He stood back and watched as many women alighted and were met by those who were waiting for them. It was obvious that mail order brides were in high demand, if the number of men waiting on the platform was any indication. Finally he spotted one lone woman who looked like she would have liked to be anywhere else but here.
Jeremy had not showed him a photo of Annie Duvall because she had not sent him any. Richard reluctantly approached the woman who was looking all around her. When he drew closer and looked into her eyes he saw the panic which was quickly masked.
"Are you Annie Duvall?" at her nod he stretched out his hand.
"You must be Jeremy Paine," she placed her hand in his. Annie felt a strange sensation and she got a little confused. This man made her feel safe already, even though she did not know much about him.
Richard shook his head. "Regretfully, I am not Jeremy. He sent me to meet you."
Annie frowned. Perhaps he was busy and she mentioned that to Richard, but something in his eyes told her there was more to it than just being busy. She looked around her once again and thought about getting back on the train but it was already pulling out of the station. She could see Cora O'Malley waving at her and she waved back. It was too late to leave, so she turned and looked at the tall man in front of her. He stood well over six feet and his brown wavy hair was quite long. He had nice brown eyes, kind eyes, she thought.
"I am Richard West, Jeremy's friend. He is sorry he could not meet you."
"Has he changed his mind then?" Annie's heart sank. If her suitor had changed his mind then what would happen to her. At least she gave him marks for consideration since he had sent someone else to meet her.
"Er ...." Richard did not want to lie to Annie, even though he could see the pain in her eyes. No one liked being rejected.
"It's alright. Cora and I talked about it on the train."
"Cora?"
"My friend who is headed for Granger. We decided that if our intended husbands did not want us we would meet up and live together."
"I'm sorry," Richard sighed. "Jeremy really wanted to marry you but his mother will not accept a woman who is with child by another man," he blurted out and then blushed when Annie turned a piercing gaze to him.
"Is that right?" Her lips tightened. "So, I am not good enough for Mrs. Paine?"
"It is not like that." Richard tried to excuse his friend's mother but Annie shook her head.
"So you are the man who took pity on this poor rejected bride and came to her rescue."
"Annie, I'm sorry about the way things have turned out, but it's not pity that caused me to come here," he looked down. "You see, I had no intentions of every marrying but Jeremy managed to make me see the sense of having a wife and companion, and that's why when he told me that you were coming, and he couldn't meet you, I asked him if it was alright for me to come instead. Hopefully, we can come to an agreement and settle down together."
"I see," Annie said. She sighed tiredly. She was only about four months pregnant but she was tiring very fast these days, and she knew that it had to do with poor food and lack of rest during past few weeks.
"You look exhausted. Would you allow me to take you home and then we can discuss more when we get there?"
"I cannot go home with you while we are not married, what would people say?"
"We could get married right away and then leave town as husband and wife. What do you say?"
~#~#~#~
Chapter Three
Annie looked at the cheap trinket on her ring finger and smiled secretly. It was one of the cheapest rings she had ever worn but just having it on her finger gave her a sense of security that she'd yearned for since James death. She was now Annie West, having decided to drop James name altogether. Much as she had loved him, it just brought back unpleasant memories and she wanted to have good memories of her life with her first husband, in spite of the mess he'd left her in.
Richard, because of her condition, had thoughtfully brought a small buggy which he informed her belonged to one of his neighbors.
"It's not too far to go, but we need to hurry because it will be dark soon and I left the cattle out on the range. I hope you don't mind if I ride the horses hard."
"Not at all," Annie threw a glance at her new husband and then leaned back and closed her eyes. She was tired but for the first time in months she felt safe. No one could harm her here, at least not while she was married to Richard West. He looked mild and gentle but had a strong stubborn chin and she somehow, without being told, knew he was no pushover. At first when he had presented himself instead of Jeremy Paine, her intended, she had been tempted to think that he was a weakling who could not get a woman for himself and so had to rely on his friends for help.
But seeing him as he conducted himself among other men, even before the justice of the peace who had officiated at their marriage, she was forced to reverse her earlier conclusion. Richard West had married her because he saw the value in having her as a wife, not just because he could not choose his own bride. His eyes kept straying to her stomach and a couple of times she had caught a wistful look in them, which was quickly masked when he realized she was watching him. If she did not know better, she could almost believe that Richard was longing for a child, and wondered why he'd not married and had children of his own until now. He was twenty eight, which according to her, was old.
The horses slowed down and took a turn, and when Annie opened her eyes she almost cried out in dismay. They were riding up to a house that looked like it was made of grass and hoped they were bypassing it. Her hopes were soon dashed though when Richard pulled up in front of it.
