An Inconvenient Marriage

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “Flowers?” Again, it was another story about flowers. She was beginning to get annoyed. “Mr. Tanner, I don’t know what is going on but the floral delivery person is messing up your order. I don’t know where the other Sue Mitchell is in this town but you really need to have a discussion with the florist about this.” She turned to Henry and shrugged. “It’s been nonstop about flowers.”

  “You’re the woman I sent them to,” Mr. Tanner replied. “I am dismayed they didn’t get to you.”

  Now she was more baffled than ever. “Why would you send me flowers? I don’t even know you.”

  “I know we haven’t officially met, which is why I wanted to introduce myself. I was hoping the flowers would help break the ice.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to talk to Mr. Mitchell about opening a banking account than to go through me? I don’t mind helping him but this is getting downright annoying.”

  Henry coughed.

  She glanced at him. Was he trying not to laugh? She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jake walking towards them. “There is Mr. Mitchell. You may talk to him in person. Really, he is not as intimidating as he initially appears.”

  Henry was struggling not to smile as he opened the buggy door for her.

  “Is there something humorous?” she asked him.

  “Yes but I’m not at liberty to say. It involves Mr. Tanner’s facial expression.”

  She looked out the window and saw Jake greet Mr. Tanner. Mr. Tanner didn’t seem unusually funny. He seemed rather pleasant as he talked to Jake. Jake nodded his head in the other direction and he and Tanner walked far enough from the buggy so she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She shrugged. Whatever Mr. Tanner wanted, he was getting the help he needed so she didn’t need to concern herself with such matters anymore.

  While she was waiting for Jake, she decided to read one of Henry’s poems. She smiled as she read it. She had time to read another one before Henry told her Jake was coming. “Let him read them,” she told Henry. “These really capture the essence of childhood.”

  “You mean it?” He looked pleased.

  She nodded. “I’ve read many poems and these are good.”

  “Alright. You can hand them to him.” He opened the door to let Jake into the buggy.

  She was surprised when Jake sat next to her. She liked being close to him. “So did you take care of business with Mr. Tanner?”

  He glanced at her and smiled. “Yes. As a matter of fact, I did.”

  Henry urged the horse forward.

  “Have you gotten any flowers at the house?” she wondered.

  “The ones from Donald Cline?”

  “No. Flowers from some of the bachelors in this town. I don’t know why but suddenly all these men are coming up to me and asking me if I got the flowers they sent. I told them that if they want to speak with you about your bank, then they need to go to you directly. I don’t understand why they feel the need to go through me first.”

  He chuckled. “You are doing everything you can to send business my way, aren’t you?”

  “Of course. I don’t see why that’s so funny.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. “It’s not funny. It’s wonderful you do that for me.”

  She blushed. Whenever he touches me, I feel like a school girl with her beau. She cleared her throat. “Henry has agreed to let you read some of his poetry. They are excellent in style and presentation.”

  He put his arm back to his side and took the paper she offered him.

  She read three other poems and handed him the other sheet.

  “I’ll have to tell the publisher I know about these,” he commented. “I don’t make it a habit to read children’s poetry, but I recognize talent when I see it.” He shook his head. “All these years I knew Henry and I had no idea he could write.”

  “Did Jeremiah and Gloria stop by to see you?”

  “They did and we have been invited to the farm next weekend.”

  “You plan to go back after the Rocky Mountain oysters and being thrown off of Bossy?”

  He grinned mischievously. “Oh, I’m going back. Caviar isn’t the only thing I can give them.”

  She didn’t hide her amusement. “What are you planning?”

  “That’s for me to know and you to find out. I don’t want you to take any of the blame.”

  “How protective of you.”

  “I do what I can.”

  ***

  Sue packed her suitcase in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see a theatrical play or New York City. She was already dressed and ready to go to the train station before anyone else was up on Friday morning. She decided to sit in the den and read Much Ado About Nothing. She planned to read most of it on the train so it would be fresh in her mind when she saw it that evening. A half hour after she began reading, the doorbell chimed. She wondered who would come by so early but decided to answer it.

  A young man was at the door with a large envelope. “Sorry to disturb you this time of morning, ma’am. Mr. Barnett said this was urgent.”

  She signed the slip saying she received it and thanked the young man. She shut the door and wondered what could be so important that Mr. Barnett would write, “Jake, read this as soon as you get it. Your life may depend on it.” She frowned. She was tempted to open it to find out what was in it but knew it wasn’t right to go through Jake’s things without his permission, so she took it to the den and put it on his desk.

  She tried to get back into the book but her eyes kept drifting to the large envelope. She was relieved when Jake walked into the den. She jumped out of the chair and followed him to his desk. “You got something from Mr. Barnett.”

  He hadn’t expected her to be there, so he jerked when he heard her voice.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said.

  He smiled at her. “Good morning, Sue. What came for me?”

  “An envelope from Mr. Barnett.”

  He picked up the envelope and took it to the painting of the Roman Coliseum. He moved the painting aside and opened the safe.

