Montana Sky: Mail Order Machinations (Kindle Worlds Novella) (6 page)

Brody sighed.  He could already see that while his new wife was almost perfect for him, his new sister-in-law was going to make him crazy. 

When they got back to the shelter, Brody offered to sleep on the floor while Esther and Coral took the bed.  In a way, Esther was relieved, because she would feel funny sleeping with her new husband with her sister watching, but in a way, she was disappointed. She liked being close to him already. 

Brody stepped outside while the two ladies got ready for bed and crawled between the sheets.  While they waited for him to return, Coral asked, “You like him, don’t you?”

Esther blushed but nodded.  “So much more than I’d thought I would. And he doesn’t mind you staying with us either.” 
Mostly, he didn’t mind anyway
.

“I know I’m going to be in the way.  You don’t have to lie.  I’ll do my best to find a man as quickly as I can.  No one here knows my reputation, and I think that will help.”

Esther giggled at that.  “You make it sound like you have a reputation for being a wicked woman.”

“Well, we both know it’s not that.  I just—I need to find a way to control my urges to always show how smart I am.  The boys in school were intimidated by me.  Most people I’ve ever met have been.”  Coral sighed.  “I need to find myself a man who is either so brilliant, he outshines me in every way, or one so simple, he doesn’t realize how smart I am.  Men just don’t seem to like smart women.”

Esther frowned at that.  She’d had no idea her sister was insecure about her ability to catch a man.  She knew that both Jeremiah and Brody were intimidated by her though.  Why wouldn’t a man look at her and think about ways she could enhance his life?  Instead of feeling like they were less because of Coral’s abilities.

“I wish I knew what to tell you.  I certainly don’t think you can hide who you are for long.”

Coral shook her head.  “I shouldn’t have to.  I suppose men might be different in Montana, but we’ll see.”

The door opened, effectively ending their conversation.  Brody looked at the two women lying in the bed, and wished he could be the one beside his new bride instead of her sister. There was always tomorrow.

*****

They arrived at Brody’s ranch in the middle of the next day.  Brody helped each of the women down and opened the front door for them.  “It’ll be time for supper in a couple of hours. You two get to work on that and settling in, and I’ll go check on my men.  I’ll see you at supper.”  He dipped his head to kiss Esther’s pretty lips before turning back to his horses.  He was immediately in work mode.

Esther went into the house first, having no idea what she’d find there.  It was more what she would call a cabin than a house, with two small bedrooms close beside one another and a fair-sized room that served as kitchen, dining room, and parlor all at once.

Esther closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of the beautiful home they’d been raised in. She would get used to living this way. She had to.

Coral pushed up her sleeves and walked to the kitchen, clearing the dirty dishes from the table.  As soon as Esther saw her sister get to work, she realized what a mess the house was in.  She hadn’t been able to see past the tiny house and lack of nice furnishings.

Esther was thankful to see a water pump in the kitchen so she wouldn’t have to walk out to the well every time she needed water.  It would be especially handy in the winter months. Together they cleaned what was obviously days’ worth of dirty dishes and pots and pans. As soon as they were done, Coral found the entrance to the cellar, scouting out the food situation, while Esther swept the kitchen floor.

Esther continued through the small house, changing sheets and gathering dirty clothes, while Coral sorted out the food for supper.  By the time Coral had made a simple stew out of the salt pork, potatoes and carrots she found in the cellar, Esther had the house looking like it merely needed a good cleaning, rather than like an army of very slovenly elves had resided there.

*****

Brody had five employees working for him, helping around the ranch, and he rode out to check on the work they’d done in his absence.  It appeared the fence had been completed, and the herd had been moved into their new pasture. He was thankful his foreman had worked so hard to keep the other men on task.

He found all five men doing another round of fence inspection around the herd.  He rode up to Jasper Eaton, one of his most trusted men. “How’d things go while I was gone?” he asked, staring out at the cattle.

“Seems like some of the herd have escaped since we built the fence.  We’re working on making sure there are no holes.” 

“That sounds good.  Tell me, have you thought about marriage? My new wife’s sister came with her, and I’d love for you to meet her.”

Jasper shook his head.  “No, thank you.”  He didn’t meet Brody’s eyes. 

“Why not?  You have something against marriage?” Brody realized he’d never spoken to the man about his future plans before.

“I’m not fit to marry.”

“Don’t say that.  Of course, you are.” Jasper’s mother had been a lady of the evening, and he’d always felt inferior as a result.

Instead of responding, Jasper rode away, choosing a section of fence that still needed to be gone over.

