Chapter Four
“Rattleridge!”
The sound of an unfamiliar male voice nudged Amelia from her sleep but didn’t fully wake her. She was so tired from her journey and the restless night before, that all she wanted to do was sleep.
“Miss?” a female voice called from beside her. “Miss?”
Amelia forced her eyes opened, turned to the woman and frowned. She was older than Amelia, but not by much. Her name was Florence Crest, and like Amelia, she was on her way to Rattleridge to be married. The two women became acquainted on their trip before sleep had claimed Amelia and ended their conversation.
“We’re here,” she said with a bright smile. “Get your bag. We have to get off.”
Amelia felt a little disoriented at the sudden intrusion to her sleep, but she did as Florence instructed her. She followed the young woman from the train and thanked the conductor as she passed him on the stair. She never dreamed a train could be so entertaining, or loud. The first time the whistle blew, she almost jumped her out of her skin. It was also a long one, several hours had passed since their last stop and Amelia was feeling it keenly.
The trip from Colverton to Rattleridge was almost two full days.
Amelia stepped off the stair onto the platform, as steam ejected from beneath the train and surrounded them in a cloud of white. She didn’t know what to expect of Rattleridge. Oliver had described it to her in his letters, but still, it was hard to put together a clear picture in her mind. The first thing that struck her was how much larger the town was than Thinvale, though still small in comparison to most well-established towns.
“Do you see him?” Florence questioned. Her long neck craned upward as she tried to peer down the platform.
Amelia followed suit. “No,” she replied with some disappointment. Oliver said he would send his man, Melvin Kaley, to collect her.
Florence looked at her watch. She had one of the new wristwatches similar to one the mayor’s wife owned. It was expensive and far beyond what Amelia could afford.
She has so much yet she’s coming to Rattleridge to find a husband? I guess husbands aren’t as easily available as watches where she’s from.
Shortly after, a tall, handsome man with a long, thick beard, expensive clothes, and a fine top hat met Florence. He took the other woman’s hand, bowed to it, and then placed a chaste kiss upon her knuckles. Amelia tried not to gawk at him, but he seemed rather out of place for a town such as Rattleridge. Florence, however, seemed to think his appearance quite normal as she greeted him without the slightest hint of wonder.
“Amelia,” Florence called as she and the gentleman walked over to her. “I would like you to meet my fiancé, Archibald Hippolyte the Third.”
“How do you do, Madam?” Archibald greeted her in a thick, British accent, as he bowed to her. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Amelia was momentarily speechless, but eventually, she found her voice. “How do you do? The pleasure is all mine.”
Archibald smiled at her. “I hope we will see much of each other. You seemed to have found a place with my Florence.”
Amelia turned to Florence who was smiling brightly. “I only told Archibald a small bit about you. He was very pleased to hear that we were both getting married, and had found companionship on the trip over.”
“It was quite providential,” Archibald agreed. He looked around him. “Is your fiancé here?”
Amelia once again looked for Oliver’s man. There was no sign of him. “No. I don’t see his man.” She chuckled lightly, “Though I really don’t know what he looks like. He’s supposed to be looking for me.”
“We will wait with you,” Archibald offered. “I am sure he is only delayed.”
“Do you have the time?” she asked. Oliver promised he would be there when she arrived.
“It’s two o’clock,” Florence replied with a smile. “We were right on time.”
“On time?” Amelia asked confused. “I thought we were to be here for three o’clock? I was sure that’s what it said on the board at the station in Colverton.”
“No, that was the old route. Did the stationmaster tell you? He told me. They laid new tracks down to make the trip shorter. This was the first voyage on the new line,” Florence informed her.
Amelia marveled. There was a new line and she had never traveled on the old. It was amazing how much could happen and change and one never be the wiser for it.
Florence looked at her curiously. “Would your fiancé be looking for you at a later time?”
Amelia considered it. “He might be,” she answered. It would explain why he had yet to appear to meet her.
“That’s it then, we shall wait,” Archibald insisted. “We have plenty of time. The ceremony isn’t supposed to begin until three-thirty.”
“No,” Amelia replied politely. “I could not ask you to.”
“You did not ask,” the man replied with a smile. “It was an offer.”
Amelia appreciated the kind gesture, but she did not want to inconvenience them in any way. Florence had traveled as long as she had to meet her fiancé, she could hardly wish to spend a moment more in shared company when she could be with him, especially before her wedding. Amelia was sure that Florence would appreciate the time to freshen up before their nuptials.
“I cannot allow you to stay,” Amelia continued. “Florence has traveled a long way, and you have waited a long time to be together. I would feel guilty to delay your wedding. Please, go along. I will be fine right here until Oliver’s man comes.”
