And life with him will be at least a little better than my life now.
Annabelle gives me a dress. The most beautiful dress I’ve ever owned.
We don’t wear the same size, but she had it made for me several months ago. She had to guess at the size and pretend it was for her so her husband would pay for it, but she’s had it tucked away in the back of her closet all this time.
Waiting for the chance to give it to me.
It’s a day dress—nothing formal. But it has a square neckline, mid-length sleeves, and a soft skirt that falls a few inches above my ankles. I try it on. The bodice is a little loose but not enough to be a problem. The brighter blue fabric makes my eyes appear bluer than they are.
In it, I’m prettier than I ever knew myself to be.
Annabelle is thrilled with her success, and she helps me do my hair in a loose roll like hers. She adds to my bag a few items that Chad won’t miss—a hand mirror, a new hairbrush, a couple of less expensive necklaces, a few littlenightgowns—and then we go downstairs to the entry hall to wait.
Earlier, she told Ben to make himself useful and stand outside to watch for Mason to arrive.
As if on cue, as soon as we get downstairs, the front door opens and Ben ducks inside.
“Is he here?” Annabelle asks him.
“Yes, ma’am.” He’s got a pleasant twang to his deep voice and a glint in his blue-gray eyes I like.
Annabelle hugs me. “Take care of yourself. And let me know how things go. Maybe Mason will let us message more often.”
“Or even come with him when he makes the trip here once a month.” I’m excited about the possibilities.
“I hope so. I miss you. I miss our old life.”
“Me too.” I squeeze her one more time before we pull away. When Ben opens the front door for me, I wave one last time.
Mason is waiting at the end of the walkway. Big and silent and unrevealing. His cart is beside him.
When I get closer, I see his eyes running up and down my body with an urgency I can’t help but like.
“You sure look pretty in that new dress,” he mumbles, dropping his eyes when I reach him. “So you’re gonna stay here with your sister?”
“No.” I gulp, suddenly nervous because my next words will change my whole life. “If it’s still available, I want to take you up on your offer.”
His eyes shoot up to my face. “You do?”
“Yes. I do. I want to be your wife.”
When the hired motor reaches the outpost, Mason and I climb out and head inside, bribing the same official with another one of my scavenged rings so we can get my change of position documented and obtain our marriage papers without the normal four-week delay.
On the walk back to the village, we make our plans. I didn’t leave anything I still want at Lorraine’s house, so we’re going to stop by Mason’s place first and then go to the market to share our news.
I’m excited and nervous and fluttery when we reach the small farm. There’s a herd of cows in the pasture. Chickens clucking busily in a coop near the barn. And a pleasant cottage with a slanted roof and big windows.
“This is it,” Mason says with a mumble. “You’ll get used to the smell.”
“It’s not that bad.” It’s not. Different but not worse than the normal village odors. “I like the looks of it.”
His expression and shoulders relax slightly. “Okay. Let’s go inside then.”
Inside is a comfortably sized main room—there’s still a lot of light coming in the windows even though it’s late afternoon—with a big, fully equipped kitchen on one side and two bedrooms on the other with a bathroom betweenthem. There’s even a lot of space reserved for storage. A closet in each room, and a wall of built-in compartments in the short hallway.
“I love it,” I say, more excited than ever. It’s not fancy like Annabelle’s in the city, but I like the homey feel of this house a lot better. I can’t believe I actually get to live here.
And I don’t even have to sleep in a sooty nook near an old woodstove.
