"I'm so sorry. I never…I mean, I was just going to lie down for a moment and rest my back a bit. I didn't think you'd be home yet, and I hoped to get myself cleaned up a bit before you had to meet me." He had to smile at the complete shock that was obvious in her voice.
"Well, this wasn't quite the greeting I was expecting, but I can't complain. I can think of worse things than having a beautiful woman landing on top of me."
As soon as he said the words, she pushed at his chest, trying to get herself upright. He wanted to hold on to her for a bit longer, but figured since they weren't technically married yet, he really couldn't do that.
She pushed away, promptly bringing her knee down hard on his groin. He groaned loudly, squeezing his eyes hard against the pain that erupted through his body. He vaguely heard her gasp, before she knelt back down beside him. "Oh my goodness, are you all right? Can I get you something?"
He swallowed hard, still not sure he could speak. He shook his head, and let his eyes open slowly. "No, I'm fine. I think it might be safer if you were to just stand over there for a bit until I can get myself up." His voice sounded croaky and uneven as he brought his lips together to take a few deep breaths.
When he was finally able to open his eyes fully, she was standing to the side of the room, wringing her hands together with worry. She looked like she was fighting hard to keep the tears from spilling over, and even from where he was still lying on the floor, he could see her lip trembling.
He felt like a heel. He didn't mean to upset her, and he knew how embarrassed she had to be feeling. She'd come all this way to meet a stranger and marry him, and he'd just told her to stand far away from him so it would be safer.
He needed to let her know there was nothing to feel embarrassed about. Struggling not to let the pain win, he carefully stood up and smiled at her. He reached his hand out to take hers and bring it up to his lips.
"Rose, it's wonderful to finally meet you."
Her eyebrows came together in confusion.
"My name is Elijah Thorpe, the man Miss Hazel has decided you should marry. I only hope I can be worthy of you coming all this way to meet me."
Her lips were parted slightly, and she tipped her head to the side as she watched him warily.
"I'd really hoped to be better dressed and fixed up before you met me." Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red as she looked up at him standing in front of her.
"Well, I have to say I think you're just about the prettiest girl I've seen this side of the Rockies, so I'm not sure there's much else you'd be able to do to look any nicer."
He realized the truth in the words as he spoke them. She was beautiful, even with the smudges and wrinkled clothes.
But the way she was now looking at him sideways, with one eyebrow slightly higher than the other, he was sure she didn't quite believe him.
"So, Rose, are you ready to get married?"
Chapter 6
"You may kiss the bride."
The words echoed in her head as she looked up at the man in front of her. He was grinning at her, and she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do. Well, she knew what she was supposed to do—she just wasn't sure if she should.
Elijah brought his head closer and smiled as he gently brushed his lips over hers. As soon as they touched, a shock went through her body. When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes, bringing his eyebrows together as though he was confused about something.
But she couldn't worry about him. She had her own confusion to work out.
She had just married a complete stranger—a man who she'd promptly fallen on top of and kneed in the groin upon meeting.
"Oh, congratulations, you two. I just knew it was a good match." Miss Hazel came from behind them where she'd witnessed their marriage and grabbed them both into a hug.
Rose pulled back from Elijah's arms and smiled at Miss Hazel. "Well, just because we're married, doesn't necessarily mean we're a good match. It will take a bit more time than a marriage ceremony to prove it one way or the other."
Elijah chuckled. "You're right about that. I still haven't even tasted her cooking." He winked at her, and Rose was sure he would be able to hear her heart beating above the noise of everything around them. Why did he have to mention the one thing she knew she couldn't do?
"That's true. And perhaps being married to a man who spends his days chasing outlaws instead of greeting a woman who's traveled hundreds of miles to meet him will turn out to be too much for me."
She smiled sweetly at him. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to make him feel bad about that, especially since it wasn't like he knew she couldn't cook. And, it wasn’t like he had any control over the fact he was out working an assignment when she arrived.
But at the moment, her emotions were all over the place so she couldn't be responsible for anything she might say.
"Now you both can have the evening together getting to know each other. I'm sure Rose can put together a wonderful meal for you to share." Miss Hazel gave her a reassuring smile. "I have to go tend to other matters, and I'm sure you don't want me hanging around." Before Rose could beg Hazel to stay, the older woman was lifting her skirts and headed back up the street toward the Mounties’ houses.
"I can honestly say I've never met a woman quite like Hazel Hughes. If I had half the authority in my voice she does, I'd have no trouble making outlaws and thieves cower before me."
Rose peered up at the man beside her. She smiled to herself at the look on his face as he watched Hazel walk away. It was a combination of awe and disbelief. That's how most people felt when they spoke with Hazel Hughes. It was almost as though she could convince someone to do anything she decided, whether they wanted to or not. Somehow, she always managed to get her way.
Rose let herself have a moment to take in the man she'd just married. He was tall, and she had to admit her stomach had butterflies when she looked at him. She'd never believed herself to be the type of girl swayed by a handsome man, but the way he looked in his red serge jacket did strange things to her insides.
