“If Pansy doesn’t like it, she can sell them herself!”
Rose blurted out the words before she even realized it, and her heart pounded in her chest. She was certain her sister and mother were still both out, but a feeling of dread came over her anyway. She carefully walked over to her door and listened. There was silence in the house.
Rose let out a sigh of relief, then jumped as she heard the front door open. She whirled around and as quickly as she could she stuffed her bonnet and dresses into the parcel she had open on her bed. She knew with the door open to the bedroom, Pansy was sure to appear at any moment, and she was right.
Scarcely had she closed the door to her closet when she heard the heavy footsteps of her sister on the hardwood floors.
“It’s about time you were up. Mother and I were in town getting all kinds of things for dinner. You must come out here and help us make ready now.”
Pansy turned on her heel and headed back to the kitchen, and at first Rose felt anger swell up in her chest. She didn’t like being told what to do, but she realized it was only going to be for tonight, and she would be gone. By morning, she would be on her way to her new life, and Pansy would be here to do the chores herself.
The thought wasn’t enough to make the anger pass out of her, but it was enough to get her out to help in the kitchen. Rose was pleasantly surprised to find she actually had some fun with her mother and sister. Their mother was feeling well enough to talk with them as they worked, and it seemed as though Pansy was making an effort to be nicer.
Only for a single second did Rose second guess herself. Part of her wanted to stay here and enjoy this forever. She thought she could raise a child on her own. She could care for their mother along with Pansy, and raise her child in this house. The whole idea of it seemed to be quite nice, until Pansy started talking about marriage once again.
She didn’t bring up anything about Humphry or New York State, but she did speak of the friends they had that were married, and the ones that were getting married soon. Rose knew what she was doing. She knew Pansy was trying to get the subject on hand so they were able to talk about Humphry, but Rose wasn’t going to have it.
She changed the subject to the wildflowers that were growing in the back of the house, on the south side of the field, and she talked about the food they were making. She could tell Pansy was irritated that she didn’t want to talk about marriage, but it didn’t bother Rose.
She remained in the kitchen with her mother and sister long enough to have their dinner, and she washed up the dishes that were in the wash basin. After that was completed, Rose excused herself and headed back to her room, in spite of Pansy’s protests.
“You can’t spend all of your time hiding in that musty old room!”
Pansy called into the hallway after her, but it was too late. Rose already closed the door and pulled in the latch behind her.
I’m not going to spend all of my time in here, in fact, this is the last night I am going to spend in here for the rest of my life.
Chapter 6 – Going West
Rose was annoyed. She had wanted to get a start on her journey right after she mailed the letter. In fact, she told Greg in the letter she was going to be following it directly, and he need not try to respond to her for it would cross her path in the mail and wouldn’t reach her.
But, fate intervened, and she was left in the house for nearly a week longer than she wanted to be. The morning after she had made dinner with her sister, she started to feel dizzy, and the feeling only got worse until she was left in bed with a fever. The doctor came and told her she must remain in bed until further notice.
This was an order Rose simply couldn’t abide by. As soon as she felt able, she was up and about her room once again. Her sister didn’t dote on her, so Rose didn’t see any great benefit to being in bed as opposed to being up and about.
If I get a ticket on the stagecoach, I can sit down for the journey anyway. I’ll get off and head right to bed in the hotel, and only be up to get on the stage again the next day.
Rose felt funny ignoring what the doctor told her to do, but she also felt she knew her body better than anyone else did, so she was justified in her decision. Every moment she could, Rose was up and about, getting the last few things she needed together so she could be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
As the day wore on, Rose felt well enough to go for light walks, so she made up her mind to head to the post office and purchase a ticket for the stage. She hoped against hope she could get out of the house and not run into her sister, a hope that was realized in a very welcome manner.
Once she was out of the house, Rose walked as quickly as she comfortably could in her condition. She knew she had to hurry. If she ran into Pansy or if she started to feel dizzy again, things were going to go downhill fast. As it was, she made it to her destination and purchased her ticket.
Rose hurried home as quickly as she could, and just as she kicked off her shoes and crawled into bed once more, she heard her sister coming up the steps on the porch.
“Rose? Is that you?”
“Yes, I was moving about in bed… did I disturb you?”
Rose didn’t feel that it was entirely a lie. After all, she was moving about in her bed. She didn’t know what else to add to the story, so she shifted her weight to a sitting position and looked up expectantly at her sister as Pansy walked into the room.
“No, I thought I heard you up and about is all. You know the doctor said you are to stay in that bed, and if you are up and moving around you are not obeying the doctor’s orders. That’s only going to lead to-“
“I know what the doctor said, and I can handle it. Don’t you worry about me, Pansy, I have this under control.”
Rose didn’t look up at her sister as she spoke to her, she knew her sister wasn’t going to take the rebuke well. Pansy stood in the door of her room for a minute, and didn’t say anything. Rose hoped she wouldn’t ask her what she had been doing all day, or if she cared to get out of bed.
