Rocky Mountain Dawn (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 1) by Lee Savino Page B
Authors: Lee Savino
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had an idea.
It took the rest of the night, but by dawn she had a perfectly penned letter to the Board, introducing herself as a single woman of Baldwin, Maine, and offering to carry their cause West.
"I cannot send money," she wrote, "but I am a pious woman, hardworking and true, who wishes to do God's work. Please consider sending me to preach the good news to the people of the frontier."
*****
She mailed the letter, and when fall turned to winter and winter into spring without a response, she forgot about it.
Which is why, when one late afternoon she was dressing for dinner, she looked up in surprise at the sound of horses. Two men rode into the yard, one familiar and white-haired, and the other a stranger—young and very, very tall.
She recognized one as the local doctor and turned to her next youngest sister. "Mattie? Are any of the others ill?"
"No," her younger sister answered, hustling to the window. "Why would old Dr. Whitney be coming today?"
"He must want to meet with Father." Esther scrambled to take off her work frock and replace it with a new one, a rich purple that she wore only to church.
"Esther?"
"What is it, Mattie?" The blonde stood in front of the mirror, fixing her hair.
"Who's the other rider? The tall man?" Mattie stayed peering out of the window.
"Perhaps his apprentice?"
"He doesn't look like an apprentice."
Tripping over her skirts, Esther flew back to the window in time to catch a glimpse of the tall man with brown hair and dark brows. The stranger was younger than his fellow rider, but probably around thirty. He wore a dark jacket and suit that Esther could tell was very fine—the latest fashion according to the newspapers from Boston.
"But so tall. He may not fit in the door," Esther murmured, and left Mattie craning to see if this was so, while Esther went back to the mirror to finish putting in her hair pins.
"Esther?" Her mother called up the stairs, just as young William arrived at the top of them, breathless.
"You're wanted in the parlor," he told his older sister.
"What? Why her?" Mattie started from the window, but before she reached the door, Esther shut it firmly.
The blonde took the front stairs so as to avoid the kitchen, where her mother would surely be waiting to lecture her. After sending William back, Esther paused on the landing to peer into the parlor.
The two men stood in the receiving room. Old Dr. Whitney looked his usual grizzled self, so Esther barely spared him a glance. Her eyes were all on the stranger—taller than her by almost a foot. Another few inches and his brown hair would touch the ceiling. Up close he looked younger, probably in his late twenties, but he stood with assurance of a much older man. He had a lean face and dark, forbidding brows.
A rustle of her skirts betrayed her, and the strange man's head whipped around. Esther met his gaze boldly, and made her way down the steps, her head held high. Once she descended, she sent her smile all around, at ease even in the center of three men's attention.
"Esther." Her father cleared his throat. "Dr. Whitney is here and he brought along a young man as his guest. Mr. Johnathan Shepherd—excuse me, Doctor Johnathan Shepherd."
So he was a doctor, too. That still didn't tell her why he was here.
She dropped a curtsy from her spot on the last stair. "Welcome." If she stood straight, and stayed on the last step, she could almost look the tall stranger in the eye.
"Miss Richardson." The newcomer's mouth quirked a little, as if he understood what she was doing. For a second she wished she'd thought to put on her green frock, the better to bring out the color of her eyes. At least she was wearing her newest lace gloves.
"What brings two doctors to our door? Is someone ill?" She feigned worry, widening what Mr. Spencer called her "fine green eyes."
"No, child," her father sputtered. "They're here for you."
"Me? But, I assure you, I am feeling quite well."
At this, the stranger, along
It took the rest of the night, but by dawn she had a perfectly penned letter to the Board, introducing herself as a single woman of Baldwin, Maine, and offering to carry their cause West.
"I cannot send money," she wrote, "but I am a pious woman, hardworking and true, who wishes to do God's work. Please consider sending me to preach the good news to the people of the frontier."
*****
She mailed the letter, and when fall turned to winter and winter into spring without a response, she forgot about it.
Which is why, when one late afternoon she was dressing for dinner, she looked up in surprise at the sound of horses. Two men rode into the yard, one familiar and white-haired, and the other a stranger—young and very, very tall.
She recognized one as the local doctor and turned to her next youngest sister. "Mattie? Are any of the others ill?"
"No," her younger sister answered, hustling to the window. "Why would old Dr. Whitney be coming today?"
"He must want to meet with Father." Esther scrambled to take off her work frock and replace it with a new one, a rich purple that she wore only to church.
"Esther?"
"What is it, Mattie?" The blonde stood in front of the mirror, fixing her hair.
"Who's the other rider? The tall man?" Mattie stayed peering out of the window.
"Perhaps his apprentice?"
"He doesn't look like an apprentice."
Tripping over her skirts, Esther flew back to the window in time to catch a glimpse of the tall man with brown hair and dark brows. The stranger was younger than his fellow rider, but probably around thirty. He wore a dark jacket and suit that Esther could tell was very fine—the latest fashion according to the newspapers from Boston.
"But so tall. He may not fit in the door," Esther murmured, and left Mattie craning to see if this was so, while Esther went back to the mirror to finish putting in her hair pins.
"Esther?" Her mother called up the stairs, just as young William arrived at the top of them, breathless.
"You're wanted in the parlor," he told his older sister.
"What? Why her?" Mattie started from the window, but before she reached the door, Esther shut it firmly.
The blonde took the front stairs so as to avoid the kitchen, where her mother would surely be waiting to lecture her. After sending William back, Esther paused on the landing to peer into the parlor.
The two men stood in the receiving room. Old Dr. Whitney looked his usual grizzled self, so Esther barely spared him a glance. Her eyes were all on the stranger—taller than her by almost a foot. Another few inches and his brown hair would touch the ceiling. Up close he looked younger, probably in his late twenties, but he stood with assurance of a much older man. He had a lean face and dark, forbidding brows.
A rustle of her skirts betrayed her, and the strange man's head whipped around. Esther met his gaze boldly, and made her way down the steps, her head held high. Once she descended, she sent her smile all around, at ease even in the center of three men's attention.
"Esther." Her father cleared his throat. "Dr. Whitney is here and he brought along a young man as his guest. Mr. Johnathan Shepherd—excuse me, Doctor Johnathan Shepherd."
So he was a doctor, too. That still didn't tell her why he was here.
She dropped a curtsy from her spot on the last stair. "Welcome." If she stood straight, and stayed on the last step, she could almost look the tall stranger in the eye.
"Miss Richardson." The newcomer's mouth quirked a little, as if he understood what she was doing. For a second she wished she'd thought to put on her green frock, the better to bring out the color of her eyes. At least she was wearing her newest lace gloves.
"What brings two doctors to our door? Is someone ill?" She feigned worry, widening what Mr. Spencer called her "fine green eyes."
"No, child," her father sputtered. "They're here for you."
"Me? But, I assure you, I am feeling quite well."
At this, the stranger, along
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