Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Comfort

by Kit Morgan

  Thanks to the protection and guidance of their new wagonmaster, one Dallan MacDonald, the countess and her daughter settled in Clear Creek. Mr. MacDonald and his wife suggested the small town would be a better place to put down roots than Oregon City, where people from their previous wagon train would also be settling. The Countess wholeheartedly agreed, wanting to be free of the taunts and jabs, not to mention keep her and her daughter’s true identities secret.

  But Andel Berg, the town’s new blacksmith, had a secret identity of his own – he was the Dalrovian guard sent to find the crown prince! With said prince dead, he was now tasked to find the next heir in line to the throne … the prince’s daughter, Crown Princess Madeleina. And who should come along but Maddie Van Zuyen – who hadn’t a clue she was a princess. This led to an unusual set of events, including a literal shotgun marriage between Andel and Maddie.

  It all worked out in the end, of course. Maddie and Andel had returned to Europe to become Queen Madeleina and Prince Consort Andel, Apollonia married a French trapper (and father-in-law of the Duke of Stantham) named Anton Duprie, and they all were in the process of living happily ever after. Honoria thought it all terribly romantic and wanted to ask Maddie for more details after supper. If she could catch a few private moments with her, that is. She hoped her parents didn’t monopolize the conversation during the meal …

  “Are you done polishing the spoons?” Auntie Belle asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Almost. Savannah is still working on the knives.”

  Her aunt looked at Honoria’s younger sibling on the other side of the table and smiled. “Savannah, stop checking your teeth in the reflections and start polishing.”

  “But that’s how I know it’s done,” the little girl answered. “I can see them clearly.”

  Honoria laughed. “I never thought of that.” She smiled and checked her reflection in the back of a spoon. “You’re right, it works.”

  “Toldja,” Savannah said with a grin.

  Aunt Belle put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Just get it done. Then you can help with the pies.”

  “How many pies are we baking?” Honoria asked.

  “Enough that Mr. Berg can take several back to the hotel with him.”

  “Several?” Honoria said. “Why would you want to do that? Can’t Mrs. Upton bake him some … oh. It’s part of that joke, isn’t it? Grandma was joking yesterday about baking him pies.”

  “Joke? I don’t get it,” Savannah added.

  “Never you mind.” Aunt Belle scowled as she headed back to the kitchen.

  “He must really like pie,” Savannah said.

  “Something like that.” Though Honoria knew the joke was much more … adult. Otherwise, why was no one willing to explain it? And how old would she have to be before someone did?

  “Should I bake him one?” Savannah asked, innocently.

  Honoria had a sudden flash of the night Eli and Pleasant had pie on the porch while courting. They fell in love over that pie. It must be something along those lines. She sighed at the thought and went back to polishing spoons.

  The rest of the day was spent cooking, baking and generally preparing for their guests. The children became more and more excited the closer it drew to suppertime. To them, this was like having an extra holiday between Thanksgiving and Christmas – only with more labor involved. Even the older boys were at work straightening up around the ranch houses and outbuildings.

  “Who are these people?” Thackary, Colin and Belle’s middle son, asked his younger brother Samuel as they stacked wood in a shed.

  “I don’t know,” Sam said. “But they must be important, or Ma and Pa wouldn’t be making such a fuss.”

  “I heard he was the blacksmith,” Thackary said. “Is that true, Honoria?”

  Honoria set down the wheelbarrow full of wood she’d just brought in, grabbed a few pieces and handed them to Sam. She’d needed to escape the hot kitchen and had volunteered to help the boys for a while. “Yes. But then things … happened. He got married, then wound up in a foreign country.”

  “Does he shoe horses over there too?” Sam asked.

  “Not exactly,” she said with a smile.

  “Then what does he do?” Thackary this time.

  “Well … he and his wife run the country.”

  “Is he their president?” Sam asked in awe.

  “No,” Honoria said. “He’s their king. Sort of.”

  The boys’ eyes widened. It was hard for them to grasp the concept of a king and queen as opposed to a president running the country. The only sort of monarchy they knew was in fairy tales.

