by Holly Blake
“I, I don’t know what to say Darby.”
“You don’t need to say anything. I understand that you probably don’t feel the same way about me.”
“I’d not be so hasty to assume that, Darby. I often feel that I can’t catch my breath when you are around. I have butterflies in my stomach and you make me incredibly happy when you come to visit at the clinic. But I have a fiancé back in Boston; at least I think I do. He hasn’t written in three weeks and I was about to write to him tonight and ask if he wanted out of the engagement. Then the fire started and I haven’t had a chance.” She looked around the ground embarrassed by her own confession.
Darby laughed gently and took her hands in his. He looked into her eyes and his usual confidence returned to him in that moment. “I guess we both have much to disclose. Whether Wyldewood stands tomorrow or not, I would still like to dine with you so that we might talk more, if that is alright with you?”
“It is Darby. I am looking forward to it.” She smiled and looked into his eyes. She saw there a depth of deep love and she knew that the letter she would write tonight was not to ask Jonathan what his intentions were, but to tell him that she could not marry him. She was in love with another man. This was true love. It was far more intense than any emotion she felt when she was with Jonathan. This is what being in love felt like and this is what she wanted.
Chapter Six
The town of Wyldewood was still re-building a month after the fires. The clinic, mercantile, feed and seed, carpentry shop and church had all been burnt to the ground. Many other buildings and even a couple of homes had been badly damaged by the fire. The Barnaby’s were the hardest hit. Not only had they lost the clinic, but their home and mercantile had been completely devastated and the mill at the edge of town had been damaged as well. There were no lives lost but one of the Barnaby children had been badly hurt. The little boy had been afraid and hid under his bed as his twin brother searched for him. Mr. Barnaby got the one boy out but the second was caught as a beam fell on the bed he was hiding under. In panic the boy scrambled out from his hiding spot but his arm caught the blaze from the beam and when his father came back for him the damage was already done.
The entire town came together to help each other out. James Halverson and his wife made meals en masse to feed volunteers. Despite the devastation of their own business, Brody and Billy Laramie loaned their expertise in carpentry to help others rebuild and repair. Darby helped fill out the paperwork for insurance claims and Dr. Sullivan created a clinic in his home just as he had in Boston.
The town was busy and instead of a feeling of gloom, everyone seemed to find enthusiasm to get the town re-built so that they could get back to life as normal. They seemed to find great cheer in socializing as they worked.
Hope and Darby had been courting the whole time and grew closer every day. Hope had sent a letter to Jonathan and with it a weight had lifted from her shoulders that she hadn’t realized was there. She had known Jonathan her whole life, and she did love him, but she realized now that she was never in love with him. She hadn’t really known what it meant to be in love with anyone until she met Darby. She had been introduced to Patrick and fell in love with the sweet, rambunctious child who seemed smarter and worldlier than most adults Hope had met. He told her about his travels, the books he loved and about his pet kitten Phileas Fogg. He no longer had a copy of the Jules Verne book so Hope took it upon herself to order it from a friend who owned a book store in Boston.
Today Darby had to meet the new banker, Robert Tate at the train station and Hope had decided to go with him as the book was to be delivered to the station that day. They strolled together arm in arm and listened to the hammering that echoed from every street like bells of hope in the recuperating town.
“Shall we go for a picnic this Sunday? They’re having an open air church service by Clear Creek.” Darby asked squeezing Hope’s arm and grinning merrily.
“I think that would be wonderful! Patrick would love it too, although he can’t bring Phileas Fogg.” She laughed imagining Patrick’s face when he heard that news.
“He won’t understand why not.” Darby laughed. “I wonder if he thinks that cat is like a dog and will follow him everywhere.”
“Well, in fairness, Phileas does follow him everywhere.”
“Yes, that he does.”
They stepped onto the platform and awaited the train’s arrival chatting happily about the fun they would have on Sunday. When the whistle blew they watched as the train pulled into the station. It squealed to a stop and passengers began to descend onto the platform. Darby looked for the man who best fit the description Mr. Noble had given him.
