Minding Benji (Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs Book 5) Read online

  Chapter 3

  By the flickering candle light, having turned out the main lamp to not disturb Maddy, Prudence strained her eyes, planning her escape. She was writing her letter of application to the Colorado Bridal Agency in her best hand.

  She’d read they were using the applicant's handwriting to determine a suitable match. Her penmanship was excellent, having spent many hours practicing as a child. Prudence hadn’t been as fortunate as Benjamin who had attended school. She’d been homeschooled with various tutors per her mother’s request.

  Prudence rubbed at her eyes as sleep beckoned. She fought against it, knowing she couldn’t stay in this house any longer. She could feel her freedom so close, she could taste it. Colorado was far enough for her to start over, have a new life, and put the past behind her.

  The last twelve months had been torturous. She wanted to open her eyes and be greeted by fresh air and wide-open space. In her mind she was there, her bags already unpacked.

  She’d miss her adorable little charges, the Langton’s two beautiful children, and the only Langtons she cared about. She’d pray those little angels never grew up to be like their depraved parents. How could her parents have been friends with these horrible people?

  Worse, how could Benjamin simply leave her at their mercy? He’d told her all her life she was his little musketeer and they’d be together forever. The birth of her love for books was delivered by Benjamin. He’d spent many evenings reading to her.

  Her mother told her no brother could have been more devoted or adoring from the day she was born. Apparently, he’d stare at her tiny frame, clasping her hand in his for hours. So why, Benjamin? Why? Prudence wiped her cheeks with the hem of her nightgown, cleared her throat, and glanced over her shoulder to make sure Maddy was still asleep.

  The last thing Prudence wanted was for Maddy to witness her despair. She sniffed and rocked her head from side to side. She was ready.

  Dear Mrs. Millard,

  I’m not quite sure what is expected from this type of application. But I will try to do my best to tell you as much about me as the space on this single sheet allows, so you can find me a suitable match.

  Firstly, I must state, although being married to a miner is not my first choice, it is still a consideration. To be frank, I find myself in a position where I cannot afford to be choosey. However, I understand you use scientific methods from handwriting in making your decision. I hope my handwriting suggests to you a man of means who is gentle and kind, who would best suit my disposition. A Godfearing man who is looking for a warm, hardworking companion.

  I am eighteen, dark of hair and fair of skin with hazel eyes, well-educated and speak two languages. I can play the piano and violin, as well as sing. I’m trained at the highest level, I’m not sure how much these skills will be of benefit to me or a prospective suitor in Colorado. However, over the last year I have made my own clothes. I work as a governess to two small children, as well as help out with the cooking when needed. I also do some light housework.

  I’m not afraid of hard work and feel I would be an asset to any man. I live in, so have a little savings that will allow me to finance my own fare to Colorado.

  I can be available at your earliest convenience.

  Sincerely yours,

  Prudence Fairchild.

  Prudence read over her letter and grimaced. Why did she put all those fancy things in the letter? No one in Colorado cared how many languages she could speak, or whether or not she could play a musical instrument. Oh well, it was done now. She had no more paper. The sooner she could get this letter sent, the sooner she could expect a reply.

  All she had to do now was find a way to send it without Mrs. Langton finding out. Prudence blew on the ink. She wanted it dry before she could fold it and put it in an envelope. As she blew, she glanced at Maddy. It was her day off tomorrow, she’d be spending it with her fiancé who worked at the post office.

  Prudence sighed. Why was she worried? Maddy could take the letter for her and ask her fiancé to send it on Prudence’s behalf, as well as intercept any replies.

  With a few flicks of the wrist she waved the letter through the air, then lightly tapped on the ink—it was dry. Prudence carried the letter she’d folded and what was left of the candle to her cot. She got into bed and blew out the candle with a smile.

