Two Sisters and the Christmas Groom (

by Zina Abbott

  “Ah, I see our frozen patient has returned to the world of the warm and the living. I’m Dr. Adams, Miss Flanagan. You caused us quite a bit of concern last night. I’m happy to report you have no permanent frostbite damage to your feet. Your fingers are also fine, although they did not seem to be as severely affected as your toes. Your joints may ache for a few days, but by tomorrow, you’ll be ready for your wedding.”

  Kate cringed. She knew she came here to marry. She knew tomorrow was the day Mrs. Millard said the wedding would be performed. She was not ready to get married—not ready for any of it. She had not even met the man who would be her husband. Fortunately, Annie spoke, and the more she explained, Kate felt her fears ease.

  “There’ll be no wedding tomorrow, now will there? Mrs. Millard was thinking the pastor at the Community Church can be performing the ceremony for Kate at the same time as her other bride who came up to be getting married, but the Flanagans are Catholic, now aren’t we? Quick I was to be telling Mrs. Millard we’ll be waiting for the priest, and he’ll not be coming until the first Sunday in January, if then, considering the weather. Mrs. Millard, me not being her favorite person right now, ended up saying, ‘I’ll see about that.’”

  Annie turned to face her sister. “I’ll be standing firm on that, Kate. Like I was telling her, with you being in a train wreck, you’re needing to be feeling better and knowing Michael before we’ll be calling on the priest for a wedding. The train’s still not running, now is it? She’s saying she’ll be leaving for Denver by Tuesday, but she’ll be going nowhere if the tracks between here and there are still buried in snow and the cars are still hanging over the river.”

  Kate muttered as she rubbed her eyes. “She prefers being called by her first name, Lizett.”

  “Not being one of her brides, and not willing to put up with her ordering me about, I’ll be keeping it formal with her and calling her Mrs. Millard.”

  The doctor laughed in response. “I’ll let you work that out with the woman from the bridal agency. Right now, I want to check Miss Flanagan to make sure she’s well enough for me to release her.” He paused. “I do assume she has a place to stay, one where, at least for the next few days, she can stay warm and rest when she feels tired. There still is the concern she could catch catarrh or pneumonia from this little adventure.”

  “Sure it is, she’ll be sharing my room. I was telling Mrs. Millard, if she’ll be paying for Kate’s board, she can be staying with me and saving on the cost of the room.”

  Kate shook her head, happy to be with her sister once more, even if Annie’s tendency to make decisions without consulting the others in the family sometimes could be annoying. She sat up in bed—aware that she wore her own nightgown and wondering who dressed her—and submitted to the doctor’s examination. She offered a sigh of relief when he declared she was well enough to get dressed and walk the two blocks to the boarding house. As she thought about the biscuits and ham her new landlady had set aside for her, her stomach began to grumble.

  Kate did not know what caused the feeling of gratitude to swell within her. Was it leaving the doctor’s office to spend time in the room Annie lived in? It would give her and Annie an opportunity to catch up with all the news that had not made it into their letters. Or, was it that the train accident offered her a few days’ reprieve before she married a man she knew only through the letters they had exchanged—a man who had not been her first choice?

  Kate shook the worry from her head. No doubt, her sister was right. If he was as wonderful as Annie claimed he was, once she met Mr. O’Hare in person, she would fall in love with him.

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  Chapter 15

  ~o0o~

  December 18, 1881

  O nce Kate and Annie heard voices as the front door to the boarding house opened, they prepared to go downstairs. They knew Mr. and Mrs. Howard, along with Lizett Millard and Dahlia, the other bride who also arrived in Jubilee Springs the same time Kate did, had returned from attending services at the Protestant church. Instead of the lightweight gown she had worn on the train, she wore the brown wool with a small, reddish-orange diamond pattern woven into the fabric that Annie had sewn for herself, then altered to fit Kate.

