Lily gawked at the vision in fine gossamer silk and exotic jewelry. The newcomer gushed over Jasper with overbearing familiarity. Lily watched the back-and-forth and felt like a third wheel in a big loop.
When Jasper made the introductions, the woman’s gaze hardened. She flashed an insincere smile and held out a gloved hand.
“So, you’re Lily. How sweet. As Jasper said, my name is Daisy May Meriwether. I belong to the Meriwethers of Riverside, a well-esteemed family around these parts.”
The proud voice dripped in glacial tones and offered no friendly quarter. Lily turned to Jasper. She felt intimidated and didn’t understand the virulent dislike coming from Daisy May.
A frown clouded Jasper’s eyes and a pulse beat at the edge of his lips. “Lily, Daisy May is a neighbor and friend.”
Daisy bristled at the term ‘friend’ and her mouth tilted in a sneer. “I don’t think friend is what you would call it, Jasper. Shall I tell your darling how many times you’ve been at my door and at what hours you’ve arrived?”
Lily gasped at the indecent nature of the question. Had the woman lost her senses? She seemed confident enough. Perhaps she had cause to speak in such a manner. Lily guessed Daisy must have a strong relationship with Jasper to try such unladylike behavior.
Lily closed her eyes for a moment. Tears stung her lids, and she took a shuddering breath. Her appetite vanished, leaving her weak and spent.
Unable to bear the disruptive presence, she stood on trembling legs and turned to Daisy. Her voice sounded odd even in her ears. “It was nice to meet you. Jasper, can you take me home, please?”
Daisy May jumped to her feet, her eyes alive in fury. “Please don’t leave on my account. I’d like to tickle your ear with Jasper’s exploits around town.”
Lily stepped back in shock. She had no intentions of dealing with a viper in disguise. “Jasper, can we please leave?”
Daisy gritted her teeth and said, “Shall I walk you both home, Jasper dear? I’ve done it many times before.”
The edges of Jasper’s mouth formed a thin line. His voice bore a thread of steel, and he commanded, “Stop this at once, Daisy May. You have done enough damage for one evening. Go home and find something to do.”
Daisy May wilted at Jasper’s unbreakable tone. Her shoulders sagged, and she cast anxious eyes over his hard face. When he offered his elbow to Lily, she murmured, “I see. Please excuse me for interrupting your evening.”
Daisy stumbled over to a corner table, and sat in the shadows. Jasper ignored her and walked over to the maître d’ to apologize. When they left the inn, Lily’s tears trickled over flushed cheeks. How could such a lovely evening end in such disastrous results?
****
Jasper rose with the sun. It was just past five, and he had important things to do. Lily had mentioned a picnic the day before, and he planned to get everything ready ahead of time. At the break of dawn, he hurried to the kitchen and woke the housekeeper; he urged her to prepare a meal fit for a princess.
In between shaving and choosing comfortable clothing, Daisy May came to mind. Jasper cringed. He had to visit her and lay bare his guilt. He had to tell her how sorry he was for his actions. Over the years, he had grown comfortable with Daisy’s insults. How foolish he had been!
His ear picked up the bustle of morning life and the muffled talk of his parents on the landing. Time to go.
After breakfast, Jasper drover Lily to a sloping bluff near the river. The noise of the town faded, replaced by the quiet sounds of gurgles under a cloudless sky. He loved the surroundings and often rode out to find peace and to lay his troubled thoughts to rest.
Jasper spread a gingham blanket on the soft earth and arranged the basket and dishes. Lily watched him with a cheerful smile and offered to help. “Can’t let you do it by yourself.”
Jasper grinned, pleased with her actions. He turned to the inland mountains, and the billowed clouds over the horizon. “This land is a land of promise. Did you know that?”
When she shook her head, he promised to tell her Riverside’s history. “Before we get started on a long story, can you wash this plate for me? It fell out on the way.”
Lily’s face softened to a tender glow, and she skipped to the riverbank. “I’ll be happy to help you. Be right back.”
Jasper glanced at the sky and thanked the good Lord for allowing Lily to enter his life. What had she said when he drove her from the station? With faith, all things are possible? How could he miss such wise words over the years?
