by Rose Jenster
“Very well,” Luke allowed.
When her preparations were made, they set off for his cabin where he lit a lantern and collected his shotgun.
He stalked silently across his land and up a rocky path into the foothills, taking her by the elbow to help her over rough patches without a word. She hurried to keep up with him. Tess suffered from his quiet, focused manner, his gallant but almost peremptory aid on the hike. She looked at the ground, at the spruce trees thick on one side of her, the rocky path and the occasional scurry in the underbrush.
They rounded a bend, and the walk became more of a climb. It was necessary for her to use her hands to maneuver up over the rocks to a flat space where she stood, trying not to examine the scratches on her hands from clambering up the rocky slope. Ahead of her, the rocky outcrop gave way to a steep valley below, but the moon was low and near, a papery pale half-circle so close and bright it took her breath away.
“Oh,” she said involuntarily at its beauty.
Luke let her stand and admire the moon for a few minutes before taking her arm to steady her on the climb down. Shrugging away from him self-consciously, she walked a little ahead of him, peering up at the dark trees, squinting to discern movement on the cliff above. Lost in her thoughts, wondering if she had made a mistake coming to Montana Territory, she didn’t see the blur of motion as the wildcat pounced, but she heard the growl.
A scream was ripped from her throat as she felt the heavy weight of the cat’s impact knock her to the ground. Twisting and pushing to get away, trying to cover her face in terror, she screamed again as the rip of claws deep in her arm brought a hot rush of pain through her fear. Blinking, seeing those fearsome jaws just above her throat, she kicked out with all her might, knowing she would die fighting before she would be eaten by a wild animal on the ground. She wept and screamed as those vicious claws pinned her to the rocks.
The deafening crack of a gunshot split the night. The feverish horror of the moment was broken as the crushing weight of the cat went slack upon her. She smelled the gamey stink of the animal and felt the pulsing of hot sticky blood on her garments. Her vision clearing from the paralyzing fright, she searched for Luke, knowing he had saved her life.
His face was grim and ashy pale in the moonlight, his gun on the ground as he dragged the heavy creature’s body off of her. Tess’s teeth chattered, she shook violently, and little cries kept escaping her. She crawled away as soon as the weight was off her and plucked at her soiled dress in mounting horror. Her screams rose again though the danger was past.
Luke caught at her arms and helped her to her feet, his grip supporting her entirely. He crushed her to his chest, a tremor in his arms as he held her, raining desperate kisses on her hair and face. He cupped Tess’s cheek with his hand and kissed her lips.
“I might have lost you,” he said, his voice stark with disbelief.
“You saved me….that horrid animal…” she sobbed.
“You’re bleeding. Where--?” he demanded.
Luke pushed back her cloak and ran his hands along the column of her unmarked throat, her shoulders, until he came to the rent in her sleeve, the shredded fabric coated with blood. Gripping the sprigged lawn, he tore off the sleeve and drew her down to sit beside the lantern so he could examine her cuts. Wrapping a clean handkerchief around her wound, he searched her face, concern in his dark eyes.
“Are there other wounds? Are you hurt?”
“I’m frightened and my arm is sore. I’ll be well. You told me I would need courage,” she said shakily, raising her chin bravely as she said it.
“Can you walk?”
“I believe so. The injury was to my arm, so I ought to be able to make my own way.”
Luke stood and slung the gun over his shoulder by a strap. He left the lantern on the ground and scooped her up off her feet, cradling her in his arms.
“I know the way. I’ve walked this path since I was a boy, and I’ve no need of the light,” he said to quiet her murmured protests at being carried.
“Luke, you must put me down. It isn’t proper, and I’m perfectly able to—“
“I’m sure you could walk, but I want to carry you. I ripped your dress and took you walking alone in the dark which isn’t strictly proper either, so I’m throwing convention to the winds now and taking you to my cabin in this manner,” he said, a hint of mirth in his voice.
Tired of protesting, she concentrated on stopping the chatter of her teeth and the shaking of her limbs as the fear still coursed through her. She leaned her head on his strong shoulder and allowed herself to be carried back over the rough ground to his cabin.
