August (Prairie Grooms, #1) (2 page)

“More females – just what we need.” Colin said. “Though there’s certainly not enough to go around, that’s for sure.”

“You can say that again,” Harrison mumbled as Sadie walked over to them. “Hullo, wife!” he greeted.

She smiled at her husband, then looked at Duncan. “I wish ... I wish you could stay on a little longer. I’m going to miss you all so much.”

Duncan’s eyes softened. “We’re going to miss you too, and I’m going to also miss seeing my niece born.” He looked right at Harrison. “Or nephew, whichever the case may be.”

Harrison rolled his eyes as Cozette joined them, along with two other couples. The Bergs and Dupries were traveling to London with Duncan and Cozette for reasons of their own. “I think Willie the driver is ready to go,” she told her husband.

Mr. Berg, a tall bear of a man who looked like he’d been carved out of marble, stepped forward. “We’d best be on our way, Duncan. Willie still has other stops to make.” He put his arm around his wife Maddie who began to softly weep. Mr. Berg swallowed hard. “We’ve said all our goodbyes in the saloon. Let’s not hold the stage up any longer.” He let his wife hug Sadie, then helped her into the coach.

The Dupries were next to board, followed by a weeping Cozette, which left the three brothers, Sadie, and now Belle, Colin’s wife who just joined them. “Duncan,” she said as she peered past him into the stage. “Please take care of yourself and the others.”

Duncan glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t think I need to take care of Mr. Berg.”

Everyone laughed at that. Colin was about to comment when Mrs. Dunnigan and her husband Wilfred pushed their way through the crowd. “Wait!” Wilfred cried. “We’ve got something for ya!”

The crowd parted and let them through. Mrs. Dunnigan huffed and puffed her way to the stage. “I ordered this special, just for you!” she said as she held up a wrapped object.

Duncan smiled. It was obviously a ladle. He took it from her and was surprised at the weight of it.

“Finest cast iron there is!” she said proudly. “I trust you’ll use it when you need it.”

“Mrs. Dunnigan ...” Duncan said and almost choked up. “I thank you, not only for this, but for the fine breakfast you made for the town this morning. I really am going to miss your cooking.”

The plump woman blushed and, though she was known for being crotchety most of the time, stood on tiptoe and kissed Duncan on the cheek, tears in her eyes. “Take care of your business and hurry back to us. Besides, the ladies’ sewing circle is losing members with all of you leaving! You ... you
have
to come back!”

She let loose a sob and turned to Wilfred who took her in his arms. “You heard her,” he told Duncan, fighting his own tears. “Come back as soon as you can. The sewing circle depends on it.”

Duncan smiled as Sadie stepped forward. “If we had more women in town, it might not be so dire, but there aren’t any,” she said softly.

“Maybe you ought to send away for some, then the sewing circle wouldn’t suffer so,” Duncan teased.

Sadie stared at him, her mouth half-open, and puckered her brow.

“I know that look,” Harrison said. “It always means trouble. Whatever it is you have in your head, wife, get it out now!”

She looked at him, her mouth curving up into a smile. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Belle clapped her hands together. “What is it?”

Sadie’s smile broadened. “A wonderful idea ... yes, it’s just what this town needs. I know how we can bring more women to Clear Creek!”

The three brothers stared at her. Duncan broke the silence. “Harrison, Colin, have fun with whatever it is she’s scheming. I dare say, considering the look in her eye, I’m glad I’m leaving!” He made to get into the stagecoach, but his brothers pulled him back and hugged him with such fierceness it brought fresh tears to everyone’s eyes. Mrs. Mulligan, the saloon owner’s wife, let out a wail and buried her face in her apron.

An elderly woman made her way through the crowd and reached the brothers just as they let go of Duncan. “You can’t start off without this!” she called into the stage and held up a basket with both hands. Mr. Duprie reached out and took it from her. “That basket is for everyone, but especially for Mr. Berg,” the old woman said.

Mr. Berg took the basket, peeked inside and groaned. “Grandma!”

“Six pies, as is your usual,” she told him with a smile. The townsfolk gathered near them burst into laughter. Grandma Waller had been baking pies for Mr. Berg as a joke ever since he’d courted Maddie his wife. “I’m gonna miss giving pie-baking lessons to your bride, Mr. Berg,” she said with sadness.

