Hank and Caleb both finished their stew quickly, then began to devour the bread. Josephine quickly took a slice for herself and saw Madeline do the same for George. The women smiled at one another, both amused with the strong appetites of their men.
Josephine shook her head as she smiled. Where on earth either of those men put all that food she had no idea, but they certainly seemed to be enjoying it. They made short work of it all, though. Josephine was only half done with her stew when the men had finished their meal entirely.
Caleb sat back with a satisfied groan and a pat to his stomach. “Madeline, my dear…that was delicious, as always. Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you,” Hank chimed in as he got up from the table. “More coffee, Caleb?”
Caleb nodded. Josephine nearly jumped from her seat, horrified that she had not thought of getting the men more coffee herself. Her step-father would have backhanded her for that offense.
Hank merely placed a hand on her shoulder to indicate that she should remain seated. “I can get it, Josie. You just relax and eat.”
Madeline looked over at Josephine with a curious expression, but decided to keep her questions to herself for the time being. It was always easier to have a heart to heart talk when the men were not around.
As soon as George had finished his lunch, he began to hop up from the table. His uncle placed a hand on his arm, which stopped him cold. He looked up at Caleb and stared at him blankly for a moment before a grin stretched across his face.
George carefully and slowly pronounced each and every word. “May I please be excused?”
Josephine smiled. She loved that they were teaching him proper manners, and the twinkle in his eyes was icing on the cake. He tried hard to pronounce the words properly, but the “please” sounded more like “pwease” and he completely butchered the “excused.” She got the impression that he had been waiting for his uncle to stop him from running off, as though that were part of the game.
Caleb ruffled the boy’s hair as he answered, “Go ahead, rug rat.”
George took off for the living room. Soon the mock sounds of boyish battle echoed from the front parlor.
“He certainly is adorable,” Josephine said with a smile once the boy was out of earshot.
“It’s saved his skin more than once.” Madeline’s eyes grew large as she realized that she actually spoke those words out large. She looked around the table in amazement as everyone burst into laughter.
“I’m so sorry.” Madeline apologized to everyone at the table, but her eyes were on Caleb. She reached out to touch his arm. “You know I love George dearly.”
Caleb, who was still laughing, patted her hand kindly. “I know you do, darlin’. You’re just tired, is all.”
Madeline began to nod in agreement and, as if on cue, she began to yawn. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Josephine smiled. “Why don’t you go lay down and rest a bit? I can handle the dishes and keep an eye on George for you.”
“Are you sure?” Madeline hated making her guest do so much work when she had just arrived, but she knew that she really needed a nap. Growing a baby certainly drained your energy.
“Absolutely. It’s no trouble at all.”
Hank and Caleb stood as one, both men ready to head back outside. Truth be told, there was not much that needed doing at the moment, but they liked to stay busy anyway.
Caleb leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek. “We’ll be back before dark.”
Madeline smiled up at him.
The love that Josephine saw between the two of them warmed her heart. She looked up to find Hank smiling at her and her heart did a little flip in her chest. She was hopeful that they could have the same kind of love between them one day that she saw between Caleb and Madeline.
The men bundled up and headed out into the cold, white day. Madeline stood and began to clear the table, but Josephine shooed her away with a smile.
“I’ve got it. You just go and get some sleep.”
“Thank you, Josephine. I’m so happy that you’re here.” With a wan smile, Madeline slowly walked upstairs. She really wanted to get to know Josephine better now that the men were outside, but she could barely keep her eyes open. Their heart-to-heart would have to wait until later.
Josephine watched as Madeline slowly made her way toward the stairs, then sighed and got busy cleaning the mess from lunch. She kept an ear open for George, content that all was well as long as she could hear him playing in the other room.
Chapter 5
As it turned out, it was the next day before Madeline and Josephine had time for their heart-to-heart talk. Madeline waited until she and Josephine had finished the breakfast dishes before she approached the other woman.
“I thought that since the men are outside and George is playing in the parlor, it might be a good time for a little girl-talk, if you’re up to it? I thought we could have a cup of tea and relax for a little while.” Madeline phrased it as more of a question, to see if Josephine liked the idea or not.
Josephine, who had been lost in thought, appeared surprised. She was certain that there were chores to be done, but nothing that could not wait. “Oh! Of course. That would be lovely. Here, you have a seat and I’ll make the tea.”
Madeline gratefully took a seat at the table and watched Josephine bustle around the kitchen as she prepared their tea. She decided to start their talk while they waited for the water to heat.
“I thought it would be nice to get to know each other better, since we’re alone now,” she said with a wan smile. “Come, sit while we wait for the tea.” Madeline, who was sitting at the head of the table, indicated that Josephine should take the seat to her right.
Josephine complied and sat near her new friend. Although it was still early, dark circles already sat below Madeline’s eyes, as though she had not slept well the previous night.
“Are you feeling all right?” she asked Madeline kindly. “You look so tired.”
Madeline chuckled. “I am tired, but I think I would sleep the day away if you let me, and I don’t want to do that.”
