Ellie: Mail Order Brides of Wichita Falls - Book 8

by Cyndi Raye

  “I been having some eyesight problems. Thought I better get my eyes checked.”

  “I see. Well, lets take a look.” After spending a short period of time with her, James knew he was right. Her eyes were clear as ever.

  “What did you find, doc? Am I going blind? Will I need to hire someone to take care of me?”

  James smiled. “I’m afraid not yet, Mrs. Dearborn. Your eyes look good for a woman of advanced age. I am going to prescribe something unheard of. I want you to join the weekly reading program at the hotel.”

  Mrs. Dearborn straightened up. “A reading program! That’s absurd. Why would you ask me to do that young man?”

  James patted her shoulder. “It will be good for you to exercise the eyes by reading more, Mrs. Dearborn. I’m afraid you have let your eyes rest way too much.”

  The actual purpose was to get her involved with other people, to see the value of being with a group of others. He’d make a special trip to see Lily to inform her there would be a new addition to the group and how to proceed. Lily would make a lonely old woman feel welcome. Maybe even push her to do some volunteer service.

  “I’m not sure I’m up to that,” she muttered more to herself than him. “I spend most of my day on the front porch.”

  Therein lies the problem, he thought but didn’t speak it aloud. “It’s important right now for you to become involved in things to get those eyes working right, ma’am. You don’t want to lose your eyesight and be dependent on others, do you?”

  The older woman shook her head. “Not on your life, doc! I’ll do as you say and attend the book reading. Are we done here?”

  James grinned. “Yes, ma’am, we are finished.” He peeked out the window to find his porch empty. It looked as if she were the last customer of the day, giving him a short work day. “Let me walk you back to your home, Mrs. Dearborn.”

  “Why, thank you, sir.” She stood and took his arm as he led the way out the door and down the street. “I hope your Misses is feeling better. She looked as if she saw a ghost coming out of the church this morning.”

  James stopped. “Church?” Maybe the older woman’s eyesight was truly bad. “Are you certain it was her? I don’t believe she was at the church. Mrs. Winters went to the mercantile to pick up supplies.”

  Mrs. Dearborn took her ageing hand and patted his. “Well, of course she was at the mercantile. That’s where old man Wheeler gave her that letter she got so upset about. She ran into the church like her skirts were on fire. I wonder what was in the letter?”

  James knew the old lady was meddling but he didn’t have any plans to tell her why because he didn’t know a thing himself. Even if he did know, he would never reveal personal business. Why did Ellie keep this from him?

  She didn’t wait for James to answer anyway. “I will be honest, I was worried because she looked horrified so I came over to your office to check on things. I sit on my porch all day. There isn’t a darn thing wrong with my eyes.”

  James patted her hand, the pieces falling in to place. “Well, thank you, I think. I wasn’t aware there was a problem but now that I know, I’ll get to the bottom of things. Thank you, Mrs. Dearborn, for looking out for my wife.”

  He left her on her porch, swinging away towards the mercantile. If anyone could solve the mystery of the letter, it was old man Wheeler.

  The shrill sound of the bell sang out to the proprietor that a visitor entered his domain. James wasn’t going to minx words. He was desperate to learn the mystery of the letter.

  He stood at the counter while one of the townsfolk finished up. As soon as she was gone, he nodded when Mr. Wheeler acknowledged him.

  “Good afternoon, Doctor James. What can I do for you?”

  “The letter you gave my wife. Who was it from?”

  The proprietor thought for a moment. “We don’t get too many letters from the East here, Doc, so I knew when it said Charleston on the envelope it must be pretty important.”

  Ellie’s home town. Who would write to her and upset her so? She no longer had family there and the hospitals let her go. They certainly would not be calling her back. Maybe a friend or someone from the orphanage? The hairs on the back of his neck stood out, prickling his skin like a scorpion stinging its prey when he realized the enormity of the orphanage contacting her after all this time.

