Ashley Merrick - India: Bride of Indiana (American Mail-Order Bride 19) (7 page)

A
fter their own
dinner of chicken soup and fresh bread with butter, and after the children were tucked snugly in their beds, India and Richard settled in the den to relax for a bit.

“Oh, I forgot to give this to you earlier. You have mail. I stopped by the post office on the way home today.” He handed an envelope to India and she recognized the familiar handwriting of her sister Beth immediately. She’d written to her the first chance that she’d had to send her address to her and she was eager to hear how her sister and mother were settling in. She ripped the envelope open eagerly and slid the letter out.

“
M
y dearest India
,

Y
ou know
I’m missing you terribly. I wish so much that you could have come with us. I think you’d like it here. But, I’m hopeful that your new home is agreeing with you? Richard sounds like a nice man. I really got lucky with George. We’re well suited and as you know, I wasn’t expecting anything like this to happen. Mother is doing well, and sends her love. She’s become fast friends with Naomi Donovan. She’s the mother of many of George’s friends. Naomi has a lot of children, all grown now. I don’t remember if it’s 9 or 10 sons and one daughter.

I’ve become good friends with many of the wives of the Donovan brothers. They came out west as mail-order brides too! Emma was the first one, and also came from Boston. She grew up in an orphanage there and when she turned eighteen, she and her friends had to leave and find jobs, to make room for the new children coming in. Something awful happened with Emma’s employer. She doesn’t talk much about it, but it’s what led her to become a mail-order bride.

Quite a few of her friends have made the trip out as well to be mail-order brides and have married some of the other Donovan brothers. There’s Julia who runs Donovan’s Pub, with her husband Liam. They serve chicken potpie almost as good as yours. And then there’s Colleen, Brianna, Sarah, and Maeve.

Sarah has grown to be one of my closest friends here. She is married to Ricky, who is now the town Mayor. Both she and Colleen love to sew, frankly I don’t know how they can stand it! You know how I feel about sewing though.

Oh, and my other closest friend is Maeve. She’s the most recent mail-order bride and arrived just a few months before I did. She works as a mid-wife and is married to Jason, who is the assistant sheriff here in Bozeman. You’d like her, I’m sure of it.

But as wonderful as my new friends are, none of them are you. We absolutely have to arrange a visit the next time George has to go to Lawrence. I’ve already told him to plan on stopping in South Bend. It’s really not out of the way at all, just past Chicago, which is another city I’m looking forward to visiting. Well, I’ve rambled on here, so I’ll just close with saying I love you! And Merry Christmas! And write soon and tell me all about your wonderful life in South Bend.

Lots of love always,

Beth

I
ndia set
the letter down in her lap and stared into the fire. It was so good to hear from Beth and the letter was like hearing her talk over a cup of coffee, which made her miss her all the more. She was glad that things seemed to be going so well and that she’d already found some good friends. Like she had with Laura.

“I take it that was from your sister? You look both happy and sad at the same time. I hope she’s doing well,?” Richard asked softly.

“Yes, she is, really well. I’m happy for her and for my mother. You’re right, though. I am a little sad. Just missing both of them, especially with the holidays drawing near.” India was quiet for a moment and then added. “I do feel as though I am settling in here, though, and getting to know people. Your sister Laura has become a good friend.”

“I’m glad to hear it. The two of you had a productive day, it seems.”

“We did. In large part thanks to you and your brothers.”

“It wouldn’t have happened without your efforts, though.” Richard paused and then added, “Julia told me about her friend Sylvia when I was tucking her into bed. That was a good thing you did and I’m grateful that you involved the children. It made an impact on her.”

“It was nothing, truly,” India said. “They were hungry and we had food.”

“I’m sure Sylvia’s mother appreciated it,” he said simply.

“Yes, she did. And she managed to get some of the soup down, which should help her to get her strength back.” India frowned, thinking of how sick the poor woman was. “She told me that she is expecting and that the same thing happened to her with her last child. It just seems so horrible.” India shuddered at the thought of going through that.

“I’ve heard of that happening to some women, but it’s rare that it’s that bad. It was actually relatively easy for Amy. Except for the delivery, of course.”

