Hannah: Bride of Iowa (American Mail Order Bride 29) (3 page)

Chapter THREE

The train traveled through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and would soon be pulling into Iowa City, the stop where Maddie would meet her future husband. In the envelope Hannah had left for her was a letter of introduction from Samuel Morrison. He was twenty-eight years old and had been married before, but his wife, Martha, died in childbirth three years ago. Lizzy, short for Martha, was the name of his three-year-old daughter.

              Samuel lived in Iowa, near a town called West Liberty. His farm was not one of the largest around, eighty acres, but his crops, along with the hogs and cattle he raised, gave him a comfortable life.

              He wrote about the life to expect in Iowa. Winters were long and it sometimes seemed as if the snow would never stop. Summers were humid — could almost take a drink right out of the air. But the evenings cooled off. Many spent sitting on the porch watching stars twinkle for as far as you could see and fire flies blinking and dancing across the yard.

              In a wife, Samuel expected a partner. Someone to stand and work by his side and be a mother to his daughter. He would protect and keep her safe and hoped love would come in time. Lastly, he wrote life would sometimes be hard but he would do all he could to make his wife happy.

              Maddie re-read his letter for the fifth time. At every train stop, she was ready to get off and find a job to start her new life, but something kept stopping her from doing just that. Expects a partner…work by his side…a mother to his daughter…make her happy. It was everything she wanted.

              The train whistle blew and she saw black smoke from the window. Maggie jolted forward as the train slowed. “Iowa City,” the conductor yelled.

              Mind made up, she waited to disembark. Maddie died that very moment. Hannah Brown gathered her bag and guitar, squared her shoulders, and readied herself to meet her new family.

* * * *

              She wore the nicest of her three dresses. A dark blue, long-sleeved wool dress, with a white collar and white cuffs adorned her painfully thin body. Her long light brown hair was pulled up on the sides and soft waves flowed down her back, stopping just above her waist.

              The train depot was crowded with people. Women and men, some dragging children behind them, hurried to the ticket windows, or to catch their train. She could see three sets of tracks come into the depot; surprised Iowa City was such a bustling town. Wagons of all sizes were being pulled in the road. One and two-story buildings lined the street. Just from where she stood, she saw a hotel, an attorney’s office, a bank, a hotel and two dining establishments. The smell from the restaurants drifted her way, making her mouth water and stomach growl. When did she eat last?

              A tap on the shoulder made Maddie jump, quickly turning around and bringing her hand to her chest. “Excuse me.” Her shoulders visibly dropped. An older gentleman was standing there grasping a straw hat.

              Though he had a pleasant enough look about him and kind blue eyes, she couldn’t help by wonder how this man could have a three-year-old child?

              He smiled as if reading her thoughts. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you Hannah Brown?”

She swallowed hard, nodding.

“I called your name a few times but I guess you didn’t hear me.”

“Oh.” Her eyes got enormous. “I’m sorry. There is so much noise. Yes sir, I am Hannah Brown.” Maddie looked everywhere but at the man. She was afraid he would see the lie in her eyes.

“My name is Augustus Morrison, but most folks call me Gus. I am Sam’s father.” He bent over and picked up her bag and guitar. “He’s just about fit to be tied ‘cause he wanted to be here himself, but he’s a finishing up the sale of the rest of his crop so I told him I would meet up with you.”

He adjusted his load so he could offer Maddie his arm. She smiled and tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. As they walked to meet her future husband, Gus calmed her nerves by pointing out businesses and the names of the proprietors. He seemed to know every person they passed, stopping to introduce her to them all. “This is Hannah Brown,” he would say, “an afore long, this pretty little peach will be me and Bessie’s daughter-in-law.” Everyone smiled widely and extended their good wishes.

“You are certainly familiar with all these people,” Maddie said.

“I should be! Me and Bessie have lived a mile west of here for pert near six years.”

Maddie cast a surprised look his way. “Oh! Do you also own a farm?”

“Not any more. My sweet Bess married me in eighteen fifty-five. I was a few years older than her and I’d been putting money away. Six months after our marriage we got us a wagon and a couple horses, packed up our meager belongings and bought some land about fifteen miles from here. The land and lumber to put a roof over our heads took about everything we had to our names. The first few years was right hard on both of us.”

Maddie was intrigued with Gus’s story and listened closely, leaning in to hear every word. “Bessie worked right by my side from early mornings till long after the sun went down. By the time Samuel came along, we had bought more acres and our farm was bigger. Four years after that, Katie, our daughter was born. The years went by and when Sam told us he was getting married, Bessie said it was time to let him take over running the farm and for us to take it easy. That’s when we moved here to Iowa City.  Bessie’s—”

“Pa!” Coming toward them was a taller and stronger version of Gus. He wore a pair of tan pants, a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black suspenders, and boots. His hair was black as night, cut short on the sides and the back curled just above his collar. His smile was genuine and warm with a deep dimple on the right side, but it was his eyes that caught her attention. They were a blue-gray, almost translucent, fringed with long dark lashes.

“Sam,” Gus said, “this here’s Hannah.”

Samuel never took his eyes off her. Maddie had to bend her head back as he moved closer. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders. He didn’t say anything, only stared.

He knows! Somehow he knows I’m not Hannah!
For a fleeting moment Maddie thought of turning and running as fast as she could to escape those eyes.

“If that don’t beat all.” Gus guffawed, “Gal, in five seconds you’ve been able to do something none of the rest of the family has been able to do since he was in cut off britches. He’s speechless! Normally none of us can get a word in because he just keeps jawing.”

