by Karen Kirst
“Oh, Adelaide.” Rose’s fingers came to rest at her temple. “I’m afraid I’ve gotten you into a mess.”
Adelaide frowned. “What? How?”
Rose caught her hand and guided her to sit on the settee beside her. “Sweetheart, you were eighteen when you got married.”
“No. I was seventeen.”
“I was already expecting you when I married your father. In fact, that’s why I married him. Hiram and I left the town where we lived to have the baby. Once my father got sick, we moved back home so I could nurse him. You were so small for your age. People just assumed you were younger than you were. That helped me keep my respectability so I let them. No, I more than let them. I ran with it. After my father died, Hiram and I started traveling again. I didn’t want you to know the truth about what we’d done, so we kept up the ruse that you were a year younger than you actually are. You were eighteen when you got married. You can talk to Judge Hendricks to make sure, but if everything else was done according to the proper procedures, then most likely… I’m afraid… Adelaide, you’re still married to Chris.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Stunned, Adelaide stared at her mother. “What? No. I—” Shaking her head, she grasped on to the only part of any of this that made sense. “You…you lied to me.”
“Adelaide, please—”
She shied away from her mother’s touch, standing so quickly that she stumbled over the boxes. “How could you do that?”
Rose stood, but didn’t try to close the distance between them. “I was ashamed. I was just another one of your father’s conquests, but my father tracked him down once he realized I was expecting you. I literally had a shotgun wedding. I didn’t want you to know that. Please, you must understand.”
“I do. Truly. What I don’t understand is how you could use it against me.”
“Use it against you? I didn’t—”
“Yes, you did. You knew that I was eighteen—fully capable of making my own legal decision about marriage. You lied when you told me I needed your consent. You used my trust in you to control me just like Papa always did.”
“That is not the same thing. I was trying to protect you.”
“You were protecting yourself. The fact that it kept me away from Chris was simply an added bonus.”
Rose was quiet for a long moment. Finally, she gave a shallow nod. “Maybe so, but I still think I did the right thing. You were too young. He had too much of a hold on you. You were willing to marry him after one kiss. What else would you have been willing to do if he’d asked? I was trying to keep you from making the same mistakes I did.” Rose tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “What about Chris? What was he doing in all of this? He thought you were seventeen. Didn’t he know that you were too young and the marriage would be invalid? Maybe that’s why he rushed you into it in the first place.”
Adelaide couldn’t think. She could hardly breathe. She didn’t know what to feel. She startled when the front door opened. Everett stepped inside. The tension in the room must have been palpable for he stopped in his tracks to glance back and forth between them. He spoke slowly, his words filled with caution and concern. “What did I miss?”
Adelaide shook her head. “I have to go.”
He tried to catch her arms as she rushed past. She managed to avoid his grasp. She was out the door and out the front gate before he could even call her name in protest. Instead of his voice, she heard only an echo of the past.
“Hey, A-dumb-laide! Come back here.”
Not even sparing a glance behind her, Adelaide took off running away from the mean schoolboys who’d been making fun of her all week. Their taunts faded as she darted across the street, then into a back alley. A few more turns and she was certain she’d lost them. Relieved, she stopped to place her hands on her knees and pull in some gasping breaths. She glanced around and realized that she had no idea where she was or how to get home. Fear and panic coursed through her until a distant, familiar laugh caught her ear. She raced toward it, only to stop yards away from its source in disappointment. It wasn’t her pa, after all. It was some man kissing a woman. Gross. She grimaced and looked away. Maybe once they stopped, she could ask—
“Adelaide?”
“Pa?” She glanced up at his shocked face, then ran toward him. “It is you.”
He caught her in his arms. “My darling girl, what are you doing here?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. “I got lost.”
She’d almost forgotten about the woman until she spoke up. “I’ll say. Hiram, you didn’t mention a daughter.”
“I’ll explain later. Adelaide, let’s get you home.”
Adelaide waited until they were out on the main street to ask. “Who was that lady? Why were you kissing her? Where’s Ma?”
Setting her down outside the flow of traffic, he knelt so that he was eye level with her. “That lady was just an old friend. I was kissing her goodbye. She’s leaving soon to go far away.”
Adelaide lifted her chin. “I don’t care. You shouldn’t have done that. Ma wouldn’t like it.”
“You know, now that I think of it, you’re probably right. That’s why I won’t do it ever again. I promise. All right?” He waited until she gave a reluctant nod. “Will you do something for me? Don’t say anything to your ma. We don’t want to upset her, do we?”
Reaching the courthouse, Adelaide pulled at the doors only to find that they were locked. Everyone had already left for the day. Her shoulders slumped as turned to walk down the courthouse steps. She’d been hoping to find out for sure if the marriage was valid. Without that goal as a distraction, there was little else to do but sink to one of the courtyard benches and allow the past to consume her.
