If Henry were to learn that Camilla was pregnant, he would either be upset to learn he’d been courting a pregnant woman, or he’d be upset to learn that Camilla had kept a secret from him—but, in either event, he’d be upset, and he’d likely confront Camilla. And, then, Samantha figured, Camilla would get what she deserved. Her remaining time with Henry would be spoiled, and she’d be left in a dismal state when he left town.
That’ll show her, Samantha told herself. That’ll show her, for taking what I wanted. She took the man I was interested in, and took my clout at my father’s bakery away from me. So, I’ll take her reputation as an honest woman away from her.
Samantha stepped back from the door, turned around, and walked out to the front of the house. She told the nurse that her leg pains went away and she no longer needed to see the doctor. Then, she left the doctor’s house and return to the busier part of town, where she asked around to determine Henry’s whereabouts.
A short while later, Henry stepped out of the bank with a huge smile on his face. Unbeknownst to Samantha—or anyone else in Sun Crest—he’d just had a very important discussion with his bank agent, and he had great news he couldn’t wait to share with Camilla.
Henry started down the street, toward the bakery, hoping to find Camilla there. There was a spring in his step, and a happiness in his heart. But, soon, both were interrupted, when Samantha walked up beside him.
“Oh Henry,” Samantha sang out in an eerie voice. “If you have a moment, I’d like to speak with you.”
“Not right now, Samantha,” Henry replied. “I’ve got something I need to do, and don’t have time.”
“Hmmm,” Samantha hummed, reaching out and placing her hand on Henry’s shoulder. Her touch was cold, and it sent shivers down Henry’s spine.
“You’ll want to make time to hear what I have to say,” Samantha added in the same eerie voice. “It’s regarding Camilla.”
Henry stopped walking and turned to Samantha. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s talk.”
TEN
Camilla stood outside of the bakery… waiting. It was nearly an hour after her shift had finished, but Henry was nowhere in sight, which alarmed Camilla, as they’d made plans for him to walk her home and have dinner with her and Mrs. Norton that night.
What’s more, Camilla was concerned because Henry hadn’t come around to the bakery at all that day. Sure enough, he’d been in every day since the first time she saw him, so Camilla didn’t even know what o begin to think of his absence.
Another 20 minutes or so passed, and Camilla became increasingly concerned. She’d only known Henry a little over a week or so, but she knew him well enough to know that this type of behavior was abnormal for him.
Camilla went around town for a bit, checking the spots where she thought he might likely have visited and been unexpectedly delayed. The bank and the post office were already closed, so she didn’t bother checking there. But, she went past the general store, the clothing shop, and even the restaurant. But, alas, Henry was nowhere to be found.
Camilla began to think the worst, and she headed away from town. She stopped by the doctor’s house again, just to make sure he was not there—and, indeed, he was not.
As Camilla made her way out of town toward the residential area, both her heart and mind raced. She was very worried.
When Camilla neared Mrs. Norton’s homestead, she looked right past it and continued walking. She traveled two extra miles to go to Henry’s late parents’ ranch, desperately hoping he was there.
By the time Camilla arrived at the ranch, her body ached. But, her spirit was relieved. As she approached the house, she could see Henry inside. He was walking back and forth, taking things from the shelves and mantle and placing them in a few different boxes.
Camilla walked up to the door and knocked on it.
“Go away, whoever you are,” Henry called out from inside. His voice sounded agitated and gruff. But, nonetheless, Camilla knocked again.
“I said go away!” Henry shouted.
“It’s me, Camilla,” Camilla called out.
A moment later, Camilla heard footsteps approaching. Then, the door swung open, and, no sooner than it did, she saw Henry walking away from it, back towards the other side of the room.
“What do you want?” he asked, resuming his task. It was clear to Camilla that he was packing up his parents’ things, likely in anticipation of his impending departure from Sun Crest.
“I thought we were supposed to meet up outside of the bakery after my shift,” Camilla answered in a somewhat sheepish voice. She was a bit intimidated by Henry’s demeanor, but she pressed on. “You were supposed to walk me home and sit for dinner with me and Mrs. Norton tonight. But, I waited for over an hour and you didn’t show. And, you didn’t stop in to the bakery today, like you usually do… So, I came out here to look for you, as I was concerned.”
“Yes, we were supposed to meet outside of the bakery after your shift,” Henry replied in a caustic voice, with his back still facing Camilla. “But, something came up, and I had to change my plans.”
“What came up?” Camilla asked.
Henry continued to pack his things for a moment, and he seemed to ignore Camilla’s question. But, then, after he set a pair of silver candlesticks into a box, he shook his head and replied.
“The truth came up, Camilla,” he answered. “I know… I know your secret. You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
Camilla gasped and recoiled a bit. “How did you… how did you find out?” she asked, on the verge of tears.
“So, it is true?” Henry asked. For the first time in their exchange, he looked at Camilla. He looked her straight in the eyes, and gave her a seething look.
