Gilbert fell into his overstuffed chair and relaxed. “Melinda, how do you fall in love when you’ve never met before?”
Melinda grinned. She was bursting to tell someone, and if he had not asked, she would not have been able to contain it any longer.
“Gilbert, it’s simple. She has gotten to know this man deep down inside. She knows his inner soul. That’s all I can say—his likes and dislikes, his beliefs, and passions in life. You name it, and they’ve talked about it. She knows him deeper than people who court one another.”
Gilbert watched Melinda as she spoke. She rested her hands unconsciously upon the roundness of her belly and sighed. He could see Melinda was weary, although she had a rosy healthy glow about her face. She had never looked more beautiful to him.
“But Mama,” said Jenny with confusion. “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t she let Henry court her any more?”
“She doesn’t want to lead him on and let him think he has a chance with her. She’s going to wait until…” She hesitated. “Well, she’s sort of waiting on this mysterious friend of hers, I believe.”
“Waiting for what, Mama?”
“She’s waiting for him to reveal who he is.”
Melinda scooted to the edge of the sofa and leaned forward. With a mighty heave, she tried to push herself up with both hands, but it did not work. She tried again with a stronger push, got two inches off the sofa and collapsed back down again. This time she tried something different. She leaned forward, her hands firmly supporting herself on each side. With three quick pushes one after another, she lunged forward with all her might and almost made it…but fell back onto the sofa once again. When she heard a pleasant low-sounding chuckle, she looked up and saw Gilbert grinning.
Gilbert had been watching her the whole time. It was such an amusing sight that he could not help but laugh. She had tried so hard and each time failed to rise from the sofa.
With a little discouragement and fatigue in her voice, she chided him. “It’s not funny, Gilbert. I’d like to see you have a large belly and try to get up off this sofa. I can’t lean forward enough to push myself up.”
Gilbert chuckled once again. “Let me help you, Melinda.”
He took her hands firmly in his and slowly pulled her to her feet, grunting the whole time as if she was as heavy as a boulder.
Melinda slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s not funny!”
Gilbert laughed as he embraced her. “Sorry.”
Melinda leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.
“You’re tired, I can tell.”
“Uh-huh.”
Gilbert kissed her temple lovingly and then rested his head against hers. Jenny quietly left when she saw them snuggling.
After a few moments, Gilbert said softly, “You’ve only got one and a half more months to go unless this one comes early like John.”
“Uh-huh.”
Gilbert could hear the exhaustion in her voice. “I think we’ve kept this baby up past her bedtime, don’t you?”
“Uh-huh.”
Gilbert led her down the hall toward the bedroom. He sat on a chair to pull off his boots, but Melinda distracted him. With great delight he admired her prominent curve that protruded just below her ribs. When he saw Melinda slowly and awkwardly walk toward the wardrobe to get ready for bed, he wanted to chuckle.
When Gilbert let out a snicker, Melinda turned around and asked, “What?”
He was watching her with pleasure as he said, “Well, I was just thinking how you have finally reached the waddling stage.”
Melinda looked surprised. “I just told Edith tonight that I was grateful I wasn’t waddling yet. I guess I spoke too soon.”
Chapter 28
Joseph and Edith
Gilbert led the young strawberry roan over to the fence and tied him securely to the post. He had bought it especially for John to ride. Its head, legs, mane, and tail were a beautiful reddish brown, but the body was auburn with gray hairs interspersed.
The roan felt uneasy and tried to pull away from Gilbert, snorting and breathing heavily. Gilbert knew it was important to establish a friendly and trusting relationship with the young foal before breaking him or training him for riding. He knew that generally when a cowboy would “break” a horse, it was by force, showing him who had the greater power. Gilbert did not believe in force. This was not his way. He believed that gentleness went a long way. He often said horses were like women. They responded readily to gentleness and kindness.
