The Ultimatum Bride

by Leah Atwood

  Jesse wiggled the latches, and the trunk opened. “I’ve cleaned out the armoire for you to use.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “No. This shouldn’t take me too long.”

  “I’m going to find Marta, our housekeeper and cook. I’d like to tell her about you so there are no more surprises.”

  “Should I remain in here for now?” She didn’t want to cause him more concern since they’d tacitly agreed to a new beginning, but she was nervous to leave the room and risk a run in with his father.

  “I’ll only be gone for a few minutes, but feel free to go anywhere you’d like except the second-floor hallway on the left. That is Pa’s living area. This is your house also, and I want you to feel comfortable.” Jesse rested his hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes, assessing her and finding the answer to his question. “I will speak with my father again. You needn’t be afraid of him.”

  “If it’s all the same, I’ll wait here for your return.”

  When Jesse left, Faith turned her attention to unpacking her wardrobe. Her second trunk contained the few belongings she owned, and she’d have to ask where she should place them. Her last dress was hung in the armoire when there was a knock on the bedroom door.

  “Come in,” she called out, expecting Jesse’s return.

  The door opened, but no footsteps approached. Faith turned around and looked up to see Jesse’s father standing at the door.

  “May I have a few words with you?” Standing at the door, he looked weary and much less intimidating.

  Her muscles knotted into tight coils. She didn’t relish a direct meeting with this man, but for the sake of her marriage, she must make an effort to win his favor. Putting on her best-forced smile, she answered him. “Yes, sir.”

  “Follow me to my office, please.”

  Faith followed her father-in-law through the hallway, down a staircase and then entered a spacious room with a large desk as the focal point. A single bookcase stood against one wall, each shelf full of books which Faith could not see the titles of. Next to the bookcase, a grandfather clock stood, much like one Mr. Wallace owned. One chair sat behind a desk while two were in front, presumably for visitors.

  “We did not receive a proper introduction. I am George West, Jesse’s father.”

  “Faith, Don… I mean West.” She introduced herself, fumbling over the new name. It would take some time getting used to it.

  “Please have a seat.” George swept his hand to the two vacant chairs at the front of the desk. Faith took a seat, sitting upright and rigid, wondering what Mr. West had to say. “I’m afraid I owe you an apology, and a good man can admit when he is wrong. My son informs me that you were witness to our heated exchange, and I am very sorry for that. This is your home now, and I want you to feel welcome. Jesse’s actions took me by surprise, and I didn’t react very well to the news.”

  The accusations he’d fired out still stung, and impudent or not, she felt the need to defend herself. “Thank you for your apology, sir. If it settles your mind, I can assure you that I come to my marriage pure, nor did I know of your family’s wealth until hearing those unfortunate words.”

  A hint of satisfaction followed when she saw the blush creep up the rancher’s neck. It disappeared quickly when a blush touched her own cheeks when she realized the personal nature of what she’d confessed.

  Unexpectedly, Mr. West erupted in laughter. Stunned, Faith stared at him, not sure what was happening.

  When Jesse’s pa settled down, he looked her straight in the eyes. “I do believe my son has met his match. Welcome to the family.” The mirth left his eyes, and he addressed her more soberly. “My son is a good man, but he needed a reason to settle down and change his wild ways. I must confess, I never meant for him to marry Elsie Young. He thinks I am blind, but I know the type of woman she is. Jesse would never marry someone like her, not even to have his inheritance. When I gave him that ultimatum, I’d only hoped to light a fire under him to find a proper wife.”

  The man was full of surprises. His confession gave Faith more confidence in her husband, knowing that he was a man of character, despite his previous wildness. “I intend to be a good wife to Jesse.”

  “I’ll admit, there were a few ladies in town I had hoped Jesse would take a liking to, and I never expected my son to send away for a bride. All things considered, I’m glad for his decision. I have a distinct feeling you will be the best thing to happen to him.”

