Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Tom Buckley.
Ethel looked up and glanced around the shop. The clerk was still helping the woman with her fabric, and the rest of the customers were preoccupied with browsing the shelves. Seizing the moment, Ethel tore the ad from the back of the paper then shoved it deep into her pocket.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the next, then back again, trying to think clearly about what she was about to do. Even though she had never seriously thought about marrying before, she knew she was old enough to do so, and her father had been away so often she could simply tell him that she had been speaking with this gentleman for a while by letter. She had the perfect excuse not to go to England: because she wanted to move West to marry Tom Buckley.
She paid for her apple and stepped back onto the street, thinking not of Mr. Buckley, but rather, of his horses. He not only mentioned that he bred horses, but he also specifically mentioned that he did so for racing purposes. Even though the ad in her pocket was brief and to the point, he had said everything she would want to hear from a man she was going to marry.
Ethel didn’t mind that they had never met, and it didn’t bother her at all that he could possibly be much older than herself. All she could needed to focus on was that this was her chance to stay in America and pursue the life she wanted. Ethel formed a plan as she walked back up the street, feeling a whole lot lighter than when she had walked into town.
She decided that as soon as she got back to the mansion, she would write Mr. Buckley a letter telling him about herself, and about her passion for horses. She would then return to town and mail the letter that very afternoon, ensuring it would go out with the rest of the mail that evening. Then, she would tell her father her plans and convince him it was what she had really wanted all along.
Ethel smiled to herself. She was going to go west.
Chapter 5 – Mr. Tom Buckley
The next few days were a flurry of activity for Ethel, and she was glad her conversation with her father went as well as it had. Of course, he didn’t like the idea of her staying in America without him, and he really didn’t like the idea of her moving to another part of the country to marry a man she had never mentioned before, let alone met.
Even though Ethel felt bad about lying to her father, by the end of the evening she had him convinced that she had been conversing with Mr. Buckley for several months, and that she had hidden it from even Mrs. Smith, knowing her governess would not approve and put an end to their correspondence.
“If this is really what you want, my Dear, then this is what you shall have, but I want you to know that I am going to miss you terribly.” He said with a sad smile, and Ethel reached forward, putting her hand over her father’s.
“I am going to miss you dearly myself, Father,” she said with a melancholy smile of her own.
After their conversation, however, Ethel had spent much of her time on her own. She knew exactly what she wanted to pack for the journey, and she was relieved she didn’t need to see her father selling their belongings, some of the very dear to her. She had purchased a ticket for a train which left that Friday, meaning she wouldn’t have to watch her father leaving her on a ship.
Ethel was surprised when her father drove her to the train station on the Friday morning. He had kept one of his horses for transportation until he left, which he had hitched to the buggy and brought to the front of the house. Ethel didn’t say much on her way to the station, wanting it to appear as though she was excited.
Their goodbye was brief, as the train was already making ready to depart and in no time at all, Ethel found herself seated next to a window, watching her father through the glass. When the whistle finally blew and the train started with a jolt, she waved her hand frantically to her father, blowing kisses and calling out that she loved him.
A single, solitary tear ran down her cheek as she settled into her seat and turned to face the front of the coach. But her excitement outweighed the sadness she felt, and Ethel was confident in her decision to head out West. She knew she didn’t want to go to England, and she knew that she did want to spend her life with horses; of those things, she was sure.
What she had no idea about, was Tom Buckley.
The train rumbled to a slow stop in front of the platform, and Ethel felt her stomach twist and turn inside of her. Throughout the past week, she had thought often of what her new life was going to be like, but the closer the train drew to California, the more nervous she became.
She was so eager to continue her life with horses, she hadn’t given much thought to what she wanted in a husband, and now that she was about to meet the man she was going to marry, she felt her heart pounding inside her chest. Would she like him? Would he like her? Would he think her pretty? Would she find him attractive?
Although Ethel knew she would have her answers within moments, her feet suddenly felt so heavy she didn’t know if she would be able to get up out of her seat. The conductor walked past and looked down at her, then he grabbed her bag and handed it to her.
“Last stop’s here, Miss.” He said with a smile, and Ethel nodded, although she thought she was going to faint her heart was beating so fast. She quickly rose and forced herself to walk off the train before her nerves overwhelmed her completely.
Once on the train platform, Ethel looked around, hoping to find someone waiting for her. To her relief, there was a man standing at the edge of the crowd, beckoning for her to walk over to him. She smiled as she stopped in front of him, and without hesitation she thrust her hand out in front of her.
“Good day to you, Sir, my name is Ethel Miller, I trust that you are Mr. Buckley?” She raised her eyebrows slightly and he stood staring at her for a moment before he awkwardly reached down and shook her hand.
“I am, and I must say, you are to the point, aren’t you?” He smiled down at her, and Ethel blushed a deep crimson. He was every bit as handsome as she had hoped, and even more so in many ways. His smile made her heart melt in an instant, and looking at him made her knees grow weak.
