Mail Order Mistake

by Kirsten Osbourne

  She laughed. “So do you have to stay here as long as there’s someone in jail?”

  He shook his head. “I have a part time deputy who comes in at night and on the weekends when someone is in jail.” He pointed to the sleeping man. “He’s just sleeping off a drunk. I’ll let him out before coming home for dinner tonight.”

  Malinda studied the sleeping man. “Do you have drunks in here often?”

  “Usually just on the weekends. He was wandering through town drunk this morning, so I brought him in.” Wesley shrugged. “He was yelling something about a big find. Probably struck gold and got drunk to celebrate.”

  Malinda nodded. Even with Wesley there, she felt uncomfortable in the jail. “I need to run to the mercantile. Thanks for the tour.”

  He laughed. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  She wandered out onto the street and looked around the town, setting off toward the mercantile again. Once Malinda reached the mercantile, she tried to keep her eyes off of the things that weren’t true necessities. There was some pretty fabric in the dry goods section she would have loved to take home with her. Wesley loved pretty things on her, and she wanted to make a dress out of it so badly so she could watch his face light up when she wore it.

  She shook her head. No. She had to concentrate on the things they truly needed, not on things she just wanted. “I need three pounds of beans, a pound of flour, a pound of sugar and a pound of rice, please.” She forced herself to look at the clerk at the mercantile, wishing she wasn’t so shy.

  While he was filling her order, Malinda felt herself drawn as if by a magnet to the table with the fabric laid out. She ran her finger along the lavender fabric with the tiny little flowers. She could see just how she’d make the dress up, and it would be beautiful. She wanted the fabric so badly she could taste it.

  While she was looking another lady came to stand at the table. “It’s a beautiful fabric. I’ve been in here every day this week looking at it,” said a sweet voice beside her.

  Malinda’s eyes raised and she saw a young woman standing beside her. “It’s beautiful.” She studied the woman beside her, noting her dress. It was very fashionable, but the colors didn’t suit her. The lavender on the table would suit her perfectly.

  The woman sighed. “I’m Elizabeth Chandler.”

  “Malinda Harris.” Malinda offered her hand.

  “Oh! You’re Ellen’s sister, aren’t you? My husband is the vice president of Patrick’s bank.”

  Malinda looked at her in surprise. If her husband was the vice president of the bank, then she could certainly afford the fabric. “So why haven’t you purchased the fabric?” Malinda truly didn’t understand why people with money didn’t just buy everything they wanted. She knew if she had the kind of money to do it, she would buy up all the fabric in the store. Well, except the banana yellow color. That was hideous.

  “Unfortunately, I’m not much of a seamstress. I have to buy my clothes ready-made.” She pointed across the store. “Those are what I have to choose from.”

  Malinda looked at the ready-made dresses in surprise. They were all so ugly, she hadn’t even noticed them. “Oh, those are dreadful!” She clapped her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say that. “I’m sorry.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “No, they are dreadful. I’ll never understand why Mr. Mills doesn’t stock pretty dresses.” She frowned, looking down at the pretty fabric. “What this town needs is someone who can sew.”

  Malinda chewed on her lip for a moment before saying, “I can sew.” She stepped back and made a slow circle. “I made this dress.” By showing off her skills, she knew she was offering to sew for the woman. She had no idea how Wesley would feel about it, but she knew they needed the money so she was willing to give being a businesswoman a try.

  Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide as she took in Malinda’s dress. “That’s beautiful. I love the little embellishments around the collar.” She looked Malinda up and down. “How much would you charge me to make a dress, just like the one you’re wearing, in this fabric?” She lifted the pretty calico print out of the bin.

  Malinda had no answer. She walked across the store to look at the cost of the dresses there. They were each five dollars, so mentally calculating cost of fabric, Malinda walked backed over to Elizabeth. “If you buy the fabric, I’ll make it for three dollars. Would that work for you?”

  Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically. “That would be wonderful! I’ll pay the same as I’d pay for one of the hideous dresses, but I’ll get what I want.” She picked up the fabric and walked to the front of the store with Malinda walking behind her. “How long do you think it will take you?”

  Malinda shrugged. “If you can come over to be measured this afternoon, I could have it done by Friday at the latest. Maybe a fitting on Thursday?” She wasn’t sure how Wesley would feel about it, but she loved the idea of making a whole three dollars on her own. And if Elizabeth liked what she did, maybe she could get more jobs.

  Malinda took home her groceries and the fabric. She heated up the beans and cornbread she’d fixed for dinner the night before, and quickly baked some cookies she could serve to Elizabeth when she came to be measured.

  While the food was heating up, she put the groceries away and hid the fabric in the spare room. She wanted to think about how to broach the subject with Wesley before he saw the fabric.

  By the time Wesley got home for lunch at noon, she had his lunch prepared and a small basket of cookies for him to take back to the sheriff’s office that afternoon. He had a sweet tooth, and she loved to send him little snacks to take to work.

  “I made you a basket of cookies for work this afternoon,” she told him when he sat down.

  “Really? What did I do to deserve that?” His grin told her how appreciative he was of the sweets.

  She laughed. “You let me go get more flour and sugar at the mercantile, so I had everything I needed to make them.” She spooned up a bite of her beans and watched as he took a huge bite out of his cornbread that he’d smothered with maple syrup. He couldn’t seem to eat anything without adding some kind of sweetener to it.

  Once he was finished eating, he thanked her sweetly for the basket of cookies and kissed her on the cheek on his way out the door. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Stay safe,” she responded. She’d started worrying about how dangerous his job could be. Yes, now he was putting small boys in jail for stealing gumdrops, but there was a good chance it could get dangerous. She was afraid every minute he was gone during the day.

  Once he’d left, she rushed through the dishes and had them finished when she heard the knock on the door. She wiped her hands on her apron and hurried through the house to the front door. Opening it wide, she invited Elizabeth into the house and took her back to the spare room where she had her sewing things set up. “You want me to use the dress I’m wearing to model it after, right?” she asked as Elizabeth removed her dress so she could be measured in her petticoat and corset.

  Elizabeth nodded, her hands held out straight at the sides. “Would it cost extra to have you put the little flowers on the collar like you did with yours?”

  Malinda wished she could say yes to that because she’d love the extra money, but she knew she was already asking as much as she felt comfortable asking. “No, I was already planning that. Do you want them to be lavender with green leaves to match the fabric?”

  “Oh yes, please. That sounds pretty.”

  “No problem.” Malinda used the string she had set aside and then carried it over to the yard stick she had. It wasn’t the most efficient way of doing things, but it would have to work. She simply didn’t have the money for a measuring tape yet.

  She jotted down the numbers and consulted the paper pattern she had bought in Beckham before their train trip. “That’s all I need.”

  “And you want me to come back Thursday for a fitting?” Elizabeth asked, getting back into her dress.

  “Let’s say
around three in the afternoon? That should have me finished with everything but the hem and the embroidery.” Malinda walked Elizabeth to the kitchen. “Would you care for some cookies and tea?”

  Elizabeth looked at the water already boiling on the stove. “That would be nice if you don’t mind.”

  Malinda smiled. “I’d enjoy that as well. Have a seat.” She hurriedly fixed the tea and put the cookies on the table.

  Elizabeth reached out and took a bite of one of the sugar cookies Malinda had made that morning. “These are wonderful!”

  “I’m not much of a cook, but I love to bake. Thankfully my husband has a sweet tooth and he’ll eat anything I cook as long as I serve him something for dessert.” Malinda sighed. “I burned dinner a couple of nights ago, and he ate every bite because he knew he had dessert waiting for him.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I’m so glad I don’t have to try to cook. I grew up in a well-to-do family, and it was always assumed I’d marry a man who would have maids. Thank heavens I fell for a man who was able to afford a cook from the first day we were together. If he had to eat my cooking, just once, he would forget about what society thinks and divorce me.”

