Mail Order Wife

by Montana West

  “Ginnie?”

  “Yes, Mary?”

  “Where is your ma?”

  “She is in heaven.”

  “And your pa?”

  “In heaven, with Ma.”

  “Did they die together?”

  “No, Mary.” Virginia shook her head. “Ma died when I was young, and Lizzie looked after me. She is very kind and caring, and just like my ma.” She thought for a while. “I cannot even remember what Mama looked like. Lizzie is the one who has been looking after me all this time.”

  “She is very nice, and I love her,” Abigail said.

  “I also love her,” Mary agreed. “And from today, I will never call her Miss Elizabeth again. I will call her Mama.”

  “Yes, even me.”

  Virginia smiled, as did William who was in the stables and had heard the girls’ conversation.

  When Elizabeth woke up it was dark, and there was a lit candle on the small table in the room. She sat up and frowned, looking around her. She did not remember coming to bed, and this certainly was not Mary’s bed. She realized that she was in Amelia’s room, and for a moment sat in deep thought. Had she been sleepwalking and ended up in this room because her mind had been set on using it? But if she had sleepwalked, shouldn’t she be on top of the covers? She was tucked in nicely, as though someone had put her to bed, and she wondered.

  She slowly got out of bed and stretched. She felt very refreshed, and picking up the candle she went to the kitchen where she found William seated at the table with the two young girls. Virginia was at the stove stirring something.

  “Mama,” Abigail pushed back her chair and ran to Elizabeth. “Are you alright? Pa told us you were not feeling well, and we should not disturb you.”

  Mary also came and hugged Elizabeth. “Yes Ma, we were worried about you.”

  “No need to be.” Elizabeth refused to look at William, afraid that she would see the anger in his eyes. “I was just a little tired.”

  “Girls, let your ma at least rest before you bombard her with your stuff,” she heard William say, and she looked at him quickly. There was a strange expression on his face. He stood up and pulled out a chair for Elizabeth.

  “Ma?”

  “Yes, Abby?”

  “Ginnie is making us fish stew.”

  “Really? Where did the fish come from?”

  “Pa went to the stream and brought back many fishes.”

  “A lot of fish, Abby. Say it. Pa brought back a lot of fish.”

  “Pa brought back a lot of fish,” the little girl said happily. “See, I am learning my lessons very fast. And Ma, Pa has been helping us with our homework today.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes, Ma,” Mary sighed exaggeratedly. “But he does not know how to teach like you, Ma.”

  “Traitor,” William said in mock anger, waving a fist at Mary who giggled, and her sister joined her.

  As usual when supper was over, the family gathered in the sitting room for their devotions. William as usual sat on the porch and listened as they sang and prayed. When they were done he stepped into the room.

  “Miss Elizabeth, may I speak with you?” He stepped back outside and Elizabeth followed him. He waited for her to sit in her usual chair.

  “I just want to say that I am sorry.”

  “That is okay.” She looked at her hands.

  “No, it is not okay. I know how much you have sacrificed to be here, and I should have made things a little easier for you.” William shook his head in self-disgust. “Instead, I have added onto your troubles. Please forgive me.” He came to stand in front of her and then he crouched so he could see her face in the dusky evening. His hands reached for hers, which were on her lap, and he touched her blisters gently. “I am sorry that I have not been a good husband to you, Miss Elizabeth. I will get you some ointment for these painful blisters when I go to town tomorrow.”

  “It is alright. I also want to ask you to forgive me for interfering with Amelia’s things, without your permission.”

  “There is nothing to forgive. I thank you for waking me up to reality.” He stood up again. “It is not easy to forget someone you loved.”

  “Mr. William, no one is asking you to forget Amelia. She will always be a part of your life, especially because of Mary and Abigail. You have those memories, and they are what God gives us when our loved ones leave us. He allows us to have pleasant memories, and remember the good times that we shared, and that helps us face tomorrow, especially when we have the assurance that our loved ones are in heaven with the Lord. We are then sure that we will one day be with them.”

  William did not want to hear anything about God and he decided to change the topic. “Tomorrow, I will put the trunks here in the sitting room, so that you can sort out what can be adjusted to fit the girls, and what can be used for the house.” He sighed. “This is your house now, Miss Elizabeth, and I am sorry that I have not accorded you the respect you deserve as my wife, and as the lady of the house. You are free to make any changes that you want.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The crescent moon cast long shadows and the lone figure rode, casting furtive glances over her shoulder. Virginia hoped no one had heard or seen her leave the house. She was very excited and urged the horse to go faster. She had become skilled at handling Spitfire, and the horse obeyed her every command.

  This was the first time she was leaving the house in the middle of the night, at least here in Missoula. In Boston she had done it all the time and Elizabeth had been none the wiser. She smiled a secret smile.

  The other day while on one of her long rides with Spitfire, she had ridden into Hellgate and had gone to Reveler’s Saloon, a tavern run by a heavily made-up woman who spoke with a French accent. She had slipped in and waited to see if anyone would notice her. The revelers were busy with their drinking and women, and at first no one paid any attention to her.