“You know,” Henry went on, turning his back on Camilla again, “when I came here to Sun Crest, I came here aware that I’d inherited a substantial amount of money and a large, fully-functional ranch. I didn’t have much going for me back in Ruby. My job there is a rather lowly one. I’m not much more than a stable boy for a wealthy horse breeder. And, I live in a small house with another bachelor, with whom I split the rent.
“But, at least Ruby is familiar to me. So, when I came here, I planned on claiming what was mine, going back to Ruby, and starting a new business of some sort there. I knew it would be a bit of a struggle to start a new business, but I figured it’d be less of a struggle that starting life anew here. At least there I had friends. I had a reputation as a good man. And, I had a chance at making a name for myself. Here, I’d have to start from scratch, and that seemed like too much for me to handle.
“But, then—then—I met you, and I became enamored with you before I even knew your name. And, when I learned your name, and came to learn more about you, I became even more enamored. I spent my days with you, and my nights dreaming about you—and, I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, you were enough to keep me here. Maybe with you at my side, I could handle all the difficulties I would face. Maybe starting from scratch wouldn’t be so bad, if starting from scratch meant having you in my life.”
Henry walked over to the mantle and leaned against it. His back was still to Camilla, and he took a deep breath before he turned around to face her. But, even though he was facing her now, he kept his head bowed, for he was unable to look at her, out of fear of having her beauty stop him from saying what else he needed to say.
“It was the disposition of this ranch that’s kept me here so long,” Henry continued. “I was negotiating its sale—and, just last night, a courier came around with an offer from my potential buyer’s agent at the bank. The man had agreed to the price I was asking, and he was ready to close the deal.
“But, as I looked over the paperwork, I couldn’t bring myself to sign it. I couldn’t foreclose the possibility of having a future with you for any sum… So, this morning, I went to the bank to tell my agent that I didn’t want to go through with the deal. I told him that I wanted to stay here in Sun Crest and take possession of this ranch my
self.”
Camilla wanted to smile at what Henry had just said. But, given his tone, she knew that such a gesture would be premature, if not totally unwarranted.
“I guess God—or my guardian angel—must have been looking out for me though. My agent told me he’d need two days to contact the potential buyer and draw up the paperwork to put the land ownership and operation in my name.
“I left the bank and started toward the bakery, to tell you of my decision. But, along the way, Samantha stopped me. We talked for a bit, and she told me about your situation.”
“What?” Camilla asked, raising her eyebrows. “How did Samantha know I was pregnant?”
“It doesn’t matter how she knew,” Henry replied, shaking his head slowly. “All that matter is that she knew. And, now I know—and, now that I do, I’m thankful for my agent’s delay… I’m going to return to the bank tomorrow and tell him to go through with the sale. Then, I’ll leave Sun Crest, and be done with you.”
“But… but, why?” Camilla inquired, cocking her head. “Why would you let the fact that I’m pregnant change your mind? If you wanted to start life anew with me, why not start it anew with me and my child?”
“Are you serious?” Henry laughed. He looked up at Camilla and gave her another seething looking. “You’re pregnant with another man’s child! So, either you’ve been keeping company with another man, or you were keeping company with another man very recently. And, in either event, I want nothing to do with a woman who so causally shares her body, or her heart.”
Camilla was taken aback. Henry’s words were a bit harsh, but they were also inaccurate.
“So, Samantha told you I was pregnant?” Camilla said, mustering up the courage to defend herself. “But she didn’t bother to tell you by whom?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Henry answered, turning around again. He went back over to the mantle and picked up a small trinket box, followed by a vase. “But, whoever he is, perhaps you should go bother him, not me.”
“I can’t,” Camilla said in a firm voice. “He’s dead… You see, in telling you my secret, Samantha didn’t tell you it all. The man who fathered my child wasn’t just any man, he was my late husband, Leslie Parker.”
Henry was just about to place the items he’d picked up into a box. But, Camilla’s comment caused him to take pause.
“Leslie was killed in a shootout outside of the saloon about three weeks ago,” Camilla went on. “We’d been married for only three months prior to that night, and I’d just found out I was pregnant that very day… But, in any event, though his death was untimely, it came as no shock to me. Leslie was a cruel, short-tempered drunk. In the brief time we were married, he treated me very unkindly. He yelled at me, called me names, and struck me numerous times, among other things.”
“Then why on earth did you ever marry him to begin with?” Henry asked.
“Because of that dream you and I both had as children,” Camilla replied.
Henry turned to face Camilla again, and his heart ached at the sight of the tears pooling in her eyes.
“I only came here to Sun Crest a few days before Leslie and I were married,” Camilla continued. “Before that, I lived in Baltimore, Maryland, where I struggled through life trying to make it on my own. I turned to a mail-order bride periodical in hopes of finding a better life—and, that’s where I found Leslie’s ad.
