"When did you leave? Two years ago. Isn't that what you said to me earlier. You haven't seen Ma in two years. So what have you been doing all this time?
"I got a job but what I wanted to do was become a nurse. Or at least I did. Now I don’t know what I want to do."
"Why can't you work as a nurse?"
"Do you think anyone would employ an outlaw’s daughter? People know blood follows blood. Ma is evil. She has a way of making people believe she is on their side. But she isn't. There is only one person she cares about and that’s Patty Matthews.”
Sorcha stared at Emer's mouth, not wanting to hear the words flowing out of it. How could her ma be so different from what she imagined? She had dreamt of one day living in a house surrounded by her real family. That's what you have now. With Brian and the girls.
Brian warned you the reality was going to be much different from your dreams. But her lovely husband wouldn’t have dreamt her ma could be that evil. Nobody would. She looked at Emer, trying to be so brave yet her eyes were filled with hurt.
"Thank you for telling me, Emer. But you can't leave now. Where will you go?"
"I'll go back to Boston. Father Molloy might be able to find me a position in a hospital."
"You aren't going anywhere.” Sorcha pulled her sister closer. “I haven't just found you to lose you all over again. Nobody in Clover Springs needs to know about Ma. We won't say a word."
Chapter 33
Lawrence sat on the train, staring out the window. Now that he had time to reflect on his actions, he wondered if he hadn’t been a little hasty. All his life, he had worked toward a position with Shipley Bank.
What was he going to do in Clover Springs? As the train passed through the countryside, he saw a lot of ranches. Maybe he could start his own ranch? As soon as the idea came into his head, he dismissed it. He didn’t know enough about horses. He’d heard some of Grandpa Joe’s customers talking about milking cows, shoveling manure, cleaning out sheds, plowing fields, planting crops and all the other tiresome jobs associated with farming. It wasn’t the life for him. So what was?
Maybe he could start a store? No, a town like Clover Springs would already have a store. You haven’t even seen the town, yet you are planning on living there. Lawrence couldn’t understand the pull Clover Springs had over him.
Well, he could, but he didn’t want to admit he was doing all this for a woman. Not just any woman but one who had turned his whole world upside down. She made him see things that had always existed but he had been blind.
What if she doesn’t feel the same way? She is very independent. Troublesome, hot-tempered and feisty were other words he could use to describe her. She was also kind, quick-witted and intelligent.
The conductor announced the next stop. Clover Springs. He wondered how long it would be before she saw him? She isn’t going to be waiting at the station. She doesn’t know you are coming. She may want you to get the first train back to Denver.
He opened the car door and stepped onto the wooden platform, looking around him. It was a busy little town but not anywhere near the likes of Denver. He continued to get his bearings as the train whistle blew, announcing the train was leaving.
His trunk had been unloaded and stood on the rapidly clearing platform. He pushed his hair out of his eyes as he walked toward the station master. The old man was sitting behind a brass cage with a ready smile on his face, although the look in his eyes was wary.
“Looking for someone?” he asked.
Lawrence was tempted to ask if the man knew Miss Matthews but he didn’t want to set the gossips talking. Plenty of time for that later.
“Could you tell me the name of the best hotel in town, please?”
“Hotel? We haven’t got one of them. Are you sure you are in the right place, mister? This here town is Clover Springs.”
“Is there a boarding house?”
“The saloon offers…” The man coughed at the look on Lawrence’s face. “There is a boarding house not far from the station. Mrs. Sullivan runs it. She’s a fine woman. Her son, Daniel, runs the store and her other son, Davy, has a large ranch outside town.”
“Can you send someone over with my trunk?” Lawrence deposited some change on the counter before heading in the direction of the boarding house.
