “I really do mean it, Selina.” She sat back. “The closest thing I ever got to wearing pants was my riding skirt.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Basically a pair of pants that look like a skirt.”

  “Would you show me how to make some?”

  “Sure will.”

  Then Selina glanced at her lap. “Rainee, I know you said ya envy me and all, but could you help me to become a lady like you?” She looked up at Rainee, hoping with all her might her friend would say yes.

  “Why do you want to change who you are, Selina? Everyone loves you just the way you are.”

  “Not everyone.”

  “Michael?” Rainee asked softly.

  Selina nodded.

  “I am so sorry, Selina. Of course I will help you. But, I wish you would reconsider.”

  Oh, how Selina wanted to. She loved who she was and didn’t want to change for anyone. But she loved Michael. And if he wanted someone like Rainee and Aimee, then that’s what she’d give him. Her gut ached just thinking about being someone she wasn’t, though.

  “Selina.”

  Selina shifted her attention back onto Rainee.

  “Please pray about this first, okay? I can see this is truly vexing you. But God did not make you to be like someone else. He made you the way you are for a reason. Did you ever think that perhaps God wants to use who you are to do something in Michael?”

  The weight in her gut lifted. “I never thought of that before. Maybe you’re right. I’ll pray about it first.” She smiled, feeling much better.

  “Selina!” Emily and Rosie ran over to her.

  Selina jumped up and gave the girls a hug. She pulled back and looked at the wet spot on the front of her dress and smiled. “Looks like you two have been helpin’ with the laundry.”

  “Yes, we have,” Emily said.

  Rosie hung her head.

  “What’s the matter, Rosie?” Selina asked.

  “I didn’t get to help because I dropped the clean pieces on the ground and Miss Esther had to rewash them.”

  “Oh, sugarplum. I’m sure you didn’t mean to.” Selina wanted to make the girl feel better.

  “She didn’t.” Emily stood up for her sister. “She was just trying to help.”

  Selina wished she’d had a sister to stand up for her growing up. Even more so, she wished she had girls of her own. At bedtime, she’d have another long talk with the Lord about that among other things, too.

  She visited with the girls a spell, finished her tea and the gingersnap cookies, then hurried home. After spending a few hours sewing clothes for her and Michael, she went in search of something that would work as a net for catching fish—and maybe some crawdad tails. She smiled. Being herself felt mighty nice.

  Close to home, the strong smell of food reached Michael’s stomach. Hungry enough to eat the side of a barn, he hurried up the steps, slung the door open and froze in the doorway. “What is she doing in here? Get that pig out of here right now!”

  Sitting next to his wife at the kitchen table was Kitty.

  “Well, hello to you, too. She followed me home so I let her in to visit with me.” Selina patted the pig’s head.

  “To visit with you?” Michael stepped inside, letting the door slam shut behind him. Was this woman for real? “Just look at her. She’s covered in mud and who knows what else.”

  Selina glanced down at Kitty. “It’s dry. Besides, don’t worry. She ain’t hurtin’ your fancy furniture.”

  “My fancy…” He expelled a long breath of frustration. “I don’t know how to get through to you. What is wrong with you, woman?”

  “Ain’t a thing wrong with me. Rainee said so.”

  He’d never seen Selina look so smug before. “Rainee? What does she have to do with this?”

  “She likes me just the way I am.”

  “Yes, well, she doesn’t have to live with you. I do.”

  “Ain’t you lucky?” She smiled.

  “Lucky?”

  “Yes. God is teachin’ you somethin’, Michael. And any time the good Lord teaches us somethin’, it’s always an adventure.”

  “Living with you is an adventure. I never know what I’m going to come home to.”

  “Well, at least I ain’t borin’.”

  “That’s for sure.” He could do with some boredom.

  “See.”

  Michael’s chest heaved as he let out another heavy sigh. There was no winning with this woman. “Please. Just put Kitty outside and please, please don’t bring her in here again. I’m going to clean up for supper.” He turned and headed toward the sink. With his back to Selina, he asked, “What are we having?”

  “Fried taters and on
ions, greens cooked in bacon fat and salt pork, fried fish and crawdad tails.”

  Michael froze. Did she just say crawdad tails? He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. Nah. She couldn’t have. Crawdad tails were only used as fish bait. He must have misunderstood. He finished washing his face and hands while Selina set the table.

