A Bride For Nathan (The Proxy Brides Book 3) Read online

  A Bride for Nathan

  Barbara Goss

  Copyright: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this book is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage system without express written permission from the author.

  Copyright © 2018 Barbara Goss

  All Rights Reserved

  Kindle Edition

  Cover Design by Virginia McKevitt

  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

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter nineteen

  Chapter One

  Appomattox Courthouse, VA—April 8, 1865.

  Intense gun fire and smoke caused Benjamin Wilkins, who was lying on the ground behind a fallen tree, to temporarily lose sight of his friend, Nathaniel Conn. When he spotted him again, he was falling to the ground a few feet ahead of him, having been hit by a cannon ball. Ben froze. He wanted to go to his friend and tend to him, but the Confederate fire remained too forceful. Ben kept shooting at the enemy, but he stayed in his location, despite his fellow soldiers pressing forward. He hoped to get close enough to Nathan to drag him from the fighting arena.

  Nathan’s leg bled badly. Ben knew he'd be dead if he didn’t get to him soon, if he wasn’t dead already. He prayed the firing would cease before that happened. He felt sick from the smell of gun powder, blood, and death. Ben hit the ground as a bullet came close to parting his hair.

  Finally, his prayers were answered when another Union Regiment stormed into the valley where they were fighting, pushing the rebels back far enough for Ben to crawl forward, grab Nathan, and drag him into some nearby bushes. He made a tourniquet from material torn from Nathan’s uniform and tied it around his right leg which dangled from his limp body. Ben also found a wound on the side of Nathan’s head and a second just below his shoulder, which he stuffed with another piece of Nathan’s uniform. Ben stayed with Nathan until dark when the fighting had ceased.

  Knowing that Nathan’s leg had been badly injured, he picked him up gently and carried him in his arms to the medical tent—which was a bit over a mile away—stepping over Confederate bodies as he went. He stopped several times to rest, checking that Nathan was still breathing before he continued.

  He’d met Nathaniel Conn at Gettysburg where they’d become tent mates, and they'd marched and fought, side-by-side, ever since. He’d learned Nathaniel had become a widower when his wife had died during the birth of his daughter, and that he was from Topeka, Kansas. He had no other family. If Nathan died, his child would become an orphan. Just last month, Nathan had said to Ben, “If anything happens to me, will you see that my daughter is taken care of?” Of course, he’d agreed. Likewise, he’d asked Nathan to visit his family if he fell in battle. He thought about Nathan’s poor little girl, and the thought forced Ben to walk faster toward the medical tents.

  Inside one of the tents, the nurses rushed Nathan to the surgical shelter, where the doctor—who everyone called “Sawbones” because he had to saw off so many limbs—set to work on him immediately after ordering Ben from the tent.

  Ben heard Nathan scream as he paced outside the shelter. He knew then that Nathan was still alive, but he'd lost his leg.

  Later, Ben learned their regiment had won the skirmish but had suffered many casualties, and he'd been ordered to remain at Appomattox Courthouse until further notice. During that time, Ben and those who hadn't been injured helped nurse the ones who had been. Ben had never seen so many men writhing in pain. He prayed the war would end soon. Men were scattered about the tents looking battle-worn, laying with handmade crutches at their sides, most of them sporting bandages of every shape and size.

  Though the casualties were high, they were much higher for the Confederate Army. The following day, Ben heard this had been one of the most significant battles of the whole war. He felt proud to have been a part of it, but he prayed Nathan would pull through to hear that Lee officially surrendered to Grant the day after the skirmish, and the war was finally over. They were all waiting for their orders to go home. Ben couldn’t wait to get away from the stench of putrefying flesh and the crowded, unsanitary camp, but he refused to leave his friend behind.

  Ben bid farewell to the uninjured soldiers who were leaving for home while Nathan remained unconscious, his head, torso, and stump of his right leg wrapped in bandages.

  “Will he live?” Ben asked the doctor the next time he passed through the tent.

  “Probably not. He’s lost a lot of blood. He isn’t responsive at all despite my attempts to wake him. His leg will most likely become infected since the conditions are less than sanitary. If I were you, son, I’d say goodbye and go on home. This man won’t be going anywhere, except maybe to Heaven.”

  The doctor moved quickly on to the next patient.

  Ben thought about Nathan’s little girl. According to Nathan, she was currently staying with an elderly neighbor who had a poor heart. The child couldn’t stay with the old woman much longer; he’d made a promise, and he aimed to keep it.

  Soldiers in dire need of better medical treatment were rushed by field ambulance to Fairfax Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. Nathan stayed there for two weeks before the doctors told Ben to take him home to die.

  The government gave Ben vouchers for a train with a special car for wounded soldiers.

  Ben sat by a lifeless Nathan until they reached Topeka, Kansas, where he asked a man at the railway station to help him carry the army stretcher to the livery. Fortunately, the man knew Nathan.

  “Why that’s Nathan Conn.”

