Johanna: Bride of Michigan (American Mail-Order Bride 26) (5 page)

“You poor dear,” Cecilia said.

“How did you manage to support yourself until I responded to your letter?” Paul asked.

“My sister Janna took me in, thankfully, but she made it clear it was only a temporary arrangement.”

Cecilia motioned a maid forward, who set down two teacups and filled them. “I see. Well, it’s a good thing you’re here now.”

Johanna stared over at Paul. “Don’t you drink tea?”

“No. I’m more of a coffee man.”

The maid hurried out of the room, returning with a mug for Paul before filling it with the fragrant coffee. Johanna could never understand why it smelled so wonderful, but tasted so bitter.

Johanna lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip, enjoying the jasmine tea immensely.  “This is wonderful.”

“Yes, we get our tea imported from India,” Paul said. “One of my friends keeps us stocked up. He owns a store in town.”

“I’m relieved you’re into lumbering, Paul. Gretchen gave me the worst story about a mail-order bride who came here only to find out she had been lied to and her husband-to-be was a tavern owner.”

Cecilia gasped. “How awful. What is her name?”

“She never told me the woman’s name, but Gretchen had planned to check on her.”

“What would happen if a bride was being abused by her husband?” Cecilia asked.

“Please, Mother. You’ll have Johanna ready to leave the first chance she gets.”

“Oh, no. I don’t have anything to go back to. I plan to give this marriage my all. Once you marry someone, it’s forever,” Johanna countered.

“I’m glad to hear that, but it’s not unheard of a husband abandoning his wife when he’s unhappy with her,” Cecilia insisted. “Not that I think it will be the case with you.”

Of course she did. It was quite apparent that Cecilia would do anything in her power to make this marriage not work, but why? Johanna nursed her tea until it was empty, and Paul suggested they go into the dining room where the cook had prepared a light meal for them.

Johanna’s eyes widened at the sight of the oblong dining room table as Paul guided her to nearly the end of it, pulling out her chair, waiting until he also did the same for his mother. Once they were all seated with Paul on the end, she smiled. The dome of the crystal gaslight suspended over the center table was lit, creating a warm glow. The woodwork of the walls of the dining room was impeccable, and the sideboard was of similar style.

Two women dressed in black dresses with white aprons overtop carried trays laden with slices of meat, cheeses, and bread cut into smaller pieces. Johanna stared at a bowl filled with a brown paste. “What’s in that bowl?” she asked.

“Liver pâté,” Paul said with a smile. “It’s an acquired taste, but Mother rather likes it.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

Johanna assembled the bread and meat on her plate, smearing a portion of the paste. When she took a bite, she made a grotesque face, chewing it quickly with a hard swallow. Paul filled a wineglass with a red liquid and she picked it up, downing more than she should have. She coughed until her eyes widened. Down the wineglass went, and she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “What on earth was in that glass?”

“Wine,” Cecilia informed her. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had wine before?”

“Actually, no. It’s not like I had—” Johanna bit her lip. She didn’t want to tell them the details of her life just yet. It was intimidating enough to be sitting here at such a table. She felt all eyes on her, and she hoped to not make a fool of herself. “I was raised not to drink alcohol.”

“You’ll have to get used to it. My son has quite the wine cellar.”

“Do you perhaps have anything else to drink? I’d even prefer drinking tea to this.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t like the wine,” Paul said in disappointment. “I should have asked you what you preferred to drink. I’ll have the maid bring you a glass of lemonade.”

A maid who stood close by the table went back into the kitchen and returned with a pitcher and glass, pouring her a lemonade. “Thank you,” Johanna said.

Cecilia chewed her mouthful and then mused, “I have the feeling you’re not used to the finer things in life.”

Johanna didn’t know what to say, but she didn’t have to since Paul said, “Let’s not make Johanna feel uncomfortable on her first day here. I’m sure it’s quite nerve-wracking enough to come clear to Michigan to marry a man she’s never met before.”

“I see. Well, I meant no offense, I assure you,” Cecilia replied. “I’m sure it will take time to get to know her.”

The remainder of the meal was silent. Johanna was reeling inside, her heart aching. How would she be able to fit in here? She wasn’t accustomed to living in a house this size, not that she didn’t know how to behave like a lady at the table. She did have to stop herself from licking the cheese crumbs from her fingertips, though.

