Lone Pine Bride (The Brides of Lone Pine #1)(55)

Because they had done what needed to be done and Seth’s new wife needed to be here to carry on with that. Hannah would continue to assist in rebuilding the community with her Seth, of course, and he would want to do that because she knew from his letters what a nice person he was.

She sat on the bed, her expression sad. Nothing had turned out the way she expected but what had she expected? She wasn’t at all sure. A handsome husband? A nice home? A safe environment?

Well, she had met a handsome man and he had a nice home. The environment was not at all safe and probably never would be. Maybe she should just return home and carry on as she had before. She could talk to her father and he would sort things out where his employees were concerned. She could carry on with the life she had before.

But she didn’t want that life anymore because she had experienced a new one which wasn’t maybe as secure as the one at home, but then was anything really secure? You couldn’t live your life fearing what lay ahead. She had also made friends and she liked them.

Except that her Seth’s friends would probably be different to this Seth’s ones though, of course, they all lived in the same community. But could she bear to see Seth with his new wife and see him stroke her hair and look at her in the way....?

She had to go. There was no other way and in a couple of days she would return with Seth for her trunks because she couldn’t take trunks on a horse. She would also return the horse and there would be other horses to ride after she married. She took paper and a pen from one of the trunks, wrote a note and tiptoed to the door. She listened and could hear nothing so Seth had to still be outside where he had gone to check the animals, and this was the time to go.

She stroked the puppies and kittens which were still in the kitchen. Seth would make them a bed, she was sure, and she would come back for hers soon. She lifted the text she had started making him and took it with her. She would bring that back too when she saw Seth again.

She put the note she had written on the table, went outside and Charlotte was tied up a little way from the barn. She would use her because she had ridden her before. The two horses which had been pulling the carriage when the earthquake occurred and had then run off had returned the previous day, much to her relief. Seth could not afford to lose two horses because he wasn’t well off.

She untied the horse. She would have to go on the route they came a couple of days previously because she didn’t know the other way, and surely she could find a way round the rocks. If she couldn’t take the horse she would climb over and walk.

And she would be able to see because the moon was once again very bright so she would be alright. Climbing on the horse she made her way slowly to where she felt she would be out of earshot and galloped towards the fence. The horse leapt over it and they made their way to the road which passed Wilfred and Monica’s farm.

Thirty minutes later Seth walked into his house. He took off his boots and put them in the scullery, his eyes on the puppies and kittens. He must get round to making a cupboard for his shoes, he thought, but life had been hectic for the last couple of days and there hadn’t been time. Now he would make hot drinks and go up to see if Hannah was still awake and wanted one. She had been very quiet so maybe she was tired and would be asleep. Maybe that was why she left the animals downstairs. He would peep in to check.

He mixed the drinks, walked into the living room and there was an envelope on the table with his name on it. Frowning, he slit it open and spread the paper on the table.

“Dear Seth. Thank you for a wonderful couple of days and for letting me be a part of everything. The earthquake was terrible but I felt privileged to be able to be of some help though, of course, you did most of the work.

“But you now need to be with your fiancé. You need to marry her and I need to marry Seth. I have left her ring upstairs but please keep yours, not to wear but as a token of appreciation. You can sell it if you like because that will still be a present.

“You are a beautiful man and she is going to be very happy with you. You will be happy with her too because you love her. If you find the puppies and kittens too much I’ll have one of each. I’ll pick them up soon. We’ll discuss it when I see you again.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done and for your kindness. God bless you. Hannah.”

She had gone. How dare she! Not only had she gone but she had stolen out without saying goodbye. That was the height of bad manners and what did Seth have that he didn’t? He was too old for her, anyway. He was bald. He was too short. He was plain ugly. He was horrendous. Seth kicked the chair and tore up the stairs. Grabbing the ring, he pushed it in his pocket, went back downstairs and ran for his horse.

She wouldn’t know the other way so she would go the way they came and how did she think she would get through a blocked gully? Charlotte would never be able to get across the rocks and it was dangerous going round. Anyway, she had to do the gully first. Didn’t women have any sense at all?

She had no right to leave him. She had no right to walk into his life, turn it right round and then walk out again. She had no right to make his house light up and then turn off that light. He leapt on his horse and galloped as he had never galloped before.

He could see a light in Wilfred and Monica’s barn as he passed and could only be relieved concerning them. They could so easily be dead and it was Hannah who had saved them. Hannah and she had used more sense then than she was now.