She studied him. This was Noah Adams? “My name is Mary Adams,” she said bluntly. “I guess you must be Noah.”
They sat there quietly, assessing each other, but saying nothing for a few minutes. “I’ll collect your luggage and then we’ll go to the café and get you some food.” He looked far from happy, but Mary couldn’t fault his concern.
“This is everything I have,” she said. “The rest wasn’t worth bringing.”
He nodded, but seemed confused. She wasn’t surprised. What bride arrives to meet her new husband with only the clothes she’s standing in? At least the gown she wore was presentable. It had been a gift provided by the church back at Angel’s Pass, and one she was very grateful for. She hadn’t been to church for years because Pa refused to take her. When she was old enough to manage the buggy alone, she was determined to go, Pa or no Pa. She’d been embarrassed at her state of dress, but remembered something her mother had told her years earlier. The good Lord does not judge us by the clothes we wear, but by the love in our hearts, and so she’d gone anyway.
The following week the pastor asked her to stay back after the service ended, and she’d been presented with the most beautiful gown she’d ever laid eyes on. The young woman it belonged to had outgrown it, he told her, and she could see it was still in perfect condition. To Mary it was more precious to her than a handful of gold.
When she glanced across, Noah was staring at her, and must surely think her mad. Or perhaps he wondered what he’d gotten himself into – a bride with no belongings. “I’m sorry,” she said, then stood, waiting for him to guide her to their destination.
Instead he smiled. “Don’t be sorry,” he said. “At least this way we’re helping each other.” He hooked his arm through hers and they headed out of the train station and down the road to a small café.
Despite her refusals, he ordered a meal of roast lamb and vegetables for the both of them. Mary hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the food arrived. Drinks arrived soon after – coffee for Noah, tea for Mary. As she looked down into her plate, she couldn’t recall how long it had been since she’d eaten such a feast. She blinked back tears of joy. Was this what married life would be like for her? A proper meal every day?
“Is everything alright?” Noah Adams, a total stranger, seemed more concerned for her welfare than her own father had been for as long as she could remember. It made her heart ache.
She couldn’t tell him she’d been starved for as long as she could remember, not only for food but for affection. “I, I’m just a bit overwhelmed, is all,” she finally said, then picked up her cutlery.
“The food is good here,” he said. “I don’t come often, but when I do, the food is always great.” He cut a piece of the lamb and took a mouthful. “Delicious,” he said.
They ate their meal in silence until Noah had finished, and she pushed the remainder of hers away. She wasn’t used to eating such a vast amount of food, and simply couldn’t manage it. He ordered them each a dessert of cherry cobbler. When she protested, he justified it by saying the meal was a celebration of their marriage. This was far more food than Mary would eat in an entire week back home, and despite eating little of it, felt like she might burst.
Noah studying her remaining food was not lost on Mary. But he said nothing.
Finally, he stood. “I’ll take you to the mercantile to shop for clothes and whatever other supplies you need. While you’re there, I’ll go back for the wagon.”
They strolled up the road, his arm hooked through hers, and Mary felt more relaxed than she had in a long time. Years.
Noah introduced her to Albert and Elizabeth Dalton who owned the mercantile. “I’m so happy Noah has finally married,” Elizabeth told her. “It’s about time. Now, you get some decent supplies for meals. That boy lives on baked beans and bacon, I swear.”
She piled up the box with bread, potatoes, vegetables, cheese, flour, sugar, oats, milk, butter, and other staple items, then went looking for clothes. “These are our most popular day gowns,” Elizabeth said pointing to a rack. “If you need undergarments, you’ll find them over there,” she said, pointing to a corner in the back of the store.
Choosing three of the cheapest gowns she could find, along with two nightgowns, Mary took them to the front counter. She also selected some undergarments. If he was only keeping her for a year, Mary didn’t want to overtax Noah with expenses. Especially on their first day.
It wasn’t long and he arrived back with the wagon. “I don’t know what stores you have at home,” she said. “Can you check what I’ve bought and tell me what else we need?”
“There are a few tins of baked beans,” he said, and Elizabeth grinned. “You probably need to get a piece of bacon, but other than that, you’ve probably got everything else we’ll need,” he said, glancing in the box.
“Eggs?” she asked, not sure if he had chickens or not.
“There’s more than enough with the dozen or so chickens we have. I’ve been selling eggs to Elizabeth, I’ve had so many.”
After the purchases were added to his account, Noah began loading the items onto his wagon. “I don’t come into town often, so make sure you’ve got everything you need,” he told her. She assured him she did, but without having made any meals for him, Mary really had no idea.
It wasn’t long before they were on their way to her new home.
~*~
They hadn’t discussed his property, and as they passed under the archway to Broken Arrow Ranch, her surprise was obvious. She was brought up on a small farm, she told him, nothing of this proportion.
It took nearly twenty minutes from the archway to their ranch house, and her look of astonishment was priceless.
“I’m guessing your farm wasn’t this big?”
She shook her head. “Nothing like it. Pa has about thirty acres, and most of that was for the pigs. Even our house was tiny. We barely had room for the two of us.”
