Benjamin shook his head, then rubbed the back of his neck and looked into the sky above him. Moments later, he picked up the case again and started walking briskly. “Come with me. It won’t do you any good to stand here and cry. We’ll get you to the boarding house and settled there then decide what to do next.”
“I thought…” Amelia couldn’t say the words. He likely didn’t care what she thought. It would be better if she remained silent. There would be less to regret if she said nothing more.
Oh what a fool she’d been. She should have insisted on writing him, on making sure he would welcome her into his life. Instead, she’d spent her time cleaning out her parents’ home and preparing to sell anything that her married siblings didn’t want. Then she’d listened to the stories the Morrisons had told her about their grandson, Benjamin.
Amelia should have realized that old Mr. Morrison may not have fully understood Benjamin’s acceptance. She had not seen the letters. No, she’d just taken him at his word.
Amelia wiped away a tear and Benjamin sighed heavily as he looked at her. “Don’t cry,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” Amelia whispered, but the weight of his disappointment in her crushed her spirits even more. No wonder he wouldn’t have her. She was too weak to be a preacher’s wife. If she couldn’t walk with quiet dignity even in the face of this turmoil, how could she support him in his duties?
***
Benjamin couldn’t believe he hadn’t understood his grandfather’s letter. To be fair, there had never once been a clear statement that he would be the one to marry her. He had been certain it meant that he would find her a husband and make sure she was taken care of.
Not be the one to take care of her.
Unless his grandfather had meant to be purposefully vague in order to get her out here. Ben shook his head at his inner conflict. His grandparents had asked more than once about his family situation. They thought a preacher needed a wife to help and support him. That had told him over and over in their letters throughout the years that the Lord didn’t want a man to serve alone. God would want a righteous family raised to do His work.
“Whoa there, Reverend,” Sheriff Mills said from his horse, breaking into Benjamin’s thoughts. “You’re about to leave the young lady behind. What’s the rush?”
Benjamin stopped. He had been so focused on his thoughts he hadn’t realized he’d once again been walking too fast for her to keep up. He looked at the trunk he still carried and wondered for a moment if she had some kind of health issue, or a bad leg that caused her to walk slower. He watched her but could discern no obvious limp. She didn’t seem to struggle for breath either.
One look at her face however showed she had been crying. Her eyes were still full of unshed tears.
He had been horrible to her.
The poor girl didn’t deserve his anger. She didn’t have any fault in this.
He tried to search his mind for the words he’d read from his grandfather. That would be the first thing he looked for once he’d dropped Amelia at the boarding house.
“Where you going in such a hurry, Reverend?” the sheriff asked. “Now that I’m certain she isn’t the one you’re fleeing from.” Sheriff Mills looked at the girl then asked, “He’s not robbing you of your case, is he?”
She shook her head but didn’t give an explanation. Small mercy there.
Benjamin looked at her, then up to the sheriff. “I wanted to get Miss Clover to the boarding house. She’s in need of a place to stay.”
Sheriff Mills frowned and shook his head. “I’m sorry, that won’t be possible.”
“Why not?” Benjamin asked.
“The doc says the family has chicken pox. Must have been passed on to them from someone who’d come to stay in the last while.” Sheriff Mills looked at him then to Amelia. “Have you had it?”
Amelia shook her head just as Benjamin said, “Yes, I have.”
The sheriff met Ben’s eyes again. “She won’t be able to stay there. Not for a while at least.”
Amelia’s wet eyes suddenly began to flood and she pulled out a cloth from her bag and covered her face in it.
“Now what am I supposed to do?” Benjamin asked, looking up at the sheriff.
“Who is this young lady?” Sheriff Mills asked. “Does she have any family out here?”
“She’s come from Ohio.”
Sheriff Mills looked at her and she nodded. “I was supposed to get married upon arrival.” Amelia wiped her eyes and took in a shaky breath.
“Well, where is your groom? Why didn’t he arrive to pick you up?”
