Nelly's Mail Order Husband Page 5

  He was at the mercy of Nelly and her family. The only thing he could do was go along with what they had planned for him.

  After Nelly’s father helped the luggage boy put his trunks in the wagon, Valentine hurried to give the boy a coin for his trouble.

  As the boy took the cart back into the station, Nelly’s father turned to him and held his hand out. Not sure what the man wanted, Valentine asked, “Yes, Mr. Larson?”

  “Aren’t you going to tip me, too?” her father asked. “I helped with the trunks, too.”

  Valentine’s mind went blank. He hadn’t expected her father to help the boy. He’d given the boy the last of his money.

  Nelly’s father chuckled and gave him a pat on the arm. “It was a joke. Relax. You look as if someone just told you that you’re going to be hanged in the morning.”

  Valentine watched as her father went to the wagon and helped Daisy up into the front of it. Valentine released his breath and rubbed his stomach. After a moment, he went to the other side of the wagon and hopped up into it. He’d never been in a wagon a day in his life. The wood bench seat wasn’t the least bit comfortable, though, thankfully, it was stable.

  Daisy, who was sitting between him and her father, told him, “This will be a lot of fun.”

  Nelly’s father shook his head. “We’ll see what Nelly has to say about that.” His gaze went to Valentine. “I don’t blame you for this. I know this whole thing wasn’t your doing. But my three daughters have some explaining to do, and I’m going to let them do it.” He lowered his gaze to Daisy.

  Daisy offered a pretty smile and shrugged. “I wasn’t really involved. I couldn’t be. I had to stay home while Patricia and Erin were doing it.”

  Doing what? That was the question on the tip of Valentine’s tongue. But again, he was too afraid to ask for more information. Besides, he had a funny feeling he was going to find out soon enough.

  Chapter Six

  “No means no, Seth,” Nelly said in aggravation.

  She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she leaned against the rake she’d been using to clean out one of the stalls in her barn. Thanks to Seth, she wasn’t going to get more than this stall done this evening because she still had to take care of the animals.

  Seth shot her an incredulous look. “How can you say no to supper?” He lifted the picnic basket he was holding.

  “I’m not hungry,” she replied. “And even if I was, I wouldn’t share a meal with you. I don’t want to marry you. How many times do I have to tell you that before you finally get it?”

  “You only say no because you haven’t given me a chance.”

  She gritted her teeth. Apparently, he assumed if he kept on pestering her, she’d eventually give into him. That was a faulty assumption on his part. She didn’t care if they were the only two people left on this earth and it was up to them to continue on the human family. She would let it go extinct before she attached herself to the likes of him.

  “Go bother someone else,” she told him. “I’m not interested.”

  She turned away from him and shoved the rake under some straw and horse droppings. She lifted it and chucked it out the back door of the barn. When she returned to the stall, Seth was still there.

  Irritated, she marched over to him, sticking the rake out in front of her. “I said no.” She jabbed the rake in his direction, getting mild satisfaction at the way he jerked back. “I’m serious, Seth. I will never marry you. Go take that picnic basket and share your supper with someone else.”

  “I’ll wait until you come to your senses, Nelly. You and I are meant to be together. It’s only a matter of time before you realize that.”

  “I’ll be dead before that happens.”

  He opened his mouth to respond when her pa called out her name. Thank goodness! Seth might not listen to her, but he would listen to her pa!

  She hurried out of the barn. The only bad thing about being out here by herself was that it was up to her to get rid of Seth. The first couple of times he came out here, she thought he’d eventually get the point and leave her alone. Unfortunately, she’d underestimated just how badly he wanted to get his hands on her land. She had done odd jobs until she’d earned up the money for it, and though her pa had helped her purchase it, he had said it was her due after all the work she’d done to help him over the years. So really, she’d earned this property. Seth couldn’t just come in and take it from her.

  When she made it out the front doors of the barn, she was surprised to see a loaded wagon and a buggy filled with her family, Preacher Martin, and a stranger. She noted the way her ma and sisters were grinning. Her pa looked uncomfortable. The stranger looked as if he wasn’t sure what was going on. Her gaze went back to Preacher Martin. Her gut tightened. There were only two reasons she could think of as to why a preacher would be coming out here: a wedding or a funeral. And since no one was wearing black or crying, she had the sinking sensation this stranger was here for a wedding.

  She watched as everyone approached her. She hesitated to ask them which of her sisters was getting married because she was afraid they’d say none of them was the bride. Patricia and Erin, the only two old enough to marry, whispered to each other and giggled. Her ma shushed them and approached Nelly.

  “We have good news,” her ma said in a tone that let Nelly know this was good news for everyone but her. “Your sisters found an ad from a handsome young man who was looking for an independent and intelligent young woman to marry. Since you’re the most independent and intelligent woman around, they answered the ad for you.” Her ma offered a pleading smile. “They were only trying to be nice.”

  “Are you telling me Patricia, Erin, and Daisy sent him a letter and told him I’d marry him?” Nelly asked. Yes, she was sure she understood the situation correctly, but she was holding out for her ma to tell her he was going to marry Patricia or Erin.

