Madeline: Bride of Nebraska (American Mail-Order Bride 37)

by Mia Blackwood

  Caleb caught Madeline’s eye and winked. “Don’t be gone too long,” he teased.

  Hank smiled at his boss and friend. “I’ll have her back in one piece in plenty of time before supper.” With that, they were off.

  On the way to Ben’s house, Madeline suddenly turned to Hank and asked, “Could you teach me how to handle the reins?”

  Hank looked at her, surprised. “You don’t know how?”

  She blushed a little in embarrassment and shook her head. “I lived in the city. We didn’t have horses, just walked everywhere.”

  Hank shrugged. “Sure thing. It’s not that hard.” He proceeded to show Madeline all the ins and outs of steering the buggy. By the time they had reached Ben’s house, she had the horse well under control.

  When they pulled up to the house, Madeline looked around. It was a nice house, similar in design to the one at the ranch. The barn was smaller, but it was still a good size. Although it hadn’t been long since the murders, the homestead had an abandoned feel to it already.

  Hank pulled back on the break, looped the reins around it, hopped down, and hurried around to her side to help her out. “Stay close to me,” he warned her quietly as he picked up the rifle that had been sitting on the floorboards near their feet.

  Madeline nodded. “Do you really think the killer is still around?” she asked quietly as they walked up to the front door.

  “May be that he is. No one knows why he killed Ben and his wife. Stick with me and we’ll make sure the house is safe first.”

  Madeline nodded and followed him through the house. Once they were certain they were alone, she headed upstairs while Hank stood watch near a window in the parlor.

  She picked up a few more of George’s belongings that she thought the boy would want and set them on the bed. She chewed her lip thoughtfully, then made her way to his parent’s room. Looking around, she noticed a framed photograph of who she assumed were Ben and Lily Stark. It appeared to be a wedding photograph. She was certain that little George would want to be able to see his parents from time to time, so she picked it up.

  She glanced at the wardrobe and peered inside. It felt strange to be going through a dead person’s house this way, especially since she never knew them, but George had been crying about missing his parents. She saw several dresses hanging there and nearly closed the door when a package in the corner caught her eye.

  It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. Madeline pulled the package out and set it on the bed. She didn’t know why she was drawn to it, but she felt compelled to see what was inside the box. She opened it, and her heart leapt into her throat.

  Nestled inside the box was a little toy drum and a toy bugle. Tears welled into Madeline’s eyes as she realized it was the last Christmas gift George’s parents would ever buy for him. Her heart ached once again for the little boy she had come to love in such a short amount of time, and she resolved that he would indeed get this last gift from his parents.

  She carefully rewrapped the box, took it and the photograph back to George’s room, and lay them on the quilt with the other items she had picked out. She then carefully pulled the corners of the quilt together and tied it in a bundle.

  Once she had regained her composure, she picked up the rather large bundle and made her way downstairs. She found Hank at the window in the parlor, staring out at the barn.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked him quietly. Something about his demeanor made her feel the need to whisper.

  Hank made a non-committal sound in his throat. “I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched,” he admitted quietly.

  Madeline chewed her lip nervously. Perhaps coming here today was not a good idea after all. She held her bundle closer to her, as though it might ward off any evil that was outside.

  Hank glanced at her and saw how nervous she was. “Set that bundle down and take this,” he said as he offered her the rifle. “Caleb says you’re a good shot. I’ll go check the barn, make sure there’s no one there. You cover me. If you see anyone, break the window and shoot him.”

  Madeline set the bundle down and took the rifle nervously. She watched Hank pull a pistol from his belt and stopped him as he began to head toward the back door. “Be careful,” she whispered, frightened, yet determined to help him in any way she could.

  “Don’t worry, ma’am. I know what I’m doing,” he said as he silently walked away.

  Once he had gone, she turned her attention back to the barn. Holding the rifle at the ready, she watched for sign of any movement whatsoever, but saw nothing until Hank himself emerged from the barn.

