Hannah: Bride of Iowa (American Mail Order Bride 29) by P.A. Estelle Page B
Authors: P.A. Estelle
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Saga, Western, Short-Story, Religious, Christian, Secret, Inspirational, Daughter, Bachelor, Marriage of Convenience, Faith, Iowa, widower, victorian era, Forever Love, Single Woman, farmer, Fifty-Books, Forty-Five Authors, Newspaper Ad, American Mail-Order Bride, Factory Burned, Pioneer, Single Father, Three Year-Old, Cherish, partner, Twenty-Nineth In Series, Devastate Future
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death if you try to run.” Chad pushed her back inside and leaned against the door, licking his lips. “Specially since you’re just in them night clothes. Ain’t no wonder Morrison wanted to keep you all to his own self.”
The picture of her husband lying on the ground with blood everywhere brought tears to her eyes. Was he dead? Does he know I’m missing?
“It won’t do you no good to bring them tears on neither. You’d best just face the facts that you’re mine till I gets tired of ya.”
“Where’s my coat? It’s freezing in here.”
“Got rid of it. You won’t be so all fired ready to run without a coat.” Chad went outside and came back with a dead rabbit and threw it on the floor. “We need to eat before setting out.”
Maddie tried to sound nonchalant. “Whose place is this?”
“Don’t know. Carl and me came upon it. There was some old guy here, but we took care of him.” Chad snickered.
Terror filled her. Think Maddie! Think! “Look Chad. I didn’t come from a wonderful home life either. I sold myself out as a mail order bride to have a roof over my head and as long as you’re willing to take care of me, one husband’s just as good as the next.” Maddie lied scooping up the dead rabbit. “But if we’re going to be here for a while and you expect me to be any sort of...” she tilted her head, “pleasant and easy to get along with, this stinking body needs to be out of here. It’s making me sick. I need a knife or something to skin this rabbit and what do you expect me to cook it in?”
She prayed he wouldn’t call her bluff. Carl had been the one to tell him what to do and if she seemed willing to go from one situation to another, maybe it would buy her some time.
“There’s a pan in the chest over there.” Indecision was written all over his face. “Somebody passing by might smell him outside and come nosing around.”
“Do you want us to get caught?” Her voice was full of disdain as she went to the chest and opened it. Inside was a small cast iron pot crusted with whatever was cooked in it last. There were also some canned goods, rope, a filthy blanket and a small hatchet. Her heart beat faster. Could she actually kill somebody with it? She quickly covered the hatchet with the blanket. Grabbing the pot, she slammed the chest closed.
“The snow and cold will keep the body from stinking. The heat in here will only make it worse.” Maddie swallowed hard hoping her next sentence would help seal her freedom. “If you want us to stay together, you need to listen to me.”
Chad seemed to contemplate her words and he finally moved toward the chest and opened it. Maddie felt her only hope slipping away. She practically fainted with relief when he grabbed the rope and put it over his shoulder. “I’m gonna have to drag him a ways from here.”
Once Chad got his brother outside, he stopped. “You ain’t thinking about doing anything stupid are you?”
“I already told you. One husband is as good as another. And you don’t have any little ones to get under foot. I didn’t know that was part of the bargain until I got here. I’m not ready to be taking care of someone else’s brat.”
He smirked at her words. “Good enough.” Chad walked up to her and grabbed the front of her nightgown and pulled her to him. His lips crashed down on hers and his hands seemed to be everywhere. Revulsion cursed through her body, but Maddie remained still. When he was done, he took his knife out of its sheath and handed it to her. Surprise registered on her face. “The rabbit,” he said.
“Oh...right.” Maddie stammered.
He stepped closer. “Maybe getting Carl out of here can wait.”
“No!” she practically yelled. “We…we don’t want anybody finding us because of that smell.”
Chad tied the rope to Carl’s feet and the other end to his saddle. Visions of what she’d done to Jeb came flooding back. Hadn’t she done the same thing to him?
“Be back soon.” The
The picture of her husband lying on the ground with blood everywhere brought tears to her eyes. Was he dead? Does he know I’m missing?
“It won’t do you no good to bring them tears on neither. You’d best just face the facts that you’re mine till I gets tired of ya.”
“Where’s my coat? It’s freezing in here.”
“Got rid of it. You won’t be so all fired ready to run without a coat.” Chad went outside and came back with a dead rabbit and threw it on the floor. “We need to eat before setting out.”
Maddie tried to sound nonchalant. “Whose place is this?”
“Don’t know. Carl and me came upon it. There was some old guy here, but we took care of him.” Chad snickered.
Terror filled her. Think Maddie! Think! “Look Chad. I didn’t come from a wonderful home life either. I sold myself out as a mail order bride to have a roof over my head and as long as you’re willing to take care of me, one husband’s just as good as the next.” Maddie lied scooping up the dead rabbit. “But if we’re going to be here for a while and you expect me to be any sort of...” she tilted her head, “pleasant and easy to get along with, this stinking body needs to be out of here. It’s making me sick. I need a knife or something to skin this rabbit and what do you expect me to cook it in?”
She prayed he wouldn’t call her bluff. Carl had been the one to tell him what to do and if she seemed willing to go from one situation to another, maybe it would buy her some time.
“There’s a pan in the chest over there.” Indecision was written all over his face. “Somebody passing by might smell him outside and come nosing around.”
“Do you want us to get caught?” Her voice was full of disdain as she went to the chest and opened it. Inside was a small cast iron pot crusted with whatever was cooked in it last. There were also some canned goods, rope, a filthy blanket and a small hatchet. Her heart beat faster. Could she actually kill somebody with it? She quickly covered the hatchet with the blanket. Grabbing the pot, she slammed the chest closed.
“The snow and cold will keep the body from stinking. The heat in here will only make it worse.” Maddie swallowed hard hoping her next sentence would help seal her freedom. “If you want us to stay together, you need to listen to me.”
Chad seemed to contemplate her words and he finally moved toward the chest and opened it. Maddie felt her only hope slipping away. She practically fainted with relief when he grabbed the rope and put it over his shoulder. “I’m gonna have to drag him a ways from here.”
Once Chad got his brother outside, he stopped. “You ain’t thinking about doing anything stupid are you?”
“I already told you. One husband is as good as another. And you don’t have any little ones to get under foot. I didn’t know that was part of the bargain until I got here. I’m not ready to be taking care of someone else’s brat.”
He smirked at her words. “Good enough.” Chad walked up to her and grabbed the front of her nightgown and pulled her to him. His lips crashed down on hers and his hands seemed to be everywhere. Revulsion cursed through her body, but Maddie remained still. When he was done, he took his knife out of its sheath and handed it to her. Surprise registered on her face. “The rabbit,” he said.
“Oh...right.” Maddie stammered.
He stepped closer. “Maybe getting Carl out of here can wait.”
“No!” she practically yelled. “We…we don’t want anybody finding us because of that smell.”
Chad tied the rope to Carl’s feet and the other end to his saddle. Visions of what she’d done to Jeb came flooding back. Hadn’t she done the same thing to him?
“Be back soon.” The
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