Mail Order Hannah (Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies, #12)

by Wright, Cheryl

  “Rosemary needs a stroller,” Mrs Baker said gently. “She is nearly old enough to sit up.”

  Hannah grinned. “She is beginning to sit up already, when she wants to, and we have a stroller ordered.”

  “How wonderful.” The older woman clapped her hands and grinned. “You must bring her to visit me at the diner sometime soon. We could have coffee and a chat.”

  How lovely would that be? It was the first invitation Hannah had received since arriving. “I’d really like that, Mrs Baker. Thank you,” she said.

  Cecil came over with a cup of tea for Hannah and an oatmeal cookie for Rosie. The latter was snatched out of his hand when he got it close to her little hands.

  They all laughed. “She’s probably getting hungry,” Hannah said. “I usually give her stewed fruit for luncheon, then she has a bottle and a nap.”

  “She seems such a good baby,” Mrs Baker said. “You are very lucky after everything she’s been through.”

  “My daughter is an exemplary baby,” he said.

  The two women looked at each other and laughed. “Of course she is,” Mrs Baker said, still trying to control her mirth.

  “So, what’s on the agenda this afternoon,” she asked. “A stroll around town, a ride through the countryside? I’m sure both your ladies would enjoy an afternoon with you.”

  “We usually stock shelves while Rosie is sleeping,” Hannah offered.

  Mrs Baker looked horrified. “Sunday is the only day your store is closed, Mr Delbert. Why on earth aren’t you spending it doing something special with your family?”

  Cecil’s eyebrows joined. “That’s a very good question, Mrs Baker,” he said, then looked thoughtful. “Perhaps we could do something special this afternoon.”

  “That would be lovely,” Hannah said, excited about the prospect of being outside for the afternoon. “What do you have in mind?”

  “If I can arrange a buggy, we shall take a ride through the hillside.”

  That sounded wonderful, and she told her husband so. She was excited to spend time with him and get to know him better.

  She took a sip of her tea, then glanced down at Rosie who was making a huge mess with the oatmeal cookie. They were both having a wonderful time.

  CECIL CLAPPED HIS HANDS as he entered the kitchen.

  “I managed to arrange a buggy for the afternoon. We can have a picnic if we take sandwiches...” He stopped talking when he glanced across at Hannah. “Oh.”

  He should have known she would be well prepared – she was almost finished packing their picnic lunch.

  “I figured we could still eat it if we couldn’t go on a picnic.” She thought of everything. “I made blueberry muffins last night, so I’ve packed some of those too.”

  He took the few steps to reach her, then kissed her forehead. “You are so organized and think of everything.”

  Last night had been difficult. She was so upset at his lack of affection, and Cecil was not going to allow that to happen again. It had broken his heart in two to see Hannah so incredibly distraught.

  “I have already given Rosie some stewed apple, and warmed her bottle. She can have it when we get there.”

  He nodded his approval. Today would be the beginning of their new life together, and he would ensure his little family was happy. “The buggy is out back, so when you’re ready, we can leave.”

  “Papa!” Rosie was animated as usual, and hearing her call his name warmed his heart. He could imagine what it would do to Hannah to be called Mama.

  “Say Mama,” he prompted. “Mama.” Rosie stared at him, but persistence was the key, he was certain. “Mama. Say Mama.”

  She foisted a fist in her mouth.

  “Mama.” He would say it repeatedly until she got the gist of it. “Mama.”

  “Leave the poor child alone,” Hannah told him. She seemed a tad annoyed.

  “Mama,” he said again, ignoring her plea. “Mama.”

  “Ma,” Rosie said. “Ma-ma.”

  Hannah’s eyes opened wide, and tears brimmed in her eyes. “See, I told you she’d get it,” he said, more than a little elated at the outcome.

  He lifted Rosie out of the carriage, then pushed her away from himself. “She’s on the nose,” he said gruffly. “Once you fix that, we’ll go.”

