The Mail Order Bride's Deception (5 page)

“Do you need help?” Sadie repeated, this time using a louder voice among the talk going on around them.

Hazel looked up at her and then scanned the room.

Sadie quickly put down her veil and glanced behind her but didn’t see anyone who seemed interested in them.  She turned back to Hazel and lifted the veil.  “Do you need money?  I can give you some.”

The restaurant owner had just paid her for her services and had left a significant tip, one in which s
he had planned to hide from Madame but could give to this poor woman who had an innocence about her.

Hazel shook her head.  “No.”

Sadie waited for a moment, quickly debating her options.  She could leave and never see Hazel again, but somehow that didn’t seem right.  Though Hazel hadn’t extended the invitation, she sat across from her and leaned forward, careful to keep her voice low so none of the other patrons would overhear her.  “You’re not from here.  I can tell that from your Southern accent.  I don’t mean to pry in your business, but you have no male companion and seem scared.  Those are two things that could get you caught up in something you don’t want to be in.” Like a brothel, but she didn’t dare add that.  The poor thing was frightened enough as it was.

“I know.” She wiped more tears away.  “I’m trying to get to a young man who posted a mail-order bride ad.  I have to get there.”

“I don’t understand,” Sadie whispered.  “You said you have money.  What’s stopping you from getting there?”

Hazel opened her mouth to speak but then she coughed, and one cough led to another and another.  People started turning their attention t
o stare at them.  Mindful of Madame, Sadie quickly covered her face with the veil.  Rising to her feet, she asked for a glass of water and a man sitting at a nearby table handed her one.

She gave it to Hazel.  “Here, drink this.  It should help.”

Hazel tried to take a sip but couldn’t stop coughing long enough to swallow any water.  She placed the handkerchief up to her mouth and when she lowered it, Sadie saw the blood on the cloth.

Alarmed, she ran over to Hazel and called out for someone to get a doctor.

Chapter Five

“Doctor…  Someone get a doctor…”

Al stirred as his wife murmured for a doctor in her sleep.  It took him a moment to wake up and realize she was only dreaming.  He turned toward her and studied her in the morning light that filtered through the slit in the drapes and landed across her forehead.  She had left his arms at some point in the middle of the night and was curled up on her side, hugging her legs and furrowing her eyebrows.

Leaning over her, he smiled and brushed aside a strand of auburn hair that fell across her eyes.  Her hair was slightly messed up from her night’s sleep, but it in no way detracted from her appeal.  He couldn’t help but recall the rest of her.  Generous soft breasts, narrow waist, the auburn curls that hid her most secret place.  He shifted to relieve the pressure of his arousal.  Last night hadn’t gone the way he’d hoped, but he could in no way blame her.  She hadn’t known a man before, and they’d only met yesterday.  Even if she was afraid she’d get more nervous because he’d decided to wait, deep down, he knew this was for the best.  It was what she needed.

“Doctor,” she whispered
.

What could she be dreaming about?  In his brief correspondence with her, there was no mention of a doctor.  She said she’d grown up on a plantation and that her father was well-to-do. 
Her mother died a couple years earlier, and she said that was why his ad appealed to her.  She wanted to come out and be Gilbert’s mother.  Maybe as Hazel slept, she was thinking of the time the doctor came to visit her ailing mother.

Maybe seeing Gilbert brought back those memories and how much she wanted to fill in the gap she said a child would have if he didn’t have the kind of nurturing only a mother could give him.
  She’d warned him that she didn’t know the first thing about caring for babies, but she also assured him that she was more than happy to learn.  He smiled.  He had no doubt that she’d be a wonderful mother.

“Some
one get the doctor,” she whispered again, taking Al’s attention off the letters she’d written him.

She
opened her eyes.  For a moment, she stared ahead of her as if not really seeing anything, and then she blinked and looked around the room.  When her gaze finally turned in his direction, he smiled and brushed her cheek with his thumb.  “Good morning.”

She offered a small smile in return.  “Morning.”

Lowering his head, he gave her a soft kiss, and she stiffened slightly.  “Did I do something wrong?” he asked, pulling away from her so he could get a better look at her face.

For a moment she seemed to have the same look in her eyes that a startled deer got when he went hunting, and it made him wonder even more about her past.  Did men easily startle her or was it because she still wasn’t sure about him in particular?  He reached forward and caressed her cheek.  She didn’t seem to mind it so much if he gently touched her, and if he was right, she relaxed.

