Double Deception (Mail-Order Brides 5) Read online

  Double Deception

  Annie Boone

  A Mail Order Bride Short Story

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are products of the author’s imagination. Any misrepresentation or discrepancies about the places or history are research or interpretation errors by the author.

  For more information about the author, Annie Boone, check out her website.

  http://www.AnnieBoone.com

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Ella Barber stood with her shoulders slumped and her head down as the other servants gathered around her. Their support and comfort was a great help. The parlor was full of people who cared for her and worried for her health and emotional state in this difficult time.

  “The doctors said that it was Diphtheria. He was already worn down and he finally succumbed to it,” Ella sniffled as she hugged her baby tightly to her chest and rocked him, more out of habit than trying to soothe him, since the boy was sleeping soundly, as he had throughout the services.

  “It’s all such a shock for us. I can’t imagine what it’s like for you, Ella,” said Joseph Phillips, the gardener. “William was my best friend.” Joseph’s voice trailed off as he was day-dreaming a little remembering his dear friend.

  “Ella, what do you need?” asked Victor Harrison, one of the cooks.

  “I have no idea what I need right now, Victor,” Ella responded. “I just wish I could stop crying.” Once again the tears were rolling down her cheeks uncontrolled. She looked at Victor and some of the others and smiled sadly. “Thank you all for coming today. For William. And for being there for Thomas and me.”

  “Why don’t you sit down, Ella. Let me have the baby and I’ll take care of him to give you a break,” said Frances.

  Ella reluctantly gave her son to Frances. She hated to not have him in her arms but a short rest from holding him would be welcome right now. She was very tired. “Thank you, Frances. Thomas should be ready for a nap soon so you can put him down when your arms get tired,” Ella sighed.

  “It’s fine, Ella. Don’t worry about me. I love Thomas and he’s no trouble at all,” she replied.

  Ella and her husband, William Barber, were servants in the house of a local banker and his wife, Franklin and Beverly Choate. Although the couple, who were unable to have children of their own, treated their employees almost like part of the family, at the end of the day, they were still just servants. There was no way for them to be anything else. There was nothing wrong with how things were, it was just how things were.

  Certain ones in the group gathered in the parlor began to drift away to get back to their work. The Choates had insisted on paying for all of the funeral costs and allowing all the staff the time off to attend the services. They would have it no other way. But the services were finished now, and it was time for the household to get back to running properly.

  Ella reached out to each of the people who were there for her as they departed. It was important for them to know how much they meant to her during this time of grief.

  Eventually it was time for everyone to leave the room and get on with the rest of the day. It was late afternoon and soon it would be time for Ella to feed and bathe her baby boy. William’s baby boy. She felt as if she would break apart again, but she managed to calm herself and go to her quarters for the evening.

  Frances gathered Thomas up in her arms and carried him as she walked beside his mother. “Let me help with this tonight, Ella. I really think you shouldn’t be alone tonight. I’ll stay with you,” Frances offered.

  Ella started to decline, but she thought about it quickly and decided it would be nice to have some company. Additional help with Thomas would be nice, too. She was exhausted and the short time that Frances had been holding him had actually helped her relax just a little.

  “Oh, Frances. I hate for you to do that, but honestly it would help me out so much. Are you sure you don’t mind?” replied Ella.

  “Of course not. I wouldn’t have offered if I minded. And besides… this little stinker has my heart on a string,” she smiled.

  When they entered her small room, they found a bouquet of fresh flowers and a note from the Choates. Ella opened the note with a heavy heart. She knew it would be filled with sympathy and kind words about her dead husband. She wasn’t sure she could bear more sadness. But she opened the note and pulled out the paper inside.

  As she opened the letter up something fluttered out and to the floor. She looked to see what it was and gasped in surprise. Money had fallen from the letter! She bent down and picked up the two notes. Fifty dollars each! There had been one hundred dollars cash inside the envelope from the Choates.

  Ella was speechless for a moment. She held the money and the note up in her hand so that Frances could see it. She also gasped in surprise when she realized what it was.

  “How much money is it?” Frances asked.

  “Um, it’s one hundred dollars,” Ella replied. “That’s so much money.”

  “So much. What does the note say?”

  “Oh. I guess I should read it. I didn’t really want to read another sympathy note, but I guess I really do need to read this one to see if they mention the money. I’m curious why they did it,” Ella answered.

  Frances nodded encouragingly and prompted her to read the note out loud. She wanted to hear what it said, too.

  Ella began reading the note out loud.

  My dearest Ella,

  Please accept our deepest and most sincere condolences on the loss of your William. He was truly a special man. We felt like he was part of our family, just as you and Thomas are.