His admitted his wastrel nature had led him adrift, and he cringed at the wasted years. Thoughts of Daisy May surfaced again. He should’ve treated her better than he had. The fact was, he should’ve been more care—
“Jasper!”
Lily’s urgent cry struck fear in Jasper’s heart, and he rushed to her side. When he came to a shuddering halt, his gaze clung to her pale face and trembling lips. “What is it? Are you ill?”
She stumbled into his arms and collapsed against his chest, her breathing labored. Jasper held her in a tight embrace, wondering what had happened. When she raised her right hand, his heart stopped.
Two bruised puncture wounds with crimson globs stained her blue-veined skin. The sound of a slither in the grass caught his ear, and he spun with Lily in his arms. He spied the shimmering scales of a snake scampering into the grass, and sucked in a deep breath. His mind told him what his heart knew to be true. My God! It’s poisonous.
Jasper’s mind exploded in unspeakable fear. The poison had to be drained; if it wasn’t, she’d never make it back to town. He rushed to apply pressure to stop the venom from reaching her heart.
When she slumped over in a dead faint, he laid her on the ground. He kept the right arm low and used a sharp blade to drain as much of the poison as he could.
He kept an eye on her progress and spied a bright red flush creeping over her skin. Her chest rose in rapid succession and the beat of her pulse thundered beneath his fingertips.
With fervent pleas and prayerful utterances, Jasper gathered Lily into his arms. He eyed the molten orb of the noon sun and calculated the time. Dear God. Please don’t let me be too late.
****
One week later
“Lily, dearest, open your eyes.”
Lily groaned, her world a haze of semi-conscious thoughts. Random images danced across her eyes fused to her lids. Her limbs hung in aimless lines and reminded her of wooden puppets without strings.
“Please, dearest. Open your eyes. It’s me, Willow.”
Lily frowned, her brow rumpling. She stirred and her voice cracked in raspy tones. “Willow? She’s not here. She’s in California married to a frontiersman and the kids are sick. With fever.”
Gentle laughter flowed at her matter-of-fact statement. “Yes, that’s right, but my boys are fine now. I’m here and I want you to open your eyes.”
Lily’s eyelids rose, and she focused her nebulous gaze. The drawn curtains allowed sunlight to fill the surroundings with cheerful warmth. An embroidered pink coverlet lay across the bed in a room decorated with peaches and cream, and bright paintings adorned the walls.
Willow sat next to the bed and Lily reached out with a smile. “Dearest sister, it’s you!”
Willow buried Lily in a firm embrace, and her tear-filled eyes overflowed with joy. “You had us so worried. We thought you would not make it, but Running Deer promised to make you well. She has nursed you day and night for the past week. I am so grateful for her help.”
In the darkest throes of the nightmare, Lily recalled a soothing voice and gentle hands. “Sorry for the trouble I caused. I didn’t see the creature until it was too late. I think I called for Jasper, but I can’t… I can’t remember...”
Willow’s eyes met hers with a teasing grin. “He’s been at your side, pestering the doctor to tears. He refused to give up hope even after your mother told him things looked grim. I don’t think he’s ever prayed before, but he never left your side or cease
d to beg for your life. I’ll tell him you’re awake.”
When Willow strolled to the open door, Lily cried out, “No, please wait.”
At Willow’s frown, Lily fingered her wrinkled dress and dull, matted waves. She could just imagine how frightful she looked. “I don’t mean to be vain, but would you please help me get dressed and comb my hair?”
Willow flashed a relieved grin. “Modesty and propriety above all things. Never let it be said that the Barrington women are slovenly or ill attired.”
Lily nodded, thankful for her sister’s understanding. She’d made it against the odds. It was a miracle, and she didn’t intend to take it for granted. Grateful for a second chance, she whispered, “Jasper, I can’t wait to tell you how much I love you.”
****
Jasper chuckled and examined his collar in the full-length mirror. Too tight. He had to get the tailor to remove the extra button. He glanced at the wall clock: twenty-four hours left. In one day, he and Lily would satisfy his father’s wishes as they agreed to become man and wife. Anticipation shot though him at the thought and he wallowed in a contented daze.
