Ruby: A Western Historical Romance (Old Western Mail Order Bride Series Book 2) Read online

  The younger girl nodded before turning and walking away. Ruby saw the tears she was holding back and knew that Grace wouldn’t stay. She wouldn’t want anyone to see her cry. She smiled at the rest of the family and waved before looking back at Grace’s retreating back.

  The journey to Virginia was long and hectic and took months. She was grateful that Elijah’s friend Samson made most of the trip with her. Elijah said he wouldn’t let her go without someone he trusted with her. She sent home telegrams at each town they came to which was more frequent than she thought. She was even more surprised by the hospitality that they were given by homesteads across the country. Her time finally came to part ways with Samson. She would have just two days and one night to go without him. They would be staying at an inn and Samson didn’t think she would have any problem, but she held onto the knife her father had given her just in case. Ruby knew that even though she came off as a helpless woman, she wasn’t. Her father taught all of them how to defend themselves against wrongdoers.

  Chapter 4

  The Meeting

  Ruby looked through the crowd of people waiting on the stagecoaches to arrive. There was a total of five of them that came together from the other town. All five were packed full of people as well. Virginia would be the stopping point and from there most of them would either go north or south. Ruby was among the slight few that would stay in Virginia.

  Her eyes landed on a man standing to the side. He had on a gray suit and smiled at her. She knew instantly that it was Steven. He and Elijah were very similar in looks and build. As she made her way over to him, she smiled shyly.

  “Mr. Jacobs?”

  “Oh, please call me Steven. We are family after all. You must be Ruby. It is so very good to meet you finally.”

  “And you as well.” She took the arm he offered as he picked up her bag and directed the boy standing beside him to fetch the rest of her luggage.

  “I want to be the one to show you your new home. The doctor is out at one of the homesteads delivering a calf at the moment. He should return by tomorrow and then we will go to see the office. This way you can rest a little after your long ride. How does this sound?”

  “That sounds wonderful. Thank you.”

  “Great. Come. I would also like for you to meet Cole. He is the sheriff and a good friend of mine.” She nodded as they continued to walk down the dirt road. She soon learned that Steven was a well respected and liked person of the town. The woman and men alike nodded towards him in greeting, and some stopped to say a few words.

  They finally came to the door that was marked with the word 'Jail'. Steven knocked on the door loudly and then stepped back to stand beside her.

  “I’m right here Steve.”

  Turning, she looked in the direction of the voice. Her eyes widened at the man walking their way. He was quite good looking with a long dark black trench coat. Underneath it, he wore black pants and shirt with black cowboy boots. His cowboy hat that sat on top of his head was also black. Her eyes traveled up to meet his which were raised in question at her perusal of him. He wore a cocky grin as he pulled the rope behind him. There was a man that he was half pulling and half carrying behind him.

  “Come on Cole. I was just asking her out.” The man behind him whined pathetically.

  She watched as the dark man rolled his eyes before turning to look at the drunk behind him.

  “Now, Bryan, you know Mabel is not the dating kind, and if she were, it would take more than a drunken question to get her to go out with you.”

  “You think?” The man looked thoughtful for a moment. Cole shook his head as he turned and started forward again.

  “Come on Bryan. I’ll get you some coffee while you sober up in the cell and take a nap. When you wake up, maybe you could take a shower and then go see Mabel without the stench of whiskey on your breath.”

  “Yeah. Maybe that's not a bad idea. I am kind of tired.”

  Ruby watched in amazement as the scraggly man being dragged along agreed with his captor and let him lead him through the door of the jail. She followed behind them with Steven coming in after her.

  “I wanted you to meet Ruby. Ruby Bernstein.”

  Turning the key in the lock, Cole then turned to look at them. “Bernstein, as in the new doctor? What, are you his daughter?”

  Before Steven could correct him, Ruby stepped in. “Why would you think I am Dr. Bernstein’s daughter?”

  “Well, only a daughter or wife would travel with a man all this way. You definitely aren’t anyone’s wife.”

  “Why do you say that?” She didn’t know if she should feel hurt or what.

  “Because, honey, if you were someone’s wife then they wouldn’t allow you out by yourself with this rascal.” He laughed as he pointed at Steven.

  “Actually Cole, she is the doctor,” Steven said then, deciding it was time he cut in.

  Cole’s eyes widened just before his head fell back and laughter erupted from his lips.

  “You’re the doctor for this town?”

  “Why, yes. Why?”

  “A woman doctor?” He looked at Ruby, and then back at Steven.

  “You’re serious! Oh, my. This I got to see.”

  “See what?” Ruby looked from him to an embarrassed Steven.

  “The townspeople when they learn that a woman is going to be doctor. Whew!”

  “I’ll have you know that I am a good doctor.”

  He threw up his hands, waving them in the air. “Hey, I’m sure you are honey, just not for this town.”

  “I will just have to prove you wrong," Ruby said. She was getting furious.

  “Oh, this I have to see. You just might put some action back into this dusty little town, darlin'.”

