Mail Order Mistake (10 page)

“Ah, I didn’t realize that.  I thought I was fixing your hair for your sister’s wedding.” 
Angela held the dress down for Malinda to step into and helped her bring it up over
her shoulders.  “Your waist is so tiny you don’t even need a corset.”

Malinda grinned.  “Ellen says I should wear one anyway because it’s proper, but I
don’t want to, so I don’t.  She doesn’t even notice most of the time.”

Angela giggled.  “Sometimes it’s fun to do things others don’t realize, isn’t it?” 
She buttoned up the back of Malinda’s dress and then walked in a slow circle around
her.  “You look wonderful.  Who did this?”  She pointed to a tiny flower embroidered
into the collar of the dress. 

Malinda looked down to see what she was talking about. 
“I did.”
 

“You’re very talented.  You could make a good living with sewing skills in a mining
town like this.”

Malinda looked at the younger girl in surprise.  “I could?”  She’d never thought of
doing anything to help out with the income Wesley made, but she could easily do that. 
The more money they brought in the easier life would be.
  She wondered if it would bother Wesley if she did something like that.

“Yes, there are so many miners here who have to send away for shirts that don’t fit
correctly.  A woman who could take some fabric and turn it into a shirt that fits
well is needed around here.”  Angela put her things back into the bag she’d brought
with her.  “I hope you and the sheriff are very happy together.”

Malinda smiled.  “I’m sure we will be.  He’s a wonderful man.”
  She felt a little bit lighter at the thought of starting her own business, but had
no idea how to go about such a thing.  Maybe once she’d gotten used to being a housewife,
she could look into it.

Angela left with a slight wave, and Malinda went to the mirror to see the final effect
of the hairstyle with her wedding dress.  She couldn’t help but smile.  Wesley was
going to be pleased, she was sure.

When she got downstairs, she saw Ellen and Patrick talking softly.  Her sister looked
so beautiful.  Malinda couldn’t help but be thrilled Ellen was marrying the man she
loved.

She walked straight to Wesley and kissed his cheek. 
They went out to the buggy and he helped her into the back as he had the first day
they’d met.  She sat with him while Patrick drove to the chapel.  Normally they’d
have walked, but it was too far in their wedding shoes. 

“I do want to marry you today, Wesley.”
  She spoke softly, so the couple in the front wouldn’t be able to hear her.

He turned to her, his eyes searching hers.  “Are you sure?”  She nodded, and he hugged
her close.  “I’m so glad.  I’ll be a good husband to you.”

“I know you will.”  She paused for a moment biting her bottom lip.  “I do have something
I want to ask you, though.”
  How to say it?

He raised an eyebrow.  “What’s that?” 

“Well, the main reason I’ve been waiting is I’m a little afraid of what will happen
tonight.”  She blushed as she said the words, but determinedly plowed on, certain
if she didn’t say it now she’d never find the courage.  “Would you be willing to hold
off on the wedding night for a week or two until we g
e
t to know one another better?”
 

“You’re serious?”

She nodded.  “Please?”

Wesley felt anger fill him.  He’d spent every waking moment dreaming of making love
to the woman beside him since the moment he met her, and she was saying she didn’t
want to share his bed?  But she still wanted to marry him?  “Yes, we’ll wait.  If
you don’t want me touching you, we’ll wait forever.”  He stared out the side of the
carriage and refused to say another word.

“Wesley, you’re taking it wrong.  I do like it when you touch me.  I love it when
you touch me.  I’m just afraid of what the wedding night will be like.  Please don’t
be angry.”  Malinda was panicked that she’d made him so angry he wouldn’t be able
to forgive her, and she didn’t want that.  She just wanted a week or two.  Was that
so bad?

He helped her down from the buggy and looked at Patrick, his eyes flat and angry. 
“We’ll be getting married today, too.”

Malinda looked at Ellen who smiled at her happily.  Malinda wanted to cry.  She was
marrying the man she loved, but she’d angered him so much, he couldn’t even look at
her.

The wedding passed in a blur.  She and Ellen walked down the aisle together holding
each other’s arms, but when she got to the front and stood beside Wesley, his stiff
posture beside her had her shaking with fear.  How could she have messed up so badly
and made him that angry?  Just twenty four hours ago, she’d been sure he’d do anything
for her, and now he was so angry he wouldn’t look at her.  What had she done?

When the preacher told Wesley and Patrick to kiss their brides, Wesley planted a brief
,
stiff kiss on her lips.  There was no tenderness at all.  She wanted to go back in
time by an hour and take back the words she’d said to him, but it was too late.  Why
hadn’t she listened to Ellen?
  Why was Ellen always right about everything?

After the wedding
,
they went back to Patrick’s house for a wedding lunch. 
Malinda was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who had gone to the wedding
and the lunch afterward.  She sat beside Wesley looking down the
enormous table and searching for faces she knew.  Ellen and Patrick were the only
people she recognized.
   She understood Wesley and Patrick had friends in this town they’d lived in for
years, but it felt strange to have so many people she didn’t know at her wedding.

She needed to talk to Wesley alone, but she didn’t know how to do that when the house
was so full of people.  Of course, she’d be going home with him in a few hours, but
was that soon enough?  She felt like she needed to clear the air immediately.  She
didn’t want him to stay angry with her.

She spent the whole time sitting quietly trying to think up ways she could get him
to leave with her so they could talk instead of participating in the conversation
around them.  Malinda could tell Wesley was well liked, and she wished she had just
agreed to marry him and left it at that.  She needed to tell him she was willing to
just consummate now.  She’d get over her fears.  She had to.
  He’d forgive her if she told him she was sorry and was willing, wouldn’t he?

