The Christmas Bargain (5 page)

Abby placed a warm hand on Philamena’s shoulder. “She sounds like she was a wonderful mother.”

“She was,” Philamena whispered, biting the inside of her cheek to keep the tears from falling from her eyes. Forced to bottle up her emotions for so long, she felt like they now might spill over at any moment.

“I hope I’ll be a good mama,” Abby said, lowering herself to a chair with a sigh. She picked up a soft green wool gown and threaded a needle.

“I’m sure you will be,” Philamena said, smiling at her new friend.

Abby beamed at her, then set to work on the gown. She could smell the roast in the oven and the bread rising. Maybe letting Luke have Philamena wasn’t such a good idea, after all. She could certainly use her help here with the baby coming soon. 

Smiling to herself, she knew that for whatever reason Chauncy was all for this marriage, so she would do everything she could to encourage it.

“When is your little one due to arrive?” Philamena finally asked, not sure her question was proper or not, but curious when Abby would welcome the baby.

“Middle of December, as close as we can guess,” Abby said, stopping her sewing for a moment. “Maybe we’ll have a Christmas baby.”

“Maybe,” Philamena said, thinking that babies born close to the holiday had to be extra-special.

The afternoon passed as quickly as the morning. Abby had a way of drawing her out of her shell and into conversation. It was soon time to get supper on the table. Between the two of them, four altered dressed were now hanging in the wardrobe in Philamena’s room.

When Chauncy opened the door, it was to the sound of women’s laughter as Abby buttered hot rolls and Philamena sliced the roast.

“Well, now, if that isn’t a welcome sound, I don’t know what is,” he said cheerfully as he came in the back door, hanging his coat and hat on pegs put there for just that purpose.

When Philamena turned and saw Chauncy, she quickly ducked her head and grew silent. Abby patted her on the back and they continued with the meal preparations.

Pouring three tall glasses of milk, Chauncy set the glasses on the table while Philamena helped carry over platters of food. Chauncy asked a blessing on the food that again had Philamena’s eyes filling with tears.

  Once the food was passed around, Chauncy asked about their day and how the wardrobe was progressing. He talked about his plans to visit some of the folks on ranches south of town the next day and asked Abby if she’d mind packing a lunch for him to take along.

The evening was spent by the cozy fire in the front room. Chauncy read a book while the two women worked on more gown alterations.

Cuddling down into the soft comfort of her bed in the guest room later that evening, Philamena felt blessed for the first time in many, many years.

Chapter Three

Luke breathed in deeply of the crisp morning air and held it in his lungs before releasing it. Straightening his shoulders, he pushed open the door to the town’s only restaurant and walked to his usual table.

He didn’t have long to wait before the waitress, Melanie LaRoux, came to his table. As she sidled up next to him, her eyes glittered with familiarity.

“Mornin’ Luke, honey,” she said, giving him a warm smile. “I missed you yesterday morning. Heard you had breakfast with the pastor.”

“Yes, I did,” Luke said in a clipped tone, wondering best how to break Melanie’s heart.

“Somethin’ the matter, sugar?” Melanie asked, a hurt look crossing her features as her full, rosy lips formed into a becoming pout. Luke absently wondered if she perfected the placement of her lips by practicing in front of a mirror.

Courting Melanie on and off for several years, Luke was never willing to make a commitment even though she was definitely hunting a husband. She’d get mad and tell him to never speak to her again, then after a few weeks, she’d beg him to take her on a picnic or to the skating rink or for a ride in his carriage. He never considered marrying her, but Melanie was determined to change his mind.

Working in her parents’ restaurant as a waitress along with her two sisters, all three girls were beautiful blonds with big blue eyes. As the eldest, Melanie was the one who had caught Luke’s eye even if she never managed to capture his heart.

Petite and buxom, Melanie was a flirt of immense proportions. She knew she was pretty, turning the heads of many young men in town. Using that knowledge to her advantage every opportunity she could, she was a skilled manipulator. She was also high-strung with a wicked temper.

It was one thing to be seen with the prettiest girl in town on his arm and something altogether different to make her his wife. Luke had never felt Melanie was suitable wife material. Between her temper and coy behavior, something always held him back whenever he considered offering her a promise of commitment. She reminded him all too well of his own mother.

Now he was going to have to tell her about his upcoming nuptials and he had a feeling the conversation was not going to go well. That was why his stomach hurt and his jaw was beginning to ache from being clenched tightly.

“Nothing’s the matter,” Luke said, deciding to wait until the restaurant cleared out after breakfast before talking to Melanie. “I’m just hungry.”

Placing a small hand on his arm, she beamed at Luke. “You came to the right place to fix that problem, honey. You want your usual for breakfast?”

“Yes, please,” Luke said, swallowing back a sigh, watching Melanie sashay back to the kitchen with his order. She was easy on the eyes, for certain, and completely unlike his wife-to-be.

Philamena looked like a strong wind would blow her down and that hideous dress did nothing but bring to mind a big burlap sack.

After breakfast yesterday at the parsonage, he had purposely stayed away. Knowing he intimidated Philamena, Luke didn’t want to frighten her entirely with his presence. He supposed it would take time and gentleness to overcome her fears and help her realize not all men were drunken louts.

