Mail Order Brides: Western Romance Collection: The Brides of Wyldewood: Volume One

by Holly Blake

  “Is she still hanging in the barn?” Brody asked shocked.

  “No!” Anna laughed. “She was buried before they left but they didn’t take anything with them. It’s been empty for over five years but as far as anyone in Wyldewood is concerned it still belongs to the Flannigan’s. I heard that the land is cursed and the Indian’s won’t go near it.”

  “It sounds perfect for us then,” Brody said and guided the horse in the direction Anna was motioning.

  Sure enough as they crested the hill there it was. A pretty little farm house set in the middle of a large field of overgrown wheat. There was a small fence around the house itself and the remains of what had been a large vegetable garden lay to the south of the house within the fenced area.

  The barn was across the field some hundred feet away. It had a chicken coop attached to the side and a large paddock that lay empty. Five years of wild growth could not deter from the beauty of the place. The finely crafted house still stood strong and solid.

  “It’s a mighty fine looking place. Are you sure it’s empty?” Brody asked Anna.

  “Empty yes, cursed, probably not.” Anna challenged.

  “I don’t believe in curses, I believe in God’s grace,” Brody said and put his warm hand on Anna’s cold white hands as she gripped harder onto his chest. She lay her head on his back and giggled.

  “You’re right, there are no such things as curses, only God’s good grace.”

  They made their way down to the house and went inside. The house was cool but warmer than outside. Anna found a couple of blankets and put them around both her and Brody’s shoulders to begin the warming process. Brody built a fire in the fireplace. He looked around the darkened room. “You were right about them leaving everything. Other than a buildup of dust you would think the Flannigan’s were going to be home any minute or had just left for a day in town.”

  “I thought maybe people were exaggerating about it, but you’re right, you would think the Flannigan’s still lived here.” Anna walked around the house looking into rooms and cupboards. “There are still some preserves in the cupboard. The peaches look good. Do you want to try them?” She brought the jar into the front room close to the fire that was now roaring away.

  “Well I am starving and it’s not like we can go into town for supplies,” Brody said as he rubbed his hands together in front of the flames.

  They ate the tart, and somewhat soggy peaches. Neither was sure if Mrs. Flannigan was especially gifted at canning or if it was just that they were so hungry that anything would have tasted good. As they started to warm up Brody mentioned that they should look for some dry clothes to put on. Anna found a dress that fit her pretty well. It was a bit big but not too bad. The same couldn’t be said for Brody’s find. The pants he found were much too short and the shirt wouldn’t fit at all. He looked like a giant from a fairy story and Anna couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Stop that!” Brody playfully growled at her. “It’s not funny. There has to be something around here I can put on. A gentleman should not be seen without a waistcoat, at least that’s what my father always used to say.”

  “Was your father as tall as you?”

  “No, he was about a half a foot shorter, but my uncle was the same height and so were my cousins.” Brody’s face suddenly fell into a sad grimace.

  “What happened to your family?” Anna asked concerned.

  “My family in Georgia doesn’t exist anymore. My cousins died in the war and my Uncle was hung immediately after it.”

  “What was he hung for?”

  “We don’t really know, but there are suspicions that he was some kind of spy.” Brody looked away from Anna and changed the subject quickly. “My brother is all the family I have left. He’s nearly as tall as I am but he’s broader in the shoulders.” Brody grabbed a large blanket and wrapped it around himself returning to the fire to warm up. “What about you, do you have any family?”

  “I have family in Boston,” Anna told him. She found another jar of peaches and they sat by the fire eating and telling each other stories about their lives.

  In the glow of the fire Anna began to feel a stirring in her heart. As she looked at the face of this complicated man she felt a desire for him. She had not expected to feel this way about another man, not after what happened with Beau. It suddenly occurred to her that Brody might know what had happened to the man she was supposed to marry, the man who had answered her letters so sweetly but then never showed up when she arrived. The pain and humiliation of that day still haunted her.

