Page 20 of The Preacher's Wife
“Not far.” He averted his gaze from her and assumed an appearance of intense interest in examining the window covering.
“What aren’t you telling me?” The passenger next to her shifted in the seat. Prudence didn’t want to have this conversation in front of a stranger, but if they didn’t have a home, it was something that her husband should have mentioned. She reached out, tugging on his coat sleeve. “Hubert!” she whispered, trying to get his attention. When he turned his eyes towards her, she mouthed the words,tell me.
He exhaled heavily and ran his hand down his face. “The boarding house is just across the street.”
“Boarding house?” Prudence repeated. She blinked several times.Was he dropping her off at a boarding house?
“We hadn’t talked about arrangements and, honestly, we’ve not had two minutes alone since leaving. You are welcome to share my room with me, and the entire house is at our disposal. But I thought you might also like a room of your own. At least until we are more familiar with each other.”
Frustration hung thick in the air, making it difficult to breathe. She tried to untangle the knot in her throat. “What do you mean, the boarding house is at our disposal? What about the parsonage?”
“STERLING! Coming up!” The driver’s voice carried from the top of the stage.
“I guess you’ll see in a minute.” Hubert leaned down and started shifting their bags around.
“I think you should probably tell me now,” Prudence scoffed, but the stage was jolting now in the irregular rhythm she recognized as it prepared to stop.
“Sterling, Colorado!” The driver’s voice boomed once more. The stagecoach jerked to a halt, causing Prudence and the woman on the bench to jolt forward in their seats.
What did he mean they didn’t have a home?A room of her own did sound nice, but she couldn’t help but feel let down. As if she were a secret, he’d been guarding closely.
Or was he ashamed?The quiet thought drifted through her mind as the door opened and the driver extended his hand to help her down.
As Prudence swept her gaze across her surroundings, she suddenly realized that this was not a typical town. The only signs of civilization were a small mercantile and the distant bell tower of a church. Two other buildings peeked out from behind the trees, but they seemed almost insignificant compared to the vast expanse of nature surrounding them.
Impatiently, she turned to face Hubert as he exited the coach and engaged in a conversation with the driver. She fidgeted with anticipation. Their journey had been long and tiring, but they only had two bags to retrieve. Surely it wouldn’t take much longer.
The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and Prudence couldn’t help but feel a sense of isolation in this remote location. As she looked out at the peaceful landscape, she couldn’t deny the beauty and tranquility of their new home.
“If you want to come in for a minute, my pot of tea should be done brewing,” a very feminine voice said from behind. “There are also facilities just around the corner.”
Prudence noticed the woman with long dark hair, and the toddler peeking out from behind her skirt. “Thank you. I’ll be right in. Tea sounds lovely.”
“Do you need sugar or milk?”
“No, thank you.”
Prudence scurried around the corner and quickly went about relieving herself and righting her clothes. As she walked back towards the front of the building, she heard the rumble of the stagecoach pulling away. Her heart sank as she scanned the area, but there was no sign of Hubert anywhere. This was not how she had pictured their first moments in their new home. She brushed away a tear and realized that her expectations had once again betrayed her. She took a deep breath and let go of any remaining hope for things to go according to plan.
Letting herself in the door the woman had appeared from, Prudence was surprised to find that it was a good-sized mercantile and it smelled like vanilla and sugar.
“There you are! I’m Emily Easton and this is Alex.” The little boy had his thumb in his mouth, and the friendly greeting went a long way to soothing Prudence’s ruffled feathers.
“I’m Prudence. It’s nice to meet both of you.” She took the seat at the small table along the back wall, grateful for the opportunity for a warm drink and a moment to gather her thoughts. “Do you know where my husband went?”
Emily settled across from her and smiled. “Hubert took your bags across the street. I’m sure he’ll be right back.”
Prudence wasn’t so sure about that, but it wouldn’t matter.
Silence drug out between them, but it was comfortable. She really needed a bath and to change out of her travel wear, and a nap wouldn’t hurt, either.
“You look like you have many questions. Is there anything I can answer for you?”
Prudence jumped, Emily’s voice cutting straight through her daydream of sprawling on the nearest bed. “I’m sorry. I’m exhausted, and my thoughts wandered for a moment. This town is not what I thought it would be like.”
“Where did you move from?”
“Boston. My father lives in Boston.” Prudence shook her head, thinking of Papa.She hoped he would stay in Boston as well.
