Marni's Measure (Brides 0f Pelican Rapids Book 4) Read online

  The Mayor’s rich voice boomed out across the clearing as mothers pushed their sons forward a little more while a spirit of friendly competition hummed through the crowd as excitement bubbled over.

  “Ladies if you’ll make a line, I’ll call you up here one at a time and start the bidding” Mayor Barton called drawing a line next to the platform with his hand.

  Ella grasped Marni’s arm gently urging her forward as she fell in with the other girls of the town. Marni shrugged off the inconvenience of the event, knowing that the raffle money for the day would go to charity for the Lutheran Church on the other side of the river. It also never hurt to become better acquainted with one’s neighbors.

  “Mrs. Simms,” Lorna Lie’s voice chirruped in Marni’s ear. “I didn’t think you’d have a basket today since you’re stayin’ with Miss Ella. Hasn’t she told you who you’re here for yet?”

  “Excuse me?” Marni asked. “It was Miss Ella’s request that I pack a basket.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” Lorna Lie said, standing on her tiptoes and trying to peer into the crowd. “It’s just that Ms. Ella runs the Bride Agency, and I thought she must have a fella picked out for you,” the girl said, still straining to get a glimpse of the bidders.

  Marni nodded absently as the girls before her made their way to the platform, and the bidding rose. “She asked me to be patient awhile,” Marni said, tipping her head toward the other girl, “and to tell the truth I’m glad to have the chance. I came here from Tennessee to get away from the men in the valley who were after my flour mill. I’m not sure I’m ready to remarry yet,” she finished even as she thought of Braden Prater once more.

  Lorna Lie rolled her eyes but grinned. “I think I’ve been ready since I was twelve,” she said, looking out at the crowd of men trying to win a basket. “Pa said I needed to grow up first. Well if you ask me, I’m about as grown as I’m going to get,” she finished with a giggle.

  Marni smiled then started as her name was called and she hurried up the stairs.

  “Good luck,” Lorna Lie called after her with a light wave.

  “A newcomer here in Pelican Rapids Mrs. Marni Simms has kindly offered to donate a basket of goodies for a great cause. Who will start the bidding at fifty cents?” Mayor Barton barked stepping aside to let Marni take the stage, her heavy basket drooping in her hands.

  Marni looked over the crowd feeling like a prized pig in a poke. Several men offered the first bids, and then she noticed Braden Prater lift his hand in response to the doubled bid. Marni’s heart fluttered in her chest as she suppressed a smile. Could he be interested in spending the afternoon with her?

  “Two dollars,” Sam Abrams chimed absently, looking over at his father who nodded in approval.

  Marni looked across the many participants her eyes falling on Braden again when he lifted his hand and nodded to the next bid.

  Below, Mr. Abrams elbowed Sam who chimed in with another bid, now raising the bid to nearly four dollars.

  Braden shifted his feet not happy that the bidding was going so high, though Miss Ella had given him enough money to outbid even Sam, but he didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea. True the money went to a good cause, but he didn’t like to think of the cost or give a false impression. He was doing this for Miss Ella and though he wanted desperately to spend the day with Mrs. Simms, he knew it would all come to naught.

  Again Braden raised his hand, looking up at the pretty woman standing next to the mayor with a heavy basket in her hands. She looked happy with his bid yet concerned over the whole ordeal.

  “Five dollars,” Sam Abrams called, his father patting him on the shoulder, then scowling as Braden once more raised the bid.

  Miss Ella had been adamant that Braden needed to win Marni’s, stressing the fact that she had already chosen the perfect match for her young client and that she needed someone who would keep Mrs. Simms company and wouldn’t cause her any additional stress.

  “Six dollars,” Mr. Abrams chimed this time, smirking at Braden from behind Sam’s back.

  “Seven,” Braden barked, his sense of competition kicking up a notch and his heartwarming as the lovely Marni offered him a half-smile.

  “Seven-fifty,” Sam said, with a huff as his father elbowed him hard in the ribs.

