Bride for Nathaniel Read online

  RNWMP: Bride for Nathaniel

  Mail Order Mounties

  Kay P. Dawson

  Copyright © 2017 by Kay P. Dawson

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Design by Erin Dameron-Hill

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, events or locales is coincidental.

  Visit my website at KayPDawson.com

  To sign up for newsletter alerts, TEXT ‘DAWSON’ to 42828

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Kay P. Dawson

  Introduction

  Mail Order Mounties is a multi-author series set in Canada during the early 1900’s. Join authors Kirsten Osbourne, Kay P. Dawson, Cassie Hayes and Amelia Adams as they bring you fictional stories about members of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, and the mail order brides who love them.

  From The Authors:

  We hope you are enjoying the Mail Order Mounties Series. All of the books are works of fiction, and the stories completely created by the authors of the series.

  While we have done our best to be historically accurate, there are certain pieces of history we’ve had to take “creative license” with to help make our stories come alive. In truth, it wouldn’t have been likely for a member of the RNWMP to have a mail order bride, and in many cases, wouldn’t have lived in such close proximity to other members.

  However, for the purposes of our stories, we wanted to create a world that showcased the history of Canada during the early 1900s while also bringing you stories that would combine the talents of the authors involved.

  Chapter 1

  “Thank you, sir, but I can manage just fine on my own.” Claire tucked the small bag tighter under her arm as she worked at dragging the other two suitcases down the sidewalk. They were heavy, so she had to stop and rest every few steps. The man who’d been following her, determined to help, still wasn’t taking the hint. She didn’t trust him, or the way he was eyeing up her reticule.

  “Come now, miss. You can’t be dragging all these bags on your own. Just let me give you a hand.” His words were slightly slurred, and she couldn’t tell if it was because he’d just come from the saloon at the far end of the street or it was just his usual manner of speaking.

  Either way, she still didn’t like him hanging around her. Everything she owned in the world was inside these bags. She wasn’t letting anyone hold on to them except herself.

  He reached out and held on to the suitcase bouncing against her left leg as she pulled herself along, struggling against her long skirt and cumbersome baggage. She stopped and turned slightly to face him.

  “Sir, kindly take your hands off my case. I’ve tried to be polite, but I’m afraid you just aren’t understanding me. I don’t want your help.” She could see her breath as she spoke, the small puffs of air rising into the coldness of the day. Tugging hard, she pulled the suitcase from his grip.

  As she did, he lurched forward, grabbing at the small purse under her arm. Twisting away, she clenched her arm into her side while she dropped the suitcase from that hand, preventing him from getting a good grip on the purse. He stumbled slightly, just as she swung around and brought the other suitcase up with both hands, slamming it into the side of his head.

  He fell forward, clutching at his head. “Ouch, what are you doing, you crazy woman?”

  “I’m giving you exactly what you deserve, you loathsome buffoon. You’re not getting any of my bags, so you can keep walking. If you even so much as look at me funny, I’ll scream so loud we’ll have the entire city of Ottawa racing to see what the noise is all about.”

  Her chest heaved as she glared at the man who was looking back at her like she’d completely lost her mind. Which, if she were truthful with herself, she was teetering very close to having happen.

  His eyes pulled together and he started to come toward her again. She waited until he was close enough before swinging again. This time, he was ready and put his hand out to stop the suitcase from making contact. But while he sneered at her, believing he’d won this time, she struck out with the pointy end of her boot, connecting hard on his shin.

  When he stumbled and bent over in pain, he let go of the suitcase enough that she could swing it once more, with a loud crack to the side of his head.

  Thankfully, a couple were now walking by and stopped to ask if everything was all right.

  “This man seems to think he can help himself to my bags. I’ve merely been showing him that isn’t the case.” She smiled at them as the man who’d been accosting her stood up and ran in the other direction, as fast as his stumbling legs would take him.

  The woman smiled widely at her while the man on her arm tipped his hat before making their way down the street. Claire was still in the nice section of Ottawa. However, there were always thieves and thugs hanging around, thinking they could help themselves to any belongings the wealthy who lived in the area couldn’t hold onto tightly enough.

  She was alone again. Pulling her shawl up tighter around her neck, Claire stood for a moment and looked around her. People rushed along the streets, hurrying to get into the warmth of their destination and away from the cold autumn wind.

  Claire had lived here for as long as she could remember, working in the upscale area of Ottawa. She’d spent her early years in Miss Pascal’s Home for Orphans before being hired by the Lambert family to work as a lady’s maid to their young daughter, Rose. The girls had both been quite young and had formed a close friendship, although they’d kept it hidden from anyone else.

  It wouldn’t have been considered proper for the daughter of the wealthy Andrew Lambert to be friends with an orphan who’d been hired as her maid.

