ROMANCE: Mail Order Bride: A Sheriff's Bride (A Clean Christian Inspirational Historical Western Romance) (New Adult Short Stories)

by Nathan Adams

  A large crash and the sound of running footsteps down the alleyway beside the townhouse echoed across the cobblestones and straight to the ears of the curly-haired blonde standing on her doorstep. Instantly, Sarah’s heart began to pound rapidly, and her lip started trembling once more.

  “Sarah, is everything OK?”

  “No, Mr. Hamilton. I don’t believe they are.”

  “May I ask why?

  “I think that Lizzy’s killer is coming for me next.”

  “How do you know?”

  Sarah simply handed Elizabeth’s fiancé the yellow and green ribbon that she had been clutching in her sweating palm. Ross reached out his hand to take it and read the script.

  She was an auburn beauty, but I prefer blondes.

  chapter three

  “Sarah, dear? Are you feeling all right this morning?” Aunt Clara sat at the breakfast table with her great-niece.

  “Yes, Aunt Clara. I’m fine. Just a rough night sleeping is all.”

  “You’ve been having a number of those since that night Mr. Hamilton came to town. Are you sure you are not trying to hide something from me?”

  “Of course not, Aunt Clara. It’s just everything with Lizzy. I don’t mean to worry you. I just keep thinking about what I could have done to make sure she was safe so she could still be here with us.”

  “Sarah, there was nothing you could have done. You know that Elizabeth made her own choices. For her to leave the ball without a chaperone and to ride in that unfamiliar carriage without telling anyone was her decision.”

  “But I should have gone with her to the Wellington’s party. That way I could have left with her … ”

  “ … and died with her?”

  Lady Sarah stared at her aunt for a moment before dropping her eyes to her toast and jam, which lay untouched on her saucer.

  “I could have protected her, Aunt Clara. I could have changed the situation. I could have done something. Instead, I let her die.”

  “Sarah, dear, you must stop taking the blame for Elizabeth’s destiny. What happened to her was something that no one could change. When the good Lord is ready to take us, He is going to take us. You are driving yourself mad with all of these what ifs.”

  Sarah pushed her plate away her, tossed her cloth napkin onto the table and began to rise from her chair. But Lady Ainsworth stopped her. “Sarah, you were not responsible for Elizabeth’s murder. I brought both of you girls up to make your own choices and to live your lives the way you thought best. What’s done is done. You cannot change it. Accept that for yourself, or you will find that you bury your soul right along with Elizabeth’s.”

  Sarah fixed her eyes on the table, trying to keep her watering eyes from emitting tears.

  “I love you, Sarah. You are the only family this old lady has left. I lost Elizabeth much too soon. I do not want to loose you as well, physically or mentally.”

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Clara. My intentions were not to make you feel this way. I’m trying to pull myself out of this gloom, but it just doesn’t seem to be working.”

  “Well, then, my dear, you must find that one thing that will pull you out of it, no matter what it takes.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Clara. I will do what I can to succeed.”

  “Excuse me, m’lady?”

  Lady Ainsworth lifted her eyes to her butler. “Yes? What is it, Price?”

  “A Mr. Hamilton is here to see Lady Sarah.”

  Aunt Clara raised her brow as Sarah quickly stood to welcome their guest.

  “Thank you, Price. I’ll meet him in the sitting room.”

  “Very good, m’lady.” Price left the room with a nod to direct Ross Hamilton to the sitting room.

  “Very curious for Mr. Hamilton to be calling on you.”

  “It’s nothing, Aunt Clara. He’s just being a gentleman. Besides, he would have been family in a couple of months.”

  “Family of who we would hardly ever see once they were married and crossing the ocean.”

  “He means well, Aunt Clara. I’m not going to be rude to him and just push him aside because his only tie to us is now gone. Were you not just telling me that Lizzy made her own decisions? Well, he was her decision, and now we must accept him.”

  “If that is what you wish, my dear, than that is what we will do.”

  “Yes, that is exactly what we will do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go welcome our guest to our house.”

