by Indiana Wake
“Yes you could, but I asked first.”
She let out a long sigh. “I loved Jefferson very much and he left me with a small income. For many years, I did not want to think about marriage but then some friends encouraged me to court a local suitor. I did not want to. Yes, I am lonely but I was happy alone and did not want to accept the thought of love into my life. I’m sure you understand.”
She looked up and David could see moisture glinting in her eyes. He did, he understood only too well and he nodded feeling a lump in his throat that would not allow any words to pass.
“I did not love this man, but he had a child from a previous wife and I thought it would give me… Well, I guess I wanted children.”
He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently for comfort but the feelings it gave him were much stronger. He was falling for this woman. With her head bowed, she told him, in confidence, about how she had been played for a fool at her wedding. She had been engaged to marry the man. They had not been in love, but they had respected each other enough that she had agreed to marry him. It would make her dream of a child come true, even though it would not be hers. For the first time since Jefferson’s death, she had been excited about the future.
Her eyes clouded over with shame as she explained. On the day of her wedding, as she sat in her dress, a boy came with a letter for her. The guests were all outside, waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin. She opened the letter to read it and inside was a short note from her fiancé. He wrote that he couldn't go through with the marriage and that they both deserved to be with someone they loved. He said that he had met a woman who took his breath away and that he couldn't force himself to be with her just because he had made a promise. He wrote that he was leaving and would move to a different town to start a life with his love.
David felt his heart breaking as she finished the story.
“After that day,” Mary said. “I wanted to make sure that no other woman went through what I did. So I started the Pioneer Brides Mail Order Bride Agency. It was small at first. I just helped a few people find each other. Then I read about the shortage of women out West and I knew that many women back East were in my situation. It seemed perfect and I have helped many women find their true love.”
“Do many of your women fall in love with their husbands?” David asked for he could not imagine it happening very often.
“I make it my mission to never send a bride to a husband that I do not think she could love.”
David shook his head. He had badly misjudged her and now he was amazed at what a good woman she was. She had taken something that would destroy many people and turned it into a business. It was the reason she had never married. She had been betrayed and humiliated and she had not wanted to go through a similar experience ever again. What’s more she had not wanted any other woman to go through the same. He felt himself in awe of her and what she had achieved.
David found himself seeking out Mary’s company over the next few days. The only regret he had was that if he moved out here to be with his daughter then he would lose this wonderful woman. Could he find a way to bring her with him? Then he stopped himself. Mary had spent much time in his company, but there had never been any hint that she was looking for a companion, that she was looking for a husband. Maybe he was just getting carried away? As he watched her one day, he wondered how he could broach the subject. Maybe on the train ride home?
The wedding day finally arrived and the whole house hummed with excitement. Last minute adjustments were being made, servants and maids were running all over the place getting everything in order, and the guests were chattering away, figuring out where they were to be seated.
David knocked on a bedroom. He went in and his eyes moistened as he looked at his beautiful daughter. He only wished that her mother had been there to see her in such a glorious wedding gown. Jolene, Anna’s best friend, smiled at him and ducked out of the room and David took a deep breath. “Are you ready?” he asked and wondered if he would ever be ready for this.
“I am,” Anna said and together they walked through the house.
The staff and some of the guests were all waiting and they gave them an honor guard as they walked to a waiting carriage. Two white horses pulled the carriage which had been decorated with silk ribbons. It seemed the Gellman’s had pulled out all the stops.
As the carriage lurched forward, David wondered where Mary was. Had she already left for the wedding? Would he see her there?
A large crowd had gathered outside the small church as David helped Anna down. Taking her arm, he led her to the doors. No one looked at her limp all they cared about was how beautiful she looked and what a wonderful dress she wore. The train spread out behind her as they entered the church. The music began to play and wiping away his tears David led her down the aisle that led to Ian.
Ian only had eyes for Anna, as she walked toward him and David couldn't help but feel the joy to see all the love reflected in Ian’s eyes for his Anna. After handing her to Ian, David turned to go take his seat. He sat and scanned the room for Mary. She sat three rows back and the sight of her took his breath away. She looked magnificent in her shimmering light green dress. It was long; a little low cut and accentuated her curves, making her look more beautiful than he had ever seen. She was more beautiful than anyone here, save the bride.
Shaking his head slightly to clear it, he turned back to see his daughter accept Ian for all of eternity till death do they part. He saw her eyes shimmer with unshed tears and he couldn't help but let a few of his own fall as well. His daughter was all grown up now and starting her own family. He couldn't have been more proud of her.
