Leora: Bride of California (American Mail-Order Bride 31) by Kit Morgan Page A

She was also nervous. She understood about Theron’s parents and why he felt the way he did about them, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about them yet. His mother did indeed speak her mind, while his father practically dripped with seriousness. She wasn’t sure how to act around the pair.
    She sat next to Theron and waited for him to say the blessing, but it was his mother that took it on. “Oh Lord, thank You for this food and may You bless it to our bodies. Amen. Oh, and thank You for bringing Theron such a lovely bride, but You know You’re going to have to help me with the other one.”
    Leora caught the look on Theron’s face out of the corner of one eye and noticed his lip twitch. His mother must have noticed too. She smiled at him, shrugged and grabbed a sandwich. There wasn’t exactly great tension between them, but there was some. Leora just wished she knew more about it.
    “How was the wedding?” Dr. Drake asked.
    “I’m sure Mother told you,” Theron said. “A bit crowded, is all.”
    Dr. Drake eyed his wife. “No, your mother hasn’t said a word about it.”
    Theron glanced between his parents. “Really? In that case, it was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary. Reverend Wingate officiated.”
    Dr. Drake looked between his wife and son, then fixed his gaze on Leora. “And what do you say?”
    “Me?”
    “Yes, how was your wedding?”
    “It was… fine, just as Theron told you.”
    “No it wasn’t,” Mrs. Drake said. “ She was there.”
    Dr. Drake’s eyes widened a fraction before he turned to his wife. “You don’t say? She didn’t happen to bring a punch bowl with her, did she?”
    Theron pressed his lips together and snorted. Leora took a quick look at his mother, who sat, her lips pressed just as firmly as she glared at him.
    “Well, it’s nice to hear that Mrs. Rutherford is … her old self,” his father said.
    “Very much so,” Theron said. “But don’t worry, she won’t be bothering us. I’ll see to that.”
    “You’d best see to it before Sunday comes,” his mother said.
    “Why is that?” asked Leora. Was there something else about Mrs. Rutherford she ought to know?
    “Because if that harpy has her way, no one will show up for services,” Mrs. Drake said.
    Leora gasped. “Why would she do such a thing?”
    “Because she has to have her way,” Mrs. Drake informed her. “She’s also the type to do it by any means necessary. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t like her.”
    “Does anyone around here?” Leora asked. “Seems to me she has everybody bullied in this town.”
    “Very observant,” Mrs. Drake remarked.
    “It’s a little hard not to be when the woman brings more than twenty people to your wedding.”
    Theron gave her a look that clearly said did you have to mention that?
    “Well, that settles it then,” Mrs. Drake said. “We’re not leaving.”
    “Yes, we are,” said Dr. Drake firmly. “Lorcan and Ada are expecting us. Theron and his new bride can handle Mrs. Rutherford.”
    “Maybe so, but we should still help,” his wife argued.
    “If Theron needed our help, don’t you think he’d ask for it?”
    Theron sat back in his chair with a smile. At least his father was on his side.
    Leora kept quiet – this was exactly the sort of thing she wanted to avoid. But was Mrs. Rutherford really that bad? She had a very strong feeling that once Theron’s parents left, she was going to find out.
     
    * * *
     
    The rest of the meal passed in silence, then Leora did the dishes while Theron spoke with his parents in the parlor. They would spend the night at Mrs. Pleet’s, join Theron and Leora for breakfast, then take the noon train to San Francisco. There they would spend some time with their friends Lorcan and Ada, then do some other traveling before coming back to stay a few days with the newlyweds for Christmas.
    At least Leora might get a few private days with her new husband. She began to feel a little jealous of Lottie and Sam’s train