“We communicated for a few months, and he led me to believe that he was a good man. But, when I arrived here, shortly after we were married, I learned that he, in fact, was not. Believe me, I wanted to leave him. But, when I found out I was carrying his child, I could not. I could not deny my baby the luxury of having two parents. So, I decided to stay with him, despite the way he treated me.
“But, then, he was killed. And, shortly thereafter, I met you. I decided not to tell you about Leslie or my baby because I didn’t want to recount the ugliness I just shared. You told me you would only be here in Sun Crest for a short while, so I figured we’d both enjoy our time together if I remained silent on such things.”
Henry looked up to the ceiling, closed his eyes, and took a long, deep breath. Then, he looked back down and gazed at Camilla again—and, all the aggression and anger had faded from his face.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth earlier,” Camilla added, bowing her head and blotting her wet face with her sleeve. “And, I completely understand your decision to leave in light of my behavior and news.”
“I forgive you,” Henry said in a soft, sweet voice that sounded far more natural than his previous tone. “And, I, too, completely understand the decisions you made. You could have told me the truth at any time, and I would have been compassionate to your situation. But, you had good reason, albeit a bit clouded, not to tell me.
“And, I can’t blame you for making a clouded decision—for, perhaps I have made one too. But, it’s not too late to change it.”
Camilla looked up at Henry again just as he stepped forward toward one of the boxes he’d been packing. He leaned down, picked up the silver candlesticks he’d placed in it a few moments earlier, and placed them back on the shelf.
Without even realizing it, a smile flashed across Camilla’s face as Henry returned to the box and extracted another item.
“If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind helping me with these things?” Henry asked, looking at Camilla with love in his eyes. “I did a great deal of packing since the time I got back here this afternoon, when I thought I was going to leave. And, now I’ve got a great deal of unpacking to do—and, it’ll go by much quicker if you give me a hand.”
Camilla’s tear-filled eyes lit up. “You mean—” she began.
“Come on,” Henry interrupted, waving Camilla toward him. “We’ve got a lot of work to do if we want to make it back to Mrs. Norton’s in time for dinner.”
Camilla giggled and walked over to Henry. She bent down, picked a few books, and carried them over to the shelf.
Two months later, after a proper, public courtship, Camilla Parker and Henry Brown were married in the church at Sun Crest. And, four months after that, Camilla gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, whom the couple named Toby, and whom Henry treated as if he were his own. The family went on to live a happy, productive life. Henry took over his late parents’ ranch operation, and he combined his profits with his financial inheritance to buy Mr. Jenkins’s bakery when he retired, giving Camilla the career she’d hoped for.
The End
6. THE ABANDONED Bride
Copyright © Hope Sinclair 2018
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher and writer except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a contemporary work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.
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Contents
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ONE
“Good afternoon, Amelia,” the old man behind the counter said, tipping his head politely.
“And good afternoon to you, Mr. Jenkins,” Amelia replied with a smile. Her eyes sparkled, and Mr. Jenkins could tell her hopes were high. Sadly, however, he had to let them down.
“I have nothing for you today, my dear,” he sighed.
Amelia shrugged her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Thanks anyway,” she said, holding back the raw emotions that raged within her. “I’ll be back later this week to check again.”
/> “I know you will,” Mr. Jenkins answered. He returned to his work and began sorting through the envelopes and parcels in front of him, and Amelia walked out the door.
Twice a week, every week, for the past two months, Amelia Johnson had made the same trek to the post office in Camden, Arkansas—and each time, her conversation with the post master, Carl Jenkins, largely went the same. In one way or another, she asked, or otherwise conveyed that she was there to see, if anything had arrived for her; one way or another, Mr. Jenkins let her know that nothing had.
Each time she walked out of the post office, Amelia left hurt, worried, and disappointed. She was waiting on a very important letter—or, rather, a response to any one of the dozen important letters she’d sent out over the past several months—and she couldn’t understand why she hadn’t received it yet. It pained her to think about the possibilities. So, to deal with that pain, she regularly sought spiritual comfort. On her way home, after each uneventful visit with Mr. Jenkins, she prayed and asked God for guidance.
By the time she made it home, Amelia usually felt refreshed and hopeful, even though she still didn’t have any answers. But today… Today was different. Even after her usual prayers, Amelia still felt hurt, worried, and disappointed. Her spirits hadn’t been lifted, as they usually were, and she feared they never would be.
Sure enough, Amelia’s sad disposition did not go unnoticed. No sooner than she came home, her mother could tell she was upset, and she knew the reason.
“Still no word from Carson?” Mrs. Johnson asked.
Amelia shook her head from side to side, then walked over to help her mother peel potatoes.
“It’s been six months since the war ended,” Mrs. Johnson said, twisting the knife around the tuber. “I think it’s time you do something.”
New Beginnings Spring 20 Book Box Set Page 23
