The Bargain Mail Order Bride Read online

  Her gaze went back to Jefferson as he weighed the gold in the can. Did he enjoy making Carl feel bad, or was he unaware of how his words were affecting him? Some people weren’t good at picking up on things they said and did that were upsetting. It was like they were incapable of knowing what was appropriate. Was Jefferson one of them?

  She watched Jefferson closely as he proceeded to count out the money before he handed it over to Carl. He was cordial, and she knew enough about the exchange rate of gold to know he was being fair with Carl regarding the amount he was giving him. Just as Carl said, there would be enough to get them through the winter, and she surmised they had enough to also see them through spring.

  “See you again next year,” Jefferson told Carl as Carl slipped the money into the sack. He glanced at her and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

  She returned the sentiment then left the building with Carl following close behind. Once they were safely out of hearing distance from anyone else, she slowed her steps and asked, “Do you like Jefferson?”

  Carl shrugged. “I don’t not like him.”

  Eyebrows furrowed, she asked, “What do you mean by that?”

  “Jefferson’s alright. He tries not to let his personal feelings affect how he does business, but he doesn’t care much for me.”

  Really? She bit her lower lip. Dare she ask why? Was this something she needed to know? No. She didn’t. She told herself it wasn’t her concern. She liked Carl, and it didn’t matter to her what others thought. But there was that other part of her—the incredibly nosy part—that pressed her to inquire into the matter.

  “Does it have something to do with Lydia?” she blurted out before the more rational part of her could stop her.

  “No, it has nothing to do with Lydia,” Carl replied. “It has to do with the stream. Not everyone believes I have a right to it even though the judge says otherwise.” They reached the general store, and he opened the door for her. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to come back before spring, so make sure you get enough to last the entire winter.”

  Since he had abruptly changed the topic, she knew he wouldn’t answer anything else she wanted to ask. Not that she could blame him. She would have done the same if he asked about her past.

  Since he was waiting for her to enter the general store, she did. This building was bigger than the others along the street, which was why she was surprised by how small it seemed. All the items were either crammed along the shelves lining the walls or stacked up high on several tables that nearly took up the entire space. Even the counter had crates full of things on it. The area in the back that served as the post office was the only spot in the store that was free of clutter.

  “Do you want to write a letter?” Carl asked her.

  “No,” she replied. “I don’t have anyone I need to write to. I only want to get the things we need for the winter.” Her gaze swept the store again. “Maybe I should have made a list.”

  “I can always tell Daniel what I usually get, and you can add to it,” Carl offered.

  “Yes, let’s do that.”

  It was ironic that prior to coming to town, she’d known exactly what she needed, and now that she was here, her mind was drawing a blank. Hopefully, listening to him rattle off the supplies they needed to Daniel would help her focus. Because even as they approached the counter, she was overwhelmed by the selection of things around her.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Richie,” a man said as he popped up from behind the counter.

  Juliet jerked back.

  “Sorry,” the man said with a chuckle. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I was sorting through some boxes.”

  Juliet had to assume he was telling the truth since she couldn’t see what was on the floor behind the counter. She glanced at Carl to see if she should suspect otherwise, but Carl didn’t seem to think the man had been eavesdropping on them.

  “You can call her Juliet,” Carl said. “You’ve never been formal before. I don’t know why you’d start now.”

  Daniel shrugged. “I only saw her one time. She’s practically a stranger. But enough of that.” Daniel grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. “How can I help you today?”

  As Daniel wrote down the things Carl rambled off, Juliet tried to think of what Carl was leaving out.

  The door to the general store opened, and Juliet glanced over in time to see an unfamiliar young man and woman enter the store.

  Next to her, Carl groaned under his breath. She looked at him as he turned back to Daniel. If Daniel noticed Carl’s discomfort, he didn’t give any indication of it. Instead, Daniel called out a greeting to Abe and Phoebe as if nothing was wrong.

  Abe! That was Abe? She turned back to the man then studied Carl’s face. Well, there was a resemblance between them if one took a moment to study their faces. Both had the same cheekbones and chin.

  Carl continued telling Daniel what he wanted. Meanwhile, Abe and Phoebe remained by the door, whispering to each other. Since they were glancing over at her and Carl, she figured they were just as uncomfortable as she and Carl were. Since Carl hadn’t disclosed anything about his relationship to Abe, it made it even more awkward to know what to do. The polite thing to do would be to wave at them, but did she dare?

  Phoebe and Abe went over to one of the shelves and started shopping. Well, maybe this was the best way to handle things. If they ignored each other, maybe they would get through this without anyone getting upset. Juliet glanced at Carl, who was still rattling off the items he wanted. It seemed that he had no trouble ignoring them. And given the fact that Phoebe handed Abe a few staple items to hold, they seemed to agree this was the best method to use.

  Releasing her breath, Juliet decided she’d do the same thing.

  When Carl finished, he turned to her. “Is there anything you want?”

  “Oh, um, I can’t think of anything,” she replied.

  “What about gloves?” Carl asked, glancing at her bare hands. Then, looking at Daniel, he added, “Do you have a pair that might fit her?”

