Pioneer Love: Damaged Hearts Head West: Mail Order Bride 5 Bundle (4 page)

Chapter 6

There was silence at first as both brothers jaws dropped as they listened to her outburst. Anna wanted to just melt into the furniture and not exist. She never lost her temper, nor had she ever been so brazen and bold in her life. If she was honest, this was the first time she had stood up for herself.

After a few seconds of silence and gaping, both brothers broke into grins. Ian actually laughed.

"Well said, Miss Anna. You certainly put my brother in his place," Ian said.

Eyes twinkling, Ryan replied, "That she has little brother that she has." Turning back towards Anna, his face relaxed. "I'm sorry for how I reacted. I don't like to be lied to or to be played games with and so I assumed... I shouldn't have and for my previous behavior, I apologize. Please do not be hasty and leave us before you have gotten to know us properly." His eyes seemed much gentler and he was smiling at her.

Anna felt more heat flooding her cheeks. The brothers were most attractive when they were charming and she really shouldn’t have lost her temper. "I apologize for my behavior," she said quietly. “I will stay and perhaps we can start anew?”

The two men nodded and returned to their food. Anna pushed the lamb stew around her plate. Her appetite seemed to have left her and now she was merely playing with the food.

"What, if you don't mind me asking, happened to your leg?" Ryan said, in as gentle a tone as he could.

Ian reproached his brother, but Anna looked at Ian with a smile and a look that said it was all right. She knew this would come up and didn’t mind talking about it. "I was in an accident when I was a child. I was learning to ride and the horse reared up and ran away with me. It came to a big fence and stopped abruptly. I fell and the horse turned and in its panic, stomped on my leg before running off. My leg was badly broken. The Doc did what he could and said it may heal. Luckily it did and now all I have to show for it is a limp, which is way better than a crutch, a wheelchair or death."

Ian looked devastated by her story and Ryan himself looked a bit sick. He apologized once again for his behavior and they went back to their dinner. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Ian spoke up. "Miss Montgomery, if you'd like I could show you around the Lodge. You could meet the guests and see how we run things here. If you are tired though, you should rest and I'll show you around the day after or whenever you'd like." He seemed to be mumbling towards the end and a blush had crept up his neck. His brother looked at him with interest.

Anna looked at Ian thankfully and replied, "That would be most enjoyable. Maybe tomorrow thank you. And please if there is anything at all I can do to help around here, please tell me. I want to pull my weight here and not be a burden on you."

"Oh, I'm sure we could find something for you to do," Ian replied cheekily. "But please, don't feel like you have to do anything. You are not a burden at all and we'd like you to stay as long as you want, don't we brother," he said, turning to his brother.

Ryan smiled at Anna and said in a sugary voice, "Yes if you do want to stay, we'd like that very much." Anna blushed at both the brothers' comments and thanked them for their generosity.

Ryan turned toward Ian. "Brother, I need to go away tomorrow for a week. Mr. Henderson has a proposition he wants to make and I intend to see what he has to offer before I accept anything. So, you are gonna have to look after the lodge nice and proper ya' hear me?" Ian squirmed in his seat and glared at his brother. Ryan grinned back, enjoying making his brother uncomfortable.

"I look after it every time you go so you don't have to talk to me like I'm a child, Ryan," Ian said.

"I know, it's just fun reminding you that I'm the older one," Ryan replied, his grin growing bigger every second.

Anna enjoyed watching their banter as they continued to go back and forth and soon they had pulled her into it as well. She found herself laughing and teasing and being more comfortable with these two strangers within a few hours than she had been with anyone else in her entire life.

Chapter 7

The next morning Anna took breakfast in her room. It had been quite a journey and she needed a little time to herself. Before she ate, she pulled out her Bible and said a prayer.

As always she felt more confident afterward and she hoped she would find peace here. Just as she was finishing her breakfast, there was a gentle knock at the door.

Smoothing her hair and straightening her frock she opened the door and was surprised to find Ian.

“Good morning,” he said. “Ryan’s busy preparing for his trip so I wondered if you would like a tour of the place.”

Anna smiled and followed him out into the hallway.

The top floor was all bedrooms and he took her down into the private side of the house. The dining room where they had eaten last night looked out onto a snow-covered vista with mountains in the distance. It took her breath away and she could not help but stare.

“I hope you don’t find it too bleak,” Ryan said.

“Not bleak… but beautiful.”

“This is the back of the house,” he said and led her down a short hallway. “Here is the kitchen. Feel free to help yourself or ask any member of staff if you need anything.”

Anna couldn’t believe it. The kitchen was large and a cook nodded at her as she walked through. This was like a dream, but what would she do here? Ian had turned and was walking away; quickly she followed him as he went through another door.

“This is the library,” he said. “I love to read, but Ryan is not so keen. The books are mostly my taste but if you want anything different just ask.”

Anna could not help but stare as she turned slowly in a circle. It was amazing and contained more books than she had ever seen and she knew that she had found her home. With all these books, all this to study she could spend a lifetime happy. Ian walked on and reluctantly she followed him to a sitting room and a den, and finally he pointed out the basement.

“We preserve fruit and vegetables in the summer and store then down here for winter,” Ian said.

Anna nodded a smile of joy lighting up her face. “I would love to help with that,” she said.

“That would be great,” Ian said with a smile.

Anna felt a surge of joy.  It was so good to feel useful.

“That was the private part of the house,” Ian said. “Now we can pass into the guest area.”

He led her down a corridor and through a sturdy door. There was a reception area where a slim girl sat behind a counter.

