His Substitute Mail-Order Bride

by Sherri Shackelford

  “It’s used for panning gold, but I believe it will suit our purposes. Mr. Halloway thought it might be useful to sort your seed collection.”

  “How is Mr. Halloway?” Anna kept her gaze fixed on the mining pan. “No lingering effects from his injuries, I hope?”

  “You may ask him yourself. His mother assured me on her morning walk that he’d visit before noon.” Dr. Mason replaced the box of bandages in the cupboard. “Have you come to Cowboy Creek because of Mr. Halloway? He’s an excellent prospect for a suitor. Nice home. Good health. Stable job.”

  “No! We’re friends.” Anabelle opened and closed her mouth. “Acquaintances really. He assisted during the robbery yesterday. We knew each other from Philadelphia. Not well! He was engaged to my sister. A long time ago. A long, long time ago.”

  Dr. Mason kept her expression carefully neutral.

  “As you probably guessed, things didn’t work out between them,” Anna rushed ahead. “I haven’t seen him in years.”

  She wasn’t quite certain how to explain her current status in town.

  “I didn’t mean to pry,” Dr. Mason apologized. “Sam, my husband, says I’m far too direct.”

  “That’s all right, it’s simply—”

  The bell over the front door rang. A feminine voice sounded, and another woman entered the room. She was taller than the doctor with straight, gold hair that dusted her shoulders and cornflower blue eyes dominating her lovely features.

  Marlys warmly greeted the new arrival. The two must know each other well. “Mrs. Gardner,” the doctor said, leading the newcomer toward Anna, “I’d like you to meet Mrs. Anna Linford, Russ Halloway’s friend.”

  “Acquaintance,” Anna corrected. “I barely know Mr. Halloway.”

  “Call me Leah.” The blond woman’s smile was warm and friendly.

  Dr. Mason reached for a ledger on the counter. “I don’t have your mineral bath ready, Leah. I didn’t expect to see you after such a late evening.”

  “I know I’m early, Marlys, but Evie went down for a nap, and Mrs. Ewing offered to sit with her. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I checked on Mrs. Kluender. She’s doing well, despite the difficult delivery. Thank you so much for helping. Without you, I fear we would have lost both her and the baby.”

  “I’ll visit Mrs. Kluender during my afternoon calls. She owes you a debt of gratitude. If you hadn’t correctly diagnosed her condition, we’d be having a very different conversation this morning. I’ve never seen a case as dire as hers before. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Linford, Leah is here for a mineral bath. I won’t be long if you want to get started on your seeds.”

  “Take your time,” Anna called after the retreating doctor.

  Leah flashed an amused grin. “Don’t worry. She’s always like that. Her brain works faster than her muscles. You and Russ must come to dinner. My husband, Daniel, and I always host the new brides. We’re having Minnie and Millie next week. They are quite, um, joyful.”

  “Yes. One will start giggling and the next thing you know, they’re both giggling.”

  “I noticed. Don’t get me wrong, they seem like lovely girls.” Mrs. Gardner’s expression sobered. “Daniel mentioned you had quite an ordeal yesterday.”

  “He and Russ—er, Mr. Halloway—were quite brave. You must thank your husband for his assistance.”

  “You may thank himself yourself at dinner. I’ll invite Russ, as well, since the two of you are already acquainted.”

  “Barely. I hardly know him.”

  Anna’s heart sank. She couldn’t stop fretting. What if Sam had read about her in the newspapers? Her husband’s death had made the front page in Philadelphia. For all she knew, they were still running headlines there and elsewhere. She’d already involved Russ by traveling on Susannah’s ticket. She didn’t want her name linked to his any further. People turned their backs when their reputations were at risk, even by association.

  If news that she’d been suspected of her husband’s murder reached Cowboy Creek, she didn’t want to put Russ in an awkward position. Until Edward’s real murderer was discovered, she’d always be a suspect in the minds of the public. And no one wanted to associate with a potential murderess.

