“Why would he do that? Why didn’t he tell you? You’re his brother.”
Eric nodded. She looked at him with narrow eyes, scanning his face closely. He had a strong profile, and she thought he was very good-looking. She wondered what Henry had looked like and if they had shared any traits.
“Yes, but we aren’t a close family. We don’t have a lot of time we spend together. We all do our own thing.”
“How many of you are there?”
“Henry is the oldest brother. Then there’s me. We have a younger brother and three younger sisters.”
Olive’s heart sank. “You have a big family.”
Eric shrugged. “Not too big. It’s about regular size, I’d say.”
Olive thought about her family back in Virginia. There were too many people in that house. No matter how big the house got, there still seemed to be too many people in it. She wondered if that’s what it would be like where she was going, too. It made her want to jump out of the wagon and throw herself in front of the horses.
She realized Eric was looking at her and lowered her head, blushing.
“Don’t look so horrified, Olive,” Eric said, gently. “We are good people. You don’t have to worry about not being accepted.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that. My family in Virginia was large, as well. I was praying to get away from that.”
Looking at her, Eric was surprised that she mentioned praying. She didn’t look like the type that would consult God to help her. She looked like she relied on herself more than anything else. “What is your family in Virginia like? Do you have a lot of brothers and sisters?”
She nodded. “I have four brothers older than me and three sisters younger. Not to mention my aunt and uncle moved in last year and brought their four children with them. They are all hellions. Little ones, 6, 8, 10 and 12.”
Eric raised his eyebrows and whistled. “That’s a lot of people in the house.”
“Yes,” Olive said simply, her voice cold. “It was.”
“Our family isn’t that big.” Eric consoled her. “And we don’t have any little children around anymore. We’re all grown.”
“Your sisters don’t have children?”
“Not yet.”
“So they are married?”
“My sister Helen is. My other sister Jane isn’t, and we don’t expect that any time soon. My youngest sister is only sixteen and not ready for those thoughts.”
“They don’t live in the family home anymore?”
“Helen and Matthew have a home. My brother William and his wife Cynthia also have a home. But neither have children.”
Olive thought for a moment, her heart calming down a bit. That eliminated a lot of her grievance. “Where are you taking me?”
“I will take you back to the family home, where me and my brothers and sisters grew up. You can stay in one of the rooms until we…” He stopped. He’d been about to say “figure out what to do with you” but that sounded rude and harsh. His heart was soft for Olive. He felt sorry for her because she was in a strange place with people she didn’t know very far away from her home. But he also felt a little relief for her. Henry had not been the best character in the world. It didn’t come as much of a surprise to find he had ordered a bride from the East. It was more of a surprise that anyone had responded.
The letter he’d written to Olive didn’t sound like him at all. Eric had been taken aback by the letter but hadn’t mentioned it to her. Best to let her think his brother had been a good man than to reveal the truth, even if she realized how closely she had dodged a bullet. Plus, she was a beautiful woman and in his heart, he knew Henry would never have treated her well, even with her beauty. He was impressed by her long black hair and smooth pale skin. Her lips were small but full and stood out in her features. She had light green eyes, another aspect that had surprised him. Dark hair and light green eyes were a rare combination that Eric wasn’t sure he’d ever seen before. He liked it.
“I know you must be nervous and upset about this but please don’t be. We will make things all right for you. We won’t ship you back to your…huge family.” He smiled at her, and she felt a wash of warmth flow through her when she looked at him. He was being so nice to her. How could she stay in a sour mood?
“I appreciate you not sending me back.” She jostled into him when the wagon went over a hole in the road. “Oh! I’m so sorry!” She looked up at him fearfully, righting herself in the seat and pressing her hands together in her lap as if that would keep her steady.
He laughed. “You nearly knocked me off the wagon, woman!” He said in a teasing tone.
She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling.
“It’s okay, Olive.” He continued to smile at her.