“That island? Does anyone live on it? And what are those animals that are all over the beach?”
“No one lives on the island. It is mostly just rock and uninhabitable. And those animals are sea lions. They come and park themselves on the beach and bark at anything and everything.”
“This is beautiful. The ocean, the sun setting making the sky glow orange and pink. I love the view.”
“As do I.”
His voice was deep and soft with a timber that caressed her. She looked up and found him watching her. Her cheeks heated and she glanced away, curious over this reaction.
“Wait until you see the view from my, soon to be our, garden,” he continued. “It looks out over the city. Quite lovely, especially at night, when all the light from the gas lamps lining the streets is visible.”
She let Blake order for all of them. He was conscientious of the needs, and perhaps tastes, of the children and ordered fried fish cakes for them. For her and Bertha, he ordered fresh salmon and for himself he ordered the swordfish. And he ordered a very nice bottle of white wine to accompany the meal.
When the food arrived, Nellie took a bite of her fish and closed her eyes in ecstasy. “This is wonderful. Bertha what do you think?”
“Marvelous, Nellie. I don’t think we ever had fish so fresh at home, and never salmon.”
“She’s right. Neither of us have had salmon before. We’re used to cod and the occasional grouper.”
“So, you’ve never had swordfish either? It’s one of my favorites. Here, try it.” He cut a small bite of the succulent fish with his fork and held it for her to taste.
He kept his gaze on her, daring her to take it off his fork. Though she knew doing so wasn’t entirely proper, she leaned forward and delicately closed her lips over the sampling. Her mouth exploded with flavor as the buttery fish melted on her tongue.
Blake grinned, a twinkle in his eye. “Good isn’t it?”
“I have no words to express the wonderfulness of that fish.” A smile accented her words. “I do believe I have a new favorite.”
“You’ll have to tell our cook. She’ll see that you have it every day if you want.”
“Oh, no.” She gave a small frown and shook her head. “I’d get tired of it then. Maybe just for special occasions or when we go out for dinner.”
“Well, then, you’ll have many opportunities to taste your new favorite, as you and I will be eating dinner out quite often. I entertain, not just at home, but in restaurants and other gatherings.” He sipped his wine. “You will accompany me. Make sure you have enough evening gowns to accommodate the various occasions.”
“Oh dear, I’m afraid that is one of the things you and I will need to discuss. I only have one gown for evening. It’s all I was able to procure in the short amount of time I had before the ship sailed.”
He waved off her concerns. “That’s no problem. I have a modiste that I’ve used for years. She is already on alert that you will be coming to see her.”
Nellie raised her eyebrows. “You have a modiste?”
After glancing around the table, he exhaled deeply. “We might as well get this out of the way. I have a modiste that I employ to make the costumes worn by my girls in my establishments. She also makes all of their day dresses.” He held up a hand when Nellie would have interrupted, which she did anyway.
“Mr. Malone,”
“Of course, you won’t want anything like my employees wear but something more, I don’t know what. Tasteful perhaps is the word I’m looking for. The girls who work for me wear very flashy and provocative clothes. The idea is for them to entice the men who come into my saloons, and separate them from their money. In any case, I’ll leave that between you and the seamstress to decide.”
“Mr. Malone, we shouldn’t be having this conversation now. But if I—”
“Blake.”
“—had cared… What?”
“Call me Blake and I’ll call you Nellie.”
She nodded. “Yes, Blake, if I had cared what you do for a living I would never have consented to be your bride.”
Leaning back in his chair, he lifted an accessing eyebrow. “You could have said yes, just to get to San Francisco.”
“I suppose so, but I did not.” She glanced down for a second and then lifted her chin, “I’m not that kind of woman. Though, of course, you don’t know that.”
“Then why not just marry me now?” he persisted.
“I thought getting to know each other a bit first would be nice.”
“We can become more familiar with each other, like most people do…after we are married.”
“I don’t know…” she hedged. What if it doesn’t work out? Shouldn’t I wait and get to know him? What will I do if I decide not to marry him? Go back home with my tail between my legs and beg my in-laws to take us back? I won’t let that happen.
“I do.” He took her hand and gave a squeeze. “Marry me, Nellie Wallace. Don’t unpack at the hotel. Marry me and come home with me.”
Her hand was engulfed by Blake’s and shivers raced up and down her spine. If he hadn’t been holding her hand, he would have seen it shake. She looked long and hard within her heart. From the moment she’d opened the hotel door she knew she would marry him. They had a contract, but more than that she liked him. That was more than a lot of normal brides could say. Those whose marriages had been arranged by their parents were especially prone to not liking their husbands.
Blake treated her and the children well. That was the most important thing. He treated the children well. He hadn’t even flinched when Violet put her wet little hand on his face and told him he was pretty. Nellie’s heart had melted a little then.
“You do have a point…Blake,” She’d thought of him as Mr. Malone for so long, it would take her some time to get used to saying, Blake. “I wouldn’t have come all this way and uprooted my children, had I not intended to marry you. How soon can you make the arrangements?”
