Mail Order Brides: A Bride for the Banker (Bozeman Brides Book 1) (3 page)

“That’s our trunk over there,” Margie said helpfully. Between Theo and Jackson, they managed to ease the case onto the cart. She could tell that Jackson was showing off his strength a bit by trying to lift the trunk higher, but Theo matched him every inch until they were practically carrying it over their heads. She hid a glad smile in her heart. Theo would not be cowed by her younger brother.

“I’ll ride in the back with the trunk,” Jackson offered coolly and then jumped up before waiting for his comment to be acknowledged.

Theo shrugged. “Suit yourself,” was all he said.

Margie and Theo exchanged pleasantries along the ride to Bozeman, largely ignoring Jackson’s presence, and within a few hours, they arrived in the small town. Margie was confused, however, when he pulled up to the town’s hotel.

“Are we not staying with you?” she asked in dismay. “I thought because of Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson, it would all be quite proper.”

“Uh, well, I wasn’t sure, what with your brother accompanying you. It seemed a better choice for you to stay at the hotel until things were, um, settled.”

She understood his meaning, and she couldn’t blame him. Jackson had been unbearably rude to Theo, but she wondered when he’d made that decision. It wasn’t long before she found out.

“Are the rooms for Miss Davis and her brother ready?” Theo asked the woman at the front desk.

“Yes, sir,” she replied courteously. “Right this way.”

So, he’d made the reservation before even having met Jackson. That meant he had planned for them to stay here no matter how respectful Jackson might have been.

Slightly miffed, Margie followed the clerk to their room and motioned to the spot where she wanted the trunk. She surveyed the room and found it reasonable, but it was still a far cry from the welcome she’d been hoping to receive in his home.

“And will we dine here this evening as well?” she asked frostily, her earlier warmth stripped away. She regarded Theo frankly and was a bit pleased to see him stumble.             

“Ah, no. I’ll come collect you at six o’clock. My, umm, well, Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson are eager to meet you…both.”

“Ha!” Jackson exclaimed rudely as he sunk into a chair and put his feet up on the table. “I doubt they’re anxious to meet me. You two go ahead. I’ll find my own meal.”

Theo looked at Margie for confirmation, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her gaze was fixed on Jackson. “No, I don’t think so, Jackson. We will go together as we are expected. You will not disrespect our hosts.” Now she turned to Theo. “Thank you. We’ve had a long journey and could use the afternoon to rest. We’ll expect you at six.” The coolness was still evident in her demeanour.

Theo gave her a stiff little bow and left. The moment he did, she stalked over to where Jackson was now slumped in the chair with his hat over his eyes. She snatched it off his head and threw it at his chest.

“I don’t know how you were planning to get your meal, but if you do anything improper to the people of this town you will certainly not see the money we agreed on.” Regarding his morose expression, she softened slightly. “Please, Jackson, can you not try, just a little? You might find that you like this place and these people.” Her voice held a note of pleading. “As much as you have the right to be angry with me, don’t take it out on Theodore and his people.”

Jackson grunted, but she could see that he was in some sort of agreement with her. “But don’t expect too much,” he grumbled. He stood, stretched and then made his way to one of the bedrooms. After gathering a few items from their trunk, Margie went to the other. However, instead of washing up or resting, she closed the door, sank onto the bed and wept.

***

At precisely six o’clock, there was a light tap on their door. Both Margie and Jackson were ready, neither of them bearing the look of fatigue or emotional stress that they’d come into town with. Margie had freshened herself up after a stint of weeping and crying out quietly to the Lord. Now, with her hair once again perfectly coiffed and, wearing a fresh dress, she felt prepared to spend the evening in polite conversation. For the moment, she had decided to forgive him and hoped to make such a good impression on Theodore that he would apologize for shuffling them off into a hotel and promptly make restitution for his thoughtlessness.

“Good evening, Mr. Jefferson,” Margie greeted the man as she opened the door. “You are very punctual.”

“As are you, Miss Davis. Shall we go?” He offered her his arm, which she took and allowed herself to be escorted down the street.

“I didn’t bring the cart because it’s a nice evening and not a very long walk, but if the weather turns, I will certainly bring you home with it.”

So, he had no compunction about putting them up in the hotel as of yet, but she was determined to change his mind by the end of the evening.

“What do you think of our town?” he asked suddenly, his face eager and open. With his free hand, he motioned to the scenery as well as the town itself.

She looked around herself properly for the first time and stared at the breathtaking panorama. On the train, she’d been too upset to notice the surroundings and had barely noticed the mountains.

