Authors: Nathan Adams
ROMANCE: Mail Order Bride: A Sheriff's Bride (A Clean Christian Inspirational Historical Western Romance) (New Adult Short Stories) (87 page)
“No, miss, please! I mean you no harm!” the man appeared nervous. “Miss Hurst? Miss Angelica Hurst?” Angela took a step backwards. “It has taken me weeks to find you!”
“No, no…” she moved away from the man. “You have me mistaken for someone else. Now, please, I must be on my way!” Angela swiftly walked away from the staring man, intent on waiting for her husband until he completed his business, as she had no wish to be further accosted.
When they finally got home, Angela allowed herself to think about what had happened. She realized she had made a mistake, and that the man seemed to genuinely know her. He could have told her who she was, where she came from, and where to find her family.
Then she thought of her new life, her husband, and her new identity. ‘
I know who I am! I am Perdita St. Clare, married to Zacharias St. Clare who loves me, with a new daughter whom I adore. We are a happy family under God’s protection. Why would I take a chance on ruining what I have?’
“Is everything alright?” Zacharias entered the room and found her brooding. “You have been flushed ever since returning home. I am worried, my sweet wife. Is there anything wrong? How can I help you?” His sweet words reassured her of her decision not to pursue the matter any further. She had all she needed right here, under this roof.
Several days later, their maid entered the parlor in a flurry.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, I know you did not wish to be disturbed…”
“It’s perfectly alright, Eveline. What is the matter?” She lifted her gaze from her embroidery.
“There is a carriage waiting in front of the house, and they are asking for you. What should I tell them?” She sounded as confused as Angelica felt.
“Well, I am the lady of the house, but do visitors not normally ask for the man of the house?” Angelica dropped her embroidery and looked at the window.
The carriage looked new, and was larger than those she had seen in the city, which led her to believe that these were important visitors.
“Well, they are here, so I might as well see what their business is. I reckon Zacharias still hasn’t returned home?”
“No, ma’am. He said to expect him later this evening.”
“Fine. Let me see what this is about.”
Angelica exited the house and approached the carriage with care. She must have been heard because the carriage door suddenly opened and a man stepped out. He approached her eagerly.
Mindful of her experience a few days before, she froze, although she tried to keep her voice steady when she spoke. “Welcome, what can we do for you?” She did not wish to make it known her husband would only be home much later.
The man who approached her seemed to examine her carefully. When he finally faced her, his face split into a wide grin. His right hand was lifted as if to cup her cheek, but he seemed to think better of it.
“Angelica?” his voice shook.
That name again. Angelica. Who was Angelica? “Angelica? Don’t you recognize me?” he pleaded, “It’s me, your father.”
The ground seemed to tremble beneath her feet. Her father? How was it possible? She shook her head.
“I beg your pardon, sir, but you have me mistaken for someone else.” If she truly was his daughter, would she not remember him? Would the memories not come flooding back upon seeing his face?
She felt nothing. She felt sorry for this man who might have lost his child and who was desperate to come looking wherever there was a possibility of finding her, but she could not picture him as being her father.
“No, it’s you, Angelica! My sweet child! I have finally found you!” Tears started rolling down his eyes, and it broke Angelica’s heart to see an old man act this way in front of a stranger.
“Dear sir,” she placed her hand gently on his shoulder, “it pains me to tell you that I am not your Angelica, but I do hope with all my heart that you find her soon.”
The carriage door swung open suddenly and another figure emerged. It was a woman, about the same age as the man, but with a youthful air about her. Her bonnet framed her face, while her dress was of the latest fashion. Her movements were graceful as she approached them.
“Angelica!” her voice was richly melodic. The sound was the trigger she needed, and everything came rushing back.
“Momma! Papa!” She remembered the sweet faces of her loving parents, her life, and fell into their warm embrace, hugging them as if she would never let them go. “Please, come in! I have so much to tell you!”
“We thought we had lost you forever, sweet child.” Her father kissed her on the forehead. “After the accident, Johnson rushed to find help when he saw you had been hurt, but when he returned with a doctor, you were gone! You can’t possibly imagine how worried we were and how scared we would never see your sweet face again.”
