Evelyn (Orlan Orphans Book 5) Read online

  “What does being pretty have to do with anything?” Evelyn asked, confused. “Either a child is wanted or not. I obviously wasn’t.”

  “There was no note of any sort pinned to you when you were dropped off?” Edna Petunia asked.

  Evelyn could see the older woman wanted her to have some sort of romantic back story that would tell about parents who had wanted to keep her, but had lost all their earthly possessions in a fire, or some such thing. She was sorry she couldn’t tell her that story.

  “There was nothing at all. Who I am is a mystery to everyone who was involved.”

  “Well, I know who you are,” Edna Petunia protested. “You’re Evelyn Sanders, a bright, caring girl who has so much love to give. The Keifers would be very lucky to have you in their family.”

  Evelyn shrugged, looking down at her hands. She didn’t want her parents to have any idea how much that was what she really wanted.

  Cletus sighed. “Well, you invite them to supper tomorrow, and I’ll chat with Frank. We’ll see what his intentions are.”

  “Don’t scare him, Cletus. No one deserves that.”

  “Scare him? Me?” He gave her a wounded look. “Why do you think I’d do that?”

  Evelyn frowned. “You were intimidating enough when you were simply the richest man in town. Now that you’re running for judge, all the men are afraid of you. It’s not good!”

  Cletus grinned so wide, it was almost eerie. “Good. I want to intimidate every man who even looks at my girls. They all need to know not to mess with your emotions. Or your bodies. He hasn’t tried to kiss you, has he?”

  Edna Petunia shook her head. “Hmph. I told you I saw him kiss her on Saturday when he dropped her off. Do you ever listen to me, you old buzzard?”

  “You must have said it when I was so busy thinking about how beautiful you are that I couldn’t concentrate on your words.”

  “Blind old fool!”

  When they started talking that way, Evelyn knew they wouldn’t stop, so she got up and left the room. She was not looking forward to having Frank and Daniel over for supper. She could tell Cletus was going to make it hard on her.

  The following morning, Evelyn made the breakfast she’d wanted to make on Monday. She arrived early and made biscuits, sausage gravy, eggs, and sausage. When Frank came into the house from milking the cow, he inhaled deeply. “Oh, that smells wonderful.”

  “Cletus says this should be the breakfast everyone eats every day. I never had it before I moved to Texas,” she said. He walked up behind her and kissed the side of her neck, causing her to shiver. “Cletus and Edna Petunia have requested the presence of your family at our house for supper this evening.”

  Frank froze, backing up a bit. “Do we have a choice in the matter?”

  She shook her head. “Not if you want to take me to the church social on Friday night. Cletus wants to get to know you better before you spend any more time alone with me than you already have.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “So I have to go?”

  “Yes, you do. I’m sorry.”

  He sighed. “I’ll go. Tell me about him first, though. I know he has a lot of money, but where did it come from?”

  Evelyn shrugged. “The story I know is that he was a banker before the War Between the States. When the war started, he enlisted to fight on the side of the Confederacy. When he came home, his parents had died. He refused to live in the big house he’d inherited, and chose to be a hermit living in the woods until just a few years ago. When he met Edna Petunia.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  She shook her head. “No, and he didn’t tell Edna Petunia about his money until after the wedding. His hair and beard were long and unkempt and he was terribly dirty. When he showed up at the church to marry her, she didn’t recognize him, because he’d cleaned up.”

  “Wow. And he moved her into his childhood home?”

  “Yes, and we all live there now. I’m sure there’s more to the story, but I try not to ask. I’m afraid there will be a long drawn out conversation involving pickles and petunias and peppermint sticks. All the P words in the same conversation! No, I’m not asking a thing.”

  Frank had no idea what she was talking about, but he chalked it up to the strange air of mystery that seemed to surround Edna Petunia Sanders. “That sounds interesting. I’ll drive you home this evening then, so we can join your family for supper.”

  “Thank you for accommodating them.”

  “I don’t really feel like I have a choice.”

  She shrugged. “Don’t be intimidated by them. They love me, and that’s the only reason they’re insisting on it.”

