A Fearless Bride for a Wounded Rancher Read online

  * * *

  “Don’t say that, Scott.”

  * * *

  “Why not? I mean it. Lately, I’ve been thinking of leaving the area. It might be better for me if I wasn’t acquainted with the people in town. Any town. Can you understand that? I might never be ready to talk to them. Ever. I can’t take it when they don’t know where to look.

  * * *

  “When the ladies pull their children to the side, or if someone introduces me to a young lady and I see her eyes go wide in disbelief. And then I see those eyes look everywhere but at me. Or there is the occasional person who stares without caring how that makes me feel. I ask you, where is the enjoyment in that?”

  * * *

  “But Scott…”

  * * *

  “Meeting people is something you do well, Ephraim. I was never a very social person.”

  * * *

  “I know that. That’s why I was so happy when you and Annie...well, never mind.”

  * * *

  “Annie and me? She was a fiery girl. Some folks thought she ran me down. I suppose she did. Wouldn’t take no for an answer, that’s for sure.” Scott’s face softened with the memory of the woman he’d almost married.

  * * *

  “Do you believe she was the only woman who ever went after what she wanted?”

  * * *

  “I don’t. But I don’t believe women like Annie, women with the kind of temperament she had, are as common as the more, for lack of a better word, timid ones. And let’s face it, Ephraim. Who knows how Annie would have responded to this.” He gestured toward his face.

  * * *

  “She loved you, Scott. She got herself in a heap of trouble with her father running after you the way she did. He was threatening to send her away to school in New York! If you hadn’t proposed when you did, I don’t know what would have happened.”

  * * *

  “Annie would be alive.”

  * * *

  “Scott! What are you saying? You can’t do that to yourself.”

  * * *

  “It’s the truth, Ephraim. If I never asked Annie to marry me, she would be alive. Wayne Bixby took her, kidnapped her, to get to me. She was the only thing in my life that mattered. And he knew it. Now he’s in the state pen and I’m in a prison of my own.” Scott’s eyes narrowed and he took on a faraway look. “If I ever see Wayne Bixby again I swear, as God as my witness, I’ll kill him.”

  * * *

  “That’s enough, Scott. I didn’t mean to upset you like this. Let’s drop it.”

  * * *

  “You don’t want me to go on? You don’t want to hear about how easy things are in my life? How my ravaged face draws the women to me?”

  * * *

  “I’m sorry.”

  * * *

  “They want a handsome husband. First rich, then handsome. While my bank account is sufficient, my physical looks are sorely lacking. So, I ask you, how could I ever entertain the idea of inviting a woman to Fable Springs to share this life with me?”

  * * *

  “You have so many good qualities. Not all women want a man with looks. Wilfred Morganstern is a case in point. And he’s married.”

  * * *

  “That is true, Ephraim.” Wilfred had a good heart and that was lucky because saying he was plain was being right generous. “But how do you think a woman would react to stepping off the train and seeing me? If I told her previously in a letter about my injury she would not write back. It would be a cruel joke to lure a young lady here with the promise of marriage and children, with the fulfillment of some of her dreams, only to show her what the reality is.”

  * * *

  “What if you were to have a photograph done?”

  * * *

  Scott chuckled. “No one can ever accuse you of giving up easily, my friend. But now you’re stepping into dangerous territory, Ephraim. I appreciate your effort in this, but I’m not putting an advertisement in any marriage periodical. Is that clear? This conversation is over.”

  * * *

  “Will you accept my apology, Scott? It wasn’t my intention to upset you in any way, although I knew this conversation would most likely do that. It’s just that...well, I don’t like it, Scott. You’re wasting your life. You deserve so much more than this lonely existence you’ve been living.” Ephraim took his watch out of his vest pocket.

  * * *

  “Look, I have to go now. Church is in ten minutes. Are you sure I can’t convince you to join me? The pastor would be pleased to see you there. And we can sit in the back. Just make an appearance, Scott. Make a little bit of an effort in that direction. It’ll do you good to get away from this place for a little while.”

  * * *

  “Of course, I accept your apology, Ephraim. I know there’s not a way you can understand how I feel. But I’m not going to change my mind. I thank you, but I’m not going to Church today. I know you have my best interests at heart, I really do, and it does mean a lot to me But my mind is made up.”

  * * *

  “Well if you know I have your best interests at heart, then think about a mail order bride, will you? Just think about it. It might be the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  * * *

  Scott laughed in spite of himself and jokingly waved Ephraim away toward his horse at the gate. He watched as his friend rode off.

