Beloved Hope (Heart of the Frontier Book #2)

by Tracie Peterson

  Alex crossed his arms. “Like I said, this is out of my nature, but you’ve really troubled Hope with your plans to move to New Orleans.”

  This took Lance by surprise. “I don’t understand.”

  “A few days ago, Hope told Grace that you plan to move back to New Orleans after the wedding. That was something she didn’t expect, and it’s upset her. She doesn’t want to leave Grace and Mercy, but neither does she want to end her engagement to you.”

  “End the engagement?” Lance knew he sounded riled and tried to calm his tone. “She’s said nothing of this to me.”

  Alex nodded. “You haven’t been around.”

  “Well, we’ve been busy with all these new orders. It wasn’t for lack of wanting to be with her.” Lance went to one of the tall stools they kept at the orders table and sat down, shaking his head. “Here I’ve been planning out our future together, and we may not even have one.” He felt a heavy sense of dread. He’d never once thought he might lose Hope.

  “Hope has gone through so much. I know you understand.”

  “I do. That’s why I want to get her out of this place. She’s only just begun to overcome her fears. I figured New Orleans would make her feel safe. I have a big place there, and she could have everything her heart desires.”

  “Except for her family.”

  Lance let out a heavy breath. “I never thought about it being a problem.”

  “Are New Orleans and the plantation that important?”

  Without Hope by his side, his home would hold no joy for him. He finally shook his head. “No. Not unless Hope is there too.”

  “You might want to figure out what matters most and make your plans based on that.”

  “I wish she had talked to me about this.”

  “She probably will, but you need to remember that Hope isn’t like most women. She doesn’t talk much about her feelings. She’s probably been more willing to discuss matters since meeting you and seeing Tomahas put to death, but even so . . . she keeps a lot inside.”

  Lance considered this. “I’ll go to her and coax it out. I want to discuss this, and I never want her to feel put upon.” He got off the stool. “Thanks, Alex. I appreciate that you care so much about Hope that you’d come and talk to me.”

  “I care about you too, Lance. It seems our families are destined to intertwine, and thankfully not just because of the tragedies that happened so long ago.”

  “I appreciate that, Alex. I feel the same about you and Grace. Mercy, too. You all seem like family to me.”

  “Because we are,” Alex replied, heading for the door. “Now, shall I tell Hope you’ll be out to see her later?”

  “Yes, please do. Oh, and Alex . . .”

  Alex turned. “Yes?”

  “What are your plans for the old house on your property?”

  Alex smiled. “Why, do you have a suggestion?”

  Lance could see the amusement in his expression. He already knew the answer. “As a matter of fact, I do. I wonder if you might be interested in renting it to a newly married couple.”

  “Renting?” Alex grew serious and shook his head. “No. However, I would let the couple stay there in trade for help around the farm. Oh, and they’d have to be willing to share at least the evening meal with us.”

  Lance laughed. “Seems a reasonable price.”

  Chapter

  26

  Hope had come to a conclusion by the time Lance showed up after dinner. She sat at her spinning wheel in the large front room, working with finely carded wool. It was so soft and delicate that it would be perfect for a baby blanket. She hoped to surprise Grace with it once she had a chance to crochet it into the finished product.

  Hope glanced up at Lance. “Alex said you were coming, but I was beginning to wonder if you’d changed your mind.”

  He smiled and came to help her up. “I would never change my mind where seeing you is concerned. It’s too cold and windy for a walk, or I would sneak you off into the dark and—”

  “Lance, it’s good to see you again,” Grace said, coming into the room. Her walk was much slower these days as the baby seemed to settle lower.

  “Grace, you look beautiful.” Lance left Hope’s side and went to help Grace take a seat in the rocker.

  “I don’t feel very beautiful,” she said with a smile. “I’m as big as a horse.”

  “For a very good reason. A most blessed reason,” he countered.

  Grace nodded. “I agree with that.” She reached into the basket beside the rocker and took up her sewing. “Don’t feel you have to sit here and make small talk with me. I know Hope would much prefer to have you all to herself.”

  “I would.” Hope motioned across the hall to the smaller sitting room. “I have the other room prepared for us.”

  Lance nodded and gave Grace a sweeping bow. “Until later, milady.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “You Southern gentlemen certainly have a way about you.”

  “It would please my mother to hear you say so.” He extended his arm to Hope. “May I escort you, my dear?”

  She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help laughing. “My sister may be completely drawn in by Southern charm, but I’m immune to it.”

  He arched a brow. “Oh, you might be surprised. I’m sure I can figure out a way to charm you.”

  She sobered. She loved this man very much. “You already have won my love. There is no need to charm me.”

  Hope and Lance crossed the foyer and entered the smaller sitting room. She pulled the pocket doors closed so they had some privacy. She had made up her mind about the future, but it wasn’t without a price.

  He took a seat on the settee and patted the place beside him. Hope smiled and joined him. “I’m not sure how much talking we can accomplish sitting so close.”

  “I’m chilled, and you can help warm me up.”

  She caught the teasing in his tone and put aside her worries. “I’ll put more wood on the fire.” She started to rise, knowing he would pull her back down and into his arms. He didn’t disappoint her.

