He waited for a moment to calm himself. “You didn’t answer my question. Is that my wife’s necklace?” His voice thundered. Melly was lucky he wasn’t a violent man.
“She didn’t have enough to send the letter,” Melly said defensively.
“How much did you give her for the necklace? It’s expensive and hand crafted.” She hesitated. “I asked how much!”
“A cent. She had three cents and to mail a letter is four cents.”
“Since when? I only pay three cents when I post a letter.” He put his hand in his pocket and took out two cents. “Here I’ll pay double what you paid and don’t try to give me a hard time. I’ll get the sheriff. This is robbery.”
Her hands shook as she took the necklace off and handed it to him. She scooped up the two cents and turned her back on him.
He took his purchases and left. There was no reason to take advantage of Scarlett. He stared down at the necklace. It was very intricate, and it had taken him a long time to make. He’d sent it to Smitty to give to Scarlett as a goodbye present. He was almost to the smithy when he heard Dinah calling out to him.
“A trade is a trade. Besides, you don’t know how much that trinket is worth. I bet it isn’t even real silver.”
Dillon turned around and strode to where Dinah stood. “It’s made of pure grade silver and the intricate pattern took a very long time to make. I should know. I made it!”
Her eyes widened. “I, well, I assumed—” she sputtered.
“That’s the problem. Instead of giving her the real price to post a letter, you charged her a cent more and then you had the gall to trade this necklace for a cent? You must have known how wrong it was. Taking advantage of your customers is just plain criminal.”
“Humph, I’ll await your apology, Dillon.” Dinah turned and walked back into her store.
Were all the women in town loco or what? He’d had enough. He whistled loudly when he spotted Lou coming down the hill and gestured for him to come his way. Scarlett would probably want her necklace back.
Chapter Five
Dillon put his hand in his pocket to be sure he had the necklace. It had been a long day and he needed to give it back to Scarlett. He didn’t necessarily want to see her but she deserved to have her property returned. She probably didn’t even know he’d made it. He’d told Smitty not to say anything. He’d wanted the necklace to be a gift from Smitty and Lynn. He figured it would be a hard thing to leave home and marry a stranger.
He rubbed the back of his neck. Yes, marrying a stranger was hard. He flicked the lines, urging the horses to pull the wagon up the hill. That was the one drawback of living in Silver Falls, the rain. His stomach clenched as he arrived at the house.
Would she welcome him or throw something at him? He liked that she was a strong woman, but she was unpredictable, and since he didn’t know her, he had no idea how she’d react when he went through the door. He put on the brake and climbed down the wagon. He didn’t plan to stay long.
A set of muddy footprints tracked over the porch, and he furrowed his brow. They were too big to be hers. He quickly went into the house, hoping she was all right. He had his hand on his gun, ready for anything.
She was sitting on the floor in front of the fire playing with a cat. A cat? He relaxed. There was no danger.
Scarlett gathered the cat to her and stared at him. A flicker of fear grew in her eyes. “Did something happen? I mean the way you slammed in here.”
She looked so very beautiful. Half her hair was falling down, and he found it enchanting. He felt a tug at his heart, but he instantly ignored it. “Everything is fine. I just saw a man’s footprints on the front porch, and it alarmed me.”
She smiled. “I wore your boots to town. I had to stuff the toes with socks to make them fit.” She rubbed her cheek against the kitten.
“I heard you’d been in town today.”
“Yes, I mailed a letter to my parents asking them to come get me. I should be out of your way in a few days. This is Missy. I found her crying with her paw stuck in the mud. I’m keeping her.” She lifted her chin. “I’m taking her with me when I go.”
“You wrote to Smitty? Don’t you think it childish to drag your parents into our business?” He took off his hat and threw it on the table.
“They said if anything was amiss I should write to them. I think you hating me is reason enough.” Her voice rose with each word. She stood up and walked over until she stood toe to toe with him.
