A Bride's Agreement

by Elaine Bonner

  “Mmm, what did you put in this, Regina? It tastes even better than Mama’s.” With eyes half closed, Elsie inhaled the fragrant steam curling up from the stoneware cup she cradled in both hands. The sight filled Regina with gladness. It was the first time since her arrival she had seen her sister smile. Some of the pink had begun to return to Elsie’s cheeks as well, and Regina’s concern for her sister’s health began to abate.

  “Thyme.” Regina picked up the tortoise shell comb from the dresser across the room then pulled a chair up beside the bed where Elsie sat propped up with pillows. “Mama only puts in salt, pepper, and sage, but I like the taste of thyme,” she said as she combed her sister’s nut-brown hair.

  “Me, too.” Elsie grinned and took another noisy sip. Then her grin faded, and the sad frown returned. “Gunther,” she uttered softly, her cinnamon brown eyes filling with tears. “If the baby was a boy, I was going to call him Gunther, after Mama’s papa—our grandpapa. And if it was a girl, Catharine after Mama.” Her voice broke on a sob, and Regina dropped the comb to the bed and wrapped her arms around her sister.

  “And you will use those names one day,” she murmured as she rocked Elsie in her arms and kissed her head. “Gott has named this one, and one day you will know the name.”

  Elsie sniffed and, with teardrops still shimmering on her lashes, offered Regina a brave smile and nod. She drained the rest of her broth, and Regina went back to combing her sister’s hair. Though she rejoiced to see Elsie emerging from the heartrending ordeal, she suspected her sister would continue to suffer moments of sadness like the one she just experienced. She prayed that with time those painful moments would become rare and blunted.

  “William has been wonderful through it all.” Though still tremulous, Elsie’s voice lifted bravely as Regina braided her hair. “I love him even more now, I think, than I did the day we married.” Then her wistful tone turned almost playful. “And what of you and Eli Tanner? At Easter, you told me he wanted to court you.”

  Regina paused in tying her sister’s braids with lengths of thin red ribbon. She suddenly remembered that Elsie knew nothing of Diedrich. Trying to keep her voice unaffected, she simply said, “Papa has chosen someone else for me.”

  Elsie sat up straighter. Her eyes grew round, and she put her hand on Regina’s shoulder. “Who?” she whispered in breathless interest.

  “His name is Diedrich Rothhaus. He and his father arrived from Venne last month.” She told Elsie about the deal Papa and Herr Rothhaus had made, agreeing that Regina and Diedrich would marry.

  Elsie hunched forward. “So tell me, what is he like? Do you like him?”

  The memory of the kiss she and Diedrich had shared returned with a bittersweet pang. How could she put her feelings into words when she felt as if a cyclone were swirling in her chest? Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Oh Regina. Is he that awful?” Elsie hugged her. Sighing, she sank back onto the pillows, and dismay filled her voice. “I was afraid Papa would do something like that. He was so disappointed when I refused to marry Ludwig Schmersal and later fell in love with William.”

  Before she thought, Regina said, “But you didn’t reject Ludwig until he decided to join the army and go fight in Texas.” Smote with remorse for her thoughtless comment, she cringed inwardly. This was not a time to remind Elsie that her first love had died in the war with Mexico.

  Elsie smiled. “And Gott sent William to help soften that heartache for me.” Her brows pinched together in a thin, inverted V. “Surely if we try, we can think of a way to change Papa’s mind and get you out of this marriage.”

  “But I don’t want out of it!” Regina blurted, eliciting a puzzled look from Elsie. Suddenly, tears rained down Regina’s cheeks, and the whole tangled mess tumbled from her lips like apples from a torn sack.

  At length Elsie gave a huff. “Let me get this straight. You liked Eli, but now you like Diedrich. But Diedrich wants to go to California, and Eli still wants to marry you?”

  Regina nodded.

