Reclaiming His Bride Read online

  Reclaiming

  his

  Bride

  Bethany Hauck

  Copyright © 2019 by Bethany Hauck

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing, 2019

  KDP Publishing

  Books by Bethany Hauck

  The McCabes

  The Johnsons

  An Honest Mistake

  (Jacqueline and Connor)

  A Good Man

  (Ross and Angela)

  The Man of Her Dreams

  (Ham and Flora)

  A Nightmare Marriage

  (Fiona and Logan)

  A Man of Honor

  (Alastair and Mairi)

  Her Brave Knight

  (Owen and Emelia)

  His Audacious Bride

  (Eadan and Kirstie)

  The Irishman’s Daughter

  (James and Nellie)

  His by the King’s Command

  (Rory and Linsey)

  Coming Soon

  A Perfect Match

  (Craig and Peigi)

  Married on the Oregon Trail

  (Kenny and Callie)

  A Reluctant Trail Bride

  (Lily and Nick)

  Bride for Sale

  (Henry and Sam)

  Coming Soon:

  New Neighbor, Old Love

  (Michelle and Calum)

  * * *

  Other Books:

  * * *

  Reclaiming his Bride

  The Forgotten Bride

  Table of Contents

  C hapter 1. What Now?

  Chapter 2. Broken Dreams

  Chapter 3. A Boon

  Chapter 4. Lessons in Loving

  Chapter 5. She’s Gone

  Chapter 6. Facing The Past

  Chapter 7. My Son

  Chapter 8. Confessions

  Chapter 9. A Long-Awaited Wedding Night

  Chapter 10. Trusting Him

  Chapter 11. Finally Home

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1. What Now?

  Pleasantville, New York 1806

  Lorna Walsh stood in the small cemetery behind the church and watched as they lowered the coffin where her husband now rested into the ground. She wiped a tear off her cheek, trying to stay strong for her children. She squeezed each of their hands, trying to remind them both that they still had her, and each other.

  Part of her was thankful Katie and William were too young to understand what was happening in front of them, but another part was sad they’d never remember the man she’d agreed to marry only an hour after meeting him.

  Patrick may not have been the perfect husband, but he had been a wonderful father. He’d always been kind and provided well for their small family. He also worked hard, and the farm where they raised sheep was in excellent condition. Loren was grateful to her husband for that. Patrick had left her with enough money that at least she’d have time to figure out her future, and decide what would be best for their son and daughter. Neither Lorna or Patrick had any other family in America, they were the first to make the voyage across the ocean, so Lorna had only herself to rely on now that Patrick was gone.

  Lorna knew how lucky they’d been that first day almost three years ago when their ship docked in New York, and they ran into Seamus Dermot. Seamus had been at the docks looking to book passage on a ship back to Scotland, and he wanted to leave within the next two weeks. Seamus was hoping once he found a ship, he’d have a week or two to sell the farm, where he raised sheep, before he had to leave.

  Seamus heard Lorna and Patrick talking as they walked past him on the dock. The couple had been discussing their future. Wondering where they were supposed to go next now that their voyage was over. Hearing Lorna’s familiar burr and Patrick’s Irish brogue, he’d approached them and introduced himself. Having come from a Scottish father and Irish mother, the opposite of Lorna and Patrick, Seamus had instantly taken a liking to the young couple. What a blessing that meeting had turned out to be, for all of them

  After only speaking for a few minutes, Lorna and Patrick learned that Seamus recently received a letter from his older brother. Reading the letter, Seamus found out that his father passed away, making his brother the new Laird of his family Keep. His mother, who’d never considered Scotland her home, was ready to return to Ireland. Especially now that all her children were grown. Seamus knew his mother had probably gone to Ireland already since the letter had been written three months earlier. He wasn’t happy with his brother for letting her go, but he knew where his mother’s family lived, and he would find her.

  Seamus explained his plan to return home. He also mentioned the farm he needed to sell. Patrick asked a lot of questions, becoming excited when he heard Seamus raised sheep for wool and mutton. He looked over at Lorna, and after a small nod from her, asked Seamus what he wanted for his property.

  Lorna had her dowry packed in her trunk, and it was a substantial one. The only problem was, she didn’t know what to do with the Scottish currency in this new country called America. Seamus came up with the solution. Since he was returning to Scotland, and they were looking to buy a farm, he’d take the Scottish currency in payment for his land. Patrick, who’d been brought up tending his family's flock of sheep back in Ireland, quickly agreed. Two days later, the paperwork was complete, and Lorna and Patrick owned a farm five miles outside the village of Pleasantville.

  Seamus traveled with them for two days to get to their new home and stayed with them for a little more than a week until his ship was due to leave. During that first day, Seamus had shown Patrick the boundaries for the seventy acres of land they’d purchased from him, and introduced both Lorna and Patrick to the two collies who helped herd his flock of almost one-hundred sheep. Seamus wouldn’t be taking the dogs with him since they were considered part of the stock, and now belonged to Patrick and Lorna.

