by Leah Atwood
“If it’s no trouble, we will be happy to stay with you for the night,” Rand relented, reversing his previous stance. Lettie’s shy smile confirmed he’d made the right decision.
The wind howled through the air.
“Is everyone ready?” Flynn asked.
A variety of yes’s filled the church.
Rand wrapped one arm around Lettie’s shoulder, an attempt to protect her from the elements as they ventured out the door. Pastor Gibbons turned to the right, making the short trek to the parsonage beside the church. Hurriedly, Rand led Lettie to his conveyance, Myrtle and Flynn following directly behind them. Struggling against the storm, Rand managed to get them back to the Foster’s house, but he still had to get his team sheltered.
“You shouldn’t try to make it to the livery,” Flynn advised after seeing the ladies safely inside. “Visibility is lessening by the minute. Bring them around back. We can put them in my outbuilding for the night.”
Not an ideal solution, but Flynn gave sage advice. If he tried to board them at the livery, there was a possibility he’d not make it back. At least Flynn’s suggestion provided a measure of protection for his horses.
“There’s a barrel of oats in the corner. Help yourself.”
Not questioning why there were oats when Flynn owned no horses, Rand went about securing his horses in a small building, feeling confident they’d stay in place. He was grateful he’d taken the time to train them so they wouldn’t stray when their reins were dropped to the ground. By the time he finished, his hands were frozen under the thick leather gloves. The temperature was that cold. He couldn’t see the house, but he saw a glowing light. He followed it and once closer, discovered someone had placed a candle in the window to direct him back.
Finding the door, he reached and turned the knob, his teeth chattering. Immediately, he removed his gloves and rubbed his hands together, searching for any measure of warmth.
Walking into the room, Lettie’s mouth formed a small O when she saw him. “You must be absolutely frozen. Take your wet coat and boots off and come warm up. Mr. Foster has the fire burning nicely.”
There’d be no argument from him. Without a word, he removed his outer garments, garnering warmth simply by removing the offending attire. Lettie picked them up, carrying them back into the room she’d come from. Rand followed, seeking out the fire’s heat. Slowly, the feeling came back to his extremities and his teeth stopped knocking against each other.
“Have some coffee.” Lettie handed him a cup of steaming liquid. He hadn’t seen her leave the room and return. “I didn’t add anything to it. Myrtle said you usually take it black.”
“She’s right. Thank you.” He took the cup and grasped it with both hands, letting the heat suffuse into his hands.
“I’m sorry about everything.” She ducked her head and wouldn’t make eye contact.
“Why are you sorry?”
“For being careless and causing delays. Had I not slipped, we could have been back to your house tonight.”
“There was nothing careless about your actions,” he assured her. “Everything you can put your feet on is treacherous right now. Anyone could have slipped. The important thing is that you weren’t hurt.”
“What about your livestock? Will they suffer from you not being home tonight?”
“I appreciate your concern, but your safety and well-being trumps theirs. If it makes you feel better, I’m sure they’ll survive. The cattle have been through blizzards before and my other livestock is housed in the barn.”
Creased eyebrows told him Lettie wasn’t certain he was telling the truth. “I’d feel horrible if they found harm on my account.”
“Should anything happen to them, it would be the fault of nature, not you. Please don’t fret.” His hand suspended in midair before he decided to rest it against her arm. “Blizzards and ice are a part of life here. Did you have snow storms in Maryland?”
“Yes, sometimes, but rarely coming in quickly like this one.”
“I’d like to say you get used to them, but I’m still working on that.” He flashed her a smile, hoping to set her at peace. “However, you do become more accustomed to them and become better prepared.”
Lettie darted her gaze around the room, her hands fidgeting. “I’ll see if Myrtle needs help to prepare supper. I feel as though I should be helping.”
“Go ahead and enjoy this time with Myrtle. She’s a wonderfully good lady.”
“I like her,” Lettie stated. “Would you like another cup of coffee first?”
“Thank you, but I am fine. As soon as my boots are dry, I’ll be getting up to join Flynn for a game of chess.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
He watched her disappear from the room. She walked with confidence, but he’d seen the uncertainty in her eyes. His new wife was brave, that much was certain. They hadn’t had much time alone to talk, but he wanted to know what she was thinking, how she was adapting to the changes.
His chance came a few hours later. After supper was eaten, and the dishes cleaned, the four adults sat by the fire in the parlor, swapping stories and sharing conversation. An hour later, Flynn and Myrtle discreetly excused themselves, claiming sleepiness. By their tired eyes, he suspected they were telling the truth, especially since Flynn had been out the previous night delivering Sally Ann Jessup’s baby.
For a few minutes, he observed Lettie. Oblivious to his scrutiny, she stared into the fire, watching the flames dance. A lit candle was slowly melting on the table beside her. When he stood up, his movements caught her attention, and she glanced at him. Crossing the braided rug, he strode to the empty chair which Myrtle had previously occupied. He took a seat, placing himself only two feet from her.
“Would you like to retire to bed now or stay up for a while?” he asked.
