“I know. Benjamin told me what happened when I saw him earlier at the Inn. I was coming home to see you, but Clara said you were here.”
“What’s wrong? You rarely come home during the day?”
“Nothing, I don’t think, but these came to the Inn today,” he answered holding up two letters. “One is for Miss Edie, and one is for Miss Ethel. They must be answers to the letters you and Katie sent. I thought you’d want them right away.”
“Oh my, I suppose they are. I’ll take them and see if I can get Katie alone for a while. We might need to answer these quickly. Thank you for bringing them.” She kissed Michael and hurried into the house before he could say another word.
“Women,” he mumbled as he made his way back to the Inn.
Ella Grace walked to the kitchen slowly asking God for forgiveness for the next set of lies she was about to tell.
“Miss Ethel,” she whispered. “A response came from the letter Katie and I sent to the gentleman interested in Miss Edie’s ad that you placed for her.”
“Wonderful. After you see Katie in her dress, I’ll find a reason to send her to your house.”
“All right,” Ella Grace agreed.
Just then Katie came down the stairs. She was breathtaking in her wedding gown. Ella Grace hurried over to embrace her and whispered, “We received letters from both Worthington brothers. Come over as soon as you can.”
“I will.”
The family took a few moments to compliment Katie on her gown and then Ella Grace excused herself saying she needed to return home.
Chapter Twenty
Ella Grace paced nervously in her parlor as she waited for Katie. She kept glancing at the two letters she placed on the table and fought the urge to open them. The return address showed that Walt Worthington wrote back to Miss Ethel and Chet Worthington answered the letter he assumed came from Miss Edie. What had she and Katie done? What if these men become as angry as Eli was and tried to hurt their guardians? As soon as she saw Katie walking toward her house, Ella Grace opened the door and asked Katie to hurry.
“Is something wrong? What did they say?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know. I waited for you,” Ella Grace answered and pointed to the two letters lying on the small table next to a parlor chair.
Katie picked up one letter and sat down. She opened it and read it and then looked over at Ella Grace. “Oh my, Walt Worthington will be here on Wednesday’s train.”
Ella Grace grabbed the second letter and said, “Chet Worthington will be arriving with his brother on Wednesday. He looks forward to meeting and marrying Miss Edie. I didn’t expect them to arrive without writing a few letters. We have to tell Miss Edie and Miss Ethel, but I don’t know what to say.”
Katie dropped her head for a moment before looking back at Ella Grace. “We tell them the truth. Remember they both asked us to find these men for the other. They can’t be angry at us. Can they? At least they can’t send us away to that convent.”
“All right. When do we do this?”
Katie stood. “Benjamin is having supper with us tonight. Why don’t you and Michael come over for dessert? They can occupy the girls or something, and we’ll tell Miss Edie and Miss Ethel that they had the same idea, and each has a beau coming the day after tomorrow.”
“I like that idea. I’ll see you after supper. I’ll bring cookies,” Ella Grace offered.
Katie laughed. “If you don’t eat them all first.”
~ * ~
Shortly after supper, Michael and Ella Grace arrived at Howard House with a plate full of the promised cookies. Michael told Ella Grace for the third time that he didn’t want her to upset herself when she explained things to Miss Edie and Miss Ethel. Ella Grace rolled her eyes but promised she wouldn’t get upset.
Meg opened the door and invited them in and took the plate of cookies. “We have pie, too,” she informed them as she skipped off to the kitchen.
When Ella Grace entered the kitchen, she was met by her smiling family.
“Katie’s getting married,” Anna informed her.
“I know, dear.”
“No,” Benjamin explained. “She means we're getting married sooner than we planned. A week from Saturday if Pastor James has the time. We’re going to ask him tomorrow. I don’t want to take the chance of leaving Katie alone with unstable men around.”
“I doubt there will be any more problems,” Katie insisted. “But getting married a week from Saturday sounds lovely.”
