A Hope Unseen (Escape to the West Book 2)

by Leigh, Nerys

  He looked horrified. “Oh no, I didn’t mean for you to feel you couldn’t bring everything you need, I just didn’t want you to be disappointed. We can stop at the general store...”

  Without thinking, Sara touched her fingers to the back of his hand. “It’s all right, I promise. I don’t need anything.”

  His eyes dropped to where her hand rested lightly on his skin. Even though he didn’t look at all like he wanted her to, she snatched it away, and then immediately regretted it. She needed to get used to touching him. He was, after all, her husband.

  Her husband.

  No, she still wasn’t used to that.

  And the truth was she wanted to touch him. The thought embarrassed her and she groped frantically for something to say before she blushed again.

  “I do hope Amy is all right,” she managed to come up with. “In all the time we spent together on the train, she never once struck me as the type to faint easily.”

  “Adam will look after her,” Daniel replied, and then he chuckled. “She was probably just overcome by his intense masculinity.”

  Sara’s eyes widened. “His what?”

  He shook his head, smiling. “Just something he told me once about a book belonging to his mother he stole a look at when he was young.”

  A friend of Sara’s back in New York was a great collector of those kind of novels so she wasn’t a stranger to what was in them. She’d read more than a few herself, but that was the last thing she wanted to admit, so she kept quiet and tried not to smile. As they were leaving the edge of the town she turned her gaze to the surrounding fields.

  “So you and Adam grew up together here?”

  “Sure did. He’s just two years younger than me so we went to school together, played together. I guess it’s kind of fitting our brides arrived together.” He glanced back at the buildings of the town receding into the distance behind them and smiled at her. “Don’t worry, he’s a good man. He’ll be a fine husband to Miss Watts.”

  Sara nodded and they rode in silence for a while. She gazed at the landscape around her in awe; the fields and trees, the mountains in the distance looking glorious in the sunshine, everything a bright patchwork of greens and blues and browns. She didn’t think she could have asked for a more beautiful place to settle.

  “How was your journey?” Daniel said.

  “Long and uncomfortable. And I loved every second.”

  He laughed softly. “I have no idea what to make of that.”

  “Well, I made four wonderful new friends and saw so much beautiful scenery. And I was excited to get here.” She glanced at him quickly and then back at the horses in front of them. “I was looking forward very much to meeting you.”

  There were a few seconds of silence before he said, “I’ve been excited for you to arrive too. I’m not sure I’ve slept more than a few hours all week, knowing you were on your way.”

  She spent a few seconds wrestling with the smile trying to surge onto her face before giving up and letting it make her look like a giddy schoolgirl. “It all feels a little like a dream. After all the time we’ve been writing to each other, to finally be here and see everything you’ve told me about is, well, I keep feeling like I should pinch myself.”

  He chuckled, dipping his head and then looking at her sideways, his brown eyes sparkling. “Please don’t do that. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself when you’ve only just got here.”

  “All right,” she said, “I’ll save it for later.”

  His answering laugh was filled with warmth and joy. It made her feel wonderful.

  They continued to talk as they drove along the well-worn road running between fields and trees, Daniel pointing out landmarks or telling her who lived along each road they passed. Eventually they turned onto a track marked with painted white stones. A simple wooden board mounted between two posts proclaimed it simply ‘Raine Farm’.

  They entered a small area of woodland, the sunlight dappling the ground through the new bright green leaves of oak and hazel, before emerging from the trees to the sight of a pretty single storey wooden house with blue painted walls and purple flowering wisteria draped across a trellis around the door. The horses didn’t seem to need guiding as they made their way around to the back and stopped in front of a large barn set away from the house, across a wide, packed earth yard. Another, smaller barn sat at the other side of the yard behind a long, single storey building.

  Beyond the barns, a vista of fields and trees stretched to the feet of the distant mountains, their peaks taking on a pinkish hue in the late afternoon sunshine.

  Daniel jumped down from the wagon and walked around to help Sara to the ground.

  “Welcome home,” he said. He rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at the small house. “It’s not very big and, well, I’m not much of a gardener. It could really use a woman’s touch, I reckon. I’ve been buying lumber when I can afford it and just as soon as I can, I’ll build on some more rooms. I wanted to do it before you arrived, but there’s always so much to do on the farm and...”

  Sara placed one hand on his arm. “It’s perfect.”

  His eyebrows rose. “It is?”

  She turned in a slow circle, taking in the house with its wide, covered porch, the barns and the fields. It was so far away from the modern, three storey brick city house she’d lived in her entire life that it felt like she must be in a whole different country.

  And she loved every bit of it.

  She smiled up at his nervous expression. “It is. It’s wonderful. I know I’m going to be happy here.”

  He breathed out, lowering his hand to briefly touch hers. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you are, I promise.”

  Sara had no doubt he would. The truth was, right now she felt like all he had to do was exist to make her happy.

  A bark sounded behind her and she looked round to see a black Labrador bounding across the yard towards them. The dog headed straight for Daniel who bent to ruffle her head as she eyed Sara suspiciously.

