“I’m glad I did the right thing.” She looked at Mortimer. “Would you mind blessing our food? We’re talking so much about others eating, that we might starve to death sitting here looking at our own supper.”
Mortimer grinned as he bowed his head. Even if his Toria was a bit unhappy about the way he’d treated her since she’d arrived, she still found ways to joke around. He found he couldn’t complain about that one little bit.
After the prayer, he looked at John. “How was Willie on your first day?”
John shook his head. “He barely let me carry anything at all. The child is definitely hungry and willing to do anything to feed his family. I’m just glad he hasn’t turned to thieving. That says something about how his parents raised him.”
“Yes, it does.” Mortimer nodded. “I’m glad we’ll be able to help out for a while.
Chapter Nine
The next few days were a peaceful time for Toria and Mortimer. John was happily doing his deliveries, so content it was surprising. Toria had in the back of her mind constantly that Mortimer didn’t want her around. She wasn’t sure how she’d upset him, unless he was once again comparing her to Grace.
Mortimer decided it was time to court his wife in earnest. He found out about a barn dance that was happening out of town on Friday night at the Clarks’ ranch outside of town.
On Thursday afternoon, he went to his wife, taking both of her hands in his. “Would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to a dance tomorrow night?”
Toria looked at him with surprise. “A dance? Really?”
“Yes, there’s a barn dance at Royce and Marta Clark’s place. The weather has been downright nice lately, and they thought to take advantage of it.”
“I’d love to go. We don’t need to work?”
He shook his head. “We’ll close an hour early tomorrow night. You’ll need to take a covered dish, if you don’t mind that. I think a loaf of bread or a cake would do as well.”
“Is John going, too? I think he should ask Patience.” Why she so badly wanted to see John married off, she wasn’t certain. She couldn’t have a need for grandchildren when she’d never had children, could she?
Mortimer shook his head. “John is welcome to go, but not with us. I’m courting my wife, and men don’t bring along their grown children when they’re courting.”
Toria grinned. “Sounds good to me. I have just the right dress to wear!” She couldn’t believe how excited she was about the idea of a barn dance, but it had been ages since she’d danced, and she did love it. “I plan to work tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll make baked goods in the morning, and a covered dish will be prepared before I come to work for the day. I will keep it in the refrigerator until about an hour before it’s time to go.” She frowned. “Maybe I’ll start working at one so I can give you your four full hours, but then I can also be ready when I need to be.” She would even get out the irons to curl her hair. She was excited to have time to look her best for Mortimer.
When John came in a few minutes later, he looked back and forth between the two of them. “What’s so exciting that you’re both grinning?”
Mortimer shrugged. “I’m taking my wife to a barn dance out at the Clarks’ tomorrow night.”
“Oh, good! I’d love to go.”
“John, I love you, but I’m courting my wife. You may take the store wagon if you want, but I’m driving her in the buggy.” Mortimer was certain John would understand the feelings behind the words.
John laughed. “Fine. I’ll take myself out to the dance.”
“You should ask Patience!” Toria said as she put food onto the table for supper.
“Not yet. I need to prove to myself for a month or two that I can go without drink. It can’t be for her. It has to be for me.”
Toria nodded. “You’re doing very well. I’m proud of you.”
John tilted his head to one side, studying her. “For someone who is determined not to be my mother, you sure do mother me a lot, Toria.”
She blushed. “I’m sorry. If it’s too much, tell me, and I’ll stop.”
“It’s not too much at all. I’m actually very pleased that you treat me the way you do.” John walked to her and hugged her awkwardly. “You’ve been a good change in my life, and I can’t complain about it one little bit.”
Toria smiled at him. “I’m so glad. We’ll work together to find the right balance of me mothering you and not.” Why did she feel so much more confident about her relationship with her stepson than she did with her relationship with her husband?
“Sounds good to me.”
They all sat down and had their meal, after which Toria did the dishes while the men played checkers. As soon as she was finished with the dishes, she hurried off to the room she shared with Mortimer to find the dress she wanted to wear. She had several dresses that she usually wore, but this one was different. It was a soft pink, and it showed off her coloring to its greatest advantage. She’d only worn it twice for weddings back in Beckham, and she loved the idea of wearing it to a party for her first social outing with her new husband.
She took it from the wardrobe and shook it out, eyeing it critically. Immediately she knew the one thing that needed to change so it would be perfect for the dance. She needed to embroider tiny little flowers on the collar. The dress was form-fitting, showing off her tiny waist. She hoped Mortimer would be happy for her to wear it. She wanted him to be proud when she was in his arms dancing with him.
“He’s already proud of you, you know.” Grace was sitting beside her on her bed.
Toria shook her head, a tear spilling down her cheek. She was angry with herself for breaking her own rule about five minutes of whining per day! She was surprised she could go from excited to sad so quickly. “He wants me to go back to Massachusetts. I can’t figure out what I’ve done wrong. I’ve worked so hard, and I made him every meal. I cater to his every need. Why doesn’t he want me here?”
“He does want you here, Toria. He’s worried that you’re missing home, so he thinks you should go for a visit, even though you’re happier here. He truly doesn’t understand that.”
“Should I tell him? We’re going to have time to talk on the way to the barn dance tomorrow.” Toria held up her dress. “I’m going to add little flowers to the collar. What do you think?”
“I think you’ll be more beautiful than ever!”
Toria frowned for a moment, looking at the other woman carefully. “Are you a ghost?”
Grace threw back her head and laughed. “Heavens no. I’m an angel. Your guardian angel, to be exact. Why would you think I was a ghost?”
“You’re an angel? And you’re finding a new wife for your husband?”
Grace nodded emphatically. “Who better to find him what he needs? I know him well, and I can honestly say that you will be a much better wife to him than I ever dreamed of being.”
“Do you think? He seemed to worship you.”
“We met when we were very young, and he thought I was the most beautiful girl in the world. He made it very plain. I did the minimum I needed to do to make him happy, and you work yourself half to death. No, you’re the woman he needs. I’m glad he found you.”