  “You know him?” Ben asked.

  “Sure. Everyone knows Nathan.”

  “I’m going to rent a wagon and take him home. Can you direct me to his farm?”

  “Sure, I’ll take you there.” The man held out his hand. “I'm Abe Baines, by the way. I have my wagon right over there.” He pointed to a wagon parked in front of the general store. “I just picked up a few sacks of feed, but there’s plenty of room for Nathan.”

  Abe pulled up in front of a large, old farm house. “This is the Conn farm. You’re in luck—Elvira Burger’s buggy is here. She’s the housekeeper. She only cleans once a week since Nathan went to war.”

  Mrs. Burger let them in and after asking after Nathan’s health, suggested they settle him on a bed in a downstairs bedroom.

  Abe asked Ben, “Shall I get his daughter from Mrs. Haggerty?”

  “Not yet, Abe,” Ben said. “Let me nurse Nathan for a day or two, first. I’m not sure I’d know what to do with a small child, and I’d hate for her to see her father die. How old is she?”

  “I don’t rightly know…about five or six, I’d guess. She’s not much trouble, but she keeps poor Martha from proper rest. Her ticker's faulty, ya know.”

  “I’ll figure it all o
ut as soon as I can. Where do I find this Martha Haggerty?”

  Abe pointed to the west through the large sitting room window. “See that old, gray house about three-quarters of a mile down the road? That’s her place.”

  After Abe left, Ben didn’t quite know what to do. He tried giving Nathan some water, but the man choked on it, which scared him. Instead, he squeezed water from a clean rag and let it trickle down his throat every now and then.

  Ben foraged around the house for food and found some canned goods and a few non-perishable things to eat. While he ate a plate of cheese, a can of beans, and some pickles, he thought about his family and how much he yearned to see them. It had been almost four years since he’d last been home. Thinking about his family gave him a brilliant idea.

  His sister, Allie, would most likely never marry. It wasn’t that she lacked for looks— she was extremely pretty—but she was also quite shy. She sometimes broke out in a sweat when she went to a dance or town event, and she had to leave early to go home where she would sometimes vomit. Her heart would race, and she’d gasp for breath. Even old Doc Simcox seemed baffled by her symptoms. He'd shrug whenever he examined her and say she had mental problems.

  Ben knew his sister to be sane and extremely bright. She behaved normally at home. Allie just wasn’t a social person, he supposed. If she were to marry Nathan, she’d be a widow instead of a spinster. She’d also have a child to raise, and she’d never be alone. Nathan’s home and farm would be perfect for her, and she’d have her independence and her privacy; the nearest house was almost a mile away. Besides making his sister happy, his plan would also fulfill his promise to Nathan.

  Nathan had two ranch hands, Ray Jenkins and Cal Peterson, who seemed trustworthy. Ben sent Ray to bring the best doctor in Topeka to the farm. Dr. Miller, a man in his fifties with dark hair and graying sideburns, came to examine Nathan. After a complete exam, the doctor simply shook his head.

  “That bad?”

  Miller shrugged. “He has an infection in the stump of his leg. Any idea how long it’s been like that?”

  “He was medically cleared when we left Virginia.”

  “I’m not sure there’s anything that'll help him now.” Miller dug a brown bottle and a small jar out from his black bag. “Give him a spoonful of this three times a day and rub this cream on his stump at night and in the morning. Continue putting the cold compresses on his body.”

  “Anything else?” Ben asked.

  “Yes. Pray,” Miller said. “He’s feverish, unconscious, pale, thin, and frail. I don’t expect him to live to the end of the week. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing else I can do.”

  Three days later, Nathan gained consciousness for a few minutes, and Ben was right there with him. “Nathan?”

  “Belle…” he groaned.

  “She’s still with Mrs. Haggerty.”

  Nathan closed his eyes and fell back into unconsciousness or a deep sleep, Ben wasn’t sure which.

  The following day, Nathan opened his eyes and called for Belle once more.

  “She’s safe, Nathan,” Ben said. “I need to ask you something important. Please try to stay awake.”

  Nathan nodded.

  “I need to find a mother for Belle in case…in case you don’t get better. Would you agree to marry my sister, Allie? She’s thirty and still single. She’d raise Annabelle if something happened to you.”

  Nathan simply stared at Ben for several seconds as if confused. “Marry?”

  “If she can’t get here in time I can set up a marriage by proxy, but you’d have to sign a document.”

  “She’d be good to Belle?” Nathan asked in such a low tone, Ben had to bend close to hear him.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Yes…hurry…I’m not sure I can hold on much longer.” Nathan fell back into his pillow, his eyes closed, and for a few seconds, Ben thought he’d died. He looked to see the pulse in his neck was still beating, and he relaxed a bit.

  A few minutes later, Ben went to a desk in the sitting room to write to his sister.

  Chapter Two

  Columbus, Ohio, June 1865.

  The aroma of beef stew drifted through the house as Allison Wilkins and her mother, Grace, set the table for four.

