Mail Order Misfit (Brides of Beckham) (2 page)

"Where does he live?"

Elaine explained everything she knew quickly.  "I sent him a letter, and Elizabeth said I could have a response in as little as three weeks."  She bit her lip.  "I'm not going to tell Mother about this until I know whether or not I'm going to him."  She said the words hoping Mrs. Jenkins would get the hint and keep quiet herself.

"I think that's for the best."  Mrs. Jenkins smiled at Elaine.  "You made the right decision, you know."

Elaine nodded solemnly.  "I know I did.  Mother won't agree, though."

"No, she won't agree at all."

*****

It was three weeks to the day when Elizabeth called on Elaine, a letter in her hand.  Thankfully, her mother was out for the day, and Elaine invited her to sit with her.  Mrs. Jenkins, who had answered the door for her, smiled.  "I'll bring you ladies some tea."

As soon as Mrs. Jenkins left the room, Elizabeth handed
Elaine the letter.  "I hope it's good news."

Elaine eagerly opened the letter and a train ticket fell out.  She picked it up with a smile.  "I believe this means it's good news."  She read the letter carefully.  "Dear Elaine, You sound like the wife I need.  Enclosed is your train ticket.  I will
be waiting at the train station in Kansas City on October twentieth.  I can't wait to meet you.  We will be married as soon as you arrive.  Yours, John."

Elaine clutched the letter to her chest.  It was her ticket out of Beckham and her mother's world.  She looked at the date on the ticket and gasped.  "Why, this ticket is for tomorrow morning."

Elizabeth smiled.  "Does your mother know yet that you're leaving?"  Her smile sad that she knew Elaine hadn't said a word to her mother.

Elaine shook her head.  "I couldn't tell her.  She's going to be terribly upset."
  Her mind raced at how she was going to break the news to her.  Could she do it?  More likely, she'd have to talk to her father and let him tell her.  He knew just the right way to handle her.

"Would you like me to stay and help you tell her?"

Elaine was very tempted, but she realized it wasn't the right thing to do.  She wanted more independence, and she needed to achieve that on her own, not by hiding behind someone else.  "I'll tell her." 

Mrs. Jenkins came in with the tea and cookies then, and Elaine served them both. 

"I'd like to meet you at the train station to see you off in the morning, if you don't mind," Elizabeth suggested. 

Elaine shook her head.  "I don't need you to do that.  I'll be fine."
  She'd never gain the independence she needed if she let other people hold her hand every time she had to do something new.

"I know you don't
need
me to, but I'd like to.  I like to see my brides off as they leave Beckham."

Elaine could think of no reason to say no, so she agreed.  She hated that the other woman felt like she needed to be watched.  "That's fine.  I'll see you there, then."

"What time does your train leave?" Elizabeth asked.

Elaine looked at her ticket.  "Ten in the morning."

"I'll meet you there at half past nine then."  Elizabeth got to her feet, waving Elaine away.  "I'll see myself out and see you in the morning."  She walked out of the room, leaving Elaine to stare after her.

Mrs. Jenkins walked into the room after Elizabeth was gone.  She looked at Elaine.  "Well?"

Elaine held up her train ticket.  "I leave tomorrow morning at ten." 

"So soon?  How are we going to tell your parents?"

Elaine shrugged, having no idea.  Her father would be easy, but her mother?  She did not want to have to deal with her mother.  "I'm going to go and pack now."  Packing was not a task she would enjoy, but she needed to decide what to take and what to leave behind.  Not everything would fit into a carpet bag or two.

Mrs. Jenkins nodded.  "I won't offer to help, because I know you can do it yourself.  Do you want me to be here when you tell your parents?"

Elaine shook her head.  "I'll handle it."  She knew Mrs. Jenkins understood how difficult it would be for her.  She'd known her too long not to understand.

*****

Elaine waited until after supper, when she knew her father would be alone in his study.  Knocking on the door softly, she waited for him to call her in.

He looked up in surprise when he saw it was Elaine.  She rarely interrupted him for anything.  "Have a seat," he said waving to the chair.  David Phillips was a lot more laid back about her injury than his wife was.  He never tried to mollycoddle her or try to get her to take things easy.  He could see her determination to do everything she'd always done, and he wasn't about to try to stop her from that.
  She was a good daughter to him, and he would do anything to help her accomplishing her goals.

"Do you have a minute, Father?"  Elaine was nervous, but she knew talking to her father would be a great deal easier than talking to her mother.

"I always have time for you.  What is it?"  He leaned back in his chair, giving her all of his attention.

"
I'm moving to Kansas," she said, just blurting it out.  "I'm going to be a mail order bride to a rancher there."

David studied his middle daughter for a moment, his face unreadable.  Finally he nodded.  "I think that's the best thing you could possibly do at this point.  Your mother is never going to let you get away from her otherwise."

Elaine nodded.  "I know she's not.  I love Mother, but she won't let me even take a walk outside without worrying I'm going to die.  I need to be able to live my own life."  She was thrilled her father agreed with her.

"Yes, you do."  He sighed, leaning forward.  "How can I help you make this happen?  When do you leave?"

She swallowed hard.  "Tomorrow.  I thought I'd have more time after I got John's letter back, but it just arrived today."  She shrugged.  "Mother is going to be furious."  She hoped he'd offer to tell her mother for her, but she would talk to her if she had to.

"Leave your mother to me.  What time does your train leave?"

"Ten in the morning."  She didn't ask for a ride to the train station, because she knew her father would be at work. She could walk.  It would be good for her.  She needed to get used to being on her feet more after all.

"I'm going to make some arrangements.  I'll drive you to the station in the morning."