  Kate held onto the bannister with one hand and clenched the side seam of her dress with the other in an attempt to keep her nervousness from showing. She had been too exhausted to join the group for supper the night before, so she had yet to meet her prospective husband. Michael would join her and Annie at the Sunday brunch. Since Mr. Bainbridge had not sponsored a large affair for Kate and the other new bride, Dahlia Greenleaf—similar to the ones planned for the brides who arrived in Jubilee Springs on Independence Day weekend, or the ones who came up at the end of September—Lizett convinced him it would be appropriate to use the Howard’s Sunday brunch as a social to allow the prospective couples to become more acquainted before their respective weddings.

  Kate gathered that, in the past, the brides and grooms often had more than one person to whom they wrote, and they used the face-to-face socials to make their final decisions. Only, in Kate’s instance, her other correspondent lived a considerable distance away, and he chose another for his wife. Although Kate did not know the details, evidently the miner Miss Greenleaf had come to marry had been injured in the mine three days before the women arrived. Lizett and Mr. Bainbridge had made other arrangements so they could accommodate the groom, and she could move into the company housing. Lizett scheduled the wedding for her later that afternoon.

  Still tired and confused after her experience with the train wreck, Kate felt far from her best. She doubted she could carry on a decent conversation. Nothing would please her more than if she could return to her bed in the room she now shared with her sister to sleep all afternoon. In her present condition, she dreaded the impression she would make meeting Michael O’Hare for the first time.

  She and Annie no sooner reached the bottom of the stairs and turned toward the dining room than a knock sounded on the front door. Kate turned to see who would enter. Annie, not waiting for Mrs. Howard who was busy bringing food from the kitchen to place on the sideboard, rushed to open the door. Kate watched as her sister, wearing a wide, welcoming smile, greeted the person who arrived.

  She invited him to enter. Her face aglow and her hand on the arm of the man who entered, she tugged him into the dining room.

  “Kate, the day we’ve been waiting for is here. Pleased I am to introduce you to Michael O’Hare. Mr. O’Hare, my sister, Katherine Flanagan.”

  Kate watched Michael remove his hat and offer her a polite smile.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, now you’re feeling better, Miss Flanagan.”

  Offering an uncertain smile, Kate bobbed a curtsey. “Pleasure’s mine, Mr. O’Hare.” Her posture stiffened as he responded with an almost inaudible sigh. What did he think of her? His first experience with her in person involved helping transport a half-frozen, incoherent stranger to the doctor. Although she and Annie were close, with similar tastes and attitudes, physically, she did not resemble Annie. Did he compare her to her sister and find her lacking? Kate realized she needed to stop worrying about herself and focus on welcoming her future husband.

  “Your sister has insisted on my calling her Miss Flanagan. Now there are two Flanagan ladies, I’m hoping we can all move to a first-name basis. May I please call you Kate?”

  With an eyebrow raised, Kate turned to her sister. What prompted Annie to insist on that formality? Among family and friends at home, they always referred to each other by given names. “Certain it is, I’m preferring Kate. And I’ll be calling you Michael—or would you be preferring Mike or Mick?”

  “Michael, please.”

  Mrs. Howard, her arms filled with platters for the sideboard, chose to enter the room.

  Kate, feeling awkward with both Annie and Michael watching her as if to gauge her reaction, turned her focus on the landlady. “Mrs. Howa
rd, is there something I can be helping you with in the kitchen?”

  After freeing her hands of her burden, Clara Howard turned to Kate with a smile. “No, dear, but thank you. I don’t want to interrupt your time getting to know your groom better. One more load, and I’ll have everything ready so we can say a blessing on the food. Please feel free to sit anywhere there is a vacant chair.”

  Kate followed Annie’s lead as she motioned her to sit in the second chair from the end facing the front door while her sister moved to sit across the table.

  “Let’s be sitting at this end of the table, Katie. Mrs. Millard seems to be preferring the other end of the table, closer to Mr. and Mrs. Howard.”

  Kate smiled at Dahlia Greenleaf who selected the same chair across the table from Lizett she had chosen to sit in at breakfast. Michael then caught her attention as he rushed over to Annie to pull her chair out and help her be seated. Kate eased toward her chair and pulled it away from the table. Before she could sit down, Michael stepped behind her and assisted her.