Benjamin groaned. “There’s been a bit of a misunderstanding.”
Amelia started crying again and Benjamin wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to comfort her, to let her know it would work out for the best, but he had no idea how to calm a crying woman. If he were to hold her, or touch her, then there would be talk.
“What is going on?” Sheriff Mills asked. “Miss Clover, what is the name of your groom to be? I could go searching for him.”
Amelia looked at Benjamin as if unsure what to do or say. He shook his head and looked up at the sheriff. “I’m afraid she was under the impression the two of us would wed.”
“And why would she have that impression?” Sheriff Mills’ penetrating gaze seemed to be searching Benjamin’s soul for information.
“Because my grandparents made her believe I would be the one she would marry. I, on the other hand, understood it to mean that I would help her find a suitable husband.”
The sheriff’s face went from concern to humor in seconds. “Now that is the best story I’ve heard in a long time.”
“I’m glad you find it funny,” Benjamin said. “But we do have a bit of a situation here. I need to find a place for Miss Amelia to stay until we can get this sorted out.”
“I wouldn’t say the solution is all that difficult to find. Just marry her like you’re supposed to.”
“But I’m not ready for a wife,” Benjamin said. “I don’t have the slightest idea on what to do for a female.” He looked at Amelia and shame filled him at his lack of care about her feelings. She had been expecting a wedding and had planned on it for quite some time it seemed.
“Neither was I,” Sheriff Mills said. “But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The way I see it, she’s willing to marry you. Apparently, your relations think she’d be a fine wife for you. She has no place to stay, and you could benefit from the help of a woman. Seems to me, the honorable thing to do would be to marry her.”
“But there is no one to perform the ceremony,” Benjamin said. “We’d have to travel to Oakley.”
“It’s not all that far,” Sheriff Mills said. “I could even marry you. It’s legal either way.”
“I would have to be married in the church,” Benjamin said, and only after the words were out of his mouth did he realize he was actually willing to consider it. He looked at Amelia and her wide hopeful eyes gave him courage to make the next choice.
Before he could even request some privacy, the sheriff said, “I’ll be over there for a moment.” He moved his horse off to the side a little.
“Amelia,” Benjamin said. “I must apologize for this. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you. You came with the understanding we would wed. I have to admit, I am still shocked at how this turned out. But the sheriff is right. A part of me feels as if this could really work out. I may not be fully ready to be a husband, but I’ll do right by you. If you are willing still, I will marry you. It will at least give you a place to stay and keep people from talking about you. It wouldn’t be very Christian of me to turn you out and refuse to marry you. Don’t think I could convince anyone else to take you as a wife if I wasn’t willing to marry you after my grandparents told you I would.”
Amelia bit her bottom lip and wiped her nose with the handkerchief she held. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath then looked at him.
“Thank you,” Amelia said. “I don�
�t know what else I would do. I will do everything I can to help you in your responsibilities here. I promise to be a good wife and take care of your home and whatever you need me to do.”
Benjamin met her eyes and saw a quiet strength in them. She would definitely be an asset and he had to admit he wasn’t against having a companion in life to help him and to keep him company. She had said she knew how to cook and clean. That would free him up a lot to take care of other needs the people in town might have of him.
“Would you prefer to be married by the sheriff, or by a preacher?” Benjamin asked.
“Is it possible to have a preacher?” Amelia asked. “Though the sheriff seems like a fine man, I believe having the extra blessing from heaven would be important.”
Benjamin smiled. “I agree. I’ll do what I can to get a preacher here.”
The sheriff, who must have been close enough to hear at least part of their conversation, moved his horse closer. “So, shall I go find some witnesses, or do you want me to ride to Oakley and see if I can convince the preacher there to come out tomorrow?”
“Do you mind going for the preacher?” Benjamin asked.
“Not at all,” Sheriff Mills said. “I have some business I could take care of in Oakley anyway. I’ll be back with your preacher tomorrow.”