  “Why don’t you ask him about it when they get here?” she suggested, glancing at the road from the barnyard. “They should be here soon.” She turned back to the boys. “I’d better get back to the kitchen and take the pies out of the oven. You two finish up here.”

  “Do we have to put on our Sunday clothes?” Sam asked.

  “Yes – your mother wants you to look your best.”

  “We don’t have to dress up when Uncle Duncan comes to visit. And he’s a duke.”

  “A king outranks a duke,” Honoria pointed out. Not that it mattered to either of her cousins. “Now hurry up and get your chores done.” She brushed dirt and woodchips from her apron and hurried back to the main ranch house. She wished she had enough time to take a bath and wash her hair, but that wasn’t about to happen with all the work that still needed to be done. Instead, she’d have to settle for washing her face and calling it good.

  Besides, she didn’t feel the need to impress the Bergs, even if they were royalty. She’d heard so many stories about them growing up that she knew them more as a simple blacksmith and a girl from a wagon train. There wasn’t a lot of mention of the whole royalty part. She was curious as to how Maddie’s mother the countess (now Queen Mother?) was doing. After all, she ended up marrying her Aunt Cozette’s father. If he married a countess, what did that make him? Was he now a count? Would a fur trapper care about such things? Hard to say.

  Back in the kitchen she took the last two pies out of the oven, set them on the worktable and wiped her brow. She looked at the other nine already cooling. It was more than they’d baked at Thanksgiving!

  “Is that all of them?” Honoria’s mother asked as she came into the kitchen.

  “Yes, thank Heaven.” Honoria stretched the kinks out of her back. “I could do with a nap at this point.”

  “No time for that.” Her mother studied the pies. “I do hope eleven is enough.”

  “How can it not be, Mother?”

  “Andel and Maddie aren’t traveling alone. There’s a host of people with them.”

  “Oh yes, Lorcan mentioned that when I was at the hotel.”

  “Probably bodyguards of some sort. Soldiers, maybe.” Her mother looked at her quizzically. “What were you doing at the hotel?”

  Honoria suddenly took interest in one of the pies, poking it with a fork. “Just waiting for Papa.” Best to steer Mama away from any mention of the hotel. She looked up. “Since when does Mr. Berg need protection? Uncle Duncan doesn’t travel with anyone.”

  Her mother sighed. “Andel and Maddie are royalty in a different country. I suppose it’s just the way things are done there.”

  Her words made Honoria glad she lived in Clear Creek and didn’t have to deal with such nonsense. “How many more places should I set at the table?”

  “I’m not sure yet. We might have to borrow your Aunt Belle’s table and set it up in the parlor.”

  “Oh Mama, don’t be ridiculous.”

  Her mother chewed her bottom lip, a sure sign she was worried. “I hope they’re all right …”

  Honoria was shocked. “For Heaven’s sake, no one in town is going to try to harm Andel or Maddie! Why would they?”

  “Not everyone in town knows who they are, dear. Or more importantly, what they are.”

  “And no one’s going to say anything either. Besides, the onl
y people new in town are the Comforts, and I’m sure Eli has told Pleasant by now. I don’t see any of her brothers being a problem.” She swallowed hard and turned away as thoughts of Major struck. She still wasn’t over seeing him the day before. Worse, her mind was now conjuring up images of Major and Miss Lynch standing at the altar in front of Preacher Jo. What a nightmare!

  “Are you all right?”

  Honoria jumped. “I’m fine. Just … tired. We’ve been working all day.”

  Her mother nodded and glanced around the kitchen. “Why don’t you go upstairs and take a little rest after all? I’ll get the biscuits in the oven. But make sure your brothers and sister are dressed properly for supper.”

  “I will.”

  Her mother turned and headed for the stove. “Oh, and Honoria?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why don’t you wear your new pink dress? Tonight will give you a chance to show it off.”

  Honoria sighed as her shoulders slumped. At this point she didn’t care what she wore, and the only person she wanted to show off for wasn’t going to be there. “Fine.”