“True. Well, I suppose I should look on the bright side. I won’t have to worry about that at all.” India smiled cheerfully and noticed that Richard looked taken aback by her comment. He stared into the fire and looked deep in thought. Finally, after several minutes of silence, he stood and stretched.

“I’m heading up to bed. Good night, India.”

“
I
t seems
that we have a Secret Santa among us!” Olivia announced as she called the meeting to order. It was the Wednesday before the charity event at the hotel and they had just finished lunch at Brannigan’s and were going to go over last minute details for the event.

“I heard about that,” Irene said. “No one has any idea who it is, though. So far this month I’ve heard that a cord of wood suddenly appeared at the Johnson’s house. Bill Johnson has been out of work and times have been tough for them.”

“And just last week, a new wagon wheel appeared on old Mrs. Jenkins buggy. She had just mentioned to someone in church that she needed to get it fixed and didn’t know how she was going to manage.”

“I heard a package of new shoes and winter coats appeared on the front door step of the James family. Everyone knows they have more children than money to support them,” Olivia said disdainfully.

“Well, I think it’s just wonderful,” Laura said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. We should just be thankful that this person is helping. And soon our event will raise even more money to help people like this.”

“Yes, well. We need to be thinking about what our next special project will be. We’ll have an extra meeting next Wednesday to discuss that and to see how we did with fundraising.” She glanced Laura’s way.

“Laura, you headed up the special auction committee. Do you have an update for us? Do we have at least five silent auction items?”

Laura stood up to give her report. “We have twenty, actually. Just about every business along Main Street donated an item or service for the auction.” There were audible gasps throughout the room. At past events, Laura had said, they’d barely managed to scrape up four or five items for auction. Laura had a grin on her face as she added to her update. “And I’m pleased to announce that we have one big ticket item for the auction. The Blake Wagon Company has agreed to donate one of their newest buggies, the Eagle model, which was just released recently.

A hush fell over the room and Olivia looked shocked. “That’s incredible. Please thank Richard and your other brothers for us.”

Laura sat back down and winked at India. “That shut her up for a moment.”

India chuckled as she took a sip of her coffee, and then a thought occurred to her.

“I just realized that I don’t think I have anything to wear to this! I’ve never been to any kind of a fancy event and this is just a few days away. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.”

“I don’t think there’s enough time to get something made, though Shirley Feeney at the dress shop in town might be able to manage it. She is something of a miracle worker. She’s made a few dresses at the last minute for me.” She leaned back and took a close look at India. “I think we might be just about the same size, though you’re a little slimmer. One of my dresses should fit you. Why don’t you come by my house after the meeting and we can have a look?”

India felt herself relax just a bit. “If you don’t mind, that would help so much. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t think of this until now.”

“Well, why would you? If you don’t normally go to these kinds of things, it wouldn’t be on your mind at all.”

“You’re just trying to make me feel better,” India said with a smile.

“It will be fun, you’ll see. You can try on a few of my dresses and I’m sure one of them will be just perfect.”

O
ne of them was
. India and Sammy followed Laura to her house after the meeting and they went her into her house and up to her bedroom. Laura walked into a large closet and returned with four dresses, all very different and all beautiful.

“What are you wearing?” India asked. Laura went back into the closet and pulled out yet another dress. This one was shimmery and copper-colored and had a delicate cream lace overlay across the bodice. It was beautiful. All the dresses were.

“That’s gorgeous. I don’t know which one to choose. They’re all lovely.”

“Try them on. That’s the best way to decide.” And for the next half hour, India did exactly that. She tried on each dress and walked in front of Laura’s full-length mirror to see which one looked and felt the best. Finally, she narrowed her choices to two dresses, one a deep purple satin and the other was unusual-looking, with a chocolate brown patterned top half and a full, pale blue skirt that was whimsical and light and had a bit of a fairy look to it.

“They’re both lovely, but I think you should go with the brown and blue one. You can’t stop staring at that skirt. It’s ethereal, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s the perfect word. I feel fairy-like in it.”

“Then that is the one you should wear. Decision made.” Laura carefully hung the dress and then folded it neatly and wrapped a soft blanket around it for protection on the ride home.