  As Sarah entered the sitting room, her heart took a giant leap inside her chest as the chocolate eyes of the man standing before her scanned her body before landing on her own hazel eyes. It wasn’t every day that a tall and handsome man looked her over as if she were a piece of art on display. Sarah wasn’t going to deny that it felt good to receive attention for once in her life, but the fact that it was her late cousin’s fiancé showing her the attention made Sarah slightly uncomfortable. But it didn’t stop Sarah from giving a slight raise of her mouth, acknowledging his perusal and granting him the permission to continue on if he so chose to.

  “Good morning, Mr. Hamilton.” She punctuated her approval with a flirtatious smile and a sashay of her hips. Quickly, Ross realized what he was doing and turned his attention to the brim of his trilby.

  “Good morning, Lady Sarah. I hope I find you well.”

  “As a matter of fact, my morning was quite gloomy, but now that you are here, things are turning much brighter.”

  “I’m sorry to hear it has been an unpleasant morning for you, but I’m glad I can be the one to pull you from your gloom.”

  “As am I, Mr. Hamilton.” She slid a grin across her ruby lips, and a sparkle lit up in her eyes. “Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence this now-bright morning?”

  Ross struggled to keep his wits about him. Though he was drawn to Lady Sarah Hughes, Ross was trying to convincing himself that he was there for one thing and one thing only: to find Elizabeth’s killer, bring him to justice and get on a boat crossing the big pond to his home in Boston.

  “I just came by to see how you were fairing since last night’s incident. I could tell that it shook you up terribly. I’d hate to think that you were all on your own with this.” Ross dropped his eyes back down to his hat, fiddling with the ribbon around the brim and pulling off imaginary pieces of lint.

  “I truly am grateful for your concern, Mr. Hamilton.” Sarah sauntered to the velvet sofa and sat on the edge of the seat. “I must say that I was afraid I would not be able to keep my sanity. But now that you are here and the way you have made it clear that you want to protect me has made life much bearable.”

  “I do want to keep you safe, Lady Sarah. But more than anything, I want to find the monster who murdered Elizabeth and make sure he receives what he is due.”

  As Ross spoke of bringing justice to the killer, Sarah could see a change in his eyes. It was a look that almost made her fearful once more. But knowing that this man was there for her protection eased the feeling of dread that was trying to creep up once again.

  “Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. I can see why Lizzy was eager to start her life with you. I’m just sorry she won’t be able to fulfill that dream.”

  “I did love her, Lady Sarah. In my heart, I will always love her. I guess that’s why it’s so important for me to find out who took Elizabeth from me, from us.”

  Sarah was truly touched by the way he showed his affection and emotion for her late cousin. A piece of her was pinched by a bit of jealousy, but her attraction for Mr. Hamilton squelched any negative emotions in her heart.

  “I just want you to know, Lady Sarah, I’m here for you and Lady Ainsworth. I want you both to stay safe.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. I truly believe that you do.”

  chapter four

  As the days passed, Lady Sarah found it difficult to keep her mind from dwelling on the last days of Elizabeth’s life filled with planning her future life abroad with the handsome and extremely successful Mr. Ross Hamilton. Although Sarah trie
d her hardest not to, she would end up wandering into Lizzy’s room, sit on her chaise lounge and reminisce about the years gone by before drifting off to sleep.

  One afternoon as she fell into an unplanned slumber, Sarah’s mind pulled her into a dream of a dark, stalking image passing her bedroom window; a sound of Lizzy screaming in sheer terror; Sarah being chased by a tall, lanky figure; and a bright light fading into a midnight darkness with a voice chanting undistinguished phrases that sent a chill down Sarah’s back. She woke up with shivers and in a cold sweat. Sarah didn’t understand why all those images were trapped inside her imagination.

  The one thing she did understand was the stalking image. At first, she thought she was just imagining the figure, but after those noises in the alleyway, Sarah had no doubt that there was a haunting shadow lurking around her bedroom window in the late hours of the night. At first, she didn’t want to say anything, but when Mr. Hamilton made his appearance, insisting that he keep them safe, Sarah revealed her fear of the prowling silhouette constantly passing by her window at the midnight hours.

