Seeing his friend and parishioner in such distress affected Jack. “I wouldn’t give up if I were you. Did she offer any reason?”
“No, just circumstances had changed since I left, and it was impractical to leave.”
“That does not say she didn’t want to marry you. It says impractical. I’ve learned in my ministry, problems perceived by folks often turn out not to be problems after all. Write her back asking for more details. Ask why? If that doesn’t work, go back there and see for yourself. You have legitimate interests there to justify the trip.”
“Thanks, Jack. It’s good advice.” He shook his friend’s hand and went home and to work. He saw the last patient of the day, and sat down to compose a letter to Elizabeth.
My Dear Elizabeth,
I received your reply to my proposal with great disappointment. When you say circumstances have changed, are you addressing financial circumstances? It certainly in none of my business, but if I can help, I will.
Have you found someone you care for? If you are not promised to another, I believe we can resolve any problems you might have, other than a lack of interest in my proposal. If that is the case, please tell me and I shall not push myself at you anymore.
This letter is of necessity, short. You have indicated a wish to continue a correspondence, but topics are limited. I have no news at this point.
The Indians are quiet at present, but present an ongoing threat. I continue to attend to church regularly unless I am with a patient. I have developed a deepening friendship with Reverend Owens and his wife. I continue to be friends with the storekeeper but to a lesser degree. I think I can have a friendship with Case and Carrie Jamison too.
I wait with great anticipation, your next letter. I will be disappointed, if there is not one.
Sincerely,
Carter
He put the letter in the mail the same day. He turned his attention to his work while he waited for an answer.
Chapter 14: Another Rejection
The letter began…
My Dear Carter,
I have your latest letter in hand. It pains me to have caused you distress. I assure you my intentions lay in the opposite direction.
I have no relationship with another, and my concerns are not financial, though my situation is tight; but for reasons I do not wish to discuss, I cannot accept your proposal.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Sitting with Jack, in the church after services, Carter showed him the latest letter, “Jack, what do you make of this? She has some problems, and for some reason, does not want to tell me about it.”
Jack looked at the letter. “Carter, I don’t have a clue. It’s obvious she cares for you. She may have an illness and does not want to burden you with it. I just don’t know. If she is that important to you, I think you should go to her and see if you can help.”
“I think you are correct. It will take a week to get there, but I believe it’s worth the trip. I’m going to make arrangements. I don’t think I will write I’m coming.”
Eight days later…
Carter hired a carriage and drove to the home on Shady Grove Road. He looked at his house; it was neat and appeared to be well cared for, as did Elizabeth’s.
He went up the steps and knocked on the door. He heard a noise from inside, so he knew she was home. He heard the snick of the lock and Elizabeth opened the door.
“Yes?” she said. A shocked expression appeared on her face, when she recognized him. She fainted, dead away. It happened so fast, Carter almost did not catch her before she crumpled to the floor. He carried her to the davenport, and then went to the kitchen, where he dampened a towel. He wiped her forehead gently and called her name as she began to stir.
“Carter, it’s you. What are you doing here?” I didn’t know you were coming,” she stammered.
“I came because I thought you needed help. Your letters concerned me, and I had no choice but to come and make sure you were well.”
“I am well. Whatever gave you the idea I was not?”
“Your letters gave no hint what was bothering you. I was afraid you had an illness and didn’t want to burden me. I had to know, Elizabeth.”
She sat up. “Excuse me, I have to attend to something; I’ll be right back.” She left the room, and returned five minutes later, carrying a little boy. “Carter, this is the circumstance I did not want to drop on you. He is your son. I named him Carter Patrick. He recently had his second birthday.”
He stood. “You had my son, and didn’t want to tell me. Why, for goodness sakes.”
She said, “You shouldn’t have to pay for an indiscretion on my part.”
“If I remember correctly, it takes two to make a baby,” he said.
“I came to your bed, it was my fault,” she said.
“Fault?” for God’s sake, “Elizabeth, he’s a blessing. For two years, I’ve been a father and didn’t know. You should have told me.”
“Jim Gilbride said the same thing. He offered to write if I was afraid to, but I asked him not to do so.”
Carter extended his arms to take his son, but he turned away, his head in the hollow of his mother’s neck and shoulder. Carter wrapped his arms around the mother and son. His eyes were moist. “You shouldn’t have gone through this alone. I wouldn’t have let you, had I known.”
“I know that. You needed to put the shock of losing Lucy, and the nightmares of war behind you and couldn’t do that here. When I realized I was with child, you had been gone two months, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell you, so I put it off and kept putting it off until it was too late. Then I was afraid to tell you.”
He released them, and motioned to sit down. “We have so much to talk about. We have to decide how we are going to do this.”
