As they stood up from the couch, the kitchen door opened and Jacob and Adam were laughing about Miss Connealy coming over on Saturday. Isaac groaned.
His mother patted him on the shoulder and smiled in sympathy. “Remember, be firm and kind when you stand your ground.”
Isaac nodded. He could do this. Squaring his shoulders, he strode to the kitchen, just in time to see his father hanging up his hat and coat on the coat tree by the door. “Pa, can we talk?”
“Sure. Let me get some coffee first.”
Adam and Jacob snickered and made kissing noises as they left the kitchen. Gritting his teeth, Isaac pretended he didn’t hear them. If they knew it bothered them, they’d only do it more.
His father chuckled as he took off his boots. “Don’t let them bother you. They’re still young. In a lot of ways, they remind me of your Uncle Tom and Uncle Joel. Those two still goof around from time to time.”
As his father got a cup of coffee, he forgot about his brothers and thought over what he was going to say.
His father pulled up a chair and sat across from him. “What’s on your mind, son?”
Isaac opened his mouth and then shut it.
“You need to speak up because I can’t hear you,” his father joked.
Offering an uneasy grin, he shifted in the chair and cleared his throat. “It’s about what we discussed in the barn. About Miss Connealy.”
“Oh, that reminds me. I forgot to mention something in the barn. I saw her father in town and got his approval, so you don’t have to worry. He won’t say no when you ask if you can court her. Of course, you’ll want to do that after you take her home after supper.” He winked. “You don’t want to seem too eager.”
Isaac’s gut tightened. He couldn’t do it. There was no way he could ever court Eva. To do that would require him to be physically attracted to her, and while she wasn’t bad looking, he had no desire to kiss her. If he was going to court someone, he had to want to kiss her. His mouth moved in an effort to protest, but no sound came out. This was ridiculous. All he had to do was say no! Why couldn’t he do that? Because his father would be happy with him if he went along with what he wanted and asked to court Eva? Because it was hard to say no to his father and disappoint him? Those weren’t good reasons to go along with his father’s plan. His father was talking about something that could lead to a lifetime commitment. Isaac knew the smart thing to do was to put his foot down now, before this went any further.
“Pa, I—”
“You got cold feet. I understand. That’s why you said you didn’t want Eva over when we were in the barn. But you can’t let fear hold you back, son. Everything will work out in good time. You’ll see.” His father finished his cup of coffee and patted him on the shoulder. “She’s a fine, young woman. That’s important to consider when you pick a wife.” He went to the sink and placed his cup in it. “The wrong kind of woman will give you grief. Your uncles and I got lucky on that count. You’d be surprised at some of the things I’ve seen other men go through. I don’t wish that for you.”
He wondered if his pa meant Emily’s real mother but was afraid to ask. While his mother was forthcoming with the information, he knew his father wouldn’t be. It was on the tip of his tongue to suggest that a young woman might make a good wife even if she had a mother who wasn’t but knew his pa would know he meant Emily. And that would start a fight, which was something he didn’t want.
As his father left the room to go upstairs, Isaac sighed. Why did it have to be so hard to talk to his father? He should be able to say what was on his mind. Shoulders slumped, he got up and returned to the parlor where his mother worked on her sewing while Rachel, Adam, and Jacob played cards.
Looking up from the small table in the center of the room, Rachel asked, “Do you want to play? We just started another hand.”
With nothing else to do, he figured he might as well and pulled up a chair. As he settled into his seat, he caught the questioning look in his mother’s eyes and shook his head. Understanding his meaning, she offered a soft smile and turned back to the fabric in her lap. Well, tomorrow was another day. Maybe he would tell his father then.
Chapter Six
On Saturday, Emily walked up to the door of Alice’s house and adjusted her long, brown coat. With a quick look in the window, she made sure her brown wig and small mustache were in place. Everything looked good. Bertha did a great job with the clothes. Emily had a hard time recognizing herself as a girl. Hopefully, Alice would, too. If she could fool Alice, then she could fool Isaac. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. She adjusted the coat again and put her hands behind her back.
Alice opened the door and scanned her up and down. “May I help you, sir?”
“I was wondering if you might like to take a look at a catalogue of books I’m selling,” Emily replied in the deepest voice she could muster.
“What kind of books?”
“Only the most entertaining ones around.”
“And those would be…?”
“Dime novels.”
She blinked in surprise. “Dime novels?”
“Yes, ma’am. What you need is action and adventure. If you can blend in a little romance, that’s even better.” Emily winked. “You can never have too much romance.”
Alice gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, Emily! You really had me there!”