She glanced at him and he raised his eyebrows. “Are you serious?”
He was surprised when she nodded.
As they pulled into her new home, Noah glanced across at his bride. She sure was pretty, but was far too thin. If she starved herself like she’d done on the way to Halliwell, was it any wonder she was nothing but skin and bone. He hoped to soon remedy that.
He’d embarrassed her back at the train station, and for that he was truly sorry. Asking about the rest of her luggage was far from diplomatic, but he hadn’t stopped to think. Teddy had told him Mary’s situation wasn’t good, but he hadn’t really thought about what that meant. He should have asked so he knew what he would be dealing with.
Honestly though, was it even his business? That was in her past. What was important was their future. Determined to make her life easier, he lifted her down from the wagon and swooped her up into his arms. She was so light, he barely knew she was there. “Welcome to your new home,” he said, staring into her face.
She wriggled about in his arms. “What are you doing? Put me down,” she squealed. “Please?”
His new bride looked terrified. What had she been through in her past? “It’s traditional,” he said gently, trying to reassure her, then proceeded to open the door to their home and carried her across the threshold. Once inside he put her gently to the floor. She glanced about, a smile forming on her face.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything so lovely.”
Really? His ranch house was quite basic. Three bedrooms, a kitchen, and sitting room, and a small bathroom. She wandered through the cabin, glancing about as she went. She almost ran into the kitchen and the look of amazement on her face was almost his undoing. Exactly where had she come from?
Okay, he knew she’d lived in Angel’s Pass, the same place Teddy’s sister lived. She rushed over to the stove, and squatted down, opened the oven doors to look inside, her eyes wide with amazement. Exactly what had she expected?
Then she bolted to the sink, and turned on the faucet.
“Running water? You have running water?” Her eyes filled with tears. “No more carting buckets from the well.”
His heart sank. This woman, this Mary Adams, whom he had married, had lived a dreadful life. He’d rescued her, just as she had rescued him.
“Let me show you the bathroom,” he said. “There’s running water there too.” That was enough for tears to flow down her cheeks, and he rushed to her side. He wiped her tears away, then pulled her to him. The last thing he’d expected was to have his new bride distressed within minutes of arriving at her new home.
The home she would stay in for twelve months. When he wrapped his arms around her, she molded into him, and he felt like they’d known each other forever. His heart thudded. He wasn’t sure how he would give her up after twelve short months. He already felt like they belonged together.
“I, I’m sorry,” she said, pushing herself away from him and swiping at her tears. Even with her eyes red and puffy she was beautiful. Far too skinny, but beautiful nonetheless.
She suddenly turned and walked away, continuing her exploration of his cabin. Their cabin. Before she reached the bathroom, she stopped in the doorway to the main bedroom. He watched as she stared into the room, then swallowed. What was she thinking? Perhaps she didn’t want to sleep with him? It pained him to think it, but he wouldn’t force her. Even if she was his wife.
“Pretty quilt,” she suddenly said, then scampered off toward the bathroom. “Ooooh,” she squealed. “This is lovely.” She ran over to the porcelain bath, and ran her hands over it. “I’m more used to a tin bath out on the porch. It gets pretty cold in the winter.”
What sort of monster makes a young woman bathe outside in the winter? He opened his mouth to ask, but changed his mind. She would tell him if she wanted to, and there was no way he’d force the information out of her.
“Towels are in the cupboard,” he said. “You’ll find soap in there too. You can have a bath any time you want.” He watched her expression change from distress to one of wonderment.
“Any time?” She ran over and hugged him. “I’m going to like it here,” she said as she relaxed into him.
There was no doubt in his mind he was going to like having her here. And that was the last thing he should be thinking.
~*~
After taking all the supplies into the house, Noah left her to it. He had far to much to do, he’d said. He had lost several hours already, not that he’d blamed her. He made sure she knew how truly grateful he was to her for stepping up to marry him, sight unseen.
“Mrs Hathaway vouched for you,” she told him. “That was enough for me. She’s a lovely lady. Trustworthy too.” Mary was more than grateful to the woman, and could never repay her for her generosity. Even if she was only promised a year in this wonderful cabin.
She made herself a promise right there and then, never to return to her father’s property. She’d only been here a short time, and already felt rich. Mary swallowed. Did she really want to leave after a year? But that was the contract she’d signed. Stay married to Noah for one year, and receive a nice stipend for her trouble.
It was enough to set her up for life, to get her on track when he set her free.
She opened all the cupboard doors in the kitchen, deciding where to store what items. She had never seen so much food before in her life. Even when Mother was alive, they lived hand to mouth on a daily basis. Mary had never known any different. She packed everything away, then thought about what she would make for supper. With all this produce and other food items, she was in heaven. No more boiling bones for days on end to make a meal from nothing. Not that she intended to waste food – that would never do. But to know what she cooked would actually fill her husband’s belly, and hers, was satisfaction itself.
The first thing she did after packing everything away, was put pots of water on to boil. Noah said she could take a bath any time she wanted, and by golly, she wanted one right now. Mary bit her lip. That felt so selfish when surely there was plenty to be done.
