Bid for a Bride

by Nordin, Ruth Ann

  “That’s what I tell everyone I come across,” Eliza said. “I’m excited to show her off to the townsfolk. I can’t help it. A grandmother has a right to brag, doesn’t she?”

  “Of course,” Meredith replied, stroking the child’s fingers.

  “First, we’ll pay a visit to Addy and then we’ll see Charity and her aunt.”

  “Oh, good.” At least, Meredith assumed Lucy would think that was good. “It’ll be good to see them again.”

  The baby wiggled in Meredith’s arms as they walked to the buggy, and by the time they made it there, the baby opened her eyes and started crying. Surprised, Meredith stared at the thing, her hand subconsciously tightening around its hand. When she noticed Eliza was watching her, she forced her grip on the baby’s hand to relax.

  “She must be cold,” Meredith said with a smile.

  “Probably.” Eliza took off her scarf and wrapped it around the baby, but the baby only cried louder.

  Meredith gritted her teeth, wishing the thing would quiet down again. Children, after all, should be seen and not heard.

  “Would you like me to try calming her down?” Eliza asked.

  “Yes.” Meredith forced a pleasant tone even as she had the sudden urge the slap the thing into submission. “Here you go.”

  Eliza took the child and bounced her in her arms.

  To Meredith’s consternation, the child settled right down. That little brat is as spoiled as Lucy.

  “Maybe you should drive the buggy this time,” Eliza said. “Do you feel up to it?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Well, you gave birth two weeks ago.”

  She shrugged. “What woman doesn’t give birth at one time or another? I can manage driving the gelding in a small buggy.” Lord knew she’d driven wagons. A buggy was nothing.

  “You’re right.” Eliza chuckled and cuddled the baby closer to her chest before she got into the buggy. “Forgive me, Lucy. I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t do this task.”

  Meredith stared at Eliza for a moment and thought Lucy even had a good mother-in-law. Lucy’s good fortune was enough to make Meredith’s blood boil. How she wished she could get back to that log and finish what she started.

  But since Eliza was waiting, she dutifully climbed into the buggy, picked up the reins, and undid the brake. She bit her lower lip. She’d have to figure out how to get to Addy’s place without being suspicious. She’d been so busy figuring out where Lucy lived and how her life was out here that she neglected to find out where the people lived in this town.

  Meredith led the horse forward. It couldn’t be too hard. Eliza was doting over Charlotte in the most disgusting way. That was good. It meant she’d likely be so preoccupied she wouldn’t notice when Meredith asked where to go to get to Addy’s residence. People were so easy to fool. All they had to do was look at her, and they automatically assumed she was Lucy. It’d been no different when she was growing up. Her parents and brother were just as easy to fool, and they thought they could tell the difference. With a smirk, she turned her attention to the road in front of her. Soon enough, she’d return and kill Lucy. Then her plan would be complete.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  When Lucy gained consciousness, the first thing she was aware of was the cold. She was shivering, and her teeth would be chattering if her mouth wasn’t stuffed with a piece of clothing. She opened her eyes. Squinting, she realized she was inside an old log. She and Brian passed this log many times, and she never once thought anything of it. She certainly didn’t think her sister would track her down and stick her in here to slowly rot away.

  Well, she wouldn’t just lie here and wait to die. At least, not without a fight. She lifted her head, noting that the way in front of her was too narrow to crawl out of. Glancing back, she tried to determine if she could wiggle out.

  She tested the binding around her wrists and ankles. Her sister knew how to tie good knots, unfortunately. Nevertheless, she struggled to get her hands and feet free. The hold from the clothing was too tight. Grunting, she stopped wiggling and set her cheek on the rotting wood. That was when she noticed something jabbing into her hip.

  She squirmed to the side, the effort taking almost all of her energy, but she finally made it. Her fingers brushed something hard. Closing her eyes, she focused on it, trying to determine what, exactly, it was that she was touching. Something cool that had a jagged edge. A rock? Most likely. And from the feel of it, it was embedded into the log, which meant it wouldn’t budge easily.

