Rud and the Damsel

Chapter 31 - Patience Says Yes

The next day Charlotte rode next to the driver as they slowly took Rud down the road to Bessie's house. Patience held Rud's hand and did her best to keep Rud comfortable.

The wagon ride was hard on Rud, but they made it. No way was Rud going to make it to their cabin without some of his stitches coming loose and reopening some of his wounds.

True to her word Charlotte's men slid the plank Rud was laying on out of the wagon. They lowered the end with Rud's feet to the ground and pushed Rud upright. Charlotte, with her mischievous smile, whispered to Bessie, "Rud said he wanted to stand before he asked her, now he's standing."

Patience rushed to keep Rud from falling forward, yelling at the men to lower him back down. When they smiled, Patience knew something was up. She looked at Charlotte and Bessie, and they were both smiling too.

Billy had his arm around Alice. Alice looked very excited, but Billy had a serious look on his face. Ollie and Martha were standing on the steps, and Martha was whispering something to Ollie.

Rud moved forward on his own then, with a great deal of pain, fell to one knee. Patience was angry and trying to pull Rud up on her own when Billy came up behind her, grabbed her arms, and pulled her back a step.

Rud was looking up at Patience, and it dawned on her what was happening. Rud took both her hands in his, and Billy felt Patience start to tremble as he let go of her arms. Billy stepped backward to Alice, who wrapped her arms around him as she watched Rud and Patience.

Rud told Patience, "There was nothing but sadness and hurt in my life. Then you came, and everything changed. I fell in love with you and by some miracle you came to love me too. You turned a cold stone cabin into a home, and I have never been happier."

Patience, voice trembling, stopped him right there and said, "I've waited long enough, ask already!" Rud quickly added, "Will you marry me?" Patience yelled, "YES!" and dropped to her knees with Rud, kissing his face. Everyone, as if on cue, said, "About time!" Rud said, "I was getting to it," as they all laughed.

It took all four of Charlotte's men and Patience to get Rud up straight, back on the plank, and into the house. Billy hugged his sister first, followed by everyone else.

Charlotte looked at Bessie and said, "Do you think he will be able to walk in a couple of weeks? I am in the mood to plan a wedding." Bessie said, "My place or yours?"

* * * * *

Later in the day, Martha and Ollie were sitting on the porch talking. Martha could tell Ollie liked her, and she knew she liked him. He was handsome for sure, but he was also strong, brave, and caring a man as she had ever met.

Given what had happened to her before, Martha had not held out much hope she would ever get married. After Rud's proposal to Patience, she could see Ollie thinking that might be them one day.

As much as she wanted to hope she would someday love a man and have his love in return, Martha knew she was not what most men wanted. Her father's dying words were, "No man will ever want you."

She did not know if Ollie heard or understood what her father had said before the final thrust of his pitchfork. Ollie had killed her father, and she was happy he had. But Ollie did not know the whole story as to why she had run away and what her father had planned for both her and Alice.

Could this wonderful man love someone like her? Martha did not want to hurt Ollie, so it was best to tell him now rather than later when it might break his heart.

Martha took Ollie's hand, and they walked towards the road. When he left, she did not want the embarrassment of everyone seeing him walk away from her. Martha looked into his wonderful blue eyes. She told Ollie she needed to tell him who and what she was.