Her head jerked up, but he was smiling. Teasing her. Before she could say anything, he bent and kissed her lightly on the lips, whispering, “A spell I welcome.”
Chapter 29
Laura nibbled her knuckle the whole way back to the Sullivan ranch. What were they going to do? Where would they live? Was Paul really going to throw away his future just for her?
“Laura, stop frowning. We are going to be fine. We will find a place to stay. I should have done this years ago. I hate farming.”
“But your ma is all alone. She won’t be able to manage the farm by herself.”
He leaned down, his lips lightly grazing the top of her head.
“Ma will be fine. You’ll see. She has enough money saved to hire on some workers. She may just find she’s not as frail as she thought she was.”
Laura didn’t respond. They were back at Mary’s. Her friends were going to be upset on her behalf.
“There you are. Emer and Lawrence came by earlier. We waited for you to come back so we could all have dinner together. To celebrate.” Mary’s voice trailed off. “What’s wrong now? Laura, don’t tell me you called off the wedding. I know you are not keen on getting married again, but you have to.”
“Ma threw her out.” Paul jumped down before walking around to help Laura. He put his arms around her waist. She inhaled deeply. He kept his arm around her as they walked to the house. She was grateful for his quiet support. The encounter with his mother had left her more shaken than she realized.
“What? Why? She doesn’t know anything about you.” Mary faltered. “I mean, oh, you know what I mean. Come inside and forget about her. She probably just needs time to think things through.”
“She threw us both off her land. We don’t have anywhere to live now.”
Mary didn’t speak, but Davy, who had come out to greet them, answered for her.
“You can both live here for now. There’s a small house further out on the ranch. Grandpa built it when he first came to Clover Springs. Harry and Lizzie lived in it for a while, too, until they got their new home built. It’s in good shape. We can go out now and have a look at it if you want, Kelley?”
Paul squeezed Laura’s hand gently. “Thank you, Davy. It is mighty generous of you. We could use it until we figure out whether we are going to stay in town or start our own homestead. If Laura’s agreeable, that is.”
Laura smiled as she hugged Mary. “Thank you, both of you.”
“Come in and help me. Don’t be long, boys, or Mrs. H may decide not to feed you.”
“In that case, race you, Kelley.” Davy took off running with Paul chasing after him. The women laughed.
“What is it about men? They never seem to grow up,” Mary said, poking Laura in the ribs. “Hey, you, stop staring at your groom-to-be.”
Knocking at the door dragged Laura from her thoughts. Today was her wedding day. She had been dreaming of her first wedding. It had been a rushed affair too. Johnny had said he didn’t believe in God and had persuaded her she didn’t need or want a church wedding. Instead, they had been married with two witnesses, neither of whom she had met before. Stop it. Paul isn’t Johnny.
She opened her eyes to see Mary coming through the door. Mrs. H followed right behind her, carrying a green dress. She sat up straighter in bed.
“Are you going to lie there all day?” Mary teased, a big smile on her face. Mrs. H draped the dress over the back of the chair.
“Where did that come from?"
“Mrs. H and I made it for you as soon as you agreed to marry Paul. We knew you didn’t have anything suitable. It's our wedding present.”
“Oh Mary, it’s amazing.” Laura jumped out of the bed to feel the material. “It’s the nicest dress I’ve ever seen.”
“Try it on. We don’t have much time to make sure it fits. We don’t want to keep Paul waiting. The poor boy is suffering enough as it is.” Mrs. H picked at a thread on the dress.
Did he regret proposing? Had his Ma convinced him he was doing the wrong thing? That it was a mistake to marry her?
The dress fit perfectly, although Mrs. H kept fussing until Laura was fit to scream. She tied her hair back, leaving a couple of curls to accent her face.
Mary left them alone. She had to dress Cathy and change into her own wedding outfit. Laura didn't know who was more excited—her or Mary, who was her matron of honor.