  “My name is not 'Darling’. It isn’t honey either. It’s Ruby or doctor,” Ruby said in a raised voice.

  “Alright, Ruby. You have yet to earn the name doctor. Good luck sweetheart. You’re gonna need it.”

  She knew he deliberately refused to use her real name again and stomping her foot she watched Steven shake his head at Cole before she turned to walk back out the door.

  She could still hear his laughter as they left the jail.

  “Don’t mind him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Sher looked over at Steven and didn’t know if he was trying to convince her or himself at that moment. His face was stricken like he realized something for the first time.

  Ruby told herself not to think about the conversation she just had as they continued down the dirt road to the end of town. That was when she saw it. There was a small, neat little white house there with a white picket fence. It was every woman’s dream, a cozy place to call home. She was instantly thrilled to be there and couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice as she looked over at Steven.

  “Wow. This is for me?”

  “Yes. I am in the brown house right over there so if there is any problem I am close by to help you. Plus, the sheriff is just down the street there. He usually stays at the jailhouse, but sometimes he will get a room at Mabel's.”

  “Who is Mabel exactly? This is the second time that you two have talked about her.” She cocked her head to one side to wait for his answer. She was surprised to see his face redden as he averted his gaze in the opposite direction.

  “Well, Mabel’s is not a place suited for you to enter. If you know what I mean.”

  She suddenly realized what he was saying. “You are saying that she is a lady of the night.” She had never seen a real whorehouse before and didn’t really want to either.

  “Yes. She is.”

  “And you said the sheriff stays there sometimes?” She looked appalled at the idea and then seeing that she was embarrassing him, she quickly changed the subject. “Well, I’m glad that I have you nearby then, huh?”

  He smiled as he directed her forward.

  “Shall I take you inside to see the house then?”

  “Yes. Please do.”

  The inside of the
house was even more beautiful than the outside and was fully furnished with beds and a table and everything else she'd be needing. It even had curtains in the windows for her privacy. She was instantly in love with the little house. It had two bedrooms and a full dining room, living room and all.

  “I have some food stored over there for you for this evening. I will leave you to it now that I see the young man coming with your bags.” Just then the boy brought all of her bags in and a few minutes later she stood in her new home all alone. She couldn’t help but smile. So far she was ecstatic about her new life. Nothing seemed to be able to dampen it, not even the obstinate and aggravating sheriff.

  Chapter 5

  The Sickness

  As soon as she met the doctor, Ruby knew that she had found her place to work. They instantly clicked and over the next few weeks she learned more and more from him. She saw Steven occasionally, but was mostly so busy; she didn’t have a lot of time to spend with him.

  It was one sunny day when she came to the general store for supplies. Word had gotten around town who she was and seeing them all look at her; she held her head high as she walked into the building. She wasn’t going to let anyone push her from town. Not now and not ever. She gave the women a pointed look as she walked forward.

  “Good morning ladies.”

  “Good morning Ms. Ruby,” one said with a painted smile on her face. Ruby could tell that it wasn’t genuine in the least.

  “Oh, please call me 'Doctor'. I will be taking over soon now, won’t I.”

  “Do you think that is wise?”

  She turned to look at the other woman with a smile. “Why, yes I do. What if your husband got sick or heaven forbid one of your children? You would want someone here who knows what they’re doing right? Dr. Harrison is ready to retire any minute. I know what I’m doing, ladies. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get some more supplies for the office. Thank you and have a nice day, ladies.”

  She walked past the two women with their mouths hanging open. On the other side of the street, the owner of the store tries to hide his grin at the way she put the women in their place. Smiling at him, she crossed the street and handed him the list of items she needed, and then went to look at the fabric she would need for a new dress. When the items were gathered, she thanked the owner and left the store.

  She wasn’t surprised to see the two women huddled outside with three others and whispering as she came out the door. Smiling brightly, she waved and started to walk forward. She refused to look back, instead looking downward and running into the wall. Or at least what she thought was the wall. She stared up into a pair of dark eyes that had haunted her since she arrived.

  Cole chuckled as he swept his hat from his head with a gallant bow.

  “Hello, Darling’. Let me get those for you. It’s the least I can do since you put the ole betties in check.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I heard what you said to them. Then you turned and goaded them, even more, when you smiled and waved. It was priceless. The shock they had on their faces. Man, if Mabel could have seen it…”

  “Mabel. Is she your friend?”

  “Well, I guess you could say we’re friends. Why?”

  “Just wondering if it is wise for the saloon owner and the sheriff to be in cahoots with each other.”

  “Cahoots." He frowned. "What kind of word is that? Never mind. Let’s get something straight honey. What I do on my time is my business. Got that?”

  He turned back around and made his way to the doctor’s office and stepped inside. Dr. Harrison was sitting in a chair reading a book.

  “Doctor.” He nodded his head in greeting.

  “Oh, Sheriff I’m glad you’re here. It seems that the Olsen homestead has come down with a sickness, and I need to go out there. Can you look after Ruby here? Steven is also out of town, and I hate to leave her all alone.”