Rose said nothing, and neither did her sister, until Pansy finally shrugged and turned to go. Suddenly, she paused, and turned to look at Rose once more.
“I think I am going to take a walk downtown. There are a few exhibits going on right now, and I don’t think I will be home until late. If Mother wants to join me, I’ll take her along so you don’t have to worry about her. You get some rest, and don’t wait up for me.”
Rose smiled, and thanked her sister. There was something in her chest that made her feel guilty, but she was relieved when Pansy walked out of the room.
“Goodbye Pansy.”
She whispered to herself, and laid back on the pillow before closing her eyes.
The next morning, Rose sat on the bumpy stagecoach, doing her best to get comfortable in the tiny cabin. She was the only one inside, which she was grateful for, so she tried not to complain. Rose had gotten up before the sun, and they were on the road just as the pink rays were breaking over the horizon.
Rose had left a note for her mother and sister to find. It explained where she was going and why she was leaving, it told them not to worry, and assured them she was going to be ok.
Rose knew it wasn’t the best way to handle her move, but she didn’t want to try to explain it to them face to face. That just wasn’t going to go well, and she didn’t want to leave them on poor terms. She was on her way out West, and this was going to be a happy time, regardless of what they thought about it.
Rose gasped as she hit another bump, and placed her hand on her stomach.
“It’s going to be okay now, Little One… Don’t you worry. I am going to take care of both of us… just like I promised.”
Chapter 7 – A Stage Surprise
“Ouch!”
Rose cried out involuntarily as the stagecoach jostled over another bump in the road. She had made it through three days of this, and she wasn’t sure she was going to make it through a fourth. It seemed the road was getting rougher the m
ore they pressed on, and she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
“Dearie, are you all right?”
The stranger across the way looked over at her in concern, and she nodded.
“How far along are you?”
Rose wished he would let it drop, but he put on his spectacles and looked at her with great interest. Rose liked the man. He was elderly and resembled the pictures she had seen of Saint Nicholas, but she still wasn’t in the mood to talk.
“About eight months now. I am on my way to Montana to re-marry. I am a widow, you see, and heavily with child. I need to get settled in as soon as I can, but this infernal stage seems to be hitting every bump it can!”
The old man chuckled at her outburst, and ran his fingers over his beard.
“I see. I am on my way to see my son. He is a doctor out there in Montana, and says he enjoys it a lot. I haven’t seen him since his mother died, nearly seven years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear of your loss.”
Rose felt sheepish. She wanted to illicit more sympathy from the man than she got, but when she realized he had also lost his spouse, she felt more connected to him than before. She looked him over as he sat across from her, and he looked to be genuinely cheerful. Rose missed that. She wished she could find some of that cheeriness again, but it seemed that sadness pressed in on her more than anything.
Finally, she decided to ask him about it.
“Oh, it was hard for a long time, you see. I missed my Annabelle more than words can describe. But God is good. I know He is taking care of her up there in heaven, and one day, when my time comes, I will get to be with her again, this time forever.”
Rose felt a twinge in her heart. It had been a long time since she had heard God talked about. Since her husband died she really didn’t want to talk about Him, and her sister wasn’t ever one to mention Him. But, with this old man in front of her, she suddenly wanted God in her life again.
“Is there a church where we are going?”
She asked the question timidly, hoping he wouldn’t laugh at her for not knowing.
“Ralph has mentioned one, yes. I think it’s small, but a church is a church, and I think it will serve your purpose.”
The old man chuckled once again, and sat back on his seat. Rose put her hands on her stomach, and whispered to her baby that she wanted to take him to church when he was here.
Another bump in the road caused her to cry out again, and she laid back on the seat and moaned. The old man looked at her in concern once more than leaned out the window and called to the driver. She could hear the shout of the driver in reply, but she wasn’t able to make out what he said.
Suddenly, she felt the stagecoach lurch, and could feel the horses picking up speed. The old man was chuckling once again, and sat back down inside the coach. This time, he pulled the curtains closed over the door, and made himself as comfortable as he could in the middle of the seat.
Rose felt scared, and tried to sit up, but another pain in her abdomen caused her to cry out and she leaned back against the seat.
“We’re going too fast. He needs to slow down!”
Rose gasped the words out through her clenched teeth, but the old man only chuckled.
“This is clearly your first child, my dear. Tell me, are you excited?”
Rose felt confused, wondering what the old man meant by that. She looked over at him with a questioning glance, but he just crossed his arms and sat back on the seat, stroking his beard as he gazed at her. There was humor in his eyes, as well as a chuckle waiting on his lips.
Rose shook her head, still not understanding what he was getting at. Finally, she spoke.
“Yes, this is my first, but how would you know that? What do you mean ‘am I excited?’?”
Then the old man burst out laughing, this time placing both of his hands on his knees and bending forward. Rose didn’t know what was so funny, and part of her felt like she wanted to slap him. Or snap at him and tell him to stop poking fun at her. But just at that moment she was gripped with another pain in her stomach, this one sharper than the last.
