The Wrong Bride_A Christmas Mail Order Bride Romance

by Natalie Dean

  Chapter 2

  Poor Mr. Peabody, Lottie thought, as the train trundled along. She was hot and sweaty and in need of a wash. She had to open the top buttons of her dress and wished she didn't have to wear a girdle. Her breathing labored from the tightness. In Mr. Peabody's employ, she had worn a nurse's uniform and was immaculate. She never had to think about the effects of the heat on the body. She knew her hair must look a state. The humidity was making it hard to manage.

  "It may be bad, but things will get better," she tried to tell herself. It bothered her that Daniel Peabody had gotten away with murdering his father. He had all but admitted it to her. But he was right. Any investigation would blame her, at the very least, for incompetence and at worst, for his murder. She couldn't risk it.

  Her sad train journey was coming to an end. She had to change now to a stage coach in her quest to get to Montana. The whistle blew, and the train began to slow down. Butte, she told herself. The stage coach was next. At least she'd have a seat in there.

  But Lottie was in for another shock. Yes, she had a seat, but the journey on the stage was sickening. Dehydrated and feeling ill, she was being tossed around the stage coach which seated six. Six people tightly packed did not make for a comfortable journey. She felt nauseous from the smells, the heat, and the lack of water.

  "I'm feeling sick," she said aloud. She wasn't sure why she had spoken out loud. Yet, one of the men sitting opposite banged his cane on the roof, and the driver brought the coach to a halt.

  "We can't stay stopped for long. The injuns are around, and gangs have been attacking the stages." The shotgun rider was on look out as Lottie tried to regain some composure. She gulped from the water canteen. She rolled up her sleeves and wiped her mouth.

  "How much longer?" she whispered. Lottie wasn't sure how much further she could go on. She had never endured such physical hardship. "About an hour, Miss." That didn't seem too long compared to how long it had already been.

  At least Frank Ward would be there to meet her. She knew she'd feel better if she could get cleaned up and lie down for a little while. A holler went out that Bannack was ahead. With all the swaying and the smells that assailed her nostrils, her head began to pound. The stage came to a stop, and she jolted forward into the man sitting opposite her. She was trying to stand up when the stage door opened, and she began to fall out. A man caught her and put her standing on the sidewalk.

  Disoriented she looked around for Frank, but a grumpy old man knocked against her. He was talking to himself "shouldn't do that, shouldn't do that" she heard him muttering. "I'm sorry," she said.

  "Don't mind old Willie, Miss. He's an oddball," the post office clerk said.

  Lottie had the realization that she didn't know what Frank looked like. People were moving away from the stage. She stood outside the post office. A man was approaching her. Lottie wished she had time to freshen up. She must look a sight. She smiled at the man, who lifted his hat in greeting, but he went into the post office.

  Her head began to spin. The anxiety of the last few weeks taking its toll, Lottie collapsed to the ground. She lost consciousness.

  She opened her eyes and blinked. It was so bright, and everything was moving around her. What was happening? She was not moving at all.

  "Don't worry, Miss. I'm taking you to my surgery." The man's voice was comforting.

  She looked up at the handsome man she thought was Frank. He was carrying her, and without any effort, it would seem. Lottie was aware that she was leaning in against him. Her experience with men was nil, but this felt very nice. She felt safe. That was a strange word to come into her mind. But safe was the sensation she felt.

  He maneuvered through the door, taking care not to bang her head on the doorway. Laying her on the couch in his office, he went to his sink and made a drink for her.

  "I've seen this before. You're dehydrated. Here, drink this. It's some water with sugar and will help to revive you. I'm Doctor McLennon, everyone calls me Doc." His mouth moved, and words came out, but she wasn't quite sure she understood all he was saying.

  "I see this in the newly arrived young ladies. The travel, the heat, all get the better of you. You'll find your dress unsuitable for life out here, but I'm sure the general store will sort you out."

  His demeanor was gentle and kind. Doc leaned in towards Lottie to check out her eyes. She could feel his breath so close to hers, and she knew her cheeks were reddening. She had never felt like this before. What was she thinking? Lottie had a fiancé. Her fiancé.

