Mail Ordered Deception

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Monica awoke the next morning feeling well rested. She stretched her arms out and put her feet in her slippers. She heard the usual knock at the door indicating her coffee had arrived and she smiled at the normalcy she was feeling. Though when she first showed up at the ranch, she would not dare believe she would grow accustomed to life here, and yet, Monica was looking forward to her morning cup of coffee on the balcony, watching the sun rise. She was entranced by the idea that her morning duties came after the birds began singing and she could take her time.

As she prepared her cup, she looked at the balcony door with both anticipation and apprehension. After the day before, her self consciousness had risen. She wanted to see him, but now wondered if he wanted to see her. Then she wondered why it mattered. Mustering up her courage, she stepped to the door and pushed it open. The sunlight poured into her room and she immediately was happy with her choice to be brave. She stepped out and breathed in the mountain air that flowed in the wind. Finally, she glanced over and there he stood, looking back at her. She offered him a smile and lifted her coffee cup in greetings. He did the same, and continued to look her way as he took a sip.

“Good morning Jackson,” she said, raising her voice to be carried over to him.

“Good morning Monica,” he replied. “I trust you slept well?”

“Very much so. And you?” Monica turned her whole body to face him and walked to the edge of her balcony, leaning to place her elbows on the rail.

“I have no complaints.” Jackson also turned to face her. Their conversation flowed freely and Monica was enjoying the ease of their familiarity. “What are your plans for the day, Monica? It is a Saturday so Bethany has no schooling to be done.”

“Well, after breakfast, I was hoping to see Prince again. Then I had plans to go into town if that is agreeable to you.”

“Of course, that is agreeable to me.” He paused looking down at his cup, as if weighing his next words. “Would you mind if I joined you?” Monica was taken aback by his request. He was actively seeking her company. Of course as his wife, that should come as little surprise, but she assumed he would be too busy and was not interested in her being more than a replacement mother to Bethany. After the initial shock wore off, she spoke again.

“I suppose there would be no problem with that.” Monica gripped her coffee cup a little bit tighter. What if he did not like what she had planned? But there was no easy way to say no without sounding like she had something to hide, so she agreed to let him come. “Well, I suppose I should change for breakfast and get the day started then,” Monica said before downing the last bit of her coffee in a single gulp. She turned and hurried back into her room and went to her wardrobe. Jackson would be spending the day with her, and as his wife, she needed to wear something that fitted his societal rank and his good looks. After searching through every dress hanging, and after throwing a few onto the bed, she finally decided on an off white lace dress that fit her figure down to her ankles, an attractive sweetheart neckline, long sleeved, and light purple embellishments throughout the fabric.

After putting that on and pulling her hair back behind her shoulders, she took one last look at the mirror before heading down to the dining hall. When she got to the room, she noticed that Jackson was already seated next to Bethany, in the same spots they had been the night before. Jackson saw her enter the room and Monica noticed how his eyes traveled down her body in appreciation. Though she blushed slightly in embarrassment, she was glad she took the time to find just the right dress. He too, looked like he took his time in figuring out what to wear. What he had chosen was a gray vest over a long sleeved white button down shirt, with a pair of gray slacks and a gray jacket hanging on the chair behind him. He had rolled his sleeves up for breakfast, and he too looked well today.

“Good morning Bethany, Jackson,” Monica said sitting across from Jackson where she had supper the night before.

“Good morning, Monica!” Bethany shouted enthusiastically. Monica tried to not think too hard on how she did not attempt to call her ‘mom’ again. Instead, she began eating the food on the plate in front of her. George had informed her that it was called a frittata. Upon closer inspection, it was almost like a slice of pie made with eggs, spinach, cheese, and ham. Every forkful was flavorful, which was unsurprising since she had yet to have a meal since arriving that was not less than delicious. The three ate in comfortable silence. Once their plates were empty, Bethany touched Monica’s arm.

“You are very pretty today.”

“Thank you,” Monica replied, grinning at the compliment.

“What are you doing today?”

“Your father and I are going out into town today.” Bethany perked up at this.

“Can I come?” Monica tried to find a way to tell her no without hurting her feelings. There was a lot to be done, and she wanted to get back as soon as possible. Jackson saw her struggle and saved her from this dilemma however.

“I do not think that is a good idea my love,” he said sweetly. “We have adult business to attend to, and you could use a day to play.” Bethany was disappointed for a moment, but apparently made plans in her little head quickly, for her good mood returned as quickly as it had gone. She got up, kissed Monica on the cheek, then Jackson, and finally scurried out of the room. Monica let go of the breath she had been holding.

“Thank you, Jackson. I was unsure of what to say to her.”

“It is no trouble. I unfortunately have grown used to telling her when she needs to entertain herself for the day.” He said this with a hint of sadness and regret, and Monica felt for him. They stood up and walked until they reached the car. Jackson must have alerted the driver to their plans because it was running just outside the front door. He opened the back door, but just as Monica was about to get in, she realized what she had forgotten.

“I beg your pardon, Jackson. I just need a moment.” She took off for the barns until she saw Prince’s pen again. He was just as anxious as usual until he saw her approach. Then he trotted over to the side of the fence that she was coming to and waited for her calmly.

