by Kit Morgan
* * *
The next morning, Lula awoke to a soft knock on her door. She opened one eye then the other. “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, honey,” Sally answered. “May I come in?”
Bleary-eyed, Lula struggled to sit up. “Just a moment.” She got out of bed, went to the door, unlocked it and opened it wide.
A good thing too, as Sally had a huge tray in her hands. She bustled in, a big smile on her face. “Eat up, honey. The whole clan is downstairs!”
“Clan?” Lula said scratching her head. “What clan?”
Sally poured her a cup of coffee. “Baxter’s family.”
Lula shivered, suddenly awake. “His family is that large?” She knew there was a sister and a brother, but there couldn’t be any more than that.
“Honey, when I say clan, I mean clan – Baxter’s folks, his sister, uncles, aunts, cousins …”
“Stop!” Lula yelped, her hands thrown out as if to physically stop Sally from running over her. “What are they all doing here?”
“They want to meet you. And see if they can help out with the wedding – isn’t that nice?”
“No! I mean … yes, but … I don’t even know Baxter yet.” She sat in the nearest chair, feeling overwhelmed, without her father or sisters around to help her adjust to sudden changes. She wished she knew where Father was, where any of them were. Maybe Baxter could help her find out. But first she had to deal with introductions – lots of them.
“Here, drink this, you’ll feel better,” Sally handed her a cup. “You’ve got eggs and fried potatoes here – eat up.”
Lula examined the tray’s contents: a small pot of coffee, cream, sugar and a plate covered with a white napkin. “Thank you, Sally. You’re very kind.”
“Hospitality is my middle name!” she said happily. “What do you want to wear? I’ll fetch it for you.”
Lula took a sip of coffee, enjoying the warmth of the cup in her hands before answering. “There’s a green day dress in my trunk …”
“Your trunk? You mean you didn’t unpack last night?” Sally asked as she went to get the dress.
“All I did was sleep.”
“That’s okay, honey. Today’s a new day and you look like you got a good night’s rest. Now hurry up and eat. Your new family won’t wait all day.”
That sent Lula’s stomach quivering. “Are they … nice people, Sally?”
“Of course they are, honey – some of the nicest I’ve ever met. Everyone in this town is nice.” She turned back to the trunk. “For the most part.”
“For the most part,” Lula repeated.
“Oh, you know, people have their flaws. None of us are perfect. When I first arrived in town Irene down at the mercantile didn’t take a shine to me, I can tell you that. And I admit the feeling was mutual. But it was more a culinary rivalry than anything.”
“Oh yes. Baxter mentioned.”
Sally laughed. “I’ll bet he did. But we learned that sometimes it takes two cooks to make a banquet. It’s too much work for one. So we’ve buried the hatchet – literally in Irene’s case.”
Lula shook her head. She understood part of what Sally was saying but not all. She finished her coffee and began to eat, hoping wolfing down her food wasn’t going to upset her stomach later. It wouldn’t do to get sick in front of her new family.
Thankfully she had time to let her breakfast settle as Sally helped her dress and put up her hair. When she was done, Sally took a few steps back to admire her handiwork. “There – don’t you look fine?”
Lula walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner. “Why, Sally, you do just as well as my ladies’ maid back home –” As soon as the words were out, she cringed. Sally was a professional chef – it would hardly do to compare her with domestic help!
“What’s the matter, honey?” Sally asked with concern. “You look like you just stubbed your toe.”
Lula turned to her. “I’m sorry. I just feel …” she shrugged.
“Out of place?”
Lula nodded.
“Don’t worry, you’ll fit in soon enough. Clear Creek is made up of all sorts of folks, you’ll see. And you’re about to meet quite a few of them. Ready?”
“Not really.” But Lula took a deep breath and left the room.
Chapter 9
Lula and Sally were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by Baxter’s father and a lovely auburn-haired woman. Could this be Baxter’s mother? She looked too young. “Hello,” Lula said shyly.
