RNWMP: Bride for Jonathan (Mail Order Mounties Book 8) Read online

  RNWMP: Bride for Jonathan

  by Amelia C. Adams

  With many thanks to—Amy, Cassie, Cissie, Erin, Jennifer, George, Laurie, Lorena,

  Mary, and Meisje.

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  Copyright ©2017 Amelia C. Adams

  Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Elaine Crawford knelt on her seat and craned her neck, trying to see more of the countryside as the train rolled through it. She bumped her nose against the glass of the window, but that didn’t dampen her enthusiasm. The mountains, the trees—it was like a doorway had opened up in her soul and was pulling in everything she saw. She’d never felt so alive, so free, so . . .

  “I’ve decided this train is simply never going to stop.” Hazel Hughes, the older woman who had convinced Elaine to come along on this adventure, plopped down on the opposite seat and gave a giant sigh. “I’ve always wanted to travel and see the world, but if there was a way to do it without these endless train rides, it would sure make the whole experience a lot nicer.”

  “But look at the view,” Elaine said, turning around and taking her seat properly. “Have you ever seen trees so towering, grass so green, mountains so majestic? I’ve spent nearly my whole life surrounded by buildings and more buildings—this is so wild, so untamed and free.”

  Miss Hazel regarded her skeptically. “You and those books of yours. They’ve certainly influenced your vocabulary, haven’t they?”

  “Everything we experience should influence us—otherwise, why experience anything at all?”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Miss Hazel smoothed down her skirt. “I’m glad we have this moment together. I wanted to mention something to you before we arrive in Moose Lick.”

  “And that’s another thing,” Elaine said. “Moose Lick. Isn’t that the most wonderful name? When you hear it, you immediately get a sense of what the place will be like. There’s nothing pretentious about it. It’s the kind of place where you could really feel at home, don’t you think?”

  Miss Hazel lifted a hand, and Elaine fell silent. She didn’t mean to talk so much, but when her thoughts were tumbling around in her head like they were, it was impossible to hold them in. “I need to speak with you about your future husband,” the woman went on.

  Oh, dear. Did he have eleven fingers? Was he a drinker? Was he already married? Elaine tried to quiet her imagination and just listen. “Yes, Miss Hazel?”

  “The fact of the matter is, I know very little about him. When I was asked to bring you girls out, I was given a list of requirements . . . er, requests . . . as to what each girl should be, but he didn’t say what he was looking for. I had to make a guess.”

  Elaine blinked. “You don’t know anything about him?”

  “Only that his family believed he’d never marry.”

  “And why is that? What’s wrong with him?” Maybe he had eleven fingers and twelve toes! How did he find shoes that fit? What would their children look like? Would they even have children?

  Miss Hazel lifted her hand again. “Gracious, child. There’s no need to be so alarmed. I know his sister, Evelyn, and she’s quite a lovely person—if somewhat hardheaded. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with him, so to speak. He’s probably just never found the right young lady to share his life with. Now he’ll have you, and all will be well.”

  “But if you don’t know him, how can we be sure that I’ll fit?” For the first time since hearing of this mail-order bride scheme, Elaine was scared. Really scared. It had sounded like a marvelous adventure in a gorgeous new land with a dashing man at her side, but now she realized she was leaving behind her home and her family to go live in the middle of a bunch of trees with a man who might or might not have three arms. What had she agreed to?

  Miss Hazel looked thoughtful. “It was just a sense I had. Now, I know that a lot of people think I’m battier than a bell tower, and perhaps they’re right—at least some of the time. I do have my little quirks. But in this, I’m certain. I thought about him and I thought about you, and it was like you came together in my mind like two pieces of a puzzle. I can’t explain it any better than that—it’s just how it happens sometimes. I suppose we’ll find out why when we arrive, won’t we?”

  Elaine offered up a smile. It was the best she could do—all her courage had been drained out of her like water being dumped from a bathtub.

  ***

  “And you’re not worried that she won’t like you?” Jonathan asked his friend and fellow Mountie Dermot Strickland as the two rode their horses toward the train station at Moose Lick.

  “Why worry? Everything will work out.” Dermot grinned. “And what’s not to like?” He was a good-looking fellow with enough confidence to sink a ship.

  Jonathan wasn’t nearly so convinced of his own ability to woo a wife. He’d all but given up on the idea and had resigned himself to a life of bachelorhood—which suited a Mountie quite well, actually. But there was something about this mail-order bride idea that appealed to him, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was truly lonely. He met up with Dermot a couple of times a week to compare notes about the work they were doing with the natives, and the two of them traveled to see Preston and Wesley in Moose Lick weekly, but that was nothing at all when compared with the possibility of having a sweet wife waiting for him at the cabin when he arrived home each night.