  James left the store, his steps heavy with the burden of what his wife was going through all alone. Why hadn’t she come to him? The dust flew as he worked his way up the street, determined to go to his wife, soothe her soul and let her know they would fight this ordeal together.

  Then he heard Betsy’s little voice. “Doctor James!” He turned to see her hanging over the rail on the porch at the boarding house, laughing and waving to him. His heart caught in his throat. She was his child too, now. He didn’t want to lose Betsy.

  James took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He needed to stay calm. For Betsy’s sake as well as for Ellie. He strolled over to the porch, picking Betsy up in his arms and holding her close. She wrapped her little chubby arms around his neck and gave him a kiss right on his nose. “Are you picking me up?” She bounced in his arms. He threw back his head and laughed, his eyes lighting up as she rambled on about her afternoon.

  Miss Addie was watching from her place on the porch. “Good afternoon, Doctor James. I hear there is a letter filtering through Wichita Falls from Charleston.”

  How in the world did Miss Addie find out so soon? Did the woman have eyes in the back of her head?

  “Seems so, Miss Addie.” She was the only one who knew about the orphanage there. Perhaps she would be of some help in this awful matter.

  “Well, take Betsy home now and enjoy this wonderful evening. I will speak with your wife in the morning. Good day.”

  With those words, Miss Addie gave Betsy a quick hug and exited through the front door, leaving James wondering what to do next.

  He had wanted to talk with Ellie about the letter but now it would have to wait. He supposed that was the intention of Miss Addie, realizing if this was the last day with Betsy then they had to make it the most memorable. Even though in his heart the desire to pack up his practice, all of their things and run for the hills where no one would ever be able to find Betsy was so strong he had to calm himself down.

  Even though he knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, it was teetering on his heart to do just that. Desperation made a man take foolhardy risks. Was he capable of taking matters in to his own hands?

  <><>

  Ellie stirred. The feather bed was so soft she didn’t want to get up. Her eyes stayed closed. Even though she must have slept for hours and would now probably have a restless night of sleep, she was desperate to hold Betsy in her arms.

  A rush of hot air landed on her cheek. A giggle erupted. Ellie opened one eye to find Betsy hanging from James’s arms, her head close to Ellie’s cheek.

  A wide smile erupted and Betsy tried to struggle out of James’s grasp. He let her go so she began to bounce on the bed. “Mommie, wake up!”

  Both of Ellie’s eyes popped open. She began to shake as if a herd of cattle were stampeding through the streets of Wichita Falls. Her eyes were so glassy with tears when she looked up at James she could barely see his reaction.

  “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Can I call you Mommy instead of Nurse Ellie?” her little voice sang out as she bounced.

  “Betsy.” Ellie’s voice was so choked up she barely got the name past her lips. She took Betsy in her arms and gave her a hug so tight Betsy began to squirm.

  That’s when she noticed James pacing back and forth. He looked as if he wanted to say something but was struggling to keep quiet.

  When he turned she looked deep in his eyes and knew right then he had found out about the letter.

  Ellie was caught in the moment, hugging her daughter who had just called her mommy or soothing James’s worried look. This whole thing was out of control.

  She loved Betsy with all of her heart and couldn�
��t fathom losing her. At the same time, Ellie hoped James would forgive her for keeping the letter to herself but she needed to be with her little girl. Yet, she needed them both. He had to understand. She turned to the child.

  “Betsy, are you sure you want to call me mommy?”

  Betsy giggled. “Yes. My friend Tamara says you are my mommy.”

  “She told you that?”

  “Uh-huh. She said a nurse fixes my hurts but a mommy lives with me all day and night and kisses the hurts. You do that to me so you must be my mommy.”

  James came to the two, sitting on the edge of the bed. He gathered them both in his arms. “She is your mommy, Betsy.”

  “I know. Can I go play?”

  Laughing through a slew of tears, Ellie tried to wipe them away. She reluctantly let go of her little girl, watching as she scurried out the bedroom door. It wasn’t a choice to let her go live with strangers. She’d do whatever she had to keep her safe.

