Unexpected Hope (Book 2 in the Red Valley series)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hope tried to calm her nerves as she threw back her covers. She’d lain awake for hours listening to the clock on her mantle, as the seconds slowly ticked away. When she finally felt, like it was safe enough to try and leave, she quickly donned her traveling dress and slipped on her boots while, mentally, checking off the items she knew she would need for her new life.

Laying the note for her father on her pillow, she grabbed her bags and quietly slipped out her bedroom door. She removed the key from her pocket and locked the door from the outside. Hopefully, this would give her the extra time she would need to get safely out of town. Before going to bed that night, Hope had made sure all the letters and the ad, from Levi Matthews, had either been burned or was packed in one of her bags. She didn’t want her father or Philip to ever find her; just the thought of what they would do sent tingles of fear coursing through her body.

Tip toeing down the back stairs and out of the house, Hope ran to the barn, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. She quickly saddled her mare, then tied her bags to the saddle horn. After walking her horse about fifty yards, Hope threw herself into the saddle and took off to the other side of town.  As a precaution, she had sewn most of her money and the little bit of jewelry she had into her petticoats. There were so many stories of train robbers and the last thing she needed was to be robbed and left penniless all alone in the middle of nowhere. The train was at the station when she got there. It had arrived during the night, and was to leave again shortly after dawn. She had just enough time to get settled when it began to pull out of the station. At the last minute Hope decided to bring her mare Whinny with her, after having her for five years, she just couldn't bear the thought of leaving her. She was a beautiful mare, and would breed healthy foals. Hope knew if she left Whinny, her father would sell her to pay off some of his debts. No, better that she bring the horse with her.

The tension slowly began to fade from her body as the distance between her and Savannah grew. She sat back and closed her eyes and tried to relax. She knew this was the right decision, for her. Though, some people would say she was crazy for choosing the unknown instead of Philip. He had money and she would live in luxury but, she would never be happy. With Levi Matthews, she probably wouldn’t have a lot of money, but hopefully she would be able to find some small measure of happiness. After all, he was only taking a new wife because of his daughter, Ellie.

He had told her why he’d put the ad out and she understood. There would be no love, and no children, other than the one he already had, but she could live with that. He’d been honest with her from the start, and Hope was confident that she would, at the very least be content. She’d always loved children and had hoped to, one day, have a large family of her own. The thought of never having her own children hurt a little but, at least, she would have his child to love. 

There was always the possibility that, one day, Mr. Matthews may change his mind and want a real marriage. It really didn’t matter what he looked like to her. She knew he wasn’t a bad person, if what he’d written in his letters was true. Honestly, to Hope, almost anything would be better than being married to Philip.

Hope had traveled very little in her life and never outside the state; in fact the farthest she’d ever been was Atlanta. She'd only brought a few personal belongings; but there just hadn’t been room to bring much. The only thing, other than her clothes and the little bit of jewelry, she brought with her was her two favorite books, ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ Maybe Ellie would like them as much as she did. Hope thought about reading to the little girl, and how much she looked forward to getting to know her. For the first time, excitement began to course through her as she thought of her new life.