Читать книгу Unlawfully Wedded Bride - Noelle Marchand - Страница 12

“I don’t understand how you could marry me without my consent,” Kate said as she handed him a glass of water, then settled onto the dark green settee in the living room a few minutes later.

He sat at the other end of the settee, then turned toward her. “What are you talking about? You signed the affidavit.”

“I signed it but I never intended to send it,” she admitted.

A confused frown marred his face. “I don’t understand.”

She bit her lip. “Mr. Rutledge, I’m afraid my family owes you an apology.”

“An apology?”

She pulled in a deep breath. “Let me explain how this started.”

She watched a myriad of emotions flit across his face as she carefully explained what her siblings had done. Shock, confusion and disappointment battled for dominance before a bemused, disbelieving smile settled upon his lips. Once she finished, his gaze strayed to the saddle bag he’d set on the low walnut table in front of them. “So your little brother and sister are the ones who wrote the letters.”

“I’m afraid so.”

He watched her carefully. “Were they also the ones who sent the affidavit?”

“They must have because I certainly didn’t.”

He nodded, then looked as though he didn’t know what else to say. An uncomfortable silence filled the living room. What was she supposed to do now? She shrugged. “You’re welcome to stay and help me sort this out when they get home.”

“Thank you.”

Silence again. She glanced around the room for something to do and her gaze landed on his saddle bag. Meeting his gaze, she asked, “Is there any chance I could see one of those letters?”

“Of course,” he said, then pulled out several letters from the saddlebag and handed them to her.

She looked at the curved letters written in a formal script. “This isn’t Ellie’s handwriting.”

“Then whose is it?”

“It looks like Ms. Lettie’s. She must have helped them.” The young widow would do whatever she could to support Kate and her family. Still, if not for seeing her familiar handwriting, Kate would never have suspected the woman of doing anything this drastic.

She continued to read the contents of a letter and frowned. “This is something I told Ellie about Ma’s wedding dress. It was destroyed in a fire when I was eight. Nothing was left but—”

“A small strip of the Irish lace that trimmed the hem of the dress,” he continued. “Your mother brought it with you on your journey here from Illinois and just a week before she died she sewed it into your own wedding dress. You keep it in your small wooden hope chest.”

“Yes, that’s right,” she said quietly. “That was all—”

“In the letter?” he asked. “Yes, it was all there.”

Her eyes narrowed as she softly queried, “What else was written in there?”

“Oh, just the generalities.”

“Such as?”

He grinned. “Such as your name, birth date and other general information.”

Her lips curved into a slightly amused smile. “How helpful.”

“I thought so.”

“Right,” she breathed, looking at the letter in her hand, realizing this man whom she knew nothing about could probably recite her entire life story. “You know so much about me yet I know nothing about you.”

“You could ask,” he said with an inviting lift of his brow.

Curiosity begged to accept his invitation but wouldn’t it be best to let the man remain a mystery? The more she knew, the harder it would be to forget this ever happened. She planned to do that as sure as she planned to send him away. Until then, there was only one thing she really wanted to know. “Why would you even agree to something like this in the first place?”

Nathan should have known that would be the first question she asked. “I explained the best I could in the letters but I guess you didn’t read those, did you?”

She shook her head.

He was quiet for a long moment as he searched for the right words. Finally, he asked, “Have you ever felt like God took your plans for the future, crumpled them up in his hands and scattered the pieces?

“That’s what happened to me,” he said gravely. “Then I saw the advertisement. I scoffed at it at first, don’t get me wrong. Still, try as I might, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I finally just broke down and wrote to you. I didn’t expect anything to come of it, but you responded and the more I learned about you the more I felt God leading me to continue.”

Her blue eyes filled with doubt and skepticism. “Then why didn’t you just try to meet me first? All of this could have been avoided.”

He shrugged. “The letters insisted on a proxy marriage. They said you wanted to cause as little disruption to the farm and your family as possible. I’m not saying it didn’t seem a little odd but at that point I believed God wanted me to do it. I wasn’t about to go against that.”

She smiled sympathetically then lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “We all make mistakes. I’ve certainly made my share. Thankfully, this shouldn’t be too hard to fix.”

“I never said I was mistaken.”

Her eyes lit with surprise. “Oh.” Her gaze faltered for a moment then shot toward the large window. “I think I hear the barn door.”

