Mail Order Bride: Westward Dance (5 page)

As a man who had been taught to respect
and protect women, Seth grew increasingly angry as Tessa continued
telling him all that had happened since and about her sister’s
ensuing depression. It was a good thing that he didn’t live in
Pittsburgh because if he ever ran into the guy, he’d work him over
good.

“So I’ve been trying to convince her to
come here. I think it would be something positive. Getting her out
of that environment where she might see him again, would be a
relief to her, don’t you think?” Tessa asked.

“I think you’re right about that. She’s
gotta get out of that room and start living again. From what you’ve
told us, she was feisty and fun,” Seth said. “Do you really think
if I write her letters that she’ll write back?”

Tessa shrugged. “I don’t know, but at
this point we’re all ready to try anything. Will you please try?
It’s not like you have anything else to do and it might be good for
you to focus on something else, too.”

Seth regarded her silently for a moment
before saying, “No one stands a chance of winning when they argue
with you do they?”

“I get that from my father,” Tessa said
with a smile. “He’s one of the toughest negotiators in Pittsburgh
and can convince almost anyone of anything.”

“I can believe it,” Seth
said.

He thought about writing Maddie. Tessa
was right about him having a lot of free time. His leg had healed
some and his collarbone was a lot better, but he was still going to
be laid up for a while. There was no telling how long it was going
to take for him to heal. Seth felt bad for Maddie. No one should
have to go through something like that and she needed help. Seth
agreed with his sister-in-law in that Maddie would benefit from a
change of scenery.

Tessa didn’t say anything while Seth
considered what she’d said. She knew that although you could
convince Seth, he was not the kind of man who could be pushed to do
something.

Seth came back from wherever his mind
had gone. “I’ll do it. It can’t hurt to try.”

Tessa rose and kissed his cheek. “Thank
you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Seth smiled. “I figure I owe you for
taking such good care of me.”

“I think we’re even then,” Tessa
said.

“Ok. How about you get me some paper
and stuff? Might as well start right away,” Seth said.

Tessa hurried off to get the supplies.
Hope rose inside her that Seth would be able to do what she and the
rest of her family had not been able to do. Besides, it was a start
to the match-making plan that she and Dean had hatched a couple of
years ago.

“You have a letter,” Maureen told
Maddie.

“Oh,” Maddie said. She couldn’t care
less. “Did Tessa write me yet another cheerful letter?”

“No. It’s not from her,” Maureen said.
She sounded slightly cross, but couldn’t help it. She was growing
increasingly frustrated with her daughter.

Maddie looked up at Maureen from her
bed. There were dark smudges under her eyes and her complexion was
pale. She’d lost weight but didn’t care if her clothes were altered
or not since she rarely got dressed anymore.

“Then who sent it?” she
asked.

Maureen dropped it onto Maddie’s
dressing table. “Why don’t you see for yourself?” she said and left
the room.

Maddie let her head drop back on the
pillow and closed her eyes. She intended to slip back into sleep
where she could dream about the times before the attack. Sleep
didn’t come, however, because the question of who had written the
letter kept niggling at her. Deciding that she couldn’t rest until
she’d satisfied her curiosity, Maddie rose from the bed and went to
the dressing table. She sat in the chair but avoided looking at
herself in the mirror. Maddie knew she looked horrible and didn’t
need to and have it confirmed.

She picked up the envelope and
recognized it as one of Tessa’s but the writing on the front was
bold and block-like. It was nothing like Tessa’s flowing hand. Her
interest grew and she opened the letter.

Dear Maddie,

I hope you don’t mind if I
use your nickname. It’s just that I hear Tessa say it all the time.
I’m not very good at writing and such, but I’m asking you to hang
in there with me and I’ll do my best. I’m Seth, Dean’s older
brother. Tessa might have mentioned me at some point, so maybe I
won’t be totally strange to you.

I’m not one for beating
around the bush. I’m a straight shooter and don’t stop reading
after this next part. Tessa told me what happened. I said don’t
stop reading!

The ghost of a smile tugged at her
mouth despite being angry with Tessa.

Don’t worry; the only other
person she told was Dean. She’s been really worried about you
because you’ve been feeling poorly since it happened. Your sister
is a good woman and she cares about everyone and every single
thing, it seems. I don’t know where she gets the energy and that’s
coming from a guy who herds cattle and tames horses for a
living.

Well, I used to anyway. Not
quite two months back I had an accident while bringing a herd home
from Chicago. We were attacked by a pack of wild dogs. One of them,
an ugly little mutt, started a game of tag with our herd dog around
my horse and it got him riled up. Hank, that’s the horse, reared up
and went over on me. When a twelve hundred pound horse rolls on
you, it’s not fun.

It broke my collarbone and
my leg got broke in two places. It’s on a slow mend, as Dr. Turner
puts it. I have no idea if it’s going to be all right or not. So
you can see where you and I are somewhat alike. We’ve both been
hurt real bad, but in different ways. This is a good place to be
when you’re hurt.

You should come out here
and get away from everything there. My Ma used to say that distance
can make things look clearer sometimes and I think she’s right.
Besides, I could use some company. Your sister has her hands full
with taking care of your niece and nephews, not to mention Dean and
keeping house. And don’t forget her writing. It’s pretty funny to
find little scraps of paper with parts of her writing almost
everywhere. Even in the barn sometimes.

Marcus is our younger
brother. Not sure if you know about him. Anyway, he and Dean and
the rest of our men have had to pick up some of the slack for me,
so they’re working longer days. Marcus has his own place to take
care of and Dean has his family.