  Hank made his way back to the house, his eyes scanning the homestead for unexplained movement. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He could not shake the feeling that they were being watched. He opened the front door and silently motioned for Madeline to follow.

  Madeline handed the rifle back to Hank and, without a word, picked up her bundle and walked quickly to the buggy. She set the bundle on the floor and effortlessly climbed aboard.

  Hank quickly climbed on board and handed her the rifle. She took it and held it across her lap, alert for any danger, as he snapped the reins and urged the horse into a canter. Once they were out of earshot of the house, he spoke to Madeline.

  “When we get back to the ranch, I’m going to saddle up and fetch the sheriff. You get inside and stay there. Let Caleb know what I’m doing, but you and George stay put. Understood?”

  Madeline nodded. Hank’s intensity was frightening her a bit, but she knew how to keep a cool head when she was frightened or backed into a corner. You can panic later, she always told herself in such situations. Panicking only got you into worse trouble.

  *****

  When they got back to the ranch, Hank pulled up as close as he could to the back door. Madeline quickly got out of the buggy and grabbed the bundle of items she had gathered for George. She left the rifle on the seat next to Hank.

  She was met at the door by Caleb. His welcome home smile faded as he saw the look on Madeline’s face. He glanced over at Hank, who also had a grim look on his face, and his jaw set in a hard line. He reached for his gun belt, coat, and hat. “Don’t hold dinner on me. Cow’s been milked. Stay inside. Keep Georgie safe. He’s napping right now. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he told her in a no-nonsense tone as he buckled his belt.

  Madeline bristled a bit at his authoritative tone, but she knew it was coming from a place of love and concern, so she bit her tongue and merely nodded. She desperately wanted to know what Hank had found that had gotten him so riled up, but she knew better than to ask right now. She set the bundle on the table as Caleb turned to go.

  Caleb walked up to the buggy, spoke briefly with Hank, and returned to the door with the rifle. “Here,” he said as he handed it to her. “Remember what I taught you.” He kissed her tenderly, then shut the door behind himself as he headed out to the barn.

  Madeline locked the door and then watched him follow the buggy into the barn from the kitchen window. She waited at the window until she saw Caleb and Hank ride towards town, then she turned and walked through the house and made sure that all the doors were locked and the windows shuttered.

  Once she felt the house was as secure as it could be, she returned to the kitchen and prepared dinner for herself and George. No matter what was happening outside, they still needed to eat. Not to mention the fact that she found comfort in performing her daily chores. She kept the rifle within arm’s reach at all times.

  Chapter 8

  By the time Caleb returned, it was full dark outside. Both she and George were in the kitchen, with George happily pounding away at a piece of dough Madeline had given him while she worked on making supper.

  Madeline heard the sound of the horses as the men returned and felt herself relax as she heard Caleb’s and Hank’s voices. She wiped her hands with her apron and opened the back door for him, anxious to know what they might have found.

&nbs
p; Caleb was surprised when he reached for the handle to the door and the door miraculously opened for him. He smiled at the sight of his wife as memories of their lovemaking rushed back at him. He kissed her as he came through the door, then closed it behind him quickly to shut out the cold.

  “Did you find anything?” Madeline asked as she wrung her hands nervously.

  Caleb glanced over at his nephew to see if he was listening. George appeared to be happily playing, so Caleb answered her as he removed his hat and coat and hung them on their pegs. He kept his voice low. “There were signs that someone has been hiding out in the barn, but that’s all we could find.”

  “Do you…” Madeline stopped herself and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Do you think it was him?”

  He shrugged. “Probably. Don’t know who else would camp out in the barn like that. The sheriff’s going to have the place watched until we catch him.”

  Madeline started to shake a bit as the realization hit her that the murderer could have been there while she was picking things up for George. “I could have gotten Hank killed. I could have…”

  Caleb cupped her face in his hands and silenced her with a kiss. “Sssh, now,” he consoled her as he rested his forehead against hers. “Darlin’, if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t know where he was hiding out. Now we can finally bring him to justice.”