“See you at the event on Saturday,” she said as India set the dress carefully in the back seat of her buggy, and then she and Sammy climbed in and drove off.

T
he night of the event
, India fed the children a little earlier than usual. They were going to drop them off at Richard’s brother Jim and Mary’s house and they were going to have a sleepover with their cousins. Jim had offered to watch them since they weren’t going to be going to the event anyway. Mary wasn’t feeling up to it as her baby was coming due soon.

India and Richard sat down with the children as they ate their grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

“I can’t wait to see your pretty dress!” Julia said.

“It is a pretty dress. I’m looking forward to wearing it.” India took a slice of bread, put a little butter on it and took a bite. She hadn’t eaten much for lunch, was suddenly starving and knew there wasn’t going to be a full dinner at the event.

A cloudy look crossed Julia’s face. “Tommy Haskell told me the saddest thing today,” she said.

“Isn’t he the one that was bothering you, pulling your hair?” India asked.

“He used to do that. He doesn’t anymore. We’re friends now. But, he told me that Santa isn’t going to be able to visit his house this year. He sounded really sad.”

“Why isn’t Santa going to visit Tommy?” Richard asked.

“He said Santa wrote his mother a letter and said that he had a big gift for them this year, a new roof for the house. But it meant that there would be no toys for the children. His mother told him that a new roof was the best possible gift that Santa could give them.”

“Is Tommy the boy whose father died last year?” Richard asked.

“Yes, he had the influenza.”

“How awful,” India murmured.

“Santa will still come here, won’t he?” Julia asked nervously.

Richard chuckled. “Yes, honey. I believe we are still on Santa’s route.”

“Good, because I would be really sad if he didn’t bring us toys. Maybe I can ask Santa for a toy for Tommy?” Her face brightened at the thought. “I know he really wants a toy truck.”

“We can write him a letter tomorrow, honey, if you like,” India suggested.

“And I’ll ask him for something for his younger brother Colin, too.” She frowned and then added, “I don’t know what he wants, though.”

“Santa will figure something out, sweetie,” Richard said.

A
n hour later
, India was dressed in Laura’s gorgeous gown and had her hair pulled back in her favorite silver combs. She really felt like a princess or a fairy in her dress. The skirt had a magical look to it. It was shimmery and had a sheer overlay that rustled with her movements. The brown top half with its swirly cream embroidered pattern nipped in at the waist and combined with her corset, it made her waist look impossibly small.

“You look incredible!” Richard said as she made her way downstairs to where he was waiting by the door. The children were all ready to go with their coats and hats on and small bags packed to spend the evening. Richard helped her on with her long coat and then they all left and climbed into the buggy. Richard drove them to Jim’s house and after they got the children settled for the evening, they made their way to the Windsor Hotel. They tied the horses up outside and then made their way in.

The hotel was all decorated for the holidays now, with a huge Christmas tree in the lobby that was beautifully decorated and had dozens of tiny candles twinkling merrily. There were wreaths and red and green garlands everywhere, adorned with silver and gold bows and ornaments. They joined the others who were streaming in and heading for the main ballroom. They gave their coats to the attendant that was collecting them and then entered the ballroom.

It had been beautiful when India and Laura visited before, but now, fully decorated, it was breathtaking. There were elegant dried floral arrangements and candles on all the tables, which were covered with thick, snow-white linens. A five-piece band was setting up by the dance floor and servers were strolling by offering hot appetizers. At both ends of the room, bars were set up and waiters also roamed the room, taking drink orders.

“Would you like something?” Richard asked. India didn’t usually drink alcohol, except on rare occasions and it seemed as though this evening qualified.

“I’d like a glass of white wine, please,” she said.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” Richard wandered off to get their drinks while India walked the perimeter of the room to check out the silent auction tables. They lined the walls and each one had an explanation of the item or service that had been donated and a sheet of paper below it, so that people could enter their bids. Toward the end of the night, the papers would be collected and the winners announced. The prizes looked impressive and she hoped that they would have a good turnout for bids.

Richard returned with her wine and India took a small sip. The cold liquid slid down her throat and then the alcohol warmed her. The wine was good, smooth and light and India took another sip, feeling happy.

