Connor reached out and touched her hand. “I’m glad you didn’t go with him. Trust me, Anna, I can give you and Max a good life.”
“Thank you.”
“We better get moving in case Harry gets a few more drinks in him and returns.”
“All right.”
“Is this trunk all you’ve got?”
“Yes.” It wasn’t much, pitiful really. “And this carpet bag.”
Connor lifted the trunk up as if it were empty instead of crammed with her possession. She picked up the carpet bag and with Max skipping along beside them, they headed toward a wagon full of iron strapping or hoops as he had called them. He dumped the trunk in the back.
“What are those round bits of iron for?” Max stared at them, his little pink tongue poking out in concentration.
“They go around the barrel to hold the staves, that’s the wooden pieces, in place. The staves are specially shaped boards and make up the body of the barrel, usually twenty-four or thirty- six per barrel.”
Anna liked the way he explained things in simple language the child could understand. He didn’t talk down to him, either.
He lifted Max onto the wagon seat, then lifted her up as if she weighed nothing. He took nose bags off the horses, placed them in the wagon and jumped on board.
“Giddup.” He flapped the reins a couple of times and the wagon took off with a grinding of wheels against the pebble strewn ground.
They drove along in silence for a while. Suddenly he said. “There’s a Lutheran Mission between here and Davenport. Pastor Schmidt is a friend of mine. I do work for him on and off.”
“What about a ring?”
“I’ve got my mother’s wedding ring on a chain around my neck. I’d be mighty proud if you would wear it.”
“I would be honored. I’m sorry about your mother. You were obviously close.”
“We were. I was her only child and she did a lot for me.”
“Most mothers would do anything for their children,” she said quietly.
“Take vicious beatings for them?” His features turned grim.
“What do you mean?”
“Pa used to get drunk and beat us. I lost count of the number of times my mother stepped in and received the kick or punch that was aimed at me.”
“How awful, I’m sorry.”
“I was a wreck when I came home from the war and she nursed me back to health. Thankfully the old man was dead by then and couldn’t hurt her anymore.”
Now Anna understood why he had come to her aid when Harry turned violent. Drunk and abusive, the situation would have brought back memories of his father.
“She sounds like a good mother. I was never beaten as a child, but I’m not sure my parents loved me. They were possessive and my father had to always have his own way.”
She told him about being banished by her father because she chose to work for Mr. Moreau, and then move to New Orleans with the rest of his staff. “Much good my loyalty did for me.”
“His wife was probably jealous of you.”
“That’s what the housekeeper said, but I never acted anyway but proper with him. Our relationship was purely that of employer and employee. Nothing more. The man was fifty if he was a day.”
“If you didn’t come to New Orleans, you wouldn’t have ‘dopted me,” Max said.
“Adopted, sweetheart, and no, I wouldn’t have.”
“Fate is a mighty strange thing,” Connor mused.
They fell silent. Max was slumped against her now, half asleep. She felt bone weary herself. They had sat up in the train all the way from New Orleans, only managing to doze intermittently. The Dining Car had been a lifesaver for them, even if the food was expensive.
They passed over mile upon mile of grassland with a few scattered trees. On the horizon a line of hills brooded in the afternoon sun. They passed no-one, saw no movement except a few cattle.
“There’s a place up here where I usually stop, but we’ll turn off and go to the Mission first. The horses can have a rest while we get married.”
They drove over a bridge and Anna stared into the fast-flowing water. From the bridge, they turned sharply right and continued for a couple of miles. In the distance she saw a whitewashed stone church and a few houses. As they drew near chickens roamed freely pecking at the ground, several dogs barked and yapped.
The church had a pretty garden out the front. All the houses appeared to be built from white-washed stone with blue or green window shutters. It had the look of a European village she had once seen in a picture book.
Connor parked the wagon under the shade of a huge oak tree out the front of the church. He jumped down from the wagon and came around to lift her off then Max who was now wide awake and looking around.
“It’s a pretty little town,” she said.
“It’s like a Bavarian village. Pastor Carl Schmidt is the man for us to see.”
“I must look frightful.” Anna tried to brush the creases out of her skirt.
“You look pretty. I’m a lucky man getting to marry a gal like you.”
Chapter Six
Connor knocked on the door of a small white house attached to the church. It was opened by a middle-age man with rosy cheeks and snowy white hair.
“Connor, what brings you out this way? You were only here a couple of months ago,” the Pastor said. “Who are your friends?”
“I would like you to meet Anna Simpson and her son, Max. Anna, this Pastor Carl Schmidt, a good friend of mine.”
“Good afternoon, Pastor,” she said with a smile.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Simpson and you too, Max.”
“Anna and I want to get married.”
“Really!” Pastor Schmidt looked as shocked as he sounded, however he recovered himself quickly. “Come in. Come in. Gudrun is out in the kitchen making apple strudel, so you picked a perfect time to arrive.”
“Smells good,” Connor said with a grin.
“You will take tea with us, then we can get the marrying done.” He gave them a benign smile.
