Judith_Bride of Wyoming

by Hildie McQueen

  As much as Judith wanted to cling to the hope in Lorna’s words, there was none. If the woman came to claim her child, there was nothing Judith or Sean could do to stop her. Sean was too much of a gentleman to use the woman’s past against her. No, whatever happened, Sean would ensure not to lose Bethany and for that she could not blame him.

  “Do you know what the woman is asking for? Is she threatening to take Bethany?” Judith blew her nose and waited for Lorna to answer. Eloise’s gaze was locked to Lorna’s as well, waiting to hear the answer.

  “From what I overheard, she wants to live here. Marry Sean, I suppose.”

  Judith’s stomach dropped and she put both hands over her mouth as bile threated to surface. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She rushed through the back door to outside and retched. Her two friends behind her offering words of comfort she didn’t hear. All she knew at the moment was that Sean was lost to her.

  She straightened and looked to Lorna. “Is there a room I can rent from you for a short time? I’ll find work to pay you. I’m a good seamstress. Or who knows, maybe there’s another man who will offer to marry me.” A mirthless laugh sounded hollow. “Why not? I found a substitute for the one who died in one day.” She began to laugh, each burst hurting so much she fell to the floor where she wept until no more tears came.

  * * *

  “I’m glad she agreed to stay at the hotel for a few days,” Patrick said while handing Sean a glass of whisky. “Lord knows, the woman looked about dead on her feet. Whatever ails her must be causing a lot of pain. I asked Luther to look in on her,” he said referring to the town doctor.

  The burn of the whisky flowing down his throat was the only sensation in his otherwise numb body. He had to see Judith. Explain things to her. But what would he say? Words evaded him as he wasn’t sure yet what would happen. He loved Judith. Now that there was a chance he’d lose her, that fact became apparent. The thought of a future without her made him want to cry, which he’d not done since he was a boy. Several times, he’d wiped away errant tears, unable to stop them at thinking what his beloved went through at the moment.

  “I need to speak to Judith.” He looked to his friend who, in turn, stared into his own still untouched glass. “What do I say?”

  Patrick’s green eyes met his. “That you cannot marry her right now, perhaps not ever. Don’t give her hope, Sean. If Bethany’s mother insists on marrying, you’ll have to do it. I know how you feel about the child. You don’t want to chance losing her.”

  “There has to be a way. I don’t want to marry that woman.” Desperation laced every word as he looked to his friend, hopeful some idea would form.

  “Thankfully, other than caring, you have no ties or obligations to Judith. For that you can be grateful. It will be a heartache for each of you, but things happen for a reason.”

  Sean’s eyes widened. He’d not considered the ramifications of their one night together. “I…well.” He fought for the right words, but decided this was not the time for delicacy. “Judith and I have been intimate.”

  It was almost comical to watch Patrick’s expressions go from shock to confusion to acknowledgment. His shoulders sagged and he took a long gulp of whisky. “Well that certainly complicates the matter more.” His Irish brogue was heavy in that moment.

  Sean nodded. “We assumed to be married today.”

  “That does not excuse what you did. Being a man, you should have been stronger and not…well…not…oh, never mind. What to do about all this now?”

  Perhaps the mistake would be the answer to things. That he and Judith had not waited seemed to give the priest more incentive to find a solution to the horrible situation they faced.

  Chapter Nine

  The morning sun shined brightly making the morning, which should have been her happiest, even more daunting. Judith sat up in the bed and immediately looked for Bethany only to remember she was at the Browns’ home, next to the mercantile.

  She vaguely remembered changing out of her dress and packing with Lorna and Eloise’s help. Martin had returned with the buggy and taken her and Lorna to their home. Judith had been stubborn in refusing to stay in Sean’s home. There was no reason for her to be there. The baby and father belonged to someone else. And it was best for her to move on as quickly as possible. Selfish perhaps, but it was what she had to do because each minute longer with Bethany broke her heart. Although to be honest, her heart was already shattered into so many pieces, it was surprising it still beat.

