Mrs. Gregson looked at Kathleen, “I think you’re made of tougher stuff than she was. But I thought you should know what you’re getting yourself into, so you can make your own decisions. It’s not going to do either Mr. McCann or his children any good if you don’t think this is right for you.”
She paused and added, “I hope I haven’t scared you off, Miss Taylor.”
Kathleen thought a moment, “I appreciate your honesty, Mrs. Gregson. But I’m not going anywhere. I was raised in an orphanage and I have longed to be part of a real family for a very long time. I think the Good Lord is behind this. When I read Mr. McCann’s letter, I felt a connection. I don’t expect it to be easy.”
Mrs. Gregson straightened up and smiled, “I think you’ll be just fine. Now let’s do something with your hair. Do you want to wear it up or down?
Daniel had dropped his children, Melissa and Michael, at the neighbor’s place on his way to town. As always whenever he left them anywhere, they were clingy and upset. He crouched down beside them on the porch as Emily Parker looked on with sympathetic eyes.
“Now, there’s no need to fret. I’ll be back before you know it and I’ll be bringing Kathleen home with me.”
“Bu..but, why do we ne..ne..need her to li..live with us?” asked Michael for the hundredth time. Michael had never stuttered before his mama died.
Daniel patiently answered, “You kids know that I need some help. I can’t be working out in the fields and leaving you on your own. And besides, you know I’m a terrible cook.”
That brought a small smile to Michael’s face.
“Do…do you think Kathleen kn..kn..knows how to make oatmeal cookies l..l..like Momma did?” he asked.
“Well I don’t know about oatmeal cookies, but Kathleen did tell me in her last letter that she enjoyed baking. You’ll just have to ask her, I expect.”
Emily came over to the two and held out her hand. “Did I hear someone say they wanted an oatmeal cookie? When your pa asked me to watch you this morning, I baked some especially for you two.”
That brightened them up right away.
“Okay, kids, give me a hug. I don’t want to be late getting to town today. I’ll see you later on.” Daniel planted a kiss on each forehead and stood up. “Thanks for doing this Emily.”
Daniel was glad that the ride to town would take a good couple of hours. He needed time to get his mind around the fact that he was soon going to be a married man, again. Even though he knew he was doing the right thing for Melissa and Michael, he wasn’t so sure it was the right thing for him.
‘Why didn’t I put that gun out of reach?’ Daniel thought, torturing himself for the thousandth time since the accident had happened. He blamed himself for what had happened. ‘Am I doing the right thing getting married again, Lord?’
But the kids needed a mother to love and care for them. Asking friends and neighbors to fill in wasn’t working. They needed a stable caring woman’s touch in their lives. That had been what had made him put that ad in the Matrimonial Times, not the bone chilling loneliness that had brought him to his knees more times than he could count.
At least he’d been honest in his letters to Kathleen when he told her that he still loved his wife, so she wouldn’t expect love to be part of their bargain. She had responded with understanding, but he really hoped she didn’t think his feelings would change over time. He couldn’t imagine ever loving another woman after Patsy.
He sighed as he shook the reins to encourage Buster to get a move on. All this thinking was giving him a headache.
He brought the wagon and horse to the livery stable to be looked after, until they were ready to load up and leave later on in the day. Then he brushed off his clothes, swiped the dust off his hat and walked over to the boarding house.
Mrs. Gregson greeted him at the door and said, “Smile, you’re getting hitched, not strung up, you know.” Straightening his string tie and collar, she said, “Miss Taylor is waiting for you in the front room. Why don’t you go on in and see her. I’ll let you know when it’s time to head over to the church.”
“Much obliged Mrs. Gregson,” answered Daniel, pasting a smile on his face before he went to meet his bride.
Kathleen stood when she heard the door open. “Mr. McCann, is that you?”
“Yes, it is and you must be Miss Taylor.”
“Mr. McCann, since we’re going to be married soon, do you think we might use our first names?”
