Page 302 of Conveniently Wed
After helping Nora into the surrey next to Aundy, Garrett sat beside his father and picked up the reins to the team. He read worry and sorrow on the young widow’s face.
She’d proven repeatedly in the last few days that she was tough and resilient. Aundy barely left Erik’s side as he hung between life and death after the accident, holding his hand and reading aloud to him for hours until her voice grew hoarse.
Garrett and Nora, along with Dent, took turns staying in the house, wanting to be available if Aundy should need them. There seemed to be a steady stream of visitors, coming to paytheir respects as news of the accident traveled throughout the community.
Although he admired his newly widowed neighbor for her inner fortitude and bravery, Garrett wished he could do or say something to make her feel better. It would take time for her to get used to living in a new place, for her heart and arm to heal, and for life to move forward.
His heart ached as he watched her brush at her cheeks with a handkerchief already soggy from both the rain and her tears. He removed a snowy-white square from his pocket, reached behind him, and handed it to her.
“Thank you,” Aundy said between sniffles.
Nora patted her shoulder and wiped at her own tears. “The ladies from church fixed a nice lunch,” Nora said, as Garrett stopped the horses in front of the church. “We’ll eat and let everyone express their condolences then take you home.”
Aundy nodded her head, knowing whether she wanted to or not, she needed to draw on every reserve of strength she possessed to get through the next few hours.
Losing Gunther had shattered her heart, watching Erik die had pierced her spirit. As she followed Nora into the church, she knew love or marriage would never be a part of her future.
She couldn’t bear the thought of going through this sort of pain and anguish again.
4
Aundy released a deep sigh as she sat at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of tea and staring out the window.
A week ago, she smiled graciously, accepting condolences from Erik’s neighbors and friends as they laid him to rest. Nora or Garrett, along with Dent, checked on her daily to make sure she was fine and Doc had been by once to look at her arm. Pastor Whitting had also been out to check on her a few times.
She rose from the table and wandered through the house, stopping to admire the gleaming china in the cupboard in the dining room. Nora told her it belonged to Erik’s mother. She loved the dainty blue flowers on the creamy porcelain background and wondered if she’d ever feel like it was truly hers to use.
In the front room, she looked around at the comfortable furnishings, purchased new by Erik when she agreed to marry him. Nora said he hired someone in town to make the curtains and throw pillows that finished the room.
All the effort Erik went to on her behalf, all the money he spent to make sure she felt comfortable and welcome, was almost more than she could comprehend. He had been a generous and caring man.
Aundy glanced at the closed door of what had been his room. She couldn’t bring herself to venture inside. Not when losing him was still so fresh. Quickly turning back toward the kitchen, she walked down the hall to her bedroom.
From the information Nora shared with her, Erik and Garrett finished the room just a few weeks before her arrival. Erik wanted to make things as nice as possible for his bride, and added a large bedroom next to the newly constructed bathroom. Although he hadn’t moved his belongings into the room, it was clear he intended it to be the bedroom they shared.
Aundy studied the big bed with a soft mattress, the rich, cherry wood furniture, and a large closet designed for two.
A padded rocking chair sat by the window and Aundy noticed sunlight streaming through the lace curtains covering the glass. A small table next to the chair held an oil lamp and a stack of books, making it a cozy place to sit and read.
With Nora’s help, her trunks had been unpacked, her belongings put away, and Garrett hauled the empty trunks out to the attic of a storage shed near the barn.
Thoughts of Garrett made Aundy’s stomach flutter with a nervous feeling that left her unsettled, so she pushed them aside.
She left the big bedroom, and wandered into the third bedroom that had obviously belonged to Erik’s parents. A photo of a handsome couple sat on the dresser and their clothes still hung in the closet.
Wishing she knew more about Erik’s family, Aundy returned to the kitchen where additional evidence of her husband’s thoughtfulness and care was evident in the shiny new cook stove, a refrigerator, and the silverware he purchased just for her. Out on the back porch she’d found a new washing machine that would be a huge help for doing laundry once she could use both hands.
After rinsing out her teacup, Aundy wiped the already clean counter. Tired of sitting around the house, wondering what to do, she was ready to move forward as the owner of Erik’s farm. It had taken her a week to get used to the idea of owning it and the fact that Erik was truly gone.
Grief still weighed heavy on her heart. Although she didn’t know Erik intimately, she knew enough about him to realize she had lost a friend. Someone who would have cherished her, cared for her, and supported her even if love never filled either of their hearts.
It was no secret people wondered what she planned to do with the farm. Returning to Chicago was out of the question. What she really wanted was to stay and pick up where Erik left off. She might even succeed, because she was just stubborn enough to try and determined enough not to quit.
Aundy did not intend to sell Erik’s farm. As soon as she figured out what she was doing, she planned to send for Ilsa.
Between the two of them, Aundy knew they could make a go of things. At least they would when she got the cast off her arm and regained full use of both hands. Limited as she was, she could barely comb her hair and dress herself each day.
Nora asked her to stay with them until her arm healed, but Aundy felt like she’d already taken so much from the Nash family. Erik said they were good people and he’d been correct in that statement.