  “Well, hopefully they’ll love Daniel and me as well then.”

  Evelyn served up the last of the eggs that she had just finished, before walking to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “How could anyone not love you two?”

  Frank was startled by her. She’d never made any advances toward him before. “If they hate me, will you still go to the church social with me?”

  Evelyn laughed. “Of course, I will. Cletus doesn’t hate anyone.” She frowned. “Well, if you were to get me pregnant, and then abandon me, he would hate you. But you won’t do that, because I won’t let you do that.”

  He leaned down and softly kissed her, jumping away when he heard the door open. “Oh, Pa, it’s not like I don’t know you want to kiss Miss Sanders. You don’t have to hide it from me,” Daniel announced as he walked to the basin to wash his hands.

  Frank grinned. “Well, do you want me to kiss her in front of you, so you can take notes on kissing technique?”

  Evelyn’s eyes widened at their exchange, and she quickly turned to get their plates, simply to hide her flaming face. “I hope you’re both hungry.”

  Father and son both burst into laughter. “I don’t think she wants to be part of your kissing lesson, son.”

  “I’ll never understand women,” Daniel said with an air of superiority. “They love to kiss us men, but they won’t admit it. What’s that about?”

  Frank gave a long suffering sigh. “I’ll never understand them either, I don’t guess.”

  Evelyn ignored them both as she put the plates on the table, pouring coffee for her and Frank and a glass of milk for Daniel. “I hope you like biscuits and gravy,” she said to the room at large, not willing to look at either of them.

  Frank shrugged. “Biscuits and gravy are my second favorite thing in the morning.”

  “Coffee’s your favorite?” she asked, her eyes finally meeting his, since he’d gotten off the subject of kissing.

  “Oh, no ma’am. Kissing is my favorite morning thing. Want me to show you?”

  Her cheeks were flaming as she sat down at the table and picked up her fork. “I’m going to bake bread today.”

  Daniel sat down at the table. “I guess she doesn’t want to keep talking about kissing, Pa. You should work with her on that.”

  “On kissing? You know I’ve already been working with her on that.”

  “Enough!” Evelyn said, taking a sip of her coffee. “If you don’t behave, I’ll stop coming early to make you breakfast and just leave you to fend for yourselves. My cooking the morning meal was not part of our arrangement if you’ll recall.”

  Frank grinned at her but stayed silent.

  Daniel sighed. “We’ll stop. We like it when you cook breakfast for us.” He took a big bite of his biscuits and gravy. “You’re a good cook, Miss Sanders.”

  “After you eat something cooked by Edna Petunia, you’ll change your mind. She’s an amazing cook, and so is my sister Sarah Jane.”

  “Sarah Jane is the one who married the preacher, right?” Frank asked.

  Evelyn nodded. “She was meant to marry a preacher.”

  “You think?” He’d never even tried to imagine what kind of girl would want to marry a preacher. “Why?”

  “Well, she’s always been very serious about church and faith. When she was younger, she was taken
in by a preacher and his wife, and she’d been a bit overbearing about religious things ever since.”

  “Sounds like she wasn’t all that pleasant.”

  Evelyn shrugged. “She wasn’t my favorite, but now that she’s married, she’s mellowed out a lot. I love her dearly. And her little girl, Chrissy, is as sweet as can be.”

  “How long has she been married?”

  “About three months.”

  “And she has a little girl? Where did she come from?”

  “Sarah Jane volunteered at the orphanage in town, and a little girl moved here. She ended up marrying Micah, and they adopted her.”

  “Is that why they married?” Frank hadn’t heard anything about the preacher in town marrying just to adopt a child, but maybe the rumors simply hadn’t reached him.

  “You know, I’m not sure. I think they would have married if not for Chrissy, but they certainly married faster because of her. They both met her and wanted her immediately.”

  “Has it worked out well for them?”

  Evelyn nodded. “Sarah Jane makes a wonderful preacher’s wife, and she loves Micah. Chrissy seems to be settling in well. I think they did the right thing for all three of them.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “Actually, all three of my sisters who have married are raising children who aren’t their own. Opal and Ruby’s husbands both came with children from prior marriages.”

