Mail Order Love (Sweet Mail Order Bride Historical Romance Novel) (Oregon Mail Order Brides) (15 page)

“Pretty enough for you?” Jared had a habit of talking to his dogs, especially when no one else was around. They would regard him with wide, understanding eyes as he spoke, hanging onto his every word.

He slicked back his wet black hair, reckoning it should dry all right in the wind. The white of his shirt picked out the whites of his eyes and made their green shine even more brightly against his tanned skin.

Jared waggled his eyebrows at the dogs. “I’d take you boys with me, but you’ve mislaid your bow ties again. Can’t take you butt naked like that boys, handsome though you are.”

Jared left the house just after five in the afternoon, driving his buggy to the hotel in town to meet Harriet and Anne. The hotel looked a bit dilapidated, but it was the smartest place around here. Harriet wouldn’t countenance meeting in the local saloon like everyone else did.

Jared arrived at the hotel and secured his horses outside. He sauntered in.

Harriet and Anne were seated at a little table at the far end of the reception room.

“Yoo-hoo, Jared, we are here,” Harriet called out loudly so that people turned to see whom she was calling. She raised her pair of gloves and shook them aloft to ensure everyone noticed.

Jared removed his hat and walked over, acknowledging a few acquaintances with a nod as he passed. “Good afternoon, ladies, I see you are both well. Ready for a dance?”

“Jared you look dashing. Quite the handsome cowboy, isn’t that so Anne?”

Anne acquiesced and directed her most charming smile at Jared.

Sure are dressed up, those ladies.

Harriet and Anne had searched through their wardrobes to find the flashiest, brightest, most complicated, most attention-grabbing items of clothing they could possibly find.

Harriet wore a many-layered maroon taffeta creation, edged with multiple ruffles in black lace, with a bustle at the back. Anne had on a confection of shiny apricot silk that was a shade too bright, with flounces of cream silk and a cream stole made of fox fur. Both ladies wore a selection of the most sparkling jewels Jared had ever seen.

The overall effect was so overwhelming, people hardly knew where to look.

“Come on then girls, let’s get going. You ready for a jig tonight?”

Harriet and Anne giggled as Jared escorted them out of the hotel. As the ladies moved through the room, heads turned to watch them. Anne especially noticed this attention and basked in it, rewarding those who caught her eye with a gracious smile and an incline of her head.

Jared knew the real reason for all those eyes on them was the ostentation of their dress. The locals in the hotel were passing comments to each other behind their hands as they watched. People around here were humble country folk. Even if they were prosperous, and some of them were, they still wouldn’t flaunt their wealth around for all to see. It just wasn’t done.

As they reached the town meeting hall where the dance was being held, Jared felt hot under his collar as if he was crawling out of his skin. He loosened his tie and took a breath. What was he doing here again? He led the ladies into the entrance of the hall. Thronging with people. He had never seen such a turnout for a dance.

Jared’s mind went blank for a moment as he viewed the crowd. He sure wasn’t used to this many folks crammed into one room. He was rescued by Michael calling him over.

“Hey, Jared! You got two women on the go at once have you?”

Jared laughed a little in spite of himself. Harriet and Anne stiffened. Not quite the respect and admiration they were hoping for.

“Don’t mind him, ladies, he’s a bit of a clown that one. Means no harm. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Jared took a deep breath and dived into the fray, making way for Harriet and Anne behind him. The town hall was done up nicely and the band was starting to play. He was going to have a good time regardless. Hopefully he’d get a dance with every girl in here.

After introducing his two visitors, Jared grabbed the hands of the first girl he knew and spun her off into the center of the dance floor for a turn. It had been a while since he had danced and heard music. His feet tripped off the jigs his Pa had taught him as a boy, and the girl he was with matched his steps.

Coming off the dance floor flushed with heat, he looked around for Ellie, but he couldn’t see her. It sure was busy tonight. He could hardly move for the crush of bodies.

Anne’s height meant she towered as high as many of the men. Jared saw she had fixed her eye on him and was trying to catch his attention. Her pale blonde hair was done up into a braid and wound around her head in an alpine style. She wore a purple feather plume fixed to one side.

Can’t miss her in a crowded room, that’s for sure.

Jared came over. Anne was talking quite excitedly, animated by the company and the wine. She was standing by a painting on the wall of five wolfhound puppies, lovingly painted against a red tartan background.

“Oh Jared, I was just saying to these folks here, these are your puppies, they are for sale are they not? His grandmother will sell them gladly,” she informed the small crowd. Her pale blue eyes fixed Jared with a vacant gaze.

Jared cringed inwardly. They did not sell them to just anyone. Usually people had to make a real effort to track the Fords down if they wanted a puppy. That’s how the Fords liked it. Even then, the people were vetted for trustworthiness and the suitability of their home and the life they would give the dog. In any case, merchant talk about money was not right for a high spirited dance.

“Yeah nothing to do with me, she just paints them.”

Anne grabbed Jared’s arm to her possessively and turned back to her audience.

“Of course, with dogs you need to be very careful. You can’t have them in the house, they bring worms and such like in with them. Parasites that can grow in humans. It’s true, my doctor in Oregon says so! So you must always keep them outdoors in their place. They are only animals, after all.” Anne’s feather plume vibrated excitedly.

Jared wondered just what Anne would think about Pip licking his cheek that morning. He wondered if he told her, whether she might let go of his sleeve.

He sensed a presence near him and he scanned the room again. Where was Ellie? She should have arrived before him.

Just then the band started up with a new song, and the dance floor quickly filled with couples.

There she was.

