Indiana Goes West (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 1) (7 page)

Indiana giggled as she sat up. “Fine, but you
must choose. I simply cannot. I’m far too nervous. I never thought
in a million years that Mr. Chase would ask me to accompany him
out.”

“The few times I’ve even seen the man, his
eyes are always on you,” Misty said, somewhat enviously. “Of course
he was going to ask you.” As she spoke, she pulled out a dress,
mostly white with light blue lace and trim. “Here, in this one
you’ll be quite a sight.”

Indiana stood up. “All right,” she said. She
lifted her hands above her head as Misty came forward and pulled
the dress down over her body. Then they went to the mirror, and
Indiana watched as her friend and servant tied up the back of the
dress, with laces which started at mid back and went up. A small
flap was then affixed over the laces.

“Are you sure he won’t run in terror when he
sees me?” Indiana said.

“He might run in terror, but it will be
because of your personality and certainly not your looks,” Misty
joked.

“I can still have Mother dismiss you, you
know,” Indiana said with a laugh.

And then, downstairs, the bell on the front
door rang, a noise strong enough to reverberate through a large
portion of the massive mansion in which Indiana and Misty lived,
though for how much longer, neither could say.

“I must answer that, now that there is no
butler,” Misty said, and she swept out of the room, holding up the
hem of her own, much less expensive dress as she did so.

Indiana waited a few moments before following
her. As she stepped lightly down the grand staircase which emptied
in the foyer, Mr. Morgan Chase came into view. He was dressed as
sharply as he had been the first night Indiana had met him, at
dinner. He wore a suit and jacket, and had a top hat tucked under
his arm. It was almost strange to see him without his cowboy hat.
He smiled when he saw her, and walked to greet her at the bottom of
the staircase.

“Miss Indiana,” he said, as he pulled his
free hand out from behind his back. He was holding a dozen roses,
bright red and plump.

“Oh, they’re beautiful,” Indiana said, taking
the flowers and holding them just below her nose.

Misty came to take the flowers. “I’ll put
them in water,” she said as she headed for the kitchen.

“Ready?” Morgan asked, offering his arm.

Indiana took it and nodded.

“I was thinking we could go to Golden Gate
Park,” he added as they headed for the door. He pulled it open and
let her out first, following behind and shutting it. In the drive
stood a handsome covered carriage, with a driver waiting for them
at the reins. They made their way to the carriage and the driver
hopped down, opening the door for them and offering his hand to
Indiana. She took it and stepped up into the carriage, and Morgan
followed behind her. The driver shut the door and returned to the
front of the carriage, climbing up onto the small bench which sat
as high as the cabin roof. He took up the reins once more and
cracked them against the flank of the two bay horses harnessed to
the carriage, and with a creak of the large wooden wheels, the
carriage started forward.

“I’m sure you’ve been to the park many times,
but I haven’t had a chance to go since I arrived in town, and
people keep telling me I have to see it.”

“It is beautiful,” Indiana said, “yet I
myself have not been too many times.”

Morgan smiled. He was sitting across from her
in the carriage, his back to the front of the cabin. The carriage
started through Nob Hill, and then down toward the park.

“We shall be late for lunch, but I believe I
heard about a tea shop in the park?”

“The Japanese Tea Garden,” Indiana confirmed
with a nod.

“That’s what I’m after, then,” Morgan said,
patting his stomach, and Indiana laughed.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of
the main entrance to Golden Gate Park. When the driver opened the
door and held out his hand, Indiana took it once more and stepped
down carefully in her heeled boots. The ground was wet, with
puddles here and there due to a brief shower early that morning,
but the sky now was clear and blue, with nary a cloud in sight.
Seagulls swooped here and there, heading in from the sea.

“I didn’t know your friends would be joining
us,” Indiana teased as she pointed out the birds to Morgan.

“And here I am without my shotgun,” the
rancher said with a grin. He offered his arm once more and the two
set off into the park, after Morgan slipped money to the driver of
the cab and instructed him to wait for them.

