14

He walked over to his desk and sat in the chair behind it. “I know husbands who are controlled by their wives. It’s not pretty.” He took out some paper he had neatly folded into his breast pocket and set them on the desk. “It’s official. I own a

building which will become Mitchell Bank in a matter of weeks.”

“That’s wonderful!”

He smiled. “I already asked Justin Monroe to be the vice president. He and I will turn in our resignation letters to Conrad Leroy right after New Year’s Day.”

“You would be surprised how many people in this town are afraid of what will happen when Conrad retires. George doesn’t have a very good reputation with the women I’ve talked to. He keeps a mistress in another town, and women don’t like the thought of their own husbands being unfaithful.”

“Is that why you said you could hurt his reputation in this town?”

“Women are as upset about infidelity as they are about children being forced out of their homes because of foreclosure.” “You should be a businesswoman. You understand your clients very well.”

“Oh, I wasn’t trying to manipulate anyone. I just knew that many of the wives would want their husbands to pull out of the bank if they were aware of what was going on. Hmm...I can see your point. I suppose a lot of women do have control over their husbands.”

“I would call it influence instead of control in this situation. The women aren’t allowed to close out their husbands‟ accounts. There is a great deal of apprehension from the male side about what type of leader George will make. What happened with you only confirmed those fears. The wives voicing that same fear is the support those men needed to approach me about opening my own bank.”

“I hadn’t thought of it from that angle.”

As he turned his attention to filling out the paperwork, she walked over to the bookcase and examined the books. She was impressed with the excellent condition the books were in. The library received books in such good shape but after people read them, they lost their integrity. She longed to take a book out but wondered if he would allow it.

“Go ahead,” he softly said.

Startled, she looked at him. She hadn’t meant to be so obvious. “I don’t know. You keep everything in such good condition. I’m almost afraid to touch anything in this room.”

“I know you’ll be careful with my things.”

She nodded and pulled the book off the shelf. “I didn’t know you liked Jane Austen.”

“Why not?”

She shrugged. “She’s a woman author.”

“I’m broad minded enough to think women have a lot to offer society. I enjoy her work.”

“This is one of my favorite books. Sense and Sensibility. The story of two sisters who represent two opposing forces: logic and emotion.”

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He seemed to be considering her analysis of the book. “I didn’t think anyone else in Virginia understood that.”

“Sometimes I like to seek out a deeper meaning to a story. But at other times, a story is just a story.” She picked out Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has its elements in it but I

prefer Jane Austen’s work to Mark Twain’s.” “Don’t let my brother Luke hear you say that.”

“Which one is he?”

“The one with the mouse that escaped at the reception.” He cringed. “I don’t know how your family managed to pull that escapade off but you did an excellent job. People kept coming up to me and told me how impressed they were with my originality. I told them I had nothing to do with it. I do give credit where credit is due.”

“Trevor’s head is always in a book, so he was able to save the day. That was definitely not planned.”

“For what it’s worth, you made a most beautiful bride. I don’t know why you insist on wearing those buns. You turn many heads when you wear your hair down.”

“Oh.” She blushed at his compliment. “I figured I had no one to impress so I started pulling my hair up and then it became a habit. You really like the way I look when it’s down?”

“I do,” he softly admitted. “But don’t wear it down because I said that. I don’t want to be accused of controlling you.”

She chuckled. “Now that I know you aren’t trying to run my life, I can actually enjoy your company.” She put The Adventures of Tom Sawyer back on the shelf. “Can I read this?” She showed him Sense and Sensibility.

“You have an open invitation to any book in this room.”

“I’ll probably read all of them.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. I suppose not.” She studied the book for a moment. “The irony with me is that I actually like logical Eli nor more than emotional Marianne. Isn’t that odd? I know I’m nothing like Eli nor.”

“Sometimes we like that which we lack. I always preferred Marianne myself. She had a lot of passion. She never did things just because society dictated something to be done a certain way.” “That surprises me because you are ruled by logic. Your world is very orderly.”

“Opposites attract.”

“Then I guess we better watch out. We just might become good friends in the next six months.” She took the book to the chair by the fireplace. “Do you mind if I read here? It’s more comfortable than my bedroom.”

