Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Ivy decided to take Teddy to the office with her.
“I’d like to introduce you to the sisters,” she said as they made their way down the snow-covered sidewalk. “I think they’ll approve of what we’re doing. I mean, the way Caleb and I are helping you.”
Teddy gave her the side-eye and kept trudging forward.
It had snowed overnight, a good five inches, and Ivy wondered if Teddy’s feet were cold.
She stepped over a clump of dirty snow. “I’d like to meet them,” Teddy finally said.
“I think what they do is a good thing. But I also think you’re goin’ above and beyond for me. ”
“That’s true,” Ivy admitted. “Caleb and I agreed we want to help you be better prepared to meet your future groom. It’ll make things easier for you. Not nearly as scary.”
“You got that right.” Teddy nodded. “And I do appreciate everything you and Caleb… or rather, Mr. Hartwell, are doin’.” She glanced sideways again. “So… are you and Mr. Hartwell good friends?”
“Oh no, we’re just coworkers,” Ivy said quickly.
She kept walking and hoped Teddy didn’t say anything else.
Especially not about the friendship between herself and Caleb to Augusta, Margaret, or Josie.
If the sisters thought they were breaking the rules, would they fire them? Ivy couldn’t afford for that to happen.
When they reached the office, young George was just heading out to take the dog for a walk. The rambunctious canine made a beeline for them, dragging George behind him.
“He sure is happy to see you, Miss Goodhart,” young George said with a grin.
Teddy bent to pet the dog. “You’re so precious. Just look at ya, ya big ball of fluff.”
“That he is,” Ivy said with a smile. “Are the sisters all in the office?”
“Sure are. Mr. Hartwell’s here too. They’re all waitin’ for you.” Young George tipped his cap, then allowed himself to be dragged across the street toward the park.
Ivy watched them go, then motioned Teddy inside. They stomped the snow from their shoes in the vestibule before entering the office.
“Oh good, there you are, Ivy,” Margaret said, crossing the room. “And you must be Miss Winslow. Mr. Hartwell was telling us all about you, weren’t you, Caleb?”
Caleb looked up from the desk where he’d been working. “Oh yes.” He looked Teddy over, blinked a few times, then stood and crossed the room. “Indeed, yes. Miss Winslow, you look…”
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Ivy said with a grin.
Caleb nodded. “I’d go so far as to say stunning.”
Augusta, Margaret, and Josie joined them.
“Oh, my dear,” Margaret said warmly, “Caleb told us all about you, and I must say, you don’t look anything like what he described.”
Teddy scratched under her arm. “Well, I reckon a bath makes a big difference. And Ivy’s grandma did my hair and Ivy loaned me this dress.” She shrugged. “I’m here now. What do you want me to do?”
Caleb glanced at the sisters. Ivy had no idea what they’d been discussing before she and Teddy arrived, but whatever it was, he’d clearly painted a picture of Teddy’s less-than-desirable state of dress and hygiene yesterday.
He led Teddy to the chair across from his desk. “Did you sleep well?”
“Sure did. It was kind of cold in Ivy’s place, but still a lot warmer than the shack.”
“Shack?” Josie’s eyes widened as she snapped her head toward Caleb. “So it’s true?”
“In someone’s backyard, as I recall,” Augusta said, studying Teddy. “But Caleb is right, dear. You’ve made fast improvement since yesterday. Now, Ivy. Tell us about your ideas for Miss Winslow.”
Ivy removed her coat and hung it up. “I don’t know how much Caleb told you, but Teddy needs to be better prepared to meet her future groom in Apple Blossom.”
Augusta stood straighter, hands folded before her. “And what makes you think the groom in Montana would best suit Miss Winslow?”
“Well,” Ivy began…
But Teddy stepped in front of her. “Ivy and Caleb told me he’s a rancher. I ain’t no stranger to hard work. But if he’s lookin’ for someone who talks all proper, then I might not be the best choice.” She frowned. “That don’t mean I can’t learn.”
“Exactly,” Ivy said. “I think we should help prepare Teddy to live the life of a rancher’s wife in an up-and-coming community.”
Josie settled at her desk. “What makes you think the town is up-and-coming?”
“Well, it’s a small town, from what I understand from Mr. Rowan’s application,” Ivy said. “But most small towns do grow.”
“That’s very true,” Augusta agreed. “And I suppose a few lessons in decorum would be useful, along with proper English.”
“It’d be right kind of ya to teach me,” Teddy said, turning from the sisters to Caleb. “You’re a man. Would you want to court someone like me—as I am?”
“Oh, well…” Caleb swallowed. “I…”
“Be honest,” Teddy prompted.
Caleb cleared his throat. “Um… no.”
Teddy waved a hand toward the sisters. “There, you see? I need lessons. I’ll take all the help I can get.”
Augusta studied her again. “And are you prepared to put in the work it’s going to take to get you there?”
Teddy laughed. “Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am, but we don’t have that much time.”
Caleb snorted, as did Ivy. It wasn’t the first joke Teddy had made about her lack of etiquette, and it wouldn’t be the last. Unfortunately, she was right. If they didn’t get Teddy to Mr. Rowan in Apple Blossom soon, he might look elsewhere for a bride.
“Ivy,” Margaret said. “You’ve spent time with Miss Winslow. What do you think she needs first?”
Ivy considered it. Teddy’s speech needed work, a lot of it. She also lacked proper clothing, but the Sisters’ Mail-Order Bride Company wasn’t a charity. Simple etiquette lessons would have to suffice. “How much time do I have with her?”
“I can work with her too,” Caleb offered. “I may not be a fancy gentleman, but I do know common-sense manners.”
