Laura: Clover Springs Mail Order Brides 5

by Rachel Wesson

  Laura noted a few people in the crowd looking guilty and uncomfortable. They seemed to regret being part of the protest. She hoped today was a learning point for everyone. Well, maybe it was too much to hope Mrs. Kelley would change her ways.

  “Sounds like a good idea to me.” The sheriff glared at Mrs. Kelley. “No doubt Mrs. Kelley would prefer the boys to be taught needlework.”

  Ma Kelley’s face turned so purple, Laura had to hide her face in Paul’s chest. She couldn’t laugh. Not in front of all these people.

  “We went fishing. Didn’t catch anything, though. Bertram made too much noise crying for his ma,” Peter said, giving the Shaw boy a dirty look.

  The crowd laughed again. Laura thought the sheriff was trying hard not to laugh, too, but it was hard to know, as his large mustache was covering his lips.

  “Sheriff, Little Beaver is telling the truth.” Meggie Petersen pulled at the sheriff’s leg. “That lady wasn’t nice to him. She was nasty to our teacher, too. She scared me. She called Miss Laura a witch, and she isn’t. She’s lovely, and I love her, and I want my ma.” Meggie’s sobs rang out loudly, getting louder as some of the other children joined in.

  “Mrs. Kelley, I’ve a good mind to arrest you for causing a disturbance. Sounds to me like you started this whole thing. You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves, letting this old harpy lead you into devilment. Bertram Shaw, you’ll come down to my office and do as many chores as I can think of as punishment for wasting my time.”

  Ma Kelley looked fit to explode with temper while Mrs. Shaw and Ida Hawthorn burst into loud sobs. Ma Kelley opened her mouth, but the sheriff wagged his finger at her.

  “One word from you, and I’ll put you in a cell to cool off. Now move along, people. Clover Springs is a nice place to live. We don’t hold with people being mistreated due to their race or background. You might want to consider thanking God he sent you a sensible teacher who will look to your child’s welfare as well as their education.”

  The crowd dissipated, leaving Ma Kelley alone with Paul, Laura and some of the children.

  “Jenny, take Meggie home, please. Little Beaver and Ben, go with them and make sure they get home safely.”

  “Yes, Miss Laura.”

  “You think you’ve won. Well, you haven’t. I’ll find a way to get rid of you and then my son will come home. Where he belongs.”

  “Ma, stop it. I won’t ever leave Laura. She’s my wife and my future. You were welcome to join our family, but not after today.” Paul turned his back on his mother. “Come on, Laura, let’s go home.”

  Laura couldn’t look at Paul’s mother. She couldn’t stand the woman, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel her pain at the loss of her son. She may have brought it on herself, but that thought wasn’t going to comfort her at night. Laura shivered.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Thank you for what you did and said.” Laura sniffed, trying hard not to cry. She hated showing weakness.

  “Laura, you’re my wife. I will always defend you. I wish I had a teacher like you when I was young. Going fishing on a school day! That’s every boy’s dream.”

  “We didn’t just go fishing. It was an educational trip,” Laura protested until she saw he was smiling. He was teasing her. Feeling silly, she gathered her things together.

  “Are you ready to go home?”

  Laura looked up into his face, certain he was asking more than what the words suggested. But what if she was wrong? What if he just felt a sense of duty toward her? What if…

  “What?”

  His question startled her.

  “You looked so pensive there, as if you had a thousand questions on your mind. Is there something you want to ask me?”

  Do you really love me? Laura hesitated, trying to put her thoughts into words. But she couldn’t. Her nerves were frazzled from the ugliness outside. She couldn’t cope if he rejected her, too.

  “No, I was just thinking about…Bertram.”

  “Seriously? He deserves everything the sheriff gives him and more.”

  “He is only a child. It’s his mother who deserves the punishment.”

  Paul took her hand and drew her toward the door of the class. “Maybe, but let’s not ruin the rest of our day thinking about the Shaws. Come on, Mrs. Kelley, let’s go home.”