Luke prided himself on being able to break any horse with a gentle hand. He decided Philamena couldn’t be much different. It was a challenge he was preparing himself to take on and Luke didn’t set his hand to anything unless he knew the outcome would be successful.

Melanie soon returned with his breakfast, placing it before him with a beguiling smile. Luke ate without even tasting the smoky bacon or crisply fried potatoes. After a second cup of steaming coffee, he knew he had to tell her the truth. If he didn’t, she’d likely hear a rumor before the day was over, since Abby mentioned  she was planning to take Philamena to the mercantile to purchase necessities today.

Giving George Bruner, the store owner, instructions to put whatever the women wanted on his tab before he came to the restaurant for breakfast, Luke hoped Philamena was enjoying her time with the bubbly Abby. If anyone could draw her out of her shell, Abby was the woman for the job.

When Melanie returned to his table to refill his coffee cup a third time, Luke shook his head and motioned for her to sit down. The restaurant was mostly empty except for a couple of old-timers who spent the better part of each morning near the stove playing checkers.

“What is it, Luke?” Melanie asked, batting her eyelashes at him. Luke suddenly found it annoying instead of endearing. Had she always been so…flirtatious?

“You know I’ve enjoyed our time together and had a lot of fun with you in the past,” Luke said, trying his best to soften the blow. Glancing at Melanie, Luke wasn’t surprised to find her sitting smugly with an expectant look on her face. Luke decided it was best to leave off the sugar-coating and come right to the point.

“Melanie, I’m getting married,” he said, not quite looking her in the eye.

“Lover, I know that. It’s about time you figured it out,” she said, leaning across the table and putting her hand on his. Not seeing the look of dismay on his face, Melanie gushed with plans.  “Let’s have a Christmas wedding. I can be ready by then. I’ll have Mrs. Dodd make my dress and Mama will want…”

Luke removed his hand from beneath hers and placed it under the table. “I said I’m getting married. Not we. I’m sorry, Melanie, but I wanted to tell you myself. I didn’t want you to hear it around town.”

Melanie’s mouth hung open like a fish waiting for bait. Her face flushed a shade of red similar to an overripe tomato before cold rage settled in her eyes and her entire countenance shouted with barely restrained hostility. At that moment, Luke had never seen a woman look less attractive. He thought she might stamp her foot or start screaming. When she finally snapped her mouth shut, Luke let out the breath he’d been holding.

“Well, I’ve never,” she said, jumping up from the table and slapping him across the face. “Who is it? What kind of woman would steal someone else’s beau? You’re mine, Luke Granger. Mine! I’m not giving up this easily. What’s her name?”

“You don’t need to know her name,” Luke said, feeling oddly protective of Philamena. Standing up, he decided if he was going to get slapped again, he’d make it a little harder for Melanie to reach his face, since she was barely five feet tall. “All you need to know is that I’m getting married. I apologize for any distress this has caused you.”

“Distress? I’m not distressed. I’m mad, Luke. You tell me her name and the only wedding that will be taking place is the one between me and you!”

“Melanie, I’m sorry, but you need to understand that regardless of  my relationship status, I wouldn’t be marrying you. Not now, not ever.”

“Oh, you…” Since Melanie couldn’t reach his face for another slap, she instead kicked him in the shin. “Don’t plan on eating here again, Mr. Granger. You are no longer welcome.”

Running into the kitchen, she set the swinging door between the dining room and kitchen flapping back and forth so rapidly Luke thought it might fly right off its hinges.

Leaving money on the table to more than cover his breakfast, Luke put on his hat, nodded to the old gents at their checkerboard and left. Walking down the sidewalk to the bank, Luke felt bad for hurting Melanie’s feelings, but he hadn’t known what else to do.

As much as he’d enjoyed courting and kissing Melanie, not once had thoughts of marriage entered his head when he was with her. Luke never intended to settle down and now that he was, it was more like a business arrangement than a real marriage. A bargain made to pay a debt. Nothing less, nothing more.

Sucking in the cold air, Luke decided things didn’t go as badly as they possibly could have, but he somehow doubted this would be the end of his problems with Melanie. It appeared she wasn’t quite the sweet and demure female she wanted him to believe she could be. Instead, he envisioned her with long, lethal claws, lashing out at Philamena, who would obviously not stand a chance.

Unlocking the bank door, Luke vowed to keep his future wife as sheltered and protected as possible. She appeared to have endured enough hurt and pain for many lifetimes.

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Philamena couldn’t believe she needed all the things Abby had insisted were necessities. Between several gowns, a warm shawl, a new coat, corsets and underpinnings, Philamena couldn’t imagine needing anything else for a good long time to come.

Abby insisted she needed hats, gloves, shoes and boots, a reticule, stockings, nightgowns, a warm robe, scented soap and all manner of items Philamena would never think of as necessities, but luxuries.

Keeping a few things back for Philamena to use before Saturday, Abby had the rest of the items sent to Granger House.

She and Abby were spending the afternoon at the dress shop, finishing the final touches on her wedding gown.

Abby used her Singer sewing machine to create one of the most beautiful gowns Philamena had ever seen, not that she’d seen many. The gown Abby fashioned was something a princess would be proud to wear with smooth white satin and thick lace.