She’d never been to any kind of event like this and felt like a child in a candy store, looking all around in wonder. She took in all the elegantly dressed people and the beautiful surroundings. And then her thoughts turned to Julia’s friend Tommy and for a moment she felt guilty that they had so much while his family had so little. She’d been in their shoes before, with a father gone and a single mother struggling to make ends meet. It was very difficult. She hoped that things would get better for them soon.

“You look beautiful in that dress!” Laura exclaimed as she and her husband Jason walked up to them.

“Thank you for letting me borrow it. You look lovely, too.” Laura did look radiant in her dress. When light hit the copper- colored material, it seemed to shimmer and take on a life of its own and made her skin glow.

“What are you drinking?” Laura looked curiously at the wine glass India was holding.

“White wine. I don’t typically drink alcohol, except for special occasions.

“Same here. Honey, I’ll have a glass of that too, if you’re going to the bar?”

Jason chuckled. “I guess I am now. I’ll be right back.”

He returned a few minutes later with Laura’s wine and handed it to her.

“Thanks, honey. We’re going to socialize a bit. Be back soon.” She took India’s arm and pulled her along.

They made the rounds of the room, with Laura introducing her to so many people that India finally gave up even pretending to remember all of their names. She recognized quite a few faces, though, some people from church, the women’s group and the various businesses along Main Street. Laura wanted to check all of the auction items, to make sure everything was as it should be. She’d been by earlier in the day to set everything up. Once she was satisfied that it all looked as it should, they made their way back to their husbands, who were gathered around several cocktail tables, along with some unfamiliar faces.

“I’ll introduce you when there’s a break in conversation,” Laura said and then explained who they were. “The tall man in the middle is Ray Brannigan and his wife Leslie.”

“From Brannigan’s Restaurant?” India asked.

“That’s right, and to his left is Smith Jones. He’s a handsome devil that one, don’t you think?”

India looked at the man she was referring to and had to agree. He was tall and somewhat dangerous looking, with dark hair, a square jaw and strong nose that looked as though it may have been broken once or twice. He must have sensed her looking his way because he suddenly caught her eye and smiled knowingly. India immediately looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring. The man had eyes that could see right through you. Even from where she stood, she could see that they were a piercing blue, very pale, almost ice-like. It was a bit disconcerting. She glanced Richard’s way and was even more mortified to find him scowling at her and then glaring at Smith.

“Yes, he’s quite handsome,” India agreed, thinking it was the understatement of the year. She glanced back at Richard and saw that he was engaged in conversation with Ray Brannigan. India studied his face, comparing it to the newcomer, Smith Jones. Smith was, no doubt, a more handsome man, but when she looked at Richard, she was moved so much more by his inner beauty. And by his intensity. Even though he didn’t think so, she still thought Richard was a handsome man, especially when he smiled and the joy radiated from his eyes.

“A penny for your thoughts?” The deep voice was unfamiliar and came from the man beside her. India took a slight step back when she realized that Smith Jones had walked over to talk to her.

“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m India Mitch…Um, India Blake, Richard Blake’s wife.” She glanced Richard’s way as if to emphasize the point and Smith chuckled.

“Yes, so I’ve heard. I’m Smith Jones. I’m fairly new in town.”

“Oh? Where are you from?”

“Boston. Cambridge, actually.”

“I’m from Boston, too. What brought you here?” India was curious why anyone would leave Boston unless they had to.

“I have a business in Boston, and am looking to expand across the country. Having a location here in South Bend, by the river, will enable me to easily transport my products from one state to another.”

“What kind of products do you make?”

Smith smiled. “I suppose you could say I’m a competitor of your husband’s company. We make wagons and carriages too, and we’re working on something even more exciting.”

“What’s that?” India hadn’t realized that there were any other wagon-making companies in the area.

“A personal vehicle that will run on steam, like the trains do. We’re not quite there yet, but it looks promising.” India could tell that he was just as passionate about his business as Richard was and she wondered if Richard’s company was working on developing anything like the steam-powered vehicle that he spoke of. Richard didn’t often share many details of what he was working on, but when he did, she found it very interesting. She looked up and saw Richard staring at the two of them, and decided to go over and talk to him.