  After a tour of the farm, Seamus took them to the homes of a few neighbors that lived within an hour's ride of their new land. He introduced them to everyone, and the neighbors seemed to welcome them.

  The next day, Seamas made sure Lorna and Patrick went with him into town, where he introduced the couple to the owner of the mercantile, Mr. Curruthers. The next place they went was to the sawmill, again they met the owner, Mr. Daugherty, and placed an order for lumber. Their last stop that day had been to meet Reverend Banks at the church.

  Two days after that, the lumber was at the farm, and Patrick and Seamus, with the help of a few of those new neighbors, added a second floor onto the small cabin Seamus built and had lived in for the last five years. Now instead of having one bedroom downstairs, there were three upstairs, and the kitchen and parlor had been enlarged to accommodate the bigger family.

  Once Seamus left to go back to Scotland, Lorna and Patrick settled into their new routine. They’d both rise early, and while Lorna made breakfast, Patrick went out to the barn to milk the cow, feed the stock, and gather the eggs. Once Patrick ate and left for the day to tend to the sheep and property, Lorna took care of the house and children.

  When they first arrived, Lorna had to learn to do a lot of things she’d never worried about doing before. Her Da over in Scotland was a Laird, and many servants worked in his castle. Lorna used to help with some of the cleaning and cooking, but doing laundry, scrubbing dishes, and taking care of children had all been new to her. Lorna didn’t mind the hard work, it kept her mind off of her home in Scotland, and the man she’d left behind.
/>   If Lorna was being truthful, those household skills had been easier to learn than getting used to the differences in the words the two countries spoke. Saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’ instead of ‘aye’ and ‘nay’. Being a ‘mama’ and ‘papa’ instead of a ‘mither’ and ‘da’. Eating breakfast instead of breaking her fast. She was still trying to get used to it all, and sometimes still said what was familiar to her.

  As the men in town finished filling in the grave, Lorna again thought about her future and the future of her children. Luckily, Patrick had increased their flock over the last two years. In fact, their flock had grown so big, that last year during the lambing season, Patrick decided he couldn’t handle the work alone anymore. To help with the chores, he hired two brothers, Jason and Alan Jackson.

  The brothers were also from Ireland, and their family also raised sheep. Thankfully, they already knew how to sheer, butcher, and help at lambing time. Hiring Jason and Alan worked out so well, that Patrick, with the brother’s help, built a small cabin between the barn and field were the men now lived.

  Two days ago, after Lorna confided in the brothers and told them her concerns, they’d both promised to stay on and continue doing their job for as long as she needed them. Thank goodness she wouldn’t have to deal with the farm chores on top of everything else.

  One by one, the people at Patrick’s funeral began to leave; each of them stopped in front of Lorna and expressed their condolences. Lorna knew she greeted and thanked each person for coming, but besides that, she had no idea what she said. Once the last person was leaving, which seemed to take forever, she picked up two-year-old William, took three-year-old Katie by the hand, and walked back to the small carriage Lorna preferred to use.

  She put both children in first, then climbed up on the seat so she could sit between them. Once the children were secure, she gave the horse a gentle tap with the reins and turned the animal towards home. She was relieved when William laid his head down in her lap and fell into a deep sleep, then Katie leaned against her other side and dozed off too. Lorna sighed, the last two days had been stressful for all of them, and she could use a little peace and quiet. She hadn’t even gotten a chance to think through what happened just two days before, when once more, her life changed drastically. She looked at the children one more time and then let her mind wander back to that horrible day.

  The morning started out the same as any other. After breakfast, Patrick had gone to tend the sheep, like he always did. Lorna watched as he left the barn on foot, heading towards the pasture the flock had been moved to the day before.

  One minute the sky was blue, and the next, dark clouds rolled in as an unexpected storm hit the area, taking everyone by surprise, and it was a big one. Unfortunately, no one was with Patrick when lightning hit the tree he was standing near. The blast from the lighting might have stunned him, but Patrick had been severely injured when the big tree limb fell. When he was late coming back to the house for dinner, Lorna became worried and sent the two farmhands out to find him. It took Jason and Alan almost an hour to locate Patrick, and when they did, he was pinned under the tree, and he’d already died.

  It took the two men another hour to cut the branch into small enough pieces to move it, and then pull Patrick out. They brought the body back to the house, where Lorna cleaned Patrick up, and then prepared his body for burial.

  Alan rode into town and talked with Reverend Banks. The Reverend immediately left town and came to console Lorna, to see if he could provide any comfort, and offer his assistance. When he asked what she wanted to do about a funeral, she wasn’t sure. Back in Scotland, there was a cemetery inside the Keep walls behind the kirk where all family members were laid to rest. By the time Reverend Banks left, with Patrick’s body, arrangements had been made to bury him in the cemetery at the church.

