by Annie Lane
“… and perhaps you even have one for me?”
Mrs. Fredrick grinned, not for one minute thinking Alice might actually be interested in taking on a husband herself. But the girl’s beautiful blue eyes glistened in a way that told her otherwise. “Well of course, my dear. It would be my absolute pleasure.”
Chapter 6
Zeke gasped. “What do you mean you’re leaving town?”
“There just isn’t any other way around it, Zeke. My sister’s fallen ill in Chicago and she needs my help. She’s suffering from a terrible case of lumbago and her husband simply isn’t managing. She needs my assistance. I’ve booked a train for the end of the month.”
Miss Dawn Lawson shivered beneath the bare branches overhead and watched the sky fill with threatening clouds of murky-gray. She wriggled along the bench a fraction closer — not so much that Zeke might get the wrong idea, but just enough to draw comfort from the warmth of his body. The pair had become firm friends over time and she took great pleasure in their weekly outings.
Every Monday afternoon, Zeke would flip the sign on his barber-shop door and they would pack a flask of hot coffee, a few jam-drops to nibble on along the way, and then head to the outskirts of town where they would fritter away the hours discussing all manner of things … grand and small.
The cold, fresh air benefitted Zeke’s nervousness, and Dawn took pleasure in the peace and quiet it offered — which was about as scarce as hen’s teeth, living with her brother, Doc Lawson, and his six rowdy children as she did. Actually it was only five boisterous little darlin’s if it be known. No one had heard a peep out of young Sophie since her mother’s passing. No one knew why for sure either. Even with a doctor for a father, it seemed there was no medical explanations for her lack of voice.
Dawn firmly believed that the poor child had a lifetime of stories to tell, but her little heart was so terribly broken that her mind didn’t quite know how to connect the shattered pieces and put them all back together again.
“How will the good Doc survive all on his own?”
“I’m honestly not sure, that’s the one thing that’s been holding me back for so long, but I’ve done all I can to get them settled. I’m not saying I won’t miss the children terribly, but I have an obligation to my sister and the city is calling me back home.”
Zeke’s normally skittish voice fell into line — much like it always did in Dawn’s company — and his limbs grew heavy with disappointment. Dawn had become the only bright light burning in his otherwise dreary existence. “You sure are a mighty fine lady, Dawn. Always putting the needs of others before your own. I don’t know how you do it.”
“I don’t have much choice, Zeke.”
“You always have a choice, Dawn. What is it that you want to do?”
Dawn sighed. It was a long, forlorn sort of sigh. It had been quite a while since anyone had asked her that question. If the truth be told, she didn’t really have an answer. Somewhere, as time went by and while always busy caring for others, she’d forgotten her hopes and plans. “Oh, well, I used to dream of travel through beautiful countryside to exotic cities where a lady might be served a cup of tea in a china cup and saucer along with a plate of finger sandwiches. Oh, listen to me going on. What about you, Zeke?”
“I just want to be happy.”
Zeke said the words so fast they caught Dawn by surprise. It was a simple answer to a simple question, or so it seemed, but her insides twisted some at the thought. Zeke was right, of course. Happiness was the key to everything. How had she overlooked her own happiness for so long?
From high up in the snow-capped mountains — way beyond the peaks and the valleys of the patchwork paddocks stretched out before them — a frosty wind rattled the shingles of the nearby church and Zeke pulled his hands up inside the sleeves of his coat. “It’s getting worse, Dawn. We should probably be headin’ back home before it hits.”
But Dawn’s mind was altogether somewhere else. The cold that settled in her bones didn’t seem to bother her anymore, and in no time at all she blurted the words out with a puff of white that disappeared right before her very eyes.
“Why don’t you come with me?”
“Pardon?”
“Why don’t you come with me … to Chicago? I’d sure appreciate the company. The train ride alone takes over a week and while it’s arduous and tiring at times, the scenery sure is spectacular, you’ve never seen anything like it before in your life. I’d like nothing more than to share that with you.”
“I … I don’t know, Dawn. What would people think?”
“Who cares what people think,” she answered firmly. The town of Conrad, and so many more like it across the continent were full of closed-minded individuals who eagerly relished scandal and hearsay. And Dawn was tired of it. “We’re friends, Zeke. Nothing more, nothing less. If being your friend is a sin, then I’m guilty whole and true. Let’s put ourselves first for a change and head off on an adventure. Let’s remind ourselves what true happiness really feels like.”
A flutter of excitement found its way into Zeke’s chest. Dawn’s suggestion had come out of the blue and while he wasn’t expecting it, he sure wasn’t about to dismiss it either. An adventure might just be what he needed.
His daughter’s murder had completely destroyed him, and then, if there was even the slightest of sparks left burning away inside him after that, his wife’s untimely passing had most definitely extinguished them without a shadow of a doubt. But right now, on that mossy timber bench, sipping on coffee with one of the kindest women he’d ever had the privilege to meet, the tiniest of lights flickered to life once more.
Dawn sensed his hesitation. “We could visit with my sister until she’s back on her feet and then we could set off to see the world together. We can just follow our noses and go wherever the wind takes us.”
“Like where?”
