Mail Order Victoria Read online

  “All right. Lead the way to your wagon.”

  Greg found the porter and they loaded the heaviest two trunks he could imagine onto his wagon. Good thing he’d left the sides on the wagon so that fancy baby buggy wouldn’t roll off. Perambulator, hmph. When those were loaded, he added her large valise that bulged so much he was surprised it closed. The purse she carried was bulging, too. He figured travel with a baby was a chore.

  “We’re ready. You hold the tyke—Regina is it?—while I put the buggy in the wagon. We made a kind of V-shaped wall with the trunks.” He set the buggy so the trunks kept it from rolling.

  She turned back and forth rocking the child. “Thank you. She’ll probably go to sleep on the way to your ranch. Motion makes her sleepy. She was really good on the train.”

  “Glad to hear it. I sure hadn’t counted on you having a baby. Guess we’ll manage, though. You a good cook?”

  “I’ve never had any complaints. What kinds of food do you like?”

  “Anything that fills my belly and isn’t burned, scorched, or half raw. We’ve been having a hard time trying to keep food on the table. Kansas, he’s one of my ranch hands, helps with the cooking. He’s better than I am but that’s not saying much.”

  “Do you have plenty of food supplies on hand?”

  “Sure, it’s a ranch so we have to. There’s a root cellar under the house and a cool space and a smoke house and a large walk-in storage room. We have a big garden every year. Here we are at the church.”

  “It’s a lovely building. I see it’s Lutheran. Do you come to church here?”

  “Too far. There’s a community church in Ordinary, no denomination.”

  He heaved the baby buggy—the perambulator—down for baby Regina. He guessed she was more a toddler than a baby. Then he took the child from Victoria and laid Regina in the buggy.

  Regina regarded him with wide blue eyes but didn’t cry. She looked puzzled but not afraid. She sat up and her gaze followed him as he helped Victoria from the wagon.

  The minister, Reverend Gray, greeted them and didn’t seem surprised by Regina. “Delightful child. How old is she?”

  “She’s eighteen months.”

  “Wonderful age.” The minister gestured. “Mr. Hardy, you stand here. Mrs. Bailey, please stand here. You can place the baby buggy next to you so she can see you. My wife and her sister will serve as witnesses.” He opened his Bible and smiled at each of them.

  “We are gathered here today in the sight of God and these witnesses to unite Victoria and Gregory in the bonds of matrimony. If anyone can show just cause why they may not be legally united, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  The baby chose that moment to speak. “Mama, Mama, want down.”

  Victoria leaned down to talk to her daughter, “Not now, Regina. Be a good girl and be very quiet please.”

  He was surprised when the child quieted. She gave her mother a pouty glare, but made no further sound.

  Reverence Gray chuckled. “Do you, Gregory, take Victoria to be your lawfully wedded wife? From this day forward to have and to hold for better, for worse, for richer, and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

  “I do.” His mouth had dried up and his voice sounded gravelly.

  “Do you, Victoria, take Gregory to be your lawfully wedded husband? From this day forward, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

  “I do.” Her answer was soft but clear.

  “Gregory, please take the ring you have selected for Victoria.”

  Hoping he didn’t fumble and drop it, he fished in his shirt pocket for the ring.

  “As you place it on her finger, repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed.”

  He took Victoria’s icy hand that was soft as a baby calf’s nose and slid the ring on her finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

  “In so much as the two of you have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, by the authority vested in me by the State of Texas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  He brushed his lips across hers. Hers were soft and like velvet. She smelled of roses and something else flowery. Darned if he hadn’t forgotten how nice a woman could smell and how soft she could feel.

  They signed the wedding certificate. While Victoria took care of Regina, he paid the minister.

  Reverend Gray blew on the wedding certificate signatures to dry the ink. “This will be filed with the county clerk today. I imagine it will appear in the newspaper as well.”

  Greg placed a hand at his wife’s waist. “We’d better get to the furniture store. Then we’ll have lunch before we head for the ranch.”

  “You’re nice to buy Regina a bed. I imagine I have enough left of the money you sent to pay for the bed. I also have a little money from my account.”

  That surprised and impressed him. He’d expected her to spend every penny. “Not necessary. I provide for my family. You use any funds left for yourself.”

  They found a bed quickly and had it loaded onto the wagon. When it was secure, he escorted her to a restaurant where he usually ate when he was in New Braunfels.

  The waitress looked at Victoria and then him. “Hello, Mr. Hardy, what can I bring you?”

  After she rattled off their day’s menu, they both selected pork chops. Victoria ordered Regina applesauce, a hardboiled egg, and a small portion of roast beef.

  Victoria entertained Regina while they waited for their food. “When we return to the wagon, I need to change her. I was training her to use her little potty. I suppose she picked up on my reaction to my husband’s death and his parents’ threats. At any rate, she regressed.”

  “That’s a lot for a little girl to process in a short time.”

  She sent him a smile that dumbfounded him. “Thank you for your understanding.”

  Their food arrived and they ate without conversing. His wife helped his new daughter eat.

  Greg compared today with his first marriage, a large wedding with two hundred guests. He’d been uncomfortable with that ceremony. He’d felt like an exhibit on display but Cora had loved it. She enjoyed being in the spotlight.