The high peaks were purplish in hue and a few of the highest had a sprinkling of snow despite the warm weather. The sides of the mountains were covered in various greens, representing the variety of foliage. The town itself was rough. The buildings lacked the fine, solid structure of edifices back in New York, but there was a raw kind of honesty to it. It was a fledgling city and for that, it made no apologies. The clapboard structures were rustic and wide dusty roads were murder on her fine dress, but she merely lifted it slightly with her free hand and smiled into the expectant face of her betrothed.

“The scenery is breath-taking and the town itself is very promising.”

It was the perfect thing to say. Theodore’s chest expanded slightly as though he were personally responsible for the development of Bozeman.

“What do you do for entertainment around here?” Jackson called out abruptly from a few steps behind them.

Margie started slightly and her grip on Theodore’s arm tightened. She prayed that Jackson would not ask about the nearest saloon.

“Ah, well, the morally upright spend time with family and friends. Sometimes we take a picnic down to the river or have a social after church,” he said with a trace of pride as he looked down into Margie face. “And once or twice a year, there’s a dance.”

“And what about the immoral?” Jackson asked cheekily.

“Jackson, remember,” Margie warned. It seemed to work because he said no more on the matter, but she could see that Theodore was slightly disconcerted. “Don’t worry about him,” she whispered. “He’ll settle down.”

Theodore said nothing, but merely raised his eyebrows as though to say he would wait and see what happened. Thankfully, they had arrived at their destination.

“Here we are,” Theodore announced, ushering them up the walkway of the most beautiful house in town. It was a two-story brick building with a wrap-around porch that had been painted white once upon a time, but now was a dingy gray, probably from the relentless dirt that surrounded it. Nonetheless, it stood apart from the rest of the town like a glittering jewel.

“Getting wealthy off the backs of the poor,” Jackson muttered in a voice low enough for only Margie to hear. She turned and glared at him. Her look was enough to silence him. For now.

The evening went surprising well, with both the host and hostess being overly gracious and benevolent to her and Jackson despite a number of slip-ups on her brother’s behalf. She found her apologies for him being gently shushed.

“He’s young, my dear,” Ruth Sanderson assured her, “and from what I understand he had no strong hand to guide him during his teenage years. Our Theo was in a similar state and I well remember what he was like when he first came to us. Never mind all that. You did the right thing bringing him here.”

Tears sprang to Margie’s eyes at this unexpected empathy. “Thank you,” she murmured. “You’re very kind.”

“Not at all. I’ll be praying for you,” she added, giving Theo a stern look. “All of you.”

As though he could feel Ruth’s eyes on him, Theodore turned around and glanced at the two of them. Margie saw his mouth tilt upward on one side and gentle approval shone out of his eyes. She’d at least won one battle. His adoptive parents liked her and understood Jackson.

One down, and who knows how many to go.

***

At the end of the night, Theodore brought them back to hotel and declared that they should come to Sunday service the next day to meet the people and enjoy a light lunch with the other parishioners. Margie agreed readily, but Jackson held back.

“We’ll see how I’m feeling,” he mumbled. “Got a headache coming on.”

Margie knew why. Jackson had taken more port than was good for him at the Sanderson’s house. She’d seen him help himself to more when he thought no one was looking.

“I’d be delighted,” Margie assured him. “What time does it start?”

“I’ll come for you at ten o’clock. Breakfast will be available in the hotel at eight, so that should give you enough time to be ready, yes?”

He was all manners and Margie was certain that he would be won over in a few days. Her main concern was for Jackson to whom she turned after Theodore left.

“We should meet the people here,” she started to say when he held up his hand.

“Listen, Margie, I’m here and I’ve kept my promise, but don’t try to turn me into something I’m not. I won’t be a hypocrite and go to church. I’ve got no use for God and He’s got no use for me.” In two quick strides he was in his room and shut the door, but not before Margie glimpsed his face. While his tone was firm, his countenance showed misery. He was not as resolute as he wanted her to believe. Rather, he was disheartened and miserable. Perhaps God was working on his heart now, and she knew that sometimes it was better to just step out of the way and let God do His work.

So that’s what she resolved to do.

When she left the hotel with Theodore the next morning, Margie couldn’t erase the worry from her face.

“A lot of young men don’t love to go to church, Miss Davis,” Theodore assured her. “We’ll pray that God speaks to him and that he comes to understand how to live a good and moral life.”

She gave him a small smile. “Do you think we could drop the Miss and Mr.?  We addressed each other much less formally in our letters and the titles make me feel like we’ve become more reserved.”

He hesitated for a fraction of an instant, but she noticed. Still, he nodded and continued.

“Margaret,” he started.

“Margie,” she corrected, determined to wear down his formality.