He sighed. “I’ll see what I can do about getting someone to decorate your room the way you want it. We’ll also get you clothes and a ring that you like. As for this room, since you appreciate it as much as I do, you may come in here anytime you wish.”

“Thank you, Jake. That’s very kind of you.” He grinned before turning back to his paperwork.

She sat down and opened the book. Apparently, Jake wasn’t so intimidating after all.

***

To Sue’s surprise, Mrs. Parker and her team of seamstresses had a hunter green skirt, a plain white long sleeved shirt, and a hunter green hat ready for her that evening so she could wear that outfit the next day. “I’ll have two more outfits ready tomorrow, and the rest of your wardrobe will be ready on Tuesday,” she told Sue when she dropped the clothes off.

“Thank you, Mrs. Parker,” Sue replied. “I am sorry for the way I talked to you at the wedding this morning. I was upset because I assumed Jake was trying to mandate what type of clothing I wear. I have been a spinster for so long that I have become set in my ways.”

Mrs. Parker’s face relaxed and she smiled. “I appreciate the apology. Now that I know what you like, it will be easier to design your clothes. Are you sure you want three pairs of slacks, three plaid shirts and two working boots?”

“Sometimes I help my family at their farm. It’s not easy to do those chores in a skirt or a dress.”

She nodded. “I see your point. Very well.”

“Do I need to pay you?”

“No. Mr. Mitchell already took care of that.”

Apparently, Jake moved fast, Sue noted. She was happy with her new clothes. They would be perfect for the play at the library the next evening. In fact, she was so excited about the skirt and shirt, she had trouble sleeping in the large comfortable bed. She was used to sleeping on a thin, small mattress, so she felt like she was floating on a cloud on her new bed. She finally fell asleep in the early morning hours and woke up in time for church. After she got dressed, she was ready to pull her hair back into a bun when she caught sight of her reflection with her hair down. She decided to keep it down that day. Her soft golden curls framed her face, making her appear softer and younger. She had forgotten what if felt like to actually appear feminine.

Turning from the mirror over the dresser, she slipped on her black shoes and went to the kitchen where Lydia was cooking breakfast.

“Do you need any help?” Sue asked.

“No. I manage fine in the kitchen by myself. Ralph and Mr. Mitchell are easy to please.”

“I promise I will be too. I hope I didn’t scare you yesterday.”

She grinned. “Ralph and I thought it was funny once our shock wore off. We never saw Mr. Mitchell look like he didn’t have control over a situation before. You’ll probably be good for him. He needs to enjoy life more. He’s so serious all the time.” “A couple of days around my family will most likely change all that. They live their lives based on how much fun they can have, though they have their serious moments.”

“We heard about the fiasco at the wedding. Did your family plan that?”

“No. It just happened. I’m relieved Trevor said it was an act. I think it would have been a disaster if he hadn’t.”

“Yes, you and your family will be good for Mr. Mitchell.” Sue watched as Lydia poured the pancake batter into the

skillet. “I have a play to direct tonight at the auditorium, so I will have dinner with Mrs. Walker. Since Mrs. Walker owns the library, she likes to thank me for putting on a play for the parents to enjoy.”

“I heard about those annual Christmas plays. The parents do like to see their children having fun on stage.”

“What’s wonderful about children is that even when they mess up their lines, they’re still cute. So it’s hard to destroy a play that they are in. Anyway, for the past five years, my brother Trevor has been writing the Christmas plays. Usually, he comes into town to watch them but he won’t be able to attend tonight. He has to help make up for the chores he didn’t get to do yesterday.”

“What is this play about?”

“It’s called The Path to Christmas, and it’s about six children who are traveling through a forest. As long as they stay on the path, they will reach their destination, but if they let one of the Temptations lure them off the path, then they will miss out on the true meaning of Christmas. The path leads to the manger where

Jesus was born.”

“How lovely. I would like to see it. What time is it?” “Five. It only lasts for thirty minutes but we’ll have refreshments afterwards, so usually it is a full hour event.”

“I’m going to push dinner back then. I don’t want to miss it.”