As she went to the window, he carefully refolded the letter she’d read, then slid it back into his saddle bag with the rest of them. He was in trouble if Kate’s last statement was a hint of what was to come.

He’d questioned his sanity for taking on a proxy bride but that advertisement had sparked more hope in him than he’d had in a long time. He hadn’t fooled himself into thinking their marriage was a love match. That would surely have been impossible. He had hoped that within a relatively short time that would change. Now, if he wasn’t careful, it would all slip through his fingers.

Suddenly Kate turned with a frown marring her delicate features. “They’re here.”

Kate forced herself to sit calmly on the settee as she waited for her siblings to come inside. She couldn’t stop herself from peeking at the man sitting next to her. He nearly caught her sideways glance so she pulled her eyes away to let them land on the front door.

“Kate, calm down. We’ll figure this out.” His deep voice startled her but she covered her reaction to it.

“I know. It’s just—”

Childish voices approached. The wooden door creaked open and Ellie appeared. Kate watched as the girl’s gaze skimmed deliberately over her before moving on to the stranger. “Oh, Mr. Rutledge, I see you’ve made it. That’s wonderful!”

Sean entered the room but paused at the doorway to cautiously take in the scene before him. Ellie glanced at her brother, seemingly for support, then smiled brightly. “What’s for supper?”

Kate glanced at Nathan hoping to convey a message and he seemed to receive it for they both sat in silence. The silence drew all eyes to her. Once she had her siblings’ attention she quietly commanded, “Sean, Ellie, sit down.”

They moved to their seats, placing their lunch pails and slates on the side table. Neither would meet her gaze. Sean stared at the floor while Ellie looked off into a corner.

“Explain this,” she commanded with a sweeping gesture toward Nathan.

Sean finally met her gaze. “It all started out as a misunderstanding. I thought you changed your mind when I saw the filled-out form. I asked if you wanted me to take care of it. You said yes. I mailed it the next morning before school. I didn’t realize you just wanted me to stack those papers until much later.”

She groaned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You told us never to mention it again,” Ellie reminded, giving Kate a pointed look.

“I also told you not to send him any more letters.”

“We didn’t,” Sean interjected. “We just sent that paper. He sent something telling us when he was coming. That was all.”

She glanced up to find Ellie surveying her carefully. Her sister shot a glance at Nathan. “Did she try the ring?”

He lifted his eyebrows as an amused smile teased his mouth. “Somehow we haven’t quite gotten to that part.”

“That’s too bad. Do you still think it will fit?”

He discreetly glanced at her ring finger. “It probably would.”

Ellie nodded. “Can I see it?”

“May I,” Kate automatically corrected, then frowned. “Ellie, don’t you think there are more important things to discuss?”

“I was wondering.” Ellie glanced between them. “Did you fall in love at first sight like Jacob and Rachel did in the Bible?”

Kate’s mouth fell open. “Ellie, that’s enough! This is serious. You’ve tampered not only with two people’s lives but also with one man’s emotions. He came all the way from who knows where—”

“Noches, Texas,” he supplied.

“He shows up and defends me and our house, all the while thinking I’m his wife. A wife created by a ten-and a twelve-year-old.”

Sean lifted his hand to speak. “Remember we just told him about you. We didn’t make you up.”

“And we didn’t do it on purpose,” Ellie interjected, then blushed. “Well, not this time.”

Ignoring those statements, Kate continued firmly, “I want you to apologize to Mr. Rutledge for lying and interfering in his life before doing the same to me.”

They looked properly ashamed, and humbly apologized before they went outside for their evening chores. Kate rose to heat up the food for supper. The clamor of the pans hitting the stove seemed jarring in the silence. Clearing her throat, Kate apologized, “Mr. Rutledge, I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s Nathan,” he said, his voice sounding closer than she anticipated.

She turned to look up into his dark brown eyes and persisted. “Mr. Rut—”

He smiled knowingly, then shook his head. “Nathan.”

Frowning, she yielded. “Nathan, I guess the only way to get out of this would be to get an annulment.”

He leaned back against the table. “Should we want to get out of it?”

“Of course we should.” Her eyes widened. “Why? Don’t you?”

His gaze slid thoughtfully over her face. “I don’t know.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “How can you not know? It’s the only sensible thing to do.”

“Sensible to me is this. You need a husband, I need a wife, and we’re already married. Why not stay that way?”

