Maryanne brought her eyebrows together in confusion. "What would you like me to do?"
Isabelle stood and motioned for her to follow. They made their way to the section of seats where Miss Hazel was still fast asleep. Isabelle reached under the seat and pulled out a smaller bag that she'd brought onto the car with her. It was still larger than Maryanne’s one bag, but compared to the traveling trunks Isabelle had brought to put on the train, it was tiny.
She opened the bag and reached inside, pulling out a beautiful white lace blouse with ruffles around the collar. Isabelle handed her the shirt while she rifled back inside the bag, and held up an emerald green skirt made out of the softest looking fabric Maryanne had ever seen. She was sure they'd never even sold anything so beautiful in their store.
"Oh Isabelle, these are so nice."
She held the blouse in one hand, while she reached out and let her fingers touch the luxurious skirt Isabelle held.
"I'd like you to have these."
Maryanne gasped and grabbed her hand back. "Oh no, I couldn't take these. They're much too nice."
She ignored the voice in her head telling her how badly she really wanted them.
Isabelle shrugged and placed the skirt in her arms. "They are nice, and that's why I'd like you to have them. I have plenty more skirts, and these don't even fit me anymore. I'd like you to take them because you helped me out a lot while we were at Miss Hazel's."
Maryanne stared down in stunned silence at the clothing in her arms. She'd helped Isabelle a few times while they'd been learning to cook and do wifely duties, but not enough to deserve this gift.
And Maryanne was quite certain she'd seen Isabelle wearing this exact outfit one of the first days they'd been there, so she didn't believe they no longer fitted her.
Raising her eyes back up, Isabelle was smiling at her. "Just take them. Go put them on right now, so you'll be ready to meet your Mountie."
Isabelle pushed her toward the back of the car where the small water closet was located. "Hurry and get changed. We will be there before you know it!"
Maryanne was still in shock that anyone would give her a gift so lavish. Fighting the tears that were forming in her eyes, she reached out and hugged Isabelle.
She'd been worrying that life would be so different and hard to adjust to when she arrived in the Yukon Territory, but one thing she now understood—she wasn't alone.
These girls who were traveling with her had become like family.
And now, thanks to Isabelle, she could step off the train and meet her future husband with her head held high.
Chapter 3
Preston stood with the other men, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He hoped no one would notice, although as he looked at the others, he wasn't so sure they weren't doing the same thing.
Standing here waiting for a train to pull into the station carrying the woman he was going to marry was nerve-racking. And the fact that he'd never even met her made it even worse. As he watched the horizon for the tell-tale signs of the smoke billowing from the engine, he subtly shook his head.
How had he ever gotten into this situation in the first place? He knew exactly how, but it still didn't seem real to him.
His commanding officer, Wesley, had pretty much told him it would be in his best interests to take advantage of this opportunity and marry the woman he was being sent. The Indians in the area around Moose Lick still didn't trust him fully, and Wesley had said that would take some time. But being married would help to show them that he was serious about staying in the area, and doing his best to help them.
Preston figured he had nothing to lose, so had agreed to marry the girl this Miss Hazel woman was bringing out for him.
But he'd sworn he wouldn't let himself fall in love with her. He'd done that once, and it had ended badly. He just hoped she would at least be pleasing to look at, and be someone he could be happy with.
The sound of hooves beating on the ground made him twist his head around to see who was riding up.
"Sorry I'm late. Some of the traplines in my territory were stolen last night, so I was following the trail. I ended up taking a wrong turn on my way back and got a bit lost."
Preston laughed as he rolled his eyes. "Dermot, honestly, I'd have been surprised if you hadn't gotten lost on your way here."
"Well, it looks like you made it just in time." Wesley patted the man on his back as he lined up beside them. The sound of the train blowing the whistle announced to them all that their brides were almost there.
Preston tried to swallow against the dryness of his throat. He couldn't remember feeling this nervous about anything in a long time. What if she was a horrible woman who spent her days screeching at him about how awful it was living up here in the North? What if she had a wart the size of a fist on the end of her nose?
Or, worse yet, what if she was beautiful and kind, and he ended up falling in love with her? He knew only too well what would happen then. She'd find out the truth about him and run for the hills, leaving him with a broken heart. It had happened once, and he wasn't foolish enough to believe it couldn't happen again.
"You might want to wipe that scowl off your face. Your poor bride will grab her skirts and race back onto the train when she sees you snarling at her as soon as she steps onto the platform."
Preston rolled his eyes at Jonathon. How could he be so calm about meeting and marrying a stranger?
"I'm not scowling. The sun is just in my eyes." He made sure to wipe the scowl from his face while Jonathon laughed beside him.
As the train came to a stop with a loud hiss that sent clouds of steam to wrap around the men standing there waiting, Preston had a moment where he realized he could easily sneak away under its cover.
But that wouldn't be fair to the girl who'd traveled all this way. And besides, he'd had dreams about the girl he was marrying, and he knew somehow without even having met her, that she needed him. He wouldn't just leave her stranded here.