He reached in his pocket and produced a piece of paper. “I already have the license. We can be married tomorrow morning.”
Before she could stop it, a gasp escaped. “Oh. My.” Nellie placed a hand on her chest and cocked her head. “Tomorrow. Well. I guess we’d better toast ourselves.” Pulse racing, she picked up her untouched glass of wine. “To us, soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Malone.”
“To us,” repeated Blake. “All of us.” He clinked glasses with Bertha and Henry who had lifted theirs. He nodded to Violet across the table.
Violet raised her hand and said. “Twuss”
Laughter erupted from everyone else at the table.
CHAPTER 3
The ceremony was a simple one, performed by a justice of the peace, at the courthouse. Nellie’s family, her friends Cora and Annie, and Blake’s business partner, Mr. Nicholas Cartwright, attended. Nellie wore her pink satin dress and outfitted the children in the best clothes they had. Henry’s growth spurt was painfully obvious by the fact his best pants were now about two inches too short and hit him above the ankle.
Blake didn’t seem to notice or to care about Henry’s clothes. His attention was completely on the judge and the ceremony.
When the judge spoke the words, “You may now kiss the bride,” Blake leaned down and gently kissed Nellie. It was one of the sweetest kisses she’d ever had. Soft, gentle, yet firm and full of promise.
Then he leaned back and grinned, while still holding her by the waist. “Now, let’s go get Henry some new clothes. Since he needs them the most, he’ll be the first, then the rest of you. I’ve already got my staff moving your trunks to my home…our home,” he amended
Nellie shook her head and smiled. “I thought you hadn’t noticed.”
“I can see he’s growing like a weed. Young boys have a tendency to do that.”
Violet let go of her mother’s hand and walked her now three-year-old self over to Blake. She pulled on his pants and held up her arms.
With a smile he bent down and pulled her
up into his arms. She cocked her head and looked at him and then kissed his cheek. “Mama kiss you. Me, too.”
He chuckled and kissed her back. “You are such a sweet little thing.”
By her action Violet had just accepted Blake as her new father.
That didn’t take long. Poor little thing. She’s starved for a man’s affection and attention. Is she so much different than I am?
*****
An hour later, the carriage pulled off the street onto a long semi-circular driveway. Nellie watch out her window as they approached a grand, white, three story, house. Mansion was more like it.
The house had columns supporting the porch on the first floor. Some of the columns extended up to the third-story roof, and some were on the first floor only. There were many windows, all sparkling in the sunlight. Those on the third floor had dormers. She saw a swing on the porch along with a table and chairs. They could easily entertain a few couples here on the porch after a nice dinner inside. Lordy, here she was already making plans.
“What do you think?” asked Blake.
Did she detect apprehension in his voice?
“I think it’s magnificent. I can see why you’d need servants. The house is huge.”
Blake took her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. “It just needs a family. The place won’t seem so big when all of us get settled.”
“Can I have my own room?” asked Henry, his eyes alight. “Up in the attic, so I can see the ships come in? And can I get a book on sea lions? I want to know about them, since there are so many.”
“Yes,” laughed Blake. “You can have your own room, but no, not in the attic. Plenty of bedrooms on the third floor face the bay, so you can see the ships sail. We’ll visit the library or one of the bookstores and see if we can find you a book on sea lions.” Under his breath he added, “pests that they are.”
Henry’s shoulders slumped, until Blake told him he would still be able to see the ships, and then his excitement returned.
Violet bounced on the seat. “Lemme see! Lemme see!”
“Come here, baby girl,” said Blake. He let Violet stand on his lap and put her head out the window, while making sure to hold her fast. “Do you see the house?”
“Yup,” said Violet. She pointed out the window toward the house.
Before Nellie knew it they’d arrived and a footman was holding open the carriage door. Blake was the first one out and he helped everyone else, Nellie being the last to disembark from the carriage.
She struggled not to stand there with her mouth open, staring at the massive structure before her. But she had other worries. All of the servants were standing outside in order of importance, with the butler, first. I’ll never remember all their names and what they do.
“James, please introduce everyone,” said Blake while continuing to hold Violet, who seemed perfectly content.
This mama’s girl was hers no longer. She belonged to Blake.
“I’m James Phillips, ma’am. You may refer to me as James as Mr. Malone does or perhaps Mr. Phillips would suit you better,” he suggested.
“No, James is fine. Thank you,” said Nellie. Best to get acquainted with everyone now.
James, in his black suit, starched white shirt and black cravat, went down the line starting with the housekeeper right down to the scullery girl.
“I’m very pleased to meet you all, though it’ll take a while for me to remember your names. This is Bertha, my maid, Henry, my son and the little girl who has wrapped Blake around her finger, is Violet.” She held her hands folded at her waist, partly to settle her tumbling stomach. So many of them. “I’d appreciate if you would make a special effort to aid us in becoming used to your routines and help us keep track of Henry and Violet. They will want to explore and I won’t always know where they are.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said all the servants, together.
“After you, Mr. Malone,” James gave a short bow and waved a hand at the house.