  Emitting a soft sigh, Elsie reached over and took Regina’s hands she had nestled in her lap. “My liebe Schwester. I can see why you are confused. But that is why Gott has given you a head to think with as well as a heart to feel with.” She tapped Regina gently on the head. “I thought I loved Ludwig, too. But when he told me he was going to the war, I knew I did not want to become a widow at eighteen.” She sighed. “As it turned out, I was right. And by the time we got the sad news about Ludwig, I was already in love with William.” She pressed a hand to her chest and, glancing at the bedroom doorway as if to assure herself her husband was not within earshot, said, “My heart hurt when I learned of Ludwig’s death, and there are times when I still think of him fondly. But if Ludwig had truly loved me, he would not have left for the army. And unless Diedrich changes his mind about going to California, I think you should forget about him and remember why you liked Eli in the first place. At least he will likely stay in Jackson County.”

  The next day Elsie’s advice was still echoing in Regina’s mind as she rearranged lanterns on a shelf behind the store’s counter. She had offered to watch the store while William rested and spent some time with Elsie, who was feeling much better.

  Though fun-loving and possessing a decidedly romantic streak, Elsie also had a good, reasonable head on her shoulders. As tightly as Regina’s heart twined around Diedrich, she had to admit that her sister’s logic made good sense. One kiss did not mean Diedrich loved her and wanted to marry her. If he remained steadfast in his plans to head for California in the fall, then she would know she should steer her heart back to Eli.

  The little bell William had fixed to the front door jingled, and Regina abandoned her musing. William had warned that, being Saturday, the store might become busy. His prediction had proved accurate. Regina had already waited on several customers this morning and enjoyed the experience. Wondering whether she would be met by a housewife needing food staples or dry goods or a farmer needing a tool or ammunition for his rifle, she turned around and her heart hopped to her throat. Eli stood in the doorway, looking as handsome as she had ever seen him.

  He sauntered toward the counter, no hint of surprise touching his roguish smile. “Heard you were here seein’ to your sister.” The swagger in his voice matched his gait.

  “Yes. Elsie is… feeling much better.” Regina didn’t even care how he had learned she was here. Such news would undoubtedly spread quickly. She sensed, however, that he was not here out of concern for Elsie or William.

  “That’s good. Glad to hear it.” His stilted tone held more duty than genuine concern. With an air of negligence, he picked up a pewter candle holder on the counter and studied it.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” His cavalier attitude raked her nerves like a wool carder. She had to force herself not to snatch the pewter piece from his hands as if he were her toddler nephew.

  “Came to Salem to get a gear wheel for the mill, so I thought I’d stop by to let you know that the barn raisin’ for my uncle will be this comin’ Friday. I wanted to know if you planned to be back home by then.” He wandered over to a display of men’s felt hats on a hat tree and began trying them on for size. He positioned a wide-brimmed black hat at a jaunty angle atop his auburn curls and shot her a devastating smile. “How do I look?”

  Warmth spread over Regina’s face, and her heart fluttered like it used to when she looked at him. She wanted to tell him he looked better than any man had a right to, but she suspected he already knew that. Pretending interest in the copper scales on the counter, she ignored the question about his appearance and forced a nonchalant tone. “Papa will fetch me home Monday.”

  He took off the hat and put it back on the tree then moseyed over to her. Easing behind the counter, he came up close to her and slipped his arms around her waist. Her first instinct was to pull away and tell him he shouldn’t be behind the counter. But with many breakable items on the shelves behind them, she didn’t want a tussle
. “That’s good, ’cause I’m plannin’ a surprise for you.” Without warning he pressed a hard, wet kiss on her lips then turned and strode out of the store before she could utter a reproach.

  Stunned, Regina gazed at his retreating figure and absently touched the back of her hand to her mouth, which felt bruised. She couldn’t guess what surprise Eli had planned for her, but instead of igniting eagerness, the prospect of discovering what it might be filled her with consternation.

  Diedrich followed Herr Seitz into the Dudleytown store. A barrage of sights and smells assailed his senses. This was his first time to visit the store. Normally, seeing such a huge collection of disparate items all crammed into such a small space would have captured his full attention. But it only reminded him of Regina, and he found himself wishing he were in the Salem mercantile instead of the little Dudleytown general store.