Brody frowned after him. 
How can I convince the man he’s just as good as everyone else? He doesn’t need to spend his whole life paying for his mother’s mistakes.

He moved on to the next man and then the next, carefully explaining the situation to all of them.  Jasper was the only one who didn’t want to get to know Coral better. Maybe the others were nervous about courting the boss’s sister-in-law, but they knew the scarcity of women in the area, and were willing to work through it.

He decided to have a different man for dinner every night that week.  It was Tuesday, so he’d have guests Wednesday through Saturday evenings, and hopefully one of the men would be perfect for Coral. 

When he entered the house a few hours later, he saw his wife and new sister-in-law working together to put supper on the table.  Coral was standing at the stove, a long wooden spoon in her hand, while Esther hurried around setting the table.  She’d picked some flowers and put them into a glass in the center of the table in an attempt to pretty up the place. 

As soon as he saw it, he felt guilty.  He should have made more of an effort to make the house welcoming for his new bride. He hurried to her side, pressing a kiss to her cheek.  “Did you find everything you needed?”

Esther nodded, tired from the hard work they’d put in that afternoon. She wasn’t used to the kind of work she’d be doing as a ranch wife, but she wouldn’t complain.  It was her job to keep the house while he kept the ranch going.  “Yes.  Coral cooked this evening, but we’re going to have to go for supplies soon. Coral can make a meal appear out of what looks like nothing to me.  I don’t have her skills.”

He frowned at that. He didn’t like her comparing herself unfavorably to her younger sister.  “You’ll learn.”

“I will. In the meantime, I’ll need to get some more supplies.”

He sighed.  He had just taken four days off to go get her, and he should have gotten supplies while they were in town.  It hadn’t seemed to matter once he saw her though.  Now he was going to have to take another full day off to take the women into Morgan’s Crossing.  He looked between them.  “How long can we last with what we have?”

Coral shrugged.  “Probably two or three days if I get really creative.  If you want meals that you’ll really enjoy, we can make it through breakfast tomorrow.”

He was torn.  He was finally going to be able to eat decent meals, because he had a wife, but he didn’t have the supplies she needed to cook for them.  He really needed to work, though.  Of course, the men would start coming one by one the following night, and if Coral cooked as well as it smelled like she did, she’d be married on her eighteenth birthday.

“We’ll go in the morning, then.  I’ll want to start as soon as the sun is up.”  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll need to have someone milk the cow for me in the morning.  Can dinner wait ten minutes?”

Esther looked at Coral, who nodded.  “Yes, of course.”

“Let me go talk to Jasper then.  He’ll take care of it.”

As soon as he’d disappeared out the door, Esther glared at Coral.  “You could have been nicer about the lack of supplies.”

“Why?  A truth is a truth.  Why should I sugarcoat it?”

“Because it’s kind. You’re smart, Coral. Why can’t you show compassion when you talk to people?”

Coral frowned.  “I do show compassion.  All the time!”

“You’re too blunt.” Esther put the biscuits into a bowl and covered them with a towel, before putting them on the table. 

“I don’t know how to be any other way!”

Esther eyed her sister for a moment.  “You were always so smart; Mother didn’t feel the need to drill manners and being a lady into you like she did me.  She obviously thought you would learn on your own.  Maybe you can learn something from me.”

Coral made a face but finally nodded.  “All right.  I’ll do my best to learn from you.”

After supper, Esther and Brody went for a long walk.  Walking along the ranch, he told her about his property and the men who worked for him.  “I’ve invited the men to come for supper to meet Coral. They’ll start coming tomorrow night, and there are four who will come every night through Saturday.”

“I thought you said five men worked for you?”

Brody sighed.  “The fifth man doesn’t think he’s good enough to marry.”

“Not good enough to marry?  Does he realize she’s the daughter of a man who will spend the rest of his days behind bars for embezzling?”

“I didn’t share my wife’s business with my employees,” he said stiffly.

“Are you embarrassed of me?” Esther asked, her eyes wide at the prospect. 

“Of course not.  I just don’t think it’s something you’ll want advertised,” he said, avoiding eye contact with her.

She bit her lip, hating that he was ashamed of her past.  She’d been raised in one of the most affluent families in her hometown, and now she was almost a pariah.  The same things that had happened back home were being repeated here. “I see.” She wanted to turn away from him and run back to the house, burying herself in her bed to cry, but she was stronger than that.  Instead she continued to walk with him, acting as if nothing was happening.

“My men seemed excited at the prospect of meeting an eligible young lady.”

