gave her a hug. The way he put his arms around her bespoke fondness and familiarity.
Jealousy raked Prudence’s heart. She exited the open door, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the late afternoon sun. Why, she’d snatch the stranger by her big sunbonnet and tell her to take her hands off…
The woman turned her head. A glimpse of her face revealed too many wrinkles for her to be young. Come to think of it, her shoulders were slightly stooped. Arch had tucked the older woman’s hand into the crook of his arm, assisting her in a respectful manner.
Could it be? His mother?
Prudence came to a halt, took a step backwards, tempted to turn tail and run. Her face burned, and not from the sun. The tub remained outside, so it was obvious she was staying here and not visiting. His mother must wonder why he had a woman in his house, and what they’d been doing. As if that wasn’t apparent. Covering the braid with her hand didn’t hide anything.
“Pru, this is my ma, Bessie Childers.” With that, Arch confirmed Prudence’s fears. “Ma, this is Prudence Walker.” He introduced her without explanation. Nothing he added would help matters anyway.
Prudence dipped in an awkward curtsy. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
“Prudence. What a pretty name…”
Was it? No one had ever said so before.
Arch’s mother hooked her arm. “Let’s go inside and get to know each other while Arch sees to the mule.”
Prudence allowed herself to be led along, seeing no polite way to refuse and having lost her chance to sneak out the window and flee into the trees. “May I offer you coffee?”
“I’d be mighty grateful for a cup of tea.” Mrs. Childers removed her sunbonnet and smoothed her hand over gray hair braided into a coronet. She hung the yellow bonnet on a peg by the door, indicating she planned to stay awhile. “Sure do hope you don’t mind that I came to meet you.”
“To meet me ?” Prudence echoed what she heard, even though it didn’t make sense. She searched through the cupboard and took down a tin labeled Tea .
“Arch didn’t see fit to bring his new wife home. I had to hear the good news from his brother.”
* * *
Prudence’s hand shook as she measured a spoonful of tealeaves into the pot. Good thing she’d turned her back so his mother couldn’t see her surprise. Lying wouldn’t make things better, but she couldn’t come up with a good way to explain the situation either. Not without embarrassing herself and possibly alienating her future mother-in-law by contradicting the tale she’d been told. “Let me put the kettle on to boil while you sit down and rest.”
“Thank ye, kindly, Prudence.” A creak sounded as Arch’s mother sat in one of the rocking chairs by the fireplace. She ran a gnarled hand over the grapevine armrest. “Robert made me a pair of rocking chairs like these when we first got married.”
Prudence set the kettle over the hot coals. She had kissed Arch and let him brush her hair, had all but said yes to his proposal. Why mention anything, if they would soon be married? Instead, she would use this opportunity to learn more about him. Arch hadn’t shared much about his father or his family, other than to say they’d lived over the border in Missouri.
“Arch’s father taught him how to make furniture?”
“Oh my, yes. He taught Arch and the boys lots of things, God rest his soul.”
“My condolences. How long has Mr. Childers been gone?”
“Eight years this month.” His mother’s voice grew sad. “Arch was seventeen. The Unionists would’ve killed him, too, if he’d stayed home. Those days, there weren’t a man, young or old, left in McDonald County. They all got killed or run off, or joined an army and fought. Wasn’t no middle ground.”
The war had ruined so many lives. Which side Arch had chosen as a boy mattered less than what kind of man he’d become. Besides being charming enough to talk a bird off its nest, Arch had proved to be
Jealousy raked Prudence’s heart. She exited the open door, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the late afternoon sun. Why, she’d snatch the stranger by her big sunbonnet and tell her to take her hands off…
The woman turned her head. A glimpse of her face revealed too many wrinkles for her to be young. Come to think of it, her shoulders were slightly stooped. Arch had tucked the older woman’s hand into the crook of his arm, assisting her in a respectful manner.
Could it be? His mother?
Prudence came to a halt, took a step backwards, tempted to turn tail and run. Her face burned, and not from the sun. The tub remained outside, so it was obvious she was staying here and not visiting. His mother must wonder why he had a woman in his house, and what they’d been doing. As if that wasn’t apparent. Covering the braid with her hand didn’t hide anything.
“Pru, this is my ma, Bessie Childers.” With that, Arch confirmed Prudence’s fears. “Ma, this is Prudence Walker.” He introduced her without explanation. Nothing he added would help matters anyway.
Prudence dipped in an awkward curtsy. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
“Prudence. What a pretty name…”
Was it? No one had ever said so before.
Arch’s mother hooked her arm. “Let’s go inside and get to know each other while Arch sees to the mule.”
Prudence allowed herself to be led along, seeing no polite way to refuse and having lost her chance to sneak out the window and flee into the trees. “May I offer you coffee?”
“I’d be mighty grateful for a cup of tea.” Mrs. Childers removed her sunbonnet and smoothed her hand over gray hair braided into a coronet. She hung the yellow bonnet on a peg by the door, indicating she planned to stay awhile. “Sure do hope you don’t mind that I came to meet you.”
“To meet me ?” Prudence echoed what she heard, even though it didn’t make sense. She searched through the cupboard and took down a tin labeled Tea .
“Arch didn’t see fit to bring his new wife home. I had to hear the good news from his brother.”
* * *
Prudence’s hand shook as she measured a spoonful of tealeaves into the pot. Good thing she’d turned her back so his mother couldn’t see her surprise. Lying wouldn’t make things better, but she couldn’t come up with a good way to explain the situation either. Not without embarrassing herself and possibly alienating her future mother-in-law by contradicting the tale she’d been told. “Let me put the kettle on to boil while you sit down and rest.”
“Thank ye, kindly, Prudence.” A creak sounded as Arch’s mother sat in one of the rocking chairs by the fireplace. She ran a gnarled hand over the grapevine armrest. “Robert made me a pair of rocking chairs like these when we first got married.”
Prudence set the kettle over the hot coals. She had kissed Arch and let him brush her hair, had all but said yes to his proposal. Why mention anything, if they would soon be married? Instead, she would use this opportunity to learn more about him. Arch hadn’t shared much about his father or his family, other than to say they’d lived over the border in Missouri.
“Arch’s father taught him how to make furniture?”
“Oh my, yes. He taught Arch and the boys lots of things, God rest his soul.”
“My condolences. How long has Mr. Childers been gone?”
“Eight years this month.” His mother’s voice grew sad. “Arch was seventeen. The Unionists would’ve killed him, too, if he’d stayed home. Those days, there weren’t a man, young or old, left in McDonald County. They all got killed or run off, or joined an army and fought. Wasn’t no middle ground.”
The war had ruined so many lives. Which side Arch had chosen as a boy mattered less than what kind of man he’d become. Besides being charming enough to talk a bird off its nest, Arch had proved to be
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