He slowly raised his hand and placed it on the roan’s nose to let the young foal breathe the scent of his hand, all the time whispering to him. Gilbert always whispered to his animals when they were frightened, reassuring them. It always quieted them down.
“Hmmm, whispering to the roan again, are we?”
Gilbert turned and smiled. “Joe. Glad you’re here. I’ll be another five minutes, and then we’ll do the morning chores.”
Joseph nodded. “That was real good chili last night.”
“Thanks. Why did you leave so quickly? Had an appointment to keep?”
Joseph chuckled. “Not exactly.”
“Well, I was going to set you up with Edith last night so you could get to know her, but you disappeared too quickly.”
“Oh?”
“But it was just as well I didn’t because she seems to be spoken for.”
Joseph raised his eyebrows with concern. “Spoken for?”
“Yup. She seems to be head over heels in love.”
“In love? With who?” he said, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice.
“That’s just it. We don’t even know who he is. She didn’t meet him until last night.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, she’s been writing to this sweet-talkin’ man. Women go for that sort of thing, I guess.”
Joseph stared at Gilbert incredulously. “She’s in love? How do you know this?”
“She told Melinda last night. Remember that little squeal of excitement we heard? Well, that was it.”
Suppressing his joy, he asked, “How can she fall in love with someone she’s only met once?”
Gilbert chuckled. “That’s exactly what I told Melinda. And you know what she said? Edith has fallen for the soul of this man, the inner person.”
“The soul?”
“Yup.” Gilbert pounded his chest. “She’s fallen for what’s inside here.”
“Oh.” Joseph nodded. “Well, I was fixin’ to see if I could call on her, but I guess she won’t want to see me now, would she?”
“Nope. Not now. She’s spoken for. But it’s just as well, Joe. She’s a very determined and outspoken woman. Very spunky, I tell you.”
“I know. I met her a few times, and twice she stomped off because she got annoyed with me. Another time I took her to Sam’s. Remember?”
“That’s right. I forgot.”
Gilbert gently pulled the harness off the roan, wrapped it around the post, and then climbed over the fence. After jumping to the ground, he looked at Joseph and shook his head.
“Annoyed, huh?”
Joseph burst into laughter. “Yup. Exasperated!”
After the milking was done, Gilbert and Joseph split logs, placing each one on a chopping block. After an hour, sweat began dripping down the small of their backs. They stopped to rest and wiped the beads of sweat from their brow.
Melinda sat in a rocking chair on the front porch with a woolen wrap around her shoulders, watching them work. The sound of a buggy got everyone’s attention. As Gilbert watched Edith pull up, he waved and then turned back to his work. When he saw Joseph watching Edith intently, it took him aback. He was in a world of his own, and Gilbert was nonexistent. And the tender look in his friend’s eyes was new to him.
Joseph had been doing a lot of thinking while splitting the logs, wondering how he could get Edith’s interest. It would take a lot of planning, but he felt he could do it.
“Joseph?”
When Gilbert saw the softness in his eyes, he realized that Joseph was quite taken by Edith. So, a quick plan began to formulate in his mind.
“Would you mind getting both of us some water? Glasses are in the cupboard to the right of the sink.”
“Sure will, Gilbert.”
Now that was quick… in fact, too quick for someone who was not interested in Edith. Gilbert watched closely to see what the outcome would be. Joseph marched toward the house, but instead of walking inside, he stopped on the porch and conversed with the women. What was being said was a mystery, but he noticed Edith and Melinda laughing, and so was Joseph. Edith followed him in the house, talking the whole time. Fifteen minutes later, he walked outside grinning like a cat that had caught a mouse and was satisfied.
For the next few weeks, Joseph always found an excuse to go to the house or the porch when Edith dropped by. Joseph never pushed for a relationship beyond friends and Edith enjoyed his company. She found his sense of humor and quick wit refreshing, and he never flirted with her.