She laughed. “You can’t mean that.”

His jaw tightened. “Just why can’t I?”

“Because …” She wavered and he seemed to sense it. Why couldn’t she stay married to him? It was too dangerous. He was too dangerous. She wasn’t ready. She’d never even met him before today. It simply wasn’t plausible. Yet she looked into his eyes and reason began to melt, along with her resistance.

“We can make this work,” Nathan insisted. “I’m already fond of you and I have nowhere else to go.”

She slowly shook her head. “I won’t do this. It isn’t fair to expect me to honor a commitment I never made.”

He stepped closer. “You were willing to honor that commitment when you signed the affidavit.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

She bit her lip then admitted, “I needed a loan from the bank. The banker said he would only give it to me if I was married.”

His gaze filled with a concern that strengthened into compassion. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I never intended to send the affidavit because I decided to look for some other way—any other way. I pleaded with Mr. Wilkins to let me postpone the payments until after harvest. He agreed, with the understanding that if I don’t make a payment after the harvest, the farm will immediately go into foreclosure. I planted more wheat than usual so I’m sure the harvest will be enough to keep the farm safe.”

“In other words, you don’t need me anymore and you’ll risk everything you own to keep it that way.” He paused, looking at her searchingly. “Why put yourself through that when it would be so much easier to go through with your original plan?”

She stiffened. “You’re right. I don’t need you. I have a plan and it’s going to work. It may be hard, but I’m going to make it the same way I have for two years. That means without you or any other man getting in the way.”

“So that’s it? I sold my property back in Noches because you said you wanted the children to grow up here. All of that was for nothing?”

“I’m sorry, but I hope you realize that I never said any such thing.”

“No, I guess you didn’t.” He took his Stetson from the table. Holding it in his hands, he nodded. “Sorry for the trouble, Ms. O’Brien. You’ll get your annulment. I’ll make sure of it.”

Nathan slid the bridle onto Delilah’s head, then glanced at the two children who watched him in disappointment.

“You’re leaving,” Sean said, more as a statement than a question.

“I’m afraid so.”

The boy looked down. “You aren’t coming back.”

“I doubt it.”

Ellie climbed onto the short wall that sectioned off Delilah’s stall to stare at him with imploring green eyes. “Why don’t you win her back?”

“You can’t win something back you never had, Ellie.”

She crossed her arms. “You didn’t even try.”

He had tried but Kate wasn’t willing to do the same. If Ellie thought he was the problem, then so be it. He’d caused enough strife in his own family to know better than to start it in someone else’s. Besides, Kate was probably right. He’d thought God was leading him to a new life, but this seemed to be just as much of a mistake as everything else he’d done lately—everything he was trying so desperately to forget.

He did his best not to let Ellie’s glower bother him as he finished saddling his mare. He led Delilah from her stall. The children followed him in silence until Sean asked, “What are you going to do now?”

He glanced back and was surprised to see deep concern in the boy’s eyes. Ellie seemed to have lost most of her defiance, because while her chin still tilted upward, her eyes looked suspiciously moist. He realized that even though he was nothing more than a stranger to Kate, her siblings probably felt they knew him well. In truth, they probably knew him better than anyone else in his life right now.

Impulsively he knelt to put himself on their level. “Hey, I hope you two aren’t worrying about me. I’ll figure something out. I always do.”

Ellie’s chin quivered. “We want you to stay.”

“I know you do.” He guessed he didn’t have to tell them that things didn’t always turn out the way you wanted. He figured they’d been through enough in their short lives to know that better than most. “I’m sorry I can’t do that, but you two have each other and Kate. You’ll be all right. Just remember to mind your sister. No more of this kind of stuff, you hear?”

They both nodded.

He stood and didn’t bother to knock the dust from his britches before he swung onto Delilah. He glanced down to offer the pair parting smiles. “Goodbye, now.”

A few minutes later he turned Delilah so that he could get one last look at the O’Brien’s farm. The children had gone inside, so all he could see was the house and its fields. He swallowed against the unexpected emotion in his throat. He’d failed just like he always did when it came to chasing down his dream.

Hadn’t his Pa told him this would happen? He tried to push away the memory of his father’s parting words. He heard them anyway. “You’re going to fail. You’re going to come crawling back. Stay at the ranch and take your place like your brother. This is where you’re supposed to be.”

