A Hope Unseen (Escape to the West Book 2)

  Escape to the West

  Book 2

  A Hope Unseen

  Nerys Leigh

  ESCAPE TO THE WEST BOOK 2: A HOPE UNSEEN

  Copyright: Nerys Leigh

  Published: 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted, without written permission from the author. You must not circulate this book in any format.

  Extracts from the Authorised Version of the Bible (The King James Bible), the rights in which are vested in the Crown, are reproduced by permission of the Crown’s Patentee, Cambridge University Press.

  Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

  Prologue

  June, 1869

  Sara crept down the staircase, carefully keeping her stockinged feet to the edge where she knew none of the steps would creak.

  She could hear voices, but they were only loud enough that she could tell who they were, not so loud that she could tell what they were saying. At least, not with the door closed.

  Biting back a sigh of frustration, she tip-toed the last few steps, her sights set on the parlour across the hallway.

  A door to her right opened, practically making her jump out of her skin as Elspeth walked from the kitchen carrying a loaded serving tray. Seeing Sara, she opened her mouth to speak.

  Sara shook her head frantically, pressing a finger to her lips and pointing at the parlour door. A smile crept onto Elspeth’s face and she nodded in understanding. She waited for Sara to hide herself behind the huge grandfather clock next to the parlour door, gave her a final conspiratorial smile, and entered with the tray of tea and cakes.

  There were a frustrating couple of minutes during which Sara wanted to scream her impatience, filled only by the sounds of Elspeth serving the tea and the occasional “thank you”. Then she stepped back out into the hall with the empty tray, pulled the door to within an inch of the frame and left it there. She winked at Sara before returning to the kitchen, leaving Sara to listen to the resumed conversation now audible through the tiny gap.

  “Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice, Mr and Mrs Worthing. I know your time is valuable.”

  Sara let out a quiet sigh at the sound of Henry’s voice, smooth as velvet. She couldn’t deny that listening to him was a far from unpleasant experience.

  “There is nothing as valuable to us as our daughter,” Sara’s father said. “The happiness of our children is more important to us than anything, isn’t it dear?”

  “It certainly is,” Sara’s mother agreed. “It has warmed our hearts to see her as happy as she has been these last few months. Meeting you has been so good for her.”

  Well, at least Sara had convinced them. If only she could do the same for herself.

  “You have no idea how pleased I am to hear that,” Henry said. “In fact, that’s why I asked to meet with you today.”

  Sara’s heart sped up to double time and she pressed her fisted hands together over it. She’d known this was why he was here. As soon as she’d seen his buggy pull up outside their house when they had no plans to meet, she’d known.

  “Go on,” Mr Worthing said.

  She heard Henry draw in a deep breath. “Mr and Mrs Worthing, knowing Sara has brought a joy to my life I didn’t think possible. She is the light in every one of my days and I can’t imagine a future without her. So I’m here to ask, would you allow me your daughter’s hand in marriage?”

  Even though she’d suspected a proposal was coming, Sara had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop a gasp from escaping. Henry Hunt, one of Brooklyn’s most eligible bachelors thanks to his wealthy family, handsome features and promising business career, wanted to marry her. She should be overjoyed.

  Shouldn’t she?

  There were a few seconds of silence during which she imagined her father and mother smiling at each other. Or maybe they weren’t sure about Henry. They could refuse him. For reasons Sara didn’t entirely understand, that thought gave her hope.

  “Mr Hunt,” her father finally said, “if Sara is agreeable, you have our blessing to marry our daughter.”

  Slumping against the wall, Sara closed her eyes.

  “Thank you, sir, madam.” Henry sounded like he was smiling. “I am deeply honoured. Is she at home? I feel as if I can’t wait another second to ask her.”

  “She is,” her father said. “I’ll have Elspeth fetch her.”

  Realising her father would be coming out into the hallway at any second, Sara jerked upright and started for the stairs.

  “Before you do,” Henry said, “I hate to bring this up at such a joyful time, but might we talk about her dowry?”

  Sara stumbled to a halt halfway across the hall.

  “Uh, her dowry?” her mother said.

  “Yes. I hate to bring such a crude matter as money up, but... well... I feel it’s best to settle such things at the beginning. Don’t you?”

  “Of course,” Mr Worthing said. “We have given the matter some thought...”

  Sara listened in mounting horror as her parents discussed how much Henry would receive to marry her. Her prospective marriage to the man who was, to all intents and purposes, her perfect match, was turned into a series of figures and items, a business transaction.

  Eventually, unable to listen to any more, she fled back up the stairs to her bedroom and flung herself onto her bed.

  She knew her parents didn’t regard her as a commodity to sell, dowries were a normal part of marriage, but it was still uncomfortable to hear. The worst thing about the whole affair, however, was her utter lack of excitement at the prospect of marrying Henry Hunt.

  With his blue eyes and wavy blond hair, he’d charmed Sara from the moment they were introduced by her cousin five months previously. Within a week they were seeing each other regularly and it had been wonderful, new and thrilling.