  Her mother smiled, nodded, then stared at the stove, hands on her hips, as if expecting it to put up a fight. She loved and hated that stove at the same time, Honoria knew. It was wonderful to work with, but terrible to clean.

  Honoria went up to her room and flopped onto the bed. Closing her eyes, she tried to clear her mind of Major and all that had transpired between them on that fateful day. A race, a romance – at least in her mind – and a set of bruised ribs. Ah, love. Except it wasn’t.

  She put an arm over her eyes and sighed heavily. Maybe she ought to clean the stove to get her mind off things. She was beginning to despair of ever getting married. Not that there weren’t eligible bachelors in town – on the contrary, there were plenty. But she couldn’t stand the thought of having to see Major with Miss Lynch, soon to be Mrs. Comfort, glued to his side all the time. What torture! She’d rather be somewhere, anywhere else.

  Perhaps it was time to broach the subject of visiting Uncle Duncan with her parents. Hmmm, could she get the Bergs to side with her? After all, wouldn’t it broaden her mind to visit another country, live in the land of her forefathers for a time? Maybe Uncle Duncan could even find a suitable husband for her in England. Far, far away from the Comforts – and Lynches.

  She sat up at the thought. “Marry an Englishman … yes, that’s what I’ll do. Father can’t argue with that.” At least, not if Uncle Duncan approved. But was Uncle Duncan as overprotective as father? Good heavens, what if he was worse?

  Honoria fell against the pillows and groaned. “My life is a nightmare,” she muttered. Maybe if she were lucky, she’d wake up soon …

  “Honoria, wake up!”

  Honoria bolted to a sitting position and gasped. “What?!” She glanced around, unsure of where she was at first, then realized she was in her room. “Oh good grief, what time is it?”

  “Time for you to get dressed,” her father said. “What have you been doing up here?”

  “Napping,” she said in exasperation. “Wasn’t it obvious? Body prone, eyes shut …”

  “Oh, never mind that,” he said with a wave of his hand. “The Bergs will be here any minute. Hurry up!” He disappeared from the doorway and she listened to his retreating footsteps as he hurried downstairs. He seemed even more nervous than Mother, if that was possible.

  She got up and went to the armoire in the corner and opened it. “Where’s my pink dress?” She rifled through her clothes but there was no sign of the frock. “Where on earth … oh!” She slapped her palm against her forehead. Her cousin Adele had wanted to try it on, and had probably taken it home to do so. That meant she had to go next door to fetch it. “Land sakes, doesn’t anyone return anything around here?”

  She continued to grumble as she marched down the stairs, out the front door and straight to her aunt and uncle’s house, going in without knocking. Sam and Thackeray were in the parlor in their Sunday best, each with a book in their hands. “What are you doing here?” Thackary asked.

  “Adele has one of my dresses. I’m here to get it back.” She headed for the staircase. The second ranch house had much the same layout as the main one, only the rooms weren’t as big.

  “You mean that pink one?” Thackary called after her.

  Honoria stopped mid-stair, bending over the banister to see back into the parlor. “Yes, what about it?”

  “Adele’s wearing it,” Sam said.

  “What! She can’t wear that dress! I’m wearing it.”

  The boys tossed their books to the side and raced out of the parlor to the staircase. “Oh boy, Honoria and Adele are gonna have a fight!” Sam exclaimed with glee.

  Honoria crossed her arms over her chest and glared at them when they reached the stairs. “We are not going to have a fight. She’s wearing my dress without permission and she’s going to have to give it back.”

  “No fight?” Sam whined in disappointment.

  “Could you at least shove her around some?” Thackary asked. “I’m mad at her.”

  “Shove her around yourself,” Honoria said, then let her arms fall to her sides. Not the best example she could have set. “Never mind. That’s a bad idea.”

  “No, it’s not,” Thackary said, excitement in his voice. “I think it’s a fine idea!”

  She rolled her eyes, turned and continued up the staircase. “Adele!” she shouted down the hall.