“Come, family, see your new home,” said Blake as he entered carrying Violet.
Nellie followed him inside and found herself in a foyer with a broad hallway to her left and a wide curved staircase to her right. Her in-laws would be beside themselves with envy if they saw Blake’s house. She could see her mother-in-laws pinched face now, saying how Nellie didn’t deserve such grandeur.
Blake pointed toward the ceiling. “Our rooms are on the second floor. The nursery is down the hall from the Master suite and your rooms are next to mine, directly across the hall from the nursery.”
“My rooms?” asked Nellie, surprise faltered her step.
“Yes, there is a suite for the mistress of the house.” He turned in his climb up the carpeted staircase. “They connect with mine through the dressing room. There is a separate bathing room that we share.”
He stopped in front of a set of double doors and gestured.
“This is the master suite.”
Taking a several steps further down the hall, he continued on to the next set of double doors.
“And this is your suite. I’ve had the trunks transferred here.”
Nellie held her tongue. Secretly she was relieved that he wanted that kind of marriage, she wished she’d known before. She could have saved herself a lot of fear. Straightening her back, she raised her chin as she swept past him into the room.
She was used to her plain bedroom in New York and thought this one would be perhaps a little larger and fancier than the other had been, but she was unprepared for the absolute grandeur of the room, she let out an involuntary gasp.
Blake chuckled, his eyes bright.
Violet hearing his laugh, giggled.
Nellie couldn’t help but smile at her little one’s antics and broke into a grin.
“You clearly were not expecting to have separate rooms and,” he leaned close and said quietly, “I’m gratified that you wish to share my bed,”
“I…I…that is the general way of things in a marriage,” said Nellie in an even tone, definitely not wanting to appear eager. If Robert taught her anything it was the marriage bed meant pain.
“Ah, but we don’t have a regular marriage, now do we? Let’s get the children settled and Bertha started on the trunks, shall we? Then we can discuss this in a more private situation.”
He set Violet down.
“Why don’t you go help Bertha now Violet,” said Nellie, relieved the business part of this arrangement would soon be handled.
The little girl ran to Bertha, talking a mile a minute.
Nellie looked over at Bertha, who was busy opening the trunks and from the looks of it, trying her best to ignore her mistress’s conversation with her new husband.
Heat rose and Nellie’s cheeks burned.
“The room is beautiful,” said Nellie, surprised at the normalcy of her tone. She wasn’t lying. The room was done in soft blue and cream. The wall paper was striped with solid blue and cream panels, interspersed among panels of pale blue roses.
Rich Persian rugs covered a wood parquet floor. A large four-posted, white canopied bed stood in the center of the wall to her left, with matching nightstands on either side. Directly across from her was a large window seat.
To her right stood a bureau, the style matching the bed, and on the same wall was a door. She walked through it and found a sitting room with settee and two Queen Anne chairs upholstered in a rich, rose damask material in front of a window seat that matched the one in the bedroom. A tall, dark wood table sat between the chairs holding a lovely oil lamp. A low table sat in front of the settee. A small writing desk rested against the wall to her right. As was all the furniture in the bedroom, it was painted white. Considering the dark wood of the other tables in the room, the desk was a bit out of place.
From the sitting room, she explored through the other door in the room and was taken into a large dressing room with rods for clothes on three sides and built-in shelves and drawers on the fourth wall to the right behind the door. Another doo
r was directly across from her that led to the bathroom.
A large claw-footed tub that she was anxious to try out stood against the far wall, along with the flush commode. White and black checkered marble floors and a marble sink completed the room. On the opposite side of the door she looked through was another door.
“That leads to my suite,” said Blake, standing next to her, nodding to the closed door.
Her stomach clinched and she wondered if he would want to consummate the marriage that night. “I assumed as much. This suite is fabulous.” She met his gaze and smiled. “I’m sure I shall be very comfortable here.”
“I hope so. The doors between our rooms will remain unlocked. I will knock before entering.
“Oh, so you do plan on entering.” What was the matter with her? She could have bitten her tongue. She had no idea where this comment came from. Though it sounded otherwise, she most certainly was not anxious to couple, regardless of how attracted she was to the man.
He laughed. “Have I offended your sensibilities. Or perhaps your vanity?”
“I just…I…never mind.” She shook her head. I’m being silly. “A business arrangement is most agreeable to me. As long as my children are safe and well cared for, any situation you have in mind is acceptable.”
“Come with me.”
He took her by the arm and pulled her into his dressing room and then on through to his bedroom.
His room was as dark as hers was light. The walls were dark wood from floor to ceiling. Burgundy drapes, covered a huge window that opened onto a balcony, and matched the spread covering the massive bed. She’d never seen such a large bed. It, too, was a four poster but did not have a canopy. He had a similar sitting area as hers, done in a heavy burgundy brocade.
Once in the room, he closed the door behind them.
“Let’s get something straight, I brought you here and married you for business purposes. I was always upfront with those desires, was I not? Did Mrs. Selby not make you aware of that situation?”
Nellie (The Brides of San Francisco Book 1) Page 3