The house smelled of cinnamon and freshly cooked cake Anna decided, feeling immediately at home with this friendly man. A short, plump woman hurried out to greet them. An enormous white apron covered her ample body, the ends flapping around her ankles.
“Connor! What brings you here.” Her accent was much more pronounced than that of her husband.
“Your apple strudel.” He grinned. “This young lady is Anna Simpson and we’ve come to get married.”
“Married! You!” She sounded more shocked than her husband. “She’s very pretty. Come, you must sit down, have a cup of tea and a slice of strudel first.” She barely paused for breath. “And this handsome young man is?”
“I’m Max.”
“How do you do, Max.”
“Howdy,” he said, backing into Anna as if he didn’t know how to take Mrs. Schmidt’s hearty good cheer.
“Well, sit down. You too, Carl. I always have the kettle on as I never know who might drop by.”
They all sat at the scrubbed pine table. Everything was spotlessly clean Anna noticed, the place positively shone. She had heard German people were industrious and fastidious.
“You’re getting yourself a good man in Connor Grey.” Gudrun collected cups and saucers from the dresser. “Cider for Max?”
“Cider?” Anna queried. “I don’t think so thank you. Milk maybe.”
Connor grinned. “It’s non-alcoholic.”
“Oh?” Anna gave a nervous trill of laughter. “I thought all cider was alcoholic.”
“Not all cider, darlin’.”
“We make our own cider here,” the Pastor said. “Mainly non-alcoholic, but we do sell the alcoholic variety as well. We’ve got a communal apple orchard. That’s where Connor’s barrels come in. Selling it is a sideline that brings in money to fund our mission to spread the word of God.”
Anna bit in
to her slice of strudel and almost moaned in ecstasy. She had never tasted anything so delicious. “This is beautiful, Gudrun, thank you so much.”
Pastor Schmidt gazed lovingly at his wife. “I only married this woman because of her cooking.” Anna felt pain about the region of her heart because Connor would never look at her in such a way.
After they finished their tea, the Pastor got up from the table. “I know you will be anxious to get home like you always are, so let’s get this marrying done.”
“Now you’re getting a pretty young wife you better not be such a hermit.” Gudrun wagged a finger at him.
“I’ll try not to be.”
They walked outside. Gudrun quickly picked several flowers from her garden. “You must have a bouquet.”
“Thank you.” It wouldn’t take much for Anna to start crying at such kindness. They obviously held Connor in high esteem.
In the simple little church, almost austere except for a stain glass window depicting Jesus with his arms enfolding a group of children, Anna Simpson and Connor James Grey became man and wife in the sight of God and two witnesses, Gudrun and her sister Hilda.
Anna’s hand shook as she held it out for Connor to slip his mother’s ring onto her finger.
“You can now kiss your bride,” Pastor Schmidt said.
Connor hesitated for a moment before leaning in and brushing his lips against hers. Just the merest touch, soft as a butterfly’s wing, sent shock waves through her body. Impossible, ridiculous, that she was starting to have feelings for her new husband. What he felt for her she had no idea. Nothing except pity for the situation she found herself in most likely. His expression was impassive although his eyes had darkened to the color of a stormy sky. Probably a trick of light in here.
With her arm linked through Connor’s and her free hand clutching the flowers, they exited the church. Max skipped along beside them. He hadn’t said a word, yet the expression on his face seemed to indicate he was happy.
“Well, we’re a real family now, son,” Connor said.
“You’re really my pa now?”
“Yep, I sure am.” He ruffled the boy’s hair.
“’How about we go back to the house for a toast to the bride and groom,” the Pastor said.
“Thanks, but I want to be off.”
“Are you sure? It’s your honeymoon night,” Gudrun exclaimed. “Surely you don’t want to spend it camped under a tree when I’ve got a nice soft, spare bed.”
Connor shuffled his feet. “I’ve got a nice soft bed at home. Thanks for the offer, but we really must go.”
“You’ve been so kind, both of you,” Anna said. “My husband is right we do need to head for home.”
“I need to pee,” Max said, causing the adults to laugh.
“The outhouse is down the back under the big tree,” Gudrun pointed.
The child scuttled off.
“Maybe I should go, too,” Anna said, feeling heat rushing into her cheeks.
Anna and Max walked back from the outhouse together. She was surprised when Gudrun gave her a hug and a kiss. “I’m so glad Connor has found someone like you,” she whispered. “Up until now he’s lived a sad and lonely life.” Out loud she said to Connor. “We expect you to bring your first baby here for Carl to baptize.”
Red ran up into his cheeks. “I sure will.”
“Oh, leave him alone, my dear, you’re embarrassing the man.”
Not only the man Anna thought feeling hot all over.
“I’m only teasing,” Gudrun said, giving Anna a wink.
What nice people they were.
“At the very least, you bring Anna and Max back when you come with the barrels.”
“Okay, I will, thanks for everything.” He put his hat on his head and turned to Anna. “Wear your bonnet to keep the dust out of your hair. Time we were off.”