“That’s very true,” Augusta said. She returned to her desk and sat. “Miss Winslow, I think you should write Mr. Rowan and tell him you’ll need a little time to put your affairs in order. We’ll have at least a couple of weeks before we hear back. That should be enough time for some lessons.”
Teddy beamed. “Why, that’s right kindly of you, Miss Merriweather. Thank you.”
Ivy pulled out pen and paper and began scribbling notes. “We can start with table manners, then move on to other things. There are books you can take with you that’ll help.”
“You mean they got all this stuff in books?” Teddy asked, surprised.
“Oh yes,” Ivy said. “All sorts of things. We can get you started and fill in the gaps.”
Teddy rubbed her chin. “All right. Let’s do it.” Her gaze moved from one person to the next. “What’s this gonna cost me?”
Ivy’s heart sank. What if the sisters wanted to charge her? Would Teddy be able to pay?
Stepping forward, an idea forming, Ivy said, “Augusta, I think we should do this for Teddy pro bono. If it works—and works well—you could add it as an extra service. Like what we did for Elizabeth Jepsen and her brother Thomas.”
“But that would be no trouble at all,” Josie said. “What we’re looking at here is much more.” She turned to Augusta. “But I think Ivy has a good idea. We could offer it as a separate service. It would make a bride feel much more comfortable.”
Augusta stood and slowly paced. “I agree. It is a good idea, but we would need to create some parameters. What exactly would we offer?”
“Well, if you don’t mind my sayin’ so,” Teddy put in, “tellin’ a bride what a groom might expect is one thing.
I mean, Ivy and Caleb here pretty much told me I weren’t fit for a groom the way I was.
How I dressed and, more importantly, how I smelled.
” She sniffed at her armpit. “Which today is a whole lot better than it was yesterday.”
Ivy tried not to laugh and glanced at Caleb. He smiled back, then turned his attention to Augusta. “It’s for the bride’s benefit,” Caleb said. “And as a man, I can tell you how most men are going to react, especially if a bride presents herself in certain ways.”
“He’s got a point,” Josie said.
“Indeed, he does.” Augusta continued pacing. “Margaret. Fetch me pen and paper.” She snapped her fingers, sending Margaret scurrying to her desk.
Margaret pulled out a sheet and a pen, ready to write.
“Manners,” Augusta said. “Expectations of the groom are important. And let’s not forget Miss Hogspeth.”
Everyone except Teddy winced.
“Miss Hogspeth?” Teddy repeated. “Is she the one who came in here and caused a ruckus?”
“You heard about that, did you?” Josie asked with a laugh.
“Enough about Miss Hogspeth,” Augusta said. “Though she is a good example of someone with expectations far too high. Manners can be improved. A woman’s speech can be refined. But a sour disposition?” She sighed. “I’m not sure how one fixes that in a week or two.”
“Regarding Miss Hogspeth?” Caleb pressed. “Even if you’d had a wealthy client, the kind she was so adamant about, would you have sent her to him?”
Augusta’s shoulders slumped as she sighed. “I would have been hesitant. A match like that could only end in disaster. So no, in all good conscience, I could not have.”
“Well, I’ll be,” Teddy said with a grin. “You run a right honest establishment here, Miss Merriweather.”
“We try, dear,” Augusta said. She turned to Josie and Margaret.
“Honesty is key. Miss Jepsen wrote to her prospective groom and told him about Thomas. That was the honest thing to do, and I believe we’ll be hearing back from him soon.
Because of that honesty, I hope he sends train and stage fare for Elizabeth and Thomas.
In all our dealings, we must be truthful, both with our grooms and our brides. ”
Teddy clapped once. “Bravo.”
Augusta gave a small bow, then straightened with a smile. “Ivy, I commend you on this idea. It’s excellent.” She moved to Margaret’s desk and took the seat across from her. “Now, what else can we add?”
As they worked on the list, Ivy’s chest swelled with pride. She was glad she’d spoken up. They didn’t need another Miss Hogspeth marching into the office demanding a rich man.
She edged closer to Caleb and bent toward him. “What you said about Miss Hogspeth not being a good fit, that was the right thing to do. We want to help those we can and be honest about those we can’t.”
He shrugged. “It needed to be said.”
Teddy gave them a curt nod. “Truthfulness always is. If someone had discovered me in that shack, I’d have had to be truthful about how long I’d been there.”
“How long were you there?” Caleb asked.
She gave a sheepish smile. “More than a month.”
“And you didn’t get caught?” He sounded surprised.
“It’s winter. Nobody goes back there, and the family don’t have no gardener.”
“That makes sense,” Ivy said.
Caleb smiled at Teddy but said nothing. Teddy smiled back and gave him a wink.
“All right,” Augusta said, leaving Margaret’s desk. “We have our list of services. Now all we have to do is decide on prices.”
“Oh, and brides could pick from our offerings,” Margaret added. “Sort of like picking from a menu.”
“Precisely,” Augusta said. “Of course, we’ll have to go over it all over tea.” She did a quick count. “Oh dear, do we have enough cups?”
“Yes, sister, we do,” Josie huffed. “I’ll fetch them.”
Teddy leaned across the desk toward Ivy and Caleb. “Thank you for suggestin’ the pro bono—that means free, right?”
“It does,” Ivy said. “And I’m so glad you came to us, Teddy.”
Teddy smiled. “I am too. But don’t think I’ll be stayin’ with you pro bono. You don’t owe me a thing.”
“What’s this?” Caleb asked, looking between them.
Ivy leaned against the desk. “Nothing.” She gave Teddy a small shake of her head.
Teddy seemed to understand and said no more as Augusta, Margaret, and Josie disappeared into the back kitchen to put the kettle on.
Ivy swallowed. She would have to be honest and tell Caleb she’d used part of the money he’d given them to pay last month’s rent.
Considering the conversation they’d just had, the sooner, the better.