“Maybe Coral will marry soon then.” Suddenly, Esther didn’t want her sister to go.  She wanted her to stay with them forever.  Only Coral knew how she felt about their family’s shame.

“That’s what you want, isn’t it?” he asked, surprised that she was acting strangely.  Now they were home, on his ranch, she seemed to be a different woman.  Was she not really the warm affectionate woman he’d gotten to know on their trip home?

She nodded.  “It’s what I want, of course.  I want Coral to be happy.  But she’s my sister, and the only person I feel like I know well in the whole territory.  I guess it seems strange to have her go and live with someone else.”

“I can understand that.”  To some extent he could.  But he wished she would rely on him and not on her sister. 

As they walked, she grew more and more nervous about what their night would entail.  She certainly didn’t want her sister to hear anything. Finally, she decided she simply needed to talk to him about the problem and get it out in the open. “I’m not sure if I can go through with the wedding night,” she told him, her voice a mere whisper.

“Why not?” he asked, stopping and turning to her. He did his best not to get angry, but he didn’t know how to stop it.

“Coral will be right in the next room.”

“So, we’ll be quiet.”

She shook her head.  “I would be too self-conscious.”

He closed his eyes, letting the disappointment wash over him.  “So you’re not going to be willing to consummate our marriage until your sister marries and moves out? I could demand my husbandly rights.”

Esther met his eyes, her own sad.  “You could. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to forgive you, but you could.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, nodding abruptly. “Hopefully, one of my men will want to court her.”

“I hope so too. I’m not trying to be difficult, but I don’t think I could—you know.”

“I understand.”  He took her hand and led her back toward the house. “We’ll just get her married off as soon as we can.”

Esther nodded.  She was so happy he understood.  “Now we’ll have some time to court as well.”

Just what I always wanted.  I get to court my wife while her sister watches.

*****

When Esther woke the next morning, she rolled out of bed quickly, wanting to make breakfast for her husband before their first full day in their home together.  She woke Coral before heading out of the smaller bedroom they shared. 

She was thankful she had made the decision not to consummate their marriage, because she'd heard every sound Brody had made through the night, from tossing and turning to snoring.  No, her sister didn't need to hear them, and she didn't need to worry about her sister hearing them!

She started a fire in the stove while Coral went out to collect the eggs that had been laid.  She'd decided to make pancakes, because it was something she'd made a few times back in Elizabeth's home, and they'd always turned out well.  She needed the first meal she cooked for Brody to be perfect.

She carefully cut off slices of bacon and cooked them while she mixed the batter for the pancakes.  Hopefully Brody enjoyed pancakes and bacon.  She hated that she didn't know his tastes any better than she did.

Brody wandered out into the main area while she was pouring the pancake batter into the pan, making four circles—or trying to anyway.  Her circles looked more like deformed bugs than anything else.  No matter.  They would taste good.

Brody put his arms around her from behind, pulling her back against him and kissing her ear.  "Are we alone in the house?" His voice was deep and raspy from sleep, and she felt a tingle of energy shoot through her at his words.

"Only for as long as it takes Coral to gather eggs, so not for long!"

"Long enough," he muttered, turning her in his arms and pressing his lips to hers. 

She lost herself in his kiss for a moment, before remembering breakfast.  "You're going to make me burn the pancakes!  Behave yourself." She hurriedly turned and flipped the pancakes, making a bit of a mess in the pan. 
Oh I should have let Coral do this!  I'm so inept!

Coral came into the house then, setting the basket of eggs on the work table.

Brody was angry just seeing his new sister-in-law, even though he knew his feelings were ridiculous.  "I'll be back." He was out of the house before Esther could respond to him.

"Am I causing problems between you?" Coral asked bluntly.  "I hate the idea of you two not getting along because of me."

Esther sighed.  "You're not really causing problems exactly.  It's just that this house is so small I worry that we'll be too loud if we—consummate."

Coral's eyes widened.  "I can understand that.  What can we do?  I don't want to come between you!"

"We need to find you a husband.  As soon as we can.  I think if we're planning a wedding for your birthday, he'll feel better about our future."  Esther hated to put that kind of pressure on her sister, but she wasn't sure her marriage could last if she didn't.  This was not a good way to start a marriage at all.  Why hadn't she realized that before they left Massachusetts?

Coral frowned.  "You said he was bringing in his men to meet me for dinners this week?"

Esther nodded.  "He is.  Every night a different man."

"Why don't I plan to make dessert every night then?  I know you want to cook for Brody, and I think you still need a little instruction. And my cooking can be shown off as well."

Esther took the second set of pancakes and set them on another plate.  "That's probably a good idea."

