by Tia Siren
“Mark, it’s not going to be yours or mine or anyone’s but the bank’s in a short time, maybe just a few weeks! You didn’t tell me you were going through this when you brought me here!”
“Well, I wasn’t about to tell someone I didn’t even know about issues I might be having with my finances.”
Margaret struggled to hold in her emotions. She had been thrilled all the way up until this morning, loving her new life with the horses and a husband. She thought was happy and content. “Oh Mark!” She turned away and quickly prayed for strength and guidance. She turned back to look at him. “Mark, you were quick enough to bring me here and marry me and take me to your bed. You have been to church with me every Sunday. You have prayed with me! How can you not tell me that you are struggling with gambling?”
“I’m not struggling with it!” Mark reached down and yanked off one of his boots. He angrily pulled the other one off and moved to go past her into the kitchen. “It looks like you’re the one who’s struggling with it. If you don’t like it, well, I guess you can just go back to Virginia!”
For a moment, Margaret was devastated. She had fallen in love with Mark and didn’t want to lose the family she had longed for because of this problem.
“No, Mark!” She followed him into the kitchen. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was ashamed and that he didn’t mean what he said. “I don’t believe you want me to leave. I believe that you have fallen in love with me the way I have with you.”
Margaret could tell by the look he gave her that she was right. He could only glance at her and then look away, his cheeks flushing a deep red under the dark beard he had grown. His eyes looked sad.
Mark dropped himself into a chair at the table after filling a mug with hot coffee she had ready for him. She pulled one of the nearby chairs closer to him and sat in it, leaning in toward him so that she could speak softly.
“You must know something, Mark. I have news for you that might change your mind about your problem.”
“You do?” His voice was so small.
“Yes.” She took one of his hands and placed it over her stomach. “We’re going to have a baby.”
His eyes opened wide and he blinked a few times. “We are?”
“Yes.”
He stood up, pushing the chair back with his legs, looking down at her. “We are?” He repeated. His face was a mixture of emotions. She couldn’t tell if he was pleased or dismayed by the news. “I…I…”
Mark couldn’t think of the right words to say. Or simply didn’t have them.
Margaret got up and went to stand in front of him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. She felt relief to feel him hugging her back. He lowered his head and gave her a kiss on her soft blond hair.
“I’m glad we’re having a baby, Margie.” He said softly. “I haven’t known what to do about the debts for a while now. I was afraid to come to you and tell you. It all happened so soon after you arrived.”
Margaret looked up at him. “I know that you’ve been gambling for a long time but yes, it seems the worst of it happened right after I got here. You have to stop now, Mark. Do you see that?”
Mark separated from her and went to the kitchen window to stare out over the land. “I can’t now. I owe so much the only way to take care of the situation is to keep it going. I’ve been trying so hard to get the money but every time I think I’m on a streak, I start losing.”
“That’s what gambling is!” Margaret moved to stand next to him again, wanting to be close to him. She wanted to show him that she wasn’t judging him, that she loved him and that she wanted to work things out the right way. “You know that when you do something too much and it puts your money and family in jeopardy, it’s a bad thing. You can beat your problem if you just pray about it and work really hard to resist.”
Mark was quiet for a moment, continuing to look out the window. “I still can’t.” He said to her disappointment. “We can’t get out of debt without the money that comes from it.”
“We aren’t getting out of debt that way, Mark, it hasn’t happened yet, what makes you think it will?”
“Things will change. I’ll start getting a lot of winners and…”
Margaret violently shook her head, putting one hand gently on his arm. “No, Mark! You have to stop. I believe I can get my father to help us get out of debt with the bank. Then, we can…”
“I’m not taking money from your father!” Mark said vehemently and walked back to the table to pick up his cup of coffee. He held it for a moment, looking at it and then shook his head, setting it back down. “No, I just can’t do that!”
“Mark, you have to think about our baby! You have to think about me! Don’t you love me?”
Mark looked at her with passionate eyes. He was obvious with his love and had let everyone he worked with know about it. He had made her feel like queen of the castle since her arrival. It was one of the reasons she couldn’t believe he had been hiding this from her.
Then again, when she thought about it, she understood, as well. He had fallen in love with her and then been too ashamed to admit his problem.
“Yes, I love you, Margie.”
She went to him again and he pulled her into a hug this time. “I have faith that we can get through this, Mark. I have been praying and I just know that God is going to come through for us. But you have to pray, too. You have to really believe that he will help you stop what you are doing.”
“How can I be a man and ask your father to bail me out of my debts? I am the one who sent for you! I promised him, even though I never told him, that I would take care of his daughter. I know how much you love and respect him. How can you love and respect me after I do something like this to your father?”
“You haven’t done anything to my father. If you refuse to let him help us, then you will really be doing something to him. You’ll be putting the safety of his only daughter in jeopardy. He would be very angry at you for that.”
“He would, wouldn’t he?”