The park was indeed beautiful, all lush
greens and blooming flowers. It had been built with the idea to
compete with New York City’s famed Central Park, and while it
certainly wasn’t as large, it definitely was just as beautiful, if
not more so.

“Oh, I love this bridge!” Indiana said,
pulling away from Morgan and hurrying to the drum bridge. It rose
sharply, almost a perfect half circle, and ran over a small stream
with water rushing quickly enough to hear it easily. There were
steps in the bridge, and it made most Indiana feel somewhat like a
child again, as they marched with purpose over it.

“It doesn’t make much sense to build a bridge
like that, does it?” Morgan said with a laugh.

“I think it was built this way just because
of how much fun it is to cross,” Indiana countered, turning when
she was halfway over it to look at the man. “Come on, sir. The tea
shop is just over here.”

“Sandwiches and tea can be had just about
anywhere,” Morgan said. “Though I have to confess to preferring a
steak and a big mug of black coffee.”

“That might do out on the range, but here in
civilization, it’s much more common for a light touch at lunch
time.”

Morgan laughed. “Civilization? Where exactly
do you think I’m from, again? It’s not another country—it’s only
about six hundred miles away.”

Indiana laughed and turned when Morgan caught
up with her.

The tea house wasn’t quite so busy an hour
after normal lunch time, so they selected a small table outside,
near a green bush covered in red berries. A tall man served them,
bringing them a kettle of tea along with two small mugs, and a tray
of delicate finger sandwiches.

When he had left, Morgan held one up. “This
is food, right?”

Indiana giggled and then sipped her tea.

“So how long would it take us to walk around
the perimeter of this park?” Morgan asked.

“A couple of days in my shoes,” Indiana said.
“It’s rather large. I heard there were over a hundred thousand
trees in the park alone.”

“And here I am with just my one back home,”
Morgan said with an exaggerated frown.

“Maybe we could loan you a couple,” Indiana
said.

“That would be nice,” Morgan said.

They spent more time looking into each
other’s eyes than eating, and it was apparent to both that there
was a mutual attraction there, and that it was strong. Finally,
their meal was over and they strolled through a section of the
park, keeping to a winding path that was near the tea house and
drum bridge.

They spoke of many things, starting with
their childhoods, and ending as they returned to the front entrance
with the amazing technological advances that were being made all
around them. Morgan was particularly impressed with how powerful
and fast locomotives were getting, while Indiana was excited to see
people tackling the dream of flight. The first flight had been just
three years ago, and already others were continuing the work done
by the Wright brothers from Ohio.

The carriage driver had parked a bit down the
street. When they came out, he was reading a paper. He must have
had one eye on the entrance, because as soon as he saw them, he
folded the newspaper and slid it under his thigh. He took up the
reins and got the horses moving. He stopped in front of them and
climbed down once more to open the door to help Indiana into the
carriage. Without something holding the newspaper, the soft breeze
caught it and sent it to the ground, where it blew away. The man
cried out, but he was still helping Indiana up, so Morgan gave
chase, running down the paper half a block away and stamping on it
with his foot. He scooped it up and jogged back, handing it over to
the driver. Then he climbed into the carriage and they started back
for Nob Hill.

The ride home was a bittersweet one for
Indiana. She and Morgan had spent a few hours together, exploring
and talking, but she didn’t want it to end. They talked more while
the carriage climbed up toward her mansion, but she could hardly
pay attention. Instead, she looked into the man’s eyes, and found
herself day dreaming.

Then they were home, and the driver was
there, opening the door, his paper tucked under his arm. Indiana
stepped out with his help, and turned to see Morgan climbing out as
well. He took her hand and pressed it to his lips.

“Thank you for accompanying me this
afternoon,” he said.

“Thank you for a wonderful lunch.”

“Until next time?” Morgan asked.

“Yes, until next time,” Indiana said. She
smiled up at Morgan and turned, and then headed inside.

Chapter 13

Indiana was met by Misty as soon as she
walked through the door. She shut it with her body, leaning back
against the heavy oak. Outside, Morgan was in the carriage and she
listened to the horses’ hooves echo on the stone drive as they
pulled the carriage, and the man, away.

