A crash from the parlor had Lisa hurrying to investigate. “Are you all right?” she asked the girl who was holding a book in front of her face, even as she lay ignominiously sprawled across an ottoman. She’d obviously tripped, because she hadn’t removed her book from in front of her face.
“Oh, I’m fine.” The girl looked up. “I’m Elaine.”
“Hi, Elaine. I’m Lisa.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lisa. Do you read?”
Lisa shrugged. “I love to read whenever I can get my hands on a book. I wasn’t able to bring any, unfortunately.” Her family had never been wealthy, and she was grateful for the fact that she had clothes to wear and food to eat. Books were a luxury that her family couldn’t afford.
“I have several with me. Probably more than I should have brought. You can read one if you’d like.”
Lisa pressed her hands together. “That would be wonderful!”
“Well, come up to my room after our lessons today, and I’ll let you choose between the ones I brought. I’ve read them all before, so it doesn’t matter which one.” Elaine got to her feet. “I even brought a cookbook or two.”
“You’re more prepared than I am, then. I only brought clothes and an apron. And Sophie, of course.”
“Sophie?”
“She’s my dog. I couldn’t leave her behind!”
“Well, of course you couldn’t. I see that.” Elaine grinned at Lisa. “I have a feeling we’re going to be fast friends. What do you know about the West?”
Lisa shrugged. “Not much, except that my two best friends married Mounties. Now I’m doing the same thing.”
Chapter Two
They left for the Yukon the following week. Thankfully, Lisa found all of the other brides delightful. She was a bit intimidated by Isabelle, but she just remembered that they were all in the same situation, and it helped. Lisa had even had the opportunity to help Isabelle learn to cook, and it made her feel a lot better.
When they pulled into the train station in Moose Lick, Yukon Territory, Lisa was excited and nervous all at once. She wanted to make a good impression on Wesley, but she felt grungy after the endless days of travel.
As she picked up her bag with her things, and took hold of Sophie’s leash—the conductor had informed her that dogs weren’t allowed in the passenger car, but somehow Miss Hazel had convinced him to allow Sophie to stay with her—her hands were shaking. What if Wesley took one look at her, recognized her infirmity, and sent her right back to Ottawa?
Maryanne put her hand on Lisa’s shoulder, calming her without words. “Thank you,” Lisa said softly to her new friend. None of them knew what they were going to see when they got off the train, but if the others could be courageous, so could she.
“Do you want me to take Sophie?” Maryanne asked.
Lisa shook her head. When Wesley saw her for the first time, he needed to know he wasn’t just getting a wife, but he was getting a dog to love and adore. “I can do it.” Thankfully it was a good day…her arm was strong and able to hold the leash tightly.
Miss Hazel was at the front of the line, leading them in their descent down the train steps and onto the platform. Her voice was loud as she spotted the four Mounties, all in their red dress uniforms. “Well, there are our Mounties! You’d better have a preacher standing by, boys!”
One of the men stepped forward, tall and handsome in his uniform. He removed his hat and held it over his chest. “We have one for the next couple of hours, ma’am, but then he needs to move on. I’m Wesley Jacobson, the man in charge.” Wesley’s eyes traveled over the four women who had come, and he silently prayed that the one holding the dog wasn’t his. He’d asked for a wife, not a wife with her pampered pet.
Lisa felt her heart start thumping loudly. That man was going to be her husband. She hoped he found her as pretty as she found him handsome. His blond hair was cut short and had been flattened by his Mountie hat. His eyes were light, but she couldn’t yet tell if they were green or blue. No matter, he was about to be hers, and she couldn’t complain even a little bit about that.
Her eyes never left Wesley as he introduced the three men standing with him, not hearing a word he said. She didn’t care who the others were anyway. She only cared about her Wesley.
Miss Hazel elbowed Lisa, interrupting her reverie. “This is Lisa Allen. She’s here to marry Wesley.”
