CantrellsBride Page 5
“Is that your home?”
Instinctively Nathan bristled. He’d heard those exact words before. His farm might not resemble a Southern plantation, but it was all his and he was damn proud of it. He turned to inform the woman at his side just that.
The words died on his lips.
Instead of sneering with a look of disdain as Kirsten had when she’d first seen his farm, Laura’s face softened with the same smile she’d given Zeke. Again it struck him how much it transformed her looks. It wasn’t a flirty smile. No, it appeared to come from her heart. Focused on his home, she seemed to drink in the sight before her—just like he had the first time he rode into the valley nestled between several mountain peaks.
He stopped the team for a moment to admire the picture his home presented. The sight never failed to please him. The road led down between pastures fenced by logs to the white clapboard house. Now in the middle of winter, it nearly blended into the snow except for the dark roof and windows. Other dark shapes dotted the landscape. The chicken coop, outhouse and lower barn spread out in a crescent shape within walking distance of the house. In the upper fields stood a second barn for housing grain and cattle throughout the winter.
Behind the house, far enough to prevent flooding from the spring runoff, the creek cut a meandering path through the evergreens farther down the valley to join other creeks that fed into the South Platte River.
“It’s lovely,” Laura whispered.
Her awed appreciation at his home eased some of the tension humming through him. Nathan started the team up the narrow lane to the house. He drove around back and stopped the wagon next to the porch. While he hopped off his side, Laura scrambled to lower herself down before he could help her.
For some reason, it bothered him that she wouldn’t want his help. It couldn’t be that he’d enjoyed her nearness when he helped her from Zeke’s wagon.
“Come on inside and warm up.” He held open the kitchen door and allowed her to pass into the house first. The scent of roses again. How did she smell like roses in the middle of winter?
Nathan followed her inside, going to the wood-burning stove. He stoked up the fire then stood and studied her under that hooded gaze of his. Finally he stalked to the door. “It should get warm enough for you to take off your coat in a few minutes. I need to see to the animals, then I’ll be back to talk.”
Laura caught the tobacco scent from the cigar as he passed. A shiver of awareness ran over her body, followed by a moment of apprehension. Never in her life had she been this alone with a man. Given his surly greeting, she wondered if she’d jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
As the door closed behind him her shoulders slumped. Things weren’t going as well as she’d hoped. On the cross-country trip, she’d prayed Mr. Cantrell would accept her, if not with open arms, then at least with gratitude for her help. What if the trip had been for naught?
After setting her carpetbag on the table, she moved around the stark kitchen. The windows were bare, the walls painted white. No decorations of any kind hung anywhere. Opening the cupboards, she found chaos among the dishes and cookware, as if someone had just thrown them inside and slammed the doors shut. A layer of dust covered most of the shelves. She glanced down at the floor. It had been swept recently, but she doubted it had seen the use of a mop in some time.
Through the window she watched her husband drive the team of horses and wagon between the barn’s wide doors. He closed the doors and disappeared behind them. She might as well look about the rest of the downstairs.
The hallway led to the front parlor. Here a small settee and two wingback chairs sat beneath dust-covered sheets. Two end tables that hadn’t seen dusting in years flanked the chairs. The mantle clock’s hands stood in idle disuse. Otherwise the windows had no curtains and the room was as empty as the kitchen.
Shaking her head, Laura closed the door and returned to the kitchen. Were the bedrooms as bleak? She didn’t dare go upstairs to find out until she’d been invited.
The kitchen had warmed considerably so she removed her coat and both the sweaters she’d needed for warmth during the wagon trip over the pass. She laid them on the back of a ladder-back kitchen chair and sat at the table to consider her situation.
Mr. Cantrell might not want her as his wife, but he certainly needed her, even if he didn’t know it yet. If there was one thing that brought out her stubborn streak, it was someone in need. The fact a suffering child was involved in the situation only steeled her will to what had to be done.
Until the senator’s murder was solved and Blackwood captured, she needed a place to stay. Mr. Cantrell and his child needed her in their lives. No matter what he said or did she was staying. At least for a while.
Out in the barn, Nathan unhitched the pair of workhorses and led them into the stalls. One of the first things he’d bought after he’d gotten the bank loan to keep his farm working were the two sturdy draft horses. Before Kirsten he’d owned only sleek thoroughbreds. More foolishness of a naïve young man. These horses represented his new life—strong, dependable, hard-working.
He scooped hay into their feed troughs then leaned back against the wooden stall rails to think, his mind filling with the face of his new wife.
Laura—a simple, plain name. Nothing as lyrical or unusual as Kirsten’s.
That wasn’t the only difference. While his first wife had been a stunning beauty, quite aware of her effect on the men around her, this new wife seemed unaware of her appeal when she’d smiled at Zeke back in town.
Or had he just read it as an innocent smile? Maybe that was her plan? To pretend innocence to wheedle her way into his life, then rob him blind and leave him a laughingstock as Kirsten had?
Well, he wasn’t going to let that happen.