  Hannah scowled but took the baby and left the room. He really needed to learn how to change diapers, but if he was honest with himself, it wasn’t something he was interested in learning.

  “All done,” Hannah said as they returned. She snatched the baby bottle off the table and placed it in the picnic basket. “We’re ready now.”

  “Give Papa a hug,” he told Rosie, and she leaned over to comply. “Now give Mama a hug,” he said, and Rosie hugged him again.

  Hannah shrugged her shoulders as though it didn’t matter, but he knew she was hurting. Rosie could say the word but had no idea what it meant. It would take time, but he vowed to remedy the situation.

  Cecil carried the picnic basket out to the buggy while Hannah carried the baby. He put the basket up the back, then she climbed up while he held Rosie. Disappointment swept through him.

  Cecil would have loved to lift her up, to hold her by the waist, and have her lips close to his – so close he could feel her breath.

  But it wasn’t to be. There would be other ways for them to be close, and he would take advantage of them as they presented themselves to him.

  The Good Lord had put them together, and now it was up to Cecil to make it work. All blame lay with him for what had occurred, and he must fix it.

  His wife was unhappy, and that made him unhappy. He was certain that feeling would be passed onto Rosie too.

  He climbed up on the buggy and shuffled across until his knees were resting next to Hannah’s. It felt good.

  “Ya!” He flicked the reins and the horse moved forward. It’s hooves clattered down the cobblestone back street and out of the town. Cecil guided it toward the hills. “We won’t go far today,” he said, glancing across at her. “There’s a clearing near the river. It’s a nice spot for a picnic.”

  He knew it to be a place where young men took the women they were courting, even though they shouldn’t. It was a quiet spot, very isolated, but as a married couple he had no compunction about going there.

  By the time they arrived about twenty minutes later, Rosie was becoming restless.

  “She wants her bottle and a nap,” Hannah told him.

  He pulled up near some trees and wrapped the reins around a branch. He reached for a blanket he’d brought along for them to sit on and flicked it across the ground. Then he took Rosie and lay her down.

  This was the moment he was looking forward to – holding Hannah by her waist and lifting her down to the ground. As he turned around, she was endeavoring to climb down herself.

  “Hannah,” he said. His voice sounding raspy, even to him. “Let me.”

  She turned back to face him, her expression confused. “I’m your husband. I want to help you down,” he said.

  He held his hands to her waist and his heart skipped a beat. As he lifted her off the wagon, time stood still. He gently lifted her toward the ground until they were face-to-face.

  He breathed in – the fragrance of her lavender water filled his senses. The pull of her soft lips was more than he could bear. “Hannah,” he said softly, then moved his face closer.

  Their lips met and his head exploded. All he wanted right now was his wife. Kissing her was absolute bliss. She tasted of warm tea, and he wanted, needed more.

  “Mama.”

  Rosie’s voice interrupted him. He couldn’t think of a more inopportune time for her to say the words he’d been coaching her to say.

  “Mama.”

  She was sitting up watching them, and it made him chuckle. They would soon have no privacy, not that it mattered now, but he had high hopes for the future.

  He gently put Hannah to the ground, then reached for the picnic basket. “She probably wants her bo
ttle,” Hannah said. “It’s still warm,” she said, handing it to the baby who was able to feed herself these days.

  They sat together on the blanket and ate. “It’s lovely here, Cecil. Thank you for bringing me.”

  He reached across and covered her hand, and much to his surprise, she didn’t pull it away. “It is lovely. We must come again.” He breathed in the fresh air.

  “Do you hear that,” she asked.

  He listened but could hear nothing but the water as it rippled along the stream. “I hear nothing,” he said, listening more intently.

  She jumped up off the blanket. “Exactly. Shall we sit by the stream? Rosie is asleep,” she said. “We can keep an eye on her from there.”

  He nodded. That would be nice. How long had it been since he’d been this far from the Mercantile? Six months? A year? It had to be at least two years – perhaps even longer. He could not allow that to happen again.