Although his smile alone would have been enough to make her blush, she also felt embarrassed by her forthrightness. How could she be so abrupt when she had just met the man? Did he now think of her as too forward?
“I’m sorry; Father always told me to get to the point, so I guess its habit for me,” she said quietly, and he waved his hand.
“Not at all – no need to be sorry. I thought it was kind of cute, actually,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, and Ethel had to fight another blush. He cleared his throat and offered to take her bag before putting his hand on her lower back and guiding her with him up the street.
“I already arranged for the pastor to meet with us, so I hope you are okay with getting hitched right off.” He looked down at her as he spoke, and Ethel nodded, trying not to blush once more.
He smiled and seemed to relax slightly, hurrying her up the street along with him. Ethel’s mind was reeling; she had come out West to raise horses, and while she knew she was going to be marrying a stranger to do it, she hadn’t expected she was going to marry a man so handsome.
How did she get so lucky?
Chapter 6 – The Horses of Bergamot Ranch
Ethel didn’t feel like herself when they left the little church on the corner. Although she had said what she had been told to say and done what she had been told to do, there was something about her knowing she was now a married woman that didn’t feel quite right.
She was glad she had made the decision to come to the West and marry Mr. Buckley rather than become a sheep farmer with her father in England, but she had never given marriage a lot of thought, and now that she was a married woman, she wondered if she had made a mistake.
Mr. Buckley, however, seemed delighted with the ceremony, and the way he looked at her did make her feel special. He constantly asked her if she was feeling alright and if there was anything he might do to make her ride out to the
ranch a little smoother, but Ethel insisted she was just fine, and she was comfortable enough in the wagon.
Ethel really wanted to get out to the ranch. She was excited to see the house that was now to be her home. She wanted to see the land that she was going to be riding on, and the horses she would be riding. She wanted to hear their names and smell their coats, and she wanted to get out of her Sunday best and into a dress she was comfortable in.
On the way out to the ranch, Tom explained to her the way he expected their lives to be, encouraging her to step in and offer her thoughts whenever she wanted to. Although she mostly listened to what he had to say, part of her was nervous. There was something about Tom that reminded her of Mrs. Smith; almost as though he expected her to be the perfect lady at all times, without question.
She would smile when he would make eye contact with her, but he finally paused.
“Is there something bothering you? You don’t seem to be as excited about this as I thought you were going to be.” There was a tone of disappointment in his voice, and Ethel was quick to reach forward and assure him everything was quite all right.
“I am just feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. This morning I woke up as me, and now here I am, a married woman – it’s not you, it’s just a lot for me to take in right now.” She had a small smile as she spoke, and he nodded his agreement.
“I am sure there are a lot of things going through your mind right now, but trust me, it is a large house, and you are now the queen of it. I have already prepared a room for you to stay in until you get comfortable with things, and I think you will find the whole place quite suited to your liking. It has been just me living there until now, but I know how to keep a house.” He winked at her, and Ethel did feel rather relieved.
“I really want to see the horses,” she blurted out without realizing what she was going to say. He looked at her in surprise.
“I know you mentioned that you like horses, but I should think that you would rather get settled in before you head out to that smelly old barn,” he said with his eyes on the road in front of them. Ethel also kept her eyes on the road, not wanting to argue with her new husband, nor to be rude. But, she did want to see the horses, and she worried he was going to take her inside before she had a chance to remind herself why she had come out West in the first place.
At last, he spoke. “Alright, if you want to see the horses, I will be happy to show them to you, but I really do want you to get settled in. It has been such a dreadfully long journey for you, and I don’t want you to fall ill from the fatigue.” He gave her a look of concern, and Ethel once again reached forward and patted his hand.
“Don’t worry, I know how to take care of myself. I promise after I get to see them, I’ll settle down.” She smiled, and he slapped the reigns on the backs of the horses in front of them.
“He’s gorgeous!” Ethel breathed as she ran her hand down the horse’s arched neck. She looked back over to Tom who looked at her with shining eyes. She smiled, then turned her attention back to the horse.
“What’s his name?” she asked softly.
“That’s Jack. Right now, he’s the fastest in the stable. I have high hopes for that one; there’s a race coming up in a month, I think he’s going to give the others a real run for their money.” Tom walked over and patted the horse’s neck, scratching him behind the ears and talking softly to the animal.
Ethel turned her attention suddenly to Tom, eager to hear more about the race. He looked down at her in surprise, then went back to stroking the horse’s neck.
“It’s the biggest race in the state, and only the best riders are allowed to enter. I’ve been training him for the past few months, and I think he really does have a shot.” Tom patted the horse once more before motioning for her to follow him inside.
“Let’s get you settled in, and I’ll start rustling us up some grub,” he said with a smile, and Ethel reluctantly followed.
