Liam (7 page)

“Yes, Mr. Anderson, what is it?”

“Miss Smith, I’d like to court you with the end result being marriage.”

Her jaw dropped open.

Liam reached over and lifted her chin with his knuckle. “Can I assume by your silence that you would be amenable to my suit?”

She blinked several times and then nodded her head.

“Very good. I shall go find your father and speak with him.” He rose and tipped his hat to her. “Good day, Miss Smith. Eleanor.”

“Good day, um, Liam.”

Liam left and located the reverend coming out of Bullock & Starr Hardware.

He walked up to him as he stepped off the boardwalk on to the mud and dung covered street. “Reverend Smith, might I have a word, please?”

“Of course. Mr. Anderson, isn’t it? I understand you were very helpful to Eleanor yesterday. You have my thanks. What can I do for you?”

The preacher did not stop but walked toward the tent where Eleanor was now giving lessons to the children.

Liam fell into step beside him with his hands folded behind his back. “Sir, I’ve come to ask your blessing in my courtship of your daughter. She has already agreed and if we suit, I should like a July first wedding.”

The reverend did not slow down and said matter-of-factly, “You realize that you should have asked me first?”

“I thought given Eleanor is a woman of a certain age, that I should discuss it with her first. She is not a child just out of school and is perfectly capable of making her own decisions.”

Reverend Smith walked on and said nothing, but smiled. Then he stopped short and turned to Liam. “I’m glad you’d let Eleanor make her own decision. She
is
a woman in full charge of her faculties. As to a July wedding, you realize that is less than four months away?”

Liam sidestepped some horse dung as he walked. “I do. I’m looking for a wife and mother to my two children. I don’t wish to spend a lot of time in the process. I have not discussed the date of the wedding with Eleanor yet, but I don’t doubt that I can convince her of my rightness in this matter.”

“I see. You seem quite sure of yourself and, as Eleanor has already agreed, so shall I.”

They stopped outside the large tent that the Smith’s called home and church. “Thank you, sir. Now that I’ve discussed this with you, I have more arrangements to make. Good day, Reverend.”

He nodded. “Good day, Mr. Anderson.”

Liam held out his hand. “Since we are to be related, you should call me Liam.”

Reverend Smith clasped Liam’s outstretched hand with both of his. “Very good. I’ve always wanted a son, Liam. My dear, Fiona was never able to give me another child after Ellie, though we tried. She died in childbirth when Ellie was ten. It’s been a hard life for my daughter with no mother to teach her. I understand your, er, predicament very well, having been there myself. “

“Yes, sir. I understand. I’ll take good care of her.”

“I’m trusting that you will or I’d not be agreeing to let you court her, regardless of what she said.”

“Understood, sir.” Liam retrieved his hand. “I’ll call on Eleanor tomorrow night if that meets with your approval.”

“It does.”

“Until tomorrow then.” Liam left the reverend and went directly to Lily Sutter’s mercantile.

“Hello, Liam,” she called from the ladder she was descending behind the sales counter.

“Hi, Lily,” said Liam removing his hat. “Should you be up on that ladder like that? I thought Zach helped you out here on Saturdays.”

“Oh, he does, but I still need things that are on the upper shelves during the week. I can’t always wait for Saturday,” she said cheerily. “Besides who do you think did all of it before Zach came? I appreciate what he does but the bottom line is this is my business.”

Liam nodded his understanding. “You’re right, of course. I’m here because I need some chocolates. Do you have any in stock?”

“Chocolates?” Lily smiled. “Why Liam are you going courting?”

“I am.” He stood a little straighter, if that was possible. Too many years in the military meant he always stood tall.

“Anyone I know?”

“Eleanor Smith.”

“Oh, Liam,” she said coming around the counter. “I’m so happy for you. Ellie is a wonderful woman.”

“I believe she and I will do well together.”

“Well, come see what I have. I don’t get too much call for chocolates after Christmas. But I did just get a couple of boxes in. Sometimes the miners like to give them to the girls at
The Gem.
Here we are.”

She walked behind the counter and stopped at the end where two rows of colorful candy jars were displayed. They sat on a riser so the back row was higher than the front. Sticks of peppermint, orange and lemon stood vibrant in the morning sunlight streaming through the clear glass of the window.

Lily handed him three different boxes of chocolate from one of the shelves behind the counter. They were all cream filled and ranged from a box of a dozen candies to three dozen.

“What would you recommend? This will be our first outing. I intend to take her to dinner at the Grand Hotel.”

Lily made a face.

“What? Am I doing something wrong? Tell me Lily. I haven’t courted a woman in many years. I’m not sure I know how.”

Lily dusted off her hands on the apron she wore to protect her dress. “It’s just the food at the Grand Hotel isn’t very good. You’d be better off to take her to the No. 25.”

He shook his head. “I don’t—”

Lily quickly continued, “I know it’s a saloon but they also serve food and it’s very good. I go there sometimes with Gemma, after church on Sunday.”

He couldn’t keep from grimacing. “I don’t know. I don’t want to take the preacher’s daughter to a saloon no matter how good the food. Perhaps after we’re married.”

Lily flushed pink. “You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. People would perceive it wrong. I’ve gotten used to ignoring what others think.”

“Your situation has demanded that of you. I understand you’ve rejected my brother’s efforts to court you. I should warn you, he’s only going to try harder. Zach has never had a woman refuse him. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s good for him, but I don’t understand your reluctance.”

Lily turned away from him and stared out the window. It was getting close to noon. He knew because the sun didn’t shine directly on her face. “I gave my heart to a handsome, charming man like Zach once. He broke it. Used me. But he also gave me Gemma and I wouldn’t trade her for anything.”