  “Sara, this is Bess,” he said. “She might take a little while to get used to you, but if you scratch her ears she’ll love you forever.”

  Sara leaned forward and held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bess.”

  Bess took a few tentative steps forward and stretched her nose out to sniff at Sara’s fingers, her tail wagging slowly. Perhaps it was because she could smell Daniel’s scent on her, but Bess’ ears perked up and she moved forward, looking up at her expectantly. Sara rubbed her ears and she sat, closing her eyes in bliss.

  “Looks like you have a new friend,” Daniel said, grinning.

  “Well, you can’t be the woman who came all the way across America to marry Dan because you are much too pretty for him.”

  Sara looked up to see a man striding towards them across the yard, a huge grin plastered across his face.

  Daniel cleared his throat. “Sara, meet Will.”

  Will brushed his right hand off on his denim trousers and held it out to her. “I’m so sorry you’ve come all this way to be so thoroughly disappointed at your runt of a new husband.”

  “Please forgive my little brother,” Daniel said. “He’s under the mistaken impression that he’s funny.”

  “And charming,” Will said.

  “Yes, he’s mistaken about that too.”

  Sara couldn’t help smiling at the brothers’ banter. Now she’d met them both, she couldn’t miss the resemblance. Will stood a little taller than Daniel and shared his brown eyes and dark hair. He even had a dimple, albeit it on the left instead of the right.

  She took her new brother-in-law’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Will.”

  “Likewise. It will be such a relief to have some intelligent conversation around here for a change.”

  He winked and she laughed, her fears about any resentment on his part fading. She should have known any brother of Daniel’s would be as wonderful as he was.

  “Yeah, yeah,
” Daniel said, waving him away. “How about you unhitch River and Ginger while I take Sara’s things inside.”

  With a final grin at her, Will headed for the horses.

  “Would you like to go in?” Daniel said, nodding towards the house. “I’ll bring your luggage.”

  She made her way to the porch that spanned the back of the house, plans blossoming in her mind’s eye. She’d always loved gardening and as she walked she imagined plants and flowers growing around the house, just like in her parents’ garden back home. With the sun beginning to sink towards the horizon, this time of day was her favourite to walk outside, the scent of flowers touching the air, insects flitting from bloom to bloom. Paws, her mother’s huge tortoiseshell cat, rubbing around her calves whenever she stopped to admire a plant.

  A feeling of homesickness suddenly swept over her, so strong she had to stop to let the pain in her chest pass. She took a deep breath, waiting for the unwelcome emotion to fade. This was her home now, she would have to get used to thinking of it that way.

  Resuming her climb up the four steps to the porch, she came to a wooden bench set beside the back door. It was in just the right position to take in the view across the valley to the mountains. With a few cushions and maybe a blanket it would be a comfortable spot to sit and watch the sunset.

  And it would be even better with Daniel sitting beside her.

  ~ ~ ~

  Daniel wandered back to the wagon, casting surreptitious glances back at Sara as he walked. She was moving slowly, taking everything in as she approached the house.

  He was a nervous wreck. The wedding had gone well, but now all he could think was, did she like him? Would she like his home? He had a whole list of things he wished he’d done before she arrived, if only the farm didn’t take up so much of his time. He’d been so fixated on bringing the farm to a point where he could support a family that he’d forgotten to see it as the place where he’d be raising one. He hoped Sara would see the potential rather than the reality.

  Looking back one last time to watch her walk into the house, he collided with the front wheel of the wagon and grunted in pain, leaning down to rub his knee.

  Will chuckled as he worked on unhitching Ginger from the wagon. “I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d be this nervous. It’s so entertaining.”

  “Wait until it’s your turn,” Daniel said, reaching over the side of the wagon for Sara’s suitcase. “Then you’ll be a wreck and I’ll get to laugh. What does she have in here? Rocks?”

  “Never happen.” Will lowered the wagon’s shaft to the ground and led the two horses to the entrance to the barn where he stopped and began the process of removing their tack. “Although if all mail order brides are as pretty as Sara it could almost make me reconsider my vow of bachelorhood.” He smiled. “Almost.”

  Daniel lowered the heavy suitcase onto the ground and Bess wandered over to sniff it. “One day you’ll get the urge to settle down.”

  “Why on earth would I do that? I get to keep all my money, don’t have any responsibilities, I can do whatever I want, and when I need some female companionship...” He shrugged one shoulder.

  Daniel didn’t respond. He knew his brother was no stranger to the saloon in town. It worried him to see how far Will had fallen away from God, but all he could do was pray. He’d given up arguing with him long ago.

  “Give me a hand with the trunk, will you?”

  Will left River and Ginger to take a drink from the water trough outside the barn and joined Daniel at the back end of the wagon.

  Will grunted as they lifted the heavy wooden trunk to the ground. “No, I believe she’s packed her rock collection in here. Is this all she has?”

  They each took a handle and started for the house.

  “She said she didn’t want to bring too much in case it didn’t fit. I think I may have overplayed the size of the house in my letters.” Daniel frowned as he looked at his home. “I just didn’t want her to be disappointed in anything once she got here.”

  Will stopped, causing Daniel to almost stumble as he was forced to a halt.