  “Aren’t you going to open it?” She couldn’t hide her shock that he would dismiss the lawyer’s warnings.

  “I’ll open it later.” He shoved it into the safe and closed the door.

  “But it says it’s important. He even wrote that it might be a matter of life or death.”

  He put the painting back in place and shrugged. “It has something to do with my father, and I seriously doubt it’s that crucial. It can wait. I’d rather enjoy my weekend.”

  She hesitated to say anything but decided to speak. “Mr. Barnett does not strike me as the kind of person who would carelessly write that kind of message on the envelope. If there is something that important, I would feel better if you dealt with it now rather than later.”

  “We’re going to New York for the weekend. Whatever it is, it can wait until we get back.”

  She sighed and nodded. She knew she wouldn’t be able to talk him into reading it if he didn’t want to. She also knew she wouldn’t be able to read the book, so she picked it up and walked out of the room.

  Jake ran up to her. “Sue, you’re not mad, are you?”

  “No. You’re an adult. I’m just worried, that’s all.”

  He looked pleased. “You do care about me.”

  “Of course, I do. You’re a good man.”

  “I will open it when I get back. I promise. I don’t think anything is going to happen to me in New York. If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen here.”

  That was probably true. “That does make me feel better.”

  “You never cease to amaze me. So let’s enjoy this weekend. Alright?”

  “Alright.”

  After they ate breakfast, they boarded the train. She was still thrilled to ride the rails. He let her sit by the window so she could enjoy the scenery. She held the book in her hands but watching the passing landscape was more exciting. Meanwhile, he read the newspaper. It was
nice to sit next to him without the need to say anything. She hated to admit how much she was enjoying his company. She didn’t want to think of what was going to happen in May.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” he said.

  She blinked and turned from the window. “What?”

  “I said, ‘Penny for your thoughts.’”

  “Oh, I was just looking at the landscape.”

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful and peaceful. The snow makes the trees sparkle this time of year.”

  He glanced out the window. “Yes, it does. I hardly take time to notice such things anymore. I got so used to traveling, I don’t appreciate it as much as I should. It’s a good thing you’re here to remind of such things.”

  “I am enjoying this experience. It’s all new and exciting. Thank you for taking me to see the play. It will be fun to watch Shakespeare on stage.”

  “That’s just tonight. Tomorrow I want to take you to see the Statue of Liberty and the nation’s capitol in D.C.”

  “So that’s why we’re not coming back until Sunday.”

  “I told you I wanted to surprise you. I figure it will be fun to check those other things out. I haven’t been to either one so we can both experience it for the first time.”

  “I’m glad that we can share something new together.”

  “I’m sure we’ll have other experiences we can share for the first time. This is just the beginning.”

  She wondered about his comment but chose not to ask about it. She wanted to enjoy the weekend.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jake enjoyed the weekend more than he had enjoyed any of his past trips to New York. On Friday, after Sue checked into her hotel room, he checked into his and ordered six red roses, a box of chocolates and a light floral perfume to be sent to her room. Ever since he saw how happy she was to receive flowers from Donald Cline, he thought she might like receiving similar gifts from him. When he went to her room to take her to dinner before the play, she was more delighted with his gifts than he hoped she would be. She’s definitely not hard to please. He liked that about her. During dinner, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She wore a red dress and the diamond necklace and earrings he had given her. He marveled that she could be content to wear the same jewelry all the time. It was nice to enjoy her without worrying about other men trying to grab her attention.

  During the play, he had more fun watching her than he did the performance. Her excitement was infectious and at one point, he caught her mouthing the words to the play. She was so caught up in the play that she didn’t notice that he was staring at her with the same intensity she stared at the actors. She had so much to offer a man and she didn’t even know it. Sue, where have you been all my life?

  The next day, they took the tour of the Statue of Liberty before heading to D.C.

  When they looked out over the water that brought the immigrants to the United States, he said, “That water will take you to Europe. There’s a world out there waiting for you to explore.” He noted her pleasure at the thought.

  He found that traveling was indeed more rewarding with her to share the experience with, and he was reluctant to go home on Sunday. On the train ride back, they discussed the things they saw and what they thought of the trip.

  “I’m glad you took me,” she said. “Now when I read Shakespeare, it will come more alive to me.”

  “I’m glad you came along. You’re good company.”

  “So are you, though I never would have expected it when we first met.”

  He chuckled. “Thank goodness first impressions can be wrong.” He paused. “Don’t you think Sue Mitchell sounds better than Sue Lewis?”

  She blinked. “I hadn’t considered it.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe it’s time you did.”

  One of the train employees walked up to them. “Would you like today’s newspaper, sir?”

  He nodded and paid the fee for it.

  “You read the paper a lot,” she noted.

  “I like to find out what’s going on in the world.”

  “While you do that, I’m going to finish Much Ado About Nothing. It’ll be nice to read it after seeing the play.”

