An Inconvenient Marriage

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  She frowned. “I thought you didn’t entertain guests.”

  “I wouldn’t call him a guest. He’s more of an annoyance. I would like to get rid of him for good, and I need your help.”

  “What can I do?”

  “I need you to cook one of your poorer recipes.” If meatloaf was the best she could do, he wanted to see her worst cooking.

  She cringed. “My food isn’t exactly edible.”

  “Which is why it’s perfect for getting rid of unwanted company.”

  “I don’t know. It seems so devious. I mean, is it right to subject anyone to my cooking?”

  “You subjected me to it.”

  “Yes, but I honestly thought I could do a good job on meatloaf. I didn’t intend to displease you.”

  He smiled at her. “Where did you get the idea that you displeased me?”

  “I saw your face when you tasted it. You couldn’t spit it out fast enough.”

  “But your effort did please me.”

  Her face lit up. “Really?”

  He nodded. Any man who so much as pays her a compliment that she notices is going to win her over. He didn’t have time to waste.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked. “I don’t want to kill anyone.”

  “Oh, there’s no way your food could kill him.” Could it? “You would be doing me a big favor.”

  “Alright, though it seems inhumane.”

  “Thank you. You’re wonderful!” He kissed her on the cheek and went back to his desk. Grinning, he took out his list and crossed Tim Blacksmith’s name off of it. Tim was as good as gone once he tasted her cooking.

  ***

  The next evening, Jake went to the kitchen to see if Sue did as he asked, and he was delighted to find her pulling a casserole out of the oven. He liked the fact that he could trust her to keep her word.

  “What’s on the menu tonight?” he asked as he walked over to her.

  She set the dish on the counter and sighed. “It’s my attempt at tuna and green bean casserole. It tastes good when Gloria makes it, but I’ve never succeeded in making it very well.” She pressed a fork into the runny yellow, gray and green glob. “I don’t know about this. Mr. Blacksmith doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’s done enough evil to deserve this.”

  “Oh, he’ll be fine.” He waved his hand as if to shoo aside her protests. “I don’t want him to come back and this will do the trick.”

  She shook her head but didn’t say anything.

  “Can I sample it?” he asked.

  “I’d rather you didn’t. Even I don’t want to try it.”

  “I intend to eat this.”

  Her eyes widened. “Why?”

  “To show him that your cooking isn’t as bad as he’ll think it is.”

  “You make absolutely no sense to me.”

  “If I can handle Rocky Mountain oysters, I can handle anything you make. At least I know you didn’t put anything disgusting in here.” Though it looks like you did. He took out two plates and dumped the slop on his and Mr. Blacksmith’s plates. “You should eat whatever is left over from Lydia’s cooking. Tomorrow night I’ll take you out to eat at any restaurant you choose.”

  He set the plates on the kitchen table. What would help wash the slop down?

  “Can you make some of that hot chocolate for Mr. Blacksmith?” he requested. He poured himself a glass of juice.

  “Alright. I do feel better knowing he’ll have something decent to drink.”

  That’s what you think. He took a deep breath and put a fork in his portion of the casserole. Half of it dripped off of the fork. He sighed. It was going to be a long dinner. He tasted it and involuntarily shuddered. It was much worse than the meatloaf. He forced himself to swallow it.

  “I can’t do it,” she said. She reached for the plates.

  He quickly stepped in front of them. “It’s perfect. This is the best worst tasting meal I’ve ever had.”

  “It sounds like you’re actually complimenting my ability to make a horrible meal.”

  “That’s because I am.” He smiled at her. “You make me proud.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand you.”

  He chuckled. The doorbell chimed. It was show time. “Go ahead and get something decent to eat while I get the door.” He had to admit that she had a big heart. As he opened the door, he forced himself to smile politely at Mr. Blacksmith who was dressed in one of his best suits. “Good evening, Mr. Blacksmith. Won’t you come in?”

  “Thank you, Mr. Mitchell.” He took his coat and hat off as he entered the house. “Don’t you have a butler?”

  “Yes but he’s with his wife who just had a baby boy. He and his wife, who is my maid, will be back on Monday. So for the time being, I have to answer my own doors.”

  “Why didn’t you just hire someone to temporarily fill in for you during their absence?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t mind doing a few things myself as long as it doesn’t involve cleaning or cooking. Speaking of which, Mrs. Mitchell made one of her best meals tonight.”

  “I hope she didn’t go through too much trouble.”

  “No trouble at all. She’s used to cooking since she couldn’t afford someone to cook for her.”

  “I must admit that when I saw her at the Friday dance, I wasn’t sure what to think. It seemed that you were the only one who took note of her. Oh yes, and Mr. York seemed to be taken with her as well. It wasn’t until the play that I realized there was more to her than meets the eye.”

  “Yes, I was the only decent bachelor who took the time to talk to her.” And now every other bachelor thinks that she’s his for the taking.

  “But your interest was business oriented. You had your pick of plenty of single and pretty women.”

  “Who were only out for my money.”

  “No one can blame you for thinking that after Johanna Clarke.”

