Journey of Honor A love story Read Online Free

anymore, wouldn’t that work?”
    After thinking about it, the Sheriff nodded his head. “I think that would work. Have her bring her young man in early. We’ll have them get married before it ever gets light and you can be gone before Filson hauls his lazy butt out of bed in the morning. Barring any solid evidence showing up between now and then, it should get him off her back and mine.”
    Mose said, “We’ll do. We’ll see you early.” He pushed John and Trace out the door before they could reveal the fact that none of them thought there was a betrothed anywhere near.
    They walked their horses down the main street of the town in silence for several moments, and then finally John asked the obvious question, “So, who’s she going to marry?”
    Trace gave a humorless laugh. “Forget that. Who’s going to approach her?”
    “This was Mose’s idea. You marrying her, Mose?” John looked over at him in the dark.
    Mose’s deep chuckle sounded in the awkward pause. “Me? I’m the only one who’s for sure not getting married. But think about it. She may love this idea. This might be the best thing that could happen to her if he’s been bothering her. If it was understood that it would just be annulled when we get them to the valley of the Great Salt Lake, she might be thrilled that Trace is willing to give up bachelorhood for her.”
    “Me? Why me? Mose Brown, I am not bracing her with this idea. She might love it and she might just be thoroughly insulted.”
    John weighed in. “Mose is right, Trace. You’re the only one who I could support this idea with. There’s no one else I’d trust to do it other than Mose here, and mixed race marriage would be lethal in this state. You’re the man.”
    Trace groaned. “So… What’s plan B?”
    Mose asked. “How bad do you want to leave? And what’s the problem anyway? You told me you almost asked her to marry you on the spot the first time you saw her. Now’s your chance.”
    “You’re not all that funny, Mose. We’re in a fix here. Be serious.”
    In a sober tone Mose said, “I’m being plumb serious. I’ll approach her, but it will make you look like you’re afraid.”
    Trace gave a small laugh in the dark. “I am afraid. Terrified! Both of her and of marriage.” After a moment he relented. “I’ll approach her. But you two owe me. You owe me fierce. I’m going to be spending the whole trip across thinking about what I want from you, so be ready, ’cause it’s going to be whoppin’.”
    John sounded relieved. “Good. So do we ask tonight? Or wait until mornin’?”
    “Tonight. I’m not waking them all up in the middle of the night to ask a woman I just met to marry me. Not only that, but they need to be able to be planning whether they’re staying or going. We owe them that.”
    They rode the rest of the way in silence. As they approached the gathered wagons, Mose started humming a wedding march and then peeled off toward their own fire while Trace continued on toward the VanKomen’s. He didn’t know whether to be thoroughly worried or euphoric about this whole idea. He’d soon find out.
    He pulled up and got off his horse and was just about to speak when he heard the sound of a cocking gun. The wagon flap moved and the barrel of a pistol appeared, followed by Giselle’s head. When she realized who it was, she dropped the muzzle of the gun and took a deep breath and then whispered with her accent, “Oh, Mr. Grayson, you frightened me. I thought you were Henry Filson. What are you doing?”
    That’s exactly what he was asking himself just about now. “Uhm, you’re not going to believe this, but I’ve come to see if you would consent to marrying me.” He put up a hand. “It’s just to be able to get you away in the morning, and we’ll have it annulled when we get to your valley. It’s either that, or stay here and deal with Filson and a trial, and waste more time getting started west.”
    She looked totally confused for a