Conner's Contrary Bride

by Barbara Goss

  Conner had a lovely tenor voice, and Elsie thought she could listen to him sing forever.

  Reverend McDougal came out to talk about the Bible. He explained where it had come from as he waved his large Bible in the air. “There were many men who wrote the Bible, but there was only one author: God. He inspired the prophets to write the words. For instance, Moses wrote the book of Exodus, and Amos wrote the book of Amos. When we get to the New Testament, the writers were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Amazingly, all four recounted the same description of many events. James wrote the book of James, John and Paul wrote several books, although scholars are still trying to decide who wrote Revelations. God chose these men because He knew He could count on them to write per His inspiration.”

  The reverend seemed to go on and on while Elsie’s attention was on the wonder of a God who could inspire such a book and how He’d accomplished it.

  Still holding up his Bible, McDougal said, “And therefore, we read it and we live our lives according to His book.”

  Conner hurried her out of the church—she thought he might want to avoid getting trapped into having a conversation.

  “I’d take you to Rusty’s for lunch, but he’s not open on Sunday,” Conner said.

  Elsie looked up and down the main street. “Nothing is open. It’s nice and quiet.”

  They walked hand in hand, back to their home.

  “I have an idea,” Conner said, holding the door open for her. “Let’s pack a picnic basket and have a picnic in the park.”

  Elsie grimaced. “You mean eat a meal outdoors?”

  “Yes, it’s fun. People do it all the time. You never went on a picnic?”

  Elsie shook her head. “We sat at the kitchen table and my parents talked, but I wasn’t allowed to speak.”

  “Well,” Conner said, pulling out a basket from the hall closet, “you’re in for a treat.”

  Conner spread a tablecloth beneath a large oak tree and motioned for her to sit.

  “On the ground? We will seriously eat on the ground?”

  Conner laughed and opened the basket. He pulled out two plates and utensils and put a large chicken sandwich on her plate, a pickle, and a biscuit.

  Elsie knelt on the cloth, trying to figure out the best way to sit. Should she sit cross-legged or tuck her legs beneath her?

  Once Conner had fixed his plate, he leaned against the tree with his feet stretched out in front of him.

  Elsie pushed the basket aside and sat the same way. It felt odd to eat outdoors on the ground. She cut her sandwich into four pieces so she could eat it daintily, but by the time she’d finished a quarter of her sandwich, Conner was already reaching into the basket for a second one. She could see that his was beef.

  When they finished eating, Conner put everything back into the basket and leaned back against the tree, his hands behind his head. “This is what we do on Sunday: we relax. God said to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy.”

  “What’s the Sabbath?” she asked.

  “It’s Sunday—a holy day.”

  “Is that why Bertie isn’t at home?”

  “Yes. On Sunday she spends her time with a lady she met at church, named Hazel White. She’s blind, and Bertie helps her on Sundays when her son visits his children in Russell, the next town over. He’s not living with his wife right now. They’re having problems.”

  “Oh,” was all Elsie could think to say.

  “I also wanted a chance to tell you something I should have told you before we married.”

  Elsie looked up at him. What was he going to tell her? Her heart skipped a beat. She just knew he was would tell her something unpleasant.

  Conner removed his hands from behind his head and placed them on his lap. “You are my second wife.”

  “What? Where is she now?” Elsie asked.

  “We were married for two-and-a-half years. She died giving birth to our daughter. I buried them in the church cemetery back in Missouri. Mary was a kind woman. I had a hard time getting over her death. After several years, I became lonely for companionship—besides Bertie’s, that is.”

  “Missouri? What made you move to Hays City?”

