The New Year's Bride (Holiday Mail Order Brides Book Two) (4 page)

“Elle?” Summer began. “Are you all right?  You look awful pale all of a sudden.”

Elle swallowed and sunk down onto the bed.  “I’ll be fine, I’m just tired is all.”  Tired was an understatement. Scared out of her wits at the moment was a more apt description.  She looked up at Spencer.  He was staring down at her, his face void of emotion, as if she was just another detail that made up his day.  What would he do if she told him?  Even if the man in New Orleans lived, would the Sheriff of Nowhere still want to marry her knowing she’d shot someone?  Even in self-defense?

She’d gone over it a thousand times
in her head and then some during her long journey out west.  She was sure it could be called self-defense.  But, without any witnesses, Mr. Slade’s man would be calling it something else entirely.  Who would a jury believe? A poor orphan or him?  And what of Jethro?  Was he still alive?

“Do you want some water at least?  I can get some for you.”

Elle looked up at Summer and hardly noticed that she nodded in answer.  Her mind was full of the horrific ordeal that sent her running for her life to the train station that fateful day.  It seemed so long ago, but really wasn’t in the scheme of things.

“Here’s your bag, this is all you brought with you?” Spencer asked, his eyes now filled with something Elle hadn’t noticed before.

She looked up at him and felt the fear in her heart subside.  For a moment she couldn’t speak, but finally said, “Yes, that’s all.  I should rest now.”

“Ok, monkey. You do that.”

She looked at him again, “What did you say?”

He smiled. “Monkey.”

“What … what is that supposed to mean?”

He chuckled again. “I saw the way you scrambled up onto the wagon.  I had no idea you and
Summer knew each other but now I understand why you got so excited.  You reminded me of a monkey when you took off the way you did and climbed up without any help from me.”

“Oh, that,” Elle said as she flushed red with embarrassment. “That wasn’t very lady-like of me, was it?”

“Not really.  Mother is still in shock.  She went straight upstairs, probably to write letters to our other relatives to let them know you’ve arrived.”

“And tell them I’m a monkey?”

He smiled. “No, that’s my name for you.”

Summer shook her head. “
Let Elle get some rest,” she said then turned to Elle.  “You’ll get used to the Riley sense of humor, it takes awhile, but trust me, you
will
get used to it.”

Elle smiled and took one of
Summer’s hands in her own. “I’m glad I’ve found you again.  It’s more than I could have hoped for.”

Summer sat on the bed and hugged her.  “I’
ve been blessed with a wonderful husband, a new family, and now my best friend. Life couldn’t have become more perfect than it is right now.  I’m so glad you’re here!”

Elle felt the hot sting of tears threaten.  “Me too.”

The only question was, how long would she be there to enjoy it?

Four

Sleep didn’t come as easy
as Elle had hoped.  Her mind was spinning with thoughts of being thrown into jail by Spencer Riley, of Summer’s horrified expression if she told her what happened, and of the look of utter disappointment on Mrs. Riley’s face to find the mail order bride she sent away for turned out to be far from the lady she expected.

That is, if they ever found out.

But Elle was more determined than ever that they wouldn’t.  At least not until she herself knew what happened.  Tomorrow she’d ask Spencer to take her to town to wire Mrs. Ridgley.  Within a few days she was sure she’d have an answer.  She’d worry about it all then.  If this kept up she’d never get any sleep and would be poor company when it came time for dinner.

Speaking of which, she could smell fried chicken and the heavenly scent of biscuits baking in the oven. She should ge
t up and help Summer prepare the meal, especially since the poor girl had an injured foot.  Now
that
was one story she had to hear!  How in Heaven’s name did it happen?

She found
Summer at the stove poking into a pot of boiling potatoes. “Can I help?”

Summer jumped. “Oh! My goodness I didn’t hear you come up behind me!  I forgot how quiet you are on your feet!”

Elle smiled and shrugged.  “Sorry, I guess I’m so used to tip-toeing around the orphanage that it’s going to be a hard habit to break.”

Summer laughed.  “You never know when it might c
ome in handy around here.  It might be fun to pull a few pranks on Clayton and Spencer.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that …” Elle began.

“Don’t worry, we’ll wait until after you and Spencer are married.”

Elle said nothing in response.  Would they
ever get married?  She honestly didn’t know. But, on the chance they did …

“Tell me about him,” Elle asked.  “About Spencer.”

“You didn’t get a letter from him?”

“No, only a short note he added when he answered the advertisement.”