Gudrun handed them bread, a chunk of cheese and three pieces of strudel. Pastor Schmidt and Gudrun stood in the front yard waving as the wagon moved off, and she and Max kept waving until they took a turn in the road and could no longer see the couple.
“What lovely, friendly people they are.”
“Yes, I’ve known them for about seven years. I only come here three or four times a year to deliver new barrels. It’s surprising the amount of cider they sell.”
He lapsed into silence. She had no way of knowing what his thoughts were as his face was inscrutable. A couple of hours passed with no exchange of conversation.
“We’ll be stopping soon,” he suddenly said. “I usually spend the night in the same place. Quite a few people use it as a stopping place. There’s a creek nearby with fresh water and someone built a brick fireplace, so it’s perfect to spend the night.”
She had never slept anywhere except in a bed but didn’t like to say so.
“You and Max can sleep under the wagon on my bedroll, I’ll sleep on the ground.”
“I’ve slept on the ground before,” Max piped up. “And I didn’t like sleeping in the street. People were mean to us.”
“This is different,” Connor said. “We’ll have a nice fire going and my bedroll is comfortable. It’s what the cowboys do when they’re on the trail.”
“They do?”
“Yes, they sure do.”
“Ooh, that will be good, won’t it, Anna?”
“Yes, wonderful.” And what about the creepy crawlies? She clamped her hand over her mouth so the words wouldn’t tumble out. No point frightening Max. The poor little boy had endured a lot in the last couple of years.
“Did they really sleep out in the street?” Connor asked when Max was out of earshot.
“Yes, sometimes they did according to his mother. Even when they weren’t on the street, it would have been on the floor of some derelict house.” She shuddered.
“You can put up with anything if you have to,” he said.
“Have you ever been in love with a woman?”
“No. I was too young before the war, and afterward, you can see what I’m like.”
“I don’t know why you keep saying that. You’re a good-looking man.”
“And the scar?”
“It’s not that bad. You could always grow a beard and cover most of it but why should you? It’s not as if it wasn’t an honorable way you received it.”
“People can be cruel.”
“I know. You’ve let it cloud your life for too long.”
“You have a way of making a man feel better about himself, Anna.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m just telling you the way I see it. Is there a school near your place?”
“There’s one about four miles away, too far for Max to walk, and I guess he can’t ride a horse.”
“I’m sure he can’t. If you had a suitable horse, I could teach him.”
“You ride?” He flapped the reins against the horses’ backsides to keep them moving.
“I lived on a ranch. Pa had no sons, so yes, I can ride, round up cattle, milk and do other chores, although I haven’t done it for a while. He can’t read or write, poor little boy, but I could teach him for a while.”
“That’s a good idea, you don’t want him to be behind the other children when he does start. No-one needs to know about his past.”
“Is it much further?” Max asked.
“Not far, son, just another couple of miles or so.”
Apart from the fact Anna found herself physically drawn to Connor she liked the way he patiently answered Max’s questions. He was obviously good with children, a shame he didn’t have any of his own. He would if she became a proper wife to him. Maybe he had lived so long without a woman he didn’t need one. She knew nothing about how a man viewed marriage, what he expected from his wife. She wanted to ask him but didn’t quite dare.
Chapter Seven
They left the road and drove along a rutted track, finally pulling up in the middle of a circle of trees. She could hear
the tinkle of water running over rocks. “This looks nice,” she said.
“It’s a good place to stop, plenty of shade and grass for the horses. I’ll attend to them first then get a fire going.”
She glanced at the stone fireplace. “I can light a fire. Looks like there’s plenty of wood lying around. Max can help me.”
Connor lifted her down before turning to Max who was climbing down by himself. “Good boy.”
Max grinned at Connor’s approval. In the short time the boy had been with her in New Orleans she had seen a change in him, but now with a man around the change was much greater. The fear and uncertainty had disappeared as his confidence built. She hoped it wouldn’t be too long before he forgot the fear of being hungry and homeless.
“We need to find a few twigs.” She held one up to show him. “We also need small branches that we can break.”
They gathered an armful of twigs which she laid over a pile of dead leaves. Once the fire was lit, she gently blew on the flickering flame until it burst into life. Standing on a thin branch she snapped it in two and gradually fed it to the flames.
Max watched with interest. Between the two of them they dragged over a log someone else must have left behind, as it had been charred at one end.
By the time Connor returned from seeing to the horses that were each tethered by a long rope so they could graze, the fire burned brightly. Through the bushes she glimpsed a path leading down to the creek.
“I’ve got a couple of buckets I’ll fill for coffee, and if you and Max want to wash up.”
“Thanks, I feel filthy and travel worn, so is Max.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are, we left New Orleans just after dawn and have been traveling ever since. Every bone in my body aches.”
“I’m sorry, maybe we should have stayed with Carl and Gudrun like they wanted.” He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not used to thinking of anyone other than myself.”
“They were lovely people, but to be honest, I’m anxious to get to your place. I only hope you have a comfortable bed.”
Deceived Mail-Order Bride Page 4