Mail Order Motherhood (Brides of Beckham Book 8) (9 page)

He nodded.  “We got married and started our journey the next day.  We got our land here, and our cattle, and began our lives together.  She was happy here for the first few years.  We had Gertie three years after we married and then Robert.  She was so sickly after Robert was born.  I kept begging her to go to the doctor in town, but she kept saying that it was just that she needed time to recover from childbirth.  By the time we got her to the doctor, he said it was too late.  If I’d taken her sooner, he might have been able to do something, but I didn’t.”

Clara squeezed his hand.  “You can’t blame yourself for her death.”

“I can’t not blame myself for her death.  She was a good woman, and I loved her, and I let her die.”  He shook his head, his eyes dark and sad.  “How did your husband die?”

“He had a heart attack while working one day.  Finances had been tight, and the doctor said he just worried himself to death.”

“And you tried to farm after his death?”

She nodded.  “I couldn’t see remarrying so quickly, although I had a couple of offers.  When the bank told me they were foreclosing, I felt like I had to get out of town.  I had to figure out a way to raise my children without the constant worry that I was feeling.”

“And you answered my letter.  I’m glad you did.”

“You are?”  She was truly astonished by that fact.  She thought he resented her.

He nodded.  “You’re a good wife to me and a good mother for my children.  How could I not be glad it was you who came to marry me?”

She was pleased by his statement but not sure if she really believed him.  He’d obviously truly loved his wife.  She would always be second best.

Chapter Six

It was late the following afternoon, when she’d just sat down after baking six fresh loaves of bread and a cake, and had dinner in the oven staying warm for when Albert and Clarence got back that she heard a knock on the door.  In the months she’d been there, they’d never had a visitor.

Clara jumped to her feet and rushed to the door.  She blinked twice at the woman in front of her.  She was a carbon copy of Sally.  She knew because she’d looked at the other woman’s photo enough, hoping she could be more like her.

“May I help you?” she asked softly.

“I’m Mary.  My brother-in-law lives here.  At least I think he does.  Is this Albert Hanson’s house?”  Mary acted as if she had every right in the world to be there, and Clara had no thought of turning her away.

Clara nodded.  “Yes, of course it is.  Come in.”

Mary waved to the driver of the sleigh, and he drove off.  It was only then that she realized Mary had a carpet bag.  “Thank goodness.  I thought I was lost.”  The pretty woman in front of her had blond hair and green eyes.  Her cheeks were rosy from the cold.  She picked up her bag and hurried into the house, warming herself in front of the fire.  “My husband died last month, so I came here to keep house for Albert.  Where is my brother-in-law anyway?”

Clara was stunned to hear the question.  Did she not know Albert at all?  “It’s the middle of the day.  He’s out on the range working.”

Mary nodded.  “Okay.  Well, where’s my room?”

Clara studied the older woman, trying to figure out what to do with her.  “Well, we really don’t have any empty rooms.”  Her gaze settled on the girls sitting at the table doing their schoolwork.  “Would you two be willing to share so Aunt Mary can have a room to herself?”

Natalie and Gertie exchanged looks.  “Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.

Clara smiled, happy that was resolved.  “Okay, girls, run upstairs and move all Gertie’s things into Natalie’s room.”  She looked at Mary.  “I’ll change the sheets in Gertie’s room when they’re done.”  She walked to the stove and started the coffee pot.  “Are you hungry?  I made a cake that’s still cooling.”  She’d planned to serve it for supper, but she could whip up a pie while she waited for the coffee to heat up.

Mary shook her head.  “Oh, no.  I don’t eat cake.  I’m watching my figure.”

Clara smiled, looking at how slender Mary was.  What was she going to do with her?  “I understand.”  She sat at the table.  “Have a seat.  I’m Clara by the way.  Albert and I married in September.”

“Oh.  I had no idea Albert had already remarried.”  Mary frowned.  “I guess he doesn’t need a housekeeper after all.”  The look on her face told Clara she was very upset that Albert had married without first discussing things with her.

“You can stay with us for a while.  We have plenty of room.”  Clara hoped the other woman would be gone as soon as possible though.  She didn’t want to have to feel like she was in the shadow of her husband’s late wife for the rest of her life.  She already felt that way a great deal of the time.  Having someone who looked just like her in her home would only make things worse.

“Oh, wonderful!  I’ll help however I can around the house.  I can see you’re having a hard time of it.”  She walked to a window sill and wiped her finger along it as if to say Clara’s home wasn’t clean enough.

