14

He followed his mother into the warm house, down the hall and into a small office they'd converted to a bedroom earlier that afternoon. Mrs. Franklin Harkness wasn't about to risk further injury to her future daughter in-law by having her stumble down the stairs with an injured foot!

"Set her on the bed, Jack. That's it, careful now …"

"She's not going to break, Ma," Jack told her in a tired voice.

"She already is broken – be careful!"

Now that he thought on it, he was as tired as Miss Jones looked – maybe more so. The last three days had been long and hard. Topping it off with a frightened woman who thought him to be the lowest varmint in the territory hadn't improved matters. But he'd make it up to her, though he didn't know how just yet. Maybe Gray could help … in fact, Gray better help, as he was the one who'd gotten him into this mess in the first place! Worse still, it was their mother's idea to send away for a mail-order bride – she'd better pitch in some too!

"There now … that's better, isn't it, dear? You just stay right there while I go fix you a little snack before supper. I'm sure Owen and Toshiko didn't fill you up with anything but soup while you were at their place!"

His mother turned and happily left the room. One would think Jack had just given her a new toy! Perhaps after a day or two, she'd calm down, but the more he thought on it, he didn't think so. Sarah had left a void in his mother's life too. She was the daughter his mother had never had, and Ma had suffered the loss when she died just as hard as everyone else.

But this wasn't Sarah on the bed staring up at him with her jaw set now in pure determination. In fact, the woman's look was so grim, he began to worry what sort of thoughts she was harbouring in that pretty head of hers … and whether they involved cuffing him around again.

"I'll … go get your bag," he told her and turned toward the door.

"Mr. Harkness." It was a declaration, not an inquiry.

"Yes?" he asked without turning around.

"Thank you."

Now he did face her. "For what?"

"For not sending me away. I promise I'll make you a good wife."

Her words were spoken evenly, void of emotion. Where was the wailing, sobbing, frightened little thing that had threatened to tear his heart out?

He once again turned to the doorway. "I'm sure you will." And with that, he left the room.

"Here you are, some nice molasses cookies – made them this morning, I did! I hope you like them!" Mrs. Harkness set a plate of cookies and a glass of milk down on a desk next to the small bed. "I hope you'll be comfortable in here until you can sleep up in Jack's room. This used to be my husband's office. The boys use it now, of course, but I thought it would serve you best for the time being."

Ianto couldn't help the blush that crept into her cheeks at the mention of Jack's room. But then, where else would she be sleeping once they were married?

She set the thought aside and looked at the woman standing before her. Mrs. Harkness had a generous build but wasn't fat. She had bright blue eyes that sparkled, and what must have once been a glorious head of blonde hair. Now heavily streaked with grey, she wore it loosely piled on top of her head, and Ianto wondered how long it was. She had a pleasant lilt to her voice, and there was a wonderful smell about her, as if she'd been baking cookies outside the house rather than inside.

Ianto had been given her name because she was born on the first day of a new moon and they were up to I's when left on Myfanwy's doorstep. But she thought Mrs. Harkness could have been named for spring. Everything about her seemed fresh and new, and Ianto could tell by the animated way the woman talked that she was full of life.

Ianto's eyes darted about the room. Who wouldn't be full of life and love in a house like this? Everything was neat and orderly – pristine, that was the word! – yet so homey and warm at the same time.

She looked back to Mrs. Harkness. "Thank you for allowing me to stay here."

Mrs. Harkness looked at her in shock. "My dear sweet child, you're going to live here! You don't have to thank me for it! If anyone, thank Gray …oh, silly me, I'm forever getting those two boys mixed up – thank Jack for bringing you out here."

Ianto blinked a few times. How could she get her sons mixed up with something like marriage? Didn't she know which one of them had sent away for a mail-order bride?

"Oh, but you must be tired! I'll leave you to rest, then have Jack bring you to the table when supper's ready."

Ianto smiled and nodded, her eyes heavy. The incident in town had drained her strength, and it was hitting her harder now that she knew she would be alone for a time. "Thank you, Mrs. Harkness. I think I will rest awhile."

"You do that, dear. I'll send Jack just as soon as it's time to eat." She backed out of the room and closed the door.

Ianto let go a long, weary sigh. What must her future husband think of her now, what with the way she'd carried on? What indeed? As she recalled, he'd compared her to a wailing coyote! But she supposed they could have gotten off to a much rougher start … rougher start, my foot! Literally – the man shot you as soon as you got off the Hopper! Yes, there was that ...

But the alternative to having her future husband accidently shoot her, fail to tell her of his plans not to send her away, and of course let her make a fool of herself in front of everyone (okay, so maybe she did that on her own) was to live as a slave in a world where men dominated and wo-men were bought and sold like cattle. Cardiff had been a den of slavery for decades, and would probably continue to be unless someone put a stop to it. In the meantime, people like Ms. Hartman and Mrs. Myfanwy did whatever they could to ensure at least some wo-men got out before they were snatched up and put into the waiting chains of guilt and shame.

She closed her eyes and waited for the throbbing in her foot to subside before trying to move into a more comfortable position to rest.

She looked up at the decorative light hanging from the ceiling before examining the rest of the room. Finally, her eyes landed on the plate of cookies next to the bed.

She reached for one, then the glass of milk.

She took a tiny bite and thought her mouth was going to explode with pleasure! It was delicious!

The milk, too, was incredibly good – not sour, as it often was by the time they got it at Myfanwy, but fresh and rich with butterfat. Tears sprang to her eyes as she sat there on the tiny bed, a cookie and a glass of milk in her hands, and realized she'd never had such a simple pleasure in her entire life.

Ianto again looked to the ceiling above her head and whispered, "Thank You, Goddess. Thank You for bringing me here. Please show me how to be a good wife to Mr. Harkness, because I don't know the first thing about it."

She lowered her eyes and stared at the cookie in her hand. "But I can learn. I can learn everything I need to know to make a good wife. Please help me to do so!"

She didn't want to feel defeated. She'd made it this far, and was bound and determined to be the best spouse she could for Jack Harkness.

But would her best be good enough?