“You’ll be able to give pie lessons to a lot of women, Grandma, if my idea works!” Sadie interjected.

“What are you talking about?” Duncan demanded. “Just what is this idea of yours?”

She stood proudly. “Mail-order brides.”

“Mail-order what?” Harrison asked.

“Mail-order brides,” she repeated. “August Bennett told me they were doing it in Oregon City. Women from back east answer gentlemen’s advertisements for brides and come out west to marry them.”

“That’s a wonderful idea!” Belle said with excitement. “I have friends in Boston I can write to – I’m sure they would post a notice for us asking for brides!”

“Here we go,” Harrison mumbled.

Duncan slapped him on the back. “Write me and let me know if you survive this, brother!”

Harrison gave him a lop-sided smile. “My wife’s ideas haven’t killed me yet.”

“Yet,” Colin chuckled.

A few more heartfelt embraces, tears, and shouted goodbyes followed before Duncan boarded the stage and left the tiny town of Clear Creek as the new Duke of Stantham. He went laughing at his brother’s predicament with Sadie’s latest scheme. Little did he know what a wonderful idea it would turn out to be.

C
lear Creek, Oregon, one year later ...

Dear Colin and Harrison,

As you know from my last letter, I find myself in quite the predicament. Our dear departed uncles Leonard and John have left me with the task of finding suitable matches for their daughters, all six of them. As you know, I’ve been working on this for months, alas, to no avail. Do not misconstrue my meaning – our cousins are beautiful, witty, smart, and each with distinct qualities of their own. Unfortunately, the local gentlemen will not come near them. Thackeray Holmes did a grand job of scaring off any and all respectable suitors in his attempt at getting his hands on the title and estate. Now I am left with six women to support if I cannot find them husbands, and their mothers are, to say the least, less than cooperative. Enclosed you will find a separate letter to Sadie. I must admit, Harrison, it is at times like these when your wife shines. Let her at it ...

With all my love,

Duncan

*

D
ear Sadie,

I’m sure by now Harrison has read to you the letter I sent to him and Colin. This one is for you. I am at my wit’s end. I need husbands for six of my cousins! What do you suggest I do?

All my love,

Duncan

*

W
ell, that was simple,” Harrison drawled as he read the letter in Sadie’s hand from over her shoulder. “The poor chap is in trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” Sadie commented. “I know just what to do!”

“What? What are you going to do?” Harrison asked, his voice laced with worry.

“Let me feed Honoria. Then drive me to town, will you?” she said as she handed him the letter.

As if on cue, little Honoria let out a hungry wail from the other room. Sadie left Harrison standing with Duncan’s letters in hand and went to fetch the baby. He followed her. “What is in that pretty head of yours now, wife?”

“Mail-order brides.”

“Again? It didn’t work the first time, remember? No one wants to come to Clear Creek. Besides, how is that supposed to help Duncan out?”

Sadie smiled. “Watch and see.” She picked up the baby, who’d been sitting in the middle of the parlor floor with a toy, and headed for the kitchen.

“Sadie, ‘watch and see’ is not an answer,” Harrison argued. “Give me specifics.
What
are you going to do?”

She turned to face him as she bounced Honoria in her arms. “I’m sending away for mail-order brides.”

Harrison slapped his forehead. “
What
brides? Who are you going to ...” His eyes widened to saucers as he realized what she was talking about. “No ... no, it will never work ...”

“Why not? We have plenty of men wanting to get married in this town. Seems logical to me.”

“But you don’t know my cousins.”

“Neither do you, from what I understand. You haven’t seen them since you and Colin were children.”

“Sadie, trust me, this will never work.”

“Why not?”

“Well for one ... eh ... well ...”

“Why? Because they’re English?”

“Yes!”

Sadie shook her head, turned on her heel, and went into the kitchen. “You’re English and you’re married.”

“It’s not the same thing. I was partly raised here. My cousins, on the other hand, have probably never set foot outside of Sussex ... except for the season, of course, but ...”

“I think it’s a fine idea. We have plenty of men wanting to get married, and you have plenty of female cousins who need husbands.”

Harrison groaned. “Oh, dear wife, if only you’d listen to me ...”