  Soon she would be out of this place and far away from a city that had brought her and her family misery—as far as she was aware, she was all the family that was left. Moving to Colorado would carry her out of the darkness which was her life, and be the beginning of her journey toward the light of a new life. Prudence hugged herself. Her life was about to change. She could feel the transformation. She placed her fingertips together and prayed for something better. The last thought Prudence had before sleep wrapped her in its warm embrace was that anything was better than what she had now.

  The creak of the bedroom door opening woke Prudence. She bounced upright and saw Maddy’s gloved fingers on the inside of the door as she drew it in to close it.

  Had she overslept?

  “Maddy, wait.” Prudence leaped from the bed and rushed to the door, as Maddy’s head poked through. “Did I oversleep?” Prudence asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “No, I wanted to get an early start. Mrs. Langton wants me back early. She’s having guests,” Maddy said, stepping back into the room.

  “Oh, could you wait a moment? I have something I’d like you to post for me.” Prudence moved back to the cot, reached under it and retrieved the letter to the agency. Color rose to her cheeks as Maddy read the address and stared back at her openmouthed.

  Maddy’s hand flew to her chest. “Pru, you can’t.”

  “I can and will, and you’re going to help me. You have Ervin, and when you’re married you’ll be moving out.”

  “But I’ll still be working here.” Prudence’s head dipped a little. The thought of Maddy moving out was too painful to contemplate, especially what it would mean for her.

  “We can still see each other.” Maddy smiled, tucking the letter into her purse and pulling the strings tightly together.

  “And what happens when the babies come?” Prudence gave her friend a wry smile.

  Maddy shook her head. “I’d have to give up work and stay home. Ervin’s going for the postmaster position. If he gets it, I will have to stop working right away. All right, I’ll do it.” Maddy turned to leave, Prudence held her arm.

  “Can you wait until I get dressed? I’ll go down with you.”

  Maddy hesitated and gave her a puzzled stare, then said, “All right, be quick, Ervin will be waiting.”

  Prudence was dressed in no time and walked with Maddy down to the staff entrance. Clasping Maddy’s hand, she whispered, “Maddy, it’s important Ervin intercepts any correspondence. I feel sure if either Mr. or Mrs. Langton find out what I’m up to, they will find a way to sabotage my efforts. My life is in your hands.”

  “What do you mean? Has something happened?” Maddy asked, squeezing Prudence’s fingers.

  Pulling her squashed fingers free, Prudence said, “No…no nothing yet. Come, you’ll be late. I’ve taken up enough of Ervin’s time already.”

  Prudence tried to push Maddy out the open door. She’d said far too much. She needed to be more careful. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Maddy to keep her secret. Prudence didn’t want to breathe life into her situation or give it any physical meaning.

  Maddy cupped her cheek. “All right, I’m going but I’m going to need an explanation when I come home.”

  “Yes…yes. Go now, and don’t forget what I said to tell Ervin.”

  “I won’t.”

  With her letter safely in Maddy’s possession, Prudence gave a sigh of relief. She walked through the kitchen to the main hall, on her way to the nursery for her lessons with the Langton children, and into the path of both Mr. and Mrs. Langton.

  “Ah, Pru, Mr. Langton will be leaving us today for four weeks. Bring the children so they can
say goodbye.”

  Four weeks, good to know. That was how much time she had to get as far away from this place as she could. She smiled inwardly as she passed Mr. Langton and saw the bruise from the slap she’d given him the night before ripening on his cheek.

  Chapter 4

  One half-smoked cheroot after another was crushed beneath the heel of Austin’s boot as he walked past the Colorado Bridal Agency for the hundredth time, pausing and looking at the entrance. All he needed to do was go inside and ask for what he wanted. But what did he want?

  It wasn’t a wife, he was certain of that if nothing else. He wasn’t some sad sack in need of a woman. He had plenty of choices, and enough money to pay for what he needed down at the saloon just outside of Jubilee Springs. It was close enough to his ranch for his brother not to know what he was up to, and an ideal life which suited him no end.

