Last Promise

by Scarlett Dunn

  Mary Ann shook her head. “I will go back with him.”

  “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.” Hardwicke stood at the doorway. “That man says you will be able to travel in a few days, so I guess we are forced to stay here until then.”

  “I’m sorry, Father, but it can’t be helped.”

  Lillian wanted to throw the hairbrush at him for his insensitivity. Instead she stood and walked to the door basically blocking him from entering. “Why don’t we allow your daughter time to rest? I’ll make some dinner.”

  Edmund came into Mary Ann’s room to see her before dinner. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine.” Edmund’s face held the same impatience as her father’s.

  “That was a foolhardy thing for you to do.” He couldn’t believe Mary Ann had put herself in harm’s way for a stranger. “How could you risk your own life like that?”

  She didn’t expect Edmund to understand. “I just reacted.”

  “You shouldn’t be so careless,” he admonished.

  Mary Ann really didn’t want to talk with him. “If you don’t mind, Edmund, I would like to rest now.”

  Edmund left and Mary Ann closed her eyes and thought of Luke. She remembered dreaming of him. He seemed so far away, and it had been so long since she’d seen him, yet she could recall every detail of his face and his unforgettable blue eyes.

  Later that night Lillian and Mary Ann were alone in the room and Mary Ann asked Lillian how she met Henry. “I guess the story really begins when I was six years old. My mother made me a doll and I named him Henry. My mother told me it was a girl doll and I should give it a girl’s name, but I wouldn’t listen. Everyone laughed at me, but I didn’t care. Several years later when I was twelve years old, Henry’s family moved to a farm near us. I met him at church on a Sunday morning, and when I looked into his eyes I think I fell in love.”

  “At that young an age?” Mary Ann was surprised by her revelation.

  “Yes, but we didn’t marry until I was seventeen. My mother told me I would meet many boys before I found the right one. But I knew all along Henry was the one.”

  It was such a lovely story that Mary Ann started to cry. “I can’t believe you named your doll Henry and then married a man with that name. It’s almost like you knew he was coming.”

  “Honey, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I do believe the Good Lord told me Henry would be the one.”

  Mary Ann thought about the first time she looked into Luke’s blue eyes the day she arrived in Wyoming. While she thought he was very handsome, she was certain he was a gunfighter wearing that deadly looking pistol on his hip. When he came to her room he seemed friendly enough, but still he was intimidating. “It’s such a wonderful story. I don’t think I ever believed in love at first sight.”

  “Henry said he felt the same way. He told his best friend the day he met me that he was going to marry me one day. From the day we wed, we’ve never been apart.”

  “Do you ever have disagreements or get angry at one another?”

  “Oh, we have our little spats now and again. But the Good Book says never let the sun go down on your anger. We try to live by that. Henry tells me every night that he loves me and I do the same. Life hasn’t always been easy, but together we get through the worst of times. We both know we are better together than apart.”

  What Mary Ann wouldn’t give for a love like Lillian and Henry shared. “You have been so blessed to have such a love.” She thought of the McBride brothers and their wives. She was certain they shared a love that would last a lifetime.

  * * *

  Three days later the stagecoach pulled away from the station. Lillian was upset that Mary Ann was leaving so soon, but Hardwicke refused to stay another day. She didn’t think Mary Ann had recovered enough for the long journey still ahead of her. In just a few short days Mary Ann had lost weight, and Lillian couldn’t get her to eat more than a bite or two. She’d mentioned this fact to Hardwicke, but he told her when Mary Ann was hungry she would eat. Lillian had a difficult time understanding a man who was so indifferent to his daughter’s welfare. It wasn’t only Mary Ann’s physical condition that troubled Lillian. She knew the young woman was emotionally spent. The first time she’d seen Mary Ann she was such a vibrant young woman excited about her adventure to the West. She was totally different now, almost as if the light in her eyes had been extinguished.

  Mary Ann didn’t feel up to leaving, but her father was making their lives miserable with his restlessness and his rude behavior. They were confined in such small quarters that they were getting on one another’s nerves. Both Hardwicke and Stafford could have helped Henry with some of the work to keep themselves occupied, but they didn’t offer. They seemed content to harp about everything they found inconvenient. And the list was long.

  When it came time for Mary Ann to leave, Lillian cried and promised to write. Henry thanked Mary Ann for saving his wife and gently hugged her. They told her they hoped they would see her again. Mary Ann was very emotional saying her good-byes to Lillian and Henry for the last time, but she was so spent she couldn’t even cry. Lillian handed a small bundle to Mary Ann. “Here’s some biscuits and jam. I expect you to eat them.”

  Clive instructed Mary Ann to try to keep from jostling around too much, but that would prove difficult riding in a stagecoach. At this point she couldn’t wait to get on a ship where she could stay in bed during the entire crossing if she wanted and wouldn’t be forced to look at her father or Stafford.

  * * *

  “That man is an insufferable fool,” Clive said when the stagecoach was out of sight.

  Henry laughed. “And that Stafford character isn’t much better.”

  Lillian wiped her tears on her apron. “I feel like writing a letter to that cowboy in Wyoming and asking why he has his head up his tail. Most men wouldn’t be so hardheaded to let such a wonderful gal get away.”