  After much too brief a kiss, he pushed her away. “First we need to talk.”

  “All right. What is it you’ve come to say?”

  “It’s come to my attention that you actually might not want to leave this area once we wed.”

  Hope swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. Had Grace spoken to him? “It’s not the area I would have trouble leaving.”

  “Yes. I was too thick-headed to consider your family when I told you I planned for us to move to New Orleans. I just assumed you would want to put miles between you and Oregon Territory. It was wrong of me not to consult you, and I want to apologize.”

  “You don’t need to. I can understand you wanting to return to the home you shared with your folks. You have good memories of living there and a responsibility to your ancestors to keep the land and raise your family there.”

  To her surprise, he shook his head. “I don’t have a responsibility to anyone but you. My dead ancestors hardly care whether I live in New Orleans or Oregon City.” He reached out to touch her cheek. “But you care, and that is far more important. I have no desire to drag you somewhere you don’t want to go.”

  Hope looked away and tried to focus on the flames of the fire. “I don’t want to make you give up the life you planned for yourself. That was never my desire.”

  “And I don’t want you choosing between your sisters and me. I’m afraid I might lose out.”

  She looked at him and shook her head. “No. You wouldn’t have. I had already made up my mind after much prayer that I love you too much to give you up. I’ll go wherever you ask me to go.”

  Adoration and joy lit his face. Hope would have known without any further words that Lance was pleased with her decision, and in truth she was pleased as well. It was the right choice despite being a very hard choice.

  “I can’t tell you what that means to me, Hope. One thing I’ve learned from all this is that we ne
ed to make decisions of this magnitude together. I was wrong to plan out our future without talking to you about it, and I’m sorry.”

  “Husbands make the decisions for their families. I can’t fault you for that nor ask you to regret your actions. It’s the way God has made you.”

  “It is, but He’s also given me understanding, compassion, and wisdom. However, I don’t have to be a wise man to realize that marriage works best when both parties are respectful of the other.”

  “Thank you, Lance. That means so much to me.”

  He wasted no time in continuing. “If it meets with your approval, I plan to sell my holdings there and use the money here.”

  “But you needn’t sell. Couldn’t you keep the plantation and have it go on as it has been, with someone else running the day-to-day operations?”

  “I could, but I don’t need to. I want to invest in my life with you. Besides, I can get new property through the Donation Land Bill, and since we’ll be married, we can get a nice large piece. Then we can build a home of our own, though maybe not right away. After all, such things take time, especially when handled from a distance.”

  “You wouldn’t go back to New Orleans to oversee the matter yourself?”

  “No. Not for any amount of money in the world. I couldn’t risk you getting away from me.” He grinned. “I have friends there, and the lawyer who trained me can easily handle the sale. I’ll notify my Mississippi cousins in case they’d like to buy the plantation and keep it in the family.”

  “But what of your things? Surely there are heirlooms you would want with us here.”

  “I’ve already thought about that. There are some pieces I want to keep in the family—paintings, handwork my mother did, books my father introduced me to, a few pieces of furniture. There is, in fact, a very large, ornate bed that has been passed down through generations of my family that I think will serve us very well. I mentioned it once before.”

  Hope felt her face grow hot and looked away, making Lance chuckle. “There’s also a collection of lovely porcelain dishes you might like. My mother’s family hailed from France, and the collection was handed down to her.”

  Hope was so overwhelmed with happiness that she felt close to tears. She bit her lower lip to keep from saying anything, lest she begin to cry. That he loved her more than his family holdings was no small thing to her.

  “I’ll make a list and arrange for all of it to be shipped here when the rest of the property is sold. How does that sound?”

  She fought to control her emotions. “It sounds like . . . it’s . . .” She let the words trail off and turned to look at him. For a moment, all she could do was study his handsome face. She put her hand on his cheek. Leaning toward him, she turned his face to meet her lips and kissed him, hoping he would understand her feelings without the need for words. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. The kiss deepened, and a sigh escaped Hope. He understood.

  She leaned against his shoulder and put her head against his neck. For some time, neither one said anything at all. Hope imagined they would have many quiet evenings just like this in the future. She remembered her mother and father sharing moments before the fire. As a young girl, she had sat on the floor, playing at their feet, but from time to time she had glanced upward to see their shared whispers and looks of love.

  “Does this mean you’ll still marry me next Saturday?”

  Hope smiled but didn’t move an inch. “I’m thinking about it.”

  Lance surprised her by jumping to his feet, pulling her up as he stood. He scooped her into his arms and lifted her from the floor as he might a child. She squealed at his antics and clutched him tight as he gave her a little upward toss.

  “You’d better think hard and fast, because I don’t intend to set you back down until you give me an affirmative answer.”

  Hope wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well then, I must take pity on you, because I know your arms will grow weary under my weight. I will most assuredly marry you next Saturday.”

  The following morning, as Mercy dressed for church, she could hear Alex and Grace having an argument downstairs. It wasn’t so odd that they would disagree, but Alex generally didn’t raise his voice loud enough to be heard.