  * * *

  A mail order bride. He’d never heard of anything so ridiculous.

  3

  “Good bye, Miss Andrews,” the children said as they shuffled out of the schoolhouse. “See you tomorrow.”

  * * *

  “Bye-bye children, If it doesn’t rain tomorrow we’ll take an afternoon walk in the woods. Who wants to identify some trees?”

  * * *

  “We do, Miss Andrews.”

  * * *

  “Yes, I do!”

  * * *

  “I want to go walking, Miss Andrews.”

  * * *

  She smiled. “Ok. Tomorrow, then.”

  * * *

  She closed the door behind them. She had seventeen students, ranging in age from seven to thirteen. Most of the older kids had to work on the ranches and farms. Mae tried to teach the children as much as she could before they had to leave her each year.

  * * *

  Mae loved her job. She thrived on teaching and wished there was a way she could give every child a full education. To her there was nothing like the looks of wonder that showed on the faces of the boys and girls when they solved a problem or understood a new word. Learning was fun and Mae went out of her way to show her students just how fun it was.

  * * *

  There were games to teach arithmetic, songs to remember events in history, and spelling bees to remember words. The children put on concerts for their parents. Mae had an assortment of water colors, a blackboard, and a real standing abacus all the way from Richmond.

  * * *

  Mae wanted her students to love learning as much as she did and so her schoolroom was full of joy, awe, and trusting questions. But, inevitably it came to an end much too soon for Mae.

  * * *

  The last of the kids had left the schoolyard. The big blackboard was clean and Mae collected the slates from the desks to wash and stack for the morning. As she worked, the episode with Bill and Andrew Masters that morning wouldn’t leave her mind. In fact, it had come to mind a number of times during the day. And it angered her.

  * * *

  Mae had found Bill’s behavior to be more than annoying. All the man wanted was a pretty wife on his arm. A beautiful prize to show off. As if somehow having a pretty wife made up for his lack of manners.

  * * *

  Bill Masters cared nothing about the books Mae read, or what her favorite color was. Or her favorite food. Why was it that people were so worried about physical looks? She could never understand it. Her mind, her sense of humor...her personality seemed not to matter to Bill at all.

&
nbsp; * * *

  Who she really was didn’t seem to matter to any of the men in Havenshire, come to think of it. Certainly none of those things were in the mix when it came to Bill’s opinion of her.

  * * *

  She tried to put her anguish out of her mind. It was only a waste of time to think she could, somehow, remedy how others thought and acted. The men of Havenshire were not her students. Fresh, clear minds to be filled with a multitude of ideas and knowledge. They were concerned with making money and having big houses.

  * * *

  Mae sighed and swept the school room floor as usual.. She banked the fire in the stove then took a last look around the room before leaving. It was still early in the day. School let out at two o’clock. Some of the kids got a few hours of work in the fields afterward.

  * * *

  When Mae got home, she had a lot of chores around the farm. Just because she went to work and basically supported her family of five, didn’t mean chores at home were ruled out for her. She pulled her weight in the fields alongside her family like she always had.

  * * *

  Outside the schoolhouse, Mae saddled her horse and mounted for the ride home. The day had warmed up some but the sun never quite came out. Even so, it was a little brighter until she got to the woods. Dim quiet filtered through the trees. The path through the wet woods looked like one that led to a magical wonderland.

  * * *

  Mae rode slowly, enjoying the otherworldly feel of the woods. It wasn’t long before the farm came into view. May noticed someone at the kitchen window and when she got closer she saw it was her father. That was odd. Why wasn’t he out in the fields with her brothers? Hoping nothing was wrong, but still fighting a slight sense of dread, she picked up the horse’s pace.

  * * *

  At the house, she hopped down to tie the filly to the fence outside the house. She noticed the figure inside had moved from the window and as Mae approached the house, the door flew open. Her father stood there.

  * * *

  She stepped back, startled. “Hello, Papa. Why are you home? Is Mama alright?”

  * * *

  “Hurry and come in, Mae. There’s something very important I need to talk to you about.”

  * * *

  Mae wondered what her father was so intent on but reckoned she’d find out soon enough. She walked into the house. Her mother and sister sat at the kitchen table. How odd.

  * * *

  “Howdy, Mama, Sarah. Is everything alright?” She could not for the life of her figure out what was going on. Why did everyone seem so nervous? Or worried?

  * * *

  “Have a seat, Mae.” Mr. Andrews went to the head of the table where his chair was and sat. He didn’t say anything and a full minute went by.

