Franklin was impressed, and was clearly relieved to see that no one had been injured or killed in this attempt. He stepped into the shop and took the empty gun from his son’s belt. Then he took hold of one of the bandits – the muscular one who had messed with Hannah’s jewelry box.
“I will send a man for your husband, Mrs. Bishop,” he told her, taking the bandit from the shop as he went. “Geoffrey, don’t move a muscle. I will be right back to fetch the other one.”
Hannah wondered if these men were the ones that Daniel had warned her about. It seemed so strange now, to think that these men could have caused such drama and fear in the towns nearby. Why, they were nothing but young men! She guessed that they were no older than her husband. They were nothing at all like the beasts she had imagined them to be. She supposed a lot of that had to do with their no longer having a weapon and no longer being safe from the Law.
****
Hannah’s husband Daniel entered the shop much more hastily than the sheriff had. He didn’t even stop to check around to see if there were any others inside but instead went right in and threw his arms around his wife, kissing her and holding her tiny face in his hands. “Oh, my darling!” he cried. “I was so scared when one of the law officers came to the mines and said that you had been involved in a robbery attempt! Are you alright? You aren’t hurt, are you?”
Even though she so hated to see him so concerned and know that she had caused further calamity in his life, Hannah was so grateful to be in Daniel’s comforting embrace again. In truth, she had been quite frightened for her life, but she didn’t want to add to his fears. She was already thinking of ways in which they might make the shop a good deal safer for her and their valuable gold jewelry.
“I’m okay,” Hannah told him, giving him a smile though she knew at once that it was not quite as convincing as she hoped. “Geoffrey was marvelous, darling. You would have been so happy to see the way he protected me.”
The young man stood in a corner of the shop, near the front, and he blushed a bit at the praise. “As I told her already, sir, it’s all a part of the job and a pleasure to protect her.”
Daniel went to him at once and firmly shook his hand. “It was a tremendous gift that your father gave me, when he offered me your services,” he told him sincerely. “We owe you a great debt. Thank you, son!”
Geoffrey shook his hand and looked a bit pained, as though he wasn’t used to so much praise and didn’t quite know what to do with all of it. Hannah knew that he considered it a part of his duty but she appreciated it nonetheless.
“The last thing I want is for your profession to be a thankless one,” she told him kindly. “I think you will make a fine deputy someday.”
When she told Geoffrey that, his eyes lit up as if it was the kindest thing she could ever tell him. “Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate your kind words.”
Now that everything had been taken care of, Hannah and Daniel closed up the shop and carefully placed all the jewelry in the back of the horse cart. They somehow managed to fit all of it into the black box, separated by some thin pieces of paper so the various metals wouldn’t scratch against each other in transit. Geoffrey was more than happy to drive the cart so that Hannah and Daniel could be in each other’s company after such a harrowing night.
****
After such dramatic happenings at the store, Hannah decided that she should not be working in her shop after the sun went down. She adjusted the hours so that the shop was open from morning to early afternoon, reasoning that she was asking for trouble by being open for late, especially given that her shop was largely empty of customers at that time. Now that more ladies were beginning to trickle into the town, she was seeing an influx of clientele. The ladies liked to shop in the earlier hours, because it was easier and less harrowing for them to do so then. The pair of bandits that had been wreaking havoc on the nearby towns were no longer a threat thanks to Geoffrey’s quick thinking and bravery, but there was a lingering concern about ladies being out of doors at later hours.
“Well, I must say that I approve of this new plan,” Daniel told Hannah. “I didn’t want to control you too much of course, but I always thought that working until the evening was a trifle dangerous.”
Hannah smiled lovingly at him. “You are always looking out for me, aren’t you?” she asked him, giving his hand a loving squeeze as they sat together on their couch. “I don’t believe that any other wife has such a caring and considerate husband. And here I’ve been nothing but trouble for you.”