  Sarah was fearful of the images that resided in her dreams. Deciding to keep herself busy than to fall asleep becoming victim once more to her nightmares, Sarah wandered into Lizzy’s room and began to scan the bedroom desperate for whatever she could find that would keep her from her thoughts while still helping to find Lizzy’s killer. She had wondered if maybe the killer was someone Lizzy had known. Why was it Lizzy who was targeted? Had she done something? Said something? Was there anything in the room that would give some sort of clue as to what had happened to her dear, sweet cousin?

  A photograph of Elizabeth and Mr. Hamilton itting on the dresser caught Sarah’s eye. The way the two were posed sent a twinge of jealousy through Sarah’s heart. She knew she was being ridiculous, seeing how the two had been engaged. But the desires for Ross Hamilton that had been building up in Sarah were now becoming undeniable. She was beginning to imagine life with the fine-looking American in high-society London. Was it love that was developing inside her heart? Quite possibly. But the issue that needed Sarah’s attention now more than ever was discovering who had killed Elizabeth and why her.

  Desperate for a change of thought, Sarah pulled open the top drawer of Lizzy’s clothes dresser and began to digging through her personal belongings. At first, there was no evidence for Sarah to discover. Drawer after drawer, her efforts were returning void. What she was expecting to find, Sarah had no clue. She was wretched in her searching. But then she lifted a pile of clothing in the very back corner of the very bottom dresser drawer. There, tied up with a corded rope, was a stack of envelopes and loose parchment bearing Elizabeth’s name.

  Sarah froze. With the mass of papers clinched in her hands, Sarah slumped to the floor in complete shock when she realized she was looking at. The script exhibiting Elizabeth’s name was the exact same script that had been scribbled on the ribbon that had hung from Aunt Clara’s doorknob the very same night Sarah had heard the commotion in the alley and began to see the shadow pass her window. Sarah flipped through the parchments, curious of exactly what the monster had written her.

  “M’lady?”

  Sarah glanced up from the letters to see the butler waiting just outside the open door.

  “Yes? What is it, Price?”

  “M’lady, Mr. Hamilton is here to see you.”

  “Mr. Hamilton?” Sarah’s thoughts were trying to gather everything her senses were taking in, but they just didn’t seem to want to keep up.

  “Yes, m’lady. I have set him up in the sitting room to wait for your response.”

  Ross Hamilton was waiting for her in the sitting room. Elizabeth hid stalking letters from her killer. The same handwriting that was currently burning a hole in Sarah’s eyes was the exact same handwriting that was written on the ribbon tucked away in her pocket.

  “M’lady?”

  Sarah struggled to pull herself from her thoughts.

  “Thank you, Price. I’ll be down in a minute.”

  The butler gave an acknowledging nod and removed himself from the doorway. Sarah was doing all she could to understand just exactly what all the sudden discoveries from the past month were adding up to. Perhaps Mr. Hamilton could shed a light on the dark, complicated thoughts bouncing around in Sarah’s head. Perhaps she could share with him everything she had come across in hopes of his ability to make sense of it all.

  Though she didn’t want to admit it, Lady Sarah Hughes was depending more and more on the presence and dominating assistance of Mr. Ross Hamilton, the man who was confusing her emotions was unintentionally stealing her heart.

  chapter five

  “Sarah, dear, come in here please.”

  Though it was probably not proper to do so, Great-Aunt Clara called from her chaise in the sitting room as Sarah passed by on her way out to the gardens.

  “Yes, Aunt Clara?”

  “Sarah, I need you to do something for me please.”

  “What is it?”

  “I received this invitation to attend a dinner at Lord Wellington’s house, and I want you to go in my place.”

  “Why won’t you be able to attend?”

  “I’m getting too old for all of these escapades. My time in society has been lived long enough. It’s time for you to get out there, dear, and see if you can separate yourself from everything that’s been going on. Get away from all this Elizabeth drama for just one evening and enjoy yourself, Sarah.”