Daniel turned beat red as he nodded, “You look very nice, Miss… I mean Kathleen.”
“Thank you Daniel. Did you bring the children with you today?”
“No, I thought it best to come on my own. You’ll meet them when we pick them up at Emily’s house on our way home.”
Daniel searched around for something to say. This was not going to be easy. “How was your trip, Kathleen?”
“To be honest, it was long and dusty. I was very glad to get off that train, let me tell you,” she said with a smile.
After a few more minutes of awkward conversation, they were both relieved when Mrs. Gregson tapped on the door and said that it was time to head over to the church.
The service was very short and simple. Johnny Proctor and Mrs. Gregson were the witnesses and the only other people present were Minister Johnson and Marge Olson, who sang at every wedding. The minister apologized for not offering them refreshments, but said he’d only just returned home and his housekeeper was off sick today.
Mrs. Gregson said, “Let’s all go back to mine for coffee and refreshments. At the very least we need to toast the bride and groom before they leave.”
Daniel offered his arm to Kathleen as they made their way back to the boarding house. Once there, Daniel made a toast to his bride and then everyone else joined in raising their glasses to the newlyweds.
Too soon it was time to leave. “I’m sorry to cut things short, but we need to load up and get going. We still have to stop and pick up the kids, and then there are chores to do too.”
Johnny helped Daniel load up Kathleen’s trunk. He rubbed his back, winked at Kathleen and said to Daniel, “Sure am glad I don’t have to help ya get this down off the wagon and inside. I don’t think my back could handle it.”
He clapped Daniel on the back and shook Kathleen’s hand, “Aw don’t pay any attention to me. I’m just joshing ya. That there trunk ain’t nearly as heavy as some I’ve had to cart around.”
Mrs. Gregson hugged Kathleen and said, “Now don’t be a stranger. You make sure that Mr. McCann brings you into town soon for a visit.”
“Thank you for everything, Mrs. Gregson. You have made me feel very welcome.”
Chapter 3
By the time the new couple got to Emily Parker’s place it was later than Daniel expected. She had already fed the children. They hung shyly behind her skirts and hesitantly peeked out to look at Kathleen.
They absolutely refused to come any closer and when Kathleen crouched down so she would be at their level, they screamed and burst into tears, before she even had a chance to say hello.
“I’m sorry Kathleen. I didn’t expect them to act like this. I’ve told them all about you, so it’s not like I sprung this on them,” apologized Daniel.
He left Kathleen’s side and walked over to his son and daughter. They threw themselves at him and wouldn’t let go. Eventually Daniel carried them to the wagon and put them in back with Kathleen’s trunk.
Emily said hello to Kathleen and welcomed her to Prairie Meadow. “They just need to get used to you. Try not to take it personally,” she said sympathetically. Handing Daniel a covered basket, she said, ‘Here’s a little something for your supper so your new wife doesn’t have to cook on her first night.”
All the way home both Michael and Melissa whimpered if Kathleen so much as glanced back at them. Kathleen felt awful. Surely she wasn’t as frightening as all that. Daniel looked worried but said nothing. This wasn’t at all what he had expected.
Of course when th
ey arrived at the McCann farm, the children would have nothing to do with Kathleen. Daniel scooped them up with an apologetic look at Kathleen and said, “Come on in and have a look around. I’m going to put these two to bed. After I finish the chores, you and I can talk.”
It was certainly not the start that Kathleen had envisioned when she read about the children and answered Daniel’s ad. She thought they might be kind of shy at first, but they acted like they were terrified of her.
Daniel apologized for Melissa and Michael’s behavior as soon as they sat down to talk. He asked her to be patient and give them some time to get used to her being there.
“I want you to feel at home here, Kathleen. After all, you have moved all the way across the country to be here. So if you have some of your own things you would like to put out, please do it. Ever since Patsy, my wife, died I’ve let things go around here, as you can see.”