Wesley looked at Lisa and frowned. He was getting the pampered dog. Of course, he hadn’t asked for a bride who wouldn’t bring a dog, so he had no right to complain. “It’s nice to meet you.” He nodded at her, his hat still held to his chest.
Lisa couldn’t seem to make her tongue work. When she’d been young, she’d had speech difficulties, but she had worked day and night, trying to make sure her voice was as clear as anyone else’s. She knew if she managed to open her mouth and make a sound, it wouldn’t make sense to anyone else. She nodded, feeling as if her tongue was three times the size it ought to be.
Wesley looked at Lisa, wondering why she didn’t speak to him at all. He walked over and took the ridiculous dog’s leash from her, wondering how long it would last there. The dog was small, and birds were known to carry little dogs away as an afternoon snack. “Walk with me.” He led her in the direction of the cabin he would share with her, where the preacher waited for them. It hadn’t been easy to find one to be there that day, but thankfully, Pastor Wilson had finally agreed. He was ready to get back to his home, though, so he was only there for a short while.
Lisa walked with him, very aware of her limp as she followed along. His strides were fast—too fast—and she finally had to ask him to slow. “Please, I can’t walk so very fast.”
He turned to her with a nod. “I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you in the dust. Sometimes I forget how much longer my legs are than most people’s.”
She smiled, a bit embarrassed. “And I’m not anything approaching average height.”
It was then Wesley noticed her limp. “Did you injure yourself on the journey?”
Lisa shook her head. “No, I’ve always limped.” She’d hoped he wouldn’t realize she limped until after the wedding, but she realized that wasn’t fair to him. “One of my arms doesn’t always work right either. I’ve learned to compensate, though.”
He frowned. “Why?” It wasn’t until after the word had left his mouth that he realized just how rude it sounded.
“My mother had a difficult birth with me. I got stuck, and I lost oxygen for a short while.” Lisa held her breath as she waited for his response. If he was going to reject her, now would be the time.
“I’ve heard of that happening.” He seemed to debate with himself for a moment, but then he nodded. “Let’s go get married.”
Lisa felt the smile touch her lips, ecstatic that he was still willing to go forward with the wedding. “I’d like that.”
“What’s the dog’s name?” he asked, leading her to a small cabin. He would have to come to terms with the animal, because his bride obviously had a great deal of affection for it.
“Sophie. I hope you don’t mind that I brought her with me. She’s been mine for three years. Her mother died when she was born, and they were going to let her die, too. I found a cat who would adopt her, and I’ve had her with me every day since. I couldn’t imagine leaving her behind.” She was proud that her voice had worked when she explained about the dog. She’d not been at all certain she’d ever be able to speak around him.
“No, I can see you couldn’t leave her,” he said with a heavy sigh. Opening the cabin door, he called out, “Pastor Wilson? This is my bride, Lisa.”
Pastor Wilson had been sitting at Wesley’s small table with a cup of coffee in his hands. “It’s nice to meet you, Lisa.” He got to his feet and walked over to them, nodding. “Let’s get this started. Will the other couples be along soon?”
“I believe so,” Wesley told them. “I got lost in Lisa’s eyes and totally forgot about them.”
Lisa looked a
t him for a moment, wondering why he’d lied. She didn’t think Wesley had even noticed her eye color yet.
Five minutes later, the wedding was over. “You may kiss your bride.”
Wesley turned to the pretty little girl beside him, sure he’d break her in two if he kissed her. His arms went around her waist, and he dipped his head, barely brushing her lips with his. He would never do anything to endanger her. She was obviously very fragile.
As he lifted his head, their eyes met, and she saw that his eyes were neither green nor blue as she’d thought. They were a beautiful soft gray, like a fluffy cloud. “I like your eyes,” she said, blushing profusely.
He grinned. “I like yours too. They’re just the color of coffee.”
“I hope you like coffee.”