  She looked so frightened that he wrapped her in a bear hug and held her until her nose started twitching.

  “My bread!” she shouted as she bolted from his arms to the stove. She grabbed a towel and swung open the oven door. Using the towel, she quickly pulled the bread out of the oven, set it on the table, and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw it was only dark brown and not burnt.

  Caleb, his lips twitching with the hint of a smile, used this moment to take his boots off. He was afraid Madeline might throw something at him if he chuckled out loud.

  Madeline walked around the table and put a gentle hand on George’s shoulder. “Time to go wash up for dinner. Can you make sure Uncle Caleb does a good job?”

  George, who had immediately begun to pout at having to stop playing, smiled at the thought of helping his uncle clean up properly. He nodded eagerly and hopped down from the bench. “C’mon! Time to wash up, Uncle ‘Leb!”

  Caleb chuckled and followed his exuberant nephew to the sink to wash up. He knew Madeline wanted him to make sure George got all the dough off his hands and thought her method of doing so was ingenious.

  Madeline scooped up the overworked dough from the table and threw it in the compost bucket when George wasn’t looking. She then scrubbed up the table and quickly set it while the men washed up. George liked to play in the water a bit, so washing up took longer than it should.

  The men sat down in their places as Madeline brought the food to the table. When she sat down, Caleb said grace and began carving some beef from the roast for George. He looked up in surprise when Madeline sighed.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked as he put a slice of beef on George’s plate and began to cut it in smaller pieces for him.

  “Hmmm?” Madeline looked up at him. “Oh, I’m just tired of making stew and roasts. I need to learn how to make something different with the beef.”

  Caleb chuckled. “I like your stew and your roasts just fine.”

  “Me too!” George chimed in.

  Madeline smiled. “Well, thank you for that. I’m just used to cooking more with chicken. Do you think Cookie might have some ideas for me to try?”

  “No! No, no…you don’t want any advice from that old rascal,” Caleb laughed. “He’ll just tell you to throw it in some beans.”

  Madeline chewed her lip as she thought. “Maybe I could try to make some of my other recipes and just substitute beef for the chicken. I might have to play with the spices a bit…” She smiled and handed Caleb her plate so he could serve her some of the roast. “I wish I’d have thought to buy a cookbook before I left Massachusetts. I do understand why we have so much beef on hand, with you raising cattle and all, but it really was a rare thing for us to eat.”

  Caleb nodded. She just gave him a good idea for a Christmas gift for her. He was horrible at picking out gifts, but if she needed a cookbook, he was certain he could find one for her, though he might need to make a longer trip to Gering or Camp Clarke to find one. If Pearson didn’t have one, maybe the mercantile in Bayard would. He hoped so. “We do have chickens, too,” he pointed out. “And pigs.”

  “I’m fully aware of that,” she teased. “But all the hens are still laying eggs, and I have no idea when the pigs are ready for…well, you know…” She didn’t want to talk of slaughtering the animals in front of George.

  Caleb smiled as he handed her back her plate. “Yes, I understand. We’ll talk about it later. I’ll mention it to Cookie. Maybe he’d like something to use besides beef, too. Oh, speaking of which…Thanksgiving is coming. Do you make anything special for Thanksgiving dinner?”

  “I never have before. Would you like me to?” Madeline asked as she served herself some potatoes and passed the bowl to Caleb.

  “I could try to catch a wild turkey or a prairie chicken. Maybe a goose or duck. Would any of those do?”

  She nodded. “I could work with any of those. I suppose I could make some pies as well,” she added with a twinkle in her eye. She knew how much her new husband liked his pies and cakes. He certainly had a sweet tooth.

  “I’ll go hunting with Hank and some of the others once we catch…well, you know…” He caught himself in time before he mentioned his brother’s killer. They tried hard to not bring it up in front of George and he almost blew it.