. Once they reached the cabin, he set her down on a wooden bench and knelt down, unlacing her boots. Aghast, she made to cover her feet with her skirts but she touched a patch of sticky blood and shrieked in spite of herself.
“Get this off of me, please! Help me!” she gasped, plucking ineffectually at the buttons.
Deftly, Luke removed her cloak and unfastened her dress, helping her to step out of it. He got a quilt from his bed and covered her with it. She shivered, ashamed, in her petticoats and blanket as he heated water on the cookstove for her to wash. He brought Tess some flannels to wash with and a cake of soap. She thanked him and dabbed at her hands and arms, tears seeping down her cheeks until he took the cloth from her. Luke washed her face gently, brushing her tangled hair back from her forehead with the wet cloth. Her lip trembled, but she tried not to cry any more. Luke’s ministrations were so kind, so gentle, but in no way importunate. He was the perfect gentleman even when she sat before him tattered and bloodstained in her petticoats.
“I’m sorry,” she said faintly.
“You’ve had a shock. There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said, stalwart.
“I mean for getting attacked, not knowing what to do.”
“There was not much you could have done against a full grown cougar, Tess,” he said. “For my part, I’m sorry I led you out there and didn’t act quickly enough to prevent that cat from hurting you,” he said ruefully.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she told him, laying her hand on his wrist.
Luke paused at her touch, perfectly still and looking into her eyes.
“If I had lost you tonight, Tess, I think I would have gone mad. You might have died.”
“You didn’t let that happen. You protected me. I’d—I don’t want to think of what would have happened if you hadn’t killed that animal!”
She shut her eyes and a tear trickled down her cheek. Luke kissed her cheek where the teardrop fell and pulled her into his arms.
“It wasn’t difficult, killing that cougar. The hardest thing is going to be letting you leave here tonight. I want you here with me, Tess, where you belong. I know you want more time, and I can give that to you if you need it, but if I had my way, I would marry you tomorrow, bring you into this home, and start a life together. I’m not certain I can bear to be parted from you after what happened tonight,” he said starkly, his breath warm on her hair as he held her.
“We can’t possibly. There’s no license—“
“I ordered a license the day I sent you the ticket. It’s here—“
He pulled away from her and reached into a drawer, pulling out a sheet of paper and a bundle of fabric. He placed the little ball of what looked like blue silk on the table before her.
Tess picked the fabric apart to reveal a dark red ruby set in a gold band.
“That’s material from Mother’s wedding dress. She kept it wrapped up in there after Father died. She said it would make her happy to see it on my bride’s hand. When I told her about you, she gave it to me in order that I could give it to you. I want you to wear it, not so that everyone will know you’re my wife, but so you’ll be reminded every time you see it that we belong to each other, Tess.” Luke took the ring and held it out to her, “May I place this on your finger?”
“Yes,” she said, with a tearful smile. “I do wish you would. I don’
t want to be apart from you either. Not after you saved my life. You said I had to trust you…how could I do anything else but trust you now? The care you’ve taken of me, the wonderful things you said—oh, Luke!”
Tess put her arms around his neck and raised her face to be kissed. It was a reverent sweetheart’s kiss, full of promise. She smiled at him. He stepped away and took out a shirt of his for her to put on.
“I have nothing else you might wear, and you mustn’t return to town in only your petticoats,”
“I—I think I’ll have to put the dress back on, blood and all, for propriety’s sake. Better that I should be seen still dressed than that people think you had to marry me because you compromised me!”
With his help, she redressed in the filthy, tattered gown that she had once thought so pretty. She laughed a little wildly at the thought of Mrs. Wilford, who’d so admired it, seeing it now. Luke draped the cloak around her and led her back to the inn.
Leah fussed over her and shooed Luke away, promising he could call on her the following day. Tess surrendered herself to Leah’s ministrations, drank a cup of hot tea with lots of sugar, and went to bed in a clean nightdress with a hot brick at her feet.