Jackson’s Point of View

He watched as she took off across the yard. Jackson wondered how she was able to run so fast in such a tight dress. Still, he followed behind her until he saw where she was going. Jackson had also forgotten she wanted to see Prince. As she approached the fenceline, he watched in awe as Prince waited for her arrival. When she got to the pen, she immediately reached for his snout and pat him gently. He could see her lips moving as she spoke to the horse but was not close enough to hear what she was saying. Prince seemed to be drawn to her voice as though it was hypnotizing him. After fifteen minutes or so of their display, she climbed back away from the fence and walked back towards him. She seemed genuinely happy.

They made their way back to the car and into town. They stopped first at the general store, and he noticed she seemed nervous as she approached the counter. She was wringing her hands together like she had on the way to their wedding ceremony, and so he took her arm in his and offered her an encouraging smile. The man across the counter smiled at her, his apron dirty from cleaning the store and his smile almost hidden by his long gray mustache.

“Hello! How may I help you fine folks today?” Monica lifted her head, and when she spoke, Jackson heard her tone of voice shift as if she was born and raised a noblewoman.

“Hello good sir. We require lumber. Here is a list of what we need. Can you supply it?” She handed him a piece of paper in her hands and he read the list.

“Why yes we can. This is an extensive and expensive list however. It will take some time to get what you need.”

“It must be delivered to the Porter Ranch this afternoon. I understand it is a rush order, but I assure you it is of the utmost importance. If you can deliver on time, I can see that a bonus is added to your check.” Jackson raised his eyebrow, impressed at how she was handling this situation. Most women would have taken what they could get without argument and let the topic go. Monica however, seemed to be determined to get what she needed.

“Oh, yes. Of course ma’am.” The man replied, also surprised by the authority in her tone. “I can get what you need.”

“Thank you.” With that, Jackson turned them to leave the store. When they got back to the car, he noticed she began to breathe heavily and was fanning herself with her hand.

“Monica, you did well.” Jackson said. When she looked at him, he did his best to give her a reassuring smile. “I was quite impressed with how you handled yourself. You were a true lady.” Monica sat up and looked at him with wide eyes, clearly not expecting such a compliment.

“Thank you Jackson. That means a great deal coming from you.” Jackson moved so he sat closer to her.

“I meant every word. Might I ask what the lumber is for?” Monica smiled before replying.

“It is a surprise. But I do hope you approve.” Jackson was extremely curious. Especially as they approached a nearby farm just outside of town. An older man and woman came out of the small house at the sound of the approaching car. Monica said she would return momentarily and exited the vehicle. Jackson waited patiently as he watched her converse with the couple. The woman took her behind the house to where the barn stood, and they were gone for several minutes. When they returned, Monica was carrying a rather large box with a hole on each side for her to use as handles. She appeared to thank them before taking the box back to the car.

“What on Earth is in that box?” Jackson asked as the driver closed the door behind her. She removed her hands from the holes and he saw several tiny scratches on her fingers. He took one of her hands and gingerly looked it over. Monica allowed her hand to stay in his, until they hit a particularly nasty bump in the road. She had to catch the box to keep it from falling. At the sudden movement, Jackson got his answer by the loud mewling that came from in the box.

“Kittens. Ten, to be exact.” Jackson’s eyes widened.

“Kittens? Dare I ask what these are for?” Monica giggled at his reaction.

“You shall see.” Jackson could not have been more confused by her actions, but decided to go along for the ride anyhow. “I only have one more stop to make, if that is alright.”

“Of course. The day is young, still.”

Monica’s Point of View

This was the errand that she was most concerned about having Jackson tag along for. Though she could reason away the money spent on the lumber and kittens, this was an expense that was not related to the ranch in the slightest. When the driver arrived at the post office, Monica’s heart began to beat faster as a nervousness spread through her.

“Would you mind waiting in the car, Jackson? I will only be a moment.”

“I will be here waiting for you,” he replied. Luckily, he did not question this last stop and Monica nearly sprinted inside the building.

It was by far the most quiet of the places they had been today, as there was only one person inside. The building itself was small, the walls covered with boxes filled with correspondence for the people of the town.

“I beg your pardon sir, but I need to send out a letter and a cheque.”

“Well, that is what I am here to do, ma’am.” He approached the desk with a smile on his face and Monica pulled out the cheque book that she had pulled out of Jackson’s pocket just moments ago. It was in her luck that he signed his cheques preemptively in order to save time. Her hands shaking, Monica wrote it out for the amount of two thousand dollars and addressed it to her mother. She prayed it would be enough to cover her father’s hospital bills for a while and she could return home sooner rather than later.

“Is there any way to ensure that this letter reaches its destination?”

“Just a whole lot of prayer, ma’am.” She nodded and walked back out of the building and back towards the car. Jackson opened the door for her from the inside and she slid into the seat next to him.

“I trust your last stop went well?” He inquired innocently. Monica smiled slightly and gave him a short nod. He seemed to accept this answer and looked out of his window at the passing town. With his head turned, Monica placed the cheque book back into his jacket pocket discreetly. He did not even flinch as the weight was added to his pocket. Monica breathed out a sigh of relief. Though her task was accomplished, she felt an immense amount of guilt for tricking him so. If only his ranch were still turning a profit, she might not feel so bad about the deceit.