“No,” John laughed. “She’s not a waitress… Her parents own this restaurant, as well the general store. Belle works here as manager. Truth be told, she doesn’t need to work, as her parents are quite wealthy and regularly give us money. But, she likes to work.”
“Oh,” Loraine replied, otherwise at a loss for words. She looked at Belle again, and examined her from head to toe. Though Loraine was not a particularly vain person, she felt confident in the fact that she was more attractive than John’s wife, and that her superior looks would, ultimately, work to her advantage.
Belle walked over to the table. Indeed, she was a little plump. But, she carried her weight well, and she moved rather gracefully.
“Hello, everyone,” Belle said when she got to them.
Amy, William, and of course John, nodded their heads and smiled at her. Loraine smiled as well, stared directly at her rival, and raised her eyebrows.
“You must be Loraine,” Belle said to her. She spoke those words as if she was at total ease with Loraine and was not at all intimidated by her conventionally more-attractive appearance.
“Yes, and you must be Belle,” Loraine replied. Then, she too nodded at John’s wife.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” Belle smiled. “I’m so glad you’ve come here to Dallas. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
Belle seemed like a very sweet woman, and, for a moment, Loraine felt bad about how she planned to steal John from her—and, for a very brief moment, she questioned whether she could actually do it. But, that moment passed like lightning, and Loraine decided to ignore how genuine and likeable Belle was, for, as much as she liked Belle, she loved John more—and, at any expense, even at the expense of hurting this sweet woman. She had to have him, she just knew they were destined to be together.
“But, for now,” Belle added, “we’ll have to leave it at introductions. As it is, I’m working. I’ve got to get back to the counter.”
“You’re not joining us?” Loraine asked. She was surprised that, for someone who’d just expressed such satisfaction in meeting her, Belle wasn’t going to stick around. And, what’s more, Loraine was surprised that Belle didn’t consider her a “threat” of any kind.
“I can’t right now,” Belle answered. “Duty calls… And, I’m sure you, John and Amy have a lot of catching up to do. Not to mention, you and William over there have a lot of groundwork to lay. So, I’ll let you all have at it. There’ll be plenty of time for us to get to know each other better in the days to come—and, if you and William are wed, and you remain here in Dallas, we’ll be neighbors, and, I hope, friends.”
Loraine smiled and nodded at Belle again. Though, a shiver went down her spine when Belle made mention of her marrying William. William, however, felt a warmth rush over him when Belle said those words, and it made his face flush red.
But, it wasn’t Loraine or William’s responses that mattered so much at this point. It was what John’s. What he said next had significant impact on what Loraine decided to do.
SIX
“You know,” John said, as Belle walked away from the table, “being married is really great. It brings two people together, and brings the best out of both of them. I feel as though I’m such a better person now that I’m married. And, I can’t wait for the two of you to experience it. You both are good friends of mine, and nothing would make me happier than to see you married.”
Loraine listened to what John said. And, just liked she’d done with the letter he’d sent her, she focused on the wrong parts of his statement. But, this time, it wasn’t John’s sentiments that gave her hope, but, rather, his syntax. When he said how marriage brings out the best in people, it gave Loraine an idea: If she were to marry William, it would bring out the best in her, and would make her more appealing to John; if she could show John what a good wife she would be, he would surely want her for his own.
Well, perhaps Lorain’s thinking was a bit skewed here. But, at this point, the odds were already stacked against her, and she’d try anything to win John over.
So, when John went on to pose the critical question, Loraine was not sincere when she answered. She said what she said to move things along and impress John faster, and so that she could make him happy.
“You think you’re up for it, Loraine?” John asked a bit flippantly. “You wanna marry our buddy William?”
Much to everyone’s surprise, Loraine’s response was brief and immediate.
“Yes,” she said matter-of-factly.
Amy’s head bobbed in shock. John’s eyebrows rose, and his eyes widened. And, William felt that warmth rush over him again—only, this time, it was a thousand times’ more intense.
“Really?” Amy asked, voicing her surprise. Both John and William were relieved that she posed the question. They both were thinking the same thing. Loraine’s response had been so immediate, and sounded so definite.
“I came all the way here from Baltimore, didn’t I?” Loraine said, bowing her head. “I obviously came here for a reason… I’m tired of the lonesome life I lived back there. I want to be married.”
Loraine looked up again. But, when she did, she looked up into John’s eyes, not William’s. After all, just as she’d done in her reply to John’s letter, she’d chosen her words very carefully. She didn’t say who she wanted to marry—but, rest assured, it wasn’t William Hudson.
Nonetheless, her marrying William Hudson was exactly what the foursome went on to discuss for the next hour or so as they ate what amounted to a four-course dinner over lunch. Their conversation was quite practical, and they all agreed that Loraine and William should spend one week getting to know each other; and, if they got along well, they’d be married the following weekend.
Loraine liked the plan because it gave her some wiggle room to try and win John over without actually getting married; and, if she couldn’t win him over in that time, she’d win him over by showing him what a good wife she would be.
