“Claire, you don’t have to do that. I’ll manage,” said Thomas. “You still need your rest. Doc says you are not completely recovered yet.”
“Thomas, I feel fine, really. I can’t just sit around all day long. I need to be doing something. So I can certainly manage a few hours every day. And, and I’d like to do it.”
Looking away she said, “I’m not ready to marry you yet, but I would like to spend time helping you in the store in the meantime.”
She hesitated, “If that’s all right with you, that is.”
Smiling broadly, Thomas said, “I would like that very much, Claire.”
Between customers, Thomas spent the rest of the morning talking to Claire about the business and showing her around.
“I like dealing with the ordering and pricing and making sure we always have enough stock on hand, I guess you’d call it the business side of things,” he explained. “But as you can see, I’m not so good at arranging the merchandise once it’s here, and I know everything’s got dusty in the store since Becky left.”
“Why not leave that part to me, Thomas? I think it’s something I would enjoy,” Claire said. “I’ll start tomorrow morning if that’s all right with you.”
After Claire left, Thomas had a broad smile on his face. For her part, Claire was elated to tell Mrs. Gregson how well her idea had worked.
Chapter 8
The two settled into an easy routine. Claire would go over to the mercantile first thing in the morning before the store opened. Thomas would be waiting with a fresh pot of coffee and they would sit down and visit for a few minutes before Thomas opened the doors.
Claire had decided that the first order of business for her would be to thoroughly clean up the store. The first day she had swept up and washed floors and windows. For the first time in a long time, the sun streamed through the sparkling panes of glass, showing off the merchandise that was displayed in the window.
‘Oh dear,’ thought Claire when she got her first clear view through the now spotless windows. ‘Well, that certainly won’t do.’
Odds and ends of a variety of stock were scattered haphazard in the window. A mop and bucket was set right beside a set of women’s brushes, which in turn had a horse’s bridle plunked down almost on top of them. The window seemed to be a catchall for whatever there wasn’t room for inside the store itself.
As Claire stood looking at the window display, Thomas came outside to stand beside her.
“It’s worse than I thought,” Thomas groaned. “Those dirty windows sure hid a lot.”
Claire patted Thomas’ arm and said, “Not to worry. I’ll get this display fixed up in short order.”
As Claire made a move to go back into the store, Thomas stopped her. It’s almost noon, so it’s high time you were heading on back to the boarding house.”
“But,” Claire started.
“No buts about it. You promised to only work a half-day and you’ve done that.” Grinning Thomas added, “This mess will still be here tomorrow, waiting for a woman’s touch to sort it out.”
“All right, all right. You win,” Claire laughed, putting up her hands in defeat.
As she walked off, she turned and asked hesitantly, “Will you be coming by after supper tonight?”
Thomas smiled broadly and said, “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away. See you later. Be sure to rest up. Maybe we can go for a walk if you’re feeling up to it.”
Claire waved and walked back to the boarding house. Mrs. Gregson had lunch waiting for her and sat down to join her. They chatted away. When Claire had almost finished, she stifled a huge yawn.
Mrs. Gregson chuckled.
“I hope I’m not boring you,” she teased.
Claire assured her she wasn’t and yawned again.
“That’s it my girl. Off to bed with you now. You’re not used to being on your feet for that long yet. And knowing you, you probably overdid it.”
Claire nodded sheepishly. “Probably. There’s such a lot that needs doing to get the mercantile back in shape. But I loved being there.”
As Claire stood up and began gathering up dishes, Mrs. Gregson scooted her off to her room.
“Please don’t let me sleep too long. I want to wash and change my dress before supper,” she said.
When Mrs. Gregson raised her eyebrows in question, Claire smiled and said, “Thomas is coming over after supper. We may go for a walk.”
After Claire had been hard at work for a couple of weeks, the store was looking better and better. Thomas had given her free rein to rearrange things and it was paying off. A number of the women who frequented the store commented to Thomas how nice it was to shop there now. He passed those compliments on to Claire and made a point of introducing her to any of the women who came in to shop.
Gradually, he introduced Claire to the process of waiting on customers and then recording their purchases and writing out receipts. She was impressed by how organized Thomas was in this regard. With his method of writing down an item in his reorder pad, they never ran out of the more popular things.
She loved to watch him deal with customers. He had an easy way with the women, never losing patience and being very attentive. And it was obvious that he was well liked and respected by the men in town. They often stayed for a chat after making their purchases.
One morning as Claire was busy sorting out some new buttons that had recently arrived, she watched as a young woman looked inside and hesitantly entered the store. She had a shawl tightly wrapped around her shoulders even though it was not chilly out. The young woman stood near the doorway as if afraid to come any farther. Claire was puzzled but walked up behind her and asked if she could be of assistance.
The young woman turned around. “I wonder if you might have some of that …,” she began, looking over Claire’s shoulder. Behind her another woman had walked into the store.
“What are you doing in here?” she demanded marching up to the young woman. “It’s a disgrace that women like you are allowed to shop in this store. I am going to speak to Thomas about this. It’s simply outrageous.”