  Faith ducked her head, happy, but embarrassed at the praise. So far, her first day as a wife had been nothing as she anticipated. Despite everything, she felt cautiously optimistic about the future. “Thank you, sir,” she responded lost for more words.

  “Let’s say we start over and drop the ‘sir’ business. Since you are my daughter-in-law now, I’d be honored to have you call me Pa or Pa West.”

  Any hesitations Faith harbored about Pa West evaporated. She saw past his gruff exterior to the heart of a man who cared deeply about those he loved. Forgiveness for his earlier conclusions was easily granted, for, in his apology and acceptance, he’d been more fatherly than her own father had ever been.

  Chapter 5

  Faith was bored, which was her only complaint about her new life. She’d expected that on a ranch, there would be plenty of work to keep busy with, but she soon discovered that every task was already assigned to someone else. Occasionally, she’d tried to help Marta with the cleaning and cooking, but was quickly shooed away.

  If she didn’t find a way to occupy the days while Jesse was working, her mind was going to go crazy. At least tomorrow the sisters would be coming for the day. The Sunday after the wedding, Faith had met Josie, Ellen and Sally—Jesse’s three sisters. Each of them had been surprised to discover Jesse had taken a bride, but welcomed her into the family. If they knew about the ultimatum, they never mentioned it.

  Josie was married to Jason, the foreman of the Bar R, a ranch neighboring the Circle W. She had one child, a little toddling girl, Mary, with bouncy blonde curls. Faith knew the most about Josie since she had stopped by the house several times in the past weeks.

  Ellen, the youngest sister, was married to Edwin Gorman, the town’s banker, a man who, by appearances, was in his late thirties. Faith thought them to be a mismatched couple, but remained silent. However, on one of her visits, Josie mentioned that last year, Edwin was just leaving work one day when a horse spooked in the streets. It charged, heading straight for Ellen, and Edwin rushed to push her to safety. That led to courtship and despite their differences, they fell in love and were married a short time later.

  Sally was the middle sister, the most reserved of the three. Faith felt an immediate kinship to her but hadn’t spoken with her since church last Sunday. She was married to a rancher and lived two hours in the opposite direction. Seeing her would be a rarity and make tomorrow an extra treat.

  Marta was hanging laundry outside in the spring air to dry. Faith peeked out to see that she’d just started and estimated she had approximately a half hour before the housekeeper returned. Determined to do something productive, she went into the kitchen and hastily gathered the ingredients for molasses cookies. They were Jesse’s favorites, and the rest could be served tomorrow while the sisters visited. If she already had them prepared before Marta returned, she couldn’t say anything.

  She measured, poured and mixed, then dropped cookie-sized piles of batter onto a tray. Opening the door to the cast-iron oven, she slipped and lost her footing. Unable to regain stability, she toppled to the floor, twisting her ankle and burning her forearm. The tray of cookies fell, sending batter onto her dress and into her hair.

  “Ouch,” she cried out, the pain too unbearable to remain silent. Struggling to upright herself, a searing pain shot through her ankle and arm. “Help,” she called, expecting to see Marta come into the kitchen.

  Instead, Jesse ran through the entryway, rushing to her side. “Wha
t happened?”

  “Trying… to… bake… cookies… fell,” she answered through gritted teeth. The pain was wearing down on her, evacuating her energy.

  “Where do you hurt?”

  Faith lifted her arm, showing the blistered skin, then pointed to her ankle.

  “Mr. Jesse? Did I see you coming in the house at this hour? Dinner won’t be ready for another hour yet.” The sound of Marta’s voice barely registered to Faith.

  “In the kitchen, Marta. Quick. Faith is hurt.”

  Fading in and out of consciousness, Faith felt two arms slide beneath her, lift her up and carry her away. Vaguely, she felt someone press against her swollen ankle, feeling around its circumference. Then she felt a cool salve being rubbed where her arm was raw. That was the last thing she remembered before passing out.