“I never said I hated you,” he denied, shaking his head.
Her eyes glittered. “What am I supposed to think? You are not pleased with me. You moved out and have never inquired after me.”
Guilt washed over him at the hurt on her face. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He glanced around. The house was nice and clean. He bet she eventually washed the dishes too.
“You’re pleasing to look at. You’re intelligent and…” He tried to think of other qualities she had and came up blank. “I don’t know you well enough to know if you have other pleasing qualities or not.”
Her jaw dropped and she set Missy down. “Then it’s a good thing I sent a letter to my parents. I know when I’m not wanted. You don’t consider me an asset at all. I’m just a bother. Besides Melly and Lolly have made it clear they want to marry you.” She turned and went back to the fire.
“I couldn’t choose between a few of the women here, so I figured I’d order up a bride. I had hoped for one who was useful.” He quickly shut his mouth. It wouldn’t do to say hateful things. “I didn’t mean to say that. I’m aggravated by the situation. I’m just tired.”
A tear trailed down her face when she turned to face him. “My sister, Mia said I’d get my comeuppance someday. She said someone would put me in my place. I thought Dexter had done that, but you’re worse. Too bad you didn’t walk away before we were married. I bet there are plenty of people who are married yet live apart.” She brushed the tear away and the next one too.
“I wanted children. I wanted a family. I won’t get those things if we live apart. I wouldn’t plan on you going anywhere. I’m your husband, and what I say goes. I’m going to write to Smitty and tell him not to come.” He pulled the necklace out of his pocket. “I got this back for you.” He went to her and secured it around her neck.
With a gasp, she fingered the heart and then whispered, “Thank you.”
“Well I have the horses waiting outside. I need to take them back to the livery.”
“I’m to be your prisoner? Don’t worry you won’t need a guard. I don’t have the means to get home.” She turned her back on him again.
He watched as her back stiffened. He’d hoped… He didn’t even know what he hoped for. Deep down he had expected her to come running to him, so glad to see him that their differences wouldn’t matter.
He picked up his hat and walked out the door. He regretted the way things were between them. After he climbed onto the wagon, he turned the horses and went back down. He had a letter to write. The post wouldn’t be picked up for a few days. Maybe he could talk Melly into giving him Scarlett’s letter. No, he decided. He didn’t want to be dishonest.
* * *
The hammering and sawing could be heard at the house. It had started a week ago. Scarlett watched as the men built a new building in town. It looked like a hotel. She frowned and then yawned. She didn’t sleep much at night since Dillon had been to see her. He was good at one thing, ignoring her. She went back inside and started to make some soup. A piece of carrot fell onto the floor, and Missy immediately began to play with it. At least with the cat around, she didn’t have to lie in bed alone.
She heard what sounded like applause and yahoos, and hurried outside again. A wagon filled with women had rolled into town. Her heart dropped. Even from up on her hill she could tell by the gaudy colors of their hair that they were fallen women. Which one would Dillon pick? She’d heard plenty of stories about husbands stepping out on their wives.
S
he’d hoped that her parents would have come to get her by now. She’d considered the possibility that they’d written back but that would mean another trip to town. Dread filled her but she’d best go now, before word of Dillon and one of those women became gossip. It would just be another thing for Dinah and Melly Bains to throw in her face.
She changed her dress and put on Dillon’s boots again. She wished she had a pair of her own but that wasn’t to be. The ground wasn’t wet but the mud had hardened leaving wheel impressions in it. She’d need to be mindful so she didn’t trip or turn her ankle. Peering into the mirror she hardly recognized the sad woman staring back at her. Her hair was tangled but she didn’t care, she just covered it with a bonnet.
“Missy, I’ll be back in a bit.”
The kitten rolled into a ball in front of the fireplace and promptly fell asleep. With a hint of a smile on her lips, Scarlett started out.
