“I’m sorry. I know what I did was wrong, and it won’t happen again. In fact, I’m done working for the Brooks family altogether.” With that, Betsy promptly burst into tears.
Edna Petunia and Cletus stared at each other. They hadn’t expected this at all. Edna Petunia stood up and walked over to Betsy. She pulled two peppermint sticks from her bosom and handed them to Betsy, wrapping her up in a hug. “There, there. Poor dear.”
Edna Petunia and Cletus waited for Betsy to stop sobbing. She cleared her throat, wiped her eyes, and tried to explain. “I’ve gotten too attached to Charles and his siblings. I feel like I’m their family, but I don’t think Charles sees it that way. I don’t see how I can keep working for him.”
“You did your best and helped that family out in many ways. If your time of serving them is over—well, there’s no shame in that.” Cletus looked at Betsy. “You know we’re proud of you no matter what.”
Edna Petunia nodded. “If that boy doesn’t have the sense to see that you’d make a darn fine wife, he doesn’t deserve to have you keep working for him. And you already have one job. That’s plenty.”
Betsy pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose. “I’m going to miss the children, though.” She grew weepy again.
“That’s our sweet Betsy. So thoughtful and caring. One day, you’ll have the family you’re meant to have. It will all work out. Look at me and Cletus!” Edna Petunia looked at her husband. He kissed her on the nose. “I never thought I’d find love again at my age, but here we are! Happy as clams with a whole house full of bastards!”
Despite her pain, Betsy had to laugh. Hearing Edna Petunia talk about all of her bastards always made her giggle. A few of her sisters didn’t like the term, but Betsy had never minded it. It was just one of the many endearing quirks Edna Petunia had.
“So, I’m not in any trouble?” Betsy asked hopefully.
Edna Petunia and Cletus looked at each other once again. “Well, we certainly don’t want to encourage this behavior.” Cletus’s tone was strict. “You know, we would have gone to the Brooks house last night, but Alice took ill. Must have caught something from that Dr. Harvey’s office, I reckon. We both stayed up with her half the night and weren’t able to leave until the morning.”
“At the same time, we feel you’re suffering enough.” Edna Petunia smiled at Betsy. “While you’re living under this roof, though, you have to sleep here at night. That’s not negotiable.”
Betsy nodded. “Yes, of course. I understand.”
“Now, I think you should probably get some rest. By the looks of you, you had a long night.” Edna Petunia helped Betsy stand and walked up the stairs with her. She closed the door softly behind her. As Betsy drifted off to sleep, she thought she heard the older woman sigh. “Poor little bastard.”
When Betsy woke, it was late evening. Her eyelids sagged as she walked into the informal parlor.
“You’re awake!” Hattie shouted.
“You’ve been sleeping for a very long time!” Theresa piped up.
Katie was singing, Gertie was in the corner reading, and Hattie was braiding Theresa’s hair in the corner. Betsy smiled. It was lovely to be home with her sisters. She had missed them. Maybe there was some good that could come out of spending time away from the Brooks family.
“You missed dinner. Are you hungry?” Edna Petunia took a sip from her flask of “cough tonic”. The woman carried it with her everywhere! All the girls knew it wasn’t really for a cough, but they didn’t say anything. A woman her age with a heart as big as Edna Petunia’s deserved a vice or two.
Betsy shook her head. “I don’t have much of an appetite. I’m just happy to be home.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you home!” Cletus clapped a hand on Betsy’s shoulder. “All my girls in one place—well, the unmarried ones, of course.”
Betsy stayed downstairs, listening to her sisters chat as they discussed their plans for the next big family event. The newest child in the family—Penny and Tom’s youngest son—was to be baptized at their church in the coming months. Alice and Hattie were helping Edna Petunia bake cakes and pies for the occasion. Penny had been teaching Katie how to sew, and Katie was excited that some of her handiwork would be shown off in the baby’s baptism outfit. Betsy looked forward to it, too. She loved it when her church welcomed new members, especially the children.
