Chapter Four
Hannah ran her hands over the only other dress she owned.
It was a pretty cream color with tiny sprigs of pink and green flowers.
But it was also wrinkled from travel and several years old.
She’d turned the hem enough times that if she had to go any higher, the skirt would become scandalously short.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to extinguish the headache she had from falling earlier, before giving up and joining the other girls in the hallway.
Mayor Cabot had been kind enough to give them each their own room for the night. It was a luxury none of the girls had ever enjoyed, and Hannah wasn’t entirely certain how she’d sleep in such quiet.
But that was something to worry about later.
Right now, she had to go downstairs and learn which of the gathered men was the one she would marry.
That question was the only thing that consumed the other girls’ chatter.
On the way upstairs earlier, the mayor had told them the only preacher in town—who also worked as a barber—agreed to take time away from his haircuts tomorrow afternoon to perform one large wedding ceremony in the room over top of the saloon.
Hannah could barely parse through all that information.
A preacher who cut hair. A church over a saloon.
Becoming a married woman tomorrow. It was enough to make her want to run back inside her room and hide under the quilt until sleep came and the pain in her head disappeared.
But she couldn’t do that. She needed to keep her head high and reassure the other girls.
“Are you nervous?” she asked Natalie, who was standing with Vivian.
“Terrified,” Natalie confessed. “Are you feeling well enough for this?”
“I’m fine.” Hannah gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m sure it was the excitement of the situation, that’s all.”
Natalie studied her face a moment before nodding. “You scared me. I’ve never known you to faint.”
“And I hope it never happens again.” She paused before asking, “What do you think of the men downstairs?”
“I was so nervous that I can’t remember what any of them looked like,” Natalie confessed.
“I liked the fellow with the smart suit and the black bag,” Vivi said, her eyes gleaming and not looking worried at all. “Do you suppose he’s a physician? He looks like a physician with that bag.”
Hannah didn’t have time to consider the possibility because just at that moment, the grandfather clock at the stop of the stairs struck the hour.
It was time to go downstairs.
She led the way, Natalie at her side. Her stomach rumbled as the parlor came into view, and she couldn’t tell if it was from hunger or nerves.
She swallowed and tried to remember all the good things Mrs. Talbott, who’d run the orphanage, had said about her over the years.
She was capable. Responsible. Friendly. Kind.
Surely the man who’d chosen her letter would see all of that.
“I’m just grateful none of them is a toad,” Mercy whispered from somewhere behind her.
Beth giggled, and Hannah tried to stifle a smile.
It was true, she thought as she scanned the hopeful faces of the men who waited for them.
None were old or unsightly. Of course, looks didn’t convey a cruel heart or any other flaw she’d prayed to avoid.
Each one appeared to have taken the time to dress nicely, even the awkward looking man with the shadow of a beard who pulled at his collar.
Hannah found herself searching for the face of the one man who wasn’t dressed well earlier. The sheriff’s deputy with the dark hair and eyes she would never forget. It didn’t matter what he wore, of course, since he was brave enough to come rescue them from certain death.
He wasn’t there.
Hannah felt unexpectedly disappointed. She was certain she’d heard the sheriff say that man was one of this group. Perhaps he’d been mistaken. Except . . .
She counted the men before them again. Five.
Five men for six women. Her heart leaped into her throat.
There was hope then that the missing one was the deputy who wasn’t present.
She clenched and unclenched her hands and reminded herself not to get her hopes up.
It was no use fixating on him, especially when someone else could have chosen her letter.
The girls all looked to her as the men stood across from them. Hannah hitched her shoulders back, tried to forget a certain pair of dark brown eyes, and stepped forward.
“Mayor Cabot, thank you again for our accommodations. We’re all happy to be here.
” She smiled to hide the anxiety racing up her spine.
“I’m Miss Hannah White.” She turned back toward Natalie and began introducing the girls.
The men reciprocated, and Hannah tried to remember who was who.
The fellow with the black bag was indeed a physician, while a couple of the other men served as occasional deputies to Sheriff Rodgers.
