“How much money?” He dipped his quill in the ink jar, and then looked back up at her.
Leah shrugged. “I didn’t count it. It was money that my parents gave me. I thought it rude to count it in front of them.”
The deputy rubbed his chin, and looked worried. “Shall we say it was a considerable sum of money?”
“I can’t say. It would have been enough for my keep for the next three months. At least, that’s what I thought when my parents gave it to me.”
Jed ran his fingers over the stubble on his chin. “What color were the traveling cases?”
“Brown, just like most other traveling cases.”
“When was the last time you saw them?”
“Just before I got here. I dozed off, and when I opened my eyes, I noticed that they were gone. I asked people nearby, but they hadn’t seen anyone take anything.” Leah took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She never thought one little lie, pretending she was Victoria, would develop into so many.
Beth leaned forward. “What chance would Victoria have of getting everything back?”
“Next to none, and that’s the truth. Things like this happen all the time.”
“Oh, dear.” Leah did her best to look upset, and Beth stroked her arm.
Jed blew on the wet ink. “I’ll send this off to where it needs to go. You might get lucky.”
“Is that all now, Jed?” Beth asked.
“That’s all I need at this stage.” Jed stood up when both women rose to their feet.
“Thank you, Mr... ”
“I’m sorry, Victoria, I didn’t introduce you properly. This is Jed Palmer.”
“Jebediah,” he said with a chuckle. “I prefer plain old ‘Jed.’”
“Well, thank you, Mr. Palmer.”
He lowered his head and gave a big smile. “You can call me ‘Jed,’ if you wish, everyone else does.”
Leah nodded. “You must call me Victoria then.”
* * *
On the second night of Leah’s stay in Dodge City, Austin and Violet came to dinner again at Mrs. Wright’s house.
Leah had offered to help Mrs. Wright with the clean up afterward, but Mrs. Wright insisted that she should not lift a finger. Both Beth and Mrs. Wright shooed her out of the kitchen. With Austin busy tending to Violet, Leah wandered back down to the corral to look at the black horse again. She leaned on the railing, and waited for the horse to come to her.
Leah was so engrossed in staring out at the horses, that she barely had time to react when strong arms wrapped around her. She turned to look up into Austin’s face as he stepped back from placing his coat around her shoulders. “Thank you,” she said softly. She couldn’t help but feel warmth when he was around. He seemed such a trustworthy, pleasant man. Good stock is what her mother called people such as he.
“So…” he leaned against the railing, and stared out at the horses. “How do you feel about our arrangement now?”
The way he said it made her question everything. “Good,” she replied. She thought that he must think otherwise, or he wouldn’t have asked the question. “You?” Her voice quivered.
“Good, great, in fact. After all, you’re great with Violet and…” he hesitated, “I think that we get along pretty well.” He smiled.
She let out the breath she’d been holding on to.
“Just wanted to make sure you weren’t thinking about running.” He chuckled slightly.
She shook her head. “I’m not.” It was partly true; she did not want to run, but she could not be naïve. In the end, she would need to leave before she was found out to be an impostor. Again, she mentally berated herself for not being honest. His family was an influential one, so surely Austin would be able to find her a job, and a place to stay? Now, it was too late, too late to say who she really was. Here was a man who she might have been able to fall in love with, but he’d never be interested in a woman who was a trickster. It was only a matter of time before her secret would be revealed. She knew from going to church with the Bradburys that the Bible said, Nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest: neither any thing hid, that shall not be known. Her days of being Victoria were numbered.
The closeness of Austin made her feel a little weak. It would be wonderful to have a man to take care of her, a strong man to put his arms around her, and to love her. How she wanted to be loved one day by someone such as Austin.
“It’s the fourth of July next week,” he said. “You and I have got a lot to celebrate, and a lot to be thankful for.”