  Maybe her parents wouldn’t count Daniel against him. “How does Edna Petunia feel about all the extra grandchildren?”

  “Well, she wishes they were all bastards, of course, but she’s happy to get children any way she can.” Evelyn grinned at Frank.

  “I need to spend more time with this woman. She sounds very interesting.”

  “Oh, trust me. There’s no one in the whole state of Texas who is more interesting than Edna Petunia.”

  Chapter 8

  Frank was surprised at how nervous he was as he drove Evelyn home that evening. He was thrilled with their arrangement, because Evelyn treated his home as she would her own. She was scrubbing down walls and baking bread and cake. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to get such a hard-working housekeeper out of his son’s bad behavior.

  Daniel chose to ride in the back of the wagon instead of up front with Frank and Evelyn. When they reached the Sanders’s house, he jumped down, and ran up to the door, pounding on it. Katie, who was only a couple of years Daniel’s senior opened it. “Edna Petunia, our guests are here!” she called out.

  Frank helped Evelyn down, and the two of them walked toward the house together. She went to the kitchen first. “Do you need any help with supper, Edna Petunia?”

  “Not at all. Take your man in to talk to Cletus. He’s been in the formal parlor mumbling to himself all day, so I’m sure he’s worked up a lot of questions to ask him.”

  Frank sighed, straightening the tie he’d put on after coming in at the end of his long day. “It’s good to see you, Edna Petunia.” He handed her a bouquet of flowers he’d had Daniel pick on their way back to the house that afternoon.

  Edna Petunia smiled. “I’ll put them in a vase.”

  Evelyn smiled at Frank. “Right this way.” She led him to the back to the house and into the parlor. “Cletus, Frank Keifer is here to talk to you.”

  Cletus looked up from the law book he was reading. “Have a seat, Frank. Evelyn, you may run along.”

  Evelyn looked back and forth between the two men, before backing out of the room and closing the door.

  Cletus gave Frank a long look, studying him as if he was a specimen under a microscope. “What are your intentions toward my Evelyn?”

  Frank leaned forward with his forearms resting on his knees. “I think Evelyn is a very special girl. She’s the first woman I’ve asked to step out with me since my wife died.”

  Cletus nodded. “You’re right about that. Each of my girls is special in her own way, but Evelyn really is a sweet, confident woman. What are your intentions?”

  Frank sighed. He’d hoped he could avoid the direct question. “I really don’t know just yet,” he said honestly. “I’m taking her to the church social on Friday, as you know, but I don’t know beyond that. She seems like the kind of woman I’d like to spend the rest of my life with, but I need to get to know her a bit better first.”

  “I don’t want you kissing on her until you know what your intentions are.”

  Frank flushed at that. He didn’t think he needed to adhere to the older man’s morals when they were so old-fashioned. “Are you saying you didn’t kiss Edna Petunia until you married her?”

  Cletus laughed. “I didn’t kiss Edna Petunia until I knew I wanted to marry her, but I saw her and knew that in the first moment. I followed the old woman around town like a lost puppy dog, until she got so mad at me she tracked me down and demanded to know what my problem was.”

  Frank choked back a laugh. “I see.”

  “Oh, go ahead and laugh boy. Edna Petunia is a pretty special lady, all right. Why, when God made her, he threw out the mold. She’s perfect in every way.”

  “I don’t plan to dishonor Evelyn,” Frank told him. “I plan to figure out if she’s right for me, and once I know that, I’ll make plans from there.”

  “You can’t elope.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Frank was getting confused at the rapid change of subject.

  “Edna Petunia wants at least one of the girls to have a long engagement, so she can plan the perfect wedding. I think you and Evelyn need to plan that long engagement.”

  “How long were you engaged to Edna Petunia?”

  “Oh, at least a day or two,” Cletus responded. “But we’re not talking about Edna Petunia and me. We’re talking about you and Evelyn. Edna Petunia wants a long engagement, so you get to give it to her.”

  Frank sighed. “Really, if I decide I’m ready to marry her, I don’t see myself waiting a long time.” He shook his head. “Do you have any idea how beautiful your daughter is?”