“My word,” the woman said in a British accent. “Aren’t you a pretty thing?”
Lula blushed head to toe. “Thank you. Um, how do you do?” She was suddenly nervous – she really wanted to make a good first impression.
“Very well, thank you,” the woman said. “I’m Lena Adams. You’ve already met my husband, Chase.” She waved a hand at Baxter’s father, who smiled warmly.
“Hello again,” Lula said. “It’s nice to meet you at last, Mrs. Adams.”
“We were hoping to take pleasure in your company yesterday, my dear,” Mrs. Adams said. “But with Baxter’s little accident, that wasn’t possible.”
Lula looked over the throng chatting away in the hotel lobby, but didn’t see Baxter anywhere. “Where is he? Is he not well?” Perhaps he was in the dining room with his foot up.
Mr. Adams turned and looked at the crowd too. “I think he’s gone into the dining room. I’m sure we’ll all be more comfortable there.”
Lula put a hand to her belly. “Oh, I’m sorry – I’ve already had my breakfast.”
“Not necessarily to eat, dear,” Mrs. Adams said. “It’s simply a good place to discuss your wedding.”
Lula was confused. “But I didn’t think there was anything to discuss. After all, I’m just a mail-order bride”
“So was I, as were my sisters and cousins,” Mrs. Adams swept her hand toward a gaggle of women now approaching. “But that didn’t stop us from having nice weddings.”
Lula didn’t know whether to thank her or cry or both. She looked at the people gathering behind them, all of which were looking back at her. She smiled and nodded, unable to get her mouth to work for a moment. Thankfully she spied Baxter coming through the dining room doors, headed straight for her. “Baxter!” she cried out.
“Lula,” he said with relief. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were feeling all right.”
Her smile faded – about the same time she realized she was smiling. Did the sight of the man really make her so happy? “Of course I’m feeling all right – why wouldn’t I?”
“Because it’s nearly lunchtime,” he said, bemused.
She gasped. “It’s almost noon?”
“Think nothing of it,” Mr. Adams said. “You had a long journey and a very long day yesterday. Anyone could see you were tired.”
“And when Sally told us that you fainted, we weren’t about to disturb you,” Baxter’s mother added.
Lula felt herself blush again. She glanced at Sally, who only shrugged. “Yes, I suppose I was. But I’m much better now.”
“You fainted?” Baxter said, concerned.
“I’m sorry, dear,” his mother said. “I should have told you after Sally informed us, but I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Yes, you should have,” he said, a little terse. “And as you can see, I’m much better too.”
“You told me Doc Drake said to use those crutches for a few days,” his father said, matching Baxter’s tone.
“They’re in the dining room – I’ll fetch them in a moment.” He focused on Lula. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?” He glanced at his extended family. “Today just happened to be a good time for all of us to come to town. I hope you don’t mind.”
Lula sighed with a tiny smile. “How can I mind? They’re your family.” She let her eyes drift over all the faces. “They’ll soon be mine.”
Baxter smiled widely and took her hand, guiding her away from the staircase. “Co
me meet them.”
“Shall we retired to the dining room, everyone?” Mr. Adams called out.
Baxter and Lula made their way through the lobby, which gave her a chance to count heads. There had to be at least half a dozen couples, who knew how many children of various ages, and more were mingling outside on the hotel porch. A few looked to be her age. She smiled at the thought of making new friends and gave Baxter’s hand a squeeze.
He squeezed back, the pressure reassuring. “Don’t worry, none of them bite.”
Lula felt herself relax. “I still can’t believe they came into town just to meet me.”
“Ain’t hard to arrange when everyone lives within a few miles of each other.”
“Isn’t hard, dear,” Mrs. Adams said behind them. “Please don’t torture the King’s English.”
“My bad influence there, I’m afraid,” Mr. Adams confessed.
Lula smiled at the banter and relaxed a little more, then suddenly noticed Baxter was barely limping. “Baxter, your ankle!”