  Lorna pulled the buggy up next to the barn and gave a grateful smile to Alan as he came out and took the reins from her. He’d been at the funeral with his brother Jason, but not knowing how long she’d be tied up in town afterward, Lorna told them both to go on home without her. No matter how much grief the family was suffering, the animals still needed to be tended.

  “Let me take care of the horses for you,” Alan told her. Lorna nodded as she picked William up, glad she didn’t have to deal with the horses too. “Do you need me to take Katie to her room for you?”

  “Nay,” Lorna answered. She was tired, and her burr was always more noticeable when she was tired. “I’ll come back out for her once I have William settled.”

  “Jason is out checking on the flock, but if you need anything from either of us, all you have to do is ask,” Alan told her.

  “Thank you, and your brother,” Lorna replied, “you’ve both done more than I could ever ask for. Right now, I’d just like to put the children down, and then lie down for an hour or so myself.”

  “Everything is taken care of out here,” Alan assured her, “and the neighbors have brought enough food by that you won’t need to cook for a few days. You go ahead and rest Mrs. Walsh, Jason and I have everything under control.”

  Lorna nodded again and carried William into the house and up the stairs to his room. She took off his shoes and tucked him into his bed before going out to get Katie and doing the same thing.

  Once the children were settled, she went into her bedroom and laid down on the bed she’d shared with Patrick for close to three years. The bed where during those years, nothing more than sleeping took place. Not because Lorna didn’t want more to happen, it just wasn’t possible.

  She laid there for a long time, with thoughts of home in the Scottish Highlands going through her head. She’d always wondered if leaving had been the right thing to do, but at the time, her heart was broken, and she couldn’t stay.

  She thought of her Da, Elliot MacNee, and her mither, Sorcha. Even almost three years later, she couldn’t believe how much she still loved and missed them. Thinking back to her childhood, Lorna remembered how that’d always shown her how much they loved her; they all shared a special bond. She was trying so hard to make the same kind of bond with William and Katie.

  Lorna knew she hurt both her parents with the way she left, but she wrote to them every few months, telling them about her new life, and trying to convince herself as much as her parents that she loved every minute of it. Each letter took almost three months to reach Scotland, and Castle Sween, but her parents always took time and wrote back. She knew from their letters that they missed her as much as she missed them, they told her so in every letter she received.

  She wondered if it would be possible to sell the farm and go back to Castle Sween. Would the children be able to handle possibly more than two months at sea on a ship? It had been a hard journey the first time they crossed, and that was with Patrick by her side, supporting her and Katie. Nay, she quickly ruled that idea out, Lorna knew she could never return, and for more reasons than the hard weeks at sea.

  First, the ship would never let a single woman book passage and travel alone, and they most certainly wouldn’t want a single woman traveling alone with two small children. She could ask Jason or Alan to go with her, and then pay for their passage back again, but that wouldn’t be fair to either one of them.

  Second, although her Da and Mither would welcome her and her children at Castle Sween, she knew her brother, Calvin, would not. The two of them had never been close, not with more than a ten-year age difference between them.

  Calvin had never been cruel; he didn’t hit her tease her. They just had nothing in common. Calvin always preferred it if Lorna stayed away from him. He’d made it clear to her when she was a small lass that she should make sure she was wed before their Mither and Da passed on. Calvin had no intention of being stuck providing for her and her needs. Castle Sween would belong to him and the woman he would one day marry. There was no place for Lorna there.

  The third and last reason she couldn’t go home was Thomas. Thomas Grant. Even three years later, just thinking his name
made her want to break down in tears, or hit something. He’d broken her heart. Her Da didn’t write about Thomas in his letters anymore, because she’d asked him not too. All Lorna knew was that Thomas married his leman shortly after she’d left, but what other choice did he have.

  Lorna sat up and shook her head. It never did her any good to think of Thomas. It still hurt too much, and that made her angry. Knowing she’d never get to sleep now, she instead got out of bed and pulled out a parchment of paper and some ink. Taking a seat at the small table next to her bedroom window, she began to write another letter to her parents.

  She wrote about Patrick’s accident and the funeral. She made sure her parents knew she was well, as were their grandchildren. She tried to assure them both she’d be alright on her own, especially with the help of Jason and Alan.

  She felt a tear roll down her cheek and quickly brushed it away. She’d cried enough the past few days. Damn thoughts of Thomas, why couldn’t she just put it all behind her, forget him, and move on?

  Chapter 2. Broken Dreams

  Three Years Earlier in Scotland:

  Lorna was so excited, Thomas was home, and he was coming to see her at Castle Sween. They’d been betrothed since she was ten and he was four and ten summers. They saw each other many times each year, but today was special, because Thomas was going to make everything official, and set a wedding date.

  She’d asked her parents to let her greet Thomas alone. She hadn’t seen him in almost a year, and she’d missed him. As Thomas rode through the gates, Lorna’s heart began to pound. He was so handsome with his reddish-brown hair, green eyes, and that adorable dimple on his left cheek. He turned and looked at her, and as soon as their eyes met, his face lit up with a smile.