“I’ll come back soon,” Elaine promised as she rose from her chair. “It’s not far to our cabin, and you’re welcome to come over any time too.”
“I don’t think I’ll be here long enough to make many visits, but thank you,” Isabelle said.
“Are you sure you don’t want help with all this?” Elaine motioned to the flour mess.
“No, it’s all right. You go ahead.”
Elaine hid a smile as she walked toward the door. Isabelle had an earnest and true heart, but she did have a touch of melodrama in her.
As Elaine stepped outside, she glanced over to the left and saw some rough planks of wood leaning up against the house. They looked like they were left over from the original construction of the shack, and they might be the most perfect things she’d ever seen.
“Isabelle?”
Her friend appeared at the doorway. “Yes?”
“Do you think Dermot would mind if I took those pieces of wood?”
“I have no idea. I say go ahead and take them, and I can ask him when he gets back. If I’m speaking to him.”
Elaine decided not to fall down that rabbit hole again. “Thank you!”
She picked up the wood. Each piece was about a foot wide by three feet long, and there were three pieces in total. They weren’t heavy per se, but they were awkward, and she scanned the horizon to see if Jonathan was on his way back yet.
No Mountie husband in sight, so she hoisted them into her arms as best as she could and began her walk back to the cabin.
By the time she got there, she was exhausted and thirsty. She set the planks down and headed for the well, splashing the water all over her head, face, and hands. Then she took several long swallows before heading back to her project.
She’d seen some logs out in the woodpile that hadn’t been split yet. She found some that were similar in diameter and set to work. First, she carried two inside and laid them on the floor against the wall she’d chosen. Then she brought in a plank of wood and laid it across the top. It was perfect! All right, it did wobble a little bit when she tested it, but she solved that problem by finding some chips out by the woodpile and shoving them under the fronts of the logs to act as shims. Her father would be so proud of her.
Two more logs and another board, then another two logs and another board. She stepped back and wiped her forehead on her arm. There—a bookcase, and she did it herself without spending a penny. Of course, chances were that Dermot would show up and say that he’d needed the wood for something, but she’d keep her fingers crossed against that and enjoy her creation for as long as she could.
After testing it again to make sure it was stable, she grabbed a rag and dusted the whole thing down for good measure, then placed her carefully alphabetized books on the shelf. They looked so nice all lined up in rows, ready and waiting for her to share with her poet-at-heart husband and to teach their children. She smiled when she thought of that—gathering their children around her knee and reading them the great works and the Bible. They would all be dressed in matching outfits, freshly bathed, the girls with ribbons in their hair, the boys all with Jonathan’s eyes. It would be perfect. Absolutely perfect.
She went back outside to the well and washed up again, bringing back half a bucket for the kitchen. She could manage half without waddling too much. After putting on a clean blouse and tying her apron, she was set to make dinner, and that’s how Jonathan found her thirty minutes later. She decided not to say anything in hopes that he’d notice the bookcase for himself and be impressed.
“Sorry that took me so long,” he said, hanging up his jacket as he spoke. “Everything’s fine—the bleeding has stopped and Jimmy’s acting very contrite. He’s apologized to Ann and to Gerald and promised never to do it again. We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“Is Gerald married?” Elaine sliced some bread and set it on the table by the butter. Butter should go on her list too, unless there was a way to make it out here. She should start another list just for all her questions.
“His wife died last year, but he has two children—boys around ten and twelve years old.” Jonathan pulled out a chair and sat down. She was about to send him to wash up, but then she noticed that his face was still a little wet—he must have stopped by the well before he ever came inside.
“I’m sorry to hear about his wife.”
They began to eat, and she was growing restless. When was he going to notice the bookcase? She kept flicking her eyes toward it, thinking that he would get the hint, but no. He simply ate his dinner, smiled at her, asked her questions about her day, and didn’t comment on new furniture at all.
He might be so caught up in the Indian situation that he wasn’t able to think about anything else, but he cracked a joke about Dermot, so he couldn’t be too distracted by his work.
Hmm. Maybe he’d seen it but didn’t want her to know that he’d seen it. What if he was waiting for her to break first? Well, if that’s how it was, she could play that game too. She decided she wouldn’t bring it up, even on pain of death, until he did. He’d see just how stubborn she could be.
She told him about her visit to Isabelle’s, of course leaving out the part where she carried the planks home, and focused instead on her friend’s distress. Jonathan alternated between looking amused and solemn.
“That explains how oddly Dermot was acting this morning,” he said. He placed his spoon on the table and reached out to touch Elaine’s hand. “That won’t happen to us, will it? You seem happy here—or at least, willing to give new things a try.”
“I believe I’ll be very happy here,” she replied. “Of course, this is all new, and I have so many questions about how we’re to do things out here, I hardly know where to begin. But I believe we can be a success, Jonathan. I believe we’ll figure this out and that as we learn more about each other, we’ll make a good partnership.”
“What about love?” he asked, his gaze deep. “Do you think we could ever fall in love?”
She smiled a little as she answered, “I have every hope in the world for that.”
