Montana Sky: Mail Order Machinations (Kindle Worlds Novella) (4 page)

“Will we be so isolated that I won’t have a chance to meet men?” Coral asked.

“Not at all. Why, we’re even starting a country school about two miles from my ranch. There will only be about six children attending, but that’s enough that we need a teacher. We built the schoolhouse this summer.”

“Is there a church nearby?” Esther asked.

He shook his head. “No, but the teacher we hired said that he would be happy to preach for Sunday services in the schoolhouse if we’d like.”

“Sounds like we’ll not be as isolated as I expected.”

He laughed. “Oh, we’ll be pretty isolated. There are a few other ranchers in the area, and we’ll all have a chance to get together on occasion. There aren’t a lot of people around though. Don’t expect to have a busy social life.”

Esther was slightly disappointed. She hadn’t expected a busy social life, but she’d certainly hoped for one. It’s what she was used to, and she felt at ease in the middle of a social whirl. What else was she good for?

They were about two hours out of town when Brody pulled the wagon to the side of the dirt road. “I paid Mrs. Norton to make a picnic for us. She always packs more than anybody could ever need, so I’m sure there’s enough for all three of us. Of course, she doesn’t think I paid her.  I told her to give the money to the poor if she didn’t want it, so that’s what she’ll probably do.”

Esther smiled, liking the idea of a picnic lunch. “Sounds lovely.”

Coral looked between the other two, jumping down from the wagon. “I think I’ll go for a walk in the woods. I’ll be back in about ten minutes.”

“Will she be safe?” Esther asked Brody.

“Oh, certainly. As long as she doesn’t go too far off, she shouldn’t run into any hostile animals.”

Esther looked over her shoulder at her sister, who was already halfway to the woods. “Be careful!”

“I will!” Coral called back.

Esther looked back at Brody. “Being Coral, if she runs into something dangerous, she’ll just shimmy her way up a tree, and then she will start dropping acorns on its head in such a way that it will die immediately.”

Brody’s eyes widened. “She sounds self-sufficient.”

Esther shook her head. “In a way you would never believe if I told you. She is a sight to behold. I’m not the best cook, but she’ll help me. By the time she’s ready to marry, I’ll be able to cook a seven course feast with a two-hour notice. She’s been able to do that since she was four.” Esther knew she was exaggerating, but only a little, and it was nice to be able to explain about her sister to a stranger.  Everyone who knew them just stared at Coral in awe.

Brody grinned. “Are you a little jealous of your younger sister?”

Esther put her hand over her chest, trying to look innocent. “Oh, no! I’m a
lot
jealous of my younger sister.”

He laughed. “Good. But let’s be honest, I wouldn’t want someone that perfect. I need someone as flawed as I am.”

“Flaws, I have. If you want someone flawed, you found the right woman.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” He reached into the wagon and took out the picnic basket he’d set back there. “If you grab the quilt, and spread it wherever you want it, I’ll put the picnic basket down.”

Esther reached into the back of the wagon and picked up the quilt that was lying there, folded nicely.  She wondered briefly if he’d folded it himself or someone had done it for him. She carried it to a flat piece of ground. “It’s beautiful here. I’m not sure what I expected, but whatever it was, it was nothing like this. I think I expected to see snow.”

He laughed at that. “Not usually in September. I’ve seen it, but it’s really not common.”

Esther spread out the quilt, sitting on it with her legs crossed, and her skirt arranged nicely around her. “I’m very happy to hear that. I wouldn’t want to be fighting snow all year round.”

Brody set the picnic basket onto the quilt. “I have no idea what she packed for us, but I’m sure it’s good. Mrs. Norton is known to be a fabulous cook.”

Esther dug into the picnic basket, not looking at him as she pulled out fried chicken, baked beans, and potato salad, along with a loaf of bread and some butter.  There was also a jar of lemonade in the basket and three glasses.  “Thank you for being so kind about my sister being with me.  I know that couldn’t have been easy for you.”

He sighed. “It’s not ideal, but I’m not going to turn her out.”

“I should have told you about her before you sent the money for my ticket.”

“Yes, you should have, but you didn’t know me and had no idea how I’d react.  I do understand.  I’d honestly rather not have your younger sister living with us during our first few months of marriage, but I can understand the necessity.”

