Nelly's Mail Order Husband Page 9

  “But you could fall in love with me.”

  Though she blushed, she didn’t respond to him. Instead, she ran past him and called out a greeting to her father.

  He followed her, keeping his steps slow so that he wouldn’t interfere with them. Her father got off the horse, and she hugged him. When she pulled away from him, he asked her something, and she spent an entire minute giving her reply. It was only as Val closed in on them that he heard her mention that she was going to have to take him into town.

  “None of his clothes are suitable for this kind of life,” she was telling her father. “I don’t know why he bothered to bring so many. He might as well have just come with the clothes on his back.”

  She was right, of course. Now that he knew exactly what he had signed up for when he came out to marry her, he would have saved himself the grief of lugging two large trunks with him. But it was too late for that.

  Her father looked over at him. “I’m glad you’re being a gentleman with my little girl.”

  Val didn’t know how many times he had to tell people that he was the son of an earl, and since that was the case, he took his behavior seriously. He had always been held to a higher standard than other men around him. He could not, nor would he, do anything to disgrace the title he would one day inherit.

  But such a reminder would be pointless. As his father had warned, no one—absolutely no one in this country—was impressed with English nobility. It was probably because men like Seth lived around here. For all he knew, it was strange if a man did mind his manners.

  “He’s being just fine, Pa,” Nelly said. “In fact, he’s going to make breakfast this morning so I can feed the animals and milk the cow.”

  “I am,” Val replied and showed her father the eggs in the bowl he was holding. “And I’m happy to do it.” Because it was much better than touching cow teats or cleaning stalls.

  “The only time I made anything was while your ma was expecting your sister Erin,” her father told her. “You, Patricia, and your ma were all sick at the same time.” He glanced at Val. “I almost burned down the house, and I didn’t do it on purpose in order to get out of cooking in the future.”

  “Soon after that, we got rid of the sod house and built one made of lumber,” Nelly added. “It’s like the house I have but has more bedrooms.”

  Tom nodded. “My wife insisted on getting a bigger home because we were getting cramped in the small house, and she thinks it was why everyone was sick for so long. The thing kept bouncing from person to person. I don’t know why I never got it.”

  Curious, Val asked, “What is the difference between a sod house and a house made of lumber?” He assumed all houses were made of lumber.

  “A sod house is made of mud,” her father replied.

  “Mud?” Val repeated, just to make sure he’d heard right.

  “Yep,” Nelly said. “There’s a lot of dirt around here, and it’s good for making mud bricks. You just put some plaster on it. It’s pretty durable.”

  “My brother, Dave, had trouble remembering how to get the plaster right,” her father began. “That was why he was always repairing his sod home. The trick is getting the plaster right. If you do that, you have very little to worry about when it rains.”

  “Uncle Dave has a house made of lumber now,” Nelly inserted. “If he didn’t, we could show you what a sod house looks like.”

  “That’s alright,” Val hurried to assure her. “I don’t need to see one. I get the idea.” And he knew for a fact he wouldn’t want to live in one. Imagine him sleeping or eating in a place made of mud. He’d thought his current situation was as bad as it could get, but now he knew better. Thank goodness Nelly had a home made of lumber!

  “The reason I came by is to invite you both to dinner this evening at our place,” her father spoke up.

  “There’s no way we’ll have time for it today,” Nelly replied. “By the time we’ve gone shopping for Val’s clothes and staple items and then come back, I’ll have to take care of the animals.”

  Her father glanced at him. “How many new clothes do you need? You brought two trunks with you.”

  Val’s face warmed. “I brought clothes I thought I’d need. I don’t have anything sufficient for this homestead.” He motioned to his outfit. Though he had left off the suit jacket and vest, the shirt and trousers were sorely out of place here.

  “What kind of place did you think you’d be living in when you came to Omaha?” her father asked.

  “Never mind that, Pa,” Nelly interrupted, probably to save Val the humiliation of having to explain his sorry story.

  Val was glad she’d done that. It was embarrassing enough to deal with the reality of his new life. He didn’t want everyone around them to know what he thought he was going to marry into.

  “We have to start on breakfast and milk the cow before we can leave,” Nelly said. “Why don’t we come to your home tomorrow for supper?”

  Though her father didn’t seem all that happy to put off the meal, he nodded his agreement.

  She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m looking forward to it.” Then, she glanced over at Val. “He is, too.”

  “Yes, of course, I am,” Val hurried to speak up.

  After an awkward moment passed between everyone, her father got up on his horse. He lifted the reins, but before he kicked the horse in the sides, he said, “If you want, I can help out today. You know…get the wagon ready, load the wagon with the things you’ll buy, and…” he glanced at Val, “show you the best place to buy clothes. Not all denims and boots are worth the money you spend on them.”

  “We can manage just fine on our own, Pa,” Nelly replied. “You taught me everything I know. I’m twenty-three. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

  “It’s just my luck you’re so independent,” her father mumbled under his breath. In a louder voice, he said, “Alright. I’ll let you two go alone.”

