The Bride Price (Misled Mail Order Brides Book 1) Read online

  “Actually, they were pretty nice to me. They let me teach their children in the schoolhouse as soon as I turned sixteen.”

  “And how long were you a schoolteacher?”

  “Eight years.”

  “So you are twenty-four?”

  “I’ll be twenty-five next month.”

  “Aren’t teachers forbidden to marry while they are under contract?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. Now he knew her shame. Because of her scars, no one had wanted to marry her. She had been the most undesirable lady in her hometown. “If I had stayed, I would’ve had what I needed. They gave me housing, food, and a good job. It wasn’t that I wasn’t grateful. It’s just that…”

  “It’s just that you figured it was time to have your own children instead of teaching other people’s children.”

  She nodded. “I belonged in the community, and yet, I didn’t. I’m not sure how to explain how that feels except to say that it feels like you’re on the outside of something, and you’re looking at this wonderful world where everybody is happy. They know you, and you know them. But no matter how hard you wish it or how hard you try, you can never join them. All you can ever do is watch. I felt as if the rest of the world, as if life itself, was passing before me, and if I didn’t do something about it, I was going to fade away. So I answered a mail-order bride ad. Then I came all the way out here to Omaha. I just didn’t realize that the man who posted the ad was such a horrible person.” She swallowed then added, “It’s a good thing you came along when you did. I was going to allow myself to be auctioned off because I was that desperate to get a husband.”

  To her surprise, he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her to his side. “I know you’ll probably find this hard to believe, but I know what it’s like to be in a situation where you’d do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do. After my sister’s first husband died, there was this man that was threatening her. When Joel Larson, who was the doctor’s assistant at the time, came out, I made him marry her. I was only fourteen at the time. Looking back, I realize how foolish I was, but at the time, I didn’t see any other way to help her except to keep Joel at this house until a preacher or a judge could come out to perform the wedding ceremony. I carried a gun with me and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t stay.” He chuckled. “Joel could have gotten out of here any time he wanted. I was no match for him. But it was nice that he let me think I was.”

  She felt the burden of her actions lift from her shoulders. Perhaps he really did know what she had been going through. And that being the case, she was glad he had been the one who married her.

  “I know this is happening really fast,” Sep said, “but Joel and my sister, April, are expecting me to go over to their house tonight for supper.”

  “Tonight?”

  “At the time I agreed to go, I didn’t even know you and the other two women were being held hostage at the livery stable. I wouldn’t have agreed to it if I had thought I would be taking a bride home last night.”

  She was just now getting used to the idea of not wearing a veil around Sep. Having to meet someone else, especially someone in his family, so soon made her apprehensive. He had been surprisingly accepting of her. He had accepted her scars, and even better, he had accepted her reasons for wearing the veil and for coming out here to Omaha. But what if his sister and his brother-in-law took one look at her and told him that he’d made a grave mistake in marrying her? She wasn’t exactly most people’s idea of the perfect bride.

  But, he had already made the promise to his sister and his brother-in-law. She was going to have to go to the supper with him. Whatever happened was out of her control. He was stuck with her. He had already made his vows. Witnesses were there at the wedding. It wasn’t like he could back out now.

  “Alright,” she said. “I’ll be happy to meet them. Is there anything I should bring?”

  “No,” he replied. “I never bring anything to their suppers.”

  “In my hometown, it was customary for the guest to bring something. Most of the time, I would bring some potato salad.”

  “Out here, we’re informal. All you have to do is show up. And anyway, we just got married last night. You have to get used to being here. No one expects you to do anything right away. You need to get settled first. Speaking of which, let’s return to the house. I’m going to make you some breakfast.”

  He squeezed her shoulders in such an affectionate way that, for the moment, her unease subsided. Indicating her consent, she joined him in going to the house.

  Chapter Six

  Sep made pancakes, sausage, and biscuits for breakfast.

  “This is a really good meal,” Angela said while he put everything on the table in front of her.

  “I got used to cooking ever since I’ve been by myself,” he replied as he sat across from her. “My sister taught me everything I know. I figured if I was going to be a bachelor for the rest of my life, I might as well enjoy what I’m eating. I know some single men who live off of jerky, but I didn’t want to do that. I like a variety of foods.” He smiled. “You might say my sister spoiled me.”

  “I’m sure she would be very happy to hear that.”

  “I’m not sure I want her to know because if she does, she might expect me to start bringing something over when she has us over for a meal. Then I would have to do things formally, like you did in your hometown.”

  He winked to show her he was joking. As he hoped, she laughed. She had a nice laugh. Sometimes when women laughed, it came out as a little chuckle. But when Angela laughed, it was a wholehearted one. There was no doubt she was sincerely happy.

  He cut into a piece of sausage and gave it to the dog. Fred eagerly took it.

  “Besides,” Sep added, “it’s not just me I was cooking for over the past few years. I was cooking for him, too. Fred gets bored if I make the same thing all the time.” He patted the dog’s head. “Fred’s a good dog. I think the two of you will get along well.”