William liked the plan because… he liked Loraine. He liked her a lot. Not only was she the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, she was also soft, vulnerable, and, apparently, had an open mind and adventurous spirit. He saw her immediate interest in marrying him as a sign of these things, and he found it all quite endearing. He simply couldn’t wait to get to better know this amazing woman before him.
The group continued to talk for a bit longer, until the restaurant started to fill up with new customers. It was dinnertime now, and the table they were occupying was a highly-coveted commodity. So, out of respect for their fellow townsfolk, and for Belle’s parents’ profit margins, they ended their meal, and conversation, and left.
Loraine was just fine with leaving at that point. In fact, she was quite happy about it. She was rather exhausted from her travels, and, though she’d been the one to instigate it, she found their mealtime conversation overwhelming and was relieved to take a break from it.
But, the stress on Loraine’s body and mind were too much for her. Without planning it, or even realizing it, she fell asleep on the carriage ride to Amy’s house, where she was slated to stay until she and William were married. If she could have had her way, Loraine would have dreamt about John while she slept. But, the reality was, she didn’t dream at all during her slumber; her mind was too worn out to invent any other scenarios.
SEVEN
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Amy giggled from the foot of Loraine’s bed.
“Huh? Where… where am I?” Loraine asked, slowly opening her eyes. She lifted her head up just as slowly and looked around the room in confusion.
“You’re in the spare room at the house on my homestead,” Amy answered, walking over to the window and drawing the curtain open. “It’s morning.”
“What?” Loraine asked, still confused. “How did I get here? And, did you say it’s… morning?”
“Yep,” Amy laughed, smiling at her friend. “You fell asleep on the carriage ride from town. I tried to wake you when we arrived here. Bu
t, you were out cold… So, John carried you into this room and set you on the bed. And you wound up sleeping straight into the morning—and, well into it, as it turns out. It’ll be noontime in about an hour!”
“Oh my,” Loraine replied, sitting up. As much as she was surprised to learn she’d slept so solidly, she was even more surprised, or, perhaps, upset, that she’d slept through a moment of tender closeness with John. She regretted that she didn’t get to feel his arms around her.
“I’m sorry about that,” Loraine went on, running her hands over her face and hair. “I was just so tired from the train ride. And, then, all that talk of marrying William really had my mind going.”
Amy’s smiled softened a bit, and she walked back over to the foot of Loraine’s bed.
“You know, Loraine, I’m very proud of you,” Amy said, sitting down on the bed. “When I sent you all those letters over the past several months and didn’t hear back from you, I was starting to worry that you were somehow destroyed by John’s marriage to Belle. I know how long you clung on to that childish plan of ours to have you marry him, so that we could become sisters—and, I figured maybe you still harbored feelings for him and were heartbroken to learn that that plan could never come to fruition.
“So, the fact that you came out here and are so willing and eager to marry William makes me feel so much better. It sets my mind at ease. I’m proud of you for moving on past your youthful obsession—which, you’ve got to admit, was a bit extreme—and, I’m proud to see you so at ease and looking towards the future.”
Loraine forced herself to smile a fake smile, and she nodded affirmatively.
“Well, enough of that kind of talk!” Amy added with a chuckle. “It’s time for you to get your lazy bones up out of bed, so that you can freshen up and start your day.”
Loraine smiled and nodded again, and Amy got up and left the room.
Not even two hours later, only moments after Amy had finished giving Loraine a thorough tour of her homestead, there was a knock at the door. It was Amy who answered it, and she found William on the other side. He’d come around to chat with Loraine, and formally begin their courtship. He brought a dozen white roses with him, and it didn’t even occur to Loraine to ask him how he knew they were her favorite flowers.
Loraine and William proceed to talk for a while, as Amy prepared lunch, which the three of them enjoyed together. During their discussion, Loraine learned a great deal about William—from his family history and the nature of his business to his long-term goals, favorite books, and hobbies. Indeed, Loraine thought William was a splendid, interesting man, who’d probably be a great husband. But, it didn’t matter how splendid or interesting he was, or how great of a husband he’d probably be, because he wasn’t John.
William left Amy’s house later that day, just before dinner. But, he returned the next evening, and the two of them went on a stroll to watch the sunset together. Indeed, William had a whimsical side and a strong appreciation for God’s creations and nature, which Loraine found quite charming. But, as charming as these qualities were, they didn’t matter. Loraine wouldn’t allow herself to be moved by them, for her heart already belonged to another.
The next day, William did not visit with Loraine at Amy’s homestead. Instead, Amy and Loraine went to his ranch, and he showed Loraine around his home and business. His operations were very well-organized and seemed productive, and his home was quite clean and well-maintained. By all measures, William was a sound businessman, and a sensible, practical person. Loraine was impressed by these attributes—but, of course, she wasn’t too impressed by them.