“We sent Johnson off to try and find out what happened to you. You could not have disappeared into thin air! We just hoped some ruffians didn’t find you unconscious and take you away with them! Thank Heavens that was not the case. He finally heard there was an accident victim at the hospital who had lost her memory, and that led him to stumble upon you in the street the other day. I can imagine how frightened you must have been!”
Angelica nodded. “He accosted me in the street, I was afraid he meant harm to me and the baby.”
“The baby?” her mother inquired. “You have a baby?” Her parents seemed confused.
“My dear mother and father, so many things have happened during the time of my absence. But, please, allow me to start from the beginning. After the accident, I found myself at the hospital, where, to my utter shock and horror, I found out that I had lost my memory. I had no recollection of who I was or how I got to be there, but fortunately, I fell under the guardianship of a most kind and benevolent Christian woman, Nurse Mary, who helped me when I needed it the most. It was solely because of her that I found shelter and subsequently, a new home here.”
“Is this your house?” her father inquired, incredulously.
“In a way, yes. It belongs to Zacharias St. Clare, my husband.”
“Your husband!” Her father was astonished. “You have gotten married?”
“I have. And Zacharias is the most wonderful man you could meet. In fact, he is due to return any minute now, and I am so joyful that he finally has the opportunity to meet my parents.”
“I don’t know what to make of this.” We came to take you back home with us, where you belong, and instead, we find you married?”
Angelica felt like the news of her wedding was breaking her parents’ hearts, something she had not intended.
“I am happy here. I wish to stay.” She did not want to cause them any further pain, but Zacharias was her husband. “You don’t understand. Zacharias was there for me when I thought that I had no one in the world I could rely on.”
“But, you have us!” her father urged. “We want you back! We need you back! We are not ready to give you up to someone else yet!”
Her father’s words brought tears to her eyes.
“I love you, Papa. You know that. I shall always be your little girl, but to this man, to Zacharias, I must be, no, I want to be, a loving wife. Please understand that,” her voice trembled at the last.
Angelica’s mother smiled. She knew exactly how her daughter felt. After all, was it not what every daughter feels when she is married?
“Listen to her,” her mother’s voice soothed her father’s wounded soul. “We must let God be in control, just like Angelica did when this tragedy happened to her. And look at what we have before us now: a beautiful, grown up woman, with a family of her own. She is not rejecting us, don’t you see? She has grown up, just like God Almighty intended. And we should be grateful that she is this happy.”
Zachariah arrived home at that point, and was at a loss when he saw his wife with the two strangers. He did not know what to do or how to react.
“Mother, father,” Angelica stood up and approached Zacharias. “This is my husband, Zacharias.”
Clumsily, Zacharias took off his hat and mumbled a good day to both of them.
“Perdita, does that mean…” he was cut off mid-sentence.
“I know my real name now!” Her smile lit up her face. “It is Angelica Hurst.”
Zacharias smiled back and placed his arm around her waist lovingly.
“It is even more beautiful than Perdita. It’s perfect.”
He turned to his new parents-in-law. “ Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, the good Lord has brought you to my house today, in accordance with His will, where you were reunited once again with the daughter you thought lost. This way, He has magnified what is truly great indeed, for these are His works and His ways. We know the truth now, and as His good book says, it has finally set not only Angelica, but you free as well. Won’t you please bless this house with your presence for several days, so that we may celebrate the birth of our savior together, as a family?”
Angelica had completely forgotten: it was Christmas in just a few days, and the gift she had received was the most wonderful she could ever have imagined.
God works in mysterious ways, yes. He blesses us not for us, but for others, because it is through us and our reverence that he blesses others, too.
Angelica’s thoughts, when she looked at her family, were that they formed a perfect Christmas image: her entire family was all together again, happy and blessed. Her mother was holding her baby daughter in her hands, while her father and Zacharias were busy decorating the Christmas tree. Yes, we may feel we are in a cold, dark place, forgotten, but then one day, God whispers in your ear, speaking of his love and peace amidst the depths of despair and depression
THE END
Chapter One
Life was simple before—before things got bad. Irina lived on a small farm in rural Kentucky. She and her family weren’t rich, but they always did well for themselves. God graced them with a fruitful farm and a good family.
