Mail Order Brides Western Historical Romance Collection 3 Book Bundle (The Brides of Wyldewood 2)

by Holly Blake

  “So he isn’t a boring old soul?”

  “No, he is anything but boring. I know you can handle that though. You have a little of that in you too.” Mercy laughed. Gwen wasn’t sure if she took it as a complement or an insult, so she just smiled and held her tongue.

  Gwen and Mercy sat and caught up for several hours. Mercy told Gwen all about her adventures escaping the city, her travels around the country and even up to Canada. Gwen regaled Mercy with her tales of of her correspondence with Billy and the fighting and ruffians on the train ride. Finally when it was time to go Gwen headed out through the saloon calm and happy.

  Just as she made her way into the bar room men started chanting and jeering. “Give us a show blondie! Kick up your heels for us!”

  Gwen was startled by the cat calls. Obviously Seth Grayson in his drunken stupor had let it slip that Gwen had once been a saloon girl. She looked at Mercy for help and support but Mercy just smiled. “You have to face your past sometime Gwen. You have to stand up to these men and show them who you really are.”

  Gwen’s stomach sank and she ran from the saloon in tears ashamed of all the things she had done. What would Billy think of her? Mercy said he wouldn’t want a purely innocent girl, but would he want a former saloon girl? That might be pushing his limits. Even if she had been forced to do it.

  Gwen ran back to the Inn and straight up to her room. She threw her things into her bags and looked through the ads she still had. There was one promising one left. A man in Colorado was looking for a good clean living woman. He had seemed nice in his letters, just a little boring. He had a farm out in the country and the town that he lived near was miles away and very small. It only had a church and a mercantile. It sounded perfect to Gwen.

  As soon as she was packed and changed for travel she settled her bill with Mr. Halverson and made her way to the train station. Luckily there was a train leaving in half an hour. It wasn’t heading in the direction she wanted to go, but she would circle around and get there eventually. She would write Billy a letter and send it from the next town.

  She had used her real name here, but in the next town she would change it again and make it so that no one could follow her. Her bones suddenly began to ache. This isn’t what she wanted, but what choice did she have. The fact that she had been exposed meant that even if Billy where to marry her, he would spend the rest of his days being embarrassed by her. She couldn’t do that to him. She had to set him free.

  Chapter Six

  Billy went to meet Gwen at the Inn as they had agreed the evening before. He was dressed in his finest suit, one he had had made for him for Brody’s wedding. He had asked his friend Darby Buford to arrange for them to dine at the Black Hills Club, the luxury restaurant in town. It was members only but Darby was able to pull some strings. It was a special occasion. Billy was going to ask Gwen to marry him.

  Over the past week Billy had decided that Gwen was definitely the one for him. He really liked her but even more he was falling deeply in love with her. He got a thrill just thinking about her. He loved the color of her hair, she was blonde but in the sunlight it had a reddish hue like strawberries and cream. Her blue eyes sparkled with delight at almost everything he showed her. She wasn’t shy but she wasn’t a loud mouth either. She was smart and had a way with people, real charm that made Billy proud every time he introduced her to someone. She was fun too. She didn’t mind his coarseness; she seemed to delight in that too. He couldn’t think of anything else he could ask for in a life mate and so he had made the decision and now was going to act on it.

  Billy entered the Inn and not finding Gwen waiting he sought out James and Esther. He watched as Esther served a couple in the dining room while her baby daughter, Virginia, rocked in a cradle in a corner. “Good evening Mrs. Halverson, is Gwen around?”

  “Why no Billy, she checked out a few minutes ago.” Esther looked concerned and pulled Billy back out to the foyer and quietly told him what she had seen. “Something has upset her Billy. She came in with tears streaking her face. I don’t know what happened. Virginia was fussing so James checked her out without asking. I thought maybe you had rejected her for some reason, but I see now that you haven’t.”

  “Where did she go?”

  “She had her bags sent to the train station so I would presume that is where she was going as well.”

  Billy said a quick thank you as he rushed out the door and ran to the train station. He knew the train schedule and was sure there was a train heading east very soon. His heart was in his throat as he ran. What could have happened that she would leave without telling him? Had he done something wrong?