  But Madam Belle had a keen eye and always noticed strangers amongst her customers. She had spotted Virginia and sent one of her girls to call her.

  “The madam wants to see you,” a girl her own age told Virginia. “Come with me, without a fuss.” Virginia smiled and followed her to a back room. Madam Belle observed the young girl, whose eyes she had noticed lit up when she saw money.

  “This can be an easy prey,” Belle thought.

  “What are you doing here, child?”

  “I sing, and I was wondering if you can give me a job as a singer.”

  “What can you sing?”

  “Everything. Okay, at least a number of songs. You see, in Boston...”

  “Boston? You are from Boston?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Where did you sing in Boston?”

  “At the Wild West Tavern,” Virginia said. “Can I sing for you?”

  “Go ahead.”

  Virginia did a rendition of ‘The Wisconsin Emigrant,’ and because she was so passionate about her singing, the girl did the song with gestures, and when she was done Madam Belle clapped the loudest. This girl would fetch her good money.

  “Honey, when can you start working, or shall I say singing, for Revelers’ Tavern?”

  “I got the job?”

  “Yes indeed.” Madam Belle pulled the girl to her buxom chest and hugged her. “You and me, princess, will make the bucks here in Hellgate. We will make a lot of money every day.”

  Virginia’s face fell. “I am sorry, ma’am. I cannot come every night. I have to help out on the farm, and it gets pretty tiring. But I can come in two nights a week to start, and when my folks get extra help, I can come in every day.”

  Madam Belle swallowed a retort. Let the child come in and get a little money. Her own greed will have her coming back for more. The lure of the good life and good money was too strong for most, and she had seen the way the girl looked at the money that was brought to her.

  “Before you go, can you sing for my guests? I will pay you two dollars.”

  “Two whole dol
lars?” Virginia’s eyes lit up. “Yes, I will sing.”

  And so it was that she was going to sing on the stage tonight: this was her first night. And it turned out to be a huge success because Madam Belle had spread word around that she had fresh blood coming in, and as usual the miners with money to burn came to see what new thing the French madam had for them.

  They unanimously agreed that Virginia had a lovely voice and she kept them entertained with many songs, but when it was almost dawn she had to leave. Madam Belle handed her ten dollars and the girl’s eyes almost popped out.

  “That one is a greedy one,” Madam whispered to one of her girls. “She will soon be discontent with the singing wages and want some more, and when she does, I will be ready. Virgins fetch a very high price, indeed.” The two women smiled slyly at each other.