They take care of me, too,
because there’s a lot of things I can’t do right now. So having
someone else here who might need some company, too, would be a good
thing. Think it over. Don’t say no right away. Just think about
it.

Seth

Maddie sat the letter down. The picture
he painted of her sister was amusing and she could well imagine
Tessa hastily scribbling on paper and leaving it when she got
distracted by something. Seth’s obvious affection for his family
and his concern over his future struck a chord in her. She was
afraid, angry, and depressed.

Her grief and fear rose up again and
the momentary interest she’d felt in Seth’s letter faded. She rose
and walked to the bed. She fell into it and dropped off to sleep
again as if exhausted from the effort of reading the letter or
letting something intrude into her depression.

When Maureen came to check on her
later, Maddie was still asleep, but she noticed that the letter had
been opened. She didn’t want to intrude on her daughter’s privacy,
but was too curious not to look at who had signed it. Maureen
didn’t read any further, but laid the letter back on the table. She
smiled as she left the room, happy that there had been a tiny bit
of curiosity about something other than what had happened to
her.

A week later another letter came.
Maureen announced it to her daughter and left her again. Maddie
rose quicker than the previous time and opened it
immediately.

Dearest
Madeline,

That’s how Tessa says
you’re supposed to correctly begin a letter to family or friends,
but that’s too womanly for me. What do you think? I didn’t get a
letter back, but that’s ok. Maybe you wrote one and it just didn’t
get here or maybe you didn’t. Either way, it’s fine.

I’m glad the weather here
has been a little cooler lately. Doc has my leg and hip so wrapped
up that my leg feels like it’s in the jungle. I hope you’re doing
ok and that you might be a little better. I’ve been thinking on
something. Dean says it’s dangerous when I get thinking because I
don’t do it that much. I told him to shut his mouth because every
time he opens it he sounds like a jackass. He just gave me a dirty
look and went on his way. We’re always like that though. Always
messing with each other.

Anyway, I’ve been looking
for something to do since I’m starting to be able to think clearer
since I don’t have to take it laudanum as often. I have the little
dog that caused my accident and his name is Trouble because that’s
what he is.

He was dirty and smelled
like hell when I first brought him home. Sadie washed him up for me
and it turns out that he’s a light gray instead of black and gray.
Tessa says that he’s a poodle, whatever that is, and that they’re
good at tricks and stuff. He knows a few tricks, but maybe he could
learn more. What do you think?

I know that might sound
silly, a man like me talking about training a poodle, but what else
do I have to do? Tessa told me that you trained a dog you had when
you were a kid. If you came out here, we could train him. Think
about it. I’d draw you a picture of him, but I can’t draw, so I had
Jack make you one. Hope you like it.

Seth

Maddie looked at the drawing Seth sent
with the letter. It was an adorable depiction of a man lying on a
bed or something with a little dog on his lap. A laugh rose in her
throat and came out as she saw that Jack had drawn Seth with spiky
hair and very red lips. She wondered if that was the way that Seth
really looked or just Jack’s perception.

Her parents would enjoy seeing the
picture, but she wasn’t going to show them the letter. She took a
glance in the mirror and though she knew she must look hideous, was
still shocked to see how awful her appearance was. The dark circles
under her eyes and her unkempt hair made her look like an old hag
instead of the beautiful young woman she had been. She’d lost
weight and her sleeping gown was loose on her.

Becoming angry, Maddie picked up her
brush and tried to unsnarl her blonde locks, but it was an uphill
battle and she quit. She fumed as she looked at the image before
her. Her anger was directed at Theo, who had betrayed her in the
worst possible way, but mostly at herself for being weak. She
rested her head on the dressing table and wept angry
tears.

After several minutes of crying, Maddie
raised her head and rose from the chair. She rang the servant bell
chord by her bed. A few minutes later, her handmaiden, Chloe came
in.

“Yes, Miss Maddie?” she said. She was a
young girl, but very proficient at her job and fun
besides.

Maddie said, “Chloe, please draw me
bath. It’s time for me to get cleaned up.”

Chloe flashed her a delighted smile.
She had been very worried over her mistress’ decline over the last
few months and to see her up and ready to bathe was very
encouraging.

“Yes, miss. Right away,” she said and
disappeared to ready the bath.

Geoffrey sat in his study, going over
some documents. Maureen was there with him, working on some
business for a charity committee on which she sat. She used one
side of Geoffrey’s desk and he used the other. It was a comfortable
arrangement and they enjoyed working together, even if they didn’t
speak for long periods of time.

Maureen didn’t know it, but Geoffrey
was having a partner’s desk made for Maureen that he intended to
place next to his so that she would have a larger space to work
since she sometimes really needed to spread out. That way, too, she
would have drawers and such in which to keep her things and
wouldn’t have to tote them around.

Maureen looked up from her work to find
Geoffrey watching her with a smile on his handsome face.

“What?” she said.

“Nothing. Just enjoying the view,” he
said. “And thinking that we should lock the door.”

Maureen colored even though they’d been
married for so long. “Geoff, behave,” she said even though she was
delighted by his impulsiveness. “I have to finish this for this
evening. While you’re a very nice distraction, I must not put this
off. If I’m not prepared, Jocelyn Winters will pounce on me. She’s
jealous of me and wants my vice president position.”

Geoffrey sighed. “Well then, we can’t
have her pouncing on you can we? However, I reserve the right to
pounce on you later.”

“Stop that!” Maureen said with a
laugh.

Geoff’s expression changed from
amusement to wonder and Maureen could see that he was focused on
something behind her. She turned and uttered a gasp of
shock.