Scarlett, a Summer Bride

by Hildie McQueen

  “Do you mean that?”

  “On my honor.”

  “How many women have you kissed before me?”

  He pondered and began counting off on his fingers until reaching ten. Scarlett’s eyes widened. Her husband had been quite a rake.

  “Four.” He said with a soft curve to his lips at seeing her widened eyes. “If you count my mother.”

  Scarlett nudged at him playfully. “Well then, I accept the compliment.”

  It was different that night with him.

  They bantered and even laughed, his deep chuckle making Scarlett giggle.

  Finally as she fell asleep in his arms, Scarlett prayed that he’d remain this way. She hoped her husband and she would finally learn to be better partners to each other.

  She did not wish for their marriage to remain as it had. It was too hard and painful.

  Hopefully she’d hear back from Lady Price as she’d written asking for advice. At the time she’d written the letter, a part of her had hoped the woman would ask her to return and offer her a temporary home.

  Chapter Twelve

  Emmett guided the horses at a quick trot toward Elias’ land and Scarlet leaned forward studying the landscape, eager to arrive. She’d not seen Esther since the festival and was excited to spend time with her.

  It was already too cool for a ride. Soon the weather would change to frigid and they’d be homebound. Although Scarlett never cared for the cold, now she dreaded having to spend entire days in the house with no company.

  Along with a tablecloth, she also brought sweet cakes from Gladys. “I can’t imagine how Esther can stand to be out here alone all the time,” Scarlett commented, not caring if Emmett replied or not.

  Although things had changed between them in the last few days and he made an effort to be more attentive, he remained a quiet man.

  “I believe Elias said she visits with a family not too far from where they lived.”

  Scarlett studied her husband. Hat low on his face, it suited him. When he slid a glance toward her, she looked away.

  “If you prefer we remain in town, we can always either build another larger home or add rooms to our current one.”

  Caught off guard, Scarlett wasn’t sure what to think. That he took her into consideration for such a decision was...nice. “I do think I’d prefer to remain in town. I am already dreading winter and being snowbound. Aurora told me it could be for weeks on end.”

  He only nodded and kept his attention ahead.

  She considered this was a good time to ask him more questions since there was nowhere for either of them to go.

  “I don’t understand why you agreed to marry me.”

  Emmett pulled the horses to a stop and Scarlett wondered if perhaps it would be a smarter move to jump off and run than to remain.

  As if guessing her apprehension, he took her hand. It was a gentle hold, but enough he could keep her from escaping.

  “I know I’ve not made the best impression on you. Have to admit, I’ve asked myself the same thing. However, it’s not a decision I’ve regretted.”

  “What am I supposed to garner from that response?” Scarlett lost her temper. “It’s as if you keep me at arms length on purpose. I feel like an elevated maid in your house. In my opinion we don’t suit in the least.” Too angry to measure her words, Scarlett snatched her hand away. “To be honest, I am not sure if anyone would suit you.”

  Her eyes widened at her outburst, but he didn’t respond nor did his expression reveal what he thought. It was almost as if she’d commented on the weather for all the emotion he showed.

  Instead he snapped the reins. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “I am not sure I care for him in the least. And I do believe the feeling is mutual.” Scarlett sipped her tea as Esther stirred a pot at the stove. “He barely speaks to me and then when I have an outburst, like today, he doesn’t respond. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I would have preferred he’d be angry than act as if what I said didn’t matter.”

  Esther settled in a chair opposite hers. “You’ll have to be patient with Emmett. I can tell you he is a good person. However, I do agree, it’s very hard to get to know him. He keeps everyone, except his brothers, at arms length.”

  “What should I do?” A hot tear slid down Scarlett’s face. “I am not sure how we’ll survive winter. We had a good day. He gave me gifts and we went for a walk. I know he is making an effort, but some days it’s as if we moved backward instead of forward.”

  “One day at a time,” Esther replied with a smile. “Elias and I didn’t get along at first either. It was a bit of a struggle. Think about it.” Esther looked out the window. “Two strangers who have little in common marrying. It’s an odd situation. ”

  Scarlett stood, too annoyed to sit. “I agree and understand that of course. But when one partner puts in little to no effort, then it will not work.”

  “Let’s do something fun,” Esther said. “Let’s have enjoy ourselves for a bit and not think about our husbands for a moment. Want to play dress up?”

  “If you are up to something, I won’t be party to it,” Scarlett said with a huff. “Emmett is too smart. He’ll see right through it.”

  “This has nothing to do with Emmett or Elias. It’s something I do to have a giggle.”

  Esther tugged her arm. “Come to my shop. I have a great outfit in mind for you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “What do you think?” Elias asked him again as they stood beside a horse. “Should I just put her out of her misery?”

  The animal whined, but didn’t seem to be in pain. Instead it nuzzled Elias seeming to look for food. Elias dug a carrot out of his pocket and fed the animal, who ate it with gusto.

  “I think you should give her time to rest the leg for a few days. I’ll come back and check on her.” Emmett had rubbed liniment on the leg and wrapped it tight.