  Leah doffed her hat and set the flowered brim on the counter. “It’s nice to have someone familiar around when one is new to town.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t possibly accept. The mayor has been very kind, but I fear I’m taking advantage of his hospitality. You must understand, I’m not one of the brides. I don’t want people getting the wrong idea.”

  “Don’t worry,” Leah said. “No one takes advantage of Will Canfield. He’s always been an advocate for the town.” She lowered her voice. “Rumor has it that he’s been grooming Russ to take over as the next mayor.”

  “Mayor?” Anna said faintly.

  The past came rushing back, and she fought a tide of dread. Her late husband had been viciously ambitious. He’d run through her inheritance in a bid for city council, and the loss had infuriated him. Nothing made a man more dangerous than unchecked ambition.

  “Rumors of my political career have been greatly exaggerated,” a familiar voice spoke.

  Neither of them had heard Russ’s arrival. They both spun toward the sound of his voice.

  Anna’s lungs constricted, and she felt as though she couldn’t breathe. Russ was the same man she’d seen last evening. He was still dashing and somewhat rakish with his bruised eye. Yet everything had changed. He wanted to be mayor. He wanted a job that thrust him into the fickle spotlight of the public.

  She’d seen how politics worked in Philadelphia. If people discovered her secret, they’d use it against him. The risk was far too great.

  She had to escape Cowboy Creek as soon as possible or jeopardize the future of the one man who’d tried to help her.

  * * *

  The two women had spun toward Russ in startled surprise.

  Leah recovered first. “Marlys will be right with you, Russ. She’s preparing a treatment for me.”

  Leah offered a brief wave and a conspiratorial wink as she exited the room, and Russ rolled his eyes. He’d dropped some papers by her house that morning, and Leah had interrogated him about his encounter on the road. Apparently, Tomasina’s tale of the outlaws had grown to epic proportions.

  “Sorry about that.” Russ cleared his throat. “Word of our previous acquaintance has spread. I’m afraid they’ve already started matchmaking. Logical, I suppose.”

  “I suppose.” Anna glanced up from her collection of seeds. “Leah is the local midwife, I presume? She and Dr. Mason spoke of a difficult case last evening.”

  “Yes.” Russ blew out a breath, grateful Anna had smoothed over the awkward moment. “I work for Leah’s husband on occasion. He owns the stockyards in town. They have a baby girl named Evie. The way the two of them gaze at each other, Evie will soon have a sibling.”

  Leah and Daniel had known each other before the war and had rekindled their friendship when Leah arrived in Cowboy Creek as a prospective bride. Romance had soon followed, and the two of them obviously adored one another.

  A becoming wash of color stained Anna’s pale cheeks. “Leah appears very kind.”

  “She’s blissfully happy in wedlock and wants everyone else to be the same.”

  “Hence the matchmaking. I can’t say you didn’t warn me.”

  An inspired thought struck him. “You know, there’s a way we can solve this problem for the both of us. If everyone believes we’re already courting, they’ll leave us alone.”

  “No!” Anna appeared positively stricken by the suggestion. “We shouldn’t lie to people.”

  Russ shrugged. “We can always drift apart later and say we didn’t suit.”

  “I don’t think that’s a very good idea. We probably shouldn’t even be seen speaki
ng to one another. We’ve already been seen together at the hotel. If we start walking together in public too, we’ll fuel more rumors.”

  “I retract the suggestion.” He leaned one shoulder against the cupboard. He hadn’t expected her to be quite so repulsed. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  Probably she thought him a cad for even making the suggestion so soon after his engagement to Susannah. How did he explain to her that what he and Susannah had had was nothing more than an agreement? Neither of them was heartbroken over the matter.

  “Dr. Mason says I’m as fit as a fiddle.” Anna flourished the mining pan he’d purchased the previous evening. “I’m going to see if I can separate the seeds.”

  “Need some help?”

  “I’m sure you have more important work to do.” She tossed a furtive glance over one shoulder. “I don’t want to keep you. Dr. Mason will be finished soon.”

