by Indiana Wake
“You’re coming with us,” Henry insisted. “If you don’t, I’ll send the Sheriff after your man there. He’ll be arrested for indecency, and he’ll lose the ranch and everything else he’s worked for.”
Emma sank back in her chair. Thomas sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that. I was hoping you might think favorably about my brother when you saw his prospects. He makes a good living with this ranch, and he has the potential to do even better as time goes on. Your daughter couldn’t make a better match.”
Henry shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry you went to the trouble of putting us up here if that was your reason for doing it.”
“That wasn’t my reason for doing it,” Thomas told him.
George Oakes stepped forward. “We’re taking Mercy home, too. She’s well enough to travel now.....”
“Thanks to Grace,” Thomas added.
Cynthia put her hand on her daughter’s knee. “You’ll be happier at home, darling. We can take better care of you there, where it’s safe and clean and quiet.”
Mercy brushed her mother’s hand off her knee and turned away without answering. Cynthia crossed her arms and harrumphed.
Henry took Emma by the hand and raised her from her seat. “Come along, my dear. It’s time to go. Say good-bye to your friends. The buggy is waiting for us outside.”
Emma’s head shot up. “So soon?”
Henry nodded and headed for the door. Emma threw herself into Grace’s arms and burst into tears. “Can you ever forgive me, Grace?”
Grace patted her on the back. “There’s nothing to forgive. I couldn’t be happier. I should be thanking you for taking Jackson away from me so I could meet the man of my dreams.”
Emma sobbed into her neck. “You’re too good for me, Grace. I don’t deserve a friend like you.”
Grace pushed her off and stroked her cheek. “Don’t worry. You might be back some day soon, and then we’ll be together again. You never know.”
Emma dabbed her eyes and glanced toward the door. “I don’t think Papa will ever let that happen.”
“Don’t lose hope,” Grace told her. “You can find happiness in the face of overwhelming despair. If you ever doubt that, just look at me.”
Emma wiped her eyes. “Good-bye, Grace. I know you’ll be happy out here.”
They embraced again, and Emma cast one last forlorn look at Jackson before her mother led her to the buggy outside. The family climbed aboard and waved to the company standing on the porch. Henry clucked to the horse, and the buggy disappeared into the towering mountains.
A sniff made Grace turn around. Jackson stood behind her with his face hidden under his hat brim. No other sound came from him, but his shoulders shook with sobs. She put out her hand to comfort him, but he spun away from her and disappeared into the house.
Another buggy rolled up to the porch, and George Oakes handed Cynthia into the seat. She waved her imperious hand at Grace. “Good-bye, Grace, and good luck.”
“Good-bye.” Grace bit her lip to stop herself from smiling.
George climbed the steps and put his arms around his eldest daughter. Then he broke down in tears. “When will I ever see you again?”
Grace sniffed back her own tears and held him close. “You might come back. It only took you three weeks to get here this time. Travel gets faster and easier with every passing year. You might decide to visit more often. Besides, when there are some little Thomas’ running around they will need their grandpapa to come love on them!”
George nodded and kissed her on the cheek. “I always knew you’d find the right man. It was only a matter of time.”
They clasped each other by the hand, and George turned toward Mercy’s chair. But she wasn’t paying any attention to them. She gazed down into the face of Cecil Curtis, who knelt at her side.
“Who is he?” Grace asked Thomas.
“He’s been my best friend since we were boys,” Thomas replied. “He works as a lumberjack in town.”
As they watched, Mercy offered Cecil her hand, and he pressed it between his. Snatches of whispered conversation passed between them. Then Cecil got to his feet and helped Mercy to her feet. She held him by one hand, and in the other, she supported herself with a cane. Cecil walked her out to the porch and down the steps. He only let go of her hand when she climbed into the buggy.
“I’ll write to you,” he called up.
She smiled down at him. “I’ll see you again soon.”
The buggy separated them, and Cecil walked after it for a dozen yards before he stopped. Grace took Thomas’s hand again. “That's it, then. I didn't think they would leave so soon.”
Thomas drew her closer to him. “They might be back before you know it.”
“I hope so,” she replied.
He kissed the back of her hand. “Let’s go home.”
The End
I hope you have enjoyed this first story in the Grace & Mercy Find Peace on the Prairie series. No doubt you will be wondering what becomes of Emma and her lovelorn suitor, Jackson. Continue reading as we follow Emma’s terrifying ordeal, and her journey to hard won happiness, in the next book in the series, Emma’s Escape. It is available right now on Amazon for just $0.99 or Free on Kindle Unlimited…Emma’s Escape
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I thank you deeply for being such loyal readers, and pray God’s richest blessings on you and your household.