  Malinda grinned. “I certainly understand that. I never expected to marry a rich man, but I spent a lot of time when I was growing up with my father helping on the farm instead of in the house learning to do the things a wife does. My sister tried to teach me, but I was a dismal failure.” She gestured to the kitchen around her. “Now I’m trying to make up for lost time.”

  “I’m so glad it didn’t work out for me that way.” Elizabeth took another bite of cookie. “I may have you bake some cookies for me to serve at a ladies’ tea I’m having next week. There are several bankers’ wives who meet up every month and this time it’s at my home. I’m expected to serve refreshments and I usually have my cook do it for me, but her cookies don’t compare to yours.”

  Malinda thought about it for a moment, mentally calculating the amount of money that had gone into the ingredients for the cookies. “I could make them for a dollar a dozen.” She knew she was charging a lot, but if Elizabeth really wanted her cookies, she’d readily agree.

  “That sounds fair. I’ll need about three dozen. Is that okay?”

  Malinda’s eyes widened in surprise. She was going to pay her the same amount for baking three dozen cookies as she would for sewing a dress? She felt like she was taking advantage. “Well, if you’re doing three dozen, it’ll be a dollar and a half. Most of that was just for my time.”

  “Oh, thank you. That sounds good.” Elizabeth ate one more cookie and drained her cup. “I need to get home. My little girl will be waking up any minute, and I spend the afternoons with her while the nanny has some time off.” She stood and headed toward the door.

  Malinda walked her to the door smiling happily. She’d almost doubled the amount of money she could spend in a month. Maybe she could make some curtains and matching pillows for the sofa like she’d seen at Mrs. Pickering’s house.

  She slipped some pork chops into the oven to bake and hurried into the spare room. She wanted the dress cut out and at least basted together before she had to finish fixing dinner. While she cut, she decided she was going to wait a while before telling Wesley about making extra money. She didn’t want him to feel like she didn’t think he was a good enough provider.

  She was a little ahead of schedule on the sewing when she realized she needed to get dinner finished. She hurriedly closed the door to the spare room and rushed to the kitchen. She had to make potatoes and biscuits yet, and Wesley would be home in less than twenty minutes. She could make some of the canned carrots for a vegetable, and they wouldn’t take more than a minute or two to heat up.

  She rushed down the stairs to the cellar and gathered up enough potatoes for the two of them, and then climbed back up as fast as she could. She cut one of her fingers peeling the potatoes because she was trying to go too fast. She forced herself to slow down, hoping Wesley wouldn’t be upset that dinner was late. Of course, she could always just give him a couple of cookies with milk to tide him over until she had everything ready.

  She was just putting the biscuits into the oven when Wesley got home. He looked at the table in surprise. She always had dinner waiting when he got there.

  “I’m sorry. I lost track of time.” Malinda said truthfully, although she felt a pang of guilt over not telling him the full truth. “Do you want a couple of cookies and some milk before dinner?”

  Wesley perked up. “Dessert first? You always make me wait until after dinner for dessert.” He took the cookies she offered him and poured a glass of milk. “Lose track of time every day, would you?”

  She laughed. “I don’t think that would be a good idea, but I’m glad you’re not mad it happened this once.” She watched as he sat at his regular spot at the table, putting the plate his cookies were on atop the plate she’d set for him.

  She put the carrots into a pot to cook, and mashed the potatoes. By the time she was finished, the biscuits were done. She could serve the potatoes with just butter this time. They didn’t need to have gravy every night.

  Wesley didn’t say a word about the lack of gravy. He happily ate every bite. When he was finished, he gave her his best little boy smile. “More cookies now?”

  She stood and got him more cookies. “You’re going to turn into a giant sugar cube if you’re not careful.” She couldn’t imagine how the man stayed so slim. He ate everything he could get his hands on. “How did you eat before I got here?” She knew he hadn’t gone to the restaurant every night with his budget.

