Double Wedding: Sweet Historical Mail Order Brides of Lowell by MaryAnn Burnett Page B
Authors: MaryAnn Burnett
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deal?”
“You don’t remember, do you?” When George just stared at her, she continued. “When Ma and Pa died, we promised to take care of each other. I’m trying to keep up my end of the bargain.” Molly stepped forward and began poking a finger in his chest. “And you are trying to get out of your part.”
“Now hold on. And stop poking me.” George grabbed her hand and let go of it almost as fast. He knew that she-cat look in Molly’s eyes. She was getting herself good and riled about this. “Don’t you go saying I’m not taking care of you. I give you a roof over your head and plenty to eat.”
“And what about a family of my own, a husband, children?”
“Everyone knows James has been wanting to marry you for a long time but you keep putting him off. Don’t go blaming your cold feet on me.”
Molly advanced on him with a murderous look in her eyes. “My cold feet. My cold feet. My…” Each utterance got louder. “Arrrrgh!” She stopped just short of running into him and threw her arms up in the air. “You idiot! I want to marry James more than anything. I’ve put him off because I can’t leave you until you marry.” She swung her arms around to encompass the room. “There is no way you can take care of the fields and everything in here by yourself.”
The head of steam George had been building to fight his sister deflated. He slumped into the wooden rocker next to him. “You haven’t married because of me?” He could barely get the question out past the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.
The wild look in her eyes was gone and she knelt down in front of him. “Of course. We promised.” She said it like that was all the explanation needed. And for Molly, it would be. How could he have been so selfish not to see that?
“Why do you think I’ve been going out of my way to be nice to every unmarried woman within a day’s drive? Pulling you into my conversations with them?” She got up and slapped his shoulder. “I even endured an afternoon of canning with Silly Sally just to show you she knew how to take care of a house.”
“You never liked her. I wondered why you invited her.” George was beginning to feel a big, lead ball of guilt settle into his stomach.
Molly’s voice gentled but the intensity remained as she continued. “You’re five and twenty. If you don’t marry soon, you’ll be an old man no one will want. Then where will I be?” George smiled a bit at her logic. But her next words brought him up short.
“When you didn’t show any interest in any of the locals, I got desperate. I placed an advertisement in an east coast newspaper.”
“You placed a what?” George practically roared as he leapt out of the chair. “You made me a laughing stock?”
“I did no such thing. Aren’t you listening? I placed an advertisement in an EAST COAST newspaper. No one here knows.”
Now it was George’s turn to pace the room. “So this woman, this Annie, answered the advertisement?”
“Oh, yes. She did, along with eight other women. But Annie was the best. We’ve been writing each other. She knows all about you and me and the farm. I just know she’s perfect for you.”
“You mean to tell me a woman travels across the country to marry a man she’s never met because his sister suggests it?”
“Well, no. Not exactly.” Molly said in a voice barely above a whisper. Molly pulled a bundle of letters, tied with a lavender ribbon, out of her apron pocket. She held the packet out to him. “Annie thinks you’ve been writing to her and you proposed marriage to her. That’s why she’s on the train.”
George marched out of the house after Molly dropped the bundle of letters in his hand. He’d been so frustrated, he left the packet on the front porch and spent the next several hours chopping wood, sharpening the plow blade, and any other heavy labor he could think of. It was a lot easier not to think, not to let the guilt take over when his body was
“You don’t remember, do you?” When George just stared at her, she continued. “When Ma and Pa died, we promised to take care of each other. I’m trying to keep up my end of the bargain.” Molly stepped forward and began poking a finger in his chest. “And you are trying to get out of your part.”
“Now hold on. And stop poking me.” George grabbed her hand and let go of it almost as fast. He knew that she-cat look in Molly’s eyes. She was getting herself good and riled about this. “Don’t you go saying I’m not taking care of you. I give you a roof over your head and plenty to eat.”
“And what about a family of my own, a husband, children?”
“Everyone knows James has been wanting to marry you for a long time but you keep putting him off. Don’t go blaming your cold feet on me.”
Molly advanced on him with a murderous look in her eyes. “My cold feet. My cold feet. My…” Each utterance got louder. “Arrrrgh!” She stopped just short of running into him and threw her arms up in the air. “You idiot! I want to marry James more than anything. I’ve put him off because I can’t leave you until you marry.” She swung her arms around to encompass the room. “There is no way you can take care of the fields and everything in here by yourself.”
The head of steam George had been building to fight his sister deflated. He slumped into the wooden rocker next to him. “You haven’t married because of me?” He could barely get the question out past the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.
The wild look in her eyes was gone and she knelt down in front of him. “Of course. We promised.” She said it like that was all the explanation needed. And for Molly, it would be. How could he have been so selfish not to see that?
“Why do you think I’ve been going out of my way to be nice to every unmarried woman within a day’s drive? Pulling you into my conversations with them?” She got up and slapped his shoulder. “I even endured an afternoon of canning with Silly Sally just to show you she knew how to take care of a house.”
“You never liked her. I wondered why you invited her.” George was beginning to feel a big, lead ball of guilt settle into his stomach.
Molly’s voice gentled but the intensity remained as she continued. “You’re five and twenty. If you don’t marry soon, you’ll be an old man no one will want. Then where will I be?” George smiled a bit at her logic. But her next words brought him up short.
“When you didn’t show any interest in any of the locals, I got desperate. I placed an advertisement in an east coast newspaper.”
“You placed a what?” George practically roared as he leapt out of the chair. “You made me a laughing stock?”
“I did no such thing. Aren’t you listening? I placed an advertisement in an EAST COAST newspaper. No one here knows.”
Now it was George’s turn to pace the room. “So this woman, this Annie, answered the advertisement?”
“Oh, yes. She did, along with eight other women. But Annie was the best. We’ve been writing each other. She knows all about you and me and the farm. I just know she’s perfect for you.”
“You mean to tell me a woman travels across the country to marry a man she’s never met because his sister suggests it?”
“Well, no. Not exactly.” Molly said in a voice barely above a whisper. Molly pulled a bundle of letters, tied with a lavender ribbon, out of her apron pocket. She held the packet out to him. “Annie thinks you’ve been writing to her and you proposed marriage to her. That’s why she’s on the train.”
George marched out of the house after Molly dropped the bundle of letters in his hand. He’d been so frustrated, he left the packet on the front porch and spent the next several hours chopping wood, sharpening the plow blade, and any other heavy labor he could think of. It was a lot easier not to think, not to let the guilt take over when his body was
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