  "Doctor McLennon, my fiancé was supposed to meet me. I need to get back in case he's waiting for me."

  This news startled the doctor. He wasn't sure why. Why else would a young woman travel out here alone? But there was something different about her.

  "Would you know him? His name is Frank Ward." Lottie noticed a change come over the doctor. He stepped back and began to fumble with the paper on his desk.

  "Frank. You're sure? Well, I never took him…Yes, I know of him. I haven't seen him around for a while."

  Was he hiding something from her? Her head was pounding. Was it just her imagination?

  "I'm feeling much better now, thank you, Doctor McLennon."

  "Well, I hope things work out for you," were his parting words to her. How strange she thought. The little town was small and positioned along one street. Lottie made her way back to the post office and passed a tea shop. There was a hotel and general store on the other side of the road.

  While she could see men sitting around, none had the look of waiting for someone, she told herself. Lottie went to the clerk at the post office. No, Mr. Ward hadn't been in today, the clerk told her. Perhaps she had her days mixed up. That made sense. Although the clerk continued, "everyone knows the stage only comes once a week."

  What was she to do? The jail house was on the other side. The Sheriff should know about his townsfolk. Something was wrong. The Frank Ward who had written to her was not the type of man to let a woman down.

  Chapter 3

  Lottie lifted the ends of her dress off the ground as she set about walking across the muddy road. She hopped from step to step, not wishing to muddy her boots any more than was necessary. It wasn't an ordeal she faced in the city.

  The jail house door was closed. She wondered if the Sheriff was even in. She peered through the window and jumped back as a man came into view. Recovering herself, Lottie smoothed down her dress as the Sheriff came out to see what she wanted. He was a rough looking type with a beard and looked in need of sprucing up.

  "What d'ya want?" he asked.

  "Sheriff, do you know Frank Ward?" she asked without bothering with small talk.

  "I reckon I do, what's it to ya, Miss?" The Sheriff spat his tobacco a little too close to her for her liking.

  "I think something has happened to him. He's supposed to meet me, but he’s not here. I'm his fiancée, Miss Cahill."

  The news didn't affect the Sheriff in any way. He looked her up and down.

  "Nah, reckon Frank's changed his mind. He's not the reliable sort."

  "Please Sheriff, if you could take me to him. I'm sure something untoward has happened."

  "I ain't no delivery service. I'm Sheriff Palmer. You'd be better off heading back from where you came. Men in these parts get into all sorts of trouble."

  His attitude was far from helpful. Lottie wanted to protest, but the Sheriff walked away from her before she had a chance.

  She stood there, wondering what to do next. All she wanted now was some place where she could get a bath and rest. She was worn out. Lottie wanted to look presentable when she met Frank. If his reluctance to meet her was due to second thoughts, then she needed to look her best for him.

  The hotel looked nice enough, but it meant crossing what passed for a road again. Lottie tiptoed across the road, but her boot got stuck in the mud. "Look out," someone called as a loose horse came running through the town. Lottie was in its path. She tried to pull her foot out of the boot,
but the laces were too tight. Lottie looked up to see the horse barreling towards her. She closed her eyes, waiting for death to descend upon her.

  Suddenly she was catapulted out of harm's way, but she had landed face down in more mud. A hand rested on her back. It was Doctor McLennon who had come to her rescue again.

  "Let’s think of the positive side, at least you weren't trampled," the good doctor smiled at her as Lottie sat up and tried to wipe the mud from her face. It was the last straw, and she burst into tears. Her little suitcase had fallen open when she fell, and her few possessions had tumbled out.

  "Don't cry, Miss Cahill. Let's get you into Mrs. Lavery's hotel. Oh, here she is. Mrs. Lavery, you may be better suited to this." Doctor McLennon moved out of the way. He tried to wipe himself down.

  "Come along, young lady and I'll get you sorted with a nice hot bath. You arrived today?" Mrs. Lavery asked kindly, and Lottie nodded.

  Mrs. Lavery turned to Doctor McLennon, "you get yourself cleaned up Doc. I'll take care of your new arrival."