Clara bristled.  Everything in her home was kept just the way she wanted it to be, and she spent hours scrubbing every day.  “That will be nice.  I’m sure there are some special dishes you know how to make that you could teach me.”  She’d be as polite as she could be during the other woman’s time there.  Maybe Albert knew of a single man they could marry her off to.  Quickly.

“I’m sure I do.  Albert loved my sister’s cooking.  I could teach you to make everything she used to make for him.”

Clara smiled, knowing the other woman wouldn’t realize how strained the smile was.  “Thank you.  I’d like that.”

Robert came down the stairs then, rubbing his eyes from sleep.  He looked at Mary for a moment before hurrying into Clara’s arms.  He was obviously nervous around the stranger.  “How long has it been since you’ve seen the children?” Clara asked as she held Robert in her lap.

“Oh, I’ve never seen the children.  I haven’t seen Albert since the day he married my sister.”  Mary walked over to sit across from Clara.  “I’m your Aunt Mary,” she said to Robert, trying to take him from Clara’s arms. 

Robert looked at her out of the corner of his eye, obviously wanting to stay where he was.  “He’s shy when he first wakes up,” Clara explained quickly.  She didn’t know if that was true or not, but she didn’t want the other woman’s feelings to be hurt that he wouldn’t go to her.

“Nonsense.  He wants to be held by his Auntie Mary, don’t you, boy?”

Boy?  Didn’t she know his name?  “Robert, Aunt Mary would like to hold you.”

Robert shook his head and buried his face in the crook of Clara’s neck.  “I want you, Mama.”

Clara shrugged.  “I’m not going to force him.”

“Why not?  You’re spoiling my nephew.  Sally would hate that!”

“Sally’s not here to hate it.”  Clara cuddled the boy close, knowing he was upset by the argument going on around him.  What was wrong with Mary to upset her nephew this way?  She hoped that Albert told the woman to leave.  She didn’t think he would, but she could always hope.

Clara pulled dinner out of the oven and set it on the table.  She made gravy with the drippings in the bottom of the roast pan and then set the table.  The girls were still moving rooms, so she couldn’t ask them.  She was surprised that Mary, with all her talk to being a housekeeper for the family, didn’t get up and do it, but she seemed content to watch Clara work.

Albert stepped into the house, stomping on the rug just inside the door, taking off his coat and hanging his hat on the peg by the door.  He moved out of the way while Clarence did the same.  He walked straight to Clara and leaned down to kiss her.  “Dinner smells wonderful.”

Clara smiled up at him, pleased the first thing he did with Mary there was show her affection.  “We have a guest,” she said, using her thumb to indicate the table.  Robert usually sat at the table while she finished preparing a meal, but instead, he was clinging to her skirts. 

Albert reached down to lift his son into his arms before turning to the table.  He did a double take.  “Mary?” he asked, his voice obviously shocked.  He didn’t move over to her, but instead stood with Robert right beside Clara.  “What are you doing here?”

Mary walked across the room and pulled Albert down into a hug, squeezing Robert in the process.  “My husband died, so I had to decide what to do.  I thought with Sally gone, you could use a housekeeper.”  She looked at Clara with a disgusted look.  “Looks like you’ve already replaced her though.”

Clara froze with surprise. 
Did Mary really just say that to Albert?  What is wrong with that woman?

Albert’s voice was stiff.  “I found a new wife.  When Sally was dying, she told me that she didn’t want me to spend the rest of my life alone.”  His gaze met his sister-in-law’s evenly.

“You could have waited a respectable amount of time.” 

“I’m through discussing this, Mary.  Why are you here, and how long will you stay?”

“I came to help you.  I already told you that.  I don’t know how long I’ll stay.  I actually hoped that things might work out between us…”

“You can stay as long as you’re not a burden.  You’ll help Clara with chores and do your part.  As soon as you stop, I’ll put you on a train straight back to Texas.”  Robert obviously felt no love for the woman, despite her resemblance to his first wife. 

Clara breathed a sigh of relief.  Maybe she wouldn’t stay for long after all.

“What would I do in Texas?  Mama and Papa are gone.”

Albert shrugged.  “I’m sorry about the death of your family.  I have some friends in the area who are looking for a wife.”  Albert thought of the two men from the mercantile the day before.  He’d love to see one of them marry his sister-in-law.  All they cared about was getting a pretty wife.  Mary was pretty all right.

“You wouldn’t mind seeing me married to one of your friends?”

He shrugged.  “Honestly, I don’t care what you do as long as you don’t cause problems in my house.”

