Chapter Three
Thomas sat in his office later that day, trying to balance a column of numbers. His mind wasn’t on his work. He thought back over the last twenty-four hours and the woman who had become his wife. His Joy. She was right that they were from very different backgrounds, but he knew he wanted her at his side. She could learn to be the kind of wife he needed.
“Thomas?” came Joy’s voice from the doorway.
“Ah, my dear, I was just contemplating our... unique situation,” he confessed, gesturing for her to join him.
“Unique’s one word for it,” she laughed, perching on the arm of his chair. “So, what’s the verdict? Am I too much of a wildflower for your manicured gardens?”
He glanced down and noticed her bare foot dangling in the air. “Never,” he assured her, his hand finding hers. “I was merely thinking about how I might bridge the gap between your world and mine.”
“You mean you’ll take off your shoes as well?” she asked, grinning at him.
He groaned. “I was just thinking you should put your shoes on!”
She laughed. “But…I like being barefoot. I was just looking out over the back garden. You need a swing out there, so we can sit and enjoy nature.”
He shook his head. “Are you ever going to let me work?”
“Sure. You have certain hours you can work every day, and I get you the rest of the time.” She leaned down and kissed him quickly. “Come outside with me.”
He laughed. “I suppose since it’s our honeymoon weekend I can do that. I really will be working a lot of hours though. I always have.”
“So, you’re going to work a lot, and there are many servants to do all the wifely chores. So, I will…” She left her sentence trailing, hoping he would fill in the blanks for her.
“You’ll find hobbies,” Thomas suggested.
“I know. I’ll plant a kitchen garden. Then we’ll save money by not having to buy everything from the market,” Joy said, loving the idea.
“We don’t need to save the money.”
“But it will give me something to do…”
“There’s an orphanage in town. You can volunteer.”
“They’d let me garden, wouldn’t they?”
“I’m certain they’d encourage it. It will save them money.”
“Then let’s go for a walk and you can show me where it is. I’d love to help them out as long as they let me dig in their dirt.” And not wear shoes, she added to herself, but he wouldn’t have to know about that part of things.
“Go put some shoes on, and we’ll go for a walk then.” He shook his head. “We’ve been invited to supper at a colleague’s house tomorrow evening. He and his wife want to get to know you.”
“Oh, I’d like that. I like the idea of making friends.”
Thomas thought about her words while she hurried to get her shoes and put them on. He wasn’t sure what his colleague’s wife would think of Joy, but he hoped it went well for her. And he hoped she could manage to keep her shoes on. It didn’t seem to be her way though.
She returned wearing the same shoes she’d worn the day before. They were obviously broken in well. “We should buy you a new pair of shoes,” he said.
“Why?” Joy looked down at her feet. “There’s plenty of wear left in these, and if I get new ones, I have to break them in all over again.”
“But you could gift those to the orphanage.”
“I’m sure the orphans don’t want to wear shoes any more than I do,” she said, grinning at him. “Come on. Let’s walk!”
As they walked through the streets, she noticed the smell coming from some of the smokestacks in town. “Boston stinks a little,” she whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear.
He laughed. “Between the industry and being right on the ocean, it does at times.”