For the past three generations, the Moore family had lived in Pikeville, ever since they had arrived in America from Europe. It was their home and a place they’d come to love. The rolling hills and tall trees were just a few of the things that attracted the Moore family to the beautiful state of Kentucky. What kept them there was the sense of community that seemed to pervade every aspect of society. Big cities held no appeal to the close-knit family. Pikeville was the type of place where everyone knew everyone, and Sunday morning church services were something to look forward to.
Anne sighed as she threaded her fingers through her hair, twisting her golden locks into a messy braid. She glanced outside and softly as she watched tiny white snowflakes fall from the sky. She couldn’t remember the last time it snowed like this. They seemed to get a few small flurries every year but nothing like this.
She pushed herself up from her bed and slipped into her coat before knocking on her sister’s door.
“Ashley, wake up or we’ll be late for church,” she called through the door.
The younger girl poked her head out and looked up at Anne, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Just beyond Ashley’s sleepy figure she could see that Beth was still asleep in the bed her youngest sisters shared. “It’s so cold, Anne. And Ma and Pa are not back yet.”
There was a hint of worry in the girl’s voice, but Anne just leaned down and kissed her forehead. “They’ll be home today, but we need to go to church and pray for their safe arrival.”
Ma and Pa left nearly a week ago to travel to the city in order to get to a doctor. Pa had fallen ill, and the local physician couldn’t help him, though he seemed positive that a doctor in a hospital might be able to cure his ails. The elderly physician seemed confident in her father’s recovery. Anne wasn’t going to question it.
After her sisters were dressed, Anne led them up the small hill to the church. The preacher welcomed them with a smile, and everything seemed right in the world. Of course, Anne was worried, but she knew that she needed to have faith and to believe in God’s plan. He would guide them through this trying time. It was the attitude she was raised to have, and she wasn’t going to start questioning it now.
The sermon was as beautiful and moving, as always, and she thanked the preacher for giving them strength and comfort. They certainly needed it. The sisters stuck around after church and chatted with their neighbors about the upcoming harvest and how badly they wanted for spring. They were true Southerners and didn’t take kindly to the cold weather and snow. They said their goodbyes and headed back down the hill.
Anne’s heart skipped a beat when they reached the bottom: Her parent’s horses were back. They were neighing softly, steam rising from their nostrils. Apparently, they didn’t like the cold, either.
Anne ran into the house, her face bright with excitement, and her sisters followed behind. “Ma! Pa!” she cried out. But Anne was surprised to find only her mother sitting beside the cold fireplace, her eyes dead and lost. She was alone, and anger and sadness hung in the air. Anne looked around, blinking quickly. Where was Pa? As she inched closer to her mother, she could see tears sliding down her face. “Ma, where is Pa?” she asked, her voice quivering ever so slightly.
Anne’s mother didn’t look up to meet Anne’s gaze. She just stared into the fireplace. “The angels took him, Anne.”
“But the doctor said … ”
“I know what the doctor said!” she snapped, the tears flowing faster now.
Anne just stared at her mother’s shoulders heave with each sob. She wanted to comfort her mother, but she didn’t know where to begin. She could hear weaker sobs behind her. Anne was fighting tears herself, but she knew she needed to be strong. Pa would have wanted that.
She knelt beside her mother and wrapped her arms around her. The tears were hot against Anne’s skin, but she didn’t pull away. She wanted to tell her mother that it would be OK and that they were going to make it, but Anne wasn’t so sure. Pa was the backbone of their family. Without him, she wasn’t sure what would become of them.
Anne wasn’t just worried about their well-being, either. Her heart was broken. She and her Pa had a special bond. Her life would be empty without him, and she wasn’t sure how to cope with the loss. She wanted to cry, but she knew that Pa was looking down on them and that she would be the one expected to take the reins. She wasn’t going to let him down. “It’ll be all right, Ma. It’s going to be all right.”
Her mother let out another sob and clung desperately to her daughter. Anne closed her eyes and did the only thing she could think to do: She prayed.