There was a moment of awkward silence that left both women a bit fidgety. Josephine was the first to break the silence.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
Madeline smiled. “Well, I thought that we could tell each other a little bit about our lives--where we came from, what brought us here...” She trailed off as she saw a worried look cross Josephine’s face.
“I’ll start,” Madeline offered brightly, hoping to dispel any fears Josephine might have about opening up to a stranger. “I’m originally from Massachusetts. I came out here as a mail order bride when the textile mill that I worked in burnt to the ground. The owner decided to not rebuild.”
Josephine gasped in surprise. “Oh, that had to be so frightening! Were you there when the fire started or did it happen overnight?”
“It was during the day. All of us made it out safely, but it was rather frightening. Miss McDaniel, our manager, found a mail order bride agency for all of us. Most of us weren’t married and had no other source of income. There weren’t any openings elsewhere, so most of us decided to follow her lead and become mail order brides.”
Josephine nodded as Madeline paused in her story. She imagined how hard that must have been for all those women to try to find work in the same area at the same time. “How did that work? Did the agency match you themselves?”
Madeline shook her head. “Not exactly. They have a newspaper, the Grooms’ Gazette, where men post ads for prospective wives. The men tell a little about their situation and why they want or need a wife, then we respond to the ones who sound appealing. Sometimes you exchange letters over a longer period of time, but most of us needed to find somewhere to live quickly. It is rather expensive, to pay for room and board back east.”
Josephine nodded, her eyes glued to Madeline’s face. She always had a vivid imagination and tried to place herself in her friend�
��s shoes. What a terrifying experience all those ladies must have gone through!
“I dragged my feet a bit and searched in Lawrence and the surrounding towns, looking for work first. I was one of the last to choose a groom. I really didn’t want to get married again.”
“Again?” Josephine blushed as she realized that she had interrupted her new friend. “I’m sorry. You seem so young. I never would have thought that you’d been married before.”
Madeline grinned. “Don’t worry about it. I was very young. Got married because I had no other alternative that I could see. Everything that happened to me before led me here to Caleb. I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.”
Josephine lowered her eyes and cleared her throat. She could not believe she was about to ask such a personal question of a near stranger. “So…even though you didn’t know each other at all, you…you fell in love?”
“Yes, absolutely. I know that isn’t always the case, but it certainly was for us. And I see the way you and Hank look at each other,” Madeline playfully teased her new friend. “I think you’ll end up just as happy. Don’t get me wrong, we still argue from time to time. But, at the end of the day, we work through our problems and all is right with the world.”
Josephine felt some of her nervousness slip off her shoulders a bit. Madeline thought that she could see something developing between Hank and herself. If Madeline saw it too, maybe it was not just part of her imagination. Maybe they could fall in love, even before the wedding. They do have some time to get to know each other first, after all.
She had almost completely relaxed when Madeline asked the question she had been dreading.
“So, what sent you running away in the middle of a cold winter’s night?” Madeline knew it had to have been something terrible. Josephine seemed to have a level head about her, and that bruise on her face had come from somewhere.
Just then the tea kettle came to a rapid boil and Josephine jumped up from her chair to make their tea. She slowly and methodically poured the hot water from the kettle into the teapot, where she had earlier placed the tea leaves in the strainer. She then placed the teapot on the table and retrieved the teacups.
By the time she had everything in place and poured the tea, she felt ready to tell her tale. She was grateful that Madeline had waited patiently, but knew that her rescuers deserved an answer.
Josephine stared into her teacup as though it held all the answers of the universe as she answered her friend. “My step-father never liked me much. He was always cold and mean-hearted toward me. I think I reminded him of the fact that my mother had once loved another man.”
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves before she continued. She hoped that Madeline would not ask too many questions. Being with child herself, Madeline did not need to hear that her mother had died in childbirth. “My mama died a few years ago. Since then, he’s gotten worse. He started hitting me, if he’d been drinking, which happened more and more. I was planning on leaving in the spring, but…well, I wasn’t sure I’d make it until then, so I planned it out and waited for him to fall asleep. I bundled up in as much as I could, took only what was mine, and left. I followed the main roads and trails as long as I could. I figured he would think I headed back home to some distant relations back east, so I headed north instead. I thought I could find the railroad tracks or river and follow them west, maybe find some work in a hotel or some such. Instead, I found Hank.”
Madeline nodded, took in everything Josephine had told her, and noted the things she had left out. Maybe one day, once they knew each other better, Josephine would be more forthcoming. In the meantime, Madeline could tell that not a lick of it was a lie.
“I’m relieved that you found Hank. He’s a good man.” Madeline took a sip of her tea. “Most of the people in these parts are good, caring people, but there are new people arriving all the time, not to mention the ones just passing through with the trains. Honestly, I’m happy that Chimney Rock doesn’t have a train depot of our own. Bayard is close enough and yet pleasantly far enough away.”
Josephine nodded. She had never really thought about how trains could bring both good and bad people to an area. Her step-father had brought them out on a covered wagon. Somehow, in her mind, if someone paid to ride a train, they must be good people. Utter nonsense, now that she thought about it. She chuckled a little at herself, then smiled at the quizzical look Madeline sent her way.
