Southern Discomfort (11 page)

Edward leaned
over to his wife, who had been completely absorbed in the reading
that her mouth was even a little open, and whispered that it was time
to get supper on the table. She stood and Bessie and Emily followed
her out.

“Your uncle can
read very well,” Bessie told her.

Emily smiled at
her. “I know but when I was younger and my aunt and uncle brought
me to bed he also read like that. My aunt had to scold him because he
read so loud that I couldn't sleep when he was finished.”

The other two
laughed imagining it. “They weren't blest with a child so I got
spoiled with lots of love and attention. I hope nothing will happen
to them when they get home. I really hope that they don't get into
any trouble because of me. That would break my heart.”

“I'm sure they
will be fine. You were very brave coming here. I think it was the
right thing to do. Plus I couldn't even picture this house without
you in anymore.” Bessie hugged her.

After supper
Edmund got Edward to allow Emily to play a few church songs on the
piano. He hadn't given in easily but Katie and Bessie were pleading
with their eyes for him to say yes. They had yet to hear her really
play anything. Just a bit as she had tuned it, when it arrived.

Emily was now the
nervous one, as she saw that everyone was watching her. She looked at
Nathaniel. He nodded for her to start, but she was worried that he
would take it away from her if he felt that she didn't play well
enough. She started to play and everyone sang along. With the next
song she sang and everyone listened to her. Her aunt had tears in her
eyes. Uncle Edmund had to hold her. Emily felt very guilty about
everything. She wished that she hadn't attracted Victor Wellington's
eye. She had brought that on her family.

Nathaniel woke
his wife with a kiss. “Happy Birthday, darling.”

“Thank you.”

“What's wrong?”
he asked when she didn't give him a true smile.

“Today is the
day that that man would have come to collect me. I hope he doesn't do
anything to my uncle when they get back home.”

Nathaniel moved
on top of her. “Is there nothing I could do to get your mind off of
your troubles?”

“I couldn't
think of anything,” she teased her husband with a large grin on her
face.

“That's odd
because I can't think of anything else.”

Katie and Bessie
had gotten up extra early to make a special meal and a cake for their
new sister. Each loved her dearly. They had feared that she would
upset their well oiled household, but instead Emily had enriched
their lives.

Nathaniel walked
down the stairs holding his wife's hand. He knew that he had a silly
grin on his face but he couldn't for the life of himself wipe it off.

These past
several days had been amazing. He had come to love her more than his
own life. He sat her down at her spot and then sat down next to her.
“Please, eat something today. They went to so much trouble.”

“I'll try. I
can just never eat when I'm nervous about something,” she admitted.

Finally, the
reason why she didn't eat. She had so much to be nervous about. “I
understand, but it would mean a lot to them if you could.”

Emily nodded at
him.

Bessie laid a
plate down in front of her that was surrounded with flowers.

“Thank you,”
Emily looked up at her sister-in-law, thinking that she had really
lucked out with them.

Her aunt and
uncle were beaming at her. They looked so proud of her. Emily was
going to miss them when they left tomorrow morning. They had wanted
to set off at daybreak.

All three of the
women wished that they could have stayed a day longer, thus
postponing their Wednesday spankings.

Everyone sang
happy birthday to Emily, making her feel important and like she
really did belong here.

Her aunt gave her
a beautiful necklace that had belonged to her mother. Her uncle gave
her a tin of her favorite lemon candy. The others hadn't known that
is would be her birthday. They hadn't had a chance to get her
anything.

Emily didn't
mind. Her stomach was still in knots as she worried about her aunt
and uncle. She felt so responsible for all of this chaos.

Victor Wellington
pulled the bell to his pretty little bride's house. Today was the
day. He could care less about the wedding. If she had wanted to plan
a party and the such then she should have done it in advance. He
would take her with him as she was.

His lawyer was
standing behind him, holding the contract that he had made with her
father. He had been ensured that it was binding.

The door opened
and a plump maid stared at him with her jaw dropped.

“I have come to
collect my wife.” He pushed his way into the door.

“She isn't
here,” the woman protested.

He ignored her
and looked around. He ran up the stairs and looked behind every door.
She wasn't there.

“Where is my
bride?” he demanded, grabbing onto the maid by her arm.

The maid had
heard bad things about this man. She was very afraid of him. The
truth spilled out of her. “Miss Emily took off almost a month ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart left to look for her. They aren't back yet.”

Victor let go of
the woman and stormed out of the house. His lawyer followed him out.
They talked and discussed what they could do. They decided to have
the house watched, day and night.

The Tate
household was up earlier than normal. Katie was packing enough food
for them to eat so they wouldn't have to buy anything at the station
or on the train. She would think of something that she could add and
hurry off to pack it.

Bessie had really
taken to aunt Vicky, who made her feel like she was her real niece.
She looked for her kind of attention. She had never thought that
someone like her would have such fine relations.

Edmund was
talking to Edward about the ranch and how glad he was that their
Emily had such a lovely home. Edmund had a way about him that made
everyone like him, even strict Edward did.

Charles helped
Nathaniel pack their wagon. Both men thought it was funny that such
fine people would ride in a wagon to the train station. They had
proven that they weren't too fine to do anything for their Emily.

Emily tried so
hard not to sob when then left. She stood next to Nathaniel and waved
happily. Once they were out of sight she buried her face in his chest
and cried her heart out, while he held her and whispered that they
could come back anytime. He told her that they would visit Boston
too.

He held her until
she had settled down some, kissing her often. He felt sorry for her.
They had been like parents to her. Nathaniel missed his parents too.
He promised her that she would see them again.