The raised ridges from the horses’ hooves and the wagon wheels made walking worse than she’d imagined. Before Dexter had jilted her, she used to love going to the store and buying something, anything. Even a piece of candy had once gladdened her heart, but now she was penniless. Would there be a letter for her? She decided to be hopeful. She’d already spent enough time being miserable.
Her arrival into town went unnoticed by the men who were greeting the soiled doves. She quickly went into the store and was dismayed to find Dillon talking to Melly. Melly had the brightest of smiles on her face until she spotted Scarlett.
“What do you want?” she asked harshly.
Dillon flirting with Melly left Scarlett speechless.
“I asked if there something you wanted?”
Scarlett blinked and raised her head while she pulled her shoulders back. “Yes, I’ve come to inquire if a letter is here for me.” She didn’t dare glance at Dillon. Her heart was already in pieces.
“Yes, it came yesterday. I gave it to Dillon. Didn’t he take it up to you?” Melly laughed.
Scarlett wasn’t about to ask Dillon for it. She turned and walked out of the store, down the boardwalk and up the hill. Blinded by tears, she tripped. She got up and wanted to cry out in pain. Her ankle had rolled and it was excruciating to put her weight on it. Her knee and the inside of her thigh pained her too. She was on her own so she limped along, biting her bottom lip until it bled.
As soon as she got close to the house, she dropped to her knees and crawled to the porch. She managed to open the door, and she kept crawling until she was next to a wooden chair. She’d thought to pull herself up, but her energy was gone. Tears streamed down her face as she loudly sobbed. Her parents weren’t coming. She didn’t need to read the letter.
How would she manage by herself? At least she had enough soup to last her a few days. She’d hauled water that morning. Taking a shaky breath, she managed to stop her tears. She’d have more energy after she rested. She managed to get the boots off and lay down on the floor.
Why hadn’t Dillon said a word to her in the store? He allowed Melly to treat her like dirt. If she’d ever held onto any hope for her and Dillon, it was gone now. She needed to make some money to get through. She sewed beautiful dresses. Perhaps she could tone down her dresses for the women of the town and sell them. A sigh escaped her lips. She was too upset to think straight. She closed her eyes and felt Missy curl up next to her. Then Scarlett’s eyelids became heavy and she fell asleep.
* * *
“Melly, she is my wife and I expect everyone, including you, to treat her with respect. Now I have to go and smooth down her ruffled feathers.”
Melly cast her glance downward. “If I had known you’d have to go to the house, I wouldn’t have said a word.” She looked up at him with a hopeful smile. “Forgive me?”
“Sure. You didn’t know. Now, as I was saying, I don’t think putting bars on your bedroom window is necessary. Those women don’t want to bother you. They certainly won’t try to break in.”
“But they will attract undesirable men who just might. If they get a good look at me, I won’t have a safe moment.”
He swallowed back his smile. “Talk to your father about it. If he wants them, have him come over to the smithy. I need to go after my wife.”
“I wouldn’t bother. She didn’t even look at you.”
“I feel it my duty to keep trying. We did say our vows in church, and that’s the same as saying them to God. I’ll see you later.” He began to walk away.
“When?”
“When what?” Dillon asked.
“When will I see you? You could come for dinner.”
He gave her a gentle smile. “That wouldn’t be right.” He walked outside and looked up the hill. It was a nice enough day, so he’d walk home. First, he went to the smithy and let Homer know where to find him, and then off he went.
He frowned at the rough road. Scarlett was probably wearing his boots again. He shook his head until he spotted blood on the ground. Darn, she must have fallen. He hurried up the hill reasoning that if she could walk up to the house it couldn’t be that bad. Then he saw blood again in front of the house, going up the steps and over the threshold. The door had been left open.
“Scarlett?” he called. He walked farther into the house and found her on the floor. Panic beset him as he knelt at her side. He brushed the side of her face with the back of his hand. “Scarlett?” Her fluttering eyelashes calmed him a bit.
