Taking that as his cue, Eric asked, “Then why can’t we all get past our differences and take the time to learn more about each other?”
“You can’t expect to change everyone overnight,” Hank said. “It takes time.”
“Too bad it’s not your wife or husband who’s different,” Eric replied. “Then everyone here might be able to offer more compassion.”
Again, an awkward silence hovered over the group. This time, Ida was the one who interrupted it by calling out Eric’s name. He turned back to the doorway in time to see her coming toward him with a couple of clean shirts and pants.
“If they don’t fit, Caroline is welcome to alter them,” Ida told him. “I’ve done it a couple times already. They’re durable clothes. I only sew with the best material.” She glanced at the women in the kitchen and giggled. “You know how children are. They are rough on all their clothes.”
The resulting laughter lightened the mood around Eric, and he didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. He didn’t like conflict any more than the next person, but sometimes he thought some of the townsfolk could use a good shaking up.
Today, however, there was enough for him to worry about. He had to get back to Caroline and help her with Caleb. After that, they’d get something to eat. He thanked Ida. Then, without another glance at the onlookers, he headed back to his cabin.
Chapter Four
Caroline hurried over to Caleb as soon as he stirred from his slumber.
“Caleb, are you feeling better?” she asked, checking his forehead to make sure he wasn’t hot. He hadn’t had a fever so far, but she kept worrying the stress of the trip would catch up to him and make him sick.
Caleb sat up and nodded.
Relieved, she smiled. “Good. The hard part is over. We’re at our new home, and Eric Johnson will take good care of us. Do you feel like you can stand?”
He got off the bed, the shirtwaist she’d lent him reaching his ankles. It wasn’t ideal, but she had nothing for a child, especially a boy. But she couldn’t have put him back in his clothes until they were dry.
“Eric said he’d be coming back with some clothes that will fit you,” she assured him. “You can put them on when he gets back.” After a moment, she added, “You remember Eric, don’t you? He’s the nice man who brought us here.”
Caleb didn’t answer. In fact, he stared at the floor as if lost in his thoughts. Who could blame him? So much had changed in such a short time. She’d been through a hard time, but she had a feeling he’d been through much worse.
With a smile, she patted his shoulder. “You have nothing to worry about anymore. You’re safe here.”
Still, he didn’t respond. He could hear, and he understood what she told him. She knew that much because he had taken the bath and put on the shirtwaist. He’d also stood up just now. But he had shut himself off from the rest of the world.
“I just want you to know,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “whatever happened to you is over. This is a new beginning. I promise everything will be alright from now on.”
He didn’t say anything, and she wasn’t sure what else she could add to what she’d already said except for one thing.
“When Eric returns and you put on your new clothes, we’ll get something to eat.” She offered a smile. “I hope you’ll feel up to eating. You barely had anything during the trip.” And what little he had eaten, he hadn’t managed to keep down. “Even if all you manage is a small portion and some water, it’ll be better than nothing.”
This time, he nodded, and she felt much better. He still wasn’t talking, but he had communicated something. And something was better than nothing.
“Thank you,” she replied.
The door opened, and she hurried to the bedroom doorway in time to see Eric enter the cabin with some neatly folded clothes in his arms. Good. He’d found something for Caleb to wear.
“As I thought, Ida had plenty of old clothes on hand,” Eric said. He put them on the table and sorted through them. “It looks like there are two pants, four shirts, four drawers, and two pairs of socks. Oh, she also added a pair of boots.” He glanced at Caroline. “I’m not sure how these will fit, but she said you can mend anything that needs it.”
Mending? Caroline hadn’t considered that. She wondered if it was much different from sewing part of a quilt.
Eric went over to her and peered into the bedroom. “Why don’t you pick out what you want to wear? Then you can change in that room over there.” He pointed to the small bedroom next to the one they were in.
Caleb looked up at her, and it touched her that the boy wanted to know if she wanted him to do as Eric wished. That meant Caleb trusted her, and since he did that, then he was opening up to her.
She held out her hand to him, and after he took it, she led him to the table. “Did Ida make these herself, or did she buy them?” she asked Eric.
“Ida made them. All the women make clothes for their families,” Eric said.
Trying not to give away her uncertainty as Caleb touched the clothes, she asked Eric, “Are you telling me there are no ladies who provide this service?”
“All of them are too busy,” he replied. “From time to time, Lois might make something, but she prefers to cook.”
Caroline offered a slow nod even as a feeling of despair rose up within her. She’d warned Charles that she wasn’t skilled in the running of the home. Sure, she could throw the best dinner parties and decorate rooms so they were pretty, but tasks like sewing and cooking weren’t a part of her experience.
Caleb selected the clothes he wanted and took them to the other bedroom.
She waited until he shut the door before turning her attention to Eric. “There are some things I need to tell you. I get the impression you were expecting a lady who knows how to maintain a home. Allison Jones probably knows how to cook and clean and sew. Am I right?”
“Actually, I hadn’t thought to ask,” Eric replied, his eyebrows furrowed. “I just assumed all women know how to do those things.”