“Who knows, Zeke? That’s what makes it an adventure. We could end up in New York? Maine? Even Toronto, perhaps?”
“Do you think your sister would mind?”
Dawn’s dainty fingers were nearly frozen, and she pulled her gloves over them and shook her head. “My brother-in-law would most likely be grateful for some male company.”
“What about my store?”
“Oh, Zeke, please … you know what winter means for your business. It won’t be long before the roads get so choked up with snow that not a single man from here to Helena will be coming into town.”
“Well, uh, yes … I suppose I could close up for a while. I don’t reckon anyone’ll miss me anyway. Other than Miss Beth, perhaps…”
“Then it’s agreed upon, yes?”
Zeke rubbed his weary fingers over his brow and pondered the idea a moment longer.
The stiff grass crunched and snapped beneath his feet when he shuffled his boots back and forth and then an enormous smile spread across his face. Without thinking twice about it, he threw his arms around Dawn’s shoulders and pulled her in for a quick embrace.
“It’s most definitely agreed upon. Let’s go pack our bags!”
Chapter 7
“Well, well … isn’t that interesting?”
Mabel Clay whispered the words to no one but herself — being that she lived all alone in the small lodgings above the mercantile — and narrowed her eyes to get a better look through the thick, glass window. Dusk was slowly descending and her only source of light came from the flickering candle over by her nightstand.
‘An easterly aspect is of the utmost importance.’ That’s what she’d told the Conrad Real Estate Exchange when she first inspected the property, but what she really wanted to say was …‘Oh good, I can see the entire town from here … where do I sign?’ Mabel had a reputation to uphold after all and not once had her residence failed to service her meddlesome disposition.
Sitting on the very edge of her favorite wing-armed chair so she might get a better look, Mabel shook her head and flicked her tongue behind her teeth till it made a click
ing sound.
“Disgraceful behavior, if you ask me,” she retorted loudly to the empty room. “It’s not like they’re making a secret of it either, what with them both smiling and nodding and embracing like they don’t have a care in the world. What on earth is Dawn Lawson thinking? Admittedly, she might just be the dullest woman I’ve ever met, but still … falling for Zeke Harrison? The man is as loopy as a cartwheel!”
Mabel lifted a sheet of notepaper from the mahogany desk beside her and scribbled down a few words.
Now that the newly erected Postal Office was up and running — a fine structure it was too, what with its impressive moldings and sturdy timber frames — the Mayor of Conrad decided that he’d invested enough time discussing finances at the town meetings and instead bequeathed to the people an open forum, where no topic was off-limits. And Mabel had rejoiced. For she already had it set clear in her mind to address the gathering — her main concern being the recent unacceptable rise in public displays of affection around the town.
“It’s this whole mail order bride nonsense, that’s what’s bringing the town of Conrad into disrepute,” she grumbled, all the while making notes of specific times and dates and shocking instances of what she’d had the misfortune to witness firsthand.
“If it’s not that Ackerman fellow parading around town with his fancy bride, it’s that Mr. Mason with his pesky little child and that red-head in tow, all the while making googly eyes at each other. Sickening, that’s what it is … just sickening!”
By the time Mabel was finished, the entire page was full with her observations and she set the pencil down again, this time wearing a grin across her face — one so saturated with malice and spite that even her long-haired tabby cringed of its own accord and scurried out of the room before it bore the brunt of her boxy shoe.
Oh yes, Mabel thought to herself, this’ll be a town meeting they will never forget.
Chapter 8
Alice sat in complete silence.
She knotted her fingers in her lap as Mrs. Fredrick’s eyes flicked back and forth across the page — like the words were running all about and she was chasing after them to keep them still long enough to garner their true meaning. Taking into account the last two letters they’d just read, Alice wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.
She didn’t want to have her hopes dashed.
Mrs. Fredrick finally looked up. “Oh, Alice, this one sounds magnificent. I insist you write back immediately.”
Alice faltered. “I’m … I’m not really—”
“Not really, what? Looking for a husband? I hate to be the one to break it to you, my dear, but a husband is exactly what you’re looking for. It says so right there in your eyes, it’s screaming at me in fact.”
“What do you mean?”
“The three S’s … that’s what I mean. Security for starters. Safety for another thing. And Shelter at the very least. I’m no fool, my dear! Whatever it is you’re running from has you scared out of your wits. There’s a stain of terror in your expression and I can’t stand to witness it a moment longer. A husband will solve all your problems, don’t you worry about that.”
Alice let the words find their way into her frazzled mind. She was scared and unsure. Perhaps Mrs. Fredrick was right? Trying desperately not to look too enthusiastic, Alice lifted her head and pushed her curls back from her pretty face. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to find out a little more. What’s the gentleman’s name? Where does he live?”
Mrs. Fredrick clapped her hands together. “His name is Conrad and he comes from a small frontier town somewhere out east … a place called Gabriel in Montana.” Looking down, she then recited the letter almost word for word. “He’s twenty-four years old. He’s an accomplished blacksmith and it says he runs his own establishment, too. While he doesn’t claim to be a wealthy man, by way of stocks or dollars in the bank, he’s quite positive he could support a wife and a few children someday.”