The young woman had gone pale. In tears, she brushed past Claire and almost ran out.
Claire was stunned. Something was tugging at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
Hearing the commotion, Thomas came out from the back room where he had been working on the accounts.
“Mrs. Colton, is there a problem?” he asked looking from her to Claire.
Mrs. Colton sniffed and said, “That woman from the saloon was in here when I came in to pick up a few things. Honestly Thomas, I don’t understand why you allow those women to shop in your store. They should be barred.”
Thomas stiffened. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Mrs. Colton. If it bothers you, feel free to take your business elsewhere. Those women are just trying to earn a living and I bet they would choose another path if they could. So no, I won’t be barring them from my store.”
“Now,” he asked politely, “Is there something I can help you with today?”
“No there is not,” she huffed and stomped out of the mercantile. “Good day.”
Thomas sighed, “Some people can be so small-minded.”
Looking over at Claire, he noticed that she was pale and sweating. When she started swaying on her feet, Thomas rushed over and guided her to a chair.
“What’s wrong, Claire? I can see you’re very upset,” he said crouching down in front of her. “Mrs. Colton is a nasty piece of work. I’ve a good mind to bar her from the store.”
Thomas brought Claire a glass of water, “Here Claire, drink this.”
Claire’s hands were shaking so much, water spilled over the lip of the glass. Thomas took it out of her hand and brought it carefully to her mouth. Claire leaned forward and took a few tiny sips, then sat back in the chair.
“What just happened there, Claire?” asked a very concerned Thomas.
Shakily, Claire answered. “I’m
not sure, Thomas. But something about that poor young woman and that old biddy, Mrs. Colton triggered something.”
Shivering she said, “I just had a feeling that I’d lived through that or experienced something like that before. I, I think I better go back to the boarding house now.”
“Yes, and I’ll walk you over there.”
Claire didn’t object when he helped her up, and putting an arm around her waist, walked with her to the door. He locked up. If Claire needed him, he intended to be there. She was far more important to her than the business. When they reached the boarding house, Thomas called out for Mrs. Gregson. He briefly explained what had happened as he helped Claire to her room. She staggered to the bed and collapsed on it.
“Claire, I’ll be right out in the front room,” he said.
Mrs. Gregson pulled a quilt up over Claire. “I’ll be back shortly to check on you. Call if you need anything in the meantime.”
She found Thomas pacing in the front room.
“I don’t know what Claire was running away from, but whatever it was has shaken her badly. I swear she looked like she’d seen a ghost when Mrs. Colton came after that poor girl from the saloon.”
“It is troubling,” replied Mrs. Gregson. “But perhaps this will help Claire remember. I know something is haunting her. She lets her defenses down when she thinks no one is around and the expression on her face is heartbreaking.”
Thomas stayed all afternoon. He wanted to be there in case Claire woke up and needed him. Mrs. Gregson checked on her periodically, but she continued to sleep soundly.
“Stay for supper tonight, Thomas,” said Mrs. Gregson. “I am going to wake Claire up now. I think it’s important for things to be as normal as possible for her.”
“Thanks and I agree,” replied Thomas. “Would you ask her if she’d like to go and get some fresh air before supper when you wake her?”
In a short time, Claire appeared, looking like she’d put the experiences of the day behind her.
“Feeling better?” Thomas asked.
“Yes, much better thank you,” she replied.
They headed outside and sat down on the bench in the yard.
“I feel so silly for reacting like I did. I don’t know what came over me.”
Thomas reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “There was nothing silly about what happened. I could wring Mrs. Colton’s neck.”
Claire looked sideways at Thomas. “Did you really mean what you said about the girl from the saloon?”
“Of course. Life doesn’t always treat a person the way it should. Those girls from the saloon who come into the mercantile are always polite and it’s obvious that they are unhappy working there. Why should I make life even more miserable for them?”
“You’re a kind man, Thomas,” Claire said quietly. “And I’m a lucky woman to be in your life.”
Thomas looked straight ahead, his heart beating faster. Gently she said, “You know all you have to do is say the word and we’ll get married.”
He waited, not daring to look over at Claire as she thought about what he’d said.
“You mean you’d still want to marry me, even not knowing what secret I have in my past?” Claire asked. “Doesn’t today prove that there’s something there? And what about all that money I had when you found me in the stagecoach?”
Taking her hand, Thomas replied, “Those things don’t mean anything to me. No matter what it is, it’s all in the past. For your own sake, I hope and pray that you get your memory back. But no matter what you remember, it won’t change how I feel about you.”
Just then, Mrs. Gregson opened the door to let them know that supper was on the table.
Startled, they both stood up.
“Be right in,” Thomas called.
“Just think about what I said, Claire. I’m not trying to put any pressure on you, but I’d like to make you my wife whenever you’re ready.”
Chapter 9
It didn’t take long for Claire to agree. She waited only long enough to see if any new memories would surface. Despite what Thomas had said, Claire knew she wouldn’t marry him if she suddenly remembered doing something terrible in the past. Frustrating though it was to still have that huge gap in her life, she knew she didn’t want to put her life on hold any longer. Marrying Thomas would be her way of leaving the past behind and moving forward.