He’d just send her back. All it would cost him was train fare. Better to suffer a little embarrassment now at attempting a mail-order marriage than greater humiliation when she ran off and left him bankrupt again.
Picking up the brush, Nathan worked one of the horse’s coats with long, firm strokes in an effort to ease some of his anger before confronting his new wife. Although the woman hadn’t done anything to deserve his wrath, her presence had aroused the curiosity of his neighbors.
For that reason alone I should send her back to Baltimore.
Besides, this time he had more to lose. He wouldn’t put Rachel through the pain of mistreatment at the hands of another stranger. He had to have been crazy to listen to Micah’s idea months ago.
Micah. The crazy mountain man had disappeared back into the mountains once the snow started flying. Too far away for him to strangle for putting the crazy mail-order idea in his mind.
He ran a hand through his hair and growled softly. Good thing. He’d been the one to write Neil and ask for him to find a suitable wife, not Micah. This new wife, this Laura with the sweet smile, was just too young to fit his needs. He’d just explain to her he’d changed his mind and that he’d be sending her back East.
The image of Laura sitting stiffly on his wagon, bearing the curious stares of the townsfolk with quiet dignity filled his mind. The woman did seem to have a sense of pride and propriety, something Kirsten never demonstrated.
He’d tell Laura it wasn’t her in particular, but that he’d changed his mind while she’d been traveling with no way to contact her. Surely she’d understand. Besides, the isolation of the farm would be too much for a city woman. That had been one of the chief complaints Kirsten had hurled at him repeatedly.
The only problem was what to do with Rachel?
Maybe he could hire Sarah Jones to keep Rachel at her home with her passel of children. That’s where he’d left her today while he collected Laura from town. Besides him, Sarah seemed to be the only person Rachel would stay with without screaming bloody murder. He hated to take the little girl from the only home she’d ever known, but wouldn’t it be better than having her hurt by a new mother?
His decision made, he set aside th
e brush and headed to the house to confront his wife.
Inside, he found Laura seated at the table. She’d removed several layers of clothes, revealing a more feminine figure than he’d originally thought she possessed. Her breasts pressed firm and full against the white blouse she wore and her waist was narrower than he’d first imagined. Her hips flared out, giving her more of an hourglass shape.
What would it feel like to have all those curves pressed close to him? He shook off that idea as quick as it came.
She wasn’t staying.
Focusing his gaze on her face, he saw her staring right at him, her mood unreadable.
“Well, it warmed up in here,” he said to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Yes, it did.”
“I…uhm…think we need to talk about this marriage.” He pulled a chair out from the table and sat across from her.
She didn’t say a word or blink an eyelash.
“I know you traveled out here on good intentions. And when my brother was interviewing women for a wife for me, I’d thought that was what I truly wanted. But since then, I’ve had time to think, and I might add I made the decision while you were en route.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve decided that I really don’t need nor want another wife.” He paused, waiting for some reaction from her.
She sat there. She simply sat there, waiting for him to continue. Had she heard him? Didn’t she understand what he was saying?
“I’ll be happy to pay for your trip back to Baltimore. Neil can see to an annulment once you’re there. In the meantime, I’ll arrange for the widow Jones to put you up until Zeke comes back through on his way to Denver.”
Again, no response. She sat there not saying a word.
Slowly his discomfiture turned to anger. Why didn’t she say something? Was she so dense that she really couldn’t comprehend his meaning?
After a moment her eyes widened, then narrowed. Nathan watched them turn from hazel to an almost emerald color. She rose from her chair and walked around the table to her carpetbag.
Good. She’s going to be very reasonable about all this. He stood to help her with her coat.
“Let me see if I understand you correctly, Mr. Cantrell.” Her voice was soft. The words, deliberate. Her hand gripped her carpetbag so tightly her knuckles whitened. “You decided on my way out here you no longer needed a wife. And now you’re willing to store me with someone until you can ship me back East, like you would a piece of furniture that didn’t fit your parlor. Is that correct?”
“Now that’s not exactly what I meant.” The flash of fire in her eyes made him choose his words carefully. “I just think you’ll feel more comfortable staying with Sarah Jones than you would here. And I’ll be more than willing to pay you for the inconvenience I’ve put you through.”
There, that should appease her. Every time Kirsten and I fought, a shopping trip and spending money on her always guaranteed her cooperation.
Laura’s eyes narrowed more. “So you want me to stay with this Sarah person and you’ll pay me to leave you alone.”
“Yes.” Relief surged through him. Obviously she finally grasped the idea. Like all women, money was the key to controlling her. “Let’s get you bundled up, and I’ll go hitch the team to the wagon again. We can have you at Sarah’s before dark.” He lifted her sweaters and coat to help her into them.
Without warning, he suddenly lay on the floor, painfully gasping for air.
Laura’s carpetbag sat squarely in the center of his chest and she loomed above him, her hands clenched in fists at her side.
“You arrogant man.” Her voice was deadly calm.
Though she didn’t scream and no tears threatened to fall, he suspected she was angry enough to kill.