Elaine nodded with a smile, happy to have her father on her side.  "Thank you."

"Are you all packed and ready to go?"

She nodded.  "I've done everything." 
Everything except tell my family.
 

He opened his desk drawer and pulled out some money, handing it to her.  "If you get there and anything goes wrong, I want you to know that you always have a home to come back to."

"Thank you."  She took the money from him and stood up.  "I'm going to go upstairs and take a bath before bed.  I know I won't have a chance once I'm on that train."  She limped quickly from the room, forgetting her cane against his desk.  They had moved her bed into one of the downstairs parlors after she was injured, but she still had to go upstairs to bathe.

David looked at the cane and smiled, thrilled to see his daughter asserting her independence and not using it for a change.  His wife had done her very best to smother the spirit of their most strong-willed daughter, and he was happy to see she hadn't succeeded.  Elaine was going to be just fine.

*****

After her bath, Elaine sat in her room brushing her damp hair trying to dry it.  She was in her nightgown, sitting at her dressing table, when the door slammed open. 
"Elaine Marie, what are you thinking?  You cannot go to Kansas to marry a total stranger!"  Her mother had her hands on her hips as she glared at her.

"I can't stay here and live a quiet life and never go outdoors, Mother.  I'll slowly go crazy."  Elaine kept her voice calm as she answered her mother.

"I can't let you go!  What if you get hurt?"

Elaine shrugged.  "Then I'll be hurt on an adventure.  I can't sit here and stare at the walls for the rest of my life.  Don't you understand that?  I need to be doing something, and you've shown me over and over that if I stay here, you're not going to let me do anything.  I feel like a prisoner in my own home."

Cassandra looked as if she'd been slapped.  "I've just been protecting you.  When I don't watch you, you fall out of trees and hurt yourself."

"No, Mother, I don't.  I haven't fallen out of a tree in twelve years.
I'm not sure that you've even let me
touch
a tree in twelve years. It's time for you to let me go.  You thought Millicent and Beverly were getting too old to ever find husbands when they were twenty," Elaine said, referring to her older sisters.  "I'm twenty-two and you won't even let me try to find anyone."  She argued calmly, hoping her mother would actually listen to her.

"You're not well like they are."

"There's nothing wrong with me anymore.  I'm not sick.  One leg is just shorter than the other.  I've learned to deal with that."  Elaine sighed.  "I'm leaving in the morning.  Father has already agreed to drive me to the train station."

Cassandra had tears streaming down her face.  "Will you at least promise to write so we know you're all right?"

Elaine stood and walked to her mother, hugging her tightly.  "Of course, I'll write.  I love you, Mother.  I just need to be allowed to live."

Cassandra said nothing else as she clung to her daughter for a moment.  "Do you need help packing?" she asked as she finally released her.

"It's already done."  She pointed to the two carpet bags beside her bed. 

Cassandra nodded once, her face still sad.  "I guess I don't have a choice in the matter then, do I?"

Elaine shook her head.  "No.  You don't.  I appreciate that you care enough to want me to stay, though."

*****

When her father stopped the family buggy at the train station the following morning, Elaine gave him a quick hug.  "Thank you for driving me.  I'll write as soon as I get there and let you know I'm safe."  She wasn't certain how far John lived from a post office, though, so she couldn't say when that would be.  She knew her father understood.

"We'd appreciate that."  He jumped down to help her
from the wagon and handed her bags to her.  "Do you want me to wait with you?"

"No, thank you.  I have a friend meeting me here."  Elaine saw Elizabeth waiting on a bench for her. 

David nodded.  "You remember what I told you.  You use that money and buy yourself a train ticket home if it doesn't work out for you.  No need to stay somewhere you're unhappy."

"I'll be fine.  I promise."  She knew she would never come home.  Even if John wasn't what she wanted, she'd simply find a job in Kansas.  She was a hard worker, and she would do whatever it took. 

The look he gave her told her he understood exactly what she was thinking.  He pulled out his wallet and handed her all the money inside it.  "Just be careful."  He was obviously worried about her and not willing to see her work herself too hard.

She stared at the money for a moment before taking it and putting it into her purse.  She might need it, and she wasn't too proud to accept help if she did.  "Thank you."

He nodded, watching her as she limped away, a look of worry on his face.

Dropping onto the bench beside Elizabeth, she squeezed the other woman's hand.  "Thanks for seeing me off."
  Elaine had been certain she hadn't needed the other woman there, but now that the time was at hand, she was very relieved to not be alone.

Elizabeth grinned.  "Are you ready?  Were your parents upset?"

Elaine shrugged.  "Mother was, but Father told me that he understands why I'm doing it.  He gave me money in case something goes wrong."  She didn't mention how much money, but it was more than she'd ever carried at one time.  She could live on it for months, and then even get home if she couldn't find a job.

"That's one of the reasons I wanted to meet you here.  If something does go wrong, and you find yourself in a bad situation, don't stay.  Get out.  Come here or find a place to live there.  Whatever it takes."

"I won't stay where I'm mistreated."  Elaine didn't know a lot, but she knew she would never stand for that.  She'd put up with being babied for too long.  Never again would she stay in a situation where she couldn't be content.

"That's what I need to hear."  Elizabeth nodded to Elaine's bags.  "Do you feel like you have everything you need?"

"If I don't, my father gave me more than enough money to get it."  Elaine sighed.  "Does everyone get this type of treatment when they leave, or is it just me because of my lame leg?"  She hated what she felt was special treatment. 

"Absolutely everyone gets it.  The woman I took over the business from had a lame leg as well."

Elaine looked at Elizabeth with surprise.  "You didn't tell me that!"  Elizabeth had seemed to take her leg in stride, and now she understood why.