  If he’d only known what that old codger was up to when he’d called him to his deathbed after his attorney had left. He’d said, “It’s my time to make a change, and I need it to start with you. It’s no good to have one brother married and the other single. I made that mistake. Do you want to know why I never married? I suppose I can tell you now.” He’d closed his eyes and laid his head against the pillow. “I was in love with your mother and she chose my brother.”

  His eyes shot open after the revelation. Austin hadn’t known what to say or how to take in what his uncle was telling him. So he’d simply nodded and patted the old man’s hand.

  “I thought I could close off my heart. I was wrong. I’ve been nursing a broken heart for years. What little was left of my heart shattered the day your father dropped you boys at the ranch and went away. It broke for him, for his loss, and not knowing what he had with you boys. But most of all, it broke for the loss of your mother. God gave me you boys. You being the spitting image of her n’all. I realized right then and there that I’d wasted my life pining for a love that was never mine to begin with.”

  Tears had slid from the creases at the corner of his eyes, and Austin had swallowed. He hadn’t wanted to hear anymore, but he also hadn’t wanted to stop his uncle voicing his dying words.

  “Now I’m old and you’re still young. There’s so much you should know. It’s not your fault, it’s mine. I thought we’d have more time. Jeffrey’s connection to God means I’ll never have to worry about him—but you, son…you… There’s time for you not to make my mistakes. Find a girl, settle down, get married. I know you had your heart set on one girl, but, son, she’s no longer an option for you. Don’t close your heart to love, Austin. Be more like Jeffrey and open that big heart of yours. I know you try to act tough. But there’s a lot of love in you, boy. You just have to find the right girl to share it with.”

  His uncle had raised himself up onto his elbow and reached out his other hand to place it on Austin’s shoulder. “I let women pass me by, thinking you boys were enough. If I could do it again, I’d have married one of those women and given you two boys a real home. It’s my one regret in life. Your mother should have been the other, but we both knew she made the right choice.”

  He’d let Austin go, laid back on the pillow and closed his eyes again. A soft, raspy groan had passed his lips.

  “Promise me, son, you’ll try and be better than me. Get married and raise some children of your own. Promise me.”

  Not wanting to disappoint his uncle nor be bound to such a promise, he decided to compromise. “I promise you, someday I’ll settle down. How’s that, old man?” Austin had stroked his uncle’s hair, and wiped the tears from his uncle’s eyes, then kissed his forehead.

  His uncle had cupped his cheek. “I suppose it’ll have to do. I already knew that’s all I was going to get from you, so I made provisions. You’ll see it my way someday, son, and thank me for it. Tell the others they can come in now.”

  At the time he’d wondered what the old man meant about making provisions. Not long after his uncle’s death, Austin found out his someday had a time limit, his uncle had seen to it.

  Austin looked at the entrance of the agency, stomped out his cheroot and punched at the air, cursing under his breath. He sucked in a breath, pumping out his chest. Knowing there was no other way, he strode toward the door. He knocked and waited. Looking down the street, he wondered what he was doing here. If he hadn’t had to bring in a team of horses to Denver he’d have put it off a little longer.

  Had he thought things through when he was younger, he could have saved the money and bought the ranch himself. Jeffrey would have the money for his church and he’d have a home without consequences. It would have been advantageous for both he and his brother and a way around the old man’s will. In seven years, he’d raised his uncle’s stud farm into a flourishing business.

  Then he’d wasted a fair portion of the money made, on gambling, women, drink, and having a good time. He hadn’t made any preparations for his future and this was the outcome of his lack of foresight.

  His uncle had been right, Austin’s fault was in being too young to fully understand what was at stake from the conditions of his uncle’s will. The division between his and Jeffrey’s character couldn’t be farther apart, one forward thinking, the other a reckless fool—how could two brothers be so different?

  The saint and the sinner.

  Austin chuckled at the vision that popped into his head of Jeffrey sprouting large white wings and him holding a fiery pitchfork, with a sheepish grin. Then again, Jeffrey’s start in life had been a better one than his. Austin had come into the world a killer—killing the only woman who would ever love him unconditionally.