  She stilled for a moment to rest. The good thing about using so much energy was that it forced her body temperature to rise, stifling the urge to shiver. The side of her face and her back throbbed in pain, no doubt from the bat Meredith used to knock her unconscious.

  Once she settled enough so that she could focus on her task, she positioned her wrists over the rock and rubbed the binding against the sharpest point. Biting down on the piece of clothing in her mouth, she concentrated on her task. Aware her arms were growing weak, she tried to think of anything to keep her motivated. Brian and Charlotte. They needed her. She had to get back to them.

  But no matter how hard she tried to rip the binding, it remained firm. Grunting, she gave up and fell back to her stomach. This time when she bit down on the fabric in her mouth, it was to keep from crying. No. It couldn’t be hopeless. There had to be a way out. If she could just think clearly, she’d figure out what to do.

  She glanced over her shoulder and saw the late morning sunlight filtering through the tree branches. Maybe she could wiggle her way out of the log and roll or crawl back to the house. Sooner or later, Brian or Eliza would return and free her from her binding. Encouraged by the idea, she leveraged her body until she was ready to back up.

  Taking a couple of deep breaths, she shifted her weight and scooted backwards. She made it halfway out when the waistband of her pantaloons caught onto something in the log. It was sharp and stabbed her in the abdomen. Wincing, she tried to move past it, but it wasn’t working, and the more she struggled against it, the more it dug into her flesh. She cried out when a stabbing pain tore into her.

  Tears came to her eyes as she wiggled forward so she could free herself from the thing lodged into her gut. Out of breath, she collapsed back where she woke up and rested her head back on the hard surface.

  She refused to give up. She wasn’t dead yet. There had to be a way out. First, she’d rest—give her body time to recover from her new wound. While she did, she’d figure out a way to get out of the log without that horrible thing sticking into her abdomen. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to relax. She’d think better with a clear head. It wouldn’t do her any good to panic.

  After a minute, her body temperature began to cool, and as it did, she began to shiver again. She didn’t have much time. While she wouldn’t freeze to death in this weather, she could come down with an illness that would do her in…if Meredith didn’t come back first.

  Soon, she assured herself. Soon, she’d make another attempt to get out of this log. As she continued to tell herself she could figure a way out, she lost consciousness once more.

  ***

  Brian ran the brush over the arm of the chair, careful to make sure the paint was evenly spread along the wood. Beside him, he heard John as he cut into another piece of lumber with his carving knife. Brian paused for a moment before returning to his task, and since he could hear a slight wobble from the chair John sat in, he recognized that John was chuckling. His body always shook the chair a bit when he chuckled, and it was easy to detect the light vibration off the floor.

  Brian didn’t bother asking John why he was laughing. He already knew. Brian often came to work with a smile on his face that John claimed was ‘a mile wide’ and thought it was amusing his son was so happy. Brian had long since gotten over his embarrassment at showing his enthusiasm for being married to Lucy.

  Deciding to ignore his father, he turned back to painting the chair. Next month w
ould mark a year since he married Lucy. He wondered what he might do for her to make their one year anniversary special. Perhaps she’d like a picture of him, her and their daughter. Eliza adored the pictures she was able to get of her family, and he figured since it was something his mother liked, then it’d be something his wife would like as well. At the very least, he’d ask Lucy what she thought.

  The sound of a horse pulling a buggy onto the property caught Brian’s attention. His heartbeat picked up at the thought of getting off work and being with Lucy and Charlotte. He paused and listened as the horse continued on to his house.

  The chair not too far from Brian scraped the floor, so Brian turned his attention back to John. John’s footsteps echoed off the floor as he approached Brian. Brian held his hand out, palm down, and waited for John to talk to him.

  Go on home, John signed.

  “But I’m not done with the chair.”

  I can finish it. You’re too eager to get back to your bride. Go on and be with her.