Chapter 9
After the ceremony was over congratulations were made and they all moved back to the lodge for the wedding feast. David found himself walking as Ian and Anna had taken the carriage. The sound of her delighted laughter still echoed in his ears as he scanned the crowds for Mary. She was nowhere to be found so he made the walk back and into the ballroom. All around people were laughing and eating and at the top of the room the happy couple greeted their guests. David looked around until he saw Mary. She was standing by a table, chatting with a man. As he saw the two of them laughing, a heat flamed his face right up to his ears and he began to shake in anger. His anger surprised him and he looked down at his fisted hands, wondering what had come over him and why her talking to anyone affected him in such a way. Maybe, he was just protective of her since she had been hurt previously and he did not want her to be in pain again.
He moved toward her and touching her lightly on the arm, asked, "May I interrupt?"
Mary turned toward him, with a bright smile on her face. “Mr. Montgomery, of course,” she said. “That was a beautiful service and the bride looks almost as dashing as her father does this evening."
More heat spread down his neck. "And you look ravishing, Mrs. Hawkins. Would you like to dance?"
Blushing furiously, Mary nodded her head and David then proceeded to lead her to the dance floor. "You really do look absolutely breathtaking, Mrs. Hawkins," he said as he led her through the dance.
Blushing again, Mary mumbled a quick thank you. They both danced in silence for a while, not parting as the songs ended and new ones started. David was enjoying holding her close to him a lot more than he thought he should. His heart was beating like a drum, he was sweating a little, and he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off her. She kept blushing every time she looked into his eyes and David couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was feeling the same things, he was.
While they had been dancing, David had looked around once or twice and noticed Jolene, Anna's best friend looking at him with a weird expression. When he would look at her, she would grin, nod towards Mary, and wink at him as if to show her approval. David went red in the face and after the third time, he decided not to look up at all. Feeling awkward with Jolene staring, he said to Mary, "Do you maybe want to leave now? We could go to the library, nobody would be there,
and we'd get some quiet."
Mary looked at him with gratitude. "That sounds like a great idea."
And so it was that they escaped the wedding and spent the evening in just each other's company, the way they liked it. Half way through the night Mary explained that she would be leaving tomorrow. The thought devastated David and he wondered how he could let her know how he felt. “How have you enjoyed the West?” he asked.
“It is lovely,” she said. “I wonder what it would be like to reside out here.”
“Could you still run your business?” he asked intrigued.
“I don’t see why not,” she said “But let us talk of home. Do you miss it?”
David thought about that for just a moment. Did he? “Not as much as I missed Anna,” he said.
The morning after the wedding, David came down to find Mary had her bags packed and was ready to go back home. He wanted to tell her that he wished they could travel together. Thought about asking if she could delay her trip back, but in the end he said nothing. Instead he helped her into the carriage, kissed the back of her hand, and told her he would call on her when they got home. Mary’s face colored a lovely rose pink and she told him how she looked forward to it. Then the door closed and she was gone. Somehow it was as if the sun had gone behind a cloud and the world was a much cooler place. This entire trip had been like one dream and he didn't want to wake up from it. Not going with Mary would be like missing out on some last precious minutes. He shook his head; there were precious moments to have with Anna. Or at least there would be when she returned from her trip.
With a heavy heart, David watched the carriage until it was out of sight. All the time he worried about what the future held and how things would be different between them back home.
The next few days were rather boring for him without Mary. He had gotten quite used to her being around all the time and now he felt her absence. As more and more guests left, the house grew quieter. Ryan and Jolene were spending a lot of time together and David wondered if maybe romance was in the air? So he sat in the library, read a little, and spent his days thinking about Mary. How could he miss her so much when he had known her for such a short time?
Finally, his daughter came back and he spent the day with her, rejoicing in the little time he had with her before he was to head back home. He laughed with her, remembered her mother, told the others stories of her childhood, and had a merry time with the family. He was glad that if he were to leave his little girl, it was in such a happy place.
The next day, he said his goodbyes and promised he would think about retirement and about coming back soon. His stomach was jittery and for some reason he was nervous, although he had no reason to be. He was only going home, but the thought of seeing Mary again made him restless throughout the whole train ride back.
Chapter 10
Meanwhile, while David spent those days with his daughter's new family, strange incidents were taking place in Mary's life. She had gotten home and the very next day she went off to the office, planning on getting a handle on all the work that had been left pending in her absence.
Things were different now. She wanted to be a woman again. She had escaped this sad little office with the daguerreotype of her dead husband staring down at her. Had danced and talked and laughed in a way she never imagined she would do again. Now she was home in her office, going through a few forms for a client. Wanting so badly to match him with the most compatible of females, to give him the happy ever after she had been denied.
Had Mr. Montgomery been interested in her? Or was it just her imagination playing tricks on a lonely old woman? It did not matter something had changed and her work was now bittersweet.
Fighting back her tears she buried herself in a stack of paperwork when the door opened. She jerked up and a number of files fell from the table and scattered across the floor. A man stepped in quickly to help her pick them up.