  Lorna came to the doorway holding a tray with what looked to be food and coffee. “You need to eat something. It’s a brand new day the Lord has given us.”

  Thankful at not just Lorna’s friendship and support, but the hospitality, Judith forced a smile to her lips. “Amen. Thank you, but please don’t feel as if you have to serve me. If anything, I should be doing it. I owe you and Martin so much. I’ll eat and then come and help out with whatever needs to be done today.”

  “Oh, no. You need to rest. Take it easy today.”

  A bitter chuckle erupted from Judith. “If anything, I need to keep busy. I can’t be idle, my mind will go back down the same paths and I’ll cry again. Please let me do something to repay your hospitality.”

  Lorna gave her a stern look. “Very well. But only if you eat.” She placed the tray down on the side table and sat down in a chair. “I do declare, this is a pretty room. Never use it much, just when people visit. I like that you will stay in it. I could use the company.”

  Much to Judith’s surprise, the day went by quickly. Although she lost her breath each time the bell over the door jingled, for the most part she spent the day dusting every shelf surface and item on one side of the store.

  Mentally, she planned duties that would keep her fully occupied for the next few days. Hopefully over time, the heartache would dull and she could do more to pay the Browns for the room. Lorna insisted she could take as long as she needed, but Judith was not one to take advantage. Thankfully, her room was upstairs in a loft away from the rest of the family home, so she could be out of the way and not disrupt their lives more than necessary.

  From time to time, she wondered what happened with Sean and the woman. Had he decided to marry her? Of course, it was the only solution to her not taking the child from him. Although she did not begrudge him in the least, a part of her was angry that he did not put her first. A very selfish part of her wanted him to walk through the door and bring her back to his home.

  Just as the sun was setting, Father O’Reilly arrived. Judith followed his path as he stopped and talked to some women who shopped for fabrics and made his way past another couple who laughed at whatever he said to them. It was nice to see how well the clergyman got along with the townspeople. He seemed well liked by everyone.

  “Ah, there you are,” he said meeting her gaze with warmth. “How are you doing, Judith?”

  Tears threatened and, seeming to understand, he took her elbow and guided her to the back of the store away from prying eyes.

  Judith closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I will be fine, Father. There is not much more I can do than be as strong as I can.”

  “Well then, you are doing much better than Sean,” he told her with a kind smile. “This is hard on both of you. Things will work out for the best. You’ll see.”

  He spoke to her about things other than her situation, seeming to be more concerned with helping distract her. Judith was thankful for his presence.

  * * *

  When the hammer hit his thumb, Sean yowled. Cradling his injured hand, he hopped in a circle, yelling more curse words than he was aware he had known. Once he could breathe, Sean looked around. Except for two horses which both seemed unaffected by his screams, no one was about.

  Two days. Two long days and even longer nights since he’d seen Judith. Bethany had kept up him up with her crying, missing Judith no doubt. That was it. He’d go see Judith and beg her to return to the house and see after the baby. Eloise had watched
her the last couple days and reported the child to be restless and irritable. He could definitely relate.

  For the past two evenings, he’d met with Angela and tried to talk her into accepting that he’d marry Judith and raise Bethany. The night before, he’d finally taken Bethany to see her. The tired child had screamed the entire time. Angela held the baby at arm’s length, which angered Sean at seeing his daughter’s chubby outstretched arms reaching for him the entire time. Within moments, Angela had gotten annoyed and given Bethany back.

  She’d not even tried to calm or kiss her. It said a lot to him and, more than ever, he was resolved not to allow the woman to ever have Bethany without him present.

  Patrick made his way from the mercantile and Sean whistled to get his attention. The priest walked toward the stables as Sean wrapped a strip of cloth around the purpling thumb. His fingernail would fall off and it would hurt for a few days. It wasn’t the first time he’d hit his left hand, but it was the worst injury besides a pretty bad burn he’d sustained when a hot iron had fallen onto his forearm the day before. The situation was turning out to be hazardous.

