He threw open the door, finding Ida and Madelyn sitting at the table, both of them with sewing on their laps, and a big pot of something that smelled wonderful cooking on the stove. “Maddie? I just heard. Are you all right?”
Madelyn carefully set her sewing on the table, stood up, and ran to her husband, throwing herself into his arms. “It was awful!” After that, he couldn’t tell what she said because she was crying and talking at the same time, and it came out sounding so garbled, he was sure no one would have been able to decode it.
Bert held Madelyn close as he looked at Ida, hoping her explanation would make more sense than his wife’s had. He’d caught something about lard and hiding a body, but nothing else was clear enough to understand.
Ida stood up. “Mr. Humphreys followed her here. She got to a knife, and he walked into it. When he grabbed her ankle, she clobbered him over the head with her frying pan. She sent for me, thinking we should rub lard on him to make him slide easier, and put him in your bedroom, but I talked her into getting some of the men in town to put him in jail and stay with him until you came back. She’s fine. The girls are fine. I’m going to go home now, so you can comfort your wife. She’s sure you’re going to hate her for bringing danger into your home.” Ida walked to the girl’s room and lifted the sheet. “Lily, it’s time for us to go home now.”
Lily nodded obediently. “I’ll see my friends soon?”
“Very soon. We just live down the street!”
Bert watched Ida leave with Lily, still holding his wife close. “Thank you.”
Ida nodded, opening the door and leaving.
“Are you ready to talk to me?” he asked, stroking his hand over Madelyn’s back.
She shook her head, keeping her face buried in his neck. “It was awful.”
He understood every word she said, and he took that as a good sign. “What was awful? Tell me how it happened.”
She pulled back, accepted the handkerchief he offered, and wiped her nose and face. “I put the girls down for their nap yesterday afternoon, and when I came out of their room, Mr. Humphreys was here. He scared me.”
“I understand. Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head, wiping her eye with the back of her hand. “He came toward me and tried to grab me, but I ducked under his arm and ran to the kitchen, and pulled out the biggest knife I could find.” She told him in detail everything that had happened. “I was so scared the girls would wake up and see him lying on the floor, or see the blood after we got him moved!”
“But the girls didn’t wake up and see him or the blood, did they?” He was mildly panicked that his girls could have seen it, but more that his wife had to go through so much with him gone.
“They didn’t. They slept through it all. They didn’t wake up until Lily came over to play with them, and by that time, Mr. Humphreys was in jail and the blood had been mopped up.”
“Well, thank you for shielding my girls from that.” He put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arms’ length for a moment. “You have no idea the fear that went through me when I realized you had an intruder while I was gone. I should have been here.”
She shook her head. “You were doing your job. Risking your life for the good people of White Fox. It’s my fault we were in danger. I’m the one he came here after.”
“Do not blame yourself for this, Maddie. I don’t blame you one little bit. It was entirely his fault for following you here and for making you want to leave Ottawa in the first place.”
“Do you really think so?” she asked. She’d been holding her breath for his reaction to the whole situation, so worried he would blame her for it.
“You did everything you could to keep my girls from being part of it. You worked hard, and I appreciate that.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across her forehead. “I am pleased with your reaction. You defended them and yourself.”
“Did he die?”
“No, he’s not dead. He was complaining all night from what I understand. Andrew was looking at his wound, but he’ll be going to prison. He won’t be allowed to hurt you or anyone else for a long time.” Bert had to bite back his anger. He’d put many men in prison, but never one who had sinned against his family. He wanted to go down to the jail and punch the man, but he knew it was not the right thing to do.
Madelyn looked up at him, a bit startled. “Prison?”
“Yes, he entered our home without being invited in. He followed you across the country. He was bothering you after you made it clear you weren’t interested before you even left to come here. He’ll do time. I promise you that.”
She bit her lip for a moment, thinking about what he said. “I made a cake for dessert. Are you hungry for lunch?”
He took her words as a need to stop talking about the situation, and he was happy to oblige. “I’m hungry. We didn’t take the time for breakfast this morning. Something told me we needed to get home.”
“I’m so glad you hurried.”
An hour later, lunch dishes were finished, and the girls were down for their nap. As soon as they were settled, Bert took Madelyn’s hand and led her outside. “I did a lot of thinking while I was gone.”
Madelyn looked at him. Was this where he told her they would only ever be parents together? They would never have a real marriage? “You did? I’m almost afraid to hear this.”
He held her hand in his, slowly stroking his thumb over her palm. “I was as worried for you as I was for my girls when I heard there’d been an intruder. Do you know what that tells me?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“It tells me I love you, just as much as I love my little girls.” He looked into her eyes. “I want to have a real marriage with you, Maddie. I’m done with sleeping beside you and never touching you.”
Her face lit up slowly, as she let his words sink in. “Really? You love me?”
He nodded. “I do. I never intended to love you. I thought I’d be married to you and spend the rest of my life loving Sally.” He sighed. “I need to stop by her grave and talk to her one last time. I need to let her know that I found a new mother for her girls who loves them with all her heart.”
“I do love them. And I also love you, Bert. I’m so glad I got that letter from Miss Hazel.”
He folded his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. “So you’re willing to have a real marriage now? And children? I want more children. The girls will be rotten if we don’t give them siblings.”
She laughed. “I wanted a real marriage with you from the first day we met. I knew I was falling for you immediately, but I also knew you were still in love with Sally.”
“Sally will always hold a small piece of my heart. She was my first love and the mother of my girls. She was my past.” He looked into her eyes. “But you are my future. We’ll be together forever.”
She heard loud stomping and turned her head, and there was Chip. It was like he was welcoming her to White Fox and wanted her to stay. “Forever doesn’t sound nearly long enough.”
“We’ll just have to make the most of every single minute of it.”
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RNWMP: Bride For Gilbert (Mail Order Mounties Book 17) Page 9