by Zoe Matthews
“I am so sorry you have had to go through this,” Mrs. Byron said with sympathy. “I agree with Clinton. If my husband were still alive, he would have not insisted on this marriage just because of money. I do want to explain something to you that might help you understand why this arrangement was made, if I may.”
Lydia nodded her agreement and Mrs. Byron continued. “This arrangement was not made because of money like you might assume from what your father said. Your father and my husband were close friends in England before we immigrated to America. Even though they were of different economic stations, they had grown up together.
“When my husband and I decided to come to America, we wanted your father to come with us, but he was courting your mother and wanted to wait until after their marriage. Your parents followed us a few years later.”
Lydia nodded. “Father told me your husband loaned him some money to come to America and to start his tailoring business.”
“He did, but he never thought of it as a loan. When your father served as a valet to my husband, he was not paid the amount he should have been. His oldest brother was the keeper of the estate and refused to pay for your father’s services, so my husband paid for what he could out of his own money, but at the time he was not of age and so had not received his inheritance. He was given an allowance, but it wasn’t much and so he couldn’t pay your father very much. Because of the friendship between them, your father continued to serve as a valet with very little pay.”
Lydia thought that that sounded like her father. He had always been willing to help another. It was very common for her to see him not charge as much as he could have for a tailoring job. He also would hire a man to work in their shop even though they really didn’t need the help, nor could they really afford to pay the man a fair wage, just because he had needed a job. He also would sometimes send Lydia to the neighborhood grocery store to purchase food and then would instruct her to take the food to a family in need.
“George felt by sponsoring your parents and paying for them to come to America, it would be a fair way to pay back the wages your father should have earned. But your father refused, requesting that it be a loan, including the money to help start his shop. We actually wanted them to settle here in Texas, but your father had his heart set on owning his own business and settling in a larger city, and so he chose Chicago.”
Clinton spoke up. “I do know personally that your father was able to repay most of that loan. I do not think it would be just or fair to hold you to the little that is owed, especially since father had not wanted it to be a loan in the first place.”
“My father was a very proud man,” Lydia responded. “It would be just like him to insist on repaying the money, but I don’t understand where the arranged marriage comes in.”
“It started out as a joke, really,” Mrs. Byron continued the story. “In one letter, George suggested that if your father would agree to a marriage between you and Clinton, the loan would be forgiven. At the time, Clinton was 6 years old. Your father evidently took the suggestion to heart and eventually the agreement was that the marriage would happen when you were 20 years old.”
As Lydia listened to this side of the story, she admitted to herself that, again, this sounded just like what her father would have done. He was very willing to help others, but he was very stubborn about accepting help.
“I am curious why he couldn’t have just paid it off. He really didn’t owe very much. It was just a few dollars,” Clinton said.
“Really?” Lydia was shocked. Why hadn’t her father just have paid it off? It did not make sense to her.
Clinton leaned toward her. “I was serious when I said marrying me is your choice. I will not insist you honor our fathers’ agreement.”
Mrs. Byron looked at her son as if she was proud of him and nodded her head in agreement. “That is a wise decision, my son,” she said.
Lydia started to feel very tired. The events of the last few weeks, along with the traveling seemed to be catching up with her. “I will need to think about it.”
Mrs. Byron noticed her fatigue. “Come, let me show you to the room you will be staying in.” Mrs. Byron stood up and indicated that Lydia do the same. “Clinton, could you bring her things to the room?”
“I am so tired all of the sudden.” Lydia stood up to follow her. She was feeling so fatigued, she didn’t even think to thank them for the food or to say goodbye to Clinton. She followed Mrs. Byron down another hallway. She was talking the entire time, but Lydia barely heard her. She was taken to a beautiful room, but all she could see was the comfortable bed that was set up against a wall. As soon as her things were brought in and she was alone, she removed her black dress and sank thankfully onto the bed, instantly falling asleep.
****
Clinton returned to the dining area after he dropped off Lydia’s trunk. Jamie had disappeared and he sat down to wait, as he knew his mother would appear soon. He was surprised to feel a distinct disappointment at the turn of events. He wondered what decision Lydia would make and knew that if he were in Lydia’s position, he likely would make a different decision other than marriage.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes in thought. He soon heard footsteps behind him and silently waited until his mother sat beside him.
“She was very tired. I would expect she sleeps until morning, “her mother commented. “I doubt she got much rest on the train. I know I don’t rest well when I travel.”
Clinton felt his mother’s hand cover his own. “These are hard circumstances Lydia has been through the last few months. I had no idea that what started out as a joke between your father and hers would turned into something so serious.”
