Bid for a Bride Read online

His hesitation was a surprising relief. She liked seeing this side of him, for it was more natural than the man who quietly watched everything and picked up cues about her life that no one should know unless she told them. Stepping toward him, she took his hand.

  “We’ll go in together,” she said and led him into the house.

  Chapter Five

  Lucy’s second wedding wasn’t anything like her first. It’d only been eight days ago when she wore a white gown and walked down the church aisle with her father. Her mother sniffed from where she sat in the pew while her other relatives looked on with smiles. Other members of the small community also came to witness the beginning of what was supposed to be her new life. Since Adam had come to their town on one of his travels as a salesman, he had no family members to attend. Lucy should have suspected something was wrong when he wanted to hurry up and get married instead of waiting for his family to come for the event. But he claimed they lived too far and that he’d introduce her to them in good time. She believed him. Everyone believed him. And they were all happy for him and Lucy. Well, almost everyone.

  Only one person wasn’t happy: Meredith, her sister, who looked so much like her that no one could tell them apart. Meredith stood to the left side of the altar. Lucy made her sister the maid of honor because her parents asked her to, not because she wanted it. Meredith had been adamantly opposed to the marriage, but then again, Meredith opposed anything that made Lucy happy. And as Lucy strolled down the aisle, she wondered if anyone else saw the hostility in her sister’s face.

  Now, as Lucy repeated the same vows to Brian that she’d said to Adam eight short days ago, there was no church, none of her relatives and friends, no elaborate white gown, no flowers, no maid of honor, and no best man. There was John, Eliza, Addy, Frank, the preacher, and the preacher’s wife who watched as Brian and Lucy dedicated their lives together for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and in good times and bad for as long as they both lived. And unlike last time, this marriage was valid under law and in the sight of God.

  When the preacher announced them husband and wife, Lucy closed her eyes and waited for the kiss. Brian reached up to touch her face. Startled, she opened her eyes and remembered he couldn’t see her. He brushed her lips with his thumb before he leaned forward to kiss her. The kiss was so light that had she not been watching him, she would have missed it.

  Brian put his hands down and turned to John who handed him his walking stick.

  Eliza stepped forward and hugged Lucy. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” she whispered. “John and I are only a mile away from your new home.”

  “Thank you,” Lucy replied.

  Then Addy and the preacher’s wife gave her a hug while the men wished her and Brian a long and happy life together. Afterwards, she went to the wagon and sat between Brian and Eliza. John hopped in on the driver’s side, next to Brian on her left. Her carpet bag rested in the back of the wagon, a reminder of how little she owned. Addy had added a large quilt and two pillows as a wedding gift.

  The horses moved the wagon forward, and Eliza took Lucy’s hand. “I’m so excited to have another woman nearby. Don’t get me wrong. The men are wonderful, but it’s not the same as talking to a woman. Men just aren’t interested in some things that women are.”

  “No, I suppose not,” Lucy replied, never having given it any thought but seeing the validity in the statement.

  Brian chuckled. “I’m afraid Pa and I bore her with talk of work.”

  “It’s true,” Eliza said with a wry grin. “There’s only so much I want to hear about styling a piece of furniture or tending to the property.”

  Tending to the property? Lucy glanced at Brian and wondered how much a blind person could do outside the house.

  Holding the reins in one hand, John placed his free hand under Brian’s and made some signs.

  Eliza leaned across Lucy and Brian so she could swat John’s hand. “Oh no, you don’t. There’ll be no secret messages. Whatever you have to say, you can say to us all.”

  John shot her a mischievous smile, and from Brian’s smile, Lucy surmised it was a private exchange meant only for father and son. She felt a smile of her own tug at her lips. It was rather touching to see something so natural play out between a man who couldn’t talk and another who couldn’t see.

  Eliza sighed. “You’ll have to forgive them. They can forget other people are around when they get to talking, and believe me, those two can ramble on forever.”