His jaw clenched slightly, but he capitulated. “Margie, I know from experience what young men who’ve lost their parents go through. This is a stage, but with the right guidance, he’ll be fine.”

“I hope you’re right, Theo,” she replied, freely employing the nickname that she’d heard Ruth and Robert use. “Because I had high hopes that coming out here would help him change his life around. Not that it’s the only reason,” she added hastily. “But to be honest with you, it was one of them.”

His smile didn’t waiver. “I figured that out yesterday. I’m not upset that your brother was the catalyst that brought us together. But to be honest, I was for a little while. I’m just glad you’re here. It doesn’t matter how it happened.”

Margie blinked away the tears that threatened. “You knew?” she whispered. “But you didn’t say.”

“Well, should I have cancelled our engagement because of it?” he asked with mock indignation. “What kind of man would I be if I refuse to rescue a damsel in distress?”

She laughed in spite of her wretchedness. “You would have been well within your rights to send me packing, or even better, send a telegram telling me not to come at all.”

“I did wrestle with it,” he confided as they made their way to the church. “I asked God to show me what to do, and I felt that He was saying to do nothing, to just let you come and He would do the rest. So, I submitted. I’m glad I did.” He gave a little shrug and then aimed a slight grin at her. “I’ve learned the hard way what happens when you try to live life your own way. It doesn’t turn out very well.”

“So, you don’t have any reservations about marrying me now?” she fought to keep her voice light, but the weight of the question threatened to suffocate her.

“If I did, they all disappeared the moment I saw you,” he admitted quietly, not looking her straight in the face. “I—I know that I’m holding you at a bit of a distance, but please just give me a little time.”

She nodded her head in understanding. His answer lifted her burden and flooded her heart with hope.

“I’d like to know more about you,” she said shyly. “I want to know about your childhood, where you grew up and everything.”

She wasn’t prepared for the storm cloud that passed over his face. However, it cleared quickly and his face resumed its usually pleasant expression. “It’s not something I like to dwell on. Please believe me when I say it wasn’t at all good. I know it’s part of who I am, but I hate thinking about it. So many things are still not resolved. Maybe one day…” He swallowed and didn’t say anymore. She knew when not to press, so instead focused on the people who were greeting Theo.

“Good morning, Theo,” a middle-aged couple said in unison. “How are you?”

“Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Thomas, may I present Margaret Davis, my…fiancée.” He said the last part with a hint of pride. Margie smiled widely as the older couple gaped.

“Very pleased to meet you both,” she murmured graciously, inclining her head toward them.

They walked on with slight smirks. “That was fun,” Theo murmured. “Let’s do that again.”

And they did. Over and over again he introduced her to people as his intended and they received the same reaction every time. People were astounded that such a respectable man would be engaged to someone out of the blue, but everyone was too polite to question him. Margie enjoyed herself immensely.

“So no one knows I’m a mail-order bride, I take it?” she leaned in to whisper after they found their seats near Ruth and Robert.

Theo shook his head. “I was just planning to say it was an arranged marriage if that suits you. If people press, I’ll mention that Ruth arranged it, which is the complete truth.”

“Are you embarrassed?” she asked, more curious than offended.

He regarded her with surprise. “Not in the least, but I wanted to protect you from any rumors.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know how to respond. Never before had any man taken her reputation or feelings into consideration the way he had. She looked at him carefully, taking in the strong lines of his face, the wide, honest brow and felt a quickening in her chest. She’d come West to marry a good man for the benefit of her brother, but instead, she realized that God had brought her West to marry a good man for herself.

She had all the more reason to sing the familiar hymns loudly and didn’t even care that people were looking her way. Her joy had to have its voice and she would not be ashamed. Her God had seen her through the hardest times and she had every reason to believe that the best was yet to come.

***

Theo listened with pleasure as his bride-to-be sang in a sweet, if somewhat off-key voice. It was still a beautiful sound to his ears. He’d prayed with great fervor to find a wife who loved God, was free of deceit and would be a helpmate and friend to him for his whole life long. His expectations had been more than fulfilled. Despite his initial reserve, he would follow God’s leading.

His voice, too, rose in volume and passion to worship the One who saw fit to give them each a gift. But what had he expected. God was a good Father who loved to bless His children. He wouldn’t soon forget this. He couldn’t. Not when he had Margie here to remind him.

***

Outside, down the street near the saloon, the voices of the Bozeman congregation could be heard praising God. Even those who refrained from entering the church were pleased by the sweet sound. However, a group of three men looked less than enamored by the sound.

“Bunch of holier-than-thou people thinking that they know what’s what,” one of them declared, spitting in the dirt as he did so. “Got no use for ‘em.”