  “Let’s get some coffee,” Elias announced, his attention toward the house. “Esther made some sweet cornbread. It’s perfect with strong coffee.”

  Once arriving at the house, they walked into an empty front room. After looking to the empty hallway for a clue to where his wife could be, Emmett followed Elias into the kitchen.

  “Where are they?” He asked Elias.

  Too intent on eating, Elias only shrugged and poured coffee.

  Loud laughter sounded and Emmett wondered who it was. The rich sound of his wife’s husky voice came next as she proclaimed something along the lines of. “I could never.”

  “There they are,” Elias, stated the obvious. “Probably trying on Esther’s newest ideas. She’s making dresses for the ladies at the saloon.”

  Although Emmett could never picture Scarlett wearing such an outfit, his curiosity was piqued. “What type of dresses?”

  “You know,” Elias motioned to his chest and thighs. “Low and short.” He leaned in close and whispered, “I like when she models them for me.”

  Emmett turned to the hallway, but didn’t say anything.

  “You look dashing!” Esther cried out. A giggle sounded as the women spoke in lowered tones.

  Suddenly Esther came to the kitchen and stopped short. She wore a feather hat of sorts on her head and her dress was askew. “Oh, I didn’t know you two were here.” She looked away and toward the hallway where the other rooms were. “I am just showing Scarlett something.”

  Just then Scarlett appeared, her face flushed as she spoke to Esther. “Can you imagine spending the day dressed like this?” She stopped short, her eyes almost bulging from her face.

  The overly tight dress was cinched at the waist. It was low cut displaying the tops of her breasts and pulled up on one leg past her knee and pinned at the thigh. She backed out of the kitchen, hands splayed across the top of her chest. “Oh.”

  Not wanting his brother to see so much of his wife, Emmett jumped up and stood in front of her.

  Esther looked to him. “We were just...”

&n
bsp; He heard Scarlett rush back to the room.

  “You should make sure she’s all right,” Elias said. “I’m sure she didn’t expect us to be here.” It looked as if his brother was trying hard not to laugh. Emmett narrowed his eyes at him.

  He found Scarlett attempting to tug her way out of the dress, her face blotchy and breathing heavy. Bent at the waist, her breasts practically spilled over the top of the contraption.

  Emmett couldn’t help it. He chuckled. “Need help?”

  Startled, she looked to him. “I--I think I can manage.” She tugged at the straps. “However do these women do it? I mean don’t they...ummm, have to...”

  “I would imagine undressing fully isn’t part of the allure,” Emmett replied matter of factly, untying the strings. “There that should do it.”

  She held the dress up. “Thank you. I’ll be out momentarily.”

  “I can wait.” He wasn’t about to leave and miss watching her undress. Something about the way she looked at the moment, so fetching and flustered at the same time was too enjoyable to miss.

  “Oh...” She turned away and shimmied out of the dress. Little did she know it was the most enticing spectacle, he’d ever seen. His wife could be a minx and didn’t even realize it.

  How many other things about her did he not know? Her hair fell from its pinning, the dark curls cascading past her shoulders. He neared and helped her pull up her dress while placing a kiss to her bared shoulder.

  “You are a beautiful woman Scarlett. I’m a lucky man.”

  When her eyes met his, there was a mixture of shock and hope that tore at him. He pulled her closer and kissed her lips. “I am not worthy of you.”

  Emmett tracked each movement as she pulled her hair up and pinned it into place. Her eyes met his in the mirror. “I apologize for that spectacle I made of myself. Esther and I were just having a little fun.”

  “I rather enjoyed it.” Emmett looked to the bed where several of the dresses were discarded. “Do you think she’d let you have the one you tried on?”

  When she burst out laughing, it was a wonderful sound. One he hoped to hear often.

  It was as if a dam broke between them. Scarlett talked all through out dinner, answering questions from Elias and Esther. When they invited them to remain for the night, she looked to him with expectation.

  “We’ll stay,” Emmett finally said while mentally assessing how things would be at the clinic.

  “You work very hard and deserve time to rest.” Scarlett joined him on the porch after supper. “It’s the first time we’ve been anywhere since I arrived.”

  “I’m glad to see you and Esther get along as well as you do with Aurora. Family is important.”

  Scarlett lowered to sit on the rocker next to his. “It’s also nice how close you and your brothers are.”

  “They’re all I have since leaving Boston. I didn’t want them to come with me at first, but they refused to remain behind. So I finally relented and purchased passage for three.”

  “Aurora told me Marcus and Tobias Hamilton’s mother took you in and fed you.”

  Emmett nodded. “Yes, she was a kind woman. The entire family treated us like we belonged. Which is why we remain very close to them.”

  “Can I ask why you left Boston?”

  The reason seems inconsequential now, so many years later. The realization dawned that when considering the reason he didn’t feel the shocking tightness around his chest made Emmett inhale sharply.

  “My father and mother were constantly at odds. It made for a lonely childhood for my brothers and I. The household staff raised us. Gertie, the cook, gave us chores, taught us basic life lessons, and fed us as well.”

