A Bride for Cameron Read online

  She knew he’d married her to have a mother for his children and for him to look like a proper family man for the election. At first, Hannah had hoped that they could, one day, be a real married couple, and perhaps, have a few children of their own, but if she didn’t even like the man, she doubted that would ever happen, and she’d be stuck for the rest of her life in a loveless marriage.

  Hannah sighed, and she rolled over in bed to face the window. The moon was nearly full, and it lit up the entire room.

  She folded her hands and prayed. Only God could solve her problem.

  Hannah awoke to Annabelle's jumping on her bed. “Mama! Wake up!”

  Annabelle was the only bright side to her predicament. Hannah grabbed the child and hugged her. “What a pleasant way to wake up.”

  Instead of pushing away from Hannah’s embrace, Annabelle clung to Hannah, who felt the child’s need to feel loved. Maybe that was why God had sent her to Hunter’s Grove. He knew that Annabelle needed her.

  Hannah kissed the child’s cheek and said, “You’re in a cheerful mood today.”

  Annabelle finally pulled away and sat with her head against the bedpost. “Bessie is taking Georgie to town shopping, so I thought we could get some lessons done.”

  Hannah laughed. “Only if you let me get up and put some clothes on. I’d also like something to eat. I’m hungry—have you eaten?”

  “Father’s home today, and he said we should wait for you before we eat. He’s in his office, now.”

  “Well, then, you run down and tell Bessie and your father I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  Hannah watched Annabelle scamper from the room. She felt like a real mother, and she was happy with everything—except Cameron.

  The table was set, and everyone was waiting for her. She sat down and noticed that Annabelle had her napkin on her lap along with her folded hands, just as she’d taught her. Hannah gave the child a smile and nod of approval.

  “Can we eat now? I’m starving,” Cam said.

  “We must remember to pray first,” Hannah reminded him.

  After they’d eaten, Bessie took Georgie to town with her, and Cam headed for his study. He stopped midway and said, “Hannah, don’t forget our picnic lunch.”

  Annabelle jumped up and down. “Oh, what fun!”

  “No,” Cam said somewhat sternly, “your mother and I need some time alone to discuss things.”

  Hannah put her arms around Annabelle’s shoulders. “The very next time we go on a picnic, you and Georgie will come with us.”

  Annabelle said sullenly, “All right.”

  “Now, where shall we do our lessons today?”

  “There is a table and chairs in the playroom,” Annabelle said.

  “Let’s go, then,” Hannah said.

  Hannah was pleased, not only with Annabelle’s reading, but when she explained what she’d read, she had excellent reading comprehension. She was a delight to work with.

  When they were putting the books and papers away, Annabelle said, “I love having you here, Mama. I don’t think Father likes us, but I know you do.”

  Hannah dropped the book she’d been holding. “What makes you think your father doesn’t like you? Of course, he loves his own children. Why would you say such a thing?”

  Annabelle sat brooding for a few seconds before shrugging. “He’s just doesn’t bother much with us.”

  Hannah patted her hand. “Some men just don’t know how to show affection. We’ll have to teach him.”

  Chapter Six

  As soon as Bessie returned from town, Hannah took Georgie upstairs for a nap while Annabelle worked on arithmetic problems. Hannah grabbed the basket Bessie had packed and went to Cameron’s office.

  She held up the basket. “Are you ready?”

  He closed the book he’d been reading. “Good timing. I need a break.”

  On the way to the barn, Hannah stopped and asked, “Where will we be having this picnic?”

  Cam took the picnic basket from her. “There’s a park-like area by Hunter’s Creek. Do you ride?”

  “Of course. My parents had about a half-dozen horses.”

  Cam held the barn door open for her and said, “Take your pick—except for the black stallion; he’s mine. His name is Raven. Isn’t he grand?”

  Hannah patted the stallion’s nose. “He’s beautiful... or should I say, handsome?” She thought her remark might get at least a chuckle from Cam, but a brief smile was all she got.