  “Brody, have you ever heard of a man named Beau Brady? I was supposed to marry him, but he never met me at the station. Is he one of the outlaws?” Anna felt awkward asking this relative stranger such a question, but somehow she sensed he might have the answer she so desperately needed. She hated asking the question, but she wanted to know, she had to know.

  “Ya, I’ve heard of him.” Brody looked at Anna and saw the shame creep onto her face. He hurried to make her feel better. “Beau wasn’t a bad sort; he just had a way of falling into trouble. I think it was his father’s fault that bad people kept popping up in Beau’s life. His father had been in league with Black Heart years ago. When a job came up Black Heart sought Beau out. Unfortunately, Beau didn’t make it through that job.”

  Brody lifted Anna’s chin and looked into her sad eyes. “He would have moved mountains to have been at that train station to meet you. According to my brother all he talked about the last few days of his life was how he couldn’t wait to finish the job and get back to Wyldewood to meet his Anna.

  As Anna listened to Brody she began to feel better. She was sad for Beau, he hadn’t deserved to die, and she knew that they would have loved each other and been happy, as long as they were left alone, but by the way Brody spoke of Beau, Anna doubted that ever would have happened.

  This tiny bit of information was all she needed to put Beau Brady behind her. She let her gaze linger on the man who was sitting in front of her. Brody was strong both physically and in character. He felt deeply but was even tempered and had a calming effect on her.

  Watching her look at him, Brody could no longer resist. He pulled her close to him with his warm hand caressing her back, he kissed her. The kiss was soft and warm but full of a passion Anna had never known. She felt safe in Brody’s firm embrace. For the first time she felt like she was truly alive and part of the world, she was no longer a shadow.

  Suddenly the door swung open and there in the doorway stood Lamont, grinning.

  Chapter Seven

  Brody released Anna and stood to confront Lamont. He winced as he moved toward the door.

  “If you wanted to be alone with the girl all you had to do was say, Brody.” Lamont laughed. “She is a mighty pretty one, but you might think about sharing.” Lamont entered the room brushing past Brody. He looked at Anna, a hungry, wild look on his face. “Is there anything to drink in here? Any food?”

  Brody looked outside the door for the others but no one was there. “There are some canned peaches in the kitchen,” Brody said as he closed the door. Anna looked up at him and saw that his stitches had torn and his shirt was drenched in blood. She went to stand but Brody held out his hand for her to stay still. She tried to point out the fact that he was bleeding but he ignored her and followed Lamont into the kitchen.

  “Where are the rest of the boys?” Brody asked Lamont.

  “We got separated after the explosions,” Lamont said smiling at Brody. “Good job, man. That was a brilliant idea you had to plant those explosions around the house. Don’t know what happened to Donovan, he should have had us covered. Lily livered coward rode off as soon as it looked like he might get beat.”

  Lamont looked long and hard at Brody while he scooped peaches right from the jar into his mouth with his bare, dirty hands. “Yeah, maybe he thought the Sherriff had reinforcements backing him up,” Lamont laughed. Brody snickered uneasily.

  “We should be getting as far away fr
om Wyldewood as we can, Lamont. We only stopped here to warm up and dry off.”

  “Yeah, I saw what you stopped here for.” Lamont sneered and winked at Brody. “You got some way with the ladies Brody. You got your very own private doctor to keep you healthy and happy.” Lamont laughed a loud and mirthless laugh.

  “Yeah, I sure do.” Brody laughed, glancing at Anna.

  Anna noticed the change in Brody’s eyes. He was watching everything and yet coldly calm. She began to question her feelings for this man that went from warm and loving to cool and composed in moments. Perhaps he wasn’t such an innocent in all of this after all. What if he was merely leading her on? She suddenly felt very alone and very insecure.

  We have to get to the rendezvous by sunset tomorrow,” Lamont said glaring at Anna. “What are your plans for her?” He flicked his chin in Anna’s direction with a murderous look.

