The Brides of Golden Valley Box Set 1 Read online

  Joshua knew she was right, but that didn’t make it any easier. Several other customers went through and examined his figurines. A few more were bought, and he traded with other vendors for a few items. By the time they cleaned up, several of the crates were empty. He loaded them into his cart, then climbed into the seat. It was only a few blocks to Eleanor and Edmond’s house, but he still needed to drive her there because of her trunk of clothes.

  Charlotte jumped down off the cart before it came to a full stop and hugged Eleanor. “You won’t believe what happened today.”

  “I can’t wait to hear.” Eleanor glanced over at Joshua. “You can bring her trunk and leave it in the hallway. We will take care of it from there.”

  Joshua jumped down and did as Eleanor told him. Their house was much bigger than Joshua’s, and they actually had maids and a butler—quite extravagant for a newly built town. He set the trunk down and turned to Charlotte. “I will be back first thing in the morning.”

  Charlotte pulled him in for a quick kiss. “I’ll see you then. And I’d better not find that you stayed up all night worrying about me.”

  “If I stay up, it’s because I have a few carvings I need to finish.” Joshua squeezed Charlotte’s hand. “Take care.”

  The women were already busy speaking about the latest gossip when Joshua left the house. The sun was already beginning to set, so he needed to rush if he was going to make it home. Joshua was tempted to keep the cart and one of the horses here so he could get home faster, but he needed to pack more supplies for the festival.

  Joshua flicked the reins and the horses took off at a trot. The side streets were clear, so he took those until he reached the edge of town, and then went back to the main road. Joshua was so used to Charlotte’s constant talking, that the trip home was too quiet. He tried whistling, but that didn’t seem right either.

  Night fell as Joshua traveled, and it was fully dark by the time he reached the barn. He unhooked the horses and brushed them down while they ate. He smiled at the empty stalls, knowing that the hundred dollars meant Betsy, Louie, and Minnie would have more company.

  Milking Betsy was the last thing he needed to do before bedtime, but he found himself working on smaller things in the barn to avoid going inside. But with everything in order and the animals fed, there wasn’t anything left to do.

  The house was quiet as he packed up the last of the figurines and set the crate by the door. He was half-tempted to go back into town right then to be with his wife, but it was too late to take his horses out.

  Joshua grabbed a quilt from his room and sprawled out on the couch. The only thing that helped him relax was knowing that he would see Charlotte again in the morning.

  ***

  The morning was cool and crisp as Joshua tightened the belts on Minnie. He made sure that he didn’t forget anything and climbed up onto the cart. It was a later start than he wanted, but after staying up for half the night, he needed the sleep.

  Louie and Minnie seemed to know Joshua was in a hurry and trotted quickly down the road to the town. Vendors and customers were already out when he finally arrived at his table. Charlotte was there with Eleanor, smiling up at a customer who’d just bought two plates of cookies.

  Joshua pulled a crate out of the cart and set it down next to the table. “It looks like we’ve already had a busy morning.”

  Charlotte jumped and a grin spread across her face. “I was wondering when you’d show up. I figured you’d beat me here.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” Joshua nodded to Eleanor as she stood. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

  “Oh, it was wonderful to have her here. It’s too lonely without having another woman around the house.” Eleanor curtsied. “I must be off. I will see both of you later this evening.”

  The big party was that night, and while Charlotte looked forward to it, Joshua would have rather been anywhere else. After the party, they would have a fireworks show to celebrate the Fourth of July, and that was the part he looked forward to the most.

  “Why don’t you see if there’s something from the other vendors you might want? I can stay here for a bit.” Joshua shifted the figurines so the taller ones were in the back. “I saw a jeweler just a few tables down.”

  Charlotte scooted her chair out. “I do have a few things I want to look at. Thank you. I won’t be gone long.”

  Joshua reached into his coin box and pulled out several coins. “Here, pick something out.”

