* * *
She was ready, dressed in a lily white sheered dress with a pinkish underdress. Sarah was a rose in full bloom, ready for display. She twirled around in front of the mirror and a huge smile spread across her face. Even though she was twenty six she looked young and fresh.
“Oh, Anita. I’m lost for words.” Sarah glanced at the sheriff’s wife through the mirror.
“Don’t mention it, all I did was accentuate your natural beauty.” Anita stepped closer to give Sarah’s hair one last quick fix. “Wade will be speechless.”
The women chuckled at the thought of seeing the deputy with his mouth hanging open. Or more likely staring at the floor. He was such a shy and nervous man, at least when it came to her. He seemed plenty capable and brave doing his job.
“This is all so surreal.” Sarah tapped her cheeks twice. Was it really her wedding day? “I can’t believe just a few months ago I wasn’t even thinking about getting married. And here I am…”
Sara thought back to the Valentine’s Day that started it all and wondered how the other girls were doing. She would have to write to them soon. They promised to stay in touch after all.
“Here you are…” Anita smiled. “Now, would you mind putting this on?”
The sheriff’s wife showed Sarah a lacy white garter.
“What’s that for?”
“It’s tradition. Just put it on.” Anita placed the garter on her hand before helping her lift the hem of her dress.
“Well, if it’s tradition...”
After all, she’d already taken a chance on a new place, a new man, might as well give in to this tradition. She took in a deep breath and fanned herself with her hand desperate not to cry. She was so happy! Not long now and I’ll become Mrs. Sarah Oakheart, the deputy’s wife. Mrs. Oakheart. It sounded like music to her ears.
A soft knock on the door made her turn away from the mirror. She looked to Anita, but the sheriff’s wife just shook her head in reply. There was plenty of time left till the ceremony, who could it be?
Anita stood up, pressed the few wrinkled lines on her dress and headed to the door.
“Oh, hello, Tom. What brings you here?”
The boy spoke back fast, with a heavy accent, making it hard for Sarah to understand. She focused on the facial expressions and hand gestures instead. Fear squeezed her stomach.
“Where are they now?”
She didn’t quite catch the reply again. The boy handed Anita a note, looked at Sarah, nodded his head and ran off.
“What’s going on?” Sarah moved closer to the door.
“You might want to sit down, Sarah.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. Did something happen…
“Is everything alright?” Sarah’s lip trembled.
“Uhm… yes and no… Please, sit down. I have a message for you. From Wade.”
Oh, no! Did he run off with someone else? Did he write asking her to go back to New York City? She felt her eyes tear up, and this time not out of joy. She sat down as asked.
“Please, don’t cry, it’s not that bad…” Anita must have guessed what was going through her mind. “It’s just a small… uhm… hitch.”
Sarah took the note from her friend’s hand.
“He’s really, really sorry…” Anita said as Sarah read through the lines. “If they’re calling a posse it must be really important.”
Posse? Important? Her head was spinning. Wasn’t their wedding important? She glanced down at the note again.
Dearest Sarah, my beloved bride,
Forgive me for breaking your heart today. I promised to be your servant and protector, and amongst other things that means keeping our town safe. I will come back as soon as I can, with a hopeful heart and a remorseful conscience. Until then, be well and wait for my return.
With so much love,
W.O.
Sarah crumpled the paper in her hands and let the tears fall freely. But she wasn’t sad – she was moved instead. He would put the safety of others, before his own joy. He loved her through protecting her in the only way he knew. Such a selfless act.
“Oh, Sarah. Don’t cry. Everything will be okay.” Anita gave her a hug.
“I hope so.”
“Our husbands are strong and skilled. No bandits are a match for them!”
At that moment Sarah realized she had been selfish. It wasn’t just her man who rushed out there to protect the town. Anita must have been worried about the news too. And with a sheriff for a husband, her fears must have been even worse.
“All will be well, Sarah. All will be well.”
“God will protect them.” Sarah whispered while her tears kept flowing.
“He will. He always does.” Anita smiled.
They both bowed their heads in a silent prayer. The Lord would protect the good men, the Lord would bring them safely back home.
Chapter 5
Sarah opened her eyes and looked out the window of her rented room. The morning sky was pale and cloudless. She still hadn’t quite grown accustomed to the quiet life in Ragged Pass. Unlike New York where the streets teemed with life from the earliest hour, here things moved at a much slower pace.
The men left the town not long after the news of the bank robbery and followed the trail of the bandits. That meant all she and Anita could do was wait. The sheriff’s wife told her it could be anything from a few days to even weeks before they returned.
Anita tried to take her mind of things by giving her a tour around town and introducing her to the locals. Sarah helped with housework and shopping at Anita’s house. In some ways she was glad for the opportunity to spend more time with her new friend. She didn’t realize how little she knew about running a house, especially one that didn’t come complete with a cook, a maid and a small army of other servants.
Her life as a governess had been really sheltered. But Anita didn’t mind. She gave Sarah little lessons in running the house and started her off easy with a few simple recipes. Things were off to a great start… if only Wade would return already.
