When Mrs. Gregson knocked on her door to let her know that dinner was about to be served, Claire hurried to the dining room, glad for the distraction. After dinner was over, Thomas arrived. Since many of the boarders stayed downstairs to pass some time together before turning in for the night, he asked Claire to come and sit out back with him. After chatting for a few minutes, he finally got to the point of his visit.
“It looks like Suzanne’s parents will be arriving tomorrow.”
Seeing the look of dismay on Claire’s face, he quickly added, “It might be better if I meet up with them on my own when they get off the stagecoach. Preacher Simon and his wife Nell have offered them a room for a few days while they are here. I thought that might be best since you are staying at the boarding house. The preacher and his wife are nice people, so they’ll be comfortable there.”
“Thank you for arranging that, Thomas. Seeing them is going to be difficult,” Claire was more relieved than she could say with the arrangements Thomas had made. She felt so guilty that she had survived when their own daughter hadn’t.
“Once they’ve settled in, I’m sure they are going to be anxious to talk to you. I could pick you up and bring you to the preacher’s house. But I wonder if it might not be better if they came here to see you. If the visit proves too much for you, it’s only a short distance to your room.”
Claire was torn. In one way it might be easier if Simon and Nell were there when she spoke to Suzanne’s parents, for comfort and support. But it was tempting to have the visit at the boarding house for the reasons that Thomas had mentioned.
“I think I need to put Suzanne’s parents first, and from what you’ve told me about Simon and Nell, having them present may help. So please come and get me when they arrive,” she said, smiling wanly at Thomas.
“All right then. I’ll walk you back inside now and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Thomas said, offering her his arm.
As he left her at the door to her room, he leaned over and gently brushed a kiss on Claire’s forehead. “Try to get a good night’s sleep.”
After Thomas left, Claire didn’t waste much time before wearily climbing into bed. But as tired as she was, sleep eluded her. She knew she had much to be grateful for, but she couldn’t help worrying that the other shoe was about to drop. Perhaps talking to Suzanne’s parents about the accident would help bring her memory back. She didn’t know how long she lay there before finally dropping off into a restless sleep.
Claire picked at her breakfast the next morning and was very quiet. After the other boarders had left for the day, Mrs. Gregson came and sat down beside Claire.
“I know this is going to be a difficult day for you, my dear. Did you sleep at all last night?” she asked sympathetically.
Claire sighed and shook her head. “Not much. I couldn’t stop thinking about Suzanne and meeting her parents today.”
With tears in her eyes, Claire turned to Mrs. Gregson and said, “I wish it would have been me, instead of her who died.”
“Now, don’t say such a thing,” said Mrs. Gregson. “I don’t think Thomas would agree with you.”
Claire looked at Mrs. Gregson in disbelief. “If Suzanne had been the one to survive, Thomas would have had the woman he’d been writing to. Not the poor sad survivor he feels sorry for.”
“I think you are selling yourself and Thomas short. Getting to know someone face to face as opposed to through letters are two different things. It’s obvious to everyone, except you apparently, that Thomas cares about you very much.”
Mrs. Gregson smiled. “In time, I hope you will see it for yourself. But in the meantime, I think you should go and lay down. I will let you know when the stagecoach arrives in town, so you can get up and be ready for when Thomas comes to get you.”
Claire did lie down to rest for a while, but was soon up and pacing the floor. When Mrs. Gregson knocked on her door, she was ready to face Suzanne’s parents. It wasn’t long before Thomas arrived.
Claire smiled worriedly at Thomas and nervously took his arm.
“Try not to worry, Claire. I’ll be right there with you,” Thomas said. “I just brought them over to the preacher’s house. Nell is getting them settled in.”
Claire’s heart was beating wildly as Thomas knocked on the door. Simon answered and ushered them into the sitting room. Thomas introduced Claire all around and then Nell led them to seats across from the Smith’s.
Mavis Smith was in tears.
Her husband, Bill patted her hand and said, “Please excuse my wife, Claire. She doesn’t mean to upset you, but she’s been holding out hope that you just might have forgotten who you were.”
With tears in her eyes, Claire said, “I’m so sorry that Suzanne didn’t survive. I wish I could have done something.”
“We don’t blame you, Claire,” Bill said. “But we would appreciate it if you could tell us what happened.”
Claire haltingly relayed what little information she could recall.
“I wish I could remember more,” she said as she finished.
Bill hesitated and said, “I know it’s asking a lot, but the sheriff has offered to take us out to the place where the accident happened. Would you come along when he does? Maybe if you’re back there, you might remember more.”
Thomas spoke up, “I’m not sure that Claire is up to that. She is still recovering herself.”
Mavis spoke up for the first time, “Please, Claire. It would mean a lot to us.”
Claire sat with her eyes closed and listened as Thomas objected once again.
She put a hand on Thomas’ arm and said, “It’s alright, Thomas.”
Looking over at Mavis, Claire said, “Yes, I’ll go with you.”
Thomas sighed heavily and said, “I think I better get Claire back to the boarding house now. Have the sheriff let me know when he’s going to take you out there. I’ll be coming along with Claire when you do.”