  “Thank you.” Charlotte beamed and disappeared into the crowd.

  The table had steady customers throughout the day, and several of them had returned from the day before. Charlotte came back with a package and set it under the table.

  “How are things going?” Charlotte reached down to get more cookies and gasped. “They’re out?”

  “I just sold the last of the snickerdoodles. You just have a few more pastries, and I’m almost out of figurines. Once yours are gone, we can pack up. I’ll trade the rest at the grocer to help with food.”

  Charlotte took some change from an older woman. “That sounds good. What time is the party starting again?”

  “Not until dusk. It would be better to leave early so we can get ready for the evening.” Joshua gestured toward the package under the table. “What did you find?”

  “I found some combs for my hair.”

  Joshua raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else. The package was too large to carry clips for her hair.

  The pastries ran out a few hours later, so they packed everything up into the cart and wandered through the vendors together. Charlotte insisted that Joshua buy a new pair of boots since his had holes in the toes, and he insisted that she buy a pair of dance slippers for herself. She had a hard enough time walking with the heels she wore, and he wanted to make sure she was comfortable—and that his toes survived the dancing.

  Customers slowly trickled out, each of them heading home to change, or finding a place on the grass to see the fireworks. Joshua usually didn’t stay, but they’d watch them that night after the party. He helped Charlotte up onto the cart, and they drove to Eleanor’s house.

  Stable boys ran up and took the reins from Joshua and waited just long enough for Joshua to grab his things before leading Louie and Minnie off to the stables. Joshua took Charlotte’s arm and they waited for their turn to walk inside. There were more people attending that night than Joshua thought, and it made his stomach turn.

  Once inside, Charlotte went with Eleanor to get changed, and Joshua went the other way to get ready. Edmond appeared next to Joshua. “There you are. You will be changing in my room, and when Eleanor is finished helping Charlotte, you two will meet together to walk into the party.”

  Joshua nodded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the formality of the evening. He preferred a more informal setting after attending these all growing up. He moved to the small town to get away from all the high society games, and yet here he was.

  He changed quickly and ran his fingers through his hair because he forgot a comb. By the time a servant knocked on the door to tell him Charlotte was ready, Joshua was ready to leave.

  Charlotte came toward him, beaming in her new gown, and Joshua’s breath caught at her beauty. The blue flowers matched her eyes, and her hair was pulled up into a French twist, with loose curls framing her face.

  “You look beautiful tonight, Mrs. Hale.” Joshua kissed her hand, then slid his arm through hers so they could walk inside.

  “Thank you, Mr. Hale. You look handsome in that suit. You should wear it more often.” Her sly smile made him chuckle. She knew how much he disliked dressing like this.

  The ballroom was filled with guests talking in groups or on the floor dancing. Joshua was tempted to hide in a corner until it was all done, but Charlotte pulled him toward the dance floor. He only knew a few dances that his grandmother taught him, and thankfully one of those was the waltz. He held her tight as they moved around the room.

  They danced
several more times before dinner was announced. Name cards ran along a large table in the dining hall, so Joshua walked with Charlotte until they found their spot near the head of the table. Eleanor waved as they sat down.

  “I wanted to make sure you were near me.” Eleanor smiled and glanced over at Edmond. “He’s so busy with everything that I haven’t had a chance to really talk to anyone tonight.”

  Charlotte frowned. “You should have come and found us. We wouldn’t have minded.”

  Dinner was served in stages, each one confusing Charlotte even more as she had to figure out which utensil to use. Joshua did his best to show her which one she needed, but that only flustered her more. Surely she’d gone to dinners like this. She’d told him stories of her various social events back home.

  By the time the main entree was served, Charlotte’s face was bright red from accidentally grabbing her spoon instead of her fork. Something so small, but Joshua could see from Edmond’s face that he didn’t approve.