As luggage and parcels began to be placed on the end of the platform Hope excused herself from Darby and made her way into the station. She was about to approach the window where the packages could be picked up when a strong hand grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Her opposite hand flew to her bonnet and she looked up into a familiar face that was attached to the offending hand.
“Jonathan? What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to take my fiancé home!”
“But I sent you a letter calling off our engagement.”
“I don’t accept your rejection. It’s this place that’s put silly notions into your head. You’re coming home with me and we’ll be married next spring. I‘ve already spoken to mother and she approves.” Jonathan stamped a foot as if to finalize the argument.
“Your mother approves? Is that what you were waiting so long for? I know she never liked me but you wanted her approval before marrying me?” Hope suddenly remembered why she had disliked Jonathan when they were children. He was always quoting his mother and stating what his mother would and would not approve. She thought he had outgrown this notion but apparently he had not.
“My mother does like you. She is the one who said that I should ask for your hand. She was hoping that I would find a girl from a more upstanding family, but you were familiar and industrious.” He contorted his face while giving this report, nodding as if agreeing with an argument he himself had made before or was a witness to.
Hope pulled her arm away from a man she saw clearly for the first time. “The only reason you asked me to marry you was because your mother told you to?”
“Of course; I will inherit all of mother’s estate so it is her privilege to guide me in my choices.” He nodded and made the same face again.
“Do you love me Jonathan?”
“I do in my way. Yes of course I do. Don’t be silly. Now Hope we really need to get your things and be on our way. Mother only gave me enough money for the one trip so we have to get the evening train back to Boston.” He began to push her toward the front of the station.
“I’m not going anywhere with you Jonathan,” she stated as firmly as she could.
“Of course you are. Mother said you might be a bit angry with me, but you will get over it soon enough.”
“I’m not going with you Jonathan. I am in love with another man; actually in love with him.”
“You can’t be,” Jonathan said and began to push Hope more forcefully. “I never agreed to your rejection and therefore you are promised to me.” He stamped his foot again.
“Is this man bothering you, Hope?” Darby had appeared with a young man with slicked back brown hair and a neat suit.
“Darby, this is Jonathan. I told you about him.”
“Ah, yes you did. Mr. Davenport can I help you with anything?”
“No thank you sir. I am taking my fiancé home.” Jonathan looked up into Darby’s face and away again quickly. He pulled his lip and stamped his foot. “Hope, we must be going.”
“I told you Jonathan, I’m not going anywhere.” She whirled around in one movement and linked her arm into Darby’s. “This is the man who has stolen my heart.”
“Has he asked you to marry him?”
“No. That doesn’t matter, what matters is that I don’t love you Jonathan.” Hope t
ried to be gentle.
“Well it does matter.” Jonathan insisted. “I asked you first, he hasn’t even asked you yet, so you are still my fiancé.” Another stomp of Jonathan’s foot and the young banker beside Darby started to look very uncomfortable.
“Darby why don’t you take Mr. Tate on to the bank and I’ll deal with Jonathan.”
“Deal with me! I am not a man to be trifled with, Hope. You sir are a cad to be meddling with another man’s betrothed.” He wouldn’t make eye contact with Darby again; he wouldn’t even look up at him. He simply made the statement and grabbed at Hope.
Darby stepped in front of Hope, protecting her from Jonathan. “Is that the problem you have, that you think Hope is promised to you? You asked her to marry you over a year ago, and then let her go on a journey for months without even setting a date.”
“My mother had to approve the date. She wanted to be sure that Hope was the right girl for me.” Jonathan stammered. “Besides, if Hope means that much to you why have you not asked for her hand?” Now he looked up into Darby’s eyes with a look of utter defiance.