  “Before you get too involved in the book, I wanted to ask you if you would like to leave Friday afternoon so we can get to your family’s farm by the night. I have some things to take care of Monday morning, so I can only stay for the weekend this time.”

  “What about the Friday night dances? I did sign a contract promising I would go to each one and I already missed two in a row.”

  “I decided you were right. Sometimes it’s good to forget about business.”

  “I might have to mark this day on my calendar. You actually said I was right about something.”

  “You should. Who knows when I’ll admit it again?”

  She smiled and turned to the book.

  He turned his attention to the newspaper.

  ***

  That night after they had unpacked and Sue went to bed, he decided to open his safe and pull out the envelope Mr. Barnett had sent him. He was sure that whatever was in it, it pertained to his father. He couldn’t imagine that his life was in any danger, but Sue seemed to be concerned so he sat at his desk and opened it. He emptied the contents. It seemed to be mostly old letters, though he saw a couple of pictures. He sighed. He really didn’t like to go through anything that had to do with his father. He had forgiven the man but didn’t want to dwell on him. It seemed that circumstances would not permit him to leave the past where it belonged. He just wanted to focus on the present and look forward to the future.

  He didn’t know where to start so he picked up a picture. He recognized the picture of him as a child. He was five and sitting with his mother. There was another picture of him when he was seven sitting with his father. Why is this important? He picked a letter at random and unfolded it. It was yellow with the years that had passed. He gritted his teeth in aggravation. So his father kept a letter he had written when he was eleven asking for his father to come home. The more I look through this, the more annoyed I get. It took me years to forgive him, and all this does is open old wounds. Lord, I know I promised Sue I would go through all of this when we got back, but I can’t do this in one sitting. It’s going to take me awhile to sort through this garbage. He threw the contents back into the envelope and shoved it into the safe.

  He didn’t understand Mr. Barnett. Was the lawyer eager for Jake to think kindly of his father? So what if he kept pictures and letters from his wife and child? That didn’t exactly motivate Jake to suddenly make his father a hero. It only irritated him.

  The next morning, he was in a foul mood.

  “Jake, what’s wrong?” Sue asked during breakfast.

  “I opened that envelope from Mr. Barnett,” he grumbled. “I don’t know what Mr. Barnett is trying to accomplish by sending me pictures and letters my father kept from my childhood.”

  “Were those the only items in the envelope?” She looked as bewildered as Jake had felt when he first saw the contents.

  “I didn’t have the stomach to go through everything. I’ll have to sort through it a little at a time.”

  She sighed. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so pushy. I really thought if Mr. Barnett said it was urgent, then it had to be important.”

  “Importance is a matter of perspective.”

  She put her hand on his arm, startling him. “It’s none of my business what happened with your father, but whatever he did, you managed to get over it and become a respectable man. I am a firm believer that circumstances don’t control us. We can rise above them.”

  Just when he thought she couldn’t impress him more than she already had, she found another way to do so.

  She glanced at the clock and sighed. “I better go to work. I promised Mrs. Walker I’d come in early to set up the new display we discussed on Thursday. I stole the idea from the Richmond library. But don’t tell anyone.”

 
; He grinned. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I hope you can have a good day.”

  He pleasantly noticed that she wore the perfume he had bought her. She smelled and looked very much like a woman. She didn’t need frilly dresses or fancy hairstyles to accomplish the effect she was having on him. She simply had to be herself.

  He left the house in a better mood. He walked into the bank with a smile on his face. Justin glanced up from his desk and called out from his office, “Have a good weekend?”

  Jake walked over to Justin’s office. He leaned against the doorframe. “As a matter of fact, I did. I finally got to see the Statue of Liberty and the nation’s capitol.”

  “Is that all you did?”

  “You know I always take in a play when I’m in New York.”

  “I noticed that Sue went with you. You never look that happy after returning from New York when you go alone. I told you that you would have more fun if you took her with you.”

  Jake wasn’t comfortable discussing his personal business, so he simply shrugged. “That part was fine too.”

  “When are you going to admit you love her?”

  “I don’t fall in love, Justin. She’s a good friend.”

  Justin raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see.”

  Jake shook his head and walked to his office. He wasn’t going to admit anything to Justin. To his surprise, Justin followed him to his office. “Look, Justin, we didn’t do anything but go to the play, eat and sightsee. Are you satisfied?” He tried to hide his annoyance at his friend’s persistence.

  “No, it’s not that,” Justin said. “We need to talk.”

  By the tone in Justin’s voice, Jake knew it was serious. He nodded and motioned for him to sit in the chair. He shut his office door and sat behind his desk. Leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his hands folded together, he asked, “What is it?”

  “I saw Daniel Riley talking to George at the dance last Friday. Something tells me that they’re working on something that involves you.”

  Jake’s improved mood took a nosedive. “Daniel Riley intends to come to my house this Wednesday to discuss my ‘business arrangement’ with Sue. Henry said that he was behaving improperly towards Sue in the library.”