  When she came to, she was lying on the settee, her back propped up against its arm. Marta hovered over her, and Jesse was kneeling by her side.

  “What happened?” she murmured.

  “It appears you had a fall. How do you feel?” Jesse asked, his tone laced with concern.

  The sequence of events was coming back to her. The cookies. The fall. The batter. “I wanted to make cookies. How long was I out of consciousness?”

  Marta picked off some of the batter, now dried up, from Faith’s hair. “A few minutes dear.”

  Faith looked down at her dress, mortified by the scene she caused. “I look a mess.”

  “Just rest a few more minutes, then we’ll get you upstairs to spend the rest of the day in bed. Marta, will you heat some water, please?”

  “But…” Faith’s protests were cut short.

  “You need to rest,” Jesse insisted. “Your ankle isn’t broken, but it will be sore for a few days, and you don’t want to risk infection in your arm.”

  Sighing in resignation, she didn’t try to argue further. With her injuries, she sentenced herself to the very thing she’d been trying to escape. Until she healed, her feelings of uselessness would persist. She’d have to find a way to broach the topic with Jesse—she wasn’t used to not having any responsibilities, and she needed to feel useful. But not today—she was too exhausted from soreness.

  True to his word, after Faith had rested on the settee, Jesse scooped her up and carried her up the stairs. Faith was amazed that he handled her so gently and could take her up the stairs with minimal exertion. He wasn’t even short of breath by the time they reached the top. After setting her on the bed, he went and pulled out clean clothing for her.

  “Marta will help you change and clean up your hair and clothing.”

  Appreciating his thoughtfulness in granting her privacy, she nodded. He was her husband, but she would still feel more comfortable having another female help her instead of a man. The salve on her arm was doing a great job of keeping the stinging at bay, but the throbbing pain in her ankle would not subside.

  A few hours passed, and Jesse returned with a tray of food and books. “I thought you would like something to occupy your time.”

  Wiggling to prop herself up, Faith succeeded. She had fallen asleep, and the rest had been good for her body. Her ankle was improving, the pain more of a tolerable, dull ache now. “Thank you.”

  “I checked on you several times, but didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

  “You didn’t have to do that. I know you still have work to do,” Faith demurred, not being accustomed to anyone fussing over her.

  “Pa and the hands can finish what can’t wait for tomorrow. Would you like me to keep you company?”

  “Yes,” Faith answered, almost too quickly. She did not like being alone upstairs in this house, she was still trying to think of as home.

  Jesse set the tray of food over her lap, then removed the books and set them on the nightstand. He pulled the chair from the corner, placing it by the bed.

  “How is your ankle feeling?”

  “Much better. By your sisters’ arrival tomorrow, I should be moving around fine.”

  His eyes squinted. “I admire your optimism, but you will probably need at least two days of not moving on your feet whatsoever. Likely, you’ll need even more time of limited mobility before you are fully healed.”

  Hope ebbed away. She was looking forward to their visit, but she couldn’t entertain from bed. Drat her clumsiness. “There isn’t time to send word to all of them,” she mused.

  “There’s no need to cancel their visit. In the morning, I’ll help you down to the parlor.” He gave her a reassuring smile, intimating he understood what tomorrows visit meant to her. “But only if you promise to remain sitting and not attempt to move around,” he added.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied, smiling and giving a mock salute, agreeing to his codicil.

  As she nibbled on her food, Faith listened to Jesse talk. Mainly he shared stories of growing up, the pranks he would play on his sisters and how they’d join in retaliation.

  “What was your mother like?” she asked after swallowing the last bite of food.

  A faraway look entered his eyes. “She was the perfect mother, always had a smile on her face, no matter what. At that time, we didn’t have a housekeeper or cook—Ma did all of that. Before I woke up, she’d already be busy with her day, but she always took time to spend with me, and each of the girls once they came along. Every Monday was treat day. We took turns getting to pick which sweet Ma would bake.”

