Mail Order Devastation (Montana Mail Order Brides, Book 4) (10 page)

At last she turned and trudged back to the larger thoroughfare she
’d turned off of.  It took her a few minutes to get her bearings and trace her way back to Main Street, then figure out how to get back home from there.  She made a mental note to buy a map of the town the next time she went to the mercantile. 

She arrived just in time, as a Chinese boy of about fourteen pulled up to the front of Noah
’s home—
her
home, she realized with awe—in a wagon loaded with supplies.  He hopped down and had an armload of goods before she could even reach the walkway. 

“
Hello, I’m Mrs. Jamison.”  She could see from the bags of flour and sugar that he must be Mr. Sanders’ delivery boy.

“
You call me Henry.  Nice to meet you.”

“
It’s a pleasure to meet you.  Please, follow me.”  She walked up the walkway, opening the door for him and standing back.  

He stepped inside, stacked the large sacks neatly, then swiftly slipped out the door again.  He was back with another load before she had her hat and coat off.

Within minutes, the items were all stacked neatly just inside the front door.  “Wagon unloaded, Mrs. Jamison.” His foreign accent was heavy, yet she was able to understand him well. 

There weren
’t any Chinese people in her neighborhood in Boston, so she’d never met anyone from China in person, though she’d seen them while out and about in Boston.  She had seen several Chinese men when she was out shopping all morning, and was surprised to find so many people from another country all the way out in Montana, when she had expected to see mostly white men and perhaps the occasional Indian.

“
Thank you, Henry.”  She wished he had put everything in the kitchen, instead of the parlor.  She supposed she would have to move them.

“
Where you like the items?” he asked, ask he closed the door behind him, shutting out the winter winds.

“
Oh!”  She was relieved—he must have just been getting the wagon unloaded quickly, so he wouldn’t have to leave the front door open any longer than possible.  She was glad to see he was so quick and efficient.  “Put the large sacks in the kitchen, on the floor behind the table, please.  Everything else can go on the table.  I’ll want to organize the pantry myself.”

She was impressed with the strength the slim young man had, transferring all the items to the kitchen in scarcely more than a minute.  He worked harder and faster than she herself had done when she worked in the Farnsworth scullery, and that impressed her.

When he was gone, she worked fast to fill the pantry and clear off the table before the next delivery arrived.  She was nearly done when the knock came on the door.  Ten minutes later, just after the second delivery boy had left, another knock came, and by two o’clock, all the deliveries were received and she’d managed to put everything away. 

The crates from the dishes had been repurposed to hold the potatoes, carrots, and turnips on the pantry floor, alongside the empty fermentation crock intended for making sauerkraut.  She
’d have to ask Noah if he minded if she bought a small barrel for making vinegar.  She’d purchased a corked bottle of vinegar from the mercantile, but she found that nothing could beat her own apple cider vinegar.  It took months until it was ready and the flavor was just right, but it was worth it.

Will I be here months from now?  Or will Noah toss Nell and I into the streets?

She shook her head, pushing away the negative thoughts. 
I must assume the best.  Noah is a good man.  If he can learn to love me, surely he can learn to love a beautiful, innocent child.

Chapter 14

As Noah opened the door to his home the smell of roasting beef filled his nostrils.  He inhaled the aroma, so grateful that at last, he could come home to his own home
—one that smelled of delicious meals, filled with furniture and decorations, and a wife—

He looked around the empty parlor.  Still no furniture.

He sighed, his hopes dashed. 
Didn’t she bother to shop for our home?  What has she been doing all day?  Surely buying a few kitchen necessities doesn’t take all day. 

Mollie appeared at the doorway of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a cotton towel. 
“You’re home!  I’m so glad.  Supper is not quite ready, but by the time you’ve had a chance to wash up and relax at the table a minute, it will be.”

“
That’s alright.”  He glanced around, and saw that there were no window coverings, either.  “Didn’t you go shopping today?” he asked ask he shrugged out of his coat.

Mollie observed his expression, appearing disappointed in his reaction. 
“Of course I did.  I got everything I needed for the kitchen, and the pantry is loaded.”

He held out his coat to her, and she rushed to take it, hanging it on the coat rack beside him.