  * * *

  “Papa? What is it? Is everything alright?” she asked anxiously. “Mama? Tell me, will you. Her parents seemed to be on edge. She glanced around the room. “Where are the boys? And Nancy? Where are they? Did something happen?”

  * * *

  “No, no. Don’t worry, Mae. Everyone is fine. Your brothers are in the fields. Nancy is at the Johansen’s helping out. But, uh, I had a visitor today. I think you ought to know about it. The man raised some very good points. And I believe this family has the opportunity to be raised up a little more.”

  * * *

  “Is that so? It sounds interesting. Who was your visitor, Papa? I’d like to hear what he had to say.” She wanted to ask why the mysterious visitor’s words seemed to have something to do with her. She kept quiet though, and waited.

  * * *

  “My visitor was Bill Masters.”

  * * *

  Mae’s stomach fell. Bill! She should have known that he would cause some kind of trouble after the way he’d acted that morning. She made a face.

  * * *

  “Now don’t go and get all upset, Mae. Listen to what the man had to say.”

  * * *

  “Bill Masters! I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not. What did Bill have to say? Has he taken up his campaign to court me? Again? I’ve told him numerous times that I’m not interested in being courted by anyone. He refuses to acknowledge my words. And on the rare occasions when someone has only just spoken to me, Bill Masters has seen fit to chase whoever it is away.”

  * * *

  Mr. Andrews didn’t answer right away, but Mae didn’t notice, so busy was she with her tirade.

  * * *

  “Bill is full of himself. He only wants me because he can’t have me. And, well, he thinks I’m beautiful. Ask him if he knows anything else about me. I guarantee you he does not.”

  * * *

  Her father still didn’t say anything and the pit in Mae’s stomach intensified. “Papa?”

  * * *

  “I’m only asking you to listen, Mae.”

  * * *

  “I don’t want to be courted by him. Oh, please, Papa. Don’t make me.”

  * * *

  Mr. Andrews sighed. “Bill came here today. He had dinner with your mother and me. He came here to...well, not to ask if he could court you.”

  * * *

  “Well then that’s that. There’s nothing else that has anything to do with me.”

  * * *

  “Bill asked for our blessing to marry you, Mae, I happen to know he’s had his eye on you for quite some time. I have to say I haven’t seen anyone else vying for your attention, Mae.”

  * * *

  Mae started laughing. “Oh, Bill Masters came here to see you about marrying me. I thought something was wrong. Yes, I saw Bill this morning. He made it clear he’s interested in furthering our relationship, as if we have any kind of relationship. I didn’t think he’d take it so far, mind you, but again I suppose I’m not surprised.” She sat down at the table and laughed some more as she reached for the tea pot.

  * * *

  “I gave my blessing.”

  * * *

  Mae stopped in mid motion. Had she just heard right? No, it couldn’t be. “What do you mean you...gave your blessing? It’s all a joke, Papa.”

  * * *

  “No. It’s not a joke. Bill Masters wants to marry you. I told him I gave my permission and blessing to the two of you. I told him you would marry him.”

  * * *

  “You told him...Papa! I have no interest in marrying Bill Masters. I’m twenty-five years old. I’m not a girl. I’ve made it very clear to Bill that I don’t want anything to do with him. Nothing.”

  * * *

  “I reckon that’s why he came to me, Mae. And as your father, it’s my duty to see that you’re taken care of. Now don’t be upset. If you think of it in practical terms, Bill Masters can take care of you. He can take care of us all.”

  * * *

  “In other words you’ve sold me to the highest bidder. Papa, I’m appalled.”

  * * *

  “Mae, I’ve sold you to the only bidder. You know it’s your duty. You’re the oldest. As the oldest child, if you were a young man you’d have to go out to work.”

  * * *

  “But I’ve done that already, Papa. I’ve worked at the school for almost five years. How can you deny that the money I’ve made teaching put the new roof on the house last summer? Or the new plow you ordered last winter for the spring planting? I think I’ve done my duty. Why can’t things just continue on as they’ve been? My salary from teaching has served us all very well. When Nancy finds work as a domestic and Sarah finds a husband everything will change. And in no time at all. Why must I marry? And Bill Masters of all people? If things go on as they are, I can teach for twenty years, Papa. I can take care of you and Mama when you get old.”

  * * *

  “I’m not denying that we’ve all done well as a result of your job at the schoolhouse. And your mother and I, all of us have gained from everything you’ve done to help us, Mae. No one is more grateful than me for what you’ve done. But here is a situation that will make all of our live
s much easier.”