Ella Grace hemmed and hawed a bit and then said, “Miss Edie and Miss Ethel, Katie and I need to speak with you in the parlor. Benjamin and Michael can sit with the girls and have dessert.”
“If you insist,” Miss Ethel said and stood and followed Ella Grace into the parlor. Katie and Miss Edie brought cups of tea along for the four of them.
Katie and Ella Grace sat next to each other on the settee and stared at their guardians.
“Well, what is it?” Miss Ethel asked. “You two look as if you’ve been up to something again.”
“Umm,” Katie began. “You both know about what we’re going to tell you, but you know for different reasons and won’t expect the news we have.”
“You’re not making yourself clear, my dear,” Miss Edie said.
“All right,” Ella Grace said. “This is what’s going on. Both of you asked Katie and me to do something without telling the other. The only thing you didn’t know is that you didn’t know the other asked and now you both have answers.”
“Child, you are confusing me,” Miss Ethel chided.
Katie drew in a deep breath and said, “Miss Ethel you asked us to send for a husband for Miss Edie, and she asked us to send for one for you. There I said it.”
“What?” both ladies said at the same time and glared at each other.
“How could you?” Miss Ethel asked.
“Well, how could you,” Miss Edie parroted.
“There’s more,” Ella Grace added.
“You both received answers to the ads we placed, and we answered the letters for you. You each know that because we told you that much without letting the other know.”
“Hmm,” Miss Edie said. “I think I understand. Sister and I asked you to keep a secret, and you did it well. Is there a problem now?”
Ella Grace and Katie nodded their heads at the same time.
“Two brothers, Walt and Chet Worthington, are coming to town on the Wednesday morning train.”
Miss Ethel and Miss Edie’s eyes grew wide.
Then Ella Grace blurted. “They expect to marry you when they get here.”
“What?” Miss Ethel said.
“Oh, my,” was all Miss Edie could think of to say.
Miss Ethel turned to look at Miss Edie. “This explains all the talk about changing my hair and not dressing in dark colors.”
“You told me the same thing. I thought we were doing that to make the younger girls happier. You lied to me.”
“You lied to me, too, Sister.”
Ella Grace and Katie tried to make a graceful exit from the parlor but were stopped by Miss Ethel. “Oh no, you don’t. Sit back down and tell us why you told these men to come here. The last time we spoke about this you told me you were just going to respond and see what else they say.”
“We were, but we weren’t sure how to keep getting letters without you finding out or Widow Wallace asking questions. We had the letters sent to the Inn and thought if we told them they were welcome to visit, they might…well, I’m not sure. I think we made a mistake and now the two of you have grooms arriving the day after tomorrow,” Ella Grace explained.
“We didn’t mean for this to happen before we got the two of you to tell each other what you asked us to do, honestly,” Katie added.
Miss Ethel shook her head. “What’s done is done. All there is to do is meet the train, apologize, and send the men on their way.”
“But what if they’re handsome?” Miss Edie asked.
“You’r
e a grown woman, Edie, you can do what you want. I intend to apologize and send the man away.”
“It’s a shame they’re coming all this way and expect to have brides. We should at least meet them. They might be nice.”
Hoping to make things better, Ella Grace offered. “They owned a bookstore in Chicago. They’re going to open one here now that they’re moving to Silverpines.”
“Mercy,” Miss Edie said. “They are truly planning to stay here. I hope they’re handsome. Ethel, you should give this a chance. It might be wonderful.”
“Wonderful? I doubt it. The entire town will know the owners of the new bookstore came here to marry us. Embarrassing is a better word.”
“Hmm, I wonder what I should wear. Something pretty, I think. Don’t you?” Miss Edie asked Ella Grace and Katie.
“Don’t be silly, Sister. Wait, do these men know how old we are? Are they expecting young ladies?” Miss Ethel asked looking a bit pale.
“No,” Katie answered. We told them how old you are. The brothers are forty-six and forty-seven.”