"I know I'm an excellent baker, and maybe the men will be more interested in me because of that."

"I hope so." 

*****

After their trip to town, Brody immediately rode out to work with his men.  Esther and Coral worked together in the kitchen with Coral giving pointers wherever Esther needed them.  Once everything was started, Coral turned to Esther. 

"It's time for you to learn something new.  Laundry."

Esther made a face.  It was bad enough she was doing dishes, scraping off other people's leftover food.  Laundry?  Actually putting her hands on clothing that others had worn and soiled?

"Do I need to learn
today
?"

Coral frowned.  "It can wait until tomorrow.  We don't have time for everything to dry after going to town today anyway.  Today we'll wash the windows."

"Windows?  Doesn't the rain wash them?"

Coral shook her head at her sister.  "Not well enough.  You want your house to look pretty and well-kept, right?"

"I want a maid to do that part for me."

"You don't have one here." Coral's voice was free of emotion. "I know you thought you'd spend the rest of your life being pampered, but it's not happening.  You need to learn to do for yourself."

"All right.  Show me how to wash windows."  Esther was resigned.  If she couldn't have a maid, no one would know it by looking at her house.  As much as she hated it, it was her responsibility, and she had never been one to shirk.

When Brody came in for supper two hours later, the windows shone brightly.  There was a fresh bouquet of flowers in the center of the table in a new vase Esther had purchased with the little bit of money she had left from the sale of her engagement ring. 

He looked around and smiled, walking to Esther and kissing her cheek.  "You've worked hard today."

Esther nodded. "Coral's teaching me to do several things I never thought I'd need to do."

Brody looked at Coral grudgingly.  "Thank you."

Coral nodded.  "I'm happy to help in any way I can.  I appreciate you allowing me to live here until my birthday." 

The door opened again and a young man in his early twenties stepped into the house with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.  He held them out for Coral, and she took them with a smile.  "Thank you so much."

The young man removed his hat and nodded.  "You're welcome, Miss Coral."

Obviously you know my name.  Would you mind sharing yours?" Coral asked directly. 

"I'm Adam."  The blond-haired blue-eyed cowboy was very appealing to the eyes, but Esther wanted to cover her nose at his smell.  Of course, he'd been out on the range all day.

"It's nice to meet you, Adam," Esther said with a smile. 

"You as well, Mrs. Finnegan." He dipped his head to his boss's wife.

Coral smiled sweetly.  "I made dessert tonight.  I sure hope you'll save some room for it."

Adam nodded, pulling out a chair for Coral.

She just looked at him.  "I'll be helping serve the meal, but thank you for your kind manners."  She hurried off to help her sister.  "Did he really think I'd just sit there and allow you to do all the work?" she asked in a whisper.

Esther shrugged. "Well, you are entertaining him.  Why don't you sit?  I certainly have the ability to serve the meal."

"I know, but I wouldn't ever leave you to do it all alone.  That would make me seem lazy."

Once the food was on the table, and Brody had said a prayer to bless the meal, Adam looked at Coral, clearing his throat.  "So you're from back East?"

Coral nodded.  "Yes, I've lived in Massachusetts my entire life."

"Oh, that sounds nice.  I grew up in Wisconsin, but moved West, because I've always wanted to work with cattle.  In Wisconsin, we did nothing except milk cows, grow wheat, and make cheese."

"Milking cows and making cheese sound very interesting to me.  Did you ever actually make cheese yourself?  Can you explain the process?" Coral leaned toward the young man, her eyes lit with enthusiasm.

Esther hid a smile behind her napkin.  Coral was always trying to learn new things.

Adam shook his head.  "No, ma'am.  I left Wisconsin before I was old enough to do much of the cheese making myself.  I only assisted my father."

"Oh," Coral said, obviously disappointed.  "So what do you do for Brody?"

"Whatever he tells me to do.  I'm willing to do anything as long as it will help."

Esther knew Adam was losing her sister, so she jumped in with a question.  "What kind of books do you like to read, Adam?"

Adam made a face.  "Oh, where I grew up there wasn't a school near enough to go to, so I never learned.  My ma could have taught me, I guess, but I just never was inclined in that direction."

Coral's eyes widened, obviously shocked at the notion of not wanting to read.  "I love to read. You can learn so much from books!"

"I think experience is the best teacher," Adam said, obviously annoyed by the turn the conversation had taken.

Esther watched her sister's face close, and she knew that Adam had been crossed off her sister's mental list of possible husbands.  It was a good thing there were three more men who were scheduled to come over that week.