  He then sat next to her.

  A loud knock sounded on the door. Before anyone could answer, it opened, and a man, exuding confidence, strode in.

  Michael immediately stood up and nodded a greeting.

  Kate struggled in vain to place him.

  “Ah, good. It looks like I’m not too late. Got held up at the mine office ironing out a few details so Miss Greenleaf’s wedding will go smoothly. And, Mr. O’Hare, I have some good news for you, too.”

  What good news, Kate wondered? She watched with interest as the man turned from Michael without saying more and focused on Lizett.

  Lizett approached him while wearing an enraptured expression. She reached out both hands and grasped his in greeting. “Mr. Bainbridge. We’re so happy you have arrived. You know Miss Greenleaf, of course. And, Mr. O’Hare’s bride is now well enough to join us. May I introduce you to Miss Katherine Flanagan?”

  Kate realized the identity of the man. As the mine owner and Michael’s boss, he provided the house in which she would soon live. With her future husband showing respect by standing upon his arrival and continuing to stand, waiting for Mr. Bainbridge to seat himself, she felt she should arise, too.

  Kate began to do so, only to have the man motion to her to stay seated.

  “No need to rise, Miss Flanagan. My name is Royce Bainbridge, and I’m pleased to meet you. On behalf of Prosperity Mine, welcome to Jubilee Springs.”

  “The pleasure’s mine, certain.” Kate inhaled as she smiled in greeting. She wished more than ever she could escape upstairs and take to her bed—Annie’s bed she shared for the time being. She turned her gaze toward Michael, who offered her a reassuring nod. Soon, she would share a bed with this man. Was she ready for that?

  She returned her attention to Mr. Bainbridge as he resumed speaking.

  “First, let me help Mrs. Millard to her chair. Then, as soon as Mr. Howard says grace, I’ll update everyone on what I’ve been able to arrange.”

  All were seated, the blessing spoken, and people took turns visiting the sideboard to select what they wished for the Sunday brunch. Once everyone returned to their chairs, Mr. Bainbridge, whose personality tended to dominate a room with seemingly no effort on his part, began speaking.

  “The avalanche has certainly disrupted travel. Even with the construction crew down here to help, the men think it will take the better part of the week to move the engine into the repair shed for the maintenance crew to check it over for soundness before it’s returned to service. That much icy snow hitting hot metal can cause cracks and other problems. Then, there is the issue of the two passenger cars that were derailed. Fortunately, the engineer had slowed the train down to the point that the impact with the avalanche was not severe enough to send the entire train off its tracks and down into the river. However, from what I understand, the construction crew, along with others the rail company may send up from Denver, will have their hands full for the next week or two setting those two cars to rights and then checking the rails themselves to make sure they are sound for future use.”

  Although Kate found all this interesting, she wondered what it had to do with her and her future marriage. She forced her focus on Mr. Bainbridge when he addressed her by name.

  “Miss Flanagan, Mrs. Millard has informed me that, because you and Mr. O’Hare are both Catholic, you are not amendable to being married by our local pastor, Mr. Alwin. I understand the priest from Pueblo does not get up this way except on the first Sunday of the month. However, I have been in communication with him by telegraph. I explained the importance of not delaying your wedding longer than necessary. In addition to getting the two of you married so you can begin your lives together, this matter also affects Mrs. Millard.”

  Kate watched as the man turned his head and focused his attention on Lizett. The woman batted her eyes and met his gaze with such an adoring look, Kate wondered if the two were involved in a romance themselves. Mr. Bainbridge appeared to regain his senses, cleared his throat, and turned to face Kate once more.

  “I am aware after working with Mrs. Millard these past months that it is her policy to escort her brides to meet their prospective grooms. When possible, she prefers to stay until after the marriages take place in order to be assured all goes well. We cannot help but admire such dedication, can we? Perhaps it is a little selfish, but I have convinced her to stay and enjoy Christmas with my brother and me here in Jubilee Springs. However, she does have obligations in Denver, and she must return to them the week following.”

