Preston | mounties

Bride for Preston

CHAPTER 1

"You know, maybe if you weren't such a bitter, sour woman who thinks they're better than everyone else, even while wearing rags that look like they were found in the trash, you might find yourself a husband."

Maryanne clenched her eyes shut tightly, hoping to hide the hurt that she knew would be reflected in them. She needed to hold up her image of being strong, and not caring what others thought.

But the words that were spoken, cut like a blade in her heart. She knew the words were true.

Swallowing against the lump forming in her throat, she took a deep breath and turned to face the man who'd spoken.

He was shaking his head as he looked at her with a sneer. "You're not even much to look at, so you'd do well to realize I might be the only one willing to make an offer. Your poor parents have been driven to the point of despair trying to look after your crippled sister. The only reason they let you stay around this long was because you helped to look after her. Now that she's gone, you can't expect your parents to keep caring for you."

Anger coiled in her stomach as he mentioned her sister. She could handle hearing that she wasn't much to look at. And that people thought she was a bitter old spinster. But she would never let anyone say a bad word about her sister.

Walking slowly back toward Leroy Miller, the middle-aged man who owned the stables up the street from her father's mercantile, Maryanne fought to keep herself from reaching out and slapping his mottled face.

"Eliza was not a cripple. She had more strength and compassion in her little finger than people like you do in your whole body. She might be gone now, but I've helped my parents keep the mercantile going, even while the bills piled up to help pay for my sister's care. They won't just throw me out on the street. I will keep helping them just like I always have."

Leroy laughed. "Do you honestly think people are going to keep coming to your father's decrepit and rundown old store now that your sister is gone? The only reason people did keep coming all this time is because they felt sorry for your family and wanted to feel like they were helping. Why would they keep coming here when there are so many new stores opening up all around Ottawa that have ten times more than what they can get here?"

Maryanne's heart plummeted to her stomach as she realized the truth he was speaking. Slowly turning her head, her eyes took in the front of her father's shop. The sign had come loose months ago, and now tilted dangerously far to one side. The steps had sunk on one side, and a railing had fallen off, now lying on the ground beside them.

The years hadn't been kind to her father, or the small shop that had once been so prominent in the neighborhood. After her sister's accident, both her parents had struggled to come to grips with the new life they were faced with—having a child who would need constant care.

Maryanne had done everything she could to look after her sister, while the guilt of the accident had consumed her every waking moment. She'd tried to make things better for everyone, knowing how difficult it was for her family to cope with it all.

Her parents had spent any money that came in on treatments and anything they believed would make Eliza's life easier. They'd become focused on making her whole again, so the running of the mercantile had suffered. Maryanne had done the best she could, but she realized now, people had only pitied her.

Leroy was right. They wouldn't keep coming back now that Eliza was gone. Her parents could manage to earn enough to keep food on their table, but they wouldn't need the extra burden of her to care for too.

And she was twenty-three years old, with no prospects other than Leroy, courting her. She'd always been the plain one, where Eliza had been beautiful, so she hadn't ever given any thought to a man paying her any attention. Maybe she could find a job of her own somewhere, and earn enough to live alone. Someday, she might find someone who could see past her outer shell and possibly grow to love her the way her father did her mother.

As the wagons rolled past them on the street, dust was kicked up around her, getting in her eyes. She reached up to rub them, hoping no one would notice the tears that were clouding her vision.

She'd do whatever she had to do, just like she'd always done.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and she could feel an arm wrapping around her own, turning her to walk away from Leroy.

"Ignore that sniveling fopdoodle. He spouts words from his mouth like a donkey in heat trying to get attention."

Maryanne looked in shock at Miss Hazel, a woman she recognized from their church and who'd come in to shop many times over the years. She'd often wondered why the woman would come over to their neighborhood when there was, no doubt far better stores to choose from where the older woman lived.

As they walked toward the steps of the shop, Maryanne almost chuckled out loud as she glimpsed back at the man who stood on the edge of the street with his mouth hanging open.

"I'm sorry, Miss Hazel. That fabric you ordered still hasn't come in yet. I will try to get a message out today to see where it is." They couldn't afford to lose any business, especially not one like Hazel Hughes, who had the money to spend in their shop.

The woman just patted her arm and clucked her tongue. "Now, Maryanne, I've already told you, I'm in no hurry for that fabric anyway. Your family has gone through enough these past few weeks, and I don't need you worrying about how I'll get the fabric for my next set of bloomers."

Maryanne stumbled on the last step as Miss Hazel openly spoke about her underthings on a busy street.

Getting her balance, she made her way inside with the woman still holding her arm. When they got into the building, Maryanne glanced around with new eyes, seeing the shop how she now realized others must be seeing it. Before, she didn't want to let herself see the empty shelves, or the dusty corners that were covered in spiderwebs.

But now that's all she could see.

Shame washed over her, knowing how the people she saw every day were truly looking at her and her family.

Lifting her chin, she tried to smile for Miss Hazel. "Can I offer you some tea? I was just going to put some on."

"That would be lovely, dear. I was actually coming this way to speak to you about a different matter."

Maryanne led the way behind the counter, and back to the kitchen stove off the back. Stairs on the other side of the small room led up to the rooms where her family slept. She hoped her parents were getting some much needed rest. Sleep hadn't come easily over the past few weeks as they grieved for Eliza.

Placing the tin pot on the stove to heat up the water, she pulled two cups down from the cupboard and placed them on their saucers.

"I can't imagine what you'd need to speak to me about Miss Hazel, but I appreciate your help today with Leroy. That man has been hounding me ever since…well, you know…to marry him."

She looked down at the tea bag in her hand as she brought up the memory of her sister's death.

"I think it's despicable that a man would try to take advantage of a girl who's quite obviously grieving for her sister. You don't have to take that from him or any man, Maryanne Drayson." Miss Hazel sat down in one of the chairs around the small table.

Pouring the water into the cups, she turned to carry them over. "I'm afraid I might not have many other options, Miss Hazel. I'm not what you'd call a good catch for most men around here, and I'm not sure what I could do on my own. I can't put any more burden on my parents than they've already suffered over the years. What else can I do?"

Hazel Hughes smiled up at her as she took her cup from Maryanne's hands. "Why, head up to the Yukon Territory and marry a Mountie, of course!"

The sound of china breaking was the first she realized she'd dropped her cup.

She'd always heard people say that Miss Hazel Hughes might not be entirely in her right mind, but Maryanne had never believed them.

Until now.

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