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A Bride for Milo

By Paulette D. Marshall

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Chapter One

1867
The war had ended a while ago, yet for some it still felt like they were reeling from the devastation from it all and recovery was going very slowly. Her parents’ tobacco plantation was struggling, even though it was located in Tennessee. The war didn’t leave much untouched or undamaged. People were still struggling with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a home or business, even if they weren’t in the war. The economy suffered greatly. Her brother Josh had been in the war, but thank goodness he had come back safe; although it did change him. He wasn’t quite the same man who had left.
As her father struggled to speak to her, Evelyn was shocked it took such an effort for him to speak, but the words he was saying caught her attention. “Our tobacco farm is in dire need, daughter. Drastic measures must be taken in order to save it.” He stopped to catch his breath.
She knew the farm was faltering and had been struggling for a while. She had hoped that since the war was over, it would recover quickly. Evelyn just didn’t know how they had planned to save the farm. Whatever it was, though, she knew she would do her part to help save it.
Her father admitted to her, “Daughter, there is no easy way to say this. I am dying and I cannot deny it any longer. No one can deny it. I fear I don’t have much time left. I have been slowly turning over all the responsibilities to your brother Josh, as you well know.”
“Father, you know that I am more than willing to do whatever it takes to help save our farm. I know you haven’t been well. I have been praying that you will get better,” Evelyn admitted.
“I know and I thank you, daughter, but we can’t live forever.” He stopped and took a breath. There was no easy way to tell her what he must say. “What you don’t know….. well, there is no easy way to say it. I will have to be blunt. Your brother’s wife, Martha, would like you to be gone. She doesn’t want the extra responsibility of a young lady around the house, plus the extra mouth to feed. Martha feels it is past time for you to start your own life. I am sorry, daughter. Your mother and I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Since everything now belongs to your brother, I must abide by their wishes. Our lawyer thought it would be a good idea to arrange a proxy bride marriage for you,” he stated, as he had a coughing spell.
Evelyn was stunned, but she didn’t have time to process his word, since her father was coughing and struggling to breathe. Everyone expected changes, but this? Evelyn rubbed his back and then quickly got a glass of water to help him with his coughing. She would have to tell Mother to put a mustard cloth on his chest later. It had seemed to help him in the past.
She knew that her sister-in-law didn’t really like her but this?!? Did she hate her?!? Her father’s coughing seemed to calm down some and he tried to catch his breath. She rubbed his back as she waited for him. There was a spot of red on her father’s handkerchief, which stunned her. She had not seen red on his handkerchief before.
“Surely there is more that the doctor can do to help you, Father?” she whispered.
“I am afraid not, daughter,” he said. He took a moment more to breathe, since his coughing had slowed down and he could now speak, “The doctor claims he has done all that he can for me.” He had to stop and breathe again.
“Now, back to what I must tell you. Hopefully, I can get it all out before another coughing spasm comes over me. Our lawyer made the arrangements already for your proxy marriage. I know you have money from your grandfather which will be released to you once you marry. But our lawyer arranged for a sum to be paid to your brother for your hand in marriage, which will be used to help the save the farm. At least you will be marrying the son of my close friend, so he isn’t a total stranger, at least to me. Although I doubt that you remember him. The last time he visited was when you were both toddlers. Alex and I were close friends when we were younger. Alex is your new father-in-law.”
Another coughing spell hit her father. She could tell he was exhausted and needed to sleep, but she had so many questions yet to ask. How was she going to get answers to all of her questions? Her father’s eye lids were closing. “You will marry now and leave. I love you,” he croaked out in a mere whisper. She had to lean close to him to hear him say the last part.
“Right now, Father?” she asked in a shocked voice.
“I am afraid so,” her brother said. “The judge will arrive soon to perform your proxy marriage.”
“You must leave right after the ceremony,” Martha stated as swept into her father’s room as if she owned the place.
Her brother gave his wife a look, but Martha didn’t back down at all. Josh finally said, “Your train will be leaving soon.”
“I have so much to do before I can leave. How can I possibly make the train today? I can leave in a couple of days once I have everything done. I also need to say goodbye to my friends,” Evelyn said, as she saw the nasty look that crossed her sister-in-law’s face. The dislike she saw in her sister-in-law’s face shocked her. They had been getting along nicely, at least that was what she thought, but from the look on Martha’s face, she now knew that wasn’t true. Martha was just putting up with her and wanted her gone. Evelyn didn’t want to leave her father’s side, but now it looked like she must.
Her mother turned to look at her daughter-in-law’s face and gave her a pleading look. She turned back to Evelyn. “I will help you pack, and you can write a quick letter to Louise, since she is your best friend. I am sure she can tell your other friends for you. Come along, dear, and I will help you now, since your father is sleeping.”
Evelyn leaned over her father and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Father, and I shall miss you dearly,” she whispered to him.
She looked at her brother, and he gave a slight shake of his head, no, to her. Then he looked down at the ground. It looked like talking to him wouldn’t do any good. It appeared that Martha was now running the house, along with her brother. Although to her it seemed like Martha was the only one running everything now.
‘Something is very wrong here, but what? Is there anyway I could help?’ Evelyn silently wondered.
Evelyn’s mother put her arm around Evelyn and guided her out of her father’s room. She took a deep breath as she realized that her father’s room smelled of a sick bed and maybe even a little like death. Her mother squeezed her shoulder.
