That was enough for Sheriff Boone. He dropped the complaint that Gorman had lodged against Claire. Then he charged him with assault. Poor Mary had more than a bruise on her cheek. When Dr. Roberts examined her, he found broken ribs and other signs that indicated repeated beatings. With Gorman safely behind bars and with Claire’s support she was willing to testify against Gorman.
Sheriff Boone himself escorted Gorman back to King City to stand trial there for murder and fraud, as well for the assault charges from Prairie Meadow.
Epilogue
Thomas and Claire waited anxiously at the train station. They had hired Mary to work in the mercantile and she was there now. She was so grateful to have escaped the abuse she suffered at Gorman’s hands. She had moved into Claire’s old room at the boarding house and was happy to be able to send money home to help her parents.
Gorman was paying for crimes. He’d been found guilty on all counts and would spend years in jail.
Another one good thing to come out of Gorman’s unexpected appearance in the mercantile was that it started Claire on the road to remembering her past life.
It didn’t all come back immediately, but gradually over the course of a few weeks, things became clearer. One night Claire woke up suddenly. She sat up in bed and started sobbing. Alarmed, Thomas gathered her into his arms and worriedly asked her what was wrong.
“Absolutely nothing Thomas,” she said trying to catch her breath.
“Then why are you crying, Claire?”
“I, I’m just so happy! Oh, Thomas, I have parents and they love me and I love them too,” she said, with tears still streaming down her face.
“And, and, I remember where they live,” she said in a whisper, burying her face in her hands.
And so now she and Thomas were waiting for her parents to arrive on the next train.
They had almost given up on ever seeing Claire again. When they had contacted the supposed café where Claire had said she was working, they had found out that it was a saloon and that Claire had left suddenly. They had hoped and prayed that she was all right. Their prayers had been answered when they’d received a telegram and then a letter from Claire, with two train tickets to Prairie Meadow enclosed.
Claire had only filled them in with a very few details of what had happened since she left home. They only knew that she was married and that she wanted them to move out to Prairie Meadow.
As the train whistle sounded in the distance, Claire looked at Thomas excitedly and said, “Besides the day I married you, I think this is the happiest day of my life.”
Thomas smiled and glancing down at the tiny bulge that was only just starting to show on Claire, he said, “Yes, but I think there is lots more happiness on the way.”
A Message From Maggie McCloud
Thank you for downloading my book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have always been fascinated by the stories of women who traveled so far to become mail order brides. Their stories are the inspiration for my books.
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Other Books By Maggie McCloud
Kathleen’s Dream: Mail Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow – Book 1
Betsy’s Hope: Mail Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow – Book 2
Annie’s Chance: Mail Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow – Book 3
Claire's Escape (Mail-Order Brides Of Prairie Meadow 4) Page 6