She cried out, and immediately after she heard the driver shout and crack his whip. The horses whinnied and plunged forward, dragging the stagecoach behind them as quickly as they could.
“What is going on? Why are we in such a hurry? It felt a lot less painful when we were going slower. Can you ask him to slow down?”
Rose looked at the man pleadingly, but he shook his head.
“It’s not the speed of the coach that makes you feel uncomfortable, I’m afraid. And I think slowing down is only going to cause us more problems in the long run. My dear, you are about to welcome your new little one into your family, and I am so happy for you!”
The man clapped his hands as he announced the news, and Rose felt horrified. She didn’t know how the man could tell, and she felt he must be mistaken. She still had a few weeks to go, and she was convinced the pain was from the jostling of the stagecoach.
Suddenly, another pain shot through her, this one was stronger, and wracked her whole body with aches. She gasped and looked at the man. He smiled at her and winked, and she pulled herself up on the seat.
The town wasn’t that far away, but she hoped they would get there in time.
Her baby was on the way.
Chapter 8 – Happy At Last
Rose couldn’t hear anything the driver was saying, but she could hear him shouting as the stagecoach rumbled onward. The old man had drawn the curtains over the windows of the stage to keep her from seeing how quickly they were actually going.
He told her she needed to be as relaxed as possible, and if she saw the stage rumbling over the rocks she may get scared, and that would add stress to the baby. Rose tried to sit back and relax, but all she could think about was her baby, and how she couldn’t do this on the stage.
Suddenly, she heard other people shouting in reply, and the stage started to slow. It was difficult to bring the stage to a complete stop from the speed in which they were going, but she prayed they would be able to stop safely. It felt good to pray. Rose hadn’t done it in a long time, but as soon as she did, a feeling of peace swept over her.
It was as though God Himself were whispering in her ear that everything was going to be all right, she just needed to relax. Rose did her best, but as soon as the stage was at a stop, the door flew open. There were people right on the other side of the door, but the old man got up out of his seat and used his cane to keep them at bay.
Some of them were curious, others were there to try to help. Rose didn’t want anyone to bother her right now, all she wanted was to see the doctor, and hold her baby safely in her arms. Suddenly, a handsome young man’s face came through the door, and his two arms wrapped under her.
He gently lifted her up and out of the stage, and held her in his arms as he made his way through the crowd.
“Rose Fratt?”
He asked her, and she nodded.
“Greg Hardy, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Rose giggled. She knew she would like this man, and she couldn’t think of a better way to introduce herself to him.
“I’m sorry I arrived in this condition, I am a little early you see.”
Greg smiled down at her, making her heart pound in her chest.
“I don’t mind. I was sort of hoping it wouldn’t be long before the little one got here. Now, I would love to chat with you further, but I am afraid you are a little busy at the moment. I am going to be out here in the next room, as soon as you are able, I want to be in here.”
Greg surprised Rose as he kissed her on the forehead and gently laid her on the doctor’s table. She smiled at him as he backed out of the room, and turned her focus to the doctor. Everything felt like a blur now, the doctor was asking her all kinds of questions, and she was trying to answer.
She didn’t really know how she felt. There were so many emotions filling her mind at once. Suddenly, she knew it was time to foc
us. Right now, she was going to focus on one thing, and one thing only.
Her baby.
Greg looked down at his new wife and smiled. The previous night had been such a blur for them both, neither one knew what to say. Rose held in her arms a beautiful baby girl, the most precious person she had ever laid eyes on.
She couldn’t stop smiling, never in her life had she felt so happy. She named the baby Grace, after her mother.
“Grace Fratt Hardy, I think that has a beautiful ring to it. I can’t tell you how happy I am right now, I do believe I am the happiest man alive. In just one day I have acquired a beautiful wife and a beautiful daughter!”
Rose laughed at Greg. She didn’t know him well, but from the little she had seen of him, she could tell that he was a gentleman. It was clear he was going to treat her well, and treat little Grace like his own. Rose couldn’t have asked for a happier moment in her life.
She wished Frank were here to see their daughter. She was so certain it was a boy, she really didn’t know what to say when she realized she had a baby girl. Frank would have been so proud. Rose was happy. It was a bitter sweet moment, but she wasn’t overcome with the sadness she thought she would be.
She would write home and tell her mother and sister what she had done, and tell them all about Greg and little Grace. Most importantly, she would tell them she was happy, and now she could live her life the way she wanted to, for good. For the first time in her life, Rose didn’t worry about whether or not they were going to be happy with her.
She knew she was happy, and that was enough. She had a new family, a new town, and a new life, and at that moment, she wouldn’t have traded anything in it for anything else in the world.
And that was exactly what she wanted it to be.
THE END.
Unwilling Father
Mail Order Bride
CHRISTIAN MICHAEL
[2016] Finding My Cowboy Page 12