  “Did you happen to notice how handsome he is?” her ma replied, ignoring the question.

  Nelly gave her ma a “you’ve got to be kidding me” look. Did her ma honestly think that just because the man was attractive that it made up for what her sisters did? “Did you and Pa know about this?”

  “No. We found out today when Patricia got his letter saying he was coming into Omaha. We just picked him up from the train station.” When Nelly shook her head, her ma hurried to add, “He seems like a nice young man. I read his letter. He thinks it’s wonderful you own your own homestead. He appreciates your independent spirit. You can’t say many men are like that. I think you two will be a good match.”

  Though reluctant, Nelly’s gaze went to the stranger who was standing by her pa in silence. He had on a fancy and expensive suit. Despite his hat, she could tell his dark hair was neatly trimmed. From the looks of it, he hadn’t worked with his hands a day in his life. He’d probably had a job indoors. She had a nagging suspicion if she was able to inspect his hands, there wouldn’t be a bit of dirt on them. His nails were probably also perfectly trimmed, just like his hair. Her gaze went back to his face, and he offered her a tentative smile.

  Her attention went back to her ma. “He’s never been on a farm.”

  “Yes, I know,” her ma said, “but he’s willing to live out here and help you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he wants to get married to a woman who is intelligent and independent. Besides, he’s handsome, and handsome men make kissing a lot of fun. Why do you think I kiss your pa as much as I do?”

  Nelly grimaced. She didn’t want to think of her parents that way. Ever.

  “At least give him a chance,” her ma added.

  “I didn’t ask him to come here.”

  “I know. Your sisters arranged all of that.”

  “And you and pa and,” she glanced at the preacher, “he are all supporting it.”

  “Well, Valentine came all the way from Boston to be with you. We can’t just force him to get back on the train and look for another wife.”

  Nelly grimace
d. Valentine? What kind of name was that?

  “At least meet him and see what you think,” her ma said with a hopeful expression on her face. “The rest of us will wait out here if you want to talk to him in the house. That way, you two can have some privacy.”

  Nelly was about to suggest he could marry Patricia or Erin since they had written to him, but then she caught sight of Seth. He was riding off to his property on his horse. She glanced at the others and realized no one had seen him leave. They’d all been focused on her.

  As much as she hated to admit it, maybe her ma had a point. Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea if she was out here alone all the time. Seth had come late in the day. Granted, she hadn’t had supper yet, but the timing of him coming out here couldn’t have been a coincidence. The sun would soon be setting. And, now that she thought about it, he could very well use that as an excuse to try to wiggle his way into staying here all night.

  She had the urge to get her Colt .45. He might manage to get under the skirts of other women, but he wasn’t going to get under hers. She glanced down at her denims. Not that she was wearing a skirt, but still, the principle was the same.

  Seth was such a snake.

  She looked back at Valentine. Maybe she should talk to him. Having a man around here might solve the problem with Seth. Look at how fast he’d hightailed it out of here as soon as her family had shown up. He wasn’t willing to take no for an answer from her, but at the first sign of other people, he was gone.

  She hadn’t told anyone else about how often he came around to bother her. If she had, she knew they would insist she get married, or—worse—they would sell this place and make her move back into her old bedroom. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t do everything herself. Maybe having a husband would keep Seth away permanently.

  “Alright,” she told her ma. “I’ll talk to Val.” There was no way she was going to refer to him by his full name. Valentine was just too stuffy and formal for a life out on a homestead. Val fit much better.

  Her ma smiled in relief. “Wonderful! I’ll tell him you’ll talk to him. Do you want to go into your house?”

  “Tell him to meet me at the porch.” That would give them enough privacy without making it easy for Val to try something in case he was no better than Seth.

  Without looking at anyone, Nelly marched for the porch. She remembered when her ma insisted that she have one. At the time, she’d thought it was a needless addition to the house, but she did enjoy sitting on the porch swing. Her ma had been right about the porch. Maybe she’d be right about Val, though she still thought it was ridiculous her ma put so much emphasis on how handsome a man was. Who cared what he looked like so long as he proved his use around the place?

  She sat on the swing and watched Val as he headed for the porch. Well, he didn’t have an arrogant swagger to his walk, which already marked a distinction between him and the snake that had slithered on back home. She heard some giggling. Even before she looked at her sisters, she knew it was them. There was no doubt that they were thrilled about all of this.

  When Val reached the top of the porch steps, he paused as if he was trying to figure out how to get the conversation started.

  “You can sit next to me,” she said, patting the spot next to her.

  It was close but not too close. Thankfully, the swing was wide enough for two people to sit comfortably. She was sure her ma had been thinking of children when she’d told her pa how big to make the swing.

  After a moment, Val sat next to her and removed his hat. “Miss Larson, I want to apologize for all of this.”

  She blinked. Did he just refer to her as Miss Larson? She couldn’t think of anyone besides the rich in Omaha who spoke so formally.

  “I didn’t realize your sisters were the ones who answered my ad,” he continued. “I thought it was you the entire time.”