  “The town turned against me, so I moved here. Back in Missouri, my town thought as a doctor, I should have been able to save them both.” Conner shook his head and blinked back tears. “I tried—God knows how hard I tried. The baby came a month early and wasn’t in the birthing position but was coming out feet first. I knew there was a risk that the cord would wrap around the baby’s neck, but the infant just kept coming out. I tried to stop it and managed to do it with one hand, then I reached inside Mary to release the cord. So, I had one hand holding the baby’s legs so it wouldn’t fall out and the other was trying to slip the cord from its neck, but it wouldn’t budge, and Mary was screaming and crying. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “Finally, I took my hands off both of them to reach for my scalpel to cut the cord, but the moment I turned, the baby slid out and strangled. It happened so fast. I didn’t know who to treat first, Mary, or my daughter. Blood was streaming from Mary, and my daughter’s face was blue. I quickly stuffed a clean cloth on Mary’s bleeding, and then I tried to revive my daughter by breathing into her mouth and compressing her chest, but she wouldn’t respond. Before Mary died, she kept asking why the baby wasn’t crying. After I stopped trying to revive the baby, I did everything to stop Mary’s bleeding, and before she died she said, ‘Name her Ella, after my mother.’ I buried them together.”

  His words puzzled Elsie. “Why did the town think you didn’t do everything in your power to save them?”

  “I don’t know. I think her father had something to do with it. He was the mayor, and he told everyone it was my fault, and they believed him.”

  Elsie squeezed one of his hands. “I’m so sorry. I believe that you did everything you could. I haven’t known you long, but I know you well enough to know that you could never do such a thing.”

  “I loved Mary, and I loved little Ella.”

  Conner stood and brushed off his pants. “So, now you know my sordid past, too.”

  “I don’t blame you for not telling me sooner,” Elsie said. “It’s too sad a story for before a wedding.”

  “Let’s take a walk. There’s a path that leads to the Smoky Hill River. It’s not a beautiful river but rather muddy-looking this time of the year with all the rain we’ve had this spring. When we come back in a few weeks, you’ll see it’s rather beautiful. There’ll be boats floating in with lumber for the lumberyard, and barges carrying in supplies.”

  When they reached the river, several boys were there, throwing stones into the water. Conner and Elsie watched them for a while.

  “So, Elsie, do you think you and I can make a go of this marriage?”

  Elsie shrugged. She wondered if it was a good time to tell him her last secret. It seemed an opportune time.

  “You know why I smile so much, especially at difficult times?”

  Conner shrugged. “No, but you have a lovely smile.”

  “It’s my way of holding back my worst fault… I have a terrible temper.”

  “A temper? You?” Conner looked at her and laughed. “Why, you’re the sweetest and most mild-tempered person I’ve ever met.”

  “Remember the children in town who laughed and called me names?”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “One day they stopped and never bothered me again because I punched a boy in the mouth and broke his front tooth. His parents told my stepfather, and I got a beating, but it was worth it. No one ever called me names again.”

  “I think you had that building up inside of you. It’s quite normal to explode,” Conner said.

  “It was a good thing that when Frank attacked me, the only thing I could reach to hit him with was a high-heeled shoe. Had it been a hammer or something, I’d be a murderer.” Elsie hugged herself to stop the chill that ran through her. “I bottled up my temper each time Frank hit me or my
mother, and I started smiling at him. It seemed to cool him down.”

  “You want to know what I think, Elsie? I think God put us together for a reason.”

  Chapter Six

  Things were working out well with Elsie helping at the clinic and Bertie doing the housekeeping and cooking. Elsie still hated seeing blood, but she finally overcame her fainting by using Conner’s exercises. She could now assist him, sterilize his equipment, and keep his appointments straight.

  While Elsie worked at sterilizing the recently used tools, Conner went to the general store to pick up the mail. Meanwhile, a woman ran into the clinic with a small child in her arms.

  “Help my daughter, please. She has a fever,” the woman cried.

  Elsie dropped the tool she’d been cleaning and ran to take the child who looked to be about four-years-old. With Conner away, she didn’t quite know what to do. She thought about what her mother had done years ago when she’d had a fever.