She hoped she might still be around when next week came. “I do like the fourth of July. It’s such a lovely time with family, togetherness, and thanking God for our great country.” Leah figured that was the right thing to say, even though she knew nothing of family or togetherness. She knew how she wanted things to be in her life, but things had never gone how she had hoped. Maybe things always went well for the real Victoria Hadley, but she wasn’t the real Victoria Hadley; she was a fake person, and now she was living someone else’s life. Leah had always been the one to watch others having a good time with their happy families, and their happy lives. Things hadn’t been all bad for her; she’d had some good things happen to her. She’d been lucky that the Bradburys had given her a position in their household, and she’d never gone a day without a meal.
“Where do you go to, Victoria?”
She swung her head around to look into his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You get that far away look in your eyes, and I can’t help but wonder what you’re thinking. What’s going on in your mind?”
Now would be a good time to tell him that she wasn’t Victoria. She studied the honesty in his eyes. He seemed genuinely concerned for her; he sincerely wanted to know what she had been thinking of. Could she be brave enough to tell him who she really was? But if she told him the truth, would he still look at her with the same loving eyes? No one likes to be fooled. “I’m just thinking about many things.”
“One day I hope you’ll trust me enough to tell me what those things are.”
Just at that moment, the black horse nudged Leah’s arm; she was pleased to have the distraction. “Hello, boy. You’ve come over to talk to me again, have you?”
“He likes you.”
“He’s a beautiful horse. I love animals.”
“And I can see they love you.” He chuckled as he reached out to pat Night on his neck. “Victoria, let’s get married the day after the Fourth of July celebrations.”
She nodded. “All right then.”
“Good, I’ll speak to the pastor about it tomorrow. Has anyone told you what we’re doing this Fourth of July?”
Leah shook her head. “Are you doing something special?”
“Most of the towns’ folk are heading out to the old fort. It’s now a soldiers’ home. It used to be a fort to guard travelers from Indians, but it hasn’t been used for that in some time. There’ll be a big celebration with a special tribute to commemorate peace between the north and the south.”
“Oh, I didn’t know.”
“I thought that Beth would’ve enlisted your help with the food preparations by now.”
“No, I’ll speak to her about it, of course. I must do an equal share of the workload.”
Chapter 7.
On Thursday, the day before the Fourth of July and two days before his wedding, Austin opened the door when he heard a knock. Beth stood on his doorstep.
“Where’s Victoria? I saw she’d taken one of the carriages,” Beth said.
“She’s upstairs changing Violet. She’s taking her out for the day.” He knew he was beaming as he said it. It did make him feel good that Victoria had connected with his daughter so rapidly. It was as if God was finally taking notice of his prayers.
“That’s good, but I do need to talk to you.” Beth made her way into the living room.
“I figured. Can it wait until we’re alone?” He sat on the couch.
“Of course.” She threw
some letters on the hall table. “I picked up your mail. The postmaster said that you hadn’t been there to collect it in days.”
“Thank you.” Now that Victoria was here, the rush to read the mail was over.
Beth sat next to him on the couch, and the two of them were there for several minutes, until Leah came down the stairs with Violet on her hip.
Austin jumped up and stood at the bottom of the stairs. “I’ve got the carriage all ready for you. There’s a rug and a picnic basket.”
“Thank you, Austin, that’s thoughtful.” Leah noticed Beth and smiled. “Hello, Beth. I left the house early this morning without telling anyone, I hope that was okay.”
“Hello. We guessed where you’d be. Have a good time on your picnic.”
“Thank you.” Leah hoisted Violet onto her other hip.
“I’ll walk you out.” Austin secured Violet in the carriage, and made sure they were right to go. Then, he watched his future bride and his baby daughter go on their first outing together. A feeling of peace washed over him, and he knew all his doubts about finding a wife had been for nothing. He took a deep breath, and walked back into the house to speak to his sister.
When he walked into the sitting room, Beth arched an eyebrow.
“What?” he muttered.
