Michelle: Bride of Mississippi (American Mail-Order Bride 20) Read Online Free PDF

Mable, the housekeeper here at the Robbins’ Nest.”
    Mable gave a small curtsy to Michelle. “Yes, I am the housekeeper here at the Robbins’ Nest and have been going on almost forty years. Ain’t nobody knows this house better than I do, ma’am, and if you need anything at all, you just ask me.” She turned to Anthony and said, “If you’ll empty those pails for me, Mr. Anthony, I’ll go down and get two more. Miss Michelle, I left a snack over there on the vanity for you, and supper will be in a couple of hours. I’ll come and fetch you when it’s time. You probably need a rest.”
    Mable left the room and Anthony lifted each pail, emptying it into the bathtub. Michelle squirmed and she hoped he’d be leaving soon. Her head reeled with the information that tomorrow she’d be a married woman, and she needed some time alone for it to all sink in.
    “I hope you enjoy your bath,” Anthony said, his cheeks crimson as he backed toward the door. “I’ll see you at supper, Miss--er, Michelle.”
    Her heart pinched as he closed the door behind him. From the color of his cheeks, he might just be as nervous about this as she was.

Chapter 7
    H er bath had been divine , and she’d fallen asleep to the scent of the magnolias left on her hair from the soap Mable left beside the bathtub. She’d left the grime of the journey in the tub, and her skin gleamed after she’d rubbed it with the soft towel.
    She thought she’d only lay down for a moment after she’d placed her clothes in the beautiful, dark wood wardrobe in the corner of the room. After she’d put on what she thought was one of the prettiest dresses she and Josephine had chosen--a soft, blue one--her head had hit the pillow and the next thing she knew, there was a soft rap at the door.
    She stepped down the stool and took a peek in the mirror of the vanity before she opened the door, re-arranging a red curl and pinching her cheeks.
    Michelle opened the door and looked down at two giggling girls.
    “Are you ready for supper?” one of the twins said as she held her sister’s hand.
    She smiled and crouched down to their eye level. “Yes, I am, but I still need to know the secret. Which one of you is which?”
    The girls glanced at each other, suppressing giggles. “You promise you won’t tell?”
    Michelle peered down the hall to see that it was empty. “I promise I won’t tell,” she said as she wondered if she should have her fingers crossed behind her back. Hopefully this wouldn’t end up to be a bad idea.
    One of the twins pointed to the freckle near her eye and said, “I’m Mattie.”
    The other pointed to her eye as well, where there was no freckle, and said, “And I’m Missy.”
    “Ah, now I see it. Thanks for telling me,” Michelle said as she took the outstretched hands she was offered.
    They started downstairs and Michelle’s stomach grumbled. She’d meant to eat what Mable had left for her but had fallen asleep instead. But now as her stomach tightened at the delicious aroma of food wafting up the stairs, she realized she hadn’t eaten all day.
    “Mable made her famous biscuits and gravy for you. We normally just have it for breakfast, but she said this was special and you needed to know real southern food, right from the get-go.”
    The girls walked ahead of Michelle so she couldn’t see which one was speaking, Mattie or Missy. Maybe she’d need to get them different colored ribbons for their hair until she knew them better.
    They pulled her into the dining room that she’d passed on her way upstairs earlier and she stopped in the doorway. She’d never seen such a grand, long table, the wood gleaming. The seats of the matching chairs were upholstered with a cross-stitch pattern, richly colored with golds, greens and scarlets.
    She walked along the matching buffet and closed her eyes at the wonderful aromas as she passed by. Was that a pumpkin pie?
    Anthony smiled at her and nodded as he held out a chair, scooting her in as