The Bride Who Ran Away Read online

  The wagon came to a sudden halt, knocking Melissa into the side of her trunk. The wind knocked out of her, she tried to sit up but the wagon jolted forward before coming to another stop.

  Then the driver was helping her out of the back of the wagon.

  Melissa looked around and could see a nice looking cabin but it didn’t look like she expected. It was too small to be the nunnery. There was a horse tied up to one side and a light on inside.

  “Is this the right place,” she asked.

  The driver nodded. “They’re waiting for you inside. You go ahead, I’ll take care of the horses and bring the cases up in a moment.”

  He turned away and Melissa began to panic.

  9

  Melissa stood there for a few moments and the driver drove the horse and wagon away. She was left there in the darkness and her heart pounded against her chest. Where were the nuns?

  Then she wondered if they would still be up at this time. Maybe this was a staging house. Maybe she would have to stay here for a while. It didn’t matter; it was cold out and she was tired so she picked up her skirts and walked up to the house.

  Her hand shook a little as she turned the doorknob but the door swung in without a sound. She stepped in to see a nicely furnished room. A fire was burning in the hearth to her right and there was a sofa and two chairs. Other doors led off but she could see no one in the room.

  “Hello,” she called but the words echoed back at her.

  Suddenly, she panicked. Where had she been brought and why? This wasn’t the nunnery, of that she was sure.

  Where was she? She was in a house, or a cabin, that much Melissa was sure of. But why was she here? Maybe she had been taken by one of the men who wanted a wife. It wouldn’t be the first time. Only, no one would know she had been taken. Fear snaked around her gut and she started to step back. Maybe she could run.

  Melissa almost shrieked when someone touched her arm.

  “It’s okay, Melissa. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Sean? He was here? Melissa wanted to cry. But what was he doing here? She was mute as Sean turned her.

  Sean was standing behind the door with his hands shoved in his pockets. He was dressed in black trousers, riding boots and a black shirt, a bandanna around his neck. It looked like it had been about his face. As she looked around she saw a Stetson was on the table nearby.

  Sean had brought her here? What was he doing? Melissa didn’t know what to think anymore.

  “Sean?”

  Sean glanced at her. He hadn’t shaved that day and there was a dusting of red beard across his jaw. In the light of the flames, his hair looked like it was glowing.

  “I’m sorry about the way you were brought here, Melissa. Your driver agreed to make this diversion. Just for a few moments.” Sean turned to her. “Once we’ve talked, and if you still want to go on, I’ll let you go. I promise.”

  Melissa was confused. Sean was showing a side of himself she never thought would appear. Since when did the pastor think about taking a woman on her way to a nunnery? She found she was swaying a little as her legs shook beneath her.

  “Where are we?”

  “This is my family home.” Sean gestured at the room. “I grew up here as a boy. My parents left it to me when they died ten years ago.”

  This was his home? Melissa had never known this existed. He had never said a thing about his family.

  “What’s going on?”

  “A lot.” Running his hand through his hair, Sean approached her. “I need to talk to you, Melissa. Away from everyone else.”

  “So, you resorted to taking me?” Melissa snorted. “Couldn’t you have gone a different way about it?” She held up her hands to show they were shaking. “Look at me.”

  Sean winced. He touched her hands with his fingers but Melissa pulled her hands away.

  “I tried to talk to you last night, but I lost my nerve. I’ve been a fool but not this time.” Sean shook his head. “I just want to talk to you one last time before you leave for St Catherine’s.”

  “And do what? Change my mind?”

  “Yes.” Sean looked pained, his body tense. “Don’t become a nun. Please, my love.”

  Melissa gasped. Had he just said that? While she knew Sean wouldn’t have done this for kicks, she had to know how he really felt. She needed to get him to say why he had stopped her going. She shook her head.

  “I don’t understand. There’s nothing left for me. Why should I stay where there’s nothing for me?”

  “There is a lot for you here,” Sean protested. “You just haven’t realized it.”

  “What haven’t I realized?”

  “That more people care…” Sean paused. “And love… you more than you think.”

  “Like who?” Melissa shoved him in the chest. “Tell me who!”

  Sean grabbed her hands, keeping them pressed against his chest. His eyes pinned Melissa to the spot. She could see the love there and it held her like glue. This was the first time she had seen him looking this intense, this determined.

  “Like me,” he growled.

  Was he really saying it? Melissa wasn’t sure. She swallowed.

  “I know you care about me, Sean. You care about everyone.”

  “That’s not the point. I more than care.” Sean’s hands were shaking as he cupped her head and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Melissa. I just… with you telling me everything about your life, I didn’t…”

  That was when Melissa understood. The silly fool. She tugged his head down and kissed him. Sean’s whole body seemed to lose tension and he gathered her into his arms.

  For a man who was scared about admitting his emotions, he knew how to kiss her and made Melissa melt against him. She managed to pull back and smiled up at him.

  “You thought if you said anything after that... you thought I would think you were asking to marry me as a charity case.”