  When Virginia got home no one had stirred, and she made pretense of having been out running the horse.

  ~~~ *** ~~~

  Elizabeth smiled when she thought about her daughters. These two girls were the children of her heart and she was growing to love them so deeply, and they loved her back. They were very obedient, and what made Elizabeth cry was when Abigail began to grow back her hair and wear dresses like her sister. And Mary had stopped the ritual of placing her mother’s cup on the table during meals and putting it back once the meal was over. They were adjusting to the loss of their mother very nicely, like normal children do.

  Getting Abigail to wear dresses had been a tough war indeed. She would pretend to wear a dress, but when she got to school she would take it off to reveal dungarees. Mary was not a snitch, but she always told her sister that she was sinning against their new mama.

  “Please don’t tell Mama. I don’t want to hurt her, but I hate dresses.”

  “I won’t tell on you because I don’t want to hurt Mama, but I wish you would stop this, Abby.”

  Elizabeth knew that the young girl wore boys’ clothes under her regular school clothes, but she gave her time, and enticement. Elizabeth found beautiful frocks in Amelia’s trunks and she adjusted them to fit the girls. Because William was around a lot in midsummer, Elizabeth did not have so much work to do and devoted the time to beautifying the house.

  She made quilts for all their beds, assisted by the girls. They also made pretty curtains for all the rooms, including William’s. Each day she made a dress each for the girls, including Virginia, and after supper but before they had their devotions, she would have them model the dresses for their father. Slowly, Abigail began loving her dresses. She saw the pretty ribbons that Elizabeth made for Mary’s hair and also desired to keep her hair long. This was a great achievement for Elizabeth, and she was smiling as she put her violin away for the evening.

  “What is making my dear wife smile this evening?” William asked when she joined him on the porch, as the girls prepared for bed.

  “Abby. She is taking to ribbons and dresses like a duck to water.”

  “All thanks to you, Miss Elizabeth.” William touched her cheek gently and Elizabeth was stunned. He had not made such a gesture to her before, and as though he realized what he was doing, he pulled his hand back quickly. “You are a good mother, and I am happy that you came to us, Miss Elizabeth.”

  “And thank you, Mr. William, for giving us a home. I am truly grateful.”

  “Didn’t you have anyone else back in Boston who could have taken care of you after your father died?”

  “No.” Elizabeth shook her head sadly. “Papa was an only child and had no relatives, and Mama’s relatives disowned her when she chose to marry Papa who those English called a commoner, and yet she was betrothed to a lord or baron, something like that. It was a man with a title.”

  “I am sorry.”

  “That is alright. At least we had each other.”

  “Was your papa from England also?”

  “His grandparents were Irish, but Papa was born in Boston.”

  “How did he and your mama meet?”

  “Papa was a businessman, and on one of his travels abroad he met Mama when his hosts in England took him to the opera. For them it was love at first sight, and they had a good marriage for ten years.” Elizabeth sighed. “When Mama died, it was as though the life was snuffed out of Papa. He made bad business deals as a result of being absent-minded, and that is why when he died, we lost everything.” She put her head to her side. “I think he suffered the heart attack because creditors were putting pressure on him, and he had no money.”

  “That is very sad, Miss Elizabeth.”

  “But God has been my strength all through, Mr. William. That is why I have been able to go on. I lost my mama when I was only nine and then my papa just recently, and everything we own. It was easy to give up, but God gave me the strength to go on, and in His divine mercy, He made a way out for us.”

  “Was it that bad?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “I don’t want Virginia to know that I know, but when we were in Boston she began to sneak out of the room where we lived, and one day I followed her and found her singing in a very shady tavern.”

  “What did you do?” William was horrified, imagining all sorts of things.

  “I prayed, and God led me to look for a husband, and that is why I began communicating with you.”

  “But from the time that you first wrote to me, until you were able to come here, was about two and a half months. Did Virginia continue singing in those places?”

  “Not for long. You see, she was struck down by an illness, and the doctor said it was an inflammation of the lungs. She was bedridden for about a month, and even when she got better she was too weak and could not go out. And that was when you sent us the money. As soon as I got the money, I booked our tickets, and we were out of there.”

  “That was very sad. Why would Miss Virginia want to go down that road?”

  “When Papa was still alive, she believed that she would be a famous singer and travel the world. And she was getting ready for her coming out party which would have introduced her to society, and fame, she hoped also. And she hoped to find a rich suitor to finance her dream.”

  “I understand now.”

  “It was a big blow for her when Papa died, and all her dreams died with him. So I really understand what she was going through. I was just glad to get her out of that world. At least here I know she will be okay. This is a lovely place, away from all temptations, and I am hoping that soon she can meet a fine young man and become a wife and mother.”

  “Miss Virginia is welcome to live here with us for as long as she wants, and can, until she finds her own place.”

  “Thank you, Mr. William.”

  “You are welcome, Miss Elizabeth.”

  They sat in silence. “Mr. William, can I ask you something?”

  “Yes, Miss Elizabeth.”

  “That scar, the one on the wrist of your right hand. How did you get it?”

  He chuckled, rubbing the scar. “I tried my hand at cooking, and this was the badge of honor that was bestowed on me for my feeble attempts.”

  “I am sorry.” She hid her smile.

  “Ah! No need to be. It was about a month after Amelia died. We had finished all the food that the parishioners had brought us, and we were hungry. And Kate had gone back to her home, so I tried using that stove. It taught me a lesson I will never forget.”

  Over the days Elizabeth began to feel as though things were changing at home. William had brought his horses back and so spent less time away from home. When he was home, he was so attentive to her, and one time he borrowed Pastor Thomas’ oxen wagon and took the girls to Hellgate for a day out as a treat, and also to pick up some supplies for the ranch. He left them to their own devices and returned a while later carrying a package which he put under the seat, offering no explanation as to what it was.

  When they got back to the ranch he waited until the younger children and Virginia were in bed before he brought out his surprise package. They had maintained their talks on the porch every day afte
r the evening devotions. William still did not join them, but sat on the porch as always, and once they were done with the prayers Elizabeth would join him on the porch, and they would talk for a long time.

  William was pleased with his house. Once again, it was home: the smell of freshly baked breads and pies; his children’s happy laughter; clean clothes; a nice-smelling bed. This was home, and he loved coming home.

  “What is this?” Elizabeth received the package which was nicely wrapped in brown paper. She tried to guess what it was, but could not. It felt hard.

  “Go on, open it.”

  She unwrapped the package and gasped when she saw what was inside. There were two pairs of blue long pants and she knew they would fit her. She had never seen such pants before.

  “What are these, and where did they come from?”

  “These are the new clothes that miners are now wearing. They are called ‘denims’ and they have just come out.”

  “Really? From where?”

  “The shopkeeper said it is a certain German immigrant, who is in California, that we have to thank for these. His name is Levi Strauss. Mark my words, soon every cowboy or frontier woman you meet will be wearing these.” He chuckled. “I intend to get all the girls some of those denims, too. They are good for working around the farm and riding.”

  “Thank you so much.” The tears welled up in her eyes. This was such a kind gesture from William, and she felt like she was losing control over her resolution to keep this as a business arrangement.

  “Hey, those are just working clothes. And besides, I bought them for you because I want to teach you how to ride astride a horse, and none of your clothes are appropriate for that.”

  “I don’t know if I want to learn how to ride astride.”

  “It is important that you do. Sometimes you may want to go to town in a hurry, and that will get you there faster than if you sit side-saddle.”

  “Okay,” she smiled, and his heart almost stopped when her dimples showed. “You are very kind, Mr. William.”

  “And I also need to teach you how to handle a gun. Have you ever held a gun before?” Elizabeth shook her head.