‘Aunty!' She exclaimed.
‘Yes,' she went on. ‘I am here to stay the night with you, as I have arranged for you to meet someone, tomorrow. It's an old acquaintance, and her son has just returned from the military, injured, yet ‘ … She didn't finish. Looking at the sight of Jenny she figured she would have slim to no chance of him agreeing to marry her, however, she had to try, for her brother's sake.
They made it an early night. Tucked in bed, tears quietly streaming down Jenny's eyes, a likely end to her plan. Maybe she could sneak out with James … then quickly realized her Aunt would be in her room, instead of James, who would be with his father, in his room. There was just no way for it to work. They were to leave early, the next morning.
She caught her breath, silently and went to the only place that could save her. She had closed her eyes and beseeched the Lord. What do we do now, Father? With Aunty in the house, leaving early in the morning would be impossible.
An hour or so later there was another loud knock at the door. This time, more like a banging. Her father answered the door, angrily, and then hastily came into her bedroom, to advise Aunty Florence her eldest son had fallen from a ladder, breaking his leg.
Jenny's eyes had welled with tears. Why had she doubted God? That evening, before retiring a second time, she patted her father's hand and to her amazement felt feelings of tenderness towards him. She reassured him his craftsmanship was superb, as his confidence was in the gutter. She also knew they would not meet again for a long time, but Jenny promised herself to always remember her father in prayer.
Chapter Six
Jake paced up and down the station, and occasionally glimpsed down the track to see if he could see the steam from the train. He was an hour early just to be on the safe side. His insides were tight with tension, now that the reality was less than an hour away. Had he made a foolish mistake?
He shrugged off the question. It was too late now and there was not much he could do about it. From here, Jake had arranged for them to go to the small chapel on the outskirts of town, and have the circuit preacher marry them. His nerves came from the knowledge that he had rushed the arrangement.
They should have exchanged a few letters before he proposed but then Jake was not one to waste time when his mind was made up. If she was not whom she said she was, he would find himself in a lifetime of trouble. Another thought grew in his mind. What if she did not come, that all along the ruse was an idea to get money from him? It was not unheard of for potential brides to not turn up at the arranged date.
He thought back to her hastily written letter informing him of her date and time of arrival. Well, Jake said to himself, all he would lose was a couple of hundreds of dollars. He could live with that. The worst part would be dealing with the disappointment. He realized then how much hope he had pegged on Jenny Garner.
He saw the steam rising into the air, and then the train came into view. He squared himself and prepared to meet his bride. Unconsciously Jake grinned. This was a big moment for him. He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer that everything would work out well for the both of them.
The train came to a halt and he kept his eyes glued on the platform as all manner of people alighted. He saw no young lady who wore a sky blue dress as Jenny had said she would wear. Amongst the passengers, he saw a young lady alight wearing a sky blue dress, only she held a young boy by the hand, so he knew that could not be Jenny.
Still he found himself staring at the innocent beauty she possessed with eyes that looked blue but when she moved they turned to a darker shade, almost green. He wore his wide brimmed hat, as he had told Jenny he would, a pair of blue smart denims and a checked shirt. He reluctantly shifted his eyes back to the alighting passengers but none seemed like Jenny.
Then he felt a slight tap on his shoulder.
‘Sir, are you waiting for Jenny Garner?' the girl in a sky blue dress said.
Her voice was soft and befitted someone with soft features as she had.
‘Yes I am.' Jake said almost regretfully.
She struck out her hand. ‘I'm Jenny Garner and this is my only brother James Garner.'
Jake was stunned. Brother? She had made no mention of having a brother or even coming along on the journey with her. He struck out his hand, but felt a growing anger in his chest. He looked at the boy's wide fearful eyes, so much like his sister's, and plastered a smile on his face. The boy's features relaxed and he hesitantly smiled back.
‘Welcome to Weigh Bridge, I hope you will like it.' Jake said with as much warmth as he could master. ‘Let's get your luggage and leave. The ranch is a long way off and we have a lot to do before then.'
He smiled at James and took his hand, and then glared at Jenny. How could she lie to him? He got their luggage, a small case, which tugged at his heart strings because he knew that was all that they possessed in the whole world. Rather than go straight to the chapel, he led them to an inn across the station to clean up and have a bite to it.
The boy wolfed down his meal of beef stew and mashed potatoes, while Jenny was more guarded, staring at him when she though he wasn't looking. While they cleaned up in the small bathroom, Jake pondered his predicament. Should he go ahead with the nuptials knowing that his bride had lied to him about something so important? What else was she hiding?
When they returned he had made up his mind.
‘We'll go to the chapel and have the circuit preacher marry us before we go home. We should not live in sin even for a day.' He said.
Her relief was evident. A smile formed on her face, and Jake almost gasped aloud at her loveliness. She had small, even tiny features, and white even teeth that when she smiled transformed her from beautiful to stunning and desirable. His body stirred, amazing Jake. How could he desire a woman who had lied to him by omission?
A part of him understood why she did it, but it did not reduce his disappointment. The wagon was packed across the street, next to the station and he led them to it, and helped them in.
‘Mister, do you have horses and cows on your ranch?' James asked.
‘Oh yes James. So many until you'll soon grow tired of looking at them, unless you have a cowboy's blood in you like I do.' Jake said and ruffled his hair.
‘I do, I'll be a cowboy when I'm all grown.'
"You'll make a fine cowboy.'
His eyes met with Jenny's and she flashed him a grateful smile. He knew how she felt. He had been as protective with Mathew as she was with James. He got on the driver's seat and guided the horses towards the small chapel. He had hardly glanced at Jenny but now as they entered the dark chapel, he glanced at her.
She had combed her hair and changed into a cream colored dress that showed off her figure beautifully. On her hair was a flower, which made her look even more alluringly innocent.
‘You look very beautiful.' He said.
Her face turned crimson, and Jake delighted in the knowledge that he could make her blush that easily. Either that or she was unused to compliments. He hoped it was the former. There were two other couples in front of them and when their turn came, the exchanged their vows. A few minutes later, they walked into the spring sunshine, as Man and Wife.
James seemed the most excited. He hopped about as they walked to the carriage, while he and Jenny walked awkwardly side by side, with nothing to say to each other. Jake had plenty to say, but this was hardly the time, just when he had exchanged vows with her. His mind raced ahead to what lay next.
His plan was to have them sleep in separate room up to when she felt comfortable sharing a room with him. She was his legal wife but they knew so little of each other. It would not be fair to expect her to share his bed right away. Looking at her expression, he could tell that her mind was on what lay ahead.
He wanted to reassure her, but James was nearby and that was no conversation to have in front of a child. Before leaving town, they stopped by the general shop to get a few supplies, as the town was quite a distance from the ranch.
‘What can I get you?' Jake said to Jenny.
‘Nothing, thank you. I actually have some money left over from what you sent me.' She said, reaching into the side pocket of her case.
‘No, that is yours.' Jake said then added. ‘If I knew you were traveling with James, I would have sent you much more. I'm surprised you have anything left over at all.'
He saw the fear in her face again. Perhaps she was worried that he would send her back. Jake sighed and turned away. He had married her, now they were tied together, whether he liked it or not. He bought salt, flour and other household things and returned to the wagon. He handed James a couple of candies and by the way his face lit up, Jake knew the little boy was not used to little luxuries.
Chapter Seven
Jenny knew that he was upset with her and she did not blame him. He was silent throughout the journey, and to stop her nerves getting the better of her, she kept her eyes glued to the surroundings. The land was green here, and hilly. Huge trees grew along the road and in people's ranches dotted with cows and crops.