The New Year's Bride (Holiday Mail Order Brides Book Two) (7 page)

“Spencer, what are you doing here?”  It’s only been a half
an hour!” His mother admonished as she began to wrap Miss Barstow up in yet another bolt of cloth.

She sent him a pleading look and he quickly took the cue. “I came to borrow my bride, mother. I have to wire Uncle Harlan and figured Miss Barstow could accompany me to the telegraph office.  I know she wanted to wire New Orleans.”

“Oh yes!”  Miss Barstow exclaimed.  “I do!”

Ah, touché’.  He was right, that was what was holding her back.  He smiled at the thought and strode over to the threesome.  Summer he noticed was sitting in a chair by the pot bellied stove reading a book.  She smiled at him and winked when he looked her way.  Apparently he must’ve come just in time.  Hi
s mother and Mrs. Quinn were probably driving both Summer and Miss Barstow crazy.

“If you don’t mind mother, we won’t be gone long.  Then you can finish up here.”

His mother sighed in resignation. “Oh very well, but hurry right back!  I suppose Mrs. Quinn and I can start cutting what fabric is needed for the dress.”  She turned to Miss Barstow.  “You said you liked the ivory lace best dear?”

Miss Barstow did her best to peel herself out of her wrappings.  “Yes, that will do nicely.  Thank you Mrs. Riley and I promise I’ll be right back!”

Spencer noted the excitement in her voice and smiled.  He stepped over and began to unwind his future bride.  His mother and Mrs. Quinn had her wrapped up like a mummy.  As soon as he was done, he held his arm out to her.  “Shall we?”

She smiled up at him in
relief, grateful to be free of his mother and Mrs. Quinn for a short while. “Yes!”

He chuckled, then steered her toward the coat rack by the door.  Yes siree, there was no stopping him now
!  He was going to woo the stockings off of his future wife!  By the time they were married she would be in love with him!

Spencer Riley would have it no other way.

Seven

At last!  Elle could finally get a message off to Mrs. Ridgley!  Now all she had to do was wait for a reply and that shouldn’t take more than a few days, could it?

“Did you find everything to your liking?  For the wedding I mean?”

Elle shook herself out of her elated state and looked up at the man she was to marry.  That is with luck and a positive reply from Mrs. Ridgley.  “Yes, thank you for asking.  Your mother certainly does love to put together weddings!”

“You have no idea!  She and Mrs. Quinn have had their hands in more weddings in these parts than I can count.  Now that she has her own family marrying, she’s beside herself.  You should have seen her with
Summer and Clayton’s wedding.”

“I thought she went easy on
Summer.”

“Summer yes, Clayton no.  Ma about drove poor Clayton crazy with her we
dding talk.  It went on for weeks after Summer arrived.  If it hadn’t been for her injury, Ma would’ve got things underway a lot sooner and had them married off well before Christmas.  As it turned out though, things worked out for the best and they were married just after midnight Christmas day.”

“Oh, how romantic!  I didn’t realize they were married around midnight.  I thought it was so
metime late Christmas morning.”

“No
.  They had their wedding and their wedding night all in a matter of hours.”

Elle felt herself blush at his remark.  She knew well what he was saying.  She hadn’t thought about that aspect of marriage since she left New Orleans.  She’d thought about it before though and wondered what things would be like between her husband and herself.  Mrs. Teeters had given her a brief talking to about marital relations, but didn’t give her
any real details.  She figured she was going to have to wait to find out, that is until she discovered Summer was now to be her sister in-law!  When they had some privacy, she’d ask her all about it.

But right now, she had to send that message!  “Thank you so much for taking me with you to the telegraph office.  I know Mrs. Ridgley must be wondering why she hasn’t heard from me since my arrival.”

“I’m sorry for not taking you sooner, but I’ve been pre-occupied with other things,” he said and gave her a pointed look.

Did he mean her?  But then, what else could he mean?  “Oh, I’m sorry if I’ve kept you from your work.”

“What?  Oh no, you mustn’t worry about that.  My wife comes first.  It’s just that … well maybe because I know you arrived safe and sound I wasn’t as adamant about getting word to Mrs. Ridgley.  But then, how is she to know unless you tell her?  I’m sorry I waited this long, it was selfish of me.”

“The important thing is that I’m letting her know.  I suppose a few days delay doesn’t hurt anything.” 
Except that they’ve been like torture!
  She looked up at him and smiled as they approached the telegraph office.