  In the two days since Regina left with William McCrea, she’d reigned over Diedrich’s thoughts like a queen. The longing to see her again had become like a physical ache, throbbing day and night beneath his breastbone. Thanks be to God, Herr Seitz would travel to Salem Monday and bring her home. Home. When had the Seitz farm become home to him? He knew the answer. The moment Regina had claimed his heart. But when she did return and he managed to find a private moment with her to tell her his feelings, what if she rejected his love? Where then would he find a home? He recoiled from the thought, but forcing himself to face the possibility, he knew his only option was to stick to his original plan and head west as soon after harvest as possible.

  “She is what you need, do you not think?” Herr Seitz’s words jarred Diedrich from his melancholy thoughts.

  Diedrich’s heart raced and his eyes widened as he turned to the older man. “W–what?” Had he murmured Regina’s name aloud unknowingly?

  Herr Seitz held up a hammer. “You will need your own hammer for the barn raising this Friday, as well as later, building the new house, nicht wahr?”

  “Ja.” Nodding, Diedrich turned away, pretending to examine a piece of harness as heat marched up his neck to his face. Though Herr Seitz expected Diedrich to marry Regina, he was glad the man could not read his thoughts.

  Smiling, Herr Seitz clapped him on the back. “Take your time and look around while I have Herr Cole gather the items on Frau Seitz’s list as well as the nails we will need for our work on the house.”

  Returning the man’s smile, Diedrich nodded. As he strolled about the store, his mind wandered back to Regina. Finding an array of iron skillets displayed on the wall, he couldn’t help wondering which one she would prefer if she were choosing for their home.

  “Diedrich.” Herr Seitz appeared again at his shoulder, a frown dragging down the corners of his mouth. “Herr Cole does not have the nails we need, but I still must purchase from him the other items Frau Seitz wants. So if we want to get home in time to get any work done today, I will need you to go to the blacksmith shop down the street for the nails.”

  “Sehr gut.” Diedrich nodded. He had noticed the blacksmith shop when they passed it on the way to the general store.

  Herr Seitz shrugged and his tone turned grudging. “Herr Rogers asks more money for his nails, but he usually has a large amount to sell.” Herr Seitz pressed several coins into Diedrich’s hand, and an unpleasant feeling curled in his stomach. Suddenly, he was glad Regina was not here to see her father dole out money to him as if he were a child. Since he and Father had left Venne, they’d been living off the generosity of Herr Seitz. Diedrich longed to have his own money. Money he had earned with his own two hands.

  As he walked down the street, thoughts of the California goldfields once again fired his imagination. How he would love to have his own money, his own gold. But sadly, if he left Sauers for the goldfields, it would mean he had lost all hope of winning Regina’s love. And no amount of gold would compensate him for such a loss.

  Diedrich stopped in front of a weathered gray building. Its yawning doors beckoned, and he didn’t need to read the brick-colored lettering above them to tell him he’d found the blacksmith shop. The clang, clang, clang of iron on iron as well as the blast of heat radiating from within the establishment told him he could be nowhere else.

  As Diedrich stepped into the building’s dim interior, a giant of a man with a chest like a barrel and sweat dripping from his flame red hair glanced up from his work at an anvil. Fixing his gaze on Diedrich, he said something in English, of which Diedrich understood only “friend” and “seat.” But as the blacksmith accompanied his comment with a nod toward an upturned keg, Diedrich understood him to mean he should sit and wait.

  He situated himself on the barrelhead the blacksmith had indicated, next to another man who also waited on an upturned box. The man beside him, dressed in buckskin and wearing a battered felt hat pulled low over his face, stopped whittling the piece of wood in his hands. Turning, he lifted a smiling, if somewhat scraggly, bearded face to Diedrich and stuck out his hand. “Zeke Roberts.” His friendly grin revealed a mouth full of blackened teeth and spaces where several were missing.