‘Will this be the last time I see my father and talk to him?’ she silently wondered. Surely, she could see him before she left.
They quietly walked to her room. Evelyn stood there for a moment in a daze. Her mother quickly got her carpetbag out from the chest that her clothes were in and set it on the bed. She quickly handed her daughter something. Evelyn looked down at her mother’s hand. She held out an envelope, along with a few coins.
“I don’t have much time since Martha may come check on us at any moment. Quickly, hide that money in the secret pocket in your purse, along with that letter that I wrote to you. Your father knows, but no one else. You can read it once you are far away. I am sorry that is all I can give to you. I wish there was more. Your father and I want you to remember that we love you dearly, my darling daughter, and we are trying to do what is best for you. If we hadn’t arranged for a marriage with your father’s friend things could have turned out worse for you,” her mother whispered as she folded a dress and placed it in the carpetbag.
There was a creak from the floorboards just outside her room. Her mother put her finger to her lips to silence her.
“You need to take everything with you now. I had Josh bring a small trunk in earlier. Pack your ball-gowns in the trunk and whatever else you don’t need right away. Although, where you’re going, you might never need your ball-gowns,” her mother said as she continued to quickly pack her things.
Evelyn wanted to ask so many questions, but she feared her sister-in-law was listening and she knew she didn’t have much time.
“You will tell Father that I love him, won’t you?” Evelyn whispered her question to her mother.
“Your father knows just how much you love him. You are the apple of his eye, Evelyn,” her mother whispered as she stopped and squeezed her daughter’s hand in assurance.
“I love you Mother. Thank you for helping me,” she said a little sadly. She would not think of all that had happened just yet. She would wait until she was alone.
“You are welcome daughter, and I love you very much. I am going to miss you so very much,” her mother admitted.
They worked quickly together to get all of her things packed. Evelyn picked up her brush and comb and put them in her carpetbag along with her nightgown and robe. There was a knock on the door. Her mother went and answered it.
“Please place that on the table,” she said as she let a servant in, who was carrying a tea tray with two cups. There were cookies arranged on a plate too. The servant set it down on the table and then turned to leave.
Evelyn looked at her mother, who motioned her not to say anything just yet. “Thank you,” her mother said to the servant as the servant left and shut the door behind her.
Her mother came over to her. “I want you to wrap up the cookies and stick them in your bag. I snuck in a couple of teacups and saucers into your trunk. Make sure that you wrap them up good so they don’t get damaged,” she whispered in her daughter’s ear. Evelyn wondered why her mother had to sneak anything, and then she thought of her sister-in-law and that look on her face. She wondered what else she might have snuck in her trunk, but she didn’t have time now to look. Quickly picking up the quilt she carefully wrapped the teacups along with the saucers and gently placed it in the trunk. They soon had all of her clothes and a few Knick knacks all packed. It didn’t seem like much.
The only dress she had out was her travel dress. She had packed her split skirt and her riding habit, in the trunk instead of her carpetbag since she wouldn’t need it for a while.
“I will help you change into your travel suit, and I can help you with your hair, although it looks lovely as it is. Or I can send for a servant to help you?” her mother asked.
“I don’t need any help changing since I can manage it by myself, Mother. I haven’t had help in a few years, as you know. I believe my hair will be fine if I am careful. Please sit down and enjoy a cup of tea while I quickly change. Am I to understand I have no time to say goodbye to anyone?” She quietly asked her mother in a mere whisper, since she didn’t want anyone else to hear.
Her mother shook her head no with a frown to Evelyn’s question. Evelyn could see that her mother wasn’t happy to relay that answer to her.
Evelyn quickly changed. Evelyn hadn’t had a maid help her dress in a few years since they only had one maid left.
As her mother sat down and poured herself a cup of tea, she wrapped all but a couple of cookies in a napkin, which she took and put in Evelyn’s purse.
Her mother turned to Evelyn, who was standing close by. “You still have that little gun your father gave you?” Her mother whispered, as she feared for her daughter’s life. If only she could tell her daughter everything, but the walls had ears and time was short.
Evelyn shook her head yes and pointed to her purse. Her mother smiled approvingly. There was a noise outside Evelyn’s door. Her mother quickly went back over to the little table and sat down. She picked up her teacup as the door opened.
Evelyn looked at her sister-in-law, who was entering her room. “Martha, I am still dressing and until I leave, this is still my bedroom. Please shut the door,” Evelyn stated. Even though she was petite, she still stood up for herself. They may have forced her to leave, but until she did, she would still stand up for herself and not cower to anyone.
“I was just checking to make sure this room will be suitable for our child. Which should arrive in a few months. We don’t need any more mouths to feed around here. We will have to redecorate as this is hideous,” Martha stated as she looked around the room with her nose up in the air.
Evelyn bit her lip to keep herself from saying something that she might regret. She was convinced that Martha just came to make sure she wasn’t taking anything Martha might want for herself.
She wanted to come back home and visit her parents and her brother one day, but looking at her sister-in-law’s face, she knew she didn’t want to come back if her sister-in-law was still here.
‘What other plans did her sister-in-law have for her?’ She shuddered at the thought as she looked into the cold eyes of her sister-in-law. They looked cold and conniving. She had never seen that look before.
Evelyn was praying that she could send for her mother once she was settled, and that she would live with her once her father passed away.
She would have to think and pray for guidance about this and, of course, to ask her husband what he thought. He might not want to have his mother-in-law living with them.
The thought of her father passing hurt her heart.

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