The Baby and the Burned Bride

by Indiana Wake

  The Baby and the Burned Bride

  The Brides of Sioux Falls

  Indiana Wake

  Belle Fiffer

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  Contents

  The Baby and the Burned Bride

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

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  Also by Indiana Wake

  About the Author

  ©Copyright 2019 Indiana Wake

  The Baby and the Burned Bride

  Welcome to this amazing new series of romances from bestselling authors Indiana Wake and Belle Fiffer.

  In this series we follow Doctor James Waters and see how he helps the women who have come to him in need. Each book is a complete story.

  Doctor Water has got himself a new post out in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but he has a dilemma. His neighbour, Karla Barker, has just given birth and her husband was killed in a mugging before she found out she was pregnant. Now having given birth to a baby boy Stuart, Karla is suffering. No man will marry her with the burns on her face and her son in tow. She is in dire straits, and James feels he cannot leave her behind.

  Having discovered that women are in short supply out West he decides to take her with him and to see if someone will have her for a wife. Through his profession he knows of other women in similar circumstance. Through no fault of their own they have children of their own or from relatives and have no husband to help them.

  Once James has this idea, he decides to take them West as mail-order brides.

  The women are dubious, but Karla and four others decide they have little hope and that this could be the new beginning they have been hoping for.

  Chapter One

  “Karla?”

  Karla never heard her name as she stood by the window, trying to stop the tiny form from screaming in her arms. Stuart’s lungs were screeching at such a level that she thought she might be going mad. The noise seemed to have been going on forever. Since their arrival in Sioux Falls, just three days before, her son had not let up. Apart from the exhaustion and frustration, Karla felt like the worst mother alive as she just couldn’t settle him. He ate normally, slept only a little, and screamed a lot.

  If only Kit was here. He would know what to do.

  “Karla.”

  Karla jumped when she felt a hand on her back. Clutching the screaming baby tighter to her chest, she spun around.

  A petite blond woman in her early thirties was standing behind her, looking at her with a concerned frown.

  Karla flushed. She had had no idea the woman had been standing there.

  She felt like a fool.

  “Sorry, Beth.” Karla mumbled. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

  “I noticed.” Beth smiled. She didn’t look like she was laughing or flinching at Karla’s face. She looked sympathetic. “Would you like me to take Stuart for a bit?”

  Karla wanted to thrust her son into Beth Waters’ arms and walk the other way. But then guilt hit her. She couldn’t let go of him. Karla hesitated.

  “I couldn’t. I…”

  But Beth shook her head.

  “Karla, you need to eat, and you need a break. All mothers need to have a break. Stuart hasn’t stopped screaming.”

  She was right. But Karla was still reluctant. It was like she would cease to exist if she handed Stuart over, even if it was just for a few minutes.

  “What about your ears?”

  Beth smiled.

  “I don’t mind. If it gives you a break.”

  The temptation was there but still she held back until she felt her stomach growling. When was the last time she ate? She couldn’t remember. And she needed to eat, so that Stuart could eat. With a heavy heart, Karla passed her screaming son over to Beth. The noise was heart wrenching and Karla wanted to burst into tears as she felt the weight leave her arms.

  Beth smiled at her and propped Stuart up in her arms. His tiny little chin was resting on her shoulder as she began to walk around the living room, gently whispering to him. Then she realized Karla was still there.

  “Go and eat some breakfast,” she urged over the screams. “You need it.”

  Karla scuttled out of the room as fast as she could. She hadn’t realized until she had her child just what it meant to be protective over a small and vulnerable being. To see how much he needed her and to love him unconditionally. It was a humbling experience, and in spite of the crying Karla wouldn’t change her son for the world.

  She loved him for himself but also because he was the only thing left that connected her to her husband. Kit had never got to meet Stuart. He never got to know that Karla was pregnant. Two disgusting men foraging for scraps had stabbed Kit in the street on his way home from work. All for the measly pennies from his pay that was tucked at the bottom of his pocket. It had been pointless.

  Karla had been devastated when she learned about his murder. It was as if her whole life had been ripped out from under her. Then, it felt like a miracle when she discovered she was carrying Kit’s child. Some part of her husband had survived and would still be with her.

  She didn’t think of Stuart as just an extension of his father. The baby was more to her than that, but he helped with the grief. It had already been a year and the loss still hurt so much. Only the littlest of demands kept her going. There was no choice, she had to be strong for her baby.

  Karla headed into the dining room. Her friends, the other women who had come to Sioux Falls with her, were all seated around the table. Their children were also there, eating breakfast happily. None of them seemed to be perturbed by the screaming baby next door. Karla was grateful. As she looked around the room she liked this peaceful domestic scene; it was incredibly sweet. Hopefully, one day she would be able to have this with Stuart.

  Simone Cartwright looked up first, her black curls bouncing about her face. She smiled warmly at Karla.

  “We were beginning to wonder if you would ever join us, Karla.”