  Henry and Clive looked at her and laughed. It was out of character for Lillian to say something so harsh. “Why do you say that?” Henry asked.

  She told them about Luke McBride and how angry he’d been with Mary Ann over Stafford. “She tried to apologize to him, but he wouldn’t listen.”

  “I agree with you, that cowboy needs his brains examined. But if that English fop bothered him that much, I’d say that cowboy was jealous. I can understand a man being jealous, she’s about the prettiest little thing I ever saw,” Clive said.

  “And she’s as lovely on the inside as she is on the outside,” Lillian said.

  “I don’t know why, but I have a feeling we will see her again,” Henry said.

  Lillian had learned over the years to never underestimate her husband’s intuition. She thought he was much more perceptive than most people, and she prayed he would be right this time. It saddened her to think of such a lovely young woman being forced into a loveless marriage. She didn’t know how a woman could survive such a union.

  * * *

  It seemed to take forever, and Mary Ann could barely recall the final days of their journey, but at last, she was on the ship. As much as she detested the thought of going back to England, she was thankful for the privacy of her small cabin. She’d been in bed for days and she’d slept and slept, but she remained lethargic. Her wound had healed and it was no longer painful, but her heart hadn’t healed. She was eating very little and losing more weight. Occasionally her father or Stafford would come to her cabin to see how she was doing. Their visits were never long and she was relieved when they left. She only wanted to be alone with her dreams.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Colt and Jake missed their wives so they came back to the ranch after two weeks on the range. Luke stayed out on the range with the men.

  Victoria saw her husband rein in at the corral so she ran out the back door to greet him. “I’m so happy you are home.”

  Colt picked her up and kissed her. “You missed me, huh?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  �
��Where are the boys?”

  “Spending some time with Mrs. Wellington.”

  “Jake and I will have to go back in a day or two,” Colt said.

  “We’ll pick the boys up on the way to church in the morning. Then we can have a nice family dinner in town. Perhaps we should invite George to dine, he’s probably missing Mary Ann.”

  “She’s gone?” Colt asked.

  “Yes, she left a few days after you left. Did Luke come back with you?”

  “He stayed out. I think he needs some more time alone.”

  “She came here before she left. She said she needed to apologize to him and she wanted to say good-bye.”

  “I’m not sure it would have made a difference. He’s pretty upset with her,” Colt replied.

  “She was very unhappy when she was here, but I don’t think she feels she has a choice in the matter.”

  “I’m sorry for her if she doesn’t want to marry Stafford,” Colt said.

  “I can’t imagine being in a marriage with a man I didn’t love.” She’d forgotten she had come to Wyoming prepared to marry a stranger so she would have a home for the twins. But God had a different plan.

  “Is that your way of saying you love me?” Colt smiled at her. “Do you think you love me enough to let me see that corset one more time?”

  “I think we can manage that.” Victoria grabbed his hand and led him upstairs.

  * * *

  “It’s so nice to see you, but where’s your brother?” George asked them.

  “He’s still out on the range,” Jake said.

  “Please join us, George,” Colt said.

  “I know you are missing Mary Ann,” Promise said.

  George hadn’t realized just how much he would miss his niece. “Yes, I am. She was not only a big help, but she’s lovely to be around.”

  “We are going to miss her too,” Victoria said.

  “She was certainly enjoying her friendship with you two ladies.”

  “Did she set a date for her marriage?” Promise asked.

  “I don’t know, I’m sure Hardwicke will set the date soon.”

  “Why is her father forcing this marriage on her?” Colt asked.

  George saw no reason to hide the truth from his friend. “I suspect his estates are in trouble, and Stafford is insistent on marrying Mary Ann. As I told you, she is considered a great beauty in England. Truth be told, I don’t even think she likes Stafford. I tried to talk her into staying, but she told me he wouldn’t leave until he had his way. I think her father knew she cared about Luke and he used that to pressure her.”

  “What do you mean?” Colt asked.

  “Hardwicke is not above threatening someone to have his way.”

  “I wish we could do something,” Victoria said.

  “She was so happy here and proud of her shop,” Promise added.

  “I told her to leave the shop as it was. I don’t think she had the heart to close it.”

  The next day Colt and Jake left the ranch to go back on the range taking fresh supplies with them. They finally caught up with Luke a week later.

  “How’s it going?” Colt asked.

  “Good. Thank the Good Lord for great weather.” Luke was glad his brothers were with him again. He’d had enough alone time, and he was hungry for some conversation.

  “Mary Ann left,” Jake said.

  “Good.” Luke had finally come to terms that it wasn’t meant to be with Mary Ann. He decided he had to mentally move on. The only thing he needed to do when he got back to the ranch was to go see Sally and set things straight with her.

  “George told us she didn’t want to go,” Colt said.

  “Then why did she?” Luke asked.

  “George thought Hardwicke threatened you,” Colt answered.

  “Me? Why would he threaten me?”

  “He thought Mary Ann cared about you and he wants her to marry Stafford for his money,” Jake said.

  “He saw us kissing when he arrived, so he jumped to that conclusion,” Luke confided.