Another man tied up his horse to the railing, and shook his head. “Just ignore ‘em. They’re nothin’ to us.”

The third, a silent, dangerous-looking man said nothing to the others. After they went inside to quench their thirst, he merely stared in the direction of the white building. “Enjoy your Sabbath, brother. It’s the last day of rest you’ll see for a while.” He grinned savagely and then pushed open the doors of the saloon. “Austin Davis at your service, gentlemen,” he called out to the sleepy patrons. “Who’s up for a game of cards?”

***

Theo left the church with Margie on his arm and a smile on his face. The morning couldn’t have gone better in his estimation. Once Jackson’s behavior was well in hand, he was sure they would marry. God had given him an answer to this prickly issue during the morning’s service, but he was hesitant to mention it to Margie. It was altogether possible that she would misconstrue his intentions, so he delayed speaking to her about it for the time being.

The four of them were heading back to the house for the afternoon when they heard a ruckus coming from the saloon.

“I wish that Mr. Hanover would shut that place down, at least on a Sunday,” Ruth exclaimed vehemently. Theo saw the surprise cross over Margie’s face.

“Ruth bears a strong grudge against such establishment,” he confided quietly, thinking she wouldn’t hear him, but she did.

“And why not?” she demanded. “What has hard drink ever brought a man but misery?”

Theo held up his hands. “I’m not arguing with you, Ruth.” He would never dare.

Suddenly a man came tumbling out of the place and landed at their feet. He was bleeding from the mouth and Margie went to him instinctively. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

The man looked at her and grinned. “Nothing a little kiss from you wouldn’t cure,” he answered cheekily.

Theo motioned to Ruth and Robert to go on and quickly came to Margie’s side, tugging her away. “Never mind, Margie. Let’s be on our way.”

“Shorty don’t mean no harm,” declared a voice from the entrance, a voice that sent a chill down Theo’s back. But surely, it couldn’t be… He didn’t want to turn around to confirm or deny his suspicions, but his body betrayed him and he found himself standing face to face with the brother he’d run away from so many years ago. The man grinned at him, but there was no humor in it. “He just likes pretty women is all.”

Margie’s grip on his arm tightened, and he felt a similar band constrict around his lungs. He fought to breathe.

“We don’t want any trouble here. We’ll be on our way,” he heard himself saying, neither acknowledging nor ignoring the man’s identity. “Good day to you.”

But the other man was not so easily put off. “What’s your hurry? Surely you can spare a minute to welcome a newcomer to your fair town. Never hurts to be kind to a stranger, right? Something about entertainin’ angels?”

Margie was watching him closely, so he gave nothing away. He wanted to deny that possibility of these men being angels, but that would be announcing his connection to them. He watched as a third man emerged and tried to hide his recognition of him as well. Bile rose in his throat, but he choked out a jovial response regardless. “Yes, well. That’s definitely true. Welcome to Bozeman. I hope you enjoy your stay.” He tipped his hat to the men and pulled Margie away from the scene as swiftly as he could.

He heard some chuckles as they left, but that didn’t matter. All that he was concerned with was getting them out of there as fast as possible.

“Do you know those men?” Margie asked him, carefully looking at his face. He didn’t want to lie to her, and the truth might come out whether he liked it or not, but he struggled with what to say. If he admitted that the man was his brother, would she turn tail and flee back to New York? Instead, he settled for a non-answer.

“Where would I ever meet such men? They are not likely to come into the bank now, are they? Anyway, as you heard them say, they’re newcomers.” He struggled to sound neutral, and she seemed to accept it for she asked no further questions.

“Well, they certainly were a bit familiar with you. No matter. I want to talk to you about something more important.” He sighed with relief inwardly as she began to talk about her concerns regarding Jackson. She was introducing the very topic he wanted to discuss, but he felt ill-prepared to do so at the moment and sought a way to address her concerns without revealing the whole of his plan.

“We certainly need to find a way to guide him. He needs some kind of discipline, something that will occupy his time in a worthy manner and distract him from the corrupt side of life,” he stated evenly.

Her face registered mild surprise. “That sounds well enough, but what are you thinking? You sound as though you have something specific in mind.”

He shook his head distractedly. “I need to think it through more before we discuss it. Can you give me some time?” The truth was that seeing his brother had thrown him. He couldn’t sort out his thoughts about Margie and Jackson at that moment. He needed to know what was going on with Austin first.

She nodded her head mutely as they approached the Sanderson house. He thanked God that she was so agreeable. He knew that if she pressed him, he might say something prematurely about what God had revealed to him. He might also say it badly, given the shock he’d suffered. No, it would have to wait. How long, he couldn’t possibly know.