Ian nodded to the girl. “The first floor is all bedrooms. Some are individual, some suites. At the moment, we have fifteen guests staying which is good for this time of year. Let me show you round.”

There was another library and a large dining area for all the guests. Then he showed her an activity room where the guests could paint or play music or do any activity they so pleased. Then on to the living room where people could lounge and have discussions, etc. “Finally,” he said and with a bow he opened a door.

Anna felt her jaw drop, inside was a reasonably sized ballroom.

“This is for anyone who wants to throw a party,” Ian said. “We usually have one at Christmas and a few others throughout the year.”

Anna tried to keep a smile on her face but she could feel her numb leg. Ryan would expect her to dance and she would be clumsy and laughed at. What would she do?

“Ryan loves the ballroom,” Ian said. “He loves to dance but me I would rather sit in the corner and have a good ole discussion. How about you?”

Anna felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. It was as if Ian knew what to say and always put her at ease. “I don’t dance very well because of my limp,” she said.

“Oh my, I am so sorry,” Ian said. “I never meant to make you feel bad.”

“That is alright Mr.Ian,” she said.

“If I’m honest,” he said. “I have two left feet so I hate to dance anyway. Now, what do you think of out humble abode?”

Anna admitted that she was very impressed by the establishment and found herself staring around in awe. Ian headed into the dining area towards a group of guests. Anna hung back. She did not want to spoil the moment, did not want them to laugh at her or to make cruel comments about her limp.

Ian turned and noticing her reticence and he held out his arm. “Do not be shy,” he said as she took it. “Gentlemen this is Miss Anna Montgomery.”

As she limped over holding Ian’s arm, she noticed the men as they looked at her limp. Gritting her teeth she expected an onslaught as had happened many times before. But the men looked at Ian and their frowns changed to smiles.

“It is an honor to meet you, I am Mr. Harris and these are my associates.”

After that, the men treated her with courtesy and reverence and she enjoyed the rest of the tour.

Ian was very kind to her, he smiled easily, made jokes and everyone around really seemed to respect him a lot. Whenever their eyes would meet, Anna would feel lightning course through her blood and a blush would cover her face. Ian seemed to go red in the neck a bit too and he would look away quickly.

Anna could not comprehend why Ian had this effect on her and she kept reprimanding herself and reminding herself that she was here to be Ryan's wife not to go weak at the knees for his brother.

Ryan finally finished the preparations for his trip and made it home in time for dinner. He had prepared much more than usual. Was he keeping out the way? Did he find the whole mail order bride deal a little hard to get his head round? He wondered about this as he spent hours going over figures and what he intended to say. But eventually he had done all he could do and he made his way down to dinner. So, when Ian and Anna walked in, he was looking forward to getting to know his future wife-to-be.

He bowed at her and smiled. She curtsied back and after greeting each other, they sat down to eat. An awkward silence fell over the room and it seemed like no one knew how to bring last night's jolly mood back.

After a few minutes of silence, Ian turned to Anna and said, "Why is a dog like a tree?"

Anna looked at him as if he had lost his mind and said, "I beg your pardon?"

Ian grinned at her with mischief and said, "Why is a dog like a tree?"

Anna, looking confused. "I haven't the faintest clue," she said.

Grinning at her in earnest now, he said, "Because they both lose their bark when they’re dead."

Anna burst into laughter at his ridiculous joke and the ice was broken.

Ryan also chuckled. "You can be so embarrassing at times, little brother," he said shaking his head at his brother and grinning good-naturedly.

"I thought it was funny," Anna said, smiling at Ian.

Ian smiled back and his neck turned red at the compliment. Ryan looked from one to the other and cleared his throat. He turned to Anna and said, "So, you enjoy jokes then, Miss Montgomery?"

"Oh, who doesn't. Jokes can lighten up any mood and I find them to be hilarious."

"Well, what else do you enjoy, other than jokes?" Ryan asked, smiling at her.

Anna blushed at the way he looked at her. It was as if he were looking through her to her very soul. "Not much really,” she said hastily. “I like to read pretty much anything really, and I'm passable with drawing. I guess. I love music, though I couldn't play an instrument if my life depended on it. I love to ride as well and I'd love to visit the stables in a day or two."

Ian’s eyes turned to her his face full of surprise and before Ryan could ask anything else, he said, "Even after what happened when you were a child?"

Anna turned her eyes to him and could see the concern on his face. "Yes,” she said meekly. The look in his eyes told her he would not let it go. She knew she would have to do this sooner or later so she decided to get it over and done with. “After my accident, I was afraid,” she said her voice becoming more confident. “I knew that if I didn’t do anything about it that my fear would rule my life... So I faced it, and eventually, little by little I overcame it. Now I love to ride and I love horses," she said with a reassuring smile on her face.

Ryan felt a new found respect for this injured woman and then he noticed his brother. Ian was staring at her with awe in his eyes and she was looking right back at him. They both seemed lost in each other’s eyes until color flooded their cheeks and they both looked away. It looked like he would have to watch his little brother. Then Anna turned back to him and he tried to smile at her but he could not help the slight frown that marred his forehead.

As she held his gaze, he quickly smoothed his expression. "That is amazing that you were strong enough to do that,” he said. “Most people would never have been able to go near a horse after that. I admire that and maybe once I get back from my trip we could go riding or at least once the weather clears up a bit."

"I'd like that very much. Thank you," Anna said with a smile on her face that was so warming he felt it could melt the snow right now.