But she didn’t want that life anymore because she had experienced a new one which wasn’t maybe as secure as the one at home, but then was anything really secure? You couldn’t live your life fearing what lay ahead. She had also made friends and she liked them.
Except that her Seth’s friends would probably be different to this Seth’s ones though, of course, they all lived in the same community. But could she bear to see Seth with his new wife and see him stroke her hair and look at her in the way....?
She had to go. There was no other way and in a couple of days she would return with Seth for her trunks because she couldn’t take trunks on a horse. She would also return the horse and there would be other horses to ride after she married. She took paper and a pen from one of the trunks, wrote a note and tiptoed to the door. She listened and could hear nothing so Seth had to still be outside where he had gone to check the animals, and this was the time to go.
She stroked the puppies and kittens which were still in the kitchen. Seth would make them a bed, she was sure, and she would come back for hers soon. She lifted the text she had started making him and took it with her. She would bring that back too when she saw Seth again.
She put the note she had written on the table, went outside and Charlotte was tied up a little way from the barn. She would use her because she had ridden her before. The two horses which had been pulling the carriage when the earthquake occurred and had then run off had returned the previous day, much to her relief. Seth could not afford to lose two horses because he wasn’t well off.
She untied the horse. She would have to go on the route they came a couple of days previously because she didn’t know the other way, and surely she could find a way round the rocks. If she couldn’t take the horse she would climb over and walk.
And she would be able to see because the moon was once again very bright so she would be alright. Climbing on the horse she made her way slowly to where she felt she would be out of earshot and galloped towards the fence. The horse leapt over it and they made their way to the road which passed Wilfred and Monica’s farm.
Thirty minutes later Seth walked into his house. He took off his boots and put them in the scullery, his eyes on the puppies and kittens. He must get round to making a cupboard for his shoes, he thought, but life had been hectic for the last couple of days and there hadn’t been time. Now he would make hot drinks and go up to see if Hannah was still awake and wanted one. She had been very quiet so maybe she was tired and would be asleep. Maybe that was why she left the animals downstairs. He would peep in to check.
He mixed the drinks, walked into the living room and there was an envelope on the table with his name on it. Frowning, he slit it open and spread the paper on the table.
“Dear Seth. Thank you for a wonderful couple of days and for letting me be a part of everything. The earthquake was terrible but I felt privileged to be able to be of some help though, of course, you did most of the work.
“But you now need to be with your fiancé. You need to marry her and I need to marry Seth. I have left her ring upstairs but please keep yours, not to wear but as a token of appreciation. You can sell it if you like because that will still be a present.
“You are a beautiful man and she is going to be very happy with you. You will be happy with her too because you love her. If you find the puppies and kittens too much I’ll have one of each. I’ll pick them up soon. We’ll discuss it when I see you again.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done and for your kindness. God bless you. Hannah.”
She had gone. How dare she! Not only had she gone but she had stolen out without saying goodbye. That was the height of bad manners and what did Seth have that he didn’t? He was too old for her, anyway. He was bald. He was too short. He was plain ugly. He was horrendous. Seth kicked the chair and tore up the stairs. Grabbing the ring, he pushed it in his pocket, went back downstairs and ran for his horse.
She wouldn’t know the other way so she would go the way they came and how did she think she would get through a blocked gully? Charlotte would never be able to get across the rocks and it was dangerous going round. Anyway, she had to do the gully first. Didn’t women have any sense at all?
She had no right to leave him. She had no right to walk into his life, turn it right round and then walk out again. She had no right to make his house light up and then turn off that light. He leapt on his horse and galloped as he had never galloped before.
He could see a light in Wilfred and Monica’s barn as he passed and could only be relieved concerning them. They could so easily be dead and it was Hannah who had saved them. Hannah and she had used more sense then than she was now.
She was just beginning to climb over some rocks at the entrance of the gully when he caught her up, her horse tied to a tree. And it was her horse, he thought rather irrelevantly. His house was her house. Everything he had was hers. He was hers.
Under her arm was the wood with the text on it which made her climbing a bit awkward. She didn’t even want him to have that, he thought, and Seth certainly wasn’t having it. He leapt off his horse, ran towards the rocks and lifted her down.
“Are you insane?” He didn’t quite realise how loudly he shouted in his frustration. “You could have been killed if any of those boulders fell. At the very least you could have broken a limb or hurt your head. Come away and if you want to go tonight I’ll take you in the cart.”
“I must go tonight because it’s not fair on them,” Hannah’s expression was weary. “And we can’t keep living a lie. It’s wrong.”
“Yes. Come away from the boulders and let’s sit on that rock over there.”
They sat and his expression was equally as weary. “If they still want to marry us we’ll marry tonight,” he continued. “We’ll stop at Seth’s place and then go on to the Reverend’s house. Rachel is bound to be staying with them.” He looked at the text. “I thought you were making that for me.”
