by Ember Pierce
* * *
He didn’t need to be around like-minded worshippers. He could worship on his own. But, praying felt different when it was with a group of like-minded souls. The personal prayer was beautiful, but different.
* * *
Scott was the kind of man who needed to be reminded to pray. When he was part of the congregation, he didn’t have to think about it. Maybe he would give it a try and go back next week.
* * *
He could sit in the last pew where no one would see him. He could get away before the congregants greeted and chatted outside after the service. The pastor had come to visit him the week before and asked if he’d consider coming back. Ephraim had reminded him of it. Scott sighed. Maybe he should. He should think about it anyway.
* * *
In the upstairs hall, he searched in the cedar linen closet. He was going to change the bed sheets and mop the bedroom floor. He really should hire a girl from town to keep house for him. As much as he tried to keep the place clean, there was only so much he could do on Sundays.
* * *
He ate his meals at the kitchen table. And he spent most of his time there, in the kitchen, except for sleeping. Consequently, the whole house was covered in a not-so-thin layer of dust. The house, though not large with three bedrooms, a parlor, a dining room, and the kitchen, was too much for him when he was out on the farm six days a week.
* * *
Maybe it was time to sell the house and the land immediately around it. He’d keep the rest of the land and build a new, smaller house far outside of town. If he did that he wouldn’t have to be concerned with seeing anybody.
* * *
While the place he was in now, on the outskirts of Fable Creek, was actually the last house within the town lines. There was always the possibility of seeing someone he didn’t want to see.
* * *
Scott took a couple of bedsheets from the cupboard and something fluttered onto the floor. Scott looked down, wondering what it was. He stooped down and retrieved a white, cotton handkerchief, edged in fine lace, and embroidered with tiny flowers.
* * *
The discovery of the handkerchief left him winded. He leaned back against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. The fabric had been embroidered by the seamstress in town at Scott’s request.
* * *
But Scott had never been able to give it to his fiancé. His plan had been to give it to her on the evening that marked their one year anniversary of courting. As events would have it, it was the day of the explosion.
* * *
He turned the handkerchief over in his hands. His mind was carried back to that awful night and he gasped in surprise. It was today! Exactly one year ago today. Tears came to Scott’s eyes. He missed Annie. She’d represented everything that he considered good about life.
* * *
If only he’d figured out Wayne Bixby’s motives he could have kept her safe from Bixby’s men. The men who’d brazenly got into her father’s house, gone into the dining room, and removed Annie from the breakfast table.
* * *
Scott had been relatively successful in keeping the events of that day out of his mind, but every now and again he would experience a weak moment. He inhaled sharply. Today marked a year. He was dumbfounded. The time had gone so fast, yet it seemed he’d been living in silent misery forever.
* * *
The date must have been in the back of his mind because he’d taken flowers to Annie’s gravesite only yesterday. And he’d talked to her like he always did when he visited. He’d asked her soul to help him move on with his life.
* * *
To think it had been a whole year. Scott put the thoughts of Annie in the drawer of his mind where he kept them and stood. Gently, he placed the handkerchief in the top drawer of the linen cupboard then went downstairs. He wanted to sweep the front porch. He needed to keep busy, to work. Only work and keeping busy kept his mind sane.
* * *
Taking the broom from the closet, he strode down the hall toward the front door. As his hand rested on the doorknob, a sharp rap sounded on the other side of the door.
* * *
It startled him. Almost immediately it sounded again. Probably, it was Ephraim come to bother him with more of his notions about mail order bride. Scott hesitated. It didn’t sound like Ephraim’s knock.
* * *
Were Ephraim and the pastor so worried about him that they’d sent someone else to check up on him? He had to answer it. It was no use to try and pretend he wasn’t home.
* * *
He was aware that half the town knew he never went out anywhere. He could go back upstairs and pretend he was sleeping but they’d hear his steps. Scott placed his hand on the doorknob as a third, cutting rap sounded on the door.
* * *
He turned his face slightly to show only his good side and turned the knob. He opened the door and inhaled long and slow.
* * *
As expected, his guest wasn’t Ephraim. Unexpectedly, the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on stood on the front porch. She had what looked to be piles of honey blonde curls arranged up around her face and a pretty hat at an angle that showed off her deep green eyes that tilted up slightly at the ends.
* * *
An expectant expression was on her face and Scott could tell right away she wasn’t from Fable Springs. He was positive he’d never seen her before, because if he had he would have been sure to remember such an exquisite sample of the female gender. She wasn’t dressed like a Texan either.
