Honoria: The Forbidden Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch (Sweet Version) Book 7)

by Merry Farmer

  “Hurry up, Viv,” Rance called from the stairs.

  Vivian huffed and started toward the door. “You’ll find out when your turn to marry comes,” she told Melinda.

  “Well, how did you find out?” Melinda demanded.

  Vivian’s expression went completely flat. “Bonnie told me.”

  Honoria hid her laughter with a cough. Not even the annals of Ancient Greek drama could come close to the animosity Vivian—and Melinda—felt for Bonnie, but if anyone knew the ins and outs of “relations,” it was Bonnie. Honoria would have loved to be a fly on the wall of that conversation. Watching the two of them face each other down over breakfast that morning—Bonnie gracious and smiling, Vivian peevish and pouty—had been fine entertainment. Honoria would have loved to spend more time with Bonnie.

  For many reasons, she realized as Vivian pushed Melinda into the hall to tell Rance to go away. Honoria was about to be married too, and though the time to discuss it hadn’t come yet, she wanted to experience all of the happinesses of marriage. All of them.

  “Vivian says you have to go on ahead to the church in the wagon.” Melinda’s voice carried up from the stairs as she gave her message to Rance. “You’re not to see her before the wedding, so you have to go now. We’ll come in the carriage behind you.”

  “Well, all right then. I can get Kirby to drive me,” Rance replied.

  As his footsteps retreated, Vivian grinned in triumph. “If he continues with that sort of obedient behavior, this marriage will be a success.” She indulged in a chuckle, then turned to Honoria. Her pleased expression turned sour. “You’re so useless, sitting up here in your room coughing. Come downstairs and fix my dress at once.”

  Honoria obeyed, moving her engagement ring from her bustle to her pocket, if only because the sooner she fixed what Vivian needed fixing and sent her on her way, the sooner she could put her own plans in motion. Solomon would be driving out to the ranch at some point after he observed the rest of the Bonneville family entering town. His plan was to make sure as few people as possible were at the ranch when he arrived to pick her up, and then to whisk her away as fast as possible. Honoria’s mind was so preoccupied with their plans that she barely heard the insults and slights that Vivian and Melinda hurled at her—or Bonnie attempting to curb them—or Bebe’s whining and complaining that everyone was ignoring her.

  The only part of Honoria and Solomon’s plan that Honoria wasn’t sure how to execute miraculously ended up taking care of itself.

  “There isn’t room for you in the carriage,” Vivian snapped as she and Melinda, Bebe and Papa climbed into the borrowed conveyance. Bonnie stood to the side, waiting for the others to take their seats. The regular family carriage wasn’t fancy enough for Vivian’s wedding day, so Papa had borrowed the elaborate, open carriage of a friend of his in the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and had it shipped all the way from Cheyenne. “You’ll have to walk into town.”

  “Yes, Honoria has to walk into town,” Bebe added with a wicked grin, adjusting her voluminous skirts as she sat back in her secure place.

  For once, Honoria had no desire to complain about her treatment at all. She merely nodded and pretended to look down at her skirt and lament how dusty it would get.

  “I’ll go with her.” Bonnie’s offer had Honoria snapping her head up. She tried to hide her horror. “I’ll drive her in my wagon.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Honoria fumbled.

  Vivian glared at her, but Melinda narrowed her eyes in calculation.

  “It’s not a problem at all.” Bonnie smiled.

  “Well whatever you do, we’re going to be late,” Vivian snapped. “Papa, let’s go.”

  Rex Bonneville sighed at his daughter’s command, then nodded to Bonnie. “I expect you to be prompt,” he said, then gestured for his driver to go on.

  Honoria’s heart beat near her throat as the carriage lurched into motion, heading around the dusty drive in front of the house and then out along the lane toward the road to Haskell. She continued to watch it for far longer than she needed to, wishing there was some way to send Bonnie on her way as well.

  “Now, would you like to tell me why you asked my girls not to tell me how you and Solomon Templesmith got engaged the other night?” Bonnie cut right to the chase.