  Wesley shrugged. “I ate at Patrick’s house a lot. He didn’t mind, and it was free and already prepared.”

  Malinda seemed to consider that. “We should do that now. Less cooking for me!” She was only half joking as she said it, loving the idea of spending more time with her sister and less time in the kitchen.

  “I like your cooking,” he protested.

  “Even that burnt casserole from the other night?” She knew he couldn’t claim to like that.

  “The cake washed the taste right out of my mouth.”

  She laughed out loud. “You’re a silly man.” She stood up and made shooing motions with her hands. “Get out of my kitchen. I need to do the dishes.” She wished she could get some more sewing done after the dishes but knew it would be better if she waited until he was at work again.

  Once the dishes were done, she snuggled against him on the sofa as had become their habit in the evenings. He talked about his day, and she told him about her trip to the mercantile.

  She felt a slight qualm about keeping her new ‘job’ from him while she lay in bed watching him sleep, but reasoned it would help them, spare his pride and she could do it all without inconveniencing him. Where was the problem in that?

  *****

  When Elizabeth came for her fitting on Thursday, Malinda was thrilled to see that the dress fit perfectly. Now she only had to hem it and do the embroidery on the collar and the dress would be ready. She was thrilled. Three dollars was a lot of money to be able to tuck away for a rainy day, and she’d done it all in her spare time.

  As soon as Wesley left for work on Friday, she hurriedly finished the embroidery. Elizabeth had asked if she could pick up the dress at eleven in the morning, instead of waiting until two as they’d originally planned. Malinda didn’t like her getting there so close to lunchtime for fear Elizabeth and Wesley would cross paths and he’d find out what she was doing, but she didn’t have much choice. Elizabeth said she had plans for the afternoon and wanted to wear the dress, so she’d just have to make sure they didn’t see each other.

  Lunch was just leftovers, so she put them in the oven with just a small fire, so they would heat up and stay hot without burning while she met with Elizabeth. She had everything planned out perfectly.

  At half past eleven, Malinda started to worry. Elizabeth wasn’t there yet, and she’d need to try on the dress. She finally arrived at
fifteen minutes before twelve, and Malinda knew she was sunk. She knew she’d have to come clean with Wesley, and hoped he wouldn’t be angry.

  “I’m so sorry I was late, but the baby was fussy. I think she’s cutting teeth. I wanted to get her down for her nap myself.” Elizabeth hurried in. “She only wants me when she’s upset for any reason.”

  “I understand. I just hope it’s what you want.” Malinda tried not to look panicked and calmly held the dress up for Elizabeth to see.

  “Oh, my! It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you did this in just a few days.” Elizabeth picked the dress up from the bed and held it at arm’s length inspecting it.

  Malinda helped Elizabeth into the dress and stepped back to make sure the hem was even. “How does it feel?” She studied the way the dress conformed to Elizabeth’s curves, knowing it was good.

  The dress fit beautifully, and Elizabeth was thrilled. “Perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better fit.” She quickly hugged Malinda. “Thank you so much.” Elizabeth picked up her string purse from the bed where she’d put it with the dress she’d come over in. “I want to wear this to the party, so I’m not going to change out of it.” She pulled three dollar coins from the purse. “Are you sure this is enough?”

  Malinda accepted the money with a smile. “I’m positive. You were easy to work with.” She laid the money on the dresser, happy to have something she could save.

  “I’d like a couple more dresses if you don’t mind doing more for me.” Elizabeth looked hesitant to ask, but Malinda nodded eagerly.

  “I’d love to. Do you have anything in mind?” She hated the thought of looking for more people to sew for, but now that she’d earned some money, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to stop.

  “I actually already ordered a couple of patterns from the mercantile on the chance you’d say yes.”

  Malinda laughed. “I’m glad you did. I’ll get started as soon as they’re in.”