“Looking good, son.”
The sound of his father’s voice brought a smile to Jasper’s face. “Thanks, Pa. Just need to get this button removed. Is Lily alright?”
Horton stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. “She’s fine. Your mother is getting her ready for tomorrow’s event, and she looks as bonny as a bright new fiddle.”
Jasper grinned. He thought of their future together and prayed for a blessing. “Pa, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the plantation. I can help watch those trees for you—that is, if you still want me on your team.”
Horton’s eyes glowed with pride. “Jasper, you’re my son; of course I’d love for you to carry on in the family business. Nothing would make me more proud.” He wiped a stray tear from his eye, clearly moved by Jasper’s intentions. Straightening up, he cleared his throat and continued, “Enough said about that, now. As for this wife of yours, I trust you will treat her with silk gloves. She’s got a heart a mile wide and ten oceans deep. Don’t be riling her too much and keep her safe. Got that?”
Jasper saluted with a cheeky smile. “Yes, sir.”
Horton ruffled his hair and stepped back with a pensive gaze. “I’m guessing you need to take care of other personal matters today? Am I right?”
Jasper nodded and expelled a deep sigh. “Yes, I have to visit Daisy May. Tell Lily not to eat lunch without me.”
When his father left, Jasper’s thoughts turned to the task at hand. No better time than the present.
****
Daisy May swallowed hard as her world toppled on its head. When Jasper appeared unannounced, her heart had drummed a joyous beat.
Before he could speak, she ushered him into the tea room and ordered refreshments. She kept up a cheerful chatter until he said the words that ripped a void in her heart.
“Daisy, I’m sorry, but I have to tell you… there can be nothing between us. Lily is the girl for me.”
Daisy’s blood roared through her ears. She struggled for a foothold on her emotions but fell flat. “You’re marrying Lily? Why? I thought we would marry and form a home together!”
Jasper nodded, his eyes shadowed. “Daisy, can you please forgive me? I never meant to hurt you. And I can see my foolish behavior has caused you pain.”
Daisy held her breath. Pain? He didn’t understand what it meant. She arched her chin and held her head high. Other women may cry and plead, but not her. She was a Meriwether, and they weathered life’s storms with pride and dignity. “What is there to forgive? I am a fool, and Lily has won the race. My horse was too slow and stumbled in the final turn.”
Jasper shook his head. “I’ve treated you as the sister I never had, but I should have made my intentions straight from the beginning. Daisy, I want to be your friend—that is, if you will let me.”
Tears burned Daisy’s lids, but she held them back. She reached into her silk purse and removed a peacock fan, then cooled herself with vigorous strokes and turned away. “I will have to speak with you later. Please leave.”
When Jasper walked toward the door, Daisy struggled to get her final words past her lips. “I… I hope you and Lily find happiness.”
Jasper paused, his hand on the door handle. “I understand, Daisy. I wish you the best in your life.”
Daisy watched her dreams crumble in dust at his departure, and wondered if she’d ever know joy again.
****
Jasper and Lily sat side by side on the porch swing watching the sunset. Vibrant multicolored hues lit up the evening sky encircling the promise of a new day.
Lily wondered how her life had changed in such a short time, but she did not question the blessing. Still, she had to ask one question. “Jasper, are you sure Daisy May isn’t the woman for you?”
At his odd glance, she rushed to explain, “I’d never try to destroy your happiness. I want you to know that… that I love you enough to let you go.”
Jasper’s face drained of color. He stared at her in shock and whispered, “You love me, Lily?”
Lily bowed her head, her response muffled by her lowered chin. “Yes, Jasper, I do. I think it started that day at the station. And now, it’s settled in my heart.”
Jasper whistled and shook his head. “I never would’ve guessed. I know you chased me around, but I must admit to being blinded by a good hunk of hardheadedness.”
Lily smiled though tears. “I love everything about you, Jasper—even your good hunk of hardheadedness.”
He laughed in relief. “Well, that sounds mighty fine. Let me tell you what you mean to me.”
