by Barbara Goss
Please allow me to court you. I promise you I won’t ever regret it.
All my love,
Jake
Dawn folded the letter carefully and slipped it into her pocket. The words touched her deeply, but she had an uneasy feeling about it. Laura wasn’t being her usual, inquisitive self which told Dawn she'd known who it had been from and maybe even what the letter had said.
.
Chapter Six
Jake had procrastinated taking his trip to the mercantile to pick out a gift for Dawn since he hated any type of shopping. He hadn’t heard a word from anyone at White Oaks since Laura had given Dawn the letter from him. Having Laura write it hadn't been deceitful for he had sat down with Laura who helped compose it; Laura had simply polished it.
Something caught Jake’s eye as he browsed the mercantile for Dawn’s gift. He picked up a small wooden piano and turned it every which way. He opened the lid and the sweetest music played. He turned the piano upside down to see the name of the song printed underneath: Fur Elise. Jake knew it was the perfect gift for Dawn. He lifted the lid again and closed his eyes as he listened. The tune was romantic and exactly what he wanted to share with her. He bought the gift even though the cost was about a week’s livery profits. He had to give it to Dawn.
Now that Jake had the perfect gift for Dawn, he hesitated. If he went to his brother’s house and gave it to her, she’d most likely refuse it. After all, she’d turned down his offer to court her, and he had yet to receive a reply from his love letter. He’d have to hold on to it for a while and wait for the perfect time to give it to her.
Jake set it on his bedside table and listened to it at night before falling asleep. The tune, soft and sweet, conveyed exactly how he felt about Dawn, even without words
*******
Dawn spotted Laura taking clothes off the line in the backyard and decided to approach her with a question she’d been burning to ask her: “Aren’t you the least bit curious as to who the letter was from that I received the other day?”
“Oh, no. I knew it was from Jake because he delivered it.”
Dawn hadn’t thought of that. It sounded logical. Why had she been so suspicious?
Laura gave her a knowing smile. “I’d hoped it was a love letter.”
“I suppose it could be considered one.” Dawn sighed. “Oh, Laura, I don’t know what to do. I want to go to him and accept his offer to court me, but I’m so afraid he’ll be sorry later.”
“Max knows his brother well and has reassured me that not only would he not be sorry, but that he’d stand up for you. Who'd be crazy enough to mess with a six-foot-tall Texan, besides?”
Dawn smiled at her sister’s words. “I couldn’t stand to see him regretting our relationship. I’d dread being with him when people said those hurtful things. I think I’d just sink into the shadows and die.”
“Dawn! Of course, you wouldn’t. Max told me Jake's a fighter, and that he could take on anything people threw at the two of you.”
Dawn shrugged. “If you and Max are right, maybe I should allow him to court me, and I’ll see how it goes.”
Laura pulled Dawn close for a hug. “I’m so glad you’ve changed your mind.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday—what better place to talk to him than in church? I’ll pull him aside after the service.”
*******
November brought a crispness to the air. Jake blew out a mist of vapor as he harnessed the buggy. He’d prayed all morning about that day—he was taking Mercy Logan to church. Jake prayed for the perfect salvation sermon, one that would touch her heart. If she didn’t become a Christian that week, it meant he’d have to take her every week until she did. It also meant everyone would assume they were a couple, including Dawn.
Once the buggy had been harnessed, he jumped up and started for town.
*******
That week, Laura, Max, and Dawn found Jake in a church pew when they arrived. Laura nudged Dawn into the pew first, so she’d sit beside Jake. Laura and Max followed.
Jake turned to her, but instead of a cheerful greeting, he gave her a surprised look. It took a few seconds for Dawn to realize he wasn’t alone—there was a beautiful blonde woman on his right.
The next look he gave her could only be described as apologetic. Dawn surmised the relationship with the woman had progressed. If so, why had he written her a love letter? Could he have given up because she hadn’t answered it?
All through the service, Dawn inwardly fumed. She was proud of herself for remaining calm and cool despite the circumstances. She tried not to let Jake’s warm shoulder touching her own change her demeanor. When the congregation stood to sing, she edged closer to Laura.
Laura’s expression clearly showed Dawn that she was just as shocked.
Disappointment, hurt, and anger all seemed to fight a battle within her. She struggled to convince herself it was for the best, after all. Hadn't that been what she’d wished for Jake: a beautiful, white woman to give him fair children?
*******
Jake wondered what he’d been thinking. He'd purposely taken a different pew than normal in the hope that Max, Laura, and Dawn would sit in their usual pew, five rows up from the row he’d chosen.
He’d wanted Dawn to see him with Mercy the first time, but not anymore, not after the love letter. Dawn had tried to hide the hurt look when she saw Mercy, and Jake felt like a heel doing that to her. Even though she didn’t want him to court her, he knew she cared deeply for him.
.
He prayed silently, asking God to help him out of his mess since he’d been trying to bring Mercy to Him, and Jake had hurt Dawn in the process. Some days, he felt like he just couldn’t do anything right.