She sat beside him. “I don’t hold you responsible for anything. Carter is the joy of my life. I always wanted to be a mother and now I am. He’s a happy child and is no trouble.”
“Listen to you,” Carter said. “You’re talking about my son. I am responsible. I came back here wanting to marry you and take you to Montana. Now, I have even more reason for wanting to marry you. If you don’t want to move there, then I will return here. I want to be part of your life, wherever it is.
“Through your letters, I realized how much I care for you. Elizabeth, I love you and want you for my wife. Will you marry me?”
“Are you sure?”
“I was never surer of anything in my life. I want to marry you today. Now. Will you?”
“Yes, Carter. I will be your wife. It has been my dream since you came home from the war, but I knew you had to grieve for Lucy. I wanted Carter to have a Papa, but it had to be you and you had to want it too.”
“How, when, and where would you like to get married?” he asked.
I don’t care how, and as soon as possible, so I guess the where is here.”
“I’m reluctant to ask this question, because I’m afraid of the answer. Would you have me move here, or will you come to Montana to live?”
“Here would be fine, but so would Montana. Where you are is where I want to be,” she said.
“Carter Patrick, this is your Papa. Can you give him a hug?” She held him out for his Papa to take.
With his son in his arms for the first time, Carter felt the joy of the short arms wrapped around his neck. “Give me a big hug, please.”
The little boy squeezed his arms around Carter’s neck and said, “Unnhh.”
“That was a good one. Do you want to go with Mama and Papa to get married?”
His son nodded emphatically. “Can you say Papa?” he asked.
“Papa”, he echoed.
Elizabeth said, “You two talk while I freshen up.”
“Wait,” Carter said. I want to kiss you first.” He put his son down, and wrapped his arms around his soon-to-be wife, pulled her close and lowered his mouth to hers.
She pressed herself against him. “I’ve been waiting two years fo
r this,” she said. When his lips touched hers, tingles raced throughout her body, her lips parted, allowing him entry. His tongue touched hers and she moaned, and tightened her arms about him. She pressed her hand against the back of his head and deepened the kiss. When they broke apart, she said, “You may have to carry me to marry me. My knees are weak.”
He laughed. “If that’s what it takes. I’ll carry Carter on one arm and you on the other. You go do what you need and us men will talk.”
She smiled and started to leave the room. She turned and looked back. Carter Patrick was sitting on his father’s knee and holding his hands. His Papa was bouncing up and down. Her heart filled with emotion at the sight she never thought she would see.
“It is a great day to get married,” she said aloud.
Chapter 15: Vows Exchanged
Carter and Elizabeth received their marriage license from the Montgomery County Clerk who also performed the ceremony. After kissing his bride, Carter took his wife and son home where they would begin their married life together.
Noise was the big difference. When he lived here before, the house was quiet. Carter Patrick constantly investigated the nooks and corners of the house. He pulled things from the drawers in the kitchen, and then left them on the floor. Elizabeth checked to see what he had stuffed in his mouth on a regular basis.
“I’ll bet it’s even noisy when he’s asleep,” Carter said with a laugh.
“Welcome to a world with a two year old in it,” Elizabeth said.
As they ate dinner, Carter asked Elizabeth, “Did I hear you correctly when I thought you said you would be willing to move to Montana?”
“You did. I suppose I should sell this house. There’s probably a good market the way Montgomery County is growing.”
“I have a suggestion,” Carter said. “Make the same arrangement with the bank that I did. Doing that will give something to fall back on if Montana does not suit you.”
“To have and to hold, in sickness and in health. That was in the vows we took. You can’t hold Carter and me if we’re in Maryland and you’re in Montana. I am looking forward to my new home. Let’s go there as soon as possible. Deal?”
“Deal,” he said. “We’ll go to the bank tomorrow.”
They cleared away the dishes, and sat in the living room, with Carter bouncing Carter Patrick on his knee, enjoying the squeals of delight from his son. When he stopped bouncing, Elizabeth took Carter in her lap and rocked him until he fell asleep.
Carter stood in the doorway, smiling as she tucked him in. She backed out of the room, making sure he was asleep. Carter took her into his arms and whispered; “Now it’s your turn. I’m going to take you to bed.”
“I can hardly wait for that,” she said.
He doused the lamps, and locked the doors. She was standing in the middle of the bedroom. “I didn’t start to undress. I think I would like for you to do the honors.” She turned, her back now toward him. He unhooked the button loops; she raised her arms above her head and bent forward from the waist. He pulled the long dress over her head and laid it aside. He turned, and she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off and over his arms, then laid it aside. He pulled her petticoat over her head and laid it atop her dress.
