Chapter Nine
Josie hugged herself nervously after the church service concluded, and curious eyes turned from the pulpit to face her direction.
It was her second day as Mrs. Blythe, yet nothing felt different.
The newness of the title didn’t fit, like a dress tailored for someone else.
The looks she received in the church made her feel like a guest, as people tried to uncover who she was and why she sat with a widower, holding his son.
Hours ago, she had woken alone in the medium-sized bed, the sheets cold beside her.
Travis had indeed kept his word, avoiding her with his choice to sleep in the barn.
The house was quiet, almost too quiet, without the usual chaos of getting the children ready and Aunt Polly cooking breakfast. It should have been relieving, but Josie had never felt more alone, waking up in her new bed that was big enough for two.
But she didn’t want Travis there, only to use him as the cover for her child’s father.
She didn’t even see Travis until he drove her to church.
He had risen early, left out a pot of coffee, and gone to feed the livestock.
Gideon squirmed in Josie’s arms as the church service concluded, and she instinctively pulled him closer to her chest while older women approached with bright, warm smiles.
Josie’s pulse raced, each of their steps making her cheeks grow hot and her head feel lighter.
For the first time, Josie wanted to be close to Travis now.
Not romantically, but as her shield from the three elderly ladies who walked towards them.
As the women, dressed in her bonnets and Sunday best, reached Josie and Gideon, Travis gently nudged Lillian forward, positioning himself closer to Josie. His elbow brushed against Josie’s, and the unexpected contact nearly made her gasp.
“Good afternoon,” one of the ladies greeted.
All three had graying hair pulled back into tight buns. However, what caught Josie’s eye was the neatly curled bangs of the woman who first approached her. The style was familiar, reminiscent of the fashions she had seen down South. Her mother wore the same updo, which helped settle Josie’s nerves.
“How is Mr. Gideon doing?” the one on the left asked, tickling the baby’s feet. He let out a loud squeal, lightening the mood with follow-up laughs.
“He’s doing well,” Travis answered stiffly. “He’s still trying to get the hang of crawling.”
The woman’s eyes widened with surprise. “Crawling now? What is he, ten months? My eldest was crawling by six, walking by ten.”
“Now, now,” the lady in the middle with curly bangs gently interjected, her smile warm as she gazed at Gideon.
“Every baby is different. I’m certain Gideon will be walking soon enough.
” Then she turned her attention back to Josie.
“My name is Rebecca Scott. My husband, Harland, and I live half a mile from the Blythes. These two are Mrs. Wilma McHenry and Mrs. Geraldine Kent.”
Josie shook each of their hands in turn.
“I’m Josie Blythe.” Months ago, she would have introduced herself as Josephine, but having the children call her by her family’s nickname made her feel as though Josephine was dead.
She was now Josie Blythe, taking on a brand-new beginning—mother of five and wife of a humble wheat farmer.
“Blythe?” the three women all said in unison, their eyes widening and jaws dropping.
“You mean you’re his wife?” Mrs. McHenry asked, her forehead creased in disbelief.
Josie’s face turned hot, bouncing Gideon on her hip. “Yes, ma’am. We were married yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” they repeated in harmony once more, their shock only growing.
“Travis, I had no idea you were courting, you silly goose,” Mrs. Scott teased, her curly bangs bouncing as she playfully elbowed his shoulder. “How’d you two meet? And how come I never knew about this sweet girl? Is she from Bozeman?”
Josie opened her mouth to answer the truth that she was ashamed of—being a mail-order bride from down South—but Travis interrupted her.
“I met my wife through some relatives. We corresponded by letters for a good while and extended a courtship. I proposed over a month ago, and we married yesterday.”
The three women sighed in unison, their expressions softening with the romanticized version of their story.
“That is so romantic,” Mrs. Kent said, clapping her hands together. “I had no idea you had other family connections so nearby.”
“Distant,” Travis quickly corrected. He glanced down at Lillian, Ivy, and Jonas, who stood awkwardly by their sides. “You’re excused to go play,” he told them, and they didn’t hesitate, darting out the door to join the other children already outside.
Josie stood in stunned silence, shocked by Travis’s lie.
She couldn’t understand why he would choose to make up a false, romanticized story about their relationship.
Mail-order brides were common enough, so why did he feel the need to pretend they had fallen in love through letters?
Was he ashamed of her? Did he suspect her as a fraud?
Her pulse quickened. How much did he know?