Once Claire agreed to marry him, an elated Thomas ordered in the prettiest dress he could get. A week before they were to be wed, he brought the wrapped parcel over to the boarding house, for Mrs. Gregson to hide. That evening when Thomas called, Mrs. Gregson put he and Claire in her own private sitting room and closed the door. She knew what he had planned and wanted them to have a private moment together.
The parcel was leaning up against the wall. After Claire sat down, Thomas picked it up and placed it in her lap.
“What’s this, Thomas?” she asked.
“Open it and find out,” he replied with a smile, sitting down across from her so as not to miss her expression when she saw the dress for the first time.
Claire gently caressed the wrapping. “It’s almost too pretty to open,” she said.
Thomas just nodded and waited.
Finally, Claire carefully unwrapped the package. She laid the paper to one side and lifted the lid on the box. Her mouth fell open.
She looked up at Thomas, her eyes bright with tears.
“Oh, Thomas,” she said in a whisper. “It’s the most beautiful dress I have ever seen.”
As the tears started down her cheeks, he said in a voice husky with emotion, “And I can’t wait to see you in it on our wedding day.”
Using his hanky, he wiped the tears. Then setting the dress aside, he pulled Claire into an embrace. They hugged for a minute until Thomas reluctantly pulled away.
“Come on. Let’s go and show Mrs. Gregson. She’s been dying to see what I got you.”
A week later, the ceremony was held in the tiny Prairie Meadow church. It was a quiet affair with only the few people who had been so much a part of their lives attending. Mrs. Gregson was there along with Nell, and of course Simon the preacher. Doc Roberts and his housekeeper Molly completed the group.
Claire was as beautiful as Thomas had imagined and he told her so with both his words and his eyes. And maybe it was the dress or maybe it was being with Thomas, but Claire felt beautiful on this very special day.
At the gathering after the ceremony, which Nell had insisted on holding, there was a lot of laughter with a little bit of teasing thrown in for good measure. The couple left to catch the train. They were going to spend two or three nights away in King City before returning to Prairie Meadow.
After checking into their hotel, Thomas and Claire went for a walk. The town was big in comparison to Prairie Meadow and there was a lot to see. As they strolled around the main thoroughfare, they stopped and had coffee and lunch at a small café, then spent the rest of the afternoon window-shopping. Thomas insisted on buying a new hat for Claire. Later they had ice cream cones as they returned to their hotel.
Thomas had been to King City before and wanted to show Claire some of the sights, so he arranged to rent a buggy the next day. They left right after lunch and made their way towards the outskirts of the town, stopping here and there to browse in some of the shops. Thomas hoped to get some ideas for new stock to carry in the mercantile, now that Claire would be working side by side with him.
They stopped to eat supper in a roadside café. Thomas decided to take a different road back to the hotel. As they turned a corner, they were met with the sound of loud music spilling out of a saloon and the sight of drunken men leaning against the building.
Claire drew in a sharp breath and gripped Thomas’ arm tightly. Concerned he pulled on the reins and brought the buggy to a stop.
“What is it, Claire? What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.
“No, no don’t stop here,” Claire whispered desperately.
“Whatever is th
e matter Claire?” Thomas asked, more concerned than ever.
“Thomas, please, I don’t know why, but I can’t be near this place. Please, let’s just go back to the hotel.”
Thomas did as she requested, glancing nervously over at Claire often on the way back. He didn’t like what he saw at all. Claire was pale and obviously upset by something she’d seen or heard. She sat huddled against him with her arm tucked firmly in his. When they got back to their room, Claire immediately wrapped herself in a blanket and went to sit by the window.
Thomas pulled up a chair beside her. When she turned to him, there were tears in her eyes.
“What happened back there, Claire?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just felt so afraid and I, I couldn’t wait to get away from there.”
She shivered and pulled the blanket around herself more securely.
“You don’t need to worry Claire. I’ll keep you safe,” Thomas said putting his arm around her comfortingly. Gradually she calmed down, eventually resting her head on his shoulder and dropping off to sleep.
They sat like that all night. From time to time, Claire would become agitated, once again having the nightmares that had plagued her when she was first recovering from the accident. When Claire stirred early the next morning, Thomas was relieved that the night was behind them.
Tucking a stray curl behind her ear, he asked, “Okay now?”
She nodded. Getting up, Claire folded the blanket and turned to Thomas.
Hesitantly she asked, “Would you mind terribly if we were to go back home today instead of tomorrow, Thomas?”
“Of course not,” he replied. “If we hurry we can grab a bite to eat before the train leaves. I’m sure we can change our tickets.”
They made the train with time to spare. Just like the last time, Claire’s experience had worn her out and so she slept the entire way home. Thomas just sat and worried about Claire.
When they arrived back in Prairie Meadow, they stopped at Mrs. Gregson’s place to let her know they were back and to pick up the rest of Claire’s things.
Claire's Escape (Mail-Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow 4) Page 4