Read To Picture The Past Online
Authors: Paige Mallory
"Elly's man was killed a week ago. Was an accident; he drowned."
"Oh, I am so sorry," I said as I took her hand in mine.
"I want to die, too," she declared.
"That is nonsense. You have a child to raise. Losing one parent is awful, but losing both of them is worse than you can imagine. I know that because I lost both of mine within weeks of each other. Thank God I had my older sister and her husband, but your baby needs you." She cried out as another contraction hit hard, and I said, "Try to breathe slowly, Elly."
"How is my girl, ma'am," the older man asked from outside the wagon.
"I'll do what I can, but I think you should go back to where you found me, and keep on riding on that path until you come to the Stanhope ranch. Go to the front door and tell them that I need Ursula, just in case Doctor Strand doesn't make it in time."
"I'm on my way. If you need water and the like, put Ben to work. Ben, you help this lady, hear? Elly, I'm fetching more help, honey. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He rode out, hurrying as fast as he could, and met up with another man in just about the same spot he found the lady. "Mister, am I headin' the right way for the Stanhope Ranch?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm Robert Stanhope. Have you seen my wife?"
"Pretty little lady, riding a brown gelding…?"
"Yes, that's her."
"She's helpin' my girl. She told me to fetch a woman named Ursula in case my son don't make it back with the Doctor in time to help my girl deliver."
"Gillian hasn't had a child, and I'm not sure if she knows what to do, but our housekeeper is good with this sort of thing. Where are you located?" Robert asked. Once he had the directions, he sent the man back to be with his daughter while he raced back to the ranch to get Ursula.
"I met up with your husband, ma'am. He went on to fetch your housekeeper."
"Good. Thank you, Mr.…?"
"Tom Riley, ma'am. How's my girl doin'?"
"She's close now," I answered, praying that Robert would hurry. I knew the basic principles of delivering a baby, but it was one of those things you hope you never have to do for real. Still, there was a very real possibility I would be doing just that in the next few minutes. I said a prayer, and then concentrated on my patient and seeing a new baby safely into the world.
Robert heard the sounds of a baby crying and he couldn't help but smile as he drove the wagon closer. He stopped and helped Ursula down, and she quickly hurried into the canvas covered wagon to see if Gillian needed help.
Gillian was happy to see Ursula and even happier when the older woman praised her and said she'd done as good a job as the Doctor could do. Once Elly was sleeping peacefully, and the baby cared for, Gillian left the wagon, eager to see Robert.
"Well, Mrs. Stanhope…? What do you have to say for yourself?" Robert asked quietly, reminding himself that it was not the time to take her to task for disobeying him.
"Robert, I have never seen anything so beautiful as that little baby making her way into the world." I rested my head on his chest.
"A special birthday present," he said, smiling at me.
I couldn't believe he remembered it was my birthday, and the next thing I knew I was crying. "You remembered," I blubbered.
"Of course I did." He looked at me as if he couldn't believe I wouldn't think he would remember. "Did you think I would forget?" he asked of me. I could only nod, and he held me close.
"I didn't think anyone would remember. I was feeling so lonesome this morning; I miss my family so much."
"I understand that, but riding out alone is not permitted," he told me so gently that it made me feel even worse that I already did. I knew that he deserved an apology and I decided it would be best to take care of it in the moment rather than waiting until we were completely alone.
"Robert, I am sorry I went riding by myself. When Mr. Riley and two of his sons came out of nowhere and I realized I was alone it was a terrible feeling. I was frightened, and I know now that I was so lucky that they meant me no harm. I am sorry I worried you, and I promise I won't do it again."
"No, you will not," he agreed. "You earned a sound punishment."
"Not on my birthday!" I gasped, outraged at the very idea.
"If you break a rule on your birthday, then you will be punished on your birthday. This was your choice, Gillian, not mine."
"But, it is my birthday, and I was sad. I just needed some time alone."
"And what will you do the next time you decide you wish to be alone?" he asked of me.
"I can tell you that I will not go riding alone," I told him, meaning the words.
"This is very good. I do not enjoy punishing you."
"Then don't. I am not a child, and goodness knows, I was needed here. If I hadn't gone riding then Elly wouldn't have had the help she needed." I knew that I was pushing, and I hoped it would work.
It didn't.
As soon as we reached home later that day, Robert took my arm and led me up the stairs and down the hallway to my bedroom. "Oh, Robert! No…! Please…?" I tried again to dissuade him from what was coming.
"Did you know the rule, Mrs. Stanhope?" he asked of me.
"Yes, but…"
"Did you choose to break the rule, wife?" Suddenly I was angry and I gave him a great push, sending him sprawling on my bed. He recovered quickly, and jumped up to stand there, glaring at me and obviously trying to control his temper.
