Cooking Up Christmas (Christmas Mail-Order Angels)

by Teresa Ives Lilly

  Several scenarios filled her mind. Each of them terrible. Recently, there had been a bank robbery and although the men had been caught, there was always a chance Benjamin could be a silent partner. She sank into a chair, lifted the apron to her eyes and began to cry in earnest.

  Chapter 13

  As the days slipped by, Henrietta made plans for the Christmas meal. She gave a list of needed supplies to Rorey. As he scanned the list, she expected him to speak against the meal. Instead he nodded and assured her he could get everything she’d asked for.

  “Rorey, are you sure you don’t know who the owner of the eatery is?” She watched his eyes carefully, hoping to detect a subterfuge.

  “Nope. I got the job from a letter. I suspect the only person who does know is the assayer, Mr. London. But, I can promise you won’t get an answer from him.”

  Henrietta sat on a chair with a huff. “I know. I’ve already asked him.”

  “Why worry? Whoever it is has given you the right to make any and all decisions.”

  “Yes, but to spend so much money on a Christmas meal, especially a free meal?”

  “You told Mr. London about it, right?”

  “Yes, and he wrote a letter to the owner.”

  “And the owner answered. I got a letter from him myself, telling me to purchase any supplies you needed for the Christmas meal. What’s the worry?”

  “It’s all so mysterious. I can’t help but feel something is wrong about the whole thing.”

  “Maybe you should ask Benjamin to talk to Mr. London. I know they are good friends.”

  Henrietta shook her head. She didn’t want to involve Benjamin. Besides, he was a mystery himself.

  Since her realization about Benjamin not having a job, Henrietta was quiet whenever he walked her to or from the eatery. She didn’t encourage conversation between them and she refused to go on outings with him. She didn’t believe he was a thief, but the thought niggled at her, eating away her peace of mind.

  Finally, on the first day of December, she cornered Ron in the eatery.

  “Ron, I need to know something.”

  Ron looked up with wary eyes. “Yes?”

  “Does Benjamin have a job?”

  “He’s a miner,” Ron’s voice drifted away. He tried to stand, but Henrietta pressed a hand on his arm.

  “Don’t leave, Ron. Benjamin assured me he no longer works the mine. He also assures me he can provide a comfortable home for me. I’m concerned. Whenever I ask him about it, he gets upset.”

  Ron reached up and wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. “Now, Henrietta, I’m not the one to tell you anything.”

  “But, Ron, I’m worried. Would you just tell me if he is breaking the law? I have no money and no place to go, but I can’t marry him if he’s doing something wrong.”

  Ron patted her hand. “He’s not doing anything wrong.”

  Before she could question him further, the eatery door opened and Benjamin stepped into the room, his glance full of questions.

  Ron stood and moved across the room.

  “You need to tell her, son. She thinks you’re a thief.”

  “A what?” He stared across the room incredulously.

  “Well, what’d you expect? You don’t work the mine, you don’t have a job in town, you don’t own a farm.”

  “But a thief? I thought she cared more for me more than that. How could she believe such a thing?”

  Benjamin turned and stomped out of the eatery.

  Ron turned back toward Henrietta with a shrug.

  A tear trickled down her cheek.

  Chapter 14

  A week passed. Everything Henrietta needed for the Christmas meal was ordered or already in the well-stocked pantry. She hired two more young girls to work the week of Christmas because she suspected the entire holiday season would bring in more guests.

  On the other hand, she’d made no plans for her wedding. She wasn’t sure she would even be getting married, because Benjamin had disappeared from town on the day Ron told him she thought him to be a thief.

  She was glad he insisted Ron walk her back and forth to work, but her ears strained each day, hoping to hear his footfall on the back steps.

  On Sunday, she dressed carefully and made her way down the stairs in the mill to join the others for church services. Even though they were held in the mercantile, she enjoyed the messages and the feeling of community. Most everyone knew her by name and gave her friendly greetings. The only thing she missed was Benjamin by her side.

  As she came down the steps, she was startled to see him at the bottom of the stairs. Her hand flew to her mouth as she gulped down a lump in her throat. Forgetting to hold onto the rail, her foot slipped. She tumbled head first, slammed into Benjamin who then stumbled backward and fell with Henrietta sprawled on top of his chest.

  “I expected a cold shoulder, not a warm tackle.” His chest shook with laughter, but Henrietta seethed with indignation.

  Lord, why, oh why can’t you keep me from making such a fool of myself in front of Benjamin?

  She pulled herself up and tried to smooth down her skirt and straighten her hair all at once.

  “What are you doing here, Benjamin?”

  Benjamin scrambled to stand. “I’ve come to walk you to the church service.”

  She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Oh really? After disappearing for all this time, you expect me to just come along quietly?”

  “No, I was hoping we could go for a short walk together before service. I want to explain everything to you.”

  She eyed him nervously. His absence had only caused her concern to grow.

  “Benjamin, I will not go anywhere with you, unless you agree to answer every question I have.”