  The moment dinner was over, Charlotte scooted out her chair and stood, accidentally bumping into the table with her large skirt. Joshua took her by the hand and led her away so she wouldn’t have to see the sneer on Edmond’s face.

  Charlotte covered her face with her hands as soon as they were away from the group. “I can’t believe that happened. I had no idea the dinner would be so different from what I’m used to back home.”

  Joshua chuckled. “You did fine. Besides, I think many of the other guests were worried about which fork was the right one and didn’t notice you were struggling.” He kissed her forehead. “Would you like to leave? We can watch the fireworks somewhere else.”

  “No, let’s stay. We’re almost there. I can handle it.” Charlotte smiled, but the worry was still evident in her eyes.

  Chairs were set up outside for the fireworks, and while Joshua preferred the grass, this was better for Charlotte to sit in. Her dress would be ruined if they sat on the ground. Charlotte shivered, so Joshua took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  As soon as it was dark enough, the fireworks began. Lights of all colors burst in the sky, celebrating their nation. As soon as the grand finale ended, Charlotte turned to Joshua, her eyes dancing.

  “That was amazing.” Charlotte slid her arm through his. “Thank you for allowing me to come to this.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it so much. I usually watch the fireworks—” Joshua stopped mid-sentence as he caught Charlotte’s name being spoken from behind them. He turned to find Edmond and his friends laughing and gesturing wildly, glancing over at Charlotte as they did so. Joshua glared and took a step forward. No one would insult his wife in such a way.

  Charlotte pulled on his arm. “It’s not worth it, Joshua. Let’s just go home.”

  More snickers came from Edmond’s direction, and this time Joshua wasn’t going to be stopped by Charlotte. He took her by the hand and strode forward until he was inches away from Edmond.

  “Is there something you’d like to say to my wife?” Joshua did his best to stay calm, but he wasn’t sure how long it would last.

  “No, except that perhaps you should teach her how to use the correct utensils before going out into society. It’s unbecoming of a lady not to know proper etiquette.”

  Joshua swung his arm and his fist connected with Edmond’s nose. He went for another punch, but several arms grabbed him. Edmond blinked several times as blood spurted out. Joshua shook everyone off and straightened his jacket.

  “You will treat me and my wife with more respect.” Joshua took Charlotte by the arm and led her away from the group and around the side of the house. No need to run into Eleanor or anyone else.

  They didn’t stop until they reached the stables to get Minnie and Louie. Charlotte helped strap them to the cart, but said nothing until they were on their way out of town. Joshua’s anger started to melt away, replaced with embarrassment for making a fool of himself. He shouldn’t have allowed Edmond to spark his anger.

  “I’m sorry for punching Edmond. When I heard him insulting you, I couldn’t help myself.”

  Charlotte shook on the seat next to him and it took a moment to realize that she was laughing. “It’s all right. After spending two days with him, I wanted to do the same thing.”

  Joshua glanced over at her. “He was rude to you before tonight?”

  “No, but his pretentious snobbery was annoying, and he doesn’t treat Eleanor with the respect she deserves. He isn’t unkind. He just doesn’t appreciate that they’re equals.”

  “In most societies, they’re not.” Joshua tugged on the reins so the horses would turn toward the homestead. “Did you enjoy yourself otherwise?”

  “Yes. Eleanor and I had a midnight snack and you’d think she was committing a felony by the way she acted. And we talked for hours. Which of course didn’t please Edmond. But yes, I had fun. I don’t know that I’ll be going back there any time soon, though.”

  Joshua cleared his throat. “No, that might not be a good idea.”

  He pulled up to their house and climbed down so they could unload the cart. There wasn’t much left of what they’d taken, but it still took several loads before the cart was empty. Joshua led the horses to the barn and parked the cart just outside it so he could unhook and brush them down for the night.

  Joshua opened the door to find a laughing Charlotte. “What’s going on?”

  Charlotte wiped her eyes and stood. “My trunk is still at Eleanor’s. We’re going to have to get it back somehow.”

