Bride School: Mary (The Brides of Diamond Springs Ranch 4) by Bella Bowen

overheard.
    “Now, if you’ll lock up shop for me, we’ll give it
a good cleaning tomorrow. I’ll take this over to Charleston’s.”
    The delivery driver tipped his hat and sprinted
off for Emond & Quinsler, which was only six blocks away. John climbed onto
the driver’s seat and set in motion the smoothest carriage ride of his life.
The feathers took on new meaning as the vehicle floated elegantly down Halston
road. By the time he’d reached Charleston’s grand home on the north side, he’d
decided he needed a carriage much like it for his own bride, once he had one,
of course. Maybe he could work out a trade with E&Q.
    He was led to Louis’ study where the man wrote out
a personal note for the balance owed John.
    “I’m sorry you won’t be here to see my Mary Lou’s
reaction. She’s such a sweet thing. I’m sure she’ll want to thank you in
person. The feathers will tickle her.” Louis realized his joke and laughed.
    John was simply glad he had a happy customer. “I
forget which one she was.”
    “I don’t think you danced with her, John. In fact,
I tried damned hard to keep my dance partners from getting a good look at you.
But then again, you were busy dancing with Mary.”
    John shook his head. “I danced with Miss Alexandra
Campbell that night. I’ll never forget it. And I made sure she never danced
with anyone else if I could help it.”
    Louis frowned for a moment before his face
lightened to its natural good humor. “Oh, that’s right,” he said. “You weren’t
there the day after the dance. You didn’t know about the switch.”
    “The switch?” John’s stomach was giving him fits
simply because the name Mary had been spoken. He wished Charleston would
explain quickly and put him out of his misery.
    The man shook his head enthusiastically. “The girl
you danced with wasn’t a bride. She only worked at the ranch. A real Cinderella
story. Only Cinderella was wearing someone else’s shoe!” He laughed heartily
and it was a moment before John could get his attention.
    “She wasn’t a bride?”
    “Her name was Mary. One of the brides was lovesick
for someone back home and asked Mary to take her place. We all had to play
along the next morning to keep her out of trouble with that female gunslinger.
So none of us ever met the real Alexandra Campbell. I heard she was a looker
too.”
    Alexandra Campbell was a phantom? All this while
he’d been obsessed with the memory of her…and her real name was Mary ?!
    “I stayed on another week so Mary Lou and I could
get to know one another. After all, I wasn’t in an all-fired hurry—”
    “Louis, please. About Mary…”
    “Of course.” The big man nodded. “Ten days with
little else to talk about, you can bet I heard the whole story. That Scottish
woman had been packed up and shipped off to the ranch to keep her from marrying
a man from a rival clan. Didn’t realize they cared about Clans here in the new
world, but apparently, they do. This Connell McDonald will never find her
before someone else scoops her up. I’m sure she’s already gone. That ranch is a
pretty popular place what with all us pleased customers, let me tell you. But
that Mary.” He shook his head. “Bless her heart, I was about to settle for the
wrong gal, but Mary set me straight. And I’m sure I couldn’t have been near as
happy as I am now if she hadn’t stepped in when she did.
    “You hearing me? John, are you all right?”
    John shrugged. “Yes. I heard. Connell McDonald.
Scottish clans. Mary… I don’t suppose you know her last name?”
    Louis frowned. “Oh, well. I don’t know. Let me
think.” He cocked his head. “Mary… Mary… Mary… No. I don’t reckon I do. But she
seemed a bit sad about you leaving town when you did. She had something she
wanted to tell you, if I remember rightly.”
    John smiled and nodded. The promissory note was
placed in his hand at some point, but he wasn’t aware of it until he was tucked
inside a