Too tired to think straight, she excused herself and went back into her bedroom. Before she fell asleep, she thought about Matthew, Samuel, David, and Amy. She hoped that they were having a peaceful evening with Charles and that his temper wasn’t getting the best of him. She knew he loved his siblings more than anything, he just wasn’t very good at expressing his feelings. But Charles isn’t my problem anymore, Betsy reminded herself.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Edna Petunia and Cletus were surprised to hear a knock on the door.
“Who could that be, at this hour?” Cletus frowned. He got up to answer the door. “I don’t know what you’re doing here so late at night, son.”
“Who is it?” Katie squealed. Theresa jumped up to see who was at the door.
“I’d like to speak to you and your wife privately.” Charles said softly to Cletus. The older man nodded in understanding.
“Girls, Edna Petunia and I will receive our guest in the formal parlor. And no overhearing!” Cletus warned his daughters. They never had bad intentions, but living in a house with so many women meant constant eavesdropping.
Once they’d all walked into the formal parlor and taken their seats, Cletus coughed loudly and addressed Charles. “Son, you’d better tell me why you’re here right quick. It’s practically the middle of the night, and I am not a happy man when I have to lose sleep.”
Charles spoke quickly. “Yes, sir, I completely understand. I’ll be out of your hair soon, I hope. I wanted to come here tonight because I wanted to ask for permission to marry your daughter.”
“You will have to specify which one.” Cletus tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at his joke.
Edna Petunia elbowed Cletus in the side, eliciting a grunt. “He’s joking, Charles. Continue.”
“Betsy has really become a part of all of our family over the past few months. She stayed up all night with Amy, helping nurse her back to health. She found my brother Matthew when he ran away. She’s always patient and loving. Sometimes, I’m too cross and strict with the children. Watching her interact with them has made me want to do a better job as their guardian. But I can’t see how I could do it without her standing by my side.” Charles finished his speech and took a deep breath, panting as if he’d run all the way to the Sanders house.
Cletus frowned. “Seems to me you’ve thought a lot about Betsy being a mother to your siblings…but you’re asking for her hand in marriage. How are you so sure she’s the woman for you?”
“And how do we know you don’t just want full-time, live-in help? We won’t support a partnership like this unless we know it’s the right thing for Betsy.” Edna Petunia slid a peppermint stick from her bosom and began to munch on it.
Charles did his best not to stare at the old woman’s chest. He thought carefully about what he needed to say. “Ever since I met Betsy in the auction house, I was attracted to her beauty and spirit. Even if I didn’t have my siblings to look after, I’d want to build a life with her and no one else. I vow to you, sir, I’ll treat her with nothing but respect.”
“Hmmm. Well, that’s all well and good. When do you see yourself marrying? Assuming she says yes, that is.” Cletus stroked his beard. “How long could you wait?”
Charles looked confused by the question. “Well, I’d like to marry Betsy this evening if I could.” Charles saw Edna Petunia’s face growing red. “But I’ll wait for as long as is needed, sir. I care for Betsy very deeply, and will do whatever she’s comfortable with—whatever you’re all comfortable with.”
“At least six months!” Edna Petunia thundered. She had been cheated
out of planning six weddings for her adopted daughters—Penny’s one-month engagement didn’t count in her eyes—and she wasn’t about to stand for one more. “It takes time to plan a proper wedding.”
“Can you wait that long, son?” Cletus pressured.
Six months seemed like an eternity to Charles. But he realized it was the only way to convince the Sanders he was serious about their daughter. “Yes, sir. I can.”
“Wonderful! I can go to bed!” Cletus cried. He stuck his hand out for Charles to shake, and Charles accepted it.
Charles turned to offer his hand to Edna Petunia, but she had dashed into the kitchen. “You don’t suppose I could see Betsy tonight, do you?”