  Honoria flinched and winced as she slowly turned to face Bonnie. The regal woman had her arms crossed and was trying hard not to smile, but as much as her lips twitched and tightened, her bright blue eyes were alight.

  “I…” Honoria had no idea at all how to answer her. She could only pray that her and Solomon’s plans weren’t about to be dashed to bits. “I…”

  Bonnie brushed her nerves away with a flick of her hand. “No need to act like brimstone is going to rain down on you. I couldn’t approve of your engagement more.”

  That was even more startling. Honoria stared off into the distance where the dust from her family’s carriage was moving further away, then scanned the yard around the ranch to make sure there were no ranch hands nearby. But no, they had all been ordered to attend the wedding. The only person left on the ranch was Maria, and she already knew what was going on.

  “You don’t have to look like that.” Bonnie loosened her stance and stepped closer to rub Honoria’s arm. “I’m happy for you. I’ve seen the way the two of you steal looks at each other when you think no one is watching.”

  Honoria blinked wide. “We do?”

  Now it was Bonnie’s turn to look confused. “Of course you do. I’ve always assumed the two of you were courting in secret.”

  “How…” Honoria’s mouth hung open for a second before she closed it and shook her head. “We haven’t been.”

  Bonnie’s perplexed frown deepened. “Then how did this all happen?”

  “I…” Heavens, she’d turned into a ninny who couldn’t even string words together. But how did you explain something as horrible and tragic as her fate? At last, Honoria sighed and motioned for Bonnie to follow her back to the house. As they reached the porch and climbed up toward the front door, she let it all spill out. “I’m dying.”

  Bonnie gasped and reached out a hand to stop her before they walked through the door. “Oh, my dear, no.”

  Honoria swallowed and faced her. “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I went to see Dr. Meyers about my cough. He examined me. He even ran a modern test.” She shrugged. “I have consumption. Dr. Abernathy tells me I have less than a year left.” Once again, tears filled her eyes at the thought. But no, she was tired of crying over her fate. All she wanted to do now was take what was left of her life into her own hands.

  “Sweetheart, I’m sorry.” Bonnie wrapped her in an embrace that would have been motherly if Bonnie herself weren’t so young. Young but wise beyond her years. Like a big sister. A kind, considerate big sister, not like Vivian or Melinda.

  As quickly as she’d hugged her, Bonnie rocked back and held her at arm’s length. “Wait, Dr. Abernathy told you? I thought you said Dr. Meyers.”

  “Dr. Meyers performed the exam, then he was called away. He gave his files to Dr. Abernathy to follow up.”

  “Ah.” Bonnie sighed, her shoulders lowering. Honoria continued into the house and upstairs to her bedroom. “So…how does Solomon figure into this tragic news?”

  As she reached the top of the stairs, Honoria turned to her, mustering a smile. “I ran into him shortly after I found out. You’re right about me having tender feelings for him.” She blushed and continued into her room to collect her carpet bag. She lifted it back to the bed and added a few more personal items, including a small daguerreotype of her mother, before closing it and fastening the clasp. “I don’t know what came over me, I just knew that I couldn’t live the last days of my life the way I’ve lived all the rest of them.”

  Bonnie’s stricken expression softened into teary understanding. “I don’t blame you.”

  “So I asked Solomon to marry me,” Honoria admitted bashfully. “I asked hi
m to take me away from this life for what time I have left. He said yes.” She reached into her pocket to retrieve her ring, putting it back on her finger. “He gave me this.”

  Bonnie took Honoria’s hand, blinking back tears, and studied the ring. “This must be what Pearl was telling me about. Please forgive her for spilling the beans,” she rushed to add. “She means well, Pearl does, but she’s always been impulsive.”

  “As long as you don’t try to stop me, I’m fine with you knowing.”

  “Stop you?” Bonnie laughed. “Honey, I’m encouraging you to run as fast as you can into Solomon Templesmith’s arms.”

  Honoria’s brow flew up. “Even though he’s a negro?”