“Paul Kelley will make you a fine husband, Miss Laura.” Mrs. H smiled at her though the looking glass. “I know you are nervous. Given what you have been through, it’s understandable. But believe me. You let the man love you and you will bloom like a rose in my garden.”
“I’ll try,” Laura whispered.
Mrs. H caressed her shoulder gently. “You got to let go of the past, Miss Laura. Only way you will be happy. Stop letting your demons steal your future.”
Laura only nodded. It wasn’t appropriate to tell the older woman how she was feeling. The thought of Paul holding her scared her senseless. What if he was just the same as her first husband? But he isn’t. He’s shown you over and over.
“Laura, you ready? Davy says it’s time to go,” Mary called from outside the door.
Laura picked up the bouquet Mrs. H had prepared for her. “Thank you so much for everything, Mrs. H.” She leaned in and kissed the older woman. “See you at the church.”
“Oh no, Miss Laura. I have to stay here and make sure your wedding breakfast is ready.”
“Mrs. H, I am not getting married unless you are in the church with me.” Laura sat on the bed as Mary walked through the door.
“Miss Mary, tell her I can’t go.”
“I’ll do nothing of the sort. You are like family, Mrs. H, and you should be there. We will all help with the food when we get back. Now go get changed. You can’t let Reverend Timmons see that old dress.”
The two younger women smiled as Mrs. H realized she was beaten and went to change. She didn't take long. Laura pulled a flower out of her bouquet and pined it to the older woman’s dress. “Thank you. I feel braver knowing you will be there.”
She saw tears in the older woman’s eyes but pretended she hadn’t. They jumped when Davy shouted they were going to be late. Laughing and hugging one another, they moved down the stairs and out the door. Stunned, Laura admired the flowers decorating the wagon.
“The children wanted to surprise you. Do you like it?”
“I love it. Thank you everyone.” Laura beamed.
Her good humor vanished when they arrived at the church. There was no sign of anyone else. Had he run away?
“Relax Laura. He’s waiting inside. He told Davy he was going to leave his wagon at the store. He didn’t want any unwelcome guests.”
Laura took Davy’s arm as he helped her out of the wagon and into the church. “Mary gave me permission to walk you down the aisle if you would like me to.”
Laura blinked to clear the tears from her eyes. She held his arm tightly as they walked slowly up to where Paul stood waiting. He was smiling but she couldn’t respond. She had to concentrate on breathing, fighting the panic.
“You look beautiful, Laura,” Paul whispered as Davy let her arm go. She swayed for a couple of seconds. Breathe. You can do this.
“Miss Murphy, are you ready?”
Laura glanced at Reverend Timmons but she didn’t answer. She looked at Paul, her lips moving but no words coming out.
“Laura, can I speak to you for a moment? Excuse us, Reverend.”
Laura let Paul guide her to the front of the church away from the rest of the guests. “Laura, I know this isn’t what you planned. You have to get married. I will do my best to be the husband you deserve. I love you. I know you find it hard to believe but I promise, as God is my witness, I will never treat you badly."
She looked up into his face, the truth of his words shining from his eyes. He meant everything he said.
“Are you ready?” He whispered offering her his hand.
You have to let the de
mons go, Laura. Mrs. H's words filled her mind.
“Yes, Paul. I am.”
The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. She said her lines and at the end, Paul kissed her. His lips grazed hers but didn’t linger, leaving her wanting more. She didn't get time to dwell on her reaction as her friends hugged her, wishing them both well. Everyone was smiling. She was a married woman again but this time, she was surrounded by those who wanted her to be happy. It would be different this time. Wouldn’t it?
Paul looked at his bride as they rode back to the Sullivan ranch. She looked radiant in her new dress but her eyes glistened with tears. He prayed for strength and guidance to help her learn to trust him. He loved her and yearned to make her his. But a glance at her face proved now was not the time. He needed to take things slow. He promised her he wouldn't rush her or make her do anything she might regret. He intended to keep that promise regardless of how difficult it was not to touch her. She was his wife. But for now, she was his in name only. He drew the horse to a halt some distance from the house.