“It’s feeling much better today, though I’m not sure how long that’ll last.” He ushered her into the dining room.
“How about some tea, everyone?” Sally asked loudly.
Her question was met with nods and voiced agreements. Lula watched the woman hustle into the kitchen, followed by some of Baxter’s female relatives. “Where are they going?”
“To help Sally, of course,” Baxter said. “She wasn’t expecting us like this. We can’t let her do all the work.”
“You mean she’ll serve you tea for free?”
“No, we pay for the tea. This is a business, after all. But oftentimes we help her out if she’s real busy, and this was totally unplanned until a couple hours ago.”
Lula blushed. “It’s beginning to feel a like a party.”
“When my family’s involved, it often turns into one just on sheer numbers. And if the Cookes were here, we’d fill this place.”
She laughed, then quickly sobered as she remembered she wanted to ask for his help. “Baxter, are we going to have time to talk later – alone?”
He stopped next to a table full of his relatives, took her other hand in his and looked into her eyes. “Of course. Is something wrong?”
“Yes and no. I do need your help with something.”
His eyes darkened. “With what?”
“My sister. She’s somewhere here in Oregon, but I don’t know where. We can talk about it later.”
He nodded, holding her hands tighter. “You can count on me.” He glanced at the table of relations. “On all of us. We’ll help in any way we can.”
Her shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you. Now let’s meet your family.”
* * *
“… And last but not least, this is my Aunt Apple and Uncle Bran.”
“How do you do?” Lula said with her umpteenth curtsy. She was gratified the women greeted her in the same manner. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think she was at a gathering back in New York. The men’s manners weren’t as impeccable as their wives’, but they were still polite. Baxter’s family seemed almost too good to be true. Had Divine providence decree that she marry into a wonderful family, or was it sheer dumb luck?
Maybe the universe had decided to defy Fanny’s attempts at ruining her life and that of her sisters and cousins. She seemed to have been dealt a fair hand. But what about Effie and Minnie, Della, Hattie and Pearl – where were they now? What were their husbands like?
“I’m sure ye’ve been asked this before,” Uncle Bran said with an Irish brogue thick as corned beef. “But what do ye think of our fair town?”
“It’s, um … nice, at least what I’ve seen of it so far.” She wasn’t sure why she put it that way. The town was so small – how could anyone not come to a quick conclusion? But she’d only been here one day … “Everyone I’ve met so far has been very kind.”
Uncle Bran grinned. “Glad to hear it, lass. Lots of folks come through here, but most don’t settle. They move on to Portland or Seattle, or sometimes California.”
The mention of all those places made Lula wonder again where her sisters and cousins ended up. It was so frustrating not knowing. “I find Clear Creek to be very quaint,” she said.
“Quaint?” Apple said. “We thought it was horrid when we first arrived.”
Lula sat on the chair Baxter pulled out for her. “You did?”
Baxter sat beside her. “They most certainly did. Didn’t they, Pa?”
Mr. Adams nodded as he buttered a biscuit. “Yes, all of them did.”
Lula saw the surrounding tables fill with Baxter’s relatives and knew there were so many of them, she could never keep track. He did indeed have a huge family. The thought his aunts and mother didn’t like the town when they first arrived had her a bit puzzled. “What was it like back then?”
“Not much different from now,” Mrs. Adams said. “It’s just that all of us were so appalled at having to leave London – no matter where we went, we wouldn’t have liked it.”
“True,” said Aunt Apple. “But if we hadn’t been sent here by the Duke, none of us would be as happy as we are now.”
Lula’s eyebrows slowly rose. “Duke … Mr. Cooke mentioned a duke yesterday, but …”
“So did you bring a wedding dress?” Baxter asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Hm?” Lula said, blinking.
“A wedding dress?” another relative asked.
Oh drat, which one was this – Penelope? Fina? She needed a scorecard, like Father used to bring home from base ball matches, just to hope to keep everyone sorted. “No. There wasn’t time.”