  He was nearly at the train station when he saw Brody, Lamont and Seth having an argument. He didn’t have time to stop and find out what was going on, but when Lamont took a swing at Brody and Seth followed with another swipe, Billy just couldn’t let it go.

  “What is going on here? Seth, Lamont, what are you doing?”

  “Keep out of it Billy Boy, this has nothing to do with you!” Lamont growled while throwing another jab in Brody’s direction. Brody ducked out of each blow but wasn’t fighting back.

  “It’s Ok Billy. Lamont and Seth are drunk and after trouble.” Brody smiled at his brother as he ducked another jab from Seth who fell down as he missed.

  “It’s not OK. Seth, what is going on here?”

  “He takes anything and everything he wants!” Seth pointed up at Brody and started to roll around on the ground in a vain attempt to get up.

  “What are you talking about?” Billy asked but he had a good idea of what Seth was angry about.

  Lamont piped up. “He took another man’s woman, and then he took Grover’s position as Sheriff. What’s next Brody?” Lamont pulled out his gun but before he could level a shot Billy ran at him and knocked him to the ground. A shot rang out in the air and the next thing he knew Brody had Lamont’s gun and was checking everyone for wounds.

  The train whistle sounded and Billy rolled onto his feet and was off like a shot.

  “Are you ok, Billy?” Brody yelled after him while putting cuffs on Lamont.

  “Fine, I just have to stop a train!” Brody shook his head and moved to help Seth up.

  “Good Luck!” Brody yelled and Billy waved as he moved as fast as his long legs would carry him.

  Chapter Seven

  When Billy entered the train station it was almost completely empty. There weren’t many people heading east these days, most were heading west to seek their fortunes. The west was opening up and being settled. It was slowly but surely being tamed. He ran through the station and out onto the platform. He was just in time to see the train chugging forward. He ran to the first car and jumped aboard as the train began to pull away from the station. Now to find Gwen he thought.

  Billy went from car to car desperately searching for the girl he wished to marry. He finally found her huddled in a train car with her head hung low and a handkerchief covering her face. He could see her shoulders shaking and his heart melted. He opened the door of the carriage and came to her side. She jumped and looked into his eyes. Her face was pale and wet with tears.

  “What are you doing here?” She demanded.

  “I came to find you. We had dinner plans remember?”

  “Of course, I had forgotten. I am sorry Billy but I must not stay here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because…..I have my reasons I just can’t stay.”

  “You can have your reasons and be as miserable as you seem to be now or you can tell me and maybe we can find a solution for whatever problem you’re having.”

  Gwen looked surprised by his reasoning. “You won’t like what you hear. I am not the woman I pretend to be. Worse yet is the fact that I am not fit to marry you. I came here on false pretenses and I apologize for that.”

  “What do you mean? You have to give me more details than that. Besides, how do you know whether you’re fit to be my wife? You might be just the right kind of girl for me.�
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  “If you’re sure you want to know the whole truth about me, then I’ll tell you everything, but then I suspect you will send me on my way.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that. Now go on and tell me, everything.”

  “When I was very young I was orphaned. Then I got sent from one relative and another until I was finally sent to live with my Uncle Adam and his family. Things were fine for a while until my uncle got into trouble for gambling debts he owed. He forced me to work in the saloons and after that he tried to get me to entertain his friends in ways that were not suitable to a lady. Another girl who had been working for him had run away so I decided to do the same. I answered your letter, and here I am. And if you no longer want me, I will understand. I will not hold you to your intention of marriage.” Billy nodded and held her hand as she told her story.

  “The other woman who ran away is Mercy, from the saloon in town.”

  “Mercy is a fine woman. You should be proud to call her a friend.”

  “I am, but we both ran away from a bad past. There is a little more to my story that you might as well hear. For a time when I was trying to escape my Uncle I was living with your old friend Seth. It was a sinful arrangement and one that I deeply regret. But I was simply trying to stay alive and safe.”

  A look of anger crossed Billy’s face. “Seth is a wild one. Did he hurt you?”

  Gwen started to cry. ”No, he never hurt me. He took good care of me. But I didn’t love him and he knew it. He was happy just to have me at his side. But I felt wrong about it. And I ran from him too. Now we have wound up here in the same town.” Gwen let the tears of shame roll freely down her face.