  He sat down at the end of the table. A table loaded with a covered Dutch oven pan, two cast iron skillets, a covered bowl, a plate of butter, a jar of strawberry preserves and a pie pan with a few pieces of apples slices sticking out of the lattice top crust. His mouth watered just looking at it.

  Selina filled their milk glasses and sat down in the chair on his left. As was their ritual, he reached for her hand, ignoring the usual warmth that spread up his arm.

  They bowed their heads. “Father, we thank You for this day and for all that we got accomplished. Thank You for sending us to Jake’s today and for using Selina to help him. We thank You for Your bountiful provisions, in Christ’s name, Amen.”

  “Amen.” Selina reached for his bowl, raised the lid on the Dutch oven kettle and spooned some green, wilted-looking vegetables with chunks of bacon into it. That must be the greens she was talking about. He had to admit, they looked good. He forked a bite and ate it. Salt exploded into his mouth, along with the taste of bacon. Aside from the shock of how salty they were, they were really delicious. “These are really good.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What are they?”

  “Mustard greens and mountain sorrel.”

  Mountain sorrel? Wasn’t that a weed? And what were mustard greens anyway? He didn’t dare ask what they were. He was better off not knowing.

  She grabbed his plate and raised a lid off one of the frying pans.

  The fried potatoes and onions looked delicious.

  She spooned a large mound onto his plate. Then she raised the lid on another skillet and scooped out a large fish, trout if he wasn’t mistaken, and laid it next to the potatoes.

  “Where did you get the fish?”

  “I caught them down at the crick this afternoon.”

  “You caught them? Down at the what?”

  She held the covered plate midair and looked at him with a confused frown. “That’s what I said, didn’t I? I caught them down at the crick. Crick, as in, you know, a small stream a runnin’ water.”

  “Oh, you mean creek.”

  She set the lid down on the table and looked over at him. “That’s what I said. Crick.”

  “No, you’re saying crick, not creek.”

  “Crick, creek, who cares? I caught us a mess a fish to eat for supper and they’re gettin’ cold with you sittin’ there arguin’.”

  “I can’t believe you went fishing. Did you clean them, too?”

  “Well, who else woulda done it, Michael? Ain’t you ever heard of a woman fishin’ before?”

  “Only one. Rainee. But—” he shook his head “—a lot of the things you do, I’ve never heard of any other woman doing. In fact, I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

  “That’s ’cause there ain’t no one like me. God made me one of a kind. Just like He does everyone. There’s no two people alike.”

  For that, Michael was grateful. He couldn’t handle another one like Selina.

  She pulled the cloth off of the covered plate. Small mounds of deep-fried something was on them. She placed a pile on his plate and then fixed her own plate.

  Michael tried everything except for the little fried bits. That was next. Using his fingers, he picked one up and put it in his mouth and bit down. The texture was a little tough, the flavor different. Good, actually. He popped another one into his mouth, and then another. “These are really good. What are they?”

  “I told you we were having crawdad tails.”

  Michael froze. He’d forgotten all about her saying that because he was certain he hadn’t heard her correctly. But he had and now he wished he hadn’t. Suddenly the piece in his mouth grew and his stomach roiled.

  Weeds and fish bait? The woman was trying to kill him. Against his better judgment, he allowed his manners to take over and swallowed the ball of fish bait. He leaned back in his chair and eyed Selina. “Selina, we’ve had this discussion before, but it bears repeating. We have plenty of food. You do not need to go hunting for it. If you wanted fish, you only had to ask me, and I would have gotten you some. Do not—I repeat, do not—ever feed me fish bait again.”

  “Fish bait? You callin’ my cookin’ fish bait?” Her chair scraped against the hardwood floor as she leaped up. Flames shot from her big brown eyes as she mashed her hands onto her hips.

  Michael held up his hands. “Sit down, Selina. That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then just what did you mean?” She plopped onto her chair, never taking her fiery eyes off of him.

  “We use crawdad tails for fish bait. We don’t eat them.”

  “Back home we do both.” She crossed her arms over her chest and made no motion to go back to eating.

  Michael rested his arms on the table. “Look, I understand that you were poor and had to hunt and fish for your food. But you don’t have to do that here. Trust me. We have plenty of food.”