He returned her smile with a broader grin, stood up, and wedged his chair under the front door handle. Then he pulled her up into his arms and kissed her like it was the only possible thing to do in the entire world.
Chapter Seven
The next day, while the bread cooled on the table, Elaine rode out to the Indian village with Jonathan, her arms wrapped around his waist. She liked that very much—having a man to call her own. She’d read so many novels about falling in love and getting married that she’d built up quite a lot of expectations, but she’d never anticipated how nice it would be to know that somewhere in the world was a man who belonged to her. It was that sense of . . . well, not ownership, because that sounded dreadful, but connection or something . . . For the first time in her life, words failed her. It was too wonderful for words.
When they arrived at the village, Jonathan took her around and introduced her to everyone, and she was immediately enchanted by them. The shy manners of the women, the sweetness of the children, the stoic dignity of the men—she wanted to know more about them. She had a book that described some of the tribes of the area, but no book, no matter how cleverly written, could compare to sitting down with someone and looking in their eyes and hearing what they had to say from their own lips.
She was astonished at the strength of the women—she saw them lifting things that seemed far too heavy, and yet they managed it with ease. She remembered how much she struggled to carry a simple bucket of water and made a vow that she was going to get more exercise or do whatever else was necessary until she too could perform those tasks. These quiet, diligent women were an inspiration to her.
“This is Jimmy and Ann’s house over here,” Jonathan said, motioning down a short path. “I know you wanted to meet them, and I need to check on Jimmy.”
“Absolutely,” Elaine replied. “I was surprised that they didn’t come out to meet us like everyone else did.”
“I think they’re a little ashamed of what happened,” he replied, his voice softer. “Jimmy knows he’s in the wrong, and Ann bears the humiliation of being married to a thief. The tribe won’t turn their backs on the family, but relationships have been damaged, and it will take a long time for things to be made right again.”
Elaine’s heart went out to them even more. Everyone made mistakes, some worse than others, and lives could be changed forever because of it. Things that happened in the blink of an eye could take years to mend.
Jonathan called out a greeting as they approached the house, and Ann looked out through the door and gave a nod.
“We’ve been invited to go inside,” Jonathan explained, and Elaine followed him in.
The interior of the earthen house was dim, and it took a moment for Elaine’s eyes to adjust. When they did, she saw a man sitting on a chair, and little Susan playing in the corner with a carved doll. Jonathan went over to the man’s side and spoke to him softly, and Elaine turned to Ann with a smile.
“You have a lovely home,” she said, motioning around her. It was simple, to be sure, but she could tell that many hours were put into keeping it up.
“Thank you,” Ann replied, nodding.
It didn’t seem that Ann was going to say much else, so Elaine moved over to the corner and went down on her knees, ignoring the dirt floor. “Hello, Susan,” she said. “Is this your baby doll?”
“She doesn’t speak many words,” Ann said. She relayed something to her daughter, and Susan gave a shy nod.
“Would you please tell her that I think her doll is very nice?”
Susan smiled when the message was passed along, melting Elaine’s heart. What a beautiful child. She was too thin, though, making Elaine wonder if she was getting enough to eat.
As she and Jonathan left, she paused in the doorway and said to Ann, “Please come visit my house. You would be very welcome.”
Ann nodded, and Elaine could only hope she meant that as an acceptance.
This was the last stop on their visit. As they rode away from the village, Elaine asked, “Do you think Susan is getting enough to eat?”
“The other villagers would never allow one of their own to starve, especially not a child, but it’s likely that she feels guilty about taking their food,” Jonathan replied.
“Is there anything we can do?” Elaine asked, her heart aching in her chest.
“I asked Jimmy if he’d come help dig out some ground for your garden when he’s up to it,” Jonathan replied. “That will give him a few cents to rub together. Of course, the ground will be freezing soon and we’ll just have to break it up again before we plant in the spring, but it was the only job I could think of to give him.”
“Thank you.” Elaine gave his waist a squeeze. “Did he say when he would come?”
“Tomorrow, most likely,” Jonathan replied.
“If I made some extra biscuits, would he accept them?”
“He would, as long as they were part of his payment.”
“Then I’ll say they’re part of his payment. I want to do something to help—I need to do something.”
Jonathan rubbed her hand where it rested on his stomach. “I’ve been asked to convey the tribe’s congratulations on our marriage, and they say you are a very pretty white woman.”
She laughed. “I’ll accept that compliment. Wait until they see Isabelle, though—she’s far prettier than I am.”
Jonathan turned a bit and looked over his shoulder. “Isabelle is pretty, but she’s not the one who makes my heart beat so hard, I think it’s grown wings and is going to fly right out of my chest.”
“Do I do that to you?” she asked, absolutely delighted by the idea.
“You do, Mrs. Mountie. Believe me, you do.”
What a very nice thought.
***
When they returned to the cabin, Elaine decided that she really couldn’t wait any longer. Yes, it was fun to best someone when playing a waiting game, but she was curious to hear what he thought, and that was worth conceding the crown for.
