Authors: Samantha Forest
“You are certainly not the first girl to come here with a secret,” she said. “And, if you are determined to keep that secret, I believe I have just the thing. Come with me darling”
She lead Emily up two flights of stairs, into a small and cluttered room with a sewing machine and piles of clothes laid out before them. Mrs. Thompson moved to the pile and produced a device that looked something like a corset but larger.
“This was initially made for the larger girls,” she said. “So that they could better hide their girth beneath their large dresses at balls.”
Gently, she prompted Emily to remove her simple dress so that she could fasten the device to her waist.
“This will not harm the child, will it?” Emily asked, concerned as the lining began to crush into her abdomen.
“That’s the beauty of it,” Mrs. Thompson said. “The baby still has plenty of room to kick and grow. But, with a slightly larger dress than normal, no one will be the wiser.”
Emily nodded as Mrs. Thomson produced a dress from the pile that was at least twice as large as Emily was used to.
“Now,” she said, “just add a ribbon to the waist to bring it in a bit and you’ll look quite fashionable.”
Mrs. Thompson put a bright ribbon around the middle of the dress that caused it to look much more normal on Emily’s smaller frame. Emily smiled and nearly heaved a sigh of relief when she looked at herself. Surely no one would notice her growing stomach now.
“Of course,” Mrs. Thompson said, frowning slightly, “you might have some explaining to do when a baby suddenly appears out of nowhere.”
“I’ve thought about that,” Emily answered. “Elijah and I will be married within a week of my arrival. After we marry, I will be able to say that the baby is his.”
Mrs. Thompson did not smile at this plan. She merely gave a small ‘hmm’, as though she was not certain that it would be successful. To tell the truth, Emily had doubts herself.
However, she knew in her heart that this was the thing to do. After all, she did not know how Elijah Woodrow would react if he learned he would have to raise another man’s child.
Truth be told, she was not certain that she knew Elijah Woodrow at all. Even though she felt as though they were extremely close after sending each other a few letters, she could not be certain that this was the same man from her childhood.
Two days later, she boarded a train bound for Oregon with questions still pounding through her mind. Would she be able to keep her secret? And more importantly, what man would she see when she arrived at the station?
***
Five days later, as the train pulled into the station where Elijah would meet her, Emily’s anxiety had not subsided.
She had been sick that morning and unable to eat the breakfast provided. One of the porters had even asked if she needed a doctor, which she politely refused.
Now, as the train slowed and she peered out the window through the smoke filled station, she found that even the anticipation of seeing Elijah; discovering whether or not he truly was the boy from her childhood, could not stop the dread she felt at her shameful secret being discovered.
Before the smoke had cleared enough for the passengers to see the crowds waiting for them on the platform, Emily looked away from the window.
A nervous churning had begun in her stomach, and suddenly she was not sure if she wanted to get off this train at all. Perhaps she would simply stay on and travel wherever the train went next.
But she knew that was impossible. Even if it were, she had given her word to Elijah. No matter what, whether she recognized the man waiting for her at the train station or not, she had to keep her promise.
So, as steadily as she could, she stood up and merged with the other passengers towards the train platform.
Once there, she began to urgently scan the crowd. She had described herself in her letters, but without a photograph, she wondered if it would have been enough.
That was when she saw him. Their eyes met through a throng of other travelers greeting their families. As soon as she locked onto his gaze, she knew.
There was no mistaking those light blue eyes, that wild, dark hair, or the bright grin that slowly moved across his face at the sight of her.
As soon as she saw him move towards her, she rushed to him as well. All anxiety, all worry and all other cares gone completely from her mind.
When they reached each other in the middle of the platform, she did not even have the chance to utter a greeting before she felt strong arms move around her waist and lift her off of her feet.
Soon, she found herself clinging to Elijah as he spun her once around before setting her down.
“I told you, Emily” he said as soon as her feet reached the ground. “I knew we would be together again.”
“I hoped it was you,” Emily said in a rush. She could feel her mouth grinning so widely at him that it was almost painful.
“I did too,” Elijah admitted. “I didn’t want to see a picture or say anything because I..”
“…You didn’t want to be wrong?” Emily said understanding. “Neither did I.”
They stood staring in stunned, blissful disbelief before Elijah shook his head as though trying to wake himself from a dream. As though just remembering himself, he offered her his arm.
“I’ve got the wagon waiting for us just outside the station,” he said.
Still beaming, Emily took his arm and followed him off the platform. Outside the station there was, indeed, an uncovered wagon waiting with two beautiful white horses at the helm.
“You seem to have done well for yourself here,” she said as he helped her up onto the front seat. “If your horses are any indication, that is.”
“We’ve been lucky,” he said. “The farm’s had a few good years. I’ve been able to pay down the debts on it. It’s all ours now.”
“Ours?” Emily asked as they started down the road.
“Of course ours” Elijah answered. “As soon as we’re married you will own it just as much as I do.”
The idea of that; of having her own home with no bank or lenders breathing down her neck had always been a dream. Now that it was about to become real, Emily could hardly believe that she had not fallen into a dream.
Of course, there was still one, small fly in this delicious ointment. One thing that could bring it all crashing down around her.
And, as the carriage bumped and swayed on the rocky road towards the farm, Emily felt that small problem moving inside of her. Causing her stomach to wretch violently.
As soon as she began to cough loudly, Elijah stopped the carriage.
