“Paul, are you busy?”
“I just have to collect a few things before I set off for home. Do you need something, Mrs. Petersen?”
He watched as Sorcha bit her lip as if hesitating to ask him.
“Brian went out early to see to a sick horse and he’s not back yet. My friend is coming to town and I was supposed to meet her at the station. Would you mind coming with me? Her bags will be heavy, and in my current state…”
Heat flooded Paul’s cheeks as he realized what Sorcha meant. He looked around him, but there was nobody else about. “Of course, Mrs. Petersen. Is she staying here in town?”
“No, she’s staying with Mary Sullivan, but I got my days mixed up. Mary thinks she is coming on Thursday. Do you mind driving us out to the ranch? I know it’s a bit out of your way.”
“Not at all, Mrs. Petersen. I travel by the Sullivan ranch on my way home anyway.”
“You are so kind. Thank you.”
Paul wished she would stop being so nice. He wasn’t used to women smiling at him, especially pretty, married ladies. He looked at his feet once more. “I’ll wait for you outside, Mrs. Petersen.”
She looked very much like her sister. He hadn’t seen Miss Emer since he’d told her about Miss Hawthorn’s cake. He wondered if she had the letter finished yet. Mrs. Petersen would likely know, but he didn’t want to ask. He took a rug out of the back of the wagon and folded it over on the seat. It would help to provide a cushion. The ground was rough and he didn’t want Mrs. Petersen or her friend any more uncomfortable than they had to be.
Katie held her hand over her mouth until the door closed behind him. Then she burst out laughing. “Sorcha Petersen, you should have been on the stage. All those lies and you look like butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth.”
“I didn’t lie.”
At Katie’s raised eyebrows, Sorcha smiled. “Well, maybe just a small one. Brian really has gone to see a sick horse.”
“Yes, but Mary is chomping at the bit waiting for Laura to arrive. Today.” Katie wiped a cloth over the gleaming counter. “I hope this idea of mine works.”
“It will. It wouldn’t be fair to push Laura into a marriage if none of us knows she wants it. Paul will be mesmerized by her beauty. You’ve never met her, have you?”
“I saw her a couple of times at Mass back in Boston. She’s a bit hard to miss. She’s stunning. I wish I had hair like hers. She didn’t seem too friendly, though. I don’t think I ever saw her smile.”
“She was quiet. She didn’t say much apart from telling me I was a dreamer. She told me that a lot. She got a very hard deal from a lot of the staff there.” Sorcha looked at her hands before glancing back up at Katie. “We are never happy with what we have, are we? I would love dark hair like yours. Laura always hated her red hair.”
“Wonder what sort of trouble she’s been in? Guess we will find out soon enough. You better go or Paul will think you have been kidnapped.”
“Oh my, I forgot about Paul. See you.” Sorcha rushed out the door, leaving it open in her haste to leave. Katie walked over to the door, watching as Paul helped Sorcha into the wagon. Shutting the door gently behind her, she wondered again why Father Molloy had sent Laura to Clover Springs in such a hurry.
Chapter 12
“Is your friend staying long, Mrs. Petersen?”
“I’m not sure what her plans are, Paul. Guess we will soon find out.”
They pulled into the station just as the train’s whistle alerted its arrival. Car doors opened and the platform bustled with passengers coming and going. Sorcha saw Laura before she spotted them. It gave her a few minutes to hide her reaction. Her friend looked so different from the last time she had seen her at the orphanage. She was thinner for a start, and her eyes looked even bigger than usual, shadowed as they were with dark circles. It wasn’t just her appearance, although the black clothes didn’t help. Laura had never been full of the joy of life, but now there was such an air of sadness around her, Sorcha had to fight her instinct to gather her into a big hug. Laura didn’t like physical expressions of affection, particularly in public places.
“I see her, Paul.”
When Paul didn’t respond, Sorcha looked at his face to find him staring at Laura as if transfixed. She hid a smile. This would be even easier than Katie had thought.