  “We don’t forget other people are around,” Brian said, still grinning. “What we talk about bores you, Ma. Do you really want to know the details of mixing paints and staining?”

  Eliza rolled her eyes. “Like I said, Lucy. In a world of their own.”

  John leaned forward and motioned to Eliza before he made a few gestures with his hand.

  “Maybe I’m a little jealous. You two are so close at times no one else can get a word in edgewise.” Eliza leaned back and whispered to Lucy, “See what I mean about needing a woman out there? You’ll be a real blessing.”

  Brian huffed. “Who’s leaving others out now, Ma?”

  “Don’t you use that tone with me.” Eliza laughed. “I’ve been bearing with it ever since you blessed us by being our son.”

  John placed his hand under Brian’s, made more signs, and then looked at Eliza with his eyebrows raised innocently.

  “Is she? I don’t think Ma’s that upset with you,” Brian said. “She’s got laughter in her voice.”

  “Ah,” Eliza waved her hand at John. “There’s no helping it, Lucy. This is what you just married into.”

  Lucy enjoyed the exchange going on around her. Back home, such joking wasn’t encouraged. Her family had moments when they laughed, but it wasn’t as relaxed as it was with the Evans. No doubt it would take some getting used to, as all new things were, but she suspected the transition into her new home would be a smooth one.

  As Eliza told her about their daily routine, Lucy noted their changing surroundings. They’d departed from the main town and were now heading down a dirt pathway that was lined with fields which farmers were planting, though the sun was close to setting.

  “John’s glad he never went into farming,” Eliza said. “He says he’s too fond of sleeping in.”

  John glanced their way and used a few more signs.

  “Oh, and he doesn’t like having to depend on the weather to decide when he works or doesn’t work,” Eliza added.

  Brian cleared his throat. “Lucy, do you read and write?”

  “I took eight grades in school, so yes,” she replied.

  “Pa can write, so you’ll know what he’s saying, even though you don’t know sign language.”

  “And you’ll pick up on the signs in time,” Eliza added.

  Lucy nodded as they left the farmed fields and came to a wide expanse of tall grass.

  “This is our property,” Eliza told her. “John and I live other there.” She pointed to the right. “There’s a creek back in those trees, and there’s enough water to bathe in the summer if you wish. Brian’s house is over there.”

  Lucy’s gaze traveled to the left where a small wood house sat a good distance from John and Eliza’s house. Brian’s house was surrounded by a series of trees that provided a shelter belt. From the looks of it, John and Eliza couldn’t see his house from theirs, and if Brian could see, he wouldn’t see their house from his either.

  “Brian likes trees,” Eliza said. “That’s why we put the house over there.”

  “The shade is nice in the summer,” Brian added, “and I love the smell and sound of the leaves when I walk on them in the fall. It helps that they bear the brunt of the snow in the winter.”

  “It looks like a peaceful place,” Lucy said, thinking it would be nice to live here, out of the way from others. The day had been a trying one in some ways but relieving in others, and what she longed for was a place like this to spend her days, recouping from
all that’d just happened. “I’m looking forward to being here.”

  “I’m glad,” both Brian and Eliza replied and then laughed.

  John used some signs with his free hand.

  “Yes, I know,” Eliza said. Turning to Lucy, she explained, “John says that there are times when Brian and I are close too.”

  The rest of the ride was silent as they made their way further onto the property. Lucy relaxed against Brian, taking comfort in his solid strength. After all the crying she’d done and activity in town, her exhaustion was quickly catching up to her. When Brian reached for her hand and held it, she realized there was a slight tremble in his touch. Surprised, she glanced at him. Maybe she shouldn’t find his apprehension reassuring, but she did. Upon first meeting him, he seemed so intimidating to her. But now he wasn’t, and she was glad he didn’t know everything. True, he detected things about her in ways that being blind had enabled him to, but she no longer found it scary.