“Trevor’s thrilled whenever people tell him they enjoy his plays. Personally, I think this is his best one.”

Lydia flipped the pancakes over. “Breakfast is almost ready. Mr. Mitchell likes to eat in the dining room. Will you be joining him?”

“I suppose I should.” It felt strange to eat with someone. She was used to eating her bland foods by herself. “If you need any help, please let me know.”

“I will.”

Sue left the kitchen and walked into the dining room where Jake sat, dressed in one of his immaculate dark suits, reading the newspaper. “You’re a very odd person,” she commented.

He looked up from the paper. “Excuse me?”

“You never entertain guests, yet you have an oak table that seats twenty people. Why didn’t you just purchase a small table?” He grinned. “I like the impression it gives.”

“You want to make people think you entertain guests?” “It’s nice to have the option though I don’t wish to exercise it.”

She shook her head and sat by him. He sat at the head of the table. When she noticed that he hadn’t returned to his paper, she asked, “Should I sit somewhere else?” “No. It’s just nice to look at you.”

She blushed.

He cleared his throat and picked up the paper. “Our wedding made the paper. Usually, these announcements are boring but I have to admit that Justin was right when he said „The Wedding Folly‟ was a memorable event.”

“I must warn you that my family acts like that on a regular basis.”

“So I’ll get to see more of this for a week?”

She blinked. “You’re planning to go to the farm for Christmas?”

“Of course. I believe Jeremiah gave me a personal invitation.”

“But they aren’t your kind of people.”

“They’re my family now. Besides, it’s not all pleasure. I’m going to teach your family how to adequately manage money. Tomorrow they will be debt free. I don’t wish to see them get back into trouble.”

“That makes sense.” She couldn’t imagine him going out to the farm to enjoy himself. She chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.

They’ll listen to you give your lesson on money, but I think Lydia is right. They’re going to give you a lesson in how to have fun.”

“I have fun.”

“That’s hard to imagine.”

He set his paper down and folded his arms on the table.

“You don’t strike me as someone who has fun either.”

“I have lots of fun.”

“And so do I. We just define fun differently, that’s all.”

“Perhaps.”

Lydia came in with two plates full of pancakes, ham and sausage. She set down two glasses of apple juice and two glasses of water by the plates. She set out a jar of honey and a jar of strawberry jam. “Would you care for anything else?”

“You expect me to eat all of this in one sitting?” Sue asked. Her breakfast usually consisted of a bowl of oatmeal. “Mr. Mitchell eats all of it. I am not sure how much you’ll eat until I see what you do. I’ll adjust the portions as I notice a pattern.”

“Are you going to church?” Sue asked as Lydia left the room. She took a bite of the ham. Lydia was a much better cook than she was.

“Yes. Aren’t you?” He poured honey on his pancakes. She nodded. “I did go to the church on Jefferson Street, but I suppose since we are married, I will go with you. Which church do you attend?”

“The one on Washington Avenue.”

“Is the preacher there good?”

“I wouldn’t go if he wasn’t. He sticks to the Bible.” She liked to hear that.

They spent most of the meal in silence.

When Lydia came in to announce Henry’s arrival, she added, “And I look forward to the play tonight,” before she cleared the table.

“What play?” Jake asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing major. Every year the library puts on a

play that the children act in. Trevor wrote this one.”

“I didn’t know you liked plays.”

“I love them. When I read Shakespeare, I pretend I’m in the theater watching the actors on stage. I know the children’s play doesn’t compare to an actual theater, but it’s as close as I’ll ever get to seeing an on stage production. I do have fun directing the play.” She stood up. “Where is my coat?”

He led her to the front door where Ralph was waiting with their coats, hats and gloves.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her long black coat. At least she wouldn’t have to ask Mrs. Parker and her team to make another one. Ralph helped her with her coat. As she put on her hat and gloves, she noticed that Jake’s coat was similar to hers, though with a masculine trim. “Are we supposed to match?” “I figured we should look good together when we go out.” “I know. People are watching.” She marveled that he could be so concerned about what others thought of him. His whole world was about impressing people he didn’t care much for. And he was afraid a wife would control him when strangers already control most of what he does.