“I should have sent word to Uncle Harlan that his deputy Tom Turner arrived in town as well. I must be more preoccupied than I thought.”

She smiled as they entered the telegraph office but said nothing.  If he had been preoccupied with her this whole time then what must he think of her?  She hadn’t avoided him entirely, that was impossible, but she hadn’t fallen all over his attentions toward her either.  He probably wondered if she was attracted to him at all!  But she couldn’t very well return his attentions until she knew what she was facing.  Wedded bliss? Or the gallows?

What
did
they do to women out west accused of murder?  Oh she couldn’t bear to think of it! 
Be logical Elle!  Self defense!  It was self defense!  The man was coming at them with a gun after all!  He was going to shoot Jethro and …

“What did you want to say?”

Elle jumped.  “OH!” She looked up at him, eyes wide.

His brow furrowed as he quickly studied her.
“What’s wrong?”

“N …
nothing.  Give me a few minutes while you go ahead and send yours first.”

His eyes lingered on her a moment more before he turned to a man sitting behind the
counter and began to tell him the message he wanted sent.

Elle swallowed hard and turned from him as she wracked her brain over what to say that would convey what she so desperately needed to know without asking the obvious.

“Miss Barstow?”

Elle
stiffened.

Spencer put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him.  “Elnora?  May I call you Elnora?  We
are
to be married soon.”

She looked up into his eyes.  He had a starry expression on his face that made her tingle all over.  He was attracted to her that was obvious.  How was she going to keep her heart in check for another
day or two or worse yet, a whole week?  He was handsome and strong, and more importantly, hers!  Oh how she wanted to let her heart fly!  But she didn’t dare, not until she knew she bore no guilt in what happened and found out if Jethro was all right.

“You can call me Elle.  Everyone did at the orphanage.”

“Elle,” he said as if trying it out.  “I like it.  You can send your message now.”

She looked to the man sitting behind the counte
r and swallowed.  She nodded and approached the counter, Spencer right behind her. “Hello,” she said weakly to the man.

“Well?” the man asked impatiently.  “What’s your message?”

“Oh, yes.  My message,” she began with a smile. “To Mrs. Ridgley of the Ridgley Mail Order Bride Service, New Orleans.  I’ve arrived safely. Give Jethro my best regards and tell him thank you.  Please inform me of his welfare.  You can sign it E.B.”

“That’s it?” the man asked.

“Yes,” she told him then turned to Spencer. “That’s not too long is it?”

“No, you’re fine.”  Spencer watched as the man scribbled the message down. “Who is Jethro?”

Elle closed her eyes a brief moment.  She knew he might ask but it couldn’t be helped.  She didn’t know how else to word the message.  She opened her eyes. “He’s one of Mrs. Ridgley’s business associates.  He was kind enough to see me to the train station.  He … he wasn’t feeling very well when I left him.”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear
Mrs. Ridgley sees to every detail.  If anyone else in town is looking for a mail order bride, Clayton and I will definitely recommend her establishment.”

She smiled at him.  “I’m sure she’ll be please
d.  Um … how long do you think before I’ll get a reply?”

“Reply?  To what?”

“The message I’m sending?”

“Oh, that.  Generally a lot of folks don’t reply
at all.  Costs money for one.  But I do recall Clayton hearing back from Mrs. Ridgley when he sent word Summer got here safely enough though I do think he left out the part about shooting her upon her arrival…”

Elle couldn’t help but laugh
at that, albeit a nervous one at best.  She just wanted this whole thing to be done and over with so she could get on with being the mail order bride she was sent here to be.  Easier said than done.  Now she would have to wait.  “How long before he heard from Mrs. Ridgley?  Do you remember?”

“Hmm, l
et me see, maybe a week or two?  To tell you the truth I don’t rightly recall.”

Elle’s heart sank.  How long was she going to have to wait then?  And what happened if she didn’t hear from Mrs. Ridgley at all?  What if she was blamed for the man’s death, if i
ndeed he died? There were so many unanswered questions!  Elle’s stomach knotted and she put a hand to her temple to still the throbbing ache that began every time she thought about the whole big mess.