“Laura, I am so glad to see you. Come here.” Sorcha put her arm around Laura’s shoulders, but immediately drew back as her friend flinched. Pushing her gently back, she stared into her face. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“It’s nothing.” Just at that moment, Laura’s shawl fell down slightly, showing the bandaged arm.
Sorcha kicked herself hard. She must have hurt her friend, grabbing her into a hug like that. Now she wished they were alone so she could ask what had happened. Father Molloy had hinted at trouble. Sorcha couldn’t shake the feeling it was worse than any of them feared. She heard a cough behind her.
“Oh, sorry. Where are my manners? Laura Murphy, please meet a friend of ours, Paul Kelley.”
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Murphy.” Paul’s flushed cheeks and the slight quiver in his voice proved he was mesmerized by her friend.
Laura looked at him, but barely acknowledged his welcome. Instead, she looked back down at the station floor. That was rude. Sorcha was about to apologize when Paul spoke again.
“Can I take your bags? The wagon is outside.”
Without waiting for an answer, Paul took the satchel at Laura’s feet. His hand reached for her other bag, but she held it closer. She looks terrified.
Paul sent a concerned look in Sorcha’s direction before heading for the wagon. “I’ll wait with the horses.”
Sorcha said a quick prayer of thanks for Paul’s thoughtfulness and a request for strength to help Laura get over whatever had happened. She wished Emer, Mary and Katie had come to the station, too. She had never known Laura to be like this. Usually there was a spark in her eye, particularly after a beating or other punishment for some infraction at the orphanage, but now those same green eyes were dead, void of expression. Sorcha was out of her depth and wished desperately the other girls were here to take over. Pull yourself together. Your friend needs help.
Seeing as the station platform was not the place to discuss secrets, she decided to be businesslike and unemotional.
“We best hurry. If I know Mary, she will have a path worn out waiting for us to turn up. Her housekeeper, Mrs. H, makes the best pies you’ve ever tasted. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“I need a bath and I am very tired. Do you think Mary would mind if I went straight to bed?”
Sorcha tried hard not to show her disappointment. “Of course not. We all remember the train journey from Boston to Clover Springs. A good soak and a rest in a real bed is just what the doctor ordered. Come on. Let’s not keep Paul waiting.”
They walked to the wagon in silence. Sorcha prayed Paul wouldn’t start asking questions, but he stayed silent for most of the trip. Sorcha couldn’t help thinking Laura’s story was worse than anything any of them had imagined. It seemed to take forever for them to get to Mary’s home.
Chapter 13
Laura perched on the wagon seat, swaying with the rolls as it moved across the prairie. After the crowded streets of Boston, she couldn’t believe there wasn’t a property in sight for miles. She concentrated on the scenery around her, not wanting her thoughts to drift to the man driving the wagon. Father Molloy had insisted she come to Clover Springs and get married. He hadn’t specified to whom. He had probably left that to Mary and Sorcha to decide. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t getting married to anyone.
Maybe that’s why Mr. Kelley had collected her. Was he the groom they’d chosen? She edged away from him, though she couldn’t move far for fear of falling off the wagon. The extra space should have made her feel better, but it didn’t. She wasn’t indifferent to this male stranger, which made her nervous. She should know better, given her history with
men.
Mr. Kelley wasn’t as handsome as Johnny, but he was quite attractive. She’d have to be a nun not to see that. She was tall and not used to looking up at the men she met, but she only came to his shoulders. Broad shoulders. He had to bend his head to talk to her, making her feel petite. He wasn’t sporting the usual beard and whiskers but was clean-shaven, although a dark shadow hinted on his jaw.
It wasn’t just his physical appearance that had her senses on high alert. She loved his voice. It was deep and velvety and somehow she got the feeling she could trust him. A man she’d only just met. She sat straighter. She’d trusted a man before and look at the mess that had left her in. Driven almost halfway across the country, away from the only life she had ever known.
Stop it, Laura. You are going to be with your friends. They won’t let you starve.