Cletus shook his head. “Not a chance. But I admire your style. Good night, son. We won’t breathe a word to Betsy. We want you to ask her on your own, since it’s an important question.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, son, I hope we’ll see more of you soon. Take care. And please…next time, can you wait until the morning before you come to my house?” Cletus was smiling as he added the last part, so Charles thought he was joking—but it was really hard to tell.
Chapter 9
Charles could hardly contain his excitement at work. He had a special evening planned for Betsy, but first he had to get through the day. Mr. Fitzsimmons seemed especially crotchety, scolding Charles for not writing neatly enough in the bank ledger and telling Betsy she’d missed a spot on one of the windows.
Betsy, on the other hand, was trying to figure out how to break it to Charles that she could no longer work for him. She kept trying to find a time to talk to him, but Mr. Fitzsimmons kept calling her attention to another chore or task.
Finally, at noon, Mr. Fitzsimmons decided to go out for his lunch. Charles and Betsy both rushed toward one another, each wanting to be the first to speak.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight at the house.” Charles didn’t want to give away his surprise, but he also wanted Betsy to know how excited he was to see her outside of work.
“I can’t work for you anymore.” Betsy looked down at the floor. The thought of never seeing Amy or the boys again was almost too much to bear.
“What?” Charles was shocked. How could Betsy be saying this? He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her—she couldn’t quit on him now.
“I’m sorry. I’ve grown too attached to your family, and it’s not right. It’s not fair to the children…or to me.”
“Ah.” Charles realized what Betsy meant. It sounded like she felt the same way he did, that she was already a part of the family. He could explain everything to her that evening. “Well, can I convince you to come one more time? Just to say goodbye?”
Betsy thought about it. Saying goodbye to the children would be horrible, but she felt she did owe them that. They were used to her consistent presence in their lives. It didn’t feel right to abandon them. “Well, all right. But I’ll just stop by—it will be a short visit.”
“Of course.” Charles hoped he would be able to convince Betsy to stay for much longer than she intended.
When Mr. Fitzsimmons returned from lunch, he was even crankier than he’d been that morning. “Where on earth is the blue teapot?”
Charles brought the large accounting ledger over to him. “Sir, it was purchased several weeks back. It’s in the book.”
Mr. Fitzsimmons grunted. “Hmph. That’s right.”
Betsy wished the afternoon would drag on, but it passed quickly. Mr. Fitzsimmons kept asking her to do different tasks.
For Charles, the afternoon couldn’t go fast enough. After Mr. Fitzsimmons left, Betsy began to sweep the floors.
“I’m going to get a head start so I can make sure the children are doing their lessons. I’ll meet you at the house.” Charles told Betsy.
Betsy thought it was odd, but didn’t question it. He was probably trying to build the distance between them now that she wasn’t going to work for him any longer. In any case, she had work to do here. She finished sweeping and tidied up around the auction hall. Then she locked up and set out for Charles’s house. The thing she was dreading most was little Amy’s face. The girl clearly looked up to her and thought of her as a mother figure. It was going to devastate the girl to know that Betsy wouldn’t be around anymore.
At the same time, Betsy didn’t know what else she could do. She couldn’t bear to be around Charles without being more to him than just the help. And what would happen when he did meet a woman he wanted to spend time with? The children would end up getting hurt even worse.
Betsy was near tears as she approached the Brooks house. She was surprised to see that none of the children were waiting on the porch. That was odd. She knocked on the door, and Samuel opened it.
“Welcome, miss.” Samuel acted like a very fancy butler, taking Betsy’s arm and escorting her into the kitchen, where Charles had set the table for dinner.
“Betsy Sanders, I’ve had eyes for no one else since the moment I first saw you. Watching you take care of my siblings has brought me a joy I never thought I’d know. You are already part of this family, so will you please do me the honor of making it official?” As Charles spoke, Amy handed Betsy a bouquet of tulips.
Betsy’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe what was happening. “Yes! I would love to.”
Charles’s face broke out into a huge smile. He hugged her tightly, then kissed her on the lips even though the children were right there. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world.”