  Elsie laid the girl on the bed and said, “I’ll be right back.” She ran out of the clinic, grabbed the bucket outside the clinic door, and raced for the well pump. Once Elsie had filled the bucket, she ran back inside the clinic, grabbed a towel, and began sponging the girl’s body.

  Conner walked in and watched for a moment.

  Elsie looked up at him with a worried look. Had she made a mistake? Was she doing the right thing? Then Conner winked at her, and she smiled; he approved.

  He dropped the mail on the desk and took over treating the little girl. He said, “Elsie, get my medical bag,” and began thoroughly examining her. Conner took out a gadget, so valuable, he kept it in a velvet case.

  “Open up,” he said, touching the girl’s mouth gently. “This is one of the latest inventions. I was lucky enough to come across one while I was in Boston. It’s called a thermometer. It will measure your fever.” The girl let Conner put the shiny instrument under her tongue. “Now, we have to wait awhile.” He turned to the mother. “How old is she?”

  “She’ll be four next month. Will she be all right, doctor?”

  “She has a mild ear infection from what I can see in her left ear. I’ll give you some medicine for it.” Conner removed the thermometer and read it aloud: “Ninety-nine-point-five, almost normal… thanks to my wife, Elsie.”

  Elsie had to smile. He sounded so proud of her.

  After the mother and patient had gone, Conner cleaned his thermometer and placed it back inside the velvet-lined case.

  Elsie dumped the water, put the towel in the laundry basket, and changed the sheet on the bed.

  Conner moved to the desk. “There’s a letter addressed to you.”

  “Me?”

  Conner crossed the room to hand her the envelope.

  “I can’t imagine who’d write to me.” Elsie ripped open the envelope but before reading it, she let her eyes drop to see who’d signed it. “Why, it’s from Mae Thornton, the woman I lived with before I left Gobbler’s Knob.” She read the letter and gasped. “Oh, no!” Her entire body trembled as she read Mae’s words.

  “What is it?” Conner asked. “Is she all right?” He rushed over to put his arm around her. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

  “Frank visited Mae and forced her to tell him where I went. She didn’t say, but...” Elsie trembled again, and Conner’s arm tightened around her. “I think he must have used physical force—although she doesn’t say so, I know that’s the only way she’d tell him. Mae is the most loyal woman I know.”

  Conner pulled her closer. “Don’t worry—you have protection now.”

  “What if he comes here?” Elsie was embarrassed that she’d nearly fallen to pieces while reading the letter, but having Conner so close was reassuring, and her trembling stopped.

  “I’m not sure what to do, exactly, but I think we should see Sheriff Babcock and tell him the whole story,” Conner said. He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before letting go of her and returning to his work.

  She missed his arms around her.

  When Conner did his paperwork, he always put on his glasses. Elsie thought he looked so scholarly wearing them. She still worried that Frank might find her. He was a big, mean man, and while Conner was tall and strongly built, she didn’t see how he could win a physical fight with Frank; Conner was a doctor, with gentle hands and soft fingers.

  Elsie moved closer to the desk. “Do you have any guns?”

  Without looking up from his paperwork, Conner said, “My first week in Hays City, I learned that a gun and gun belt were a necessity. I don’t wear them most of the time since I feel safe here at the end of the street, but I wear my guns if I have to go into a saloon to fetch a patient.”

  Elsie still worried. “Do you know how to use them?”

  “Yes, I’m no stranger to guns. I’ve been a hunter for years.”

  His words of assurance made Elsie feel better. For the first time in her life, she felt protected and safe.

  Conner pretended he wasn’t worried. Elsie was upset enough. This Frank sounded like a monster. Yes, going to the sheriff was the best thing to do.

  Strangely, as odd and contrary as she was, she felt good in his arms. He supposed it was because he missed Mary so much, and Elsie was the first woman he’d held in his arms since Mary had died. He’d prayed to God every night for Him to send Conner a partner with whom to share his life... and He’d sent Elsie! “God,” he said while saying his nightly prayers, “what were You thinking? She’s a country gal and hates the city, she isn’t a Christian, she prefers country dances to operas, she doesn’t eat beef, and she can’t cook.” Then Conner realized it wasn’t God’s fault. What had that matchmaker been thinking? Well, he’d married her now, and he couldn’t send her back. He liked her well enough, but he couldn’t imagine them ever becoming romantic or sleeping together. Conner sighed and eventually fell asleep.

