Courting in Custer Read online

  Courting in Custer

  Seven Brides of South Dakota: Book 7

  Kari Trumbo

  Courting in Custer

  © 2018 Kari Trumbo

  Published by Kari Trumbo, All Rights Reserved

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, without the prior written consent of the author. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible

  Author’s note: This is a work of fiction. All locations, characters, names, and actions are a product of the author’s overactive imagination. Any resemblance, however subtle, to living persons or actual places and events are coincidental.

  Cover Design by Erin Cameron-Hill of EDH Professionals

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

  Contents

  From the Back Cover

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Historical Elements

  Other Books by Kari Trumbo:

  About the Author

  From the Back Cover

  He conned her into a marriage of convenience.

  Daisy Arnsby is the ugly duckling of the large Arnsby family. Destined to be alone. When a handsome schoolmate asks her to sign a promise that she’ll wed him on her twenty-fifth birthday, she jumps at the chance. She hopes, but never dares to dream that he’d come back.

  Elias Laury has feared his tall height excludes him from ever convincing Daisy to return his love, so he tricks her into waiting for him. But when he returns to collect his bride, he finds that she’s not willing to settle for a loveless marriage.

  Can the two of them learn to see each other through the eyes of love?

  Don’t miss a minute of the adventure! Sign up for my mailing list and get notified of sales and exclusive content right away! Go to www.KariTrumbo.com for your free book when you sign up.

  Chapter 1

  Custer, South Dakota June 1909

  If only something would happen so that every day wasn’t just like the last. Daisy let her mind wander during a break between cases at the Custer County Courthouse. She’d earned the job of court reporter because of her attention to detail and her ability to remain completely silent, though it wasn’t difficult on days like this where she was bored to tears. Her instructors had found her silence odd; however, coming from a small house with seven sisters that were forever talking for her, Daisy just never piped up unless it was called for, because she didn’t need to.

  “All rise,” the bailiff’s voice broke above the murmurs throughout the room. The deep cherry wood furniture gleamed in the morning light through the tall leaded windows. “The State versus Saunders.”

  She never had to stand. She had to be ready in case anything happened, though it never did. Her hands were forever poised and ready to record the action in quick shorthand on her steno machine. While the defendant and his lawyer came up front, another man slipped into the back of the room followed by a lawyer, who couldn’t hide if he wanted to, through the narrowly opened double door. The broad shoulders were strangely familiar, and she did her best to hold in her gasp and continue to pay attention. As he turned, her stomach did a sweet flip. His face had matured much in the six years since she’d last seen him, but she would never forget the man, or the pact she’d made with him.

  Everyone sat, and her fingers quivered over the keys. Would he see her and recognize her as she had him? Daisy closed her eyes for a moment, focused. She couldn’t let him distract her. But why was he there? The judge would speak soon, and she’d have to pay close attention. Though, with shorthand, it was much easier to keep up. Her wits had to be firmly in place, even for the brief citations that were common in the small courtroom. She was able to type at almost three hundred words per minute if she had to, but it wasn’t expressly necessary in her current job.

  Within minutes, the proceedings had finished, and Judge Cornwall called the bailiff forward. The uniformed man turned to the courtroom and addressed everyone.

  “This court will take a short recess. Mr. Laury, please join Judge Cornwall in his chambers.”

  Mr. Laury, though Daisy had known him as Elias his whole life, caught her eye for but a moment as he strode by. He’d always been a tall man with broad, strong shoulders and intelligent brown eyes. Now, a well-trimmed beard adorned his jaw. He didn’t smile at her, he never really had, but she could see the warmth of recognition there.

  Daisy laid her hands in her lap and tried to keep from fidgeting. The heat of Elias’s gaze left her the moment he passed her seat as he went back into chambers. Judge Cornwall hated fidgeting, especially in women, but it was so difficult to keep still when her heart was pounding so. It would be at least fifteen minutes until they returned, and the court was soon full of soft chatter and people moving about to either leave or visit with those nearby.

  In her last year of high school, back in 1903, she and Elias had been as close of friends as either of them had ever had. She had been the quiet type, the one who avoided talking to everyone. She often sat at the base of the tree outside the school and waited for her brother-in-law, Beau, to pick her up, knowing the tree would be quiet and no one would bother her. Well, no one but him. Elias had no trouble speaking up in class when it was needed but kept to himself otherwise. He often joined her under the maple tree. Sometimes they would talk, other times they’d just study.

  On one spring day, right before graduation, he’d come out and sat with her, pulled out his book and flipped it open, then cleared his throat.

  “Daisy?” he’d whispered to get her attention, not that she’d been able to focus much once he sat down.

  “Yes?” She held her finger to her spot, so he wouldn’t realize he’d distracted her well before he’d said anything.