  Smoothing some butter on the pancakes, she glanced over at Fred. “We already seem to be getting along. Fred didn’t mind it when I took him outside.”

  “That’s true. If he didn’t want you here, I’m sure he would’ve let you know it. Especially since you took his side of the bed.”

  Her eyes widened. “I did?”

  “The bed was big enough for both of us, but now that you’re here, he’ll just have to sleep on the floor.” He broke off half a biscuit and gave it to the dog. “As you can see, he was fine with it. He’s a friendly dog. He’ll be good with children. He likes to run and play.”

  “He sounds like a good dog to have out here on the farm.”

  “He is.”

  “I should let you know that I am a good cook. I don’t expect you to make meals for me.”

  “I didn’t mind making breakfast. You had a long trip out here, and yesterday was difficult. I figured you could use a break.”

  She smiled. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

  “So, where did you come from?” he asked before he took a bite of his pancakes.

  “Indiana. I came from a town smaller than Omaha. It’s partly why it was hard for me to find someone in my hometown. The selection isn’t very good in a small place.”

  “I would guess not. I’ll take you into town today. Not only do my sister and her husband live there, but there’s also a post office. We’ll stop by there so you can write a letter to your family. I’m sure they want to know that you’re alright. I just hope they don’t get upset when they find out you’re with me instead of the person they had expected you to be with.”

  She swallowed a bite of her biscuit and shook her head. “I think they’ll be glad I’m fine. I’ll explain the situation to them.”

  “When you do explain everything, let them know that I’m happy to be with you.”

  He caught the look of pleasure on her face, and he felt an unfamiliar warmth in his heart. He wasn’t used to expressing such romantic sentiments like
he had often watched Joel do with April. He was sure he wasn’t as smooth sounding as he would like to be, but maybe given time, it would come more naturally.

  From there, the two fell into a comfortable silence as they ate the rest of their meal. When they were done, they took the dishes to the sink, but he didn’t want to wash them right away.

  “I can do this later,” he said. “I’d like to show you the house.”

  “I can do the dishes,” she said.

  Amused, he teased, “My sister used to say a good husband is one who knows how to help his wife around the house. I didn’t think you would argue with me over how much I’m going to do around here.”

  She chuckled. “It is nice. I won’t lie. I just don’t want you to think I’m useless. I’m not afraid of hard work. In fact, I even know how to take care of hens and cows. My parents lived in town, but I had an aunt and uncle who lived on a farm. They didn’t have one as large as this one. They were closer to their neighbors. You have a really nice place. I think I’m going to enjoy it here.”

  “I’m glad. I know it was a gamble for both of us when we married, but I have a feeling the gamble is going to pay off very well.”

  Again, he was speaking in a romantic way, and like before, it made him feel self-conscious. He cleared his throat and gestured for her to follow him out of the kitchen.

  ***

  After Sep showed Angela the entire house, he and Fred went out to the barn to take care of the animals. “I’ll show you the property later,” he had promised her before he left.

  At the moment, she was putting her things away. She supposed it was a good thing that she didn’t have many belongings because the dresser was small, and his clothing already took up half of it. While he had been showing her the house, he put her veil on top of the dresser, telling her she could do whatever she wanted with it.

  After putting away her things, she picked it up. She wanted to be brave enough to throw it out, but she wasn’t. In fact, she was tempted to put it back on when they went to his sister’s for supper. She was already lucky to have a husband who could overlook her flaws. She wasn’t sure she should press her luck by showing her scars to his family. Maybe if they got to know her first and if they liked her, they might be willing to do the same thing he’d done and not pay her scars any mind.

  Yes, she was probably better off wearing it when she went over there. At least for the first visit. From there, she would decide whether or not she should keep wearing it around them. She just hoped that Sep would understand.

  When she had everything put away, she left the bedroom and took another look at the other two bedrooms on the top floor. Sep had said one used to be his. She went into it and took a good look around. It definitely had belonged to a man. At least one who had been younger at the time. He told her he’d moved in to the large bedroom when he was sixteen. Considering all the dust in the room, she believed it. She lifted the trunk at the end of the bed and saw neatly folded clothes. All were meant for a boy, and by the looks of it, they ranged from a small boy to one on the verge of manhood. Maybe someday, if they had a son, he would wear these.

  Her face warmed at the thought. Naturally, she had answered a mail-order bride ad for this reason. More than anything, she wanted to have children of her own. Even as a little girl, that had been her dream. Whether she had boys or girls, she didn’t care. As long as she had children that were happy and in good health, that was all that mattered.

  Why was it just occurring to her that there was more to having children than just getting married? She needed to consummate her marriage in order to even conceive them. Her mother, being of the mindset that private things should always remain private, had not told her what to expect.

  All she knew was that it had something to do with being in bed with one’s husband. As discreet as her parents had been, the house she grew up in had been small, and she could remember several nights when she heard strange sounds coming from her parents’ bedroom. Even if she didn’t know what the sounds meant, she knew it was all part of the process of having children.