  His eyes dropped and he nodded. “That’s why I’m here.”

  Henrietta gazed at him, trying to read sincerity or falsehood.

  “Alright, but I warn you, this is your very last chance. If you still want to marry me.”

  Benjamin turned and offered his hand. Henrietta slipped her hand into his and allowed him to lead her out the front door and away from town.

  After they walked for five minutes, she pulled him to a stop. “Benjamin, this is far enough.”

  “Just come a bit further. There is a lovely rock beside the river where we can sit and chat.”

  Henrietta pulled her shawl closer. There had been several small snowfalls lately and the ground away from town was still lightly covered. “Don’t you think that will be a bit too cold?”

  “It’s only a few more steps.”

  Henrietta allowed him to move on and within a minute, they stepped out of a small wooded area, into a clearing beside a small river. As promised, there was a lovely, flat rock, big enough for them both to sit side by side. Henrietta settled onto the rock and sighed at the beautiful scenery.

  “It’s not the ocean, like in Merville, but the woods and the distant mountain is lovely.”

  Benjamin agreed.

  “Now, are you ready to answer my questions?” She held her breath, almost afraid he would somehow go back on his word,

  “Yes. Feel free to ask anything you want.”

  Henrietta sat up straight. “First of all, I want to know where you’ve been.”

  Benjamin reached over and tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away.

  “I’ve been staying at an old cabin on the mountain. I’m not sure who owned it, but I’ve known about it for years. I needed to get away, to think, to pray.”

  Henrietta sensed he was telling the truth.

  “And what did you pray about?”

  Benjamin reached over, tilted her chin up with his hand and stared into her eyes. “You.”

  She gulped. “Me?”

  “Yes. Listen. Why don’t I just tell you everything from the beginning? Then if you have specific questions, you can ask them.”

  Henrietta nodded.

  “The reason I don’t work is because I don’t have to. The
mine has made my father and me very wealthy men.”

  He glanced at her to see her reaction. She looked rather stunned.

  “I didn’t want to tell you about the money, because I wanted you to love me for myself. I was afraid if you knew how much money I had, you would want to marry me only for that.”

  Her cheeks flushed red. “Do I seem like that type of woman?”

  “No, but I wanted to be sure. I didn’t want you to know about the room over the eatery, because I wanted it to be a wedding surprise.”

  “I see.” Her head dropped. She felt a surge of shame. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted.”

  Benjamin grabbed her hands and pulled them toward his heart. This time she did not pull away. “You acted exactly as could be expected. It was ridiculous of me to behave the way I did. Anytime you asked me about money, I convinced myself you were the type of woman who would only love me for my money. However, when I got out to that cabin and got alone with God, He cleared things up for me. I was able to see what a mess I’ve made of things. I’ve wasted all the time we could have been enjoying our courting, by assuming the worst. Is there any way you can forgive me?”

  Henrietta’s eyes caressed his face. She reached up and touched his cheek. “I forgive you, Benjamin. I’m so glad to know what the problem was. I only hope you believe me now when I say I love you, not your money.”

  “Now that you know about it, we can make new plans together. You can pick out anything you want at the mercantile, we can buy some land and build a house. Whatever you want.”

  “Benjamin, I want you. Those things sound wonderful, for someday. But right now, I want us to live the lifestyle you had planned.”

  Henrietta felt herself pulled into his warm embrace.

  “Thank you, dear. I wanted us to live above the eatery, for a while. Are you sure you can be happy there?”

  “Yes. I already love it. I’ve been secretly working on curtains and a new quilt for the bed. Other than a few womanly touches, I think it’s perfect.”

  “So, am I forgiven?” His breath was close to her cheek.

  “Yes.”

  For a moment their eyes locked, and then Benjamin lowered his lips to hers.

  Chapter 15

  Henrietta stood beside Benjamin in the mercantile. Chairs were set out so anyone in town who wanted to attend their weddings could. Henrietta was surprised to see so many of her regular customers from the eatery. The men were washed and wearing their best shirts and trousers. As she walked down the aisle, the men slipped their hats off and nodded in her direction.

  She was glad to have Brenda as her maid of honor, since her best friend, Alice Canton, was still back in Merville. Brenda had become just as good of a friend to her over the weeks.

  Benjamin stood in front of the circuit preacher, smiling at her. She could see the love in his eyes and she hoped her love for him reflected back.

  As the preacher spoke the words that would bind her life to Benjamin’s, her mind drifted back over the past few months and she wondered if coming to Angel Vale to marry Benjamin had been God’s plan for her life all along. Not that she didn’t miss her grandmother, because she did, but there was little else in Maine that held as much appeal as her new life. Cooking at the eatery, living in the nice rooms above the eatery and being married to Benjamin Capell was all she needed.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Henrietta turned her face up to receive the gentle kiss from her husband. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t heard a word the preacher had said during the entire wedding. She had married to the perfect man.

  Their lips met.

