The Cold Wife Page 8

  “We were wondering if you are feeling alright,” Mrs. Edwards said. “We missed you at church today.”

  “Oh, that.” She shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “I got detained. Mrs. Ritter and Miss Duff wished to speak with me about a personal matter that couldn’t wait.”

  “Is someone sick?” Mrs. Tobias asked, immediately concerned.

  “No. Everything is fine.” She didn’t wish to go into the conversation with her two friends. She hoped that the women sitting across from her wouldn’t ask her anything else about it. To her relief, they didn’t.

  “Well, we wanted to ask you if you’re up to cooking three dozen chocolate chip cookies. Tom and Ian just got adopted and we’re going to throw a party to celebrate. We plan to go by the orphanage tomorrow but we don’t cook as well as you do.”

  “They finally found someone to adopt the two brothers so they can stay together?” Carrie asked.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” Mrs. Tobias replied. “The doctor confirmed that they won’t be able to have any children, and after much prayer and consideration, they decided to adopt the two boys.”

  Mrs. Edwards added, “We think everyone will get along wonderfully once the initial period of getting to know each other is worked through. That process can be awkward for both the children and adults.”

  “We can’t expect people thrown into a new situation with someone they hardly know to embrace it right away,” Mrs. Tobias said. “If one person is willing to open her heart to the other person, things usually work out. We have yet to see a case where the people feel the need to depart from each other.”

  Carrie suddenly wondered if they were talking about her and Justin. She cleared her throat and decided to ignore the hint. Instead, she said, “When do the cookies have to be ready?”

  They looked startled by the question.

  “I will make the cookies,” Carrie clarified. So they hadn’t really come over to ask her about cookies. They were trying to talk her into staying married. She didn’t know that so many people were devoted to Mr. Monroe.

  Mrs. Edwards quickly nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Carrie. We had feared that you would be too busy to help...but you’re not, right?” She studied Carrie with intense interest.

  “Right,” Carrie responded, pretending she didn’t notice their shock. “I have absolutely nothing to do. I spent most of this day by myself. In fact, I’ve seen very little of Mr. Monroe since the reception. He’s always running off somewhere. I even had to eat breakfast and lunch by myself. Apparently, there’s nothing to this whole marriage thing. It’s a wonder that wives don’t die of boredom.” She stood up. “I do want to get started on those cookies. I do enjoy making them. I’m pleased you thought of me for this task.”

  They looked too stunned to speak as they stood up.

  “What time should I deliver them to the orphanage?” Carrie asked.

  Mrs. Tobias finally answered. “Tomorrow morning at eight,” she stammered.

  “Good! I’ll deliver them since I’ll have the whole morning to myself.” Carrie showed them to the front door. “Thank you for coming by and telling me the great news!”

  They nodded, said good-bye and left.

  Carrie shut the door in satisfaction. She was tired of people feeling sorry for Justin. She figured that should take care of people sticking up for him since they would now be aware that he left his bride all to herself on the day after their wedding.

  She changed into her cooking clothes before she went to the kitchen and examined the items in the cabinet.

  “Mrs. Monroe, are you hungry?” Jim, the new chef, asked her. “I could make you a snack to tide you over until dinner.”

  She smiled at the twenty-four-year-old chef. “I’m fine. I came in here to cook. Mrs. Edwards and Mrs. Tobias just asked me to make three dozen chocolate chip cookies for tomorrow. Tom and Ian Conner just got adopted.”

  “That’s good news.” He smiled. “It certainly is a reason to celebrate. I haven’t made those kinds of cookies before. Do you mind if I help you so I can gain the experience?”

  She returned his smile. “Some help would be greatly appreciated. I usually do these all by myself and get bored with no one to talk to.”

  “Well, Louis is on a break until it’s near dinner time. Constance will most likely pop in here and there. She keeps busy.”

  “I’ve noticed that.” She opened another cabinet. “I have to admit that there’s a lot of food in this kitchen.”

  “Mr. Monroe entertains a lot. It’s actually good practice for me.”

  She took out the container of flour, sugar and other ingredients they would need to make the cookies.

  He wrote down what she was doing. “I have a horrible memory. I have to write everything down or I’ll forget it.”

  “Do you use index cards to write the recipes down?”

  He glanced at her. “No. Louis says that a good chef should be familiar enough with all of his recipes to do it by memory.”

  She set the ingredients at the large rectangular counter in the middle of the kitchen. “Well, I wouldn’t make a good chef then.” She pulled out an index card from her apron and set it on the counter. “I have to refer to this or I’ll mess the recipe up.”

  “Does that really work for you?”

  She nodded. “If you pinned the card to the inside of the hat or inside your apron, you can sneak a peek in from time to time to make sure you’re getting things right, and Louis won’t catch on.”

  He tapped his pencil on the counter. “Do you think that would work?”

  “It did for me when I took cooking class.”

  He grinned. “Why, Mrs. Monroe, you have a sneaky streak in you.”

  She chuckled. “After I nearly gave everyone in my class food poisoning, it was more for their own survival than trying to look like I knew what I was doing.”