  Bonnie scoffed and brushed the question away. “Trust me, sweetheart. In my line of work I’ve seen all men of all races. The only thing different about them is skin deep, and the color of that skin in no way determines how cruel or kind, how smart or stupid, how ambitious or how lazy they are.”

  Honoria’s jaw dropped at the revolutionary statements.

  Bonnie wasn’t done. “There are far worse men in this town who you could hook your fate to, and I think Solomon will make the…” Her voice faltered for a second, but she cleared her throat and went on in a gentler tone. “I think Solomon will make the last days of your life beautiful ones.”

  “I hope so.” Honoria lowered her eyes. But no, that didn’t seem right. She raised them and met Bonnie’s boldly. “I know so. I’ve dreamed of being married to him for years.” It felt right and natural to confess to Bonnie. “He…he kissed me the other night, and it was glorious.”

  Bonnie’s grin turned mischievous. “Glad to hear it. Are you planning to be fully married to him?”

  Honoria nodded and blushed.

  “Then let me give you a few words of advice.” She hooked her arm in Honoria’s and picked up the carpetbag for her. The two of them headed downstairs to the porch to wait for Solomon. In the time it took for him to arrive, Honoria learned far more than she would have imagined, and every bit of it filled her with delicious sensations of excitement and anticipation.

  Solomon wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or suspicious that it was so easy to make it out to the Bonneville ranch undetected. He’d sat on the porch of The Cattleman Hotel, sipping coffee with Theophilus Gunn, who knew full well what was going on. Whether they were his to tell or not, it was impossible to keep a secret from Gunn. As soon as Rex Bonneville and his daughters had driven past on their way to the church, Solomon hopped down, strode around the corner, and climbed into his waiting wagon. He’d passed a few wagons of people dressed for a wedding on his way out, but no one bothered to stop and ask him what he was doing.

  The only hint of uncertainty he felt was as he drove up the drive to the Bonneville house and saw that Honoria wasn’t alone on the porch. Bonnie Horner sat with her. He braced himself for the distinct possibility that Honoria had been talked out of her decision, or that she’d changed her mind on her own.

  “Morning Miss Honoria, Miss Bonnie.” He touched the brim of his hat as he pulled his wagon parallel to the porch. He shifted across the bench, then hopped down as Honoria and Bonnie stood. He made eye-contact with Honoria, attempting to figure out if her mood had changed. “Are you ready?”

  To his surprise, Honoria turned to Bonnie with a beaming smile of thanks. Bonnie stepped forward and hugged her, then escorted her down the stairs to where Solomon waited.

  “You take care of her now,” Bonnie ordered him, dabbing at her eyes with her gloved hand. “Honoria is a very special woman.”

  An explosion of relief and agreement spread through Solomon’s chest. “She is that.” He reached for Honoria’s hand.

  Still smiling, looking paradoxically like the picture of health and happiness, Honoria took his offered hand and stepped closer. In spite of the fact that they were miles from the church, surrounded by nothing but empty ranchland, just the three of them, he felt the same pride and responsibility as if Honoria had been given to him at the altar.

  “Oh, let me get Honoria’s things for you.” Bonnie turned and lifted her skirts to dash up the porch stairs.

  Solomon shifted his focus to helping Honoria into his wagon. She seemed determined to climb up herself. Or perhaps she simply wasn’t used to being helped in any way. As he closed his hands around her waist and lifted, she gasped. Was it his imagination or did he feel a tremor of excitement zing from her to him?

  “Comfortable?” he asked as soon as she was settled.

  Her cheeks were pink, her eyes bright with adventure. She nodded. He nodded in return. It was a wonderful thing to be able to communicate so much with someone without using a single word.

  “Here you go.” Bonnie returned with a small carpetbag.

  Solomon frowned. “Is that everything?” Knowing the Bonneville family, he expected her to bring along three trunks at least. Then again, knowing the Bonneville family, he could have expected much less.

  “I couldn’t pack all of my dresses without arousing suspicion,” Honoria said as he took the bag from Bonnie and handed it back up to him. “Maybe there will be a way to send for them once…once the truth is known.”