  “Have you ever been kissed?” His ears tinged red and he kept his nose in his book, though she could now see he held it upside down.

  “No, have you?” Her breath stalled in her chest and she prayed he hadn’t. Would this be the moment she’d been dreaming of? Was this the moment Elias finally took notice of her? Though he’d never so much as smiled at her, when he spoke to her, she felt special, like she mattered to someone. He made her feel as if he wanted to hear her voice, even if it was only once in a while.

  “Lands, no. Like any girl would want to kiss me.” He laughed nervously, fumbling with his book.

  She wanted to pipe up that she would, but her embarrassment kept her silent. He’d never asked her such an intimate question and probably wasn’t really looking for an answer. Usually, he wanted to talk politics or literature, safe topics, since they both agreed with one another.

  “Daisy, I don’t see myself getting married. I just can’t seem to talk to women.”

  “Well, you seem to talk to me just fine.” His nervousness had heat rushing up her own neck.

  If the handsome and well-spoken Elias Laury was going to be alone, she probably would, as well. Who wanted a soft-spoken, plain little mouse when they could have someone pretty and perfect? Even her sisters were all prettier,
more accomplished, than she. And every last one of them was married, two of them when they were as old as she was just then.

  He took a deep breath. “You’re not the same.”

  He wasn’t going to kiss her. He was only there to make conversation, yet again. This time on the politics of future romance…that she would never have.

  “I don’t think I’ll get married, either, Elias. There’s no shame in being alone.” Though she didn’t quite believe that; the tension humming through her claimed she was lying to him. Every last one of her beautiful sisters was married to a man who made their hearts sing. But, no man had ever shown her the least bit of interest and, unlike all her sisters, she didn’t go anywhere or have any sort of adventure planned where she would meet such a man. Elias would be leaving for Harvard within the month, so even the one man who had spoken to her would be gone.

  “Promise me something, Daisy?” He’d slid a little closer to her, brushing her shoulder with his broad one. He turned, looking her full in the eyes, his so wide and a warm brown that weren’t quite like anyone else. “Promise me that if we both make it to our twenty-fifth birthday and haven’t wed, we’ll marry each other. That way, we won’t be alone.”

  He pulled a sheet of paper from the back of his book, and on it he had written it out—like a contract—for both of them to sign. She’d marry Elias right there under that tree if he’d asked her, but waiting seven years wouldn’t be so long.

  That long-ago promise, signed and sealed under that tree, seemed frivolous and silly in the light of the courtroom setting now. He’d been going away to law school and she thought he’d never come back, at least, she hadn’t thought he’d come back alone.

  After a year of sitting out at the ranch in Deadwood, she’d sent off to various places, found a temporary job in Deadwood, and then finally settled on learning how to use the stenography machine in the courthouse. She’d applied to many positions, but she’d gotten the one in Custer. It was just an hour away from her sister, Nora, in Hot Springs.

  The judges chamber door opened, and Elias’s client looked fit to burst as he staggered out. He was agitated and Elias had a hold of his arm to steady him. The bailiff excused everyone in the court for the day, making the announcement of when court would open the following day. Though she hadn’t been in chambers for the conference, she would be given notes to add to the case file. That would be her work to do back in her small, cramped office, where she spent hours after court, retyping all of the shorthand into regular pages of notes. Some would call it tedious, but it was constant, and she had nowhere else to be, anyway.

  Elias again caught her glance and raised his chin slightly in greeting. His eyes crinkled, yet he didn’t smile. Would he want to see her? Where had he been for the last seven years? And, why had he suddenly shown up in her courtroom? The way his gaze bore into her, as if he was memorizing every inch of her, made her believe he wasn’t married. Though, it wouldn’t matter. He probably didn’t even remember that pact they’d made so long ago. They weren’t children anymore, and it made no sense to keep silly promises. Though, the way her nerves thrummed as he looked at her, her head was having little effect over her heart.

  Elias spoke to his client at the table assigned to the defense. Prosecution had returned to judge’s chambers with the judge, but Daisy couldn’t quite bring herself to care. Thankfully, she wouldn’t be called upon to concentrate the rest of the day, because her thoughts couldn’t be controlled, and neither could her fidgeting as she waited for the court to clear. The bailiff strode by her and took Elias’s client into custody. It didn’t mean he was guilty, just that they didn’t want him to run. He’d probably get his day in court very soon, which meant more days with Elias close by.

  She wanted to pack up her little stenography machine and run before Elias could come to the front and talk to her. It would mean she could keep on dreaming about why he was there, instead of what was most-likely a boring reality. He wanted to speak to her, even now he kept catching her gaze, but it could be that he merely recognized her and wanted to greet her. Could they still have anything to talk about after so long? Dare she hold on to hope?