  To take any worry you may have away, you are welcome to stay here as long as you want. Your job is secure and will not be taken from you for any reason. You are also free to remain in the room you currently occupy. We were worried you would be concerned about your future employment here and we want to put your mind at ease.

  Enclosed is one hundred dollars. You’re probably wondering why we have enclosed money in this letter. You should know that this is money that has been put aside for you by your late husband. William asked us to take money from his salary every week to put into an account for you in case something happened to him. This is the amount in that account at the time of his death.

  Your husband loved you and your son very much. This was one of the ways he wanted to make sure you knew that.

  If there is anything you need that we can provide, please call on us to help. We are here for you.

  Sincerely,

  Franklin and Beverly Choate

  Ella was stunned into silence. Frances stood beside her with her mouth open. The only one in the room who didn’t care about this latest news was little Thomas who was sleeping soundly in his crib.

  Tears were streaming down Ella’s face again. Frances was teary-eyed, too.

  “I can’t believe he would be so thoughtful about the future,” said Ella. “He never told me he did this.”

  “What a wonderful thing to do. What a wonderful man,” agreed Frances.

  Finally, the two women settled in for the night in Ella’s little room. It would be another restless night for Ella, but she was already thinking about what she should be doing now to make sure she and her tiny son were in the right place for him to grow u
p.

  Chapter Two

  Ella woke up early the next morning thinking about what she needed to do next now that she was a widow. She didn’t have William to rely on now and Thomas needed her to be strong. She was determined to be just that. She was frightened, but she was going to figure it out. Her son deserved a good upbringing even if he was now fatherless.

  She sat quietly by the window thinking about her husband, his past, and his many admirable traits. William had come from a long line of butlers and his reputation for great and honorable servitude coursed through his blood. The Barber family name was known in the affluent community as several of his relatives had worked for some of those households and still did. His work ethic, excellent service, and the top-notch reputation paved the way for him to be very well paid for someone in a service position.

  The high expectations and the weight of living up to such a reputation made William, who was already fifteen years Ella’s senior, act far older than he actually was. He took his job very seriously.

  Ella thought back to when she had met him with a smile. William had basically saved her from a destitute existence on the streets. William had found her quite by accident as he walked home from downtown on his day off. She had been cold, hungry, and alone. At eighteen years old, she had been forced to make it on her own and things were not working out well for her.

  The scene from that day would always be a bittersweet memory for her.

  “I’m sorry, sir, I’m just very hungry and I have no money,” said the young Ella. Her head was bowed and she had two apples in her hands that she was reaching out to place back into the shop keeper’s bin.

  “That’s too bad. We don’t run a charity here,” the produce vendor replied gruffly. “Go down to the church on the next block and see if they have any bread or soup left for beggars. You can’t stay here in front of my shop.”

  “Aye, sir,” she had said and started to cry.

  “Why be so cruel to the girl? She’s simply hungry. Can’t you see that?” Ella heard a second voice speak to the proprietor of the fruit stand. She looked up to see a tall, handsome stranger gesturing between her and the man she had just tried to steal from.

  “I told her and I’ll tell you,” he replied. “I don’t run a charity. If I gave away produce I’d be on the streets just like her. I don’t fancy that notion.” Turning his back on them, he went back to sweeping his area.

  “Oh, never mind. Here’s money for the apples.” William tapped the man on the shoulder and handed him a few coins.

  Ella stood there and watched the whole thing happen in just a minute or two. She was embarrassed that there had been a spectacle seen by others and shamed at having to resort to stealing. Being called a beggar and sent to a soup kitchen wasn’t a nice highlight in her day, either.

  William turned to her and smiled. She expected to be rebuked, but he seemed to be kind.

  “What’s your name?” he asked politely.

  “Ella Tanner,” she replied.

  “Well, then, Miss Ella Tanner. My name is William. Come with me. I’ll get you a warm meal, some warm clothes, and a dry place to be comfortable until I figure out a way to help you,” he ordered.

  Ella was too tired and scared to object. She wanted to be able to take care of herself, but she was realizing that was a much more difficult task than it had seemed at first. She really missed her parents and the help of this William might help her get through this tough spot without them.

  When they arrived at the Choate house, William took Ella to the kitchen and fixed her a plate of leftovers from the previous night’s meal. She sat at the table and forced herself to eat it slowly even though she was half starved. She wanted to shove the food into her mouth and swallow it as quickly as possible, but she didn’t want anyone in this fancy house to think she was a barbarian.

  After she had eaten, William showed Ella to one of the maid’s rooms that was empty at the time. He brought her the things she would need for a toilet and he found her a change of clothes.

