Untangling the Knot of Love, page 1
Untangling the Knot of Love
A WESTERN ROMANCE NOVEL
ELLEN KNIGHTLEY
Copyright © 2021 by Ellen Knightley
All Rights Reserved.
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Table of Contents
Untangling the Knot of Love
Table of Contents
Untangling the Knot of Love
Introduction
Prologue
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
When Loving Eyes Meet
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
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Untangling the Knot of Love
Introduction
At the young age of twenty years, Annette Prader has already tasted tragedy. After the loss of her older brothers, she stepped in to help with both the family’s saddle shop and the household with patience and grace. Ever the dutiful daughter, Annette agrees to an arranged marriage and puts aside her dream of a fairytale romance. Her world is turned upside down, though, when a charming but mysterious man enters her life, and soon she finds herself deeply in love. Annette’s destiny is about to change for good but will this mean risking her loyalty to her family?
Unbeknownst to her, this charming man comes with a secret that may break her heart and perhaps cost her very life…
Αfter his father was falsely accused of murder twenty years ago, Fletch Skinner has been living a secluded life carrying the burden of his true identity. Sick and tired of the injustice, Fletch has vowed to find the real murderer that cost his father’s life, and to clear his family name. When he comes back to town though, he can’t imagine that a saddle shop will be the place to meet the woman of his dreams. Will this fateful encounter be the reason to break his solitary habits and to allow a glimmer of light back into the darkness of his life?
Seeking truth and justice, Fletch will find danger and even a chance at true love…
When their paths cross, Annette and Fletch’s fates seem predetermined. However, a life-threatening accident will bring them together and change the course of their lives forever. Yet, with Fletch’s identity getting revealed and Annette’s fear to not let her family down, can they even dare to follow their hearts and replace old grievances and long-held secrets with hope and love?
Prologue
Six years earlier
“Are you alright there, Miss?” an elderly gentleman asked sixteen-year-old Priscilla North.
“Thank you, yes. My aunt will meet me from the train.” Passengers found seats and stowed away their baggage. A whistle blew outside and just as the huge steam engine started to chug its way out of the depot, several men rushed in at the last minute. They went to find seats and one of the men sat opposite Priscilla.
He was an exceptionally handsome man and to the young and impressionable teenager, looked romantic and exciting. His hair was black and slightly curly as it escaped from his Stetson. His eyes were a vivid and unusual green that twinkled at her mischievously. He wore a dark coat that matched his black hat. With his green bandana complementing his eyes, he would have turned many a head.
Priscilla could not help but smile at him. He swept off his hat and as he turned his head, gave her a decidedly provocative wink. She blushed to the roots of her hair and the man gave a soft laugh. Priscilla did not know where to look and the older man who had enquired if she was alright saw her embarrassment at the stranger’s wink. He frowned at the good-looking man opposite them and turned to Priscilla.
“Are you staying with your aunt, Miss?” he asked and she gratefully turned to him to have a conversation. She explained that her aunt was a teacher and she hoped to be one as well, when she was older. The gentleman talked about normal things and they exchanged views about the countryside that was flying past the windows.
The train was passing through empty wilderness by that time. They both knew that the man opposite had lost interest and Priscilla was relaxing when the men who had arrived at the last minute all stood up and drew handguns from beneath their long, expensive coats.
Some of the female passengers screamed. One passenger went to draw his gun, but a shot rang out from one of the robbers and he changed his mind. The gang was most efficient at what they did. They were only interested in the money and valuables that could be found. The older gentleman that had befriended Priscilla gave up his wallet and his gold watch chain.
He gallantly moved himself slightly in front of the young girl beside him. Two of the robbers held the carriage at gunpoint as the rest tipped out the bags that were stowed and found anything that they could take to sell. Some of them discovered money as well as jewelry and they stuffed it into pockets and cotton bags.
It looked as if they had known where to look because one of them called to the others and lifted up a leather bag.
“Well, thank you kindly folks,” the dark-haired robber told them. He had given a hand to one lady and drawn her to her feet. “No time for enjoyment, I am afraid,” he added and let her sit down again. Then he moved past the gentleman beside Priscilla and reached out a hand to pull her locket on a gold chain from her neck.
“Even pretty young girls can give up their jewelry.”
Priscilla gasped and felt at her neck where the chain had snapped. The man winked again and gave her a charming smile—but this time it was lost on her.
“My beloved aunt gave that to me. You are despicable.” She made to stand up and defy this robber, who seemed to take it all very lightly. The elderly man next to her urged her to sit down.
“No time to chat,” the robber said. He followed the rest of the men to the door, leaped from the train and then could be seen to rise to his feet. The passengers all saw the men roll and stand as more men came from the trees with horses to take the robbers away to safety. The leather bag they had found looked very heavy.
“They had that well planned,” one man said. “Knew exactly how long it would take and to be able to leave where their horses were kept.”
“That bag had my gold in it,” another man said. “They must have known. All my hard work…lost.”
The man sat down suddenly and people tried to give him some comfort, but it was obvious that he had lost a fortune and was inconsolable.
Some of the ladies were feeling faint and everyone had been more shocked than they had thought they were.
“No one was hurt, thank goodness,” the man next to Priscilla observed and they felt the train come to a halt. The other coaches had seen the men escape and the guards were rushing to see what had happened.
The only help for the man who lost the gold was that there would be a marshal at the next stop on the line. Priscilla felt dreadfully sorry for him and that alternated with anger that the bandit had taken her precious gold locket. It was passed on to her by her aunt and she had treasured it.