“Thank you Daniel. I do have a few things that I brought from home that I had hoped to use. I’ll go through my trunk in a few days. But I think it best if I leave things as they are for now. Maybe it will be easier for the children to get used to me if they see that nothing changes in the house.”
Daniel thought about that and said, “Sounds like that might be a good idea.” Daniel’s face reddened as he looked over Kathleen’s shoulder, “Now I know we are husband and wife, but I don’t plan on sleeping in the same bed with you. No offense, but I can’t put Patsy aside like that. I hope you understand.”
Kathleen’s face was an equally dark shade of red as she replied, “Of course, Daniel. I understand perfectly. But where will I be sleeping? There doesn’t seem to be an extra bedroom.”
“Well what I thought was that I could put a pallet on the floor in the bedroom. That way you could have the bed. I’ve rigged up a curtain so you can have some privacy for washing up and getting dressed. I’ll do my cleaning up in the barn.”
“That sounds fine,” Kathleen said in a strained voice. “I think I might just turn in now. I’m very tired. Good night, Daniel.”
“I’ll let you get ready before I come in. Sleep well, Kathleen.”
It was a long time before either one was able to fall asleep. Kathleen awoke to screams inside the dark house. Daniel had already leaped up and gone to comfort Melissa. When Kathleen got to the doorway of the children’s bedroom, she saw him scoop Melissa up in his arms and try to console her. Her screams turned to whimpers and then finally she fell back to sleep. Daniel gently placed her back in bed and kissed her on the forehead. As he wearily started back to his own room, he noticed Kathleen standing in the doorway wide-eyed.
Putting a finger to his lips, he tiptoed out of the room. When he turned to face Kathleen, she saw tears in his eyes. Gripping her elbow he steered her into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
“What happened in there, Daniel? Why was Melissa screaming?”
“She has nightmares, bad ones, and when she has them, she wakes up screaming. I’m just glad that Michael slept through it tonight. He doesn’t always.”
“What’s going on, Daniel? And how can I help?”
“I know I owe you an explanation, but I just don’t have it in me to tell you tonight.”
“I need to know what’s going on Daniel,” Kathleen protested.
He looked over at her and rubbed his hands over his face. “I know you do, but not tonight. I need to get some sleep. Look, we’ll talk soon. I promise.” And with that he got up from the table and went back to bed.
There was no way that Kathleen would be able to fall back to sleep after that. So she added a couple of pieces of wood to the cookstove and heated up some water for tea. She sat and thought for quite a while before going back to bed.
Chapter 4
It seemed like she had been asleep for only a few minutes when Daniel shook Kathleen’s shoulder to get her up. “Morning. Can you make some breakfast and pack up a couple of sandwiches for me to take? I’ll be working in the back forty all day.”
Kathleen hastily threw on a dress and apron and hurried out to the kitchen. Dawn was breaking but it was still dark enough to need the lantern lit. She grabbed some eggs and bacon from the pantry and started a pot of coffee. As the stove sprang back to life, she got out an enormous frying pan and started cooking. Soon the smell of bacon and eggs filled the house. She sliced thick slices of some of the bread that Emily had put in the basket the night before and spread butter on them. She had seen some ham in the cold storage and cut a few thick pieces to put in Daniel’s sandwiches.
By then Melissa and Michael had wandered into the kitchen holding hands. Kathleen smiled at them and asked if they were hungry. They backed away with wide eyes as if she had threatened them. Fortunately, just at that moment, Daniel came back in from the barn. He looked from Kathleen to the two children, then winking at her, got down on the floor, made growly noises and pretended to attack them. They ran away from him laughing and screeching with delight. When he caught up with them, he picked them up and carried them back to the table, plopping them down in chairs on either side of him.
“Look at the nice breakfast Kathleen made for you two. It smells so good, I’m going to eat it all if you’re not quick.”
Giggling and forgetting their fear, the two reached over and grabbed a handful of bacon.
“Now, now, where are your manners?” Daniel gently scolded them. He scooped some of the eggs onto their plates as well as his own before passing the bowl to Kathleen. Breakfast was a quiet meal.
