Seth (Prairie Grooms, Book Three) (5 page)

“Never mind that!” quipped Grandma. “So, does Colin know?”

Belle froze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t ya?” Grandma said
in a teasing tone.

Now it was Sadie’s turn to set her sewing down. “No, he does not! And we want to keep it that way for a while,
if
you don’t mind.”

The ladies looked at one another as comprehension dawned, one face at a time. “Irene, where’s Wilfred?”
Mrs. Mulligan asked, with a wide smile.

“Upstairs
, I reckon,” said Mrs. Dunnigan.

All the women sighed
, glanced at the ceiling, and then at once, broke out in a cacophony of questions and congratulations. Belle was pregnant!

Constance shrank into her seat, as
if the outburst was her fault. Belle smiled at her, then sent Sadie a pleading look. Eloise still sat, trying to figure out what just happened. How did she not know? She
lived
with Sadie and Belle!

“Hush, all of ya!” Grandma said as she stood and waved the others into silence. “If Belle doesn’t want Colin to know, then we need to keep this quiet.”

“Doesn’t want Colin to know what?”

All he
ads turned. Wilfred was just walking behind the counter, a puzzled look on his face.

The women, as one, froze.

“Well?” he said. “Ya all gonna sit there lookin’ like ya done been hornswoggled?”

Belle put her face in her hands and groaned.

“I say,” said Eloise. “But was this supposed to be a secret?”

Wilfred laughed behind the counter. “Ain’t
no secrets in
this
town!”

“Belle’s pregnant,” Mrs. Dunnigan said flatly.

“Except that,” stated Wilfred. He then shook himself. “A baby! Just think, a grand- niece or nephew is on the way.” He looked at Belle. “Are ya feelin’ all right? Do I need to get ya anything?” He then paled. “Jumpin’ Jehosaphat! If Colin’s anything like Harrison, he’s gonna faint when he finds out!”

“That’s why he is
not
going to find out!” Sadie said as she stood. “
Is he
, Wilfred?”

The
rest of the ladies also stood, all with the same threatening gleam in their eyes. Wilfred audibly gulped. “Er, ah … course not. He ain’t gonna hear nothin’ from me!”

“See
that he doesn’t!” his wife snapped. “Or you’ll rue the day, Wilfred Dunnigan!”

“Yes ma’am.”
Wilfred said as he took a step back, reached behind him, and grabbed a candy jar. It was his only defense. “Peppermint, anyone?”

Four

By the time Seth made it back to the mercantile to check on Eloise, the sewing had ceased, and the candy licking had commenced. Every woman in the room had a peppermint stick in her mouth. Wilfred stood behind the counter, a relieved look on his face, and picked up a feather duster. “Afternoon, Seth. What can I do for ya?”

Seth crossed the mercantile
, glancing at the women as he did. “They didn’t eat
all
the peppermint sticks, did they?”

Wilfred chuckled. “Nope,
I still have a few left.”

Seth’s eyes sought Eloise. S
he blushed when she looked at him, her candy still in her mouth, and turned away. The action made him smile. She was fresh, pure, and reminded him of a white rose. He fought the sudden urge to ball his hands into fists. The thought of anything happening to her set his blood to boil, just as it had when he’d found out Ryder was hurt.

“Here ya go,” Wilfred said, bring
ing Seth’s head around. “How many ya want?”

“How many?”

“Peppermint sticks; how many ya want?”

“Oh,” he said as his eyes wandered ba
ck to Eloise. “I’ll take what you have left.”

Wilfred reached under the counter for some paper, wrapped up the candy, and gave it to him. “That’ll be a penny.”

“Sure,” he said, his eyes glued to his bride.

“If’n you stare at her any harder, boy, your eyes are liable to fall out of their sockets.”

“Say what?”

Wilfred laughed. “Never min
d. Why don’t ya pull up a chair and sit a while?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” said Seth
, never taking his eyes from Eloise.

“After you pay me,” Wilfred added.

“Oh,” he said, as he stopped up short. “Sorry.”

Wilfred chuckled again. “Better hope them women get that dress done quick-like. You have the look of a man
who
needs
to get married!”

Seth managed to glance at him, no small feat as he felt himself being pulled in Eloise’s direction. He let his gaze find her again and realized
that Wilfred was right. He
did
need to get married. He’d spent enough time with her to know that he wanted her. But that was no surprise; she was beautiful, charming, and kind. But beyond that, she was something else, too. Something he couldn’t put his finger on. All he knew was that it was something he’d been missing and, now that he’d found it, he didn’t want to let it go.

“Hello,” he said when he reached her chair. “Did you get a lot of sewing done?”

Eloise blushed. “Well, I dare not call what I do with a needle and thread sewing
; at least, not in the traditional sense.”

Constance laughed. “You can say that again! She’s worse at it than I am!”

Penelope rolled her eyes. “Oh, why do I bother …?”

“Bother with what?” asked Seth.

“Thinking either of them will stay civilized.”

Seth glanced between Constance and Eloise. Both looked about to bust a gut at their sister’s remark. “What’s so funny?”

“She should have given up long ago!” said Constance with a snort.

“I’m still civilized,” stated Eloise. “At least I haven’t been reduced to wearing buckskins.”

“Buckskins?” asked Penelope.

“Oh, let’s not bring that up again! It’s a lucky thing I was wearing those buckskins!” Constance countered.

“Will you two please stop!” said Penelope.

Seth leaned against a display and laughed. “Are you three always like this?”

“Of course,” said Eloise. “We’re sisters.”

The other ladies sucked on their candy and tried not to giggle, but Belle could stand it no longer, and began to laugh.