  Still looking uncertain, he offered them a wave then headed off the property.

  Nelly shook her head. “One would think we weren’t married with the way he’s acting.”

  “Maybe he really wants to help us bring things home,” Val said.

  She rolled her eyes. “No. He’s not all that happy that we’re going to be alone. He acts this way any time a young man has come around to visit me or my sisters.”

  Val unwittingly thought of Seth. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Did you tell him Seth makes it a habit of stopping by?”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dare. He would never have let me have this homestead if he knew.” She gestured to the bowl in his hands. “Go on and make breakfast. I’ll finish up with the animals and bring in the milk. We need to head on out if we want to make it back at a decent time.”

  She headed back to the barn, and Val took a moment to watch her father as he slowly made his way off the property. He couldn’t blame her father for being worried about her. Val was sure if his sister had married a stranger under similar circumstances, he would be worried about her, too.

  He turned his attention back to the house. He had to start on breakfast. He recalled how long it’d taken to get here from the train station. The sooner they got everything ready to head on out, the better. Whistling under his breath, he went to the house.

  Chapter Ten

  Val blinked in shock when he saw Nelly come out of the house an hour and a half later. She was wearing a dress. He had to blink again to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. Sure, enough, she was still wearing a dress. It was a pleasant light green color that matched her bonnet. And he liked the way it fit on her. He hadn’t realized her breasts were as big as they were or that she had an hourglass figure. The large untucked shirts she’d been wearing had hidden all of that from him.

  She bounded down the porch steps and approached him. He straightened up, his heartbeat picking up. He knew she was pretty. No amount of shirts and pants could hide that, but she seemed even more attractive when she had a dress on.

 
; When she reached him, he said, “I’ll help you into the wagon.”

  “I plan to drive it since I know where everything is in town,” she replied.

  “I figured you’d drive it, but I should help you in.” With a grin, he asked, “Unless you want to help me in instead.”

  As he hoped, she laughed at his joke. “Well, I do have some difficulty getting up into the seat without help. I’ll gladly accept your offer.”

  He hurried with her to the driver’s side of the wagon and offered her his hand. She took it, and he noted the pleasant warmth that swept over him at her touch. He glanced at her, wondering if she experienced it, too, but there was no telling what she was thinking since her expression was neutral.

  Once she was on the seat, he went to the other side and hopped in.

  The wind blew her dress up, so she tucked it around her legs. “This is why I hate dresses,” she told him. “When I wear pants, I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing my bloomers. In fact, when I wear pants, I don’t even have to wear bloomers. You have no idea how lucky you are to be a man.”

  “I consider myself lucky to be a man because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be married to you.” She gave him a surprised look, so he added, “You’re everything your sisters said you were: sweet-natured, sensible, and attractive.”

  “Attractive?”

  He hadn’t expected her to pick up on the last word in the list of compliments he’d just extended to her. Since she was watching him, he said, “Yes. You’re a very pretty lady. I could tell that as soon as I met you, of course, but it’s even more noticeable now that you’re wearing that dress.”

  She hesitated for a moment then replied, “My ma always said green is a good color on me.”

  “It’s more than the color. It’s…” Unable to think of how to adequately explain what he meant, he gestured to her entire body. “It’s everything. The whole thing. You’re just beautiful.”

  “Oh.” A blush crept up her cheeks, and she offered him a shy smile. “Thanks.” Then she glanced away from him and released the brake. “Hold on. These horses like to go faster than most.” She lifted the reins and snapped them.

  Thanks to the wagon ride out to this place on their wedding day, he was prepared for the jerky movement forward. It was a lot like the train, except the seat was hard.

  On their way into town, Nelly pointed out the homesteads they passed and told him a little about the people who lived on them. He only half-listened. He knew he should probably be paying better attention. Back in Boston, he made sure to note everything his father or mother told him about their neighbors in case they had them over for a dinner party. But he had the feeling Nelly didn’t spend a lot of time entertaining guests in order to gain some social advantage. He got the feeling that Nelly only associated with people because she genuinely liked them.

  “We should get you some suitable clothes and then get the food items we need,” Nelly told him as she urged the horses to turn down one of the streets in town. As she slowed the horses down, she glanced at his shoes. “You’ll need a pair of boots. Those are better suited for church.” Then, as an afterthought, she added, “But now that I think about it, they’re too fancy for even that unless you happen to be in the wealthier part of town.”

  Yes, he’d figured that already. He had four other pairs of shoes that were as nice as the ones he was wearing. Actually, now that he took a good look at the ones he had on, he realized they weren’t nearly as nice as they were two days ago. Already, there were scuffs on them, and, even though he had done his best to wipe the bottoms clean, he suspected some of the muck from the stalls was permanently stuck there.

  He turned his attention to the stores lining the business district. He’d rather not think about it. As his mother would say, “Ignorance is bliss.”