Summer turned from her and took a couple of dishrags from the worktable. “Oh, that.  Yes, well …”

“If he did send along a
nother letter I never got it.  Mrs. Ridgley told me she contacted Mrs. Teeters about Mr. Riley’s application the same day she received it. When Mrs. Teeters told me about it, she said I could have a little time to decide what I wanted to do.  I liked what he wrote in his short note and the very next day Mrs. Teeters insisted I come out west.  So, I figured if it was good enough for you then it was good enough for me. I wrote Mr. Riley a letter telling him about myself and then Mrs. Ridgley sent it off with the contract.  Now here I am.”

Summer closed her eyes and gripped the back of one of the kitchen chairs.  “Things are worse than when I left.”

“Mrs. Teeters didn’t even give me a chance to find a job.”

Summer turned to her. “That’s because she knows there are none to be found,” she said then grabbed Elle to her in a fierce hug.  “Thank the Lord Spencer was the only one to answer t
he advertisement!  If he hadn’t and there were other men who did, God only knows where you might have ended up!”

“And we never would have seen each other again…” Elle said, her voice trailing off with the thought.  In fact,
the more she thought about everything, even with what happened when she left, finding Summer again was a pure miracle!

“I shall thank the Lord daily for this!” she whispered in
Summer’s ear, hugged her, then backed out of her dear friend’s embrace.

“As will I,”
Summer said as she wiped a tear from her eye.  “Now, let’s see to dinner.  The men will be hungry when they return home.”

“Isn’t Clayton already home?”

“No.  Spencer left shortly after you laid down to rest.  I’ve not seen either one of them since.  Mother should be down soon.  She’s upstairs writing letters.”

“Still?”

“Well, this is big news.  She did the same thing when I arrived only I didn’t realize it.  I was too busy trying to figure out how to walk.”

“Oh, yes, your foot.  How did that happen?”

Summer laughed.  “Clayton shot me right after I got off the stage.”

“Oh good Lord!”

Summer laughed again as she reached again for the folded dishrags and opened the oven.  “Yes, it’s quite funny now, but it wasn’t at the time.”  She took out the biscuits and set the pan on the nearby worktable. “Suffice to say, if Clayton hadn’t shot me, I might not be here.”

Elle could only smile.  “Oh I can’t wait to hear this.”

“I’ll tell you all about when we have more time. I’m sure you’ll be beside yourself with laughter when you hear the story.  In the mean time, help me with the potatoes will you?”

Elle helped
Summer finish preparing the evening meal.  She worried the men wouldn’t be home in time to eat while the food was hot, but no sooner did they have everything ready, Spencer and Clayton came through the front door.  And they weren’t alone.

“Oh what a delightful surprise!” Mrs. Riley exclaimed as she came down the stairs.  “Mr. Turner!”

Thomas Turner smiled at her and removed his hat. “Evening, ma’am.”

“We thought Mr. Turner could do with a home cooked meal.  We’ve arranged for him to stay out at Billy’s place until he gets a place of his own,” Spencer told her.

Summer and Elle came down the hall to greet them.  Elle almost flinched at the pinch of envy she felt when Clayton took Summer into his arms, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered in her ear.  She stole a glance at Spencer but he was busy hanging up his coat.  Just as well, she might never know what it would be like to be embraced so warmly and kissed, nor have a handsome man whisper secrets in her ear.  But, she was the one with the secret, not Spencer.  She could just imagine the look in his face were she to whisper her secret lovingly into
his
ear!

Elle unconsciously cleared her throat at the thought and turned back to the kitchen. She had to stay calm and keep herself from thinking the worst unless the facts of the matter called for it.  And right now, she was blind to those facts.  In the mean time, she might as well enjoy her time with
Summer and get to know her future husband.  At least a little, just in case …

In case what?  She thought as Spencer pulled a chair out for her at the dining room table.  In case she was to marry him?  Or in case she couldn’t?  Which was it going to be?  Un
til she heard from Mrs. Ridgley she had no idea.  However, getting to know Spencer Riley “a little” would serve either way.  If she was to marry him she had a head start on getting to know him.  If, on the other hand, he arrested her and threw her in a jail cell, she wouldn’t be stuck with the shame of
that
spectacle
and
a broken heart!

Logical. Yes, that’s what it was.  Logical
.  And logical is how she would remain until she heard from Mrs. Ridgley.

But sometim
es, the best plans often go awry.

* * *

“Well, what do you think?” Clayton asked as they fed their horses after supper.

Spencer tossed hay into his horse’s stall.  “She was pretty quiet tonight.  Paid more attention to Summer than to me.”

“She knows
Summer, they were in the orphanage together.  It’s only natural she’d be excited to see her and get reacquainted.”