  “What happened there?” Patrick looked to Sean’s hand. “Hit it, did you?”

  “Yes. I may have broken it. Hit it hard.” Sean held his hand up against his chest. “I’ll get Doc to split it once it stops throbbing so much.”

  “See that you do. Do you need help?” The priest was already rolling his shirtsleeves up and studying the horseshoe Sean had been working on. “What is this? Someone own a giant horse?”

  Sean couldn’t help the half grin looking at the oversized shoe. “I’m distracted.”

  “Spoke to Judith. She seems to be doing as well as can be expected. Fought not to cry when asking about Bethany.”

  A lump formed in Sean’s throat. “I have to do something. I am not going to marry Angela. That is one thing I refuse to do.”

  Patrick nodded. “You can’t continue to pay for her to remain at the hotel forever. Have you tried talking to her?”

  “Yes, she won’t budge. She demands to move in immediately. She’s given me until tonight to make a decision. Claims she’ll take Bethany if I don’t.”

  “Then let her.”

  “What?” The pain in his hand forgotten, he gawked at his friend. “Why would I do that?”

  Patrick looked at the fire for a long time. “I don’t believe she wishes to care for Bethany. I believe she is seeking shelter. Spoke to Luther. Angela is not well at all. May not make it ’til winter.”

  The news was like a punch to his gut. What else now? If Angela was dying, he couldn’t pretty much leave her to die alone. What if Bethany asked him about her mother when she grew older. How could he look his daughter in the eyes and not be honest.

  By winter, Judith would be gone and even if she remained, it was probable she’d not want to marry him.

  He wouldn’t blame her, of course. “What am I going to do? I can’t continue to let my child cry all night. I’m so tired I can’t think straight. Help me.”

  “Let me talk to Angela. I have an idea. Tell Eloise and her family to plan supper at your house tonight.”

  * * *

  Patrick was surprised when Angela opened the hotel room door. If anything, she looked worse than just a couple days earlier. He had an idea what ailed her, but it was not his place to ask. Instead, he entered the room leaving the door open enough so a passerby could look inside. It wasn’t proper for him to be in the room alone with her, but she’d refused to come to the church to speak to him.

  “You are very sick.” Patrick met her gaze. “Did the doctor give you something?”

  There was mistrust in the gaze that met his. “Yeah, it’s not working.” She gulped down what he suspected was cheap whisky and closed her eyes. “I’m tired of sitting in this room. If you came to ask me to leave town, I’ll give you the same answer I gave him. I will be moving into his house in the morning. Won’t change my mind.”

  “What about Bethany?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “If you’re heavy in your cups, you won’t be able to care for an infant.” Patrick followed the bottle as she brought it back to her lips. “Why did you really come here? It’s got nothing to do with either Sean or Bethany.”

  Her chuckle was bitter. “Tell me, Father. Why does Bethany deserve to have a better life than me? How do I know that woman won’t beat her? How about him? It ain’t natural for a man to raise a girl. Don’t you wonder what he could do to her when she gets older?”

  Patrick fought to keep his disgust hidden. “First off, Bethany deserves a better life because she is an innocent child. Judith would make a good mother. It’s apparent she loves Bethany. She’s very kind and gentle. As far as Sean, I’ve never met a more honorable man.”

  Angela laughed and then coughed. “Honorable? It wasn’t an honorable man in my bed a year and a half ago.”

  “How long since you’ve prayed?” Patrick could see he’d caught her off guard by the rounding of her eyes.

  “What should I pray for, preacher? That this rot inside me go away? That I die sooner than later so it won’t hurt so bad? I have no use for God. He forgot about me a long time ago.”

  “I’m going to pray with you anyway. Can’t hurt.” He bent his head and began a short prayer while Angela remained quiet. He finally looked up to her. “We’ll go see about this situation today. I came to fetch you.”