Emily went into
the house to help with chores once she had herself under control.
Today was Wednesday and that was something that wasn't easy to forget
in the Tate house. She sure didn't want to do anything to make her
husband mad today.

Emily was
nervously waiting. Charles was upstairs with Bessie. It was almost
her turn. Edward was already finished with Katie.

Today she was
sitting at the table, instead of pretending to be busy. She heard
Charles coming down the stairs and going to the door. He said nothing
to her, and she didn't even turn her head to look at him.

Her heart was
beating like mad as she waited for her husband.

He had been
clear. If he had to do it then he would do it once a week, just like
the others. Once again she wished that that snake and her hadn't
crossed paths. She was the winning party and the loser all in one.
The snake had lost its life and she had lost her pride. Or, better
said, she would every Wednesday. Would he use that leather strap
again? That had stung so.

Emily wished that
he aunt and uncle had stayed a little longer. At least one more day.

She felt like she
would burst out into tears. Knowing it was coming made it worse.

She heard his
feet on the porch. The sound of his boots on the wooden boards were
so loud, because all else around her was so quiet.

The door opened
and still she sat without moving. She couldn't turn and look at him.
Her stomach had been bothering her since this morning.

Yesterday had
been such a nice day. They had gone for a long walk hand in hand
after breakfast. They had gotten along so well. Katie and Bessie had
made her a nice cake, that everyone had enjoyed. Emily had played the
piano. Her aunt and uncle had praised her every chance they got,
making her feel important. They were trying to tell her that she had
been right to come out here. Afterwards she and Nathaniel had gone up
to their room, where they had cuddled together and had made love. He
had once again promised to protect her for the rest of her life. She
had believed him but here she sat a day later feeling too sick to
turn and look at her husband.

“Emily, come
with me.”

She just couldn't
do it.

Nathaniel looked
at his wife. He had yet to step into the house. “Emily, look at
me.”

Emily peeked over
her shoulder and saw him standing in the door.

“Come here,
darling.”

Emily was a
little confused, but she pulled her courage together and went to him.

Nathaniel held
out his hand and waited for her to take it. He smiled at her
surprised face as he pulled her outside again. He took her to the
stable.

Emily hoped he
wouldn't want to spank her out there. She worried that someone could
drop by for a visit when they were in the house behind a closed door.
But out here would be even worse.

The only thing
that was giving her hope was that the strap was still hanging in the
house.

Nathaniel was
still holding her hand. He talked to her about going for a ride.

Riding was
something that her aunt and uncle hadn't allowed her to do. They were
just too worried that something could happen to her.

Nathaniel nodded
as he took in that information. “I think that a woman, living on
the range, needs to be able to ride a horse. I will be teaching you.
We should start right now.”

Emily listened to
her husband explain this and that to her. She could so easily picture
him standing in front of a classroom and explaining things to the
children. He was a born teacher.

“Are you sad
that you didn't get a chance to teach?”

Nathaniel grinned
down at her. He must have sounded very teacher-like just now, or she
wouldn't have asked that. “Sometimes. I had to decide back then.
Either stay and be a teacher, or move west with my family. I decided
to stay with my brothers.”

Charles had been
an army doctor in the war. He needed to get away from the memories.

“I think family
is very important. Besides, now that I have you with me my family has
grown. Perhaps we will have a child.” He grinned at her. He really
wanted too have children with her.

“I plan on
teaching in town once there are enough children. At the moment there
aren't that many women here, and thus not that many children. I will
take the teaching of our children in hand.”

Emily was
thinking about that and nodding. “But I would be responsible for
their music training.”

“Of course,
darling.” Nathaniel was staring at her and trying to picture her
with a few children gathered around her.

He liked that. He
hoped that their daughters would look like her. Just seeing her smile
made him want to take her upstairs and give her children.

He hoped that he
wouldn't have the same problems that his brothers had. They had been
married over a year now and there were no children on the way. Both
feared that there never would be. Charles figured that their time at
the whorehouse had ruined them somehow. But Emily had been a virgin
and he was careful with her. In fact, she could be expecting right
now.

He grinned back
at his wife, once again thinking that he had been so lucky to get
her.

“Do you want to
go for ride, right now?” he asked her.

Emily's face
turned confused. She glanced back at the house. “But today's
Wednesday.”

“I know, but I
have decided that you don't need weekly spankings. Don't make me
regret that.” He stared her down.

Emily didn't
realize it but her hands had moved back to cover up her backside.
“You won't regret it. I promise.”

“Good, but that
decision isn't carved in stone. If I feel you need it, I will give it
to you as I think you deserve it. And you don't need to try to sway
me.”

“No, I
understand. I think that is very fair of you. Thank you.”

He smiled down
into his angel’s face. She just looked so innocent. He was really
pleased with her.

God had sent him
the best woman in the world and he knew he was lucky to get her. If
he had gone to Boston, looking for a bride, he would have never been
allowed in her circles of friends.

He often felt
that his family was more civil than the others around here, but she
was several steps up the social ladder from him. He had gotten lucky
because the man her father had agreed to marry her to was filth.

Nathaniel lifted
her up so she was on the horse. He got up behind her, pulling her in
tightly to him. He wanted to spend time alone with her like this
often. They needed moments like this in their everyday life.

Emily couldn't
stop a giggle that was bubbling up her throat. She had never in all
of her life had so much fun. She was so glad that she chose this life
for herself. This had been the right decision.

Nathaniel held
his wife tight and showed her the land that their family owned. He
pointed out where the neighbors lived and told her about them. He was
filling her in on everything that she needed to know.