She was glad Sorcha had given up trying to make conversation. She had seen the shock in her friend’s eyes as they came face to face at the station. She knew Sorcha had questions. Mary would have them too. How much had Father Molloy told them? How she wished he had come with her. She almost laughed out loud. She, who had pretty much given up on God, was wishing a priest had travelled with her to Clover Springs. For what? Protection?
“That’s the Sullivan ranch up above, Miss Murphy. Fine big house. You will feel much better once Mrs. H starts looking after you. She is the best cook for miles around,” Paul said softly. He couldn’t explain his need to prove to this lady she would only find kindness at the Sullivan ranch. She reminded him of a puppy he’d once brought home. It was a skinny little thing, its bones sticking out through what was left of its fur. Someone had mistreated it badly, and as a result, it tried to bite anyone who came close. It had taken him days to get the animal to trust him. But eventually Spots, as he’d named him, had taken to following him everywhere.
He swallowed hard, remembering how his mother had found the dog and insisted he train it to help round up the cattle. He had argued, but to no avail. Spots had become his father’s working dog. He was killed soon after when something spooked the cattle and he got trampled.
What are you doing comparing a beautiful woman to a dog? She was stunning to look at. He had never seen hair her color before, but it suited her. He had noted her pinching her lips before she saw them. He’d thought at first she found something distasteful in Clover Springs, but upon closer inspection, he had seen the fear in her eyes. He never would’ve guessed she was the woman Sorcha had been waiting for.
When he had heard her whimper as Sorcha hugged her, his insides had turned over. He wanted to trash whomever had hurt her. He wasn’t a violent man. He had been shot riding with the posse, not because he believed in glory, but because Clover Springs was in trouble and needed protecting. It was his duty to ride out with the sheriff.
People had been surprised he volunteered for the posse. Having grown up in Clover Springs, he’d never shaken the reputation of being a coward. If he closed his eyes, he could hear the children calling him a mama’s boy just because he walked away from a fight more often than not. He didn’t care what people thought of him; there was nothing to gain by using your fists on another person. Yet if the man who had hurt this stranger stood in front of him, he would beat him until he couldn’t stand.
Paul flexed his fists as he fought to control the anger consuming him. He wasn’t used to feeling this way, but this woman attracted him more than just physically. He felt a pull toward her that he couldn’t explain to himself, never mind anyone else. It was silly. She wasn’t alone. Mary Sullivan and Sorcha Petersen had been her friends for years. They would look after her. Yet he didn’t want to leave her.
He pulled up slowly as the door opened and Mary came running out. Despite her advanced state of pregnancy, Sorcha almost jumped off the wagon in her haste to meet Mary. He guessed she wanted to warn the other woman not to hug Miss Murphy for fear of hurting her. Whatever her reason, Sorcha had left him alone with the red-haired woman for a minute. He seized his chance.
As he helped her down from the wagon, he whispered, “Miss Murphy, I don’t know you, and I have no idea what you’ve been through, but Clover Springs and the people in it will heal your wounds if you let them. Let the past go. Trust your friends. We’ll look after you.”
He caught the surprise in her eyes before she drew the shutters back down. We’ll look after you. He had put himself in there with her friends. She would think him a lunatic.
He stood watching her as she walked slowly over to where Mary and Sorcha stood, concern etched on their faces. Mary took a hold of her good arm and, together, the women walked into the house. Just before she reached the door, Laura glanced back at him. He smiled despite the fact she didn’t.
He picked up her bags and walked up to the door as Mrs. H came out. “Mighty quiet reunion for girls who haven’t seen each other in a couple of years, don’t you think?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Where do you want these bags?”
“Could you carry them to her room for me, Paul? I have pie waiting for you in the kitchen.”
“You don’t need to pay me in pie, Mrs. H, although I would never say no to your cooking. You’ve got to be the best cook for miles around.”
“You may not say much, Paul Kelley, but when you do open your mouth, it’s always something nice.” Mrs. H walked in front of him, leading the way to the bedroom. There was no sign of Miss Murphy. He guessed the ladies would have taken her into the sitting room. Walking into the bedroom, he spotted the tub, the steaming water looking so inviting. His mind wandered despite his best intentions. He almost dropped the cases in his haste to get out of the room before he embarrassed himself. It was bad enough he was thinking of Miss Murphy in the bath without letting Mrs. H know the direction his thoughts had taken.
