Loving Eliza (32 page)

She smiled as John pulled t
he sleigh up to the porch.  He leapt
out and picked her up so he could carry her to the
sleigh.  She giggled
, amused that he still did that.  She reckoned it was so she wouldn’t get her boots wet, but it reminded her of the first time he’d
helped her into his wagon
.

She sat close to him and set the gift
in her lap.  “Just look at the way the snow glistens on the trees.  Isn’t it pretty?  That’s my favorite thing about snow.  It looks so pretty on tree branches.” A
nd
so she rambled on.

Once in awhile, John
glance
d
her way to let her know he was paying attention.

He no longer parked on the edge of town.  Now he went through town and stopped the sleigh close
to Charity’s place.  Music and laughter drifted from the house
.  John helped her down and she held onto him so she wouldn’t slip on the patch of ice in their path.

Addy called out to them before they reach
ed Charity’s porch.  She hurried
over
to them as Frank struggled
to keep up with her
.  “Isn’t it a gorgeous day?  You know, we couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas.”

“It certainly is festive.” Eliza studied the wreath and garland spread along Charity’s porch.  “She really goes all out for every social gathering, doesn’t she?”

Addy giggled.  “Maybe a little too much, but I guess we all have our quirks.”

“It’s good to see you two,” Frank said.  Turning to John, he added, “I hope Eliza can spare you for a good hour.  We thought we’d enjoy a couple games of rummy.” Glancing at Eliza and Addy, he smiled.  “We don’t want to get in the way of you women gabbing on.”

Addy rolled her eyes.  “You men can be just as bad, if not worse, than us.”

“No truer words were ever said,” Eliza agreed.

John shook his head at the women but gestured th
at he would join Frank when the men
wanted to play cards.  Then he made the sign for playing chess.

“I think we can spare a board or two of that game as well,” Frank replied.

Willy
walked up to them.  “What are ya’ll doin’ outside?  It’s colder than the arctic out here.” He rubbed his hands together.

“Oh, we’re just saying hi,” Addy replied.

“We can do that in the house
, cain’t we?” he asked.

She nudged him in the arm.  “You’re not anxious to get out of the cold.  You want to see Daphne.”

He blushed.  “Maybe.”

Eliza smiled.  “You two are happy together.”
She
didn’t think it was possible
but his face grew even redder.

“Yes.  Well, I plan on askin’ her somethin’ important today.”

“You’re going to propose?” Addy squealed.

He held his finger to his lips.

She immediately lowered her voice.  “I’m sorry.  Your secret is safe with us.”

“Are you going to stand out there all day or come in?” someone called out from the front door.

They looked over and saw Daphne waiting for them.

“We better hurry so the two lovebirds can be together,” Addy told Eliza, her eyes twinkling.

Eliza had to admit she shared her friend’s enthusiasm.  She knew Daphne would say yes, and she realized that Daphne and Willy were a better match than Daphne and John would have been.  And that was just as well too, considering she was married to John
and all
.

Frank groaned.  “Come on, John.  Let’s go see what the men are up to before we get s
nared into talks of weddings,
flowers and dresses.”

“I like
weddings,” Addy argued.  “They’re romantic.”

“I agree,” Eliza said.

“What did I say?” Frank responded.  “I’ll never understand the appeal of women talk.”

“Then be glad you’re not a woman
,” Addy said.

“Believe me—” he kissed her cheek—
“I am very happy to be a man because it means I get to be married to you.”

John squeezed Eliza’s hand and indicated that he agreed with Frank.

“I’m happy to be married to you too,” Eliza replied.

Jo
hn motioned that he would see her
when it was time to eat and
walked
to
ward
the house with Willy and Frank.

The wom
en followed and joined Daphne in
the parlor where Bethany played Christmas carols on the piano.  Eliza
placed her gift with the others on the piano and
sat with her friends on the settee by the window.  She glanced out the doorway of the parlor and saw that John was mingling with Frank, Willy, Aaron, Guy, and Shawn.  Even Ralph came over and slapped John on the back.  He said something and John’s shoulders shook with laughter.

Eliza smiled to herself before turning her attention back to Addy and Daphne. 
This, she thought, was going to be
the first of many wonderful Christmases to come.