He thought better than to try to argue against that. “Trouble that I would gladly go through as many times as you insist,” he teased her affectionately. “Though I would prefer it if you wouldn’t risk your life for gold anymore. Leave that to me, hmm?”
Hannah nodded and laughed. “How about neither of us risks our lives for gold?” she countered. “Now that I have worked with enough of it, I don’t think it is worth losing one’s head over.”
Daniel looked at her, deeply amused that she would ever say such a thing after obsessing over how she was going to begin her business. “I’ll be sure not to share that sentiment with the other miners. I wouldn’t want to lose my job.”
Coloma continued to blossom now that more people had come in from the East. Along with Hannah’s jewelry store, Ephraim saw an increase in lady customers who were interested in his tailoring skills. It wasn’t long before, as Hannah had once envisioned, the general store owner opened his very own clothing shop.
There was something to be said for having more ladies in town. Though they far from outnumbered the men, they had a contagious charm about them that turned Coloma into a friendlier sort of place. Daniel believed that it had changed overnight like a house changes into a home. He looked forward to meeting his friend Thomas’ bride to be whenever she finally made her way into town. He knew from experience how much having a wife could better one’s life… Even if some of the betterment came with some stress.
“I do think that your wife has had a lasting effect on this place,” Franklin pointed out one night as he, Daniel and Thomas enjoyed some iced tea together on the porch of Daniel and Hannah’s home. “Even I am starting to think about matrimony again, though I had sworn that I never would.”
Franklin was a widower; that was well known. Still, Daniel could not help but feel like that would be a good decision for Franklin. Now that his son was grown, he was going to need someone with which to spend his days. Daniel looked forward to meeting whomever she might be.
Geoffrey had impressed him very much. As soon as the scary business with the bandits was at an end, Daniel had been sure to take Franklin aside and let him know that he recommended him as the town’s deputy.
“I know he’s young,” he had told his friend. “But he’s already so dedicated to the job. He protected my wife all on his own, and trained some mighty fine sheriff dogs as well.”
Franklin nodded. “I know. You’re absolutely correct. I think it’s high time that I give my son a proper chance to prove himself.”
Now Geoffrey could often be seen strolling through the town, showing off his shining gold star with pride, eager to attract the pretty ladies’ eyes while also posing a threat to any would-be villains that the town might still be housing.
Hannah, Daniel’s wife, had learned so much in her short time in Coloma and he was extremely proud of her. They continued to mine together on occasion, wrapping the rope around themselves and tugging on it to communicate. She became somewhat of a legend and an inspiration in the town, especially amongst the ladies.
And whenever he would tug twice to ask how she was doing, she would always tug back the familiar code he had taught her of “I love you.”
THE END
A Mail Order Bride For Benjamin
Story Description
Coloma, California – 1850
Upon being released from jail on account of his good behavior, Benjamin Pickett is ready to start a brand new life and set up roots in the t
own of Coloma, California. The former bandit has begun to form a friendship with Franklin, the town sheriff, who warns him that although he is reformed in the eyes of the law, that the townsfolk may still be wary of him.
With Franklin’s help, Benjamin acquires a job at the neighboring lumber mill, and after gaining the trust of his new boss and his fellow workers, he is given a chance to build the home of his dreams. He longs for a wife to share his life with and places an advertisement in the newspaper, and before long, he is sending a ticket for Miss Maybelle Fields to travel from Maryland to join him in Coloma.
Only one problem remains. How can he propose to Maybelle until he has confessed the truth about his past? Will she ever be able to see that he is a changed man, worthy of her trust? Will the reformed bandit ever have a chance at love and happiness, or will his past condemn him to a life of solitude?
Clank. The wrought-iron bars of the jail cell opened and Sheriff McQueen beckoned for Benjamin to exit. “Congratulations! You’ve officially been released on account of your good behavior,” he announced, loud enough for the small jailhouse’s other occupants to hear. Benjamin felt more than a little shy about it. He was glad to be free, but he knew that he wasn’t going to make friends easily. And he certainly wasn’t making friends with the other prisoners right now.