  Chapter 31

  Paul couldn’t bear the look of sadness on Laura's face. He understood that Father Molloy’s information about Coleman looking for her had scared her. But it was more than that. She seemed to be retreating back into the shell she had lived in when she first came. The encounter in town led by his Ma hadn’t helped.

  What she needed was something to look after. He looked at the wriggling bundle in his hand. Being the runt of the litter, nobody wanted him, so Charlie Stanton was going to kill him. Paul had taken one look at the puppy and bought him for Laura. He felt a bit stupid now, as he didn’t even know if she liked dogs. Also, he had taken a risk with this one. It was so young and skinny it might not survive. Losing a pet wouldn’t help his lovely wife overcome her past.

  Pushing the door open, he stopped at the vision in front of him. She'd obviously taken advantage of his plan to go into town and decided to take a bath. He hated to intrude on her privacy, but his legs wouldn’t obey his instructions to go back. He watched, mesmerized, as she washed out her hair. He hadn’t seen it loose before. He fought the urge to walk over and run his fingers through it. He coughed, hoping she would hear him and realize she wasn’t alone. He coughed louder. She jumped, grabbing the towel, soaking it and the floor surrounding the bath in the process.

  "You're home. I thought, I mean—"

  "I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I planned on going to town, but then I came across Charlie Stanton. You haven’t met him yet. He's not a favorite of Sorcha’s, but he's never done me any harm. Anyway, he wanted rid of this little mite and I thought, well—" He coughed to cover his embarrassment. "I got him for you."

  "A puppy? Oh, let me see him." Laura was so excited, she seemed to forget she was naked. He turned away, but not before he caught a glimpse of her body. She was gorgeous. The big splash told him she had immersed herself fully in the water once more. He didn’t trust himself to look. "I'll take him out to the barn for a quick wash while you get sorted. God only knows what Charlie was feeding him. He's skin and bones. Maybe you could rustle him up some warm milk? When you're ready."

  "Thank you, Paul."

  "My pleasure." His voice sounded gruff even to him, but he couldn’t help it. He had to get out quickly.

  "Paul, I thought you were going to the Petersens."

  "I was, but then I thought you might like to come along. You could visit with your friends. You haven’t seen them in a while." He forgot about the bath and turned back to see her face.

  Her smile made leaving even more difficult. But he had to go. He couldn’t very well stand there and watch as she got dressed. She's your wife. Yes, but now is not the time.

  "We can go tomorrow evening if you prefer," he said as he walked toward the door, the puppy squirming in his arms distracting him somewhat from the vision his wife presented.

  "No, I would like to go tonight. We can take the puppy with us. Have you given him a name?"

  "Blackie, but if you prefer, pick something else."

  "No, Blackie suits him. Nobody ever gave me a present as nice before. Thank you."

  Her pleasure was evident from her tone. It had a similar effect on him as the image of her in the bath. Embarrassed, he moved quickly to the door. “I'll go get the wagon ready. Will you need long?” His voice was gruffer than usual, but he couldn’t do anything about that. He wasn’t a saint.

  “Only a few more minutes. I’ll heat up some milk before we go so Blackie won’t be hungry.”

  Paul almost ran in his haste to get to the wagon and away from temptation. He had promised not to rush her, but even he had his limits.

  Chapter 32

  Laura woke early the
next morning and decided to drag one of the old rockers out onto the wooden porch. She had some mending to do and liked to do it outside, weather permitting. Even though she had been here weeks, the view of the mountains still mesmerized her.

  The little house Davy had lent them was in need of repair, but Laura didn’t care the front door no longer closed snugly or that a few shingles had blown off the roof. She made it as comfortable as possible. It was the first time she had a proper home of her own. Johnny’s home was a couple of rooms above a saloon. In the orphanage, she shared a room with Sorcha and Mary. This little house was all just for her and Paul.