“I was going to finish it and bring it back.” Hannah looked at Seth with a little frown creasing her forehead. Rachel and for some reason he had not mentioned her name before. For every reason she had not asked. Rachel, and she knew all the names of the ladies who had travelled with her and none of them had that name.
“Rachel?” she asked.
“Rachel,” he replied “Rachel Barwell.”
“Rachel Barwell,” Hannah repeated. She looked at him and suddenly the weariness had disappeared. “You never told me your surname.”
“It’s Seth....”
“Grant,” she finished for him.
“Yes.”
His expression was intense. “Is it wrong to marry a person if you’re not in love with her?”
“You mean you’re not in love with Rachel?”
“I’m in love with you. I fell in love with you the first time you bossed me around.”
“I did not boss you around.” Her tone was indignant.
“Yes, you did. More than once actually. But I have to marry Rachel because she came here specially to marry me. Her parents died three years ago.” He paused. “How do you know my surname is Grant if I haven’t told you it?”
“Would you like me to tell you my full name?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Hannah Rachel Barwell.”
“Hannah Rachel....” He paused as what she said slowly sank in, smiled widely and the weariness had gone from him also. He stood, punched his fists in the air and couldn’t stop smiling. “Hannah Rachel. My Rachel?” He paused again. “My petite, orphaned Rachel who can cook, play the piano, do needlepoint and who will knit me a cardigan? My Rachel for whom I bought a piano which nobody will ever play? My Rachel who is the most adorable liar out.”
“The very same.” Her smile was just as wide. “My Seth who has plenty of money, employed people to build his house, can cook, sew and who is a dignitary in his community? I can learn to play the piano.”
Seth screwed his nose. “Yes, and you don’t have to.” He re
ached out to touch her cheek for an instant. “You did realise that I would notice the difference in your appearance when I saw you, didn’t you?”
“You did realise that I would cotton onto the fact that you weren’t what you said you were?”
“I do love you so much.” He stood, knelt in front of her and took the ring from his pocket. “Hannah Rachel Barwell, will you please marry me? I’m hoping you’ll learn to love me in time.”
“I’m a quick learner,” she replied. “I loved you from the minute you moaned about your borrowed carriage being damaged.”
“I did not....” He paused. “You do?” His expression was eager as he took her left hand and slipped the ring back on.
“With all my heart.”
“We really have been stupid, haven’t we?”
“We?”
He grinned. She put her hands on either side of his face, kissed him and drew back abruptly. That was being far too forward and what would he think? He put his arms round her.
“They won’t be asleep yet,” he said.
“Pardon?” She looked bemused.
“The Reverend. We can go on the horses. It won’t take long.”
“Over the rocks?”
“Round the other road.”
“Alright,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Can we just go home so I can change my dress? I’ve got an ivory one.”
“The ivory one you said you wanted which I bought for a petite bride to be?”
She screwed her nose. “Yes. I could wear that one.”
“We’ll give it to Monica when we tell her how deceitful you were. She’s shorter than you.”
“How deceitful I was!” Her tone was indignant. He grinned again and held her tighter.
“Why did you say your name was Rachel?”
She held him equally as tightly. “I don’t know. I think maybe I didn’t really want to trust anyone.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
She stepped back, made for her horse then looked back as he didn’t move. “Seth?”
“You are so beautiful,” he said, walking towards his own horse and leaping on it.
“So are you.”
And an hour later Seth Grant and Hannah Rachel Barwell stood in the church with a few people who had been rounded up to witness the wedding, which included the other brides with their new husbands. Hannah stood at the back of the church before walking up the aisle and rather felt she knew which one was Seth. Older, balding but the look he gave his bride when she said something to him was one Hannah liked. How she wanted them all to be as happy as she was.
Seth at the front of the church looked back as the music started and Hannah began to walk up the aisle. He looked to the side where Seth sat with another woman who was more his age than Hannah, and he wasn’t that ugly. He lowered his head to grin before looking up to watch Hannah again.
Her eyes were fixed on him while she walked. He was so beautiful and coming here was worth it, except for those who had died in the earthquake. But now she would be able to help rebuild houses and she could maybe start a fund to assist in the process. She could, along with Seth, continue to assist Wilfred and Monica. She walked down the aisle on the arm of Rex who was at the ceremony.
The couple’s expressions as they made their vows were ones that warmed the Reverend’s heart. These new additions to the community were going to make a valuable contribution to it, he felt sure. Linda, after the ceremony, handed Seth and Hannah a large cake.
“Your wedding cake,” she said.
“Thank you,” the couple chorused.
“We fell in love,” Seth added.
“I can see that. You weren’t so happy this afternoon.”
“No. It’s a long story. Can we tell you when we next see you?”
“I look forward to hearing it. We went to visit Wilfred and Monica this evening and they thought you were married.”
“We were not living as a married couple,” Seth said. “But we did not want them to feel awkward.”
“We didn’t say anything,” Linda replied.
“We’ll tell them ourselves when we see them tomorrow, God willing. Thank you for everything.”