“I was just imagining the different types of people and their mode of transportation to head west.” Josephine took a sip of her tea and changed the subject to a safer one. “You’re all right with me staying here with you until Hank and I get married this spring?”
Madeline nodded emphatically. “Most definitely! I never knew how exhausting it would be to have a baby grow inside you. And I love George dearly, but he can be quite a handful at times. Most of the time he’s an angel, but he has his moments. Besides, other than heading into town on Sunday for church and the occasional trip to the general store, I’ve been the only woman on the ranch. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”
They shared a secret smile at that. Josephine had not had good conversation at home since her mother had passed away, and her step-father had never allowed her to speak to anyone in town. She could tell that she and Madeline would become fast friends, and the thought pleased her so much that tears sprang to her eyes.
Suddenly a loud crash from the parlor tore through the air. Both Josephine and Madeline were on their feet and running for the parlor before they could even think about what it might have been. They stopped short in the doorway, stunned by the sight that greeted them.
Ashes and soot covered the floor in front of the hearth. George’s army men were wading through the mess, as though it were a giant grey and black snowstorm. George himself was kneeling on the floor with the ash bucket on its side, trying in vain to scoop up the mess and get it back inside the bucket before anyone could find him out. He was covered in ashes and soot, from head to toe.
Josephine and Madeline stared at the scene for a moment, then looked at each other incredulously. Suddenly the ridiculousness of the situation, not to mention the timing of it, struck them both and they burst into laughter.
George, who was horrified that he had made such a mess, stopped trying to clean it up and stared in shock at his aunt and Miss Jo.
The shocked look on his face sent the ladies into hysterics. It took several minutes before either could even attempt to speak. Josephine was the first to get some words out.
“What on earth happened, George? Did the armory explode?”
George just stared as a fresh wave of laughter rippled through the ladies. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he attempted to explain how he had accidentally kicked the ash bucket over, but it merely made him look like a fish out of water.
Josephine and Madeline laughed harder at the look on poor George’s face. It took them several more minutes before they were able to function, though the laughter still bubbled up as they moved and spoke.
Madeline was the first to recover enough to act. “Oh, George…looks like your bath has just moved up a few days. There is no way I could scrub you clean with just a spot wash.” She moved to the edge of the spilled ashes and gestured for him to come closer to her.
George complied, but began to sniffle. “I made a big mess, Aunt Maddy.”
“You certainly did, sweetie. It’s all right,” she soothed him as best as she could while she tried in vain to suppress the laughter that still bubbled up within her. She began to undress him on the spot, hoping to leave his dirtiest clothes behind with the rest of the mess.
“I didn’t mean to!” he wailed, certain that he was in big trouble. Tears streaked through the ashes on his face, leaving black rivulets on his chubby little cheeks.
“It’s all right, George. I know it was an accident. So does Miss Jo.” Madeline carefully set George’s dirty clothes down in a pile near the edge of the debris field.
&
nbsp; Josephine nodded. “It’s partially my fault too, George. I meant to take those ashes out after breakfast. I just got distracted.” She turned her attention back to her friend. “Madeline, is the wash tub the one hanging by the back door? I can get it ready for you, then come back and start cleaning up in here.”
Madeline smiled at her new friend. “Yes, that’s the one. We usually set it up near the stove. Thank you, Josephine.”
Josephine left them in the parlor and chuckled as she walked back to the kitchen to prepare George’s bath. Madeline was right. George certainly could be a handful, but what an adorable handful he was!
*****
While Madeline gave George his bath, Josephine worked on cleaning up the mess in the parlor. She pulled all George’s little army men out of the ashes and dusted them off as best as she was able, but they too were in dire need of a bath after their sooty adventure. She set them aside on an old apron that Madeline had loaned her and proceeded to sweep and scrub the floor in question.
Not being one to do things half-way, and grateful to have a wooden floor to clean instead of just packed dirt, she went on to scrub the entire parlor floor, and left the soot-covered section for last. It seemed silly to her to leave one section completely scrubbed clean and to not scrub the whole floor.
She was just finishing up when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She looked up from where she was in the doorway to find both Hank and Caleb standing behind her with quizzical looks on their faces.
Hank stood there, transfixed, as a smile transformed her face. Every time he saw his fiancé, he could not help but think that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. How on God’s green earth had he ever gotten so lucky?
Caleb took in the dirty water, the army men still jumbled together with some ash on the apron just outside the doorway to the parlor, and easily put two and two together. “George had a little adventure, did he?”
It took Josephine a heartbeat or two to tear her eyes off Hank and focus on what Caleb had just asked her. She slowly turned her eyes to his and blinked before answering. Her warm smile for Hank morphed into a grin. “That he did. It was my fault, really. I forgot to take the ashes out this morning after I lit the fire in here. He accidentally kicked the bucket over while he was playing. Oh, you should have seen his face!”
Hank's Runaway Bride (Brides of Chimney Rock Book 1) Page 7