"We are home," he announced, ignoring the look of horror on Annie's face. If she expected fancy quarters she was in for a great disappointment. She would have to make do with whatever was offered but at least it was home. If, however, she wanted to return to wherever she had come from, he would provide the fare and drive her to the station himself, before seeing her safely on the next train out of Tipton.
Something deep within him hoped she would agree to stay, despite the dismal conditions she was going to have to live in.
Annie accepted Richard's hand as he gently helped her down from the buggy, and she stood watching as he picked up her small bag. It was her only luggage and she watched it as Richard preceded her into the house. If she thought the exterior of the house was bad, the interior was even worse. Richard entered into what Annie guessed to be the living room, a large and very dusty room. The scanty furniture was covered in dust and Richard smiled sheepishly. It was obvious he was rarely home.
"I'm sorry about the condition of the house, but I'm out on the range for most of the day and this is just a place for me to come and sleep." He placed her bag on one side of the small table at the center of the room, which he had hastily dusted off with a dirty rag he produced from his pocket.
Annie looked around the room and sighed inwardly. It was a nice enough room and could look better than it currently did, but it would require a lot of work and she wondered if she was up to the task. Had she just taken on more than she could handle by marrying a man who obviously lived like an animal, not caring about his home? She should probably have waited a few days to get to know the man, but the deed was done and she would just have to live with her hasty decision, made in desperation.
"Come, I'll show you to your room." He once again picked up her bag and she reluctantly followed him out of the first room, down a short corridor and to a room which at least looked cleaner. It was evident her husband had worked hard to make the room pleasant and habitable, for which she was grateful.
"Thank you for your kindness Mr. West."
"Please call me Richard, now that we are married." He placed her bag on a chair in the room. The small bed was untidily made up and Annie wondered if she was expected to begin sharing the bed with her husband right away. Dread filled her, because much as she had agreed to marry Richard she was not prepared for the more in
timate side of marriage.
His next words calmed her fears. "My own bedroom is right opposite this one, and the fourth room is the kitchen. Would you like to rest a little while I round up the cows?"
"No, I will rest later. Please show me the kitchen and let me see if I can begin preparing our supper."
Richard showed her the room and then fled before she had time to ask him about the evening meal. In a few minutes Annie understood why Richard had run away. He was embarrassed at the state of his house. At least it was home, Annie thought, as she picked up a dirty metal cooking pot. The stench was enough to make her gag but she stilled her stomach and looked around. There was a large wooden barrel which thankfully contained clean water. She was thirsty and looking around for a clean container with which to draw water, couldn't find one, so shrugged and cupped her hands to scoop water from the barrel. It tasted fresh and after having her fill she felt slightly better.
"Now to prepare dinner." She looked around for supplies and then almost cried when she realized the house was bare. There was nothing to cook, nothing for supper and she was hungry. She put her face in her hands and wept for a short time, before reprimanding herself.
"What did you expect?" she asked herself as she stood up from the three legged stool on which she had sat in despair. Straightening her back, she decided she would need to make do with whatever was on hand. She had prayed for the Lord to lead her to a place of safety and He had. For that, she was thankful.
She walked to the back door where her new husband had exited and saw a lone building a short distance away. She rightly guessed it was the barn where he probably kept the animals. Tomorrow she would explore and see what was in there that she could use because dried jerky and shriveled yellow vegetables would never be her diet of choice. She also realized she could see the barn from her bedroom window when she retired to bed. Richard was securing the barn and the small lantern he carried bobbed up and down as he walked back to the house. She listened as he also secured the house and her last thought before she fell asleep was one of gratitude that she had a comfortable bed to sleep in, even if it was a bit lumpy.
~#~#~#~
The first few days were rather trying for Annie and there were many times when she was tempted to ask Richard to take her back to the railway station and take a train out of Tipton. She often wondered how Cora was doing in Granger, and if she had arrived to a pitiful existence like herself. Then she would chide herself for being ungrateful and resolved to do her best to live with what she had.
Richard rarely spent time at home because of the guilty feelings that tore through him every time he looked at Annie's strained face. She shouldn't have to live in such primitive conditions since she was with child. But there was nothing he could do about it and tried his best to bring back something for them to eat. One time it was a hare, then a wild duck and just two days ago he had caught a small deer, which meant they would have sufficient food for a few days. Still, he wished he could offer Annie much more, especially when he saw how hard she was trying to turn his house into a home for the two of them.
His clothes and bedding were clean and well aired, his bedroom had been swept clean and the living room looked pleasant enough. Annie had done a lot of dusting and each evening when he returned home to a hot meal, he thanked God silently for sending her to him.
Richard was out on the range looking after his cows when he had an idea about how he could make her life a little easier. He looked at his calves, five of them and decided he would sell one so he could purchase the most needed items, especially food supplies utensils and cutlery. Prior to Annie's arrival he had been content to cook in his one pot and eat from it with a piece of bread. His utensils consisted of two broken china plates and a fork, as well as a knife and two tin mugs.