When the service ended, he turned to speak to Dawn, but she had already sped from the church. He’d intended to try to explain.
Laura looked up at him and said, “How could you? You’ve spoiled everything.”
She turned, pulling Max with her, leaving Jake alone in the pew with Mercy.
“Is there a problem?” Mercy asked.
Jake sighed before he turned to Mercy. “A misunderstanding is all.”
Mercy smiled up at him, blinking her eyelashes. “Are we going to take another ride?”
“Not today. I have some things I have to attend to at the livery and at White Oaks.”
“So…when will I see you again?”
“I’ll let you know. Things are getting busy at the livery, so I don’t know when I’ll have the time. He looked away from her pouting face momentarily before turning back to her to ask, “How did you like the service?”
Mercy shrugged. “It was all right, I guess.”
“Just all right? Did you learn anything?”
“I guess church just isn’t my cup of tea.”
Jake gritted his teeth. “You need to attend more than once to really get anything out of it.”
He heard her sigh. “I suppose.”
After he'd escorted Mercy home, he'd stopped at the livery to give some last-minute orders to the workers before speeding to White Oaks. He had to explain to everyone, and he hoped they’d all understand.
Laura greeted him somewhat cooler than usual. Max had simply nodded at him.
“Please, let me explain—where’s Dawn?”
Laura stood with her hands on her hips, “She threw some things into a satchel and fled with Henry. She’s going to spend a few days with her Chinook friends.”
Jake’s shoulders fell. “She left already? I came as fast as I could.”
Max said, “She was upset.”
Jake collapsed into the sofa chair. “Listen: Mercy Logan means nothing to me.”
Laura sat down on the sofa. “And that’s why you accompanied her to church?”
Max stood in the doorway, listening.
Jake ran his fingers through his hair and said, “I was trying to save a lost soul.”
“Oh,” Max said. “Good one.”
“It’s the truth! I asked h
er if she went to church, and she said she didn’t have anyone to go with, so I offered with the hope she might…oh, never mind. I chose a pew several rows from where we usually sit, hoping that I could spare you all from seeing me with her.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, Jake,” Laura said, “but I think your love letter touched Dawn. She was going to tell you this morning, after church, that you could court her.”
Jake buried his face in his hands. “No!”
Laura stood and walked over to Jake. She put her arms around his shoulders. “Jake, I’m so sorry.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Max asked. “We could have tried to keep Dawn from seeing you and this Mercy woman.”
Jake sighed again. “I don’t know that, or why I let myself become embroiled in this mess. I don’t even think Mercy is open to being saved. She seemed bored by the service.”
“I’ll go to church with her,” Laura offered. “That will let you off the hook.”
He looked up at her and smiled. “Thank you, that would be a big help. I need to explain it all to Dawn, though.”
“I’ll let you know when she returns,” Max said, patting his shoulder. “Your intention to bring the woman to church was good. We understand.”
“When Dawn returns, let me explain. Don’t tell her a thing.”
Chapter Seven
Visiting her Chinook friends uplifted Dawn. It would be her last visit until spring, as trails became icy and the weather cold. During her ride home with Henry, she remembered what she’d be going home to. Although Henry was just a young lad, he was very bright, and Dawn enjoyed their conversations as they rode.
“Thank you for coming with me, Henry.”
Henry smiled. “At least this visit, the Chinook seemed to trust me more. They even allowed me inside the chief’s longhouse.”
“They just needed to get to know you.”
“Historically, it was the Chinook who named our tribe. Nez Perce in Chinook means 'pierced nose.'”
“That’s right. It does.”
“Then, later, the two tribes had problems over a land dispute, but our tribes are quite similar.”
Dawn found that interesting, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She bit her lower lip. “Henry, do you think a marriage between a white person and an Indian could be successful?”
Henry puckered his mouth as if in deep thought. “It could, if the union had true love and trust. I think those are the two main ingredients. If either of those are missing, it could fail.”
Dawn thought he’d given her a very intelligent answer. “How would someone your age know that?”
“My mother is always telling people it was why her marriage to my father was such a success.”
“It’s important to know, since there aren’t exactly a swarm of young Indian men in Silverpines.”
Henry became a bit more animated. “There could be…well, at least more Indian men.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’ve opened the silver mine that collapsed and killed all those miners. The management is allowing young Indian men to apply. Two of my Nez Perce friends have been hired.”
And here she’d gone and sent for a mail order, Indian husband. She doubted she’d ever get a reply, anyway. If things didn’t work out with Jake—and it looked like they never would, since he was seeing that blonde woman—maybe she'd meet someone. Dawn put her hand to her heart to still its wild beating at the thought of Jake. Would she ever meet someone who affected her the way Jake had? She almost laughed at her predicament—she'd wished a fair-haired, white woman on Jake, and when it had come true, she couldn’t face it.
When she arrived home, Laura greeted her excitedly at the door. “You have a letter!”
“From Jake?”