  The smile fell off his face at the same moment as an inch high, portly woman opened the door. He heard her voice and looked down.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  Austin removed his hat and cleared his throat. “Are you Mrs. Millard?”

  “Yes I am.”

  “I need a wife, and folks say you’re the woman to find me one.”

  “You better come inside, then you can tell me exactly what you’re looking for?” Austin followed Mrs. Millard into her office and watched as the seat swallowed up her round frame. “Please take a set Mr…”

  “Alwin, Austin Alwin. Thank you.” Austin took a seat on the chair she indicated.

  “So, Mr. Alwin, would you like to tell me in your own words what kind of woman you’re looking for?” She handed him a notebook and nib pen, pushing the inkwell toward him. “I’ll leave you for a moment. You can call me as soon as you’re done.”

  Austin stared at the notebook dumbfounded. Johnny B never said anything to him about writing down his wants and needs. He’d made it sound as if Austin just had to tell this woman what he wanted, and then she’d find him the gal, so he could keep a hold of his ranch.

  This felt much more detailed. He gazed at Mrs. Millard as she rose from her chair.

  Where was she going?

  “Er, I don’t understand why I can’t simply tell you what I need and then you write it down and go get her for me? I thought that’s how this worked. I have money.”

  She returned to her seat. “I’m sorry, Mr. Alwin, it’s not as simple as that. I have a reputation to maintain. My methods are not random. I use graphology to find you a match.”

  “Hold on a minute. What’s graphamathology?” He didn’t know what the word meant, but it sounded painful. Austin rubbed the back of his neck, then began to stroke his jaw, when she gave him a look that made him feel dumb. As though he was just expected to know what that big word meant.

  “Graphology is a science. The study of handwriting. It can tell you a lot of things about a person, qualities a person may not necessarily be aware they possess. I match the couples based on their handwriting. So if you can just provide me with a sample of yours, I can look through the applications I have and find you your perfect match. We can have this conversation once you’re done.”

  She was on her feet again. Austin didn’t stop her, she’d be back soon. His needs were
few. He pulled his chair closer to the desk and dipped the pen into the ink.

  I want a woman between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five, prepared to go a little older, but no one over thirty-five. Homely type who’s willing to keep house and work hard. No children. Absolutely no children.

  He rose and went to the door to call Mrs. Millard. She appeared with a questioning look on her face.

  “Do you need some help?” She arched her eyebrow.

  “No, thank you, I’m fine. I’ve finished.”

  “Already?” she asked, furrowing her brow and tilting her head in disbelief.

  Raising his eyebrows, he rocked his head from one side to the other. “Yes, how long did you think I’d be needing?”

  “Well most of my clients write a little about themselves and a list of their requirements.”

  “I guess I’m not like your other clients. Here’s three hundred.” He shoved the scrunched-up bills into her hand. “I think it should be enough to cover your fees and the fare for the woman you’re going to find me. I wrote my contact details into your little book there.” He jerked his head over his shoulder. “Be sure to let me know if three hundred isn’t enough. Good day to you, ma’am.”

  Austin walked around the stunned-looking, and openmouthed Mrs. Millard and was out the door. He made his way down the street, his stride wide as he hot-footed it before he could give in to the urge to go back and say he’d changed his mind.

  Chapter 5

  “Where are you going? And out the front entrance?”

  “I’m leaving the same way I came in. I wish you well, Mrs. Langton. I’ll send for the rest of my things once I’m settled.” With her chest held high and to the sound of Maddy’s and some of the other staff’s sniffles, Prudence opened the front door and skipped down the stairs of the townhouse, baggage in hand, to freedom.

  She’d waited until the Langton children were out with their nanny before announcing her departure. She hadn’t wanted to see the disappointment on their little faces, but had relished the surprise on Mrs. Langton’s. Had she the means, she would have loved to capture it and walk around with a framed photograph of Mrs. Langton’s expression in her purse.