Rock Hard Lumberjack: A Lumberjack And A City Girl Romance Page 21

  I managed to sneak away from the women without being noticed. I walked over to the board, pretending to be interested in some of the more boring news items before glancing around and making sure no one was watching. When I was sure it was safe, I took down one of the ads and stuffed it in my corset.

  By the time I left the post office, I'd managed to snag four or five if the ads without anyone seeing me. I had plenty of ink and paper at home to write the letters. I'd already decided that I was going to have the letters delivered to my uncle’s second home by the ocean. We rarely went there in the winter so it would be the perfect place to receive the letters without drawing too much attention since it was within walking distance.

  I hurried home with my prize, struggling to walk at a normal pace. I knew that if I was caught running I would draw attention and that was the last thing I wanted. I managed to make it home without earning any strange glances. It wasn’t too late for a lady to be out on her own and so no one really gave me a second look.

  My uncle and his wife rarely paid any attention to me; I was just standing in the way of their money. Once I was married off they wouldn’t have to spend any more of their precious inheritance on me. I would say it was sad, but I honestly did not care much. I disliked them just as much as they disliked me. It made it easy for me to sneak away into the room upstairs. I always had my meals brought to me anyway.

  I spent the better part of the night writing letters and sealing them up. I did not bother using an alias since no one in the West was going to know who I was. A few of the ads showed promise. Most of the men were ranchers or farmers who’d moved to the West searching for gold and promising business ventures. There was plenty of land out there and most of the men seemed to be doing rather well for themselves. One of the men, however, was very vague in his letter, though it was obvious he was far better educated than the rest, which held an enormous amount of appeal to me. I was a voracious reader and writer and I’d hoped to marry a man with similar interests; someone who would encourage my own hobbies.

  The letters were tucked away in a basket and stayed there until the next morning. My uncle tried hassling me about going out on my own, but I ignored it, smiling and nodding solemnly as if I were truly sorry. I never listened to his lectures because he did not mean any of them. He could have cared less if I was actually hurt or not. If I fell off a cliff it would probably be rather convenient for him.

  As much as I hated him however, I ignored it and smiled, not wanting to give him any reason to have me locked away for hysteria. He was looking for any reason to get rid of me at this point and marriage had been the only option so far.

  I wandered from the house, under the pretense that I was going into town for fresh flowers and books. My uncle rolled his eyes when I told him I needed more books but did not stop me. I did plan on going to the market, though I had to make a quick detour. I waited at the beach house, handing the letters to the postman. I had family all over the South, so he did not ask too many questions about the letters.

  After handing the letters over, I knew it was going to be a waiting game. I went to the beach house every day, waiting for any of the men to respond. I knew it might take a while, but the wait made me anxious. Every day that passed was a day I was getting closer to my wedding. I wasn’t ready to give up my life to the old man my uncle wanted me to wed. I wanted adventure and I wanted a chance to breathe and be free.

  It took nearly a month but one of the letters finally came back. I tore into it eagerly, my eyes scanning over the well-practiced pen strokes. It was the educated man. He wanted me to come live with him in Boulder, Colorado. He included enough money to pay for my travel expenses, and would be expecting me within the month.

  I stared at the money in my hand and my fingers began to tremble. This was it; this was my life line. I tucked the money away, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. I wasn’t about to hang around here any longer than I had to. This was God’s way of telling me it was time. He’d provided a way out and I wasn’t going to ignore the sign.

  Once I made it home I began to pack my things. I could easily hide the suitcases, though I doubted anyone would come up here to check anyway. I only had to make it through a few more days. The next train was leaving in less than a week and I was going to be on it.

  My new life was only a train ride away now.

  Chapter Three

  The train left early in the morning and I had to silently sneak out and pray I did not wake my aunt or uncle. I did not bother leaving a note telling them where I was because I honestly did not trust them. If they knew where I was there was the distinct possibility that they might come after me and drag me back so they could collect the money Richard had offered for me. I could only hope that they would just be happy that I was gone.

  I managed to sneak out of the house just as the sun was starting to rise. I knew the train master would be entering into the station and I knew the young boy who sold tickets would already be there. I was dressed in one of my best dresses, wanting to impress my new husband. I wasn’t normally the sort to go out on a limb to impress a man, but I did not want him to send me back. I recognized that I was going to have to put some effort forth, but it was worth it to me.

  I hummed and set the money in front of the ticket boy. He was idly flipping through a few of the ticket boxes before he stopped and looked at me. His eyes widened a moment as he looked me up and down.

  "You're Rebecca Wright. You're marrying Lord Richfield,” he said.

  My eyes widened and I stared at the boy who somehow knew who I was. "How do you know who I am?" I whispered, panic running through my body. I had no idea how this young boy knew me, but it was cause for concern.

  "I work in his gardens. I've seen you there," he hummed.

  I swallowed thickly and started to pull out a few extra bills, hoping I could buy the boy’s silence. I leaned close and closed my eyes a moment, taking a breath before speaking. I did not want to sound too panicked or desperate.

