Free Wildwood Boys by James Carlos Blake Page A

said, before he’d get back to being his old self. But none
of them had known him for a sentimental man, and so all of them
were surprised by the might of his loneliness in a world lacking
Martha Anderson.
A promise breached
    Two weeks after Martha’s burial Arthur Baker still had not come
calling nor even sent word of when he might. With the wedding date
barely six weeks away Mary wrote to inform him that he should
again resume his visits and she looked forward to his help in completing the nuptial plans. Three days later one of Baker’s hired men
arrived with a sealed letter. The horseman spurred off again without
asking if he should wait to carry back a reply.
    Mary thumbed off the wax seal right there on the porch and
laughingly spun away from Josie who wanted to read on tiptoe over
her shoulder. But as her eyes sped down the page her smile withered.
She looked up at the others, her face gone slack—and then hastened
to read the letter again, her aspect abruptly desperate, as if she might
have misunderstood it the first time. Then let the paper fall and
rushed sobbing into the house.
    Josie picked up the letter but Will Anderson snatched it from her.
He read it slowly, then muttered “Shit” and handed it to Bill. Jim
and Josie pressed in at his sides but Jenny was yet too short to see
that high and said, “Let
My dear Miss Anderson— me see,” and he lowered the letter to his
belly so that she might read it too.
    This is a most difficult Letter. In this bleak Period of
Mourning, following the sorrowful Occasion of your dear
Mother’s Demise, I have had ample Time to reconsider carefully our Proposal to wed,—and the sore Truth of the Matter,
dear Lady, is that I am as unready for Matrimony as a Man
can be. You deserve the best of Men, which, I readily confess,
I am not. Perhaps, one Day, should Fortune smile upon me, I
might be worthy of the Affections of Someone at least in Part
so fine and noble as Yourself. At Present, however, I lack such
Worthiness. It is, therefore,—and with the deepest Regret,—
that I hereby make formal Renunciation of our Betrothal.
    I most deeply and humbly apologize for any Distress this
Decision may impose upon you,—and I beseech you to be
assured that my Affections toward you are, and have always
been, most truly honorable and sincere.
    I remain,
     
your humble Servant,
Arthur I. Baker
    “What in the
world is he talking about?” Jenny said.
“The man’s changed his mind about getting married,” Jim said.
“I know that, ” Jenny said. “But how come?”
     
“Because he’s an asshole,” Josie said.
     
“Mind your mouth, Josephine!” Will Anderson said.
“Worthless shithead,” Bill Anderson said softly.
     
“I believe I’ll go whip his ass,” Jim Anderson said.
     
“Do it, Jimmy,” Josie said. “Go over there and kick him in the
    plums—if he’s even
The sooner you drop dead, the sooner you will go to
hell—and the sooner I will rejoice. got any damn plums, which I truly do doubt.” “Josephine!” Will Anderson said. “I won’t have a woman of this
     
family talking low.”
     
“Well dammit, Daddy, it’s just exactly what somebody ought to
     
do to him!”
     
Will Anderson glared at her. Jenny put an arm about Josephine’s
     
waist and whispered, “Quit now.”
     
Will Anderson hawked and spat. “He’s a weak excuse for a man,
     
all right, and I’m sore disappointed to learn it,” he said. “But I ain’t
     
never in my life held with forcing a man to marry a woman except if
     
he got her in the family way, and all this one’s done is change his
     
mind about getting married. He gave his word and broke it and
     
proven himself for a shithead, and I’m sorry for Mary—Lord knows
     
I am—but it ain’t a thing to draw blood over.”
     
It was the most they’d heard him say at one time since they’d
     
buried their mother. They had grown used to his taciturn and melancholic mood, but