“I hope you’ll come to understand that you have nothing to fear with me,” he whispered.

“I know.”

Though she said those words, he wondered if she truly did understand it.  But if she didn’t, was there anything he could say to make her?  In this case, all he could do was show her through his actions.  Hopefully in time, she would realize he was telling her the truth.

“It’s about time for Gilbert to wake up,” he said as he rose up from the bed.

“You don’t want to…to finish what you started last night?” she asked.

Of course he did, but one look at her was all he needed to know it wasn’t the right time.  Not when it was apparent she wasn’t ready.  “There’s no need to rush it.  We have the rest of our lives to do it.” Then, in an effort to lighten the mood, he took out his razor and asked, “Do you prefer men who have a mustache, a beard, or shave everything off?”

As he hoped, her smile returned and there was a hint of mirth in her eyes.  “What do you care what I prefer?”

“I never have to look at myself, but you’ll be stuck looking at me all the time.  The least I can do is present myself in a way that’s suitable to you.  So, what would you like me to do?”

“Since you asked, I like a man who shaves it all off.”

“You do?”

“Yes.  I like seeing the whole face.”

“Then I shall do your bidding, my lady.”

He bowed and she giggled.  With a grin, he turned his attention to shaving his face while she got dressed in the same clothes she had on the day before.  From time to time, his gaze left the mirror in front of him so he could steal a glance at her, very much intrigued by the soft curves of her body.  Even though he’d explored all of her the previous night, he didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing her without clothes on.  She was much better looking without them on.

Once she was done, she cleared her throat and turned to face him.  “What would you like to eat for breakfast?”

“Believe it or not, I make pancakes and bacon on most days.”

“You do?”

He set down his razor and washed his face.  “Surprised?”

“Well…yes.  I didn’t think men cooked.”

“It depends on the man.  I do a lot of hunting and have learned to make some pretty tasty meals, if I do say so myself.  Perhaps you’d like to sample a steak tonight?”

“You eat steak?  But doesn’t that get expensive?”

“Not when I get it myself.  One nice thing about living out here is that there’s plenty of animals to hunt.  The hardest part is cutting up the meat.”

“I’ve never done anything like that.”

“I didn’t think the daughter of a wealthy land owner would.”

She turned her gaze from him and brushed her hair.

After he dressed for the day, he parted the drapes to let the sunlight in the room.  Doing so permitted the light to touch the silky waves in Hazel’s hair as she was brushing it, accentuating the auburn highlights in it.

“It’s a shame you have to pull your hair back into a bun,” he said as he approached her.

She turned her head in his direction and he took in the lovely sight of her.  With her long hair resting softly over her shoulders and the sunlight framing a halo around her head, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“I’ve never seen a more breathtaking sight than you.” He reached out to touch her hair, marveling at how soft the strands were.  “You’ll think it’s silly,” he added with a chuckle, “but you look like an angel.  Not that I’ve seen an angel, but if I did, I imagine one would look just like you.”

Clearing her throat, she put the brush on the table and shook her head.  “I’m not an angel, Al.”

“Oh, I know.  None of us are.  Like I said, it was silly.” He kissed her cheek.  “I better get Gilbert up.”

“Do you want me to do that?  I am the woman after all.  Women are supposed to take care of children.”

“You just came here yesterday.  You should take a couple days to rest.  Take your time in getting ready.”

“You’re going to spoil me.”

He smiled.  “Just wait until you do laundry.  You won’t be thinking that then.”

Her lips turned up at his joke and he left the room to take care of Gilbert.

***

Later that morning, Sadie watched Al through the window as he chopped wood in the front yard.  She didn’t understand it.  He should have taken her up on her offer to enjoy intimate relations that morning.  He hadn’t completed the act last night, and when she woke up, he’d been fully erect.  So why did he insist on rejecting her offer?  Didn’t all men want a woman, especially one who was willing to satisfy his needs?

With a shake of her head, she turned her attention back to Gilbert who was rocking back and forth in the rocking chair.  He was chewing on a rattle and laughing.  Curious, she scanned the room to see what was amusing him but didn’t see anything remotely funny.  Even so, his giggling was infectious and she found herself chuckling.

“You’re a real wonder, aren’t you?” she whispered.

She had no idea just how innocent babies were.  She’d been like that once, too.  Laughing and smiling because the world was brand new and full of many happy moments.

“I hope you’re always this happy, Gilbert.”

He looked her way, his large brown eyes focused on her.

