Bid for a Bride Read online

  Lucy put what she was sewing on the chair next to her and cut two slices into the pie she made. “Do you think we should give the men their snack before we have ours?”

  Eliza shook her head and sat down across from Lucy. “Their hands need a good washing before they touch my dishes. When they come in, we’ll give them some pie to eat and coffee to drink.”

  “They’ve been out there all morning. Don’t they ever take a break from work?”

  “Eventually. You see why I wanted a woman out here to talk to? There’s only so much talking I can do to myself.”

  Lucy handed Eliza her plate. “Would you and John like to come over to my house for supper tonight?” It was the first invitation she made, and she couldn’t look at Eliza as she said it.

  “We’d be delighted.”

  Glancing at Eliza’s pleased expression, she smiled. “I’m glad. I’d like you to see what I’ve done with the place since you and John last saw it.”

  “That place needed a woman’s touch in the worst possible way.”

  “It’s fun to be able to decorate a home as I wish,” Lucy confessed as she picked up her plate. “I used to dream of it when I was a little girl.”

  “It’s nice when childhood dreams come true.”

  Lucy nodded, took a bite of pie, and placed the plate down so she could drink some tea. “Did you have any childhood dreams?”

  She motioned to the yellow flowers on the kitchen table. “You’re looking at one of them.”

  “You wanted flowers with you at all times?”

  “Yes, especially the yellow ones.”

  “They are pretty.”

  “Would you like some for your house?”

  “No, thank you. I have enough flowers if I need them.” She paused before asking, “Did you have any other childhood dreams?”

  With a wistful smile, she said, “When I was about ten, I hoped for a baby brother or sister. I was tired of playing with the doll I had and wanted to take care of a real baby. I probably drove my poor mother mad every time I asked her for a brother or sister.”

  Lucy chuckled before she took a sip of tea.

  Across from her, Eliza finished her piece of pie and set the plate on the table. Giving her a good look, Eliza said, “It’s not my business to pry into your affairs, but I wanted to let you know that should you be in the family way with Adam’s child, we will welcome that child with open arms.”

  Lucy’s smile faltered as her gaze fell to the cup in her hands.

  “I’m sorry,” she quickly said. “We can discuss something else.”

  “Actually,” Lucy began, noting the slight trembling of her hands, “I don’t know if I’m expecting Adam’s child or not.” Setting the cup down, she clasped her hands in her lap and glanced out the window. “Brian and I thought it best if we waited until I knew for sure either way.” She cleared her throat and turned her attention to her hands. “I need to know. I’m not sure why. It’d be easier to pretend if I was in the family way, the child is Brian’s, but it’s like I can’t help it. I have to know.”

  “I understand that,” Eliza softly replied.

  “I won’t know for sure until early next week.”

  “It must be hard to wait.”

  Lucy cleared her throat. “I…I’m not sure I can love the child if it’s Adam’s. I worry every time I see the child, I’ll think of him and what he did to me, and I’m angry about what happened.”

  “I know it’s hard to believe from where you’re sitting, with the wounds still fresh, but when you look at the child, you won’t think of how Adam hurt you. You’ll look at the child and see a part of yourself.”

  Directing her gaze to Eliza, she said, “I don’t know if I have it in me to do that.”

  “I suppose no woman does when she’s still in shock.” She stood up and went to the fireplace mantle where she picked up a picture and knelt by Lucy. “This is a picture of my son.”

  “Brian?” Lucy asked, taking it and thinking it didn’t resemble him. She turned to the mantle and saw a picture of Brian, but he was much older than the baby in the picture.

  “No, that’s not Brian. It’s my real son, the one I never knew.” Eliza placed her hand on Lucy’s arm. “When I was fourteen, my parents died, and I went to live with my mother’s sister. Well, my aunt was married to a man who decided to come to my room at night.”

  Lucy gripped the picture in her hand, fearing what she’d hear next and yet having to know. “He didn’t…?”