Finally the long lunch was over, and she expected everyone to leave, and then she’d
talk to him.  But no one really left.  They all stood around talking.  As the crowd
thinned, Alice pulled her into the kitchen and gave her a big basket with a cloth
over the top.  “There’s enough food in there for your dinner tonight and hopefully
for your meals tomorrow.  You’ll be on your own on Monday, but this will get you started.”

Malinda threw her arms around the sweet cook, who was really more Ellen’s friend than
hers and cried on her shoulder.  “Thank you so much.  I really needed this.  I don’t
know how to thank you for your kindness.”
 

Alice pulled away and used a clean corner of her apron to dry Malinda’s tears.  “This
is about more than just the basket of food.”

Malinda nodded.  “I said something stupid and I can’t take it back.  He’s mad at me.”
  She couldn’t bring herself to tell Alice what she’d said, though.  How could she
have been so stupid?

Alice smiled, patting Malinda on the shoulder.  “When you first marry you’ll find
a lot of stupid things are said, and you both just have to get past them.  He’ll be
happy and you’ll be happy, and everything will work out okay for you both.”

Malinda sniffled, but carried the basket out to the dining room.  The only people
left were Wesley, Patrick and Ellen.  She walked over and stood calmly next to Wesley,
taking his arm in her hand and squeezing it, trying to convey she was sorry without
words.  He pulled his arm away and turned to Patrick, thanking him for including them
in the wedding lunch.

When Ellen came out of the kitchen, she took one look at Malinda’s miserable face
and asked, “Do you need some help packing your things, Malinda?” 

Malinda took her sister’s hand and led her up the stairs.  “He’s mad at me,” Malinda
told her as soon as they’d shut the door.

“I can see that.  What happened between you two?”  Ellen looked concerned.

“He’s mad that I suggested we wait to have our wedding night.”  Malinda hated admitting
she hadn’t taken her sister’s advice and nothing had turned out right.  She turned
to begin packing her things into the trunk they’d brought with them from Massachusetts.

“Well, of course
he is!  I told you not to do that.  What exactly did he say?” 
Ellen looked angry as she asked the question. 

Malinda tried not to cry, but could feel the tears running down her cheeks.
“I’d rather not even say.  He was really ugly about it.”
  She shook her head.  There was no way she was going to tell Ellen what Wesley had
said.  It was humiliating enough to tell her sister she’d been right.

“You need to do what you can to fix the situation as soon as you get to his house.”

Malinda shrugged, but didn’t say anything. 
She already knew she needed to fix things.  Did Ellen think she was
a child
?

Ellen turned to her before opening the door.
  “Are you going to be okay?”

“Sure.”
  Malinda knew she wouldn’t be okay unless she could get Wesley to forgive her, but
she didn’t say that.  It was her own fault he was mad in the first place.

After the men left with the trunk, Ellen turned to Malinda.
  “We’ve never lived apart.  This is going to be strange.  We need to make sure we
see each other often.”

Stifling a sob, Malinda said,
“I’m going to miss you so much!”
 
Please don’t make me go and live with my angry husband!

“You’ll only live a fifteen minute walk away.  We can see each other every day if
we want to.”

*****

As soon as the women went up the stairs, Patrick turned to Wesley.  “What happened
between you two?”

Wesley shrugged, not wanting to admit that his wife didn’t want him to touch her. 
“
No idea what you’re talking about.”

Patrick grabbed Wesley’s arm before he could turn away.  “You do know what I’m talking
about.  What’s going on?”

Wesley sighed.  “She asked if she could have some time before we consummate the marriage. 
Apparently my touch makes her dirty.”

Patrick raised an eyebrow.  “Did she say your touch makes her dirty?”

Wesley shook his head.  “No, she said she wanted time to get to know me better first.”

“We have only known them for a few days.”

“Does that mean you’re going upstairs and not consummating your marriage?” Wesley
asked with fire in his eyes
.

“Well, no, but I can understand where she’s coming from.”

“Well, I can’t!  Why would she even agree to marry me if she didn’t want me touching
her?”

Patrick shook his head.  “She’s been asking for more time all along.  She’s afraid
for some reason.  Talk to her.”

Wesley glared up the stairs in the direction his new wife had disappeared to.  “No
way.  I’m not touching the woman until she comes to me on her knees begging.”

Patrick sighed.  “You’re both too headstrong.  Don’t say anything you’ll regret, little
brother.”

Ellen called for them to come get the trunk and carry it down the stairs before Wesley
could respond.

Once they were finished,
Malinda followed Wesley out to the buggy and he helped her up.  Before, his hand would
have lingered on her arm, but instead he snatched his hand away as soon as she was
seated as if touching her was abhorrent to him. 
“I’ll return the
horse and buggy
tomorrow.” 
It was obvious to Malinda that he was staring straight ahead and refusing to look
at his brother because it would mean he would also be
looking at Malinda.

As they drove down the street, Malinda immediately tried to make things right.  “I’m
sorry for what I said earlier.  If you want, we can consummate the marriage tonight.”

“So, since it made me angry that you didn’t want me touching you, you’re willing to
sacrifice yourself?  I don’t think so.  The mattress in the spare room is lumpy, but
it’s yours for the foreseeable future.”  He stopped in front of a small wooden house
not far from Patrick’s house.  Walking around
,
he helped her down and picked up the trunk putting it on his shoulder.  “Excuse me.
”

She hurried in front of him and opened the front door so he could carry the trunk
in.  He took it to a small room at the back of the house.  She ran back out to the
buggy and got the basket of food Alice had packed and put it in the kitchen.  She
was thankful the woman had thought of it, because she had no idea what to fix to eat
otherwise.