Chapter 1
Priscilla alighted the train. The memory of the robbery was in the distant past and she had a whole new future to plan. The lady she was going to meet was called Isobel Paul and she was the outgoing teacher of the school in Lovesville. Priscilla stood with her bags and waited until the main crowd of passengers dispersed. It was busier than she had expected from a small town out in the wilds of Texas.
“You must be Priscilla,” a voice said, and she turned to meet a woman in a severe schoolmarm’s tunic. Her dark dress was unadorned.
“I am,” Priscilla answered and held out a hand. “You must be Isobel.”
“Let me take you to the lodging house. You can leave your things and then I can show you the school.” She picked up one of Priscilla’s bags and then put it down again. “I’ll get one of the men to put these on a trolley.”
“I did bring quite a lot of things I might need in the classroom,” Priscilla said. “It makes t
The lodging house was large and rambling and looked as if it had grown with the town. The landlady, Georgia Dillon, seemed to lift the bags with no effort at all. She made the welcome and showed Priscilla her room.
“I thought you might need room to work as well as rest,” she said. “I added this writing desk and chair.”
“Oh, that is such a thoughtful thing to do. It will be so useful. Thank you.”
“I will take Priscilla down and show her the school and then we can make a start in the morning,” Isobel said.
“And then you will be leaving for your new life, I expect,” Georgia Dillon observed. Isobel smiled for the first time and let her tight expression disappear.
“Yes. The wedding is to be in two weeks. I am anxious to leave.”
“Are you to be married?” Priscilla asked and Isobel said that she was marrying her childhood sweetheart.
“Best wishes. I hope it all goes without a hitch,” Georgia told her.
The two teachers left to walk to the school, which was set back from the main street. It had a corral behind it as well as an area where the children could safely play.
“I guess the town has sort of grown around you,” Priscilla observed. There were other buildings at the sides of the school. One was a workshop with stacks of wood kept under a shelter. On the other side was a storage barn, and beyond that was a blacksmith.
The building was a large wooden cabin and Isobel opened the front door.
Priscilla stepped inside. “That is much bigger than I expected, and quite light as well.”
“There’s plenty of cupboard space as well and a pump with water for classes and for children to wash their hands.” Isobel stood at the desk and told Priscilla that there were twelve pupils, and they were all in the register.
“Two of them ride in on ponies and the ponies go out in the corral. The others are younger and are in town. If we start tomorrow, I can introduce you to them and you can see what is needed.”
“That sounds good. Thank you.” Priscilla answered and as they parted company and she walked back to the lodging house, she pondered about how the place could use that light and space to become a cheerful place to work. Isobel does not like decoration, she mused.
Georgia was preparing a meal and introduced her to two other lodgers.
“Tan Martin,” the man said as he shook hands. “I come and go as I am a salesman.”
“Judy Carruthers,” the lady added as she held out a hand. “I work at the bakery.”
“Which is why we have this flaky pastry pie,” Georgia added and served them all a hearty dinner.
Priscilla found the place pleasant. It was clean and the food was good. She unpacked and settled to write a letter to her aunt before slipping between clean sheets and enjoying a feather bed.
“My new life,” she whispered to herself.
*
In the morning, she was up ready to start that new life. She ate a huge breakfast and Georgia handed her a packet of cold meat and bread to take for her midday meal.
“How good of you. I had not thought about that.” She tucked the packet away and picked up her first bag of things that she might need.
The town was very busy as she walked to the school. There were stores which were outnumbered by saloons. There was a saloon that seemed respectable but even early in the morning, there were men rolling in and out of the bars and there was one fist fight going on that she avoided.
She was glad to reach the school. Then there was no time to think about it as there were parents with the smaller children anxious to meet the new teacher and twelve pupils of varying ages.
As she arrived at the school and was walking to meet the folk all waiting for her, she glanced across to the workshop and saw a man picking up wood to take inside. He did give one quick glance over before disappearing into the building and she had a sudden flash of feeling that she knew him from somewhere. Then it was gone.
“Good morning,” she said to all of them waiting. “I am Priscilla North.” She shook hands with the adults who told her their names, but she knew it would take time to meet everyone.
“These two ginger ones are mine,” a woman said. “Millie Simmonds. This is Janey and Mal. If they are out of line, let me know.” Priscilla thanked her and met an older woman called Mrs. Meredith who handed in her grandchildren. The two pony riders said they were Bart and Jed Delaney and the parents left the two teachers to start the day.
“Good morning, Lovesville School,” Isobel said.
“Good morning, Miss Paul,” the class chanted back.
“This is Miss North, your new teacher.”
“Good morning, Lovesville School,” Priscilla said. The class dutifully chanted back.
“I will watch how you do things today and join in where I can. I will learn names in a few days.”
Formalities established, the class started work for the day and Priscilla was pleased to see that Isobel had done excellent work with reading. Even the youngest were trying hard. She went around and listened to all of them read while Isobel sat with the two youngest.
It was a good atmosphere and Priscilla was relaxing when there was a knock at the door. A woman came in without waiting for anyone to invite her. There was a stir around the class and Priscilla noted that some of the pupils were hiding a smile or two.
“Well good morning, everyone. I had to come and make your new teacher welcome,” the woman said. She was a person in her late forties and carried a large basket. “I am Fiona Gracie, married to the blacksmith.” She held out a hand to Priscilla, who introduced herself.
“Thank you, Mrs. Gracie. I am sure that Miss North would like to get on with her reading work.” Isobel’s voice was sharp and dismissive.
“I am sure she will wait until I leave a few little treats for the children. You won’t mind that, will you, Miss North?” Priscilla started to reply when Isobel told the woman that they were busy and treats could wait until midday. “But my dear, these are warm and newly baked.”