Chapter 7 – Married Life
Ethel was surprised at how quickly she was able to settle into her new way of life. Tom had shown her around the house, and although he had described it to her as being large, she thought it rather small compared to the house she had been living in back home. However, not wanting to be rude, she praised every room he showed her.
She did have to admit that she liked her own room the best. It was large, and although it had clearly been his room before she had arrived, she was glad that he had had the courtesy to allow her to take it until she got settled in. She knew that one day the two of them would be sharing the room, but she didn’t think it was going to be a problem for both of them to fit comfortably together.
Ethel had gone to bed shortly after dinner, and even though she apologized several times for being rude, Tom had assured her that it was to be expected considering the journey she had just made. It was true, she was tired, but she also really wanted to spend some time alone. Over the past few months she had only gotten time to herself when she was out riding, and since she had been a train passenger the past week, she really wanted to take a few moments to gather her thoughts.
“Tomorrow is a new day,” she said to herself as she pulled her long hair out of the braid she had woven it into. She smiled at her reflection, then looked down at the ring on her finger. She shook her head, still unable to consider herself a married woman. Ethel slipped into the little bed, pulling the quilt up to her chin. She stared at the ceiling for a very long time, waiting for sleep to claim her, but still very much awake from the excitement of the day.
“You better get some sleep, after all, you know you want to take that horse out as soon as possible tomorrow,” she whispered to herself. She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes until the blessed darkness claimed her.
The next morning, Ethel woke to the smell of pancakes cooking in the kitchen. Feeling a stab of guilt for sleeping in so late, she hurried to get dressed and make it to the breakfast table before Tom began eating his own meal. She complimented him on the fine breakfast, then neatly placed her kerchief on her lap before beginning.
Tom looked pleased.
“I spend so much time out around the horses, I don’t usually have the time to make such a fancy breakfast, so I am glad that you have come, if not for that reason alone,” he said with a chuckle, and even though she also laughed, her heart sank.
“I do know how to cook, and I’m pretty good at keeping a house, although when I was a child we had a maid to do all that kind of thing.” She took another bite of her pancake, and he laughed.
“I have always been my own maid, and I hope you don’t think that you are my maid now that you are here. I see it more as teamwork: I am out in the barn working on the horses, you are in here making sure things are running smoothly; we win races, and we both benefit.” He took another bite of his pancake, and Ethel nodded.
“That’s a good way to put it, but I wanted you to know that I know how to ride, and I can ride well – I want to get on Jack as soon as possible and see what he’s got. My father…“but Tom cut her off.
“Wait a second there, Missy. I know you are enthusiastic about the horses, but I want you to know that these aren’t some horses that your father had when you were a child; these are well-bred creatures that need to be treated with respect. I don’t let just anyone ride my horses, and you will see why in a bit.” He put his hand over hers, and she had to fight to keep from pulling it away.
Not only had he insulted her father’s breeding, but he had insulted her own ability to ride. He had no idea how well she could handle a horse, or herself in a saddle for that matter. He had no business telling her whether she could ride horses that were partially hers, and she wasn’t going to stand for it.
She cleared her throat and took a deep breath as silently as she could, then she began again.
“I respect your passion for your own animals, but I do wish you would let me have a chance to prove myself before you make any decisions on what I can do. After all, don’t married people s
hare everything in life? Those horses are partially mine now, aren’t they?” she said, smiling, although there was a fire in her eyes. Her heart sank when he broke into a hearty laugh and sat back in his chair.
“Oh, Ethel, I knew I was going to like you from the moment you shook my hand on that train platform. You really do say whatever comes to your mind, don’t you? Well, let me explain it to you this way:
“I have brought you out here, given you the run of one of the largest houses in the area, and have provided for your every need. I know you love horses, but those are not your horses, they are mine. I have worked hard for them, and I continue to work hard. Now, here in the house is where you belong, and that’s the end of it.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze then excused himself from the table.
He put his hat on and walked out the door before she was able to reply, leaving her alone in her fury.
Chapter 8 – Husbands and Wives
Ethel didn’t mind doing the chores inside the house, but it was a struggle for her to get out and ride the horses when she wanted to. It seemed that there was always something else to be done inside, and it was up to her to make sure that it was done.
It wasn’t that Tom wouldn’t help with the chores inside the house, but she could see that he really was busy with the things that needed to be done outside, and that the horses were his priority. Although she was happy the horses were taken care of the way that they should be, she wanted to be able to make them her priority as well.
As soon as she finished with the chores inside the house, Ethel would grab her things and head outside, eager to spend time with the animals.
“Oh hey, I’m glad you were able to get out here in time, I’m just about to break Sandy here,” Tom said as she walked over to the corral. The blonde horse stood with an even paler mane and tale, twitching at flies and clearly annoyed with the saddle and the bridle that had been fitted to her head. Tom led her into the middle of the corral, and within moments was on the animal’s back.
The Thanksgiving Day Bride: Mail Order Bride Novels Page 50