  “Yes.” Sean slumped, his eyes closing as he held her close. “You have no idea how tough it’s been to love you from a distance, unable to approach you.”

  “And you have no idea how hard it’s been for me, waiting for you to say something.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  Melissa rested her head against his chest.

  “I thought you couldn’t love me... thought you didn’t think of me that way... it was so painful... besides, it’s not the woman’s job to do it, is it?”

  “Bryony didn’t have a problem with it.”

  “But I’m not Bryony.”

  He did love her. Sean really did love her. Melissa felt tears welling up, but this time they were happy ones. She was smiling as Sean tipped her head back and kissed her again. There was no hesitation in his actions this time.

  “Don’t go,” he whispered against her mouth. “I don’t want you to go.”

  Melissa couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

  “I’m not planning to.” She rubbed her hand against his jaw, feeling the bristles under her palm. “Knowing you love me, how could I ever leave?”

  “I do love you so much and it took Mary to get me to do this. I was a fool and if you had joined the nunnery I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. Mary is one clever lady,” Sean whispered against her lips.

  “A meddling one.” Melissa said.

  “Yes, she should have just got us in a room and made us talk.” His arms tightened around her.

  “She should but I think she knew we weren’t ready yet.”

  “Well, I’m ready now, will you marry me?” He pulled back and winked.

  Melissa felt her legs go weak, he was so handsome.

  “Yes,” she whispered, “as soon as I can.”

  He pulled her close and hugged her tight.

  “I’ve got my horse outside and Gareth is here too as a chaperone. We can head back to San Francisco in the morning. It’s too late to travel back now.”

  “That’s fine.” Melissa drew back, kissing him with a smile. “I want a
few more long talks with you. All of which you’re going to listen to.”

  Sean cocked an eyebrow.

  “Am I?”

  “Yes. You are.”

  10

  Mary thought it was a lovely ceremony. Melissa had been glowing, her smile the biggest Mary had ever seen on her. And Sean had looked very handsome, practically beaming. He didn’t look nervous about the woman he loved anymore. It was like looking at a completely different person.

  Getting Sean to waylay Melissa with Gareth’s help had been a little bit risky, considering something could have gone wrong. Mary had observed enough to know that people in love sometimes needed to be pushed into doing something drastic. Something to keep the person they cared about by their side. She knew she would have done something similar had it been her and Gareth.

  Then again, she had. She had sucked the poison out of Gareth’s leg when he had been bitten by a snake. She had sat with him while he struggled through the fever afterward, when Mary didn’t have to. Mary had done all that because she loved him. She just hadn’t realized it at that point.

  There was a lot of dancing at the reception this time. Mary wanted to get up and join in, but she had already been scolded by Doctor Lambert about being out of bed. So, she sat at the side and watched everyone else join in the festivities. She watched each of the matches that she had been involved with dance with their husbands, feeling warmth in her belly seeing how happy they were.

  Four women who had come out to San Francisco with nothing else in their lives for them, they had certainly fallen on their feet.

  Her first lot of matches had been a success.

  “Mary.”

  Sean was walking toward her, holding a glass of water in a champagne glass. Mary smiled and stood, taking the glass from him.

  “Thanks, Sean.”

  “You didn’t need to get up.”

  “Yes, I did. I need to walk around, or my back is going to complain.” Mary’s back felt worse when she was sitting down. She sipped at her water. “How do you think that ceremony went, seeing as you didn’t conduct it?”

  Sean shrugged.

  “Not too bad. Could have been better, I think.” He indicated the pastor who had come across from San Diego as a personal favor. The old man was talking to Catherine Stanier, looking like he was about to keel over. “I could have done without the deviations.”

  Mary laughed.

  “Come off it, Sean. That was a beautiful service. And you can’t marry yourself.”

  “I could give it a good try.”

  Mary nudged him.

  “You were just getting the hang of marrying other people. Stick to that until you’re better at it.”

  “Hey!” Sean shook his head. “You really are mouthy when you want to be, Mary Stanier.”

  “I’m heavily pregnant. Can you blame me?” Mary looked up at the pastor, seeing the light in his eyes. “How are you feeling now?”

  “Much better.” Sean rolled his shoulders. “It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Do you know what I mean?”

  “I do know.”

  Mary had been through it herself. You always felt better after confessing something that had been weighing heavily on your mind.

  “I should have done this a long time ago,” Sean went on. “I guess rejection got the better of me.”

  “Oh, Sean.” Mary squeezed his arm. “You silly fool. We all get rejected. But we just need to get up and keep going.”

  “Mantra for your life, is it?”

  “I’ve been doing it for years with Father. You get used to it.”

  “Mary, that is something no one should never have to get used to.”

  Mary sighed.

  “I know. But it’s called life. It never does as you want. Ouch!”

  A sudden pain shot across the bottom of her belly and had Mary gasping. She clutched at her belly, almost dropping her glass.

  Sean rescued it and put it on the table behind them.

  “Mary?”