  After scanning the dozen horses, she chose a brown sorrel quarter horse with a tan mane.

  Cam examined the saddles and chose one for her. “Shall I?” he asked.

  “Oh, no. I can saddle her. It will give her a chance to get used to me.” Hannah took the saddle from Cam.

  Cam saddled Raven while she finished saddling her horse. “Does my horse have a name?”

  “No,” he said. “Mine is the only one I named. You can name her.”

  Hannah stood back and admired the horse. “I’d like to name her after my mother whose name was Mary, but everyone called her Molly.” She stroked the horse’s mane. “Do you like your name, Molly?”

  Cam led the way down the dirt road about a mile before turning onto a narrow path. She was forced to ride behind him. He made a turn, and Hannah viewed a rather muddy but large creek in an area someone had cleared and placed wooden tables with matching benches.

  “This is beautiful. Who takes care of the park?” Hannah asked.

  “The town council hired a groundskeeper who also maintains the courthouse and the home of the town council’s president, Jake Haskell.”

  They tied their horses to a nearby post, and Cam untied the picnic basket from his horse.

  They sat across from each other. Cam unpacked the food.

  While they ate, Hannah tried to find out more about her mysterious husband. “When is the election?”

  “Next fall. I’m impatient,” he said. “My legal cases are becoming boring.”

  “In one of your letters, you mentioned that you were working on a murder case.”

  “Oh, yes. I won that case.”

  “Tell me about it,” she said.

  After Cam explained the case and how he’d won it, Hannah asked, “Well, who did kill Mr. Monroe?”

  Cam shrugged.

  “What if you got a murderer off?”

  “I just do what I’m paid to do. I blame the prosecutor as he did a horrible job. He couldn’t dispute any of the facts I brought up.”

  “Oh, like the time the stagecoach arrived?”

  “That and the reason why Mrs. Wilson couldn’t identify the killer.”

  Hannah gasped. “That’s right. She would have witnessed the whole thing.”

  “Would you like another sandwich?” he asked.

  “No, but it was very good.

  “So, why didn’t Mrs. Wilson know who killed Mr. Monroe?”

  “Mrs. Wilson swore that she was asleep, and when she awoke, there Monroe was, sprawled out on the floor, dead.”

  “Honestly, how could she sleep through someone axing her bed partner?”

  Cam gave her a rare smile. “You’re doing a better job than the prosecutor. He never once asked her that when she took the stand.”

  “What about Mrs. Monroe?” Hannah asked.

  “She claims she awoke to find her husband gone. He’d gone to bed with her, but in the morning, he was gone. Both women acted very strangely, but my job was to clear Mr. Wilson, and I did.”

  “In your opinion, could a woman have been strong enough to ax a man?” Hannah asked.

  “Mrs. Wilson is a tiny thing, but Mrs. Monroe is hefty—not fat, mind you, just sturdy. It’s possible, but I somehow envisioned a man’s hand in this.”

  “But not Mr. Wilson’s?”

  A solemn silence fell over them for a moment. "You asked me if it bothered me that I might have freed a guilty man."

  Hannah nodded.

  “I get paid to do a job, and I do it to the best
of my ability, but to be honest, it does bother me somewhat.” Cameron shrugged. “Maybe it’s because it was my first murder case.”

  Hannah kept her feelings on the matter to herself. She knew it was a lawyer’s job to defend a person and the prosecutor’s job to accuse him, but she felt it would pose a danger to a community if a killer got off without a penalty. What if he killed again? She wasn’t sure she fully understood how the legal system worked, and she hoped Cameron would be elected to the Senate. She’d do everything possible to help him, except lie.

  She wondered why he hadn't asked how Annabelle was doing with school, and if the bandages on Georgie’s thumb had worked. Perhaps Bessie had filled him in—certainly, he must care for his own children.

  Cameron started to pack away the remnants of the picnic, and Hannah helped him. As she did, their hands met near the basket, and they froze for a few seconds before pulling their hands quickly back.