Samuel’s face burned red, but still, he didn’t take his eyes off her. “Hannah Brown,” he finally spoke, his voice deep and smooth, “you’re as pretty as new filly playing in a field of wild prairie roses.”

Maddie’s eyes widened and she held her breath when Samuel’s face drew closer. His lips closed in and she parted hers, waiting.  She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed when he only kissed her cheek.

Gus cleared his throat. “I think I’m done here. I’ll take Hannah’s things to the house and we will expect you both before supper.”

“Future wife,” Samuel teased, his crevice of a dimple appearing on his cheek, “would you like to get some lemonade?”

Maddie grinned at him impishly. “I most certainly would, future husband.”

Samuel took her hand in his and started across the street. This surprised Maddie. Her own parents, who loved each other very much, didn’t show this kind of affection in public. He pulled out her chair then sat across from her and ordered two lemonades.

“Hannah, I’m so grateful you are here. You said so little about yourself in your letter I didn’t know what to expect. You seemed a little less than jubilant about being a mail order bride.”

He stopped talking when the waitress brought the drinks. “I realize the fire at the plant you worked at must have been terrifying, leaving you with few options. Did you have any family?”

Maddie’s hands were clasped tightly together on the table. It felt like her throat was closing up. She knew nothing about the real Hannah except she didn’t want any part of being a mail order bride. She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. “No, I lost both my folks and I was an only child.”

“I’m sorry for that, Hannah.” Samuel laid his hands over hers. They were large and warm. For just a second she wondered what they would feel like to hold her. “What did your father do? I truly know nothing about you.”

“There’s really not much to tell.” She removed one of her hands from his and took a long drink of lemonade. “We…uhm…had a small farm. When Pa died, Ma and me tried to keep the farm going but her health started to suffer. When she passed, I got a job at the Textile Mill.”

Samuel smiled and patted her hand. Breathing a sigh of relief, she said, “Now it’s your turn. Tell me all about you, your daughter, and your farm.”

He sat back against the chair. His smile was easy and those eyes beamed with what could only be pride. “Ma and Pa started the farm before I was born. It was small, not too many acres. By the time I got out of school, the place had tripled in size. We farm about hundred acres of corn. We have milk cows, chickens, hogs we raise and butcher and a small heard of beef cattle. We also have two horses we use mostly for pulling the wagon. Do you ride?”

Maddie chuckled. “I rode our old mule. Sal never had a mind to move too fast but we could get up to gallop now and again.” She took another drink. “What about Lizzy? Do you have help with her?”

              “She’s my ray of sunshine.” He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, unknowingly making her arm tingle. “My wife, Martha, was so excited about having our first child. We wanted a passel of them.” He took his eyes from hers. “Her delivery was hard and Ma couldn’t stop the bleeding. By the time the doc got there, it was too late. Martha was able to hold Lizzy. I remember her smiling the whole time. Her last words to me were, “You get our Lizzy a proper ma, ya hear?’”

              The silence was deafening. Maddie’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, Samuel. Sometimes life is so unfair.”

              Samuel stood and threw some money on the table. “That’s a fact. We’d best be headed to the house or Ma’ll have our hides.”

Chapter FOUR

Gus and Bessie lived in a home that was painted white with a covered porch running the entire length of the front of the house. Beautiful oaks and maples towered over the home. The changing of the leaves was breathtaking with blankets of yellow, green, and gold leaves covering the roof and the yard.

              On the porch were potted planters full of colorful flowers. “These are lovely,” Maddie commented. “We didn’t see much of these in…I mean where I come from.” She hoped he didn’t catch her near slip.

              “Ma gives all her plants, trees, and everything in her garden, tender loving care. Sometimes, I think she cares more for these things than she does Pa.”

              “And many a times I do, especially when your pa has gotten under my skin.” A plump woman walked out the front door and took Maddie into her arms, giving her a hug. “I am just tickled to death to finally get to meet you.” She was about Maddie’s height and had brown and gray hair pulled back into a bun. She wore a simple long-sleeved beige wool dress, an apron tied at the waist and a small towel thrown over her shoulder.

              She held Maddie at arm’s length. “You are a pretty little thing, Hannah Brown. My boy is plumb lucky to get someone like you.” Bessie took her hand and led her into the house. “Now I’m Bessie, Sam’s ma, and a course you’ve met Gus. If there is anything at all I can do for you, well, don’t hesitate one tiny minute.”

              The inside of their home was clean, yet comfortable. An overstuffed couch was across from the stone fireplace. By the window was a small table with two chairs, one on each side. A checkerboard lived on the table. In the corner by the fireplace was a well-worn chair with a small round table next to it, a pair of spectacles sat on top.

The aroma coming from the kitchen made Maddie’s mouth water. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that had only been an apple. She almost died of embarrassment when her stomach started to rumble. She felt her face redden and she covered her cheeks with her hands. “I’m sorry. It just smells so good.”

Samuel laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. “I hope supper is about done because Hannah and I are ready to eat.”

“It sure enough is. I’m getting ready to serve it up. By the time you and Hannah go call the others, it’ll be setting on the table.”

“Are you sure I can’t help you with supper, Bessie?”

“Heavens, no. Now run along and find the rest.”

Samuel led Maddie out the back door. A garden, like she’d never seen was fenced and continued so far back she couldn’t see where it ended. On both sides of the garden were trees planted in rows. “Are those apple trees?”

“Yep,” Samuel replied, “and those over there are cherry trees. Ma sells what they can’t eat to the store in town.”

“How wonderful that would be,” Maddie said with breathless wonder.

He chuckled. “If you’re partial to apples and cherries, you’ll get your fill at our place. We have plenty of fruit trees.”