  “I really think Uriah Culbert will ask for your hand tonight, Allie.”

  “Oh, Mother! I’ve hardly been courted by him. He’s nice enough," she rolled her eyes, "but all he does is talk about his farm. I doubt he’s interested in marriage.”

  Grace placed the last knife on the table and put her hand on Allie’s. “He owns a good deal of land, he's a prosperous farmer, and,” Grace’s voice rose with excitement, “his home is one of the best in Columbus.”

  “It’s very nice, I’ll admit, but—”

  “Oh, there he is now. I’ll answer the door while you call your father. He’s upstairs changing his clothes for dinner.”

  Allie ran up the stairs to call her father to dinner. She felt a bit uncomfortable now that her mother had said she thought Uriah would propose. A widower in his early forties, Uriah had three young children. She loved children, but there was something about the man that made her feel uncomfortable. Maybe it was his habit of always stroking his scraggly beard, or the way he looked at her chest when he spoke to her instead of looking at her face that had something to do with her feelings. She supposed she shouldn’t be so critical. At thirty, she had long passed the age when most girls marry. Though she was already considered a spinster, she didn’t think she lacked in her physical appearance, but she found social situations stressful. She always felt strangely aloof whenever she met with people.

  “Father?” she called when she reached the top landing of the stairs.

  The door to her parents' room opened. “I’m coming.” He inhaled. “Ah, stew. I hope there are biscuits, too.”

  “Of course. Would we serve you stew without them?”

  “I heard Uriah is coming to dinner again—is that something you’re looking forward to?”

  Allie frowned. “Not really. Papa, I’d rather not marry at all, or if I have to, I'd like to marry someone who’s tranquil and makes me feel at ease, but Mother has her heart set on a match between us.”

  Her father put his arm around her and led her down the stairs. “Pray about it, and things will right themselves. You’ll see,” he said with a wink.

  “Any news from Ben?” she asked him when they'd reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “Not since the one we received that was mailed from Kansas. Since the war is over, we assumed he’d be coming right home. It sounded so like him to deliver a wounded friend home, first. Then he’ll come home safe and sound, praise the Lord.”

  Allie smiled up at her father. “Now, doesn’t that sound just like Ben? Always thinking of others first.”

  “He has a big heart, I’ll grant you that, but I’m anxious to see him. I miss him like crazy.”

  “So, do I,” Allie agreed.

  They walked into the dining room to greet Uriah Culbert.

  Allie crawled immediately into her shell. She couldn’t explain, even to herself, why she felt uneasy around people who weren’t family. Unlike most suitors, Uriah didn’t seem to mind her detachment. He simply smiled and pulled out a chair for her at the table.

  As Allie ate, she thought about all of her botched courtships over the years. For some reason, she hadn't been able to converse intelligently or warm up to any of the men. Instead, a huge lump formed in her throat and she feared saying the wrong thing so much, she just kept silent. She’d always been a shy person, but she knew this went far beyond shyness. Allie knew she’d end up a spinster, and it really didn’t bother her much except she'd always yearned to be a mother. She remembered playing with her rag dolls until she wore them out, however, she knew that unless she could escape her shell, she’d never become a mother.

  Uriah asked her to take a stroll with him after dinner, as usual. He tried to take her hand when they stepped out of the house, but All
ie pulled away.

  “Someday, you’ll enjoy holding hands with me…and more. I’ll teach you joys of life that you’ve never even dreamed of—pleasures divine.” He chuckled. “Come, let’s sit on the bench.”

  Allie sat beside him, cringing when he sat so close to her, their thighs touched. He took her hand in both of his and held it; she tried, but she couldn’t pull it away.

  “Will you marry me, Allie?”

  Allie sat with her mouth agape, unable to answer. She’d rather remain single than marry Uriah, yet she hesitated to hurt his feelings. It must have taken courage to ask for her hand, so she’d try to be tactful.

  “I thank you for your k-kind offer, sir, but I don’t wish to marry. I'd make a horrible wife.”

  “You’d warm up to it, Allie.”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Your mother told me she approved of my marrying you. Please, talk to her and think it over. I’ll come back in a few days for your answer.”

  “What about love?” Allie asked.

  “Love comes later, you’ll see.” He stood. “I’ll be back on Friday.” He walked her to the door, still clutching her hand tightly in his sweaty palms. When he’d gone, she went up to her room and washed his perspiration from her hands.

  Allie threw herself on the bed and cried. She couldn’t marry. How could she when she couldn’t even stand being out in public? He’d force her to go places with him, she knew he would. The thought made her feel nauseated.

  The following day, she walked to town to pick up her family’s mail. She gasped as she sorted through the weekly mail to find there was a letter from Ben, and it was addressed to her!

  Allie slipped the letter into her pocket and moved to exit from the train depot where the mail and telegraph office were located, when Ham Beecham called to her. “Telegraph for you, Miss Wilkins.”