A frozen dessert was brought and when Johanna spooned in a mouthful, she sighed at the strawberry flavor. “This is so good. What is it?”

“Ice cream,” Paul said.

“Oh, I’ve heard about that, but I’ve never had it before.”

“So, that makes three things you haven’t tried before. I’m glad to know you like one of them.”

“I’m not that fussy, I assure you.”

“No explanation needed.” He winked.

Johanna pushed away from the table and Paul jumped to his feet, pulling her chair out. His hand took hers and she thanked him. He put his arm through hers and escorted her toward the stairs.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for an hour. I’ll take you for a walk later.”

“That sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

Johanna walked up the stairs and once she was in her room, she happily leaned against the door. She’d actually made it though her first meal with Paul. She hadn’t been able to speak to him privately as of yet, but she was looking forward to learning more about him.

Johanna didn’t really want to take a nap, but after the long train ride, she felt like stretching out on the bed to see how soft the mattress was. She fluffed the pillows and wiggled her toes. The bed felt heavenly and once she closed her eyes, it wasn’t long before she was asleep.

* * *

Paul walked up the stairs and into his bedroom. He stared at the four-poster bed in anger. Soon, he wouldn’t be sleeping alone anymore, or so he hoped. His mother had really gone out of her way to make Johanna uncomfortable, but he didn’t understand why. She had told him she understood his need for a bride, but was acting quite the opposite. Why was she sabotaging his marriage?

He sat down at his desk, going over the orders for the mill. The numbers weren’t adding up. He’d have to check and see if there were any production problems he wasn’t aware of. He’d love to take Johanna there, but another day perhaps. That afternoon, he simply would take her on a leisurely stroll through town.

Paul pulled out his pocket watch, assuring himself an hour had transpired before he made his way up the hallway and knocked on Johanna’s door. It was hard thinking he had a wife, but it’d been something he’d wanted for a few years. When the door wasn’t answered, he knocked again. It swung open slowly and Johanna blinked a few times then asked, “Has it been an hour already?”

“Yes. If you’d rather not have a tour of the town yet, I’ll understand.”

“No, I’d love to go, but I need to get myself in order. I’m sure my hair must look dreadful.”

He smiled. “I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re ready.”

Paul was still smiling when he went down the stairs, where his mother was waiting for him with a taut look on her face.

“Oh, there you are. I was wondering if I shouldn’t pay your Aunt Eleanor a visit. I have the feeling you’d rather be alone with your wife.”

He stared at her suitcases. “Thank you, Mother, but I assure you I’m not trying to get rid of you by any means.”

“The last thing Johanna needs is an interfering mother-in-law.”

“I had expected you to be happy about my marriage.”

“Oh, but I am. It’s so odd that you married a complete stranger is all. I do hope you had her checked out beforehand.”

Paul walked his mother to the door and carried her suitcases, placing them into the buggy. He didn’t remind her that it was her idea for him to marry a mail-order bride.

“I do hope I haven’t interrupted you plans, Paul, by having John take me to Aunt Eleanor’s house. I know you planned to show your wife the city.”

“It’s a great day for a walk, I think,” he said, gazing up at the clear sky.

Off the buggy went and Paul headed back inside, practically running straight into Johanna.

* * *

Paul grabbed Johanna’s waist as she nearly tumbled to the floor when they almost smacked into each other. She felt weak as a tremor rippled through her at the contact of her husband’s hands on her waist. She didn’t know what to do. Demanding he unhand her seemed rather rude since he was her husband.

Paul lowered his head, and her heart swelled as she thought he was about to kiss her. Instead, he whispered into her ear, “You look lovely, my dear.”

His hands dropped to his sides and she felt a pang of disappointment, even though she had no reason to feel that way.

Had she really wanted him to kiss her?

She broke the silence by asking, “Where is your mother?”

“She left to visit my Aunt Eleanor. It will give us more privacy to get to know one another.”

Johanna wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad since she barely knew Paul, but he hadn’t made an indication that he meant to ravish her. Instead, he made it perfectly clear that he’d not go anywhere near her room. Besides knocking on her door to see if she was awake, of course.

“Are you ready now?” he asked.

“Ready for what?”

“I planned to take you on a tour of the town, remember?”

“Of course. I had forgotten about that.”

“We won’t go all that far as we’ll be walking, since John took my mother to my aunt’s house.”

