Esther, An Easter Bride (Brides for all Seasons Book 4)

by Hildie McQueen

  Esther was quite surprised at how young Wilhelmina’s father-in-law was. The handsome, quiet man took his role with much seriousness as he presented his arm and whispered an encouragement into her ear, bringing tears to her eyes.

  “Be happy and, above all, have faith in why God brought you to this man.”

  Those words would stay with her forever. She nodded and gave Jacob a wobbly smile. “Thank you.”

  The hush in the room made the thumping of her heart louder in her ears. She kept her gaze above everyone’s heads, meeting the steady look of her soon-to-be husband’s. Standing there, a soft lift came to the corner of his lips and the memory of their kiss formed, sending heat to her cheeks.

  Seeming to know what she thought of, Elias gave her a subtle nod. Or it could be he was just encouraging her.

  It wasn’t until Esther joined him at the front of the chapel, that she noticed Aurora coming forward to stand next to her.

  The pastor lifted his bible and looked to them then the guests behind and the room became silent.

  “We are gathered here today...”

  The festivities ended after everyone ate their fill of the pig that had been roasted. The people dispersed to head to their respective homes.

  At Evan and Aurora’s house, Esther waited in the front room as Evan and Elias loaded her things onto the back of the carriage Elias would be taking her home in. She wasn’t sure what to do other than look around the space, hoping Aurora would return from wherever she’d disappeared to.

  Finally, her cousin came from a back room with a small box and held it out to her. “My wedding gift.”

  The wooden box was beautifully carved. “How pretty.” Esther had not packed anything impractical, so the box would be her first decorative item to grace her new home.

  “Evan carved the top and I had the carpenter in town make it for you.” Aurora hugged her. “I’m so happy you are here, Esther. I know Elias will make you happy. He is a good man.”

  “I expect to be happy,” Esther responded with a sniff. “I am nervous as to what lies ahead but, at the same time, I know things will have to be much better than my life in Philadelphia.”

  Aurora wiped at her eyes. “I will come visit in a few days, after you get settled. Hopefully, I can convince Evan to stay for a couple days.”

  “That would be wonderful.” Esther smiled, hugging her cousin hard in return.

  The door opened and Evan peered in. “Everything is loaded. Is there anything else?”

  The women looked around. Esther pulled her cloak around her and picked up her small satchel. “No, I don’t believe anything else needs to be loaded.” She held out the box Aurora had given her. “Your work is beautiful. I will treasure this gift.”

  Evan blushed and his warm gaze moved to Aurora. “I’m glad you like it.”

  They walked outside where Elias was waiting. He walked over and took her elbow. “Ready?”

  “I’m coming to visit in a few days,” Aurora told him and he nodded.

  Despite being married to him, when his hands encircled her waist to lift her, Esther could not meet his gaze. The action seemed so intimate for someone she’d only just met days earlier.

  His lips curved almost as if he guessed her thoughts. Then he climbed into the carriage with her.

  The driver, Filbert, called out a loud goodbye to Aurora and Evan. Soon, they rambled through town and out towards her future.

  Chapter 9

  “How do you feel?” Elias took Esther’s hand and brought it to his lips, enjoying the feel of her soft skin.

  Her eyes went from where his lips brushed her knuckles to his face. “I’m nervous. But not in a bad way,” she added quickly. “I’m excited to see your home and learn everything to be a good wife to you.”

  “Our home,” he said, tipping her face up to his. “It’s your home now.”

  A pretty pink colored her cheeks and she nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  He kissed her, ensuring to keep it chaste. Elias didn’t want to seem too anxious when, in actuality, he wasn’t sure how he could keep from carrying her directly to the bedroom once they arrived.

  He needed to distract himself from where his thoughts went. So, he pointed out, “See that road there? It goes to where Wilhelmina and Lucille live. It’s about an hour’s ride from here. Coming from town, heading east is where we live, west is where they live.”