  “She’s not going to be disappointed,” Will said. “Not in the house or the farm, and certainly not in you. You’re a good man and you’re going to make her happy. She’ll know that. And that’s the only time you’ll ever hear me say it.” He started walking again. “Besides, with such an outstanding brother-in-law around how could she possibly be disappointed?”

  Daniel chuckled, shaking his head. “Can’t imagine.”

  They manoeuvred the wide trunk through the narrow back door and carried it through the kitchen and parlour and on to the bedroom where Sara was standing looking through the lace curtains covering the window, a gift from Daniel’s mother when she’d found out he was going to be married.

  She turned towards them as they entered and Daniel came to an abrupt halt. She’d removed her bonnet and the light from the window framed her reddish blonde hair, making it glow. For a few seconds all he could do was stare.

  Until Will, stuck outside the door, nudged the trunk against Daniel’s leg.

  He looked down, embarrassed, and moved further into the room, allowing Will in behind him. “Where would you like this?”

  Sara looked around the room. “Here at the foot of the bed will be fine, if that’s all right.”

  Bess brushed past their legs and went straight to sit beside her new friend.

  “I’ll go and get your case,” Will said when they’d set the trunk down, flashing Daniel a small smirk before leaving.

  “Sorry it’s so heavy,” Sara said, indicating the trunk with her free hand while she ruffled the top of Bess’ head with the other. “I brought some of my books, although I noticed all the books you have in the parlour. Would I be able to borrow them?”

  “No, you can’t borrow them.” He regretted his choice of words when her face fell. He stepped forward and raised his hand to touch her, before thinking better of it and letting it drop to his side. “Everything here is yours now. You can do whatever you want with anything you want, including taking any books.” He spread his hands to encompass his small home. “What’s mine is yours and you can’t borrow your own things.”

  The smile she gave him set his heart racing. The photograph she’d sent had been beautiful, but in person she took his breath away. And best of all, she would be the last person he saw each night and the first person he’d see each morning. He gave silent thanks to God for what may have been the hundredth time since he’d met Sara at the station.

  Thankfully Will chose that moment to come in with Sara’s suitcase, interrupting Daniel’s unseemly staring. Again.

  “Could you put that on the bed?” Sara said when Will hesitated, looking around.

  “Well, I’ll finish up with the wagon while you two get acquainted.” He shot Daniel an unsubtle look and then smiled at Sara. “I’m real glad you’re here. Having a woman around is certainly gonna brighten this place up. And...” he glanced at Daniel and then leaned towards Sara as if he was about to impart a secret, “...Dan’s been a wreck waiting for you. It’ll be nice to have the old Dan back.”

  Daniel’s gut dropped. “Will!”

  His brother laughed as he backed out of his reach. “See you for supper!” And then he was gone, still laughing.

  Daniel winced as he turned back to Sara. “Sorry about that.”

  “I understand,” she said, her eyes dancing with amusement. “I have a younger brother at home too. Believe me, I understand.”

  He pushed his hands into his pockets, half relieved, half still embarrassed. “James.”

  Her face lit up. “You remembered.”

  He should have. He’d read each one of her letters so many times he could recite them by heart. “It was easy to remember, with him and my other brother sharing the same name. And you have an older sister, Grace, who is married to Paul, and a baby niece, Carol.” He almost winced. He hadn’t intended to show off at being able to remember her family.

&n
bsp; The smile slid from her face as she nodded, her lips pressing together and moisture shining in her eyes.

  Daniel gasped in horror, stepping forward. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Please, I...” He wanted to punch himself. She hadn’t been there fifteen minutes and he’d already made her want to cry.

  She shook her head, wiping at her eyes with her knuckles. “It’s not you. I just miss my family. Carol is growing so fast. I’ve only been gone a week and she’ll already have changed.”

  He knew it; she hated it here and she wanted to go home. How could he expect any woman to want to leave her family and travel all the way across the country just for him?

  Going to the dresser against the wall opposite the window, he took a clean handkerchief from the top drawer and handed it to her.

  She sat on the bed and dabbed at her eyes. “Thank you.”

  Unsure what to do, he pushed his hands back into his pockets and shuffled his feet. “Would you like me to leave you alone?”

  “No,” she said in a small voice. “Please stay.”

  He sank into the pink upholstered armchair that had also come from his mother and rested his elbows on his knees. Staring at the vase of wildflowers on the windowsill he’d picked this morning to try to brighten up the room, he wished he knew what to do.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, “I think I’m just overwhelmed and tired from the journey.”

  “I guess this must all be very different from what you’re used to in New York.” He glanced at the plain white walls. The sturdy but simple furniture. Himself. He hadn’t even dressed up. Adam had worn a suit to meet his bride. Why hadn’t Daniel bought a suit to wear?

  Sara looked around her. “Yes it is, but I like it very much.”

  A snort escaped before he could stop it. He waved a hand around the room. “This?”

  A smile crept onto her face. “Yes, this.” She ran a hand over the carved foot of the bed. “It’s... homey.”

  Not the word he would have used for his functional but uninspiring house. “It is?”