  “Yes, he did, and about five months later, I realized that my time of the month wasn’t coming. I hid the pregnancy from my aunt for two months before she found out about it. I kept throwing up, and at first, she thought I was sick so she took me to the doctor. I told her it was my uncle’s, but he swore he never did anything improper. So then they blamed the neighborhood boys and decided to quietly get rid of me. I ended up in a brothel. Needless to say, my employer wasn’t pleased to discover I was carrying a child and said as soon as the baby was born, they’d give the baby to a couple for adoption.

  “At the time, I didn’t care. In fact, I just wanted to get rid of it because it only reminded me of my uncle and all the ugly things he did to me. But then the day came when I gave birth, and all I managed to get was one good look at him before they gave him to the couple who adopted him. Lucy, the moment I heard him cry, I wasn’t thinking of my uncle. I was thinking, ‘He’s my son,’ and that was all that mattered.” Eliza’s eyes filled with tears which she quickly wiped away with one of the napkins resting on the tray.

  Lucy took Eliza’s hand and squeezed it. “How heartbreaking.”

  “It was and it wasn’t,” Eliza said. “I missed him something awful, but I knew he was better off with the nice couple I selected for him than with me in a whorehouse. They sent that picture to me to thank me. I like to think he’s married and has children of his own and that he’s happy. So you see, Lucy, you will love your child regardless of who the father is, and we’ll all love your child too.” She stood up and rubbed her shoulder. “It’ll take time. And if it turns out you aren’t with child, then you will have a clean slate to start all over.”

  Lucy nodded and handed the picture back to Eliza, hoping she’d get the clean slate. She didn’t doubt Eliza, but she’d rather have children with Brian. Then she could enjoy the entire pregnancy.

  Eliza put the picture back on the mantle. “You know, I’d like to get a picture of you and Brian up here one of these days. You’re a member of this family now.”

  As Eliza sat across from her, Lucy asked, “How did you meet Brian?”

  “He didn’t tell you?”

  “He just said that his real father left him out in the fields one day, and he wandered around for two days before you and John found him.”

  Eliza smiled and picked up her cup. “I remember that day. John and I were on our way back from town when we saw Brian walking on the edge of our property. From the distance, we thought one of the farmer’s sons was playing in the fields and got lost, but when he got closer, we realized he was a boy we’d never seen before. We might not venture into town much, but we do know whose kids belong to who.

  “I remember how frightened Brian was. He was only eight, and his mother died a week before. We don’t know much about her. Brian doesn’t say a whole lot about his time before he came to live with us, but he says she was a good woman and there’s no reason to doubt it. His father, on the other hand…” Eliza shrugged. “Well, from what I know, his father spent more time with a bottle than at work and didn’t want to be bothered with the responsibility of a child. I suppose there’s not much more to know to get the picture of that situation.”

  “He grew up well in spite of it,” Lucy quietly said. Knowing all of this—Eliza’s past and Brian’s past—was a reminder that she wasn’t the only one who’d gone through something unpleasant.

  “We were happy to adopt him. It didn’t matter that he was blind. The first thing we did was learn how to sign the alphab
et so John could communicate with him. That’s what John does when he signs to Brian. He spells out the words. It used to be a slow process to watch them, but these days, they go in lightning speed. I’m sure they’ve figured out shortcuts to some of the more common words they use.”

  “It’s fascinating to watch them. They act like they grew up doing it.”

  “I know how to sign the alphabet, but I won’t bother going through the hassle of spelling out words like that. I would if Brian was deaf, but he hears just fine. In fact, he hears better than John or I do.”

  “Me too,” Lucy admitted. “He smells better as well. He knows when I’m not in the house because he can’t smell lavender.” She laughed. “I use lavender soap, but I didn’t realize it identified me.”