Chapter 10
Tess slept late, and when she woke, she took some cotton sheeting from her trunk and began to assemble pillowcases.
“I noticed your ring last night even in all the chaos. May I embroider those for you as a wedding gift?” she smiled.
“I’d love that. We’re going to speak to Mr. Gibson today about having a ceremony. Last night was so dreadful but it was also – wonderful. He took such care of me, Leah. I could have perished from how gallant, how strong and masterful he was. He carried me in his arms back to his cabin after the attack!” she said.
“He sounds an absolute hero, Tessie. I’m glad for you,” Leah said, “So yellow and gray for the embroidery do you think?”
“Yes, that sounds lovely. Would you dress my hair after I’ve eaten? I want to look my best for Luke,”
“Only if you’ll let me have a bit of a gloat over this. I did think you’d be perfect for one another,” Leah said with a laugh.
“You may gloat all you like. You were right and I’m so terribly glad that you were. Only imagine if you hadn’t thought of me when he wrote that advertisement.”
“I am the one who corrected and rephrased his advertisement. I wrote it practically as a message to you alone!”
“It did seem rather like an ad looking for me exactly,” Tess giggled.
Tess was resplendent in her new bonnet and gown when Luke arrived with wildflowers to fetch her.
“You look lovely,” he said a bit shyly.
“Leah bandaged my arm, but it’s a bit sore. Would you mind if I walked on the opposite side of you?” she asked.
Luke moved to her left so she might grip his arm with that hand instead of putting the burden on her injured right one. Looking at her solicitously, he hesitated.
“Are you any the worse for our adventure? If you’ve changed your mind, or if you find the frontier too frightening, I’ll understand. I wouldn’t even protest. Not very much at any rate,”
“Truly? You wouldn’t protest if I were to insist on going to the train today?” she teased mischievously.
“I would protest loudly to the heavens, but if you really wished to leave, I wouldn’t prevent you. I might lower myself to beg you to stay, perhaps,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
Mr. and Mrs. Gibson gave them cakes and tea and listened with awe to the story of the cougar attack the night before.
“Well, there’s nothing for it but to marry them immediately,” Mrs. Gibson concluded decisively, “They’re not to be kept apart after surviving such a dreadful experience that might have left them both dead but for the grace of God,”
“Are you certain that you wish to make such a hasty marriage?” Mr. Gibson hedged, “In the aftermath of a crisis it is perhaps unwise to decide something so momentous,”
“We already meant to be married, Mr. Gibson,” Tess put in. “He’s not rushing me into anything. It’s only that our adventure on the mountain has proved to me most fully that we do belong together, and that the time we’re granted on earth is so brief that I’d not waste another day of it.”
Luke squeezed her hand as Mr. Gibson relented visibly.
“Very well then. Let’s get the license in order. Will you be wanting to get the Rogers for witnesses?”
“We’ll see them later. They know we meant to come here, but we’d like to keep it private,” Luke said, taking in Tess’s nod of approval.
They followed the Gibsons into the dim, quiet church, standing in a giddy hush before the altar as Mrs. Gibson lit the candles. The cross behind the altar seemed to flare to life in the flickering light, shadows chasing across the floor. Mr. Gibson opened his prayer book and began the blessing.
Tess hardly heard the words, intent on Luke’s eyes, his open, happy gaze. How transformed he was from the taciturn, guarded man of only two days before! Her hands felt small and cold in his warm grip, and she had to remind herself not to step closer, to go into his arms for an embrace as she longed to. Joyous, she wanted to hold on to him so he could feel how happy she was, how secure, how chosen she felt deep down in her soul.
Luke produced a narrow gold band and slid it on her finger with the ruby that had been his mother’s and she shut her eyes, overcome by bittersweet joy. They spoke the holy words reverently, and Tess laughed from sheer happiness when he kissed her at the end of the ceremony.
They said a final prayer, thanked the Gibsons, and went to Luke’s sister’s house to share the news. Luke kept her tucked under his arm as though he wanted her to be as near as possible. He kept looking at her and smiling, kissing the top of her head.