“And if you could keep the part of me misunderstanding the reason for her arrival just between us, I’d appreciate it. I wouldn’t want anyone to think less of our union.”
Sheriff Mills nodded. “Not a word from me.” He turned his horse then paused and looked back. “Oh, since the boarding house is off limits, you could see about having Miss Clover stay with Mr. and Mrs. Howard. I’d offer my place, but the doctor is often called away.”
“Thanks,” Benjamin said with a wave of his hand as the sheriff rode off leaving them alone again.
***
Amelia watched the sheriff leave, almost afraid to meet Benjamin’s eyes. The relief at knowing she wouldn’t be left alone here in the wilds of the west to fend for herself eased her soul. She could have returned to Ohio, but that would have been horrible.
“Well, I suppose we should turn around and go to the mercantile,” Benjamin said. He pointed to the large building and Amelia nodded. This time, he walked at a much slower pace, as if he were no longer trying to run from something.
They walked in silence past the train station again and on toward the middle of town. It was a smaller place than what she was used to back home, but there were signs of recent growth. Birch Creek would be a good place to live, she could feel it. The people were clean and friendly without signs of distress or severe poverty. Benjamin was obviously doing a good job here.
Anyone who saw them walking together waved and a few called out greetings to Reverend Morrison. Thankfully no one asked who she was, though she could see the curiosity in their faces.
When they reached the mercantile, Benjamin placed her trunk on the ground then motioned for her to lead the way up the steps. He then opened the door for her and followed her into the building.
“I’ll be right with you,” a woman’s voice from the back room said when the bell above the door chimed.
“That is Mrs. Howard. She is a very kind woman. One of the best in Birch Creek. I’m sure she’ll be willing to put you up for the night. Then tomorrow you’ll be able to join me at my home.”
Amelia just nodded. She would be married to this man who didn’t actually want her tomorrow and expected to live with him as his wife. Though she’d been planning on this for quite some time, the reality of it still caused her heart to pound with nerves. She looked at him, searching his face and could see only kindness and possibly resignation to the situation.
Amelia closed her eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks that he had been an honorable man and had not left her to fend for herself.
“Hello, Reverend Morrison. Thank you for waiting,” Mrs. Howard said as she entered the main room of the mercantile. “How can I help?” She looked at him first, then to Amelia and smiled, then walked forward. “I’m Mrs. Howard. Welcome to Birch Creek. What brings you here?”
Amelia looked to Benjamin for what to say, but she didn’t have to respond since he took care of the introductions.
“This is Miss Amelia Clover.” Benjamin nodded toward her. “She is a friend of the family from where I grew up in Ohio.”
“Oh, how lovely,” Mrs. Howard said. “Did you just arrive on the train? How were your travels?”
“Fine, thank you,” Amelia said.
“I haven’t been on a train in ages,” Mrs. Howard said. “Yet I’ve been told it is still not a very comfortable trip. Of course, when we first came out here, there was no train for us. We brought our goods with a wagon. Did your family come with you and are you planning on staying long?” Mrs. Howard looked in the direction of where the boarding house was built. “Oh no. I understand Susan and Michael’s place is temporarily unavailable. Will you be staying with Reverend Morrison?”
Amelia’s face heated and she hesitated, but once again, Benjamin saved her from worry about speaking.
“That is why we’ve stopped here, Mrs. Howard. You see, Miss Amelia and I will be wed tomorrow when Mr. Poulton from Oakley can be here.”
“Oh!” Mrs. Howard gasped. “That is wonderful news. I’ve always thought you needed a wife and family. I’m so pleased for you. Now! What can I do to help?” She took Amelia by the arm and walked to the window to look out toward the church. “We’ll throw together a celebration right away. What time will Mr. Poulton be here tomorrow? When will the ceremony take place?”
Amelia’s eyes widened at the enthusiasm of the woman and she looked back to Benjamin to help her again.