Miss Ethel threw up her hands. “There is nothing to do but wait until Wednesday and meet these brothers.” She walked off toward the kitchen mumbling something about needing a cookie.
Miss Edie leaned closer to Katie and Ella Grace. “Did these men truly seem interested?”
“Yes, they did,” Katie explained. “We told them about you and how you run the orphanage.”
“My, my,” Miss Edie blushed. “Imagine after all this time I might have a man interested in me. Not that they weren’t when I was younger, but we had you girls, and you were most important.”
Ella Grace smiled at her kindly guardian. “Perhaps, this is your time to find more happiness. Being married is wonderful.”
Miss Edie patted her hair. “I may try one of those newer hairstyles I saw in a magazine, and I know just the dress I’m going to wear. Ethel might not be happy about this, but she did want you to place an ad for me to find a husband and maybe I will.”
Katie and Ella Grace looked at each other and smiled. This might work out after all.
Chapter Twenty-one
Miss Ethel stood on the train platform tapping her foot. The longer she waited for the train, the more her anger grew. How could her sister, Katie, and Ella Grace do this to her? A husband? She didn’t need a husband. She was perfectly happy. How was she going to deal with the stranger arriving shortly that expected her to marry him sight unseen? This was madness. She turned and glared at her sister, Edie.
While Ethel had given into the idea enough to wear a brown skirt and cream-colored blouse, Miss Edie wanted to look her best. Donning her favorite light blue dress with the navy trim, she added her small navy hat adorned with small light blue flowers. Tried as she might, Edie couldn’t get Ethel to agree to wear her hair more stylishly, but Edie had twisted her hair into a pretty knot at the nape of her neck. She had seen the style in one of Ella Grace’s magazines and thought it might make her look younger. Miss Edie was shocked when Ethel and the girls told her what they had done, and a man was coming to Silverpines expecting to marry her, but she took it in stride and decided to see what might happen.
Miss Edie’s excitement grew, and Miss Ethel’s foot tapping increased when they heard the train’s whistle blow.
The Worthington brothers had similar feelings. Walt mumbled that he still wasn’t sure about the idea, and Chet had a hard time controlling his excitement. When the depot came into view, they could see several ladies waiting on the platform. Only two appeared old enough to be the Howard sisters, and Chet whistled.
“I hope the one with the flowers on her hat is mine,” Chet stammered.
“I don’t care which one is which. Take your pick. I think I’ll take the next train home,” Walt grumbled.
“You’ll do no such thing,” Chet admonished. “You promised to give this a try. At least let’s find out which lady is Edie and which lady is Ethel. I hope Edie is the one with the pretty hat. She’s supposed to be mine.”
Walt mumbled something Chet didn’t understand as Chet stood, tugged down the vest of his brown suit, grabbed his valise, and headed for the train’s door. As he stepped from the train his eyes locked with Miss Edie’s and he walked straight toward her.
“Hello, I’m Chet Worthington? Are you Miss Edie Howard?”
“Yes, I am. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same here,” Chet answered both completely unaware of the people around them.
“Are you hungry after your long trip? We could go to the restaurant at the Inn and eat something,” Miss Edie offered.
“I would like that,” Chet answered offering his arm. “We could get to know each other better.”
They strolled off together without a word to their friends and family still staring at them from the train platform. Walt shook his head watching his idiot brother disappear down the street with the woman in the pretty hat.
He strode over to Miss Ethel and took off his hat. “Excuse me, ma’am, but it seems my brother has walked off with the lady I assume is your twin sister. Are you Miss Ethel Howard?”
“I am, and that must make you Walt Worthington. I must apologize. My wards placed the ad and wrote the letters to you and your brother. Until Monday evening I had no idea what they’d done. It was too late to notify you. You’re under no obligation to marry me which suits me. I was not looking to marry anyone.”
Walt let out a loud laugh and slapped his leg with his hat. “That is good news because I wasn’t sure I wanted to marry either. I accompanied my brother and thought I would get to know you and see what might happen. Since neither of us has marriage intentions, we might get along nicely.”