“Yes, he certainly would! And our baby! His grandchild. He would be very, very angry.”
“But we need a substantial sum.”
“It won’t matter. The only thing that will matter is that when we have paid what we owe and begin paying my father his money back, you don’t gamble it away. Do you think you can break your habit?”
She rubbed his arm and looked up into his eyes. He was blinking and refusing to look at her.
“Mark, please. Please tell me you love me enough…and love our baby enough to do this for us.”
“I want to, Margie. I do love you and our baby.”
“We will keep praying about it. My papa will help us through this and then we will start again. From the beginning if we have to. But at least we will have our horses and our home.”
“And our baby.”
“Yes.” She smiled wide and he matched it.
“It’s so wonderful to think that we will have a little boy or girl here next year. I hope it looks like you.”
She giggled. “If it’s a boy, I don’t think he will like that.”
He shook his head. “I hope that he or she is healthy. I hope that you are okay through it all and that everything works out good in the end.”
“Ellie is going to help me. She will know what’s going on before I do.”
They both laughed at that.
“I’m glad she is wanting to help you.” Mark’s demeanor had lightened significantly from only moments before. She could see that he felt relief and renewed strength. She wondered if he would really be able to kick the habit. He was so good with money otherwise.
“Do you want me to start helping manage the finances of the track and stables, Mark?” She asked a little nervously. It had always been his job. She didn’t want him to feel that she was stepping on his toes.
He paused and looked at her thoughtfully. “I think it would be wise, yes.” He agreed. He put one of his hands on her tummy and the other on the
small of her back. “You won’t be up for all that physical work taking care of yourself for the next year anyway.”
“Silly man, it doesn’t take that long to have a baby!”
“I know.” He laughed. “But you won’t be going back to grooming and cleaning out stables for a long time, honey. You’re going to have my baby to take care of!”
The thought of a happy family in her future lifted Margaret’s spirits back up into the clouds. She threw her arms around her husband and hugged him close. “I love you, Mark!”
“And I love you, my sweet little Margaret!” He replied, kissing her soft lips with a passion she would never be able to resist.
****
THE END
A Bride’s Destiny – A Clean Western Romance
Olive stared out the window, watching as the scenery went by. There was a chill in the car, and she wondered where it was coming from. There didn’t appear to be any cracks in the strong plate of glass she was gazing through. The door to the cabin was closed. She glanced quickly at the other passengers in the car but none of them looked chilly. They were relaxed, reading books or newspapers. One older lady was knitting quietly, her needles clicking together softly every now and then.
Olive rubbed her arms softly and lifted her hand to shield a yawn. It would be only a few hours until she was in Nevada. There was a small town there that would be Olive’s new home. At 23, she was ready for a change. Her large family left behind; she looked forward to a more solitary lifestyle, with just a husband until she would perhaps have a child. No more hustle and bustle. No more noise, talking, clamoring, complaining.
She wouldn’t miss it.
As the train traveled further toward the West, she began to feel much warmer. She didn’t need her gloves and stripped them off. Soon, her shawl and bonnet also came off. She was wearing several layers under her outer dress, and she was beginning to regret it.
She was anxious to get there. When it was announced they would arrive at her Nevada station in 20 minutes, she pulled the envelope and letter from her pocket and read through it. The man who had sent her a ticket to come across the country and be his bride sounded like a professional but someone who also had compassion. He was a carpenter – a very successful one from the sound of it. He sounded charming from the letter. She was nervous and excited about the prospect of leaving her big family to be somewhere completely new and different.
Olive was hoping this man that she was meeting, Henry, did not want to have a lot of children. She’d been afraid to broach the subject because she was afraid he wouldn’t allow her to come if she revealed that she wasn’t interested in a brood of babies running around. She’d watched her own mother give birth too many times and wasn’t interested in the prospect at all.
There were only a few minutes left before the train would reach the station. She was warm now, very warm.
It was late spring of her 23rd year, pushing into summertime and she already missed the colors and vibrancy of Virginia. This place she was going to looked dry and dusty. It looked bleak and miserable. She had a feeling the people would look just as bleak and miserable once she actually stepped off the train.
She discovered she was right as soon as she placed a foot on the long wooden planks that made up the platform between the train and the building. She was ashamed that her hair and face were wet with sweat and patted herself with a handkerchief again and again. It didn’t seem to make much of a difference. The moment she pulled the cloth away, she felt the drips rise again.
Olive wondered if it was possible that the inside of the building was cooler. She hoped so. She picked up her carrying bag and her sewing box and went to the door. A man standing next to it, leaning against the wall, stepped in front of her and pushed open the door, allowing her to go through. She lowered her head, looking up with only her eyes and nodding. “Thank you, sir,” she said in a low voice.
“You’re welcome, miss.”
As soon as she went in the building, she could see that she was the only woman in the place. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Men were milling all around, talking, walking through, carrying boxes and other items.