  "She's not my… I mean, she isn't here for me," the Doc spluttered.

  The commotion had brought the ladies out of the little tea shop. They overheard Mrs. Lavery's comments. They began to whisper that it was time the young doctor found himself a wife. It wasn't right for a young man like him not to have a wife.

  They had to know more, and so they followed Mrs. Lavery and the young woman into the hotel.

  "Is she the doctor's new wife? Isn't she pretty? Why didn't he tell anyone he had sent for a bride?"

  Mrs. Lavery hushed them, and Lottie looked horrified to be the center of attention.

  "Ladies, there's nothing to see here. This young woman is tired, hungry and in need of a bath. You can come back later when all three have been seen to."

  Lottie was bemused as she watched the women reluctantly leave the hotel lobby.

  "Horace, you see that none of them linger. Fetch the young lady's bag and wash anything that's muddied and bring the rest to her room. We'll put her in room 4."

  Lottie interrupted, "But my fiancé, Frank Ward, will come to meet me. He's a little late."

  "Frank Ward. Are you sure? I know I've only met you, but you don't seem his type. Imagine that, Horace, Frank sent for one of those mail order brides." Mrs. Lavery tutted and scurried Lottie upstairs to a room that served as a bath room. There was an iron bath in the room and towels were on a shelf. There were smelling salts for men and women on another shelf.

  "You get those clothes off, and I'll have a lovely hot bath for you in a few minutes."

  Lottie disappeared behind the screen to undress. She could hear Mrs. Lavery directing Horace on the amount of water the Miss would need.

  "It's all ready for you. Your bedroom is next door, and I'll leave the key here for you. Horace has left clothes that weren't muddied on the bed, and he'll sort out the rest for you. Join me when you're ready, and we'll have something to eat."

  The room fell into silence as the door closed. Lottie peered out over the top of the screen. She was alone. A fire was blazing by the bath, and the bath itself smelled divine. She was looking forward to soaking in the suds that had formed. Lottie had never taken a bath for granted but this was exactly what she needed. She lowered herself into the water, and it enveloped her. She could finally relax. Her fingernails had been dirty, and it bothered her, but now they were clean.

  With some effort, she left the bath and dried herself off. With a towel wrapped around her, Lottie peaked out the door before running to what was now her room. It was small but perfectly situated. A comfortable looking bed and dressing table were in the room.

  Dressed in fresh clothes and smelling so sweet, Lottie made her way downstairs.

  "Aren't you a pretty little thing?" Mrs. Lavery said as she welcomed Lottie.

  "We'll dine in my quarters. Horace, send for Cecilia please." Mrs. Lavery took Lottie's arm and whisked her back up the stairs.

  "You'll like Cecilia. She owns the tea shop. Tragic story really. She came out here like you to marry, but her husband died within a few months. Then Clem Palmer forced her to sell to him. He made his money in the gold mines, but he wants to own the land rights. Enough about Cecilia though, what is this notion of marrying Frank Ward?"

  "He was supposed to be waiting for me when I got here so that we could get married. Mrs. Lavery, what do you know about him?"

  The arrival of a very elegant woman interrupted the conversation.

  "Hello, I’ve heard all about you. You've caused quite the commotion around town. Seems you fainted when you got off the stagecoach. I'm Cecilia."

  After greetings had been made, Lottie spoke, "Mrs. Lavery, Cecilia, I came here to marry Frank Ward. But everyone seems surprised by this."

  Mrs. Lavery and Cecilia exchanged looks.

  "It's only, Frank is very much at home in the saloon. In fact, that's where he spends most of his nights. He's harmless enough, but he tends to spin tall tales. I'm surprised that he wanted a wife."

  "I thought he was a God-fearing man who didn't drink! Is there another Frank Ward perhaps? My fiancé said I would want for nothing. He sent me my fare although…" Lottie paused. She had said more than she planned.

  "What is it, dear? You're among friends now," Mrs. Lavery motioned for her to go on.