  *****

  “Yahoo.” One of the miner’s shouted when Henrietta and Benjamin stepped apart and turned to face the crowd. “Let’s go eat our Christmas dinner.”

  “Yippee!” Another yelled.

  “Hurray.” From another.

  Henrietta laughed and placed her hand on Benjamin’s arm.

  “Looks like the weddings over. It’s time to get back to the kitchen.”

  Benjamin smiled. “Are you sure you want to spend your wedding day feeding a bunch of…”

  She placed two fingers over his lips. “Shhh. Yes, I‘m sure. We have a lifetime ahead of us, why not give them all one Christmas to remember?”

  Benjamin leaned close and whispered, “Alright. Oh, by the way, did I mention that you were going to get a chance to meet the owner of the eatery today?”

  Henrietta’s eyes grew large. “No, you didn’t mention that little detail. But I’m glad to hear it. I don’t want to keep working in such a secretive environment. How did you find out?”

  “The assayer is my best friend.” Benjamin stated evasively, but Henrietta was too happy to notice.

  “You look beautiful, dear,” Benjamin touched the soft strands of blonde hair that were curled around her cheeks.

  “And you, my darling, are very handsome.”

  They kissed once more, but were quickly swept along by the men who were anxious to begin the Christmas festivities.

  *****

  The eatery was decorated with lovely pine boughs, a small tree with handmade ornaments stood in the corner. The air was filled with smells of turkey and the fragrance of fresh baked cookies.

  While the men ate, Ron spoke in hushed tones and shared the story of Jesus with them. Many of the miner’s wiped their eyes when he had finished.

  After several hours of serving turkey, potatoes, biscuits, green beans and pies to the hungry crowd, Benjamin asked Henrietta to join him in the front room. She blew a piece of hair up off her face and slipped off the dirty apron. When she stepped out of the kitchen she noted the men gathered in a circle around Benjamin. He waved Henrietta into the center.

  “Friends, I’d like to thank you all for joining Henrietta and me on this marvelous day of our wedding and Christmas feast. However, I think it’s time for Henrietta to open her Christmas gift.”

  A cheer of agreement went up. Henrietta’s eyes shined, but her voice dropped low in a whisper. “Benjamin, we agreed to open presents tonight, when we were alone. I have nothing for you with me.”

  “Yes, we did, but there is one thing I wanted you to have, before tonight. Something you have needed to know all along.”

  “Are you going to tell me who the owner of the eatery is?” She looked excited.

  “Yes, dear.” Benjamin handed her a large box, tied with bright red and green ribbon. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

  “But…”

  Benjamin leaned in toward her. “Don’t ask questions, just open the box. It will explain everything.”

  Henrietta slowly untied the festive ribbons and then slipped the lid off the box. Inside lay a single piece of paper. It looked like a legal document. She set the box on a nearby table and lifted the paper and began to read.

  Her hand slipped to her mouth as she exclaimed, “Oh, Benjamin. Is this true?” Her eyes sought his.

  “Yes, my love. I am the one who owns this building and opened the eatery. I bought it when I read your letter telling how you always dreamed of owning a restaurant. I wanted to give it to you as a wedding gift. I never meant it to become a troublesome secret.”

  Henrietta blinked back tears of joy. Not only was she now a married to a wonderful man, but she was also the proud owner of the Angel Vale Eatery.

  With outstretched arms, Henrietta took a step toward her husband to hug him, but her foot tangled in the red and green ribbon on the floor. Before she knew it, she was falling head first toward the floor.

  This time, strong arms caught her and pulled her into a warm embrace.

  “I’m glad to know you are still falling for me.” Benjamin’s eyes sparkled as he stared into his wife’s eyes and his lips met hers once more.

  Teresa Ives Lilly loves to write novellas. She also loves to hear from her readers. Please send your thoughts and comments to teresaiveslilly@yahoo.com

  To see other books by Teresa go
to www.teresalilly.wordpress.com.

  She has several books published by www.forgetmenotromances.com

  Read all the books in the Mail-Order Angel Bride Series

  Jacob’s Christmas Dream by Darlene Franklin

  The Reliable Cowboy by Susan Page Davis

  A Christmas Rose by Brandi Boddie

  Christmas Gold by Cynthia Hickey, Christmas Gold,

  Christmas Fire by Jennifer Allee,

  Teresa Ives Lilly, Cooking Up Christmas, September 12, 2015

  Christmas Mail Order Angels, Volume One: Books 1-6, September 25, 2015

  Tanya Stowe, The Evergreen Wreath, September 18, 2015

  Patty Smith Hall, October 2, 2015

  Anne Green, Christmas Belle, October 9, 2015

  Martha Lou Rogers, Christmas Blessing, October 16, 2015

  Lynette Sowell, Mistletoe Mistake, October 23, 2015

  Christmas Mail Order Angels, Volume Two: Books 7-11, November 6, 2015

  The Complete Anthology of Christmas Mail Order Angels, December 1, 2015