She laughed. “I can see how fond of her you’ve become. You’re like a bumbling idiot around her.”
“Thank you,” he replied, with a lopsided smile.
“Austin, I mean it out of the utmost love. You care for her and it hasn’t even been two weeks. I’ve only seen that one other time.”
He nodded. “Yes, I know, with Charlotte.” He was tired of feeling that he was betraying his late wife. “This is nothing like that.”
She smiled. “You’re right; it’s not. Back then you were both in love, it was easy, you were both young. This isn’t like that, but it doesn’t mean that it can’t be like that over time.”
Austin stared at Beth. He was confused because she had disapproved of him writing to a woman. “You didn’t want me to have Victoria come here.”
“I know!” She nodded as he sat down across from her. “I’m not above admitting when I’m wrong. If you can be this happy so soon after meeting her, I can’t even imagine how close you two could become.”
Austin had wanted to have love for someone again, but he had never expected it to happen. “Well, we will have to wait and see.”
“You deserve love again,” Beth said.
He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about love, or that his sister was urging him to love a woman he had only just met. “I appreciate you coming here and saying that. Is that why you came here today?”
“I’m just checking on my little brother.” Beth stood up, and Austin walked her to the door. Before she walked out, she turned to face him, and leaned in toward him. “Love and marriage sometimes do go together,” she whispered against his ear.
He pressed his lips together to suppress a smile. “Thank you, I will try to remember that.”
“I’ll talk to you later.” Beth walked out the door.
Austin sat back down, and turned his attention to his mail. He leafed through the stack until his gaze fell on an envelope that had no return address, and yet, the handwriting was familiar. He opened it and read:
Dearest Austin,
By now, I am sure that you are wondering why I didn’t come to meet you as arranged. I am not normally a woman to go against my word once I have given it. Perhaps it was nerves, or the fact that I didn’t feel that it was right for me. I have not heard good things about your hometown. I have heard that there are many gambling establishments and houses of ill repute.
Forgive my boldness, but I must tell you that those are my reasons for not coming to marry you. After more prayer and contemplation, I was led to remain behind in my home. I believe you will think that I did the right thing. I hope that you find happiness, and I hope that you and Violet live a wonderful life. I just feel that, in my heart, I am doing what’s best for both of us. I hope that you believe that, too.
Yours sincerely,
Victoria
He stared at the letter, flipping it over, and trying to discover a hidden meaning. It couldn’t be true, because if it were, who had just left the house with his daughter?
Chapter 8.
Leah had seen the green park at the town’s edge. It was a perfect place for Violet to practice her walking. Violet had taken three steps, but then she usually collapsed. Leah was sure that if she had the soft, green grass to fall on rather than bare floorboards, she would be bolder in her efforts to walk. Leah stopped the carriage, got out, and tied Night to the railing.
“Let’s go, Violet.” She pulled Violet out from where she’d been sitting in the carriage, and hoisted her onto one hip. “My, you’re a heavy baby.”
With her free hand, Leah pulled a quilt out of the back of the carriage. “Now, we’ve got something nice to sit on.”
Once they were both sitting on the unfolded quilt, a sense of peace washed over Leah. This would be what it would be like to have her own child. Maybe, Austin would fall in love with her, and it wouldn’t matter that she wasn’t Victoria. That way, she could be a real mother to Violet. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Violet? Would you like me to be your mother?”
Being too young to understand Leah’s words, Violet squinted at her, and scrunched her nose, causing Leah to laugh. “You’re so precious, Violet. Just so precious.”
Violet giggled, and set about babbling to herself. She seemed to know exactly what she was talking about, but Leah did not understand one word of her babbles. Leah was pleased to have the whole park to herself. Her birthplace of Chicago had been overcrowded, and the best thing about the west was its huge open spaces. There were miles and miles of wide-open plains with no buildings or people. The prairie was just one huge, open space.