“Most do.” At least she thought so. “But you see, I grew up on a plantation. There were people who did those tasks for my parents and me.” Before he regretted his decision to stay married to her, she quickly added, “I don’t mind learning how to do these things. Do you know who might be willing to help me learn?”
“Phoebe Thomas. She lives a short ways out of town. I’ll take you over to meet her in a day or two. You’ll like her. She’s about your age. I think you two will get along just fine.”
“I hope she won’t mind teaching me.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I imagine she’ll be happy to talk to someone her own age. All the other women are either in their mid-thirties or older. In the meantime, I can help you with the cooking. I’ve done plenty of it. The meals won’t be anything fancy, but they’ll do the job.”
“I’m not picky. After the war, a lot of us were just glad to have something to eat. We didn’t care what it was as long as it was edible.”
“Well, that’s good because I mostly do oatmeal and soup.”
The bedroom door opened, and Caleb stepped out. The shirt reached a little past his wrists, and the pants covered most of his boots. His vest was a perfect fit, though, and he seemed to walk without any trouble, so she assumed the boots fit alright.
Smiling, Caroline hurried over to him. “Why, don’t you look dapper? You’re a handsome child.”
However could his parents leave him? Or maybe they were dead. She’d witnessed some desperate men kill for food and clothes. Perhaps something like that had happened to Caleb’s parents, and maybe he ran off before they could kill him, too.
She shook her head. It did her no good to engage in such speculation. She’d just have to be patient and wait for him to tell her. That was, if he ever told her. It was very possible she’d never know.
“I bet you’re both hungry after the long day you’ve had,” Eric spoke up. “Why don’t we go on down to the restaura
nt before it closes?”
“That is a marvelous idea.” Caroline turned to Caleb. “You won’t have to get in a stagecoach afterwards. We’ll come right back here, so you shouldn’t get sick.”
Caleb didn’t reply, but he did make eye contact with her.
With an encouraging smile, she held her hand out to him. “You can eat whatever you want.”
“You sure can,” Eric agreed. “Lois makes some good pies, but no one does them like Bertha. She puts cinnamon and sugar on the crust before she bakes it, and it makes the pie that much better.” Glancing at Caroline, he added, “Bertha and her husband own the restaurant. Their oldest son runs the livery stable.”
“What do you say?” Caroline asked Caleb, who hadn’t taken her hand yet. “You want to try some pie?”
After a moment, Caleb offered a slight nod and took her hand. She couldn’t help but notice how frail his grip seemed. He was such a thin boy. Too thin for his age. She was in a similar state, but it was easier to cover up how thin she was with her layers of undergarments.
But it was no matter. Neither one would have to deal with hunger ever again. All of that would be a memory. She wasn’t only giving herself a new life. She was giving one to Caleb, too. Gently squeezing his hand, she led him to the door, Eric following close behind.
***
Eric knew bringing Caroline and Caleb to the restaurant was going to mean people would be staring at them, but he had expected them to be subtle about it. But since they did stare, Caleb looked as if he was ready to sink into the floor.
Caroline, however, managed to act as if they weren’t being studied. She rambled on about the towns she’d seen on her way to this one. Whether she managed to maintain the carefree façade because of her upbringing or because she didn’t mind a bunch of onlookers taking in everything she was saying, Eric could only guess. All he knew was that, like Caleb, the stares were getting on his nerves.
Finally, he stopped her while she was talking about the Mississippi River and whispered, “Excuse me, but I don’t think everyone will stop watching us until I introduce you and Caleb.” He glanced at the child who almost seemed to be in a panic. “You don’t have to say anything,” he assured Caleb. “It’s just we don’t get many new people, and they’re all curious about you.”
“Oh!” Caroline picked up the cloth napkin from her lap and dabbed her mouth with it. “I’d be delighted to meet your friends.”
“They’re not friends,” Eric clarified. “I know them, and I like them. I’m the sheriff, so we all know each other. But that’s different from being friends with them.”
“Say no more,” she replied. “My father and mother used to host social engagements. What would you like me to do?”
“Do?”
“In some cases, it was best if I was seen but not heard. I would smile and nod a lot. At other times, I was expected to engage in pleasantries.”
He hadn’t expected such a response. He had so much to learn about her and her past. Though he knew it wasn’t fair to her, he kept assuming her life had been a lot like Allie’s, but as it was turning out, they were a lot different.
“Oh, well,” Eric began, “I think the best thing you can do is be yourself. Do what comes naturally to you.”
“Alright.”
Seeing that as permission for him to introduce them, he rose to his feet and faced the dozen people who’d gathered into the small restaurant, some of which he now noticed had been bugging him when he’d gotten clothes from Ida.
“I assume you all heard I got married today,” Eric said.
Surprisingly, the people’s faces turned bright red from being caught, though there wasn’t much to catch. It was ironic to think they believed they weren’t so noticeable.
Eric cleared his throat to get their attention. When they looked back at him, he shook his head. “If you’re going to take the time to follow us here and eavesdrop on our conversation, you might as well come out and ask whatever questions you have about Caroline.” He gestured to her. “The boy is shy, so I ask that you stick to my wife.”