“That sounds fascinating. If you’d excuse me, I need to go see my husband for a moment.”

“Of course. It was nice to meet you, India,” Smith said with a lazy smile and then turned to accept a meatball from an elegantly clad server. The servers were dressed all in black, except for white ties and cummerbunds, which Laura had noted earlier made them all look like quite elegant penguins.

India reached Richard’s side and he smiled down at her. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s been a wonderful night so far. I feel like a fairy princess,” she chuckled as she looked about the room at all the elegant dresses and waiters circulating with trays of delicious food.

“You look like one. That dress is beautiful on you. You’re beautiful.” There was a new, husky tone to his voice that got her attention. He wasn’t just being polite. It sounded like he really meant that he found her beautiful. India’s heart leaped. Could it be that Richard actually felt something for her? She was pondering the thought when she heard him introduce her to Ray Brannigan and his wife, Leslie.”

“…And this is my wife, India.”

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” India said and shook each of their hands. “I’ve eaten at your restaurant several times now, for the women’s group meetings, and have really enjoyed the food.”

“Thank you,” Ray said.

“We’ll have to go in for dinner sometime,” Richard said, and then asked, “How’s business?”

Ray chuckled. “It’s been good, better than expected, frankly. People seem to like the food and have been spreading the word. It’s still up and down, though. Busier one week than the next. Makes it hard to always plan accurately. Sometimes we end up having to throw out a lot of food. It’s a shame, really. We try to use up as much as possible, but like I said, sometimes we’re left with extra or run short on something else. The nature of the business, I suppose.”

“What do you do with the extra food?” India asked.

“We take some of the leftovers home or give to staff to take, but the rest of it we toss in the trash. Like I said, it’s a shame. We’re hoping that business will eventually even out and be more consistent, so we can plan better.”

“India, you have to try a bite of this!” Laura was by her side holding a plate of what looked like a decadent chocolate cake. “I brought you a fork so you can help me eat this.”

India accepted the fork and took a bite of the cake. The flavor was rich and the frosting was creamy and the cake itself was moist and delicious. “It’s wonderful, but I don’t think you need my help to eat this. I could devour the whole slice easily.”

“Yes, but you need to save room for the slice of lemon pie we’re going to split,” Laura whispered and India laughed. She had found a true friend in Laura and was having a dream-like night. She never could have imagined such an evening when she lived in Lawrence. No one she knew attended these kinds of events. No one could afford to do so.

“What’s wrong? You look suddenly sad?” Laura asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just feeling grateful. Where I come from, no one goes to fancy events like this or could even imagine being able to afford a dress like this. It’s a little overwhelming.”

Laura looked serious for a moment. “It’s true. We’re very lucky to live like we do. But don’t feel guilty for enjoying yourself now. I can tell that you are, a little.”

India blushed and didn’t say anything. She couldn’t deny it.

“Remember, we’re not just here to indulge ourselves. This is for a good cause. We’re going to raise a lot of money tonight, to help a lot of people.” Laura smiled and then polished off the last bite of chocolate cake. “On to the lemon pie. I’ll be right back.”

When Laura returned with the lemon pie, the band had started to play at a livelier tempo. They’d been playing softer slower songs during the cocktail hour. Now with the up-tempo, India watched as several couples ventured onto the dance floor. The song was one of her favorites and she found herself tapping her toe to the music. She glanced at Richard, wondering if he liked to dance, but he was engaged in conversation with Ray Brannigan.

“Shall we?” She immediately recognized the seductive voice this time and she was tempted. She glanced Richard’s way again. She really wanted to dance, but wasn’t sure if it was all right if she danced with Smith. Richard caught her glance and saw Smith at her side, gesturing toward the dance floor. His eyes darkened for a moment, but then he nodded and gave a small smile and she followed Smith onto the dance floor. To his credit, he was an excellent dancer and twirled her around the with ease. They danced for two lively songs before the tempo slowed and couples drew closer together and began to sway to the music. Smith drew her in uncomfortably close and she was about to pull apart when she heard Richard’s voice. “I’ll take over from here.”