“Oh, look how adorable he is when he blushes!” gushed Lily Jo.
Betsy marched through the group of women, straight up to Akecheta and demanded, “Are you Pastor James or not?”
Akecheta was nearly lost for words at her nerve.
“Uh, yes, ma’am, I am.” His thick baritone choked out and he coughed.
“Oh heavens! I think he needs a drink. All that dust and soot, it’s not good for the lungs, my boy.” Fannie Pearl shook her fan at him.
“No ma’am, it isn’t,” chuckled Akecheta. “Is - is there something I can do for you ladies?” Akecheta asked as he was generally perplexed. What on earth did these women need with him? He was feeling a bit confined and looked around for a way to put some space between himself and these determined women. Their quick chatter and anxious behavior reminded him of chickens pecking the ground for their dinner.
“Oh! This is just so exciting!” a lively young woman bounced up and down on her toes as she clapped her hands together.
“Lily Jo, calm down! Your springiness is distracting us from the mission and young ladies do not bounce,” Ethel reprimanded. Akecheta quickly hid his grin behind his hand as he winked at Lily Jo.
Betsy shot Ethel a look of thanks, “Yes, you see I am Mrs. Betsy Sewell. I do believe you know my husband Alexzander?” she raised a single eyebrow in his direction.
“Yes, I know him well. Actually, he sent for me.”
“We know,” the women cooed in unison. Akecheta smiled, his arrival in Silverpines was certainly off to a rather entertaining beginning.
“Ladies!” snapped Betsy, causing Akecheta to turn his head in her direction as well.
“Sorry Betsy, it’s just so romantic!” Lily Jo whispered a little too loudly, leaving him wondering what was so romantic.
Betsy looked helplessly at Pastor James, “I apologize, Lily Jo thinks everything is so romantic.”
“I see,” Akecheta grinned, pleased to be so openly accepted. “Assuming Alexzander is alright, what is it I can help you ladies with?” Akecheta was genuinely intrigued now.
“We need you to perform our wedding ceremonies…” said Millie, twisting the handkerchief in her hands.
“And marry our Abby!” Hattie blurted out and quickly covered her mouth.
Akecheta’s smile gave way to apprehension. Alexzander had mentioned he must marry, but he didn’t expect to be bombarded with it before he’d even left the train station.
“Her husband, Reverend Bates, died saving Reuben…” Sarah said gently as she lay a hand on his arm.
“He’s a true hero.” Millie hung her head, still twisting the handkerchief in her hand.
Sarah looked up at him, leaned in and softly whispered, “Reuben is Millie’s son.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss and the town’s,” Akecheta said as he tried to process what each woman was telling him. They sure were making his head spin. Where was Alexzander when he needed him!
“Abby has also locked herself in the parsonage…” said Hattie.
“All because of that slimy Reverend Skinner!” Betsy stomped her foot, stirring up a bit of dust around them.
“Abby has no idea you are here to save her! It’s just like a fairy-tale,” blushed the charming Lily Jo and this time Akecheta didn’t hide his grin.
“With my husband as the matchmaker! Matchmaker! He’s a Marshal! Honestly, where does he get his ideas…” Betsy huffed. Akecheta shook his head trying to understand what had her so ruffled.
“He didn’t tell Betsy he sent for you…” Lily Jo enlightened him.
“She’s a little perturbed, you might say…” Fannie Pearl winked and Akecheta found himself grinning again. So, Alexzander had married himself a bit of a spitfire.
“And we convinced Abby to place an ad for a groom…” groaned Betsy, placing her hand to her temple.
“But no-one has responded,” Sarah quickly assured him, patting his arm as she did.
“Thank heavens for that or we’d have quite a mess on our hands!” Ethel Howard stated matter of factly.
“And I’d hate to have to take another Reverend to task with my ball bat,” Edie Howard added.
Akecheta looked from sister to sister, unable to tell them apart. He had a feeling these two were not to be trifled with. Perhaps, Alexzander knew how to tell the difference. He’d have to ask him, if he ever got free of the gaggle of women.
