A canvas bag that sagged in his hand.
“Let me have that.” Sheriff Dodd stepped up beside Ben. “Hidden like that, it’s probably contraband of some kind.”
“I believe it is,” Ben said. “This plow used to belong to Jim Mitchell.”
Gasps rose from the crowd like a wave.
Lily opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. She met Ben’s gaze, and both of them grinned.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Dodd announced, staring into the bag, “Mr. Purcell is right in his surmise. He has indeed found the gold.”
Fifteen
Regarding your letter STOP purcell will receive reward STOP will deliver in person STOP
Scarcely able to breathe, Lily read the telegram addressed to Sheriff Dodd and signed by a general in Washington City. She wanted to dash from the telegraph office and race into town, shouting the news all the way—and more.
“We can build our house now.”
But she could say nothing to anyone other than the sheriff. He would have the privilege of telling Ben.
The sooner he received the news, the better.
She slid off her stool and yanked open the door. “Theo?” She waved the telegram at him. “Please deliver this at once, and don’t you dare read it.”
“No, Miss Lily, you know I can’t deliver telegrams right now. Afternoon train’s due any minute.”
“But this is important.”
“Is it, now?” Theo grinned. “Maybe you should take it yourself.”
“You know I can’t leave the office until Toby gets here.”
“And he’s slower’n the train in an ice storm.” Theo peered down the road. “No sign of him.”
“He isn’t late yet.”
He wasn’t due for another quarter hour. By the time he arrived and she got into town, Dodd would have left his office. She would have to hunt him down.
She chafed at the delay then laughed at herself. They had waited two months to hear if Ben would indeed receive the reward for the gold. They should be able to wait another hour or more. Of course, who knew when the general would arrive with the money. The sum the sheriff had mentioned staggered her. They could build a fine house with it.
They could also buy a farm, and the notion of it still gave Lily pause. She knew Ben still wanted land, lots of it, and that piece along the river was still for sale. Lily kept telling herself it wasn’t too far from town, not too far from others. Doing so didn’t help much. She felt comfortable being alone now, yet preferred not to be, and still doubted her ability to remain content as the wife of a farmer.
Often during the last two months, she’d thought perhaps she should tell Ben to find a lady who wanted to be a farm wife, feeding chickens and milking cows, slopping pigs and preserving vegetables.
Well, she liked the preserving part.
Now that everything looked as though it would work out for them, Lily stared at her telegraph machine, waiting for Toby to arrive, and wondered if maybe she didn’t love Ben enough to marry him no matter where they lived. She had told him she would love him all her life, but if she couldn’t be happy regardless of their circumstances, she might be mistaken.
Her insides knotted, she greeted Toby, grabbed the telegram, and headed for Dodd’s office as fast as she could manage and remain ladylike. Through the window, she saw him seated at his desk, inspecting wanted posters.
“In case any of these men come through my town,” he told her, stacking the posters. “How may I help you, Miss Lily?”
“Telegram.” She handed it to him.
He read it and let out a low whistle. “The general himself. Well, what do you know? Guess I should run along and tell Ben.”
“Please do.” Lily hugged her arms across her middle. “He’ll be at the store.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dodd grinned. “And let me be the first one to congratulate you.”
“For what, sir?”
Dodd guffawed. “For what indeed. You go home and make yourself pretty. I expect you’ll have a caller later.”
Laughing, Lily did as he suggested. She combed and pinned up her hair. She tucked a fresh collar around her neckline. She sat on the front porch to catch the warm air of the late afternoon and waited.
Thirty minutes passed. They felt like thirty hours. She reviewed Dodd’s words and realized how embarrassed Ben and she would be if they didn’t marry. Everyone expected them to tie the knot. She expected them to marry soon—had even made her wedding dress without telling anyone other than Becky and Eva, who were sworn to secrecy. She didn’t think she was being presumptive, but now that the moment had arrived, Ben might have other plans.
“I want my farm to prosper first,” she imagined him saying. “You said you’d wait for me.”
She had said something of the kind. Silly female for making such a promise. No telling what notion he would come up with to postpone their union.
Because he was as scared as she was?
Lily shot to her feet, preparing to hide in her room.
She saw Ben striding toward her and sat down again.
He bounded up the steps to Mrs. Willoughby’s porch and dropped onto the seat beside her. He sounded winded, as though he had run all the way, and carried the aromas of the store with him—cinnamon, cloves, and fresh coffee. She inhaled the rich fragrances and waited for him to speak.