He was glad that the bandit Eli was gone. He was the worst when it came to tormenting him, and the sheriff for that matter. When Eli took Sheriff McQueen’s wife hostage, Benjamin helped to free her. He supposed that must be the good behavior that Franklin McQueen was referencing, though he had done his best to be a good prisoner in all things. Benjamin was a young man of twenty-seven. He was well-meaning and soft-spoken. He supposed now that he had been an easy target for the peer pressure that went into the burgling that Eli had talked him into not so long ago.
“Thank you kindly, sir,” Benjamin said to the sheriff once he was out of the cell and admiring the room for what it was, beyond the bars.
Franklin looked him straight in the eyes and shook his hand firmly. “Best of luck to you, son. Keep in mind that just because I’ve been a personal witness to your reprieval doesn't mean that others in this town will warm to you. These things take time, you understand.”
Benjamin nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Just then, Franklin’s wife Louise came into the room. She was carrying a tray and she held it as she paused to look at Benjamin with some sentimentality. “Be well, Benjamin. And please don’t be a stranger. You are welcome here anytime, and you will have the luxury of not being in this room anymore.”
He nodded politely to her. “Thank you, ma’am. I will be sorry to not see you anymore. You are a good person indeed.”
Benjamin quickly gathered up his things. A dusty hat, some dollar bills, his belt. He refused to take up his holster and gun again. Those days were over for him. “I’m fixin’ to lead a decent life now,” he said to the sheriff. “Please find a good home for those. I’d like for them to stay right here with you, if you have need of them.”
Franklin nodded. “All right. Thank you. I’m sure Geoffrey can make use of them.”
“He’s going to be the fastest gun the West in no time, if he isn’t already” Benjamin said with a fond smile. “He nearly got me good, not so long ago.”
He was finding it hard to leave the place. So much beyond the walls of the jailhouse was uninviting to him now. Even though Benjamin viewed himself as a completely changed man, to everyone else he was a still nothing but a bandit. How could anyone ever trust him again? The situation with Louise and Eli… The only people who knew that Benjamin had helped with that were the family in the jailhouse and the prisoners. It wasn’t as though Eli was going to vouch for him. He was going to be in prison for a very long time, and he partially had Benjamin to thank for that. Actually, to blame. Eli would never thank Benjamin for anything.
“You go on to Ephraim’s,” Franklin suggested to him, stirring Benjamin out of his reverie. “He’ll know of any work that is needed in town. Perhaps he will have a use for you in his store.”
“I don’t know about that, sir, but I shall certainly try,” Benjamin replied. With that, the pair of men shook hands again and he made his way out of the house.
Benjamin Pickett knew this town well. He had moved to Coloma during the start of the gold rush, hoping to seek his fortune like all of the rest. He was young and cocky, without much experience so he soon turned to the wrong side of the law in order to get by. He was going to have a hard time explaining that to anyone, and an even harder time convincing them to trust him and allow him to work.
This was emphasized for him as soon as he entered Ephraim’s general store. The kind man was known throughout the town both for his fine selection of goods as well as his tailoring skills. Benjamin had caught scraps of conversations between Mrs. McQueen and the housekeeper. He wondered if what Sheriff McQueen had told him could possibly be true. Would Ephraim be willing to hire a man like him?
The expression on Ephraim’s face when he looked up from behind the counter and saw Benjamin there seemed to shout a firm ‘no.’ Benjamin nervously cleared his throat and slowly approached him just the same.
“Good afternoon, kind sir,” he said politely, tipping his brown leather hat. “I was wondering if you might have a newspaper that I could buy.”
“Hmph,” Ephraim said to him, frowning. Still, as much as it displeased him, he couldn’t bear to turn away a paying customer. If he was in fact paying, that is… “Two cents,” he added irritably.