  “I’m fine.” Mary did her best to breathe. The twinges had been getting worse all day. And closer together. She had almost bitten her tongue off trying to keep quiet during the service. “I think the baby’s getting fed up with the lack of room.”

  Sean didn’t look convinced. He ushered her to her chair.

  “Come on, you need to sit down.”

  “All right.” Mary allowed him to help her over. She sat down heavily, groaning as her back screamed at her. “But I’m not sure if that made it any better.”

  There was a lot more pain now. It caught Mary off-guard and she was struggling to keep calm. She hadn’t known anything like it.

  Sean knelt before her, taking her hands.

  “Look at me, Mary. Take deep breaths.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “You’ve probably just overdone it. You’ve been on your feet when you were supposed to be resting.” Sean shook his head. “Lambert is going to kill me for doing that to you.”

  Mary grunted, rubbing at her stomach. It was tightening under her palm.

  “He’s more likely to kill me for being a fool and not listening to doctor’s orders.”

  “I hardly think so.” Sean chuckled. “But, look on the bright side. At least he’s not got experience with delivering a baby.”

  Mary slapped his shoulder. Then something popped between her legs. She could feel water soaking her skirts and the chair underneath.

  “Mary?” Sean’s smile faded. “Mary, what is it?”

  “I think my waters have broken.” Mary gritted her teeth as another painful wave hit her. “Oh my, that hurts!”

  She was going into labor. Two weeks early. Now Sean was starting to look panicked.

  “Oh, s… do you want me to get Gareth?”

  “Please.” Mary grabbed his arm. “And Catherine. And Doctor Lambert. Don’t make a scene…”

  “Look, don’t worry about making a scene. Just stop talking and focus on breathing.” Sean saw his wife nearby and beckoned her over.

  “Melissa, stay with Mary while I find Lee. She’s going into labor.”

  “Of course.”

  Melissa immediately drew up a chair and sat beside Mary, rubbing her back as Mary tried to breathe.

  “Take it easy. As long as you breathe while you have the contractions, it’ll be less painful.”

  “Personal experience?”

  “After the number of times I’ve been holding Mother’s hand when she’s given birth, pretty much.”

  Mary had almost forgotten about Melissa’s crowd of siblings. She gave the other woman an embarrassed smile.

  “Not how you expected to spend your wedding day, is it?”

  Melissa grinned.

  “Considering how Sean got hold of me to confess his feelings, this is nothing. Let’s just get you two through it safely.”

  Epilogue

  The labor was very painful. Mary had thought she had experienced pain, but it was nothing like childbirth. She could barely walk as Lee, Catherine and Melissa helped her back to the mission station.

  Sean and Gareth had gone on ahead to get things ready and find the midwife.

  There were times when Mary wanted to cry. It felt too much. She wanted to suck the pain back in and run away from it.

  But her baby had other ideas.

  The time between contractions and the urge to push felt like a long time, but Melissa later told her it was only half an hour. And not long after that, Elijah Stanier came into the world, screaming his head off. As soon as he was put in Mary’s arms, Mary fell in love with him. He was so small, so beautiful, even when he was screaming.

  The pain of the childbirth was worth it, to hold her son for the first time.

  It took a while to get her and Elijah cleaned up, everyone pitching in to change the bedding. They helped Mary have a bath and get into a clean nightgown before tucking her back into bed.

  Catherine and Melissa bathed Elijah and dressed him, wrapping him in a blanket, a
nd put him into the Moses basket beside the bed. Melissa refused to go back to her own wedding, preferring to sit with Mary through the labor while Sean stayed with Gareth in another room.

  Gareth had wanted to be in at the birth, but the midwife had shooed him out. Only Lee Lambert was allowed to stay, although he was kept near Mary’s head.

  Mary wasn’t about to forget the look in her husband’s eyes when he saw Elijah for the first time. He looked like he was about to cry. His hands shook as he held his son, kissing his forehead as he cuddled the now sleeping baby to him. Mary couldn’t think of a sweeter picture.

  She couldn’t begin to thank everyone for everything. But everyone had brushed off her thanks, carrying on without batting an eyelid. They hugged her and left her alone. After all the chaos of the afternoon and early evening, Mary was glad of some time alone with her husband and newborn son.

  Once Gareth had had his chance to hold Elijah for the first time, Mary took him back. She couldn’t stop herself from holding onto her son, looking down at him as he slept. He would be waking for a feed soon, but that wasn’t as daunting as Mary had thought it would be. Now she was calm, relieved, and happy.

  Everything had gone to plan. And Elijah was here. It felt like a dream Mary didn’t think would ever happen.

  Gareth chuckled as Mary settled against him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  “You do need to put him down at some point.”

  “I think I’ve earned the chance to hold him. I did all the hard work.”

  “As you keep reminding me,” Gareth grunted. “But I would love another cuddle with my son as well, if you don’t mind.”

  “You had one a few minutes ago.”

  “You mean an hour ago.”

  Mary laughed.

  “All right, you little moaner. Here.” She carefully passed Elijah across. “But give him back soon.”