“Are you all right?” Spencer asked concerned.  He took her by the elbow and steered her to a corner of the telegraph office.  There he turned her to face him and looked down a
t her.  “I’ve noticed something is troubling you ever since you arrived…”

Elle’s eyes widened at his words.  Oh no!  What was she going to tell him?  Wasn’t
not
telling him what was wrong the same as lying?  She supposed that as long as there wasn’t any asking going on then no. But he was asking now …

“I … I’m overwhelmed with … what it took to get here, finding
Summer again …”

“But wasn’t finding Summer a good thing?”

“Oh yes!  Of course it was.  It’s just that …”

“Is it
me, Elle?  Aren’t you happy to be here?”

She looked
into his eyes.  Was he worried she didn’t want to be there?  If she put herself in his place, how would she react to her behavior since her arrival?

Elle moaned at the thought and looked to the floor.

“Miss Barstow, I … Elle … you might as well know the truth.”

Her head snapped up.

“I didn’t send for you.”

Her mouth dropped open like a heavy drawbridge.  “Wha… what?”

He took a deep breath, glanced about and in a low voice said, “I didn’t send away for you, my mother did.”

She backed up a step.  What was he saying?  That he didn’t want her?  That it wasn’t his idea to send away for a mail order bride in the first place? “I don’t understand.”

He closed the distance between them.  “I want nothing but honesty between us.  I’ll not start our marriage out with any thing that might mislead the other.  So with that said, I want you to know the truth.  I didn’t answer the advertisement for a mail order bride and send for you.  My mother did.”

She said nothing.  All she could do was stand and stare at him.  After all she went through to get here, the risk, not knowing if Jethro lived or died, if she had killed a man to protect him … it was all too much.  Her knees gave way and down she went.

“Elle!”  Spencer cried as he caught her halfway down to the floor.  He pulled her into his arms and held her close.  “Elle?”

She didn’t answer, she couldn’t answer.  What was she going to say?  She was suddenly aware her feet no longer touched the ground and realized Spencer was carrying her across the telegraph office to a chair by the pot-bellied stove.  He carefully set her down upon it then took one of her hands in his.  “Elle, are you all right?  Say something!”

She looked at him numbly. If he didn’t send away for her, then what was she doing here?  And why did he want to marry her if he didn’t want a mail order bride in the first place?  What was going on? Was he going to marry her to please his mother?

“Elle, I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.  Let’s go back to the farm, I’ll explain everything.”

“Your mother … Summer …” she said weakly.  “They’re waiting at the mercantile.”

It was all she could manage at the moment as realization began to sink in.  If in reality he didn’t want her and was going to marry her to please his mother, then where did that leave her?  She wanted to have love in a marriage, provided she was able to marry him in the first place what with the mess she was in, but now this? How could things take such a turn?  But wait a minute … if Spencer really wasn’t interested in her, then shouldn’t she go back to New Orleans?  But no, that wasn’t such a good idea ei
ther.  Even if Jethro made a full recovery and the man she shot was also still alive, then where would that leave her?  Right back where she started.  Besides, how was she to get the stage and train fare to make it back?  No, if Spencer Riley truly did not desire her, then how could she marry him?  Instead she’d have to find a way to make it on her own in Nowhere.

“Elle, look at me,” he said as he tucked a finger under her chin and forced her face up to his. “Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying I don’t like you.”

“But you don’t want me either, is that it?”  His words stung.  Why didn’t he bring this up days ago when she first arrived?

“Let’s get back to the others then go home. It will be easier to explain everything with
Summer and Clayton…”

“Sheriff!”

Elle and Spencer both looked up to find Tom Turner the new deputy standing in the doorway of the telegraph office, his face red from exertion. “What is it, Tom?”

“You’d best come quick like.  There’s been an accident.”

“Has anyone gone to fetch Doc Brown?” Spencer asked as he pulled Elle up from the chair, took her by the arm and began to usher her toward the door.

“No sir, on account it
is
Doc Brown!”

Spencer’s eyes became round as saucers. “What?  Are you saying Doc’s been in an accident?”

“Yes sir. We rode out to the Miller place and saw to Mrs. Miller’s youngins’ then on the way back one of the horses threw a shoe.  When Doc and I got down out of the wagon to check on the horse, the darn thing kicked him right in the head!  I got him in the wagon and came straight back to town.  His wife Milly is asking for ya!”

“Oh my Lord!  Did you take him to his place?”

“Yes sir, but I had to ask where it was, I don’t know my way around yet.  Some men folk helped me get him out of the wagon then Milly sent me to fetch ya.  Your ma said I’d find you here.  You’d best hurry!”