One day when Edith needed to go to Montpelier to shop, Joseph volunteered to drive her to town. He did some errands for Gilbert and then met her at Aunt Sarah’s Café. He bought her a scoop of ice cream, and they sat and chatted.
Joseph took a bite of ice cream and then said, “Gilbert told me all about the catnip tea and how it helped Melinda’s pain go away. He was really impressed. He said it was like a miracle.”
“It works every time.”
“So, Edith, why didn’t you tell me that you knew all about herbs? You just let me go on and on about chamomile and didn’t even say a thing.”
Edith laughed. “First of all, I don’t know all there is about herbs. And second, I wasn’t sure what to say. Besides, maybe you knew something I didn’t, so I listened.”
Her humble attitude was comforting. She didn’t make him feel foolish. He smiled as he said, “You know that many doctors, even nurses like yourself, don’t believe in herbs.”
“I know. It’s a shame. Chamomile is the best relaxant there is. If one has trouble sleeping, just drink some chamomile tea.”
Joseph chuckled. “Or a good back massage.”
Edith smiled as she poked at her ice cream. “Now that does sound good.”
Joseph noticed that she acted more relaxed and happier around him since their first encounter. She even spoke more freely and seemed to enjoy his company. She laughed at his lame jokes along with the good ones. But most of all, he had noticed a more humble attitude, and this impressed him.
“Edith, may I ask you a question?”
“Of course. Ask away.”
“Why have you been single for so long? You’re a mighty fine-looking woman. I’m sure you’ve had a few offers of marriage.”
“No, not really. I’ve never taken the time to get to know anyone.”
“So, what are you waiting for?”
Edith smiled impishly as she jabbed at the ball of ice cream in the dish. “The perfect man.”
Joseph chuckled with amusement. “Is there such a thing?”
“I’m sure of it,” she said with confidence.
Joseph looked at her with curiosity. “What is the perfect man?”
Edith pondered the question for a few moments, gently biting at her lip, and then said, “Well, first of all, he has to be educated because he needs a good job to support a family. That’s really important to me. And he has to be romantic enough to sweep me off my feet. I’d like him to read a lot, such as poetry and the great classics so we can have something in common and talk about.” She paused and then added, “And he has to love nature, too.”
“You left out music,” Joseph said soberly.
“Doesn’t everyone love music? That goes without saying.”
Joseph was deep in thought. His brows were furrowed, and he was not sure how to respond to her description of the perfect man.
Looking into her eyes with intensity, he finally responded, “So, what if he’s self-educated, the best bronco rider in town, just slightly romantic, and his favorite poems are cowboy poetry. He doesn’t much care for the classics but loves nature. And his job? Well, it isn’t that great but he loves it.”
Edith shook her head with determination. “You listed only one thing in common. That’s not enough, Joseph. It just isn’t. Nature can’t keep a couple together. They need a lot more in common than one thing. Don’t you see? That’s why I haven’t married yet.”
With a twinkle in her eye, she said teasingly, “Now it’s your turn. What are you looking for in a woman?”
Joseph was pensive, trying not to show his disappointment in her answer. He thought for a moment and then finally answered in a quiet and humble manner.
“I’m looking for a woman who is loving, and would love me with all her heart. I would like her to love God as I do. If she loved me with her whole soul, with everything she’s got, I would do anything for her. In fact, I would encourage her to build her talents and support her in any decision she makes. I would give her the best kind of life I could, and I’d love her with the kind of love that lasts for eternity. I would love her with all the passion I had. Edith, I would give my life to protect my wife and companion.”
Joseph’s words astonished Edith. His answer had taken her aback. She had expected a lot in a husband, but Joseph was only expecting love and very little else. As she thought about his answer, she began to feel quite materialistic. Everything she listed was worldly. What he had mentioned were only spiritual things: love and God.
For some reason, she knew that his answer would linger in her thoughts. Most of their discussions had. She noticed that Joseph was a very wise man, and she found herself listening and understanding his point of view many times.