  And then... it wasn’t.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy spending time with Henry, he was fun and interesting and attentive and handsome, but after a couple of months she had realised there was something missing. They were the perfect couple; a similar age, financially and socially matched. Marriage made sense. She’d have a good life with Henry and he seemed fond of her. Indeed, she was genuinely fond of him.

  And yet she didn’t love him. At least, she didn’t think she did. She’d never been in love so she couldn’t be certain, but she’d read about it, and what she felt with Henry didn’t come close to the fluttering hearts and sizzling touches and longing looks of the romance novels. Did that kind of love even exist? Was she a fool to think it did?

  And then there was the prospect of a life with Henry, filled with primping and preening, social functions and dinner parties, entertaining his friends and business acquaintances, being the perfect wife to a man of money and standing. It would be her job to make him look good so he could succeed in his job.

  Just the thought of it all made her feel like she was suffocating.

  But her parents were so happy with the match and the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint them. If only she felt differently.

  Hugging her knees in front of her, she told herself she would come to love him and her life with him. She remembered all the gestures of affection, all the cha
ste touches and secret kisses, all the compliments and the laughter. Surely that had to mean something. Surely it meant she could be happy with him.

  A soft knock on her bedroom door pulled her from her thoughts. “Come in.”

  Elspeth stepped quietly into the room. “Miss Sara, Mr Worthing has asked if you would join him and Mrs Worthing and Mr Hunt downstairs.”

  Sara drew one hand across her eyes. “Thank you. Tell him I’ll be down shortly.”

  Elspeth nodded, moved to close the door, then stopped. “I know it’s not my place, but if you have any doubts you should wait until they’re gone. There’s nothing much more important than making certain you marry the right man. You don’t have to give him an answer now.”

  Sara gave her a small smile. “Thank you.”

  Elspeth returned her smile and left, pulling the door closed behind her.

  Sara slid her feet off the bed and into her shoes. She appreciated Elspeth’s advice, but she wasn’t sure her doubts would ever be gone. This was what everyone else expected of her and what a young woman in her position was supposed to want. She wasn’t sure she really had any choice in the matter.

  When she reached the parlour, Henry was waiting for her alone. She tried to find the excitement she knew she should be feeling at the imminent marriage proposal. Or if not excitement, at least happiness. Or relief. Anything other than the mounting gloom she felt now.

  “Sara, you look beautiful, as always,” he said, rising from the couch and walking over to take her hand.

  He leaned forward to kiss her cheek and she managed to force what she hoped was a half decent smile.

  “I suppose you know I’ve been speaking with your parents,” he said.

  She nodded.

  “And I don’t think I’ve been very good at hiding how I feel about you.”

  She nodded again.

  “So there’s only one thing for me to say.” Keeping hold of her hand, he sank to one knee in front of her. “Sara, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

  Say yes, she thought. This is what any woman would want. Say yes. Say it.

  She opened her mouth to say yes. Instead, she said, “Are you in love with me?”

  The smile on Henry’s face faltered for an instant. “I... beg your pardon?”

  “Are you in love with me? Does your heart quicken when I walk into the room? Am I in your thoughts constantly when we’re apart? Do you feel as if you can’t bear for us to be separated? Are you deeply, madly and passionately in love with me?”

  Although she tried to sound calm, her heart thudded in her chest. She didn’t even know what she wanted his answer to be. The easy answer of yes? Or the uncertainty of the rest of her life after a no?

  And then he hesitated.

  It was only for a moment, but she saw the flicker of doubt on his face before it was quashed.

  “Of course I do, Sara. You’re everything to me. So will you marry me?”

  She stared down into his beautiful blue eyes and whispered the only answer she could.

  “No.”

  Chapter 1

  Eleven months later.

  “We’ll both be happy, you’ll see.”

  Sara took Amy’s hand and stood, pulling her friend up from the train seat.

  Strangely, Amy seemed reluctant to leave. She was probably just nervous. Sara certainly was. She’d been eager to meet Daniel ever since they’d started corresponding, but now that the exciting future had become the imminent present, her stomach was swirling. Would he like her? Would she like him? What would he look like?

  When their letters had begun to seriously approach the possibility of marriage she’d sent him a photograph of herself that she’d had taken especially, so he at least had an idea of her appearance. But there were no photographers in the small town of Green Hill Creek and, other than the basic details he’d told her - six feet and two inches tall, dark hair and eyes, twenty-seven years of age – she didn’t know what to expect.

  She glanced out the train window again at the little cluster of men gathered outside. Three of them had dark hair. She ruled out the one with the beard as Daniel had said he was clean-shaven. That left two alternatives, unless Daniel had grown a beard since.

  Her eyes were drawn to one man in particular. She couldn’t help it. Even from this distance and through the grime covering the glass, he was handsome in a way that made her heart flutter. She wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life gazing at that face. Although it didn’t matter what he looked like because, through his letters, she’d come to know Daniel Raine as a kind, caring, wonderful man. A man she could fall in love with. A man she was falling in love with, even before they’d met in person.