Chapter One

April 1898

“B
ride for sale!  Bride for sale!”

Lucy struggled to get away from the man, but his grip was too firm on her arm.  She shoved at him and kicked, using all of her remaining strength to fight. 
Oh God, what I wouldn’t give to take back seven days.
A week.  One week and her life had turned into a nightmare.

“Now don’t be stubborn,” Adam Nilles hissed in her ear.  “No one will want you if you act like a girl having a temper tantrum.”

“Let me go, you brute!” She swiped at his eye but missed.

He clucked his tongue.  “That’s enough.”

A group of bewildered people had gathered along the business district of the small South Dakota town.  No one made a move or said anything, and Lucy was too busy wiping the tears from her cheeks to care.  Humiliation.  She’d done the right thing, and this was what she got for it?

“Bride for sale!” Adam called out again.  “Anyone need a woman?  She can clean, cook, and sew.  Anyone here in need of a bride?”

A man finally broke through the crowd of about thirty people and took off his hat.  He ran his hand through his thinning blond hair and asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

Adam turned to him.  “I’m making all the single men in this town a good offer.  Surely, there must be a man in need of a wife in a town this far out west.  You don’t have enough women here, do you?”

The man shook his head, looking horrified.  “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, mister, but I advise you to think twice before you come through here treating that young lady like she’s a piece of merchandise.  She’s a human being and deserves to be treated as such.”

“Then you intend to take her?  She can be all yours for the price of a day’s wage.”

Lucy broke into a fresh wave of tears and struggled against Adam again.  “You can’t treat me this way, you bastard!”

Adam pulled her to him and clasped his hand over her mouth.  “Now honey, no man’s going to want you if you use that kind of language.”

“Release her!” The man stepped forward, and though he wasn’t even tall enough to reach Adam’s nose, Adam backed up and took his hand away from her mouth.

“So,” Adam asked the man, “are you going to take her off my hands or do I need to find someone else?”

The man waved her forward.  “I’ll take her, but I’m not marrying her.  I’m taking her to save her from the likes of you.”

Adam released her and smiled.  “Good.  Give me my money and she’s all yours.”

“I have a better idea.  You get out of here before I get the marshal involved.  I’m sure selling off a woman to the highest bidder isn’t the smartest move a man can make.”

At the threat, Adam blanched.  “You win.  I’m going.” He didn’t even look back at her as he went to the buggy and hopped in.

Ashamed didn’t even begin to describe what she was feeling.  She thought she was on her honeymoon, traveling with Adam to their new home.  But he brought her here to quietly get rid of her.  And it worked.  This was as far from a big town as anyone could get.  She might as well be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Brushing back more tears, she remembered her belongings and quickly looked back at the retreating buggy as Adam hurried out of town.  He knew once she told the man the circumstances surrounding Adam trying to sell her to the highest bidder, the man would have the law after him.

The man handed her a handkerchief.  “Don’t you worry about your things.  We have women in this town who are about your size and height.  They will be happy to offer a dress or two.  Then I think I can find a suitable man to marry you.  We do need a couple of young women here.”

She wiped her cheeks and eyes.  “I can’t marry anyone.”

“Why not?”

She glanced at the group of onlookers and shivered at the thought of them knowing the extent of her humiliation.  “Can we talk?” She swallowed the lump in her throat.  “In private?”

He looked at the group and waved them off.  “She’s had enough to deal with today.  Leave her be.”

The group reluctantly dispersed and a part of her felt a little bit better.  She sniffed and tucked in a stray strand of blond hair under her bonnet.

“Now, why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” the man gently asked her.

“Well, I can’t marry anyone here because…” She took a deep breath.  Here it came.  “I’m married to Adam.” She motioned to the road where the buggy had nearly disappeared from sight.  “I had no idea he already had a wife and children.  Then he told me this morning he had to get rid of me and here I am.” Her cheeks grew hot as she related her story, but she pressed on.  “So you see, I can’t marry anyone.”

“What’s his name?  I need to talk to the marshal.”

“Adam Nilles,” she stammered, wondering if they were going to put her in jail.

The man scanned the dissipating group of onlookers and called out, “Addy?”