  “Leave her to me,” Brody said. He looked at Anna with an expression that made Anna want to be sick. It was a look that would normally spell danger, one you only saw from men who used women like chattels. “Enjoy the fire old friend, while I enjoy mine.” Brody smiled at Lamont and grabbed Anna by the elbow, pulling her up and dragging her to the bedroom that had belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Flannigan. Anna tried to protest, but she wasn’t sure if he was going to use her or help her to escape again. She wanted to trust him, but didn’t know if she should.

  “Leave some for me Long Tall; I might want a nibble later.” Lamont laughed and bit the air as Anna passed. She was horrified and afraid. If Brody wasn’t prepared to help her escape she would find a way herself. There was no way that she would let the filthy Lamont anywhere near her. Once again she found herself wondering how she got into this mess and once again she prayed for escape from whatever these men had in mind.

  “Don’t worry Lamont. There will be plenty for everyone when I’m done with her; but she might not be as pretty anymore.” Brody growled and Lamont laughed even harder.

  Anna felt her stomach churn in disgust. She struggled and fought against Brody now. Brody quickly turned her around and sped her into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. “Now pretty lady, what say you stop your caterwauling and give me a nice big kiss?” Brody said loudly and turned his gaze toward Anna. His expression nearly made her burst out laughing.

  Chapter Eight

  Grover had felt a certain satisfaction rise up as he watched Dr. Ivy fix up the large bruise on the man he had now learned went by the name Donovan’s chest. Lightening had managed to break a couple of ribs too. Now Donovan was in the town jail, locked up tight and being watched by several townsmen and an irate Lieutenant Johnson. The men of the town stayed at the jailhouse as much to stop Johnson from killing the outlaw as to keep him securely locked up.

  Black Heart was in the clinic, now missing his leg and barely holding onto life. Cade Montgomery was keeping watch over him just in case he should come to and try to make a run for it.

  That left several other outlaws and one Anna Duncan still missing. Grover was determined to bring the outlaws to justice and rescue Miss Anna. After feeding and watering Lightening and giving him an extra couple of sugar lumps as a treat for his good work with Donovan, the two had set off tracking the outlaws.

  It was well past daybreak now and the storm had worn itself out hours ago. There was a cool mist that hung in the air and crackling pools of ice crunched under Lightening’s hooves as they moved slowly over the grassy wilderness.

  It seemed to Grover that the outlaws had split up into at least three groups. Three went east at a fast pace and Grover figured they would be another day’s problem. Two had headed back toward Wyldewood and one horse had meandered in circles until it had also headed back toward Wyldewood.

  The single horse was the one that Grover decided to track. This horse was either very large or was carrying two people because the tracks were deeper than an average horse with one man. Grover presumed that it meant this was the horse that carried Anna and her captor.

  By the time Grover got just east of Wyldewood, he found the trail of the heavy horse had been joined by two other horses. “Must be the outlaws coming back together,” Grover said to Lightening. The horse whinnied in agreement and set off in the direction of the trails. Grover knew where they must be headed, the old Flannigan farm. It was abandoned and would make a perfect hide-out. Most people avoided the place on account of the curse that supposedly haunted the place.

  Grover never put much stock in tales of curses and ghosts, but in this instance he didn’t much care for the place. He had helped to pull Mrs. Flannigan down from the rafters of the barn and the place still gave him a chill any time he had to pass it. He knew it wasn’t a ghost; it was just the profound sadness that overcame him when he remembered the poor family who came to these parts for a better life, but succumbed to the harshness this land could deliver in spades.

  Slowly and cautiously Grover came into the valley that held that tragic homestead. He saw smoke rising from the chimney and was careful to keep cover from the now occupied house. As he picked his way through the tree line Grover noticed blood drops in the snow. The drops began to lead away from the house and so Grover followed them. The crimson stains were fresh and they became wider and deeper as Grover moved through the trees. Finally he came upon a horse with a man on its back.

