Page 49 of Wagon Train Redemption
They bid farewell to the Hankins family and resumed their own journey.
Ruby took her turn driving the wagon and waved Angela off. “You might as well walk as be bounced to pieces.”
Angela hesitated when she saw Carson had tied his horse to Gabe’s wagon, preparing to walk. But wasn’t this her opportunity to point out the risks of trusting? She waited until the wagons passed before she joined Carson.
“That poor woman.” She didn’t try and hide her challenge. “And they were married. If you can’t trust your spouse, who can you trust?”
“I don’t know.” He seemed weary of the discussion, so she let it drop.
Ahead of them, Bertie and Limpy trotted after Alice who had spied some bushes she wanted to taste.
Angela and Carson slowed to watch and waited until Bertie called his pets and returned to Ma’s side.
Carson broke their silence. “I started to tell you about the Andersons.”
“I started to listen.”
They grinned at each other.
“I watched them work together sorting out their belongingsand setting up their new home. What struck me was that they were partners.”
“Partners? I’ve always thought of that as an arrangement between business owners. Never thought of it as a marriage arrangement.”
“It worked well in my opinion. I saw the same thing at Willowdale between Mr. and Mrs. Brown. Partners. Sharing the work. Supporting one another. I believe it’s the way to go.”
“I see.” She’d never heard such a thing, but what did Carson have in mind by telling her?
“Can you think of a better reason to marry?”
She could have said out of love, such as she’d witnessed between the couples on this journey, but before she replied, he continued.
“Think of it. The expectations of romance and—” He held up a hand and waved in a circle as if he couldn’t think of another word to describe such a relationship. “Let’s just say they are often unfulfilled. In a partnership, each one does his share, helps the other, and things go well. Expectations are understood and met.”
“It sounds good.” What else could she say, even though surely expectations in a partnership could also be unfulfilled?
“Don’t you think it requires a different sort of trust than marrying for love?” His hand fell to his side, but his urgent expression suggested he wanted her to agree.
“I suppose. But why does it matter to you? Don’t you hope to marry for love?”
He shrugged. “I’d be willing to settle for a convenient, well-working relationship.”
“What you’re really suggesting is a marriage of convenience.”
“Perhaps it is, though I like the wordpartnershipbetter.” He stopped walking and faced her. “I had plans to give Ma andthe girls a home. It would have benefited me as well, providing me with someone to help. Not only to provide meals and such but also to share the load. Now that is no longer happening. And there’s you. You said yourself that you didn’t know what you’d do when we got to the fort seeing as everyone else is starting a new home.”
She nodded. She had said that.
“Both of us would benefit by becoming partners under the bonds of marriage.”
“Are you asking me to marry you?” Her voice rose to an impossibly high note. She’d never considered such a thing.
“I am. I think it would benefit both of us.”
Her laugh was short, abrupt. “I was going to ask if you could recommend someone for me to marry. A marriage of convenience. But I never—” She broke off and stared with not a thought in her head or a word on her tongue.
Twelve
She’d been thinking of marrying someone he recommended? That was a big change from her reaction when he’d first mentioned marriage. Had she decided such an arrangement would give her security? Well, he couldn’t recommend anyone more thoroughly than himself. Plus, they knew each other to be good people.