He walked to the table and sat down, still holding Robert.  “What did you do today?” he asked the boy.

Robert shrugged.  “I had breakfast and lunch, and I practiced writing my letters and counted a lot.  Mama made me take a nap again.”  He made a face.

Albert smiled, hugging the boy close.  “Mama was right to make you nap.  You have to nap everyday if you want to grow up to be a big strong cowboy.”

“And eat all my supper!”

“Yes, you need to eat all your supper.”  Albert saw Clara was pouring the gravy into a bowl.  “Let’s wash our hands so we can eat.” 

Clarence was still standing in the doorway, holding his hat in his hands.  He was obviously uncomfortable about the situation.  Albert noticed him standing there and he smiled.  “Wash your hands, boy.  Your mama has supper almost ready.”

Clarence nodded.  “Yes, sir.”  He rushed to the basin and washed his hands as soon as Albert and Robert were through.   He took his normal seat at the table, even though it was beside the stranger. 

Mary smiled at him.  “I’m your new aunt, Mary.”

“Hello.”  He said nothing else. 

Clara put the dishes on the table.  “Clarence?  Would you run upstairs and tell your sisters that it’s supper time, and they can come down?  They can finish their task after supper.”

Albert leaned against the sink, looking at Clara.  “What do you have them doing?” he asked.

“They’re moving all of Gertie’s things into Natalie’s room.  Natalie’s room is bigger, and the girls can share it, while Mary takes Gertie’s room.”

Albert shook his head, not liking the situation.  Mary had once pulled the wool over his eyes, and he wasn’t her biggest fan, but he couldn’t see tossing her out on her bottom like he wanted to do.  He had loved his wife too much to treat her sister that way.  “That’s fine.”  He put Robert into the seat beside him, knowing that the young boy didn’t want anything to do with his aunt.  He took his place at the head of the table, and figured everyone else could take care of themselves.

Clara put all the dishes of food onto the table and then took her seat at the foot.  The children came barreling down the stairs a moment later, and they all looked at the stranger.  “I didn’t think.  There’s an extra chair in our room.”  Clara stood to get the chair.  “Excuse me.”

Albert shook his head.  “I’ll get the chair.  You start serving the children.”

Robert usually sat beside Clara so she could fix his plate easier.  With him down on the other end of the table, it would be harder.  She stood and walked down to him, fixing his plate.  “Do you want more carrots?” she asked.

Robert nodded.  “I love carrots!”

“And they’re good for you.  I’m glad you like them.”  She finished fixing his plate and hurried back to her place just as Albert came back with the chair.  He placed it beside Clara at the table and Natalie slipped into the seat, because Mary was in her normal place. 

After Albert prayed, while they passed the food around, Clara told the children, “This is Aunt Mary.  She’s going to be staying here for a while.”  She pointed to each of the children as she said their names.  “That’s Robert, Gertie and Natalie, and Clarence is sitting next to you.”

Mary smiled sweetly.  “I’m sure we’re all going to get along just great.”

All of the children watched her warily while they ate, and there was no real conversation.  “Did you girls get most of Gertie’s things moved?” Clara asked.

Natalie nodded.  “We had just finished when Clarence came up to get us.”

“Oh, good.  I’ll go up and change the linens on Gertie’s bed while you girls do the dishes,” Clara said.

Albert shook his head.  “If Mary’s going to be staying here, then she needs to do it herself.  She can’t expect you to wait on her, Clara.”

Clara sighed.  “I was just thinking it would be okay for tonight, because she obviously traveled a long way.”

“I
am
very weary from my travels,” Mary interjected.

“Mary needs to do it herself,” Albert repeated.  “When Clara first arrived she’d been on a train with two children for a full week, and she came home and started cleaning and cooked supper without a single complaint.  I expect you to do your share.” 

He said nothing else until Mary said, “I’ll do it, Albert.”

As soon as supper was over, Mary disappeared upstairs with her carpet bag and the sheets Clara gave her.  Clara sat down beside Albert while Clarence started to work on his schoolwork.  “I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have invited her to stay,” Clara said.

Albert shook his head.  “No, I won’t turn her out.”  He sighed heavily.   “Mary was Sally’s twin.  I courted her, and she ran off to marry someone else, because I wasn’t ready to settle down yet.  She had no children.  I married Sally, because as soon as Mary left, I realized she was the one I’d loved all along.”  He pulled Robert into his lap again.  “I guess Mary decided that since both of our spouses were deceased, we should get married.  I never encouraged her to think that.  I don't really want her here.”