"Why did you stop?" She asked, her voice shaking.
"I just wanted a minute alone with my wife." He loved calling her that. He moved to brush a curl back from her face, immediately regretting his action as she pulled back. "Relax Laura, I won't do anything. I made you a promise. I keep my word."
Picking up the reins, he urged the horses on toward the house. He had known from the start this wasn't going to be easy. But until this moment, he hadn't realized just how big a task making his wife trust him was going to be.
Chapter 30
“Where are we going, Miss?”
“Little Beaver is going to show us how to survive in the wild. He’s going to teach us how to make a fire and how to track animals.”
“Are we going hunting?” Ben’s face lit up with excitement.
“Not today, Ben.” Laura hated disappointing the children, but she didn’t think the parents would like her teaching them how to use knives and guns. That was not a group activity, but rather something for fathers to teach on a one-on-one basis.
“Don’t see how this is educational. We don’t need to know how to live like savages.”
Laura bristled at the insult to Little Beaver and his people. “Bertram, the Indians are not savages. They can teach us a lot. They know how to survive on the land. I can’t imagine you lasting very long if you were lost out there alone.” Laura pointed toward the mountain range.
“My ma isn’t going to like this. She doesn’t agree with them being in our school.”
Laura took them to mean Little Beaver and Nandita’s children. She could well understand the look of fury on Little Beaver’s face. He looked so fierce. She could imagine his ancestors scalping someone. Although, to be fair, she thought Bertram and his mother deserved to be tortured at length. Stop that, Laura. It’s not Christian.
“Thankfully, your mother is not in charge of the school. I am. Today, we are going to learn some skills, and tomorrow there will be a test. Anyone, and that includes you, Mr. Shaw, who fails the test will have extra homework for the weekend.”
“Shut up, Bertram. We have enough chores over the weekend. We don’t need extra homework,” Peter scolded Bertram. Judging by the looks of his classmates, he spoke for the whole school.
“Come on, everyone. Let’s go have some fun. It’s a beautiful day and we can enjoy a picnic.” Laura cheered everyone on as they walked through town and headed toward the prairie.
“What do you want me to show them, Miss Laura?”
“That’s up to you, Little Beaver. Today, you are the teacher. But I don’t expect you to subject anyone to torture, no matter how painful they become.”
“Yes, Miss Laura.”
Laura had to turn away to hide her smile at his downcast expression. He took so much abuse from Bertram and his cronies he was probably looking forward to making the boy pay today. Much as she understood, she couldn’t condone bullying on any level.
The day was better than Laura had hoped for. The class was delighted to learn how to make a small fire. Little Beaver showed them how to make smoke signals and they had some fun sending messages home. Nobody told the younger kids their parents wouldn’t be able to read them. Little Beaver showed them how to track an animal, although they didn’t catch anything. They ended the afternoon with a picnic and a quick fishing expedition to the creek. Tired but happy, they headed back to town.
“Trouble, Miss Laura.” Little Beaver’s anxious tone caught Laura off guard. She had been too busy thinking about the fun they had to pay attention to the schoolhouse. She looked up to find a swarm of adults waiting for them. Her heart fell as she recognized Mrs. Shaw, Ida Hawthorn, and was that Mrs. Kelley? Although she should have been confined to her house, she didn’t look very ill standing there with her arms on her hips.
“What is the meaning of this? Why aren’t the children at school? Bertram, where are your shoes?”
Surprising herself, Laura sympathized with the boy. She’d seen him enjoying himself at the river once he got over his disdain for the so-called savages in the group. Now his mother was chastising him for having fun. For being a child.
Laura pushed Bertram behind her in an effort to protect him. After everything she had seen at the orphanage, she wasn’t going to let anyone bully a child, not even that child’s own mother.
“I took the class out on a learning expedition. It involved learning how to fish, so some of the children got wet, but they are all dry now. They tied their shoes around their necks so they wouldn’t be ruined by the water. “
“Learning? More like a holiday. We do not send our children to school to go fishing.” Mrs. Shaw puffed up her chest, her face contorted with anger.