  "Well, he did say he'd pay for the most comfortable travel, but I fear there was a mix-up. He only paid for a very basic fare. I sound childish for complaining."

  Cecilia chimed in, "That sounds like Frank. And I do believe if he had the money, you would have had the most comfortable travel, but Frank isn't good with money. He gambles, and luck never seems to be on his side. What do you think, Mrs. Lavery?"

  "Everyone knows Frank. There's no harm in him, but it isn't a match that would suit you. The doctor would be a much better fit for you dear," Mrs. Lavery said as she smiled at Cecilia who concurred.

  Lottie's cheeks felt hot at the suggestion.

  "I went to the Sheriff to ask him for help, but he was of no use at all. I know in my heart something is wrong, and I wanted to go to Frank's ranch to find out what."

  "Oh my dear, I feel you have been fooled. It's not like you're in the city any longer. You can't trust the law out here. Firstly, Sheriff Palmer is useless. His brother, Clem Palmer, is the one I had mentioned earlier, who wants to own most of the land and secondly, Frank doesn't have a ranch. He has a few fields that he won from Willie Parsons in a poker game. There were rumors it had a gold mine, but poor Willie never found any," Mrs. Lavery revealed.

  "I'll take you out to Parsons Place when we've finished here. You can meet Frank Ward and make up your own mind. I'll ask Horace to get my horses ready. I must say that I did hear that Frank had been giddy about some find on his land. It was about two nights ago."

  "And where did you hear that?" Mrs. Lavery shot a look of condemnation at Cecilia. Cecilia took no notice of Mrs. Lavery's judgment only saying she had her sources.

  Lottie had mixed feelings. Could she marry a man who drank and gambled? It was the road to ruin. She wanted stability in her life. How could she get out of her promise to marry him?

  Time seemed to pass by very slowly as Lottie waited impatiently for Cecilia and Mrs. Lavery to finish. Mrs. Lavery was an elderly lady and it transpired that Horace was her son. She had moved to Bannack with the first gold rush. But, rather than seek gold, Mrs. Lavery provided accommodation to the gold miners. Now that the Homestead Act had passed, more families were expected to move into the area and needed accommodation while they built their houses. She also mentioned her livelihood was under threat from the Palmers. They didn't like the idea of small farm holdings interfering with their cattle's grazing.

  "Mrs. Aikens, your horses and wagon are ready now," Horace informed them as he quietly entered the room.

  "It won't be as bad as the stage coach. I promise," Cecilia said to the very pale Lottie. Her stomach churned as she thought about another journey.

  It surprised Lottie at how deftly
Cecilia got on the wagon as she was at a loss to figure out how to climb up. There didn't seem to be any steps.

  "Let me help," Doctor McLennon jumped up and offered his hand to Lottie. He was all cleaned up, and she was glad she looked clean and refreshed too. She jumped as their hands touched and made a spark. She giggled at him, and he shyly smiled at her. He took her hand again and in one swoop, pulled her up on the wagon. The force had been enough to make her fall against him, and he placed his hands around her waist as he steadied her. Doc gave her another shy smile as she looked into his eyes and said a quiet “Thank you.”

  "Showing her around, Cecilia?" the doctor asked trying to deflect from his shyness.

  "We're going out to Parsons Place to see what Frank is up to."

  Doctor McLennon went pale.

  "Are you sure you want to go all the way out there? Miss Cahill should probably stay in town and go out there tomorrow after she’s had some rest."

  "It isn't that far, Doc. There's no need to put her off," Cecilia said.

  "After the journey and day she has had, Miss Cahill should take a break from all the riding." But the Doctor's insistence fell on deaf ears.

  "Thank you for your concern, Doctor McLennon. But I am feeling quite refreshed now," Lottie said as she sat beside Cecilia.

  "Off you get Doc, unless you want to come with us."

  Cecilia was surprised when the doctor paused to consider her offer.

  "Very well, I will come, but I'll ride out on my horse. I have to go that direction in any case."

  Doc jumped off the wagon and seemed to run towards his horse. Cecilia cracked the reins, and her horses moved off.

  "That was very strange behavior from the doctor," Lottie observed.