“How was it?” Misty asked.

“Wonderful!” Indiana cried. She happily
walked up the stairs, pulling her dress up and over her head as she
did, stretching out the still tied laces. She flopped down on her
bed for the second time in the day. But there was another booming
at the door, and the silence was chased away.

Indiana got up quickly, and found her dress
that she had left in a crumpled heap by her door. She pulled it
over her head and went out barefoot to the landing. She peered down
the stairs, where she could just see Misty as she pulled the door
open.

Cade Hollway was standing at the door. He was
in a foul mood. Indiana could see it from where she stood. His
large face was a shade of red, and his eyes were narrowed.

“Good evening,” Misty said.

“It certainly is not! I would speak with the
mistress of the house,” the large man said all at once. He stepped
in without being invited to do so, and Misty shut the door behind
him.

“I believe Mrs. Smith is in the parlor. I
shall announce your arrival,” Misty said in an even tone.

“I know my way,” Cade said, and he stormed
off toward the parlor.

As Misty came up the stairs, Indiana hurried
to her room and pulled on her shoes.

“Where are you going?” Misty asked as she
came into the room just as Indiana stepped into her second heeled
boot.

“To eavesdrop of course,” the young woman
said, and she hurried past her friend before she could stop
her.

Downstairs, the parlor doors were open,
though they needn’t have been if one were trying to hear Cade. He
was as loud as anyone had ever been in the home.

“This is quite enough,” the man was saying.
“We have a deal, and it is time you follow through on it.”

“I know we have an arrangement,” Indiana’s
mother said. Deborah was a kind woman, but if pushed her voice grew
icy. It was practically frozen now. “But my daughter is not a horse
to be bartered over. I do not make deals using her as a piece of
said deal.”

Cade seemed taken aback. “I apologize, Madam.
A deal is not the right word, but that does not mean what I say is
any less true.”

“You are right,” Deborah said. “We have an
arrangement, and that arrangement is that my daughter shall be your
bride. And I am working toward that as we speak, but this home is a
home without a man, and many difficult problems are coming across
my lap each day. I do not feel comfortable settling our particular
arrangement until all our previous affairs and promises have been
taken care of as well. Besides that, I need my daughters with me.
Not only has the house lost its man, but I’ve lost a husband, and
the girls have lost a father.”

“I can understand that, but it is time the
girl gain her own husband. I leave for Texas soon. I would have
already if you were not dragging your feet through the mud for some
reason,” Cade said shortly.

“I see no mud in my parlor,” Deborah said
icily.

“I do not know what game you are playing at,
and why you are stalling, but it is time to end the game and make
good on your promises. I leave in four days. I expect your daughter
to be at my arm when the train arrives. I would expect her before
that, but as a man of honor, and one who extends his courtesy
during this hardship for you and your girls, four days will do. It
is as far as my courtesy extends, however. Make no mistake of
that.”

“Then in four days, she shall be with you
when that train comes in,” Indiana’s mother said, and outside in
the hall, unbeknownst to anyone, Indiana’s heart broke.

Tears came and stung her eyes at once, and
the young woman pressed the back of her hand to each eye in turn as
she turned and hurried for the stairs. She was only halfway up the
stairs when she heard the door open behind her. She turned just in
time to see Cade Hollway storming out, and the door slammed shut
behind him.

Misty was still in her room. “What’s
wrong?”

“I leave for Texas in four days,” Indiana
choked out, as she shut her door. She kicked off her shoes and then
leaned against the wall, sliding down it. Her dress rose in a
mountain of fabric around her, and all Misty could see of her
friend was her red face as the tears slid down from her eyes,
leaving wet trails down her powdered cheeks.

Misty sat beside Indiana and put her arm
around her shoulders. They sat like that for some minutes,
interrupted finally by the bedroom door opening and Deborah coming
in. She couldn’t see the girls until she stepped around the door.
She looked down at them, her lips but a thin line on her face.