  “How far is it to their house from ours?”

  “Less than an hour.”

  She leaned to look out. “There is still some snow on the hillsides.”

  “Yes, it won’t warm up properly for another month or so. It snowed not that long ago here, you just missed it. The snow on the mountains will remain though.”

  Along the rest of the way, she asked questions pertaining to the area and to their home. He was impressed by how much she’d already found out about what needed to be done to maintain a home in the west. Most mail order brides knew very little of homemaking in the more rustic territory. He’d expected for Esther to know very little as she came from a lifestyle of servants and such.

  “Did you have a house staff?” he asked.

  Her brows drew together. “A very small one. My home was not large, so other than one maid and a gardener, we didn’t keep a large staff. For rides and such, we hired a driver when needed from the city stables.”

  “So you know how to cook then?”

  Mouth forming a circle, her eyes rounded. “Oh.”

  So she didn’t cook. He wondered what they’d do about that. For the most part, he boiled beans and added whatever meat was on hand. One of the things he looked forward to the most was eating proper meals. Other than what he brought back already cooked from town and preparing fried eggs, he rarely had a good meal. Filbert, being a much better cook than him, would sometimes take pity and invite him to share whatever he’d cooked in the bunkhouse.

  “I’m sorry. It didn’t occur to me that you didn’t have a cook.”

  “It’s fine,” he replied, covering her hand. “We’ll figure something out.”

  “Is there someone nearby who could teach me?” Esther swallowed visibly and Elias felt bad for bringing up the subject on their wedding day.

  “We have leftovers that Aurora packed for us and cake. It will last a couple days. After that, I can ask Filbert to teach you a few things. He’s a pretty good cook.”

  Esther let out a breath, her eyes meeting his. “I’m so embarrassed right now.”

  “Don’t be.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders bringing Esther against him. “I expected you’d have to learn some things. From what Marcus tells me, Wilhelmina didn’t know how to cook, either.”

  “I should have asked more questions, maybe learned a bit from my maid.” She huffed. “I will ask Filbert to teach me and then when Aurora comes, she can also show me how to do some things.” Seeming determined, she pushed away from him and sat straight.

  He couldn’t help but smile at the determined look on her face as she, no doubt, attempted to recall things she’d observed in the kitchen.

  “There’s the house.”

  Esther leaned across him to peer out the window. Her delicate fragrance was enticing. His body’s reaction was not welcome at the moment since they’d have to leave the privacy of the carriage soon.

  Oblivious to her effect on him, Esther placed her hand on his upper leg to lean further out. “Oh my goodness, it’s so beautiful out here.”

  “Ugh.”

  “The pond and the hills, oh, and the house, of course. It’s much larger than I expected.”

  “Yes, about that...”

  “Oh, and I can see the mountains and so many cattle. Do they come near the house? The horses...there are a lot of them.” She continued describing the familiar landscape, her hand not moving from the sensitive spot. Just a few inches up and she’d be horrified at his reaction to the rather intimate location she was pressing on.

  “I’d love to go horseback riding. I’ve done it b
efore. Once the weather becomes warmer, of course.”

  “Of...course.”

  Finally, she sat back and beamed at him. “It’s beautiful.” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you unwell?”

  “No. I am glad that you like everything.” He attempted a smile, only to bite back a groan when, once again, she leaned forward to look out the window. This time, both her hands rested on his thigh.

  “Oh look, we’re here. Two dogs. How delightful. I love dogs.”

  “Esther...”

  “Yes?” Her gaze moved to him.

  “Sit back so I can help you out.”

  “Oh...of course.” Once again, she studied him. “Are you sure you’re feeling well?”

  Elias smiled at her. “I am fine.” He pressed a kiss to her temple and she relaxed against him. “You are so beautiful.”

