A Farmer For Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Brides 4) by Marisa Masterson

Author:Marisa Masterson [Marisa Masterson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

The girls enjoyed a happy Christmas day. Myra knew she would forever treasure the memory of it.

The day before, after setting bread and rolls to rise near the warmth of the cookstove, she led the girls into the woods. There they cut pine boughs and gathered holly leaves and berries.

Back at the house her daughters, as she now thought of them, giggled and sang carols with her as they decorated the parlor. From her room, Jennie sang along with them but in German. Johanna arranged the family’s small manger scene on the fireplace mantle, placing holly leaves around it.

That evening they had the oyster soup which had rested overnight in the springhouse. Following her grandmother’s instructions, Johanna had prepared it the previous morning. “We always have this for Christmas Eve,” she’d explained to her new mother.

Carl managed to return with oranges as well as candy and his sister-in-law hid the items in a cupboard as a surprise for the girls. Wanting to maintain the family’s traditions, Myra placed the candy and fruit by the girls’ plates at breakfast. She sent them into the parlor for a moment as she did so. When they returned, squeals of delight erupted from the two older girls at the presents. Looking confused, Darlene and Dora nonetheless squeal as well and jumped up and down while holding hands with each other. The joy of these four was all the Christmas gift Myra needed that year.

That joy was balanced by something Fred brought from the jail. Her brother had sent her an unwelcome surprise.

“It says on this poster, Myra, that you’re a danger to yourself and possibly violent to others,” Fred commented. Then he teased, “You don’t look like you plan to poison the Christmas ham.”

“What should we do, Holder?” Rather than asking her brother-in-law, she turned to her husband for help and he smiled one of his rare grins.

Holder moved to stand beside her in front of the fireplace. With a possessive hand placed around her hip, he pulled her close to him. The touch brought a blush to his wife’s cheeks, as it brought to her mind what they’d shared the previous night.

“Fred, anything you think we can do about this poster?” Holder asked, taking over the conversation.

His brother nodded. “Yeah, get her to town. Have Myra meet people so they can see how normal she is. Be sure to go to church Sunday.”

The idea of going to town thrilled Myra and eased some of the panic created in her by the poster. “Oh please, Holder. I’d love to get fabric for a dress. Johanna’s are so short.”

Whether because of Christmas or the threat presented by the poster, he gave in easily. Fred wasn’t finished discussing the poster though. “This was sent by the Pinkerton Agency. Tomorrow, I plan to wire them. The Pinkertons need to know this is a mistake.”

Pinning Myra with a stare, Fred switched from being a brother to his sheriff role. With command evident in his voice, he questioned,

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