Seth's Promise (Grooms With Honor Book 6)

by Linda K. Hubalek

  “I also spent time looking at the horses this afternoon. I actually liked the mare group you spent last night with, and I picked several stallions I’d be interested in, too.”

  “When’s the sale?”

  “Day after tomorrow, so maybe you’ll be rested enough to join me at the auction, give me your advice,” he slowly grinned.

  “Besides seeing horse teams pulling wagons and carriages in Boston, it’s been a few years since I rode a horse.”

  “Ah, but you’ve ridden, so you grew up on a farm? We haven’t talked about your family or life in Sweden. What did your father do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Sharecropper for a rich man,” was all she said before taking another bite of sandwich.

  “You’ve been around livestock then.”

  Lily chewed and swallowed her bite before answering him. “My parents were too poor to have more than a milk cow and a plow horse, but when I moved to the manor farm, I did livestock chores besides taking care of their young children.”

  “That’s kind of a strange job combination for a housemaid, isn’t it?”

  How did she answer his question, and how much did she want to tell him about her childhood? “I wasn’t a housemaid. I moved there when I was ten years old, doing chores early before the master’s children woke up. After they went to bed, I did my evening chores.”

  “That’s young to start working outside the home, but I guess no different than child labor in America—be it on the farm or in a factory.

  “Our family was ‘as poor as church mice,’ as they say, when us six boys were little, since Da, my father, is a preacher. Probably half his pay was in meat and produce though, so we always had enough to eat. Ma’s always had a big vegetable garden behind the house, too.”

  I’ve been half starved all my life, Lily thought.

  “I always raid Ma’s canned goods when she’s done pickling in the fall. I love her dill pickles, and they aren’t something I could make myself or buy in the store. She has a special recipe she rarely shares. I’ve been doing it for five years now, so she makes extra jars of them just for me.”

  He looked lost in thought. “What made you decide to come to America?”

  “Like all immigrants, it was a way to start over,” Lily quickly said before taking the last bite of the sandwich.

  Mr. Reagan sat back in his chair, staring at her face. “I’d say there’s more to your story—and, if you ever want to share it with me—I’ll listen without judgment.”

  Why couldn’t Mr. Hardesty have been a decent man like Mr. Reagan?

  “The other thing I need to mention is the police are looking for you, but a certain blue dress will be found stained and torn in Bubbly Creek fairly soon, so hopefully that will stop Hardesty’s active hunt for you.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  “Better you don’t know,” was all he’d reply. “I hated to throw the dress away though because I thought the dark blue color was very fetching with your pretty strawberry-blonde hair. Don’t get me wrong, not the style of the dress, but the color.”

  Lily blushed at Seth’s compliment of sorts. At least she’d have a good memory of the dress now because Mr. Reagan thought she looked pretty in it

  “Ah…were you able to get a few things for me?” Lily hated to ask, but she really needed some items on the list, and to change the subject.

  “Yes, you’ll find the packages on the settee. I thought you needed to sleep rather than looking through your items when I got back to the room.

  “And about sleeping arrangements…I checked but the hotel is full so I couldn’t get another room. I’m sorry, it isn’t proper, but I’m going to have to sleep on the floor in this room.”

  “Mr. Reagan, you are paying for this room, so I’ll sleep on the floor. I’ve slept in much worse places,” Lily could have bitten off her tongue telling him about her past living arrangements, but he didn’t comment on it.

  “You’ve been hurt, so you stay in the bed tonight. But I do ask for the spare pillow and a blanket,” Seth asked as he yawned.

  She’d gladly give him most of the bedding for his generosity.

  Why couldn’t he have been the groom waiting for me at the train station?

  It didn’t take Mr. Reagan long to fall asleep, even if he was sleeping on the carpeted floor. But after Lily heard his even breathing, she rolled on her side toward him, just so she could look at him. The window drapes weren’t quite closed in the middle, and he’d moved enough so she could see his face in the shadowed light sneaking across from the window to the floor.