The doors opened and he watched as people stepped off the train. Finally, an older woman stepped down and looked around, clapping her hands when she spotted them standing there.
"I assume that's Miss Hazel?" He glanced briefly to Wesley, who simply shrugged.
"Come on, girls. Hurry up."
Preston watched as the women stepped down. They all seemed pretty enough, but the one who drew his eyes was the girl who was helping another woman holding a small dog step off the train. She seemed more concerned with helping her friend than looking around to see her future husband.
He sent a silent prayer up that his bride wouldn't be the one with the dog.
His eyes followed the other girl as she made sure her friend was standing on the platform before finally lifting her eyes to look around her. She wasn't a woman who'd normally draw a man's eyes, but for some reason, Preston couldn't stop watching her.
She held herself with a quiet dignity as she glanced at her surroundings. Finally, her eyes made their way to the men and he could see her falter slightly. But he was sure he was the only one who noticed. She held a calm composure as she met his eyes.
Hers were green, which seemed out of place with her brown hair. They held his, and he could see her swallow even from where he stood.
He wasn't sure how he knew, but without a doubt, this was the woman he was going to marry.
He realized he was still standing in the same spot, while Wesley had already gone forward and was introducing himself to Miss Hazel and the ladies. While he watched, Wesley started to walk away with the woman holding the dog.
Miss Hazel turned to him and pulled the woman he'd been watching over. "You must be Preston Hawking. I can tell by the dark hair and eyes. You're exactly as you were described to me." She stepped to the side and patted the girl on the arm.
"This is your bride, Maryanne Drayson. I believe you'll find yourselves very well suited to each other."
Miss Hazel gave the woman a wink and a smile before turning to drag th
e other women to meet their future husbands.
If he hadn't been standing in front of the poor girl who'd just stepped off the train, Preston would have laughed out loud at how absurd the whole situation was.
All he could do was shake his head in disbelief. "Is she always like that?"
He thought he saw the corner of Maryanne's lips turn up as she fought a smile. "I'm afraid so. That's just Miss Hazel. She'll be dragging us all up the street behind the others soon to get in front of the preacher. When she wants something done, she doesn't just sit back and wait for it to happen."
"Well, I'm glad to meet you, Maryanne."
As he said the words, he realized he truly was glad. She was a beautiful woman, and he sensed a kindness about her even though he knew she tried to make herself seem tougher than she was.
He thought he might enjoy getting to know her.
"Would you mind too much if we catch up to Lisa? I want to make sure she's all right."
"Who is Lisa?"
She pointed in the direction of the woman with the dog who'd left with Wesley already.
Nodding, he walked over to where the others were being introduced. He could see a number of bags sitting around, and the porter was still bringing more. Surely these women hadn't brought their entire wardrobes with them? They only had small cabins to live in up here, so there wasn't going to be any need for this many clothes.
"How many of these are yours?" He didn't mean the words to sound so rough, but as he met Maryanne's eyes, they flickered with annoyance.
She tipped her head slightly and lifted her chin in the direction of the bags. "That one, with the ripped strap."
He looked down at the one near his feet. It was smaller than any of the rest, and he cringed as he realized how embarrassed she must be feeling as he’d made her say it in front of everyone standing there. If this was all she'd brought with her, then he knew she hadn't come from much.
"Let's not worry about the bags. We'll get someone to bring them up." Miss Hazel started to walk in the direction of Wesley's. "We have a preacher waiting for us, so we need to get going."
She lifted her skirts and stepped off the platform, not even looking back to see if any of them were following. Dermot was watching the woman walk away with a look of astonishment on his face.
Preston looked to Maryanne and offered her a smile as he put his arm out for her. "Well, Maryanne, I hope you're ready. It looks like we're about to be married."
Chapter 4
Maryanne tried to stop her hands from shaking as Preston held them in his. The preacher spoke the words, but she was having a hard time hearing what he was saying.
She was actually getting married, and as she looked into the eyes of the man who was smiling down at her, she was sure her heart stopped beating. In all her life, she'd never seen a man with eyes so dark and so intense as he looked at her.
His skin was deeply tanned and his hair was as black as coal. The red of his jacket made the darkness of his features stand out even more. He still wore his hat, but as the preacher said the words that would bind them as man and wife, he grinned at her and reached up to take it from his head. She absently thought he needed a haircut.
She stood completely still, afraid to move as he brought his head toward her, gently brushing his lips on hers.
"All right then, it's Isabelle and Dermot's turn," Miss Hazel's voice interrupted.
Maryanne brought her fingers to her lips, as Preston turned to stare at Miss Hazel in disbelief. Finally, he shook his head and looked back at her.
"I guess we're finished then."
She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the laugh that threatened. He was grinning at her as he shrugged and took her hand in his. "I'll take you to see your new home. I hope you won't be too shocked at the living conditions up here."
They started walking and she let her eyes move around the small village that would be her home. "Do you live far from Wesley and Lisa?" She hoped she would be close by in case her friend needed her.