All my love,
Voyage of Grace is the first book in the Grace and Mercy Find Peace on the Prairie Trilogy. Each book is a complete and satisfying romance following one of our courageous brides:
Book 1: Voyage of Grace
Book 2: Emma’s Escape
Book 3: Traveling Mercy
Mail Order Bride
The Burned Bride Sold into Sin
Christmas Miracle
Indiana Wake
&
Belle Fiffer
©Copyright 2015 Indiana Wake
All Rights Reserved
Chapter 1
Elizabeth stepped into the living room and admired her three daughters, Martha, Georgia, and Ruth. They were so pretty with their golden blonde hair and sky blue eyes; unlike... no, she pushed that thought aside and concentrated on her darlings. Their manners were divine and they were so refined. In fact, they were perfect and they filled her life with joy. Soon they would have the best husbands and be leaving her. A tear almost formed in her eye, but she fought it back. Her daughters were going places and that was all that mattered. As she watched them talking and laughing, there was no guilt and little thought of her fourth child. She would not even let that monster enter her mind.
As she watched her beautiful girls, they picked up the newspaper causing a smile to cross her face. With ceremony, they spread it out on the table and all bent over it, whispering to each other. Their whispers led to giggles and laughter. Elizabeth knew very well what they were reading in the newspaper, it was the Matrimonial Advertisements section. She smiled at their excitement. The girls were over the moon since they had started replying to the gentlemen’s messages, and to her utter relief all of them were getting replies.
Ruth was the first one to get a marriage proposal. It had filled Elizabeth with joy when she found out what a wealthy family her Mr. Barnstable was from. Everything was arranged and she was leaving for Louisiana soon. Before she went, she was helping her other two sisters to find the best man to respond to. Georgia already had two men willing to marry her. They were reasonable men with a decent income, but she was holding out to see if she could find a richer suitor. There was a man, Joseph, who was most suitable, but so far they hadn’t heard back from him. Maybe a letter would come, but in the meantime, Georgia was keeping her options open. Whereas Martha, young, pretty and shy Martha,
still couldn’t decide whom to reply to. That was why the three sisters were tittering over the advertisements.
Elizabeth shook her head as they let loose a fit of giggles. She wondered what the poor man had put that brought her daughters such mirth. Whatever it was, he was most likely not suitable. Martha was looking down, her cheeks glowing and her eyes shocked. Elizabeth wondered about her little one. She was so shy and naïve, maybe she would have to take matters into her own hands and choose for her.
As she watched the girls, she thought back to another time when she had four daughters and such high hopes for their marriage. Anger filled her for a moment. The monster had ruined all that, but even so she couldn’t believe that her daughters had reached the age of marriage so quickly. Her heart swelled with pride and love. All three girls were beautiful and attractive. She had no doubt that Georgia and Martha would also find their suitable match soon, and would leave one after another. Then she would be alone with… no, she pushed that thought away. It didn’t bare thinking about. She left them on their own and took the steps up to her room thinking about Ruth’s upcoming departure, and what she would need to pack. Maybe she could see if there was anything special she could give each of her precious girls.
Walking along the corridor, she passed the small room. It filled her with dread and she ignored the low sound of muffled sobs that reached her ears. Even so her smile vanished and a frown appeared on her forehead. Trying to walk on, she found her eyes pulled to the room. On the bed, a figure was lying on the mattress. Its hands were hiding its face and it was crying. Biting down an angry retort, she walked on past the monster and wished for some invisibility potion. Something that she could pour down on her first-born, in fact, she wished that she had never been born.
Behind her, she heard the sobs of Lauren, her eldest daughter transition into sniffling. Burning in rage, Elizabeth stomped to her own room, not caring about the loud noise her footsteps made. She didn’t need to hide her disgust from anyone, especially not from that black blot on her family.
Lauren held her breath as she heard the footsteps stomp past. She knew she was not allowed to cry and most of the time she didn’t. But sometimes things got on top of her and that was when she would lose her faith in God and let the tears fall. But she knew how much her mother hated when she cried – or even spoke. So she took a breath and fought for control. Tomorrow would be another day. A gift from God and she must do her best to serve Him.
The footsteps stomped on and then she heard her mother’s door close. She let out a sigh and got up from the bed and rushed to her door. Quietly she closed it and secured the bolt. Then she let herself slide down the door. She brought her hand up and touched the uneven scarred skin of her face and then burst into tears again. She wanted to yell and ask; why it had to be her? Why she had to be at Beth’s place fifteen years ago? Why she had to hide behind the hay stacks for that stupid game? Why it had to catch fire? Why she had to burn in that fire? Why she was rescued when over half her body was burnt already? Why she wasn’t left in there to burn to death? The tears fell silently because she knew there was no answer to her questions. For years, she had prayed asking why. It was silly to keep asking these questions. She wasn’t getting a reply now, as she had never got a reply then.
When there were no more tears, she got up from the cold floor and went to her wash stand. Earlier she had brought up some water and she washed her tearstained face. Above the washstand, was a light silhouette of where a mirror used to hang, she did not need to see her repulsive reflection, but sometimes the glass of her window disclosed the horror within. Then she wanted to smash the glass and every mirror. If a mirror was ever in her hands, she vowed she would smash it into a million pieces. Then she would bury them where no one could ever reach.
