No One's Bride (Escape to the West Book 1) (7 page)

Amy smiled, trying to exude confidence she didn’t feel. “Yes. I would like to apply for the job.”

The man looked confused. “You want to apply on someone’s behalf?”

“No, I want to apply for myself. I want to do the job.”

The man stared at her for a few seconds. Then he burst into laughter, holding his hands to his stomach as if to contain his guffaws.

Amy frowned. “What’s so funny?”

His laughter petered out and he wiped one hand across his eyes. “What’s so funny? You asking me to hire a girl, and a slip of a girl at that, to do man’s work, that’s what’s funny. Go and try the general store or the laundry or the bakery, little girl.”

Amy put her hands on her hips. “I may not be as strong as a man, but I can work hard. And I can certainly muck out horses and clean this place.” She gave an exaggerated sniff. “And from what I can smell, it is sorely in need of it.”

His smile disappeared and he shook his head. “Go away, girl. I don’t have time for games.” He turned away.

Amy stared at his back, tears of frustration burning her eyes. She whirled round and strode away, shame and humiliation driving her steps.

Stop.

The word flashed into her mind. She came to such an abrupt halt her feet almost tripped over themselves. Unsure what to do, she looked back at the livery. The man had taken a chair at the table and was studying the ledger on it, lines creasing his forehead.

Sighing, Amy wiped her eyes on her sleeve and walked back to the door.

The man looked up as she approached. “You can’t take a hint, can you?”

“I need a job. I’ve tried everywhere else in town, but no one is hiring, only you. You need someone to help you here and I can do that. Just give me a chance and I’ll show you. What can it hurt, just letting me try?”

He pressed his lips together, frowning. “If I hired you to work here I’d be a laughing stock.”

“That’s what you’re worried about? What people will think? I’d have thought a man like you wouldn’t care what other people thought.”

“I have to care. This is a business.”

“So you’re worried I’ll hurt your business?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” He huffed out a breath. “You’re confusing me, girl.”

“What if I can improve your business?” It was worth a try even if she had no idea how she could.

He leaned back, looking amused. “And how are you going to do that?”

“I’ll show you once I’ve started work.” She smiled and stuck out her hand. “Deal?”

His frown returned. “Now hold on, I never said...”

“When would you like me to start?”

“You don’t give up, do you?” Lips pursed, he shook his head. “I’m going to regret this. Be here at nine Monday morning.” He looked her up and down. “And wear something more suited to hard work than that dress.”

Amy grinned. “I’ll be here. You won’t regret this.”

“I already do, girl.”

“My name’s Amy. Amy Watts.”

“George Parsons.”

“Well, thank you for the job, Mr Parsons.” She turned to go.

“And by the way,” he called after her, “job pays four dollars a week.”

Amy spun back. “But you said...”

“It would be six dollars if you was a man, but you ain’t, so it’s four.”

She opened her mouth and then closed it again. It was a job. She didn’t want to lose it before she’d even started.

Turning away again, she headed back towards the post office.

When Amy reached the post office there was a sizeable queue of people waiting to be served.

The moment she walked in the door the conversation stilled, each and every one of the eleven men and women turning to stare at her. Her heart sank. Why hadn’t she gone around to the back door? She’d been so eager to tell Adam she had found employment that she hadn’t considered he could have customers.

She took a step back, wondering if she should leave.

At the counter, Adam looked up and gave her a smile that made her stomach flutter, although that was undoubtedly just indigestion.

At one end of the sales counter was a hinged section allowing access. Lifting it, he nodded for her to join him. It appeared there was nothing else for her to do. Stifling a sigh, she walked along the length of the waiting line of people, eleven pairs of eyes silently following her progress. It was only when she was with Adam behind the counter that she relaxed a little.

He turned to address their audience. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, looks like you’ve won the jackpot. Of the unusually high number of customers I’ve had today, you have managed to be here at just the right time to catch sight of my infamous houseguest. Congratulations. I’d like all of you to meet Miss Amy Watts.”

Every person in the room suddenly seemed to want to look at anything but her. There were a few mumbled greetings and “Ma’am”s.

When Adam winked at her Amy had to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

“I’ll be closing in about half an hour,” he said quietly.

“Do you need any help?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m guessing you had a harder morning than I did. You go and relax.”

She didn’t want to say anything, but it was true that her feet were aching from all the walking she’d done. “Thank you.”

She was certain she felt the customers’ eyes on her as she walked to the door leading to the parlour, but she didn’t dare look back.

~ ~ ~

Half an hour later Adam walked into the parlour and flopped down onto the armchair by the settee, letting out an explosive breath.

Amy looked up from her book.

“I must say, I never saw that coming. I think I served every resident of Green Hill Creek today.” He grinned and pointed at her. “You are incredibly good for business.”