  He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake by bringing Victoria here. She was a city girl who might find his ranch isolating. When he’d finished his meal, he pushed his plate away.

  “If the ring doesn’t fit, we need to stop by the jewelers where I purchased it. He said he’d resize it or exchange it for another.”

  She held out her hand examining the gold band. “Oh, it’s perfect but thank you.” She cleaned the child’s face and hands with a handkerchief.

  “Are you ready to start the ride to the ranch?”

  “Yes, I’m eager to see it.”

  After he’d paid, they walked back to the wagon and he helped her up to the wagon seat. He loaded the baby buggy then climbed beside her. On the way out of town, he pointed out a few sites.

  “Oh, my, look how lush that garden is and it’s not even summer. I see spinach and onions and cabbage. I’ll bet whoever lives there spends a great deal of time on each row.”

  “You know anything about and gardening?”

  She shook her head then met his gaze. “Not for food. I grew beautiful roses. I had close to a hundred rose bushes and many other flowers like daisies, delphiniums, peonies, and many more.”

  She grinned and her blue eyes sparkled. “And a gardener to help.”

  “Reckon you come from a wealthy family.”

  “Not me. My late husband was the only child of a wealthy couple. It was they who ordered the perambulator from England.”

  “Huh, looks like they would have wanted to keep the baby in Atlanta with them.”

  “Oh, they did, but definitely not me. They were committed to taking her away from me because I’m a single mother. They had the money to bu
y lawyers and judges. I suspect they would have arranged conditions so I would never see Regina alone again if I saw her at all. I was happy to learn you needed someone immediately. I left the day I met the matchmaker.”

  “In-laws don’t sound like nice people. Guess this works out for both of us.”

  “I certainly hope we can build bonds of friendship and respect even if love doesn’t follow.”

  “That’d be good. You still cut up about your husband dying?”

  She didn’t meet his gaze but looked at her hands clasped in her lap. “That’s a complicated question. Rather, the answer is complicated.”

  “That mean no?”

  “I’m sorry he died, as I’m sorry anyone dies. He wasn’t the husband I’d hoped he’d be. He didn’t hit me or yell at me. I guess you could say he wasn’t very interested in me. He was rarely home in the evening. When Regina was born, he was angry we had a girl instead of a boy.”

  “Sounds like that apple didn’t fall far from the tree.”

  She looked at him. “I’m afraid you’re right. My parents died two years ago. As far as I know, Regina is my only living relative. I couldn’t let her be raised by those cold-hearted people. They owned the house where we lived.”

  “Your late husband lived off his parents? Doesn’t speak well of him.”

  “I’m certain they were going to force me to move. They didn’t know that for months I’d been trying to talk Paul into moving to our own house. We had the money—or would have had if he hadn’t spent so much. I just hated living in a house owned by people who didn’t think I was good enough to be part of their family. As it turned out, when Paul died, we were very nearly broke.”

  “I can see why you’d not feel comfortable in a house owned by them. I have a passel of kin scattered in Texas, even some in Georgia as a matter of fact. If one of us was in trouble, the rest would pitch in to help. Otherwise, we’re all self-sufficient.”

  “That’s the way families are supposed to be.” She gazed at each side of the road. “The landscape here is a lot different from Georgia, at least from Atlanta. Seems strange to see large trees with no moss hanging. Does Spanish moss grow in Texas?”

  “Sure, just not in this part. What we have here are things that sting, stick, and bite.”

  When she appeared alarmed, he held up a hand. “I don’t mean to frighten you. Since you have Regina and she’s likely to get loose, I want to warn you. We have a lot of critters of all sizes. Rattlesnakes, scorpions, spiders, and in the water we have cottonmouth moccasins.”

  “We have moccasins in Georgia. I suppose spiders are everywhere. My word, we may have scorpions and rattlesnakes but I’ve never seen them. Just their mention alarms me. Is anywhere safe?”

  “Most everywhere is but you have to keep your eyes peeled. You can’t let Regina play outside in the yard without supervision.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t. She’s not even two years old yet.”

  Her indignant glare let him know he’d been right about her red hair meaning she had a fiery temper. When he first saw her he should have explained. He figured she was going to be mad as a rattler when they got to the ranch.

  Chapter Three

  Victoria would give a lot for a warm bath and clean clothes. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this exhausted and dirty. She brushed at her skirt.

  As if he read her mind, he smiled. “You look nice for having traveled so far except you look a mite worn out.”

  “Thank you. I am tired. Traveling with a child—even a well-behaved one—is difficult.”

  “We’ll be at the ranch in about fifteen or twenty minutes. Um… before we get there, there’s something I need to explain.”

  That did not sound promising. “I assure you that you have my full attention.”

  “See, my late wife, Cora, she died from childbed fever.”

  She exhaled in relief. “Oh, you have a baby? No wonder you wanted someone immediately.”

  “Yeah… uh, her name’s Harriett but we call her Hattie.” His voice lowered, “and then there are the others who are older.”

  “Others? How many others and how old?” He wouldn’t look at her so she figured this was going to be something she really didn’t want to hear.