“She’ll pull her weight.  Knowing Coral, she’ll start her own business, and start paying you rent within a week or two.”

He laughed.  “That really isn’t necessary.” He sat beside her on the quilt, his arm going around her shoulders.  “I just want to have a chance to have time alone with my wife.”

As strange as it felt to allow him to touch her, she knew he had every right—and she liked it.  “I know.  So does Coral.  Why do you think she disappeared?”

He grinned at that.  “I’m glad she did. It gave us a chance to speak openly.  I worry we won’t have any time to be private with one another with her here.”

Catching his meaning, Esther blushed.  “We’ll find a way.  We can go for walks, or send her for walks.  I hope you have a two-bedroom house.”

“I do!  Thank God.  I don’t know what we’d do otherwise.  I’m not going to not make love to you until she’s gone, but I don’t want to be heard by her either.”

“I’m sorry to make it so difficult for you,” she said, her eyes landing on his lips.  She remembered how soft they’d felt on hers during the wedding.  She wanted to ask him to kiss her again, but she wouldn’t be so forward.  She’d been raised better than that.

Brody noticed where her eyes had landed and leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers.  He traced her lips with his tongue, silently asking for entrance. 

Esther parted her lips for him, scooting closer to him on the quilt.  She liked the way he kissed her.  She could feel a burning in her low belly as his tongue slid into her mouth to tangle with hers.

There was a loud cough from behind them as Coral approached.  Esther pulled away, her face red.  “At least she gave us fair warning of her approach.”

He sighed.  “This is what life is going to be like until we get her married off.  She needs to start courting someone this week.  Maybe I’ll auction her off to my men,” he said, winking to let her know he was joking.

“You should have them all submit husband proposals, kind of like a mail order bride letter.  She can choose between the letters and get to know them based on which she likes the best.”

He laughed. “Maybe I’ll do that.  We’ll see how long it takes before the men start buzzing around her.”

Coral collapsed onto the quilt, taking the plate that Esther offered her.  “I hope you’re hungry, because we have enough to feed a family of ten!” Esther told her.

“Starving!  The last thing I ate was a sandwich right before we went to sleep last night.” Coral didn’t wait as she took a big bite of her chicken.

“What made you decide to be a mail order bride?” Brody asked Esther.

Esther choked, taking a big drink of her lemonade.  “I’m not sure you’re ready to hear that story.”

He looked back and forth between the two sister.  “Now I know that I need to hear it.  What happened?”

“Well, we were raised in an affluent household in a medium-sized town in Massachusetts.  We were happy there.  I met a boy in school, and we courted, and he asked me to marry him as soon as we graduated.”

Brody nodded.  She’d told him she was engaged earlier.

“Well, I was out shopping about six weeks ago, and when I got home, I found Coral and our mother in the parlor.  Mother was crying, and she told me to take back everything I’d purchased, because we couldn’t afford it.  It took a few questions before the whole story came out.”  Esther took a bite of her chicken, thinking about the best way to tell the rest of the story.  “The police had come and arrested Father that day.  He was caught embezzling money from the bank he worked in.  The one he’d worked in for as long as I could remember.  The owner of the bank was my fiancé’s father.”

His eyes widened.  His new bride, the sweet innocent woman looking at him with wide brown eyes, was the daughter of a felon? 

“There was a letter from Jeremiah waiting for me, telling me he wanted nothing more to do with me, and that I should leave town to avoid embarrassment for both of us.  Mother was on her way to go live with her parents, because she couldn’t deal with the embarrassment. Coral told me about a mail order bride agency right there in town, so I went and talked to the matchmaker.  I sent you a letter that very night.”  She daintily wiped her mouth as she finished her story, taking a quick sip of her lemonade.  She hadn’t planned to tell him quite so soon, but she was glad the story was out.

Brody shook his head, having a hard time believing it all.  “And your grandparents didn’t want you and your sister?”

Coral answered that question.  “They always hated our father, so they were never exactly fond of us.  They took Mother back, because she’s a recluse, but we’re not exactly the grandchildren they always wanted.”

