Mail Order Misfit (Brides of Beckham) (9 page)

Chapter Six

Elaine worked hard on Monday and Tuesday getting the curtains ready for the windows while she continued to do the deep clean on the house.  She kept glaring at the floors wondering just how she was going to be able to handle them.  Finally, Tuesday night, she brought up the subject to Colin.  "I can't scrub the floors.  I'm sorry, but it's one thing I'm just not going to be able to do." She was close to tears as she admitted it.  She hated admitting that she had any limitations at all.

Colin looked at her for a moment as if trying to understand her upset.  The house looked like a completely different place since she'd started working on it.  Everything was shining, and he had good food for every meal.   What was she worried about?  Finally he understood.  "You can't get down on your knees, can you?"
Why did she think he would care about that?

She shook her head, one tear coursing down her cheek.  She hated letting him down.  "I'm so sorry.  I wasn't thinking about that when I agreed to be your wife.  I didn't think there was anything I wouldn't be able to do."
  She sniffled.  "I hate letting you down."

He thought about the problem for a moment.  He really didn't care about the floors, but it was obvious that they mattered to her a great deal.  "Well, we could pay someone to clean them once a week if you want, or I could do them if t
hat would make you feel better.  I honestly don't care what the floors look like.  You've made the rest of the house so beautiful I don't even notice them."  And he really didn't.  They mattered so much less than how she felt about herself.

She had just finished the dishes and he caught her hand pulling her down into his lap.  "I'm sorry I get so upset over it, but I feel like I'm not living up to my part of the bargain."  She brushed away the tear.

He pulled her head down for a kiss, his hands roaming over her body.  "I don't feel like you're not living up to your part of things.  I have everything I need from our marriage."  He grinned as he nipped her neck.  "I have a beautiful woman in my bed every night, a clean house, and good food for every meal.  I even get cake!"  he was thrilled with her, especially since they'd consummated the marriage.  He found that he was married to a sensual woman who enjoyed their time in bed.  He was more than pleased with her.

She laughed.  "You're easy to please."  She looked at her hands for a moment.  "Would you have a problem if I found someone to clean the floors for me?  I hate not doing it myself, but I would hurt myself and there's no need to do that."
  She didn't like admitting that she simply couldn't do it, but if she could hire someone to scrub them for her, then she was doing a good thing for someone else by giving them work, right?

"I agree.  I would rather see dirt pile up on our floors until we're covered in filth up to our knees than see you hurt yourself scrubbing them.  Hire someone.  We can afford it."  He shrugged, not caring about the money if it meant she would be okay.  He'd find a way to make up the difference.
  He certainly wasn't a rich man, but he didn't have to count every single penny either.  They could afford the little bit it would cost to have someone scrub the floors weekly.

"I have a good deal of money with me," she told him.  "I didn't say anything before, because I wanted to make sure we were going to work out first, but I can easily use my own money for it."
  She didn't feel like it was right to use his money for the floors, because it was her job, and she couldn't do it.  It made more sense to her to use the money she'd brought with her.

He eyed her.  "I don't want you using your own money for anything."
  He had married her knowing of her infirmity and accepting that she may need help with some things.  He wouldn't feel like a good provider if she paid for anything.

She sighed.  "I was afraid you'd say that.  My father was worried about sending me off, though, so he included enough for me to live for several months.  What will I do with the money if I'm not allowed to spend it."
  She did her best to reason with him, because she really didn't want him to have to spend his money to hire someone to do her job.

He frowned.  "He didn't think I would take care of you?"
  He didn't like the idea the older man hadn't trusted him.  Of course, he'd never met him, so how could he trust him?

Elaine shook her head.  "I wasn't even coming out here to marry you.  I think he was worried that John would do exactly what he did, and I would need to find a way to live.  He knew that no matter what happened I wouldn't go home."

Colin rubbed her back as he thought about her words.  "I guess you can do whatever you want with it."  He didn't like it, but he didn't know what else to say.  There was no point in sticking it under a mattress somewhere.

She rested her head against his shoulder.  "It's
our
money now.  You can use it for what you need as well."  She wanted to share everything she had with him, just like he shared all he had with her.

He shook his head.  "I'd rather you used it for dresses or things around the house you want or need.  I don't need it."
  He wouldn't use it for the ranch, even though he knew she would think that he should.

She decided not to argue with him.  "I'll make you some sandwiches in the morning.  Rebekah and Leah will be here tomorrow for lunch."
  She was really looking forward to having lunch with her new friend.  She had been excited about it all week.

"I remember.  I can't believe I'm not allowed to eat lunch with my wife in my own house."  He made a face at her that had her giggling in response.

"Giving me that petulant little boy look is going to do you no good at all.  I'm not falling for it."  She got to her feet and put her hand down to help him to his.  "I'm not at all sleepy, so why don't we go to bed?" she asked with a grin.

His face lit up.  "I've been waiting for that offer all day." 

*****

Elaine was surprised by how nervous she was about Rebekah and Leah coming over the following morning.  Everything was cleaned as well as she could do it, and she planned to ask her friend if she knew of someone who would be willing to scrub her floors for her.  She made a cake to go with the tea she planned to serve for an afternoon snack, and fixed a simple meal for the three of them.

When Rebekah arrived, she dried her hands nervously on her apron and looked around the room to make certain it was ready for her guests.  Her curtains were hanging at the windows and the tablecloth looked good on the table.  Colin had picked some flowers for her and they were in a glass in the center of the table.  She made a mental note to buy a vase the next time they went to town.  She liked the idea of having one, and Colin had said he didn't care what she spent her money on.

