"Is it as simple as that?" Lance chuckled.
"I'm afraid it is if you want to be happy."
"I know how it sounds, but you can't marry a stranger, George. I hardly know this lady. And yet for the life of me I couldn't send her packing. Especially after she came clean and told me of her upbringing. It's so in contrast with Priscilla."
"All I can tell you is, if she's smitten with your kisses, then she's feeling something too. I'm sure shock was part of it, but there's more here than meets the eye."
"What do you mean, too?"
"Knowing you, if you'd have been totally against it, you would have sent her packing."
"George! You can't marry someone and send them packing the same day, can you?" Lance protested. "Besides, I took one look at her getting off that platform and well—"
"I don't know. But you can't marry them both, so you'll have to chose which one you really want, then tell the other one. It'll hurt one of them, but that's part of life."
"I lied. I told Trudy I couldn't face the community and tell them I'd married the wrong girl."
"So why did you say that?" George chuckled.
"I don't know, I guess I just couldn't send her away after she told me about that dress and where she came from. The girl just lost her dad, she was nearly evited, and then she spent all her money on a dress to impress me. Just to be my cook, not my wife. It was too much."
"Dress?" George frowned.
Lance looked him in the eye. "You won't believe this, but that girl spent her last dollar buying a dress to impress her boss. Which is me! Can you imagine someone doing something like that? She was about to get evicted from where she lived because her father died and left her penniless. Then she saw that dress and bought it. All she had left was a train ticket. And she fainted after the wedding. I figure she probably hasn't eaten in a couple of days either. I just couldn't say, 'sorry this was a big mistake'."
George scratched his head then gave a little smile, "Maybe you should get to know her a bit, and find out how much you like her, before you do anything. Poor girls learn more and faster than rich little pampered ladies. Her last dollar huh?" George chuckled.
"But what if she doesn't feel the same?"
"Then you still got the other one."
Lance sat down on a barrel and looked at him. "I guess you are right. When I went to send the telegram, I was a little beside myself. I mean if she wasn't coming, why didn't she have the curtesy to tell me before hand, she's the one that insisted we get married the minute she got off the train. I been running around like chicken with no head for two weeks now, trying to make everything perfect for her."
"Do you like her? This Trudy gal?"
"Yeah, I kinda do like her. It's funny but she's so different than anyone I've ever met, I'm not sure why I like her, but I know I do. She very proud, that much I know."
"Well, I've met a few Irish, and they are all like that, so I'm told."
George's smile faded, instead he gave it a lot of thought before saying any more.
"Well now, that's a different breed altogether. Kind of interesting, isn't it?" George's head turned in question, "But, you already feel something for her in such a short time?"
Lance went to the door, and turned to smile at George, "Wait until you meet her, then tell me what you think."
"Looking forward to it, boss."
"We're having steaks on the grill tonight; you and the rest of the boys can join us."
George chuckled, "I'll be there, I'm already curious."
"Great take about an hour and a half."
George nodded, and when Lance left, he kind of leaned against the door frame
and smiled.
Chapter Five