Chapter Forty

"Have you heard?!" Eleanor exclaimed, popping into Samantha's line of vision just as her and Zachary left the lumberyard gate.

"Heard what?" Samantha demanded, laying her hand over her racing heart, faintly aware of Zachary relaxing the arm that had instantly gone toward his gun.

Timothy laughed and wrapped his arm around Eleanor's shoulders. "The latest town gossip."

Zachary rolled his eyes. "If it has anything to do with Sam or me, we don't want to hear it."

"For once, best friend, it has nothing to do with the infamous four."

Samantha leaned back against Zach's chest as his arm slid around her. "What is it then? You both look awfully happy with whatever gossip you heard."

Eleanor glanced up at Tim and he grinned and kissed her brow. "You tell them. You're the one that heard it first."

Samantha's mind raced. What on earth could it be? Eleanor cleared her throat and tucked a blond strand of hair behind her ear. "Judith Channing is gone."

"Gone?" Zachary spoke up with a frown. "Somebody kill her?"

"Um..no..." Eleanor shook off his comment while Tim laughed. "Apparently at the town meeting last night they discussed more than just the need for law enforcement in town. A petition was started to have Reverend Channing removed from the church because of the actions of his wife. Apparently, nearly everyone signed it because they are tired of her judgments and mouthiness."

"Judith 'Loud-Mouth' Channing," Timothy agreed.

Samantha tried hard not to smile—it was wrong to be so happy at someone else's misfortune. But truly, the Channing's were horrible people who had certainly earned their bit of misfortune.

Eleanor nodded. "Exactly. So, they delivered the petition to the Channing's last night and this morning the Reverend and his rather bruised wife hopped on the train out of town."

"So now Hackney is short a lawman and a preacher," Samantha acknowledged.

"So, it's in no worse shape than it was before," Zachary assured her.

Timothy rocked back on his heels, that boyish grin proving his mind had turned to mischief. "Hey, Zach, I know you said you don't want the lawman job but what about the preaching position? Do you reckon you got what it takes to be a member of the clergy?"

Zachary chuckled as he held onto her just a bit more tightly. "If there's one thing I am most certainly not, it's a holy man."

Samantha's mind went to the evening before. No, Zachary was certainly not holy—though he had taken her to heaven. The way he had loved her with his mouth right there in the kitchen and then taken her again and again against various walls of their new home. He had then vowed that just as soon as they were settled in, they'd be taking their showers together. Her body trembled. That water would certainly never feel cold—they would heat it up just fine.

"I think her face says it all," Eleanor spoke up with a knowing smile, which only served to make Samantha flame bright red and clear her throat loudly.

"Yes, well, if we're going to make it Anbarina before dark, we should probably be going," she announced, probably far too loudly.

Laughter rang out from her so-called friends and fiancé. "Yeah, judging by that expression and that impressive blush, I'd say the two love-birds had a wonderful first night at their new house," Tim agreed.

Shooting a glare in Tim's general direction, Samantha moved out of Zachary's arms and headed toward the wagon they had brought into town with them. Betty, their gray shire mare, was attached to the wagon and appearing eager to get to work. Athena and Blaze were tied off at the back.

"So, was there any other gossip to be found this morning besides the good news that the witch has finally left town?" Samantha asked.

"Actually...." Tim drew out the word before winking. "There was."

"You're enjoying this too much." Zachary pulled a cigarette from his pocket and struck a match. "Just tell the woman so we can be on our way."

"This isn't gossip, honestly. We saw it with our own eyes," Eleanor amended.

"What did you see?" Samantha's curiosity was piqued.

"Do you remember Catherine? Greg's soon to be ex-wife and the woman at the party that came up and spoke to me?" Ell asked. Samantha simply nodded. "Yes, well, she ate her supper with the doctor at his home last night and, while I went to bed before they did, I did see her slipping out the back door looking quite satisfied at just after dawn this morning."

That bit of news made Samantha stop in her tracks. "The doc and Catherine?"

Timothy laughed. "That sly old dog still has it! He was whistling and smiling bigger than I've ever seen this morning when he tipped his hat to me and headed for the diner. He told me he was having breakfast with a client but I reckon I saw Catherine and her boy heading that way too."

Samantha recalled the smile on the doctor's face and the spring in his step when they had dropped Creed off with the man before coming to the lumberyard. He was babysitting the pup and had seemed happier than Samantha had ever seen him. Now she knew why.