“You, um, well that is, oh never mind. Who were the three Reverends you spoke with when Mrs. Sewell shouted?” Akecheta asked, feeling slightly tongue-tied by the Howard sisters’ outburst.
“We don’t know…” frowned Hattie.
“We asked if any of them were Pastor James…” responded Betsy.
“They said no, and Ethel saw Edie with you, so we rushed over!” announced Lily Jo. My she was full of energy, he thought.
“We are so very happy you've finally arrived,” grinned Millie.
“Now, everyone can get married...” whispered Sarah softly.
“Abby too!” said the ever-springy Lily Jo, her blonde curls bouncing along with her.
“And Reverend Skinner can take a hike,” chimed in Edie Howard. Akecheta could just picture the older lady pounding a cane or in her case a ball bat, into the ground for emphasis and assumed if she’d had it with her, she would have.
“You do want to marry Abby, don’t you?” asked Sarah.
Akecheta squirmed. He felt like a bug under a microscope with all these women peering at him and tried not to fidget under their scrutiny. On the other hand, Sunday services would be very interesting with this group of women sitting in the pews. Akecheta suddenly believed that Silverpines would never be a boring place to call home.
“Why wouldn’t he want to marry our Abby? She’s wonderful,” said Fannie Pearl, breaking Akecheta from his musings.
Fannie Pearl walked up to Akecheta, looped her arm through his and began to walk, pulling him with her. “I won’t have nobody hurtin’ my Abby girl. She arrived here in a bad way and she’s been through a lot in a very short time.”
“Uh ma’am, I do need to collect my horse.” Akecheta pointed towards the livestock car and tried to remove his arm from the grandmotherly old woman who so brazenly took it.
“Of course, you do; we’ll just have us a little chat while we walk that direction.” She turned to the other ladies and snapped her fingers, “Quit your lollygagging, we’ve got a job to do.”
The other women jumped to attention and began talking all at once. They reminded him of his mother’s tribe, the women did far more than anyone knew and accomplished more tasks than he thought capable. His father had often told him, “Son, do not get in the way of a woman on a mission. They have an uncanny way of getting things done.” Akecheta smiled at the memory as he watched the women scatter like seeds.
“It was lovely to meet you…”
“So nice to meet you…”
“See you soon…”
Akecheta had no idea who had said what as they rushed off. He’d only picked up a handful of their names as it was. He now found himself standing alone with two women. One still latched onto his arm, as she’d yet to let him go. What was her name... Had he heard it? He couldn’t remember.
The one called Betsy paused and turned towards Akecheta, pointing with authority. “Now, you’ll be staying with Alexzander and me. The house is just past the jail. Follow this road down past the bank to Adams Street. The jail and our home are across the tracks towards the river, you can’t miss it. The livery is the opposite way just past the Inn. Just stay on Adams Street and you’ll find what you need.”
“Thank you,” Akecheta answered as he tried to review the directions she’d just given him.
“You’re very welcome. I’ll see you later.” And then Betsy rushed off down Third Avenue, opposite of the way she’d directed him to go.
He looked questioningly at the older woman, who was still attached to his arm.
“She has an errand to run. Now, let’s get down
to business, Sonny. I’ll walk you to the livery, it’s on my way home,” Fannie Pearl told him as she patted his hand.
Akecheta shook his head in bewilderment at the past few minutes. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined a greeting of such exuberance and heart.
After collecting Genesis and taking him to the livery, Akecheta continued to speak with the old woman who had stolen his arm as he walked her home. It seemed to him the elderly lady was trying to test his mettle. As if she wanted to make sure he was not only good enough for the mysterious Abby he’d yet to meet but also for the community she loved.
“It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Edmondson,” he said as he delivered her to her front door, hoping she would finally return his arm to him.
“Now you listen here, it’s Fannie Pearl, ya hear?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted, winked and stepped off the porch, just far enough out of her reach. Laughter filled his lungs as he said, “have a blessed day, Mrs. Edmondson,” and the melodic sound filled the air.