  “He can smell the type of flowers I have in the kitchen,” Eliza said. “If you weren’t looking at his eyes or his walking stick, you’d never know he was blind. Most of the time, I don’t even think about it.”

  Lucy finished her tea and set the cup back on the tray.

  “I suppose it’s time to get something done about lunch.” Sighing, Eliza gathered the plates and put them on the tray with the tea. “I’ll take care of lunch since you’ve graciously offered to relieve me of making supper.”

  “Then I’ll see if I can finish this curtain.” Lucy gathered the material and found the place where she’d left off.

  “I think between cooking and sewing, I’ll go with cooking.”

  Smiling, Lucy picked up the needle and got back to work.

  Chapter Nine

  A couple days later, Lucy sat in the rocking chair on the porch, finishing the curtains she planned to hang in the bedroom. She held them up and thought the light blue fabric would make the room more cheerful. She liked blue. It was a soft and soothing color.

  The breeze ruffled the curtains so she set them in her lap. Her hand went to her stomach, but she quickly snatched it away. She wouldn’t know for another three days at the soonest if she was expecting a child, so she tried not to think about it. However, trying not to think about it was easier said than done. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air.

  When she opened them, she saw the well and outhouse. To her right were the creek and the trees lining Brian’s property, but up ahead and to her left was the endless prairie. She couldn’t think of a more perfect view to enjoy while she cooked or sewed.

  She did enjoy her new home, and even more, she enjoyed being Brian’s wife. He was a lot different from Adam. While Adam had been outgoing and fascinated many around him with the tales he could spin—tales she was sure were largely made up to impress people, Brian was quiet and tended not to elaborate on any given matter.

  She often wondered why Adam chose her when her sister would have been better suited for him. Her sister, needless to say, hadn’t been pleased when he directed his attention to her. Staring off into the distance, she remembered the first time she met him.

  Her brother’s wedding was in Saint Paul, so her family went there to enjoy the festive occasion. Since his fiancée was the governor’s daughter, the event was quite elaborate. The night before the wedding, her family attended the reception at the governor’s house.

  None of them had been inside a house so big before, and her mother couldn’t stop gushing about the fancy things the governor had. Her sister, Meredith, spent most of her time accepting offers for dances while Lucy sat in the corner of the large room and tried to blend into the background.

  Her brother found her and led his fiancée over to her. “Why aren’t you out there dancing?” He nodded toward the dance floor.

  She turned her attention from watching the couples on the dance floor and smiled. “I don’t care much for it, Phillip.”

  “Oh, come on, Lucy. You’re pretty good at it,” he said.

  “You know I don’t care for large social gatherings. I’d be too nervous out there with everyone else watching me.”

  “You’re watching them.”

  Laughing, she shook her head. “But they don’t mind being watched.”

  Smiling, he moved aside and motioned to the dark brunette standing next to him. “This is Teresa.”

  Lucy stood and hugged her. “So you’re the one he can’t stop talking about.”

  Teresa blushed and glanced at him. “Do you talk about me all the time?”

  “That and more,” he replied.

  “I’m glad you could make it, Lucy,” Teresa said. “Phillip said you enjoy reading.”

  “Yes,” Lucy said. “I read under my favorite tree when I find the time.”

  “I had a tree I used to swing on when I was a girl.” Teresa clasped her hands together. “As for reading, I do that often when I get the chance. There are some books I would like to pass onto another avid reader. If you’re interested, I can show you my collection, and you can take back whatever catches your fancy.”

  “I never turn down the chance to get a new book,” Lucy replied.

  “Splendid! After dinner, I will take you to the library.”

  Library? “You have a library in this house?”

  “Of course. I’ll be happy to show it to you after we eat.”

  Lucy’s gaze swept the room, and she wondered just how many rooms this house contained.

  Her brother held his hand out to her. “You need to have one dance while you’re here.”

  “You’re a hard one to say no to, Phillip,” Lucy replied.