Emily laughed and tipped her hat. “You thought I was a man?”
“What a silly thing to ask. Couldn’t you tell that by the way I went along with your sales pitch? Where’s your dress? You aren’t going home in that getup, are you?”
“Good heavens, no. Ma would have a fit if she saw me wearing these clothes. She says it took her a good five years to get me to behave like a girl.”
Alice giggled and motioned for her to enter the house. “There’s no sense in making her think all her hard work was for nothing.”
“That’s what I figure.” Emily stepped into the parlor and looked around. “Where are your parents?”
“Oh, they’re visiting friends.”
“And you didn’t want to go?”
“I need to make last minute changes to my wedding dress.”
Emily clasped her hands together. “Can I see it?”
“Sure. Let’s go to my room.”
Just as Emily started following her, Alice stopped and spun around. “What’s wrong?” Emily asked.
“Well, it just occurred to me that you are rather convincing dressed up as a man, and I’m all alone in this house. What if someone saw you come in here? They might assume something is happening when they shouldn’t.”
“I didn’t think of that. I can go back to Bertha’s and change into my regular clothes.”
“I’ll come with you.”
While Alice hurried to the coat tree by the front door, Emily couldn’t help but take a good look at herself in the mirror hanging on the parlor wall. It was strange to see a man looking back at her, but that’s what she saw and as luck had it, others saw it, too. Satisfied, she smiled and headed out the door with her friend.
“So, when are you going to meet Isaac dressed up like that?” Alice asked as she shut the door and headed down the steps.
Keeping up with her, Emily said, “Is tomorrow too soon?”
“Why don’t you try to see him today?”
“I can’t. Eva is going over to his house for supper tonight.”
Alice’s eyes grew wide. “No!”
Grimacing, she nodded. “I’m afraid so. According to Jacob Larson, Isaac’s father issued the invite and she agreed. I’d never get an invite to go over there.”
“Try not to be so glum. You’re going to be a man now.” She paused and giggled. “Well, for a short time anyway. So you might as well take advantage of it and find out why you’re the black sheep of the schoolhouse.”
“As much as I wonder about it, I sometimes think I’m better off not knowing.”
“It does you no good if you
don’t know. Perhaps Isaac has an aversion to brunettes.”
Emily’s lips turned up into a smile, an action that made her upper lip tickle since she wasn’t used to the mustache. “If that was true, Eva wouldn’t be going over to his house tonight.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? You didn’t invite Miss Perfect to the Larson house. She’s utterly boring. I don’t understand how any man could find her entertaining.”
“You shouldn’t let jealousy make you say something so spiteful.”
Emily groaned as they turned down the street where Bertha lived. “It’s her who’s spiteful. She’s making me read a horribly dull book.”
“Horribly dull?”
“Yes. I have to write a report on it, too. She said it’s to prove I’m learning something while I’m in school.”
Snickering, Alice jabbed her in the side. “Oh, you’re learning something alright. You’re learning how to sneak dime novels past her.”
“She hardly glances in my direction. It’s not hard to read a dime novel in the schoolhouse.” With a weary sigh, she added, “I do so wish you were still there.”
“I don’t. There’s nothing else I can learn at school that will help me be a wife and mother.”
“No, there isn’t. It’s pointless.”
“So, what horribly dull book are you reading?”
“Emma. I’m only on page fifty, and I don’t think I’ll ever finish it. Every time I sit down to read it, I end up falling asleep.”
Her friend stopped walking and laughed. “You jest!”
Emily faced her and shook her head. “I assure you I speak the truth. I’d be better off listening to Stan practice the same song on the piano over and over.”
“Why did you pick something so long to read? Did Eva have a requirement on how long the book has to be?”
“No, but I wanted to read a romance. I probably should have opted for the Jericho and Hyde book. It was much thinner.”
“Jericho and Hyde?” Alice asked.
“I can’t remember the exact title. It was something like that.”
“I bet you could name off all the dime novels that have been published in the last year.”
“Sure. Those are interesting. I don’t read to gain some deep insight into how man relates to nature or God or whatnot. I read for entertainment. The books Eva wants me to read are only good if someone’s having trouble sleeping.”
“I happen to enjoy reading those boring novels from time to time. Not often, I admit, but once in a while, the mood strikes.”
Emily’s lips turned up into a huge smile. “That’s a wonderful idea!”
“What is?”
“The one you just proposed.”
“I didn’t propose anything.”
“Yes, you did. You said you should read Emma and tell me all the fascinating things that happen in it. Then I’ll write down what you tell me and submit the report!”
