Page 10 of Mail Order Malarkey

Chapter Four

After supper, Cassandra helped with the dishes, but then she immediately went outside to work on the garden. Next year, if she was still around, she’d extend it and add more vegetables, and maybe even some raspberries. She loved raspberries, and she had a feeling Mrs. Royal could turn them into wonderful pies and jams.

She was on her knees in the garden, making a larger mound of dirt over a couple of the plants that she didn’t think were buried deep enough when Cameron came out of the house and stood outside the garden watching her for a moment. She wanted to say, “Go away,” but she was a guest in his house, and rudeness would be retaliated against, she was certain.

“Would you like to walk with me?” he asked. “The sun won’t set for a couple of hours yet, and it would please my mother a great deal.”

Cassandra sighed. “I’d have told you to go away if you hadn’t mentioned your mother. She’s been kind to me, and I don’t want to disappoint her in any way.”

He cocked his head to one side. “And I’ve been the opposite of kind.”

“Yes, you have.” She shrugged. “I’m sure it was a shock to come home and find a woman you had no idea existed living in your home, intending to marry you.”

His lips twitched. “Did you know she hadn’t told me?”

She shook her head. “I would have refused to go home with her if she had. But I’m here, and I don’t know what to do, so I’ll stay until I can find another place to be.”

He frowned. “So, you’re not even willing to consider marrying me?”

“You’re not willing to consider marrying me.” She brushed off the front of her skirt. “Let’s walk.”

Cameron frowned at her. “I’m sorry I was so rude to you earlier.”

“Trust me, people have been much ruder to me.”

“Will your parents mind if you come back?”

She laughed. “I have ten younger siblings. I’m the oldest, and they are all still at home. I was working in town near where I grew up.”

“You grew up in the country?”

Cassandra nodded, wondering why he was asking her all these questions. It didn’t make sense to her. “I did. On a farm. And I’ve missed country living every day since I left my parents’ house. But I won’t return.”

“What do you plan to do then?” he asked.

“I’ll do as much work as I can around your ranch to earn my keep until I find somewhere else. I’m sure there’s someone around who needs someone to care for their children or work in their gardens. Maybe without pay, but I won’t be your burden for long.” She moved her head back to look straight up at the sky. “Besides, your mother and I are going to a Fourth of July celebration in town tomorrow. I’m sure she can introduce me to some eligible men.”

He frowned. “So, you won’t marry me, but you’ll marry some stranger?” That didn’t seem right.

“You’re a stranger as well. I’ll marry someone your mother approves of.”

Cameron was suddenly jealous. He didn’t know why, and he knew it made no sense at all. “You can’t marry someone else. I paid for you to come out here.”

Cassandra stopped walking and glared at him. “So, I’m intruding on your life, but I’m also not allowed to marry someone else?” She poked him in the chest. “What exactly do you think I should do then?”

“I don’t know! I still don’t know why Ma thought it was all right for her to send for you.”

She shook her head. “You make me so angry I just want to kick you.”

“Don’t,” he said softly, watching her. He couldn’t believe how much fire she had inside her.

She looked to make certain they were well away from the house. “I was just as shocked as you were that I wasn’t here to marry you. It’s my life that’s been upended. I’m the one who just sat in a train car all the way across this great nation of ours. My backside hurts from all that travel. You will stop acting as if I’m intruding on your life!”

He couldn’t help but laugh. She had so much fire, but she was so much smaller than him. Her anger was simply amusing. “Is that so?”

“It is!” She shook her head. “No wonder you’re not married. You’re not fit for a woman to walk on, let alone kiss.” She turned away from him to head back to the house. His mother should have seen that they walked together. Now she’d get back to her gardening, her duty complete.

He caught her shoulder, spinning her back toward him. “With your anger problems, it’s no surprise that you aren’t married. No man would put up with that!”

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