Lone Pine Bride (The Brides of Lone Pine #1)(12)

But her mother was married so that meant that nobody criticised what she wore. She was respectable and a pillar in the community and church. But Hannah also attended church and loved God though that didn’t seem to put any of her suitors off even when she mentioned it. Maybe it made them even more persistent.

Her father would protect her, of course, but she never confided in him concerning such things. Maybe she felt a bit ashamed of it though she knew it wasn’t her fault. And some of the men who made advances were his peers which made it worse.

But she had mentioned it to her older sister, Rosemary, who was married to Antony Small and had two children, Cleo and Jane. She thought she would get advice from her because they had always got on well but Rosemary didn’t seem to take it seriously. Her mother she did not tell because she wasn’t sure what she would say about it. She might think Hannah was encouraging the men.

So marriage really was the only option and this was where women sought a husband, in the west. This was where a life of conjugal bliss could be found. The minister’s wife had told her that when she enquired. She had to look up conjugal but now she knew what it meant and now she was going to be in a conjugal relationship, that was, once this earthquake settled down.

She had not told her family what she intended to do and said she was going to stay with a friend. Once she was married it would all seem respectable and she would invite them to come to California. Seth would be glad to meet them and she could meet his family too.

The area was beautiful, she thought, and on their approach into the little town it had looked a nice place to stay. Which Lower Pine probably was because the people there had been sensible and not used adobe bricks for their houses. But here and probably also in Lone Pine there were only flattened buildings and the smell of death. Now there were people trapped under rubble who were dependent on those who were trying to rescue them. It was a scene of disaster, the likes of which she had never seen or imagined before. It was horrifying.

So where was her Seth digging at this moment and what did he look like? Was he as good looking as the other Seth? Was he as nice as he sounded in his letters? Was he as sweet? He certainly sounded good on paper. She stood to push her spade under a pile of bricks but they wouldn’t budge. She pushed a bit harder. She wasn’t weak, she knew, but going through piles of the stuff was very difficult.

“Let’s do it together.” She turned with relief at the sound of Seth’s voice and they pushed their spades under at the same time. The rubble lifted and they began to alternately dig and pull out rubble.

He was a strong man, Hannah thought, but probably not half as nice as her Seth. Her Seth wouldn’t feel she was bossing him around, which she felt sure this man had at first. He would kiss her and tell her she was beautiful, even if he didn’t think it. He would put her hair back less awkwardly when she asked him. She bent to scrabble at the earth as she heard a voice below and Seth dropped on his knees beside her.

“Lena!” A man raced down the road towards them, his expression distraught. He started to desperately pull away pieces of debris. “Lena! Are you there? Are you alright? Are the children alright?”

“Yes, but Jasmine has broken an arm. I’ve tried to get the rubble from above us but I’m frightened it will all collapse.”

“We’ll do it. Tell Jasmine Percy is alright but he’s broken his leg and can’t walk. He tried to but the bone is sticking out. Dr. Cranford is treating it. I told him I’ll look after things.”

“How is our house?”

“It’s still standing, probably because it’s made of wood. Thomas, George, Carol. Are you alright?”

“I’m frightened,” said a little voice.

“We’ll have you out in no time, honey. You don’t have to worry.” John looked at Seth. “What is the best way to go in, do you think?”

“Carefully,” Hannah said.

“Ma’am?”

“This is Hannah,” Seth said.

“How do you do. My name is John Lawson. I come from outside the village. My wife was visiting here.”

“I can see a bit of a gap,” Hannah said. “We need to pull the bricks aside slowly so it doesn’t collapse. If we can get a hole big enough to lift them out we should be alright. We have to be very careful though because everything is so precarious.”

“It’s very kind of you ladies to help,” John said, beginning to lift away pieces of rubble. “And not a very nice welcome for you. Catch that, Seth.” His tone was a bit desperate as a large piece of wall began to slip down and all three of them grabbed it to push it aside. John leaned his head into the hole which resulted.

He brought the children out one by one, slowly, carefully, and little George began to cry. Hannah dug into a pocket in her skirt.

“I found that,” she said, handing him a coin. “Would you like it?”

He sniffed and took it, his eyes large and soulful, and Hannah handed a coin each to the other two as they looked at her. The women climbed out, John lifted Jasmine and they all moved away from the house. As they did so the ground began to shake again and little George hung on to his mother.

“Take them to your house,” Seth said. “It will be safer. Or else to the vicarage. That is made of wood so it probably won’t collapse. If it does it won’t cause so much damage. The doctor is also there. It’s not really a time to be alone.”