“Yes, thank you,” Hannah added, looking at Seth. Her husband and for some reason and every reason she felt shy. “We’ll see you soon.”
“Spend some time together and get to know each other before you start making calls. You need that.”
But they had been doing that already, Hannah thought, and what she got to know she liked. The journey home did not take long and when they reached the house and Hannah went to walk in Seth put out his hand.
“Lucille would tell me to carry you over the threshold,” he said. He lifted her and bounced her a bit. “Petite. I’ll have two broken backs now.”
“Put me down,” she said. “You don’t have to carry me over again.”
“I do. I definitely do.” He kissed her slowly, stepped over the threshold and set her down. “I love you, Mrs. Grant. I love you, love you, love you.” His expression was a bit intense. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to go too fast. Please forgive me. We can wait for you to become my wife in reality.”
“I never want to be without you,” she replied.
He kissed her slowly, they put their arms round each other and made their way upstairs.
Chapter 12
“That is the most heart warming romantic story I have ever heard,” Monica said, placing a plate of food in front of Hannah. “It would have been dreadful if you had to marry the people you thought you had to marry except that Rachel was a fictitious character, of course. The other Seth is far too old for you, Hannah, though he’s a pillar of the community.”
“That’s more or less what Seth told me HE was,” Hannah said, looking at him with a little smile.
“What’s a pillar of the community?” Aaron asked, going to begin his food.
Wilfred put his hand out. “Let’s thank the Lord first.” He took Aaron’s hand on one side and Lucille’s on the other. “We thank You, Father, for this food and for all your blessings. We thank you for this wonderful couple and all their kindness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
“Amen,” everyone repeated.
“A pillar of the community,” Monica said. “Is someone who is reliable, trustworthy and someone on whom you can depend.”
“That describes Seth,” Hannah said.
“And you’re a pillaress,” Monica said.
“Is that a word?”
“I’m not sure but where you are concerned it definitely is. Have you told your families yet?”
“My family is arriving in about a week,” Hannah said. “And Seth’s mother and stepfather are coming the day after. As soon as daddy received the telegraph he sent one back to say they would be coming. I think he wants to see if he approves of Seth.”
“Which is what I would do,” Wilfred said, looking at Lucille. “He sounds like a good man.”
“He is.”
“You two should be together on your own before that,” Monica said. “Without any interruptions or feeling you have to help anyone.”
“The Reverend has a little house where they go when they want a bit of a rest,” Seth replied. “He says we can use it. It’s near Owen Lake which is near Keeler. He was kind enough to go to see how things were and said that the shoreline lifted in the earthquake but his house is alright. We’re going for five days and then we’ll have time to prepare the house for everyone. My mother and stepfather are going in one of our bedrooms and Hannah’s parents in another while her sister, brother-in-law and children will sleep in the barn. The Reverend has lent us mattresses. We’re going to sleep in the wagon so they have their privacy and so we....” He looked at Hannah.
“Can be alone,” Hannah finished.
“That sounds good,” Monica said.
It all sounded good, Hannah thought on their way to Owen Lake the following day, and
it was still such a relief to know that her husband was her Seth. Her Seth and she was so happy. She told him and his expression as he looked at her was more than satisfying. He tried to straighten his face but had a bit of difficulty.
“If you hadn’t lied so much we would have saved a lot of heartache.”
“If I hadn’t lied?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Yes.” He put his arm round her and held her tightly. “I love you so much.”
“And I love you with all my heart.” She looked ahead, her forehead creased in a frown. “I thought all the houses had been checked.”
“They have. The Reverend said they checked again on the way home.”
“Then that house has started collapsing since they passed here.”
“We’ll go and see.” Seth pulled the reins, they turned to the side and a bit of chimney fell off the top of the roof. They leapt off the cart, raced towards the house and everything was creaking ominously. An adobe house once again and there were still aftershocks periodically. Surely the occupants would have moved out.
Seth called out. “Is anyone here?”
“We can’t get out,” a male voice said from inside.
“Where exactly are you in the house?” Seth asked as Hannah began to circle it.
“At the front but the back has collapsed so we can’t get through the door. The window is a slit, as I’m sure you can see.”
“Do you have children?” Seth asked.
“No.”
He looked at the door. “Do you have a saw?”
“In the barn. Is that alright?”
“Yes. It seems to be unaffected. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“What are you going to do?” Hannah asked, following him.
“Saw the door in half.”
“That will make it collapse.”
“When it’s sawn we are going to push something solid through it. It mustn’t be too big because they have to slide through. Can you find something while I look for the saw?”
“Yes, of course.” Hannah circled the barn, her face creased in a frown. She thought all the drama was over but now the very lives of a couple depended on them, in the way other lives had before. She had to find something. She just did. She went to the end of the barn and a solid seat which appeared to be made of steel was near the cows. A milking seat, she rather felt, and would it hold? It was quite wide and there should be room under it between the legs for people to slide through. She ran back to Seth with it.
Lone Pine Bride (The Brides Of Lone Pine Book 1) Page 17