  “All of my girls are beautiful—just like their mother.”

  Frank smiled at that. Beauty truly was in the eye of the beholder if Cletus saw that old woman as beautiful.

  He was seated beside Evelyn at supper, and she kept looking at him out of the corner of her eye as if she was trying to figure out what he and Cletus had discussed. He gave her a slight shake of his head to tell her not to worry about it.

  Evelyn sat quietly at the table, eating the pot roast Edna Petunia had prepared with Martha’s help. Daniel sat between her two youngest sisters, reminding her of a peacock preening his feathers. The boy really did need to be taken in hand.

  “Hattie, would you mind passing me the salt?” Daniel asked, his eyes on the girl beside him.

  Hattie handed him the salt without a word. Her eyes met Evelyn’s though, and she rolled them at her.

  Evelyn bit her lip. Daniel was three years younger than Hattie and Katie, and he didn’t seem to care.

  After supper, Evelyn walked out to the wagon to say goodnight to Frank and Daniel. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”

  “Are you going to cook us breakfast again?” Daniel asked. “Please, Miss Sanders? I promise we won’t talk about kissing.”

  Evelyn nodded. “I’ll come early and fix breakfast again. You’d better be happy that I’m so forgiving.”

  “Oh, yes, ma’am. I’m very happy.” Daniel climbed into the front of the wagon, ready to go home.

  Frank smiled at Evelyn, squeezing her hand. “He just wanted to know my intentions,” he whispered softly. “He cares about you a great deal.”

  Evelyn wanted to ask him what he’d told Cletus about his intentions, but she knew doing so would be improper. She already loved him, and she didn’t want to do anything that would scare him away.

  He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Evelyn fairly floated up the stairs as she went to ready herself for bed. There was just somethin
g about Frank Keifer’s kisses that made her happy. More happy than she’d ever dreamed she could be.

  The rest of the week zipped by, and Evelyn was surprised when it was already Friday afternoon. She’d made arrangements with Frank to leave an hour early so she could get ready for the church social.

  Penny had chosen a silk in a very soft pink for Evelyn’s dress, and Evelyn pulled it over her head with a sigh. She’d never worn silk, and wouldn’t have chosen it for herself, but it felt so soft against her skin, and when she peered at herself in the looking glass atop her dresser, she sighed contentedly. She knew she’d never looked as good as she did at that moment.

  Turning to Penny, who had helped her dress, she ran to her sister and hugged her. “Thank you. It’s beautiful!”

  Penny smiled. “You look just as I imagined you would!”

  “How much do I owe you for it?” Evelyn turned this way and that to see each angle of the beautiful dress.

  “Oh, Edna Petunia took care of it. She said you’d taken a cut in pay, and she wasn’t about to let you spend a month’s salary on a new dress.”

  Evelyn sighed. She wasn’t surprised by her new mother’s generosity, but she did feel a twinge of guilt over it. “Are you sure? I was planning on paying for it. I have money saved.”

  “Edna Petunia wouldn’t hear of it. You know how she gets.”

  “I do.” Evelyn sat down in the chair in front of her dresser. “Would you help me with my hair?”

  “Of course!”

  “Are you planning to go to the social tonight?” Evelyn asked, suddenly worried she was keeping Penny from getting ready herself.

  “Not this one. I wasn’t asked by anyone I cared to go with.”

  Penny was very pretty, but she was also very picky. She hadn’t yet found a man in town she found worth the effort it took to dress and fix her hair to go to a dance. “Well, I appreciate your help.”

  “Do you think you’re going to marry Mr. Keifer?” Penny asked as she carefully brushed out Evelyn’s hair in preparation for putting it up.

  Evelyn blushed. “Really, this is the first thing we’ve attended together. We went on a picnic on Sunday, but for the most part, we barely know each other.” She thought about the kisses they’d shared throughout the week, and felt guilty. She shouldn’t deceive her sister, but she also didn’t want to admit that she and Frank had taken to kissing each other any time they were alone for a few minutes. What kind of example would that set for her younger sister?