  His entire life had revolved around the Mercantile since his father had died. No, that was wrong, it was longer than that. Probably since he’d come of age.

  He should have known better. Father had literally killed himself because he never once took a break. Cecil was heading the same way.

  But now he had a purpose, now he had a family to look after. “Thank you for coming here today,” he said as they headed toward the edge of the water. “We must come again some time soon.”

  “Yes, we must.” She turned her head to glance at him, and their faces almost touched. Cecil wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Suddenly, his lips covered hers.

  “I’ve been a fool,” he whispered when they pulled apart for air.

  Hannah rested her head on his shoulder. “Yes, you have, but I’m glad you finally came to your senses.”

  They stood there for what seemed forever. He glanced back to see Rosie was still sound asleep. Cecil couldn’t believe that just weeks ago he was a confirmed bachelor, with no thought of children. Here he was now with a wife he cared deeply for, and a young daughter.

  What the future held for them he didn’t know, but provided his family were with him, he really didn’t mind.

  Chapter Nine

  Locking the door to the store, Cecil removed his apron and hung it up. “Did I tell you I’ve made a booking at the diner,” he asked as Hannah entered the store.

  She looked annoyed. “No you didn’t. Luckily I haven’t already prepared something for supper.”

  “I’m sorry, I’ll be certain to tell you next time. That was inconsiderate of me.”

  She stared at him. Did that sound insincere? He didn’t mean it to seem that way.

  He’d told Hannah he was going to court her, and that’s exactly what he intended to do. Instead of spending their evening restocking the Mercantile, he would take his wife and child to the diner.

  Neither of them should be spending their every waking moments working. He’d seen what it had done to his father, and he didn’t want to see his wife go down that road, not to mention himself.

  It wouldn’t help their daughter one little bit to have no parents as she was growing up. It was bad enough her natural parents had died. She already had that to deal with as the years rolled on. He wouldn’t burden her further.

  Suddenly Hannah smiled and his world seemed brighter. “I’ll go and freshen up,” she said, then turned tail and headed back into the residence.

  He stared after her. He’d been so lucky he was the one she’d chosen. It made him wonder where he’d be right now if he hadn’t been her choice.

  One thing was certain, he wouldn’t have a bubbly little daughter. Cecil had never pictured himself as a father, but now he couldn’t picture himself without his two wonderful girls.

  He finished closing up and headed into the residence. Hannah’s lavender water fragrance lingered and he breathed it in. She was the fresh air in his life, and he wondered how he’d survived all these years without her.

  She came out of the bathroom carrying Rosie, who had a grin on her face. “Papa,” she said, reaching out her arms. He grabbed her as she near jumped out of her mother’s arms, then hugged him tight. She gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

  He put her in the baby carriage, then looked his wife up and down. “You look beautiful,” he said holding her by the waist, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, secretly wishing for more.

  Pushing the carriage, they left the residence and headed for the diner.

  Mrs Baker welcomed them warmly, as Cecil knew she would. “Hello sweet Rosemary,” she said, tickling the baby under the chin. She was rewarded with a series of giggles.

  She showed them to a table where the carriage wouldn’t be in the way, and handed them both menus. “Hearty Beef Stew with hot bread rolls is always a favorite,” she told them. “Steak and vegetables is tonight’s special.”

  They placed their orders, Hannah ordered the stew, and Cecil the steak. As she was about to turn away, she paused. “I’ll bring some mashed vegetables for Rosemary, if that’s alright?”

  “Thank you,” Hannah said graciously. “That would be wonderful.”

  She quickly returned with the food for Rosie, and placed a high chair at their table. Cecil placed the child in the chair, and Hannah began to feed her. The baby looked about. Everything must look so different to her from that height.

  She seemed amazed, and somewhat distracted, but ate her food without issue. Cecil was so pleased they’d ordered a high chair, and could see what a difference it would make.