“Is he the man who drives the buggy?”

“He’s the most trusted man who works in the stables. He handles the buggy much better than most men I know.”

“I see. He certainly managed to miss the worst of the bumps on the roads.”

“Yes, but I don’t always use him. I thought today I would since I met you at the train station and I wanted to get married right away.”

“Don’t you have a smaller buggy?”

“Yes, but the wheel needs to be fixed. Not to worry, I know my way around the city. I won’t take you far enough to make your feet ache, I assure you.”

Johanna nodded and passed through the door Paul held open for her. She bounced down the stairs and gazed over at the small outside deck. What a great place to sit and have a cup of tea.

“Now, you’ll see many magnificent lumber baron homes on this street. The house builders are truly artisans. We’ll head through Nathaniel Burton’s yard and if we hurry, his dog won’t bite a chunk out of our legs.” Paul smiled.

Johanna didn’t know if he was being serious of not, but she certainly raced across the plush lawn. She nearly fell into his arms laughing when a stern-looking man raced out of the house, waving a cane at them. “How many times have I told you to stay off my property!” he yelled.

Paul and Johanna moved up the street as businesses came into view. Each of the buildings was made of wood, which most likely came from right here in the area. “Can we go into the store?” Johanna asked.

He held open the door, saying, “Of course.”

Johanna walked down the aisles that held a variety of food supplies. Cast-iron cookware lined the shelves behind the cash register, but no apparel or bolts of clothing was in sight. She nodded at the woman behind the counter, who said, “Hello, Paul. I had no idea you had family in town.”

“This is my wife, Johanna. We were married just today,” he informed the woman.

Her shoulders dropped and Johanna wondered if this woman was disappointed he was married.

“Congratulations, Paul. How is your mother taking the new addition to your household?” When he cocked a brow at her, she quickly added, “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No need to apologize. I’m sure people in town know how overprotective my mother can be.”

Paul led Johanna out the door and they strolled past more stores, which sold both food and clothing, but one shop caught her interest. She stared at the window display of a mauve bell skirt with shirtwaist tie and tailored jacket. It was beautiful! Her shoulders slumped for a moment before she quickly straightened them. She had no funds to buy such a thing. The most she could hope for was to purchase a bolt of fabric and try her best to make a suitable dress. It was hopeless, but she refused to ask her husband to buy her anything. She didn’t want him to think she was one of those women who expected their husbands to spend money on them, least off all the day she met him.

“Do you like that dress?”

“I-I… yes, it’s quite lovely.”

“I’ll take you shopping tomorrow. I can’t imagine you have many dresses.”

“What makes you think that?” she asked with a raised brow.

“You only brought one suitcase, Johanna, remember?

She dropped her head, hating that she was forced into this situation. Even with her factory position, she was able to buy a bolt of clothing, at the very least. Fortunately, she more handy with a needle and thread than some women she knew from the factory, but she was always willing to lend a hand. They looked after each other in that way. Johanna was only a fair cook, but she already knew there would be no need for her to do that, thankfully. Of course, she was willing to learn if it would help her fit in.

Paul interrupted her thoughts as he raised her chin so he could stare directly into her eyes. “No need to frown. I’ll provide you with what you need.”

“Thank you. I wouldn’t want to be an embarrassment to you.”

“You could never do that, dear. I can afford to provide my wife with the things she would like or need.”

Tears pooled in her eyes. Johanna couldn’t believe how kind Paul was, especially as she had feared far worse. Paul pulled out a handkerchief and she took it with a trembling hand, dabbing at her eyes.

They walked on the other side of the street where the smell of baked goods was strong. Inside they went and Paul dragged her over to the counter, pointing out a cake. “Do you like chocolate cake?”

“I’ve never had it before.”

“Box up the cake for me, please,” Paul told the young man behind the counter. Why, he looked no more than twelve! “Where is your mother today?”

“She ran out of flour after the lumberjacks cleaned her out.”

“Jacob’s men?”

“Yes. Apparently, he’s giving them a few days off before they head north.”

“Thank you for alerting me. Tell that sister of yours to stick close to home tonight.”

The cake was put into the box and Paul paid him. “I’ll tell her for sure, but Mama never lets her out of her sight when the lumberjacks are in town.”

Johanna waited until they were outside before she asked, “Is it dangerous to have lumberjacks in town?”