She went over to him and knelt in front of him.  She cupped his face in her hands, her smile growing wider despite the tears forming in her eyes.  “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you never discover how unkind this world can be.  I want you to keep laughing.”

He babbled and touched her cheeks as if to wipe her tears away.

She picked him up and held him.  After a while, she sat down and rocked in the chair, hoping he’d remain still and let her enjoy this moment.  She had no idea holding a baby was so wonderful, but it was quickly becoming her favorite thing to do.

“You’re a lucky boy,” she told him as he settled against her breast.  “Your father’s a good man.  I didn’t think men like him existed.  He could have used me, like other men.  But he didn’t.  Hazel couldn’t have picked someone better.”

And that only went to prove how smart Hazel had been.  Whatever she’d been running from, she had chosen the right place to go to.

Resting her cheek against the top of Gilbert’s head, she whispered, “I’m sorry you didn’t make it, Hazel.  But I’m glad you gave me a second chance.”

She closed her eyes, recalling the doctor’s bad news…

“I’m afraid she’s not going to make it,” he said as he washed his hands in the basin by the bed where Hazel slept.

“What’s wrong with her?” Sadie whispered, her veil still covering her face.

The doctor turned to her and shrugged.  “She has pneumonia.  I’m surprised she managed to walk into the restaurant.”

She watched as he placed a cool cloth on her forehead.  Hazel winced but didn’t wake up, which was good since she didn’t have to go through any pain when she was sleeping.  Sadie glanced at the bottles full of medicine lining the shelves and turned her attention back to the doctor.  “Are you sure there’s nothing here that can help her?  I know someone who had pneumonia and survived.”

“Her fever’s too high.”

“But that doesn’t mean anything.  People beat the odds all the time when someone says something is hopeless.”

With a heavy sigh, he shook his head.  “I’m sorry, ma’am.  I know you don’t want to see your friend die
, but the outcome isn’t always good for my patients.” He picked up Hazel’s purse and handed it to her.  “Whatever affairs you need to get in order, I suggest you do so quickly.  I don’t think she’ll make it through the night.” After a moment, he squeezed her hands.  “I’m sorry.  I wish I could give you better news.” He glanced at Hazel.  “I need to pay another patient a visit.  I won’t be longer than a half hour.”

Sadie nodded as he left the small building.  Unsure of what else to do, she sat in the chair beside the bed and lifted her veil.  The doctor would recognize her if he saw her face.  But it wasn’t because he’d been at the brothel to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.  It’d been because he had tended to her twice—both times after she miscarried.  She didn’t think he’d tell Madame Eleanor that she was there, but she didn’t dare take her chances.

Her gaze lowered to the purse in her hands.  Biting her lower lip, she fought the urge to tug at the strings and find out about the woman resting in front of her.  It was hard to avoid temptation but she managed to do it.

Focusing on the sick woman, she touched her hand.  “You’ll think it’s silly, but I heard that a kind touch and word can do wonders when someone isn’t feeling well.  So I thought I might as well talk to you.  I don’t know if you remember me, but I was the woman at the restaurant who sat at your table.  My name is Sadie.  Sadie Miller.  Um…  You know, you shouldn’t pay the doctor any mind.  He means well, of course, but miracles happen and you just might recover.  Don’t give up.  You just keep holding on.  As long as you got the will to live, you can do it.”

Sadie blinked back her tears, her thoughts of the past drifting back to the corners of her mind as she heard the front door open.  Her gaze went to Al who carried some split logs into the house.

“I wanted to get some wood ready,” he explained as he set a couple by the cookstove.  “I put most of them against the house.  Before long, we’ll need most of them.”

“I suppose that’s to be expected this far up north.” Nebraska had its share of cold winters, too, but of course she couldn’t tell him that.

Gilbert stirred in her lap and held his arms out to Al who walked over to him and picked him up.  “How have things been between you two?” Al asked her.

“Good.  He’s a very easygoing baby,” she replied.  “He smiles and laughs all the time.”

“Aunt Betty says he’s one of the easiest babies she’s ever come across.”

Had she known anything about babies, she might have agreed with this woman.  But there was no denying he was a very happy child.  “I think the fact that he’s an easy baby has something to do with the way you treat him.”

“You think so?” he asked, bouncing the boy in his arms.

“Yes.” Then, in a lower voice, she added, “I can tell you’re a good man.” She’d certainly been around enough bad ones to know the difference.  Clearing her throat, she rose from the chair.  “I should probably take that recipe book and learn how to make something.”