  She’d probably grease the floor if she thought she could slide him out of the door any faster. Russ stood his ground. “I’m helping out an old friend. That’s the truth, isn’t it, Anna? Surely our past connection in Philadelphia counts for something.”

  “I don’t want to impose on you.”

  Why was she so eager to be rid of him? He wasn’t that bad of a fellow, was he? Perhaps he simply needed to show her that she could trust him. He hadn’t parted from the Darby family under the best of circumstances. He didn’t know what had been said after the business with Charlotte. Except there was no way of politely broaching the subject.

  “I need to step away from my work for a while,” he said. For once, the teetering stack of papers on his desk held no appeal. “My law clerk, Simon, has been requesting more responsibility.” Russ slipped out of his jacket and rolled back his sleeves. “How can I help?”

  Anna hesitated. “You can start by separating the bags that haven’t been broken. I hope Marlys doesn’t mind. This could get messy.”

  “Dr. Mason wouldn’t have offered her workspace if she minded. I believe she’s quite fascinated with herbal remedies. She’ll be curious about your seed collection, I’m certain.”

  Anna shook a bucketful of dirt onto the table and sifted through the pieces with her index finger. “Good. The primula didn’t spill. Those seeds are hardly more than dust.”

  “What’s a primula?”

  “It’s a flower.”

  “I was never much for working outdoors,” Russ said. “We had a kitchen garden growing up, like most families, and my mother kept a rosebush.” A genial rush of memories flowed through him. “She had a cut-glass vase that she kept on the mantel, and she always had a rose on display. I don’t believe she’s grown roses since we left Missouri.”

  “There are several varieties that thrive in this climate. I saw some outside of that palatial house on the way over. She could ask the owners for a cutting.”

  “Did that palatial house have columns out front?” Russ asked.

  “Yes. That’s the place.”

  “The mayor used to live there.”

  “Gracious.” Anna brushed her hands against the front of her apron. “Mayor Canfield lived in that monstrosity?”

  “Not for very long.”

  “No doubt. That house looks brand new. I can’t imagine having that sort of wealth. How large is his new house?”

  “Nothing so grand. He’s wealthy, to be sure. He married last year, and his priorities have changed. You’ll meet his wife, Tomasina, at a dinner soon, I’m sure. Be prepared. She’s a unique character. Came into town on a cattle drive and stole Will’s heart.”

  “A cattle drive?” With the back of her hand, Anna absently brushed the hair from her forehead. “I can’t imagine the mayor falling for a drover. I pictured him with one of those society ladies who always decorates her hat with too many feathers and pronounces the word schedule as shed-u-al.”

  “Tomasina is the exact opposite of a society lady.” Russ chuckled. “Trust me, they adore each other. Will originally built the house in the hopes of making Cowboy Creek the county seat, but now he’s set his sights on Washington. He’s campaigning for the Senate, and if he wins, he and Tomasina will be spending much of the year out of state. They’ve built a smaller house in town. He sold the original house to Daniel Gardner, Leah’s husband, who in turn donated it to Cowboy Creek for a library. The town is planning a fund-raiser to make the necessary renovations and purchase books.”

  Anna held a seed to the light. “I’ll assist in the fund-raising long as they add a few books about gardening.” With exacting precision, she separated two seeds that appeared remarkably similar.

  “How can you tell them apart?” Russ tilted his head and looked closer. “They look exactly the same to me.”

  “Years of practice.” She shook a dusting of soil through the mining pan. “Once you know what to look for, telling them apart isn’t that difficult.”

  Russ considered the array of different varieties. “Do you collect all seeds or just flower seeds?”

  “Vegetables and flowers. I’ve been developing a drought-resistant strain of pumpkin.”

  “Why pumpkin?”

  “Because I enjoy pumpkin pie.”

  Russ threw back his head and laughed. “I thought you were going to say something extremely perplexing and scientific. I much prefer a culinary response.” He leaned back and studied her. “So, you enjoy pumpkin pie and chocolate cake.”