  “That’s all in the past.” And I’d prefer to leave it there. He wished everyone else could learn to leave it there as well. “Well, dinner is ready. Sue wanted to make sure everything was set before you arrived.”

  He hated to admit it, but Mr. Blacksmith was a nice man. He pushed aside his guilty conscience and led him to the dining room where Sue had already placed everything neatly out on the table.

  “Since this is a business meeting, I thought I would leave you two alone to talk,” she said when they saw only two plates and cups on the table. “I haven’t entertained guests before, so forgive me if I don’t know the proper etiquette involved with this.”

  “You did an excellent job,” Jake replied.

  “You don’t have to leave on our account,” Tim stated.

  “To be honest, I would rather not be in the room when you taste my food,” she uneasily said. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I will be back shortly to see if there’s anything else you need.”

  “She’s very modest,” Jake explained. “But she will return and we can talk her into staying then.” As they sat down, he asked, “So you critique a lot of food. Have you ever had a meal you didn’t like?”

  “On a few occasions but I always manage to eat them.”

  You’re in for a surprise. “This is one of Sue’s best dishes.” He noted Tim’s apprehension as he looked at it. He took a large bite of the tuna green bean casserole and forced himself to smile while he ate it. “She outdid herself tonight. Her food isn’t usually this good.”

  Tim nodded and took a small bite of the food.

  Jake hid his laughter as Tim blanched. “So, what are your intentions with Sue?” He took another bite and waited for Tim to answer.

  Tim still hadn’t swallowed the food. He picked up the cup of hot chocolate to wash down the food in his mouth but couldn’t seem to swallow that either.

  “Don’t you like it? If you marry her, you’ll have to eat this stuff all the time. She prides herself on her ability to cook a good meal.”

  He finally swallowed
it, his eyes tearing up in the process. He took a deep breath and pushed the plate away. “I must be frank with you. This would condemn a restaurant.”

  Jake pretended to look offended. “She put a lot of hard work into this.” Sadly, that was probably true. She tried to make a tasty meal but couldn’t seem to pull it off.

  “I do have a personal chef, and my job involves a lot of eating out. I suppose one flaw in a woman is manageable.”

  “Oh, she insists on cooking all the time. She prides herself on her work.”

  “Certainly, she can taste her own cooking and realize it’s not adequate.”

  “She happens to like her meals. You will insult her if you don’t eat it.” Just like I probably insulted her the other night. He sighed. He was going to finish his plate even if it killed him, which was a possibility. If he can’t eat this dinner she made, then he doesn’t deserve her, even if he is perfect in every other area of his life.

  “I’m sorry, but I cannot bring myself to eat this. It is not fit for human consumption. Apparently, this arrangement will not work. I can’t confine myself to a lifetime of eating this. Give Sue my regrets.”

  Jake stood with him. I should be relieved so why do I feel like punching the man? He wiped his mouth with the napkin and calmly showed him to the door.

  “You’re a stronger man than I am, Mr. Mitchell. Good luck.” Tim put his coat and hat on and left.

  Jake shut the door, glad he was gone. He returned to the dining room and finished his portion of the meal.

  When Sue walked into the room, she didn’t hide her shock. “You ate everything?”

  He finished his hot chocolate and nodded. “I sure did. It wasn’t so bad after I got used to it.” He stood up and picked up the plates.

  “Oh, I can do that.”

  “No. I want to help. Besides, Ralph and Lydia will be back on Monday and I can let them wait on me then.”

  “Then the plan worked? You won’t have to deal with Mr. Blacksmith anymore?” She followed him into the kitchen.

  “He’s gone for good, which is fine because he’s not worth the effort.”

  “I’ll clean the dishes. That is one thing I can do well.”

  He looked at her and smiled. “No, it’s not the only thing you do well. It’s one of many things you do well.”

  She beamed at his compliment.

  He left the room and laid down so he could calm his upset stomach.

  Chapter Twelve

  For the first time in her life, Sue spent considerable time getting dressed for Friday night. She knew that appearances were important to Jake, and she decided she would do her part to look as good as possible for the dinner and dance. She decided to wear a hunter green long sleeve dress with a heart shaped neckline. It would show a slight amount of cleavage but there was little she could do to help that since she couldn’t change her bust size. She wore the diamond necklace and earrings that Jake had given her and slipped on her hunter green high heeled shoes. She brushed her hair so that it fell in soft curls around her shoulders. She finally decided to pull the sides of it back with a hunter green barrette so that her earrings would show. She examined her reflection. Maybe I am as pretty as Jake claims.

  When she was ready, she went to the den since he spent most of his free time sitting at his desk. He was doing more paperwork. He spends so much time working. When does he take time off to have fun? “Is that more work for the bank?”

  He glanced up. “Yes. I already have some accounts to open.” He wrote something else on his paper and paused. He looked up again.

  “Did I do something wrong?” she asked as she inspected her dress.

  “No. You did everything right,” he whispered.

  She blushed. “I wanted to make you proud to have me as your companion tonight. I know you care about what I look like in public.”

  “I don’t know. I may have gotten myself into trouble. Now you look too good to take anywhere.”