  The door opened and Elias rushed out and walked in a circle. Both Filbert and Esther watched as he let out a long breath and bent forward at the waist with both hands on his hips. Once again, he blew out several breaths and then shook his head.

  “Whatever is the problem?” Esther asked Filbert, who frowned at him.

  “Got me. Maybe riding in the carriage made him sick.” The old man took a step toward him just as Elias straightened and stopped. Filbert’s eyes rounded at noticing the bulge in Elias’ pants.

  “Miss Esther, let me help you down.” Thankfully, the older man turned to Elias’ new wife, blocking her view of him.

  “Should you not help Elias?”

  “Oh, he’s fine. He just needs a bit of a walk in the fresh air.” Filbert looked over his shoulder, giving Elias a pointed look.

  Not needing further encouragement, Elias hurried to the side of the house, the happy dogs on his heels.

  * * *

  “Wait right here,” Filbert left her standing on the porch and returned to the carriage. He unloaded her trunk and placed it on the floorboard next to her and then made two additional trips to gather the other bags. The entire time, Elias remained wherever he’d gone off to.

  If he was sick to his stomach, she understood why he needed to be out of sight. Yet, he’d not turned a sickly shade of green. Instead, his face had become flushed, almost as if he’d become too warm.

  “I can wait here if you want to go see about Elias.” She craned her neck to look toward where her husband had disappeared.

  Filbert chuckled. “He’ll be back momentarily, don’t you worry. I’m sure he’ll be right as rain.”

  The man continued laughing as he went to the front of the carriage. “I’ll go put up the horses. Once he takes you in the house, I’ll come back and bring the trunks inside. Elias should be the one to show you the house, so don’t go peekin’.”

  The man climbed onto the bench and whistled before snapping the reins to get the horses moving.

  For a moment, Esther was at a loss. How peculiar to be left on the front porch alone. Even the dogs had followed after Elias.

  Chapter 10

  Evening came quickly. They’d spent the rest of the day together, putting her things away, eating a reheated meal and, finally, sitting in the front room drinking coffee and tea while discussing the day.

  Despite the event-filled day, Esther didn’t feel tired at all. Anxious to become Elias’ wife, she looked forward to the moment they went to bed. From what she could tell, he was just as impatient. His gaze moved from her to the bedroom door rather frequently.

  It was best to get the situation under control. He seemed to be waiting for some sort of signal from her that it was time to retire for the evening. Esther hid a smile behind her hand and stood with a nearly empty cup.

  “I am going to get ready for bed. Is there water in the bedroom?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I poured some into the pitcher a little bit ago. There’s also a drying cloth and some soap.”

  “Thank you.” She went to him and kissed his jawline. “Give me a few moments, please.”

  Her husband nodded.

  Once inside the bedroom, Esther closed the door, leaving only a small crack. She went about undressing with shaky hands. Once that was accomplished, she pulled on a nightshift and splashed water on her face. She unpinned her hair and brushed it just enough to let the tangles out and then climbed into the bed.

  It was rather comfortable. She hoped not to fall asleep before Elias came to join her.

  She didn’t need to worry. Not seconds later, he appeared at the door and looked to her.

  Once he rinsed his face and removed his shirt, he turned to her. “Do you mind if I close the door?”

  “No, of course not.” She looked to the doorway and noticed two faces peering in. The dogs watched with curiosity until he closed the door.

  “They like to sleep in here most nights. I normally didn’t mind, but don’t think it's a good idea this night.”

  Esther smiled when scratches sounded. “I hope they won’t be too upset.”

  Her husband looked to the door and frowned. “Settle down,” he called out.

  While he removed his boots, he continued talking. “They’re brothers, those two. The mama came here a couple years ago barely able to walk and had the puppies that same night right under the porch. I moved them into the house since it was so cold outside. Lost a couple of pups the first night. They’d gotten too cold.”

  He stood and unfastened his pants. “The mama’s still around, but she’s taken a liking to Filbert. An outside dog, she prefers to roam over near the stables than be indoors. Those two are too spoiled to be outdoors overnight. My fault.”