As he walked, he assessed the town’s potential. It was small but expansion was evident, not least in the building work around the saloon. He tipped his hat but didn’t stop as some gaudily dressed women strolled outside to watch him pass. He kept walking past a mercantile. It reminded him of Murphy’s store. Smiling, he continued walking, tipping his hat at some of the town’s inhabitants. The men answered his greeting while their wives blushed. He guessed they weren’t used to seeing someone walking down the street dressed as he was. He should have gone shopping for more suitable clothing. He hadn’t walked far past the white church before he came to the Sullivan boarding house. He was pleasantly surprised. The outside looked well maintained while the smell coming from one of the windows spoke to his now-growling stomach.
Pushing open the door, he was greeted by a teenage girl. She blushed prettily, her dark eyes dancing. Her Irish accent surprised him.
“Good morning, Sir. Can I help you?’
“The name’s Shipley. Is your mother home? I would like to take a room if you have one?”
“We do. Wait a moment, please.” The girl turned to call out. “Mrs. Sullivan, could you come to the desk, please? There’s a gentleman to see you.”
“What is it, Ellen? The cake is just about ready. Oh, my…” The older woman turned to Lawrence. “Please excuse my manners. I’m Mrs. Sullivan. Welcome to my home.”
“Thank you kindly, ma’am. Your daughter was most courteous. I require a room but I am unable to tell you how long I intend on staying.”
“Yes, of course. Ellen—she’s a family friend, not my daughter—will show you up.” Martha Sullivan gave the girl a gentle push, making her cheeks glow even more. Lawrence smiled and bowed slightly.
“Thank you kindly. Please do excuse me. I wouldn’t wish your cake to burn.”
“Oh, the cake!” With aprons flying, Mrs. Sullivan disappeared.
“What were you reading, Ellen? I’m sorry to use your first name, but Mrs. Sullivan didn’t tell me your surname.”
“O’Callaghan.” Ellen colored slightly. “I was trying to study. I want to be a teacher, only Ella makes it difficult to concentrate.”
“Ella is …”
“My niece, Mrs. Sullivan’s granddaughter. My sister married her son. He owns the store.”
“Katie?”
Ellen stopped in her tracks. “You know my sister?”
“No, not yet. I am a friend of a friend. Father Molloy.”
“Oh, isn’t he just the nicest man? He was supposed to visit here but he broke his leg. I wish he could have come. Emer, she’s Sorcha’s sister, said he was so disappointed.”
The girl stopped talking as if realizing she hadn’t stopped since he arrived.
“Sorry, Sir. I talk too much. It’s a bad habit of mine. Mrs. Grey is trying her best to retrain me.”
“Is Mrs. Grey from Ireland, too?”
“Oh, no, Sir. She hates the Irish.”
He smiled. In a few short minutes, two of the townspeople had given him more information than he would have got in Boston in a month. Living in such a small place would take getting used to.
“Dinner will be in an hour, Sir. We ring a bell. Will you be needing anything else?”
Lawrence shook his head, taking his boots off as the door closed. He planned on lying down for an hour. After dinner, he would walk around the town to familiarize himself with the layout. Maybe he would bump into Miss Matthews. With Emer’s face the last image he saw, he fell asleep.
It was dark outside when he opened his eyes. Rubbing them, he picked up his pocket watch. He had been asleep for hours. He got up, had a quick wash and made his way downstairs. Ellen sat at the table in the dining ro
om, reading a book.
“Studying again. You are a hard worker, Miss O’Callaghan.”
Ellen blushed prettily in response to his remark. She would turn heads in another couple of years. Closing the book, she stood.
“Martha kept your dinner. If you take a seat, I will go get it.”
“Did the cake survive?” he teased.
“Yes, and we kept a big slice just for you. Martha said to apologize for her absence but she had calls to make.”
“It was my fault for sleeping so long. I didn’t plan to.”
“It’s the fresh air. It was the same for us when we arrived from Boston a few years ago.”
The stew and biscuits were delicious and the chocolate cake melted in his mouth. Ellen told him a little bit about the town and its various inhabitants. It was late and he was tired so he retired early.
