Nordin, Ruth Ann - South Dakota Series 02 - Bid for a Bride Read Online Free Page B
Author: Frederique
the woman and nodded.
"Yes. Her name is Lucy, and she’s staying at my place."
Frank came out of the backroom and chuckled. "I wondered when you’d show Lucy the store, Addy."
Addy shot him an amused look. "I also came to pick up food for dinner."
"Ah, then it’s more than a social visit," he said with a gleam in his eye.
"Oh," Mrs. Beecham began, "if you’re looking for something to eat, I’ll be killing a couple of my chickens and bringing them in later today. In fact, Frank and I were discussing the price."
"We were," he said.
"My goodness, I haven’t had chicken in so long," Addy replied.
"That’d be a real treat."
While the three rambled on, Lucy slipped to the edge of the store where she could lean against the wall close to the entrance. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air blowing in from the open door. For a moment, she was back at home where she grew up, sitting beneath her favorite tree and resting after helping her mother with the household chores. What she wouldn’t give to be back at that tree now.
She didn’t notice the voices at first, but as the two men came closer to the store, she opened her eyes and huddled against the wall so they wouldn’t see her as they walked by.
"I don’t know," one of them said. "I think I’ll wait for awhile. You know, to make sure there aren’t any unpleasant surprises."
"Even if he did get her in the family way, you could use an extra hand out at your farm," the other one replied.
"But he wouldn’t be mine. I don’t want to raise someone else’s child, even if the mother is a looker."
"You can’t help but feel sorry for her. She thought she was doing the right thing by marrying the man.
How was she to know he was already strapped to a wife and a couple of younglings?"
"I do feel sorry for her. You bet I’ll be the first to come calling if she’s not expecting."
As they passed out of hearing range, she stayed still, wondering how the whole town could know all the details of her situation already. Were people so bored that they couldn’t help but gossip? She pressed her fingers to her temples and willed the sudden headache away. Everything was happening too fast.
"Oh, there you are," Addy said as she walked over to her and motioned to the box in her arms. "I collected the things we’ll need to make soup. Are you ready to go home?"
Relieved, Lucy nodded.
"Be sure to come back around three," Mrs. Beecham called out. "I expect the chickens to be ready to sell by then."
"I’ll do that," Addy replied.
"And don’t you take any badmouthing from anyone in this town," Mrs. Beecham told Lucy. "Hold your head high, girl. No sense in cowering when you did nothing wrong."
Lucy stared at the woman, unable to think of a proper response, and Addy saved her from having to say anything for she replied, "Don’t you worry about Lucy. She’ll be fine once she gets used to everyone. She’s overwhelmed."
"That’s understandable," Mrs. Beecham said. "We can all be a scary lot."
Frank and Addy chuckled, and maybe if Lucy was able to laugh the whole thing off, she might too. But she couldn’t, and so she didn’t. She turned and followed Addy out of the store, glancing in the direction the two men went so she could get a good look at them because if either one decided to call on her in the future, she’d know to tell them no.
"Are you feeling alright?" Addy asked.
"I’m tired," Lucy replied, not wishing to dwell on the local rumor mill. She wasn’t up for it at the moment.
"When we get home, you may lie down and rest."
Glad to hear it, she pulled her bonnet forward and crossed her arms again as they continued down the street.
Chapter Four
Lucy stared out the kitchen window, holding the knife over the vegetables she was cutting for the soup Addy wanted to make.
She wasn’t looking at anything in particular. Instead, images from her past came in rapid succession.
Meeting Adam, his asking
"Yes. Her name is Lucy, and she’s staying at my place."
Frank came out of the backroom and chuckled. "I wondered when you’d show Lucy the store, Addy."
Addy shot him an amused look. "I also came to pick up food for dinner."
"Ah, then it’s more than a social visit," he said with a gleam in his eye.
"Oh," Mrs. Beecham began, "if you’re looking for something to eat, I’ll be killing a couple of my chickens and bringing them in later today. In fact, Frank and I were discussing the price."
"We were," he said.
"My goodness, I haven’t had chicken in so long," Addy replied.
"That’d be a real treat."
While the three rambled on, Lucy slipped to the edge of the store where she could lean against the wall close to the entrance. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air blowing in from the open door. For a moment, she was back at home where she grew up, sitting beneath her favorite tree and resting after helping her mother with the household chores. What she wouldn’t give to be back at that tree now.
She didn’t notice the voices at first, but as the two men came closer to the store, she opened her eyes and huddled against the wall so they wouldn’t see her as they walked by.
"I don’t know," one of them said. "I think I’ll wait for awhile. You know, to make sure there aren’t any unpleasant surprises."
"Even if he did get her in the family way, you could use an extra hand out at your farm," the other one replied.
"But he wouldn’t be mine. I don’t want to raise someone else’s child, even if the mother is a looker."
"You can’t help but feel sorry for her. She thought she was doing the right thing by marrying the man.
How was she to know he was already strapped to a wife and a couple of younglings?"
"I do feel sorry for her. You bet I’ll be the first to come calling if she’s not expecting."
As they passed out of hearing range, she stayed still, wondering how the whole town could know all the details of her situation already. Were people so bored that they couldn’t help but gossip? She pressed her fingers to her temples and willed the sudden headache away. Everything was happening too fast.
"Oh, there you are," Addy said as she walked over to her and motioned to the box in her arms. "I collected the things we’ll need to make soup. Are you ready to go home?"
Relieved, Lucy nodded.
"Be sure to come back around three," Mrs. Beecham called out. "I expect the chickens to be ready to sell by then."
"I’ll do that," Addy replied.
"And don’t you take any badmouthing from anyone in this town," Mrs. Beecham told Lucy. "Hold your head high, girl. No sense in cowering when you did nothing wrong."
Lucy stared at the woman, unable to think of a proper response, and Addy saved her from having to say anything for she replied, "Don’t you worry about Lucy. She’ll be fine once she gets used to everyone. She’s overwhelmed."
"That’s understandable," Mrs. Beecham said. "We can all be a scary lot."
Frank and Addy chuckled, and maybe if Lucy was able to laugh the whole thing off, she might too. But she couldn’t, and so she didn’t. She turned and followed Addy out of the store, glancing in the direction the two men went so she could get a good look at them because if either one decided to call on her in the future, she’d know to tell them no.
"Are you feeling alright?" Addy asked.
"I’m tired," Lucy replied, not wishing to dwell on the local rumor mill. She wasn’t up for it at the moment.
"When we get home, you may lie down and rest."
Glad to hear it, she pulled her bonnet forward and crossed her arms again as they continued down the street.
Chapter Four
Lucy stared out the kitchen window, holding the knife over the vegetables she was cutting for the soup Addy wanted to make.
She wasn’t looking at anything in particular. Instead, images from her past came in rapid succession.
Meeting Adam, his asking
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