  “But you know now,” she pointed out.

  “Yes because your sisters explained the situation when we were at the preacher’s house. That was only a half hour ago.” He lowered his gaze to the hat in his hand. “I know this isn’t something you asked for, but the truth is, I have nowhere else to go. My family lost everything in a bad investment. All I own are the clothes on my back and the things I brought with me in the trunks.”

  Had she heard right? “Trunks?”

  He nodded. “I brought two. They’re in the back of the wagon.”

  Curious, she looked over at the wagon and saw two large—very large—trunks. “Those are yours?”

  “It’s all I have left.”

  “They’re huge. What’s in them?”

  “Clothes. Grooming supplies.” He shrugged. “The necessities.”

  It seemed to her that a person’s necessities would fit in a much smaller trunk. Val had brought way more than a person needed. Pushing the observation aside, she said, “I don’t know what my sisters wrote to you, but I own this homestead. I might have had help in getting things started, but I maintain this entire property by myself. Well,” she quickly amended, “that is until planting and harvest. I will have you know, however, that I also pitch in and help the others, too. When things get busy, the neighbors all come together. Things are more efficient that way.”

  “That sounds like a reasonable thing to do.”

  She studied him. He seemed to mean that. She cleared her throat. “I just want you to know that I’m able to run this homestead. I’m not the kind of woman who needs a man to come in and run it for her.”

  The corner of his lip curled up. “Your sisters made that very clear in the letter they sent me.”

  “They did?” She thought they would have told him some sob story about how she was a poor little woman who was overwhelmed by all the things she had to do on a homestead.

  “They wrote that you were perfectly capable of managing the land and everything on it. They also said you got the land for a good deal.”

  “The man and his wife who originally owned the homestead decided they didn’t want to stay here, and they were eager to get rid of it. My pa helped me in contacting them. They had received it as part of the Homestead Act, so they hadn’t even paid for it. We offered half the cost of the other land in the area, and they accepted it. Both of us benefited from the deal.”

  “That sounds like a perfect transaction.”

  She wasn’t sure what the word transaction meant, but she decided not to let him know that. It seemed to her that she had just gained a certain amount of respect from him, and she wasn’t about to jeopardize that simply because she didn’t know the meaning of a word.

  Instead, she added, “When I first got the land, there was an old sod house, barn, and shed here. My uncles and pa helped me tear all of that down and then build everything you see right now. A lot of work went into this place. I’m proud of it, and I have every intention of making sure it stays in good condition.”

  His smile widened. “You’re just as fiery as I thought you’d be.” When she frowned, he added, “I mean that as a compliment. I like it. Your sisters might have lied about who was writing to me, but they portrayed you accurately.”

  To make sure she understood him right, she asked, “So you aren’t bothered by a woman who runs her own homestead?”

  “No. I wouldn’t know the first thing about operating it, especially when there aren’t any servants to help out.” He paused and glanced around the property. “There aren’t any servants here, are there?”

  “No. It’s only me. Did my sisters say I have servants?”

  “No. That’s was an assumption I made. I thought all landowners out here were wealthy.”

  “I can’t afford servants, but I can do all of this myself.” The only thing she couldn’t do was make Seth leave her alone. Having Val here, however, might solve that problem. “Are you used to having servants around?” That would explain his expensive suit and large trunks.

  “I was until my family lost everything.”

  “Is your family coming to Omaha, too?”<
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  “No. They went to England.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “They went to another country?”

  “The rest of the family is there. They’ll manage better there than they would here in the States. My father’s an earl. In England, a title carries a lot of weight with it.”

  She had no idea what an earl was or what it had to do with a title, but again, she didn’t want to lose the respect she’d managed to gain in her short time talking to him so she kept quiet on the matter. Whatever an earl was, it involved servants. And from what she knew about Uncle Richard and her cousin Mark, servants meant money. And Val had just told her he didn’t have money anymore.

  “Would I be right to assume you’re looking for a wife because you don’t have anywhere to live?” she asked.

  He winced. “I’m not sure I’d put it that way.”

  “Then how would you put it?”

  “I’d rather think of losing the family fortune as God’s way of telling me it’s time to get married.” He gave her a charming smile. “It sounds a lot better.”

  But still, it did mean he had nowhere to go. And, she had someone who kept pestering her about combining her land with his. No matter how much she told Seth to leave her alone, he refused to do it. He hadn’t gotten aggressive yet, but she had a nagging suspicion he’d end up losing his patience. He might eventually force the issue, and that wouldn’t be pleasant.

  “If I marry you, it doesn’t change anything about the way I do things around here,” she said. “I’m going to keep running this homestead like I’ve been doing.”

  “I’m glad to hear that because one of us ought to know what we’re doing.”

  His matter-of-fact tone made her laugh. He joined her, and at that moment, she felt the awkwardness between them fade away. Maybe marrying him would be alright. He wasn’t anything like the other men in the area. He wasn’t telling her that she needed to leave the chores up to the man while she stayed inside cooking and sewing and “being a good little woman”. Marriage to someone like Val might not be so bad.