  Diedrich grasped his hand. “Diedrich Rothhaus.” He hoped the man didn’t expect to engage in conversation and wished he’d learned more English from Regina.

  The man cocked his head and in flawless German said, “I detect a German accent. Do you speak English?”

  Relieved not to have to scour his brain for the right English words, Diedrich held up his index finger and thumb, leaving only a small space between.

  Zeke nodded. “Ah, you haven’t been here long, then?”

  Diedrich shook his head. “My Vater and I arrived last month. For now, we are living in Sauers with the Seitz family.” Unsure about Regina’s feelings, he was not inclined to enlighten Herr Roberts on the reason he and Father were brought here.

  Zeke went back to his whittling. “Then I doubt you would be interested in going to California?”

  The word caught Diedrich by surprise. He jerked to attention, his spine stiffening. “California?”

  “Ja. Next spring, I plan to leave for the California goldfields. That is, if I can sell my house in Salem and find a couple of adventurous fellows willing to partner with me in the venture.” He shot Diedrich a grin. “When I saw you walk in here, I thought to myself, now there’s just the kind of young fellow I’m looking for.” Then, pausing in his work with the knife, he shrugged. “But if you are settled here, I doubt you would be interested in such an arrangement.” He puffed a breath, blowing shavings from the piece of wood, which was beginning to take the shape of a bird in flight.

  Diedrich’s heart galloped then slowed to a trot and finally limped. Mama always told him God never closed one door without opening another. Did his meeting Zeke Roberts mean Regina would reject his love and God had sent this man to provide him a way to California? Though the notion pained him, he could not dismiss it out of hand.

  “So would you be interested?” Zeke gave him a gap-toothed grin.

  Diedrich swallowed to wet his drying throat. Somehow he forced out the word “Possibly.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Kneeling over the auger, Diedrich twisted the tool’s handle and grunted with the effort of driving the spiral iron bit deep into the eight-by-eight support beam. But no amount of exertion could numb the pain in his heart. Sadly, it appeared he had been right about his meeting with Zeke Roberts. God was obviously preparing him for Regina’s inevitable rejection. Since her return from Salem, he had noticed a decided coolness in her attitude toward him.

  Several times he had tried to talk with her privately, but each time she had shied away, citing varying excuses for avoiding a conversation with him, including having to help her mother with food preparations for today’s barn raising. And in the nearly six hours since Diedrich and his father had arrived here in Dudleytown with the Seitzes to help built Herr Tanner’s new barn, he still had found no opportunity to speak to Regina alone.

  Pausing in his work with the auger, he leaned back, resting on his heels
. The sights, sounds, and smells of the construction site swirled around him, lending a festive air to the proceedings. The sounds of hammering and sawing mixed with the constant buzzing of myriad voices generated by the milling crowd. A westerly breeze brought tempting aromas from the food tables to mingle with the scents of freshly cut lumber as well as the still-lingering smell of the old, burnt barn. But despite the joyful atmosphere, Diedrich’s aching heart robbed him of all celebratory feelings. And the happy cacophony around him could not drown out the incessant refrain ringing in his ears. Regina didn’t love him.

  Pivoting on his knees, he glanced across the barn lot to the long trestle tables covered with dishes of food. Seeking Regina, his gaze roamed the large group of women swarming around the tables. When he finally found her, a sweet ache throbbed in his chest. She threw back her head in mirth as if in response to someone’s humorous comment, and his heart pinched. He had allowed himself to hope he might enjoy her smiles and hear her laughter every day for the rest of his life. But with each passing moment, that hope grew dimmer.

  At least for once, he didn’t see Eli Tanner anywhere near her. So far, the boy appeared to spend more time talking to Regina than helping to build his uncle’s new barn. An ugly emotion Diedrich didn’t care to name filled his mouth with a bad taste. If Regina was determined to marry the cur, there was little he could do about it. Still, as long as Diedrich remained here in Jackson County, he would keep a close eye on the Tanner boy, especially when he was near Regina.