“And to think she’s gonna raise your four young’uns. She’s a keeper all right. Not every pretty young thing wants to raise another woman’s children,” Mrs. Scott remarked, leaning in towards Josie with a smile. “He’s a quiet man. No wonder it’s so easy for him to keep secrets.”
Josie looked down, seeing Travis’s fists curl. Did these women think he tricked her into marrying him? She was the deceiver. Not him. If they suspected anything, she was the liar.
Gideon let out another delighted squeal, babbling in his baby language as he pointed toward a family on the other side of the church.
Josie could hardly keep him in her arms. Each time he reached out and squirmed, she was afraid she’d drop him.
Travis quickly noticed her distress and scooped Gideon into his arms.
“Sounds like he saw his buddy. Josephine, would you follow me? I have someone for you to meet.”
“Nice to meet you three,” Josie said swiftly before following her husband. Thank goodness for Gideon’s behavior and Travis’s excuse.
Travis led her towards a family of seven, gathering their belongings on a pew.
The woman at the center of the group had bright red hair, the same shade shared by the two older girls standing beside her.
The taller girl carried a boy just slightly older than Gideon, and the woman held a girl of similar size.
Two toddlers—twins perhaps. A boy around Jonas’s age pulled on his father’s sleeve, asking to go outside.
The man nodded, and the boy took off out the door.
The man smiled when he made eye contact with Travis. “Aye, Travis. How good it is t’see ye.” He tickled the squealing Gideon’s belly. “And ye too, wee lad.”
They shook hands, and for the first time Josie saw her husband smile—truly smile. Travis wasn’t trying to break an awkward moment or trying to fake his emotions. Here with his friend, he appeared genuinely happy.
Travis balanced Gideon on his hip and shook the woman’s hand. “Good day, Caroline.” Travis nodded towards the two older girls who looked as though they were between the ages nine and thirteen. “How are you, girls?”
The taller one fought against the toddler’s grip on her red hair.
“Doing fine, sir.” The other one smiled, looking down and avoiding his gaze.
The girl’s demeanor made Josie smile. Despite her red hair and freckled complexion, the girl’s demeanor was almost identical to Susannah’s.
Susannah had a quiet manner and hardly looked anyone in the eyes, even her acquaintances.
Travis extended his free hand towards Josie, and she joined his side. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, nearly making her jump. She’d have to learn to get used to his sudden, innocent touches. She faked a smile, eager to perform as the newlywed bride.
“I’d like you to meet our neighbors, Ronan Walsh, his wife Caroline, and their children. Or as you see now, the leftover bunch. There’s one missing.” Travis’s lips curved at his joke. “The eldest is Alice, the other is Nan, the little boy is Brendon, and the girl is Molly.”
Caroline chuckled. “My eldest boy, Liam, just ran outside to play. He enjoys playing with Jonas.
Josie smiled. “That’s all right. He seemed like a lovely boy when I saw a blur of him.”
“A handful too,” Caroline added.
Caroline’s voice caught Josie off guard. It was precise and proper, just like the women of her class, except the woman didn’t have a southern charm. It seemed as though she was a Northerner, but from where? The woman was indeed educated and well-mannered with her posture.
“‘Tis a pleasure to meet ye, Mrs. Blythe,” Ronan said in a thick accent, almost Celtic like the neighbors Josie’s family had from Ireland. “Ye’ve married well, no doubt about it.”
Josie’s cheeks warmed again, clasping her hands in front of her. “Yes, I believe I did.”
Caroline handed her small daughter to the shy one called Nan. Caroline stepped closer to Josie, her shoulders rolled back and chin held high.
“I confess, I was excited when Ronan told me Travis wed. Since then, I have been wanting to ask you something, but I did not want to disturb you while you were settling in. Would you like to contribute to our Founder’s Day celebration?
It’s this Saturday, and I’m in desperate need of volunteers to make pies and cobblers. Rose is baking a cake.”
“I would be honored.” The thrill of baking seemed almost too good to be true. Josie had adored baking at her home in Asheville. Mammy had been the best teacher, and when Josie married Marcus, he forbade her from such activities. He said her duty was to him, not the kitchen.
“Lovely,” Caroline said. She turned towards her daughters. “Did you hear that, girls? It seems like you have some competition.”
Josie chuckled, placing her hand on the pew siding. “I’m a little rusty, so I definitely won’t outshine y’all.”