Sophie was sniffing around and pulling at the leash, and Lisa let her go, forgetting about her for a moment.
The door opened, and they stepped away from each other quickly, like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Miss Hazel came in, the other three couples trailing behind her. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Lisa and Wesley. “Did you two get married without me? You know I love weddings!”
Lisa sighed. “I’m sorry, Miss Hazel. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Fine. You stay here and the others can get married outside, then.”
Everyone dutifully followed Miss Hazel outside, including the pastor. “Well, we got rid of them easier than I thought we would!” Wesley told Lisa with a laugh.
She grinned. “I guess we did!” She looked around the small cabin. It was neat, but not overly clean. It definitely needed a good dusting and sweeping. “Where do the others live?”
Wesley walked to the window, pointing. “Preston lives there, and the others are in the next village. About a three-hour drive from here.”
“Three hours?” Lisa couldn’t stand the thought of her new friends being so far away. What about the days when she needed help?
He nodded. “Preston is still in training, so he lives close. The others are with different tribes.”
“Tribes?” Lisa asked, confused.
“Yes, tribes. We’re living with one of the Indian tribes here.”
“Do they speak English?” She hated the idea of not having female friends to talk with close by.
He shook his head. “Some of them speak a few words of English, but not most of them.”
“Oh. I guess I’m glad one of the others will be close by then.” She looked at him. “Are the natives dangerous?”
“Not usually. They all respect the red serge jacket…or if they don’t respect it, they obey it. We’re peace keepers up here.”
“Why didn’t I know that? I guess I thought you were like the Mounties my friends married in British Columbia.”
He took her hand and led her to the table. “I volunteered to work with the native people of Canada. We’re not going to have easy lives here. Are you sure you want to stay?”
Lisa frowned at him. “I’ve never had what most people would call an easy life. I do want to stay. I need to learn to be stronger.”
He studied her for a moment before nodding. “All right.” He looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. “I’m glad you’re here, Lisa.”
She grinned. “Me too. I think Sophie likes it here too.”
He looked over at the dog, who was sniffing at the bed. “Make sure you don’t leave her outside alone. A bird or another predator would find her a nice snack.”
Lisa looked at Sophie and shook her head. “No animal is hurting Sophie on my watch!”
“Good!” He got to his feet. “I need to get back out there for a bit. Can you handle making supper?”
She nodded. “I couldn’t a month ago, but Miss Hazel has me cooking well now.”
“You didn’t cook before?” he asked.
She shrugged. “My parents always thought of me as injured, so they never really let me do anything except a bit of volunteer work. Miss Hazel has taught me to cook, clean, and sew in the past month. I’m still not great at sewing, but I’ll get better as I go.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine. I’ll be back for supper in an hour.” With that, Wesley was gone. She wished she’d asked him what he needed to get back to, but she hadn’t. Next time, she would remember.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door, and Maryanne stuck her head inside. “Lisa?”
Lisa hurried over to the door. “Who did you marry?”
“Preston.”
At that, Lisa squealed and clapped her hands. “You’re in the other cabin then!”
Maryanne smiled. “I am. I came to see how you were settling in. Do you need anything?”
“No, my arm is behaving today, so I can handle things on my own.”
“Good. Would you like me to help you unpack?”
“Sure.” Lisa took her bag and set it on the bed. She was surprised by how very small the bed was that she was supposed to share with her Mountie. A shudder of apprehension ran through her. She barely knew him. What if he wasn’t as kind as he’d seemed?
Together, they unpacked Lisa’s clothes, talking about inconsequential things. Finally, Lisa sighed. “I have to start supper. You should do the same. I’m sure Preston will be hungry.”
“I’m sure he will.” Maryanne hugged Lisa. “If you need help, you know where to find me. I’ll be here for you anytime.”
“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll be fine today.”
Maryanne left the cabin, looking over her shoulder at Lisa, obviously a little concerned for her friend.