  “Daisy?” The same tentative voice from so many years before interrupted her thoughts.

  “Elias.” She turned to face him and was struck again by his height. She would have to stand on the tips of her toes to kiss him. Heat flushed her cheeks. Where had that thought come from?

  “It’s been a long time.” His soft voice had gotten deeper, more confident. It was that of a man now, not a boy making senseless promises under a tree.

  “It has. What brings you to Custer?” She tried to sound light, but her throat was suddenly too dry. She carefully rolled the scroll of steno paper so that she only had to glance at him periodically. She didn’t trust herself to look directly in his eyes.

  He laughed a moment and fidgeted with his tie. “Actually…you. I turned twenty-five three months ago. I was waiting until your birthday to see if you’d managed to find a husband yet.”

  Daisy gasped as she did a quick tally in her head. Yes, he would’ve had his birthday in February, hers was in a few days.

  “You came all the way back to Custer from Massachusetts to see if I’d married?” She wanted to laugh, it seemed so absurd, but if he’d really come all that way, then he was serious. “If I’d known, I would’ve just sent you a letter.”

  “A letter wouldn’t have mattered. I really needed to be here for this, and I already checked in the record, so I know you’re not.” His voice dropped subtly and some of his confidence melted away. “Are you still spending your evenings reading under trees?” He leaned against the judge’s high bench, glancing down at her with those same warm brown eyes she’d been dreaming about for years.

  He did remember. She closed her eyes and pictured her favorite spot. Yes, every evening she buried her head in one of the books her sister Frances wrote, and prayed that someday, someone would find her beautiful or exciting. All the women in her sister’s books were lovely and had grand adventures. If only she could have an exploit or two, and a husband who loved her to distraction… But a meaningless infatuation with a boy from school couldn’t turn into love, even when the boy had become such a handsome, accomplished man. She had but to look up into his eyes to see that. It wasn’t love in them, merely curiosity, and how could it be anything else? They were strangers now.

  “I still enjoy reading, yes.”

  Elias pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. He had yet to smile and it made her nervous. She took it from him and flipped it open, then gasped. It was a court summons at 8 A.M. on her birthday.

  “What is this about?” Terror ripped through her and she dug for her kerchief in her pocket to dab at her temples. Had she witnessed some type of crime and not realized it?

  “It’s your wedding, Daisy. I’m sure you’ll be lovely. Happy birthday.” His eyes warmed to a deep chocolate as he turned and grabbed his hat off the desk, tipped it onto his head, and left the courthouse. Daisy’s knees shook as she took one more look at the paper.

  Her wedding?

  Chapter 2

  Seven long years he’d thought about Daisy every single day. As he walked home from the courthouse, he couldn’t help but think about his past. So many things had to happen so he could have his moment with Daisy in court. Each exam, he’d told himself he was that much closer, and every birthday he’d made another mental tally mark on the calendar. Now, he was there, and everything was as it should be. Daisy was still waiting for him.

  He’d also done a lot of praying, praying that he’d grown to hate himself for, as it was selfish. He’d prayed that his beloved Daisy wouldn’t be married, that she wouldn’t even meet anyone, while he was gone. He didn’t want her to have to compare him to anyone else and find him lacking. No man should pray for the woman he loved to be lonely, but he’d done it.

  He’d had to do as his parents wished: go to Harvard, learn what he needed to pass his exams.
Then, when he’d done all that they’d required of him, he came back, knowing he could provide for Daisy. She would appreciate that he could take care of her because she would want for nothing.

  She’d never want him, tall as he was, so he’d had to use his wits to get her to agree. Though it had seemed underhanded, it was his only chance. She had been too perfect to let slip away, and she still was. Some man would’ve scooped her up if he hadn’t planted that little seed, his contract for a marriage, so long ago. He’d wanted her to believe she could forget about looking, forget about trying to find a companion, because he would always be there, even when he hadn’t been. And it had worked. Daisy was alone, but not for long.

  His heart had wanted to leap right out of his chest when he’d walked into that courtroom and saw her soft golden curls tucked around her perfect face and flush cheeks, her lush pink lips parted in surprise. Now, his prayer had to change. The Lord had kept her for him, but now, he’d need the Lord’s help to court his bride. After he wed her. But only enough to keep her happy with him. They both would have to learn to love from opposite ends of the house. Daisy was too perfect to ever touch.

  The court case before his client’s had been short, but he’d used every minute to watch her, her tiny fingers had moved deftly over the keys. Daisy had always been adept at whatever she’d decided to do. That had kept him through the years and terrified him. If she’d set her mind to finding a husband, she’d be married, and there wouldn’t have been a thing he could do about it.