  James wiped the tears from her face. “Ellie, what did the letter say?” Even though he was pretty certain he knew the details.

  She sat up beside him, pulling the crumpled letter from her pocket and handed it to him. More tears flowed down her cheeks but he concentrated so hard on the words, Ellie wiped them away herself.

  “I can’t let her go,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

  James sighed. It was obvious he struggled with his next words. “As hard as this is to say, I believe we need to hear what the Martins have to say.”

  Ellie cried out before placing a closed fist to her mouth to keep quiet. She didn’t want Betsy to come back and see her distraught. “Oh, James. We can’t let her go, not with strangers.”

  James leaned down, his elbows resting on his knees, the letter hanging from his fingers. “This town needs a good lawyer. I don’t know what implications there are if we refuse to allow them to see her. The letter states Mr. and Mrs. Martin are long lost relatives of Betsy’s mother. When they found out both parents had died in the terrible accident, they thought Betsy had not survived.”

  “I know what the letter says, I still don’t care.”

  James ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “Did you read the whole thing, Ellie?”

  She realized when she saw the words long lost relative and taking a train here, she had let the letter slip from her fingers. “I, uh, maybe not.”

  “It doesn’t state they want to claim her as their own. It doesn’t say anything except the Martins are coming to see Betsy. I don’t know if they plan to take her or not. The orphanage gave you Betsy as an apprentice. I believe that is a legal document. They would have to appeal the process and file for guardianship.”

  Ellie shook her head. “Still, why should this child have to go through that? What if she decides to go with these people? What if she wants them and not us? Oh, James, I couldn’t bear the thought!”

  Betsy peeked through the door. “Mommy, why are you sad?”

  She skipped over to Ellie, placing a tiny hand on her cheek. “I can make you smile.” Betsy jumped up and down, nodding her head back and forth, puckering her lips and began to sing.

  Ellie began to laugh. She shook her head, a smile the size of Wichita Falls on her face. Betsy was such a sweet girl. She stood then, taking Betsy’s hands and dancing with the child. They made so much noise but Ellie didn’t care. If this was her last night with her daughter, then she would give her a memory she’d never forget.

  She looked over to see James deep in thought, reading the letter again. “James, come join us.”

  “Yes, Daddy, dance!” Betsy twirled around, laughing out loud as she sang her little song.

  The stationary dropped to the floor. James stood, then picked up Betsy and twirled her around the floor. Ellie stood back, watching the two dance across the room. She swore James had a tear in his eye. Betsy had just called him Daddy for the first time. She wasn’t even going to ask Betsy to clarify why.

  A child knows who loves her. Any child knows where she belongs and is loved. Betsy wouldn’t want to leave them. Ellie resolved right then and there to do whatever it took to make sure the Martins would not take Betsy away.

  When James turned to face her, she saw the same look in his eyes. He nodded briefly as if he read her mind. Even if they had to leave here, they would protect Betsy from any harm. She knew that deep down in her heart.

  Ellie wanted to raise Betsy here. The little girl loved this town. She had friends now and Miss Addie was like a grandmother to her. The girl already had a traumatic time when her real mother was torn from her life.

  There was no way the Martins were going to take her. She watched as James slowed their dance and Betsy nodded off, her little arms pressed tight around his neck. She had been full of so much energy moments before but in his arms, she had relaxed and fell asleep.

  “Put her in our bed, she’ll be alright there. We’ll wake her up for supper.”

  James covered the child up, staring down at her. Ellie slid up beside him. She placed a hand on his arm. “Come along, James. We need to talk.”

  When he tore his eyes from the child, his eyes glistened. Ellie lifted up on her toes and placed a kiss on his mouth. Follow me, she mouthed, taking his hand.

  Chapter 9

  The two had talked for awhile while making supper while Betsy napped. Then she got up and they spent the rest of the evening together as a family.

  “Let’s retire to the porch.”