“I just got some good news.” He laughed. “You already know, though, don’t you?”
“I do.” She beamed at him. “Congratulations. And a general’s coming to deliver it himself.”
“Not is coming.” Ben shook his head. “He’s here. Came in on the train. Seems he’s bought a farm here to live on with his family when he leaves the military, so he offered to deliver the reward in person.”
“He bought a farm here for his old age?” Lily couldn’t keep the astonishment from her tone. “Where is it?”
Ben gazed at the maple tree in Mrs. Willoughby’s front yard. “The piece of land we visited in April.”
“The one you wanted?”
“Yes.” His voice remained neutral.
“Why, Ben, that’s. . .um. . .”
She stumbled over saying it was terrible news. For her, it wasn’t terrible at all.
“It’s not too bad.” Ben stretched his long legs ahead of him as though settling in for a lengthy chat. “I found another property about fifteen miles out.”
“Fifteen?” Lily’s voice squeaked.
She gripped the edge of her chair, reminding herself all would be well when she was married to the man she loved, the mate the Lord had found for her.
“Of course, it’s got to be cleared and tilled. Lots of rocks.” Ben shrugged. “I figure in a year or two we should be able to build something there.”
“A year or two?” Lily frowned at him. “That’s a long time, isn’t it?”
“Not when compared with forev—” His voice broke, and he started to laugh. “Lily, don’t look so horrified. I’m teasing you.”
“You’re not buying land that far from town?” She turned toward him.
Love and laughter filled his eyes. “No, my dear. I’m buying the store and the livery from Mr. Gilchrist.”
“But your farm. You wanted it more than anything.”
“So much that I knew I had to give it up. And when the opportunity came along to buy the business and have a wife who prefers town, I knew what I was supposed to be doing.” He leaned toward her and grasped her hand. “That is, if you’ll be my wife.”
“You know I will.”
He leaned forward and kissed her in front of anyone who might be watching.
“How soon can you put a wedding together?”
“I can have a wedding ready in a week. How soon can you build us a house?”
Epilogue
They waited to marry for another three months until after harvest so everyone could attend the wedding, including the general turning farmer and his family. Lily wore the dress she had finished making in June. Rather than
trimming the gown with yards of lace, she had plied her needles to fashioning a lace veil. It floated around her as she walked down the aisle of the church, making her feel as though she drifted through a dream.
But everything was wonderfully real, from the rows of friends and neighbors on either side of her to the man waiting for her at the altar. Sunlight shone on his face, and she wondered how she could have once thought she wouldn’t follow him anywhere the Lord led them.
When she reached his side, she slipped her hand into his and said, “I will.”
“So will I.” Ben grinned down at her.
The pastor chuckled. “You’re getting ahead of me,” he whispered. “But it’s good to see a bride and groom so sure of what they’re doing.” Aloud, he added, “Now for all of the ceremony.”
Lily knew she and Ben gave the right responses but didn’t remember much else about it. Ben and she had already spoken their vows before God in their first, simple words to each other.
She didn’t recall much of the festivities following the wedding, either. For once, no one had let her plan or prepare a thing. Eva, Becky, and Mary had taken over so Lily could see to more important things, like decorating their new home.
She expected to return there after the wedding, but Ben led her out of the church hall to a chorus of good wishes and lifted her into the livery’s new buggy.
“We can walk,” she protested.
“No we can’t.” Ben jumped up beside her. “We aren’t even driving ourselves.”
“But—”
Matt climbed in and took up the reins. “Keep her close to you, Ben.”
“Where are we going?” Lily asked.
Ben tucked her close to his side. “The train depot.”
“Train?” Lily nearly jumped up and down with excitement. “We’re going on a train? Where?”
“Chicago.” Ben rested his cheek against the top of her head. “I thought you might like an adventure before you become a staid matron in a small town.”
Just as she knew she would enjoy their honeymoon in a real city, Lily knew life with Ben would be the best adventure she would ever live.
About the Author
Award-winning author Laurie Alice Eakes has always loved books. When she ran out of available stories to entertain and encourage her, she began creating her own tales of love and adventure. In 2006, she celebrated the publication of her first hardcover novel. Much to her astonishment and delight, it won the National Readers Choice Award. Besides writing, she teaches classes to other writers, mainly on research, something she enjoys nearly as much as creating characters and their exploits. A graduate of Asbury College and Seton Hill University, she lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and sundry animals.
A note from the Author:
I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:
Laurie Alice Eakes
Author Relations
PO Box 721
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
Better Than Gold Page 16