  Billy wiped her cheeks gently and tucked a stray curl back from her forehead. “Oh, Gwen. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has done things in their past that they would like to change. I myself have done many things that I wish I could take back. But the past is the past. And mistakes are the things we learn the most from. I would never hold any of that against you. And it certainly wouldn’t keep me from loving you.”

  Gwen smiled and dried her tears. Billy put his arm around the young woman and she nuzzled into his shoulder.

  “And now, if you are finished crying, I have a present for you, if you’re willing to take it.” Gwen sat up and looked at Billy as he rifled through his coat pockets. He pulled out a ring and presented it to Gwen. “I don’t care about your past. I care about our future. It seems to me you did the best you could under some pretty miserable circumstances and I can’t say I have fared any better in mine. Gwen, you are a beautiful woman on the inside as well as the outside. Everything you say to me makes me love you even more. I know that I want you as my wife and I will be proud every day to have you on my arm.” Billy was passionate in his words and he hoped that she could see that he meant every word.

  “But Billy, what will people think of you for marrying a saloon girl?”

  “I don’t care what other people think.”

  “But Billy…”

  “But nothing. Gwen the world has its own opinions. There will always be people that will think and say foul things. It’s not our job to change them; it’s our job to hold our heads up no matter what and to be the best people we can be today. Worrying about what other people think or what they may say, that’s a fool’s game. You’re not a fool Gwen, and neither am I. Let other people worry about whatever they want to worry about and we’ll just worry about ourselves. Does that sound like a plan to you?”

  “Oh Billy, do you mean it?”

  “Of course I do. I love you and will be proud to stand beside you no matter what.” Gwen curled back into Billy’s shoulder. He put the ring on her finger and she held out her arm so they could look at it.

  “Looks good on you.” Billy was pleased beyond measure. “It was my grandmother’s. Brody gave Anna our mother’s ring but this one means everything to me. My grandmother was an amazing woman. She was from the south and I always remember her having such grace and charm. I was only a small boy when we left, but I never forgot her. It means a lot to me that you wear her ring.”

  “Oh Billy, that makes me so happy. I am so proud to wear her ring, and I am very proud to marry you.” They rode the rest of the way in silence and when they finally got back to Wyldewood it was a new day. Gwen had found the courage to walk back to the saloon and face her demons, with Billy proudly at her side.

  Chapter Nine

  Billy and Gwen didn’t waste time with wedding planning. They were married a week after his train ride proposal. Gwen wore the dress Mercy had worn on her wedding day to her deceased husband Sidney. It was the one thing Mercy had kept since she left Sacramento. Billy wore the same suit he had worn to Brody’s wedding. All in all it was a simple affair. Only a few friends and family were in attendance and after the short service they all went back to the Inn for dinner. Billy took Gwen to the ranch house for the first time after that meal. It hadn’t occurred to him that she might want to see her new home before she came to live in it.

  “It’s lovely Billy. So small and quaint! It’s like a doll house.”

  “It is kind of small isn’t it? It was fine for just me, but I guess I need to get building.”

  “Not yet Billy. Let’s just enjoy this little place for a while, just the two of us.”

  “You weren’t being funny? You actually like the house?” Billy asked surprise in his voice.

  “Yes I do! I have lived in huge houses, small houses, the back of saloons and even the back of an old church at one time. But this is the warmest, most welcoming house I have ever set foot in.” Gwen sighed. She really did like how small and cozy the house was and she didn’t want the responsibilities of a larger home, not yet anyway. “I love this place. One bedroom, a kitchen and a living area, it’s perfect. Think of how little I’ll have to clean!” Gwen laughed.

  “You don’t have to clean any of it if you don’t want to. I’ll do it!” Billy laughed.

  “That’s not the point Billy Laramie.”

  Billy put his arms around Gwen’s waist and pulled her close. “It is nice and cozy in here, just enough room for two half crazy people to keep to themselves Gwen Laramie.” Gwen smiled at her new name.

  “It has a nice ring to it doesn’t it, Gwen Laramie. I like it!”

  Billy smiled and planted a big kiss on his new bride. Gwen felt safe, and more than that, she felt truly happy for the first time in as long as she could remember. It was perfect and she would never let anything ruin this new life.

  The End

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