  “How do you manage now when you make things?”

  “I make some good meals. But I always have a card on hand.”

  “Maybe there’s hope for me yet.”

  She showed him which ingredients to mix and in what order to mix them. “I tasted some of your food. You do very well when you know what to do.”

  “You are very kind to say that. Louis doesn’t think so well of me.”

  “Well, we can’t be perfect at something when we start out. You’re new to this. Louis has been at it for a long time. How old is he? Sixty-five?”

  “He’s only fifty.”

  She looked at him to see if he was kidding but his serious expression assured her that he wasn’t. “Really? Wow. He looks a lot older than he really is.” She set out two cookie trays and they started rolling the dough into small balls. “Do you like cooking or is this the only job you could find?”

  “I love cooking. Before this job, I worked at a factory. I didn’t enjoy that at all. I’m fortunate that your husband hired me. No one else was willing to give me a chance. Most people don’t want to hire a personal chef who has no experience, and the restaurants would have started me off as a dishwasher. This way, I not only get experience but I get paid well enough to save up for my own restaurant someday.”

  She stopped rolling her cookie ball and looked at him. “What do you plan to call your restaurant?”

  He shrugged. “I hadn’t thought of a name.”

  “Do you plan to make certain types of foods? Luigi’s is an Italian restaurant.”

  “I’ve been thinking of making pizzas.”

  “I don’t often eat those but enjoy them.”

  “The reason I like pizzas is because it’s hard to mess them up. You can also put a wide variety of food on it.”

  “Do you ever make pizza for Mr. Monroe?”

  “No. Louis considers pizza to be beneath Mr. Monroe’s economic status.”

  “Well, maybe we can work around that. I am Mr. Monroe’s wife. I should have some say in the meals made here.” She paused. She hadn’t meant to associate herself as Justin’s wife. The way she casually said i
t was unnerving. She forced aside the observation while she placed the balls of cookie dough on her cookie sheet.

  Jim followed her actions.

  They put the trays in the two ovens. Jim set the timer and put it on the counter.y

  “I have to admit that time does go faster when I have someone to talk to,” she stated.

  “I don’t feel nearly as nervous cooking with you as I do with Louis. I always feel like such a klutz around him. Do you want something to drink?”

  She nodded.

  He handed her a cup of punch. “It’s something I made up. I wrote down what I did and hid it in my apartment so Louis won’t find out that I cheated.”

  She took a sip and was surprised at how good it tasted. “You have a real talent for this kind of thing. Do you have new recipe ideas for pizzas too?”

  “A couple.” He explained some of his creations.

  “We’ll have to think of a way for you to make one sometime. I’d be interested to know what one of those pizzas taste like. If I can base my assumption on this punch, then I know I’m in for a treat.”

  “Mrs. Monroe, you do have a way with making people feel better about themselves. Mr. Monroe was right about you. You’ve got a good heart.”

  “Apparently, everyone thinks the world of him,” she replied.

  “I know the staff and I do. He’s a generous and merciful man.”

  To her relief, the timer went off. They pulled their trays out of their ovens. She winked at him. “It looks like we’re going to pull this off on the first try.”

  “It’s easy cooking with you. I haven’t knocked anything over.”

  “If you get nervous around Louis, maybe you should picture him wearing a funny outfit. Sometimes, when I feel anxiety, I try to think of something humorous. It relaxes me.”

  “I’ll try that.”

  They returned to the rest of the cookie dough and continued to make more cookies.

  Chapter Ten

  As much as Justin tried to break out of his foul mood, he couldn’t do it. The fact that his wife didn’t care for him at all was depressing, and the fact that she was repulsed by the thought of making love to him was infuriating. He really thought she had enjoyed the kiss they shared in the gazebo. Perhaps I misunderstood her reaction to it.

  After he left the church service, which he noticed she didn’t bother going to because he was there, he went to his office at work. Since he had a key to the building, he was able to go in. He hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch, and it was quickly coming up to the dinner hour. He didn’t care. He had lost his appetite at her cold words to him that morning. He wondered if he would ever have the appetite to eat again.

  He spent his time buried in his work and was finally able to lose track of the time...and the beating of his breaking heart. He accomplished more than he thought he would. He was surprised that misery could encourage such productivity. He figured he was well ahead of schedule, but what would he do with his free time? He glanced at the picture of his parents which sat on his desk. He had hoped to put Carrie’s picture next to it. He put his head on the desk. Why couldn’t he forget her?

  “If this is your idea of romance, you have a lot to learn.”

  He recognized his uncle’s voice. He didn’t bother lifting his head. He heard his uncle pull up a seat across from him and sit down.

  “What did she say that sent you running to work on a Sunday?” Jonathan asked. When Justin didn’t respond, he continued, “I saw you moping in church and whining to everyone who’d listen that your marriage is doomed for an annulment in a month, though you did a good job of hiding the fact that it was her decision.”

  “It wasn’t that bad. I maintained myself with the usual calm expression that you taught me to use when facing difficult clients.”