  “Let me guess—you would pick molasses cookies.”

  “Yes, I’ve always had a liking for them.” His impish smile gave him a boy-like quality, and Faith could picture him as a young child, tagging after his Ma, pulling on her apron strings. “I always thought I was the lucky one of us children because I was the oldest so had the most time with her before she passed. What was your mother like?”

  The air in the room automatically tensed. Faith didn’t have good family memories like Jesse.

  Her husband placed his hand on her arm. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”

  “No, I will tell you.” Jesse continued the physical contact, giving her the push to continue. “My Pa was a very mean man. He drank too much and had little use for a woman beyond breeding. As the years went on and Ma had no more children, Pa became more violent. Ma tried everything she could to please him, but he was cruel. Any money we had, he spent on the drink. There were often times all we had to eat was a slice of bread. Ma always looked after me though. She’d give me the last piece and go hungry so I wouldn’t have to be. And she never let Pa beat me. The few times he tried, Ma stood in his way.”

  Unwanted tears shed at the horrible memories. “One day, she just didn’t wake up. I think she waited until I was old enough to take care of myself and simply gave up. That day I promised myself I would never marry.”

  “But you did,” Jesse whispered.

  “I couldn’t find employment. The risk of remaining in St. Louis unmarried and unemployed outweighed the risk of marriage.”

  “Thank you for trusting me.” Jesse’s voice was rich with emotion. He looked at her solemnly, lacing his fingers with hers. “I promise you that our marriage will not be like that. I want you to be happy.”

  In sharing her story, Faith felt a bond forged between them. They’d progressed to a new level in their relationship. No longer were they strangers who were married in a quick ceremony, but friends, with a lifelong commitment.

  “Jesse?” She meant to discuss her lack of daily chores, but was hesitant to infringe on the poignant moment.

  “What is it?”

  “Can I talk to you about something?”

  His head tilted to a slight angle, and she saw the question in his eyes, mixed with a suggestion of doubt. “Yes.”

  “I don’t know where my place is, here on the Circle W.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked for further elaboration.

  “All of my life, I’ve worked hard. My days have been filled with tasks and activities. Here, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. When I try
to help Marta, I feel like I am offending her by offering to assist.”

  “I see.” Jesse cupped his chin in deliberation.

  “Please don’t think I’m not happy here. I’ve enjoyed my time, but I need something to pass my days to make me feel worthwhile.”

  “I’m sorry, Faith. It’s been so long since we’ve had a lady of the house, and Marta has been with us since before the girls were able to lead a household. She taught each of my sisters what they needed to know, but remained in charge. I never gave much thought to the transition, but we will figure it out. I’ll have a talk with Pa and Marta.”

  So absorbed in her own need, she hadn’t considered the effect on Marta. “She won’t lose her position, will she?” That was the last thing she wanted to happen.

  “No, no. Marta has been too loyal of an employee and is more like a member of the family. Don’t worry, dear. We’ll sort this out. Besides, soon we’ll have our own house.”

  “I’m sorry to cause such trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble at all. I’m glad you said something, since I hadn’t realized how tedious the days must be for you. I knew you weren’t a woman to sit around with idle hands, but I never thought of what you would be doing.”

  Faith shifted in bed, accidently moving her ankle. She winced when the searing pain flared.

  “Are you hurting again?”

  “I just moved it the wrong way.” She bit down on her lip to keep from crying.

  “Would you like some laudanum for the pain?”

  In the past, she strayed from taking medications. She’s always been able to tolerate the pains and discomforts, but she’d never hurt before like this. “Perhaps just a bit.”

  Jesse disappeared to find the medicine. He returned a few minutes later with a glass bottle and gave her a small dose. “I’ll let you rest again, but will continue to check in. If you need anything, please just ring the bell.”