“Emily? What’s wrong?” he asked putting a hand on her back and making soothing circles, just the way her husband always used to.
Emily looked up at him, his face filled with concern. She was about to say that she was fine, and that it was nothing when a wave of nausea overtook her.
“Please excuse me for one moment,” she said instead as she quickly jumped down from the carriage. Running, she managed to make it to a large bush just in time to see the coffee she had that morning come back up.
When it was done, she stood gasping, her hand on a nearby tree to hold her steady.
“Emily,” she heard Elijah’s voice from behind her and her heart began to pound wildly. “Will you be all right? He asked putting one hand along her waist. Do you need a doctor?”
She fixed a smile onto her face before turning to him.
“No,” she said gently. “I’ll be alright. I’m just a bit tired. I’m afraid the train ride did not quite agree with my stomach.”
Though he still looked suspicious, Elijah nodded. With his arm still placed gently along her waist, he began to walk her back to the wagon. He helped her into the side seat before moving to the driver’s seat himself.
“The farm isn’t too far down the road,” he said while grabbing the reins again. “Once we’re there, you should get some rest.”
Emily nodded and leaned back in her seat. Almost all the joy she had felt at seeing Elijah again dissipated with that ill-timed spell.
When they reached the farm, Emily could not help but be awed by the expanse of it. They entered through a rod iron gate and rows of crops seemed to go on for miles before she even caught sight of the house.
“A full ten acres,” Elijah said proudly.
“I hadn’t expected it to be so big,” Emily said as they passed a barn twice the size hers had been back in Kentucky.
“It’s middling sized for Oregon,” Elijah responded with a chuckle. “A lot of the farms around here stand twenty acres or more.”
Finally, after a good deal more traveling, they reached a large farmhouse that any of the homes in Kentucky could have easily fit in twice over.
As she moved off the wagon, Emily felt another spell begin to move over her. She took deep breaths as she walked to the house, trying to hide her discomfort.
Elijah quickly introduced her to his two main farmhands. Both of which very young men by the names of Ben and Jacob. Once that was done, he seemed to note her fatigue and led her quickly to her room.
“I’m afraid it’s a good deal smaller than the one we’ll share when we’re married,” he said opening the door for her. “But, I hope it will do for now.”
Emily was almost forced to laugh at Elijah’s embarrassment over this ‘small room’. It was twice as large as the room she had shared with her husband back home and it even contained a bright little window which gave a wonderful view of the farm.
“It’s perfect,” she answered. “Thank you Elijah.”
Elijah smiled timidly. It was a smile she remembered very well from her childhood.
“I suppose I should let you rest now,” he said.
“I would like that,” she answered. “Thank you.”
He smiled again but made no move to leave. Instead, he looked up at her twice more, hesitantly before finally speaking.
“Emily,” he said hastily. “I’m glad...very glad...that God has allowed us to find each other again.”
She could not help but beam at him even as her stomach lurched, threatening illness once more.
“As am I,” she answered. “It seems my prayers were finally answered.”
They stood like that, their eyes locked for several moments before Elijah stepped back towards the door.
“I’ll have Ben call you in for supper,” he said graciously, and with another smile, he retreated from the room.
As soon as the door was closed, Emily gave another lurch and a dry heave forced its way from her stomach to her throat.
Once the spell had passed, she laid down on the bed exhausted. When she closed her eyes, she could not help but feel her happiness draining away from her.
It felt as though a dark cloud had been cast over her by the child growing in her belly.
Emily was relieved to be feeling much better the next morning. Indeed, she felt so well that she accepted Elijah’s offer to take her riding around the farm without hesitation.
Once breakfast was finished, he led her out to the stables where the horses were kept.
***
“Please keep in mind,” she began. “I have not had much opportunity to ride.”
“Actually, I’m a bit glad to hear that,” Elijah said as he led two brown horses out and began to saddle them. “Back in Kentucky, you would always beat me when we raced our horses.”
“Now, I didn’t say I couldn’t beat you,” Emily answered teasingly getting up into her saddle.
“We’ll see, won’t we?” Elijah said with a smile that matched Emily’s as he mounted his horse as well.
They trotted out to the open field and Elijah stopped just past the stable gate as though he was looking out for a suitable target.
“To the far tree?” he asked Emily. She did not need any further explanation. She remembered racing with Elijah a million times as a girl.
“Seems fair,” she answered.
“On the count of three then,” he said. “One, two…”
And before he reached the third count, Elijah spurred his steed on with a laugh and a click of his heels.
“Elijah!” Emily scolded though she let out a laugh of her own as she tore after him.
As she raced past fields and more trees than she had seen in years, she could not deny how wonderful this felt. It had been years since she had mounted a horse herself and she had nearly forgotten how the wind swept through her as she rode making her feel as though she was flying.
When she reached the far tree Elijah had marked, he was waiting for her.
“At last!” he said. “It took me twelve years, but I finally out rode you.”
“Only because you cheated,” Emily answered moving her horse forward to stand next to his.
She followed Elijah’s eyes and looked out on the expanse of the land. The rolling hills filled with fertile crops and lined with orchards of trees met her gaze. Beyond these, two large mountains stood majestically in the distance.
“It’s still difficult to believe that all this is yours,” she answered.
“Soon it will be ours,” Elijah reminded her.
She turned to smile at him and was about to agree when she felt yet another spell come over her. Over the past few weeks, they had been coming more and more frequently in the mornings.