  “Apparently, you’re thinking of a different Justin because the one I saw had his heart on his sleeve.”

  “Only because you notice details.”

  “That must be it.” His uncle was silent for a few moments. Finally, he continued, “There’s nothing wrong with loving a woman, but if you hope to keep the woman you love, you’ll have to put forth the effort. You can’t hide out here and expect things to fall into place. Sometimes you have to pray to God and say amen with a hoe.”

  Justin was familiar with the expression since his uncle used it often enough. It meant that once he prayed for something, he had to do the work to make it happen. “I don’t feel up to it.”

  “You mean to tell me that in the course of one day, she’s defeated you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright.”

  His uncle’s response surprised him. He lifted his head off the desk so he could look at him.

  The older man handed him some papers. “I figured you would give up, so I took the time to pick up the annulment paperwork on my way over here.” He showed him the contents of the papers before he folded them and put them in Justin’s hands. “All you have to do is get her signature and you’re good to go. I must admit, I’m relieved.”

  “Why?” Justin asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a free man. Now you won’t have to share your life with a woman. You know how women can be. They like to talk about thoughts and feelings. They want to take your time and attention away from your work so you can focus on them. As soon as they get married, they start thinking of how to decorate the house and when to have children. As soon as they’re pregnant, they want you to help them pick out names and buy baby furniture and clothes. It’s all such a nuisance. You will be very relieved you chose the bachelor lifestyle like I did. That’s right. You’re much better off.” His uncle went to the window and looked at the horse-drawn buggies and stagecoaches going down the street.

  Justin stared at the papers in his hands.

  His uncle kept talking. “Of course, it can get lonely, but there’s nothing like more work to take care of that. When you go on vacation, you can take some books to read or just sit in silence and wait until the time you can return to work again. You can do all kinds of fun activities by yourself. Everyone knows seeing a play and eating out is better without companionship. You don’t need a woman to spoil your fun. So what if women are beautiful and soft to touch? Sure, they fit into a dress very well but you have no need to look at an attractive body when you can look at investment reports instead. After a long day at work, it’s much nicer to sit alone in the parlor than it is to lie in bed with a woman in your arms. I haven’t had sex myself but have heard that it is one of life’s most pleasurable experiences, but there’s pleasure to be had in knowing you brought another client to the company. Surely, the love of a good woman can’t be better than hard work.”

  Justin threw the papers on the desk, his jaw clenched. His uncle glanced back at him and smiled in amusement as he stormed out of the office. Justin threw his hat on his head and left the building.

  When he came home, Geoffrey informed him that Carrie was making cookies in the kitchen with Jim and Constance. He handed the butler his hat and went directly to the kitchen. Carrie and Constance were laughing at something Jim said. They turned to him, startled to see him.

  He didn’t say anything. He grabbed Carrie’s hand and led her to the parlor. He knew she was too shocked to even contemplate fighting him. He closed the door so they could have some privacy before he turned his attention back to her.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Carrie demanded as her shock wore off.

  He couldn’t tell if she was angry or simply overwhelmed. He didn’t care. He stomped over to her, took her in his arms and kissed her. He kissed her until her ice melted enough for her to return his kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer to her. When their kiss ended, he nodded in satisfaction. She had responded to him yesterday. He hadn’t imagined it.

  “You want me,” he told her.

  She blinked. “You took me by surprise,” she weakly protested.

  He grinned. “You just keep telling yourself that. I’l
l melt your icicles before the month is up. We won’t be getting that annulment.”

  Her face grew bright red. “We’ll see about that!”

  He didn’t give into her desire for a fight. Instead, he said, “You can protest all you want, but there’s no denying your attraction for me. Now I have to go wash my hair. You got cookie dough in it.”

  She looked flustered as he left the room.

  ***

  When she came down the steps the next morning, he waited for her again. This time she wore a light green dress.

  “Good morning, Carrie,” he greeted.

  “Uh...good morning.”

  Justin. My name is Justin. Once again she didn’t say it, but he wouldn’t let that little fact distract him today. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

  She paused on one of the steps.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  “You don’t need to compliment me.”

  “I know I don’t need to. I want to.”

  By the look on her face, she obviously didn’t believe him.

  “You’ll believe me in time,” he said. “Now come on down the rest of the steps so I can escort you to the dining room.”

  She sighed but walked down the rest of the steps.

  Again, he extended his arm to her. When she didn’t accept it, he gently took her hand and slid it around his elbow. “That didn’t hurt, did it?”

  “You are taking this marriage thing too far.”

  “If that was the case, we wouldn’t be virgins this morning.”

  She rolled her eyes, but at least she didn’t make a snide comment about how sleeping with him would ruin her purity, so that was a good sign.

  He led her to the dining room and pulled out her chair for her. “I asked Jim to make one of his own recipes this morning since he mentioned you seemed interested in his pizzas. I let Louis have the morning off.”

  “How did you know I expressed an interest in Jim’s cooking?” She sat down.

  He sat next to her. “I have plenty of chances to talk to people in my house.”

  “And you had Jim take charge of breakfast because I had an interest in tasting his cooking?”