After taking a moment to process the surprising news, Samantha nodded. "They'll be good for each other. The doctor is a much better man than that Greg could ever be. And now the doc won't be lonely without Lewis living there and with Eleanor moving out to be with Tim."

"Don't you have anything to say about it?" Tim questioned Zach.

Zachary simply took a long draw off his cigarette and shook his head. "Why would I? It's not my business. I'm not a nosy busy-body like my woman here. I tend to keep to my own affairs and leave others alone."

Samantha could not completely hide her laughter behind her snort of indignation. "Eleanor, I couldn't talk you into switching fiancé's, could I? I'm feeling a little less than romantic toward mine just now."

Zachary's hand closed around her arm, twirled her around and pulled her into his chest. She was pressed tight against that broad, hard body as he gazed down at her with those intense brown eyes and laid his hand over her cheek. "I reckon you're feeling romantic enough."

Her legs trembled, as her pulse quickened. Damn the man. He knew exactly what he did to her. She smiled and kissed his jaw. "Let's go get married, Mr. Marston."

***

The four of them reached their destination early that evening. Anbarina was a town that Eleanor had never been to before. From the outskirts it seemed to be a livestock town but as you rode further in those dirt streets gave way to cobblestones and the buildings rose up higher and closer together. The roads were bustling with life. Carriage and wagon wheels bumped along loudly on the stone streets and horse hooves clopped against the rocks. Vendors called out from corners, men and women chatted and laughed. Children ran and played, winding their way in and out of traffic.

The smell of cattle and factory smoke was heavy in the air, as was the blending scents of heavy population, cafes, and different shops. It was all a little overwhelming to Eleanor's senses. Her nose wrinkled and Timothy chuckled beside her. "That good, huh?"

"It reminds me of growing up...." Eleanor felt her heart ache a bit. "I prefer smaller towns now."

Timothy leaned in close and pressed a tender kiss to her temple causing Eleanor's heart to swell as she trembled. "You'll never have to live in a place like this again, Ell. I promise."

Eleanor smiled over at him, wondering how a man so good could want to be with her. "I definitely don't want to live in a place like this ever again, but it wasn't all bad... there was a lot of love in our little hut."

Timothy's hand slid into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I promise that you and our babe will have plenty of that too."

Our babe. Eleanor smiled. That sounded nice. She laid her head on Timothy's shoulder and simply enjoyed his nearness as they continued down the road.

"We'll leave the wagon at the livery stables," Zachary's voice spoke up from beside them as he rode along on Blaze.

"And us women will have to go find a dress shop and get ourselves something nice to wear while you men go figure out the best spot to get married around here," Samantha announced.

Eleanor felt her cheeks heat. Married. She was going to get married. It seemed surreal.

And before Eleanor knew it, Timothy had given her a hungry kiss goodbye and Samantha was leading her into a dress shop. "I really don't need anything to wear," Eleanor insisted, rubbing at a stubborn stain on the sleeve of her blouse.

Samantha nodded. "Yes, you do and so do I. We're getting married, Eleanor! We're only going to do it once."

Eleanor sighed. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to get a new blouse and skirt to get married in—she had been wearing the same two or three garments since she had left the brothel.

A rather prim and proper man with measuring tape tied around his arm, scissors sticking out of his pocket, and a pin cushion full of pins dangling from his belt approached them. "May I help you ladies?"

Samantha nodded. "Yes sir. We are in need of dresses to get married in and I was told to tell you..." She winced. "That price is no concern."

His eyes widened a bit behind his glasses. "Unlimited budget?"

Eleanor nearly laughed out loud but managed to hide it behind a cough. Zachary had insisted that they let the dress maker know that there was no budget and then he had rushed off, leaving Samantha cursing under her breath about him feeding her to the wolves. "Yes sir. Unlimited budget," Eleanor spoke up.

His thin mustache curled as he smiled and clapped his hands. "Well congratulations! And I can definitely help you with dresses. Alterations generally take a few days but for an extra fee I can put a rush on them if you're in a hurry..."

Eleanor shook her head. "We need the dresses today—now."

He frowned. "Surely you can wait until tomorrow? I can do so much to make them fit just right in just a day..."

Eleanor felt her cheeks heat as she folded her hands in front of her. "Timothy doesn't want to wait until tomorrow. He was quite adamant that we get married today." Eleanor didn't want to wait either. Timothy had stood firm in his vow to not make love to her until they were husband and wife—her body practically burned with the want his kisses stirred within her.