  Paul worked on the repairs in his spare time. He was kept busy during the day helping on the ranch and building the wraparound porch Davy was installing for Mary. Laura was worried Paul was working too hard, but he didn’t seem to mind. He said it kept him occupied. Was he trying to work so hard he could forget about his falling out with his ma? All her life, Laura wanted a family. Even knowing Ma Kelley, she still couldn’t understand how anyone could turn their back on their own child. A good man like Paul deserved better.

  She cleaned the house until it shone. Paul joked the spiders went running when they heard her skirts rustle. She was pleased with her efforts. Mary had donated a couple of things from the big house—a few cushions here and some rag rugs there. She picked wildflowers every few days so there were always fresh flowers on the table. Her cooking skills were improving, too. Mrs. Higgins was teaching her. The cast iron stove took a little getting used to. Initially, they shared meal times up at the main house, but without discussing it, she realized Paul made excuses to eat at their own table as often as she did.

  Paul wasn’t much of a talker around company, but with her, he never stopped. He spoke of his dream of having a carpentry business where he would work all day long making furniture and other pieces. He wouldn’t have to farm again. Well, apart from helping her weed her little vegetable patch. He liked the idea of living close to town, but far enough away for some privacy. Children need space to run and explore. Then he’d blushed. He still slept on the floor in front of the fire, leaving Laura the bedroom.

  She watched Paul as he worked, liking the kindness he showed toward the animals. He was firm but kind, never rough and impatient. She’d noticed from his reaction to things they witnessed in town that he hated cruelty to others, be they human or animals. He hated bullies; hence the reason he had warned her about Bertram Shaw. He told her a little of his experiences growing up as a small boy. His own ma called him the runt of her litter, a nickname that followed him to school, courtesy of his older brother The nickname persisted, even when his body suddenly shot up and he found himself looking down at his brother and his friends. Paul didn’t like violence and couldn’t be provoked into fighting. He didn’t have much time for any cowboy whose horse bore deep spur marks or whose mouth bled from an ill-fitting bridle.

  He was a good man, and yet she still hesitated. Her heart raced when he caressed her hair or dropped a kiss on her forehead. She longed to kiss him back, but was that something a good girl would do? She didn’t know how experienced he was with women, but he knew she’d been married before.

  “It’s good to see you smile again.”

  “I smile all the time,” Laura replied as Paul came toward the porch.

  “Not really. You haven’t smiled properly since Father Molloy’s telegram arrived.”

  Laura didn’t want to think of Coleman. He reminded her of her previous life in Boston. She picked up her mending and walked back into the house. Paul followed behind her.

  “See, you’re frowning again. If you keep looking that cross, the wind will shift and leave you like that forever.”

  She laughed out loud as he pulled a funny face. He moved a step closer to her, studying her reaction. She didn’t move. He must have taken that as a good sign. Sliding his hand under her chin, he forced her to look up at him.

  “I’ll protect you, Laura. You are safe here. I don’t want you ever to feel like you have to do anything. If you want to smile or frown, that’s your decision. I am not going to force you to be anything other than who you are.” He took a step closer, feeling her breath on his neck.

  Her eyes brimmed with tears. One escaped to roll down her face. Using his thumb, he gently wiped it away. She saw his gaze flicker to her mouth before moving back to look directly at her. She wet her lips, as her mouth was dry.

  She waited for him to kiss her, closing her eyes, anticipating the touch of his lips. But nothing happened. Stunned, she opened her eyes slightly to see what he was doing. He caught her looking at him, but he didn’t move a muscle. It was as if he was waiting for something. But what?

  She yearned to move into his arms, to draw them around her so he would hold her close, but she couldn’t. It wouldn’t be proper. He’d think she was immoral. Yet he was waiting for something. His hand still cupped her chin.

  Was he waiting for her? Could she make the first move? What if she was reading this wrong? Oh, for heaven’s sake, Laura, he’s your husband. He could force you to fulfill your marriage vows. I have to take a chance.