Ellie was taking to the dance floor with Michael. Michael was strutting along like a peacock, making sure all his friends could see him. He looked like the proudest man in the room. People watched them together, but it was Ellie who drew the admiring glances.

She took Jared’s breath away.

Her dress was the simplest and the prettiest thing. It was a shade of light blue that was tending into violet. It brought out her eyes such that they looked like big blue lamps every time they turned your way. There was just a little corseting in the waist that showed off Ellie’s newly curved figure, and some ruffling in the back.

Jared recognized Grammy’s skills in bringing that simple cotton dress right into fashion to rival any dress here. There were pale pink ribbon bows on the elbow-length sleeves and at the back of the waist. When Ellie twirled, the pink underskirt showed. Her hair shone a hazelnut brown with golden glints, and her peach complexion was radiant with light.

She looked happy with Michael. She laughed and her eyes sparkled as she looked into his. Jared could only watch, transfixed, staring at her spinning around. He shook his arm free from Anne and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched, feeling irrational anger at Michael. He could not keep his eyes off Ellie.

Chapter 30

Ellie danced with Michael, trying not to lose her balance as he spun her round the room. Though she had slept only three or four hours in the past forty-eight, Ellie felt full of energy. Her heart was beating fast and her face was flushed. Michael had told her she must fix her eyes onto his to stop herself getting dizzy. He was a good dancer, even if he spun her a little faster than she would like.

Ellie knew that Michael was a trustworthy man. It was proper to step out onto the dance floor with him as he had worked for Jared for some time, and the Ford family found him to be decent. Michael held her eye and made every effort to make her feel at ease. Ellie laughed as he led her around the dance floor, stepping in time to the band.

Ellie used to dance at home with her family many years ago in Boston. They had friends who were musical. Sometimes they would come over and play and Ellie would dance with her brothers and sister. She had always loved music.

It had been a long time since she had danced though, and she had forgotten most of the steps. So tonight she was unsure of herself, stumbling a little, but Michael was expert enough to cover up the small trips she made. No one was watching anyway, that she could see.

The good cheer of the room was infectious. The simple town meeting room had been made to look charming. Glowing lanterns were set high on little shelves on the wall and pink and orange paper chains snaked across the ceiling.

Ellie had never thought she could feel this carefree, just four weeks after leaving her dire situation in Boston.

She had managed to keep thoughts of Jared from her mind. She simply felt grateful to be here, having fun with these merry people.

Today she had worked until her arms and legs had ached and begged for mercy and her fingers were red and swollen from the hot water and lye.

It felt good to let loose now and move for the pure joy of it. Grammy had been right. This was exactly what she had needed.

Ellie had been touched by the work Grammy had put into adjusting and decorating her dress. Why had Grammy done all this for her? Ellie was just a housekeeper, nothing more than that; she was not part of the family.

When Ellie had first seen the dress, it had been difficult to hold back her tears of joy. She had never seen such a beautiful dress. She had fingered the pink ribbon bows and gazed at the dress in delight, too overwhelmed to even say thank you at first.

Once she had the dress on, she had hugged Grammy again and again as the old lady fended her off. Then she had wanted to dance right away, she felt so light and airy. She had spun around Grammy’s room in the sunlight with the pups yapping and dancing around her ankles.

In the corner, some cowboys had taken over the food preparation for the evening. They had set up a wood burning stove and grill, and were serving up wholesome country food. They cooked with panache, causing flames to flare up from the grill as they shouted to each other theatrically. They served flame-grilled meat and tasty sausages with tomato sauce on cornbread, and a savory stew of chewy oysters with thickly buttered dense potato bread.

All the ladies were in ecstasies over the delicious offerings and complimented the boys on their skills. They loved to watch the cowboys cook, entranced by their exhibitionist style, so different to the way the ladies cooked at home.

Ellie had eaten some of the stew earlier with Joe Allen and his wife, and she had enjoyed it very much. She had made mental notes of the various flavors she could detect, planning to experiment with cooking it herself sometime.

As Ellie danced she became aware of a pair of eyes on her. She did not look around for their source, but she could see a tall figure in her peripheral vision. She knew it was Jared.

She allowed her glance to pass over him as Michael led her through a turn. Very tall, standing as still as a statue just like that day at the train station. His eyes were following her as she moved. She looked again. Green eyes, white shirt, arms crossed. He looked kind of angry.

She could see he was completely ignoring Anne, who was standing beside him and plucking at his sleeve, talking to get his attention.

The dance came to a stop and as Ellie thanked Michael, she couldn’t help looking in Jared’s direction once more. He was still looking at her. His eyes never left hers. She held his gaze this time, and his eyes looked soft and warm, even from way across the dance floor. Might he -? Ellie felt a little dizzy. She couldn’t let herself believe that he might admire her.

Michael said something to her, and reluctantly Ellie dragged her eyes away from Jared’s and back to her dancing partner.

Michael’s face was beaded with sweat. He searched her face with an eager, friendly look in his eyes.

“Are you all right, Miss Ellie? You are swaying from side to side and look like you are in a dream.”

Ellie became aware of her surroundings. She felt as if the room was still spinning even though she was standing still.

“I feel a little dizzy, perhaps I should sit down …”

As Michael led her away Ellie looked back, but she could not see Jared’s green eyes any more through the crowds.

She pulled herself together. She did not want a cozy sit-down with Michael, just the two of them. It would not be proper. “It’s fine, thank you, Michael, I shall go and tidy myself up, then I will come back and find you all. Go on now, I’ll find you shortly.”

Ellie looked again for Jared as she made her way through the room but she could not see him. She accepted a fresh lemon and sugar drink from the refreshments table and let herself be carried along by the flow of the crowd.