Akecheta had really wanted to take Genesis out for a good run before boarding him, but after the welcome wagon at the train depot and the discussion with Fannie Pearl, he felt he’d best see Alexzander immediately. He needed to know exactly what was going on! He had some pretty big shoes to fill, especially for a pastor with a past. A past that may eventually catch up to him.
The previous pastor had died a hero and was deeply loved by all, as was the Reverend before him. Akecheta was no hero, he was anything but and that disheartened him a bit. Would Abby be willing to take a chance on him? It appeared that she, herself had also won the hearts of those in Silverpines. Perhaps he should ask her how she did it, that is if she wanted to marry him? Surely, they wouldn’t have gone through all this work if she didn’t want to marry, but that left him with just one question. Why wasn’t she at the train depot?
Betsy pounded on the door of the parsonage, shifting from foot to foot as she hurriedly waited for Abby to open the dadgum door. She had necessary business to discuss with Abby! If Abby would just answer the door already!
Slowly the door opened, and Abby peeked out, “Oh, Betsy! Thank goodness it’s you! Come in, come in.” She stepped back, giving Betsy room to enter.
“It’s about time you opened that door! I know you’re hiding from Skinner but come on Abby, all ya gotta do is peek out the window first.”
“I know, but you don’t understand! It’s not just Reverend Skinner now!” Abby twisted at the lace on the cuff of her sleeve, a habit that indicated she was nervous.
“What do you mean? Is someone else bothering you?” Betsy asked, wiggling from side to side with excitement.
“Betsy, are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s just Alexzander’s friend arrived, and I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“Why?” Abby laughed. “You can’t be matching me up with someone after having me place that ad.”
Abby set to making tea, pulled out a tin of cookies and handed one to Betsy. Remaining idle was something she was never very good at, it didn’t help with the anxieties life had a tendency to bring about. Staying busy was always for the best, though she found it difficult to do with a spotless home, and no husband or children to care for. Hiding out the way she was did not help either, but what was she to do?
“Thank you, Abby, and didn’t you say no-one has responded to your ad? That means I can play matchmaker if you’ll let me. He’s so dreamy, you’ll just love him. I know it! Now then, what has you afraid to open the door besides Reverend Skinner?”
Abby laughed, shaking her head as she handed Betsy a cup of tea. Her friend reminded her so much of Kitty. “Three men I’ve never seen before came knocking on the door at different times this morning.”
“And you didn’t open the door to see what they wanted?” Betsy asked, perplexed.
“No. Fannie Pearl said there were some con-men running amuck, and that being here alone, I shouldn’t answer the door if I don’t know the person.” Abby stirred her tea, adding a second sugar cube to it.
“Well, that’s understandable. She’s absolutely correct, too. Alexzander has had his hands full. He really needs a few deputies. Speaking of Alexzander...” Betsy trailed off, unsure how to tell Abby what her husband had done. They had convinced her to place an ad, though it had taken some work.
“Betsy?” Abby set her teacup down and looked intently at her friend.
“Umm?” Betsy peered over the rim of her tea cup, “Oh, I’m so sorry Abby. My mind seems to be doing a bit of wandering as of late.”
“That’s quite alright, what is it Alexzander has done, is everything okay?” Abby worried, she always thought Betsy and Alexzander were quite happy together. She’d yet to hear Betsy truly complain.
“Oh, it’s nothing really. His friend is coming to dinner tonight. I wondered if you’d like to join us? You could go home with me now if you’d like, get out of here for a while.” Betsy winked, knowing Abby was happy to do anything that got her out of the parsonage for a bit.
“Oh, that sounds heavenly! I’ll help you fix dinner, what were you planning?”
“We don’t have to worry about that. Cook will take care of it. Trust me Abby, you don’t want me in the kitchen. I’ve tried cooking a few times and Alexzander runs for the hills every time,” laughed Betsy. “We can just enjoy the afternoon together, what do you say?”
“It sounds delightful!” giggled Abby. “Let’s go, we can walk through the park on the way. Maybe stop in for a penny candy and say hello to Millie,” grinned Abby.
