A Marriage of Convenience

Chapter 2

Martha followed her aunt into the kitchen to help her with the meal.

"No, no," her aunt shooed her away. "A bride should never help prepare her own wedding feast. You and your husband are the guests of honor today."

'You and your husband'. Martha may never get used to hearing that.

Her uncles loud voice sounded  from outside. "Abram! Where are your brothers?"

"Putting the horses in the barn, Pa." Abram Jr. called back to his father. "Matthew took Martha's things to William's place and let the little ones tag along. Hello, William, Congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you," answered William.

"Come on in the house," Uncle Abram said, "and make yourself at home. The younger boys should be here soon."

Martha stood in the kitchen and watched as the men entered the house. Young John's voice called out, "Is Martha here? Did she get hitched? Is she back yet?"

"Slow down there son," Uncle Abram called to his youngest son, "before you run out of breath and collapse from lack of air." The sound of the men's laughter filled the house. Seven year old John ran into the house, his flushed cheeks shining as her threw his arms around Martha's waist, throwing her a bit of balance. "Martha! Guess what? Me and Mark carried your trunk all by ourselves. Mister Andersen's house is awfully big. Bigger 'in our house. And Caleb's gonna be having a new colt." 

Martha smiled down at her youngest cousin. John was like a wind before a spring storm, refreshing yet overwhelming. "Bigger then." she corrected. "And when you come to visit, the colt will be there."

"Call your brothers," Aunt Ruth commanded him, "and tell 'em to wash up. It's time to eat."

John raced out of there like his hair was on fire. "Abram! Matthew! Mark! Time to eat!" Martha chuckled at the boy's antics, yelling out his brothers name before he'd left the house.

Aunt Martha brushed past her with a plate of meat. "Sit down, William. Anywhere is fine. Everything is ready."

William hung his hat on a peg near the door. He drew back a chair and waited for Martha to be seated. She smiled and thanked him as she moved toward him. Maybe some women were used to such gentlemanly  courtesy, but it was a first for Martha. Soon, however, the sound of boots stomping, and loud voices announced the arrival of her cousins. Abram Jr, the eldest was the first to enter through the door. "Congratulations, Martha," he said with a dimpled grin. "We're sure gonna miss you around here, especially Ma."

Before Martha was able to reply, the second son, Matthew, came in. Closely followed by Mark, "Does this mean I'll have to ride all the way out to William's farm if I want honey cookies?" Matthew asked.

"There will always be honey for you and your family," Martha assured him.

"Did you know that Martha keeps bees, William?" her cousin asked as he took his seat.

"No I didn't."

Abram Jr. took a seat across from William and shook his dark hair out of his face. "She's got two skeps full of honeycombs and some supers beneath them. She just sold, near about, twenty jars of honey to the general store in town."

"Skeps?" asked William.

"A skep is like an upside-down bushel basket. The bees build their hives in it." Abram Jr. answered him.

"And a super?" asked William. "What's that?"

"Extra baskets," Matthew continued for Abram Jr., using his hands to indicate the structure, "that sit underneath the skep. The bees store extra honey in them. That way, Martha doesn't have to destroy the original hives when she harvests honey."