“Say thank you to Kathleen for the delicious breakfast.” They mumbled what could have been thank you and jumped off their chairs.
“Come back here,” Daniel ordered. “You haven’t asked to be excused from the table. And besides, I need to talk to you for a minute. Kathleen, why don’t you clear off the table while I have a little chat with Melissa and Michael.”
The two children reluctantly returned to the table while Kathleen silently cleared the table.
“Pa’s got to go work out in the fields today. Kathleen is going to stay with you. I want you two to mind Kathleen. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Pa,” they both answered.
“Will you be all right here with the youngsters today? I asked Emily to drop by after lunch to see how things were going,” asked Daniel, as he got ready to leave.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea Daniel. They seem so scared of me,” Kathleen said.
“Look, I’m sure everything will be fine. Just go about your chores and keep an eye on them. Once they start playing, they’ll forget that you’re even here. I have to go now or I won’t finish what needs to get done today.”
Kathleen stood on the porch watching until Daniel was out of sight. She was almost afraid to go inside and face the children. ‘I’m being silly,’ she thought. ‘They’re just children. Help me to do and say the right thing, Lord.’
Taking a deep breath, Kathleen went back inside. She was relieved when she didn’t see the two and went right to the kitchen to do the dishes and straighten up. After that she decided to do some cleaning. There was a thick layer of dust covering every surface, so that’s what she started with. She called out to Melissa and Michael that she was going to be cleaning in the front room if they needed anything.
Humming to herself she filled a bucket with soap and water, found a couple of old cloths that might at one time have been diapers and started scrubbing everything from floor to ceiling. When she went to empty the bucket of dirty water, she realized that she hadn’t seen or heard the two children since Daniel left.
When she came back inside, she went into their room, only to find that there was no one there. ‘Hmm, maybe they went outside and were too shy to tell me,’ she thought. But they weren’t in the barn, nor were they near the chicken coop. Now she was starting to panic.
“Melissa, Michael, where are you? If you’re hiding on me, please come out, or at least make a noise so I can come find you.”
There was no answering call. ‘Oh no,
oh no. Now what?’
“Michael, Melissa, please answer me!”
Kathleen felt like sitting down and crying. Here it was, her first day looking after the kids and she had lost track of them. As she was asking herself where they could possibly have gone, the answer came to her. Of course! They saw which way their pa went when he left this morning. They were watching him drive off just like she was.
Kathleen jotted a quick note for Emily and left it on the door. Then she picked up her skirt and started running. The kids had a huge head start. She had to find them before something happened to them.
She wasn’t exactly sure where Daniel was working that morning. She berated herself for not finding out before he left for the day. As she ran, she called and called but there was no sign of the two children. She ran until she couldn’t run anymore and was forced to slow down. She kept walking, stopping every once in awhile to listen and to call out. After a while she wasn’t even sure what direction the farmhouse was in.
Kathleen was about ready to sit down and cry when she heard someone calling her name way off in the distance. ‘Thank God’, she thought.
Standing up she yelled, “Here, I’m over here,” and started running towards the voice she’d heard.
Soon, she saw a horse and wagon approaching through the fields. She started waving madly to attract the driver’s attention. As the wagon got closer, she saw a woman and two small children on the seat. When it pulled up beside her, to her relief she saw that it was Emily and sitting up on the seat beside her were Melissa and Michael.
“Oh thank God! You found them! I have been out of my mind with worry,” Kathleen cried.
Emily jumped down off of the wagon and gathered a sobbing Kathleen into her arms. “There, there it’s all right. They’re just fine.”
Pulling away from Emily, Kathleen asked, “Wherever did you find them?”
Smiling ruefully, Emily said, “They were hiding up in the hayloft. They thought it would be a good joke to play on you. But they didn’t expect you to go running off like that to look for them.”
Kathleen's Dream (Mail-Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow 1) Page 2