  “Even if it’s early in the afternoon?”

  You’ve been thinking of her all day. Might as well be with her. Unless you think your old man is more exciting?

  Brian laughed. “Sorry, Pa. But no, I don’t.”

  Then why are you still here?

  “Alright, alright. I get your point.” He put his brush away and stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  Brian felt John pat him on the back before Brian went to the hook by the door and collected his coat and walking stick. He opened the door and stepped outside, sorry he missed his mother and Lucy as they passed by on the buggy. Now he’d have to walk. Shrugging, he slipped his coat on and proceeded to stroll on home.

  ***

  Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on sliding out of the log. Her body was pressed firmly against the side of it so she could avoid the offending piece of wood that had pierced her skin last time. Thankfully, her earlier wound from it wasn’t deep. The blood had already dried, but her abdomen hurt as she moved along and she worried about reopening the cut.

  Taking a deep breath, she wiggled again, and this time, she managed to avoid hurting any part of her body. She paused and released her breath. Opening her eyes, she looked down at her legs which were on a melting pile of snow. Though there was no wind and the sun was out, the slush around her made her shiver all the more.

  I can do this. I can get out of here.

  If she could just make it out of here, then she could figure out a way to get to the house. Eliza was supposed to drop her off at home when they returned from town. If Meredith was playing ‘Lucy’, then Eliza would have still gone to town as planned and would bring ‘Lucy’ back. Eliza would help her. Or Brian. Maybe he’d come back from work early. As long as someone besides Meredith saw her, she’d make it.

  Encouraged, she scooted further down, but then the log gave under her weight and it tilted forward. She gasped. She forgot about the gentle slope that led to the creek on their property. Not sure if she should move or stay still, she remained still and debated the possible pros and cons to each choice. But the log moved again, and despite the fact that she dug her heels into the muddy ground, it rolled forward. Giving a muffled scream, she went down the slope with the log, her body jostling around as the sharp piece of wood poked her back and side.

  She struggled to stay in the log, figuring it would buffer her in case she hit a tree, but at some point during the journey down, she tumbled out of the log and continued to roll on her own until she came to a stop next to the creek.

  Blinking back a fresh wave of tears, she struggled to figure out her best course of action. It would help to think if her head wasn’t spinning. Her body throbbed with pain, especially where her sister had hit her with that awful bat. But what was worse than the pain was the continual shivering, which had only intensified now that she was on the snow. She closed her eyes. All was not lost. She was still alive. There was still a chance Brian, Eliza or John might search for her…as long as they didn’t believe Meredith was her.

  ***

  Brian approached his house. The horse snorted not too far from the porch so he went over to it and patted its nose. “Were the women hard on you today?”

  The horse snorted again.

  He chuckled and patted its mane. “I’ll tell Ma to give you a treat for all your hard work.”

  As if he understood, the gelding nodded.

  Smiling, Brian went over to the porch and climbed the steps. From inside, he could hear his mother talking and another woman’s response. He frowned. The other woman wasn’t Addy, nor was it any of the women in town. As he opened the storm door, he heard unfamiliar footsteps retreating to the bedroom. He set the walking stick by the door and turned to the direction of Charlotte’s sneeze.

  “Couldn’t wait to come home, huh?” Eliza asked.

  He stepped into the kitchen and listened. It didn’t sound like there were any more than two women in the house. He inhaled but didn’t pick up the scent of lavender.

  “Brian, is something wrong?” Eliza’s voice grew closer as she approached. “Did something happen at work? Is your pa alright?”

  He lowered his voice and turned her away from the bedroom. “Who’s in my bedroom?”

  Eliza let out a soft chuckle. “Your wife, silly. Lucy and I went to town today and came back with a couple of things. She’s putting them away.”

  “It’s not her,” he whispered, careful to speak low so whoever it was in the other room wouldn’t overhear.

  “Sure it is.”

  “I don’t smell Lucy, and I didn’t hear her.”