“The only reason I haven’t yet was because I was planning to this Sunday at the picnic we are having. It was supposed to be a romantic gesture, one that you have now ruined, I might add!” Darby’s temper flared. He knew this feeling well and he hated when it would spring from him. He inherited this vile disposition from his father and had always been quick to anger. He tried to calm down, but it wasn’t easy, it never was.
“You’re just saying that because I am confronting you now.” Jonathan stamped his foot again.
“Is that so?” Darby turned on his heel and knelt in front of Hope in one fluid movement. He pulled out a small box from his coat pocket and produced a diamond engagement ring. “This was not how I wanted to do this, but Hope Angela Reynolds, will you marry me?”
“Oh yes, Darby I would be so happy to marry you!” Tears sprang to Hope’s eyes as Darby slipped the ring onto her finger.
“I’ve been carrying it around since our first dinner together. I was waiting for the perfect time, but I should have known better.” Darby laughed as he stood up and brushed the dust off his knees.
“You can’t do that! I’ve come all this way and we must be on this train!”
“Well you better hurry then, the train leaves in five minutes.” Darby announced. “And you will be riding it alone I’m afraid.”
“Well I never! You will regret this Hope Reynolds, you will regret this!” Jonathan shouted and strode to the counter to confirm his ticket. With Jonathon off to lick his wounds, Darby turned apologetically to the young man at his side.
“Mr. Tate, I would like to introduce you to my fiancée, Hope Reynolds. Hope, this is Mr. Tate the new president of the Wyldewood bank.”
“Nice to meet you Miss Reynolds,” Tate said, blushing at the scene that had happened before him.
Crowds had stopped to watch and began to clap. Men came up to Darby to congratulate him and women came up to Hope and gave her hugs of encouragement. She didn’t know most of the people who approached but she was glad they were there to witness true love. She noticed Tate looking more and more uncomfortable “Darby dear perhaps you should take Mr. Tate to his office now.”
Darby looked at Tate and saw the look of nervousness on his face at the crowd that began to surround them. “Of course, but I’d like to make sure that Jonathan is on the train and on his way out of here before I leave. Is that alright with you Mr. Tate?”
“Of course, of course, we wouldn’t want any more trouble now would we.” Tate laughed nervously. Hope thought his nerves rather extreme, but being a shy person herself, she put it down to a dislike of being the center of attention, especially amongst strangers.
Chapter Seven
Darby stood with James Halverson in front of the pastor in the new church. He was nervous but happy that this day had finally come. He didn’t know what the future would bring, but he hoped that with a bride named Hope, everything would be filled with promise.
“You are fine, Darby. Stop fidgeting, you’re making me nervous and I’m not the one getting married this time.” James laughed and patted Darby on the back. They had become good friends since Darby had returned to Wyldewood. He was a man of integrity and Darby admired him greatly. He knew that Esther was very fortunate and he couldn’t be happier for her.
Cade Montgomery sat in the front row of the church with his two new baby boys. His wife Ivy was Hope’s best childhood friend and was acting as matron of honor. Esther sat on the other side of the aisle, right in front of Darby smiling warmly at him and attending her own little girl, Virginia who was born just two months ago.
Many of the men from Darby’s club were in attendance along with their families. Eliza was sitting in the front row beside Esther. She had insisted that she had to leave right after the ceremony because only she could oversee the reception.
The newly built, newly painted church had been filled with flowers. Stained glass windows had been ordered before the fire but had arrived two weeks before the wedding. The light that shone through them made the flowers glow a golden hue and the walls warm with golden light. Darby almost felt like he was in heaven. He was happier than he had ever been and the joy that filled his heart overflowed to everyone he came in contact with.
The doors of the church opened and sun light beamed through blinding Darby for a moment. Then he saw his Patrick and the little Barnaby girl walk through the door hand in hand. Patrick carried the rings and the girl carried a basket of petals. The pair stopped at the entrance and waited for their musical cue. Darby had personally asked for Mendelssohn’s Wedding March to be played as it had been in his first wedding. It was a tune that Darby loved and Hope understood how meaningful it was to him. When the organist hit the first note the children dropped hands and took their first step. The girl scattered the petals and Patrick was careful not to step on them. He joined his father at the altar and the girl stood across from him.