When no one spoke up, Caroline stood up, clasped her hands in front of her, and smiled. “It’s my pleasure to meet you. My name was Caroline Benton, but after marrying this fine gentleman, I’m Mrs. Eric Johnson.”
Her use of his name in conjunction with the “Mrs.” brought a surge of pleasure through him. The sensation was so foreign that he wasn’t sure what to think of it.
Again, no one said anything. This time, Eric let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, you’re either going to come out and ask, or you can go on home. Don’t expect me to answer your questions later if you don’t ask anything right now.”
After a long moment, Jerry raised his hand.
Surprised by the formality, Eric nodded for him to speak.
Jerry rose to his feet and glanced at his wife and two daughters. After he said his name, he said, “We were wondering what happened to Allison Jones.”
Since Caroline’s face turned pink from embarrassment, Eric decided to answer for her. “I don’t know what happened to Allison Jones. She was supposed to come here today, but she never did. Caroline came instead.” Before anyone could ask why she got off the stagecoach when no one had been expecting her arrival, he added, “Remember when Phoebe Durbin came here and married Abe? Abe wasn’t expecting her, but he married her. I did the same with Caroline.”
Thankfully, the group seemed to accept this, for Jerry sat down and no one else asked further into this particular inquiry.
This time, Jerry’s wife stood up. “I’m Dora, and my daughters are Constance and Stella. Can we ask where you’re from and what brought you here?” she asked Caroline.
“Nice to meet you,” Caroline replied. “And yes, you may ask those questions. I’m from South Carolina. How many of you are well versed on the war between the Union and the Confederacy?”
The group glanced at one another and shook their heads, so Eric said, “They weren’t affected by it all the way out here.” With a shrug, he added, “People concern themselves with things that directly affect them.”
“In the short time I’ve been here, I can see this is nothing like where I came from,” Caroline replied, a thoughtful tone in her voice. “I won’t go into the details. Doing so would only bring up more questions, and we’d be here all night. Suffice it to say the war claimed a lot of lives. The ladies outnumbered the gentlemen, and conditions were so bad for us that we started seeking husbands out West so they could have a home.”
“You didn’t have a home?” Hank asked.
“No, I didn’t. I was dependent on the kindness of others to provide for me, but you can only impose on someone’s kindness for so long.” She paused and glanced at Eric. Giving him a smile that warmed him, she said, “I’m very fortunate someone as kind as your sheriff agreed to take me and Caleb in. I found Caleb in Kansas. He was all by himself and crying. I couldn’t find his parents or anyone else who was willing to take care of him. Fortunately, Eric agreed to help me raise him. Everyone needs a home.”
Noting Caleb’s yawn, Eric said, “I think that’s enough for now. Both Caroline and Caleb have had a long trip up here. Next time you want to ask questions, you need to tell Caroline and Caleb something about you, too. I’m sure she’s just as curious about all of you as you are about her.”
Since no one protested, Eric felt it safe to end things. The poor woman and boy had been through enough already. Right now, the best thing he could do was take them home and let them rest.
After he paid the bill, he guided them out of the restaurant, mindful to open the door for her. He hadn’t realized how genteel she was until she’d stood up and spoke so properly to the group. She was so different from the way Allie sounded in her missives. Allie hadn’t grown up on a plantation surrounded by people to do her bidding, so he supposed he should expect things to be different.
He had thought Allie’s down-to-earth nature would fit in well with the people in this town. With Caroline,
however, things might not be so easy. And he couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to be happy here or not.
Chapter Five
Once Caleb was settled in bed, Eric said he’d make Caroline some apple cider to drink. That left her alone for the moment. And she decided she might as well get into her nightclothes.
The task of unfastening the buttons on her boots took a good ten minutes. The buttons were so small she had a difficult time getting the hook in the right slots to undo them. She hadn’t worn such fine boots since the war, but she’d wanted to have something from her past life. There was so little of it left. Everything that came from the world she used to know was in her trunk.
Thanks to Bee, she had clothes better suited for being here, but she had slipped in her favorite gown. Her gaze went across the small bedroom she and Eric would share. Not that she could ever see wearing that beautiful gown in a place like this.
She slipped the boots off and wiggled her toes. Bee was right. The boots were as impractical as the gown. It was hard to walk on the dirt road from Eric’s cabin to the restaurant with them on. The other pair had wider heels and would be much better.
With a sigh, she set them back into the bottom of the trunk next to the gown. She proceeded to remove her stockings and, because Bee had been wise enough to put the buttons on the front of her dress, she took it off without any assistance. Bee would think her foolish to wear a corset, especially on a long trip, but Caroline didn’t know if she could bring herself to not wear it. She didn’t know if she ever would. As it was, she had felt underdressed in only three petticoats.
By the time she was done putting on the cotton nightgown she’d brought with her, Eric knocked on the closed bedroom door. “The cider’s ready whenever you are,” he called out.
It was then she realized what tonight meant, and she froze. With all the excitement over getting a full meal and making sure Caleb was taken care of, she hadn’t given this aspect of the marriage any thought.
“Caroline?” Eric asked.
The Mistaken Mail Order Bride Page 4