  The cabin. He sighed, adjusting his position in the saddle a bit. His cabin was a tiny one-room shack, not a place fit for a bride. He’d had every intention of adding on to it, but there had been some unrest in the native village near his cabin, and he’d spent a lot of time on patrol. Things would have to remain as they were just for now, and he cringed to think of bringing a wife in there. It was cramped, it was dusty, and it was cluttered. He didn’t have the gift for organizing that some people seemed to have.

  But a wife would change all that. She’d come in and clean up and cook hot meals, and she’d be a familiar face after a day of stoic expressions or eyes filled with anger. Beyond that, he didn’t know what to expect. Would they become friends, or would this be more like a business arrangement? He didn’t dare expect that they’d fall in love. That had never happened with any of the girls he knew—why would it happen with a girl he didn’t know at all?

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Dermot said. “Daydreaming about your bride?”

  “More like dreading it,” Jonathan replied. “Was this a mistake? What if the girls get here and demand to go home on the next train?”

  “And what if they love it here? Take a deep breath. Relax,” Dermot said, clapping Jonathan’s shoulder as he rode past. “Race you the rest of the way.”

  Jonathan shook his head as Dermot and Star shot down the trail. He’d take a page from Dermot’s book and try to remain positive, but deep in his gut was a knot of worry. It was probably best that he’d never married—he didn’t think he was up
to it. He hadn’t been in the past, and he wasn’t now.

  Chapter Two

  Elaine wasn’t sure how to greet a man with eleven fingers. She assumed that waving at him and waiting for a wave in return would probably embarrass him, and she didn’t want to be unkind. A simple “hello” would most likely suffice, and considering that they had never met before, she couldn’t be expected to make much more conversation than that.

  When the train finally—finally—pulled into the tiny station at Moose Lick and came to a lurching stop, she held on to the back of the seat as she stood, trying to feel steady on her legs. She could still feel the vibration of the wheels beneath her feet, although it was surely her imagination considering that the car had stopped, and she couldn’t wait to step onto real ground again.

  Or maybe she could—four red-coated men waited out there on the platform, and suddenly, her heart was in her throat.

  Perhaps she could crawl under one of the seats until the train left again and she wouldn’t have to go through with this.

  Of course, Miss Hazel would probably crawl right in there after her and drag her out.

  All right. It couldn’t be that bad. Elaine straightened her shoulders. She was a resourceful young lady—she could make this work.

  Isabelle, Lisa, and Maryanne were certainly eager to get off the train and meet their grooms. They’d been going on about it for days, and she’d joined in a bit at first, but since her little chat with Miss Hazel, she’d all but fallen silent. It was hard to dream about a man when he could be anything from a Neanderthal to a dandy, and neither of those options appealed to her.

  “Are you ready, girls?” Miss Hazel asked, and when she received nods and giggles in reply, she motioned toward the door of the train and they were on their way.

  Elaine gripped the handrail tightly as she stepped down. It would hardly do for her to lose her balance and fall nose first onto the platform the moment she arrived. She would handle this moment with dignity, regardless of whatever else would be asked of her. But when she alighted and took her first two real steps onto Yukon territory, the most startling thing of all happened.

  She was greeted by the most handsome man she’d ever seen in her life.

  “You must be Elaine Crawford,” he said, his voice deep and resonating. His hair was dark, with hints of auburn in it that showed up when he tilted his head to the side. His eyes were also dark, but they were more like coffee with just a little cream added. Not a lot of cream, but just a few drops, enough to take the bitterness out of the taste. She didn’t care for coffee with too much cream—that made it taste watered down, and she always wondered why bother to drink the coffee at all if she couldn’t taste it. Why not just have a glass of milk?

  “Miss Crawford?”

  She blinked and realized he’d been speaking to her. How embarrassing—he’d caught her taking a little trip in her mind like she often did when she really should be doing something else, like politely listening to what was going on around her.

  “Yes?” she replied, giving him a friendly smile to make up for it.

  “I’m Jonathan Murray. Welcome to Moose Lick.”

  This was Jonathan Murray? Well, she should have guessed it, considering that all the other girls were speaking with all the other Mounties and he was the only one left over, but she wouldn’t have imagined it for a minute. She glanced at his hands, trying to be discreet, and only counted five fingers each. While that was a relief, she also had to admit that it was mildly disappointing. Here she’d built up all her expectations only to have them destroyed right in front of her.

  “Thank you, Mr. Murray,” she said, tearing her eyes away from his perfectly normal and disappointing hands and bringing her gaze up to meet his. Oh, gracious. When he smiled, little lines appeared around the corners of his eyes, and they were completely charming. They weren’t old man lines—they were friendly laughter lines, and she liked them immensely.

  “What do you say, Miss Crawford? Shall we go get married?” he asked.

  Unable to say a word, she nodded, slid her arm through his, and they walked away from the train station and toward their new lives together.