Florence reached out and took her hand gently. “Amelia, it is quite all right. I would not feel comfortable to leave you alone here.”
“I am not alone,” she replied. “There are plenty of people here to keep me company, and I am sure it will not be long. Please,” she insisted. “Go on. Enjoy your wedding day. You’ve waited a long time for it, and I will hope to meet again once we are both settled.”
Florence turned a hesitant gaze to her fiancé. Archibald nodded silently and then turned his attention back to Amelia. “Very well. If you insist, then we will leave you, but only on the condition that you come to visit us at the hotel as soon as you are settled.”
Amelia smiled and held out her hand. “Agreed!”
Archibald took her hand and shook it. “I look forward to having you and your husband join us. The hotel is the best in this area. You need only ask for me when you arrive and you will be shown to the best,” he informed her. “I am the owner and my friends get certain benefits.”
Amelia’s eyes widened at the news. Was that what she had become? His friend? She had never made a friend so quickly before, especially one who owned such impressive property. It took her by surprise, still, she mustered the appropriate response. “Thank you. My husband and I would love to join you.”
“Wonderful!” Archibald declared. “Until then.”
Amelia watched as Archibald bowed his head to her once more, before taking Florence’s arm and hooking it in his own.
“Until we see each other again,” Florence added as they turned to leave. It was only then that Amelia noticed the man following them. He was expensively dressed, but not as much as Archibald was. His clothes and hair were black and he was clean-shaven. He beckoned to the porter who was carrying a stack of trunks on a trolley and the group disappeared down the platform.
Amelia was still thinking of her interesting new friends an hour later. Melvin had yet to arrive and she was beginning to feel anxious. What could have kept him? He said someone would be there. Half an hour later, she was still there and there was hardly anyone about.
If Oliver or Melvin was not going to come to her, then Amelia would go to him. Something must have happened for him to be so late. She could not imagine that he would have forgotten her. In either case, she could not stay at the station indefinitely, and if Archibald’s hotel was as lavish in appearance as its owner, she could not afford to stay in such a place, even overnight. She had to find her
way to Oliver’s ranch on her own.
Amelia found the sheriff's station easily. The town was larger than Thinvale but was organized much better. Everything had large, clear signs, and she was soon able to find what she was looking for.
“May I help you?” a burly looking man with a gold star on his chest asked as she walked into the room.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. I’m new in town and I’m trying to find my way to the Gyles ranch. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction?”
The man looked at her curiously. “I’m Sheriff Manchester,” the man stated. “What business have you at the Gyles’ place?”
Amelia swallowed as her heart began to beat a little faster. “I’m Oliver Gyles’ fiancée,” she informed him. “He was supposed to have someone meet me, but I haven’t seen anyone arrive, so I hoped I could get there on my own. Is it far?”
The sheriff raised his brows at her as he listened silently. “You’re Oliver’s fiancée you say?”
“Yes,” Amelia answered.
A small smile spread across the man’s face as he looked at her. “The sly dog didn’t even say anything, but he is the type who likes to keep to himself, being all the way out there near Hidden Lake.”
“Hidden Lake?”
“That’s where the ranch is. It’s a few miles from the lake and the Rocky Mountains. It’s more than a little walk away.”
Amelia looked at the sheriff disheartened. She hoped the ranch was near enough that she could walk, even if it took her a while.
“I have to go out that way,” the sheriff informed her. “I can take you if you’d like.”
“Would you?” Amelia asked eagerly. “I can pay you for your trouble.”
Sheriff Manchester raised a large hand at her. “No need for that. You wait out front and I’ll bring a horse around for you. I don’t have a wagon, so I hope you can ride.”
Amelia smiled. “I was riding horses long before I knew how to hook a wagon,” she replied.
“Good then, we won’t have any trouble on the ride there.”
* * *
Oliver woke before dawn. His day always allowed him to enjoy the sunrise, and he liked to be done in time to watch it set. It was a little pleasure of his and one he liked to enjoy as often as he could.
Glenore was his pride and joy, and it was never a task for him to wake early, and build the ranch, which had been his father’s dream. It was named after his mother, which only made it mean that much more. He got right to work.
The day was turning out to be a productive one, and Oliver was glad for it. There was a lot to do on the ranch and it was only him and Melvin to work the land. Glenore was transformed from the small ranch it was three years before, to a sprawling homestead of several acres. It was a property that needed a lot of care, but Oliver didn’t trust anyone to work it but Melvin and himself. Only during the harvest season did he hire more hands to bring in the crops from the fields, but he and Melvin took care of the cattle. Melvin kept telling him that they needed more hands, but Oliver refused.