  She studied his features, wishing she had the liberty to feel the dimple in his chin, follow the line of his eyebrows, and trace the calluses on his working rancher’s palms. The few times she’d touched his arms or chest, she felt hard muscles of a man who did honest, manual labor.

  Lily automatically compared him to Mans Soderstrom, the only man she’d ever touched—because they were to be married—or so they’d planned. But his parents didn’t want Mans to marry a piga, a servant girl way below his family’s social class.

  Mr. Reagan may not have been as handsome as Mans, but she liked his rugged looks. Seth proved he could be trusted and had followed through on his promises, where Mans hadn’t.

  She shut her eyes when tears trailed down her cheeks and onto the crisp, white pillowcase. Lily had thought Mr. Hardesty was her destiny when he answered her letter regarding his ad, asking her to come to Chicago. She’d memorized the short, cherished letter because she was excited someone wanted her.

  Dear Miss Lind,

  I received your letter requesting to come to Chicago, and I agree after seeing your photo. Enclosed is a train ticket to travel to the Union Station Depot. It is a six-day trip, so I’d like you to arrive here on November 10th.

  Sincerely,

  Mr. Wilber Hardesty, Esquire

  But after meeting him and seeing the Emporium, Lily realized he never asked her to be his wife. The letter was short, to the point, telling her to be in Chicago by a specific date—that was all, absolutely no mention of marriage. She knew better, had been hurt before, and swore she’d never get in a situation she couldn’t control again…but Lily took the first chance she saw to have a new life, without thinking it through as she should have.

  Now she was back to being alone, penniless, and in a new city where she didn’t know a decent soul—except for one man who’d be going back to Kansas in a few days.

  Chapter 6

  Seth was surprised at the amount of food Lily ate this morning for breakfast. If she were a horse, he’d be worried about her floundering because she shoveled food into her mouth like she couldn’t get enough. It made him wonder—was she naturally very slim by nature, or because she hadn’t had money for food? She still hadn’t talked about her past, but he was about to suggest a future.

  Seth couldn’t get the idea out of his head when he thought of it yesterday. It would help Miss Lind get out of Chicago and away from the Stockyards Emporium owner.

  Miss Lind was free to do whatever she wanted to do, but Seth was worried Hardesty would find Lily and have her imprisoned in the saloon again. Seth couldn’t believe the obsession Hardesty had for the woman, probably because her looks and voice could add to his coffers. Hardesty considered Miss Lind his “property” even though she wasn’t an employee—if there was such a thing as legally hiring a soiled dove—and he never married her. So…

  “Miss Lind, I’d like to propose an idea to help you with your predicament,” Seth’s stomach was swarming with butterflies. Was he nervous about what he was about to ask her, or excited with the prospect she’d say yes?

  She was eyeing the last piece of toast on the breakfast tray, but quickly looked up when he spoke to her.

  “Miss Lind,” he waited for her to look across the table at him, “will you marry me today?”

  Luckily, she wasn’t eating the toast, or she’d have gagged on it trying to sputter out, “What? Why? We barel
y know each other!”

  “You were going to marry a man you only had contact with through one letter.”

  “Yes, but he’d been checked out by the matrimony agency, so I assumed he could be a good husband.”

  “Which he wasn’t. I am a sincere, honest man and you can send a telegram to the town marshal to confirm it. Marshal Wilerson, town merchants, and my father, Preacher Patrick Reagan, can all vouch for me if you need assurance.”

  “You would marry me, even though you don’t know my…background?”

  “Yes. But, what I’m offering is a marriage of convenience, so you can get out of Chicago and have a fresh start in Kansas.” Seth took another breath to continue, “We can annul the marriage once you’re settled in the Swedish community near Clear Creek.”

  Seth didn’t know how to react when tears formed and slowly trailed down Miss Lind’s cheeks. Was she upset, sad, or happy he made the offer? It was so hard to tell what the woman was feeling.

  “Are you sure of this, Mr. Reagan?”