Feeling uncomfortable with the subject, she quickly replied, “We’ve been in town for several hours already, and I’m exhausted. Are you ready to go?”
Joseph nodded, stood and pulled her chair out for her, and helped her rise from her seat. He kept his thoughts to himself on the ride home and didn’t say much. He felt discouraged …disheartened… depressed. Edith’s answer had twisted his heart. He felt an ache in his chest that would not go away. Was she so wrapped up in the monetary or physical things of life to ignore the spiritual side of a person?
He knew one thing though—she would not be around much longer. After Melinda had her baby, then Edith would leave. Disappointment tugged at his heart and he tried not to think about it. Edith was a good woman with great qualities. Not only that, she made him laugh and look forward to another day.
As they rode toward home, he thought, “If God holds any favor in me at all, if I have done any good in the world, just anything at all, if He would allow me to win Edith’s heart before she leaves, I’ll be indebted to Him for the rest of my life.”
Chapter 29
The Birth of a Baby
The air was crisp, and the dark clouds hovered low. The atmosphere was filled with the scent of smoke from neighboring chimneys. The day before, the temperature was below freezing, approximately ten degrees. Since the clouds had accumulated, the valley had warmed to a pleasant forty degrees.
It was the day before Thanksgiving, and Edith stopped by to check on Melinda. She had been having pains off and on during the last four days, and the catnip tea was helping a little but not like it used to. When Edith arrived, she found Joseph on the sofa strumming his guitar and Gilbert in his overstuffed chair listening to the melancholy sounds. Gilbert invited her to rest her feet, and then left to check up on Melinda.
As she sat on the sofa, Joseph turned in her direction, looking into her dark eyes, and smiled. “Looks like snow.”
“Think so?” Edith replied.
“I bet so.”
Edith said teasingly, “Oh, so you’re a betting man, are you?”
Joseph strummed a few chords and thought for a moment, contemplating whether this was a trick question or not. He knew how the wo
menfolk felt about betting, and he tried to suppress a smile.
Edith watched Joseph as he avoided her question and laughed softly when she saw him struggling for an answer.
Joseph raised his eyebrows. “What?”
“Nothing. What were you playing before I interrupted you?”
“An Irish folk song.”
“I love Celtic songs, too. Talking about the Irish, did you hear what happened to Mrs. O’Grady the other day?”
“Oh, the overalls in her soup? Isn’t there an old Irish song about that?”
Edith laughed. “Probably so. But I don’t understand how they got in there.”
“I found out,” Joseph said with a grin. “At first no one seemed to know who did it. Mrs. O’Grady’s husband was so upset that someone would play such a practical joke that he was ready for a fight. He said it was such a low-down Irish trick, and whoever did it should be ashamed of himself. He was getting ready to accuse a few of their neighbors when…”
Joseph burst into laughter, not able to finish.
“What? What happened?”
Joseph struggled to get himself under control. “Well, when he pulled them out of the soup and showed them to everyone, he asked who had done it. His wife recognized them immediately and clapped her hand over her mouth.” With a high-pitched falsetto voice, he said, “Oh, no. I had them soaking today and forgot to take them out.”
“What?” exclaimed Edith.
Joseph grinned. “You see, Mrs. O’Grady had absent mindedly added her vegetables without thinking.”
Edith burst into laughter, filling the room with light and joy. Her countenance was bright and cheerful and when Joseph stopped laughing, he watched her. He enjoyed making her laugh. If he could think of more jokes to tell, he would do it.
But Joseph’s eyes betrayed his feelings and Edith could see his gentleness and his interest in her. His blue eyes were so familiar. She was drawn to them and was not sure why. She nervously cleared her throat and stood.
“I should check on Melinda.”
Gilbert walked in just as Edith stood, and said, “Melinda seems to be all right this evening, but she’s been having more cramping off and on throughout the day. Nothing serious. She’s not due for another three weeks.”
Edith and the Mysterious Stranger Page 14