by Stella Clark
The girl gasped when she realized something was wrong. “Oh, Sarah. My dear, come here, would you?” Karen wrapped her arms around Sarah, resting her chin on her head. “It’s going to be all right, I promise.”
Sarah shook her head, sniffling. “But it’s not. It’s not, Karen. I just lost my job! Mr. Pratchett learned. I thought I was being careful, and I thought it was his day off, and I thought I could work a little longer, but he—but now …” Putting a hand over her mouth, she held back the sobs. She had cried too much lately.
Only a few months ago, everything had been so promising. But then the one man she had trusted had taken advantage of her and then abandoned her. She had seen Curtis a few weeks after she realized he was never going to marry her. He had pretended he didn’t know her.
“We’re going to fix this,” Karen assured Sarah. “Here, let’s get you to my house. My parents are gone for the day,” she added. “They won’t know a thing, I promise.”
Sarah hesitated, but her friend was already tugging her down the lane.
Holding firmly to her belly, Sarah followed after. Her eyes skimmed the rows of houses and then returned to her belly. That wasn’t something she could deny anymore. Mostly she just looked a little fat, but there was no ignoring the protruding stomach.
“Here we are.” Karen tucked them inside and brought a shawl around for Sarah to use. “Let’s take a seat and I’ll bring you some milk. That should help. And food. You could use something, couldn’t you? We just made some bread. Did you finish the muffins I brought you yesterday?”
Sarah’s gaze dropped. “Yes. I shared them with the Higgins,” she winced. “Those poor children, Karen. I couldn’t help myself.”
From the other room, she could hear her friend sigh. “Everyone has a hard life in their own way, Sarah, I know it. And I’d love to help more if I could. But I had to sneak those muffins out of here so my mother wouldn’t find out who I was giving them to. If you’re hoping to birth a healthy babe, then you need to be eating.”
Karen arrived with a cup of milk and a large chunk of bread. It was hard bread, for the family didn’t have much, but it looked like a feast to Sarah. Her eyes widened as she snatched up the bread and smelled it.
“It’s two days old,” Karen sighed apologetically. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Sarah took a big bite. “Thank you, Karen.” She closed her eyes and nodded. Her body slowly settled comfortably in her seat and the aching began to go away. She needed more water, more food, more everything. But she had so little, and she hated taking it from her friend. Even if she needed it.
“I just wish I could do more. I can’t believe my parents were so cruel to kick you out. I’m sorry.” She patted Sarah’s knee and hesitated. “Which is why I did something about it. Stay there.”
Karen suddenly rushed out of the room. Sarah stared, waiting, and wondered what had happened. When her friend returned, the girl was beaming and carrying several pieces of paper with both hands that she placed carefully in Sarah’s lap.
“I have a gift for you,” Karen announced proudly.
Glancing at the papers and then back at her friend, Sarah raised an eyebrow. “A gift?”
Kneeling before her, her closest friend explained the ruse. “I wanted to help. Knowing you needed someone to take care of you and the babe, I answered an advertisement for a mail order bride. I used your name and told your story and I found someone who wants to marry you.”
Sarah froze. “What?”
But it was true. Karen showed her the letters written by the man, Watt Flynn, out in Colorado. They were letters written to her, telling her about the beautiful country, about the home he was preparing for her, about how he wanted a family and would give her a good life.
Nausea rose in her throat, but she forced it down. Clutching the letters tight, Sarah tried to understand. Just as it was beginning to make some semblance of sense, Karen placed a train ticket in her lap.
“Don’t be furious,” Karen whispered. “It was the only thing I thought I could do to help. I don’t have money or anything to give you, but … this. He can give it all to you. Sarah, you can go to Colorado. Marry this man. He’s good, I know it.”
Sarah found herself taking a leap of faith. The moment of fury faded as she realized her friend was only doing what she thought might help. Trusting that Karen had indeed provided an honest account of her character to the gentleman, she accepted the offer.