  That was the important thing, what was inside. God didn’t look at the outward appearance and neither would she.

  But still, that face.

  “Come on, let’s go and meet our husbands.” She laughed, possibly a little hysterically. “Doesn’t that sound strange?”

  Outside, the station was crowded with milling passengers, some stretching their legs before the rest of their journey continued, a small handful boarding the train here. Sara grasped Amy’s hand again, seeking strength from the contact. Even though they’d only met a week before at the start of their journey from New York to California, she counted Amy among the best friends she’d ever had. And right now she needed her friend.

  They followed Lizzy, Louisa and Jo in the direction of the waiting group of men “Oh, Amy, I’m a little nervous myself now. If you feel me starting to swoon, pinch me hard. The last thing I want is Daniel thinking I’m a feeble woman who isn’t able to cope with life in the west.”

  “Ladies, welcome to Green Hill Creek.” The older man who was speaking as they approached introduced himself as Simon Jones, pastor of the church that worked with the Western Sunset Marriage Service to match Christian men in the women-starved west with ladies in the east wanting to start a new life.

  As the pastor and his wife welcomed them, Sara’s attention again went to the tall, dark-haired man she’d seen from the train. His eyes met hers and one corner of his strong, full lips curved up. She quickly dropped her gaze. If he wasn’t Daniel, she very much didn’t want to be caught making eyes at him.

  “Miss Cotton, may I introduce Richard Shand.”

  The welcome over, Pastor Jones had begun introductions. Sara looked up to see Lizzy throw herself into the arms of a very surprised looking man. Sara clamped one hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Knowing Lizzy as she did, she wasn’t surprised at all.

  “He’s going to have his hands full,” she whispered to Amy.

  Amy smiled. “He certainly is.”

  The pastor next called Louisa, who he introduced to Peter Johnson, an older man who explained he would be taking her to meet his son, Jesse. Sara wondered why Louisa’s intended hadn’t come to the station himself. By the confused look on Louisa’s face, she was wondering the same thing.

  The pastor again consulted a piece of paper in his hand. “Sara Worthing?”

  Sara gasped, her insides somersaulting and her mouth suddenly dry.

  “Shall I pinch you now?” Amy whispered.

  Stifling a laugh, Sara gave her a grateful look and let go of her hand to walk forward.

  “Miss Worthing,” Pastor Jones said, “meet Daniel Raine.”

  She tried not to gape as the man she’d been watching stepped forward. It was him.

  It was him.

  From the moment she’d seen him through the train window, she’d known it was him. Despite there being three dark-haired men standing in the small group at the station, somehow she’d known it was him. Or maybe she’d just hoped it was him. How was it possible for any man to be so perfectly handsome? And tall. And strong-looking. And handsome. She almost couldn’t believe he was real.

  “I’m very pleased to finally meet you, Sara.” He held out his hand.

  His voice! It was like listening to aural molasses. Sara stared up at hi
m, frozen to the spot. Say something!

  Placing her trembling hand into his, she managed to whisper, “Hi.”

  His answering smile etched a perfect dimple into his right cheek that made Sara’s legs feel positively wobbly. If he kept this up, he was going to have to carry her to the church.

  Oh, why had she thought that? Now every time she looked at him she was going to imagine his strong arms holding her against his chest where she could lay her head on his broad shoulder, which perfectly matched his other broad shoulder.

  She suddenly realised she was staring and dropped her gaze. To his chest. Which, despite being hidden under a red plaid shirt, she could tell was as impressive as his shoulders. Was there anything unattractive about him?

  Not wanting to appear to be staring at his chest, she dropped her eyes to his boots. Maybe he had bunions. Hideously ugly bunions.

  She had to bite back a giggle. There was a chance she wasn’t thinking entirely straight.

  Her gaze snapped back up to his face as he slowly shook her hand and then threaded it through his arm as they stepped back to join the growing group of couples. Daniel smiled down at her and all the nerves she’d had about meeting him melted away.

  It was really him, the man who had so delighted and entranced her with his letters these past months that when he asked her to cross the country to marry him, she hadn’t hesitated to say yes.

  He was her Daniel. The man she would spend the rest of her life with.

  She couldn’t have been happier.

  “Josephine Carter?”

  At Pastor Jones’ voice, Sara dragged her eyes from Daniel’s face to watch Jo step forward. The dark-haired, bearded man moved forward to meet her.

  “Miss Carter, this is Gabriel Silversmith,” the pastor said.

  Mr Silversmith’s rugged face stretched into a smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Carter.”

  He looked a little older than the other men Sara’s four travelling companions had come to marry, perhaps in his mid thirties. His complexion was darkened from the sun, blending with his hair and beard. Sara tried to gauge Jo’s reaction to her intended, but Sara had found it was always hard to tell how the fun but enigmatic young woman felt about anything. They’d spent a week together on the train travelling from New York to Green Hill Creek, but Sara still felt like she didn’t know Jo any better than when they’d first met. She’d found it much easier to bond with Amy, Lizzy and Louisa.