“That’s good.  But…the furniture…”

She turned back to him, laughing, and tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear. 
“Noah Jamison, you didn’t think I’d get everything done in one day, did you?  I could have gotten to most of it, I suppose, but then you’d have an empty plate tonight.  I’ve been cooking all afternoon!”

“
Oh!  Well, then, I suppose that makes sense.  I just thought you’d get it all done at once.”  He didn’t usually stand around watching his mother cook, but he didn’t think it took all afternoon to get a roast in the oven.

“
Selecting the proper cookware isn’t that easy.  Or at least, it isn’t if you know what you’re doing.  You don’t just grab the first thing you see—you need to examine your choices for quality, choose the proper size pans, and make sure you’re not buying a fancy kitchen tool just because the shopkeeper says it’s the latest thing.  I tried to be practical in my purchases.”

“
I’m sure you chose perfectly.  Forget I said anything.  Supper smells delicious.”  He kissed her on the cheek and strode into the kitchen, eager to see what was on the menu.

“
I hope you like it.  It’s roasted beef with dilled potatoes and glazed carrots.”

“
Sounds like heaven.”  Noah peeked into a small covered pan sitting on the far rear corner of the stove, containing the glazed carrots.  “Mmm, can’t wait to try those.”

“
They were always a hit at the Farnsworth household.  Mr. Farnsworth himself sent down word to congratulate the chef—but it was really my recipe.”

“
Well, if it’s good enough for Mr. Farnsworth, it’s good enough for me!”  He winked, then slipped his arms around her waist.  “And how has your first day been as Mrs. Noah Jamison?”

“
Delightful,” she smiled, looking up at him with a shy expression.

He marveled again at his fortune in finding Mollie.  When he
’d first considered a mail order bride, he’d hoped for a wife who could cook and clean half as good as his mother, and perhaps even become a treasured companion over time.  So far, Mollie had exceeded his hopes.  She was lovely, sweet, and if her meal tasted as good as it smelled, he was going to be one very happy man!

He tried not to let it bother him that the house wasn
’t completely ready.  Perhaps he’d expected too much—she just stepped of the train the day before.  She was probably exhausted, and she didn’t even have a single day to rest.  Here he was, expecting her to make the house perfect in only one day!

Mother would have had it perfect,
a niggling voice chided in his head.  He pushed the thought away.  His mother had decades of experience in housekeeping and cooking.  He shouldn’t compare his wife to her. 

A few minutes later he sat down to a steaming plate of beef and potatoes, with glazed carrots and a fresh roll slathered with melting butter. 
“This is amazing!  I apologize for implying that you should have spent the whole day shopping—however long you spent on this, it was worth every minute.”

“
Thank you.”  Mollie took a delicate bite, casting her eyes down as she smiled. 

He loved her smile.  He hoped she would smile more.  So far, he
’d caught a sad expression on her face every time she thought he wasn’t looking, and she seemed preoccupied. 
She must be homesick.  I should do something to cheer her up. 
“I was thinking…we should do something fun this Sunday after Mass.  We didn’t get a proper honeymoon, so you should get something special.  How about we drive around town?  I can show you all of Helena, then we could go for a picnic—no, wait, it’s winter.”  He frowned, thinking.  “I supposed there isn’t much else to do, but go to a restaurant.”

“
That would be lovely.”

He asked about her day, trying to keep her thoughts occupied, so she didn
’t have to think about Boston or the family and friends she left behind.  Then he shared the events of his own day, and how everyone who came into the shop congratulated him, and asked when they’d get to meet his wife.  She smiled at each story he told, but he still had the feeling her mind was somewhere else.

“
I wish I had a bigger stomach,” he said, leaning back and patting his overfull belly.  “I just want to keep eating, it’s all so good.”

“
Well, that would be difficult.  I think you already ate it all!” she giggled.  “Besides, I have a surprise for you.  I made something special for dessert.  It’s—”

Mollie was cut off by a knock at the door. 

“I wonder who that could be?”  Mollie started to rise.

“
No, I’ll get it.  You shouldn’t answer the door after dark.  Helena is quite safe, but you never know.”

“
It sounded like it was the back door.”

Noah had no sooner rose from his chair when the back door opened, and his mother came through, holding a covered plate in her hand.