* * *
He couldn’t place her and the thought crossed his mind that maybe God, himself, had sent an angel to coerce him back to Church.
* * *
Where she was from was the last thing that mattered, though. Scott wondered what the beauty was actually doing at his house. It was clear she’d made some kind of mistake. Or maybe she’d gotten lost and needed directions. Most likely she was looking for one of his neighbors. Or maybe a house on the north end.
* * *
He just stood there gazing at her, tongue-tied, at a loss for words. He was dumbfounded which didn’t seem to affect the lady in the least. She stepped forward as if she expected him to invite her in.
* * *
Scott stood his ground, though, unsure what to say, what to do. She appeared confused for a moment, then she stepped back and smiled. It had been unknown to him until this moment that she could appear even more lovely than on his initial viewing of her. Who was she?
* * *
“Good afternoon, I’m terribly sorry to bother you on this fine day, but would you be able to tell me where I might find Mr. Scott Henderson?”
* * *
He was taken aback. This woman, this unearthly beauty, was looking for him? But why? It couldn’t be a mistake. She had his name. His house. A wave of anxious feelings washed over him.
* * *
His mouth felt dry and his mind darted in every direction. It was a moment before he could respond. A moment in which her green eyes waited with a patient expression. Dear lord but she was captivating.
* * *
“Uh, yes. Well...good afternoon. I, I’m Scott Henderson. How can I be of help to you, Miss...uh?”
* * *
The lady extended her hand. “Mae Andrews. I’m your new bride. I answered your advertisement for a mail order bride. It’s wonderful to meet you in person.” She smiled broadly, revealing a row of even, white pearls.
* * *
He stared at her. His new bride? She was a mail order bride? What was the woman talking about? She might be beautiful, but at this moment he thought her to be as mad as a March hare.
* * *
This gorgeous woman was saying she was there for him?...there had to be some mistake. He blinked slowly and tried to comprehend her meaning. He looked out over both of her shoulders and started laughing. It was a joke. It had to be.
* * *
Ephraim must be across the road, watching them converse and laughing at him. He didn’t feel the laughter but he didn’t want Ephraim, or whoever it was playing the prank to know how upset it had actually made him.
* * *
“If you’ll excuse me, would you mind telling me why you’re laughing, Mr. Henderson?” She seemed upset.
* * *
What had the young lady said? She was his new bride? Yes, this had to be a bad joke or a mistake. He reckoned he was right in his first notion, though, and he didn’t think it was funny. She was making fun of him. Someone had put her up to it.
* * *
Before he turned her away, he wondered if he should find out who was behind the ruse or if he should ignore that it happened. Yes. That would get Ephraim’s goat for sure. Scott would ignore all of it. He’d never mention this visit to his friend. Besides, it had already taken up too much of his time. He had work to do.
* * *
He looked at her trying to decipher why someone would play such a joke. Ephraim, he understood. But, why would someone like her, someone who looked like her, do this to someone like him. It seemed unnecessarily mean. He didn’t think he liked this lady, whoever she was.
* * *
“Yeah, well I don’t know what you're doing here. There’s been some kind of mistake, Miss…”
* * *
“Miss Andrews. Mae. I’m here from Havenshire. Virginia?”
* * *
“If that’s meant to perk up my failing memory, Miss Andrews, it’s unnecessary. I don’t know why you believe it’s me who asked you to come here from, wherever it is you come from. This whole thing is a mistake. So, I’ll ask you to remove yourself from my porch. Good afternoon. I can assure you I did not order a bride.”
* * *
It wasn’t funny to begin with, but now Scott was just plain angry. He pushed the door forward to close it. Her hand went to the door jamb to prevent the door from closing. He sighed and looked at her. Straight at her. Showing her the side of his face with the hideous scars. If she wouldn’t leave, he’d give her a reason to.
* * *
She blinked once, but her gaze held steady. “You listen to me, Mr. Scott Henderson. You certainly did order a bride. You ordered me, and I’ve come all the way from Virginia to fill the bill. If you’ve changed your mind, then you must put it back to where it was. You have no reason to get cold feet.
* * *
And quite frankly, you have no right. I’ve kept up my end of the bargain. So here I am.” She stepped forward as if to push her way through the door. “Where do you want me to put my bag?”