Next down the aisle came Ivy. Cade looked lovingly at his wife and she glanced adoringly at her husband and their two babies. When Ivy took her place beside the girl the organ stopped for a moment. Then the thrums of the organ began in earnest and through a beam of light so bright it made them glow, came Dr. Sullivan with Hope on his arm.
Hope was beautiful. Darby lost his breath as she came into view. She held a small bouquet of wildflowers in her tiny hand. Dr. Sullivan looked just as proud as he could be. He hadn’t had the chance to give away Ivy but he was pouring his whole self into giving away this girl who was like a second daughter to him.
The pair walked in time to the music and met Darby at the altar.
“I know you’ll take good care of my girl,” Dr. Sullivan said as he took Hope’s hand from his arm and placed in on Darby’s hand. “Otherwise, we’ll have words.” He laughed at his own joke and took his seat beside Cade and the babies.
Hope looked up into Darby’s eyes and he looked into hers. She was radiant. Her soft brown curls crowned her lovely face. Her deep brown eyes were pools of love. Darby felt the weight of all his past guilt lift from him. With her, he was safe, with her, he was forgiven.
BRIDES OF WYLDEWOOD
Book Six
Billy and Gwen
Chapter One
Things were changing in the quiet town of Wyldewood, Wyoming. The opening of Maguire’s newspaper brought a constant influx of news from around the country, inciting new ideas and practices. It seemed the simple times were being replaced with days of gossip, debate and chaos.
Today, the entire town was abuzz with rumors and the town newspaper was to blame. Grover Wright was under investigation for dereliction of duties. The fact that he was part Indian had come up in Maguire’s newspaper and it brought unfriendly attention from outsiders.
Peggy Barnaby was rumored to be having an affair with the newspaper man and the return of Lamont the outlaw who had kidnapped Anna was causing nothing but trouble.
Billy Laram
ie was growing tired of it all. He much preferred things the way they had always been, and he didn’t care much for the newspaper man at all. And although he had run with Lamont’s Gang at one time, he had left that life behind when he moved to Wyldewood with his brother Brody. Brody was now a deputy sheriff and rumor had it that he would be made sheriff if Grover was stripped of his position.
Billy found himself spending more and more time out on his ranch running cattle. He didn’t want to be around town and only came in to get supplies and a quick meal at either his brother’s home or Mercy Malone’s saloon. He liked Mercy’s. She kept her establishment clean despite the bawdy entertainment. The girls she hired were strictly dancers and if any of the men tried anything with one of her girls Mercy was quick to teach them manners. She was firm with her rules and it kept the place as respectable as a saloon could be. There was another saloon on the other side of town, but it was the crazy kind, where bad men hatched evil plans and Billy wanted none of it.
He kept mostly to himself. He had seen enough trouble in his young life and grew to enjoy the peace that the land offered. It didn’t help that recently the military had also come to town. The Indian wars that plagued the territories had begun to infiltrate the Wyldewood area and so the military had as good as taken over the town. Billy loved his brother, a former military man, but he didn’t like the military for taking his brother from him for so long. He had missed him and it had changed Brody. His brother used to be fun and full of mischief, now he was always so serious. Billy blamed military life for the change and avoided the soldiers as much as possible.
Anna, Brody’s wife had made significant changes in Brody as well, but these where for the better. Brody was more settled and seemed happier than Billy could remember. He enjoyed going to Brody and Anna’s to visit anytime he was in town. Anna had been trying to convince him that he needed a bride too and Billy was considering his options. There weren’t a lot of single girls his age in the area. He thought about heading east and spending some time in the cities to try and meet some new people, but unfortunately he didn’t much care for the city and he had cattle to look after. Anna mentioned writing for a mail order bride as she herself had come to Wyldewood this way.