  Adele poked her head out of her room – and sure enough, she was wearing Honoria’s pink dress. “Oh bugger!” she squealed, ducked back inside and slammed the door.

  Honoria hurried down the hall and went to open it. Locked. “Adele! I need my dress!”

  “Can’t you wear your blue one?” came the muffled reply.

  “No, Mother wants me to wear the pink one!” She wondered why she was even bothering.

  “But I like the pink one!” Adele protested.

  Honoria let her head fall against the door and groaned. “Fine, you wear it. Just don’t ruin it.” She stepped back and saw Thackary and Sam at the top of the staircase, watching with barely restrained glee. Unfortunately for them, no spilled blood was forthcoming. Fashion just wasn’t worth fighting over. Maybe she wouldn’t change at all and serve instead. Servants weren’t supposed to look good, were they?

  The door to Adele’s room suddenly opened. She poked her head out. “If you really want to wear it, I’ll take it off.”

  Honoria was far past caring. “Don’t worry about it – just don’t drag the hem and get it all dirty.” Adele was a few inches shorter – ankle-length for Honoria was floor-length for her.

  “Really? Thank you, Honoria! I hope Mother will make me one just like it. At least use the same fabric.”

  “It is pretty, isn’t it?” Honoria said grudgingly.

  “What are you going to wear then?” Adele asked.

  She shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter.”

  Adele stepped into the hall. “What’s wrong? Don’t Aunt Sadie and Uncle Harrison want you to dress up?”

  “They do. I just don’t feel like it.” In fact, she felt like going back to bed and reading a book. She might’ve tried it if she wasn’t hoping to convince her family to let her go abroad. Maybe she should clean up a little for that. “I’ll find something to wear, don’t worry.” She turned to leave.

  Adele grabbed her hand. “Thanks, cousin,” she said, pulling her into a hug.

  Honoria smiled. “You’re welcome.” She headed back down the hall, stuck her tongue out at Thackary and Sam in passing, then trotted down the stairs and went home. Yes, England would bring about a good change in her life. Look – she’d just stuck her tongue out at her cousins! What proper English lady would do such a thing? Maybe that was why Major was courting Miss Lynch. She didn’t go racing across the prairie like a madwoman, now did she?

  Perhaps she’d ask Maddie what it was like living at court, glean a few pointers on proper etiquette. That would sh
ow Father and Mother she was interested in what they termed “growing up” – and sell the idea of sending her across the Atlantic. She laughed to herself as she went back up to her room. She supposed her father would still put up a fuss and drive her crazy.

  Well, if he was going to do so regardless, Honoria would just as soon be an ocean away.

  Chapter 11

  “Honoria Cooke!” Harrison and Sadie said at the same time as they watched their daughter come down the stairs. “Why aren’t you wearing your pink dress?” her mother added.

  “Adele is,” Honoria said as she reached the bottom. “I’d forgotten I loaned it to her. It looks better on her anyway. Maybe I should let her keep it.”

  Her father looked her up and down. “And what are you wearing?” he asked sharply.

  Honoria glanced at her simple blue calico day dress. “I just didn’t see why we have to put on our Sunday best when this is perfectly fine.”

  “It is not perfectly fine,” her mother said tersely. “March right back up to your room and change.”

  “There’s no time,” her father said as flipped open his pocket watch. “If Honoria wants to look sloppy tonight, then that’s her business. She’s not a child.”

  “Sloppy?” Honoria said, trying her best to look offended. “Thank you, Papa. You look nice too.”

  Her mother sighed and headed for the kitchen in frustration. Her father watched her go, then faced the door and straightened his jacket.

  “Are they here already?” she asked.

  “Not yet, but they will be any minute.” He straightened his jacket again.

  “Papa, why are you so nervous?”

  He looked at her in shock, then quickly sobered. “I’m not nervous. I’m just … in a state of anticipation.”

  Uncle Colin burst through the front door. “Where are they?!”

  Harrison about jumped out of his skin. “Great Scott, man, learn to knock!”

  Uncle Colin slapped him on the back. “Startled you, eh, old chap?”