  “I’m sorry,” Karla mumbled, sliding into the seat beside Simone. “Stuart is still very needy at the moment. I didn’t want to hurt everyone’s ears more than I already have.”

  “It’s perfectly fine. We’ve all been there.” Simone filled a plate with fruit, some bread and cheese, which she placed in front of Karla. “Have this for now. Beth said Isabel was making some hot food right now, but this should keep you going.”

  “Thank you.”

  Karla didn’t want to look like an animal, but once she started eating the hunger took over. She was devouring the food like a starved dog attacking a banquet.

  Across the table, Peter Boyce giggled. His mother, Ann, gave her son a shake of her head.

  “Peter, it’s rude to stare.”

  “She just looks funny, Mama,” Peter protested.

  But he gave Karla a big grin before he went back to his breakfast. Karla couldn’t bring herself to be embarrassed. Like all the other children, Peter was a sweet little lad. He was enough to melt anyone’s heart.

  And none of the children seemed to care that Karla looked different. Her facial scars were very difficult to hide, and she had always avoided people as a result. But the children didn’t scream and run away, and none of the mothers had even flinched. They treated her like anyone else. A couple of the boys had asked Karla what had happened, and Karla was happy to tell them. Nobody judged her for how she looked.

  Other people in Sioux Falls might treat her differently. Especially men. If Karla was here with the
others to find a husband, this was going to be harder for her. Who would want a useless mother with burns all over her body? She was hardly a catch.

  “Have you fed Stuart?” Ann asked, giving Karla a sympathetic look.

  Karla huffed.

  “Of course, I’ve fed him. He won’t take more milk, and I’m doing everything. But he just won’t settle.”

  “Maybe he’s got colic,” Frederica Parkin piped up from the end of the table.

  “I feel like I’ve tried everything.”

  “Perhaps his teeth are coming through,” Lianne Colebrook suggested. She was sitting on Karla’s other side, nibbling on her food as her huge swollen belly blocked her from sitting too close to the table.

  Sitting beside Simone, her nephew Luke looked up at her.

  “Babies don’t have teeth coming through this early, do they, Auntie Simone?” he asked.

  Next to Frederica, Colin snorted.

  “Of course, they don’t. Three months is far too young.”

  Lianne winced.

  “Charming. I’m getting lessons on motherhood by the children.”

  Karla laughed. She reached for her glass of juice.

  “I’ll figure it out, hopefully. For my own sanity, if nothing else.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Ann assured her as she mopped up her youngest son’s mess, cleaning his face with a cloth. “Just make sure you take care of yourself as well. You need rest and nourishment or both of you are going to suffer.”

  “I know.” Karla watched as the other woman neatly took a glass from her middle son before it was dropped onto the floor and then went back to wiping up her youngest son. “How on earth have you managed with three children?”

  Ann shrugged.

  “I don’t know, but I have.”

  Karla looked around at the other women seated at the table. All of them were either mothers, about to become mothers or guardians. They seemed perfectly settled and capable of looking after children. Their doctor, the common link, had done well in choosing the five of them to travel together. Karla liked all of them. She couldn’t think of better people to start a new life with.

  At least she could turn to them if she needed help.

  A hand laid on her shoulder. Karla looked up and saw that Frederica had left her seat and was standing behind her. She gave Karla a gentle smile.

  “If you ever need any help, Karla, let me know.”

  Karla felt like she wanted to cry. Out of all the women, Frederica had been the one to offer her help the most. She had turned into more of a nanny for everyone else when they needed a break. Karla hadn’t taken her up on it, unable to relinquish her son to anyone. Unable to let go of that last bit of Kit. Beth was the first one that Karla had handed Stuart over to since they arrived. She managed a smile.

  “Thank you. I think I’m going to be asking everyone for a lot of help… and advice.”

  “It’s perfectly natural,” Frederica said kindly. “When you’re a first-time mother, everything can be overwhelming. Your life has been turned upside-down, and you don’t know if you can cope. You will be able to cope, soon it will be second nature.”

  Karla knew that. The few moments when Stuart was sleeping and not making a sound, Karla knew he was worth it. She just wished her husband was there as well; that would make things a lot easier. Without him there was nothing but pain in her heart.

  Chapter Two

  “Please, Stuart, please. Just stop crying. Please.”

  Scott could hear the pleadings of the mother as she went past the forge. He looked up, wiping sweat from his forehead, and watched as the woman walked past holding a wriggling baby. Its little face was red, and he was angrily screaming. Scott saw the pain on the woman’s face. She looked at the end of her teeth.

  Scott sympathized with her. He had been there once. Thankfully, the twins were older now, but it had been tough at the start. With no mother about, Scott hadn’t been sure he could manage.

  Somehow, he had. He knew exactly how the woman felt. And he could see that she was in desperate need of some help.