Over the next two days, Loraine continued to observe and learn new things about William and his nature. He was sweet, reverent, and helpful. He was easily embarrassed, sentimental, and a bit shy at times. He was a good man, and Loraine developed a genuine affection for him. But, that affection paled in comparison to her infatuation with John.
And, this whole while, while Loraine and John were getting to know each other better, Loraine was regularly interacting with John and Belle as well, and her aforementioned infatuation with John, and her plan to win him over, stuck with her throughout and, if anything, grew stronger.
At the end of the week, when Loraine, William, John, and Amy got together to discuss whether or not Loraine and William were going to move forward and get married, their conversation was a quick one. Loraine affirmed that she wanted to move forward. It was a tool she could use in her efforts to win John over, and she figured it wouldn’t be so bad to be paired up with a man like William until her efforts were finally rewarded.
When their group conversation was through, Loraine said she was going to write a letter to her father to inform him of her plans to marry. And, it was at this point that John called her aside for a private discussion.
“Could you put something else in your letter to your father?” John asked Loraine with a broad smile.
“Of course,” Loraine replied without even thinking. “What?”
“Could you tell him that I am very proud to be registered to serve in the Union Army,” John answered, “and that I have great ambitions to advance in the organization. And could you ask him to put in a good word for me?”
John bowed his head, then, with it still tilted forward, he raised his eyes to look at Loraine again.
“You see, when I was younger and I’d sit in with our fathers during their business meetings, sometimes your father would give me some of his files to review, to keep me busy while he and my father performed more complicated calculations or discussed more sensitive matters. I guess it was his way of helping me study and preparing my mind for business.
“Whatever the case, I became pretty familiar with a few of the files, and remembered the names mentioned in them. And, recently, when I was reading a Union periodical, I saw one of those same names listed, and it belonged to high-ranking officer here in Dallas, by the name of Carl Bennet. So, I figured, maybe you could tell your father that you recognized Carl Bennet’s name, and that you wanted him to write to his former associate and endorse me, since you’d like me to advance my military career and—”
“I get it,” Loraine interrupted. “And, I’ll do it.”
John lifted his head up, closed his eyes, and took a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much, Loraine,” he said softly, opening his eyes again.
Loraine went off to write her letter to her father.
She wrote she was going to marry William Hudson, and apologized for being so abrupt and not holding off until he could make it out to Texas to attend the wedding or give his consent. And, of course, she wrote the things she’d told John she’d write—and, she thought nothing of writing them. For her, obliging his request was just another thing she could do to tip the odds in her favor.
Two days later, however, Loraine was thrown for a loop, and her approach wavered and lost ground.
EIGHT
Loraine spent the bulk of the next two days preparing for her wedding. The first day, she and William met with the minister to get his blessing and set their wedding date. They would be married four days later, at a private ceremony after the evening vigil. The ceremony was to be private upon Loraine’s request, as she felt, or said she felt, it wore be more intimate that way.
The second day, Loraine and Amy went shopping. But, as conservative as Loraine was as per the size of her ceremony, she was quite liberal when it came to other aspects of her wedding. She chose the most elaborate, pronounced wedding dress of all the dresses in the specialty clothing shop, and she chose the longest veil, and the thickest gold wedding bands. She figured if she was going to play the part of the beautiful bride, she might as well go all-out on her wardrobe. Plus, the better she looked, the more John would appreciate her appearance. She knew that, when he saw her in her getup, he’d wish that it was he who was at her side.
After the women were through with their shopping, they went back to Amy’s homestead and prepared a large dinner. William, John, and Belle would
be joining them for that meal, as part of their pre-wedding wedding celebration. It would mark the last time Loraine and William saw each other before they were married.
William was the first to arrive at Amy’s homestead that evening, but John and Belle turned up only a few minutes later. The group went on to have their dinner as planned, and it was quite merry. But, all the while, Loraine kept noticing that William was looking at her with an awkward expression on his face. He’d had that same expression on his face when he first met her at the train station, and when they had lunch at the diner—and, she’d seen it a few other times, during the course of their “courtship” during the past week or so. She didn’t know exactly what that look meant, but she still thought it looked pretty goofy and foolish, albeit in a way that she also found somewhat endearing.
After the meal, everyone retired to the sitting room to talk for a bit. That, too, was a merry time. And, then, too, Loraine saw William wearing that same expression a few different times.
When evening came, as self-designated chaperone, Amy announced that it was time to call it a night. The group exchanged their farewells, then William and John and Belle left, as Loraine went off to clear the table and Amy went off to clean the kitchen.
Loraine carried the dirty dishes to the kitchen, then came back into the dining room to collect the serving dishes and platters. And, much to her surprise, when she stepped into the room, she found John waiting there.
“There was something I wanted to ask you,” John said, leaning back against the table.
Loraine walked over toward him, with her heart racing in her chest. She reached out and grabbed the empty platter that sat just several inches away from his form. “What’s that?” she asked with a smile.
“Did you… did you,” John stuttered, a little taken back by how Loraine looked at that particular moment. “Did you… write to your father about Carl Bennet?”
New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Page 3