  Everyone sat around the table. Even Eloise’s youngest child was quieted by the anxious energy of the adults. Bethany’s eyes closed then opened as she fought to stay awake while Sean rocked her in his arms. Every time noise sounded, everyone looked to the door.

  “Did Father O’Reilly say whether we should eat or wait?” Eloise asked for the third time. Her gaze moved from Sean to the kitchen near where she stood. She’d fed her eldest three and left them home, only bringing the youngest along.

  “He just said to tell you and Jack to have supper here. I figured he’d be here by now.” Sean frowned. “Not sure about eating or not. Go ahead and eat. I’ll wait.”

  When the knocks sounded, Eloise didn’t hesitate to rush across the room and open the door. Patrick ushered Angela into the room. The inebriated woman weaved more than walked in. Her shrewd eyes scanned the room, pinning each of them before looking to the table where she went and sat, not waiting for an invitation.

  Eloise sat across from her husband who’d remained silent and the priest claimed a chair and looked to Sean. “Won’t you sit down, Sean?”

  “I just got Bethany to sleep. Give me a second.” He went to the cradle and lowered his daughter, gently settling her into the soft blankets.

  Angela did not look to the crib. Instead, her focus was on the platters and bowls in the center of the table.

  Conversation was stilted. Eloise tried to speak to Angela, who only replied with a word or two.

  The priest cleared his throat “Since Angela insists on a decision being made tonight, I thought everyone should be present. As I told you,” he looked to Angela, “everyone here is Bethany’s family. They love her and will ensure that your daughter has a good life. As long as she remains in this town, the child will never want or need for anything.”

  “That’s the truth,” Eloise replied. “Bethany has our hearts. Sean is a wonderful father and we have all supported his efforts in caring for his daughter alone.”

  Bethany began to whimper. When Eloise started to stand, Sean stopped her. “Angela, see about the child.”

  Not a sound was heard except for Bethany’s crying, which became louder, more insistent.

  Angela looked to the crib, seeming more horrified than anxious. When after a few moments she didn’t move, Eloise got up. “For goodness sakes, we can’t let her continue to cry. What is the matter with you?” She glared at Angela and rushed to pick up the now red-faced baby.

  Sean could not take it anymore. “Do you still plan to take my daughter away from me? You won’t even look a
t her.”

  “I’ll take her if you don’t allow me to move in here. I mean it.” Angela didn’t seem as sure as when she’d first arrived. “It’s only right.”

  “If I let you take Bethany, where are you going? I want to be able to see her regularly and ensure you’re taking care of her.”

  Eloise glared at Angela who turned to the priest as if he’d offer assistance.

  “Don’t test me on this,” she hissed.

  Chapter Ten

  “Good evening, Miss.” Two men walked into the mercantile and Judith looked up from the book she was reading. She’d not locked the door after the Browns left with mumbled excuses, hurrying out before she could ask if they wished her to close the store or not.

  From their dusty clothes and unshaved face, the men were traveling through. Both were tall in stature and attractive, with an assuredness in the way they carried themselves that made her pay attention.

  “How are you tonight, gentlemen?” Judith went to stand behind the counter, which gave her a sense of some protection. “What can I help you with?”

  “Lookin’ for a few things. Tobacco, a clean shirt.” The one with long hair picked up a ready-made shirt and turned it one way then the other. “This will do, I suppose.” He had a foreign accent she could not place.

  She watched as the other one grabbed soap, a couple washcloths and some dried beef. From the looks of it, he planned to wash up before continuing on his travels. When one of the men brought the items to the counter, he looked at her waiting for her to sum up his purchase.

  Something about his presence suddenly gave her pause. Tall, wide shouldered, he reminded her of Sean in a way, although this man’s hair was like a burnished brown and his eyes a strange shade of amber. She imagined well-shaved and clean, he was quite handsome. Although she shouldn’t have, Judith felt compelled to converse with him. “Where are you traveling to?”

  “Silver City, Idaho,” he replied with an easy smile.