Benjamin brightened a bit at that. He was worried at first that the gentleman was going turn him away and not let him make a purchase. He took out his small bit of coins and placed one on the counter.
Ephraim took it and gave him his change and the day’s newspaper. “Now go on and read that somewhere else,” he said. “Please.”
The ‘please’ was added on too emphatically to be sincere. Benjamin gave a friendly nod and quickly left the shop. He had nowhere else to go, so he leaned against the storefront doorway and opened the newspaper. There sure were a lot of advertisements in there. He hoped that at least one job listing would fit his unique skills and interests. Benjamin didn’t want to be picky, and he was quite enthusiastic to learn a new trade. However, he knew how limiting not having certain skills could be in this town.
Suddenly, he looked up and noticed people staring and gaping at him. “Move along,” a gentleman shouted in protest. “You’re blocking the way.”
“Wasn’t that man on wanted posters not too long ago?” a woman asked her husband in a hushed and frightened tone.
Ephraim, roused by the shouts from prospective customers on the street, came out to see what all the fuss was about. He saw Benjamin there, reading the newspaper. “Off with you!” he shouted, waving a dusty rag from his apron. “Be gone! Else you want to end up right back in jail where you belong!”
There were gasps from the crowd and Benjamin immediately went red. He folded his newspaper and quickly dashed away.
****
With nowhere else to go, Benjamin decided to make his way to the saloon. He took up a nearby table and hunkered down over his newspaper. When a waiter came by and asked if he wanted something to drink, he asked only for water. There were so many advertisements in the newspaper from men who were seeking brides. It made him blush a little to think that this could actually be an option for him. He wanted more than anything to make Coloma his home. Ever since he left the orphanage in New York and headed west, he longed to find somewhere to plant some genuine roots and he now felt that he was finally in the right place. He truly believed that he could carve out an honest life for himself here, if only people would give him a second chance and allow him to do so.
Benjamin had one skill that he knew would be of use. He had harbored dreams of becoming a carpenter when he was just a boy. There was a lumber mill in Coloma that would help him achieve just that goal, as well as give him a job that allowed him to make the most of his God-given skills.
He didn’t see any listings for jobs there, but instead of giving up, he decided that he would take it upon himself to go there and inquire about it in person. It would be far better to take a chance and ask, rather than to sit there in that saloon and merely dream of a better life all day. He had been dreaming for too long. It was time to wake up and make something of himself.
The sunlight had begun to fade into a beautiful sunset just as Benjamin made his way to the lumber mill. From the sound of things, he could tell that the men there were hard at work. He beat loudly upon the door. After a few moments, Thomas Cooke answered.
Thomas had worked his way up in the lumber mill. He was now the foreman. He looked at Benjamin with suspicion. “Yes?” he asked. “What is it?”
“I was wondering if there might be some work for me here in your mill, Sir,” Benjamin said, swallowing hard and setting his brow so that he wouldn’t appear as nervous as he actually was. “I’m a skilled carpenter. I’m very good with my hands.”
“I don’t know,” Thomas said, rather dismissively. He scratched his scruffy chin and observed the other man.
Benjamin was tall and muscular. He had black hair and blue eyes, and his skin was tanned from years spent out in the son. No amount of time in jail could turn him pale. He was twenty-seven but he looked like he could have been a good deal younger.
Thomas had his doubts and was just about to turn him down as gently as he thought Benjamin deserved, but in that moment his good friend Franklin appeared.
“Well now,” Thomas said, whistling and smiling. “To what do I owe this pleasure? It ain’t often that you find your way over here. Are you here to arrest someone?” He eyed Benjamin. “I hope it’s not me…”
Benjamin blanched but Franklin chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. “No no,” he said. “I was just stopping by to see how things were with you. Benjamin, what are you doing here?”
Annie: A Bride For The Farmhand - A Clean Historical Western Romance (Stewart House Brides Book 3) Page 11