Chapter 14
“Sit down, Laura. Make yourself at home. It’s so good to see you.” Mary tried to keep talking to dispel the awkward silence but, for once, she was lost for words. She couldn’t get over the difference in Laura. It looked like the girl was trying to disappear inside her own skin.
“Thank you, Mary, you are very kind.”
The dull, listless voice only heightened Mary’s concern. She exchanged a look with Sorcha.
“Laura, Mrs. H has a hot bath waiting for you. I can remember how tired and grimy I was after that train journey. Would you like something to eat first?”
“No thank you, Mary.”
She noticed Laura didn’t even look around the room but just stood there. “Do you want any help? You’ve hurt your arm. I can help you get undressed if you want.”
“Thank you, Mary, but I can manage.” Laura looked to the door. “Can you please show me to my room?”
“Laura, it’s us. Me and Mary. We’re your friends. Can’t you tell us what happened? What we can do to make it better?” Sorcha’s voice quivered with emotion.
“You can’t help me. Nobody can. I tried telling Father Molloy, but he insisted I come here.” Laura’s flat voice made Mary want to cry.
“Come along, Miss Murphy. Your bath is getting cold. There’s coffee and pie in the kitchen, Miss Mary. You and Miss Sorcha can see to yourselves. I’ll help Miss Murphy.”
Never was Mary so relieved to have Mrs. H around. The older woman would know what to do.
Mary and Sorcha waited as Laura followed Mrs. H out of the room, still clutching her bag in her hand.
“Oh, Sorcha, what happened to her? She looks so miserable.”
“She’s so thin and her arm is hurting her a lot. I saw her wincing when she thought nobody was looking. “
“I wanted to give her a big hug, but Laura was never into cuddles. I can’t understand why she isn’t talking, though. This is us. We know what the orphanage was like. We used to share everything.”
“No, Mary, you and I shared everything. Laura was always a bit of a loner. Do you remember what she said to you when you were leaving to marry Davy?”
Mary smiled at the memory. “She was so wrong, wasn’
t she? Davy couldn’t be less like she thought my mail order husband would be. Did you see she has a ring on her finger? Looks like she got married. Maybe she’s running away from her husband? Oh, Sorcha, she looks so fragile.”
“Don’t cry. Cathy will get upset.”
“Cathy’s only ten months old. All she cares about is getting fed and her bottom being dry.”
“She gives the best cuddles, though. Come on. Let’s go get some pie before Paul eats it all.”
“Paul Kelley. How could I forget he was here? Katie’s plan isn’t going to work now. There’s no way any man would look at Laura and see her as wife material. Not now.”
“She couldn’t be wife material anyway if she’s married. I guess there is more to Laura’s story, but we just have to be patient. She’ll tell us in her own time.”
Mary hoped Sorcha was right as she followed her into the kitchen.
Chapter 15
Laura followed the older woman as she led the way up the stairs to what she figured must be the guest bedroom. The house was lovely, bigger than she thought it would be. Mary looked happy, too. Well, she did until she saw me.
“Now, Miss Laura. You don’t mind me calling you that do you? I call all Miss Mary’s friends by their first name. Paul put your bag on the bed. Would you like me to unpack for you?”
Laura was about to say no, but the housekeeper had the bag open and was unpacking already. She watched her closely, looking for a reaction to the lack of clothing, but there wasn’t any. She was glad Mrs. Raines hadn’t packed any of the clothes Johnny had bought for her.
Laura let her shawl fall onto the bed. Her arm was aching. The water looked great, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to undo all her buttons.
“Don’t stand there all day. The water will get cold. If you’re shy, go behind the screen over there. I’ll turn my back, but I can’t leave you to it. There’s no way you can wash your hair with your arm busted up like that.”
Laura: Clover Springs Mail Order Brides 5 Page 5