“She didn’t come all the way out here to marry
Summer.  She came out here to marry me.”

“You worry too much little brother.”

“That’s because I have something to worry about.  I envisioned all sorts of things I might find wrong with her that would give me an excuse to send her back, especially since I’m not the one that sent for her in the first place.  I didn’t count on the possibility … OK, so maybe I thought on it, but didn’t
count
on the possibility that I might be a disappointment to
her
.”

“What?” Clayton exclaimed as he plunged the pitchfork he was using into a pile of hay. “Spence, what are you saying?”

Spencer sighed. “I don’t think she’s too impressed with me.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!  Of course she’s impressed with you.  Why else would she have travelled all this way?”

“Because she had to?”

“Spencer, you’re imagining things. Give her some time.  I’m sure that as soon as Miss Barstow and
Summer have had a chance to reconnect, she’ll have her eye on you.”

“I don’t know about that, she seemed more interested in our new deputy Tom Turner than in me at supper.  In fact she hardly said two words to me, but listened to everything
he
had to say…”

“
Everyone
was listening to what he had to say.  Any story out of Clear Creek is … well … different.  But that’s beside the point.  I’m sure you’re more interesting to Miss Barstow than stories of Dukes and Princesses and whatever else goes on in Uncle Harlan’s town.”

Spencer tossed his pitch
fork into the hay pile next to Clayton’s.  “I guess you’re right.  I can’t expect her to fawn all over me the first day.”  He turned to his brother. “I’ll give her until tomorrow to do it.”

Clayton laughed, slapped him on the back, and putting his arm around him,
walked his brother out of the barn and back to the house.  Perhaps all Spencer needed was a little shove when it came to wooing the fair maid of the mail.

* * *

The next day Summer showed Elle around the farm.  Or in this case, the house and the barnyard.  Elle helped her feed the chickens, water the cows, or rather break the ice in their troughs, and various other daily duties that needed to be tended to.  The heavier work Clayton would see to, some of which Spencer would also help with whenever he had time.

“Do you like it here?” Elle asked.

“Oh yes, I love it!” Summer said. “The fresh air, the fields and orchards. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in the spring when the apple blossoms are out.”

“I’m sure it will be quite beautiful,” Elle said as she twisted a piece of hay in her fingers.

“What’s the matter? I know that look.”

Elle
looked up at her friend. “I … oh nothing’s the matter.  I’m feeling overwhelmed I guess.  It’s a lot to take in.”

“You … you do like Spencer don’t you?”

Elle tried to remain neutral in any feelings she may have, which unfortunately
did
exist.  How could they not?  Every time she looked at Spencer Riley her heart did a flip.  Did the man have to be so handsome?  Last night at supper she did her best to avoid becoming too entranced with him, and so focused all her attention on Mr. Turner.  His stories were intriguing though a bit far-fetched and she wasn’t sure she believed half of what he said about his hometown of Clear Creek.  But at least his tall tales kept her from staring all moon-eyed at Spencer Riley for half the night!

“You’ll like Spencer once you get to know him.” Summer said, pulling from her thoughts.

“Oh, I’m sure I will.”
“Elle, what’s wrong?  I know something’s bothering you. You’re not the same.”

Elle turned from
Summer so she couldn’t see her face while the heat of shame crept into her cheeks.  She needed to get to town and send that message!  “You haven’t seen me in awhile.  Of course I’m not the same.”

“It hasn’t been that long, only a few months.  You can’t have changed much in so little a time.”

Elle faced her again. “I keep thinking about the others, the ones left behind at the orphanage.  Among other things …”

“I think about them too, but there’s nothing to be done about it now.  No one has a birthday coming up
do they?”

“Yes, Sequoia. Sequoia Rose, remember her?”

“Isn’t she the one that came from the other orphanage, the one that burned down?”

“Yes, the girl who never talks to anyone.”

“She’s a strange one, but a hard worker, and Mrs. Teeters adores her. I hope she and Mrs. Ridgley are able to find her a husband somewhere.”

Elle nodded sagely.  All they could do for their fellow orphans was hope and
pray they were as blessed as Summer had been.  Elle couldn’t say she was blessed as yet.  “I really ought to get word to Mrs. Ridgley that I’ve arrived safely.  I’m sure she’ll want to know.”

“Yes, you’re right.  We’ll tell Spencer tonight when he comes home.  I’m sure Clayton wouldn’t mind taking us to town tomorrow
.  I need a few things from Quinn’s mercantile and Mrs. Quinn should have her new fabrics in.  We need to hurry and make your wedding dress!”