  ***

  The wedding ceremony had been a simple thing, performed by a pastor named Wilson in the dirt-covered front yard of Wesley’s cabin. He and Lisa had been the first to wed, and Elaine noticed with some amusement that Jonathan volunteered to be the next groom. It was difficult for her to concentrate on everything that was being said. She was far too aware of Jonathan’s gentle touch on her arm, the way he looked over at her as he recited his vows, and most of all, the way her stomach flipped back and forth as she contemplated what she was doing.

  She was getting married. She was tying her life to someone else’s. She wouldn’t have to walk through the world alone, trying to make the best decisions and praying that she’d get it right—she had a partner now, a companion who would help her weather each storm and be a compass and a guide through the wilderness. At this thought, she glanced around and had to stifle a giggle. Some wildernesses were metaphorical, and some were quite literal.

  After the ceremony, Miss Hazel gave Elaine a big hug and spoke in her ear. “You’re going to be a wonderful wife. Keep your sense of humor about you—that’s crucial any time you’re dealing with a man. And remember that you can write me with any questions you might have. Of course, I might not be home to receive letters—I seem to be doing quite a lot of traveling these days—but I’ll do my best.”

  Elaine returned the hug tightly. “Thank you so much, Miss Hazel. You’ve done so much for me—for all of us.”

  The older woman stepped back and wiped her eyes. “It’s a pleasure, my dear—honestly a pleasure. Now go create a beautiful new life for yourself with that handsome man of yours.”

  Elaine looked over to where Jonathan stood leaning up against the side of a wagon. His hat was in his hands, and he certainly looked the part. “I think I will,” she said softly.

  “Good girl.” Miss Hazel gave her one last squeeze, then walked off to speak with the others.

  Elaine watched her go, then shyly walked over to where her new husband waited for her. New husband! She swallowed a few times, certain that her heart had leaped up into her throat. “What’s next, Mr. Murray?”

  He smiled down at her. “I think the first step is for you to call me Jonathan.”

  “That’s simple enough. And next?”

  “Next we’ll collect your things. We have a three-hour drive out to our cabin, and I’d like to get started.”

  “Three hours? Yes, let’s go. I’d like to reach it well before dark.”

  They climbed into the wagon, and he guided it over to the train station. “Which of these trunks are yours?” he asked as he hopped down to the ground.

  “I have two—the large one there on the left, and then the smaller one just behind it.”

  “All right.” He bent to pick up the larger of the two and gave a loud grunt. “I might need a little help with this one. What’s in it? Bricks?”

  “Books,” she replied, feeling bad that it was too heavy for him to lift. Now that she thought about it, it had taken two porters to get it on and off the train, and to get it from Miss Hazel’s to the station in Ottawa, and from her house to Miss Hazel’s . . . It hadn’t occurred to her until that moment that the trunk might be overloaded. She just thought all the porters were pansies.

  “Books?” He scowled down at the trunk in question. “You came all the way out here to live in the wilderness, and you brought a trunk of books?”

  “Of course,” she replied. “Where would you need them more? I think the wilderness is a perfect place for reading.” She was not going to let him speak ill about her books—no one spoke ill about her books.

  “Very well.” He turned and motioned to one of the men leaning against the ramshackle station. The two of them hoisted the trunk into the back of the wagon, and then Jonathan lifted the smaller one himself.

  “Are you ready?”
he asked after climbing back into the driver’s seat.

  “I am,” she replied, and with a shake of the reins, they were off.

  The first few minutes of the ride were a bit awkward. Elaine had never been a newlywed before, and she had no idea what to say. She supposed she ought to be charming and witty, but she was a bit too tired from the journey to conjure up much charm and wit. “This is a nice wagon,” she said at last.

  “Thank you. We rode our horses into town this morning, but we knew we’d need wagons to transport your things back.”

  She nodded, thinking again of her books. She couldn’t imagine balancing them on the back of a horse, although she did try to imagine it for a few minutes. “You said it’s a three-hour drive out to the cabin?”

  “Yes. Dermot and I are stationed to watch over a native village out in that area. We’ve been having trouble with some fur trappers stirring things up as they pass through, as well as some whiskey-related violence and the like.”

  That was rather exciting, and very different from what she was used to. “How far is your cabin from Dermot’s?”

  “Oh, not far. I’d say it’s about a fifteen-minute walk.”

  That was nice to hear. Elaine had been worried that she’d be separated from all the girls—it was such a relief to know that Isabelle would be close by.

  She fell silent for a moment as she looked at the countryside around them. It was simply fantastic. If she’d thought the mountains were incredible before while looking at them through a dusty train window, now they were enough to stun her into a state of reverence.

  “Pretty, isn’t it?” Jonathan asked.

  “I’ve honestly never seen anything like it before,” she replied. “And to think that you get to live out here. Do you count your blessings every day?”

  “Nearly every day,” he replied with a chuckle. “Maybe you can fill in for me on the days I miss.”

  “Consider it done.” She turned back to look at him. “How did you get so lucky as to be assigned this position?”