  “That he is,” Teresa added with a chuckle. “Go on and dance with him.” Leaning forward, she whispered, “You’re his favorite sister, and he’ll miss you most when you return home.”

  Touched by Teresa’s words, Lucy decided to dance with Phillip. When the next song started, he led her to the floor and took her in his arms. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?” she asked him.

  “Not really. Everyone’s going to be watching Teresa. Well, maybe everyone but Ma. You know she’s going to be crying about how her little boy is all grown up.”

  Lucy giggled. “Yes. She’ll be quite distraught.”

  “Dramatic, I’d say.”

  “She means well though.”

  “Lucy, are you going to be alright without me at home?”

  She peered up at him and then glanced at her sister who was laughing at something her dance partner said. “Maybe she’ll find a man to marry while she’s here.”

  “Maybe. But if not, I hope you’ll be alright.”

  Lucy sighed. “Let’s hope she finds a husband.”

  After their dance, she returned to her seat. Her brother and his fiancée left to make their rounds to the other guests. Lucy watched people dance for ten minutes before a man who looked to be in his late twenties pulled up a chair and sat next to her.

  Surprised, she glanced in his direction and thought about scooting her chair further from his but wondered if that would be considered rude, so she forced herself to stay put.

  “What are you doing here all by yourself?” he asked.

  She shrugged but kept her attention on the dancers. “I don’t care to dance.”

  “That’s because you haven’t had the right partner.”

  “No. I just don’t care for it.”

  He seemed amused by her answer. “Honest and to the point. I like that.”

  She wasn’t sure what to make of him, so she decided not to respond.

  “My name is Adam Nilles.”

  “I’m Lucy Barnes.”

  “Nice to make your acquaintance.”

  She nodded. “Nice to make yours too.”

  “Are you on the bride’s side or the groom’s?”

  “The groom is my brother.”

  “Ah, a close relative then. I’m a distant relative on the bride’s side. I don’t come through the Twin Cities too often though. I’m a traveling salesman, but soon, with any luck, I’ll get a chance to buy a store to sell my goods.”

  She turned toward him. “And what goods would those be?”

  “Shoes, knickknacks, cookwa
re. Mostly small things for now. I can’t lug a whole lot with me until I have a store that isn’t on wheels. It’d sure be good to settle down where I grew up.”

  “You don’t live here?”

  “No.” He let out a long, wistful sigh. “My heart and my home are in Oregon. It’ll always be there.”

  “That’s a long way from here,” she noted, surprised he would venture so far from Oregon, even if he was a traveling salesman.

  “I made my way across the country and am now coming back. I go from store to store and offer my services to business owners to sell their goods to people further out of town who may not, for one reason or another, be able to go to town to buy things the owners are selling.”

  “Is it scary to travel by yourself across the country?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “No, not at all. I’d say it’s a great adventure. I’ve met a lot of interesting people and have seen a lot of interesting places. Have you ever been outside of Minnesota?”

  “No.”

  “That’s a shame. There’s an entire world out there, and it’s a beautiful place.” He leaned forward and smiled. “May I have this dance?”

  “Alright.”

  She accepted his hand and went with him to the dance floor. As she did, she caught sight of her sister who was dancing with someone else. Her sister narrowed her eyes at her, and Lucy averted her gaze so she wouldn’t have to see her sister anymore.

  Lucy shoved aside the memory of that night and returned her attention to the curtains in her lap. She stood up and went into the house. Picking up the rod that she had placed on the kitchen table before she went out to the porch, she slid the curtains through it. With a glance at the kitchen curtains, new dishes on the shelves, and the new rug, she saw how much the quaint house was already being transformed into a home.

  The storm door opened and she glanced over her shoulder. Turning around, she smiled as Brian entered the house. “How was your day?”

  “Good.” He smiled in her direction and set the walking stick by the door. “The marshal wants a bookcase for his wife, and the post master wants a rocking chair.”