While it was enough to meet his own needs, he knew Annie was used to working in a kitchen that had more in it than his currently did. This was now a woman's house and he would give her the money to purchase whatever she needed in order to make the house into a home which met her needs as well.
Annie was surprised when two days later Richard did not immediately leave for the range as he usually did.
"I need to give you this." He handed her a wad of notes and she looked at him in surprise. "I sold one of our calves because we need a lot of supplies here in the house. We can go into town today so you can pick up whatever you need."
"Thank you." She rapidly blinked away the tears that welled suddenly. There were so many things she needed for the house and she was touched by his thoughtfulness. "I will just get ready."
Richard had the foresight to borrow a wagon from Jeremy, who apart from a mild curiosity in Annie, had not asked to meet her. He was glad, because when Annie was done with her shopping, the wagon was laden to overflowing with all kinds of items and food stuffs. The smile on her face made told him it was worth it, and Richard made a vow to be the best husband Annie could ever have hoped for.
~#~#~#~
Chapter Four
Annie was counting the minutes until her husband would be home. She was so excited and wanted to share her news with her spouse. She could hardly sit still. As she walked around the living room and then into the kitchen she touched one or two items, things she had been collecting to beautify the house.
She'd learned a thing or two about sod houses too. Her home was made from solid sod bricks and she'd learned the best way to brighten it up on the inside, was to plaster the walls and whitewash them. It wasn't an onerous task and she'd tackled it in small sections, using her washtub to mix the plaster before applying it to the walls. The interior was now a much lighter and brighter place that she would continue to work on as time permitted.
It crossed her mind too, that when they could afford to buy some lumber, Richard might build a wrap-around porch about the house; somewhere they could sit in the evenings, hang the wash to dry or leave dirty boots and coats. The house that caused her so much disquiet when she first arrived was really a solid structure that could take an upper floor and a couple more rooms downstairs sometime in the future.
The only other thing she wanted for inside was to have either stone flooring throughout, or a plank floor; something she could place rag rugs upon when she got around to making them. It would be better for the baby too and way easier to clean, especially in the kitchen.
The living room now had a wooden couch, albeit without cushions, but that wasn't a problem for Annie. She was in the process of making feather filled cushions for it. She dusted the house every day and was pleased with her efforts. It was now habitable and looked more like a place where human beings dwelled. It was her home and she found herself liking it more with each passing day.
She felt a kick in her abdomen and quickly placed a hand over her growing stomach, a peaceful smile on her face. She was now five months along and this was the first time she had felt the baby kicking within her.
"Calm down baby, wait until papa gets home and then you can greet him," she found herself saying and then blushed when she thought about her words. She had been living with Richard for slightly over a month now, but she felt as married as could be, even though they still slept in separate bedrooms. At the back of her mind, Richard West was her child's father and she wondered why the thought felt so right. Then she sobered up. What if Richard was only putting up with her because he needed a wife, and after her child was born he would probably demand offspring of his own? Would he love her child or would he be indifferent?
Her steps faltered and she wondered what she would do, if when the baby was born, Richard turned his back on her child. Could she continue to live with him as his wife if he did not fully accept her child?
Right at that moment Richard was wondering almost the same thing. Would Annie allow him to be a part of her child's life or was he just a provider because she was desperate? What if after her child was born she wanted to have children with him? What would she do once she found out he couldn't father any childre
n? Would she leave him in search of another husband? After all, mail order brides were in high demand and many men were looking for women to bear children for them.
He had to tell her the truth. It would be better if she left him now before the baby was born and he became attached to the child. His steps home were heavy and he felt a deep weariness within him when he thought about Annie leaving him for another man. She would be justified in doing so, and much as he wanted to hide the truth from Annie about his condition, his conscience wouldn't let him.
Immediately he saw her, a smile broke out on his face. It was like looking at the sun shining. Every day she would be waiting at the kitchen door for him to return home, and when she caught sight of him she would wave. This was just what Richard had often dreamed of; a happy and cheerful wife to come home to.
Besides that, their house was looking better and better every day, and best of all, Annie had started keeping a few hens for eggs. Once a week she would collect a dozen or so and take them to the general store. In return she would get some sugar and coffee which he loved, as well as other necessities. She was proving to be an industrious woman and he promised himself that if she decided to stay with him after he told her about himself, he would do all he could to ensure that she never lacked for anything.
"Welcome home," was Annie's usual greeting to her husband, and even though he smiled at her she could see the lines of tension on his face. Something must have happened out on the range, but she was wise enough to let him enter the house and freshen up. She served him a strong mug of milky coffee, just like he liked and then sat down opposite him at the kitchen table.
"Something must have happened out on the range," she began and he looked up at her, startled by her words.
"Why do you say that?"
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