  “It makes for good company, I suppose,” Esther said, imagining Elias spending his days and night there alone.

  He slid between the blankets next to her and turned on his side. “Not sure why I’m talking about dogs. I’m nervous, I guess.”

  “I’m nervous, too.” Esther cupped his jaw. “I’m anxious of what will happen between us. It’s so new. To think, I never thought to be with a man again.” She cringed at the words. Why was she bringing up the fact she’d been with a man before at a time like this? Fortunately, Elias didn’t seem to mind. He nuzzled her neck and pressed kisses on her jawline as he pulled her against him.

  Finally, their mouths met and Esther responded to the urgency of his touch. Elias was nothing like her cold distant first husband. He was strong, masculine and brought her to heights she wasn’t aware existed. For hours, they explored, kissed and made love until falling into an exhausted slumber entangled in each other’s arms.

  * * *

  “Oh.” A crow’s call scared Esther awake. Elias wanted to chuckle, but he kept quiet while she looked around the room with rounded eyes. With the window partly open, it did sound like the bird was in the room.

  At the sound of her voice, the dogs outside the door let out happy yaps and scratched the door.

  He would have to get up and let them outdoors but, at the moment, he was content to cuddle next to his bride. Esther was not only beautiful, but quite fetching. Elias wondered how he’d be able to keep from taking her nightly or to work all day away from her. Although he’d expected having a woman in his life would bring the enjoyment of lovemaking, it didn’t occur to him that the need to be with her would be so strong.

  * * *

  While Esther got dressed, Elias walked out with the dogs and went to gather eggs. Later that day, he’d show Esther how to gather eggs and such. Filbert usually milked the two cows, so she would not have to worry about that for the time being.

  He walked in to find she was boiling water and, upon seeing him, she blushed prettily. “I’m making you coffee.”

  “I’ll fry up some eggs. We can have them with some of the bread Aurora sent with us.”

  It was strange to cook while his new bride looked on with curiosity. Once he cooked two eggs, she asked to make the next two and did quite well. After they finished toasting bread on the stovetop, together, they placed the bread on the plates and carried them to the table.

  It was rather nice and Eli
as decided they’d cook together often. “I think you’ll become a good cook quickly,” he told her, glad to receive a smile in return.

  “Hopefully.” Esther bowed her head and he blessed their meal.

  “I suppose you have lots to do today,” Esther said.

  Considering he’d been gone for two days, Elias did have to check on his animals and ride out to check the fencing. However, since Filbert’s arrival, his workload had lessened significantly.

  “With winter just passing, there isn’t as much to do. I haven’t released the cattle further than the closest corrals yet. The nights can become quite frigid and I don’t want to lose them to the cold. I planned to ride out to check the fences so that when I do release them, they don’t get out and move into someone else’s land.”

  She listened as he told her about the neighboring farmer who he didn’t get along with particularly well. He described the surrounding lands to the east, which remained wild and full of predators.

  “I didn’t see any other dogs. How do you keep the livestock protected?” Esther sipped her tea while leaning forward. “I imagine there are plenty of wild animals about.”

  “Yes, there are. These two,” he motioned to the two dogs that gnawed on bones he’d pulled out of the cupboard for them. “They’re good cattle driving dogs and keep watch during the day. Mama dog and another two that live in the stables are out at night. For the most part, they keep the livestock safe. If bigger predators come around like bears and such, then there’s not much a dog can do, other than alert me or Filbert.”

  Esther’s eyes widened. “Bears. Will they come close to the house?”

  Not wanting to alarm her, Elias shook his head. “Not very often. Rarely, actually.” He stretched the truth as he’d seen bear paw prints often after returning at the end of the day. However, for the time being, he’d leave the dogs there when he went off. They were good-sized animals and, hopefully, a good deterrent.