He understood her reluctance, but she didn’t understand Zach. “He’s not like that. Zach would never do anything to hurt you.”

“Not intentionally, I’m sure, but he’ll have women throwing themselves at him and the first time he takes one up on her offer, I’d be crushed. And it’s not just me anymore, I have to think of Gemma. Loving and then losing a father would be more difficult for her than growing up without one.”

“I understand better than most how hard it is to raise children alone. It’s one of the reasons I’m going to remarry. Children need two parents. But you’re right losing one…” He closed his eyes and pictured Mary. She was a little fuzzy around the edges. He was losing her more every day, his memory not as sharp as it once was. “It’s devastating.”

Lily turned back around to face him. “Well, I’m very happy for you. Ellie will make a wonderful mother. She is already good with the children and they all adore her.”

The bell rang over the door, announcing the arrival of another customer.

“Be right with you,” called Lily. “So which box do you want?”

“I’ll take the middle one,” said Liam.

“Good choice, not too cheap and not too extravagant.”

“I’ll take the large box for my family. They need to be spoiled a little bit.”

“Do you want me to wrap them? I’ve got some ribbon you could put around them.”

“Just the one for Eleanor, please.”

“Wonderful,” exclaimed Lily. “She’ll be able to use the ribbon in her hair.”

“Oh,” said Liam. “In that case, you better wrap them both. Hannah and Becky can share the ribbon. They’ll like that.”

Lily smiled and Liam was sure he’d just been conned into buying the ribbon, but the girls would enjoy it.

“Very good.” Lily took both of the boxes and wrapped them with butcher paper and tied the one for Eleanor with a bright red ribbon. The large box she tied with a royal blue ribbon that would work for both Hannah and Becky. She handed them to Liam. “Have a good time on your outing with Ellie.”

He picked up the packages. “Thank you. I’m sure all will go well.”

As he rode back to the cabin all he could think of were all the things that could go wrong. What if Eleanor hated chocolate? Or the food at the hotel was as bad as Lily seemed to think? What if he was mistaken about Eleanor’s attraction to him?

No. He wouldn’t think like that. She’d said he must know how attractive he was, so that meant she thought he was attractive. Hopefully, attractive enough to start a marriage.

And then what? Did he know how to be a husband when he didn’t have the army to fall back on? When it was just him, home every night? He’d have to spend time with Eleanor. He soon wouldn’t have a job. With all the machinery and men coming, soon there wouldn’t be mining or panning for him to do.

But they’d have to form a company and someone had to manage the managers, so there would be work for him to do. There would be stealing by the miners, it was to be expected, but it couldn’t get out of hand. He’d have to talk with the man they’d hired from the Comstock Mine and see what could be done about it.

So many thoughts went through his mind that by the time he reached the cabin, he had a massive headache. Mary had always made him a cup of tea when he’d had a headache. She’d also massaged his temples and murmured sweet things to help him relax. His pain had gone away under her ministrations.

Mary. It was getting harder and harder to picture her, but the ache in his chest was easing. His heart didn’t break and he didn’t lash out every time he thought about her now. That was a good thing. He remembered more of the good times and not just the time when she died.

He was finally ready to move forward and marry again. Eleanor. He’d never love her like he did Mary, but he could care for her and share his children with her.

Would that be enough?

He didn’t know but it was all he could give.

CHAPTER 5

Liam visited the barber before picking the children up from their first day at school. He wouldn’t normally pick them up but he needed a haircut and decided to kill two birds with one stone. He was calling on Eleanor this evening and wanted to make a good impression.

When they returned to the cabin, he shaved for the first time since he left Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The cold wind was raw on his newly shorn head, making him wonder if he shouldn’t have left it alone and kept the hair and beard.

He dressed with care in his black three piece suit, the only one he’d brought with him from Missouri. He put on his white shirt and black cravat and was assaulted by the memories of Mary’s funeral, the last time he’d worn the suit, of bending down and kissing his wife goodbye for the final time. Holding his children while they cried for the mother that would never again answer.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and willed the memories from his mind. He must look to the future. Mary would want this he was sure, want him to move forward and go on with his life.

He called the children to him. “David, I want you to look after Hannah while I’m gone. Uncle Zach will be here in case you need anything.”

“Yes, sir,” said David.

Liam almost smiled as his son nearly came to attention when he answered him. It had been almost as hard on David when Liam left the army as it had been on him. At the time, David was enamored with everything military, though now he seemed to be interested in gunfighters. Meeting Wild Bill Hickok and getting his autograph on David’s dime novel, was the most exciting thing that ever happened to the boy. Still, gunfighters or not, coming to attention was a habit and he stood up straight when he addressed his father.

Liam kissed both of his children on the forehead and left for his appointment with Eleanor.

~*~

“Ellie, you better get a move on, Mr. Anderson is going to be here in half an hour,” her father called from the other side of the curtain that formed her room. She looked in the direction of his voice and then back at the mirror she held in her hand. The silver backed mirror was one of a set that included a silver backed brush and comb as well. They were from her aunt on her father’s side and not from her mother, as most people would have thought. She’d wanted nothing that had been her mother’s.

The reflection she saw was of a woman who was pale and scared. She’d never been courted before. She couldn’t imagine what someone as handsome as Liam Anderson wanted with a plain Jane like her. He could have his pick of women, most of whom would be swooning at his feet. Ellie didn’t know how to swoon and wasn’t about to learn now. She was thirty-two years old and well beyond throwing herself at a man, just because he showed some interest.