  He should have left her alone. He was a stranger to her; Scott knew the woman wouldn’t appreciate a stranger coming over and offering to help with her child. But Scott couldn’t bring himself to ignore the screaming and get on with his work.

  He watched as the woman sagged underneath a tree, leaning against the trunk as she cradled the little baby. His heart ached at the sight. She looked so tired, so close to breaking down. Scott hurried through the forge and into the backyard. One of his sons was sitting on the porch with a penknife and a hunk of wood, trying to carve it.

  “Martin, where’s Michael?”

  “He’s climbing our tree.”

  Martin pointed towards the big tree towards the far end of the yard. Scott could see legs swinging through the gaps in the branches, partially obscured by clumps of leaves. At least his other son was occupied.

  “Stay in the yard, all right? I’m just going to head out for a little bit.”

  “All right, Papa.” Martin returned to his carving. “When’s lunch going to be ready?”

  “As soon as I get back.”

  Scott hurried back through the forge, taking off his apron and wiping the sweat from his face and arms with a rag. Working in extreme heat was one of the drawbacks of his job, and it certainly wouldn’t help her impression of him to walk over covered in grime.

  Why was he even getting himself vaguely spruced up for a worn-out mother? Why didn’t he just leave her be? The more Scott debated the idea, the more his mind was made up; it wasn’t in his nature.

  He left the forge and approached the woman. She was rocking the child, but he still hadn’t settled. Scott tried not to wince as he got closer, the screams pierced into his head.

  “Are you all right, Miss?”

  The woman looked up and Scott got a closer look at her. She was young, with short red hair cut into a bob about her face and startling blue eyes. It was only then that he noticed the burn scars. They were over her right cheek, creeping up to curl about her eye and down her neck. Somehow, they missed her eye as they crept into her hairline. They also carried down into the neckline of her modest dress.

  What had this woman been through? Scott’s heart went out to her. To have been burned and then stuck with a crying baby …and he thought he had had it bad.

  “I…” The woman swallowed and squared her shoulders. “I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”

  As if on cue, the baby screamed even louder. Scott knew there was no chance of walking away now, even as the woman looked close to bursting into tears. He knew the look; it was one he had worn many times when the twins were babies.

  He knelt in front of her. The woman looked away, her face flushing in embarrassment.

  “I can manage, thank you,” she said stiffly.

  But Scott wasn’t about to believe that. He held out his arms.

  “May I?”

  “You?”

  “I’m a parent myself. I’m very good with children.”

  She looked like she wanted to argue but something else won out. With a heavy sigh, the woman sat forward and passed the baby over. He wriggled, but Scott managed to cradle him comfortably in his arms.

  “How long has he been screaming?” He asked.

  “Almost constantly since we arrived here a few days ago. I’ve only had an hour here and there where he will sleep, but he just won’t settle.” The woman rubbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be admitting that I’m a bad parent.”

  “I felt the same way.” Scott settled on the ground and sat cross-legged. “Except I had twins.”

  He cradled the baby close to his chest, aware that he could feel the heat coming from his body. Then he gently rocked the child, slowly patting him on the rump. He had scoffed when the wet nurse had shown him that, but it was a surprisingly useful trick of calming children down. Scott had never been able to figure out why, but it worked. He couldn’t deny that.

  “You’v
e got twins?” The woman gasped.

  “Yes.” Scott found himself smiling. “They’re nine now. It’s not been easy bringing them up alone, but they’re worth it.”

  “What about your wife?”

  “She died giving birth to them.”

  That didn’t hurt as much as Scott expected it to. Nearly ten years had gone by since his wife had died in his arms. The pain was still there but it was muted. It was slowly getting easier as time went on. The woman gasped, her hands going to her mouth.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

  “It’s fine. You didn’t know.” Still rocking the baby, Scott smiled at her. She blushed again. “I’m Scott Hollingsworth. I’m the blacksmith here.”

  “I…” Still bright red, the woman introduced herself. “I’m Karla Barker. This is my son, Stuart. We’re new here.”

  “I know. I know practically everyone here.” Scott was able to hear himself think as Stuart’s screams calmed a little. “You came with the new doctor, Doctor Waters, didn’t you?”

  “I did. I’m staying at his sister’s boarding house.”

  Scott knew Beth Waters. She was a solid, sensible woman. Her boarding house was primarily for women with children. Her way of helping out those in need. Scott knew the real reason for it, but he wasn’t about to embarrass Beth; she was a friend, and Scott wouldn’t betray a confidence like that.

  “She’s a good person to stay with,” he said instead. “She loves children.”

  “I’ve noticed. She’s barely batted an eye at Stuart’s constant fussing.”

  Scott chuckled.

  “Well, he has stopped now.”

  Stuart was practically silent now. He was gurgling a little, but he was awake and looking up at Scott with big brown eyes. He was a gorgeous boy, and Scott couldn’t help but melt a little at the sight of the baby boy in his arms. Martin and Michael had done the same thing when they were this age.