The fire, Lauren had been a victim of was extinguished long ago, but what nobody saw was the flame that was left inside her. No one blew that out. No one knew that one flame had built a complete fire inside her. For all these years, her mother and sisters added air to that fire. They kept it alive with their cruelty and spite. Their attitude towards Lauren never let her forget that she was the beast among the beauties, and a curse on the family. She was always shown that she was no longer one of them.
Her mother was afraid that Lauren’s appearance would affect the other three as well. Because of this she had been prohibited from attending any social gatherings. She wasn’t allowed to make an appearance when guests came. She wasn’t even allowed to visit the church on a Sunday. When her sisters started courting, she was left at home. When they failed to win the hearts of the young gentlemen it was her fault. Even now when the other three were finding their matches in the Matrimonial Advertisings, Lauren was here locked up in her room and crying over her pitiful fate. Some days she dreamed of writing to one of the men. Surely God would have made a man for her, someone ugly or blind… someone that would not care about how she looked.
Chapter 2
It was only two days before Ruth was to leave for Louisiana. Elizabeth’s felt as if her errands were never going to end. She wanted to give everything to Ruth that she would need in her new life. Mr. Barnstable was a wealthy man and lived a high profile life. Therefore, Elizabeth wanted Ruth to be as comfortable as she could be with him. She was finishing off the last quilt when Georgia’s voice burst into her ears.
“Mother! Mother!” she ran down the stairs taking them two at a time. Martha was following her just as quickly.
“Slowly, girls, or you’ll end up breaking your necks,” she admonished them but Georgia’s excitement was so much that she barely listened.
“Mother, do you know what this is?” Georgia waved a paper in the air. Her breath was caught up, yet she couldn’t contain her smile and her excitement.
“What is it, Georgia?” Elizabeth pulled down her glasses and set the needle aside to center her attention on her relentless daughter.
“He is coming,” Martha exclaimed, earning a glare from Georgia.
“I wanted to tell her.”
“Who is coming?” Elizabeth asked.
“He is coming to take her,” Martha said again and this time Georgia didn’t falter but slapped her arm.
“Stop it girls and tell me what is it?”
“Joseph says he is going to sail down here and take me with him so that I do not have to travel alone,” Georgia told her proudly.
“Oh my dear, this is so lovely. He is such a gentleman,” Elizabeth embraced her daughter with a hug and tears welled up in her eyes. Joseph was the man she had been holding out hopes for. A rich man, from a wealthy family. This was a major boost for the families status. “ You are so lucky. I am so happy for you, my sweetheart,” Elizabeth said through tears.
“Yes, mother, Joseph is such a nice man and very rich. I am so glad that I wrote to him,” Georgia said dreamily.
“When is he coming?”
“He says he’ll leave on the twenty-fifth of next month, and it will take him three weeks to arrive.”
That meant it would only give them almost two months to prepare everything for his arrival. It must be perfect. This was a first. That someone was coming to collect his bride. Elizabeth knew how big this would be, not only for Georgia or her but for the entire village. Mail order brides weren’t anything unusual but having someone come and get his bride was definitely unusual. Elizabeth’s mind was already working steadily. She could see how much this would upgrade their status around the small town and she wanted to make the best out of it.
Martha and Ruth were all teasing Georgia, and Elizabeth could all but feel immensely happy for them. That’s when her eyes stopped at Lauren, who was polishing the stairs and watching them celebrate. Her heart missed a beat. What if Joseph saw her and decided to call off the wedding? She looked at her three beautiful, perfect, happy daughters and then at the ugly, scarred, sullen one. She couldn’t let Lauren’s bad shadow ruin her other daughters’ happiness. She had to get her out of the house before Joseph’s arrival - by hook o
r by crook she would get rid of this beast.
For the rest of the day, she thought hard, but couldn’t come up with any suitable plan. No one in this village would marry Lauren, knowing what happened to her, so that was out of the question. Maybe she could send her away. Perhaps someone would take her as a servant. The problem was no one had the resources to feed such a monstrous girl. No, she was stuck with her and would just have to make sure that she stayed in her room. But then her gaze fell on the newspaper. She picked it up to see the Matrimonial Advertisings section had been left open. She looked down at the messages and then up at her daughter as she cleaned the house. Lauren was a good cook and could clean and do the washing. In fact, she did all of the work around the house since they had to let the servants go. A plan began to form in her mind. She carefully folded the newspaper and took it inside her room. Lighting the lamp, she spread open the paper and began searching for the message that had the lowest expectations. There were quite a few, but one caught her eye.
Wanted woman to be my bride all I ask is that you are younger than 25 and able to work hard. Sincere husband waiting. I have all my teeth and a reasonable income. Come West and make me a happy man.
Henry Van Percy.
Taking her pen and paper, Elizabeth began to draft letters to as many adverts that she could find.
Lauren watched her sisters celebrated as she cleaned out the fireplace and polished the silverware. It was good to see their happiness and she smiled as they congratulated each other for finding their dream man.