Alice put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Even for you, I am shocked that you would suggest such a thing.”
“Me? You’re the one who brought it to my attention.”
“I did no such thing!”
“Sure you did. You said you loved to read boring novels, and if there’s ever a novel that fit that criteria, it’s Emma. There you go. I just helped you find something to read, and you didn’t have to buy anything. I’ll be very happy to lend it to you.” Pleased, Emily folded her hands together and waited for her friend to see the brilliance of the arrangement.
To her surprise, Alice said, “No.”
Startled, she followed Alice as she resumed their walk to Bertha’s house. “No?”
“Yes. No.”
“You said yes!”
“No, I didn’t. Well, I did, but I didn’t mean yes as in I would read Emma for you. I meant yes as in no, I will not read the book.”
“It seems to me you keep saying yes.”
“Emily, you know what I mean!”
With a sigh, she conceded to her friend. “Fine. You won’t do it. Can I ask why?”
“Because it’s cheating.”
“Cheating is such a strong word.”
“And what would you call it?”
“Assistance.”
Alice crossed her arms, her lips forming a thin line. “It’s cheating and you know it. You will have to find another book to read or finish Emma.”
“You are going to give your husband a rough time with that stubborn streak of yours,” she teased. “I almost feel sorry for him.”
Her body relaxing, she uncrossed her arms. “I won’t be rough on him because he won’t try to cheat.” She motioned to Emily’s disguise. “I hope your plan to dress up as a man works or else you’ll have gone through all this trouble for nothing.”
“It has to work. I paid Bertha a pretty sum for it.”
They walked the rest of the way to Bertha’s house, and as Alice knocked on the door, she asked, “What name did you pick for your disguise?”
“Elmer.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Elmer?”
“What’s wrong with Elmer?”
“I don’t know. It just doesn’t sound like a name you’d pick.”
“It’s easy to remember because it’s close to Emily.”
“That’s true.”
The door opened and Bertha’s excited smile made Emily grin. “You were right, Bertha. Alice didn’t recognize me.”
“Good!” She clapped her hands together. “I have to admit, it’s been fun helping you with a disguise. It’s the challenge, you see. I love finding out if something will work or not. Well, come on in and we’ll get that outfit in a bag so no one will know you have it.”
Hoping her disguise would work on Isaac, Emily followed Alice into the house.
***
During supper, Isaac refused to look at Jacob who sat on his right. Jacob had an annoying habit of tapping Isaac’s leg whenever Eva spoke, and when he looked over at his little brother, Jacob would give him a knowing smirk. So Isaac stopped looking at him altogether. To Isaac’s left sat Eva, which was an obvious attempt by his father to pair them up. Why couldn’t his father be more subtle about things? If Isaac wanted to court Eva, it would’ve been embarrassing enough, but since he had no such desire, the situation was getting on his nerves.
The only saving grace was his mother’s insistence that he take Adam and Rachel with him to pick up Eva because the two needed to get out of the house. Isaac knew what his mother was doing and appreciated it. Had his father been in the house at the time the arrangement was made, he would have insisted that Isaac go alone.
As Isaac forced down the pot roast in his mouth, he glanced at his father who sat at the head of the table, looking as happy as could be as Eva discussed the type of lessons she was encouraged to teach the students. Across the table from where Isaac sat, Rachel, Adam, and Harriett quietly ate. His mother, who sat across from his father, helped Rose, who was next to Eva, cut up her potato.
“The purpose of education is to give students the knowledge they’ll need in their future jobs,” Eva said. “I don’t believe a single school hour should go to waste.”
“That’s commendable, Eva,” his father replied with a nod. “I can see why the school board asked you to fill in for the year before Mr. Loften returns.”
“It was an honor to be approached for the job.” She took a sip of milk and smiled. “However, I don’t wish to do this indefinitely. The school board puts some stringent rules on what is proper for a teacher to do or not do, and I’m afraid I can’t abide by all of them forever.”
“What kind of rules?” Jacob called out.
“Jacob,” his father softly warned.
“Oh, it’s quite alright, Mr. Larson.” Eva put her glass down on the table and leaned forward so she could look at Jacob. “A teacher is held in high esteem. While the rules are important because they make sure teachers are worthy of being role models in a polite society, I wish to marry and have children. I can’t do
that if I were to remain a teacher.”
“Mr. Loften is married.”
“True, he is, but he is also a man. The rules are different for male and female teachers.”
“That’s not fair,” Jacob replied.
Rachel waved her fork in her brother’s direction. “Women have babies. They can’t be going out to work if they get in the family way.”
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