That morning he woke early to deal with the animals while Melvin checked the crops. Once the cows were milked, the eggs collected, the pigs fed, and the horses brushed, Oliver moved his work from the animals to maintenance. Winter was a few months away and a property such as Glenore required a lot of heat to keep it warm. He wasn’t going to wait until winter to get it done, but first, he needed to check the shingles on the roof.
Oliver finished the repairs to the roof by mid-morning and moved on to chopping wood. He swung the ax high into the air and brought it down in the thick piece of log, splitting it in two. Oliver stacked the pieces neatly in the pile and grabbed another log to chop.
“Oliver!” Melvin called from behind him.
“Yeah?” Oliver answered, as he stopped working to look in his friend’s direction.
Melvin strode toward him. Oliver smiled. His old friend had changed little in the years since his father passed. He was still wiry, though his hair had thinned some and it was greyer than it used to be. He pulled on his suspenders as he walked.
“What’re you doin’ today?” he asked as he got close.
Oliver took a deep breath. “I’m gonna work on the logs for winter. That will take me a few hours, at least. I’ve got a whole bunch of them waiting to be chopped up and stacked. I may take a break, go check on the cattle in the west field, and then finish. After that, I’ll just work on dinner and bed. Start all over again tomorrow,” he said with a smirk.
Melvin nodded. “All right,” he stated. “Then I’ll go into town to sell the vegetables from the garden.”
Oliver and Melvin couldn’t manage a large vegetable garden, but the small one they had was enough to supply their needs and then some. Whatever was left over, Oliver or Melvin would sell in town to add to their income.
“Sounds good,” Oliver replied. “It will save me a trip tomorrow.” He liked to plan ahead and already had his chores for the entire week organized. He couldn’t afford to be haphazard about things with as much as he had to do. He had to be precise and keep things to a schedule or else things could too easily become overwhelming.
“Good,” Melvin said with a smile. “I’ll be getting on then.”
“Check with Boudry and see if that order of nails is in.”
“All right!” Melvin called back to him without looking around.
Oliver got back to work. He finished his first round of log chopping before moving on to deal with the cattle.
The Gyles ranch had over one hundred head of longhorn cattle that Oliver kept pastured most of the day and sometimes overnight. He walked to the barn and saddled his horse, then walked Brigand out of the barn and climbed onto his back to find where the cattle were roaming in the west field.
There was nothing like sitting in the saddle, high above the valley, and watching your cattle as they roamed the field. He smiled broadly, as he gazed down at them from the ridge.
He sat watching the animals, and his mind wandered to thoughts of his father. This was what his old man had always wished for them. He wanted to turn Glenore into the best ranch in all of Rattleridge, and Oliver had done his best to do just that. It wasn’t easy. It took him a long time to recover after his injuries of that night, but once he was healed, his sole focus was on building back what had been taken from him. He couldn’t bring his father back. He couldn’t give him life again, but he could make his dream a reality. His father could live on in that.
Sometimes, Oliver thought of the other things there were in life, beside Glenore. There were the things that most men wanted; a wife and family, but he convinced himself that it wasn’t for him. That he didn’t want them. Sometimes, he wondered if that was true or whether it was something he told himself to make each day without it easier. He wasn’t sure, and he wasn’t going to waste time trying to figure it out. There was still too much for him to do, and time was precious.
Want to know how the story ends? Tap on the link below to read the rest of the story.
https://amzn.to/33ATFQX
Thank you very much!
Also by Cassidy Hanton
Thank you for reading The Cowboy’s Stolen Bride!
I really hope you liked reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? It would mean the world to me. Reviews are very important and allow me to keep writing the books that you love to read! ♥
Some other best sellers of mine:
For the Love of a Wounded Cowboy
A Western Tale of Love and Fate!
The Salvation of a Runaway Bride
The Sheriff’s Rebellious Bride
Loving a Forbidden Bride
An Unconventional Bride for the Rancher
Also, if you liked this book, you can also check out my full Amazon Book Catalogue HERE.
Thank you for being part of my journey!
Cassidy
About the Author
Born overlooking the Je
fferson river in Montana, Cassidy Hanton has always been attracted to the nature of the West. As the only girl of six siblings, her mother used to tell her stories that she later on discovered they came from her favorite romance novels.
With a double major in Philosophy and Creative Writing, Cassidy started writing contemporary romances, only to realize that the American Frontier Era was her favourite. That was back in 2008. Now, she writes overlooking another Montana river and a beautiful ranch that she shares with her husband and three children.
Cassidy delved into the Western Frontier history and the local native stories only to provide her readers with the intrigue and authenticity of the era. She hopes her stories satisfy their thirst for love and adventure and inspire them to live every day with a smile.
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 31