The Substitute Bride by Janet Dean

Author:Janet Dean
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2010-04-07T16:00:00+00:00

Elizabeth was grateful for the time alone while Ted drove Anna and Jason Harper to school. Well, not exactly alone with Henry in the house, but somehow she managed to read the Bible for a few minutes, hungry for words to guide her. She’d just breathed a prayer to God to help her handle each day when behind her the door creaked open.

Ted’s gaze lit on the Bible, then her. “I’ll set up the laundry for you,” he said.

“I’d appreciate it.”

She took Henry from his high chair and plopped him in the pen Ted had fashioned from chicken wire while Ted lugged laundry tubs and carried water to fill them. All the while he avoided her eyes, obviously still angry over last night’s stalemate. Having fulfilled the role of a good husband, he said goodbye and then walked to the barn.

Watching his retreating back, Elizabeth sighed. Except for providing the roof over her head and the food on his table, she dared not count on Ted. He needed a mother for his children. The reason he’d married her. She needed to give Robby a home. The reason she’d married him. Assuming Ted agreed to bring Robby here, they’d both get what they wanted.

So why did she feel so hollow?

Sleeves rolled up to the elbows, Elizabeth pushed the first load of clothes under the sudsy water. An hour passed, maybe more. Elizabeth arched her back, then blew out a puff of air and once again bent over the washtub. Ted had called this warm, sunny, breezy weather a perfect laundry day. She couldn’t imagine doing this chore when the weather turned cold.

Lois Lessman washed clothes and took in ironing to pay the family’s bills. If only Elizabeth could help her. Surely if the proprietor of the saloon understood that gambling was damaging a family in town, he’d put a stop to it.

She chuffed. How likely was that when it came to bringing in business? But even if it were, Joe Lessman would find a game somewhere else. Hadn’t Papa?

Her sore knuckles struck the ridge of the scrub board. Elizabeth grimaced. Washing Henry’s diapers had rubbed them raw. “I hope you’re grateful, young man.”

Henry hung over the fence, gnawing on a wooden spoon, showing no appreciation for the pain he’d caused. Poor tyke probably had enough of his own with those teeth pushing through.

She boiled the diapers, and then dropped them with a stick into the rinse water. At the line, she used one clothespin to fasten the diapers together, saving time and pins. Anna had made a family of clothespin dolls, decreasing her supply. Flapping in her face, the diapers smelled fresh, clean.

She refilled the tub with clean water for another load. The time dragged by as she stirred, scrubbed, pinned. She fished in the tub and pulled up Ted’s white shirt, his Sunday best.

Now pink!

Something was definitely wrong. But what?

With all her might, she scrubbed the shirt on the board but the new color remained.

Heat zipped through her veins. Her dress.

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