She hugged her friend and they went to work.
***
In two days, she was on her way in a stagecoach, journeying over the vast plains towards the West. Philadelphia was in the past. Glancing out the window, Sarah took a deep breath and prayed again that everything would turn out all right. She had left everything she knew for a place and a man she had never met.
After all, they had no real connection. The letters had never been from her in the first place. Even in what he had shared, she knew so little about him.
And there were no guarantees, no promises. She’d already lost one man. What if Mr. Flynn changed his mind as well? What if he took one look, and turned away? He might not even be the man in the letters, just as she hadn’t been the person in hers.
She felt a lump form in her throat. It would be dangerous enough to put her life in a stranger’s hands, but to put her unborn child in his hands as well scared her. That there was a man out there willing to marry a woman in her condition was unimaginable. She cringed at the idea of what he must think of her.
Yet Karen had assured her that he already knew. Glancing at her belly, it was obvious. With only three months to go, it was clear she was with child. She would be a mother soon. And now there would be a father. Or at least, she hoped.
He was supposed to know she was pregnant. Fear struck her heart as she wondered if that message had been clear to him. Karen might have confused him. What if he refused to take her? She tried to imagine finally arriving in Colorado, only for the man to turn her away.
Twisting her hands in her lap, Sarah tried to convince herself that everything would be all right. It had to be. She didn’t have any other choice.
“Nervous, dear?”
Sarah looked up to the older woman sitting across from her. The lady had gray hair, big brown eyes, and a simple outfit on. “You’ve been restless since the moment you sat down. Is it your first trip out?”
She nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid it is. And my first stagecoach.”
The woman beamed and nudged the man dozing off beside her. “This is my brother, Victor Archer, and I’m Pam. We travel where the Lord directs us. He’s a preacher,” she explained before leaning forward to pat Sarah’s knee. “Don’t you worry. We’ve made this trip before. Everything will be just fine.”
She tried to smile. “Oh, you’re too kind. I suppose I’m only uncertain of what lies ahead. I’ve never been to—to where I’m going.”
Mr. Archer was waking up. Blinking, he gave her a smile. “That’s all right. Folks don’t head out west unless they’re meant to. You’re a good child, I can see that. You’re going where you’re meant to be. Where the Lord wants you to be.”
That sounded lovely, if unlikely. But the Archers were kind. Without knowing her worries, they did their best to calm her nerves.
Chapter Four
Autumn was finally setting in. Watt wasn’t sweating by the time he arrived at the mines. Pulling his hat off, he set his things down by a ledge as he glanced around. Men were beginning to file in, nodding his way and talking to each other.
It was a beautiful day. What a shame to waste it working inside the mine. He paused to admire the tall trees lining up the pathway towards the mine’s entrance. Sure, there was color in the cities. But they had nothing on the mountains and valleys of Colorado. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. This was where he was meant to be.
Men coming up the lane whistled, shouting to each other. Everyone had energy in the mornings. A few of them whistled.
“Got a stagecoach coming
in!”
“A stagecoach?”
“Whooee! Anybody got folks coming in?”
“Who wants to come to this dump?”
Watt’s heart stopped. A stagecoach? They didn’t get a lot of those. Since he had arrived in town and fixed up that cabin a year ago, only three coaches had come through. The nearest train was a day’s ride away in Wyoming, and folks had a tendency of continuing further west. Few stopped in Colorado for any reason.
But this stagecoach had, and just at the point he was expecting a woman to arrive. His mouth turned dry as he wondered if it was so soon. The last letter he had sent must have only just arrived. While Watt had written that he was ready for her whenever she came, he hadn’t thought she would come already.
All of a sudden, his body turned into a bundle of nerves. He was thrilled and worried, with so much energy he didn’t know what to do with it.