  “Eight,” Braden announced loudly, seeing the blush cover Mrs. Simms soft cheeks and wanting to win now more than ever.

  A few seconds ticked by as Sam and Mr. Abrams seemed to engage in a hushed conversation before Sam offered nine dollars as his bid. This amount was insane for any bidding and surely had to give soon.

  “Ten dollars,” Braden said, his voice steady as his stomach churned.

  Mr. Abrams glared at Braden elbowing his son who shook his head and closed his mouth tight. As Sam turned and nodding defeat to Braden and the gavel fell on ten dollars for a stranger’s lunch basket, Braden's heart leapt, and he beamed up at Marni, hurrying forward to claim his prize.

  Chapter 18

  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with who is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

  Marni took Braden’s arm as he guided her around the crowd, lifting the heavy basket from her hands.

  “I hope that wasn’t too embarrassing,” Braden said, as they walked out into the field once more.

  Marni shook her head, smiling as a little girl walked by eating a stick of hard candy, flashing the couple a sticky smile as she skipped by.

  “Everyone seems to be having a good time,” Marni said, as behind them a roar of laughter echoed from the auction block making Braden and Marni spun in time to see Lorna Lie launch herself from the podium into Sam’s arms.

  Braden laughed, shaking his head as he turned back along the path they had started. “Lorna Lie has been chasing Sam Abrams since they were eight and knocked heads on the school playground,” he said. “Maybe this year, he’ll figure it out and let her catch him,” he finished with a laugh.

  “Really?” Marni asked with a giggle. “I had noticed the way Lorna Lie looked at Sam at dinner the other night, but had no idea she’d been sweet on him for so long.”

  “Sam’s a good fellow,” Braden said, leading Marni back to where his wagon sat, the blue ribbon fluttering in a light breeze next to his huge pumpkin. “It’s taken him a little time to see it, but Lorna Lie’s about the best thing that could happen to him. She’s a bit of a flibberty-jibbit, but she’s got a big heart.”

  Marni looked up at the young man beside her, surprised at his assessment. He didn’t seem the romantic type, yet he had noted Lorna Lie and Sam’s situation. “I’m surprised you noticed,” she blurted, shocked at her forwardness.

  “It isn’t hard to see,” Braden said. “Mr. Abrams is afraid that Lorna Lie’s pa put her up to it trying to get some hold on the mill, but I think Mr. Tomlins is as clueless about the whole thing as Sam’s been.”

  Again Marni laughed but hoped for the best for both Sam and Lorna Lie. She knew what it was to fall in love almost immediately and wished them both happiness.

  “Mrs. Simms, I’d like you to meet my mother and father, Sven and Adalissa Prater,” Braden offered, coming to a stop by his wagon and nodding to his parents, who were busy laying out a blanket for their picnic lunch.

  “Hello,” the old white-haired man said, smiling up at her with sparkling blue eyes. “I am Sven and this is my sweet Adalissa,” he offered. “Ve are happy to have you here,” he finished beaming at his son with pride. “It is nice to see my Braden with a pretty young woman on his arm.”

  “Thank you,” Marni offered. “Mr. Prater won my basket at the raffle, but there’s plenty for everyone,” she grinned. “Miss Minnie insisted.”

  Braden placed the basket on the blanket and smiled at his mother, who nodded at Marni approvingly. “Ju eat, ya?” she said, her thick accent a lovely cadence to her sweet voice.

  “Yes mama we eat,” he said, his blue eyes full of tender affection
for the old woman.

  Marni took a seat on the blanket next to the older woman and began unpacking her basket, admiring the woman’s thick plait of silver hair wound about her head.

  “You are very pretty,” Mrs. Prater said. “You like Pelican Rapids?”

  “Thank you,” Marni said with a blush, catching Braden grinning down at her. “Yes, I like Pelican Rapids. It is a lovely city, and I feel more at home every day.”

  “Good for growing things,” the other woman said. “Pum’kins, crops, children,” she finished with a twinkle in her deep blue eyes.