Instead she began cleaning the house. It wasn’t filthy, but it wasn’t as clean as it would have been if she’d been living here before. After washing all the floors, she wiped down all the counter tops, the table, and cleaned the bathroom. She also stripped the beds of their sheets and replaced them with fresh sheets. Tomorrow she would wash them all.
By the time she finished, it was time to make supper.
She began by making a batch of biscuits. It had been ages since she’d made them, simply because they’d run out of flour and Father refused to allow her to put anything on credit at the mercantile. Never had food been at her fingertips like it was now. But would that always be the case? Perhaps she shouldn’t get comfortable with the situation, because you really never did know.
Glancing out the window, she noticed Noah riding in from across the paddock. That meant she didn’t have long to prepare his supper. She carefully sliced the bacon and put it in the frying pan, then cracked eggs in the pan next to it. Mary had no idea how big an eater Noah was, although he put away that big meal at lunch. She cooked four eggs for him and one for herself.
It was pleasing to have fresh bread, and not have to worry about how old the bread was.
She cooked the toast on the fire, and by the time Noah had cleaned up, his meal was ready. She placed the biscuits in the center of the table, with a small plate of butter next to it. His coffee was already waiting for him, and she served his meal the moment he sat down.
“This looks amazing, Mary,” he said. “I’m not used to this sort of supper.”
She felt warm all over. “It’s not much,” she said. “Tomorrow I can make stew since I’ll have more time.” She shrugged as he reached for a biscuit.
“Please sit down, you’re making me nervous,” he said, taking a mouthful of the still-warm biscuits. “You’re an amazing cook, Mrs Adams,” he said with a grin. He pulled the biscuit away from his mouth and studied it. “These are different.”
“They’re cheese biscuits,” she said. “I’m going to enjoy cooking real food for you.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back.
“Real food?”
“You…” How much should she tell him? “You have lots of ingredients. I didn’t have those back home.”
He nodded thoughtfully, and took another mouthful of the biscuit. “Either way, they’re delicious. I am certain of one thing – I’m going to enjoy your cooking.”
This man was so kind. She already didn’t want to leave, let alone after twelve months. Mary vowed to put her despair aside. She had signed a contract to leave in one year, and that’s exactly what she needed to do. Whether she wanted to or not.
Chapter Three
Noah helped Mary dry their supper dishes. She was exhausted, he could see it all over her face. “Did you enjoy your bath?” he suddenly asked, remembering their earlier conversation.
She shook her head. She didn’t enjoy her bath?
“I didn’t have one. I decided to clean the house instead.”
“But you were looking forward to a bath.” Why did she clean instead of relaxing? Unless… please Lord no. It was looking more and more as though Mary had been treated more like a slave than a daughter. She hadn’t said much except to say she looked after her father. What kind of father treats his child in such a way?
He dried the last of the dishes, then insisted she have a bath. Mary protested, but he rebuffed her and ensured she took one before bed.
“Let me carry the pots of water to the bathroom for you,” he said, and that’s exactly what he did. He dumped the hot water into the bath.
“It’s like a mansion here. You even have proper floors,” she said quietly when she was in the bathroom.
His heart thudded in his chest. What on earth had his wife endured? He pulled her to him and enveloped her. She seemed so scared and incredibly vulnerable. He ran his hand through the water that filled the bath, checking the temperature. It seemed about right, a
nd he turned off the cold water faucet. “Grab a towel from that cupboard,” he said. “There is soap on the bath, or you can get a fresh cake of soap from the same cupboard.”
He turned and left her alone.
It seemed like forever before his new wife came out of the bathroom in one of her new nightgowns. She looked fresh and smelled wonderful, but she also looked weary. He’d sat reading his bible while she bathed, something he did every night.
“Did you enjoy your bath,” he asked when she sat down opposite him. “You look more relaxed.”
“It was wonderful,” she said. “Especially being inside, away from the cold evening air.”
She leaned back in the chair, and was soon sound asleep. Noah put aside his bible, then went to the bedroom and turned back the bedding. When he carried her to bed, she didn’t so much as flinch.
He stood staring down at her for a very long time. He wondered what his wife had been through, and how long it was going to take for her to recover from the atrocities she’d endured.
~*~
Mary opened her eyes to the early morning light of dawn.
She glanced about trying to work out where she was – this place was not familiar. As she rolled over, she gasped at the sight of Noah in her bed. Well, really it was his bed, but she had no idea how she’d gotten there. The last thing she recalled was making herself comfortable in the sitting room after her luxurious bath.
As hard as she tried, she couldn’t recall being moved. Could Noah have brought her to bed? It was the only explanation she could come up with. It was a moot point now anyway, so she needed to move forward.
She slid silently out of bed, trying not to wake her new husband. She snatched up her clothes and hurried to the bathroom where she dressed and prepared for the day. She pinned her hair up out of the way, and headed to the kitchen.
Mary sighed. It was a magnificent kitchen and she knew it would bring her great joy in the days and weeks to come. She was certain Noah had no idea how much happiness his home had already given her.
A Bride for Noah Page 2