* * *
“Look, Miss...uh, whoever you are. I don’t know who you are and I don’t know why you’re here. I didn’t order you or anybody else, for that matter. There’s got to be some mistake. Now, like I said, please get off of my porch.”
* * *
Scott was frustrated and confused and overly nervous. He had no idea what was going on. His voice and words were much more abrasive than he meant them to be. But he was at a loss as to what else to say. So, not knowing what else to do, he shut the door. Right in the lady’s face.
* * *
He walked back down the hall to the kitchen. What was going on? He couldn’t fathom what was happening. It wasn’t a joke. The woman was in earnest. So it must be a mistake.
* * *
But why would a gorgeous young lady show up at his house on a Sunday afternoon claiming to be his bride?
* * *
It didn’t make any sense and not knowing what else to do, he decided to ignore the whole situation. She would have to leave when he simply didn’t answer the door. Yes. That would solve the whole problem.
* * *
They always leave in the end. No one had ever stayed after he’d pushed them away. That was how he liked it, he reminded himself. And for half a second, he almost believed it.
6
Mae stood outside staring at the door.
* * *
“Why, I never.”
* * *
She pounded on the door with her fist. Why had he done that? He closed the door! Right in her face! How rude! How dare he treat her so shabbily.
* * *
After all she’d just done to be with him? Were all men just cads? She stamped her foot and tears of anger and frustration welled up in her eyes. She was over a thousand miles from home and she didn’t know anyone in Fable Springs.
* * *
This was unacceptable. But what was she to do about it? Why was Mr. Henderson being so rude to her? She’d done everything according to the letter he’d written her. And he hadn’t even met her at the train station. He was acting like her arrival was all a surprise to him. A surprise he didn’t like.
* * *
Her tears threatened to spill. She needed to keep herself together. Panicking wouldn’t change the facts of the situation. Mae needed to be practical. With nowhere to go and in a completely foreign place, being upset wouldn’t serve her.
* * *
She knew that in spite of being on the verge of panic, she had to figure out how to appear calm. From what she could tell, Havenshire and Fable Springs had nothing in common.
* * *
So she needed to find something in this whole mish-mash that made sense. She was on the very verge of panic and if she didn’t find a way to relax, it would only make things worse.
* * *
What could she do to calm herself? For a moment she didn’t know and she let all her fears wash over her. What was she doing here in Texas? Who did she think she was? She had been under the impression that she was someone who had come to Fable Springs to get married. There had been an agreement.
* * *
She latched onto the thought. She and Mr. Scott Henderson had an agreement. And whether Mr. Henderson liked it or not he was going to have to honor his commitment to her. She had, like she’d told him, done her part so far.
* * *
Her panic had given way to a steely resolve. She would not be put out like the family dog, to stay on the porch, because it wasn’t convenient to have her in the house. But if need be, she would wait here on the porch.
* * *
Mr. Henderson would have to come out of his house at some point. Besides there was nothing else she could do but wait. Getting the door shut in her face a second time was not on her agenda and she wasn’t about to return to town.
* * *
She planned to sit on the porch until such a time as Mr. Henderson would come out. Surely he would get tired of waiting for her to leave. Then he would have come out. She could explain herself again. Glancing around she spied a rocking chair. She walked over to it and sat down.
* * *
With her arms crossed and rocking to and fro rapidly, Mae waited for him to come out of the house. If he didn’t, she would have no choice but to sleep on the porch that night.
* * *
Where else could she go? She looked around at the other houses in this part of town. This house was set a little farther back from the road. No one would notice her if she were to sit here in this rocking chair, dozing.
* * *
The nerve of him! Why, she had never, ever been treated so poorly by anyone. If nothing else, she wanted to give him a piece of her mind.
* * *
After a few minutes that felt like an hour, Mae glanced all around again and tried to get her bearings. Mr Henderson was peeking out the window at her. She stood up and motioned for him to come to the door.
* * *
A moment later it opened just a crack and she flew over to it.
* * *
“Mr. Henderson. I’m not even going into how rude you’re being to me. But I will tell you, in no uncertain terms, that you absolutely must marry me. You committed to it and I have left everything and everyone I know to come here and honor my agreement with you. I have no other viable options. And if you don’t honor your agreement with me you are no gentl
eman.” She took a deep breath, ready to launch into another tirade.
* * *
“I’m sorry, what did you say your name is?” He appeared to study her and she feared he was going to turn her away in earnest this time.
* * *