  Emmett hesitated. “When my father took the woman I was engaged to as a lover and later married her, I needed to get away from it all. Not just the betrayal, but the entire charade society is back east.”

  “Oh my goodness,” Scarlett whispered. “That is horrible. So do any of you keep in touch your parents?”

  “Only Elias keeps in contact with Boston. He and mother correspond. She is well. My father is still married to that woman, and remains the same.”

  Scarlett stood and came to stand next to him. “I was the love child of an affair. Something I am not proud of. That people cheat is something I don’t understand. In the end so many people get hurt by it.”

  Needing her closer, Emmett wrapped an arm around his wife and brought her against his side. He placed a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s not your fault. I do think consequences are not something people consider when entering such an arrangement.”

  When she pushed her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist, Emmett didn’t wish the moment to ever end. He hugged her. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes. Very much so,” she replied, her voice muffled by his clothes. “This is the first time I’ve felt so close to you.”

  Arms around her, he looked up at the star filled sky. Would he be able to allow this woman past every barricade he’d erected over the years? If anyone could not only destroy his barriers, but also his heart, it was Scarlett.

  Later that night, they lay in bed, both quiet. It was the same room Esther kept all the clothing in and although the bed was a bit too small, he didn’t mind it one bit.

  He turned to Scarlett. “Why did you come here and marry a total stranger? Were you running from something? Someone?”

  “No.” Her voice was groggy. “I had no choice. No home or anywhere to live except perhaps if one of my father’s family took me in. I planned to find work and a place to live when I overheard Lady Price speaking to someone about her mail order bride services.”

  “So you didn’t plan this for a long time then?”

  It was endearing when she covered her face with both hands. “It sounded so romantic. I was not realistic at all in my expectations.”

  “I wasn’t either. You far exceeded mine.”

  She lifted her face to look at him. The moonlight streaming through the window lighted on her beautiful features. “You unsettle me when you pay me such lavish compliments. It’s such a contrast to the way you’ve acted since I arrived.”

  He’d always admired people who were upfront and didn’t mince words. Another quality to admire in Scarlett was that although obviously shy, she would gather the courage to speak her mind when necessary.

  “I will do my best to do better.”

  “We’ll see,” she replied in a haughty tone. “We will see.”

  Emmett couldn’t help but chuckle. “You can plan on keeping me accountable wife.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The quiet of the empty classroom made Isabel sit for a bit at the front and study the empty room. Chairs were askew, the door had been left open and someone had dropped a pencil. Despite the mess, calmness filled her. Although her students were at times hard to keep on task, she wouldn’t change anything about them. They were children after all.

  However, admittedly, the end of the day when they headed home was a time she did look forward to. It was nice to have peace and quiet to clean up and prepare for the following day.

  A figured darkened the doorway and Isabel looked up only to smile. “Hello Father what brings you here?”

  Her father, the town’s preacher, walked in and looked around. “I thought I’d help you straighten up and you’d take me to have supper.”

  They had a standing dinner date, usually on Wednesday. This day however was Monday. “Of course.” She got up and gathered the broom. “If you’ll straighten the chairs, I’ll give the room a quick sweep.”

  Her father remained youthful, only in his late forties and Isabel had always hoped he’d remarry. It hurt her to think of him alone in the large family home after she married and left to start a family of her own.

  Minutes later they walked out and down to the end of the street where they turned toward Main Street. Once at the small eatery, they ordered fried chicken. Isabel studied her father. “You must have somethin
g to say to me since you’ve changed our routine this week?”

  Pastor Ward smiled. “Am I that obvious?”

  “I know you don’t care much for deviating your routine. On Mondays you usually go to the barbershop and play cards.”

  Isabel smiled at her father. “So tell me what is it?”

  “I’m going to Wyoming for a couple weeks to visit your aunt and uncle. They sent a telegram telling me of a new church they are starting up and need my help with.”

  It was good news that her father would travel and spend time with family. He’d been dedicated to Laurel for too long without taking time for himself. “How enjoyable. I would go with you, but classes don’t end for another few weeks.”

  “I don’t expect you to,” her father said, much too eagerly.

  Isabel narrowed her eyes. “Trying to get away from me, Father?”

  Just then food was placed in front of them and both began to eat. In between bites, Isabel got details of what her father planned to do while away.

  He drank from his glass of water just as Colton Blake walked in. Isabel couldn’t help but straighten. The man had been part of her dreams since she was old enough to know anything about attraction. Unfortunately, he insisted on treating her like a child.

  The man was handsome in a rugged sort of way, with a shadowed square jaw, deep brown hair and same color eyes. As always he wore his gun belt low on his hips and the tin star shone bright on the left side of his chest.

  “Good evening, Isabel, Pastor.” The sheriff’s gaze barely touched on hers before going to her father. “How are the plans going for your upcoming trip?”

  Although there was a bit of a difference in their ages, her father and Sheriff Blake were good friends. So, it didn’t surprise Isabel that he knew about her father’s upcoming travel before she did.

  “Well,” her father replied. “Please join us. I was just about to tell Isabel that I’ve asked you to keep an eye on her while I’m gone.”