"No, we're just over there." He pointed to a small building just up the street. "It's not much, but since it was just me living there, it was enough. I hope to make Moose Lick my home for a while, so we can work on making the cabin a bit more comfortable for you."
She glanced over at her new husband. She'd just stood before a preacher and sworn to love and honor this man for the rest of her life, and he was strolling down the street beside her like it was just another day.
At least he hadn't seemed too disappointed in her. She'd tried to gauge his reaction, but his eyes were so dark it had been hard to tell. Of all the men who'd been standing there, Preston was by far the most handsome, and that had terrified her when Miss Hazel had told her that he was the one chosen for her. What could the woman have been thinking?
When they got to the door, she waited while he opened it and led her inside. It was small, but Maryanne thought it was wonderful. It was no smaller than the rooms they'd shared above the store.
Her eyes scanned the room, and stopped on the one bed in the far corner. Was there no other room in here?
Suddenly, her heartbeat was pounding in her ears. She'd known what was expected of a wife, but she hadn't really thought about it until now. Swallowing hard, she tried to act calm as she stepped into the room. "There's only one room?" Her eyes lifted to meet his.
He nodded. "Yes, there's never really been any need to have much more. Until now." His eyes moved toward the bed too. "I'll let you have the bed. I can put a roll down on the floor for now."
"Oh, no. I don't expect you to do that."
He looked back at her and smiled. "I know. But I think it would be better for both of us to have the chance to get to know each other a bit better."
She was grateful for his consideration of her feelings, but a small part of her felt the familiar twinge of worry that he might not find her worthy of his attention. She shook it off, telling herself he was just being a gentleman, offering her some time to get to know her new husband.
"I have to head back to the station, so you can have some time to unpack and get settled in. I shouldn't be too long."
He stood watching her as though he was unsure what he should do. She smiled up at him. "It's fine. I can manage on my own. I'm likely going to head over to Lisa's to see if she needs any help."
He tipped his head to the side. "You sure do keep a close eye on your friend. Have you known her long?"
"No, I only met her a week ago. But she reminds me of my sister a lot. And I want to make sure she's taken care of. She's a strong girl, but sometimes I think she just needs a helping hand to make things a bit easier for her."
He nodded and turned to go out the door. "Well, if you're going out, make sure you don't go too far on your own. There are wild animals all over the area, and you need to be careful."
Before she could ask exactly what he meant by wild animals, he was gone.
She slowly moved around the small cabin, letting her fingers trail over the stove that was now hers. The only other furniture in the room was a table with four chairs, a washstand in the corner, a trunk at the end of the bed, and a rocking chair that sat near the fireplace.
Maryanne was sure she'd never seen anything so homey in all her life. The two rooms above the store had only been bedrooms. Her parents had one and she'd shared the other one with Eliza. The kitchen was downstairs, behind the store, and hadn't been much more than a stove and a cupboard. There was a small table, but no one had sat at it together for years. She thought her parents had likely still taken their meals there, but Maryanne had always sat upstairs with her sister to eat.
A knock at the door startled her and she went over to peek out the window to see who was there. Recognizing the familiar face of Miss Hazel, Maryanne opened the door with a smile.
"I just met up with your new husband heading in to the station for something or other, so I thought I'd take a minute to check in on you before I go find my lodgings." With her hands on her hips, Miss Haz
el took in the small cabin, nodding her head as she continued. "It's not much, but at least it looks like Preston has kept things looking nice. Most men I've seen aren't as neat and live in complete filth until they find themselves a wife."
Maryanne smiled to herself. She'd been impressed with how clean the cabin was herself, even if she wouldn't quite have worded it like Hazel.
The older woman turned her eyes to Maryanne. "And are you pleased with your new husband?"
"He seems nice. I'm not too sure how he feels about me, though." She wasn't sure why she'd brought that up.
Miss Hazel shook her head and tapped Maryanne on the arm. "Young lady, I heard you repeatedly telling Lisa on the train ride here to remember how beautiful she was and to know that she was worthy of any man. You wouldn't let her have any doubts even for a moment. Yet here you are saying the very same thing."
"Well, that was different. Lisa has had to face more struggles than anyone, and I wanted her to know that if people can't see what she has to offer, then they aren't worth her time."
Miss Hazel tipped her head and crossed her arms in front of her while she stared at Maryanne with an eyebrow raised so high it almost hid in her hat.
"That's no different than any of you girls. You all have something to offer these Mounties, and that's why I chose you for Preston. And why I chose him for you. Do you think I just send people off all willy-nilly to get married without doing my research and finding out what these men are like?"
Maryanne looked outside where Isabelle and Elaine were getting into the wagons with their new husbands. She wondered how far away they would be living.
"I chose you specifically for Preston, and I think someday you will understand why. For now, though, you need to start taking some of your own advice and know how lucky Preston is to have you for his wife. You spend so much time worrying about others and trying to help them, you tend to forget who you are sometimes. Now it's your turn to be happy, and I have no doubt your new husband will be smitten in no time."
RNWMP: Bride for Preston (Mail Order Mounties Book 6) Page 2