  She squeezed his hand and settled her head against his shoulder. A few birds sang in the air and the horses’ hooves pounded the dirt road in a soothing rhythm. She closed her eyes and imagined what it was like for him to be here, listening to the sounds and smelling the clover in the air. He said he liked the smell of fallen leaves. She’d have to remember to smell them when autumn came.

  The wagon slowed, so she opened her eyes and straightened. John drove the horses up to the front of John and Eliza’s house.

  “You’ll need a lamp,” Eliza told her. “Brian doesn’t have one. Stay here. I’ll go in and get one for you. You can check out our house tomorrow.” She pointed to the rope that started at the kitchen door and went down the property until it disappeared around the trees that marked Brian’s lot. The rope was tied to posts along the way. “This is how Brian gets back and forth to our home. Otherwise, it’s easy to get lost out here in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Oh, that’s clever,” Lucy replied.

  “We also have rope going to the barn and work shed,” Brian added. “I make furniture with Pa during the day in the work shed.”

  John motioned to the small cabin.

  “The building next to it is where they keep their supplies,” Eliza said.

  Lucy nodded. John jumped out of the wagon and went to help Eliza down. The two went into the house and, for the moment, she and Brian were alone. Lucy thought her new home was perfect. Everything was in good shape and clean. The grass blew gently in the breeze and some yellow flowers were beginning to bloom along the house.

  “Do you like it out here?” she asked Brian, aware they still held hands.

  “Yes. Do you?”

  “Yes, I do. It’s peaceful and quiet. I may have grown up in town, but I used to go to a private spot along the lake and watch the clouds go by.”

  “It sounds nice.”

  She smiled as she recalled resting against her favorite tree in the summer between household chores to enjoy the shade. “It was. I spent a lot of time down by that lake. Sometimes, I made shapes out of the clouds. At other times, I tried my hand at fishing—unsuccessfully, I might add.”

  He chuckled.

  She laughed. “When I was doing either cloud watching or fishing, I brought a book to read. Has anyone read any books to you?”

  “Not before John and Eliza found me. My real parents couldn’t read.”

  “John and Eliza are good to you.”

  “Yes. They couldn’t have children of their own, so they said I was a gift from Heaven.” She noted the slight frown on his face. “My mother was a good woman. I didn’t understand everything that was happening at the time. Getting older forces us to face some unpleasant truths about things we’d rather not know.”

  She thought to ask him what he meant but decided that for today, at least, she’d rather not know. There were too many things to deal with, and she could barely keep them all straight. So much had happened over the past two days, and her life was drastically different than what she imagined it was going to be.

  “I call John and Eliza my pa and ma because that’s what they’ve become to me,” Brian continued, his slight frown turning into a smile. “When they first brought me here, Ma fretted over me. She worried I wasn’t getting enough to eat, so she’d let me eat dessert before the main meal. Then I grew older and she worried I’d never stop eating. It’s evened out now, so I think she’s finally happy.”

  She grinned. “I remember my mother saying the same thing about my brother.”

  “I had an older brother, but he died before I was born so I never knew what it was like to have siblings. How many did you have?”

  “Two. My sister and brother.”

  “Will you miss your family?”

  “Yes.” All but her sister, but as he had his past he didn’t wish to go into on their first day together as man and wife, she didn’t either.

  He squeezed her hand in a way that brought her more comfort than she thought a human touch could. “I’ll do what I can to be a good husband to you, and if you wish, you can send them a letter letting them know you’re safe.”

  She decided not to answer. After what happened the night before her wedding to Adam, she figured it was best to disappear. Forcing her attention to the grass blowing in the breeze, she reminded herself that even if she ended up in South Dakota with a man she hardly knew, she was better off here than back in Minnesota.

  John and Eliza came out of their house with Eliza chatting on about going to town the next day. She carried a kerosene lamp, and he carried a box. When they reached the wagon, Lucy let go of Brian’s hand so she could take the lamp from her. John set the box of grocery items and cookware in the back of the wagon before he helped Eliza in.