  Cupping his face in her hands, she leaned up on her tippy-toes and brushed her lips against his. Instead of pushing her away, he pulled her closer against him. His mouth took possession of hers, fierce but gentle, as his hand moved to cradle her neck. His other hand moved around her waist, holding her firmly against him.

  Affection surged through her. He was strong but tender. She could feel him holding himself back. He’s afraid of scaring me. She moved closer to him, wanting to be close to him.

  Their kiss deepened as she shook with emotion. This was better than she ever believed possible. This is what it felt like when you loved someone. Love.

  He broke their embrace, moving quickly away. Shocked, she stared at him as her breath, like his, came in short gasps.

  “I’m sorry, Laura. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  She wanted to move closer so he would take her in his arms again. Her legs wouldn’t move. It was as if she was frozen to the spot. She couldn’t understand why he had stopped. She waited for him to explain, but he didn’t say a word. Embarrassed at the way she had flung herself at him, she started moving quickly around the little room. She threw her shawl around her shoulders, willing her voice to sound normal.

  “It’s late and I have to get ready for school. See you later.”

  She didn’t wait for him to answer, but grabbed her basket and moved so quickly out of the house she was almost running. She moved faster when she heard him calling her to wait. She couldn’t stop or look back. Her cheeks flaming, she prayed she wouldn’t meet anyone she knew on the way to school.

  Paul stared after her. She couldn’t run away fast enough. What had he done wrong? You didn’t tell her you loved her. Women like to hear those things. Don’t they? How would you know? It’s not like you’re an expert on courting.

  He’d wanted to pick her up in his arms and carry her through to the bedroom, but she wasn’t ready for that. Was she? She seemed to enjoy the kisses. He kicked at the floor. He couldn’t help thinking he had hurt his wife, even though that was the last thing he intended. Should he go after her? No. Best to give her time to settle down a bit. They would talk later when she came back from town. Talk. Maybe it was time for something more than talking. Frowning, he headed for the stables. What he needed now was to get as busy as possible so he wouldn’t count the hours until the woman he loved came home.

  Chapter 33

  “Emer, do you mind if I ask you something?”

  “No. Why don’t we sit down and have some of the pie Mrs. Higgins sent over. I swear I am so fat already, Doc will have to make a new door for the office.”

  Laura thought pregnancy suited her friend. She was tired, but there was a glow on her face. She couldn’t help feeling a little envious of her friend’s happiness.

  “So what do you want to know?”

  Emer’s que
stion jolted Laura from her thoughts.

  “I wondered, well, why would a man not want to…” Oh, this was no good. She couldn’t ask. It wasn’t proper. She turned away to hide her scarlet face.

  Laura couldn’t continue. She felt disloyal to Paul for even discussing something so private with her friend.

  “Paul is a gentleman, Laura. He will wait until you are ready.”

  “What if that never happens?” the truth burst out of Laura, shocking both of them.

  “I thought you liked Paul. From the way you look at him sometimes, I thought real love had grown between you. Don’t you feel anything for him?”

  “I do, but he’s a man.”

  Emer didn’t say anything.

  “What I mean is that men don’t usually wait. If they like something, they just take it. What if he doesn’t like me?”

  “He does, Laura. Not only can you see it every time he looks at you, but look at what he did. He married you despite his mother not approving. He left his farm—well, his mother’s farm. I don’t know him very well, but he’s a kind man. He’s also shy. He was so sweet when he first came here asking me to find a mail order bride for him.”

  Laura sat at the table staring into her cup. She couldn’t dream of having this conversation with any of the other girls despite the fact that they were her friends. Emer had lived a different life before she came to Clover Springs. She was most likely to understand the life Laura had left behind.

  “He knows I was married before. That should make it easier, shouldn’t it?” Laura twisted her dress in her hands, her need to know overcoming her embarrassment.