"How dare you call me 'Mrs. Stanhope'? How dare you call me 'wife'?" I raged at him. "I do not feel like your wife; I feel like your roommate. Roommates are not treated as a wife is treated, and you cannot have it both ways. If you expect to treat me like your wife, then you are going to have to make me your wife… Then perhaps I will listen to your silly rules. But, right now you can just get your butt out of my room!"
Robert stood there starting at me as if I had two heads. I was so embarrassed I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me! I couldn't believe I'd given Robert such an ultimatum! I just knew I couldn't keep on living with things the way they were. It wasn't fair to either of us.
"Gillian, I think we need to sit down and have a serious talk. Come here," he said as he took a seat on the side of the bed, and then patted the quilt beside him. I didn't want to talk, but what choice did I have? I sat beside him, but refused to look at him.
"Gillian, I would love to have you for my wife in all ways any time you feel ready to take that step." He remembered his little sister's words, and even though he felt he was risking rejection, he said, "I love you, and I have since before we married."
I had to look at him then, to see if he was telling me the truth, and to my shocked surprise, he was! The look in his dark eyes was sincere as could be. "I love you, too, Robert," I confessed, finally saying the words I'd longed to say for the last several weeks.
"I believe you mean that."
"I do."
He kissed me then… And it wasn't one of those polite kisses on the cheek, either. It was a bona fide, man kisses his woman with passion kiss. It was an 'I love you' kiss, and I felt it clear down to my toes! When we finally came up for air, we were lying down on the bed and Robert was practically on top of me! "Oh my!" I gasped. "Now I know what my sister meant by 'Jason made my toes curl'! Robert, I really do love you," I said the words again, looking deep into his eyes.
"I love you, too, Gilly, and I should have told you a long time ago instead of assuming you knew. I planned to make today very special for you… and I was hoping that you would realize how much I care."
"I was too busy feeling sorry for myself," I admitted. "Oh, Robert, I am so thankful that God gave me a second chance to live and love."
"When you told me how you came to be here I knew that God picked you for me," he told me so earnestly that I had to believe him.
"I want to be your wife," I whispered, doing my best to let him know that I didn't want to wait until the cover of night to make love.
"I want you to be my wife, but we have one unpleasant matter to deal with before that can happen, Mrs. Stanhope," he told me, and I knew that the blasted man still meant to spank me!
"Robert, couldn't you just forget about that rule for today? It is my birthday, you know." I tried pouting a bit and learned it had no more effect on him than it had on Jason.
"Rules are not made to be forgotten, sweetheart. You said yourself that you were frightened when those men approached you this morning. You have earned yourself a spanking and I expect you to act like an adult and accept the consequences of your actions. Turn over here," he bossed, flipping me over on the bed.
"Robert, I already learned my lesson," I insisted. My words did not sway him. He shoved my skirts up past my waist and then lowered my drawers. "Noooo!" I wailed, hoping I sounded pitiful, but that didn't deter him from his purpose, either. Robert's hard hand landed on my left cheek with a loud crack, one that I was positive Ursula could hear down in the kitchen. I felt my face flame with embarrassment even as a burning pain exploded on my bottom. Before I could complain loudly, Robert treated the other side of my bottom to the same hard smack, and this time I did yell. That didn't stop him either, and, in fact, it seemed to encourage him to continue spanking me. His hand never landed where I expected it to, but spread its damage all over my backside until I was crying and pleading with him to stop. It was a terrible spanking, and it was a rotten thing for him to do to me on my birthday. Birthday spankings were supposed to be fun! Robert made sure that I wouldn't want to sit down for the rest of the day. My upper thighs were as red and hot as my bottom cheeks, and that spot right between my cheeks and thighs was so sore that it hurt to even think about sitting. Not exactly a typical birthday spanking, and I was none too happy with Robert for taking me to task.
"You won't be running off and riding by yourself again, now will you, Gilly?" he asked so tenderly that most of my temper with him evaporated into thin air.
"No," I replied, and then hiccupped!
"Good. I could not bear for something to happen to you, sweetheart," he told me, and then he gently kissed me and held me for a long time. My bottom finally stopped throbbing and my thoughts turned to other things, proving that my body was a traitor! I wanted to be angry with Robert for daring to spank me so hard on my birthday, but when he kissed me again and slowly introduced me to the pleasure of being his wife, I forgot all about the punishment and was a willing participant in making love. The first time with my husband was every bit as special and worth waiting for as Gail said it would be.
Later, much later, we dressed again and went downstairs. To my pleasant surprise, Ursula made a special dinner, including a pretty, decorated birthday cake, and there were gifts, too; combs for my hair, a new shawl, and a piece of fabric from Nellie. There were several books, a small bottle of French perfume, and a beautiful, handcrafted desk from my husband. The desk was the one in Gail's photo, and the fabric from Nellie was what I was wearing in the picture. I was truly happy, and I prayed that Gail had peace of mind in knowing that I was alive and well in the past.
The End
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