  But it hadn’t mattered to Rose. She treated Claire as a friend, and since the day she’d left to marry her Mountie out west, Claire had been left on her own. After Mr. Lambert found out she’d known about Rose’s plan to run off to marry a stranger in British Columbia, and had even helped his daughter to pull it off, he’d promptly fired her. It left her with nowhere to go.

  Swallowing against the lump in her throat as she realized how alone she was, Claire tried not to panic. All her life, she’d had to depend on herself. Other than Rose, she’d had no one else to rely on. She could figure this out too.

  Bending down, Claire picked up her bags and made her way to the bench up the street. She struggled to hold them tightly to her while keeping her shawl from falling away from her shoulders. The skin on her cheeks was prickling from the crisp air, and when she sat on the bench, the cold from the metal frame seeped through the fabric of her skirts.

  Bringing her hands up, she cupped them in front of her mouth and blew warm air into them. Her bags sat on either side of her, and her reticule was still tucked up safely under her shawl.

  Pulling it out, she carefully opened it to peek inside. She knew there wasn’t much m
oney in there. Mr. Lambert had refused to pay her the last few weeks he owed her, saying she had no right to the money after doing what she’d done.

  Claire didn’t care. Rose was happy now and getting away from the life she hated here was the best thing her friend had ever done. So even though she’d lost her job and was now with nowhere to go, Claire would do it all again to help Rose.

  The familiar envelope was there inside her bag so she pulled out the letter to read again.

  Dearest Claire,

  I promised you I would write as soon as I could. There is so much to tell you!

  Remember when you kept talking about my Mountie and how sure you were I’d fall in love, but I didn’t believe it would happen?

  Well, you were right, Claire. I did fall in love.

  Elijah is the most caring, wonderful man I could have ever dreamed of marrying. Every day I wake up so thankful that I was brave enough to get away and take charge of my own life. British Columbia is beautiful, and Squirrel Ridge Junction is small but lovely. The mountains are stunning to look at every day. I even have a moose named Monty who visits me regularly, albeit while sometimes causing some minor destruction along the way.

  I miss you so much, and I wish every day for you to find your own happiness like I have. If you ever have the chance to do something daring that can bring you joy, promise me you’ll do it. There’s so much more out there beyond the city of Ottawa. You just never know where your heart may lead you.

  I pray I will get to see you again soon. Your friendship got me through the roughest times, and I can never repay you for helping me to get away.

  All my love,

  Rose

  Claire had received the letter just this week, and hearing how happy her friend was had warmed her heart. Folding it along the well-worn creases from being read many times over, Claire tucked it back into her bag.

  You just never know where your heart may lead you.

  The words played in her mind, over and over. And as she sat on the cold bench watching the world go on around her, Claire knew exactly what she had to do.

  It was time to do something daring, and pray that her heart would know the way.

  Chapter 2

  “My goodness, your poor cheeks look like they’re ready to fall off from the cold. Get inside this minute and warm yourself up.”

  Claire hoisted her bags over the threshold of the large doorway into the welcoming warmth of the house. She’d walked over three blocks to get here, the heavy suitcases slowing her down. The gloves she’d been wearing were more for fashion than warmth, but they were the best ones she had, so by the time she’d arrived, her fingers were numb from the cold.

  Her eyes took in the foyer of the beautiful house she stood in, while the older woman she’d come to see called out orders to her staff to come take Claire’s bags and to start boiling some water for tea.

  “Miss Hazel, you don’t need to fuss all over me. I just came to talk to you for a bit.” She smiled as the woman came over and took her hands in hers.

  “Your hands are like icicles. Come into the parlor and sit down. I have a fire going so you can get yourself thawed out.”

  Hazel Hughes wasn’t even waiting for her to reply, pulling her along behind her down the hall. When she led her into a room with two chairs sitting by the fireplace, she turned and motioned for Claire to sit.

  While Hazel got herself comfortable in the chair across from her, Claire peeled the gloves from her fingers and rubbed them in front of the fire.

  “Now, you say you’re friends with Rose Lambert? How is she doing?”

  Claire could hear the genuine care and concern in the older woman’s voice, and she was glad Rose had found Miss Hazel. It made her happy to know her friend would have been looked after by somehow who truly cared.

  “She’s written to tell me she’s fallen in love with her Mountie. Just like I knew she would.” Claire smiled as she relayed the news to the other woman.

  Hazel chuckled to herself as she leaned back in her chair. “Well, I knew that. I could tell she was already falling in love with Elijah before I even left Squirrel Ridge Junction. It just took her a bit longer to realize it for herself.”