When he fished out a piece of paper from the inside of his jacket, Lily frowned until he began to read in his deep, husky voice: “Dearest Lily, when I see your eyes, I drown in the ocean of your gaze. And when I see your hair, it reminds me of the sunlight that gilds the land. And by the beat of your heart, I can find my way home.”
At her bemusement, he flashed a self-conscious grin. “I know it’s not poetry, but it comes from inside my heart.”
When she kept silent, he gave her an uncertain look. “It’s the best I can do.”
Lily caught her breath in wonder and raised her hand to his cheek. Her voice echoed as soft as her touch. “Jasper, it’s beautiful because it’s from you. As long as it comes from your heart, it means the world to me.”
He cupped her face, his gaze tender and soft. “Lily… I love you, too.” He placed an arm around shoulders and drew her close, “I really do.”
Lily leaned into his embrace, her mind a web of gentle bliss. She had found her own happily ever after, and she couldn’t wait to see what joys their life together would bring.
THE END
Letters From The Gold Rush Wagon
Haywood, Tennessee – 1849
When the word of gold being struck in California sweeps the country, Elizabeth Ryder has very little interest in the news. More focused on her family and her lifelong sweetheart, Benjamin Shaw, the thought of wealth means nothing to her.
But when the opportunity arises for her little sister to have an operation that will correct her twisted legs, her parents struggle to find the resources to pay for it. The family decides to head west to find gold, leaving her beloved Benjamin behind.
Elizabeth is already heartbroken and lonely out west, but when her sister falls ill with deadly malaria, her whole world comes crashing down. Will she find a way to heal her sister and reunite with her love, or will everything she’s ever cared about be taken away from her?
Gold fever was in the air. Everywhere. In the streets and all over town, no matter which way Elizabeth Ryder went, she could hear the men on the street discussing the fact that gold had been found in California.
The thought of gold did not have much of an effect on Elizabeth; her family had always been just fine as she was growing up. Although they had never been rich, they had never gone without, e
ither.
Elizabeth was hurrying to meet her sister coming home from school. She was apprenticing at Mrs. Hornsby’s, the local seamstress, and she always wrapped up her work in time to walk her sister home from school.
Carrie, Elizabeth’s little sister, had been born with her legs twisted. As she grew, she had learned to walk with crutches, but she was never able to run and play with the other children. She spent many of her days sitting in the schoolhouse watching out the window, or reading a book on the steps. Unlike the other nine year olds, she had never once run or jumped in her whole life.
This did not change her cheerful outlook. Young Carrie was a joy to everyone she came in contact with, and she and her sister were incredibly close. They would walk side by side and talk about how their days had gone, and what they were looking forward to doing that evening.
Sometimes Benjamin Shaw would join them. He worked at the saw mill just down the street from the schoolhouse, and he and Elizabeth had been lifelong friends. Over the years, the two had fallen in love; they planned on marrying one day. Benjamin adored the whole family, and they all loved him greatly. It would be a wonderful day when the two of them were wed. Carrie made her sister promise that they would live in a house that wasn’t too far away, and that she would still come and walk her home from school every day.
“Of course I will,” Elizabeth told her. “This is my favorite part of the whole day. I don’t know what I would do without it.” The two girls reached home just as their father drove up in the wagon.
Carrie called out to him and hurried to the barn to watch him unhitch the horses and put them up for the night. Elizabeth stood and watched her sister hobble on the crutches towards the barn. It was a difficult thing to see a girl so beautiful have to struggle so much. Usually, Elizabeth didn’t notice her sister’s crutches at all. They were just a part of her and she walked so easily with them. It wasn’t something that she even thought about--until times like this. Most little girls would have run to the barn, opening the door effortlessly. Carrie, on the other hand, had to struggle to keep her herself balanced on one crutch, all the while fidgeting with the door knob. The simplest everyday tasks required so much extra effort because of her condition. Elizabeth sighed to herself and turned towards the house. She wished there was something she could do for her sister.
Annie: A Bride For The Farmhand - A Clean Historical Western Romance (Stewart House Brides Book 3) Page 85