“Ma, I told her you wouldn’t like it. But she insisted Little Beaver teach us how to make a fire and track wild animals.”
“Oh, my poor boy. You could have been killed. You, Miss Murphy, or whatever your name is, are a liability. You are not a fit teacher.”
“I told you she’s a witch. She doesn’t behave like any teacher I ever met. She has the men of the town falling over her, including, I am sorry to say, my own son. He deserted me, left me working the homestead all by myself, just so he could be with her.”
Laura instinctively took a step back from the venom spitting from Mrs. Kelley. At the same time, Little Beaver moved forward.
“Miss Laura is the best teacher ever. You should not speak about her like this.”
Laura watched, horrified, as Mrs. Kelley lifted her hand to slap Little Beaver. The youth reacted by taking her hand and forcing it behind her back, causing her to howl with pain.
“Get the sheriff! I’ve been attacked!”
Bertram ran faster than Laura had ever seen him move before.
“Little Beaver, release Mrs. Kelley.” When the boy hesitated, Laura insisted. He moved away from the group, but his gaze was locked to that of Ma Kelley.
“You saw what he did. Is that what you are teaching the rest of the children, how to behave like that savage?”
Laura put a protective arm around the boy. “Little Beaver did nothing wrong. You were going to strike him. He simply protected himself. It is you who the sheriff should arrest.”
“How dare you? You saw what happened.” Ma Kelley took a step closer to Laura, but she didn’t withdraw this time. She stood her ground after taking the precaution of pushing Little Beaver behind her. The boy’s temper was riled and she didn’t want him doing anything they’d both regret.
“Ma, what on earth is going on here?”
Sweat poured down Laura’s back at the sound of Paul’s voice. She didn’t take her eyes off Ma Kelley as her husband moved closer to them. His arm wrapped itself around her shoulders and she let herself relax into his side.
“Your witch of a wife took the children on a trip without their parents’ consent. She said they were learning survival skills from that… boy.” Ma Kelley’s face was purple at this stage. “When I challenged her, the
boy attacked me.”
“Ma, you don’t have any kids in the school. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
Laura almost giggled at the look on Ma Kelley’s face.
“My wife knows what she is doing. The children in Clover Springs should be taught how to survive in any situation. This is the Wild West, not some city park. I have every faith in Little Beaver.”
Laura had to resist hugging Paul. She could see the impact of his praise on Little Beaver, who stood to the side, his body poised for battle.
“Paul, he attacked me. You are not going to stand by and let that go unpunished.” Ma Kelley took a step toward her son, brandishing a fist in his face. “Are you?”
“Step away from us, Ma. The only one threatening anyone is you. You try that again or you put a finger on my wife, and I won’t be held accountable for my actions. For someone who is supposedly too weak to walk, you are doing an admirable job standing here making a show of yourself. We should call Reverend Timmons to witness your remarkable recovery.”
The crowd laughed as Ma Kelley stared in disbelief at her son. She swung her gaze to Laura, her message clear.
She’s an enemy for life now.
“What’s all the commotion?”
The crowd parted as the sheriff walked over to them, followed by a smug looking Bertram Shaw. Laura saw Little Beaver stiffen. He’s expecting trouble.
“Sheriff, you have to arrest that savage. He attacked me. Ida saw everything.”
“Yes, sheriff. He put Mrs. Kelley’s arm behind her back. Looked awful painful.” Ida stopped talking at the look the sheriff gave her.
“Little Beaver, care to explain why you put your hands on a…lady?”
“I only defended myself. She was going to strike me. I cannot explain why, as she called me the savage.” Little Beaver took a deep breath before continuing in a serious tone. “Miss Laura took us to the forest to learn how to survive in the wild. This is something the children from my tribe are taught when they are very little. It is to save their lives. Why would this be a waste of time? Do the people of Clover Springs not want their children to be safe?”
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