The park was at the edge of town, bordered by the Arkansas River, and was the greenest place she’d seen since she’d arrived in Dodge City. There was a large fountain in the center of the park. Some folk had told her that if you threw a coin in the fountain, you could make a wish. “Let’s walk over to the fountain, Violet.” Leah pulled Violet to her feet, and supported her by her arms as she walked her over to the fountain.
She looked into the dark water, and couldn’t see any coins. “I don’t believe what they say about making a wish. You make your own luck anyway. You remember that, little one,” she said, as she looked down at Violet.
Violet put her hand into the water, and splashed around.
Leah pulled her back. “You’ll get your clothes all wet; your father won’t be happy if you arrive home in wet clothes.” She walked Violet back over to the quilt, and they both sat and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.
Violet yawned, and lowered herself from her sitting position. Leah patted Violet on her back, and soon the baby was asleep. “What am I to do, Violet? I’d like nothing better than to stay here, and be your mother, and marry your father, but I know that won’t happen. Soon, I’ll have to leave you.” Desperation led Leah to think of all kinds of ways she might be able to stay.
What would she do; continue her fake life as Victoria forever? No, the truth would have to come out, and she’d be better off if she were long gone when it did. Maybe she should stay and marry him, but it wouldn’t be a proper and legal marriage if she weren’t using her own name.
At that moment, Leah knew she’d left things too late already. Tomorrow was the Fourth of July, and the next day she was to get married to Austin. Leah bit her lip, wondering when she should leave. If she didn’t disappear tonight, she would have to leave on the Fourth of July or the wedding day.
“I must tell everyone the truth. Otherwise, Austin will be badly hurt like James was. It will cause everyone less worry if I tell the truth now. I will take the shame and face my wrongdoing.” She spoke out loud to herself. There was no one to listen to her, but she was used to having no one to talk to; she was always
alone.
She looked back down at Violet, and stroked her soft hair. “I hope that one day you have a good mother to love you, sweet child.” Leah chewed on a fingernail as she wondered whether she had committed a crime by pretending to be Victoria. Maybe Austin’s brother, the Marshal, would have grounds to put her in jail.
No, she must tell Austin, and she must tell him now. She wrapped the quilt around Violet, and gathered her up in her arms. She would go back and tell Austin the truth.
* * *
Leah carried the sleeping baby back into the house. Violet was so much heavier when she was asleep. She had hoped that Austin would be there to carry Violet up the stairs, but he was nowhere to be seen. She carried Violet up the stairs by herself, and when she had placed her in her crib, she stroked her hair. Leah waited to be sure that Violet would not wake before she left the room.
She went downstairs to look for Austin, and found him in the living room. “We had the best time. Violet was so good, you have a wonderful daughter.” She chattered nervously, gathering the courage to tell him the truth about herself. Leah didn’t notice that he wasn’t paying attention to her until she saw him sitting still, a piece of paper in his hand. “Something wrong?” She had hoped to find him in a good mood before she told him of her true identity.
“Well…” He handed her the letter. “I suppose you could say that.”
She took the paper in her hand, unfolded it, and then collapsed into the nearest chair. She read the letter carefully, and then looked up at him. “I can explain.”
“It’s true?” he asked, his voice croaking. “You aren’t Victoria, are you?”
She slowly shook her head. She’d known it was bound to come out, and just wished that she had been the one to tell him. It was too awful that he’d found out in this way. “I’m sorry. I just…”
“Who are you?” he asked, through clenched teeth.
“Leah Morgan.” This time, the truth was her only option. “I have no parents, no family. I’m actually not sure whether my father is alive or dead, I haven’t seen or heard from him in over ten years. I bought a train ticket with what little money I had, and came here.” She could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes. “I didn’t want to hurt any of you, Violet, Beth… you’ve all been so nice.”
Mail Order Bride: Deception (Historical Western Romance): Clean Romance Series (Western Mail Order Brides Book 1) Page 5