  As usual, Elsie came to breakfast after Conner had not only eaten his breakfast but had read the whole newspaper.

  “Good morning,” he said, “though it’s nearly afternoon.”

  “I’m sorry. I stayed up rather late last night. I love nights when the house is quiet and dark. It’s my favorite time of the day.”

  Conner nodded. “Ah, you were reading a good book, were you?”

  “Reading? No, not me.” She laughed. “I haven’t read since I left the schoolroom. I knit and crochet things.”

  “You’d better eat quickly—we need to open the clinic. I suppose I could open and try to get along until you make it in.” He pulled out his pocket watch. “I believe Mrs. Monroe is due at any minute, and she’ll be wanting her medication.”

  Elsie gave him a warm smile. “I’ll be in quickly. I’m just having a slice of toast.”

  “Nothing else? That’s not healthy.”

  “Well, about three in the morning I came down and had a piece of pie.”

  Conner stood and turned so she wouldn’t see him roll his eyes. That was another difference between them: she was a night person, and he was a day person.

  Elsie had cleaned up his tools and the rest of the clinic, and then she seemed to have disappeared. He’d gone to the well for water and come back to find her gone. He shrugged, turned out the lights, and was about to enter the house when someone knocked on the clinic door. He hoped it wasn’t a patient. They’d had so many that day, he felt exhausted. He opened the door to see Elsie standing there.

  She grimaced. “I got locked out.”

  “I thought you’d gone into the house.” He opened the door wider so she could enter. “What’s that you have in your arms?”

  Elsie grinned. “I found a kitten in the horse shed. Isn’t she adorable?” She held it up to his face.

  Conner backed up and put his hand out in defense. “Whoa, I don’t like cats. Put it back in the shed.”

  Elsie pressed her lips together and creased her forehead. She was angry. It was the first time he had seen such an expression on her face.

  She seemed to control her anger and s
aid evenly, “I thought I could keep her. I named her Taffy because she’s the same color.”

  “I’m a dog person. I was thinking of getting one, but I was afraid it would scare away patients.” Conner scratched his head, “Where would you keep the cat?”

  “A dog would scare me away, too.” Elsie stroked the kitten. “She can stay in my room.”

  “What if she has to do her business?”

  “I’ll get a box of sand. That’s what Mae did. She had three cats.”

  “Just… don’t let it run around the house and scratch furniture,” he told her.

  Chapter Seven

  Elsie knew they would see the sheriff that morning, so she tried to get up early. She arrived at breakfast just as Conner was finishing his.

  “Good morning.” She smiled sweetly at him. He nodded in return.

  She wondered what she’d done to upset him. “Is there a problem?”

  Conner stood and pointed to the sofa in the sitting room where Elsie saw Taffy curled up on one of the sofa cushions.

  “There she is,” Elsie cried, running to grab the kitten. “When I didn’t see her this morning, I thought she was hiding in my room somewhere.” She tapped the kitten’s nose. “You naughty girl.”

  Conner frowned at her. “How’d she get out of your room?”

  “Well, I was knitting this cute little scarf for Bertie, and I left to visit the outhouse before I turned in. She must have slipped out then.”

  “Can you secure her in your room before eating so we can go to see Sheriff Babcock?”

  “I think I can manage that,” she said before running to her room.

  Conner opened the door to the sheriff’s office and allowed her to walk in.

  The man behind the desk was quite intimidating. He stood when they entered and she could see that he was taller than Conner, who was nearly six feet tall. He wore a mustache and had eyes that seemed to take everything in. After the introductions, Sheriff Babcock invited them to take a seat.