  Kate fidgeted with impatience. Why did the man not get to the point? So far, none of what he said had anything to do with her.

  “You will be pleased to know—especially you, Miss Flanagan—I convinced Father O’Nalley to come up on the train the Friday before Christmas. Since he has someone who has joined him at the church in Pueblo, his congregants in that town will still be able to worship Christmas with their usual services—mass, I think you call it. I understand another train will bring him as far as safely possible next Friday. Using the railroad handcar and my sleigh, we will see to it he and a couple others intrepid enough to travel to Jubilee Springs this time of year, can safely reach town. He will offer his Christmas services up here. So, Miss Flanagan, you will not need to wait until the first Sunday of the new year to marry. You and Mr. O’Hare may celebrate Christmas with Fr. O’Nalley, and afterward, he will perform your wedding.”

  Stunned at the news, Kate felt her lips part, but no words found their way out of her mouth. She thought she had two weeks to get to know Michael well enough to become comfortable with the idea of marrying him. She hoped to fall in love with him during those two weeks. Now his boss had arranged things to cut the time in half.

  Her eyes bright with excitement, Lizett clapped her hands together.

  “Isn’t that wonderful, Kate? By this time next week, you’ll be married.”

  “It’s grand, sure. My thanks for going to the trouble arranging it.” Only, Kate did not feel quite as thankful at this latest development.

  I’m not ready for this.

  She glanced over at Michael to see his reaction. To her surprise, he was not looking at her, or even at his boss. Instead, his gaze locked on Annie.

  Kate turned to study her sister. Even though Mr. Bainbridge had been talking about her and Michael’s wedding, her own sister was not looking her way with the excitement Kate would have expected. Kate found it more interesting, rather than insulting, that Annie, wearing a wistful expression, focused her gaze on Michael.

  Kate felt dead inside as Lizett continued to chatter away about the wedding and what a lovely bride she knew Kate would be. She watched as Royce Bainbridge, radiating a strong sense of self-satisfaction over what he had accomplished, now concentrated on his meal. Mr. and Mrs. Howard, acting the gracious host and hostess, turned to softly chat with Dahlia. Others at the table turned their attention to their meals.

  Kate turned her gaze toward Michael once aga
in. A prickly sensation traveled up the back of her neck and head until it reached to top.

  Michael did not look Kate’s way, nor did he pay attention to the others at the table. He studied Annie.

  In turn, Annie met and held his gaze.

  Kate sensed an unspoken message pass between them, but her befuddled mind struggled in vain to figure out the reason behind their reaction to Mr. Bainbridge’s announcement.

  Kate suspected the situation between her intended and her sister differed from what they would both have her believe.

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  Chapter 16

  ~o0o~

  December 21, 1881

  K ate sewed the last button on the deep blue wool dress intended for her wedding gown. She and Annie had worked on it together every spare moment. The color suited her better than the borrowed one in brown and orange.

  Gratefully, Annie had not continued to fuss at her for wearing traveling clothes more suitable for summer. Once Kate explained the situation, Annie understood why she left her warm clothes home for her sisters, particularly Molly who took her place as scullery maid in the Van Cleet kitchen. When Kate explained how she hoped her new husband would be willing to provide fabric for new clothes, Annie insisted on using her earnings to make Kate two winter gowns before the wedding.

  In order to hem the skirt, Kate needed Annie to mark the bottom so it would be the right length. She must wait until her sister returned from her job with Mrs. Nighy. Kate placed the gown on a clothes hook and reached for her lightweight wool cape—a cape Annie insisted she intended to line with another layer of thick wool. However, with the morning half gone and the sun shining, Kate felt confident she would stay warm enough during a short walk. She wished to learn more about this town that would be her new home. Since Mrs. Howard did not provide a noon meal, she also planned to stop by the bakery for something to hold her until supper. Most of all, she now knew the railroad ticket agent rescued her. She remembered his name—Garland McAllister. She wished to find him and thank him in person for saving her life.