  Turning her attention from such thoughts, she went to the other bedroom. If she let her mind linger on that particular topic, it wouldn’t do her any good. She was nervous enough about being a wife as it was. She really didn’t need this uncertainty on top of everything else. One thing at a time. Just take one moment as it came. And right now she was adjusting to her new home.

  The other bedroom was smaller than the other two, and the only furniture in it was a small table with a kerosene lamp on it. Sep had told her this had been the room his sister’s children had been in. When his sister and brother-in-law moved out, they took the furniture with them because they still needed the small beds and dresser.

  She supposed these two bedrooms would go to the children she and Sep would have. Perhaps the girls would be in one room, and the boys would be in the other. Unless they had all girls or all boys. In that case, she supposed it would depend on where Sep wanted to put them.

  Growing up, she had been in one room, and her two younger sisters had been in another. Tracy and Melissa had only been one year apart. She was five years older than Tracy, the middle child. Since Tracy and Melissa had been so close in age, it made sense that they would share the bedroom. That left her with her own room, and growing up, that had suited her just fine.

  So maybe if she and Sep had all girls or all boys, there might be an arrangement like that. She shook her head. What a foolish woman. If anyone could hear her thoughts, they would be laughing at her. All she could do was think about children. She had to get to know her husband first.

  She went downstairs to the parlor. The room was small but quaint. The furniture was old, but it had been taken care of. Sep said he had repaired the couch on occasion. He had learned not to take shortcuts when it came to fixing it, too. It was worth taking the time to do the job right. Otherwise, the repairs would not last.

  She didn’t have a chance to sit on the couch before, but since she had a moment alone, she did now. It was more comfortable than it looked. She didn’t know the first thing about repairing a couch, but he had done a marvelous job.

  Over by a large window was a rocking chair made of wood. And not too far from that, by the fireplace, was another chair, which was close to a desk. In the middle of the room, she saw a large rug that looked newer than the other items. She suspected Sep had gotten it for Fred because there was some dog hair on it.

  She then went to the kitchen, and this time she took stock of all the food items and the cooking supplies she would have to work with. While Sep had been very kind in making breakfast for her, she fully intended to do the cooking from now on. And she would start tomorrow morning. Since Sep had made so much food for breakfast, there was no way either of them would be hungry until supper.

  Angela had just finished taking inventory of everything in the kitchen when the door opened and Sep came into the room, followed by a very happy dog.

  “I finished the chores,” Sep told her.

  Fred came over to her, his tail wagging. Chuckling, she bent down to pet him. “He sure is a friendly dog.”

  “That’s what I was told when I got him,” Sep replied. “He was only six weeks old when I brought him here. I haven’t regretted it for a moment. He’s the perfect friend. Easy to get along with, never complains, is always happy to see me… I just wish I had gotten a dog sooner.”

  “I can see why. This is a pretty large house. I’m sure being here by yourself would get lonely after a while.”

  “It certainly is nice to have a dog, or wife, around.”

  Noting the way he had included her in that statement, she smiled.

  “Did you have time to check everything out that I was able to show you?” he asked.

  “I did. You have done a good job of keeping your kitchen well stocked. I can’t think of anything I need to get from the mercantile.”

  “If you think of anything, let me know. We need to get ready to head into town.”<
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  “So soon?”

  “It’s already two. I figure by the time we get to town, it’ll almost be three. That just gives us enough time to stop by the post office so you can write your parents a letter before we head over to my sister’s. They’ll be eating at five, but they’ll want to talk to you for a while first. Seeing as how they don’t even know you’re coming, they’re going to have a lot of questions.”

  “I can imagine.” And already, she was feeling nervous.

  As if he picked up on her uncertainty, he said, “You have nothing to worry about. In some ways, you remind me of my sister. She’s a sweet, honest kind of girl. She’s got a good heart.”

  She was surprised he chose those things to say about her. Besides her family and friends, people hadn’t taken the time to look past her scars to see the person she really was.

  “I can tell that about you because of Fred. Dogs have a good sense about people. He wouldn’t have taken a liking to you right away if you weren’t a good person.”

  She wondered if he was saying that because it was true or because he was trying to make her feel comfortable here. Either way, she supposed it didn’t matter. The point was he chose to say it, and she very much appreciated it.

  “Is there anything you need to do before we head out?” he asked.

  Her veil. She touched her face, her fingers going over the scars on her right cheek. “I think I’ll take the veil.”

  He seemed as if he wanted to argue, but then he relented. “I’ll wait here while you get it.”

  “I won’t be long.” Then she hurried up the stairs to get it.

  Chapter Seven

  Sep wished Angela hadn’t taken the veil with her before they headed into town, but he couldn’t blame her for it. She was self-conscious about her face. Anyone in her situation would feel the same way.

  Sometimes he couldn’t understand why people put so much emphasis on how a person looked. His sister’s first husband, Harvey, had been a good-looking man. Just by looking at him, no one would guess that he was a brute. When they got married, people had commented about what a handsome couple they were. One lady, in particular, had said, “No finer pair could have been matched.” Sep just wished he had known how foolish that comment was at the time he’d overheard it.