  She smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  He put his pen down. “I’m not going to get any more work done tonight with you looking like that. Are you ready to eat?” He stood up.

  “Yes. Do you feel alright?”

  “I was fine last night. I just wanted to go to bed early.”

  She sighed as she followed him out of the den and into the entry way of the house. “I know my food made you nauseous. My brothers got sick after they ate it one time. I should have warned you not to eat it all. I thought you might take a couple of bites and be done with it.”

  “It wasn’t that bad.”

  “Well, I would still rather not cook anymore. Thankfully, Mr. Blacksmith missed out on having to eat it all.”

  “That’s not the only thing he missed.”

  “Oh, right. Your business meeting.”

  “Something like that. At any rate, he’s now in the past. May I put your coat on?” he asked once they reached the closet.

  She was pleased. “Alright. I must admit I’m still nervous about being in a fancy restaurant.”

  “Why?” He slipped the coat over her shoulders and handed her the hat to go with it.

  “It’s hard to remember all the rules about which fork or spoon to use. I feel like I’m taking an exam I didn’t have time to study for.”

  He grinned at her analogy. “I’ll give you a hint. Start from the outside and work your way in.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s simple enough.”

  “Are you sure you want to return to Luigi’s? There are other places to eat in town.”

  “I wanted to try the lasagna last time but got sidetracked by the ravioli. I suppose all their food is delicious.”

  He slipped on his coat and hat and walked her to Henry’s horse-drawn buggy.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. Mitchell,” he greeted.

  “Good evening, Mr. Reynolds.” She stopped before getting in. “I saw your wife and children at the library today. They said you write children’s poetry.”

  His face turned red. “It’s just a hobby.”

  “According to your wife and children, you’re pretty good. My brother writes short stories and plays. I can understand a writer’s modesty, but I would love to read one of your poems sometime, if that would be acceptable to you.”

  “They are biased in their opinion of my work.”

  “There’s no pressure. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.” She sat in her seat.

  Jake raised an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t know you wrote poetry. If you’re any good, I can talk to a publisher I know.”

  “We shall see, sir.”

  “Understood.” He sat across from her. As soon as Henry moved the horses forward, he said, “You have a way with people, Mrs. Mitchell.”

  She thought it was odd he called her that but decided not to comment on it. “Perhaps I am nosey.”

  “No. His family revealed that information to you. You didn’t eavesdrop to find out. You may not have noticed but he was pleased you mentioned it.”

  She shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. I enjoy reading so it naturally grabbed my attention.”

  “You found something that he was interested in and mentioned it. That is a business tactic I use to build rapport with a customer.”

  “Is your mind always on work?”

  “Not always.” He grinned. “I consider other things.”

  “Like what?”

  “I’ll tell you over dinner.”

  She decided she could wait. She was looking forward to eating at Luigi’s again. After years of eating oatmeal, bean soups, and other mediocre meals, the flavors of Lydia’s cooking and the chefs’ cooking at the restaurant was a treat. When they got to the restaurant, she was surprised to see Jim and Belinda Hawke eating a meal there. She had told Belinda that she and Jake had plans to go to Luigi’s when Belinda stopped by the library with her children, but Sue didn’t imagine for a minute that they would show up. She knew it was wrong to dislike her friend’s husband, but she couldn’t manag
e to be social to him. He disliked her as much as she disliked him. Most likely, we don’t get along since we are both strong-willed. Then she considered that Jake was strong-willed as well and she got along fine with him. Perhaps it was what they were all strong-willed about that made the difference. She was ready to ask Jake if he would mind going somewhere else or back home when the host came to show them to their seat. She breathed a sigh of relief when they went in the opposite direction from where Jim and Belinda sat, for she didn’t wish to have to greet him.

  After they sat down and ordered their meals, Jake turned his attention to her. “Have you ever been to a symphony?”

  “No,” she replied.

  “Would you like to go to one next Friday evening?”

  She blinked in surprise. “But what about the dance?”

  “We’re going tonight. That should be good for a couple of weeks.”

  “My contract says I have to go to the dance every Friday.”

  He shrugged. “So we’ll bend the rules a little bit. Next Friday, I have to spend the day in Richmond. I’ll be taking a train early in the morning so I can get to a meeting with another bank owner by the afternoon. Then my evening is clear and I heard there will be a symphony playing there.”

  “You want me to meet you for the symphony?”

  “Actually, I was going to ask if you can take Friday off and spend it with me. There will be two hours in the afternoon where you’ll be on your own. There’s plenty of things for a woman to do in Richmond. I doubt you’ll get bored. I hear they have a bigger library than what we have here.”

  “I haven’t taken a day off work since I got sick two years ago, so I suppose I could get it off.” She didn’t think her marriage to him would involve such entertainment.

  “You wanted to know what I do for fun. This will give you an idea.” He smiled. “I know I’m mixing in some business.”

  “I notice you blend the two when you can.”

  “At least the dance will be more entertaining with you there.”

  She blushed. She wasn’t used to receiving so many compliments, but she found that she liked them.