She looked all around the room. Thankfully, the huge stone fireplace deep inside one of the walls was not lit and looked like it hadn’t been for quite a while. She moved to a bench and sat down, smoothing her skirts out in front of her and wishing she could take them off and wear pants like the men all around her. Even if she could just be wearing one skirt, it would be cooler than the layers she had on. She sighed heavily.
None of the men in the place looked like they were going to take notice of her. She didn’t know what Henry looked like, but she assumed since she was the only woman here, he should be able to find her easily.
She looked around again and wondered if Henry would look for her outside, see that she wasn’t out there waiting for him and leave. There could be little chance of that unless he were a complete simpleton to think she would stand out there in that heat watching for someone she wouldn’t recognize.
She sighed again and glanced at each of the men in her line of sight to see if any of them showed any interest in the only woman sitting in the room. They were watching her. They were looking at her. But they weren’t showing the kind of interest she was looking for. They looked curious. There was no real intention behind their glances. They were just as much in the dark who she was as she was them.
The hour ticked by, then another. Olive had taken to shaking her head and wondering what was going on. The sun was going down rapidly. Soon it would be pitch dark. She wasn’t sure the place would be open much longer.
She stood up and went to the clerk’s window. He was looking down at a list of names and destinations, running his finger down one at a time. He looked up when she cleared her throat.
His face was immediately surprised, and he raised his eyebrows. “May I help you, miss?”
“It looks like my ride forgot about me,” Olive said, her voice coming out smooth and soft. “I don’t know what to do.”
He tilted his head to the side and glanced behind her at the men milling about the room. “None of these men catch your fancy?”
Her face flushed, and she felt hot. “Sir, I was supposed to be picked up by a gentleman and taken into town. I am not here for any other purposes. As you can see, I have two bags with me, and I am not exactly dressed for this weather, am I? The man who sent for me paid ahead of time for the ticket. Perhaps he is in the book of yours, and you can find him for me.”
The surprise on the clerk’s face was renewed. “Pardon me, miss. What is your name? I will look it up.”
“My name is Olive Kelsey. His name is Henry. Henry Lewis.”
This time, the look that crossed the clerk’s face was one of recognition. “Oh, I will send a messenger to go find him. Please go ahead and sit back down. I will let you know when we find him.”
“Thank you.” Olive turned away and walked slowly back to the bench. She had been sitting there for over two hours. She didn’t want to sit down again. She wanted to leave. She would rather have walked to town than sit on that bench for another moment. Instead of sitting, she went to the biggest window she could find and stood in front of it, staring out. As it got darker, she could see people lighting lanterns, and a man was walking down the street, lighting the gas lanterns that dotted the street with a long, lit torch.
Directly in front of the window, across the street, she could see a very small general store, a place where people could get eggs, sugar, and salt. To the right of the store, there was a grain mill and on the other side, a saddle shop. There were several different shops lining the street, but she couldn’t make out the names or the purpose of the shops in the dim light.
The town stretched on from there, but she could only see the street in front of her, to the left and to the right. The road was made of dirt and there were horses with riders passing by almost constantly, kicking up the dust. She saw only a few women. From the look of them, sh
e understood why the clerk may have mistaken her for one of them. There didn’t seem to be any women of quality, at least not on this street. Soon the sun was completely down. She continued to watch the flickering lanterns until she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Miss?”
She turned and had to look up. The man was at least a foot taller than her, with a broad chest and kind brown eyes. “Yes?”
“You were brought here by Henry Lewis?” he asked.
She nodded without answering.
He gave her a complete look, from her eyes to her shoes and back up. She avoided doing the same. She didn’t want him to think she was rude. “I…I am his brother, Eric. I’m sorry there was confusion and that you had to sit here waiting for so long. It seems…Henry didn’t tell us you were coming. May I see the letter he sent you?”
Olive kept herself from sighing. She still had the letter in the pocket of her dress, and she pulled it out, handing it to him. She felt like she was having to prove she wasn’t lying. It offended her that she wasn’t just picked up and taken to her destination, as promised.
Her face must have betrayed her thoughts because the look on his changed and he leaned forward a little. “The clerk has already verified that Henry really did send for you. I would just like to see the letter he sent you because, as I said, we were all surprised to hear that he did this.”
He opened the letter and read it quickly. She couldn’t tell what he thought by the look on his face. Then he refolded it and handed it back to her without a word about it.
“I will take you to the family house so we can decide what to do.”
It was Olive’s turn to look surprised. She tilted her head and bunched her skirt up in one hand. “What to do? I don’t understand. I was supposed to be picked up and taken back to the home where I would be married and stay with Henry. What is going on?”
Eric looked down, pressing his cheek out with his tongue and then licking his lips, nervously. “I’m afraid there’s been an accident.”
Olive frowned and tilted her head to the side. “An accident? What kind of accident? What do you mean? Is Henry all right?”