  It was well past the hour when other townsfolk were inside, getting their families tucked in to bed. The only sound James and Ellie heard was the occasional music that drifted up from the saloon.

  They each took a rocker, sitting side by side on the wooden porch. James reached across and took her hand. No words were necessary for the longest time.

  Ellie’s heart began to stir. “James? What if the Martins want her? What do we do?”

  “We don’t’ give up. We fight. Betsy is happy here, they will see the truth. If they love her, they will see it, too.”

  “Then we need to hire a lawyer. How expensive are they? I’ll find a way to get the money, James, somehow, some way I will.”

  “I agree we need a lawyer but let’s meet with them first. According to the letter, they will be here in the morning. The train comes in at eleven.”

  “So soon?” Ellie began to panic. She wasn’t ready.

  “Yes, darling. It will be okay. No one in this town will allow the Martins to just come here and make us hand over a child. They have to prove who they are first.”

  “Wasn’t that proven in the letter?”

  “The west is different than Charleston. We have our own codes, our own laws. This town will not allow any shenanigans from an outsider, you can bet on that.”

  A small flutter of relief passed over Ellie. She knew he spoke the truth. For now, they would allow the Martins to state their purpose. But if they tried to take her, she would not allow it to happen.

  “I know what you are thinking, Ellie. I thought of running myself.”

  “Then lets. Let’s pack up and be on the first train out of here. We can go to California, I hear its so big and there are so many people we will never be found.”

  James squeezed her hand. “Even though it sounds like a great idea, we can’t. That would be running, Ellie. We can’t teach our child to run the moment a tiny threat turns up.”

  He had to be joking? “I don’t accord this as a tiny threat. This is our daughter we are talking about!”

  “Ellie. Betsy is not our real daughter. She may have family somewhere else. It’s now on our doorstep and we have to face this. What kind of parent would we be if we didn’t at least make sure she won’t have a better life with blood relatives.”

  The fact he was right hit her smack dab in the face. She wasn’t going to cry again, she was strong. Had been all of her life. Ellie was no pushover and she wouldn’t give up now. “You’re right, James. I want to run away so badly I wasn’t thinking straigh
t.”

  James pulled her to him, sitting her on his lap. “Ellie, we will do this together. You. Me. Betsy.”

  She propped her forehead against his. “You help me to be brave, my dear husband. I love you.”

  “I love you, Ellie. You are brave, one of the bravest women I know to travel half-way across the prairie to start over with a small child in tow. Your gifts are so many. Everything will turn out right.”

  As Ellie relaxed in his arms, her thoughts traveled up towards the God she had known as a small child. He had always seen her through every road she had taken, through every travesty. Her life had turned out fairly well. She was given a new start with a wonderful husband. He wouldn’t rip everything away, not now. Not when she was so gloriously happy.

  “Ellie, let’s go to bed.”

  She heard the words but her body felt so heavy. A moment later she was carried through the door, up the stairs and tucked in to bed. Her husband lay beside her, his arms around her. She was home. This life, this man. A smile played on her mouth as she drifted off to sleep at last.

  <><>

  “I’m sorry but we are closing at ten thirty today. You will have to come back tomorrow unless it is a life or death situation.”

  The man argued with Ellie until James peeked out the front door. “We’re closed, Jake. Go on now, I don’t see no blood. Come back tomorrow.”

  The moment he spoke, Jake nodded and left the porch.

  Ellie swung around to stare at James. “I talked till I was blue in the face and he insisted he needed to see you. One word from you and he’s gone.”

  James smiled. “I guess it is still a male dominated world. You can’t get around that,” he teased.

  “Humph!” Ellie didn’t like those calculations one bit. If it took her ‘till her last breath, she was going to fight for women to speak their minds.

  “I can see it in your eyes dear wife, you have plans to start up a revolution.”

  She laughed. He was right but she wasn’t about to admit it. “I think we had better get to the train station. In twenty minutes it will pull into the depot. I’d like to be there early.”