  "Young man..," I played it up a little. "Please do not tell anyone I was here," I whispered softly.

  His eyes seemed to spark in understanding when I offered the extra money. He looked up at me a moment. "Are bad people after you?" he whispered back.

  I nodded quickly. "Yes. That's exactly it. Very bad people are after me."

  He took the money slowly, glancing up at me again as he nodded "Okay, I won't tell anyone," he said with a soft smile.

  I allowed him to pull the money from my hand and kissed his cheeks.

  "Thank you, thank you so much," I whispered.

  I left him blushing as I took my ticket and quickly walked toward the train, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. I'd managed to clear my first hurdle and I was feeling good. I was nervious for what was to come next but I had a good feeling about my decision.

  The train took off from the station not long after I boarded and despite the crowded conditions, I felt hopeful for the first time in a long time. The train rocked and I rested my forehead against the cool glass, a smile playing on my lips. It was all going to be okay. I was finally free and it was going to be okay.

  The ride took far less time than I assumed it would. We rolled right on through Chicago before making it to Boulder. The train moved faster than I could have ever expected. I’d never seen anything like it. Even though I came from a wealthy family, we mostly traveled by horse and buggy, which took quite a while. On the train, everything blurred by so fast I could barely keep up.

  When the train finally stopped in the station, I hopped off and followed the small gaggle of women who I knew were also there to meet their husbands. There was very little direction in the letter than told me what I needed to do once I got off the train. It just said to go to the ticket master and he would help me.

  One by one, each woman was given a small map and verbal directions. They all seemed shocked that they were being expected to find their own husbands. They took the maps hesitantly before walking out the door.

>   When I came to the window the man did not even look up at me. “Name?”

  “Rebecca Masters.”

  He lifted his gaze and glanced at me like he did not quite believe me. After a moment he hummed and nodded. “Go right outside. You’ll see a large carriage with an elderly man driving it. He will take you to Lord William’s home.”

  I blinked but nodded, leaving the line. I could feel the eyes of the other women on me but said nothing. I was the only woman who hadn’t received a map and been sent on my way. I think it made some of the other women jealous.

  As I stepped outside the train station a gust of cold air hit my cheeks, stinging the skin and turning it pink. Charlotte got cold of course, but nothing like this cold, dry air. I turned my face away from it, gasping softly. My eyes stung and I had to stifle my surprise. I’d always heard the West was warm, though I knew winter was right around the corner.

  As I was trying to get my bearings, a deep voice rumbled, catching my attention. “Ms. Masters?”

  I looked up, shocked to see a tall Indian, with long white hair braided neatly. A feather had been tucked into the plaits, giving him an exotic look. His wrinkled face spoke to his age.

  “Yes, I’m Ms. Masters,” I said.

  He nodded and picked up my luggage, setting it in the floor of the carriage. He opened the door and offered his hand. “I will take you to meet your husband.”

  “My husband? We aren’t married yet.”

  He cocked a brow and just smiled softly. “Everything will be explained soon, young one,” he said.

  His cryptic message confused me, but I decided not to argue. I was eager to meet the man I would be spending the rest of my life with.

  Chapter Four

  The ride through the country was bumpy and not at all what I was used to. There were no shops filled with dresses and no groups of ladies wandering, fanning themselves and gossiping about the latest marriage. Everyone was hard at work, trying to build their homes, and that excited me more than I could put into words. Sure it was going to be hard work, but I wasn’t afraid of that. I welcomed the opportunity to get my hands dirty and feel the sun on my face. This was a dream come true.

  Those dreams were dashed rather quickly, however. The carriage came to a complete stop in front of a large mansion and my face fell. The tall man came around and opened the door for me, helping me out of the carriage.

  “Welcome home.”

  “This is my home?” I said, sounding rather disappointed.

  “Yes, madam.”

  My chest tightened a bit and I looked up at the grand porch, taking in the find architecture and southern inspired touches. The family who owned this house had clearly originally been from the South. It was far too familiar for my taste.

  I picked the hem of my dress up and walked to the stairs, leaving the driver behind. As I approached the door, I raised my hand to knock but it opened before I could. A man stood in the doorway, wearing a fine suit that was clearly in fashion. It wasn’t old or worn or anything that I had expected.

  The man who stood before me was clean shaven, his blonde hair swept back out of his face. His piercing grey eyes seemed to look right into my soul and I turned my head from the intensity. He was the first to speak, breaking my stunned silence.

  “Welcome, you must be Rebecca.”

  “Yes I am.”

  “Very good. You arrived on time,” he said, nodding to the driver and letting him inside. “Yes. Thank you Thomas. Take Mrs. Williams’ things up to my quarters.”

  “What?” I asked, my eyes wide.

  “We are married. The document you signed and mailed to me was a marriage certificate. I am your husband Jacob Williams,” he said, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips.

  “I thought you were a farmer,” I said, thoroughly confused by the scene playing out before me.