They walked out the door and headed straight for the park, cutting across for a shortcut to Messer’s Mercantile.
Abby took a deep breath, inhaling as much fresh air as she could. “Betsy, I’m just so thankful you stopped by today and got me out of the house. I enjoyed my walk with Fannie Pearl yesterday, but I’m not used to being indoors so long. I truly needed the fresh air, especially after those strangers came by. I know I shouldn’t be a nervous Nellie, but I am there alone.”
“I quite understand…”
“Excuse Ma’am.” A tall, lanky young man with short black hair approached them. “I was wondering if you might help me. I’m looking for a Mrs. Abigail Bates.”
“I - I am Mrs. Bates,” Abby answered as she looked up into bright green eyes that caused her to step back towards Betsy, slightly shaking.
“What do you want with Abby?” Betsy demanded.
“I apologize, Ma’am. I know I should have sent word ahead, but I felt it would be better if I just made my way here and surprised Mrs. Bates.”
“Sur-surprise me? With what?” Abby fidgeted with the lace on her cuff and Betsy took her hand.
“Why, with me, of course! I’m Hans Anderson and I’m here in response to your advertisement.” He dropped down on one knee, “I would be honored to be your groom, Mrs. Bates, would you like to marry me?” He reached for her small hand as Betsy stepped forward, dropping Abby’s hand, and faced the brazen young man.
“Excuse me, did Abby ask you to come?” she asked pointedly.
“Well, no. I just…”
“Just thought you could jump on a train and get my friend to marry you without any correspondence or her asking you to come? Is that correct?”
“Well-uh, yes Ma’am.”
“Then I think we’re done here, Sir. Come on, Abby, we have errands to run.” Betsy reached back grabbing Abby’s hand and practically dragged her across the park to the mercantile, leaving the young man kneeling on the ground behind them.
“Betsy,” Abby said too quietly to be heard, so she tried again, “BETSY!”
“Abby! You don’t have to yell, what is it?” Betsy asked, realizing for the first time that Abby was shaking like a leaf in autumn. “Goodness. Abby, whatever is the matter?”
“Th-that mm-mman was at m-my house earlier. D-do you think t-the other m-men were here f-for the s-same reason?”
“Surely not! I mean, that’s not how it works, Abby. They�
��re supposed to contact you first and build up a correspondence until you ask one to come,” Betsy stated.
“I-I hope y-you’re right,” Abby stuttered.
“Of course, I am. Let’s get that penny candy, we completely deserve a treat after that.”
They opened the door to Messer’s Mercantile and Millie greeted them, “Hello Betsy, Abby, what can I get for you today?” she asked, rubbing her hands on her apron, then looking up she noticed Abby’s nervous state. “Goodness, Abby, are you alright?”
Before she could answer, a pudgy man with balding, curly blond hair approached, “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear, are you Mrs. Abigail Bates?” he asked, his tone condemning as he looked her over.
“Why do you want to know?” demanded Betsy as she stood guard over Abby once more with Millie coming to stand on the other side.
“I am Reverend Gilbert Hardy. I read in the paper that Mrs. Abigail Bates here, is in need of a groom. I’m here to fill that role,” he said boldly.
“Sir, how old are you? I’m quite certain you are older than her advertisement requested,” Betsy declared.
“That’s just it Ma’am, that was only a request. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’d like to get acquainted with my bride.”
Betsy, Millie and Abby gasped at the man’s response. Abby was completely disgusted and wished she had never placed that advertisement. Getting angrier by the moment, she broke the barrier Millie and Betsy had provided and gathered up all her courage.
“I am Abigail Bates and I did not ask you to come and I shall never marry a man as rude as you! You sir, may leave on the train you rode in on for I never wish to see you again!” She turned on her heel and stomped off to the back of the mercantile. What was happening! Why were these men just showing up assuming she would marry them?
Betsy and Millie rushed to the back after the man left and burst out laughing.
“Bravo Abby!” Betsy clapped, and Millie joined in.
“You certainly set him straight. I’ve never seen you so - so in charge.”
Wanted Preacher (Silverpines Book 9) Page 5