  “Positive, or I wouldn’t have offered.” Seth realized she’d had a tough life and found this opportunity to start over challenging to believe.

  “Yes, Mr. Reagan, I gladly accept your proposal of a marriage of convenience, and I can’t believe my luck of coming to Chicago and finding you,” she whispered as she folded her hands in prayer and looked up to heaven and back to him.

  “I’m glad I found you, too. And I believe we can be on a first name basis now, right, Lily?”

  “Yes, Seth.” She beamed back at him even though she had tears of relief running down her cheeks. Seeing her grateful face made him feel good about his decision.

  “So, your fiancé,” Seth enjoyed saying the word, “bought his bride-to-be some clothes yesterday—besides the meager list you gave me.”

  “Oh, but I can’t…”

  “Uh, uh. You need to learn to say tack så mycket and open the packages on the settee, so we can go get married, Lily.”

  Lily was out of her chair at the table where they had been eating their breakfast and practically hopped over to the settee. She was excited as a child on Christmas morning.

  I hope she likes what I picked out for her.

  “Any order I should unwrap the packages?”

  “Well, now that you asked, yes,” Seth said as he moved his chair over to the pile on the settee. “Shall I bring over a chair for you?” Lily sat back on her knees by the settee like it was a Christmas tree.

  “No, I’m so excited, I just want to open the packages!”

  “Let’s see…” Seth sorted through the packages and picked out one but didn’t hand it to her outstretched hands yet.

  “Keep in mind because we’re traveling, I just bought a few pieces of clothing. Taylor’s Mercantile in Clear Creek won’t have the same selection as Chicago, but we can buy more clothes for you later.”

  Lily literally tore the brown paper wrapping off the first small package to reveal a royal blue silk shawl. She ran her fingers over the slick material then wrapped it around her shoulders. “It’s gorgeous! I’ve never had something so elegant! Thank you!”

  “The sales lady said you could wear it as a shawl or as a scarf. And I mentioned I liked blue on you, so be prepared…” He grinned as he handed her a box from a favorite department store next.

  She had the string unwrapped around the box and the lid off in seconds. Neatly folded inside were two shirtwaists, one white and the other a blue and white striped, and a navy blue wool dress skirt.

  “Hopefully they’ll fit. The skirt has an adjustable waistband so that should help to make it fit right. And…I picked blue again.”

  Lily’s eyes grew full of joy. “Oh, Seth, these are perfect, both size and color! I’ve never had three new pieces of clothing at once…or ever. And the latest fashion, too!”

  Seth laughed. His ma literally danced around the Christmas tree last year when she unwrapped a new shirtwaist. She was especially excited because it had the unique style of sleeves. In contrast, the men in their family didn’t care a whit what they wore as long it was clean at the start of the day.

  “Okay, here’s a package you won’t get as excited about since it holds the items on your list.”

  “Well, I shouldn’t have forgotten my toiletries on the washstand, but I did in my rush to get out of the Emporium. I’ve been embarrassed knowing I hadn’t used my toothbrush and powder in days,” Lily confessed opening the top of the paper bag from the pharmacy to peek inside it. She’d also needed a comb and hairpins.

  “What’s the little bottle?” she stuck her hand in the bag to pull it out.

  “Now I didn’t buy it because you have an odor and need to be wearing it but…read the label.”

  “Blue Lilies Perfume!” She immediately unscrewed the cap, took a sniff and then held it up so he could smell it. “I like it! Thank you, Seth.”

  “I didn’t know what it might smell like, but I couldn’t pass it up when it had both ‘blue’ and ‘lily’ on the bottle,” he chuckled, pleased he’d bought the little extra surprise for her.

  “Okay, you need to finish opening your packages, so we can get on with our day. Since it’s winter, you need…”

  “A shawl to keep warm,” she finished his sentence as he handed her a large package.

  “This is awfully heavy for a shawl. Are Kansas winters worse than back East?”

  “Don’t know since I’ve never been past Chicago. Please open it up and see if you think it will be warm enough.”