  She laughed, and he caught a hint of the girl he’d known before.

  “That was a delicious cake,” she said. “You should have tried a bite.”

  “You have a sweet tooth.”

  “It’s a terrible weakness. Much as I enjoy vegetables, I’ve never had an overwhelming craving for cucumbers.”

  “Nothing wrong with an indulgence,” he said. “I wonder what dessert Miss Frazier is concocting today.”

  “After sampling her chocolate cake with cherries, I’m willing to try anything she makes. I’ll have to be careful around here. With all those delicious desserts available, I’ll be looking like Old Jack Sprat’s wife before long.”

  “You have nothing to worry about.”

  Anna pressed a hand against her stomach with a humorless laugh. “That’s what the outlaw said. ‘The men of Cowboy Creek—’” she added a twang to her accent “‘—must be really desperate to send for a skinny gal like you.’”

  “He never.” A fist tightened around Russ’s heart. “You’re beautiful, Anna. Don’t let anyone tell you different.” The outlaws were dead, yet his anger at the men simmered.

  “I’ve heard far worse,” Anna said.

  “When?”

  “Never mind.” She shrugged. “I just mean that people are cruel.”

  The world abounded with malice, yet Anna seemed merely resigned to the slur. There hadn’t even been a flicker of anger in her countenance. The reaction struck him as odd.

  “Here.” Anna plucked an oblong seed from the dirt on the table and held it to the light. “See if you can find any more like this. They should be easy to spot. They’re the largest.”

  The subject hardly seemed to faze her, and he accepted the change of topic. “What do you plan on doing with all these seeds?”

  “I’ll grow them. Save them. See if I can cross-pollinate some of the species. Eventually, of course. I don’t have a place for a garden now.”

  “You must have had an enormous garden in Philadelphia.”

  “Our townhouse didn’t have much of a yard, but I made use of every inch.” A melancholy shadow drifted over her eyes. “There were even vines growing up the side of the house. After two years, I saw progress. I miss that garden terribly.”

  “I didn’t mean to bring up a sad memory.” He was forever reminding her of her recent loss. What was wrong with him?

  “That’s why these seeds are so important, I guess. I can create a new
garden.”

  “I don’t have anything in my yard but a tree my mother insisted I plant for shade.” Perhaps he could persuade her to fill out the space. That might cheer her up and take her mind off being a recent widow. “I would appreciate your advice on any new additions.”

  “What kind of tree did your mother plant?”

  He shrugged. “A redbud, I think.”

  “That’s an excellent tree for the area, but you should add something larger. For shade. Perhaps a poplar. They’re a fast-growing tree.”

  He gestured over her collection. “You don’t happen to have a poplar seed in the bunch, do you?”

  “No, I’m afraid I don’t.” The smile returned to her expressive face. “But perhaps we can discover a seedling along the banks of Cowboy Creek. I saw a few that first day, when...when...”

  “When you were recovering from your ordeal with the outlaws,” he interjected with as much finesse as he could muster.

  For a man who made his living with straight speaking, he certainly didn’t excel at small talk. He struggled to find topics to discuss as they worked on the seeds for the next fifteen minutes. Though many of the seeds were remarkably similar, the more they worked, the easier the sorting task became. Anna’s earlier words proved correct; there were subtle variances that separated the batches.

  When he triumphantly discerned the difference between a zinnia and a black-eyed Susan, Anna’s warm praise felt like a rare prize.

  He labeled her late husband a blessed man to have no doubt received those kind words and smiles. As much as Russ wanted to know about him and their marriage, he kept his questions unasked. He already knew she didn’t speak much of him. She must miss her husband a great deal, and wanted to keep his memory protected.

  Her concern was more than understandable. Russ didn’t want to replace the man’s memory in any way. He only wanted to be a friend to Anna as she settled into her new life. She’d apparently suffered a financial devastation, and he wanted her to know she could count on him. Yet a polite way to put her at ease without further embarrassing both of them eluded him.