Her eyes rose at the corners and a stricken look took over her face, confusing Rand. “Let’s stay up and talk for a spell,” she answered quickly. Too quickly.
With only the candlelight and shadows from the flame, he could still see the blush rising from her neck and spreading over her cheeks. Then he understood and almost blushed himself. She was nervous about sharing a bed with him. He had no intention of claiming his marital rights until they were both comfortable with each other and better acquainted, but to mention openly that and broach the subject would only increase the discomfiture. So he let it be and hoped for conversation to draw them together and bring back their easy camaraderie they’d had earlier in the day.
It dawned on him that he still didn’t know when her baby was due. Their baby. He had promised to raise the child as his own and that was one promise he looked forward to keeping. “When will the baby make an appearance?” he asked, hoping not to offend her by such a personal question. It was pertinent information.
The question had the desired effect. Her features relaxed and a gentle smile graced her mouth. “Sometime in May.” As she answered, her hands went to her stomach. He doubted she was aware of the gesture.
He was unprepared for the twist of his stomach. “Have you thought of any names?”
“For a girl, I like the name Naomi.”
“That is a pretty name. And for a boy?”
She hesitated and bit her lip before answering. “If the baby is a boy, I’d like to name him Daniel. If that’s okay with you,” she added.
“I think that would be a great way to honor his father.”
“Are you certain? You don’t think that would be awkward for you?”
A lump formed in his throat. He was rapidly learning how selfless Lettie was. “Not at all. Tell me about Daniel, please.”
“I don’t know. Wouldn’t it be weird for us to talk about our first spouses?”
“On the contrary, I think we should. At least this once. We are married now and our relationship will be about us, but Daniel and Mellie are a part of our past. And I’d like to know all about you, including that part.”
He
watched her suck in a deep breath, then slowly exhale. “Daniel and I knew each other since we were children. Our families went to the same church, but that’s where the similarities ended. My parents never thought he was good enough for me, even as a friend. His family was poor. Farmers, my mother would remind me with distaste, but that never bothered me. When I looked at Daniel and his family, all I saw were loving aunts, uncles, parents, cousins, brothers and sisters. They were everything I wanted for my own family. I’m not sure I should confess this next part.”
“You can tell me anything,” he prodded gently, “but I’ll understand if you don’t.”
“I loved spending time with his family, but my parents would not allow it. When I was thirteen, I began lying and telling my parents I was doing charity work, but I really was spending time with Daniel’s family. He would ride into the city, pick me up and take me to his family’s farm. This went on for years.”
A chuckle escaped before Rand could stop it. “You’ve been so honest, I can’t imagine you would say such a large lie.”
“It’s not something that I’m proud of, but I can’t honestly say I regret it. Those times with his family taught me what I needed to know about being a person, not just a woman with no place in society except to look pretty and entertain.”
“Your parents never found out?”
Her lips curved downward in a frown. “No. They were too absorbed in their own lives to pay much attention to mine. As long I showed up where and when they directed, they gave me little heed.”
Rand’s heart went out to her. He’d lost his parents on the brink of becoming a man, but at least they had showered him and his sister with love while they were alive. “How did you come to marry Daniel if your parents didn’t approve?”
“By the time we were eighteen, our friendship had turned into love. Daniel was a very honorable man and my deception to my parents never sat well with him. He insisted on going about an engagement the proper way, by getting approval from my father. Of course, my father said no without giving the matter any consideration. Patient beyond what I could ever be, Daniel waited, praying for my father to change his mind.”
“And did he?” Rand asked, drawn into the story.
“No. Worse yet, he began inviting an associate home for dinner quite often, trying to push the man’s affections on me.”
“Maxwell Donahue?”
“Yes.” She shuddered. “A more vile man I’ve never met. To my mother and father, he acted, charming, but the moment he had me alone, he would attempt to force me into things I didn’t wish. When I resisted, he would strike me. By the grace of God, he never succeeded fully in what he wanted.”
Rand’s fist clenched. Some people shouldn’t even have the right to breathe. “I’m so sorry for what you went through.”
“That was a scary time, but otherwise I might never have had the opportunity to marry Daniel. When my father told me I must marry Maxwell, I knew that was something I could never do. I broke down and told Daniel what had been happening. I was so ashamed, I hadn’t told anyone to that point except my mother.” She paused for a second. “Daniel was so angry, he threatened to kill Maxwell with his bare hands.”
That was a sentiment Rand understood very well. He was feeling the same thing at this exact moment. “What happened?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“I calmed Daniel down by explaining if he did that, it would ruin any chance of a future for us. Reluctantly, he agreed not to go after Maxwell. The next day, he sent me a message via a courier to meet him that evening.” Brushing absently at her dress, she continued. “Intuitively, I knew what he was going to propose when we met. I packed a bag and had a trusted maid slip it out of the house. That night, Daniel and I went to the next county over and eloped.”
“I do believe you have a spirit of adventure in you,” Rand commented, trying to break the heaviness hanging in the air.
“Not really. I did what I had to do as did Daniel. He was my best friend, my protector. Eloping was the only way we could be together and keep me out of Maxwell’s reach.”