Lisa walked to the kitchen and looked around for supplies, wondering what she should cook on such short notice. She found some rice and some salt pork and had an idea. Maybe it wouldn’t be as perfect as her friend Jess would make, but it would be the best Lisa could do. Who needed more than that?
When Wesley walked into the cabin two hours later, Lisa waved him toward the table. “Everything’s ready. I just need to serve it.”
He washed his hands before taking a seat, watching her as she moved toward the table. Her limp was a great deal more pronounced now than it had been when she’d gotten off the train. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Did you overtire yourself?” He’d already decided that he wasn’t going to approach her for her wifely duties just yet. He was afraid he’d break her!
“I’m fine. I’m not used to being on my feet a lot, but I’ll learn how to do more. I’ll get used to cooking and cleaning, and everything will be wonderful.”
“Just don’t hurt yourself. I want you to be strong.” He had expected to take months and months to get used to being married, but already his first thought was for her. Maybe he would be a good husband after all.
Lisa put a plate of pork and rice in front of him and went back to the stove for another plate for herself. Once she was seated, she bowed her head, waiting for him to pray.
Wesley looked at her for a moment before he realized what she was doing. After praying, he took a bite of the rice. She’d obviously cooked the meat right in with the rice, because it was well-flavored. “Tell me about your family,” he said.
Lisa smiled, telling him about her parents. “I’m an only child. Mom never had more kids after me. She said I was too much work, but I found out just last year that she was injured during my birth, and she was told she’d never have more children.”
“That’s sad. Do you wish you’d had siblings?”
She shook her head. “No, because sometimes I felt like I did have them. I had these two friends I grew up with. We met the first day of school, and we were always together after that. Jess ended up being a banker, and two and a half months ago, she married her Mountie. Then JoAnn was a teacher, and she married her Mountie last month. I don’t think any of us ever thought we’d all three end up married to Mounties. It’s strange how life works sometimes.”
“Did Miss Hazel introduce your friends to their husbands as well?”
“Sort of. Miss Hazel introduced Jo
Ann and her husband Kendall, but Jess has known Theodore since they were both children. Theodore is Miss Hazel’s son.”
“I see. That’s how she met Mounties and started introducing them to young ladies?”
“Yes. Though Jess had a crush on Theodore since she was a little girl.” Lisa frowned at Wesley. “Where’s Miss Hazel staying? Or did she already leave?”
“She’s not leaving until tomorrow. There’s a room that people sometimes rent over the store. I’m sure that’s where she’s staying.”
Lisa frowned. “I hate that she’s leaving tomorrow. She’s been a big part of my life for a very long time.” She looked down. “I was mad at her when she took my friends away from me, but she’s introduced me to new friends. And now to you.”
He smiled. “I’ll make sure you get to see her in the morning before she goes. The train doesn’t leave until two.”
“Good. I’d hate not being able to say goodbye. I’m sure I’ll write often, but seeing her one last time will mean a lot to me.”
“I understand that.”
“Tell me about your family,” Lisa said. She needed to stop thinking about Miss Hazel leaving and all the people back home. It just made her sad.
He shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. I was raised in an orphanage back East. A Mountie found me in a basket on the side of the road when I was just a baby, and he took me to the home I was raised in. I always thought I wanted to be a Mountie so I could do the kind of good he did for me.”
“That’s sad.”
“Don’t feel bad for me. I never knew anything different. Sometimes I’d wish I had a family, but I knew that I’d get to have one as an adult.” He took another bite of food. “Now you’re my family.” He was only sorry he’d never have children. She was much too frail to ever give birth, so he’d never touch her in a way that could lead to children.
“Yes, I’m your family.” Lisa smiled at him, thrilled to be his wife. She was still nervous with him, but she knew that would end soon. He was obviously a good man. She was happy to be married.
RNWMP: Bride for Wesley (Mail Order Mounties Book 5) Page 2