The next morning was spent exploring Clover Springs. His initial impressions had been correct. The town was expanding. Even though there were less people around than on the previous day when the train arrived, it was still a busy place. People were friendlier than in Boston, too. He walked up around the town a few times, hoping to bump into Emer but there was no sign of her.
What if she had already left?
Chapter 34
“You have to keep the stove at a constant temperature. Every range is different. It took a while to master this one but now I know exactly how much wood to put in the fire.”
“You make it look easy.”
“It is. You will soon be baking the best cookies in town. Just you see.”
Emer smiled at Sorcha’s enthusiasm. She really did see the best in every situation.
“Has she shown you how to roast a chicken yet?” Brian said, smiling as he stole a still-warm cookie.
“Oh, go away with you. That was a misunderstanding.”
“She tried to poison us all.” Brian winked at them as he headed out the door. Her sister was lucky. She had a lovely husband who seemed to think the world of her, two daughters and a place to call home.
She closed her eyes, trying to imagine Lawrence in a home like this. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking of him. His green eyes haunted her in her dreams. Why had he wanted her to stay in Denver? Surely he couldn’t believe they had a future together? Could he?
“Emer, where did you go?”
“Nowhere. I haven’t moved.”
Sorcha’s eyes lit up with amusement. “I don’t think it’s anyone in Clover Springs who put that smile on your face. Do you have someone special? Is he in Denver?”
Emer flushed, telling herself it was annoyance at her sister’s questions. “No. I don’t want a man in my life. He’ll just think he has the right to tell me what to do all the time. I’ve had enough of people pushing me around.”
“Brian doesn’t do that. Being single and female isn’t a good mix. Particularly out here where there are more men than women. You are young. You’ll find someone to love who will love you right back.”
Sorcha’s smug smile annoyed Emer more than her words. Why did everyone assume that the only thing a woman could aspire to was to get married? Couldn’t there be more to life?
“Sorcha, I’ve seen first hand what love does. I want nothing to do with it.”
“But don’t you want children someday? I’ve seen you with Meggie. You’re a natural mother.”
Emer stared at a point behind her sister’s head. Yes, she would love children but the price she had to pay to achieve them was too high. She had seen what love did to Patty and then to Minnie. Thanks, but no thanks. What about Lawrence? You love him, don’t you?
“Emer? You okay?”
“Quit fussing over me. I’m fine. I thought we were taking those cookies into town to visit with Katie.”
Hurt filled Sorcha’s eyes but Emer refused to feel guilty. She hadn’t wanted to discuss love, marriage and babies.
“You take them to Katie. I have chores to be doing.” Sorcha pushed the plate of cookies into her hands before storming out the door in the direction of the barn.
Emer pushed the store door open, her mind preoccupied with the argument with her sister, and walked straight into Lawrence. Cookies flew everywhere as her basket crashed to the ground.
“What are you doing here?”
Her heart thumped loudly as she bent to pick up the basket. He bent, too, and the scent of sandalwood soap and his unique smell brought the blood rushing to her head. His green eyes lit up with merriment as her cheeks flushed deeper.
“I would have come earlier if I knew such a warm welcome was waiting.”
“Stop teasing me. Why are you in Clover Springs?”
“Why else?”
“To see me?” The words popped out before she could stop them. Her blood raced. He would think her forward and unladylike. Not that she was a lady. Oh, heck, why did he make her stomach do cartwheels?
“Emer, are you all right? Where’s Sorcha?”
“Miss Matthews is a little…shaken.”
Lawrence’s arm gripped her elbow as he moved her toward a chair. “You best sit down and put your head down a little. It will help the dizziness.”
Emer resisted the urge to kick his ankles. She wasn’t some lily-livered society girl who fainted at the sight of a handsome face. Handsome? What was he doing here in Clover Springs?
“I’m fine, Katie, just slightly winded. I collided with Mr. Shipley.”
“You two know each other?”
Emer saw the curiosity in Katie’s eyes.
“We met in Boston. A mutual friend introduced us. Father Molloy.”
