Mail Order Maiden by Sara Jolene

Author:Sara Jolene [Jolene, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-01-28T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Charlotte was trying really hard not to worry about what the evening would bring. She’d spent the day in the kitchen with her friends. They’d giggled and laughed all morning and ran through wedding plans all afternoon. They had bouquets to make, and most importantly, Charlotte had to finish sewing Adele’s dress. In the chaos of the day, Charlotte hadn’t discussed with Lorraine where Felix would be sleeping. She’d done everything she could to avoid it, actually. Any time either of her friends brought up her new marriage, her husband, or what their plans were, she changed the subject.

When the men had returned for lunch, Felix had come in with them, eaten and left with them, almost as if he’d been doing it every day with Milo and Caleb. It made her smile, thinking about how well he was fitting into her life and with her friends. He hadn’t said much while they were eating, but every once in a while, Charlotte could feel eyes on her. Each time she turned, she’d caught him quickly trying to look away. She smiled to herself. She knew that their arrangement was one of convenience, but throughout the day, she’d found herself starting to hope that it could be more.

Charlotte, Lorraine, and Adele were working in tandem to get dinner on the table before the sunset. The room had turned a pale rose color as the light changed from the sun dropping below the mountain. Charlotte stopped and allowed herself a moment to absorb the stillness dusk had brought. The hammering from out in the yard had ceased. Lorraine and Adele were working hard at finishing up, so they were silent, and the moment Charlotte stopped moving, the clanging of cutlery halted as well. She was going to miss those moments the most, because in them she’d found serenity that she’d not been able to find any other place on earth. Clover Lake had become her home.

Charlotte began to move again, trying to dislodge the lump that had formed in her throat. She set forks and knives on the table, along with a plate holding butter and a small carafe of extra gravy. The ladies had spent their day preparing for eventual baking for the wedding, but in the moments they could spare, they’d put together a hearty beef stew using potatoes, carrots, and onions they hadn’t yet taken into the root cellar. Leaving the table set and ready for their meal, Charlotte entered the kitchen just as Adele was removing loaves of bread from the oven. The scent of the warm dough filled the room. Charlotte closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, wanting to solidify the memory of the moment.

Charlotte held her breath and kept her eyes closed, making sure to focus on every element so that when she was out West, she’d be able to recall all the details. She wanted to remember her friends and their time together exactly like this. Though she was sure she’d remember the weddings

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