“That’s really sad.” He reached out and took Esther’s hand in his.  “Your grandparents are missing out on two very sweet young ladies.”

“I think so,” Coral said as she took a big bite of her chicken.  “I could have helped Grandfather with his business, but he’s too old-fashioned for that.  He’d have been fine with me going off to be a seamstress, but he never would have let me keep the books.”

Brody gaped at her.  He’d rarely met a female who admitted to being good at keeping books.  “Are you skilled at math then?”

Coral shrugged.  “I’m skilled at everything.”  She obviously didn’t say it to brag.  She really must be skilled at everything.  “Except music.  I have a tin ear.”

“Well, that’s something at least.  I’m happy to hear you’re not good at everything.”

“Why?” Coral asked.  “I like being good at things.”

“I hear you’re an excellent cook and will be helping Esther learn to cook better,” he said, looking for a more comfortable subject.

“Yes, I’ll help her. She’s not a terrible cook now.  Why, she learned a lot about making decent meals while we lived with Elizabeth Miller.”

“The matchmaker?  You lived with her?”

“We had nowhere else to go after Father was arrested.  The bank sent men to take all of our things.  We were allowed to take our clothes, but nothing else,” Esther told him softly.

He understood better then.  “And Miss Miller let you live with her free of charge?”

Esther shrugged.  “I think she would have, but Coral organized her business papers while we were there.  And everything else.”  Coral couldn’t stand to see anything in disarray.  She’d not only filed all of Elizabeth’s papers during their month with the matchmaker, she’d also alphabetized her books and reorganized the kitchen cabinets.  Even her drawers had been rearranged in a way that made sense to Coral.

“Well, I’m glad you were able to earn your keep.  I was starting to wonder if I should send her a bit more money for your room and board.”

Coral shook her head.  “No need.  We definitely earned our keep.  While we were there one of the maids had a baby, so we did some of the housework, and Esther helped with the cooking as well.  We worked during that time.  Not that she wasn’t incredibly kind to allow us to live there, because she was.”

Brody wasn’t certain how to respond to that, so he didn’t.  He found Coral a bit intimidating.  He was glad he’d gotten the soft-spoken sister and not the know-it-all.

Twenty minutes later, they were back on the road and headed toward the ranch.  They would need to travel at least another four hours before they could stop for the night.  There was a small shelter at that point where they could stay the night.  If it was just him, he wouldn’t mind sleeping out in the open or under the wagon, but with two women to look out for, it would be better if they got to the shelter.

There was only one large room, and he hoped he would be able to find a way to at least sleep with his new bride in his arms, even if he wasn’t allowed to have relations with her yet.  Well, allowed wasn’t the right word.  If he couldn’t find a way with her younger sister right there.

He sighed.  It would be best if he waited for that until he was at home on his ranch anyway.  His sweet bride deserved a good bed for her wedding night. 

The sisters talked to one another as they drove, and he enjoyed observing them.  Listening to them, it sounded as if Coral was the elder, but every once in a while, she would say something, so utterly naïve that he’d realize she really was younger.  The women had an odd relationship, and he was glad to observe it.

“What’s your favorite food?” Esther asked him, surprising him by suddenly including him in the conversation.

“Mine? Pot roast,” he told her.

Esther frowned.  “I haven’t made a pot roast yet.  I’ll make sure that’s something Coral teaches me to cook before she marries.”

“You talk as if her marrying very soon is a given.”

Esther shrugged.  “I’ve never seen Coral put her mind to anything that didn’t happen as soon as she wanted it to.  I’ll be shocked if she doesn’t marry within a week of her eighteenth birthday.”

“Why are you so determined to wait until you’re eighteen to marry?” he asked Coral.

Coral shrugged.  “Elizabeth Miller wouldn’t let a girl go off to be a mail order bride until she turned eighteen.  I’ve always thought many girls marry much too young, so I’ve adopted the age Elizabeth uses.  It sounds like it’s a good one to me.”

“I see,” he said, but really he didn’t.  His sisters had all married before they turned sixteen.  “Eighteen is practically an old maid in Ireland.”

Coral made a face.  “I’m glad I don’t live in Ireland then.  I think women should be allowed to grow and learn things before they start pushing out babies.”