  “I can see her, Brian, and she’s Lucy.”

  His frown deepened. No. She just looks like Lucy.

  A drawer closed in the bedroom and Brian stiffened. He leaned forward to touch and smell Charlotte. She smelled and felt the same, and from the sound of it, she was alright. He stood and turned toward the kitchen window. Something was wrong. It couldn’t be Lucy. Lucy smelled like lavender, but the faint hint of lavender in the air told him Lucy hadn’t been at the house for hours. Just how many hours, he couldn’t tell. And that worried him.

  The floor vibrated as the woman walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Brian avoided turning to face her, remembering what Lucy had said about knowing he was blind by looking at his eyes. She said at a glance, she couldn’t tell he was blind. He wondered if Lucy’s twin sister, Meredith, knew he was blind. Had Eliza slipped it into the conversation unawares? There was only one way to tell, and only one surefire way to convince his mother that this wasn’t Lucy.

  “Well,” Meredith began, “that was a lot of fun, Eliza. Thank you for the broach. It means so much to me that we’re friends.”

  “Oh, thank you,” Eliza said, sounding uncertain.

  Brian heard soft footsteps move in his direction, followed by a gentle touch on his arm. He took a moment to inhale. Milk and honey. His real mother had used milk and honey soap. He kept his face slightly turned from Meredith as he tried to decide what to do.

  “Hello, Brian,” Meredith said. “Don’t you want to see the new broach your mother gave me?”

  He heard his mother give a slight gasp.

  It was definitely Meredith if she looked exactly like Lucy. Brian turned his head quickly to Meredith. “Yes, it’s pretty.” Then he went over to his mother. “Why don’t you take Lucy and Charlotte to your home for that supper you invited us to?”

  “Uh…” Eliza began.

  Charlotte whimpered.

  Eliza cleared her throat. “Lucy, did you still want to eat over at my place?”

  Meredith laughed. “Of course. I agreed to it when you asked, didn’t I?”

  That did it! Brian opened the storm door. “I’ll be along shortly.”

  “Alright,” Eliza said. “I suppose we’ll go to my place now.”

  Brian kept his hat lowered so Meredith wouldn’t get a good look at his eyes, and as he waited for the two women to get back into the buggy, he
wondered where Lucy might be. He stood quietly, listening as someone clicked the reins and led the horse off his property. With slow, even breaths, he stood on the porch and tried to determine if he could hear anything that might lead him to Lucy. He couldn’t smell her. Wherever she was, she was far away, but she couldn’t be too far. He’d said good-bye to Lucy that morning when his mother came over. And if his mother went to town with Meredith, then there was a small window of opportunity when Meredith made her move.

  Where would Lucy go if she was about to go to town? The only place he could think of was the outhouse. She often went to the outhouse before they headed out together. He’d start there. He quickly went into the house to grab his walking stick and went in the direction of the outhouse, praying when he found Lucy, she’d be alive.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Phillip arrived in town and walked into the general store. He took off his hat and approached the older man behind the counter who was talking to a young woman. The trip had been an exhausting one. If one more thing had gone wrong, he would have lost it. The train had gotten delayed and then his stage coach driver had taken ill. He’d spent a lot of time waiting, and that waiting drove him insane.

  All he could picture was Lucy destitute and alone. He tried not to think that someone had taken her in order to use her. A lone woman on the prairie who was far too trusting of strangers… He shivered. Oh God, please let Lucy be alright. He hoped when he wrote to his parents, he’d have good news.

  The man behind the counter turned his attention to Phillip as the woman left the store. “Howdy. May I help you?”

  “Yes.” Phillip walked closer to the counter and rested one hand on it. “About this time last year, a man dropped my sister off here. She has blond hair, brown eyes, is 5’4”, and goes by the name Lucy Barnes. The man who dropped her off called himself Adam Nilles but is really Mark Wilson. Mark was recently arrested for marrying women and then dropping them off in small towns. He married my sister last April and should have come through here.”