  Cole looked behind him at the woman and knew the answer to the question before he even said it.

  “Sure, Doc.”

  “Thank you. I will be back as soon as I can.” The doctor briefly told Ruby what was going on before he made his way from the office and got into his wagon out front and drove off.

  The rest of the day she spent reading books and materials and waiting for word from the doctor on the family he was visiting. Steven came home the following day and they spoke only briefly. The next two days went by slowly.

  Then a rider that came into town from the Olsen homestead. He wasn’t much older than twelve and looked uneasy on his horse.

  “I’m sorry I’m so late. I was just so thirsty, and I’m so tired," he complained softly. The boy looked up at Ruby with bloodshot eyes, and she knew something wasn’t right. “Everyone’s sick. Even the Doc. Something fierce.” That was the last words he sad before he slumped over and fell from the horse. Thankfully Cole was there to catch him before he hit the ground.

  The next few weeks went by in a rushed, anxious blur. Ruby sent out for the people of the homestead and the doctor to be brought into town, and she set up one sick clinic in the doctor’s office and another in the jailhouse. Everyone seemed to be getting ill. She remembered when Hope had gotten seriously sick when they were kids and what the old doctor had done that helped her recovery. Looking up at the two men staring down at her she started to bark out orders.

  “I need dandelions, now! Lots of them and boil a bunch of water.”

  There were more and more people who began to come in then, and they all seemed spellbound as they watched her work. She took the dandelions and showed the women how to grind them until they were just tiny little pieces before putting them in the hot water. They all took turns, some making the tea, some feeding it to the patients and some giving the patients sponge baths with cool water.

  Ruby walked from the small office and made her way to the hill. She looked around then. She knew she had seen it.

  “What are you doing out here alone?”

  She turned to see Cole standing there looking at her with a weird expression on his face.

  “I’m looking for crowberries.” Just then she spotted a bush and started picking the rich, purple berries.

  “They're poisonous.”

  “If they are ingested, yes, but if laid on the skin they help extract the infection. If this is an infection, then laying a slave on the forehead will help with the fever which is coming from an infection in the body.”

  He looked at her picking the berries. Grudgingly he admitted to himself that she acted and sounded like she knew what she was doing. He quickly helped her to pick the berries, and accompanied her back to where they made the salve that she applied to the foreheads of all those who had become sick.

  By the time the epidemic had subsided, the town had only lost one person. Everyone had agreed that there had been nothing she could do to help Roseanne Olsen. She was reaching her 84th year, and she had been the first to get sick.

  For Ruby, this was a major triumph. One by one the people of the town came to congratulate her and welcome her as their new doctor. Everyone but one came to thank her. She watched Cole from across the room. One side of his mouth quirked into a grin before he ducked from the room and left.

  Chapter 6

  The Investigation

  After having spent the last two days in two small rooms helping the sick, Ruby wanted nothing more than a warm bath and her bed. She was exhausted. She was making her way past the diner in town when she heard anxious voices talking inside.

  “No... The poor dog had been beaten.... Severely.... The poor thing was left there too so that Jackson would find it.”

  Ruby’s eyes widened when she heard the words. Without another thought, she made her way into the diner. Her head cocked to the side as she looked at the woman who had just spoken. “What did you just say?”

  “Oh, doctor, it was horrible! Jackson’s daddy said it was Indians. They are way off away from the town and all. His wife and girls came with his son to town for a few d
ays until they know it’s safe. The sheriff rounded up some men to go help him see what he can find out.”

  “That is sad. Poor thing. And poor Jackson.”

  “Yes. It is just awful.”

  “You ladies have a good night.” She said with a sad smile as she turned to make her way back home.

  “You too doctor. You too.”

  Her heart felt heavy as she made her way to her home with the white picket fence. She knew things were about to change. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her Pa always told her to go with her gut. If it felt uneasy, then that meant trouble was brewing. Trouble was the last thing they needed in the small town. Not after the epidemic that had just moved through the town and caused so much havoc. Everyone was still weak and recovering. She felt her insides turn at the thought of the poor dog they had been talking about. What if it was Indians? She was on the outskirts of town. Was she safe? She didn’t know anymore. She didn’t know anything. She was so confused about recent events.

  Roseanne Olsen's funeral was the next day. The town made their way to the church for the service. Everything was quiet and sad as she walked beside Steven. The service was lovely, and when it was over, there was a huge picnic at the edge of town. She laughed as she watched the kids tamper off. Although there were tears about saying farewell to a woman who had been a role model in the town, the afternoon was wonderful as she enjoyed meeting new townsfolk.

  She made her way towards town. To the side of a building she passed, she heard the high pitched screech of a cat she saw lying on the ground, covered in blood. Without a second thought, she ran to it. She saw a figure in a dark brown coat make his way around the building at the other end. He knew she was there and was making his escape.

  “Hey. Hey!” She yelled, but the person ran even faster away. He had a slight limp which made him hop more than run. By his height and build, she knew he wouldn’t be hard to find either.