A Mail Order Bride for the Miner (Love by Mail #2)(5)

Sarah’s stomach clenched.

“Hank does smile sometimes, and he nods a lot, but his silence… I wonder… is he going ahead with the marriage just out of politeness?” Sarah finally blurted out what troubled her most, while touching the burn on her cheek. “He knows I have nothing to go back to.”

“No, no, no. You’ve got it all wrong.” Mercy’s cheeks reddened, but then she paused. “Hank’s just different, ‘tis all. He’s more - somber, from what Cole tells me."

"You haven’t been friends long then?"

Mercy’s ears now burned red too. "Erm, no. Actually, I’ve only known him for a few weeks, like a month or so."

Sarah turned to Claire, who shrugged and went back to her cake. "From what I know, Hank had been away for quite some time, mining across the country. He had already left when my brother and I came to Angel Creek."

“But,” She quickly went on to add, “I’ve been with you all this time. I’ve walked with you two up and down Main Street, to the lake, and I’ve seen Hank in church. Mercy’s right. He’s quiet, but I’m sure he likes you back. His Ma would be so proud to see you two…”

Sarah touched her cup, but when her hands shook she decided against bringing it to her lips. "Right, he mentioned in the letters that he had just lost his mother and all his siblings settled elsewhere with their own families."

Claire nodded. "My brother did the service, he spoke such beautiful words about her. Poor woman’s heart gave out. I heard it was her dying wish for her youngest son to have a family of his own."

Sarah licked her lips. So, maybe it wasn’t politeness after all, maybe he had sent the ad for his mother’s sake? He probably wasn’t that interested in her to begin with. Sarah wanted to smack herself awake. It was an arrangement through the papers. It was never about love! What was she expecting, a besotted gentleman?

"I know," she began unable to get the grim thoughts out of her mid. "I know that Hank and I had never met before, but… I’d appreciate it if… If he’s not really that interested in me, he could just say so."

She touched the left side of her face, drawing her hair over it like a curtain. "I wasn’t really expecting him to like someone who looks like me."

"Oh no." Mercy gasped and grabbed her hand. "Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that about yourself, Sarah. Hank is interested in you! You have no idea how happy he was when he got your letters. That man hardly smiles, but every time mail arrived, he was over the moon with joy."

“Yes, didn’t you listen to a word I just said?” Claire chimed in.

"He doesn’t look happy with me here, though." Sarah slumped in the chair still unsatisfied with their answers.

She had traveled days for him. If he didn’t want her, she wasn’t about to impose...

"Of course he is," Mercy insisted. "Your scars have nothing to do with his silence. Trust me. It’s just that - Well, Hank has some - concerns…"

Sarah’s eyes widened. "I’m not on the run from the law! I’m - I’m a decent woman - I wrote about it -"

"Uhm, that’s not what I meant." Mercy glanced at Claire, who stared back at her, with one brow raised.

"Then, is it with where I’m from? Or the finances?" Sarah desperately tried to figure it out, if it wasn’t her looks, what could he be objecting to?

"No, not that." Mercy sighed. "Hank is a good friend of my husband’s and Cole says he’s one of the most hardworking, loyal, and protective people you’ll ever meet. It’s just that - you’ll have to understand that -”

"Oh, I knew it! Taking the cakes all for yourselves!"

The women’s heads swiveled to the door of the small parlor. Cole stood in the doorway grinning, with his hands on his hips and mock disapproving look in his eyes.

Mercy chuckled and got up from her chair.

"Are the lovely ones enjoying themselves?" Cole asked as his wife pecked him on the cheek.

Sarah smiled at him and nodded just like the others.

"We were just talking about the wedding, “Mercy said as she fetched a piece of cake for her husband. “Sarah here, was actually wondering how you were before we got married."

Cole chuckled. "Me? I was a bundle of nerves. The night before the wedding, I tossed and turned in bed, wondering if Mercy was going to bolt out of Angel Creek that very night!"

Mercy blushed. "You never told me that!"

"It was my little secret." He winked at her and stuffed his face with cake before Mercy could get him a fork.

Mercy rolled her eyes, sat beside Sarah and took her hand while leaning closer.

"Before our wedding, I was nervous, too. I was afraid Cole might have misgivings about marrying me - someone from an orphanage, with no family or fortune to her name."

"Oh." Sarah suddenly felt guilty about her own worries. She couldn’t imagine what Mercy must’ve felt, without a family to fall back on should the marriage not work.

"And now we’ve got a beautiful girl named Amy," Mercy continued. "She’s from the same orphanage I was brought up in. And we’re just waiting for the next member of the family."

She touched her stomach. "It’s still a few months, but we’re so excited. Amy can’t wait to meet her new brother or sister."