“Shipley of Shipley’s Bank. Father Molloy mentioned your kindness in his letter. Please come in and have some tea. I don’t miss Boston but I do miss Father Molloy.”
“Maybe another day, Mrs. Sullivan. Miss Matthews promised me a tour of Clover Springs and an introduction to her family.”
Emer held her breath. She had promised no such thing. She looked into his eyes and saw a challenge.
“It’s a long walk.”
“I’ve hired a buggy.”
Emer bit her lip. He had an answer for everything.
“I can’t take a ride in a buggy with you. Alone.”
Lawrence raised his eyebrows, his eyes dancing with laughter and a look she couldn’t interpret.
“Since when do you worry about what others think, Miss Matthews? I can assure you, your honor is safe with me. Now, do you have shopping to do or can we leave now?”
Emer didn’t get a chance to argue. “Emer, would you mind taking some cloth for Sorcha? It came in this morning. Nice to meet you, Mr. Shipley.”
As soon as the town had disappeared behind them, Lawrence reined in the horses.
“I am sorry for springing this on you, Miss Matthews. I was hoping you would be pleased.”
“I am glad to see you. It was a surprise.” Emer’s heart was beating so fast, she struggled to maintain a proper tone.
“A nice one, I hope.”
Emer had no intention of saying yes. “Why are you here? What happened to the bank?”
“Mitchell.”
“Mitchell?” She didn’t bother hiding her dislike. “Why?”
“I had a falling out with my mother. I’ve resigned my position.”
“You left the bank?”
“Yes, Miss Matthews. Don’t look so shocked. In fact, you are slightly to blame.”
Emer sat up straighter. “I didn’t tell you to leave.”
“No, but you didn’t approve of me staying, either. I distinctly remember you saying that our bank didn’t help real folk. Maybe now I can find out what you meant. But first, tell me—are you pleased to see me?”
Emer looked at his face, trying to see if he was teasing her again, but he looked in earnest. Was he blind? She was thrilled to see him. Frightened, too.
“Yes, it is nice to see you.” Emer concentrated on playing with her drawstring purse.
“Good. I missed you, too.”
With a click of his tongue, Lawrence had the horses moving again. He followed her directions to Sorcha’s house.
Jenny and Meggie came running as they came into view. “Emer, you’re back. Oh, who are you?”
Emer watched Lawrence carefully. How would he answer Meggie’s question.
“I am Lawrence, a friend of Miss Matthews.” He bowed to the children, causing them to giggle.
“Are you here to marry Aunt Emer?”
“Meggie. What a thing to say?” Flustered, Emer didn’t know where to look. Lawrence stood in front of her, offering his hand to assist her down from the buggy.
“Why don’t you answer for me?”
Emer resisted the urge to slap his face.
“Mr. Shipley, please mind your manners.”
Her haughty tone made him burst out laughing. Instead of taking her hand, he put his hands on her hips and swung her out of the buggy, her skirts flying high.
“Put me down this instant,” Emer demanded as Jenny and Meggie dissolved into fits of giggles.
“I rather like holding you, Aunt Emer.” He was so close, she knew he could feel her pulse racing. She looked into his eyes as he stared at hers before moving his gaze to her lips. She watched, fascinated, as his green eyes glowed darker. Everything disappeared but the two of them. Instinctively, she leaned into him.
“What on earth?”
Sorcha’s shocked voice brought them all to their senses.
“Ma, Auntie Emer brought a man home from town. He’s here to…”
Emer cut off the rest of Meggie’s sentence by speaking over her. “Sorcha, this is Mr. Shipley. Mr. Shipley, my sister Sorcha Petersen.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Petersen. I am sorry for arriving on your doorstep but Miss Matthews spoke so much about you, I had to meet you.”
Emer watched as Sorcha’s cheeks flushed at Lawrence’s gallantry. She put her head to one side as she studied him before turning her attention to Emer. Emer looked away, unable to answer the questions in her sister’s eyes.
“Please, come in. Would you like some coffee? We baked cookies this morning.”
Emer: Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Page 11