  Once the baby had finished eating, Hannah cleaned the high chair as best she could and placed some toys in front of Rosie. Not long afterwards, their food arrived.

  “It looks and smells wonderful, Mrs Baker,” Hannah said, leaning in.

  She was right, the aroma was more than a little enticing.

  “Enjoy,” Mrs Baker said, and then was gone.

  “Are you enjoying yourself,” Cecil asked, concerned she may not be, since she needed to look after Rosie as well.

  She glanced up at him. “I certainly am,” she said. “The food is delicious too.”

  They ate the rest of their meal in silence. When they finished, Cecil slid his hand across the table and covered hers. “I’ve really enjoyed our night together,” he said. “We’ll have to do it more often.”

  “But the cost...” she whispered.

  He didn’t care about the cost. It wasn’t that expensive anyway. Besides, until Hannah and the baby arrived, he had nothing to spend his money on. This was far more enjoyable than stockpiling his profits in the local bank.

  He shook his head. “Nothing to worry about,” he said.

  Soon after, Mrs Baker arrived and packed up their dishes. “For dessert tonight we have peach cobbler or apple pie – both with clotted cream.”

  “I’ll have peach cobbler, thank you Mrs Baker,” Cecil answered. “What about you, Hannah?”

  She patted her belly. “I don’t think I could eat another thing.”

  “Two peach cobblers it is then, Mrs Baker,” he said. When she protested, he added, “If you really don’t want it, I’m sure Rosie will eat some of it.” He grinned and Mrs Baker’s eyes lit up. She was always commenting how the younger women of today were far too thin.

  When the desserts arrived, Hannah began to feed hers to Rosie, who loved it. When she’d had enough, Hannah took a mouthful. “Oooh, this is really good,” she said, and ate the remainder of the food in the bowl.

  He didn’t say anything as he didn’t want to embarrass her, but was very pleased he’d ordered it despite her protests.

  They soon stood and both stretched after having sat for so long. Cecil maneuvered the carriage out of the corner, where Rosie was now sound asleep. After having dessert, she began to drift off, so they’d put her back in the carriage.

  “Would you like to go for a stroll now?” he asked, and Hannah looked pleased.

  “It’s not too dark?” She gazed out the windows to the street outside.

  “There’s
plenty of moonlight, so we should be right.” He paid for their food and they were soon on their way. “We don’t have to go far. I just thought a bit of fresh air would be nice for a change.”

  As they strolled along the wooden boardwalk, he snuggled up as close as he could to his wife. “This is nice, don’t you think?”

  She glanced across at him. “Actually it is,” she said. “Tonight has been really lovely, Cecil,” she said. “We should have done something like this when Rosie and I arrived.”

  He didn’t say anything, but nodded.

  “Things might have been different between us,” she said.

  He knew she was right.

  After wandering around town for about fifteen minutes the air was beginning to get cold. It might be Spring, but the evenings could still be cool. He didn’t want the baby or Hannah to get a chill.

  When they arrived back home, she changed the baby’s diaper while she continued to sleep, and put her down for the night.

  “Hannah,” he said quietly as she entered the kitchen. She turned to look at him. “Thank you for tonight. I really enjoyed it.”

  Before she had a chance to answer, he pulled her to him and kissed her. His arms slid up her back and he caressed her. Before long she molded into him and relaxed.

  “I really want you, Hannah,” he said. “I’ve been such a fool pushing you away, when this is what I wanted all along.”

  His fingers reached under her chin and he tipped her head to look up at him. His lips covered hers and her arms came up around his back. Before she had a chance to say anything, he deepened the kiss and was lost to the rest of the world.

  HANNAH WOKE UP IN CONFUSION.

  She couldn’t work out where she was. Her heart pounded. How did she get here? How could she not know she’d been taken?

  She felt an arm snake around her and startled. “It’s alright, Hannah.” Cecil’s gentle words brought it all back.

  Last night had been so good. She’d been shocked at first, as she didn’t know about these things, but after a short time, she had enjoyed herself.