Was she really thinking that her husband had just up and gone East to bring her sisters to her? Did he think that he had to do that to regain her trust, to prove how much she meant to him?
Was Cassie really thinking that Ethan had taken the train out to New York and for the past few days had been rescuing her sisters from their horrible life with their aunt and uncle.
How would he have done such a thing? Of course he would have needed some proof of who he was. Martha knew that Cassie was to remarry.
When Ethan turned up at the address on Martha's letter and showed Martha the wedding photo and her own letter to Cassie, would she and Rachel have placed their faith in a handsome stranger who claimed to be their sister's new husband?
The more she thought about it the more it seemed possible. Crazy, but possible.
Cassie was dumbfounded. For a moment she felt the breath in her chest become short and hard to get. She got up and stepped outside and took a deeper breath, filling her lungs with cool early morning air. She ran her hands through her unkempt hair.
It was impossible. He couldn't seriously believe that he could do such a thing. Could he?
Cassie walked across to the field and gazed up at the blue sky. The world spun around her and she had to fight hard to steady herself. She walked for a while, trying to settle her nerves and eventually, after a while, she felt a calmness settle on her.
What did Ethan have when he arrived by train in New York, perhaps a few days before?
He had the address of where Cassie's two sisters were living. He had a photo showing their beloved sister and himself being married. And he had a letter that Martha herself had written to Cassie.
It was all incontrovertible proof that Ethan was who he claimed to be.
Cassie could just imagine Ethan finding some way to ingratiate himself with Martha, perhaps catching her attention on a walk or visit to the local store. Ethan had already said he had plenty of experience when it came to finding out things about the daily movements of those he sought out.
Cassie imagined Martha's amazement at seeing the wedding photo. Perhaps there would be tears. Certainly she would be shocked. Cassie thought about Ethan showing her the letter and explaining why he was there and the urgency of keeping it all a secret from her aunt and uncle.
It wasn't every day a knight in shining armor arrived to declare he was going to take you and your younger sister to safety and to be reunited with their beloved sister.
But Martha was clever. Cassie knew that. If Ethan told her he had come from Cassie and he was there to escort her to a new life where her sister lived out West, then Cassie was sure that Martha would be sceptical at first, but the evidence would convince her in the end.
Then it was only a matter of the practicalities of making their way West by train, to be with Cassie.
Once again the earth spun beneath Cassie's feet as she thought about it all. It was like something out of a dream and for a moment she even doubted that she was awake. She pinched herself to make sure.
What did this say about Ethan? What did this tell her about the man who was her husband?
He would move heaven and earth to give her what she wanted. That's what it told her. He had known what it meant to her that her sisters would be safe, and he had literally gone to the ends of the continent to bring them to her.
There was no other explanation. When she thought about it all she was truly amazed and she felt an intense emotion well up in her chest.
Standing there in the middle of the field where she had toiled so many days, breaking her body to wrench a life from the earth, Cassie knelt down and felt the tears course from her eyes.
It could not be that someone would do such a thing. That a man could come into her life and decide that she was someone so important that nothing in the world was too much. That no task was impossible and that no effort would be spared in ensuring her trust and happiness.
Cassie wept with joy and sadness, feeling all the emotions that had warred within her all these weeks. Her body shook uncontrollably and her fingers sank into the soft earth.
When the wave of emotion had passed Cassie felt a softness inside her, even a relief that she had let it all out of her. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. It was a special kind of peace, formed by the realization that Ethan was a man like very few other men. If she was right, and he had gone East to bring her sisters to safety, then he was truly someone she could have faith in.
But she had to be sure. She had some questions. She needed some answers and there was only one person who could give those answers to her.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Hettie lived in a lovely two story, wooden house with porch on the edge of town. Although it was too early in the development of the town for this to be considered a good part of town, nevertheless it was conveniently placed so that Hettie didn't have to travel too far to be at the centre of all the town's affairs.
Cassie pulled the buckboard up in front of Hettie's house and jumped down. There was another buckboard parked to the side. She went to the door and knocked firmly. After a few moments the door opened and Hettie stood there, immaculately dressed for so early in the day. Her eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of Cassie.
"Cassie! What a surprise," Hettie said.
"I'm sure it is Hettie," Cassie responded curtly. "May I come in?"
Hettie looked momentarily hesitant. "Of course my dear. In you come. You know you are always welcome in my home." Hettie opened the door to admit Cassie.
Hettie gestured with her hand. "Why don't you join us in the living room Cassie."
"Us? Who else is here?" Cassie asked, stepping into the living room.
The room was beautifully decorated and furnished but Cassie wouldn't have expected anything less. Seated on the sofa with a small table in front of her, on which were laid china cups and cakes, was Julia.
"Cassie!" exclaimed Julia. "What are you doing here?"
Cassie composed herself after the surprise at finding her friend here. "I thought to ask Hettie one or two quite important questions," she said, looking towards Hettie who had taken a seat adjacent to the sofa. Hettie placed her hands in her lap and seemed to straighten in readiness for Cassie's questioning. Apparently none of this was a surprise at all to Hettie. Nothing unusual there then, thought Cassie.