  Marni didn’t know what to say to that comment so she continued to take items from her basket laying out a jar of pickled eggs with beets, cold fried chicken, colorful chow-chow, and her special brand of cornbread, along with potato salad, and cucumber with onions and vinegar.

  “You are feeding an army,” Mr. Prater said. “This is too much food,” he finished eyes wide.

  “Ya, ya,” Mrs. Prater said. “Perhaps you think you are feeding a giant,” she teased.

  Marni laughed feeling more at ease with the Praters than she had anyone else in town. They were unpretentious, simple, and open, reminding her of her younger days as a poor farmer’s daughter. Though her mother-in-law had taught Marni the finer points of being a prosperous businessman’s wife, at heart Marni had remained that same girl who had jumped into the mill stream so long ago.

  “I think she did very well,” Braden said, coming to her defense. “After all she had no idea who would bid on her basket or more importantly win,” he offered her a slight nod and the approval seemed to fill her with pride.

  “I see Lorna Lie has won her prize for the day,” Old Mr. Prater said, pointing as the young woman clinging to Sam’s brawny arm drew him toward a quiet spot under the trees near the river.

  Braden chuckled. “Seems like she got just what she wanted this year,” he said, his blue eyes laughing.

  Marni smiled, watching the other couple slip into the shade of an old oak. Now if only she knew who Miss Ella had chosen for her, she thought with a glance at Braden, perhaps she could look as happy as Lorna Lie did right now.

  “Tell us a little about yourself,” Mr. Prater asked. “Braden tells us you are from Tennessee. It is beautiful there, yes?”

  “Yes,” Marni agreed. “The hills will be brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange by now and the colder temperatures will make the mists rising from the valley floor linger longer than on summer days. The mill stream will be frosty as people from all over the mountains bring their wheat and corn to till, preparing for winter.”

  “You were the miller’s daughter?” Mrs. Prater asked looking at Braden with concern.

  “No,” Marni replied as she picked delicately at a chicken leg. “I was a farmer’s child,” she said with a smile. “I married a miller when I was sixteen, shortly before he left for the war.”

  “Which life did you like best?” Braden asked his voice pitched low as his eyes met hers their blue depths bright and intense.

  “I don’t know,” Marni admitted truthfully. “Growing up on the farm we experienced so much, but some years were hard, especially with so many mouths to feed. I have four siblings, all of whom have married and moved away now.”

  “The mill, it was easier then?” Sven asked.

  “In some ways,” Marni agreed, “but in others, it was much harder. When my husband went off to fight, it left his mother and me to work the mill. We put in many long days and nights making sure that what could be grown was processed to sustain the town and homes nearby. Too often crops were destroyed, or stores were stolen by raiders, soldiers, or thieves, leaving little for those who had worked so hard to grow the grain.”

  “How long?” Mrs. Prater asked her voice compassionate, even as she fished a bright pink egg from a jar with a pickle fork.

  “Eight years,” Marni said, looking at Braden as her heart grew low. “Jordan and I had only been married a few months before he was called by the militia.”

  “That’s a long time,” Braden said kindly. “It can’t have been easy for a woman on her own for all those years.”

  “It got worse when my mother-in-law passed,” Marni said. “Not only was I the only one left to run the mill, but businessmen also came from all around trying to convince me to marry them so they could claim the property and business as their own.”

  Braden watched the pretty young woman as her dark eyes flashed and his brows rose in surprise at the temper he saw glowing there. He could only imagine how hard it had been to hold on to everything while being constantly pursued for what you owned. This young woman was stronger than she appeared at first glance, and perhaps less privileged than he had first believed.

  “But now you are here,” Mr. Prater said, taking the glass of lemonade Marni offered. “You do not have to fight these men any longer,” he added with a smile. “Miss Ella will see to it you find someone who will care for you as yourself and not as a miller.”

  Marni ducked her head feeling a flush cover her face. The old man had put into words the desires of her heart. She wanted someone in her life who wanted her, not for what she could bring to the marriage, but for herself. For the simple, country girl, who though trained to behave like a lady by her well-to-do in-laws was still that barefoot girl splashing over the rocks in the river back home.