  As Eliza settled next to Lucy, she said, “Brian eats with us, so he doesn’t have much of anything over at his place.”

  “That’s good thinking, Ma,” Brian replied. “She’s right, Lucy. I just have a pot to make coffee in. We’ll add more things to our home as we need them.”

  “Thank you.” Lucy glanced at the kerosene lamp. “For everything.”

  “Think nothing of it,” Eliza said. “We’re happy to help.”

  John got onto the wagon and drove the horses forward.

  The ride was quiet, and Lucy took the opportunity to scan the area again as the sun set. In Minnesota, she’d been surrounded by trees and lived near a lake. The train ride to Sioux Falls with Adam had given her a good view of the prairie lands, and when he purchased the buggy and horse with a portion of her dowry, they traveled west. And then he brought her to this town to get rid of her before he headed off to who knew where.

  When John pulled the wagon up to the house, Eliza said, “Tomorrow, John and I will get your buggy and bring it to the barn. Brian can’t drive a buggy, of course, which is why we always used this wagon, but now that you’re here, you can drive to town in that buggy if you need to.”

  As much as Lucy didn’t want to see anything connected with Adam ever again, she figured it would be useful out here. Plus, it was her parents’ money that paid for it, so technically it belonged to her anyway.

  Lucy turned her attention to her new home. It was a little bigger than John and Eliza’s place, but not by much. It was made of wood and wasn’t a two-story home like the one she’d grown up in. On the porch were three rocking chairs. Not too far from the front of the house was a well and further down the property, she saw an outhouse. Well, at least she knew where she was supposed to get water and answer nature’s call.

  Everyone got out of the wagon, and Lucy’s body was stiff from all the traveling. She walked about, loosening her muscles and watching as Brian grabbed his walking stick and her carpet bag while John retrieved the large box he and Eliza had taken out of their house.

  Eliza motioned for Lucy to follow her so Lucy did. As Eliza opened the front door, she said, “John will bring in the things Addy gave you.”

  Lucy stepped inside the house and noticed how dark it was. She found a box of matches next to the coo
k stove and lit the lamp.

  The kitchen was small but adequate for what she and Brian would need. It had a table and three chairs, a work table, shelves that currently held a meager pot and pan, a tray that held a couple of utensils, and the cook stove that looked to be in good shape.

  “We have a cellar we share where we store most of our food,” Eliza said.

  The men entered the house and set the items they were carrying on the work table. John nudged Brian and they left.

  “They’ll get those things Addy gave you,” Eliza explained and picked up the lamp. “We’ll get another chair for this table.”

  Lucy followed her to the room at the side of the kitchen.

  “This is the main bedroom. I thought it might keep warmer in the winter if it was close to the kitchen. That may not be so great in the summer, but we have cooler weather more often than not in this part of the country. Where I came from in Omaha, we had seasons and such, but you never knew if it’d be hot or cold in the fall and spring. Up here, the weather is much more predictable.”

  Lucy’s gaze turned to the small dresser, a closet, and the double bed.

  Eliza chuckled and looked at her. “Men never think of the basics, and my son is no different. You’ll need curtains. We’ll get started on those. And a better rug than this one. Why, Brian should know this worn down thing won’t work, even for a single man. As for the bed, he thought he’d only need a single one, but I told him some day he’d get married, and then what was he going to do? Sleep on the floor?” She shook her head but smiled. “Men need us women around, you know. They just don’t take the time to think of things that make a home. But I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on him. He’d just asked that Annabelle Courtney if he could court her and she said no. It broke his heart. He wouldn’t talk to anyone for a good two weeks. But don’t you worry none. He’s over it now. It was years ago. I don’t even remember how many. All I know is she’s married and has a child and another on the way.”

  Lucy followed Eliza out of the room, noting the hardwood floors that made their footsteps seem louder in the quiet house. They passed the kitchen and entered the parlor.