  “I think so. I can get a couple from the back, and she can try them on,” Daniel replied.

  Carl nodded his consent, and Daniel headed to the back room.

  “I wish I had taken the time to write down what I wanted before we came here,” she whispered.

  “We still have time to add something.” He picked up the list and handed it to her. “Look it over and see if there’s anything I forgot.”

  As she took the paper from him, Daniel came back with some gloves and placed them on the counter. The door opened again, and this time Juliet saw Caroline come in. Juliet bit her lower lip. With Phoebe and Abe in the store, should she offer a greeting to her or not? Or would she unwittingly make things worse?

  Yes, she probably would. Not directly, perhaps, but it would force Caroline to have to choose between her and Phoebe, and that didn’t seem like a wise thing to do. Maybe it was best to pretend like she hadn’t noticed her. Then Caroline could slip out of the store and come back at a later time when both couples were gone.

  She turned her back to Caroline and read the list. She read through it twice, but she couldn’t think of anything he’d missed.

  “I think you got everything,” she whispered and put the list back on the counter.

  He picked up the list and grabbed a large crate. “I’ll start gathering the things you want while you try on the gloves.”

  “Does Jimmy still sell hay?” Carl asked before Daniel left the counter.

  “Yes, he does,” Daniel said. “You need some?”

  Carl nodded. “Is he home?”

  Daniel checked the clock. “He should be for a few more minutes. He’s taken over as the school’s superintendent, and the board wants to meet with him this afternoon. If you want that hay, I suggest you get it now.”

  Daniel took the crate and started putting the items they had requested into it.

  Carl glanced back, and Juliet followed his gaze, which settled on Car
oline who was talking to Phoebe and Abe.

  “Go on,” Juliet said. “I’ll be alright.”

  His gaze went back to her, and she caught the uncertainty in his eyes. She had assumed he would welcome the opportunity to get out of the store. She knew she would if Abe was her half-brother.

  Abe put the staple items into a small crate, gave it to Phoebe, and then left the store.

  Juliet thought Carl might feel better. But the worried look in his eyes was still there. It was then she realized what was bothering him. He was afraid she might talk to the women, specifically to Phoebe, and think less of him. Phoebe was married to his half-brother, and since he and Abe didn’t get along, it was possible Phoebe didn’t care much for him.

  “It will be fine,” Juliet told Carl. “No one’s going to change my opinion about you. I like the man you are.”

  He stared at her for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard her right.

  “If you want that hay, you should get going,” Daniel called out.

  Carl glanced at Phoebe and Caroline, who were still talking, then told her, “I shouldn’t be too long. Ten…maybe fifteen minutes.”

  Since he still didn’t seem convinced, she assured him, “Everything will be fine.”

  With a sigh, he headed out of the store.

  If he could see things from her perspective, then he’d know he didn’t have anything to worry about. He was a lot better than her brothers. But there was no way of telling him that. At least he was willing to believe her. Turning her attention to the gloves, she started trying them on.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jimmy helped Carl put the last of the hay into the back of the wagon. “Are you going to have enough room for the things you’re buying from the store? Your wagon’s over half full.”

  “I’ll make room,” Carl replied as he shoved the stack of hay as far back as it’d go.

  Even if Carl had to put some things up front on the seat between him and Juliet, he’d do it. Just as long as he didn’t have to come back to town before spring, the discomfort during the ride back would be worth it.

  Jimmy shrugged. “Alright. It’s your wagon.”

  Carl sighed. Why did it seem that most people didn’t think he knew what he was doing? If it hadn’t been his father who doubted him, it was Lydia. And even with both of them out of the way, he still had to contend with this nonsense whenever he came to town.

  “At least I’m paying you, so it doesn’t matter if I can lug everything to my place or not,” Carl said.

  Jimmy threw his hands up in the air. “I meant no offense. It’s just that when Kyle tried to haul hay and a winter’s worth of supplies back to his cabin, he lost half his supplies on the way home. He had to go back and pick everything up.”

  “When Kyle was ten, he thought he could fly from the top of his barn if he took a few bird feathers and flapped his arms,” Carl said. “You can’t compare me to him.”

  Jimmy chuckled. “I forgot about that. It’s a good thing his pa caught him before he landed.”

  Carl pulled out the bills from his pocket and paid Jimmy.

  “Try not to be so serious,” Jimmy said. “It’s alright to laugh once in a while.”

  He shot Jimmy a pointed look. “It’s hard to laugh when people keep criticizing everything I do.”

  “A lot of that is in your head.”

  “Is it?” He glanced around to make sure no one was listening then lowered his voice. “Are you aware that people blame me for the fact that Jerry killed Lydia?”

  “They’re in shock, Carl. No one believed Jerry was capable of murder.”

  “No, but they sure did blame me before they found out it was him. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, they’re blaming me for the fact that he did it.”

  “Give them time. They’ll come around.”

  Carl was ready to protest, but he held his tongue and let Jimmy leave. What was the point in trying to correct him? Everyone—and that meant everyone—thought he was imagining all the bad things that happened to him. They couldn’t imagine it was as bad as he made it out to be. The only person who didn’t give him any grief was Juliet.