“See, they fin
d us delightful,” Eloise stated matter-of-factly.

“They find ya silly!” quipped Grandma. “Seth Jones
, don’t you have work to do?”

“Sure do, ma’am, and I was wondering, since you ladies don’t seem to be sewing right now, might I steal Miss Sayer for a short stroll down to the hotel?”

“I thought you’d never ask!” said Grandma.

Seth stared
at her, his brows raised in amusement. “Ask ya what?”

“To go with ya! Ya don’t expect to go strolling off on your own do ya?”

“Oh, you’re offering to chaperone?”

“Grandma …” Sadie said, her voice laced with heavy warning. “We all know how
you
chaperone!”

“What? Can’t an old woman volunteer her services as a wise
counselor to these two youngins?”

“You’re going to take them somewhere and let them …” Sadie snapped her mouth shut. “Don’t … that’s all I’m saying. Don’t.”

Seth smiled. “Heck, Mrs. Cooke, I can kiss Miss Sayer all on my own. I don’t need any help from Grandma.”

Sadie threw her hands up
in the air, groaned, and then pointed a finger at him. “No sparking!”

Eloise buried her face in her hands as Penelope started to laugh.

“Easy for you to say,” commented Constance. “You’re already married. Besides, August stole a kiss from Penelope, and Ryder … ah, okay, so we were married when he kissed me, but still …”

“Are you suggesting they kiss before they’re married?” bellowed Mrs. Dunnigan.

Seth grabbed Eloise by the hand and pulled her up from her chair. “I’m suggesting I take a walk with my intended.” He headed for the door, and reached it in three quick strides, Eloise right behind him. Before anyone could say a word, they crossed the porch of the mercantile, went down the steps and into the street. “Thank Heaven!” said Seth. “I didn’t think we’d ever get out of there!”

Grandma was suddenly in the doorway, glaring at them. She then smiled and winked.

“Quick!” said Seth. “Before Mrs. Cooke changes her mind!”

“What do you mean
, changes her mind?” asked Eloise as Seth turned and pulled her along behind him.

“S
he’s letting us go for a walk! If she didn’t want us to go, she’d have come after us.”

“Oh!” said Eloise.

He slowed when he reached the bank, and tipped his hat to a man leaning against a post. “Afternoon, Levi.”

Eloise looked at him. She’d not seen him before. He was t
all, dark, and yes … handsome. Put the right clothes on him and he’d pass for an earl or maybe a viscount.

“Afternoon, Seth,” he said
, and then noticed Eloise. “Ma’am. Where you two heading in such a hurry?”

Seth stopped, Eloise ran right into him with a little “
Umphf!”

“Just walking,” Seth told him.

“You might try walking to the church. Maybe set a date with Preacher Jo,” Levi suggested.

“Now that’s a right good idea! Thanks, Levi!” Seth looked over his shoulder at Eloise and grinned. “Sadie Cooke can’t say anything about us having a visit with Preacher Jo, that being respectable and all.”

“I say, you’re quite right on that score,” said Eloise. “She certainly can’t.”

Levi chuckled at the remark, and went into the ba
nk. “Who was that man?” she asked as they set off again.

“That’s Levi, he came here from Oregon City to run the bank. Nice fella, kinda stuffy, but he’s friendly enough.”

“Must be from working with numbers and money all day.”

“Not much of that around here.”

“Numbers, or money?” she asked with a giggle.

“Money
, I guess. Speaking of which, I … ah … well, about a ring.”

“A ring?”

“I wasn’t sure what you’d like. My mother had some jewelry, but Ryder gave it to your sister as a wedding present. I haven’t got a ring yet, I know that’s plumb irresponsible of me, but with not knowing if you’d even show up …”

“What? You mean you thought we wouldn’t?”

“Well, to be honest, I didn’t know.”

She stopped and pulled her hand out of his. “Mr. Jones! How could you think such a thing? Why, we traveled halfway around the world to marry you and your friends
; the least you could do is have had a little faith in us.”

“It’s not that …
you don’t understand …”

“I understand that you gave up.”

“Now wait a minute here, I didn’t give up! How would you feel if you sent away for a mail-order bride, waited over a year to get one, and then nothing happened? Then, just when you’ve convinced yourself you’re better off alone, here comes Mrs. Cooke asking for letters to send away for another, only this time she
guarantees
you’ll show up.”

“Guarantee? How can she … oh, yes, I suppose she could do it that way. Once we were on a ship, how could we back out?”

“How did we get on this subject anyway?”

“You brought it up.”

“I … ohhhh, dagnabbit. I’m not gonna argue with ya! Let’s go see Preacher Jo, then talk about getting you a proper ring.” He started off again.

“You needn’t concern yourself with a ring. I have one.”

He stopped. “You …
do?
”

“Yes,
Mother gave it to me. It belonged to my grandmother, Isabelle. The duchess, herself.”

He turned and stared at her. “You brought your own wedding ring?
Did ya think I couldn’t get ya one?”

“It’s not that at all. It was a gift
from my grandmother to my mother, and then she gave it to me.”

“Well, that was mighty generous of her …” his words drained away as he realized he was going to be married to this lo
vely creature in but a few days. The afternoon sun made her blonde hair glisten, and her big hazel eyes were mesmerizing. He licked dry lips to keep his control. He wanted to kiss her something awful, and his body tightened at the mere thought of putting his lips on hers.

“Yes, it was. It’s very valua
ble. I had to keep it hidden our entire journey.”

She stared back, as if thinking the same thing he was, but she couldn’t be, could she? He closed the distance between them. “If you want to use it for a wedding ring, then you can. I just thought you might want something I got for you.”