  Madeline nodded quickly and changed the subject as she saw George look up at his uncle questioningly. “Ella gave me some jars of canned pumpkin and fruits she made this past summer and fall. I think there’s some canned plum and crabapple, too.”

  Caleb knew she was trying to change the subject and joined in. “Those sound delicious. We’ll have to get you some seeds for a garden, too. Maybe we could all go into town together and see what the mercantile has? It’s been some time since we went in for supplies.”

  George grinned from ear to ear at the prospect of going into town. Although he rarely went to the mercantile, he knew that if he behaved he would get to pick out a stick of candy at the counter. His mama always let him.

  Madeline watched the grin start to fade from George’s face and saw the haunted look return to his eyes. She quickly tried to change the subject, as it appeared to have upset him. “I made a molasses cake for dessert, although I don’t know if either of you like cake,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

  George immediately perked up. “I like cake!”

  Caleb grinned and teased his nephew. “Better eat your dinner or I’ll eat up all the cake.”

  As George dove into eating his meal, Caleb glanced at Madeline and mouthed a silent, “Thank you.” He had also seen the sad look in George’s eyes and was pleased that Madeline knew how to distract the boy. She truly was a godsend.

  *****

  Shortly after dessert, Caleb took George upstairs and put him to bed. They went through their usual routine, which ended with Caleb singing George to sleep.

  Caleb looked down at his nephew and stroked a strand of hair away from his eye. George looked like a little angel snuggled under the quilt his mother had made him last year. Caleb was pleased that Madeline had thought to get it and George’s pillow, along with some clothes and toys, from George’s old house. He seemed so much happier having some things from home around him.

  It was still too hard on Caleb to go back to his brother’s house, though it was clear now that someone needed to live there. Hank had been talking about sending for a mail order bride himself, now that he had seen how happy Madeline was making Caleb. Maybe he should ask Hank if he would like to move into the place.

  He kissed George softly on the forehead, tip-toed out of the room, and made his way downstairs to the parlor, where he knew his
wife would be waiting. He smiled to himself as he entered the room and saw her sitting in the rocking chair, sewing. He marveled once again at how beautiful she was. Why on earth had he waited so long to get married?

  Madeline, who had been mending some shirts while she waited for Caleb to join her, set her work down when he walked in the room. “Is he asleep?”

  Caleb nodded. “Out for the night. Why don’t we head to bed, too?” he murmured in a sultry voice. He reached for her hand and looked deeply into her eyes as he asked, eager to make love to his wife once again.

  Madeline found the sound of her husband’s voice intoxicating. It took everything inside her to not stand up and take his hand. Thankfully she had a lap full of sewing, which helped her to take a moment and remember what she had wanted to talk to him about. She smiled up at him tenderly. “Soon,” she promised. “I wanted to talk to you for a moment first.”

  Caleb sighed heavily and sank into the armchair across from her. He prayed that whatever she had to say would not take long, because he was having a hard time thinking about anything besides taking her upstairs.

  She looked down at her sewing to keep herself from giggling and picked it up once again, determined to finish the bit she was working on before heading to bed. She was so close to finishing this shirt, it would be a shame not to. She sewed as she spoke, her needle flashing expertly in the light from the fireplace.

  “I was thinking that it might be nice to get a dog,” she began, eager to see what her husband thought of the idea.

  It took a moment for what his wife said to register in Caleb’s mind. “A dog?”

  She nodded. “It could be company for George and me while you’re out working, and it would be an extra pair of eyes and ears for us, too. And if we got a puppy, it would be something for George to play with and love—a distraction from all the sorrow he is going through. This Christmas is going to be hard for him. If we could get a puppy…”

  She left the rest unspoken. She knew that she was talking too fast, but she wanted to get her reasons for getting a dog out before he could automatically nix the idea. She watched as various emotions flitted across his face and waited nervously as he pondered her idea, her needle flicking expertly through the cloth the entire time.