  “I know that, Michael.” Her voice softened. “Did ya ever think I might like to fish and that I might like to eat some of them foods I grew up with?”

  Knives of understanding ripped into him. No, he hadn’t. Not even for a half second. Right then he suddenly realized that she actually enjoyed eating those things. She wasn’t trying to be obstinate. She was trying to bring a little of her old home here.

  “Truth is I miss home.” Her eyes fell downcast. “And sometimes when I find things that remind me of Kentucky, it helps me to be less lonely for my family.” She roughly wiped away a tear that trailed down her cheek, and sniffed.

  Now he’d done it. He’d made her cry with his insensitivity. Wishing he could take it all back, he reached over and laid his hand on top of hers.

  Her gaze slowly slid to where his hand rested.

  “I’m sorry, Selina. Of course you miss your home. Oh, speaking of your home, I almost forgot. Some letters came for you today.” Maybe that would help ease her homesickness.

  Homesickness. Fear tore into him at that one word.

  When Haydon and Melanie had moved here, it wasn’t long before Melanie had become restless and the vicious fighting began, destroying Haydon, Melanie and those who loved them. Before Michael would allow himself and Selina to go through something like that, he would get their marriage annulled. But not until he did everything he possibly could to make this marriage work, and to make Selina happy and to help ease her homesickness.

  “Letters? For me?” Her eyes brightened.

  He pulled them out of his vest pocket and handed them to her.

  Sadness replaced the joy he’d seen only seconds ago.

  “I can’t read, remember?”

  How could he have been so foolish? “I’m sorry, I forgot. I can read them to you, if you’d like.”

  “I’d like that very much. But can we do it after supper? I’m mighty hungry.”

  “Sure.”

  “Thank you kindly, Michael. And I’m sorry about the crawdad tails. You made me promise not to fix frog legs but you didn’t say anything about these so I figured it was okay. From now on, I’ll just fix enough for myself and make you somethin’ else. Is that all right with you?”

  “That’s fine. Thank you for understanding.”

  “Didn’t say I understood.” She smiled and winked at him.

  That playful wink felt as if one of those fried fish had come to life and was flopping around inside his stomach. To get his mind off the effect she had on him, an effect he wasn’t ready to deal with, he picked up his fork and shoved a bite of potatoes into his mouth. They really were good the way she fixed them. The crawdads, however…

  Chapter Ten

  Selina finished the dishes. She couldn’t wait to see who had written her from back home. Home. She miss
ed her brothers and the Appalachian Mountains. There, she could be herself and no one thought anything of it. No one cared if she fixed frog legs, crawdad tails or greens. In fact, they loved and appreciated all her hard work.

  Here, nothing she did was ever right, and she sure didn’t feel needed or wanted.

  Back home, she had a sense of belonging, too. Well, with the exception of rich folks. But the only time she had to be around them was when she went to pick up their mending and laundry.

  The last pan clinked when she hung it on the nail off to the side of the cook stove. She draped the towels on a peg above the sink and turned toward the fireplace and to Michael, who was watching her as she made her way toward him. She sat in the chair next to his.

  “You ready?”

  “Sure am. Can’t wait to see who wrote me.” She watched eagerly as Michael opened the first envelope and pulled out a piece of paper.

  Selina,

  We sure do miss you around here, but we’s awful glad you found yourself a good man. Things is the same round here. Well, except for no pa. Still hard to believe he’s gone. But he’s with ma now, and that’s what he was wanting all along. Everyone here is a doing good. The boys are growing like weeds and stronger than oxes. Afore long they’ll be able to beat me at arm wrestling. They all send their love. Sarah too. She’s gonna have a baby come first part of the year. We’re sure excited about it. Can you imagine me a pa? I kinda like the idea. How bout you? You fixin to have any youngins anytime soon?

  Selina’s face burned hotter than the coals in the fireplace.

  Michael looked at her from the corner of his eye.

  Logs popped and crackled, filling in the quietness. If only it would fill in the awkwardness, too. But nothing could. The way things were betwixt them right now, there wasn’t much chance for her and Michael to have any children. They were just two people living under the same roof, pretending to be married.

  “Selina, I don’t want to offend you or anything so please don’t take this the wrong way, but how come your brother knows how to read and write and you don’t?”