“Oh, I’d like that so much.” For the most part, Trudie’s only friends had been her sisters. She’d made a friend at work, and a couple on the train on the way there, but no one had ever spent time with her when they weren’t required to except her sisters. Her reputation had been bad enough that it was hard for other women to be around her.
“Let’s go meet her then.” Mrs. Goldman took Trudie’s arm and led her over to a woman sitting quietly in a pew, waiting for church to start. “Mrs. March? I want you to meet Trudie Charleston, Douglas Charleston’s new wife. Trudie this is Marion March. Mr. and Mrs. Charleston are your closest neighbors.”
Trudie smiled, offering her hand to the other woman to shake. “It’s so good to meet you. I hope we’ll be friends.”
Mrs. Goldman added, “Mrs. March and her husband just moved here from back east. They’ve been here for a few weeks.”
Trudie sat down beside the other woman. “It’s nice to know I’m not the only newcomer to the area.” Mrs. March was probably a little bit younger than she was, and there were no clinging children, but she asked anyway. “Do you have any children?”
Mrs. March shook her head. “Thomas and I only married three weeks ago.”
“I only married four days ago. Sounds like we have a lot in common. How would you feel about coming over for tea one day this week?” Trudie hoped she didn’t sound desperate when she asked, but she really wanted some time with other women.
Mrs. March bit her lip. “I’d love to, but I’m afraid it’s too far to walk, and I don’t know how to drive.”
Trudie shrugged. “I could come to you if that would be better.”
Mrs. March looked around as if she was trying to hide something. “I can’t do that either.”
“I could bring the refreshments and the tea,” Trudie said.
“Would you?” Mrs. March looked as if she wanted to get together, but there was something holding her back. If it was the refreshments, Trudie could easily take care of them.
“I’ll have my husband point out your house, and I’ll do that. What day is good for you?” Trudie asked, wanting to get the ball rolling on the new friendship.
“Is tomorrow too soon?” Mrs. March asked.
“Not at all. I’ll happily come tomorrow. Say two or two-thirty?”
“Either would work for me.”
“Then I’ll set out to be there at two, and if I get lost, it’ll be two-thirty.” Trudie grinned at the other women, determined they would be friendly if not bosom friends.
“That truly sounds lovely.”
“To me too.” Trudie got to her feet as the pastor stepped up to the pulpit. “I had better find Doug.”
She rushed away, finding her husband standing quietly at the back of the church in a group of men. All the men around him were talking, and he was just standing there as if he had nothing to say, which seemed strange to Trudie. He’d done nothing but tease her for the first three days they knew one another.
As soon as the service was over, all of the women were handing Doug small plates with their meal on it. After a moment, Trudie frowned. “Doug, you should try my chicken and dumplings. I promise, they’ll put all the other dishes to shame.” The women who were crowded around him all seemed to think they had a hold on him. Trudie needed to show him she was the only person who had a hold on Doug.
Doug accepted her chicken and dumplings with a nod, and took a bite. He grinned. “My wife is right, ladies. I’ve never tasted anything quite this delicious.”
At his words, the other women wandered away, and Trudie was left alone with Doug. “It feels strange to see so many other women vying for your attention.”
He smiled. “Sorry about that. It’s something we’ve done for a long time. I don’t really know how to put a stop to it.”
“I can see that.” Finally, he’d said something to her, so perhaps everything was about to change.
Once they arrived home, Doug went to change clothes immediately. “Need to work,” was all he said as he headed out.
Trudie sighed. He was obviously back to being “silent Doug.” She’d had such high hopes for them spending a day together.
Just after he left, she heard a wagon pull into the yard, and she hoped it was someone there to talk to her. She was going to go nuts if she was lacking conversation all the time, and Doug didn’t seem to care about speaking at all anymore.
She hurried to the door and spotted Mr. and Mrs. March getting out of their wagon. At least Trudie assumed it was Mr. March. He’d sat with Mrs. March at church, so he must be.
“Come in. It’s good to have guests!” Trudie called to the couple.
“Is Doug inside?” Mr. March asked.
“No, he just rode out that way,” Trudie said, pointing in the direction her husband had gone.
“I’ll borrow a horse and follow,” Mr. March said.
Trudie shrugged, assuming the men had things to talk about. “Come in, Mrs. March. I’ll make some tea.”
“I’d like that,” the other woman said softly. Once they were inside, and the door was closed, Mrs. March bit her lip again, as if she was considering what needed to be said. “I need your help.”
Trudie nodded, sitting down as well. “What can I do?”
“I can’t cook. Thomas is getting angrier and angrier when I burn the food, but I don’t know how to do anything else. I saw that everyone gobbled up your food at the potluck, and I enjoyed what I tried as well. So, I’m here to beg you to teach me to cook. Thomas suggested it after trying your chicken and dumplings.”
Trudie smiled. “I will teach you to cook happily. What do you know how to make now?”
Mrs. March shrugged. “Nothing. I have been feeding my husband beef