“Ahh, perfect timing!” she exclaimed.  “Sit, sit, I just brought you both some dessert.”

“
Oh, Mrs. Jamison, you shouldn’t have…”

“
Uh, uh, uh!”  She wagged a finger at Mollie.  “Remember, you call me Mother.  Or Lettie.  We’re family now.”  She set the plate down on the table and lifted the cover.  “It’s just a spice cake with vanilla icing.  I saw how late you got back this afternoon, and I knew you’d barely have time to make dinner, much less dessert.”

“
I
did
make dessert.”

“
Did you?  Hmm, I’m surprised.  I didn’t think you’d left yourself enough time.  And I know how much my Noah likes dessert.”

Noah raised an eyebrow at Mollie. 
“I thought you were cooking all afternoon?” 

“
I was!”  Mollie blushed, looking perturbed.  She glanced pointedly at his mother.  “I was back by one o’clock when the deliveries started to arrive.  I put them away quickly and got started on dinner. 
And
I made a baked custard.”

“
Well, I’m already here, so we might as well eat the cake.  I certainly can’t eat it all by my lonesome, now, can I?  Just let me put up my coat.”  She shuffled off into the parlor without another word.

Mollie eyed the cake, her lips pressed together.

“Look, Mollie, I’m sure your custard is wonderful,” Noah whispered, “but maybe we could have it tomorrow?  Mother went to all this trouble, and it would hurt her feelings if we didn’t eat the cake.  Besides, she must be lonely over there, and missing having me to fuss over.”

Her eyes flashed up at him, fire burning within them.  Then she clasped her hands on the table in front of her and shifted her gaze away. 
“Very well.  I suppose I should be grateful for the help.  I just wish she had asked first.”

“
I’m sure she will next time.”

“
All set!” his mother exclaimed as she came back into the kitchen.  Then she frowned.  “I thought you’d be slicing it already, Mollie.  Never mind, never mind, I’ll do it.”  She walked over to the sideboard.  “Where do you keep your cake server?”

“
I didn’t get one.  We can just use a knife.  I’ll get it.”  Mollie jumped up, pulling a narrow basket down from a shelf.

“
No cake server?  Why, didn’t you look at my list at all?  I know I had a cake server on that list.”

“
I did indeed, but I held off on some items until I was sure they’d be necessary.  I stuck only to what I was sure we’d truly need.”

“
As if I’d put luxuries on the list,” his mother sniffed, returning to the table.  “You may have kitchen experience, my dear, but I’ve run a home for thirty years.  I may know a thing or two that you don’t.”

“
I’m sure that’s true.  I just wanted to hold off until after we’d gotten everything we needed.  I’m trying to be practical.”  Mollie brought the knife to the table, along with dessert plates and forks, and began slicing the cake.

“
It’s not as if my Noah is a pauper,” continued his mother.  “He’s quite successful in his business.  He can afford a cake server.  In fact, he can afford a new wardrobe for you, as well.”  Mother flicked her gaze up and down Mollie’s worn dress, only partly covered by the new apron.

Noah knew it was time to jump in and diffuse the situation. 
“That cake looks delicious, Mother.  Mollie, you’ll love her spice cake.  It’s one of my favorites.”

“
That’s why I made it,” his mother beamed.

Mollie barely glanced up, flashing a tight smile. 
“I’m sure it’s perfect.”  She handed Noah a plate with a moderate-sized slice of cake.

“
Is that a big enough slice for you, Noah?” his mother asked.

“
I can always have seconds,” he said quickly.

When the cake was served, Mollie sat down to eat.  Noah noticed that she
’d hardly looked up since his mother had arrived.  He could feel the tension in the room, and wasn’t sure how to respond to it.  He’d never anticipated the possibility that there might be issues between his new wife and his mother.  Everyone liked his mother.  And she was just trying to help.  Why would that bother Mollie so much? 

Perhaps she was feeling inadequate, knowing how well his mother kept house.  Noah had mentioned how Mother was able to work half a day at the shop and still keep a pristine house and make all their meals to perfection.  Maybe it was his fault
—he should stop talking about how wonderful his mother’s cooking was.  His mother was as good as they came, and those were some big shoes to fill for a new wife. 

He
’d just keep his opinions about his mother to himself from now on.  That should ease Mollie’s concerns.