Laura held the letter up and waved it about. “No, it’s from Sacramento, California.”
Dawn held her hand out until Laura gave it to her. She studied the handwriting on the envelope. “Someone certainly has good writing.”
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Laura asked.
Dawn found it strange that Laura hadn't been that excited to read Jake’s letter, but this one had piqued her curiosity.
“Of course. Can I at least go into the sitting room and have a seat?”
“Oh, sorry.” Laura led Dawn to a sofa, and she sat beside her.
Dawn read aloud:
Dear Dawn,
I saw your ad and would love to make your acquaintance. I’m a Shawnee Indian who came to California from Ohio. I have a lovely home here that I would love to share with you. I’m thirty, never married, and about five feet seven inches tall. I’m interested in meeting with you and hearing all about your heritage. I plan to be in Silverpines soon. Can we meet? If so, please meet me on November the seventeenth at the railway station at approximately two in the afternoon. I will come by train and stay about three days. I’m anxious to meet you, dear Dawn.
Sincerely,
Thomas Ainslee
Dawn covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, dear! What have I done?”
“I never liked the idea,” Laura said.
“What if I don’t like him? I've never heard of this tribe.”
“It will be daylight when you meet him, so I’m sure it'll be fine. You can bring him here, for dinner.” Laura put her hands on Dawn’s shoulders. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Dawn fidgeted. “I thought it was, but now I’m not sure. I’m a bit frightened. He seems very forward to want to meet right away. I'd planned to exchange a few letters first.”
“He’ll be here in just five days, so it’s probably too late to write to stop him from coming,” Laura said.
Dawn flipped the envelope over. “I couldn’t respond, anyway—there’s no return address!”
*******
Jake wasted no time riding out to White Oaks after receiving a message from Max that Dawn had returned.
Laura escorted him to the sitting room and then went to get Dawn. He became anxious and fingered his hat as he waited. What if she didn’t believe him? What if she had decided against letting him court her since she no longer felt he could be trusted?
When Dawn walked into the room, it seemed to brighten. She was wearing a simple, yellow dress, dotted with green leaves. The contrast between the dress and her shiny, black hair was amazing. Jake stood.
“Good morning, Jake.”
“Good morning.”
Dawn sat on the sofa, at the opposite end from him. Jake resumed his seat. He threw his hat down on a nearby table. “I need to talk to you…privately. Can we take a walk?”
“Of course.” She stood and walked to the front door. Jake grabbed his hat and followed.
As they walked through the small orchard behind the stables, Jake started to feel more comfortable. He and Dawn had always had a good rapport and had shared many talks during the time he’d stayed at White Oaks.
Dawn led him to a bench, and they both sat before Jake began to explain. He set his hat down on the bench, straightened his shoulders, and said, “The woman I was with in church is not a romantic interest of mine.” Had he imagined her expression changing to one of relief?
“Her name is Mercy Logan, and she’s been rather…well, she’s been somewhat interested in me, but I told her my heart was already taken.”
Dawn’s face softened, and he could tell she struggled to hold back a shy smile.
“However, she wanted me to take her for a carriage ride after church and somehow it came out that she didn’t attend church. I had the urge to use her attraction for me to bring her to church and God. It fell flat, though, because she didn’t seem to like the service, but that’s the only reason I was there with her.”
Dawn remained silent, so he had no idea if she believed him or not.
“I’ve never—that is to say—we’ve never…” he slapped his hands on his thighs, “There has never been a romance between Mercy and me, no kisses…nothing.” He lifted Dawn’s chin gently. “Do y
ou believe me?”
Dawn’s smile finally appeared, and it made his whole body aware of her. “I believe you,” she whispered.
Before Jake could plan anything, he was impulsively pulling her into his arms and squeezing her tightly. She, in turn, managed to pull her arms free and put them around his neck. “Thank the Lord,” Jake said beneath his breath.
“May I court you?” he asked hopefully.
Dawn nodded. “You may.”
After letting out a breath of relief, Jake pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately.
The fire between them surprised Jake. He’d always been fond of Dawn, and as their friendship had grown, he'd come to love her, but he hadn't expected the flames between them.
She'd returned his kiss as if it were their last. Jake instantly knew he’d done the right thing in choosing Dawn. He hugged her to him and rubbed her back as they both struggled to catch their breath.
“I love you,” Jake said. “Only you, Dawn.”
Dawn pulled away and looked into his eyes. “It won’t be easy being with me, you know.”
“I know, and I’m prepared to fight that battle.” He pressed her head to his chest. “I know what I want and nothing can stop me from that. I’m a fighter, you watch and see.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
They sat in each other’s arms for a while before Dawn murmured, “I have a last name, and I’ve discovered I’m half-French.”
“Tell me all about it,” he said.
Dawn was animated as she told him her story.
“So, Dawn Girard, will you go on a buggy ride with me after church on Sunday, and maybe even go on a picnic?”
Dawn smiled up at him, her large expressive brown eyes seducing him. “I’d love to.”