Nell walked the two to the door.
“I hope to see more of you soon, Claire. What you are doing is a very brave thing. God be with you.”
“No, not brave at all. But I think it’s the right thing to do if it gives Suzanne’s parents any comfort at all.”
Thomas was not happy with Claire’s decision.
He tried to reason with her. “Are you sure about this? It’s not going to bring Suzanne back, but it could set you back.”
Claire was too tired and heartsick to argue.
“Thomas, I appreciate your concern. But it’s something I feel I have to do,” she said.
Sensing his displeasure she looked at him and said, “I think I need to go back there for me too. If it helps me to remember, it will be worth it.”
“Yes, I can see that, but you are not well enough yet to chance it. What is Doc going to say?” Thomas asked.
“Nothing I hope, because I won’t have you telling him,” she said crossly. “Promise me, Thomas!”
Reluctantly Thomas gave his word, and then they were silent the rest of the way back to Mrs. Gregson’s place.
Remembering his decision to give Claire some space, he told her he’d be around when the sheriff had made the arrangements to go out to the scene of the accident.
“I’ll let you rest up until then, Claire,” he said.
“I’m sorry if I’ve offended you Thomas,” Claire said.
“You haven’t offended me Claire. I’m just sorry you won’t listen to reason and lean on me a little more. I’m only trying to help.” And with that he tipped his hat and left.
Chapter 6
Two days later, the sheriff arranged to take the Smiths to the scene of the flood that had swept away the stage and claimed their daughter’s life. Claire hadn’t seen Thomas since he’d dropped her off at Mrs. Gregson’s. Now as she waited for him to come and pick her up, Claire wondered if he was still upset with her.
She needn’t have worried. Thomas was caring and solicitous as he helped her climb into the buggy.
“I thought we’d
meet the sheriff and the Smiths out there, unless you’d rather go together?” he asked. “They may want to explore the area longer and I thought if you got too tired, we could head back to town.”
“Thank you Thomas,” Claire replied.
Hesitating, Claire put a hand on Thomas arm as he drove the buggy. “I’m sorry for the other day. I know you were just trying to look out for me.”
Thomas looked over and smiled. “No apology needed. I care about you, Claire. Maybe I worry too much because of that.”
When they arrived at the place where the stage had been swept away, it looked calm and peaceful. There was no sign that a terrible tragedy had occurred weeks before. The stream barely has any water in it. In fact, the Smiths had crossed it when they travelled to Prairie Meadow.
The sheriff and the Smiths were standing beside the wagon talking and looked up when Thomas and Claire arrived.
“I can’t believe that this tiny stream overflowed so much that it swept the stagecoach away,” said Mavis. “Are you sure this is the place where it happened, Sheriff? Maybe we should ask Claire.”
Claire heard her and walked over.
“I’m so sorry, but yes, this is the place.”
Bill asked gently. “Can you tell us what happened, Claire?”
Claire was as white as a ghost. Closing her eyes as if to gather her strength, she told them what she remembered.
“The driver had stopped to have a look around because the stream was running high. He came and told Suzanne and I to hold on, that he was going to cross. He was afraid that if he waited, the water would rise so much that it wouldn’t be possible. We were both frightened and I remember that Suzanne came and sat beside me. We were holding onto the seat and to each other as the stage started moving into the steam.”
Tears were streaming out of Claire’s eyes as she described what had happened next.
“We had gotten to the middle of the stream when all of a sudden there was a roaring sound. The stage started floating and at the same time, filling up with water. Suzanne and I were both thrown off our seats. Then the stage turned on its side and I think I must have smacked my head on the door or the roof. The next thing I remember is being in a bed at the doctor’s house.”
Claire swayed and Thomas reached out to support her. Bill and Mavis were horrified by what Claire had said.
“Thank you for telling us, Claire. I know this wasn’t easy for you,” said Bill.
“Sheriff, do you mind taking us along the stream for a ways so we can have a look for anything that might belong to Suzanne?” he asked.
Turning to Claire, he said, “We’ll be heading on back home tomorrow. Please, if you ever remember anything else, would you let us know?”
Claire nodded. “Of course.”
She hesitated and then added, “Your daughter loved you both very much. She couldn’t stop talking about you. I thought you might like to know.”
The ride back to town was quiet. Every once in a while, Thomas glanced over at Claire. She seemed to be a million miles away, so Thomas did not disturb her. It was only when he pulled up outside of the boarding house that Claire looked over at him with surprise.
“Okay?” he asked her gently.
“Yes Thomas. Thank you. I am just so glad to have that behind me. I guess I didn’t realize how much it was weighing down on me.”
“I’m sorry I put you through that, Claire. I should have left well enough alone and minded my own business.”
Claire touched his arm. “Oh no Thomas. You did the right thing asking Suzanne’s parents here.
“Are you tired Claire? You were so quiet all the way back, I was kind of worried.”
“I was just thinking about poor Suzanne and her parents.”
Turning to Thomas she said, “I don’t know why, but I have this feeling that I do have wonderful parents somewhere. Oh how I wish I could remember.”
