Free Double Wedding: Sweet Historical Mail Order Brides of Lowell by MaryAnn Burnett Page A

packed up all of her possessions in a large carpet bag and here she was.
    She felt the sway of the train slow a little more. The butterflies in her stomach took flight as she saw a small group of wooden buildings appear in the distance.

 
     
    CHAPTER TWO
    George Pulaski stepped into the house and inhaled the wonderful smell of roast meat and apple pie, his favorites. He took his gun belt off and set it on the chest by the door. Molly didn’t cotton to guns at the supper table. With the smells coming from the kitchen, he didn’t want anything to put him on Molly’s bad side.
    “Hey, Sis. What’s the occasion? We’ve got three more days until Sunday.”
    His sister’s face turned red. Not uncommon after leaning over the big cast iron monster of a cook stove. Her face was hidden by her apron while she wiped her forehead. When she looked up again, she was back to normal. All she said was, “Wash up. I’m putting supper on the table. I hope you’re hungry.”
    A few minutes later, the siblings clasped hands across the old oak table that had been in the main room of the old homestead for as long as they could remember. They’d gotten in the habit of alternating who said grace. George said it at dinner and Molly said grace at their noon time meal. Molly bowed her head and said, “Lord, thank you for this bounty, for our health, and please watch over those who travel. Amen.”
    George tilted his head to look at Molly. That last bit was new. “Are you planning on taking a trip soon?”
    “Hmm? What? Oh, my no,” Molly’s face went red.
    There was something going on. He chewed on a bite of roast as he thought. Everyone they knew lived close by. But still, something was off.
    “Molly, is someone coming to visit us?”
    Molly choked and started coughing. When he moved to get up, she raised her hand to stop him. She put down her fork, took a drink of water, then finally looked at him. “Well, actually, yes.”
    “Who?”
    “Annie.”
    “Who’s Annie? I’ve never heard you talk about her.”
    Molly was folding and unfolding her napkin, looking more like she was eight years old than nineteen. “We’ve been corresponding for the last few months.” She slapped the napkin down on the table, stood up and all in one breath said, ”Annie’s very nice, she’d love to live on a farm, and she’ll be here tomorrow.” Molly plopped back into her chair. “So there.”
    George just stared at his sister. He wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. “Al-right,” he said in a long, drawn out sigh to give himself time to think.
    Before he could figure out what question to ask, Molly’s face brightened. She jumped up from her chair, hugged him then began excitedly pacing the room. “I’m so glad you agree. You’re going to make each other so happy. I’ll start packing up what I want to take and what you can keep. I—”
    “Whoa! How did we get from your pen pal visiting to you packing up?”
    Molly blinked at him several times. Then she smiled and continued, “Of course, I’ll stay here for a while, to keep everything proper, you know. And to help with the wedding planning. Wouldn’t a double wedding be wonderful?”
    George ran his hand through his hair making the sandy strands spike up on the top of his head. He opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out. It sounded suspiciously like his sister was talking about his wedding. And as far as he knew, he hadn’t been courting any woman named Annie. “Whose wedding?”
    “Whose wedding? Haven’t you been listening? Mine and James, and yours and Annie’s.” Molly stood there with her hands on her hips like she hadn’t just said the most preposterous thing.
    “Now just a minute.” George lost his appetite and stood up to face his crazy sister. “I have no intention of getting married.” And to drive the point home, he added an emphatic, “Ever!”
    “Don’t you dare back out of our deal, George.”
    George’s head was spinning. “What