“And your parents?”
“They all but disowned me. My father never spoke to me again. Other than a chance meeting a year into my marriage, my mother didn’t contact me again until just after Daniel’s death. That’s when Maxwell and she began pushing me into marriage again.”
“You are safe here, Lettie. You are my wife now and I won’t let anything happen to you.” He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Our children will only know love.”
Had he used the plural purposely or was it an honest slip? He couldn’t honestly say he didn’t want multiple children. He’d have an entire houseful if Lettie were willing. And he would never treat them poorly as Lettie’s parents had to her. A sadness encased him for what she’d gone through. It just wasn’t right.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her face pale. Sharing her story had visibly taken a lot from her. “Tell me about Mellie.”
He released her hand and rubbed the back of his neck. Since she’d shared her story, telling her about Mellie was only fair. The pain wasn’t as fervent as it once had been. “I moved to Wyoming from Kansas a year after Mellie’s death. My parents settled in Kansas several years before I was born. Around that time, families were flooding the area claiming the free land offered. Mellie’s parents were one such family and established a farm neighboring my parents. Unfortunately, Mellie’s mother was very frail and not suited to farm life. When Mellie was twelve, her mother passed away. Her father never recovered from losing his wife and two years later, up and disappeared.”
“He abandoned his daughter?” Lettie eyes widened.
“Yes. Mellie, bless her heart, never uttered a bad word about him and continually defended him. She was an exceptionally generous and forgiving woman. However, she was left alone, no family to whom she could turn. There seemed to be no question that my parents would take her in.” He sighed. “Our lives were moving along fine until five years later, my parents were killed in a buggy accident. By that time, my sister, Eliza, had married and moved to Texas with her new husband, leaving Mellie and me alone in the house. The arrangement was not appropriate, so we decided marriage was our best option.”
“Had you courted each other?”
“No,” he admitted honestly. “She was a friend, delicate like her mother, and I had never thought of her as a potential wife.”
A cloud of emotion he couldn’t recognize darkened her eyes. “You didn’t love her?”
“At first, I only loved her as I would a dear friend. Our first year of marriage was rather strained, but soon we both opened ourselves to the possibility of love. When it finally struck me, it hit hard. We had five wonderful, love-filled years of marriage before her heart gave out on her.”
“We’ve had so much sadness in our lives,” Lettie uttered.
“Yes, but that doesn’t have to define us. If anything, the trials of our lives should teach us to live each day with joy and never take a person for granted.”
“That is true.” Lettie nodded her head in agreement. “Also, to treat people with kindness, regardless of their station in life. Sometimes I wonder if I wasn’t adopted because I am so different from my parents. Social status and money have never meant much to me but meant everything to them. My mother was content to live in a life of leisure, but that lifestyle bored me. Not until Daniel and I had our own small farm near his family’s place, did I really feel alive.”
Several times, she’d mentioned Daniel’s family with an implication they were close and he couldn’t help wondering why she hadn’t gone to them, why they hadn’t taken her in. Moving from his seat, he went to stoke the fire. He decided to go ahead and pose the question. “Why didn’t you turn to Daniel’s family after his death?”
For a long time, she remained quiet. A tear formed at the corner of her eye. “I couldn’t. Maxwell’s family owns the bank. Helping me could have put Daniel’s family at risk. As it was, they already faced
financial troubles when I married Daniel because Maxwell created problems for them at the bank. I couldn’t put them in that situation again. They don’t even know where I am,” she said through a sniffle.
Rand rubbed his chin. He hadn’t realized the extent of danger Lettie had faced in Maryland. A surge of protectiveness overwhelmed him. “You can write them now if you’d like. I’ve said it before and I mean it—you are safe, here in Weatherton. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I would like to write to them. I hated the idea of leaving without a word.” Her hand covered her mouth as a yawn escaped.
His heart went out to her. He knew she was exhausted but reluctant to go to bed, and he tried to make the situation easier. “I’m going to stay out here by the fire for a while. Don’t feel you have to keep me company.”
Lettie emitted a relieved sigh. “If you don’t mind then, I think I will retire for the night.” She stood from her chair and smoothed out her dress.
“Good night.” He brushed her arm in a quick caress.
“Good night, Rand,” she replied, and then walked in the direction of the bedroom they’d be sharing for the night.
His eyes remained trained on her until she disappeared out of sight. Returning to a chair, he sat down and reflected on the day. Needless to say, events had not gone as planned, but he didn’t regret how the day had played out. If Lettie hadn’t almost fallen, they wouldn’t have ended up at the Foster’s house, Lettie wouldn’t have made an instant friend and they may have not had a chance for the intimate conversation they’d shared just now.
Continuing to watch the fire until it died down to small embers, he felt further confidence that the Lord had brought him and Lettie together. He prayed for a contented marriage that would be blessed with many years of happiness. As he said amen, he opened his eyes and gave a final look around the room. He went to the fireplace and banked the ashes over the hot coals. Sliding a finger through the ring of the candle holder, he picked it up for a light to find his way through the darkened home.