She replaced her bookmark. “They really all came to see me? I thought from all the surreptitious glances I got while I was out that everyone already
had
got a good look at me.”

“Maybe they wanted to see us together in our sordid den of sin.” He grimaced and rubbed his hand across his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound the way it did. All morning I haven’t known whether to be amused, exasperated, or just plain angry. I just don’t understand how people I’ve known in some cases my whole life can be so judgemental and self-righteous when they don’t even know what’s going on.” He shook his head and stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing his ankles. “Anyway, how did your morning go? Any luck?”

She’d almost forgotten about her news. “Oh, yes, I got a job at the livery. Are you sure my being here isn’t going to hurt your business?”

He chuckled. “Well not so far. Don’t worry, it’s not like they can go somewhere else to post their letters. The nearest post office other than here is miles away.” His smile disappeared. “Wait, did you say you’ve got a job at the livery?”

“Yes.”

“Doing what?”

“Just general duties, cleaning, looking after the horses, that sort of thing.”

“You’re going to be mucking out horses?” He looked horrified.

“What’s wrong with mucking out horses? You like horses. You have one.”

“Well, yes, but mucking out horses is so...” His nose wrinkled. It was cute. “...dirty. It’s not a job for a woman.”

She couldn’t help smiling. “I used to scrub the range in the kitchen at Staveley House. It couldn’t possibly be any worse than that, believe me.”

“But, but...” He huffed out a breath. “Surely there was something else?
Anything
else.”

“Not unless you wanted me to apply at the saloon. I imagine they’d have openings.”

His eyes widened in horror. It made her want to laugh. Instead, she leaned forward and patted his arm. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know how you managed to convince George to hire you. He can be a bit... ornery.”

“I noticed that. But I’ll win him over.”

A smile slid onto Adam’s face. “Well, if anyone can, it’s you.”

A thrill shivered through Amy’s stomach at his words. She silently told it to go away, swivelling her stockinged feet out from under her and into her shoes. “I’ll start lunch. You stay here and relax.” She saw a protest coming as he opened his mouth to speak. “And if you are completely set on not allowing me to spoil you rotten, you can wash the dishes afterwards.”

The protest turned to a smile. “I can live with that.”

He stood from the chair and pivoted onto the settee she’d just vacated, lying on his back and draping his legs over the arm. He’d unfastened the top few buttons of his shirt and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and the way he smiled up at her from beneath his dark lashes made her heart thud. She dragged her eyes away before her staring became unseemly and went to light the stove and start the food.

Her apparent attraction to Adam wasn’t at all helping with her determination to leave for San Francisco as soon as possible. She’d been here less than twenty-four hours and already annoying little doubts were creeping in.

She shook her head, trying to dislodge the unwanted musings. As soon as she had paid him back and had enough money to continue her journey, she would be leaving. No matter how kind and funny and charming and handsome and handsome and handsome and...

She jerked her traitorous eyes from his relaxed form, turned her back on him, and chopped the potato she was holding with renewed vigour.

“The first thing I’m going to buy with my wages is some material for a new dress,” Amy said as she walked into the parlour, smoothing down her skirt. “I haven’t met enough people yet for it to show, but sooner or later someone is going to notice this is the only one I have... what are you doing?”

Adam was sipping from a coffee cup as he toasted bread. He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. “Making breakfast?”

She sighed loudly and joined him at the stove. “How am I supposed to spoil you if you keep cooking?”

“I’m almost done now. I promise I’ll let you cook later.”

“You’d better.” She tried to look stern, but his amused expression made it impossible to do with any conviction. Instead she began setting out the cutlery and dishes, hiding her smile.

Adam finished the last slice, closed the oven and brought the plate of warm toast to the table. They sat down to eat, Adam saying the blessing as they held hands. Amy didn’t like to admit it, but she was beginning to look forward to thanking God for the food before every meal, for all the wrong reasons.

He pushed one hand into his pocket and pulled out two dollar bills, holding them out to her. “Here. You can buy whatever you need tomorrow.”

She opened her mouth to object.

“And you can pay me back at the end of the week,” he said, before she could speak.

She didn’t want to take more of his money, but she did need some clothes. “Thank you.”

“If you need more, just ask.” He stopped buttering his toast and raised a finger. “Actually, I think I’ll make that rule number two. If you need anything at all, ask me. There, it’s official. You have to do it.”

“I’m going to regret the whole rules thing, aren’t I?”

“It was your idea,” he said. “You can’t take it back now.”

“How big is the congregation?” She took a bite of toast with butter and honey and closed her eyes in bliss. “This is delicious.”

“Daniel keeps bees on his farm. He sells the honey at the market on Wednesdays. The Emmanuel Church building is always pretty full Sunday mornings, but I don’t know how many that is.”

“Is that the same Daniel who married Sara, who arrived with me?”

“That’s him.”