“It makes me question why,” Clinton agreed. “I wonder if there was something going on that her father was trying to protect her from.”
“I have been thinking the same,” her mother said. “We may never know, but I do know that telling her that marriage to you will be her choice is wise. You do not want to start a marriage with force. There could be resentment involved.” Her mother paused, making Clinton look at her. “Do you still want to marry her, knowing what you know? This decision is affecting you, too.”
Clinton nodded. “If she wants to, then I am still willing.”
“Well, that’s good,” her mother nodded in approval. They sat in silence for a few minutes. “We do have something we should discuss though. I put her in the room we had planned for her, in your wing. If she decides not to marry or does not want to marry right away, we will need to make other arrangements of where she will stay. It will not be proper for her to be in your wing.”
“Could she stay in one of your rooms?”
“I’m not sure. Remember, I am remodeling part of my wing, and Jamie is using the small room just across from mine until the remodeling is completed.”
“Let’s just keep quiet about her being here for now, let her rest from her travels. We can talk about this again in a few days,” Clinton suggested and his mother agreed.
CHAPTER 5
It took two days until Lydia started to feel more herself. She slept most of the time, only getting up for meals. Then she woke up on the third morning and was alert enough to think about the changes in her life. She wished she knew why her father was so insistent that she come to Texas to marry Clinton, when he could have paid off the debt since what was left was so little. In fact, if she had turned in her train ticket, she likely could have paid it off using that money. Then she remembered that the bank would have taken over the house and the tailor store, and unless she agreed to marry Richard, she would not have had anywhere to go. Her father had made it seem like she had no choice. After hearing the entire story, she was grateful that Clinton was willing to allow her to choose.
But what should she do? If she decided not to marry Clinton, she would need to find some way to earn a living. She would need to find a place to live. She did not think she would be able to find that in Maple Grove since it was su
ch a small town. Maybe she could travel to a nearby town or city. Clinton did offer to help her if she needed it. Her other option was to marry Clinton. Would that really be such a bad option? When she thought about being married to Clinton, she found herself blushing. Being married to him would not be a hardship. She definitely would not need to worry about finances as she had had to her entire life. The shop her father owned did well enough, but they never had enough for extras, especially the last few years. She did not want to base her decision on money, though.
The little she saw of the ranch, she liked. The ranch was well cared for. They had made the land surrounding the home beautiful with shade trees and many flowerbeds placed strategically around.
Finally, after thinking through things from all the angles, Lydia decided she would go ahead with the marriage, if Clinton was still willing.
Lydia got up and looked around for her bag so she could put on her one clean black dress, but she could not find it. She started to search around the room for it. She found that all her clothes were hanging neatly in a closet. They had been cleaned and pressed. She gratefully reached for her favorite and slipped it on. She brushed her black hair and braided it, deciding to leave it hanging down her back. She washed her face and was then ready to face the family.
Lydia walked into the dining room and saw that a buffet had been set up on the side of the room. Mrs. Byron and Jamie were at the table eating. Jamie saw her come in.
“You’re finally awake,” Jamie exclaimed happily. “Make yourself a plate and come sit down.”
Mrs. Byron smiled her welcome from her chair. “Are you feeling better, dear?”
“I am, thank you.” Lydia picked up a plate and helped herself to some of the most delicious food she had seen in a long time. There were many types of fruits, along with the usual breakfast dishes of eggs and meats. She took her plate to the table and sat down next to Jamie.
“This looks delicious,” Lydia commented. She bowed her head and silently said a prayer, then started to eat.
Mrs. Byron and Jamie started to talk about the day and the things that needed to be done. Mrs. Byron had a pad of paper next to her and was writing down the items in a list as they talked. Lydia wondered where Clinton was and decided he probably was out working on the ranch somewhere. They included Lydia in the conversation when they could.
When Lydia had finished her breakfast, she silently wondered what she should do next. Was there something she could help with around the house or yard?
“I can help with something, if you would like,” she finally offered. “I am a fairly good cook and I can clean.”
Jamie looked surprised at her words. “We have a cook and a few maids. You don’t need to do those things.”
Mrs. Byron smiled. “Thank you for your offer though. We would like you to rest as much as you need to. Most of what Jamie and I do have to do with the gardening and produce. Jamie also likes to help with the horses.”
“You have horses?” Lydia asked with a growing excitement. She loved horses but they had not been able to afford to own one in Chicago. They got around by foot when they needed to go anywhere.
“We have many horses,” Jamie said. “Some are used for working around the ranch, but we have a few that we ride for fun. I can show you the barn if you would like. We could go for a ride.”