  Mercy picked up her bonnet and gloves and hurried down the stairs to see what the commotion was all about. She found Grace seated at the table with Alex opposite her and Hope standing in between, as if keeping them from attacking each other. Mercy giggled as she imagined her very pregnant sister trying to take a swing at Alex.

  The trio looked at her as if she were mad, and Mercy forced the smile from her face. “What in the world is going on? I heard you all the way upstairs.” She moved closer to the table and looked at Grace. “What have you done to get him so worked up?”

  “Me? Why do you suppose I’ve done something?” Grace asked, looking surprised.

  “Because she knows how foolish you can be,” Alex countered. He picked up his mug of coffee and downed it.

  Hope took the opportunity to intercede. “Grace has been having some pains. Not true labor, but she’s questioning whether she might be further along than she originally thought.”

  “Why should that make Alex mad?” Mercy looked to her brother-in-law for an answer.

  “I’m not mad. I’m just frustrated that your sister won’t listen to reason,” Alex replied.

  Mercy turned back to Grace. “What reason are you rejecting?”

  Grace fixed her husband with a frustrated glare. “He doesn’t want me to go to church. He feels I should be confined to the house.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a bad idea.” All three fell silent and looked at Mercy in surprise. “Grace, you know as well as anyone that if this were any other expectant mother, you would advise her to stay home and rest. You can hardly walk across the room, much less climb into a wagon and then ride all the way to town. Remember how exhausted you were last week after we came home from church? You had to take a long nap just to recoup your energy.”

  Grace eased back in her chair with a look of defeat. “But what about Hope’s wedding?”

  “We can have it here.” Mercy shrugged and looked around the room. “The folks who care about attending will drive the distance, and the ladies of the church will be just as happy to set up a wedding breakfast here as in town. You designed this big house for just such a purpose, so you might as well take advantage of it.”

  “For a girl of fifteen, you certainly have sound reasoning,” Alex said, looking pleased at the turn of events.

  “It just makes sense. Hope and I can announce it at church this morning. Everyone will understand, and I’m certain Lance won’t mind.”

  “No, he won’t,” Hope assured. “He wouldn’t care if we married at the sawmill, so long as we married.”

  Mercy nodded. “So it’s settled. Grace, you know it’s best for you and the baby, so don’t sulk. And Alex, you go gentle on her because she’s bearing a tremendous burden carrying your child.” With that, Mercy sat down. She picked up her fork and speared a piece of ham, then added it to her plate. With that accomplished, she looked up with a smile. “Has anyone asked the blessing yet?”

  Later, at church, Mercy stood nearby as Hope explained to Lance and Pastor Masterson about the need to change the wedding venue. Both men heartily agreed, and after that it was just a matter of making the announcement, which the pastor did at the end of the service.

  “Along with that wedding-related announcement,” Pastor Masterson said, “I have another more personal one to make. My son Toby has asked Beth Cranston to marry him, and she has said yes.”

  Mercy felt as if someone had delivered a blow to her midsection. The wind was momentarily knocked from her lungs, and she might have gasped had Hope not squeezed her hand at that very moment.

  There were smiles and murmurs of approval throughout the congregation, leaving Mercy with no choice but to force a smile. They stood and sang the closing hymn, but Mercy could o
nly stare straight ahead. Beth was the same age as Mercy, but she was the eldest of six children—seven, if you counted the baby her mother was expecting the following year.

  Mercy was relieved when half a dozen women encircled her and Hope after the service.

  “Mother Cranston and I will be out just after dawn on Saturday to set up the wedding breakfast,” Sally Cranston announced before anyone else could speak.

  “Mother and I will also be there,” Mary Fuestelle declared as her mother-in-law joined them. The two women were known for their competitive spirit. One was not to be outdone by the other.

  “I’ll make my cinnamon breakfast cake. Grace absolutely loves it, and it will bring her some joy,” Bertha Fuestelle added.

  “And I shall make a proper applesauce wedding cake with velvety white cream frosting,” Mrs. Cranston declared with a challenging look in Mrs. Fuestelle’s direction.

  Mercy had no doubt there would be plenty of food to be had once these women began competing with each other. Other ladies came to offer their help, and Mercy edged away to let Hope deal with them. It made her smile to see Lance do the same thing.

  “Were you surprised at our announcement?”

  Mercy turned to find Beth Cranston all aglow. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She had to be honest. “I was. You’re only fifteen, Beth. That’s much too young to marry.” She hadn’t meant to criticize, but the words just poured out.

  Beth frowned. “You’re just jealous. I know you thought Toby would marry you because he was spending all that time with you.”

  “I’m not jealous, Beth. I just care about you. You’re my best friend, and I want you to be happy.”

  The blond-haired girl smiled. “I’ve never been happier. I love Toby. I’ve loved him for a very long time, and I was so jealous because he only seemed to have eyes for you. But when I told him that, he said he was only spending time with you to get closer to me. He said you told him things about me when you two talked.”

  Beth’s name had come up in their conversation at times, but Toby certainly hadn’t shown any special interest in her. Mercy toyed with the idea of telling Beth that Toby had recently begged her to marry him, but she couldn’t be petty and unkind. Hopefully someone would talk some sense into Beth before they set a wedding date.