  “After you’ve bathed, take a rest until dinner time. You can eat in the kitchen with the rest of us tonight. You’ll stay here tonight and we’ll discuss your options tomorrow after I’ve spoken with the master of the house.” William gave her all the steps that would happen over the next few hours in an efficient, but friendly manner.

  The next morning, she had arrived in the kitchen for breakfast as she’d been instructed to do. William soon informed her that she would be joining the house staff as a maid in training. He hadn’t bothered to ask if she wanted to be rescued and given a job. He simply expected her to accept it as an act of kindness for that’s how it was meant.

  Ella reflected on that morning again. She hadn’t really known what to think at the time. Everything happened so quickly that she didn’t have time to protest or think of an alternative plan. So she just went along with what William laid out.

  By the next morning, William had already asked Franklin Choate to add a staff member and he had done so. Mrs. Franklin had been pleased to have some extra help and there was an extra room available for her. It had been a perfect plan. She remembered how please William was with himself.

  That whirlwind morning was fresh in her mind like it was yesterday. After breakfast, Ella had been fitted for new uniforms and given uniforms borrowed from Frances that would have to do until her order was delivered. Her training began soon after she’d changed clothes.

  She remembered his inspiring speech to her when he told her he would be handling most of her training himself.

  “I’m going to train you myself, Ella. You must learn exactly what I need you to know and I expect you to learn to do things in the proper manner. I’ve brought you into this household and I will be held accountable for your performance,” he had said in his high-class tone of voice.

  Ella had been still in shock at the turn of events. She remembered just nodding at everything he said that first day.

  “My standing with Mr. Choate is most important to me,” he continued, “for my earning potential depends on his opinion of my services. My reputation depends on successful hires in addition to the word of my employer. I believe you will work out very well, but I must make sure I do all necessary to ensure that you do.”

  Ella sniffed again as she remembered their unusual introduction and beginning friendship.

  And they had become friends. They were fifteen years apart and William was a sort of mentor to Ella regarding how to be of service in the household. Their friendship was an unlikely one, but a strong one just the same.

  Ella felt that she owed her life to William in a way. He had saved her and from the first day she had appreciated it.

  Eventually, though, they fell in love. Again, an unlikely relationship emerged between the two. They were different in many ways, but they balanced each other quite nicely.

  Their romance did not affect their work ethic as both were serious about their jobs. The Choates had blessed their relationship and were happy for them to have found happiness in one another. The truth was that they were quite pleased.

  Beverly Choate was very serious about doing all she could do to have her household staff be happy working for them and living with them. She was far ahead of her time in her efforts to do right by her staff.

  Ella and William’s friends working in other homes, couldn’t believe that the Choates were sincere. However, the banker and his wife not only put on a front, they genuinely cared for their service employees and did whatever they could to ensure their contentment.

  As Ella thought back to that time in her life, she was filled with joy again at the beautiful wedding she and William were able to have. Mr. and Mrs. Choate insisted that the wedding and reception be held in their home and gardens. It had been a grand event with people from all over the city attending. This wedding was one that mixed servants and the affluent together as guests for the sake of love and respect.

  Ella had been so happy that day. Their relationship wasn’t a c
onventional one, but it was a good one based on true love, respect for each other, and faith in God.

  When her parents passed away and she was left out on the street, she had gotten a taste of what it was like to be hungry and homeless. Perhaps that had a little bit to do with her love for her life of servitude with William. She had asked God for help in that most difficult of times and He had sent William. She was certain of that.

  However, as fate would have it, they only ended up having ten short years together. Every moment of that life was precious to Emma now that William was gone. She wasn’t sure she would ever get over the shock of losing him.

  Ella sighed and went to check on Thomas. He was awake in his crib and cooing quietly to himself. She picked him up and then looked down at his tiny, sweet face. She rocked him gently and watched his eyes move slightly behind his eyelids before he opened his little mouth to yawn as he was trying to get fully awake.

  There was a brief knock on the door and Frances peeked around the door as she opened it. “How are you this morning, Ella?” she asked.

  Ella smiled sadly at her friend in reply.

  “How can I help you today?” Frances asked. “I’ll do anything you need me to do.”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea what I need to do now so I don’t know how anyone can really help me,” Ella responded honestly. “I have Thomas now and I just feel so overwhelmed.”

  “I imagine you do,” said Frances. She began to get tears in her eyes thinking about what her friend was facing.

  “I keep thinking about all the things that Thomas won’t ever get to know about his father. He will remember nothing about William at all. That just makes me so sad. For him, for William. And for me. Thomas will rely completely on my memories to have any kind of connection with his father.”