“Dillon? What are you doing here?” Her brow furrowed as she stared up at him.
“I thought to check on you. There was blood on the road up here.”
She nodded. “I fell. Scraped my knee and turned my ankle. I crawled the rest of the way to the house.”
He scooped her up off the floor. She was lighter than before. Hadn’t she been eating? He walked to the living room and set her on the sofa. Then he lifted her skirts up past her knee. Her mouth formed an O. She’d have to just be fine with showing her legs.
“This is more than a scrape. It’s a gash with pebbles stuck in it. I’ll get the supplies.”
“Supplies?”
“I’ll need to clean it. Did you say your ankle hurt?”
Nodding, she seemed apprehensive. “It’s going to hurt isn’t it?”
He walked into the kitchen and gathered what he’d need. He hoped he didn’t need to stitch it up. “I’m not going to lie. It’ll hurt plenty. Now I want you to promise to lie still and not to grab my hand.”
Her eyes grew wide. “I promise,” she squeaked.
He grabbed a cloth and wet it. Next, he dabbed at her cut until he could see the small pieces of rock. Taking his tweezers in hand, he carefully extracted the first pebble. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but she didn’t scream. At least not yet. Taking a deep breath, he removed the rest, and there were plenty. He decided to bandage it and see how it healed. He didn’t want her to endure the pain of his stitching if it could be avoided.
“I’ll wrap your ankle now.”
She just nodded. Her hands moved, catching his attention. They were bleeding too.
Dillon took one than the other into his hands and examined them. She must have clenched her fists so hard her nails dug in and broke the skin. He cleaned her palms. Next, he bandaged her ankle. From the amount of swelling, it was a bad sprain. At least it wasn’t broken.
He sat back on his haunches and brushed her hair away from her face. “You won’t be able to walk on it for a good while.” He tried to sound sympathetic. “I brought your letter.” He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He handed it to her.
“It’s fine. I don’t need to read it. I already know they aren’t coming. If they were, they wouldn’t have sent a letter. They were probably glad to be rid of me.” Tears filled her eyes.
“I doubt—” He saw an animal running toward Scarlett’s bedroom. It ran so fast he wasn’t able to make out what it was. He jumped up. “I need to get an animal that must have come in when the door was left open. Probably a raccoon or something.”
She jutte
d out her chin as though ready to fight with him. “My kitten, Missy. You must have scared her.”
“I forgot you had that darn kitten.” He frowned.
“Why should you remember? You’re never here. She sleeps with me. It gets lonely up on this hill. You don’t even have one single book to read. Besides, Missy likes me.” She turned her head away from him.
Instead of storming into the bedroom, he walked slowly and then stood at the doorway. Sure enough, it was her calico kitten. He surprised himself by smiling. The cat meowed as he approached and gave him the weakest, sweetest hiss. He quickly scooped her up and petted her. “Let’s get you back to where you belong.”
When he walked out of the bedroom, he was horrified to find Scarlett struggling to her feet. “What in tarnation are you doing?”
“You’re not getting rid of Missy!” Tears began to flow down her cheeks.
She could take all the pain it took for him to tend to her yet she cried about a silly cat.
“I was just bringing her out here to you.” He helped her back onto the couch with one hand while holding Missy in the other. “Here.” He placed the kitten in her arms and was rewarded with a watery smile.
She was right. He didn’t know her, and it was plain she had no idea he loved animals. He’d have to find someone to take care of her. His head began to ache. With all the talk in town, he doubted he’d be able to find anyone willing.
“I’ll move back into the house. I’ll need someone here to see to you. I could ask Lolly.”
“No! I’d rather struggle on my own than to have Lolly here. She has designs on you.”
He released a sigh. “I think she did until I got married. She’s not the type to step out with a married man.”
Scarlett gave him a look as if to say he was a fool. “You’ll have to get one of my sisters to come.”
He rubbed his jaw. “You’re not going back home when you’re healed up. You are my wife.”
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