Page 9 of Mail-Order Millie (A Mail-Order Mystery #1)

Nine

M illie walked arm in arm with her new husband and noticed the way people looked at them. She supposed they made a handsome couple, and the thought eased her mind about a few things. The more time she spent with Bram, the more she liked him. She couldn’t imagine marrying a man after getting off the train only to discover he was horrid. But they’d been married less than twenty-four hours, so who knew what the future held? But so far, she sensed a bright one.

They reached the hotel, had lunch as planned then took her things back the house. Before leaving again, Bram had her look over the parlor, dining room and bedroom. The house even had a bathroom off the kitchen with a tub! They still had to heat their water, but she was used to that.

“Have you put everything on your list?” Bram asked when she came out of the bathroom.

She smiled. “I’m glad the house has some plumbing. That’s a surprise.”

“More and more people are putting it in.” He looked at the notepad in her hand. “Your list?”

“Oh, yes.” She perused it. “There are no towels, so we’ll need some of those.”

“Very well. You added them?”

“Yes.” She stuffed the notebook and pencil into her reticule. “Shall we go?”

He smiled. “Yes. What do you think we should get today?”

“Towels, linens for the tables, and… curtains?” She asked with a blush.

He stopped them at the front door. “Millie, these are things we need, so don’t worry about telling me. None of those things are frivolous. Besides, I’ve set some money aside for them.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to know.”

He closed the distance between them and studied her a moment.

“What is it?” she asked. He held an intense look, as if he was trying to figure out some great mystery.

“Your father never let you have money for things you and your mother needed. He became upset when you asked for anything.”

She gaped at him. “How did you know that?”

He shrugged. “It’s not hard to figure out. You said he ruined your family. I assume that’s financially?”

“Yes, but… there were other things…”

His face softened as he looked at her. “I’m sorry, Millie.”

She returned his gaze. “For what?”

He took a step closer and traced her eyebrow with his thumb. “That your father didn’t realize what a precious daughter he had.” He lowered his hand and offered his arm.

She took it and they left the house, her heart beating like a hummingbird’s at the gentleness of his simple touch. When they reached The Emporium, she couldn’t wait to see what the store offered. She’d been in a few department stores in Boston, but never had the money to buy anything.

“The linens are this way,” Bram said. He went left and led her down an aisle then into another.

Millie smiled at the amount of tablecloths, napkins, and curtains there were. “I don’t know where to begin!”

He gave her a warm smile. “Why don’t you go room by room? Start with the kitchen.”

She looked at him and smiled. “Yes, that’s a good idea.” She went to the tablecloths and began to go through the stacks. Each was neatly folded, and she didn’t want to ruin the display. She found a tablecloth for the kitchen, and as luck would have it, a matching pair of curtains!

“Get a pair for both kitchen windows, and something for the window in the back door,” Bram suggested.

She jumped, not realizing he was right behind her. “Oh, you startled me.”

He bent to her ear. “I didn’t mean to.”

His rich voice made her knees wobbly. “Will you hold these?” Millie handed him what she’d found so far, then fetched another pair of curtains, and a matching valance, along with a lace panel for the door. She turned to show her finds to Bram. “Won’t these be pretty?”

He smiled as he met her gaze. “Very pretty.”

She sensed he wasn’t talking about the curtains, and blushed. Millie handed off the items, then returned to the tablecloths. “Now for the dining room.”

She began to dig through the stack again, and sensed Bram’s gaze on her. Millie gave him a side-long glance, and sure enough, he was watching her wearing a wide smile. Had she put it there? Did he enjoy the fact she was having a good time? For most, buying a few household items wouldn’t be exciting. But Millie couldn’t remember the last time she or Mother were allowed to purchase anything for the house. There was never enough money. Sometimes there wasn’t enough for food.

Her shoulders slumped at the thought. Memories of her father, his horrible gambling, and the havoc it wreaked upon their lives was almost too much. Thank goodness that was no longer her life.

“Millie,” Bram said gently behind her. “Is everything okay?”

She turned to him and nodded. “Yes, of course.”

He smiled. “Find anything you like for the dining room?”

She was about to answer when several women walked past. “Did you hear about the Ruggles’ ball?” one said. “Did you get an invitation?”

“I didn’t,” another said. “But I hear the Simpsons are going. Even Old Man Simpson is going and nothing gets him out of the house.”

Bram watched them head down another aisle, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Something wrong?” Millie asked.

“No, sweetie,” he said, gently. “Go ahead and keep looking.”

She smiled as her heart melted and returned to her task. She loved when he used little endearments. They made her feel special.

Soon she had curtains for the dining room’s bay window, table linens, and remembered something she forgot to check. “Goodness me, is there silverware?”

“In the dining room?”

“Yes, did you check?”

“No. I never looked in the china cabinet or drawers.”

“We should check when we get home. We do need some for the kitchen.” She smiled. “We could use the same set for both.”

He watched her a moment, his face an expressionless mask, then nodded. “That’s fine.”

She smiled. They could get by with one set. She didn’t expect to be entertaining anyway. For one, she didn’t know a soul in Baker City.

Millie pondered the conversation she overheard about a ball. She’d never been to a ball and wondered what it would be like. Where she grew up, there might be a dance held now and then, but she never attended a one. Mother still taught her how to dance, often while they were waiting for Father to come home.

Millie pushed the thought aside and studied their surroundings. She’d been so caught up shopping, she didn’t pay attention to anything else. She noted other women in their nice dresses, hats and gloves, and unconsciously reached up and touched her hat. It didn’t match her dress, and her gloves were careworn.

“Millie…”

She let her hand drop and looked at Bram. “Yes?”

He bent to her. “Why don’t you pick out a few dresses while we’re here, then we’ll go home.”

A tiny gasp escaped. “Oh, no, I… I couldn’t.”

He straightened. “Why not, sweetie?”

Her heart fluttered at the endearment. “We’re already getting so much.”

He looked at the goods in his hands, then the things she held in hers. “Give those to me.”

She did as he asked. “Are we leaving now?”

“We’ll leave after you’ve picked out a few dresses. Why don’t you find some, and I’ll purchase these things?”

“But Bram…”

“Millie, I want you to have some new clothes.” He leaned toward her. “Tomorrow, I’ll get a few things for myself.”

“You… you have clients to deal with. You need to look nice…”

“So do you, sweetie,” he said with such tenderness, her heart melted, and tears stung the backs of her eyes. No one had spoken to her like that before. Not even her mother. “Okay,” she whispered.

Bram smiled, kissed her on the cheek, then nodded in the direction of the women’s clothes. “Go on.”

Without thinking she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Bram gave her a warm smile, then turned and walked away.