“How dare you assume you’re too good to have me? How dare you think you can just ship me off when I don’t meet your expectations without seeing what I’m capable of doing? Do you think I believe you don’t need a wife?” She glanced around the room a moment, then fixed him with a look that said she knew the truth. “If there ever was a man who needed a wife, it’s you.
“I came out here with my eyes wide open. I knew I probably wouldn’t meet any physical requirements you might have for a wife. But you didn’t advertise for a goddess in the newspaper, Mr. Cantrell. You advertised for an intelligent, healthy, hard-working woman. That is exactly what you have in me. I fulfill those requirements in every way. I traveled out here with every intention of carrying out my wifely duties for the length of the contract.”
Her eyes blazed a green fire. He found it even more difficult to catch his breath, more from awareness then physical pain.
“But now,” she continued, “I believe we had better come to an agreement. I don’t plan to let you ship me back East. Do I make myself clear?”
She stood towering over him from the side, green eyes blazing, reminding him of the banshees his Irish grandmother used to describe.
Extricating himself from her carpetbag, sweaters and coat, he slowly straightened himself to all six feet of his height. This wild woman wasn’t going to intimidate him.
“Now let’s get one thing straight, lady. If you think you’ve married some stupid, rich farmer that you can ride roughshod over, you’re sorely mistaken. I was married to one gold-digging female and I don’t intend to get taken by another.”
His new wife didn’t appear threatened by his show of manly pride or intimidated by his size.
Laura tilted her head to stare up at him. She didn’t budge an inch and nearly bit each word out. “That’s good. Because I don’t want your money, Mr. Cantrell.”
Surprised, Nathan studied her for a moment. Then he narrowed his eyes. What was she up to? And how much was it going to cost him?
“What exactly do you want?”
Chapter Four
The man’s sheer size intimidated Laura, and normally she’d back down without a fight. This time she had to stand her ground. Her life virtually depended on defending herself.
With a deep, soul-fortifying breath, she forged ahead. “What I want, Mr. Cantrell, is to live here as your wife for the five years originally agreed upon, but in name only. After that time, I’ll gladly leave. I won’t ask for any kind of monetary support or recompense when I go. I only ask that you treat me as you would a real wife when we are in public.”
He opened his mouth as if to argue with her. She held up a hand to stop him. “Let me be clear on that part. When others are about, I ask that you not ignore me. That you treat me with respect and provide me with the protection of your name for the time I’m here. Here at the farm, you can act as rudely as you have today, if you wish.”
She probably shouldn’t have said that, but at least one of them ought to acknowledge his behavior. With a breath to calm the fine trembling of her knees, she waited for his verdict.
Lifting one brow, he considered her proposition. “And might I ask what it is you plan to offer me in return for this arrangement, since this marriage will be in name only?”
Great—sarcasm had replaced arrogance.
“In return for your protection and considerate treatment of me, I will cook, clean, do household chores, act as a hostess when needed, and help you care for your daughter.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed once more. He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her planted to the floor.
She gasped at the pain his grip inflicted.
“How do you know about Rachel?” he demanded, his voice cold and harsh.
“Mr. Cantrell, you’re hurting me.” The barely leashed anger in his eyes scared the dickens out of her too.
“I asked how you knew about my daughter.” He gave her a not-too-gentle shake. “Neil swore not to tell anyone about her.”
“I know,” she whispered. “Your sister-in-law decided I should be told about her before I left Baltimore.”
His grip loosened. Confusion replaced the anger in his face. “Beth told you? Why would she go against my specific wishes regarding this?”
“Her children?” Finally Nathan let go of her. Running his hands through his thick, dark hair he sat at the table once again.
Afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her any longer, Laura sat across from him. She filled him in on the scene greeting her in Baltimore. “Apparently Beth thought by sending the children with your brother, she could influence him into choosing someone who dealt with children well.”
She smiled at the memory. “At their home, I met your sister-in-law. She saw my affinity for children firsthand. Once the ceremony ended, she came to my room and told me the situation regarding Rachel. I believe it was her final test as to whether or not I should be your wife.”
“What do you mean, final test?”
“You need me, Mr. Cantrell. I don’t know if I can reach your daughter, but I’m not afraid of trying. When Beth told me of her plight, I didn’t feel pity. Instead I was incensed at the people who treated her so badly. No child should suffer such a beginning.”
“You know everything about Rachel?”
“Everything.”
Thoughts and emotions milled around in Nathan’s head as he studied Laura. Could he do this? He’d try anything to help Rachel. Still, he wanted everything clear between them before he agreed to keep Laura as his wife.
“You’re willing to help her in any way you can? Along with that you plan to take on the responsibilities of a farm wife? Then you want to leave, without any sort of payment?”
She met his eyes. Apprehension flashed through her features, then she nodded. “That’s correct.”
He eyed her carefully, one brow cocked. “And you wish this to be a marriage in name only?”
“Since my arrival, I’ve sensed you aren’t interested in me in any physical way.”
“I am attracted to a different kind of woman,” he lied, not wanting to admit how much she aroused him when she’d been a fire-breathing, green-eyed dragon standing over him a few minutes ago.