  He shifted his shoulders and stared straight ahead. “Well, there’s Martha, she’s three, and there’s Frankie, he’s five, and there’s Sidney, he’s seven, and Cindy is twelve.” He exhaled as if he’d been holding his breath. “We had a girl in between Cindy and Sid who died of diphtheria.”

  The nerve of this man. She half turned on the seat to glare at him. “Five? You have five children and didn’t think to mention that in your letter to Mrs. McCormick?”

  He sent her a stony glare. “Sure I thought about it, thought about it a lot. But, I was afraid no one would want a man with five kids and one of them a baby.”

  “Yet you went on and on about me having a baby.” She wanted to yell but didn’t want to wake or upset Regina.

  “Now look, I didn’t go on and on. I just mentioned it in passing because I was surprised.”

  “You did not just mention it ‘in passing’. Three times you clearly said, ‘I didn’t figure on you having a baby’. Three times. That is plain hypocritical.”

  “No it isn’t. I figure we’re even now. We both have surprise children.”

  She poked his arm repeatedly as she spoke. “Greg Hardy, we are not even. I couldn’t tell you I had a child because I didn’t have time to write you. You chose not to tell the matchmaker you had five, not one, but five children. When we met, you didn’t tell me you had five children. When we got married, you didn’t tell me I was now the mother of your five children. While we ate you didn’t tell me that we had five children.”

  He hunched his shoulders. “All right, all right, I’m sorry.”

  Turning on the seat, he faced her. “If you must know, I figured if I waited until we were almost to the house you couldn’t run out on me. Don’t act like I robbed a bank or a train.”

  She clutched her purse in her lap with both hands so she wouldn’t strike him. “We had better establish some guidelines right now. We will work together to present a united front. You will not contradict me in front of the children, is that clear?”

  He jerked a thumb at his chest. “Hey, they’re my children.”

  “Oh, no, Mr. Hardy, since our wedding they are our children. If I tell them do something, you have to back me up. If I tell them not to do something, you have to back me up. I will do the same for you. Is that understood?”

  “Listen, I’ve been taking care of these children all their lives and on my own for six months. I reckon I know what they should and shouldn’t do.”

  She fisted her hands on her hips. “Then why did you need someone so desperately? You wanted a maid and cook and bed partner, am I right? You should have stated in your letter that you weren’t asking for a wife, you were requesting a servant. To save money, you could have contacted a Texas employment agency for a maid and a local bordello for a bed partner.”

  Now he stabbed his forefinger at her. “I knew when I saw that red hair you were going to be trouble and I was right.”

  “Red hair, is it? My hair color has nothing to do you’re your omissions. Did you even tell the children you were getting married?”

  He turned back to look at the horses. “Well, not exactly.”

  “What exactly did you tell them?” She really wanted to sock this man who had no clue about the right and wrong way to introduce a new mother to his children.

  “I said I was bringing them a surprise. I figured if you didn’t show up then I’d get them all a toy or a book or something.”

  He sent her a frown. “I heard sometimes men have sent money for a mail-order bride and she just kept the money and disappears.”

  She threw up her hands. “Well, I didn’t just keep the money. I’m here and they’re certainly getting a surprise, aren’t they?”

  He pulled on the reins and stopped the buggy. �
�Listen, you need to calm down before we get to the ranch. You’ll scare Martha. She’s real easy to upset. So is Harriett.”

  She was stuck here now, devil take the man. “Oh, I’ll be calm and charming when I meet our children. They’re not to blame and I’m not angry with them.”

  She pointed at him. “You, sir, are the target of my fury.”

  He frowned. “For Pete’s sake, don’t let on to them.”

  “I don’t intend to.” She took a couple of deep breaths. “Do your ranch hands know you sent for me?”

  “Yeah, they do. They’re sure glad, too. So is the woman staying with the children today.”

  Calmer now but still upset, she looked at her new husband. “Greg, if you’d told me while we were in town, I’d have bought each of the children something special.”

  “Um, I had a little time to kill when I got there so I bought each of the kids something for you to give them.”

  “What? What did you get them?”

  “They’re under the seat. You can look at them. There are two large packages.”

  She felt under the bench and brought out a large brown paper-wrapped parcel. When she untied the string, she pulled back the paper. Inside she found three dolls of different sizes and three books.”

  “The dolls are very nice. The two youngest can sleep with theirs.”

  “Sorry I don’t have one for Regina.”

  “She has one in one of the trunks.” She held up the books. “Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island and Thomas Hardy’s A Pair of Blue Eyes? I suppose those are yours. Oh, this looks as if it’s for a girl, Susan Coolidge’s What Katy Did. I’m not familiar with this one.”

  “The lady at the store said it’s about a twelve-year-old girl so I figured Cindy would like it. She likes to read.”

  She retied the parcel before she pulled the other, heavier and larger, package to her lap. Inside the paper, she discovered a wooden wagon filled with building blocks. A large box held toy soldiers.

  “Each of these is nice. Obviously each child gets something worth keeping. That’s good of you.” She rewrapped the parcel and tied it with the string. When both looked like they had when she found them, she laid them aside.