I actually don’t know how to ride,” Lydia admitted. “There really wasn’t a need for it in Chicago where I lived.”
“Clinton can teach you,” Jamie decided, looking delighted at being able to get the two together. “I really hope you decide to marry my brother. He would be a good husband and I would love to have a sister.” She stopped talking when her mother touched her arm.
“This is a discussion she needs to have with Clinton, not you,” her mother told her daughter. “You are not to talk to her about it again.”
Lydia smiled at Jamie. “It’s okay.” She was glad to know she was wanted.
Mrs. Byron smiled at Lydia. “Why don’t you go with Jamie to the barn? She can show you around.”
Lydia nodded in agreement and stood up to follow Jamie. They walked out of the house, Jamie talking the whole time. She talked about her love of the ranch and showed her more of the large vegetable garden as they walked by. Lydia noticed a fence had been built around it and Jamie stopped talking long enough to walk through a gate and pull a few carrots.
When they got to the barn, Jamie led her inside and immediately took her to her favorite horse. “This is Honey. I have had her since she was a filly. She and I are great friends.“ Lydia watched as Jamie gave one of the carrots to the horse. She could tell the horse had been named Honey because her coat was the color of dark golden honey. She was a beautiful horse and she could tell Honey was well cared for.
Lydia tentatively reached out to touch the horse. Honey finished crunching on the carrot and turned to her, allowing her to touch the side of her face.
“She is beautiful,” Lydia said.
Lydia heard footsteps and turned around to see who it was. She saw Clinton coming toward them. Her heart jumped as she saw him. He really was ruggedly handsome, in his blue jeans, red plaid shirt, and black cowboy hat. She watched as a smile spread across his face when he saw her standing next to Jamie.
“I am glad to see you are up,” he said when he reached them. He reached over and patted Honey on the side of her neck. “I hope you are rested.”
“I am feeling much better, thank you.” Lydia suddenly felt shy around him, knowing that this man will be her husband soon if he still agreed to it. Jamie and Clinton exchanged small talk for a few minutes while Lydia stood silently by. She faintly heard Jamie make an excuse to leave and left the barn quickly, leaving her alone with Clinton.
Clinton stood there studying her intently and the look on his face made her blush again. She seemed to do that a lot when he looked at her.
“Jamie’s horse is beautiful,” she commented, trying to divert his gaze away from her. “I always wanted to learn to ride, but it wasn’t feasible in the city where we lived.”
“I can arrange for someone to teach you, if you would like,” Clinton offered.
“Actually, I would like to talk with you, when you have some time.”
“How about right now?” Clinton asked. “It’s as good a time as any. We can talk in my office over there.” He gestured to a small room that was located at the end of the barn.
Lydia nodded her agreement. He reached out as if he wanted to take her hand, but then backed away and led her to the little room, making sure he kept the door open. In the room, there was a desk with a chair behind it. A set of shelves with many items on them were on the wall next to the desk. There were a few chairs sitting across the desk, and he indicated to her with his hand that she should sit in one of them, while he sat in another.
“Now, what did you want to talk about?” Clinton asked. “Do you have everything you need? If there is something you can think of, just let my mother know, and she will make sure you get it.”
“No, I am fine. I don’t need anything,” Lydia responded. “I was just wondering if I can talk to you about the marriage our fathers arranged.”
Clinton looked a little apprehensive. “I was serious when I said I would not force you to marry me.”
“I know, and I appreciate that.” Lydia looked down at her clasped hands in her lap. “But…”
“Yes?” Clinton asked when Lydia didn’t finish her sentence.
“I would like to go ahead with the marriage, that is, if you still want to.” Lydia said with a rush. “After all, the decision our fathers’ arranged affects you also.”
Clinton’s eyes lit up. “I haven’t changed my mind. I would be fine going along with it.”
Lydia felt relief as she heard his words. “There isn’t someone you would rather marry, someone you know?” She questioned, wanting to make sure.
“No there isn’t. But I could ask you the same question,” Clinton responded. “There isn’t someone
back in Chicago who you would have wanted to marry if your father hadn’t died?”
Lydia thought briefly of Richard and the mess she had left behind. “No there isn’t.”
Clinton reached out and linked his hand with hers. “Then I will make it official. Lydia, will you marry me and be my wife and the mother of my children?”
Lydia nodded. “Yes, I will.” It impressed her that he officially asked her. “I just don’t know when would be best. In the city, since I am in mourning, it wouldn’t be proper for me to marry for a year.”
Clinton nodded. “Do you want to wait for a year?”
Lydia hesitated, then shook her head, and Clinton looked relieved.