  “Oh my dear, no,” he said, leading me into the house and closing the door. “My father owned the largest coal mining operation in the state. However, thanks to you, I own it now.”

  “What do you mean thanks to me?” I asked, my mind spinning.

  “I could only inherit the company under the condition that I was married,” he said simply. “You are my wife, we will share a bed and you will do your duties in the home,” he said firmly.

  I had barely been here five minutes and I was already thrown into the same fate I’d been desperately trying to escape back home. Suddenly I felt extremely foolist to have expected more. My legs wavered and I nearly collapsed, sitting hard on a small couch in the entrance way.

  “I did not-” I mumbled, trying to make sense of what was happening.

  “It’s a lot to take in. I understand.” But his voice was anything but understanding, it was cold and formal. There was no empathy whatsoever.

  I looked at him wide eyed and swallowed thickly. “I need to go to the washroom.” I whispered.

  “Of course,” he said.

  He pointed me in the direction of the washroom and I ran through the marble halls, closing the door and locking it, my back pressed against it as my chest heaved with sobs that were trying desperately to escape. How could this be my life? I’d worked so hard to escape this and yet, here I was anyway.

  I put my hands flat on the wash bin, trying to force the tears back. I did not want to break. I did not want to lose faith now, but it was so hard. There had been a light at the end of the tunnel only a few days ago, and now it seemed I was cast in darkness, with no way out.

  That was how my life in Colorado began. Everything I thought I was going to have was ripped away in a moment. I slept in the bed of a man who saw me as his property. I was expected to wear beautiful dresses and play the part. I did my wifely duties, but every day that I scrubbed and practiced needle point, a little more of my soul died.

  I would walk into the market, expected to shop for groceries and finery and I would pass by women working in fields, riding horses without saddles and digging their fingers into the soft earth. I dreamed of that, but it never came.

  Jacob was not a cruel man. He was actually quite kind and he took care of me. He asked me if I was happy and I lied because I wasn’t. This wasn’t the life I wanted, but how was I supposed to tell him that? As far as anyone else could see, I had the perfect life and the perfect husband. No one saw the cage I felt trapped in and as the days went by and became bleaker, I knew I had to do something. I had to change something. My life could not continue the way it was or it was going to kill me.

  When spring came around, I saw my chance and I wasn’t about to let it slip away.

  Chapter Five

  Spring in Colorado was beautiful and the more time that passed I found myself enjoying it more and more. My situation may have been a bit of a disappointment, but that did not mean I could not enjoy the beautiful landscape. All of the plants and animals were so different compared to what I was used to. All of this was what kept me going; I seemed to learn something new every day.

  In the winter I’d gotten into the habit of stopping by a young woman’s house. I always saw her out, wearing a plain dress and tending to her lush garden. She had it separated into little squares and when I saw that it made me realize exactly what I wanted to do.

  I’d stop and speak with her, learning all of her tips and tricks. I started keeping a small diary to help me keep track since I knew I’d forget most of it by the time spring rolled around. She always seemed surprised when I stopped by and even asked why such a wealthy woman was interested in gardening. In her mind I did not need to garden; I had enough money to buy my food from the market. I managed to evade her questions, still used to the way people talked in Charlotte. I did not want my little plan to get back around to my husband.

  Jacob was kind enough and certainly handsome, but he did not seem to understand women very well. I could tell that he’d been forced to focus on his business his entire life. The only affection he showed me was a tender kiss on the cheek here and there. Our interludes were even methodical and mean
t simply to produce children. Even though he was affectionate, I knew it might anger him if he knew I wasn’t happy with the way things were, and so I kept my plan secret.

  We had enough funds that I was able to buy all of the supplies to set up a garden in the back yard. Local workers had brought them to the house and stacked them downstairs in the basement where my husband wouldn’t find them. They would be safe until spring.

  As the ground started to thaw and the soil became fertile, I set my plan into motion. Early in the spring, I went to the market and bought a set of men’s work clothes, a hat, seeds and a small goat. It was the start of my very own farm.

  I walked back down the dirt road that led between my house and the market, earning strange looks. No one had ever seen a woman of my status leading a goat and dirtying my petticoats. I put the goat in the barn, using one of the spare stalls. While out there I slipped out of my heavy dress and into the work clothes I’d purchased, braiding my long blonde locks.

  My heart was racing as I walked over to the patch of dirt I’d picked for my garden and began struggling with the short fencing that would keep various creatures out. I must have been making a lot of noise because Thomas came around back, one eye brow cocked.

  “What are you doing, Madam? Your husband will not be happy if he sees you like this.”

  I sighed and sat up, glancing over my shoulder at him. “Are you going to lecture me Thomas?”

  “It’s not my place.”

  Over the last few months, Thomas and I had grown rather close. He was a good man with a kind heart and he was one of the few people who could see the pain in my face.

  “Are you going to tell Jacob?”

  “I cannot lie.”

  “What if he doesn’t ask?”

  “Then I will not tell him,” he said with a soft, knowing smile.