“Perhaps,” Miss Ethel replied. “My ward, one of the instigators of this fiasco, and her husband own the Silverpines Inn. They have a fine restaurant. I’m sure you must be hungry and would want to get settled.”
“I would, thank you.” He held out his arm. “Would you accompany me? We could talk while I eat.”
Miss Ethel hesitated for a moment but decided the man deserved an explanation and took his arm while they strolled to the Inn.
When they entered the restaurant, they saw Miss Edie and Chet Worthington deep in conversation at a table in the corner. Neither could understand their sibling’s behavior but decided they were old enough to make their own decisions.
Walt enjoyed the daily special while Miss Ethel drank tea. Before Walt finished his meal, Miss Edie hurried over to their table.
Miss Edie gushed, “Chet and I are going to see Pastor James. If you hurry to the church, you can be our witnesses.”
Miss Ethel grabbed her sister’s arm. “You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can,” Miss Edie smiled. “He asked, and I said yes.” She turned and hurried out of the restaurant before Miss Ethel had a chance to stop her.
Miss Ethel turned to Walt, “We need to stop them. They have no idea what they’re doing.” She stood quickly and spilled her tea.
“Wait,” Walt suggested. “My brother’s a good man. He’s old enough to make his own decisions, and I take it your sister’s a sensible woman with a good head on her shoulders. I don’t think we can stop them.”
“You’re right,” Miss Ethel agreed. “Edie has always thought with her heart first, and if she believes your brother is meant to be with her, she won’t listen to any arguments from me or anyone.”
“Then I suppose we should head over to the church and on the way, you can tell me why I should settle in Silverpines. From your letter or the letter I received, I believe the town needs a bookstore. My brother and I owned one in Chicago. We’d like to open one here. We left our books stored back in Chicago, but they could be here in a few days if there is a storefront available.”
“Yes, there are a few places that might work for your store,” Miss Ethel explained. “There are living quarters above the stores.”
“That might work well for me, but I think Chet is going to want something more privat
e,” Walt said offering his arm to Miss Ethel once again.
As they strolled toward the church, she told him there were several houses available in town and was sure Edie and Chet would find something to their liking. The more they chatted and walked, the more comfortable they felt together.
As they neared the church, Walt asked, “Who are all the people waiting in front of the church.”
Miss Ethel smiled. “Word travels fast in a small town. Most of the younger girls are my wards and a few of the older ones, too. The rest of the people are friends and neighbors. Everyone loves Edie, and I think they want to share her happiness.”
Walt slowed and looked at Ethel. “Don’t they love you, too?”
Miss Ethel shrugged one shoulder. “Edie and I are a bit different. I am the stronger one and have always protected Edie. She’s softer and more naive. I do hope your brother doesn’t take advantage of her. I have a rifle and know how to use it.”
“That’s good to know. I like strong women. My brother also has a soft heart, and he’ll treat your sister like a queen. I have no doubt about that. Looks like everyone is going inside, we should hurry,” Walt said and led Miss Ethel to the church. By the time they made their way inside, Miss Edie and Chet were standing at the front of the church with Pastor James.
Pastor James smiled at Miss Ethel and waited until she was seated before he spoke.
“Good afternoon, we have a bit of a surprise wedding here today. There have been several weddings lately, but this one touches the heart like no other. Miss Edie is here to marry after spending many years caring for others. Her heart is large and full, but she is making room for Silverpines newest resident, Chet Worthington. If everyone is ready, we’ll begin.”
The church quieted, and Miss Edie glowed with happiness and excitement.
“Edith Louise Howard, will you take this man, Chester Albert Worthington, to be your husband? Will you love, comfort, honor, keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"
Miss Edie answered in a clear voice, “I do.”
Turning to Chet, Pastor James repeated the vows. Chet answered with a resounding “I do,” and Pastor James told Chet he could kiss his bride.
Wanted: Carpenter Page 10