They both knelt down at the same time and Mary found herself eye to eye with this handsome stranger. Quickly she gathered the fallen papers. "Hello, I’m so sorry, it's not usually like this,” she said. “I run a well-organized agency." As she was saying this and gathering the files, the man handed her a stack of papers he had collected. She took them, smiling her thanks and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. For a moment, she thought about David. Had he come back early, but then the man's whole face came into focus and she blushed at her assumption. The man in front of her was not David, but he was good looking, in his fifties and from what she could tell he had come directly from the West.
He smiled at her and she smiled back, standing up, all the papers in her hands now. He bowed to her slightly and she could see he was dressed as a cowboy, complete with Stetson that he held in his hands.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Hawkins is it?” he said. “I was recommended this place by an acquaintance and I have traveled a long way specifically to seek your services."
Mary went around the table and put down the papers. Composing herself she sat, and gestured for him to do the same. Mary couldn't help but notice that the man, thought dressed as a rancher, had a regal look about him and an air of nobility. He seemed like a proper gentleman and Mary was curious as to why a man of his stature would need her services.
"Well, what can I do for you, Mr..?"
"My name is John Robertson. I am here from Texas because I would like to find a wife for my eldest son, Brady. He had an accident a while ago and now he is paralyzed from the waist down.” Pausing he ran a hand through thick hair that was peppered with gray.
“I am so sorry to hear that,” Mary said and her heart went out to this man and his son. Texas was remote and there were very few women out there and not that many that wanted to go. Would she be able to find this disabled man a wife? She hoped so for the sake of his kind-hearted father.
“Thank you, but I do not need your sympathy, but your expertise,” he said. “My family is originally from England and this is the first time we have… well, that we have done anything like this.”
“There is no need to worry, I offer a discreet service,” Mary said.
“That is kind. You would think any woman would kill to be married into a family of such means as ours, but we have had little luck so far. I placed a few advertisements but whenever the women find out about Brady’s condition… Anyway, I heard that you are an expert at finding the right match. I want my son to experience love as well as a wife and I would really appreciate all the help I can get." The man said, looking at her as if assessing her and trying to figure out all her secrets.
Blushing under his scrutiny, Mary nodded. "Well, I'll just give you the forms that need filling out and we can start the process." She explained the process and he listened with rapt attention. He kept gazing into her eyes and Mary found herself feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
After she had helped him fill out the forms, she paused for a moment. Did she have any potentials? Yes, there would be someone, for she believed there was a soul mate for all of us. "I can have potential matches for you by the end of the week if you would like."
"That would do quite nicely, thank you," he said but made no move to leave. Mary looked at him questioningly and he continued, "I'm sorry if I'm intruding but do you happen to be married?"
Mary blushed at his question and found herself replying, "No, I am not. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was wondering why a beautiful woman such as you would be unmarried."
"Well, that is a personal matter," Mary replied, squirming in her seat.
"Yes, you are right. I beg your pardon. Good day, Mrs. Hawkins." And with a tip of his hat, he was off.
The week rushed by and Mary searched her potentials over and over for she wanted someone who would love and appreciate Brady. There were many women on her files who would marry him for his money. Who would accept the security and comfort that his position offered, but this was not her way. As she studied her files she found herself forgetting David, and his sweet blue eyes but st
ill she was not the same. There was a deeper loneliness in her than before. Now she knew what she had been missing.
The end of the week approached and with that came the return of John Robertson. He glided in, rough and yet regal and smiled a greeting. She smiled in reply and after the courteous greetings, got down to business. She handed him the potentials she had lined up for his son and explained the procedure to him again. She told him that he could take them to his son to let him choose and then they could proceed with the interactions.
“I have given you three files,” Mary said. “But in my heart I believe that Etta Alderman is the best choice. She was married very young and has a young child, but her husband died after an accident. She stayed at his side caring for him night and day and since then she has wanted to be a nurse. Etta comes across as a woman who does not have a bad bone in her body. If you do not mind accepting a child as well as a wife she would be perfect.”
“She sounds perfect,” John said. “Would it be possible to meet her?”
“Of course, but I think your son should make the final choice.” Mary then proceeded to discuss the three girls and explain the rest of the procedure. “There,” she said. “That is settled.”
John looked at her with such gratitude that it made her blush.
"Thank you. It is much appreciated," he said.
"Not at all. It is my job, after all," Mary replied with a smile. When he didn't make a move to leave, she grew confused. She opened her mouth to inquire but before she could say anything, he spoke again.
"Mrs. Hawkins, this has never happened to me before,” he said. “I want you to understand that I do not randomly find women irresistible and most certainly do not approach just anyone. This is out of the norm for me as much as it will be for you and I hope that one way or the other, it will not ruin our professional relationship."