Putting his hat on, Watt momentarily thought going to work in the mine would help. But before he could take two steps forward, he realized he needed to check on the stagecoach. If she was there, then he had to pick her up.
Jerking back, he apologized to the men behind him before heading away. Watt’s mind was everywhere but where he needed to be. Swallowing, he hurriedly headed back into town.
It was a small town, built around the mine. But there had been growth lately and now they even had a church building, a small mercantile, a haberdashery, and a blacksmith. They didn’t have much, but there was potential. Colorado was filled with bison, mountains, and gold.
At first, it had been nice enough. He had never wanted for much. This was a good place and he wanted to make his home here. Watt felt ready to move onto the next step and start a family.
Now it was happening. A smile spread across his face as he hurried down the main street. Already he could see the stagecoach near the livery stable with dust in the street beginning to settle. There were figures in the distance climbing out of the carriage.
He slowed down, feeling his heart thudding in his chest. Watt searched for her. This was a moment he’d been waiting for since her first letter. That was months ago. Swallowing hard, he wondered if he would recognize the young lady when he saw her. Would she recognize him?
Watt straightened up. Stopping across the lane, he studied the people around the stagecoach.
There were the two drivers. He could tell it was them since they wore the same hats with some sort of insignia. Then there was a man and a woman together, both with gray hair. His eyes wandered. A man came around the other side of the carriage and Watt recognized the man from the livery stable.
Perhaps then, he pondered, she wasn’t here.
He took a step back. Already his mind was backtracking, pointing out that he was missing work. Missing another chance to mine more gold, to strike it rich. A few more dollars before she arrived. He still needed to purchase a few things for her.
But he stopped as another figure stepped out of the stagecoach. Watt froze, feeling a tingle spread across his body. Just a glimpse and he knew.
It was her. His eyes followed as the woman stepped down onto the ground, nodding her head to the driver who had helped her down. There was a bonnet that hid her face, but the dress couldn’t hide her swelling belly. Watt traced the way she rubbed her stomach before pointing to something on top of the stagecoach. Her bag.
Before he could even register a thought, Watt was already moving forward. Crossing the street, he tucked his things under his arm as he took step after step to reach her.
“I’ll take that,” he told the driver.
The young lady took a step back in surprise as he intercepted her bag. It wasn’t as heavy as he had expected. Taking a deep breath, he turned to see her face to face.
She had big eyes, bluer than the sea. Soft brown hair framed her face in little curls, emphasizing her flushed cheeks. There was a pert nose, a narrow chin, and a curious tilt of the head as she looked back at him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he offered after a moment, smiling. “I’m Watt Flynn. You’re Sarah, right? I mean, Miss Jacoby.”
The young woman inhaled deeply. She nodded once, hesitated, and then nodded several more times. “Yes, I … I am. So, you’re …” Her mouth opened to continue, but she couldn’t seem to find the words. “You’re my …”
He didn’t know what else to do besides nod as well. Watt tried to think of what to say next. But he’d never been in this situation before. Watching as she ducked her head and glanced away, he knew he was supposed to do something. But what?
“Pardon me,” the driver coughed. He came up between them, holding a few other bags in his arms.
“Ah.” Watt took a step back, nodding his head towards the street with his bride-to-be. “Let’s get out of the way. Come here, Miss Jacoby. I can … are you hungry? You must be hungry.”
There was work to be done, but that could wait another day. As the young woman walked around the driver and bags, Watt had a moment to gather his thoughts. He could work tomorrow. Today would be different. He had Miss Jacoby to care for now.
Watt glanced at her again. There wasn’t a lot that he knew about women. But it was about time he learned.
“The café makes good eggs,” Watt volunteered as she stepped up to him again. She merely nodded. He tried to think of something else to say as silence settled between them. His stomach rumbled at the prospect of food. Her lip twitched as he glanced away. “Well, let’s ah, let’s eat.”