  “I haf’ brought a pie for this day,” Mrs. Prater said. “It will be dessert. Yes?”

  Marni nodded happy with the change in subject. “I brought cake,” she said, as the men hurriedly finished off their meal in anticipation of something sweet. “It will be a true feast,” she added with a lighthearted laugh.

  Together the women laughed and Braden felt his heart turn in his chest. Before he had found Marni attractive, but now, understanding her story better, and recognizing the strength it must have taken to find her way to Pelican Rapids gambling on Miss Ella’s ability to find her a happy home, he found a deep respect for her.

  As he watched the young woman chatting with his mother, he saw past the lovely clothes, and hard set chin, and could see the girl beneath. She had lost much and stood strong even in the midst of trials. The woman smiling and laughing with his mother was just the kind who would stand beside a man through cold winters and spring droughts. Swallowing hard, he forced his heart back into the dark recesses of his chest. Mrs. Marni Simms wasn’t for him. Miss Ella had told him she had the perfect match in mind. Why else had she insisted on giving him the money to bid for Marni’s basket?

  Miss Ella had known Braden long enough to know that he would do as she asked and stay faithful to the bargain, but now his rebellious heart was struggling to win the day and love the beautiful woman sitting happily on the faded quilt next to his parents.

  Marni gazed around her at the festivities, watching as families shared their lunches, or couples strolled through booths, and under shady trees. Children raced through the dusty grove, rolling hoops, or kicking cans, and the scene made her smile. What she would give to hold to the arm of someone who loved her for who she was. Turning her eyes she noted Braden’s troubled expression and wondered what had caused it. Had she said something to upset him? Pushing the thought away, Marni looked out across the festival with a sigh.

  Along one side of the field, she spotted a lovely blonde woman on the arm of a tall dark-haired man and smiled at their obvious love for one another. The woman, a tiny bump showing under the smooth lace of her gown, seemed to glow as she looked up at the man she was so obviously in love with.

  “Afternoon Captain Brooks,” Old Mr. Prater said, as the couple strolled by. “Fine day for the festival.”

  “It is indeed Mr. Prater,” the man said, nodding politely to everyone in the group. “You remember my wife Lottie,” he added introducing the young woman.

  “Captain have you met Mrs. Simms?” Braden asked indicating Marni. “She’s staying with Miss Ella a while until she knows exactly what she wants to do next.”

  “Miss Ella,” Lottie
gushed “I haven’t seen her yet today. I was one of her brides,” she finished turning and gazing up at Captain Brooks adoringly. “If you’ve joined her looking for a match, I’m sure she’ll set you right.”

  Marni smiled, basking in the warmth of the couple's love and feeling her spirits lift. If Miss Ella had done so well for the two of them, surely she could find the right match for Marni as well.

  “We’ll bid you good day for now,” the Captain said, patting his wife’s hand, “but I hope to see you all at the dance later this evening.”

  As the Praters bid farewell to their fellow townsman, Marni let her eyes drift to Braden as her heart stuttered. There was no denying the fact that she was attracted to the man, and now after spending a lovely afternoon with his parents, she knew she could care for the humble farmer in a very big way.

  Chapter 19

  The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18

  “Braden, why don’t you take Mrs. Simms for a stroll,” Mr. Prater said, “Mama and me, we will clean this up and rest before the dance tonight.” The white-haired man gestured at the detritus of their lunch strewn across the blanket.

  “It was such a treat. You shouldn’t have to clean as well,” Mrs. Prater added with a nod.

  Braden climbed to his feet then reached down for Marni’s hand feeling a tingle all the way to his shoulder that started where her bare flesh met his, and he froze in surprise.

  Marni’s eyes met Braden’s and the breath left her chest. There was such a longing, such a desire in his blue gaze it made her stomach quiver. If only Braden were the man Miss Milton had chosen for her? But wouldn’t the matchmaker have made a move by now if that were the case?