This was tantalizing, and he could feel himself becoming firm. She pulled his undershirt off and laid it on his shirt. Next came her chemise, and his trousers. Clad only in his underwear and she in her pantaloons, they came together. He kissed her hungrily. She shivered as her desire built. Very slowly, he peeled her pantaloons down her legs, savoring what was now revealed to him. “You are exquisite,” he said. As a doctor, I can appreciate the human body, and yours is perfect. And you’re mine. I am truly a lucky man.”
“Why sir, you could turn a girl’s head,” she said with a coquettish smile.
“It is what it is,” he said. “I speak the truth.”
She removed his underwear; his member sprang forth, fully erect, bouncing. He took her in his arms. There was nothing separating them. Her nipples were firm and seared his chest when they came in contact with his skin. When he kissed her neck, she arched her back, thrusting her moist treasure against his throbbing groin. “I want to make love to you,” he whispered. Cupping a breast in his hand, he lowered his head and took it into his mouth.
“Do it, Carter. Do it.” She did a slow rotation of her hips grinding her pelvis against him. He groaned with desire. He moved her back against the bed. He landed on top of her when they fell. Her arms pulled him down until he covered the full length of her body. He kissed each breast and moved slowly down her body, pausing at her belly button long enough to trace the edges with his tongue. She had an innie.
As he moved further down, he spread her legs, opening her up for easier access. Pushing her folds apart with his hands, he explored the edges with his fingers, and then the inside of her vault. He felt her body quiver beneath him. He didn’t stop, even when she lost control and began thrusting wildly beneath his ministrations. Holding his head between her hands, she pulled it to her breasts, as her hips undulated. She released his head. She was spent. But not so she couldn’t pull him up to eye level. She crushed her lips against him, and then probed the inside of his mouth.
She broke the kiss. “Ohhh, that was wonderfully wild, never in my entire life have I…”, she panted. Her hand clutched his manhood, a shaft of steel. She guided it to her entrance and pushed her hips upward and pulling him inside. He began moving, up and down, as she found the rhythm and matched his strokes with hers. He felt the tension in her body as she approached completion once again.
“Wait for me. Wait for me,” he whispered.
“You had better hurry,” she said. “Oohhh, I can’t wait. I can’t stopppp… Ohhhhh” He increased the speed of his thrusts, then together they plunged over the edge.
In his arms, their bodies moist with perspiration, she said, “Thank you for coming back to get us. I couldn’t have made the trip myself, not knowing for sure how you felt.”
Entwined with each other, they fell asleep. Elizabeth was the first to awaken; she donned her nightgown and went down the hall to check on the baby. He pulled up on the sides of his bed, wanting to be picked up. She changed his diaper and decided to take him back to her bedroom. She sat him on top of his father’s chest, where he immediately began bouncing.
It was the first time Carter woke with his son on his chest. It would not be the last.
Chapter 16: We’re Going Home To Montana
The Palmers went to the bank the next morning and met with John Hackett, whom he had dealt with prior to leaving for Montana. “Your service has been all I could have hoped for. I wish I had the same quality of service from the bank in Helena.”
“I’m pleased you are satisfied, Doctor Palmer. Can I help you with anything today?”
“I’m going to need some funds. Elizabeth and I were married yesterday, and we will be leaving for Montana the day after tomorrow. She would like you to manage her home just as you do mine. She won’t ask this, but I would like to keep the accounts separate.”
“Carter, it’s not necessary to do that; we’re married. What I have is yours, you know that,” Elizabeth said.
“I just think you should have access to funds on your own, without worrying about taking it from the family account.”
She said, “All the same, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“I can have that set up for you, Mrs. Palmer. You’ll be leaving the furniture, I assume?”
“Yes. Carter has a home already furnished in Helena, and it would cost a fortune to move it. More than it’s worth, I would think.”
“I think it’s a wise decision. If you could come by tomorrow, I’ll have the papers prepared and ready for signature. Doctor, would you like to see the ledger while you’re here?”
“Why don’t I look at it when we come in tomorrow?”
“Good, I’ll have it ready for you. I’ll see you in the morning, then.
“Good day, M
r. Hackett.”
* * *
Long. Tiring. Boring.
For Carter Patrick, the train ride was all of these. With little room to move around, he was fidgety, and irritable. Elizabeth and Carter found it necessary to hold him, even though Carter had purchased drawing room tickets. And that was the easy part of the trip.
The three and one-half days on the stage were interminably long and uncomfortable. The three of them were sore and bone weary when they arrived in Helena. Carter led the way to the International Hotel restaurant where they had lunch.
The Montana Doctor's Bride (New Brides of Montana) Page 6