Turning Delilah back toward the main road, he urged her into a canter. It looked like his Pa had been right about him all along. It had just taken him five years to figure it out.

Kate swayed in her seat as the wagon jolted over a bump on the road to town the next morning. They were nearly to Peppin before anyone dared to bring up the subject foremost on their minds.

“I think you should ask him to come back,” Ellie said, over the groaning wagon wheels.

“I’m sure I know what you think, Ellie.” Kate’s grip tightened on the reigns. “I’ve already made my decision.”

“I liked him,” Sean said.

“So did I,” Ellie chimed in with a slight lift of her chin. “Didn’t you like him, Kate?”

“I’m sure he’s a nice man.” She was sure because she’d seen the way he’d knelt in the dirty barnyard to talk to her siblings before he left. The sight had touched her more than she cared to admit.

“And handsome?”

Kate glanced at her sister in interest. “Since when do you care about handsome?”

“I don’t.” Ellie recoiled then sent Sean a mischievous glance. “That’s just what Lorelei Wilkins always says about Sean.”

“Really?” Kate asked as Sean’s face lit up like a red beacon.

“It is not,” he protested.

“It is, too. I heard her at recess. She told all the girls how much you like her and how you’ll get married one day.”

“That’s just because she’s a dumb girl.”

Kate arched a brow. “I hope you didn’t tell her that.”

“No, but I’d sure like to,” Sean growled.

“I’m sure you would. Don’t worry, Sean. She’ll move on soon enough. In the meantime, try not to let it bother you.”

He looked over at her. “I thought we were talking about you, Kate.”

She feigned disinterest. “Not anymore.”

He frowned as he surveyed the row of businesses on either side of Main Street. “Are you really going to get a whatever-it’s-called?”

“An annulment? Yes. That’s why I’m driving you to town to today.”

That put a damper on the conversation until the children jumped off the wagon and called goodbye as they headed to the schoolhouse. Kate pulled the horses to a stop across the street from the town’s small courthouse. She stared at the gray wooden building and frowned. Exactly how does one get an annulment?

She didn’t know but she was certainly going to find out. Filled with resolve, she discreetly swung her legs over the side of the wagon and hopped down. Her forward momentum suddenly stopped when her dress caught on the wagon wheel and caused her to stumble. She managed to catch her balance just as she heard shouts sound farther down Main Street. Curious to step over and see what the commotion was about, she worked to release her skirt from the splintery clutches of the wagon’s axle. She pulled at the dark green fabric until she heard the sound of pounding hooves and a wild neigh behind her.

She glanced up to find a startled horse and struggling rider almost upon her. The man on the horse looked down. She took in the detail of his eyes widening before he yelled, “Get out the way!”

She gasped, then suddenly a strong arm snaked around her waist and she was slammed against the wood of the wagon. The force of a hard body pressing against her own knocked the wind out of her. Her breath came in ragged gasps. She heard the horse scream and a loud thump, then found herself struggling to hold up a limp and heavy body. Losing the battle, she sank to the ground along with the man.

She glanced up in time to see the terrified horse give one last turn and a swift kick in the air before galloping away, its rider also thrown to the ground. Her gaze flew back to the man whose body pinned her arm to the ground beneath him. Her sharp gasp rent the air as she looked into the handsome features of Nathan Rutledge.

She was close enough to see the golden flecks lighting his mahogany eyes when they fluttered open. He murmured her name, then his eyes drifted shut. His face went pale. She stared at him in disbelief. Surely he wasn’t dead!

She cradled his head in her hand, then pulled her arm from beneath him to place her other hand over his heart. Though she couldn’t feel its beat, she detected the slight rise and fall of his chest. Kate heard someone calling for help and realized it was her own strangled voice. Then arms were pulling her away and setting her aside as Doc Williams attended to Nathan.

She stared at the pale face and large form of the man sprawled in the middle of the street. A comforting arm came around her. She clasped her hands beneath her chin. Feeling something wet on them, she looked at her hands to see one mottled with blood. She stared at the traces, realizing it was Nathan’s. Her body went cold and she began to tremble. Everything flashed black for a moment.

A voice she absently identified as Mrs. Greene’s chided, “Now, don’t you swoon, child. We already have one out let’s not have another.”

Gathering her courage Kate locked her knees, forcing the darkness away by the sheer power of her will. Then she fainted.