  After the basket had been packed, Hannah was left wondering why touching his hand had given her an unusual feeling of excitement.

  Of course, she’d never really touched a man other than her father or brother in such a way before. Could the awkward situation they were in have been the cause of it?

  Cameron secured the basket to Raven and turned to look at her. “Will you help me win the election?”

  “I’ll do whatever I can as long as it’s honest,” she replied before mounting her horse.

  Hannah and Cameron returned to the house to see Annabelle waiting on the porch with her diary and books.

  “I’ll take care of the horses so you can work with Annabelle,” he said.

  “We have so much to cover today, and we’re getting a late start. Would it be possible for you to keep an eye on Georgie when he wakes up from his nap?” Hannah asked.

  Cameron turned and stared at her like she’d asked him for a thousand dollars. “I can’t. I have work to do on my case. It goes to court on Tuesday.”

  “You have all day Monday, Cameron,” she said softly, but firmly.

  Cameron rolled his eyes. “You have no concept of how long it takes to prepare a case for court.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes with a sigh, turned to Annabelle, and said, “Our lesson will be cut short today, so let’s get down to work.”

  While Hannah worked with Annabelle, she felt angry about Cameron’s attitude. You’d think the children weren’t his the way he acted.

  Chapter Seven

  Cameron went into his office, put his feet up on the desk and leaned back. His case for Tuesday was finished. It was a simple case.

  He hadn’t realized that having a wife and children would take away all his free time. He’d never been around children and even though they were well-behaved and cute, he didn’t know how to interact with them. The only way his aunt had ever amused him was by reading him Bible stories.

  He'd felt uncomfortable since leaving Hannah earlier that day. Why did he feel such nagging guilt? Maybe it was because he’d lied to his wife again.

  That was another area of his life he had no expertise in: being a husband. He'd had no male role model. All his life it had been just his aunt and himself. How were husbands supposed to act? How were fathers supposed to act? He sighed. What had he gotten himself into? He should have stayed single.

  Had Simmons been right? She was a strong-minded woman, and he knew she hated lies. Should he confess everything to Hannah? What would she say? How would she react?

  A soft knock on the door caused him to swing around in surprise. “Oh, Bessie—come in.”

  Bessie came in with a tray of tea. “I’m sorry to be late with your tea, but it takes me longer to clean up after meals now that we have more people in the household.”

  “I gave you a substantial raise,” he said as he watched Bessie pour his tea.

  “Yes, and you were quite generous. It’s not that I mind Hannah and the children, in fact, I rather enjoy having a family to serve. I just wanted you to know that some things might take a bit longer.”

  “I don’t mind, Bessie. You’re doing a fine job as always. Thank you for the tea.”

  Bessie turn toward the door, but Cam stopped her. “Bessie, will you sit with me while I drink my tea?”

  She gave him a strange look, shrugged, and sat in a chair on the opposite side of his desk. “Have I done something wrong?”

  “No, no—on the contrary. You’re doing a fine job. I... I... um... just need some personal advice.” When her eyebrows rose, he continued, “I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.”

  “How’s that, sir?” she asked.

  “I've lived my whole life with a maiden aunt. I have no idea of how to act around children and especially how to be a husband—is there anything you can tell me?”

  He knew he’d taken her by surprise by her expression, but then her puzzled look turned to one of thoughtfulness. “Well, pardon me for being frank, sir, but you need to loosen up.”

  “Loosen up? How?”

  Bessie sighed. “I don’t know what to say... no one can teach someone how to act. We’ll all be going to church tomorrow. I know you’ve never gone to services, but I think you might learn the answers you seek after a few weeks of services.”

  “The services will help me loosen up? That’s rather hard to believe, Bessie.”

  “I can’t help you. I’ve never been married and have no children. Just… pay attention to everything, watch people, and listen to the preacher’s messages.” Bessie stood. “You need to pray. Your Father in heaven will show you the way.”