Mrs. Fredrick paused then and wiggled her brows up and down. She cupped a hand around her ear and leaned to the left. “Do you hear that, Alice? I think it’s the pitter-patter of little feet.”
“Oh goodness,” said Alice, blushing at the thought. “All in good time, Mrs. Fredrick. What else do you know about him?”
“He’s a hard worker and claims he owes nothing to another living soul. He built his shop up from scratch and while most of his free time has been spent restoring one of the barns behind his workshop, so as to make a perfectly fine home for his new bride — with a kitchen and washroom and a spare bedroom all the way in the back — he says he also enjoys fishing and hunting and the occasional hike up into the mountains. He mentions he likes meatballs too, reckons they’re just about his most favorite meal and he sure does look forward to tasting yours.”
Alice gasped. “Tasting my meatballs?”
“Well … uh, yes, so it seems. Anyway, that’s not important right now. We need to focus our attention on the fact that he has a healthy constitution. Meatballs or no meatballs.”
“He really does sound wonderful, doesn’t he?”
Mrs. Fredrick nodded. “That he does … he even mentions that his name means God is my strength, then he goes on to say that as your husband, he’d like to be your strength also.”
Alice sighed, longingly. “Oh, Mrs. Fredrick, I’d like that very much. Other than my parents, I’ve never had anyone tell me they love me. Wouldn’t that just be the most romantic thing ever? I can’t imagine how it must feel to have a strong man sweep me up and carry me over the threshold, all the while whispering those words in my ear.”
“You should send off a reply immediately and perhaps you’ll find out. Let’s not waste time on this, Alice. Conrad is the answer to all your prayers; I can feel it in my bones. We don’t want him slipping through our fingers.”
Alice let her imagination get away on her then. The thought of having someone to protect her and keep her out of harm’s way was just too appealing to ignore. Knowing she would still be on the run scared her terribly, but not nearly as much as it had before. So she made up her mind. She would travel across the country and marry a complete stranger — one who may or may not ever tell her that he loves her — and then those two horrible men would never find her.
Would they?
“Where exactly is the town of Gabriel?” Alice asked, letting her head tilt curiously. Her only hope was for it to be many hundreds of miles from Seattle. “I’ve never heard of it before.”
“No, neither have I…” Mrs. Fredrick paused and puckered her lips as she flipped the envelope over in her hands and scrutinized the return address. She suddenly burst into a fresh round of laughter and fell back into her seat, clutching her stomach as her feet shot up in the air. “Well, look at that, how very silly of me. I’ve got it all wrong … it’s not Conrad from Gabriel. The man’s name is Gabriel, and he hails from the town of Conrad.”
Both women suddenly stopped stock-still and stared back at each other.
“Did you just say … Conrad?” asked Alice. Her scalp prickled with recognition. “Isn’t that the very town where Beth and Charlotte went to live? With their new husbands?”
Mrs. Fredrick nodded, dumbstruck. “Why yes, the one and the same.”
“What are the chances of another young man looking for a bride in Conrad?”
“Slim, my dear, very slim…” Mrs. Fredrick’s feet finally found the ground again and she jumped up. She raced across the room to a deep suitcase resting beside the front door and began digging about inside it. To the untrained eye, it appeared she didn’t know what she was looking for, but much like everything else in Mrs. Fredrick’s life, the chaos was all part of her act … smoke and mirrors she called it.
A moment later she returned again and Alice balked when, at first guess, what looked to be a fluffy gray rabbit landed right there on her lap. On closer inspection she realized it wasn’t filthy underground mutton at all, but actually a hat. One of the finest, fanciest, most elaborate winter hats
she’d ever seen in fact.
“I’ve heard it’s mighty cold this time of year in Montana,” said Mrs. Fredrick. “So you’ll need something warm on your head. Think of it as my gift to you. My husband brought it home with him last week from the boutique, grumbling some strange story about an irritable old Russian … or something like that. Anyway come now, Alice, we mustn’t dilly-dally a moment longer.”
She tore off a leaf of paper and rolled a pen across the table in Alice’s direction.
As far as Mrs. Fredrick was concerned, there wasn’t a minute to waste. Another successful matching meant more money in her pocket. And more money in her pocket meant she might afford one of those fancy new floor-rugs she had seen in the catalogues.
Persian they were called … who knew such a thing existed?
Chapter 9
The month of February arrived before anyone even saw it coming and the temperature in Conrad plummeted to an all-time low. With every passing day a blanket of snow fell from the sky and the sidewalks were now little more than thick walls of white.
The awning above The Coffee Grande seemed to sag beneath the burden of last night’s dumping and the pine trees off in the distance looked almost dejected, like their downturned needles were miserable and despised the fact that winter’s magical wonderland was gathering momentum.
Gabe Calhoun strode into the diner like he was the king of the world, sauntering in the same confident, lanky way that made him unique. After spending some time hovering over by the door, shaking his head and stomping his boots free of ice, his eyes scanned the busy establishment and his chest pushed up proud inside his thick coat as he strolled across the room. Charlotte and Beth were seated at a table right by the front window.