“I’m so terribly glad, Luke,” she whispered to him as they knocked on Aileen’s door.
“I doubt you could be as happy as I am.”
“Do you think your mother will be hurt that we got married without your family?”
“It isn’t as though it were a whirlwind romance, Tess. We’ve written to each other for months, and I could not wait another day. They’ll be happy for us,” he predicted.
Aileen swept her into a smothering hug and then pulled back to admire the rings.
“I told Mother you’d do something like this!” she crowed, “Let me be the first to give best wishes to you both now! Mother, get the strawberry cordial down. We’ve a marriage to celebrate!”
Soon they were crowded in Aileen’s parlor toasting the health of the couple with sweet berry cordial while the boys were admonished not to run or spill. Emmeline welcomed Tess to the family with all her heart and offered to help her unpack and settle her things in the cabin. Then she made a present of some curtains she’d made for their windows.
“I know I’m not the seamstress you are, Tess, but I made these myself for you to hang in your new home, and I wish you all the happiness of it,” Emmeline said.
“They’re beautiful. There’s nothing I’d like better. Thank you so much!” Tess said, hugging her husband’s mother.
They were of white cotton figured with tiny green buds, chosen no doubt to go with the fresh wallpaper. She treasured them all the more for the fact that his mother had made them with such good wishes in her heart.
“We must get back to the inn and share the good news with Henry and his family,” Luke said as they withdrew.
“At least I’ll have you to myself for a short walk,” he said good-naturedly.
Leah was getting supper on the table but squealed and put the baby down on a blanket to see Tess’s ring and hear their story. Baby Pearl crawled over and pulled up on her mother’s skirts to see.
“You naughty thing,” Leah scolded with a grin. “Sneaking off and getting wed without me for your bridesmaid or this little mite to chew on your flowers!”
“I truly hope you don’t mind. We couldn’t wait,”
“I suspected something of t
he kind,” Leah said, “Oh, Luke, do go fetch Henry from the stable and tell him.”
They gathered at the table, and Henry gave them his solemn congratulations.
“Luke, if you’re half as blessed as I have been in my choice of wife, you’re a lucky man indeed. Leah has brought me such joy and our daughter as well. I hope you’ll have playmates for Pearl in the coming years.”
“We’ve only been married for a couple of hours, Henry. Let us have a bit of time to settle in,” Luke joked.
“You seemed in an awful hurry to get her married before she got away. I assumed you’d be wanting six or seven children right away as well,” Henry teased back.
“These husbands,” Leah shook her head fondly, “what shall we do with them?”
“Love them, I think,” Tess answered with all her heart.
Luke turned to her and kissed her forehead, taking her hand that bore his wedding ring and kissing her hand as well.
THE END
Please keep reading further, as I have put the first chapter of Mail Order Bride Felicity (Book 3 of this series) below. The man that Felicity writes to is Luke's cousin, Alec. Visit Rose Jenster's Amazon page for new books as they develop. The first book in the series, Mail Order Bride Leah, tells the wonderful adventure of Tess's friend, and is available at Amazon.com.
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Excerpt of Mail Order Bride Felicity, Book 3 in the Series, is below – NOTE that Luke's cousin, Alec, is in Book 3.
Mail Order Bride Felicity
Chapter 1
Felicity tucked in the ends of the pale blue ribbon and pinned them securely before deciding to risk adding a single embellishment. Mrs. Mayhew usually wanted her hats to be no-nonsense, and this straw boater was no exception. She had consented to the blue and white striped ribbon at the crown but specified that she was to add no flowers whatsoever. Felicity had worked in the millinery shop for three years, and she had a harmless love of pretty things, so such a plain, unadorned hat offended her sensibilities. She cast around the shop’s workroom for anything she might use to give the hat some style, to set it apart without making it frilly. She wanted Mrs. Mayhew to be happy with her order, but she couldn’t imagine the woman could be happy at all without some special touch, however small, to make the hat beautiful.