Cassie took a seat next to Julia who looked slightly pale and glanced nervously towards Hettie.
"I came here with some questions and with some news."
"News? I do like news. I do hope it is something good. We've had more than enough bad news recently," Hettie said, with a resigned lowering of her head.
Cassie pursed her lips. She wasn't sure if Hettie was being serious. She could be so annoying sometimes. "You are aware that Ethan, my new husband, has been gone these past few days."
"Indeed we know all about that," replied Hettie. Cassie thought there was a hint of something else in the way that Hettie said the words.
"I have realized this morning just why Ethan has been gone these past few days. It seems that he has gone East to bring my sisters to me."
Julia looked sharply at Hettie but said nothing. Cassie had expected more of a reaction. There was a pause, and Hettie just looked at Cassie with a slight raise of the eyebrows.
"Well? Did you know about this?" Cassie asked quietly.
Again there was another pause, then Hettie spoke.
"My dear Cassie, of course we knew about this. At least I did. Julia only found out just before you arrived," she said, gesturing towards an even more pale faced Julia. "Ethan came to see me before he left and told me of his plan. But he promised me to silence, since he feared that if you knew what he intended to do, you may telegraph your sisters and alert them to his impending arrival," Hettie said with an almost casual tone of voice. It was as if this kind of thing happened every day of the week in Hettie's world.
"But how could you not tell me such an important thing as this?" Cassie demanded, trying to contain he
r displeasure.
"My dear Cassie when I saw how desperate Ethan was at the prospect of losing your trust, I had no choice but to assent to his request," Hettie said.
"Why would he tell you and not me?"
"It goes back to when we first found Ethan for you. He only agreed to our proposal that he meet you with a view to possible marriage, if we kept secret the true nature of his past friendship with your dear departed husband, Joshua. He feared that he would not be able to keep the promise that he made," Hettie said.
"Promise? What promise?" Cassie asked.
Hettie looked at Julia, and for the first time seemed to be distinctly uncomfortable.
"When Ethan replied to our advertisement seeking a husband for a bereaved young lady he appeared to us the perfect candidate," Hettie said, continuing. "It was only after we had accepted him, and arranged for you to meet him, that he revealed that it was his intention to keep a very important agreement he had made with someone. That someone turned out to be your late husband Joshua."
Cassie frowned. She wasn't sure she liked the direction this was taking. But she forced herself to carry on listening.
"Ethan told me that when he and Joshua were riding together that Joshua had told him he was going to marry a mail order bride. In his words, "the most wonderful woman a man could hope for". I believe those are the words that Ethan quoted to me," Hettie said quietly, beginning to warm to her task.
Cassie felt something stir within her. Those were the exact words that Joshua had spoken to her so many times during their private moments together.
"Ethan and Joshua had shared some dangerous times together. And they had made some real enemies. Joshua was worried some of those enemies might come and find the men who had brought them to justice. So he asked Ethan to promise something. Joshua asked Ethan to give him his word that if anything happened to Joshua that Ethan would make sure to take care of his mail order bride," Hettie said, placing an emphasis on the last few words.
Cassie was rooted to the sofa. Finally she found her voice.
"Are you telling me that Joshua asked Ethan to marry me if anything happened to him?"
"Not to marry. Necessarily. I think perhaps Joshua's thought was more along the lines of making sure that you were provided for in some way. But it seems that, after he met you, with the original purpose of simply knowing who you were, Ethan's desire to keep his word turned into an altogether different kind of desire," Hettie said with a slight smile.
Cassie felt her face color slightly.
"And what did you think of all this Hettie? Did you just go along with this deception," Cassie asked.
"I wouldn't describe it as a deception Cassie. Ethan is clearly a man who believes in keeping his word. I find that most persuasive, especially with so many lawless men around these parts. I thought it was rather noble that he wanted to do what was right, both for his friend, and to do the best for you. And you know how much we were all concerned for you, my dear," Hettie said.
"We really were worried for you Cassie. You must believe that, " said Julia.
"Ethan really does care very much for you Cassie. And not just because of his friendship with Joshua," Hettie said with sincerity. "I can tell you that, on the morning when he got on the train to New York, he was visibly upset. Terribly upset. He didn't tell me what had taken place between the two of you, but I could guess that it was serious. It seemed to have affected him so much. There was a firm determination in his eyes. It really was quite startling."
Cassie didn't know what to make of it. Had Ethan come to meet her that first time just so that he could keep a promise to his friend, only to fall for Cassie when he saw her? The whole time they had been together he had constantly told her it was his promise to keep her safe, and she had often wondered where that promise had come from.
Now she knew. It had been made to Joshua. In that sense it was a sacred promise. She felt it would be plain wrong to deny that promise, since it had come from Joshua.
"He has been gone for days now," Cassie said. "I don't know when he will come back. You say he has gone to bring my sisters, but how do I know that he has been successful or that they are safe."
"Well that is where you can put your mind at ease," Hettie said with a smile.