One of the first things she'd noticed about him as she'd lain sprawled on top of him on the floor, was the blueness of his eyes as he'd looked at her. She could sense a kindness in their depths that seemed to reach in and tug at her heart somehow. She knew she was going to have to be careful around him until she was sure he was the kind of man she could trust.
And that he wouldn't be worse than the man she'd left behind in Ottawa.
They started heading up the street behind Hazel. The sun was starting to make its descent behind the mountains, leaving an orange glow around them. Her stomach grumbled as though to remind her it was past time for dinner.
After being completely mortified at how she'd met her future husband, Rose hadn't felt much like eating before they got cleaned up to get married. She would have loved a bath, but she didn't want to ask him to wait while she figured out how to get the tub inside and fill it with water. And she refused to ask him to do it after having just made a fool of herself in front of him.
So she'd quickly washed, changed, and brushed her hair while he put on a clean jacket. The next thing she knew, Miss Hazel was following them to see the preacher so they could be married.
Rose had no doubt the shock of their meeting had muddled her thinking. Until that disaster, she'd planned to have him wait at least a few days to get married so she could get to know him a bit better.
"Rose?"
She jumped as she realized Elijah had been talking to her.
"I'm sorry. My mind is just a bit of a mess right now." She may as well be honest with him. It wasn't like he hadn't already seen her at her worst.
He chuckled softly. "I can understand. I'll admit I'm a bit shaken up too. It's not every day I marry a woman I've only known a few hours." She looked over at him walking beside her and was relieved to see him smiling at her. She guessed getting married was just as scary for a man as it was for the woman sometimes.
His blue eyes fou
nd hers again. "I was just asking why a woman as pretty as you would need to come all the way out here to find a husband? I'm sure you must have had your choice of men back home."
She wasn't ready to tell him everything about herself. She still wanted him to see her for who she was, and not for the wealth her family had. All her life, she'd been the daughter of Andrew and Jane Lambert—one of the wealthiest families in Ottawa. Every man who'd ever paid her any attention wanted her for what she could give them.
This time, she hoped maybe the man beside her could see her for more than that. She pulled her lip in with her teeth and chewed on it as she worried that she might not have anything more to offer him. Maybe that's all she did have to give a man.
She shrugged. "There weren't a lot of good men to choose from where I grew up."
His eyebrow shot up. "Didn't you come from Ottawa too?"
"Well yes, but I was in an area without a lot of men." She knew it sounded ridiculous as soon as she said it. She needed to change the subject over to him.
"What about you? You're a strong, good-looking Mountie. Surely you could have your choice of women?"
His lips pulled up into a grin. "So you think I'm good-looking? That's a relief. I was worried you'd go running for the woods when you met me."
She could already see she was going to have to be careful what she said around this man.
"Well, you're not the hideous, bald and short, bachelor Mountie I had pictured who’d need to send away for a bride. You could have been worse."
She realized she was actually joking around with a man without fearing she’d say the wrong thing. And she was surprised at how much she was enjoying it.
"Could have been worse…four words every man dreams of hearing from his new bride."
They continued walking, with Elijah pointing out different landmarks and buildings he thought she should know about, until they finally reached the door to their house. It felt so strange to be thinking of it as their house.
Suddenly, her stomach started to churn as she realized she was going to be alone in this house with her new husband. How was she supposed to act? She stopped breathing as the next question pushed its way into her worried mind.
Where would they sleep?
Chapter 7
Elijah watched as Rose worked at the stove. She’d seemed to be relaxing around him a bit as they'd walked home earlier, but since they'd gotten here, she'd been a bundle of nerves. He knew this was an unusual situation for them both, so he could understand her apprehension.
When they came inside, he'd gotten the fire going so she could start cooking. She worked at putting together something in a pan while he went in to change into his everyday clothes.
They talked a bit while she finished preparing the meal to go in the oven. He told her he needed to chop some wood, hoping it would give him a chance to get his wits about himself. Having a woman standing in his kitchen was hard to get used to.
After a while, he went back inside and couldn't see her anywhere. He stood there, unsure what to do, until his bedroom door opened. Rose came out wearing a ruffled blouse and skirt that was more elegant than anything he'd seen most women wear around here, even on Sundays.
"I forgot to change my clothes when I got home." She smiled shyly at him as she went over and took the apron down to put over her clothes.
"Do you not have anything more suitable to wear out here?" He cringed as soon as the words left his lips because he realized it sounded like he didn't like how she was dressed. She swung her gaze over to him and creased her forehead.
"Is there something wrong with that I'm wearing?" She sounded annoyed as she looked down at her attire.
"Well, I can't imagine the fabric would hold up well against the elements out here. Most women wear more sensible clothes that will withstand the day to day cooking, cleaning, and chores women are supposed to do."
He clenched his jaw tight to stop himself from talking any more. It seemed like every time he tried to say something, it came out completely wrong. He could tell by the way her eyes were squinted and the redness of her cheeks as she glared at him that she was angry with his choice of words.