  Solomon shook his head, walking around the back of the wagon to climb up on his side. “I’ll buy you all new dresses,” he declared. “I’ve always thought that you deserved much finer fare than I’ve seen you walking around town in.”

  “I don’t mind my clothes,” Honoria said, but there was a hint of hesitation, a dash of enthusiasm in her voice.

  Solomon answered it by winking at her. The joy that spread across Honoria’s face was enough to make him feel like the tallest man in the world.

  As he gathered up the leads to tap his horse into action, Honoria stopped him with an intake of breath. “Bonnie, would you like a ride to town?”

  “You two lovebirds go along,” Bonnie replied with a teasing grin. “I have my own wagon to drive into town.”

  “Thank you.” Honoria waved to her as Solomon waited until their exchange was finished before driving. “Thank you for your help.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” Bonnie said, her mirth fading. “You might need much more of my help once your father finds out about this.”

  The simple, truthful comment dampened all three of their moods. Solomon nodded to Bonnie, then urged his horse on. He and Honoria were both silent until they’d driven all the way off of the Bonneville property and onto the road heading into town.

  “We can swing past my house first,” Solomon said at last. “That way you can drop off your bag and get a sense of what lies ahead.” Or change her mind if she wanted to.

  She blinked at him. “You have a house?”

  He couldn’t help himself. He laughed. “Of course I do. Where did you think I lived?”

  “At the bank.”

  He nodded in understanding. There was a small apartment in back of the bank. “That apartment belongs to my employee, Horace Greeley, now. I haven’t lived there for five years. Don’t you remember the commotion when I announced I was building a home on Schoolhouse Loop?”

  She relaxed a little, the lines of her face softening as they fell into easy conversation. “I thought the fuss was that you were financing the building of several houses along a street that some people wanted to reserve for shops and businesses.”

  Solomon laughed. “‘Some people’ being your father?”

  “Well, yes.” She lowered her head to stare at her hands, folded on her lap. A moment later, she popped her head up. “You live in one of those houses?”

  “I do.” He nodded. “The one at the end of the circle that turns into Station Street.”

  A worried expression came over her. “That’s so near the church.”

  Guessing her concerns, he said, “We’ll loop around the back way to avoid anyone from your family who might be lingering outside spotting us together too soon.”

  She seemed satisfied with the answer, and he drove on, taking them exactly the way that wo
uld draw the least attention. On the one hand, it felt wrong, dishonest somehow, to be sneaking around with the woman he would be married to before the end of the day. On the other, he knew just what kind of opposition they could potentially run into if anyone so much as had a hint of what they had planned. He wasn’t about to risk ruining Honoria’s chance at a few months of happiness to soothe his own pride.

  He was fortunate to have a side entrance to his property from the back, through an alley that ran between the saddler’s shop and one of the warehouses Howard had recently built for goods coming in on the train. As he’d hoped, no one saw him as he drove his wagon into the small but serviceable stable at the back of his property. He was quick to help Honoria down, then just as quick to unhitch his horse, letting it go in the fenced-in back yard.

  “I wish I could present the house to you through the front door,” he said, taking her bag—which she’d industriously fetched for herself—and encouraging her to rest her hand in the crook of his other arm. “The architect did a magnificent job. It presents quite a picture from the front.”

  “I’m certain it’s beautiful no matter how it’s approached.”

  Solomon smiled. There was something so positive and bright about Honoria, in spite of the hardship she’d endured. It was as if she expected to be delighted with anything and everything that was not associated with her family.

  Still, he felt self-conscious as he led her up the back porch and in through the kitchen door. The kitchen was spacious and equipped with as many modern conveniences as he could find out in the west. Howard had the foresight to design the town for the latest advances in modern plumbing—innovations that were usually only found in cities and prosperous towns back East—so Solomon’s house came complete with indoor running water and washroom facilities. His furniture was well-made, even if there wasn’t much of it. As he led Honoria from the kitchen to the dining room, then around to the front hall and stairs, her wide eyes took in everything. Solomon beamed with pride.

  Right up until she said, “You don’t have much in the way of decoration, do you?”