Julia looked at Cassie with a conspiratorial grin. The whole tone of the conversation had changed.
"Ethan and your sisters are scheduled to arrive by train this very lunchtime. We were about to come out to your farm this morning with the good news, and to take you to the station to greet them."
"What! They are arriving today? How do you know?" Cassie almost screamed with excitement.
"I received a telegram from Ethan giving me the good news."
"My sisters? How are they? Are they safe? Are both of them coming?"
"I can show you the telegram I received yesterday," Hettie said. She reached over to the table by her side and took a small piece of paper in her hand and brought it to Cassie.
She looked down at the words. Her hand quivered.
Arriving tomorrow lunchtime. Both sisters safe. Get Cassie.
Ethan
Cassie looked at the words in almost disbelief. Could it be true? He was coming home with her two sisters. It had all been true after all. All the while she had been speculating and wondering, trying to make sense of it all, a little voice deep inside had been whispering that it couldn't be true. But here it was in those little words on a scrap of paper. It was true. He was coming home, and he was bringing Martha and Rachel. They were all safe and they would soon be in her arms.
Cassie was overcome with emotion, the tears welling up, her heart thudding, her throat tightening. She tried to compose herself but it was all too much. Julia comforted her while Hettie looked on with genuine concern on her face.
"Now don't go crying too much Cassie," Hettie said. "It won't do for your husband to see you in such a state. He'll be looking to you to be strong. Your sisters have most likely had a hard journey, and they'll be wanting their big sister to put on a good show." Hettie was firm but gentle.
"I can't go to meet them dressed like this," Cassie said, smoothing her dress.
"Of course you can. You don't have time to go home and get changed," Julia said.
"But I look terrible."
Julia sighed impatiently. "Look at you. You never look terrible Cassie Macleod. Don't you go saying that about yourself. I'm sure Hettie and I can spruce you up so that your husband and your sisters won't think you look anything but beautiful."
"Besides. When someone is joyful to see someone, it doesn't matter what they look like," said Hettie. "All that matters is that you'll be together with your husband and sisters."
Cassie swallowed and then took a breath at hearing those words. Together. All of them together under one roof. But how could that be? How could they all live together? Hettie seemed to guess her thoughts.
"If those two sisters of yours are anything like you Cassie, I'm sure me and my ladies will have no trouble finding husbands for them. If they are going to settle here, then I'd best get started as soon as I can in finding them a suitable match," Hettie said.
"Is that all you think of these days Hettie?" Cassie asked. "Marrying young women off to handsome men."
"I can't guarantee they'll all be as handsome as the one we found for you, but I'll certainly try my best," Hettie answered with a smile.
"What time are they due to arrive?" Cassie asked.
"One o'clock."
"That doesn't give us more than two hours!" Cassie said with a gasp.
"Don't you worry dear. That's more than enough time for us to take good care of you," said Hettie, standing up and extending a hand to Cassie. "Come Julia. We have something very important to do for a very fine young lady."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"But I'm still not ready. I can't go looking like this," Cassie protested an hour later, as she stood in front of the mirror.
"Of course you can. You look lovely. Ethan and your siste
rs will just be so pleased to see you," said Julia, grasping Cassie from behind by the shoulders.
Hettie stood to one side and inspected the handiwork, hand on chin. "You look very natural."
"What you really mean is, I look scruffy," objected Cassie.
Hettie waved Cassie's objection away with a casual hand. "We must go. The train will be arriving," she said, striding across the room and picking up her handbag.
Cassie shrugged at herself in the mirror. It looked like she would have to admit defeat. She had no time to go home. This was the best she would look under the circumstances. It would have to do.
The three women went out to Cassie's buckboard. Julia insisted on driving and Cassie was quietly relieved. She needed some time to think, to regain some composure after being told so many surprising things.
She wondered what the journey had been like for her sisters, accompanying a relative stranger. In a moment of sharp humor, Cassie realized that Ethan was now actually a stranger who was in fact a relative. That thought almost made her laugh out loud. As she stifled a giggle, Julia looked at her with a quizzical expression.
"Are you well, dearest?"
Cassie put a hand to her mouth, trying hard to hold back a nervous laugh.
"See. I told you," Hettie said with a satisfied expression. "A short while ago you couldn't even think about going to the station without panicking. Now you are laughing about the whole thing."
Cassie smiled at Hettie. "Oh I'm laughing Hettie. Maybe not at what you think though."
Cassie realized now that she was desperate to see her sisters again, and to be reunited with her husband.
The railroad station was on the other side of town. Cassie thought about how the tables were turned. When she had arrived as Joshua's mail order bride, it had been Joshua who had ridden up on this buckboard. She was sure that he would have been as full of nerves as she was right now. He would have been as filled with doubt and anticipation as she was. But, unlike him, she was already married to the person coming off the train. And this time she was to be reunited with her precious sisters. It was all very similar, but also, in so many ways, very different.
Mail Order Vows (Sweet Mail Order Bride Historical Romance Novel) Page 15