  “Honestly, Aunt Clara, I don’t feel like being sociable. I was just a flower on a wall when I went to those things with Lizzy. And now with her gone, I won’t even be noticed at all. There’s no sense in forcing something to exist that simply is not meant to be.”

  “Nonsense, Sarah. Now, you’re going to go to this dinner to stand in my place because we will not be known as a house of rudeness.”

  “Of course, Aunt Clara, if that’s how you want it to be.”

  “You may think I’m harsh in my words and forcible in my attempts, but it’s for your own good, my darling Sarah. I do it because I love you.”

  “I know you love me, Aunt Clara. I love you just as much, if not more. I’ll go to the dinner on your behalf and will do my best to enjoy my time while I’m there.”

  “That’s my good girl. Now, go on out to the gardens, and enjoy this beautiful day.”

  Two weeks later, Sarah prepared herself to attend the dinner given by Lord and Lady Wellington in Great-Aunt Clara’s place. Even though the majority of her being wanted to be as far away from that place as possible, Sarah couldn’t help but to feel some sort of excitement for getting back into the routine of socializing with the lords and ladies of the upper class in hopes of establishing some sort of future with one of the eligible bachelors.

  But, honestly, the only eligible bachelor that Sarah’s heart desired was none other than the man who had been coming to call on her more and more as the weeks carried on. At first, it was just a simple conversation that was short and sweet in the sitting room. But as each one carried on and the days turned into weeks, Sarah couldn’t help but to feel that Ross Hamilton was beginning to possess the same feelings that Sarah had been desperately forcing inside.

  Finally reaching the Wellingtons, Sarah did her best to make Great-Aunt Clara proud. The meal was delicious, and the drinks were divine. The company was even more manageable than Sarah had expected. All in all, the time spent substituting for Lady Ainsworth was rewarded with nods from bachelors and calling cards being filled with future dates. How she had sprung from a seed to a flower, Sarah didn’t quite understand. The only logical explanation she could put her finger on was her emotions for Ross Hamilton were beginning to rise to the surface and starting to shine through every orifice of her exterior.

  “Lady Sarah, I’m so glad you were able to attend. I’m sorry that Lady Ainsworth was unavailable to make it, though.”

  “Thank you, Lord Wellington, but she is far more worthy to be at dinners put on by people like you
r parents than I ever will be.”

  “I quite disagree. You are, by far, the most beautiful being in this jungle of monotonous bodies.”

  “You are much too kind, Lord Wellington.”

  “Please, Lady Sarah, it’s Nelson, Nelson Wellington. That ‘lord’ nonsense is for my mother and father, not for me.”

  “Thank you, but Lord Wellington helps to keep it cordial and not to give into the temptation to take things further than where they were meant to go.”

  “Lady Sarah, you don’t mean that, do you? We’ve known one another for such a long time. Honestly, it just makes perfect sense for us to give into all this formality and take our relations to the next stage.”

  “Honestly, Lord Wellington, there are no relations to take to the next stage.”

  Suddenly, Lord Wellington stepped into Sarah’s space, slightly a little too close for comfort, and lowered his serpent eyes to Sarah’s widened eyes.

  “I do believe that you are mistaken, Sarah. There is so much more to us than I think you are willing to admit to. Just face it. You and I are meant to be married. You and I are destined to become husband and wife.”

  Sarah struggled to maintain her composure under the intimidating presence of Lord Nelson Wellington III. She wanted to pinch herself, just to make sure that it wasn’t just a dream.

  “Please, Lord Wellington. I’m sorry if I have given you more to imagine than what I have always been. But there is nothing inside of me that desires to be married to you or to spend a life with you. Now if you’ll please excuse me, I must make my regards to your mother before heading back to be with my Great-Aunt Clara.”

  She stared hard at him, challenging him with her deep hazels to just try and make a move on her without her permission. To her surprise, Nelson Wellington took three steps back and lowered his head.

  “My apologies, Lady Sara. I never meant to overstep any bounds you had set. Please give my regards to your aunt, and please let her know that she was greatly missed here at Brantford Acres.”