It was Samantha's turn to hide laughter behind a cough.

"Well... okay... I suppose, if you insist..."

Samantha gave a nod. "We do."

He waved his hand for them to follow. "I have a fine selection of wedding gowns right back here. Lace, silk, simple, elegant, a vast assortment to please every woman."

Eleanor's eyes fell on all those white gowns glistening in the glow of the lamps and she swallowed hard as her stomach turned. "I...I don't want a dress..."

"What are you talking about?" Samantha demanded gently. "You have to have a dress."

Eleanor wrapped her arms tight around herself as her gaze fell to the floorboards at her feet. "I don't want a white dress."

Silence reigned for several tense seconds. Samantha cleared her throat. "Sir, could you give us a moment?"

"Of course."

Eleanor heard his footsteps fade quickly into the distance, though she never looked up from the floor. Samantha tucked a strand of blond hair behind Eleanor's ear and rested her hand on her shoulder. "Talk to me, Ell."

"There's nothing to talk about," Eleanor countered. "I don't want a white dress. I'll just get a new skirt and blouse...."

"You can have a new skirt and blouse—our men are quite rich so we can have all the skirts and blouses we want." Her gentle tone was teasing. "But you're also going to have a white dress as you marry the man you love. You deserve to have that."

Love. Timothy and Eleanor had never spoken that word to each other. Did she love Tim? Of course she did. Did he love her? She hoped so—he had to, didn't he? To marry her and give her child a father?

Her jaw was tight as she let out a snort. "White is the color of purity, Sam. Wearing that would make me a bit of a hypocrite, don't you think?"

Samantha's hand fell away and Eleanor saw her foot start tapping with annoyance. She spared a glance at Samantha and realized the other woman looked very agitated indeed. "I am so tired of hearing about your self-doubts. Let that go, Eleanor. You have a man who loves you. You have friends. A family. You are a strong woman who did what she had to in order to survive in a world that is not at all friendly to women on their own. Your heart is as pure as they come and you are going to marry Tim and you're going to do it wearing a white dress because if you don't, he'll be disappointed and I won't stand for having anyone disappointed on my wedding day."

Eleanor blinked back a tear as she gave a trembling smile—so very thankful for the strong, kind, and generous woman standing in front of her. "It's my wedding day too."

"Yes, it is." Samantha took her hand. "Now, are you thinking lace or silk? I'm partial to the silk myself..."

***

An hour later the pair left the shop with dress bags draped over their arms. While Eleanor still felt a bit like an imposter with the white lace dress she had picked out, she had to admit that it had looked beautiful against her skin.

"I don't know where the men are," Samantha stated, glancing up the street.

"Me neither," Eleanor agreed. Why hadn't they made a plan or where they would meet up? Anbarina was a big city—they would never find each other.

The hair on the back of her neck stood. Footsteps were approaching them quickly—too quickly.

Samantha's gun was in her hand in a heartbeat as she spun around. A heavyset man in a butler's suit let out a cry of shock, threw his hands in the air, and stopped in his tracks. "Don't shoot!" he whimpered. "Zachary Marston sent me to fetch you!"

Slowly Samantha put the gun away as Eleanor looked at her friend in a new light. She had known that Samantha wore the gun—had heard that the woman was pretty good with the weapon—but hadn't actually seen proof of that until now. "You shouldn't sneak up on women that way," Samantha scolded as her cheeks reddened. "And I'm sorry I pulled a gun on you. I shouldn't have done that...."

The man tugged at his jacket as his chins shook. "It's entirely my fault, ma'am. I was told to catch both of you as you left the dress shop and I was afraid I was going to miss you."

"Where are Zachary and Tim?" Eleanor asked.

"Busy. I was told to escort you to the Grand Hotel where there are hot baths and a small meal waiting on you. You are to ready yourselves and then I will escort you to your waiting grooms." He held out both arms to allow the women to hook theirs through. "Let's go then, ladies. The men seemed quite eager to have your company." 

A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the two or three week absence... But I'm here! Here's the new chapter! Wedding bells and wedding nights will be ringing in the next one! Ding Dong the witch is... well she's not dead but she's gone! And go doc, get you some of that lovin! 

Love y'all! Thanks for your patience while I dealt with some mental health stuff. I think I'm doing better now. Hopefully the next chapter will be in a day or two instead of weeks! 

Nicole