  His revelation was news to Colt and Jake. “Her old man saw you kissing?” Jake asked.

  “Yeah. He grabbed her and slapped her hard enough that she hit the ground. That’s when I slammed my fist in his jaw.”

  “You hit Mary Ann’s father?” Colt was beginning to understand why Luke had acted the way he did when he saw Hardwicke at the restaurant.

  “Yeah, and the two detectives or whatever those two men were that followed him around.”

  “I would’ve paid to see that,” Jake said.

  “By the way, Victoria said to give you this.” Colt reached in his pocket and pulled out the letter. “Mary Ann left it for you.”

  Luke took the letter and noticed the beautiful script before he stuffed it in his pocket.

  “Aren’t you going to read it?” Jake asked.

  “Not now.” For weeks he’d thought of nothing but Mary Ann, but he knew he had to let her go. He wasn’t as angry with her as he was at first, so he was making some headway. He’d even managed to chuckle to himself over the night she’d basically dared him to spend so much money on those things for Sally. He knew as soon as he opened that letter all of the anger and regret would surface.

  * * *

  Over the next week, Luke had pulled the letter from his pocket countless times, but he hadn’t opened it. One night when he thought Colt and Jake were asleep, he held the letter in his hands and ran his fingers over his name written in Mary Ann’s script. He’d almost thrown it in the fire, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with it. It was the only tangible thing he had to remember her by.

  “What are you afraid of?” Colt whispered.

  The voice surprised Luke, he wasn’t aware Colt was watching him. “I told myself I was going to let it go.”

  “Throw it in the fire then.”

  Colt always had a way of knowing what he was thinking. “I’ve thought about it.”

  Colt saw the hesitation in his brother’s face. “If you haven’t done it by now, there’s a reason. Do you love that gal?”

  “Yeah, I did.” Luke finally admitted that fact to someone other than himself.

  “But you don’t anymore?”

  Luke thought about his brother’s question. He only hesitated since he didn’t want to admit it to himself. He’d been so angry with her that he hadn’t considered that she might not have a choice when it came to marrying Stafford. But now it was too late. She was gone. He’d been so darn stubborn that he’d let her get away. She could already be married before she sailed to England. He looked at Colt. “I guess I do, but it’s too late now. You were right, you know.”

  Colt moved to a sitting position. “Yeah? I like to hear that. But exactly what was I right about?”

  “You told me if I kept playing with fire, I was going to get burned. I guess I never thought I would feel that way about a woman. I’ve definitely been burned.” Right now, he felt like the biggest fool alive.

  “Luke, you’ve lived your life like those horses you broke. Men are sort of like wild horses, we do what we want, fight and buck against getting older and settling down. Then the day comes when the right woman throws that lasso around our neck and we succumb, maybe fighting and kicking all the way, but we still yield. But there’s one thing you haven’t figured out yet.”

  Luke looked at his brother. “What’s that?”

  “When we do give in and stop pulling against that tether, it’s the best thing that could ever happen to us. With the right woman you’ll be a better man. Look, Luke, I don’t want you to ever leave the ranch again, but if you love that gal you need to go get her. You may never feel this way about another woman. I don’t have all of the answers, but I know that without a doubt.”

  “She could be married,” Luke said.

  Thinking about what he would do if he were in Luke’s position, Colt knew he would rather know one way or the other than spend his life wondering if the woman he loved married another man. “Do you wan
t to spend the next year, five years, ten, wondering if she married him?”

  “I hurt her and she’s probably glad to see the last of me.” Luke told him about buying that corset for Sally and kissing her in front of Mary Ann.

  Colt couldn’t believe Luke had been so callous. For him to do something so out of character, he had to be furious with Mary Ann. “And you were angry at her for not telling you about a man that she ran away from?”

  “Yeah. I was crazy jealous. Then when I walked into her shop that night all I could think about was Stafford being the man that was going to see her in those corsets and garters. I guess I went a little crazy.”

  “A little? I’m surprised she didn’t shoot you where you stood.”

  Luke grinned. “It would have served me right.”

  Jake whistled and sat up. “Darn straight.”

  “I thought you were sleeping,” Luke said.

  “Not with you two jabbering like old women,” Jake retorted. “But I have to admit this story is getting interesting, so I’ll forgive you interrupting my beauty sleep.”

  “Well, in that case I guess I should tell you that Mary Ann got even with me in her own way that night.” Luke then told them the rest of the story. “I thought she was going to sell Sally everything in her shop. She made sure she sold her the most expensive items. One bottle of perfume cost more than my saddle.”

  Colt laughed so hard he thought he would break his ribs. “I love that gal! She’s a smart one.”

  “Remind me never to get on her bad side,” Jake teased.

  Luke laughed with them and when he stopped his voice turned serious when he asked Colt, “What would you do?”

  “First of all, I’d read the letter. Depending on what it said, if she gave me an opening and I thought there was a chance, and if I loved her, well . . .” He hesitated, then made it personal. “If it was Victoria, I’d get on that horse and wouldn’t stop until I was on a ship.” It was an easy question to answer if someone tried to keep him from Victoria.