“Before we get into that,” Benjamin said. “I wondered if we might request a favor. You see, with the boarding house not available, Miss Amelia is in need of a place to stay tonight. We were hoping you might have a room she could stay in since Mr. Colten Howard is married with a family of his own.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Howard said turning to look at Amelia. “I would love for you to be my guest for this evening. That will give me time to get to know you. Oh my, I am just all aflutter at this turn of events.” She turned to Benjamin and cocked her head to the side, then placed her hands on her hips. “Now why didn’t we know about your plans to marry? How could you keep this news to yourself for so long? You didn’t make any mention of it during last Sunday’s meeting.”
“It wasn’t the right time to talk about it,” Benjamin said.
Amelia noticed a slight reddening along his collar. At least he wasn’t blaming her for this mess, though she knew she was partly at fault for neglecting to contact him herself. She’d been too cowardly to send anything, allowing all the planning to happen through his grandparents. She could have saved them both from such an awkward situation.
“Oh, no matter,” Mrs. Howard said. “I’ve thrown together celebrations with less notice than this. Though I do believe all your congregation would have appreciated a little more notice about your plans. I’m sure everyone will have loads of questions. You can answer them tomorrow. Right now, I think I should take Amelia up to the room so she can rest a moment. She looks plum worn out. Where are her things?”
“I’ll get them from outside,” Benjamin said, leaving Amelia alone with this most enthusiastic woman.
“Now, Amelia. Tell me everything. Do you have a dress picked out? I am assuming you are here alone without any family, so I’ll be here to help you with the wedding and take care of anything you might need.” She bustled Amelia up the stairs and into the private section of the building that was where the family lived.
When they reached the door to a room, Mrs. Howard pushed it open and Amelia looked at the bed and dresser there. It looked incredibly inviting.
Amelia turned to Mrs. Howard. “I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay here for the night. I hope I won’t be an inconvenience to you.”
“Never,” Mrs. Howard said.
/> Moments later, Benjamin had reached the top of the stairs with her trunk and the two women moved to the side so he could place it in the room. “If you’ll excuse me,” Benjamin said. “I need to return to the church to take care of a few things. Do you mind if she stays here for a few hours? I’ll come around later to…” he paused and Mrs. Howard spoke immediately.
“Why don’t the two of you join Mr. Howard and I for dinner tonight? It’ll be ready at six o’clock. We can plan for tomorrow’s events, and since it wouldn’t be proper for you to share a meal at your house quite yet, this will help take care of that problem.”
Benjamin smiled with relief, bowed to Amelia and then to Mrs. Howard, and turned to walk back down the stairs without another word.
When he was no longer visible, Amelia turned to Mrs. Howard. “This is all very kind of you. I’d like to help you how I can. Would you like me to make dinner?”
“You can help me for sure,” Mrs. Howard said. “But first, I think you might enjoy taking a few minutes to rest and freshen up after your long trip. We’ll let Reverend Morrison head out to take care of business and I’ll go finish up unloading our shipment of goods. I’ll come up in an hour or so. You just go ahead and rest for a while.”
Amelia practically sagged in relief. She hadn’t slept well on the train at all. Taking a short rest would feel wonderful. When Mrs. Howard closed the door behind her, Amelia sat on the edge of the bed and placed her face in her hands.
Everything had happened so fast and yet she felt exhausted at all the new information and couldn’t stop the tears from flowing again. She would do her best to make things work out and she vowed she would do what she could to make things right with Benjamin. She hated to think he would regret his choice to honor his grandparents’ promise to her.
CHAPTER THREE
Benjamin had re-read the letter from his grandfather twice and saw nothing that actually stated that he was expected to marry this girl. Not that he was going to change his mind about it. He had given her his word in person this time. Besides, if she had faith to come all the way from Ohio to Idaho on the praises from his grandparents, the least he could do was thank her for her trust in him.
The Preacher's Bride: A Golden Valley Story (Brides of Birch Creek Book 6) Page 2