“Did you notice the bookcase I built?” she asked as she poured them each a cup of tea.
“I noticed.”
“And what do you think? I’m rather proud of myself. I carried the wood all the way from Isabelle’s cabin, and I found logs the right size and everything. Oh, and see how all the books are alphabetized? Now we can find whatever we’re looking for right off.”
“Looks like you did a nice job,” he said.
When he didn’t say more, her feelings were a bit hurt, but she wasn’t going to push the issue. Maybe he wasn’t the kind to go overboard with compliments . . . but that didn’t make sense because he’d just told her how she made his heart feel. Was he upset because she’d taken the initiative and done the work herself instead of waiting for him? That didn’t make sense either because he always seemed pleased with her accomplishments, no matter how small or insignificant they were. It really was very confusing.
***
Elaine visited Isabelle a few more times that week and taught her how to make bread—again. There had been lessons given at Miss Hazel’s, but as Isabelle admitted, she hadn’t taken notes, so she needed some reminders. Elaine was more than happy to help out.
“How are you doing?” Elaine asked as she kneaded the freshly risen dough Isabelle had started. “I mean, how are you and Dermot doing?”
“It’s so hard to say,” Isabelle replied. She bent down and scrubbed the table extra hard. “I know that Miss Hazel has had great success with her matches so far, but she may have made a mistake with us. Or we’re ruining her system. I don’t know—I’m so confused.”
Elaine wiped her hands on the dishtowel and touched her friend’s shoulder. “I believe you’ll make it through this,” she said. “You’re becoming so strong—look at how much you’ve changed since you got here, and it hasn’t even been that long. Be proud of yourself, Isabelle.”
Isabelle straightened and put on a brave face. “Thank you. I’ll try to be.”
Chapter Eight
When it was time for the Mounties’ weekly meeting the following Monday, Jonathan and Elaine left their cabin a little early so they could stop in at the mercantile. It was a small, shabby building not much newer than the train station, but when Elaine walked in, she could see that it carried everything she needed most urgently. She gathered up some basic food stuffs, then turned her attention to the fabric.
“You’d better get some material for a warmer dress,” Jonathan said, coming up beside her with a large sack of flour. “It gets colder here than you might realize.”
“I’m already a bit chilly,” Elaine replied. “Can we afford so much this time?”
“I’ve set a bit aside over the last several months, and I have an account here as well.”
Elaine nodded, grateful. She’d be careful and choose frugally, but she would definitely enjoy some warmer clothing.
First, though, she needed to get the matter of curtains out of the way. The ones they had were so ugly. Practical, yes, but when one was making a home, one had to balance the practical and the pretty. She ran her fingers along the bolts of cloth until she found one she thought would work very well—it was thick, and that would help keep out drafts, but it was also a very nice hue of yellow, which would brighten things up. She’d get enough to make a matching tablecloth, too.
For her dress fabric, she chose blue, a medium shade and weight. She wanted to stay warm, but she also needed to work around the house without melting.
When she brought her selections to the counter where Jonathan was waiting, she was a little afraid of his reaction, but he just smiled. “Yellow?”
“It seemed cheerful,” she replied. “Do you think it’s too much? Should I put it back?”
“No. You’re right—it is cheerful, and when the skies turn gray, we’re going to want that.” He smiled again, and it reached right inside her. “Get it.”
“All right, I
will,” she replied.
After stowing the material in the wagon, they headed over to meet with the other Mounties, and Elaine was so glad to see her friends.
Lisa had found an injured cougar cub and had decided to adopt it until it was healed enough to be released into the wild again. That sounded very dangerous, but the other three girls seemed to think it was a marvelous idea. The trick, of course, was to keep the secret from their husbands so they wouldn’t be forced to abandon the poor thing before it was healthy. Lisa had started out with the cub and had then turned it over to Maryanne.
And they’d named it Clara, because she was a girl.
Elaine had never imagined naming a wild animal such a tame and gentle name, but she supposed she wasn’t the only bride in the bunch with an imagination.
There had been a problem with their plan, something even more disastrous than their husbands finding out . . . Clara’s mother had been prowling around, and the natives were growing concerned about the possible dangers. The wives were determined that the baby should heal, though, so she was being rotated as best as they could manage. On the following Monday, Isabelle would be bringing her home, and Elaine could only hope that it turned out well.
***
Over breakfast the next morning, Elaine brought out the list she’d been working on. “I know we said we’d do this together, but I admit, I got a little excited and started writing things down,” she said, handing Jonathan the sheet of paper. “Do you want to read that over and tell me what you think? Maybe your ideas are different, and we can compromise or cross things out as we go.”
Jonathan took the list, glanced at it, then set it on the table. “I thought we were just going to talk about it, not make an actual list together.”
“Well, talking is great, but I can’t remember things if I don’t write them down. I’m really quite useless that way.” She paused. “So, do you see anything on there that you object to?”
He pushed back from the table and carried his plate over to the basin. “I’m really not up to talking about this right now, Elaine.”
RNWMP: Bride for Jonathan (Mail Order Mounties Book 8) Page 4