  Bessie left the room, and Cam shook his head. She had been no help at all.

  Early on Sunday morning, they got into their luxurious carriage, and Cameron drove to Farley Goodman’s barn. They alighted and walked through the open barn doors where chairs had been placed in a semi-circle. At the center stood a cloth-covered podium.

  Cameron heard Bessie whisper rather loudly to Hannah, “You’re in for a treat. My favorite circuit rider is doing the service today. His name is Orson Hollister, and he’s an excellent speaker.”

  Bessie pushed the children through the crowd and into seats. Hannah and Cameron sat beside them. Hannah sat beside Annabelle who watched everything with wide, curious eyes.

  Farley Goodman nodded to a woman sitting at an upright piano, and she began to play a song. The people sang without a book; they knew the words by heart. After a prayer that Cameron thought was far too long, Mr. Goodman introduced Orson Hollister.

  Hollister peered out over the podium, a foreboding figure dressed all in black with a long, shadowy beard and a matching mustache. He was a huge man, and the room stilled as everyone waited for him to speak.

  Cameron had heard people talk about ministers who preached fire and brimstone, and Hollister was one of them. His voice thundered and nearly shook the barn rafters, which caused everyone, including him, to heed to his words.

  After a fiery prayer, Hollister began his sermon. “This morning, we will begin to expound on the Ten Commandments. We won’t get through them all today, but I’ll be staying on for a few more weeks, so we’ll get to all ten,” Hollister said. “First, I’ll explain how Moses received these commandments and why he was chosen to receive them.”

  Cameron had no idea what commandments were, but he had heard of Moses because his aunt had a painting of baby Moses in a basket, floating on water. She had told him the story of Moses’s birth and how his mother had been forced to give him away. Cam supposed it was the same Moses, now a grown man, whom God had chosen to give the commandments.

  Hollister got as far as the third commandment because he took the time to explain the exact meaning of each one. Cam felt relief that, so far, he hadn’t broken the first three commandments. There weren't any other gods he worshiped. He didn’t pray to idols, and he’d never sworn, not since his aunt had washed out his mouth with vinegar once when he’d said a bad word.

  While the people sang another song, Cam thought about what he knew about God. In her second lette
r, Hannah had asked him if he was a believer, and he’d assured her he was. He had always believed in God because his aunt had always read him Bible stories. His favorite was the one about Noah and the ark. He and his aunt had never gone to church because there wasn’t one near enough to where they’d lived, but she did her best to tell him about God. He’d just stopped thinking about Him in the last few years, since he’d been so busy going to college and law school. He knew there was a God, but he hadn't thought about Him or prayed since his childhood.

  The prayer Hollister led at the end of his sermon touched Cameron, which surprised him: "Lord Jesus, we came to this place today to offer up worship. Thank You for your many blessings. Some of us came to this place with broken hearts, but You have mended them. Others came with a burden; You were their only hope. Father, You have shown Yourself strong in their lives. Guide us as we go back to our homes. Show us the right way to follow throughout the week, and when we come back, we shall testify to the great things You have done in our lives. In Jesus’ name, we believe and pray; Amen."

  It was the last part that gave Cameron the same feeling of guilt as he'd felt when he'd lied to Hannah: Show us the right way to follow throughout the week, and when we come back, we shall testify the great things you have done in our lives. Cam repeated the words to himself: Show us the right way to follow throughout the week. The sentence nearly choked him up.

  The people at the service made them feel welcome. On their way out to their buggy, several businessmen he knew stopped to greet him. Everyone presented themselves as friends, even those whom he and his family didn’t know. Several ladies admired the children. Cameron hadn’t noticed how smart they looked. Hannah had dressed Annabelle in a navy-blue pinafore, and Georgie in red short pants and a white shirt. His wife had even dressed their hair, and he had to agree, they looked adorable. And Hannah? Why, she looked so lovely in a soft pink ruffled blouse and a gray skirt. He felt proud of his family at church. Why hadn’t he noticed them before?