  “Oh, dear.” Joshua laughed. “That’s something we can worry about tomorrow. For now, I just want to spend time with my wife.”

  “I’m perfectly okay with that decision. Oh, before I forget.” Charlotte sorted through their inventory and pulled out the package she’d bought earlier that day. “I wanted to surprise you with this.”

  Joshua took the package from her and untied it. Two beautiful hair clips sat on top of a clean white shirt. He handed her the clips and lifted the shirt up. “This is nice. It should hold up better than my others have.”

  “That’s what I thought as soon as I saw it. My sewing is still not the best, and I wanted to make sure you had something nice to wear.” Charlotte set her clips on the small table next to the couch. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  Joshua pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “I think it’s perfect. Thank you.”

  “You’ve done so many nice things for me, and I just wanted to give something back.” Charlotte snuggled in closer and sighed.

  Forget the fancy balls and high society. Sitting right here with his wife was all he ever needed. And thankfully she seemed to feel the same way.

  Charlotte picked up one of the chicks Joshua brought home and smiled. The small chirps from each of the chicks was a welcome sound in the quiet house. Joshua was outside clearing land so it would be ready for spring, while Charlotte washed the laundry and finished cleaning the house.

  Her hands were raw from scrubbing each item of clothing on the washboard, but she managed to do all of it herself this time. Including lifting the tub of water and carrying it to the back of the house.

  The rumbling of wagon wheels came into the front yard. Charlotte set the chick down and washed her hands in case the visitors were there for her. It was a moment later before there was a knock at the door. Charlotte smoothed her hair back and grimaced at the wet stains on her dress from where she spilled water from the laundry tub. She probably should have changed.

  She opened the door to find Eleanor and Edmond standing there. Edmond held Charlotte’s trunk, and Eleanor looked like she’d been crying. It had been weeks since the celebration, and neither Charlotte or Joshua had wanted to go back to their house to get her belongings.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Charlotte opened the door to allow them in, but they didn’t move.

  “We are on our way to visit family and wanted to bring this by. And Edmond has something he’d like to say.” Eleanor
looked up at her husband.

  Edmond set the trunk just inside the door and strode back outside toward the carriage. Eleanor sighed.

  “He doesn’t feel like he should apologize after being the one who was punched in the nose. But . . .” Eleanor’s eyes filled with tears. “He was wrong to say what he said, and I apologize for him.”

  Charlotte stepped forward and hugged her friend. “You have nothing to be sorry for. And he is probably right about me. I’m doing my best to fit in, but I have a lot to learn.”

  “You seem to be doing much better than when you first arrived.” Eleanor wiped her tears. “Dear me. I need to leave before I am a mess for my trip. I do hope you’ll consider coming to visit me again someday. I enjoyed our visit.”

  “I did too. We’ll see if the two men can stop being stubborn so that we can spend time together. It’s been too long.” Charlotte just hoped Edmond would be off visiting someone when she did show up.

  Eleanor stepped outside. “I must get going. Stay safe out here. I’ve heard there is more unrest between the cattlemen and sheep owners.”

  Charlotte bit her lip. She’d hoped it would be done after the fight in front of her house. “Thank you. We’ll be fine.”

  She waited for them to leave before closing the door. Joshua came through the backdoor covered in dust from working with the plow. “Are they still here?”

  “No, they just left.” Charlotte nodded toward the trunk. “They brought that back to me.”

  “It took them long enough, but at least that means we don’t have to go to their house any time soon.” Joshua crouched down next to the box of chicks. “Hello, little ones. I’m about to go outside to make you a house.”

  Charlotte perked up. “You were able to get some wire?”

  “No, but I think we have enough wood left over from the fence for the cows that I can use.” Joshua reached down and stroked one of the chicks. “They won’t move out for a few more weeks, though. They’ll get too cold.”

  “What if . . . you use that wood to build something else instead?” Charlotte asked.