  Lily’s mouth changed into a big “O” as she unwrapped her new…navy blue Mackintosh coat.

  “Oh, Seth! This is too much!” The full-length wool coat, lined with a dark blue plaid to add another layer of warmth, also had two detachable capes for even more protection. Lily stood up and put the coat on over his nightshirt she was still wearing.

  “Kansas can have some harsh blizzards, so you’ll be warm wherever you go. And there’s a pair of lined leather gloves already in the side pockets, too.”

  “You’ve spent so much money on me! I don’t know what to say, except thank you a thousand more times!”

  Seth raised his hand. “You’ve already said it enough times, and I’m glad I could purchase them for you. Now you have one more box to open. And remember you’re going to be living on the Kansas Plains, not in the Chicago high society district, so it’s not fancy.”

  Of course, Lily knew it was a hat by the box. He was sure she’d like anything to put on her head, but he wanted her to look nice too. Nice hats gave women self-confidence, simple as that.

  Lily slipped off her new coat, and carefully laid it on the bed before opening the hat box. Lily’s eyes teared again when she took the hat out of its tissue-lined box. Seth had seen Lily’s plain brown hood cap at the train station, so he wanted to give her something more stylish, but that would still offer warmth. The hat was a combination of light blue silk and dark blue velvet fabrics, with a little sprig of dainty blue silk flowers on the crown. The wide velvet ribbons would cover her ears when she tied them under her chin.

  “I thought a simpler hat without too much—flowers, birds, and stuff—would work best so you could wrap your shawl over it for more protection.” She looked so overwhelmed—or shocked—he wanted to put his arms around her to give her more warmth and confidence.

  Seth had heard Lily quietly crying during the night, but he tried to keep his breathing even, so she wouldn’t be embarrassed he heard her. Seth had a tough time visualizing how she must feel because he’d never been in a desperate situation like hers. He and his brothers were taught to push forward in a bad situation, dig their way out of a mess, find a solution—but his family was always there to support one another. Lily had no one, and it gave him a guilty conscience for being lucky, so maybe he went a little overboard on the clothing he bought, but Seth wanted to give her hope in mankind—and him.

  “Since I was hoping you’d say yes to my proposal, I also checked about getting married. It would be e
asiest and faster to be married at the courthouse, rather than a church. Will that be okay with you, Lily?”

  “Yes, I’m just happy to become Mrs. Seth Reagan,” she hiccupped through another sniffle.

  How she said his name made him a little uneasy, but that was to be expected with her circumstances.

  “You’ll need to show some sort of identification to get the license. Do you have something to prove who you are?”

  “Yes. Since my immigration paper was in my Bible, it didn’t get stolen at the Emporium.”

  “Good. How about you get ready, then we’ll go to the courthouse. I want to go back to the Stock Show this afternoon, but I’ll bring you back here to rest.”

  “I’d like to go with you if I wouldn’t be in the way. My ribs are sore, but not enough to spend most of the day here by myself—especially since it’s our wedding day,” Lily shyly finished as she picked up the clothes and headed for the bathroom.

  Well, yes it was, so he should make it special for Lily. After the ceremony, they’d go to the show for the afternoon, then dine in a nice restaurant before returning to their room this evening.

  ***

  “Malena Lilya Linddotter,” Lily proudly stated as she handed the clerk her immigrant paper. In a few minutes, she would be wed to Seth Edward Reagan.

  She looked up at Seth when he coughed in his hand. He raised his eyebrows questioning…? Oh, she hadn’t told Seth her real name. She’d Americanized her name to fit in, but she hadn’t officially changed it. And now it didn’t matter because her last name would be Reagan, at least for a while.

  “That’s all the paperwork, now if you’ll wait on the bench down the hall, the judge will call you into his office for your ceremony,” the clerk said while handing the papers, which the judge would sign, to Seth.

  “I’m glad you said your name first, or I would have said Lily Lind,” Seth whispered when they got to the bench and sat down.

  “I’m sorry, I’ve used my American name for two years, but the Swedish version is still my legal name.”