“Well,” said Thomas. “Like Doc said, in time you probably will get your memory back. Maybe this feeling you have about your parents is just the beginning.”
Thomas climbed down and went around to help Claire. He walked her to the door.
“I probably won’t be around to see you for a few days. I have some catchin’ up to do at the mercantile,” he said.
“Oh,” said Claire trying to hide the disappointment she felt. “Of course, I understand. I have been monopolizing a lot of your time lately, Thomas.”
“It’s not that. I’ve enjoyed spending time with you, Claire, even under the circumstances. I’ll see you soon,” he said tipping his hat and walking off.
Claire watched him walk off towards the mercantile. He turned once and waved. She could see his smile even from here and felt happy.
Chapter 7
Claire did a lot of thinking about Thomas when she wasn’t thinking about the accident. She found that talking helped her get things straight in her mind, and both Mrs. Gregson and Nell were good listeners.
She talked to Nell about her guilt at surviving the accident and her frustration at not remembering anything about her past life.
“The only thing I had when they found me besides the clothing I was wearing was a pile of money,” she confided in Nell worriedly.
“Where did that money come from? Maybe I’ve done something wrong and was running away,” she whispered fearfully.
“Now, now,” comforted Nell. “I’m a pretty good judge of character and from what I know of you, I don’t think you could have done anything wrong. If anything, I’d say that you were running away from a bad situation.”
“Do you really believe that, Nell?”
“Yes, I do, Claire. And I pray every day that you will get your memory back.”
Mrs. Gregson had good advice regarding Thomas.
“Why is he not coming around to visit as often as he was?” Claire asked worriedly. “Maybe now that I’m getting better, he’s going to tell me he’s changed his mind.”
“Poppycock,” said Mrs. Gregson. “The man cares enough about you that he is letting you take the lead.”
She looked Claire squarely in the eyes. “Do you have feelings for Thomas?”
“Oh yes,” Claire said fervently.
“Then maybe it’s time you got around to letting him know,” Mrs. Gregson said bluntly.
“But I can’t come right out and tell him,” Claire replied, blushing.
“No, of course not.” Thinking, Mrs. Gregson said, “I have just the idea. Perhaps since Thomas has so much catchin’ up to do, as he put it, maybe you could offer to help out in the mercantile for a few hours every day.”
Claire laughed with delight. “I think you may be onto something, Mrs. Gregson. Why I think I’m going to go and offer my help bright and early tomorrow morning.”
“Good idea Claire. Oh, and be sure to stop at the café and get him one of those cinnamon twists. I’ve heard those are his favorite.”
And so it was that the very next morning, when Thomas looked up from where he was kneeling behind the counter, he saw Claire come into the store. He stood up so quickly that he knocked a pile of papers off of the counter and onto the floor.
“Claire,” he asked with surprise, glancing at the papers that were strewn all over the floor. “What brings you here so early?”
“Good morning Thomas. Why, I thought since you’ve spent so much time with me that you might be able to use a hand here in the store,” she answered smiling.
Raising an eyebrow, she looked pointedly at the mess on the floor. “Looks like I’m right.”
She smiled and handed him a small bag.
“What do you have there?” he asked taking the bag.
“Oh, that smells so good,” he said inhaling deeply. Looking inside he said, “Cinnamon twists! These are my favorite. Thank you. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee. You’ll join me I hope,” he smiled.
Claire nodded, taking a good look around the cluttered store.
Thomas quickly cleared off a chair that was piled with merchandise
.
Claire could see the tips of his ears redden as he asked her to sit down and went to fetch the coffee from the back room.
After chatting easily for a few minutes while enjoying the snack, the bell chimed announcing the arrival of a customer. While Thomas went to attend to the customer, an older woman who did not looked pleased, Claire took a closer look around the mercantile. She could see that Thomas had done his best to put things out in an orderly fashion, but it had clearly gotten away from him. ‘That was probably because of me,’ Claire thought.
He overheard the woman as she paid for her purchase.
“Thomas, you really need to get this store back in order. Since Becky left, it’s gotten so difficult to find anything in here.”
Embarrassed, Thomas glanced back at Claire while he thanked the woman for her patronage.
“Sorry you had to hear that. It’s so hard to satisfy some people,” he said clearly frustrated.
“Who is Becky?” Claire asked.
“She’s the daughter of one of my friends. She was a big help in here, until she left to get married. The same thing happened with Donna and with Marge before her.”
Thomas took a cloth and swiped at a mark on the counter. “It’s one of the reasons why I decided to put that ad in the paper looking for a mail order bride,”
He glanced up at Claire and said quietly, “Plus it gets lonely when you’re on your own. I’ve never been one to spend much time in the saloon with the other unmarried fellows, so…” He shrugged his shoulders.
Claire was quiet for a moment, grateful that Thomas had told her what he had. She knew it probably was not easy to come right out and say all that.
“Well,” she said briskly, standing up. “That settles it then.”
“Settles what?” asked Thomas.
“I am going to start working here with you every morning from now on.”
Claire's Escape (Mail-Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow 4) Page 3