That only made Hannah’s mind wander back to the missing man. Would he come to supper? She hoped his absence hadn't meant he'd changed his mind about marrying one of them.
“I thought it might be nice to sit in pairs,” the mayor said, conveniently avoiding any reference to marriage. “If you’ll follow me to the dining room?”
It sounded quite awkward, Hannah thought, meeting one’s intended across the table at supper. But she figured no matter how or where the introductions happened, it would be uncomfortable.
The boardinghouse’s dining room was simple but clean and well-arranged. Hannah wondered what had happened to the other residents, considering no one else was in the room.
“Everyone else staying here has already eaten,” Mayor Cabot said, answering Hannah’s silent question. “So we won’t be disturbed, and there’s no reason to hurry along with our meal.” He smiled as if it were a given they’d all get along excellently and would want to linger in the room for hours.
Hannah hoped his wish would come true.
He gestured at the largest man of the group, the older of the two deputies.
Mr. Jackson, if Hannah remembered correctly.
He was the man with a bit of a beard who looked uncomfortable in his suit.
He caught Hannah’s eye, and she gave him a smile in return.
He smiled back, and her heart stuttered.
Was he the one who’d chosen her letter? He seemed kind enough, but the thought left her feeling disappointed.
“Miss Marshall?” he said, hopefulness shining in his eyes as he turned his attention to Ada.
Next to Hannah, Ada brightened and smiled before joining Mr. Jackson at the table.
One by one, each of the girls took a seat.
Vivi’s eyes narrowed when the doctor called Natalie’s name.
Natalie didn’t appear to notice as she locked eyes with the friendly physician.
The mayor went last, and Beth happily joined him.
There were no men left, only Hannah standing awkwardly alone at the end of the table. Natalie cast a concerned gaze in her direction.
Mayor Cabot paused before taking his seat across from Beth. He gestured at the empty chair next to her. “Please sit, Miss White. Deputy Garland will be here shortly. I apologize for his delay.”
Hannah swallowed, torn between the pure excitement that shot through her at hearing Deputy Garland’s name and hesitation at wondering why he wasn’t there.
She nodded at the mayor as she composed her face into something that didn’t betray her wildly swinging emotions. She took the seat next to Beth at the end of the table.
Mayor Cabot excused himself to go to the kitchen. Beth immediately turned to Hannah. “What do you think?” she whispered.
It was easy to tell Beth’s thoughts—her joy made her face slightly pink, and she couldn’t stop smiling. Hannah focused on her friend’s happiness instead of her own nerves. “I think it’s going well, don’t you?”
“Better than I could have imagined. I cannot believe I’ll be the wife of the town mayor,” Beth said.
“Who would have ever thought such a thing when we were living at the orphanage and hoping for a glance from a factory man?” She tucked an escaping lock of chestnut hair behind her ear and gave Hannah a shy grin.
“You and I got the best-looking ones, don’t you agree? ”
Hannah nodded, the words drying up in her throat. She shot a glance toward the parlor. There was no sign of her future husband.
Mayor Cabot returned at that moment and announced that supper would be brought out shortly. He took his seat, and Beth immediately returned her attention to him.
Hannah busied herself with examining the plate and silverware before her. It was nicely made, better than what they’d had at the orphanage. But a plate and a fork could only hold her attention for so long.
She found herself eying the door that led to the parlor once again. What could be keeping Deputy Garland? Surely he knew they’d be sitting down to eat and she would be alone.
Her fingers worried the napkin she’d placed on her lap.
Two women—one broad and round-faced, the other looking barely fifteen—began to bring out bowls of soup. The younger one hesitated at placing a bowl at the empty seat across from Hannah.
“You can leave it,” the mayor said. “Deputy Garland will be here momentarily.” He gave Hannah a kind smile.
She tried mightily to return it, but her relentless optimism was beginning to fade a bit.
Why wasn’t he here? It couldn’t be his work. After all, the other two men who worked as deputies had managed to arrive in time.
A ribbon of fear unfurled slowly inside Hannah’s heart. Her face grew warm, and she looked down at the hands in her lap.
Maybe he wasn’t here because he’d changed his mind.