“Betsy is our new mama!” Amy cried out. David began to dance a little jig right there in the kitchen.
Matthew took a casserole out of the oven. “We all worked together to make this for you while Charles was at work.”
Betsy was touched. She knew the children didn’t know much about cooking or cleaning, but it was so sweet that they had made an entire meal just for her! She knew that now she’d be a part of their lives permanently, she could teach them everything she knew. “Thank you very much.”
“Now, I’ve already asked your father’s permission for your hand in marriage, but there’s just one small problem.” Charles began.
Betsy felt her pulse quicken. “What’s that?”
“Edna Petunia insisted on a six-month engagement.”
Betsy burst out laughing when she saw the befuddled look on Charles’s face. “That’s because my other sisters who have married did it too quickly for her to plan their weddings. It’s her dream to plan a wedding, and I won’t deny her that.”
“I see. Well, we can discuss the details later. We should eat before our dinner gets cold!” Charles helped serve the casserole onto the plates, and the family began to eat.
“Will Betsy have a baby now that she’s our new Mama?” Amy asked.
Charles nearly choked on his casserole. “Not right away, Amy. Betsy and I need to be officially married before anyone can have a baby.”
“I hope the baby is a sister. I can wait for a sister.” Amy sighed as she pictured a baby girl. Charles and Betsy exchanged amused glances.
After dinner, the children said their prayers and went to bed. Matthew asked if he could stay up reading a bit and Charles said that was fine and gave him a small lantern to use.
Charles came up to Betsy and held her hand. “Would you like to go for a walk?”
Betsy nodded. Now that they were engaged to be married, she suddenly felt even more shy around Charles. She followed him outside.
Charles led Betsy out in the fields behind the house. “I can’t wait until the day that you’re my wife.”
“I can’t wait, either.” Betsy truthfully didn’t know how she would get through six long months. She already found herself wanting Charles to hold her and kiss her. She was curious about what else they could do together…but she knew she needed to wait until they were married to find out.
Charles leaned down and pressed his lips against Betsy’s. She was surprised at first, stiff and unsure, but then she relaxe
d into Charles. They stood in the moonlight, gently swaying and holding each other. Charles continued to push into Betsy’s lips, and she opened her mouth slightly. He ran his tongue over her top lip, and Betsy nearly shrieked. She had never felt anything of that magnitude before. It felt so remarkable that she wanted him to do it again and again.
At the same time, she also knew they were headed into dangerous territory. The further they went physically, the less sure Betsy was that she could control her behavior. “I think we need to stop.”
Charles moaned. He knew Betsy was right, but he wanted nothing more than to explore Betsy’s entire body. He knew it was wrong, that they needed to wait until marriage. But she was all he could think about. Six months would be torture. He realized that he had forgotten about the surprise he’d prepared for Betsy. “I have to show you something in the house. I promise, it’s not inappropriate.”
Betsy giggled and followed Charles back into the house. He made her sit down in the front room, and he disappeared into the pantry. He came out holding a small box. He handed it to Betsy.
Betsy felt the box’s weight in her hands. It was a bit heavy. She opened the box carefully and pulled out an object wrapped in paper. She set the paper aside and took out the beautiful blue teapot from the auction house all those months ago. “Oh, my goodness!”
Charles smiled proudly. “I’ve known you were the one for me since the very beginning. When I saw how much you liked it, I immediately bought it from Mr. Fitzsimmons. Old man didn’t even give me a cent’s worth of discount, but it was well worth it to see the look on your face.”
Betsy couldn’t believe what a gorgeous and thoughtful gift Charles had bought for her. It was a sign that she had made the right decision. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much!”
“For you, Betsy? Anything.” Charles put his arm around his future wife.
Betsy wanted to sit with Charles for the rest of the evening, but she knew she had to be home. “I hate to say it, but I need to get going. Edna Petunia and Cletus have made me promise that as long as I live under their roof, I need to respect their rules and sleep there at night.”
Betsy Page 7