Amy nodded and looked at her toast.

Adam ducked his head to look into her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Not really. It’s just...” She placed the toast back onto her plate as melted butter began to drip from the edges. “Yesterday when I was in the general store there were two ladies and they were, well, they were watching me and whispering. And the other people on the street who were looking at me. And then the thing with your customers. It’s silly, I know, and I’m trying not to think about it, but it bothers me that they’re talking about us like that and spreading rumours that aren’t true. You’ve been nothing but kind to me and I’m bringing all this down on you. It’s just wrong. I’m just a bit nervous about seeing them in church, is all.”

“Mrs Vernon,” he said, a frown darkening his face. “I’d give her a piece of my mind if she wasn’t my boss’ wife. Don’t worry about me, there’s nothing they can do that’ll hurt me. But it isn’t right that you should feel nervous about anything and especially not about going to praise our Lord. ” He reached out and took her hand. “It’s going to be all right. I promise.”

She couldn’t imagine how he was going to fulfil that promise, but with his shining blue eyes gazing into her face and the feel of his fingers wrapped around hers, he could have told her he was going to sprout wings and fly to the top of the nearest mountain and she would have believed him.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. “I know.”

~ ~ ~

Green Hill Creek Emmanuel Church was a simple wooden building with plain arched windows and a large wooden cross fixed to the top of the gable at the front. The whitewashed walls glowed in the morning sunshine and troughs of bright flowers either side of the door made it look cheery and welcoming.

A steady stream of people in their Sunday best were entering as Amy and Adam approached and Amy looked down at her hand-me-down dress, self-consciously patting at the scarf she’d tied over her hair in the absence of a bonnet.

She’d been telling herself all the way from the post office that it didn’t matter what these people thought of her. Mostly she’d convinced herself it was true.

Mostly.

“You look beautiful,” Adam said in a voice meant only for her.

Amy’s heart leaped, spun in mid air and collapsed, gasping for breath, somewhere near her navel. She swallowed and muttered, “Thank you,” without looking up at him, in case he saw her undoubtedly crimson cheeks.

Mr and Mrs Goodwin stood to either side just inside the doors of the church; the welcoming committee. To Amy’s surprise, Mrs Goodwin gave her a warm hug when she walked in.

“I was so sorry to hear you won’t be staying in our town, Miss Watts,” she said quietly, “but while you’re here, you are very welcome. And if you need anything, just ask.”

She drew back and gave Amy a cheerful smile.

“Thank you, that means a lot to me,” Amy said with conviction. “And thank you again for the meal. Your stew and dumplings were the most delicious I’ve ever eaten.”

“Why, thank you so much for saying so,” Mrs Goodwin said, beaming. “I’ll give you the recipe. Maybe you could make it for Adam while you’re staying with him. He needs a good woman to look after him.” The smile dropped from her face. “I mean, well, I didn’t mean to suggest...”

“We know what you meant, Mrs Goodwin,” Adam said, giving Amy an amused look.

Amy clamped her mouth shut against her laughter and nodded.

Mr Goodwin nodded to her with a smile, removed his pipe briefly to say “Miss,” and handed Adam a hymnal.

They left Mr and Mrs Goodwin and Adam led Amy to an empty row of seats near the back, leaning down to her as she sat. “Will you be all right on your own for a minute? I just need to see Pastor Jones about something.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m a big girl, I can look after myself.”

He glanced around the church for a moment with a worried expression, but when he looked back at her he was smiling. “I know. I’ll be back soon.”

She watched him make his way down the centre aisle, circumventing groups of chatting men, women and children. When he was almost to the platform a young woman wearing a black mourning dress stopped him. They smiled at each other and she leaned forward to speak to him, placing one hand onto his arm.

A thick feeling developed at the base of Amy’s throat as she watched them. From the way they spoke and the woman’s hand lingering on his arm, they knew each other well. But why should that bother Amy? Adam was entitled to do whatever he wanted, with whoever he wanted. Swallowing the lump of what she suspected was jealousy, she looked away. She would not be jealous, had no reason to be jealous. You couldn’t be jealous for a man you barely knew and had no intention of staying with. That was that.

Sweeping her gaze around the large interior of the church, she became aware of glances in her direction, people looking away quickly as her eyes landed on them. She suddenly felt very alone.

“Amy!”

She looked up to see Sara making her way along the row towards her. The sight of her friend filled her with relief and she smiled as Sara sat beside her and gave her a hug.

“I’m so happy to see you,” Amy said. “How are you? How are things going with Daniel?”

Sara’s face stretched into the biggest smile Amy thought she’d ever seen. “Everything’s wonderful. His house...” She laughed. “I mean
our
house is lovely. And the farm is beautiful, all trees and fields and so much more peaceful than the city.” She glanced at her husband who was standing at the end of the row, talking to another man. “And Daniel is the most amazing man. He’s everything I ever wished for. Oh, Amy, I think I’m falling in love and we’ve only known each other less than two days. Am I being foolish?”