She opened the door to her new friend inviting her inside.  "I'm so glad you were able to come for lunch today," Elaine told her.

Rebekah smiled, setting Leah on the floor.  "Thank you for inviting us."  She looked around the small house.  "I was never here before, but I can see you've definitely put your touch on the place.  I'm sure Colin didn't have curtains before you arrived." 

Elaine smiled.  "No, he had
furniture and a stove, and that's about it."  She laughed with her friend about the difference in how a man set up house and how a woman did.

"That sounds like how my husband was when we married." Rebekah hurried across the room and grabbed Leah's hand.  "Don't pull the tablecloth off the table."

The two women chatted while they ate the simple meal Elaine had prepared.  "I moved out here with my family when I was twelve.  We lived back in the old states before that."

"Old states?" Elaine asked, never having hear the term.

Rebekah smiled.  "That's a term you need to get used to living in the West.  It means all the East Coast states."

Elaine grinned.  "What state are you from?"

"My parents were factory workers in New York City when they heard about land grants here in Kansas, so they joined a wagon train.  It was a tough journey, but I'm so glad we made it.  I met Abel on the journey.  He was a couple of years older than me, and he was part of the same wagon train."

"His family was from New York too?"

Rebekah shook her head.  "No, they were from New Jersey."  She shrugged.  "Close enough, though.  Our families remained close once we got here, and we ended up married."

"Did you have feelings for him right away?" Elaine asked, still trying to come to grips with what she felt for Colin.
  She knew she was falling in love with him, but she had no idea how he felt about her.  Sure, he'd claimed to love her, but she knew he just felt sorry for her.

Rebekah seemed to think about that for a moment.  "I thought he was annoying when I first met him.  He kept trying to act like he knew everything to impress me.  Once he stopped that nonsense, we became friends, and eventually, we fell in love."  She gave Leah another piece of bread.  "What about you?  Did you look at Colin and know he was the one for you?"

Elaine shook her head.  "Not immediately.  I was attracted to him right away, but I don't think I knew that I had feelings for him for a while.  Not until he kissed me in the alley in town."  She blushed as soon as the words escaped her mouth.

"He kissed you in an alley?  Do tell!"

Elaine laughed.  "I tried to get him to shake on an agreement we made before we went to the pastor to marry.  He refused to shake but dragged me off into an alley and kissed me instead.  I'm not sure what he was thinking."  She'd never been in a relationship with a man before Colin, so she didn't know if things like that were normal.

Rebekah laughed.  "If he's like most men, he was thinking he didn't want to wait to get his hands on you.  He's a nice man and well regarded around town."

Elaine took a sip of her water.  "I also met John Black.  What do you think of him?"  She knew Colin's opinion of the man, but she'd love to hear what another woman thought of him. 

"Just be glad you didn't come here to marry him.  He told everyone he'd sent off for a mail order bride."  Rebekah shuddered delicately.  "You'd have had to turn tail and get back East as soon as possible.  He's not a pleasant man."

"I got that impression.  He likes to stop in here for a free meal whenever he feels like it."  Elaine shook her head, debating telling the other woman about how she was supposed to be John's bride but he'd rejected her.

"I'd avoid him if you can.  Can Colin tell him not to come by anymore?"

"Is he dangerous?" Elaine asked in surprise.  She had gotten the impression he was not a pleasant person, but not that he was dangerous.

Rebekah frowned.  "I don't know if dangerous is the right word, but he makes me very uncomfortable.  I think he only bathes twice a year, and he acts as if he knows everything.  I don't really know what to say except that I would keep my distance."

Elaine nodded.  "Thanks for telling me what you think."  She knew she'd be thinking a lot about what the other woman had told her about John.  He made her very uncomfortable.

They changed the subject to easier topics as they finished eating and did the dishes together.  After lunch, they sat at the table together to talk, each with a cup of tea and a piece of the cake Elaine had baked.  "I have a question for you.  I need to hire someone to scrub my floors once a week.  It's something my bad leg just won't allow me to do on my own.  Do you know of anyone who would be willing?"

Rebekah thought about it for a moment.  "My younger sister, Laura, just got married last month, and they're having trouble making ends meet.  I think she'd be thrilled for some extra money.  Do you want me to ask her for you?"

"Oh, yes, please!  I'm happy to pay a fair wage for it.  I can do everything except that so far.  I'm sure I'll run into more things that are hard for me as time goes by, though."  Elaine shook her head.  "I feel like I'm failing as a wife, because I can't do something as simple as scrub my floors."
  She knew the other woman would understand why she felt like a failure better than Colin did.

Rebekah shook her head.  "I saw the way Colin was looking at you on Sunday.  He certainly doesn't think you're failing as a wife.  He's very happy with you."

Elaine smiled.  "He overlooks my weaknesses.  What more could a woman ask for in a husband?"

"All of us have weaknesses."  Rebekah looked at her plate for a moment.  "I can't bake for anything.  My mother was a terrible baker, and she was never able to teach me to do it well.  I burn the bread half the time, and my cakes are never worth eating."

Elaine was startled.  "Oh, I'm certain that's not true.  You probably cook like a dream."  She couldn't imagine the woman sitting across from her not doing everything she attempted well.

"Oh I do.  I just don't bake well.  Not that Abel complains.  He says he married me because he loves me, not because I bake bread well."  Rebekah shrugged.  "I hate it, but what can I do?"

"Would you like me to teach you?  We could bake some bread this afternoon, and you could take some home with you.  I was going to bake bread in the morning, and this will give me a head start."  Elaine loved the idea of being able to do something nice for the other woman.  She felt like she'd done so much for her by recommending someone to clean her floors and walking two miles with a child to have lunch with her.