How many times had she repeated Hiram’s words to herself over the years? “Don’t say anything to your ma. We don’t want to upset her.” It had all been so pointless. Of course, it had taken her years to figure that out.
“I’m leaving. Are you going to walk me to the train station, my darling girl?”
Even all grown up at fourteen years old, Adelaide couldn’t help but smile in response to Hiram’s grin and his familiar term of endearment. Both were so genuine and affectionate that she wanted to freeze this moment and hold on to it. The loud snap of his suitcase closing stole it from her. “Of course. Did you say goodbye to Ma yet?”
The light in his pale green eyes dimmed slightly. “No, I couldn’t find her.”
“Well, it helps to look,” she said with a bit of teasing. “She’s out back doing the laundry.”
“All right, then.” He ran his fingers through his chocolate-brown hair that had only recently become tinged with a distinguished gray. She stepped aside so he could move past her and place his suitcase by the front door. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
She checked around the bedroom to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, which he routinely did. Spotting a piece of paper on the floor at the end of the bed, she bent to pick it up muttering, “What are you leaving this time, Pa?”
She gave a passing glance at its contents. Feeling the blood draining from her face, she grasped the bed post for support. She shouldn’t be surprise. She really shouldn’t, but—
“Adelaide, let’s go.”
She tucked the letter into her dress pocket and followed him out the door. They were almost to the train station before she found her voice. “You’re getting sloppy, you know that?”
“What?”
She pulled the letter from her pocket, then took his hand and slapped it into his palm. “It was lying on the floor. Ma could have found it.”
Concern filled his voice as he caught her arm to pull her to a secluded corner. “Adelaide, I can explain.”
“I’m done listening to your explanations. I thought things were getting better. I thought this arrangement of us staying in Peppin while you travel for work had enabled you to settle down. Instead, you have some woman stashed away in another town. And you let h
er write to you here.” She held up her hands and shook her head. “I can’t stay silent anymore. I’m going to tell Ma everything. You can’t stop me.”
“Don’t bother. She already knows.”
“What? She knows?”
“She’s always known. She only kept quiet about it for your sake. She didn’t want to spoil your ‘illusions of my grand character’ as she’s said a thousand times. I figured I’d take a peaceful household for as long as I could have it.”
“Peaceful? That’s what you care about? Not Mother or me or what you’re doing to our family, but peace.” Suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle shifted into place. “That’s why she cries after you leave. Not because she misses you, but because she knows you’re off philandering.”
He froze as seemingly genuine regret filled his pale green eyes. “She cries?”
She scoffed at his concern. “Oh, don’t act like you care.”
“I do care about you and your mother.”
“You have a despicable way of showing it,” she said over the distant train whistle.
“I don’t have time for this. I have to go.” For a moment, he hesitated, as though hoping she might say something else. Was he waiting for her to ask him to stay, forget about the trip and whoever might be waiting for him elsewhere? She wanted to—desperately. Yet, she had no confidence that he could do so. He’d never kept his promises in the past. She shook her head. “Why? Why must you always do this?”
“There’s so much out there in the world, Adelaide.”
“So many women.”
“They go along with the places and the experiences. Something inside me cannot rest until I’ve tried it all. How can I be satisfied with what I have when there is so much more out there to…to chase?”
His words made her feel sick to her stomach. She couldn’t stop her lip from curling in disgust. “There is no hope for you, then. I see that. You’ve surrendered to your base desires and have no will to fight them. Fine, then. If the chase is all you want, you are welcome to it but nothing else.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I’m not your ‘darling girl’ anymore. I’m done forgiving you. I’m done letting you play games with me and my mother. I’m done caring about your exploits. I’m done with everything about you. I don’t even want to be near you.”
His face drained of color. “Adelaide, please. You don’t mean that.”
“I’ve never meant anything more. Go on. Catch your train. If there’s any decency left in you, do us all a favor. Don’t come back.”
The touch of Everett’s hand on her shoulder startled Adelaide back to the present. She shook her head in a desperate attempt to free her mind from the hold of memories long buried, then met his gaze. “I told you not to follow me.”
“I didn’t want to worry you, but I got another threatening letter about the newspaper today. I couldn’t let you run off like that by yourself. You might not be safe.” He took the seat beside her. “Now, why don’t you tell me what this is all about?”
She took a deep breath, then told him everything her mother had said. Once she finished, he stroked a hand over his beard. “Well now, that sure does put an interesting spin on things. Seems to me we shouldn’t jump to conclusions, though. First things first, we should talk to Judge Hendricks and see what he has to say about the marriage’s validity. Then we can arrange for you and Chris to sit down and talk things out.”
“Do you think Ma was right about Chris trying to take advantage of me?”
“It sounds like neither of y’all were doing much thinking when y’all got married, but if that’s something that’s worrying you, you should talk to him about it.” He stood. “Let’s go find the judge.”
“Now?”
“No time like the present.”