Amy glanced at Adam where he was now standing on the platform at the front of the church, talking with Pastor Jones. “No, I don’t think you’re being foolish at all.” She returned her attention to Sara and smiled. “I’m so happy for you.”

A squeal interrupted them as Lizzy edged along the next row forward and sat, twisting to face them. She grasped their hands. “Amy, Sara, how are you both? Isn’t this place wonderful? It’s so beautiful around here I could die!”

Amy couldn’t help laughing at Lizzy’s ever-present exuberance. “It is wonderful.”

“It certainly is,” Sara said. “How are things with Richard? Are you madly in love yet?”

Lizzy’s smile slipped, just a little. “It’s good. The house is nice and it has a lovely garden and the farm is so much fun. Richard is... well, we’re still getting to know each other. But I’m happy I’m here. It’s so exciting to have a whole new life. Have you seen Louisa and Jo?”

“Louisa is at the front with Jesse,” Sara said, pointing to where Amy could just see Louisa’s blue bonnet over perfectly coiffed hair. “I saw Gabriel on the way in. I asked him about Jo and he said she’s not feeling well this morning so she stayed at home.”

“I do hope she’s all right,” Lizzy said. She looked at Amy. “Are you all right? I heard about... well...”

“What did you hear?” Amy said. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what rumours were going around about her and Adam, but sticking her head in the sand wasn’t going to help either.

Lizzy winced and looked at Sara.

“You might be happier not knowing,” Sara said.

“Just tell me. It can’t be any worse than I’m imagining.”

“Well, no one’s said anything directly to me, for obvious reasons, but I overheard someone say that they’d heard you tricked Adam into paying for your train ticket. And that you were now sharing his bed as payment in kind. I’m not sure they’d really thought it through.”

Amy sighed. “The first part’s true, but I was desperate. I didn’t know how else to get away.”

“You don’t have to explain to us,” Lizzy said. “We know that you would never do something like that without a very good reason.”

“I’m sorry I lied to you all,” Amy said. “I wanted to tell you I wouldn’t be staying, but...”

Sara took the hand Lizzy wasn’t holding. “I understand completely.”

“But the part about sharing a bed is absolutely not true,” Amy continued. “He’s letting me stay in his spare bedroom. He’s been so kind and understanding. He’s a good man.”

“But you don’t want to marry him?” Sara said. “You don’t think you could be happy here?”

Amy let out a long breath. “It’s not about being happy. It’s hard to explain.”

Sara sat back. “You know what? You don’t have to explain. You should do what is right for you. And if you need anything, I’m here for you.”

“We both are,” Lizzy added. “And I’m sure Louisa and Jo are too.”

Tears burned Amy’s eyes. “Thank you both. You’re such good friends.”

Lizzy squeezed their hands and lifted them up. “We have to stick together, us mail order brides and not yet brides. We will conquer the west, blaze a trail for women everywhere, and follow our dreams. Are you with me?”

Amy and Sara chorused, “We’re with you!” as the three of them dissolved into giggles.

“Good morning, ladies.”

Amy looked up to see Adam approaching along the row. He sat beside her, on the other side from Sara.

“Adam, this is Sara and Lizzy. They arrived on Friday with me.”

“I remember. Lizzy, you married Richard Shand, didn’t you?”

“Sure did.” She grinned. “Listen to me, I already sound like I’m from round these parts. Ha! I can’t stop! It’s so nice to meet you, Adam. Oh, everyone’s sitting down. I’d better go and find Richard. I’ll see you all afterwards.”

She swept off, greeting Daniel as he made his way along the row to sit next to Sara.

He leaned forward and smiled at Amy around his wife. “We didn’t get a chance to meet on Friday, Miss Watts. Sara’s told me all about your journey together.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Amy couldn’t blame Sara for falling for him so fast. He was certainly handsome. Not as handsome as Adam, but very attractive.

All around them people were taking their seats and the murmur of conversation died as Pastor Jones stood and walked to a lectern at the front of the platform.

“Good morning,” he said, “and welcome to this morning’s service on this glorious Lord’s day. I’d like to extend a special welcome to the five young ladies who arrived on Friday. I hope you are all settling into your new homes and that you will feel welcome here in our little town. Gabriel, please convey our welcome to your wife and that we will be praying for her to feel better. And on that note, Adam Emerson has asked to speak to you all before we start the service. You all know Adam and his family. He grew up here and has been a great asset to our town since he took over as Postmaster two years ago from his uncle after he sadly became ill and passed away. He has also been an unwavering support to this church and is a good Christian man, so I know you will all give him the respect he deserves.” He looked towards them. “Adam?”

Amy looked at him, confused.