She quirked an eyebrow at him as she spooned applesauce out of a jar on the worktable into a small bowl with one hand and bounced the baby on her hip with the other. “I am listening to you, Harrison, and what I’m hearing is that Duncan has something this town needs, and we have something he needs ...”

“But darling,” Harrison said as he put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. “These are
English
ladies. Their idea of the country is Uncle John’s manor in Kent. They don’t know what real country living is like. Good Lord, I’m not even sure they’d survive the journey out here, let alone life in Clear Creek.”

Sadie stared at him a moment before she handed him their daughter. “Here, feed her. I’m going to write Duncan at once.”

“What?” Harrison asked, flabbergasted, as he took Honoria in his arms. “Didn’t you hear a word I said?”

“Of course I did,” she answered. “I agree with you if what you say is true, and leave it to Duncan’s good judgment. He’ll know whether or not they would do well here in the West. I will make my suggestion, send some letters along from the most eligible men in town, and we’ll see what happens. How does that sound?”

Harrison gave her a half smile as Honoria began to cry with hunger again. “Dandy. Just ... dandy.”

* * *

C
lear Creek, June 1, 1861

“Here it comes!” a voice called down the street.

Sheriff Harlan Hughes looked up from the checkerboard. He sat across a small table from Wilfred Dunnigan, playing their usual lunchtime game outside the sheriff’s office. “What’s all the ruckus, Tom?”

The gangly youth ran up to the two men. “Stage’s a-comin’, Sheriff. The women ... the women Harrison and Colin Cooke sent for, they’re supposed to be on it!”

“You don’t say?” Wilfred drawled. “Well, now, that is news. That means Colin or Harrison ought to be around here somewhere. Why don’t you go on down to the mercantile and let them know?”

“Yes, sir!” the youth exclaimed and took off down the street.

Sheriff Hughes chuckled. “That Tom Turner is just as interested in them women as the men that done sent away for ‘em. Too bad he’s only, what – fifteen, sixteen?”

Wilfred laughed. “Yeah, but he’ll grow up and then what?”

“He’s an honest sort, maybe I’ll make him a deputy if he don’t take to farmin’ like his pa.”

“That’s a might fine idea,” Wilfred agreed as they listened to the stagecoach coming down the street.

Men started for the mercantile, knowing the stage would pull up in front of it. They watched as it rolled past, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Several coughed and sputtered before continuing on after it.

Sheriff Hughes shook his head in resignation. “I suppose I’d better mosey on over there in case there’s any trouble. Nothing like a bevy of females comin’ to town to set the men off.”

“Harrison told me there’s only three.”

“Yeah, and remember what happened when your niece Belle first came to town? The men were lined up outside your mercantile for days.”

Wilfred scratched his head and smiled. “I plumb forgot about that. You’re right, we’d best get on down there.”

They checked the position of their playing pieces, got up, and walked to where a crowd had gathered. Only one person in town would dare move a checker, and often did when the board was left unprotected. But Wilfred and Sheriff Hughes had learned long ago to let Mr. Mulligan have his fun. He often gave out a few free drinks at the saloon when he thought he’d gotten away with it.

The stagecoach passengers had yet to disembark when Wilfred and the sheriff reached it. “Where are Harrison and Colin?” Wilfred asked, glancing around.

“Dunno,” Sheriff Hughes said, also scanning the area. “But they best get here quick-like. Look at what’s comin’.”

Men. Lots of them.

Willie the stagecoach driver let out a yelp of surprise at the dozen or so hurrying from the saloon to join the rest of the crowd. Wilfred caught a glimpse of Mr. Mulligan skulking across the street to the checkerboard and chuckled, then turned his attention to the stagecoach door. Best to take things in hand until Colin and Harrison arrived. He opened it, and poked his head inside. Three pairs of eyes stared back. “Afternoon, ladies. May I help you out?”

One of them, a pretty redhead, swallowed hard before she held a lace handkerchief to her nose. “Are you the footman? If so, why aren’t you properly attired?”

Wilfred looked at her, his mouth hanging open. “There ain’t no ... what’d you call me?”

“Footman,” she said forcibly.

Wilfred removed his head from the coach and looked to his booted feet. “Footman?”

“Oh never mind,” she huffed. “You see, sisters, it’s the same everywhere! No one in this country is civilized!”

“There are no such things here, sister,” one of the other women whispered from inside the coach.