  He couldn’t wait to get out of this town. Next year. Next year, he’d find enough gold to finally make it out of here. Now that he had Juliet’s help, there was hope. Real hope.

  The sound of a dog barking and a couple of horses’ neighing brought Carl’s attention to the stagecoach. To avoid hitting the dog, the driver ended up leading the stagecoach right for Carl. Carl hurried out of the way, and the driver pulled back the reins just in time to avoid hitting his wagon. The dog ran across the road, still barking but unharmed.

  The stagecoach came to a stop, and the driver wiped his brow. “Stupid animal,” he muttered.

  “I told you not to drink while you’re driving the stage,” the young man next to the driver said. “If you had listened to me, you would’ve seen the dog in plenty of time.”

  The driver’s face turning bright red, he snapped his fingers and pointed to the door of the stagecoach. “Get the mail to the general store.”

  The young man rolled his eyes before he hopped down and opened the door. As he did, a bag fell to the ground, and since it wasn’t latched securely, some of the mail fell out with it.

  “I told you not to take the turns so fast!” the young man yelled at the driver.

  The driver grunted. “And I told you to make sure the bags were secure. Go on and get it all together. We’re late enough as it is.”

  The young man groaned and started to collect the mail.

  Carl couldn’t help but feel sorry for the young man. Was it his fault his boss happened to be the way he was? Carl jogged over to him and knelt down to help.

  “Thanks,” the man said.

  “Think nothing of it,” Carl replied as he grabbed a handful of letters and a couple of catalogues. Noting a poster about to blow away in the breeze, he hurried to retrieve it.

  “Are you telling me you can’t do the job by yourself?” the driver called out to the young man.

  The young man turned away from Carl. “What do you care? You’re too lazy to do anything but sit up on that seat all day.”

  Carl put the letters and catalogues into the sack. Then he got ready to put the poster in there when he realized it was a Wanted poster, and it was addressed to the “Sheriff in Town”.

  “I’ve worked twenty-three years,” the driver was telling the young man. “That’s twenty-two years and six months more than you’ve ever done. I’ve earned the right to stay seated.”

  Carl was ready to slip the poster back into the sack when he realized the drawing of the woman on it looked familiar. He paused and studied it. It was Juliet. Even wearing the cowboy hat on her head and a bandana around her neck, he’d recognize her anywhere.

  He thought back to how insistent the preacher was that he recognized Juliet. Maybe he’d seen a copy of this poster during one of his travels. He just didn’t remember it.

  “I hope I never get that lazy,” the young man told the driver. “I never want to be as miserable as you.”

  The young man began to turn back to him. Without thinking, Carl quickly folded the poster and slipped it into his pocket before he shoved the rest of the mail into the sack. The young man thanked him again as he picked up the sack.

  While he went into the general store, Carl slowly stood up and glanced around to make sure no one had seen him steal the poster that was meant for Eric. No one, thankfully, seemed to even notice him. They were too busy laughing about the argument that had transpired between the driver and his assistant.

  Well, that worked to Carl’s favor. He didn’t need to draw attention to himself. It would probably be best if he went back to the general store. He would have to inspect the poster later on when he was alone. Wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, he headed for the store.

  ***

  Juliet was beginning to think Caroline wasn’t going to talk to her, something that would be a relief since she
didn’t like awkward encounters any more than Carl did. But as Juliet finished putting on the last pair of gloves, Caroline approached her.

  “I didn’t want you to think I was ignoring you,” Caroline greeted.

  Forcing a smile, Juliet turned to her, deciding to keep up the pretense that she hadn’t realized Caroline had been in the store. “Caroline! It’s nice to see you. Did you bring Caleb?”

  “No,” Caroline replied. “He’s in school. I’m here by myself. I thought you saw me over there with Phoebe.” She motioned to the area of the store where Phoebe was.

  “No, I didn’t. I was just trying on these gloves.” Juliet held her breath and waited to see if Caroline would fall for the lie.

  Fortunately, Caroline seemed to believe her since she returned her smile. “I came in to get some flour and sugar. I’m going to make cookies. It’s the one thing I know how to make really well.”

  “Surely, you can make other things.”

  “Well, I can, but I’ve never burnt cookies.”

  “If Caleb likes cookies as much as he likes brown sugar candy, then I’m sure he doesn’t mind if you make them all the time.” Why, her brothers considered treats a full meal and would eat them instead of more nutritious foods.

  Caroline glanced over at Phoebe who was gathering more things to put into her crate. “Would you like to meet Phoebe?” Caroline asked. “I’m her friend, and now that I’m yours, I’m afraid it would be rude if I didn’t introduce you two. We don’t have to mention anything about Carl or Abe. We’ll stick to pleasant topics.”

  “Well…” Juliet had nothing against Phoebe. She didn’t have anything against Abe. And meeting either one of them wasn’t going to change what she thought of Carl. “Alright. But let me tell Daniel which pair of gloves I want first.”

  Caroline joined her as she went over to the store owner. After she handed him the pair she wanted, she followed Caroline and headed to Phoebe.

  “Phoebe is with child,” Caroline told her.