Several women at the table exchanged glances. “What do you mean there wasn’t time?” one replied.
Lula thought furiously. Fina, that was her name! Baxter’s aunt Fina Stone – married to Levi, mother of Asher. She sighed in triumph, then realized every eye at the table was on her. Thankfully the rest of the room hadn’t heard the question. “I … had to leave in a hurry.” That was at least true, without having to explain much.
“Do you want a wedding dress?” Mrs. Adams asked.
“I don’t have to have one,” she said softly. What bride didn’t want a dress for her wedding? But how on Earth could she get one? “It’s impossible at this point, I’m sure.”
Mrs. Adams sat back in her chair. “Nonsense. If you want one, my dear, we can make it happen.”
Lula’s eyes darted around. “Truly?”
“Stand up, Lula,” Aunt Apple said. “Let’s have a look at you.”
Lula glanced worriedly at Baxter. What were his mother and aunts up to? But he just motioned for her to stand, so with a shrug she scooted back her chair and stood.
Aunt Apple and Fina did the same and went around the table to join her. Baxter’s mother followed. “I’d say she’s about your size, Apple,” Fina said. “What do you think, sister?”
Mrs. Adams tapped her chin. “I do believe you’re right. Though I think any of our gowns would fit, but Apple’s height is the closest match.”
“Match?” Lula was now thoroughly confused.
Mrs. Adams smiled. “My dear, we made our own wedding dresses not long after we arrived here. But then, we each had a little time to be courted by our husbands. Somehow I don’t think Baxter can wait that long.”
Baxter had the decency to blush and looked away. His mother and aunts giggled before turning back to Lula. “What we’re saying, darling,” Aunt Apple explained, “is that you have several wedding dresses to choose from. Any of us would be more than happy to have you wear one of our dresses at your wedding.”
Lula’s breath caught. “You would do that for me?”
“Of course we would,” Fina said. “You’re about to be family.”
Strained by the long journey, the previous day’s surprises and her new family’s generosity, Lula’s sophisticated façade crumbled. With a choking sob, she began to cry.
* * *
Baxter took
one look at his aunts and pulled Lula into his arms. So what if it was improper? Something was wrong and he wanted to fix it. “Lula, what’s the matter?”
“I’m s-s-s-so sorry. I did th-th-this yesterday …”
His mother and aunts stared in shock before springing into action. “Oh, my poor dear,” his mother said. “You must be exhausted. We didn’t mean to overwhelm you.”
Lula lifted her face from Baxter’s chest, and he fought the urge to gently lay her head back against him and hold her tighter. “Ma, I think I should escort Lula back to her room.”
“You’ll do no such thing – at least not yet. Come, my dear, have a seat.” His mother gently pulled Lula out of his embrace.
Lula sat as she sniffed back her tears. “I can’t, I just can’t.”
Baxter froze. Oh no, this was it. She’d already decided she wasn’t going to stay … wait, he hadn’t told her anything yet. He sat beside her. “Lula, does this have anything to do with what you spoke of earlier?”
She looked blank.
“The help you asked for?” he reminded her.
His mother sat on the other side of Lula as his aunts retook their seats. “What’s wrong, dear? Are you in trouble? How can we help?”
Lula stared at them like a frightened doe.
“It’s all right,” Baxter assured as he took her hand. “They mean it. We all do.”
She swallowed hard. “Can … can you help me find my sisters?”
“Sisters?” Aunt Apple said. “What happened to them?”
Lula looked at each of them in turn. “I don’t know what happened to them – that’s the problem.” Then the floodgates opened.
As she told the story of how she came to Oregon and her family was thrown to the winds, it set Baxter’s teeth on edge. Her father and uncle ruined, their business gone, her stepmother’s awful plan to get rid of Lula and her sisters and talking the aunt into doing the same with Lula’s cousins … how wicked! He wanted to toss Fanny Stout into jail and let her rot. But he was in no position to do that. He wasn’t even sure how to help his future bride, other than talk with Sheriff Turner.