Side by side but not touching, the two of them went into the café. After Watt set things down on an extra chair, he pulled out one for Miss Jacoby and sat in the other. He looked over at her as she looked around the place curiously.
“It’s not much,” Watt admitted with a warm smile. “But it’s a good place to be. Folks are saying more will be settling down in these parts. We might be as big as Boston someday. How was your ride?” he asked when he realized he was doing all the talking.
Her eyes drifted back his way and he wondered what she thought of him. Though he didn’t consider himself very old, she was much younger. Thinking of her letters, Watt could hardly believe she’d already been through so much.
“It was nice enough,” Miss Jacoby offered. “Long, but it was beautiful. I liked looking out the window.”
They made small talk as they ordered food and ate. She didn’t have much to say, but Watt couldn’t blame her. There were dark circles under her eyes and her shoulders began to droop.
Towards the end, Watt sheepishly explained that they couldn’t get married just yet. He hadn’t expected her so soon, and the justice of the peace wasn’t due in town for another week. While they could get married at the church any time, it wouldn’t be legal until they had their judge.
They walked over and Watt set her up in the boarding house, a small little building run by Mrs. Jensen.
“You look tired,” Watt winced. “I mean, it looks like you could use a rest. Maybe I’ll come by later? We can have supper together and talk. If you’re up for it. It’s been a long day, I understand.”
Her lips parted lightly, but it took the young woman a minute to say something. It was hard to tell if she was shy, tired, or didn’t like him. Watt waited for her verdict.
She nodded. “Of course, yes, I … That sounds nice. Tonight.”
Chapter Five
It was a house. A house with a large yard and no neighbors living beside them. Slowly, Sarah turned in a circle to get a better feel for her new home. It was nothing like her family’s tiny apartment in Philadelphia, the squished home that Karen’s parents had, or the large, haunting church for the poor folks.
A real house. There was a good-sized kitchen, a private bedroom, and a front room like a little parlor for guests. It was empty now, but she could already picture the room put to good use. Though it was dirtier and less furnished than she had expected, Sarah was surprised at all the space.
“Well?”
She turned back to the front door where Watt Flynn stood. The
y’d been married just an hour ago. He had kissed her cheek instead of her lips and she knew he had done it to be polite. The man appeared to be quite patient and understanding. Even now, the dark-haired man looked at her as though he hoped she liked the house.
Sarah nodded slowly. “It’s very nice,” she offered. Then her stomach moved, and she winced, rubbing her belly. “The baby likes it.” It wasn’t something she meant to say out loud, but it came out. A lump came to her throat. She glanced at Watt, wondering. The letters had said he was happy to take care of her and the baby, but they hadn’t talked about it. They had just been married, but that meant little enough to some men.
It wasn’t that he didn’t appear nice. It was only that she didn’t want to be burned again.
“Oh?” Watt stepped into the house, his eyes crinkling. “Really? It kicked. What does … what does it feel like?”
Her mouth turned dry as she looked for the right idea to express. There weren’t words for something like this. Courage strengthened her for a moment. “Would you like to feel?”
“Really?”
She watched his eyes light up just as she wished to take it back. Not really, she thought to herself. One man had already touched her and spurned her. Wouldn’t another? But the offer was made. With a shaky breath, she nodded and took a small step forward to close the distance between them.
“Huh. All right, well …” Watt offered a sheepish smile as he delicately placed a hand towards the top left side of her stomach.
It wasn’t the right place by any means. Sarah started to shake her head and point to the right spot but realized that could become tedious if he misunderstood. She found herself taking his hand and placing it a little lower and on the other side. That’s where the baby’s limbs were restlessly moving about.
She watched his eyes widen in surprise. Holding back a smile, she enjoyed seeing the wonder spread across his face as he experienced that for the first time. It wasn’t something she’d been able to share with anyone. Karen had been too nervous, and everyone else treated her like she was diseased. For the first time since she’d discovered she was with child, there was someone else who was excited at the idea of the babe.