  “Oh!” Nelly brought the horses to an abrupt stop, and he almost fell backward into the wagon. She grabbed him and steadied him just in time. “There’s the post office. You should write to your family and friends to let them know what happened to you.”

  He did his best to hide his apprehension as she found a spot in front of the post office to park. Just how much should he write? He’d already decided he wasn’t going to tell them that he had to do the actual chores on the homestead. But what was safe to say?

  He glanced at her. Would she think he was a snob if he didn’t mention anything about the chores? If he let his family and Jim assume he was operating an actual business, would she get upset?

  She parked the brake and wrapped the reins to secure them. Then she sat up and looked at him expectantly.

  Did she plan to go into the post office with him? Did that mean she intended to read his missives? He drummed his fingers on the bench. “You know,” he began, “waiting for me to write two letters will take a long time. Why don’t you get the things for eating while I write to them?”

  “That’s silly. I need you with me so you can tell me what you want to eat. Come on.” She waved for him to get out of the wagon and help her down. “This won’t take more than ten or fifteen minutes. All you need to do is tell them you arrived in Omaha and that everything’s fine.”

  He stared at her. “That’s all I need to write?” She didn’t expect him to divulge all the details of his new life?

  She nodded. “I know it’ll take you some time to write a long letter letting them know about how much fun running a homestead is. To be honest, there’s so much excitement happening on any given day, I could write an entire book about it.”

  “I bet you could.” There was no denying how much fun she was having with the whole thing. She practically skipped around the property.

  “I don’t expect you to write a book, of course.” She patted his arm and laughed. “But I think you’ll want to write at least five or six pages. That’s going to take you a couple of days at the very least, what with all the other things you have to do around the place. We’ll just send off the long letters when we come back to town. Now, come on.” She shooed him to get out of the wagon. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we can do everything else in town.”

  “Let me guess,” he inserted before she continued. “The sooner we get done in town, the sooner we can get back to work at the homestead.”

  “Exactly.”

  Noting the way her eyes sparkled in unbridled excitement, he released his breath and got down from the wagon. Well, at least she wanted to do the majority of the chores. It wasn’t like she was leaving him all to himself to suffer through them while she took it easy in the house.

  If nothing else, he had to admit it was nice to get an excuse to touch her when he helped her up and down from the wagon. Her hands were rough from the work she did, but the rest of her was soft. He encouraged her to put her arm around his and led her to the post office.

  At least, he had the assurance of knowing he only had to let his family and Jim know he had made it to Omaha and everything was fine. Now, if she watched him write the missives, he wouldn’t have to risk upsetting her. She might think being on a homestead was one big adventure, but he was looking forward to the day when he could hire someone to help with the chores.

  As he suspected, Nelly insisted on standing right beside him as he wrote. She didn’t even pretend she wasn’t interested in what he was writing. She leaned toward him and read every single word he put down. And she did that for both letters. So he made sure to keep his correspondence short and to the point, adding at the end that he was happy to be married to Nelly. He thought she might especially like that part, and by the rose color on her cheeks, he knew he was right. And he had told the truth. He was happy with her. She was turning out to be just as pleasant as he’d hoped when he left Boston.

  Once he had written two short missives, he had the postmaster address one to his family and the other to Jim. Afterward, they went to a men’s clothing store.

  His first inclination was to head straight for the nice shirts and vests, so he hurried over to them. He touched them and was happy to
note they were made of good, solid material. Plus, they had a nice style to them. He could see himself working in something like this.

  “Val,” Nelly whispered, “these are too expensive.”

  Surprised, he turned to her. “I thought everything in here was within our budget.”

  “That side of the store is.” She gestured to the opposite side of the place, which had shirts and vests that weren’t nearly as nice as the side they were currently on. “I was thinking that you should get three shirts and two pairs of pants. We’ll get boots after that.”

  She started going to the other section, so he took a moment to look at the price tags. He didn’t think these were that expensive. They were nothing compared to the clothes he’d bought in Boston. Some of his clothing had even been specifically made for him, and that cost much more.

  “May I help you, sir?”

  Val looked up from one of the price tags as the owner of the store approached him. Val pointed to the side of the store that Nelly was on. At the moment, she was looking through a pile of shirts on a table. “I was interested in the things you have over there,” he told the man.

  “Are you sure those are the shirts you want?” the owner asked with a smile. “I can’t help but notice you’re on this side of the store.”

  As much as he liked the side he and the owner were on, he had to go with what Nelly could afford. It wasn’t like he brought any money into the marriage. “You have a nice selection on both sides of the store,” Val finally decided to say before he hurried over to Nelly.

  If he wasn’t careful, the owner was going to try to talk him into paying more than what Nelly could afford, and there was no way he was going to walk out of here with something on credit. He might not know a lot about money, but being in debt to anyone was never good.

  “I think this will look good on you,” Nelly said as she picked up a plaid green-and-black shirt.

  He glanced at her green dress and bonnet. “Your favorite color is green, isn’t it?”