Sarah got out of bed and started to get ready. Anita would be knocking on her door soon. And she wasn’t wrong, but that morning the knock came with a little more force and urgency than before.
“Sarah?”
“I’ll be with you in a moment.”
“Alright. But come quick there’s news!”
Sarah finished dressing, and almost tripped over the pastel colored ankle long dress as she rushed the door. Anita greeted her with a smile.
“They’re back!” Anita grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. Sarah barely had time to shut the door behind her.
They marched quickly to the Sheriff’s office on the other side of town.
“What did they say? What have you heard? Is everyone alright?” Sarah pried for some more details.
“I don’t have all the details yet, I came to fetch you as soon as I heard they were back. Apparently there was a skirmish with the bandits, but no one was hurt.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, the messenger would have mentioned something otherwise.”
Sarah sighed with relief. She had to admit she was impressed with Anita. Despite the woman being younger than her by a good few years, she never doubted in a happy ending and their men’s return. Anita was an excellent example of how a frontier wife should behave.
As they neared the sheriff’s office Anita sped up her step. Finally almost running through the door and up the stairs to her husband’s office leaving Sarah behind.
Sarah looked around. Wade’s desk was still empty. But Howard wasn’t sitting in his chair either. Two strangers leaning against the wall gave her a quick glance and tipped their hats. Maybe they are upstairs? She took long and quick steps up on the second floor. But except the muffled cries of joy and whispers coming from the Sheriff’s office the hallway was awfully quiet.
“Wade?” She walked towards the storage room hoping to find him there.
; “Miss Jones?” Howard called to her from the landing.
She turned around and looked beyond him hoping to see Wade. But the two of them were alone.
“Howard. Where is Wade?” Her voice quivered.
“He’s downstairs.”
“But I just been there…” Sarah frowned.
“He’s out the back of the prison, guarding the solitary.”
“He’s keeping a close eye on our guest of honor,” the Sheriff said stepping out from his office locked arm in arm with Anita.
“Guest…?”
Anita gently slapped her husband on the arm.
“Never mind his silly sense of humor.” She glared at him in jest. “Our brave men caught the bandit leader.”
“Indeed, we did.” Sheriff Bradshaw laughed, then he grew more serious. “But just him, the rest of his band are still out there, and they might try to break him out. That’s why I’ve got my best man on guard duty.”
“Can I see him...” Sarah hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether it was alright for her to enter that part of the building.
“Of course. Howard will take you to him.”
“Thank you, Sheriff Bradshaw.”
“Go. He must be dying to see you too.” Anita giggled and waved her hand towards the stairs.
Sarah followed Howard down the stairs and past the two open cells in the large room downstairs. She went through a locked door to another part of the building. Contrary to what she imagined and how her books had described prison cells, the jail here was clean and free from rancid smells.
But all that didn’t matter as at the end of the hallway, sat on a small stool, she saw Wade. And he saw her too, as immediately he stood up. She ran past Howard and straight into her fiancé’s arms.
Only a moment later did she realize there was someone else there too. Behind a corner, in a cell separated from the others by a thick wall a man held onto the ceiling high iron bars. But with his elegant clothes and clean shaven face he did not look like a bandit. He nodded his head and flashed Sarah a cheeky smile, letting her know he’d noticed her.
In fact he looked like he belonged in the church, or at some manor rather than inhabiting a jail cell. Sarah frowned. What a strange world were messengers looked like bandits, and outlaws like young noblemen.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she whispered into Wade’s ear and stepped back.
“Oh, Sarah, dear. I promised you I’d come back.”
“So you did.” She smiled.
* * *
Even though Wade was back, her daily routine did not change much. He was so busy keeping the prisoner in check and helping the Sheriff secure the town against the anticipated bandit raid that they barely saw each other most days. She didn’t complain. Wade’s duties were obviously very important. But the fact remained – she was still unmarried, living in a rented room without even a date set for her wedding.
Sarah placed the teacup back on the table and looked out the window overlooking the fields. Wade told her about the house, but obviously they couldn’t move in together until after the wedding. At least she could occupy her mind with her ideas about how they could decorate.
A knock on the door made her head turn. Her heavy skirt rustled as she got up to see who was there. On the other side she found Wade, in his Sunday shirt, holding a bouquet of a dozen roses in one hand and a small box in the other. He looked tired, probably due to another long night spent at the station, but he still held a warm smile. And it grew bigger as their eyes met.
“Hello, Sarah. These are for you.” He handed her the flowers.
“Why thank you, Wade. You shouldn’t have.” She held them close to her chest and batted her eyelashes.
Wade was still very much the same as when she first met him - he didn’t talk much and would avert his gaze to avoid eye contact. But he did have a romantic soul. She had learned to appreciate the small gestures as his expression of love.
“I very well should. What’s a bride without a bouquet?”
She blinked twice and her jaw dropped. “Huh?”
“Let’s get married today.”
She almost dropped the bouquet. Did he just...
“I know it’s not what you dreamt of…” Wade shifted his weight from foot to foot. “But who knows how long the town’s going to be on high alert. I’d like us to get married today. I can’t let another day pass by without making you my wife. If anything happened… I can’t bear the thought of leaving you alone, with nothing, not even a name to hold on to.”