  The horse was grazing on the grass of the forest floor; digging through the snow with its hooves to get the tender throngs. The horse seemed oblivious to its rider, who was slumped to one side. As Grover watched, the man slipped off the horse, hitting the ground with a thud. The horse sidestepped the motionless figure and wondered off looking for a new spot to find grass.

  Grover slid off Lightening as silently as he could. He approached the man who was face down on the ground, a pool of red beginning to form around him. He kneeled down and took the man’s wrist; there was no life in the man. Grover inspected the body and found the fatal wound; a gunshot to the back that went straight through his heart.

  A cold sweat sprang to Grover’s brow. Anna was in grave danger. Grover had to move quickly and get into that farm house. He looked around the area and began moving like a cat through the trees. Instinct took over and he became more Indian than Scot creeping closer to the house unseen by the occupants. He moved to the back of the house and slowly, quietly opened the back door. He peered through the crack as the door began to open and saw no one in the kitchen. He could hear snoring in the front of the house and the crackling of the fire. Stealthily he moved to the front and saw one of the outlaws asleep in front of the fire. He listened for sounds from anywhere else in the house but heard nothing.

  As he approached, Grover recognized Lamont as the outlaw who lie snoring on the couch. Before Lamont could react Grover was on top of him, his gun pointed between Lamont’s beady brown eyes. The outlaw tried to fight but instantly realized that protest would be useless if not fatal.

  “Where’s Miss Anna?” Grover demanded. His whispering growl was even more menacing than the gun he brandished.

  Lamont shook his head until Grover pulled back the trigger of his gun. Lamont shuddered and pointed to the closed door just past the fireplace. As Grover glanced toward the door Lamont struggled to free himself. In no mood for any nonsense Grover slammed the gun against the outlaw’s head and Lamont fell back limp and unconscious.

  Grover pulled himself up shaking his head at the foolish man. He crept to the door and silently opened it. The room was undisturbed. He looked around, but there was no sign of anyone. He turned around and went racing through the rest of the house. No other person was in the house with Lamont. He quickly bound Lamont and took another closer look around the house.

  He found evidence of Anna having been there, and another person, but they were gone now. Lamont had seemed sure they were in the bedroom so Grover took an especially close look through the room. The only things in the room that had been disturbed were the wardrobes and the window. The dust that covered every surface of the house was
messy by the windowsill, and the curtain that hung there had a corner caught in the closed frame. They had escaped from Lamont.

  Grover scratched his head. His fine black hair felt damp with sweat. The only explanation that made any sense was that Anna and one of the outlaws had to sneak away from Lamont. Grover had to get Lamont secured in the jailhouse before he tried to track Anna and her captor again. But who was this man she was with? And was he her captor, or her savior?

  Chapter Nine

  Anna felt completely at ease for the first time since she had been abducted. Sitting in James Halverson’s private kitchen at the back of the Inn with Brody felt like home. She cradled a hot cup of milk that James had made her with a touch of cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. The warm beverage was both delicious and soothing.

  When they arrived they explained to James that they were hiding from both the outlaws and the sheriff. He closed all the curtains of his private suite and made them both a good meal and waited to hear the full story while they ate. Sitting at the table, both with hot milk and cookies, Brody began to explain his situation. He told James of his brother’s mistake and how he was with the outlaws to save Billy. How they escaped the outlaws the first time and how Lamont had found them at the Flannigan farm.

  “You went to that cursed place? Anna, you should know better than to tempt the fates.” James exclaimed.

  “It’s not cursed, James, it’s just a very sad place where sad things happened. We were fine there, until Lamont showed up.” Anna grimaced remembering the dirty, greasy looking man.

  “See!” James insisted, “A curse came to call.”

  Anna laughed “Maybe you’re right James, but thanks to Brody it all worked out ok, though he scared me half to death when he dragged me into that room with him, saying all kinds of nasty things.”