She glanced at the hand he offered her, reminded of her and Chris’s discussion about being close to people. It was strange that she hadn’t thought to mention her relationship with Everett. Perhaps that was because she and Everett didn’t often talk about the deeper things in life. Even so, he’d been the most reliable, steady and supportive presence in her life since he’d entered it. She accepted his assistance to stand, then gave him a quick hug, as well. “Thank you.”
He smiled and patted her back. “Come on. It’s time to find out if you’re Mrs. Adelaide Johansen.”
*
That old familiar feeling seeped through Chris’s bones. It was the same one he’d gotten just before every proposal—a dreadful excitement that made his stomach a pool of nerves. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t let himself so much as think about proposing. Instead, he was going to put Everett’s advice into practice. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.
It didn’t help his resolve to find that the hotel staff had completely outdone themselves in setting up for the sunset supper in the garden. A candlelit table for two was tucked into a curve of the garden path and shaded by the cradling branches of a tall oak tree. Shafts of golden light shifted through the garden as the sun began its surrender to an inevitable night. The atmosphere made him long for his violin so he could add to its beauty, but he hadn’t thought to bring it. The soft patter of the nearby fountain would have to do because there wasn’t enough time to retrieve it.
Adelaide should be arriving at any moment.
He’d planned on picking her up from her house in a buggy. However, Everett had dropped by the mercantile to tell Chris that Adelaide had some other business to attend to first. Everett would drop her off as soon as they finished. Chris had asked for more details but Everett hadn’t given any. Now Chris was beginning to fear that she’d decided not to show at all. Before he could check his pocket watch again, Adelaide stepped out onto the hotel porch.
Everything Chris had told himself about slowing down and not being impetuous seemed to fade away like a long lost memory as he met her at the base of the porch steps. He picked her up, twirled her in a circle and kissed her cheek before setting her down beside the fountain. She tilted her head back to look up at him with wide green eyes. His gaze strayed to the bemused smile on her lips as she asked, “What was that for?”
“Adelaide, I…” He stopped, realizing that saying those next two small words begging to fall off his lips would open him up to a whole world of pain if Adelaide couldn’t say them in return. He swallowed them. “I’m glad you’re here. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to make it. Everett said you had some business to take care of first.”
“Yes, I did.” Like a cloud passing over the sun, her smile faded and was replaced by wariness. She stepped back to wrap her arms around her waist. “Chris…I’m not sure how to tell you this.”
Panic stole over him. Somehow in admitting his feelings for her to himself, he’d forgotten just how close she’d come to breaking things off with him during their last conversation. He’d hope to romance her tonight, convince her that she’d made the right decision by sticking with him. He needed that chance. He took her arm and led her toward the table where the waiter was placing their food. “Then don’t. Our food is here. Let’s eat.”
She bit her lip, but gave in with a nod. Her tension remained as the last of the sunlight faded to twilight. Somewhere between their entrée and the dessert Chris realized that he was only delaying the inevitable. If Adelaide had made up her mind to stop courting, then he needed to respect her decision even if he absolutely abhorred it. First, he had to try one last time even if it meant going against Everett’s advice.
As soon as the waiter cleared away their plates, Chris took Adelaide’s hand and led her back over to the fountain. Sinking to one knee was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Adelaide didn’t make it any easier by staring down at him in confusion and alarm. “Chris, are you all right? Are you sick? You’re in pain, aren’t you? I’m going get Doc Williams.”
He nearly fell over in his attempt to keep her from running off. “I don’t need Doc.”
She frowned. “You’re sure? Then what are you—?
Oh.” Her gaze swept over him and her eyes widened. “Oh. Chris, you aren’t propos—”
His heavy sigh was so loud that it cut her off. He couldn’t help it. How was it that even in a setting such as this, he couldn’t manage a romantic proposal? His jaw clenched. The frustration in his voice didn’t exactly lend a courteous tone to his question. “Adelaide Harper, will you marry me?”
She didn’t laugh. That was something. Instead, her mouth opened and closed without uttering a word. She bit the corner of her mouth. Narrowing her eyes, she tilted her head, then sat on the edge of the fountain. She patted the spot beside her. “Come and sit.”
History had taught him to be cautious around women to whom he’d recently proposed. He jutted out his chin. “Why? Are you going to push me in the fountain?”
“Chris, I would never do that! Actually, under other circumstances, it might be fun. But truly, right now, all I want to do is talk to you.”
He stood and placed his hands in his pockets. Only then did he realize that he hadn’t even had a ring to give her if she’d said yes. Of course, he’d never proposed with a ring in hand, so that was nothing new. He shrugged. “Well, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll stand here. Say what you need to say.”
He wondered what approach she would take to refuse. Most of the other women had taken the whole we’re friends and we should stay friends tactic. Adelaide couldn’t use that one because they’d been more than friends for a long time. She couldn’t use Amy’s I’m in love with someone else speech. No, Adelaide’s would probably be more along the lines of I’d rather be alone for the rest of my life than spend it with you.