  A maid came in with a rolling tray holding a silver tea set, pouring them each a cup before handing them the steaming beverage. Miss Hazel set hers on the table beside her, then crossed her hands over her stomach and tilted her head slightly to the side as she watched Claire.

  “And now you’re hoping I can find you a Mountie of your own.”

  Claire started to choke on the hot liquid she’d just brought to her lips, standing up to set the cup back on the tray before she spilled it all over her skirt. Her hand came up to her throat as she coughed, trying to get the air back into her lungs.

  When she could finally breathe, she looked at Miss Hazel sitting in her chair quietly sipping on her own tea as though there wasn’t a choking woman standing in front of her. She had a slight smile on her face as she watched Claire.

  “Perhaps the first thing we’ll have to teach you is how to drink your tea without causing a scene. I’m sure your Mountie won’t want you spitting hot liquid all over him every time you take a sip.”

  Claire could only stand with her mouth hanging open. Rose had mentioned that Miss Hazel was a bit eccentric but Claire hadn’t been prepared for her bluntness.

  “Um…well I…” She wasn’t sure what to say. Thoughts flew through her mind telling her she couldn’t waste this chance. Miss Hazel was her only hope, so she needed to pull herself together. The woman wouldn’t send some silly girl out to marry a Mountie who was putting his life at risk every day for the safety of his country.

  She went back and sat in her chair, demurely placing her hands in her lap. One last cough erupted, forcing her to cover her mouth before clasping her fingers together again.

  “I was hoping perhaps you might have more Mounties in need of wives. I’ve heard you’ve sent a few more ladies out after Rose, so I wondered if there might be more looking. I assure you I’m a hard-worker and I can learn quickly. I know how to cook, sew, and do any household tasks necessary. I’ve lived in Ottawa my whole life, but I’m sure I’d be able to easily adapt to the climate anywhere.”

  She stopped talking as Miss Hazel started to chuckle softly and shake her head at her. Claire’s heart sunk to her toes as she realized the woman wasn’t going to help her.

  “Claire, dear. You sound like you’re applying for a job, not hoping to meet a man you could fall in love with. I don’t send anyone unless I have no doubt in my mind they will be a perfect match for each other, even when quite often the two of them don’t see it for themselves right away. So, I don’t care how much you can do in the kitchen. I always teach the girls before they go anyway. I need to know who you are before I can possibly find a man worthy of you.”

  “What do you mean, you need to know who I am? I’ve told you I was Rose Lambert’s maid and we became friends—”

  “No, I want to know who you are. Why are you here?” Miss Hazel interrupted, and was now leaning forward, waiting for Claire to answer.

  Claire met the woman’s gaze, and for the first time in a long time, she saw kindness from someone.

  “I’m an orphan with no family, or anyone really, to belong to. But I still believe in true love and believe people who are meant to be together will find each other. Even though I haven’t known a great deal of love in my life, I did learn from having a friend like Rose that it’s worthwhile to have people who care about you.” She swallowed and smiled shyly at Hazel who was nodding her head in agreement.

  “You’re right about that, my dear. I was married to my dear late husband for over 20 years, and I still feel like a piece of my heart is missing with him gone. Having someone to love and who can love you in return is truly something special.”

  They sat quietly for a moment, with the sound of the crackling fire the only thing breaking the silence. Claire let the orange flames mesmerize her as she wondered w
hat else she could tell Miss Hazel to convince her she would be worthy of marrying a Mountie.

  “Well, as luck would have it, I think I have the perfect Mountie for you. He’s a special one, and I think you’ll be just what he needs.”

  Claire’s head whipped around, and her mouth fell open in shock at the suddenness of Miss Hazel’s announcement. She’d figured she’d have to give her a lot more information about herself to help with the decision.

  “You mean, you know of one already who’s looking for a bride?”

  Miss Hazel nodded and smiled, as she reached out and patted her hand. “Yes, I do. And I’d say you were sent here at just the right time. You see, I just received the letter today. Nathaniel is a Mountie in Cougar Springs, Alberta. He might seem a little rough around the edges, but I have no doubt once you get to know him, you’ll both be able to give each other what you’re needing.”

  Nathaniel. Hearing his name sent her heart racing. This was going to be the man she would marry.

  As panic tried to creep its way in, Claire took a deep breath and pushed it away. She wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

  Because she knew without a doubt, this was her one chance for happiness.

  Chapter 3

  Nathaniel leaned back against the wall of the station, keeping his eyes on everyone milling around. He was always on guard and watchful for anyone doing something they shouldn’t be. Being a Mountie wasn’t a job that you ever had time off from, even if it was your wedding day. The other men would be watchful too as they stood waiting at the platform, however he also knew the others were more inclined to trust people, unless they were given a reason to feel otherwise.