"Sensible? I'll have you know, nothing I've done in the past few weeks has been sensible. And now you have the nerve to tell me my clothing is lacking as well? These garments are the top fashions of today, and most women would kill to have them in their closets. I chose only the best ones to bring, hoping it would help to make a good impression on you. But apparently, you would prefer if I wore something a bit more sensible."
She had stopped back over by the stove and was now holding a pan in her hands as she walked toward him. He honestly started to worry that she was going to hit him with it, and he'd have to arrest his own wife for battery on an officer of the law.
He swallowed hard, determined not to say another word. She stood in front of him, chest heaving as she struggled to get her anger under control. This was exactly why he'd sworn to never get married. Most married men he knew had to deal with irrational wives who got upset at the simplest of things.
How could he have forgotten all of that? Between Miss Hazel's persuasiveness in telling him he needed a wife, and Rose's beauty when he met her, he'd been blinded.
Suddenly, a large poof of smoke started to swirl out of the oven behind her. She hadn't noticed yet as she continued to glare in his direction, waiting for him to reply.
"Um…Rose? I think something's burning." He pushed past her to get to the stove before his entire house went up in flames.
She came rushing behind him, crashing into him when he stopped at the oven. "Oh no, my shepherd's pie!" She grabbed the pot holders from the cupboard beside the stove and flung the door open. Smoke quickly filled the room making them both cough and choke.
As she pulled the charred pan from the oven, she tried to set it on top. But with a scream, she ended up dropping the entire mess onto the floor. They both stood looking at the black mound that sat smoking between them.
Finally, she lifted her eyes to his and he noticed her blinking quickly. Her mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Turning, she ran to the bedroom and slammed the door. The sound hit him like a train as he realized how hard these past few days had been on her. And today had been a complete mess right from the moment they met.
He'd be surprised if she didn't pack her bags and catch the first train out of Squirrel Ridge Junction. Maybe it would be best for them both if she did.
But as he kept his gaze on the now closed door to the bedroom he'd been sleeping in since he was posted here, he realized a part of him was really hoping she'd still want to stay.
"I'm sure you're making everything sound much worse than it really was Rose. Elijah seems like a nice man, I'm sure he will understand."
Tilly patted her hand as the women sat around the table listening to her. Tilly, Evelyn, and Rose had met at Jess and Theodore's for a visit while the men went in to write out the report about the outlaw who was still on the loose.
"No, it wouldn't surprise me if he isn't over talking to the preacher before he leaves to see if there's a way he could get out of this marriage. I've always been a bit unsteady and perhaps a touch clumsy in my life, but never have I carried on like I did yesterday when I met him." She ignored the looks the ladies gave each other as she mentioned that she was a touch clumsy. She knew they’d witnessed her unusual knack for making a complete mess out of the simplest of things on more than one occasion.
"Then, as if that wasn't enough, he told me my clothes aren't sensible for living out here. While I was losing my temper with him, I almost proceeded to burn his house down." She buried her head in her hands while the others offered their sympathies.
"I tried to cook it the way you showed me, Tilly. But it seems that no matter how hard I try, making anything that is even close to edible is going to be an impossible task for me. The poor man is stuck with a woman who can dress fancy, but can't even cook him a simple meal."
She'd lain in be
d last night, listening to the new sounds outside her window, while she tried to talk herself out of running back home to Ottawa. Every time she went over in her mind what had happened within the short time since she'd met her new husband, she'd cringed with embarrassment and shame.
And after running into the bedroom after the disaster with the food, she'd heard him quietly cleaning everything up. Then he hadn't even bothered trying to come in to sleep in his own bed, giving her the time she needed to sort her feelings out. She had no doubt many men would have insisted sleeping there as was their right as a husband.
She assumed he'd slept on the floor somewhere, and that was something else that made her feel guilty. Shame over how she'd acted had caused her to hide in the bedroom this morning until she heard him leave, so he'd had to make his own breakfast. When she'd come out, a plate of food for her was left on the table covered with another plate to keep it warm.
She needed to pick herself up and do what needed to be done—and that was being a good wife to the man she'd married. It wasn't fair to him that he was being made to suffer because she'd decided she didn't want to stay in Ottawa anymore.
Just as she'd wiped her eyes and smiled at the women around her, ready to announce her intentions to give it another try to make things work, the door to Jess's house opened. And the men all walked through the door behind Theodore.
They were all handsome enough men, but Rose's eyes found Elijah immediately and her heart soared when he offered her a kind smile. He didn't seem angry with her, when she knew he had every right.
She wasn't even paying attention now to what the others were doing as she watched Elijah walk straight over to her at the table.
"How are you this morning, Rose? Did you sleep all right?"
She nodded, offering him a shy smile. "I did. I didn't hear you get up this morning, but thank you for the breakfast. I was hungry." She couldn't admit to him she'd been awake and hiding from him.
RNWMP: Bride for Elijah (Mail Order Mounties Book 2) Page 3