“Wade…” He took her breath away with his speech. “I... Can we really do this?”
He nodded. “I spoke with the pastor and there’s nothing stopping us.” He paused. “As long as that’s what you would like.”
Of course that was what she would like. Sarah would marry him anywhere, anytime as long as it meant finally being together.
“Yes.” Sarah could barely contain her tears.
They walked to the church after Sarah had changed into something a little bit more elegant. Only a few of their closest friends attended the service. There was no time to gather a large crowd or decorate the church. Sarah didn’t mind.
The ceremony was brief, but solemn and in God’s presence. That was all that mattered. Teary eyed Sarah looked at the pastor reciting the last lines.
“And now, you may kiss the bride.”
Wade cupped her face with both hands before leaning to give her a kiss. It was light and comforting. The kiss sealed their union, it was a promise of forever together, a vow that would not be broken.
The few assembled witnesses clapped and cheered.
Sarah’s smile couldn’t be contained. Finally, she was now officially Wade’s wife to cherish and to hold until old age. And she would be his pillar of support and a source of light for as long as she lived.
Chapter 6
Three days later
Wade placed an empty plate on his desk at the office. It was time to prepare the meal for the prisoner. From his bag he took out a brown paper bag of sandwiches. With Howard watching he placed the food on the plate and checked it thoroughly.
“If you ask me, if someone slipped some poison in there I wouldn’t feel sorry for the bastard,” Howard commented. “Besides, why do you even check that? Didn’t your wife make it?”
Even though Sarah prepared the food protocol dictated that it must be inspected, and Wade always followed the rules.
“Yes. But what if someone switched my bag on the way here?”
Howard rolled his eyes. “I might do that one day… Just to confuse you.”
Wade laughed. “Just you try.”
Finally, satisfied with the prisoner’s food, he pulled out another paper bag. As he opened it the sweet scent of almond brittle hit his nostrils. Howard inhaled loudly too.
“Here.” He threw a piece to Howard, who plucked it out the air with ease. “That should keep you quiet for a while.”
Howard responded with a satisfied grin.
Wade placed another piece on the plate. Even though he didn’t think Samuel Marlow, the infamous bandit leader deserved such a treat, Sarah insisted. She believed one never knew when someone might find their way back to righteousness. He on the other hand wasn’t sure there was much ahead of Samuel other than the noose, given the size of the bounty placed on his head. But he didn’t have the heart to tell her that.
“Time for breakfast.” He pushed the plate through a narrow horizontal gap in the door.
“Good morning, Deputy.” Samuel smirked. “How is married life treating you?”
“Never been happier.” Wade wasn’t planning on sharing more than necessary so he started and was about to leave Samuel to eat his meal when the other man spoke.
“Marriage could be burdensome. Or it could be worth your while. Or it could be both.” Samuel laughed and Wade regretted not keeping the brittle for himself.
“Watch your tongue.” Wade cut in. “Just so you know, my wife was kind enough to gift you the f
ood you’re eating and her prayers.”
Samuel glanced down at his plate and for a moment the smirk was gone from his face. As if some distant memory crossed his mind. Maybe it reminded him of someone back home. If he had one that is. But the smug expression was back soon enough.
“I’ll remember that Deputy. Please send my regards to the Mrs.”.
Wade wasn’t quite sure whether he was being sarcastic or not, so he just left it at that. Fortunately Daniel was on guard duty at the time, so Wade was free to attend to other business.
An hour later, just as he was about to sit at his desk and read through the newspaper three young men walked in. Wade recognized them from the posse – they had recently volunteered to help out on a more regular basis at while the town was on high alert.
“Mornin’, Deputy.” The tallest of the men stepped forward. Jack… or was it Jake? “Good morning, Deputy.” The tallest of the men stepped forward. Jack… or was it Jake?
“Good morning,” he replied putting down his paper.
“With your permission, we would like to request firearms.” The shortest of the three said. “The Sheriff said there should be some spares in storage.”
“Oh, that. Wait here, I’ll get them for you.”
The Sheriff had mentioned they still had some extra shotguns in the storage by the stable. Wade walked out the door and towards the back of the prison building. He glanced at the tiny window of Samuels’ cell. With the stable wall right opposite the prisoner didn’t have much of a view. Then his eyes wandered to the ground under the window and he frowned.
Just a few steps away from the window lay a pile of horse manure. While the ground around was reasonably dry and well-trodden one particular footprint stood out to Wade. If it hadn’t been in the manure, he might have missed it. He walked up closer.
The footprint was smaller than those left by men’s boots all around it. He traced it back and spotted a few more of the same smaller print just below the grilled window.
That couldn’t be a coincidence. No one else stepped into the manure, as it was clearly visible in the daylight. So it must have been someone walking around under the cover of darkness. Someone who wouldn’t dare light a lantern or torch. Instinctively Wade knew something had happened the previous night. If any of the outlaws were able to sneak into town, they were all in danger.
Sarah's Journey (Valentine Mail Order Bride 4) Page 4