by Karen Kirst
She braced her hands on either side of her and leaned back slightly to look up at him. “You proposed to me once before. Do you remember what I said to you then?”
“You said yes.”
“And then we got married.”
Chris frowned. She sound awfully depressed about it. Not that it mattered, because…
“We didn’t actually get married. You know that. You were too young.”
Her green eyes turned inscrutable. “Did you know that I was too young?”
“Of course not. I’d heard of other people marrying at our ages. It never occurred to me they’d needed their parents’ permission. We kissed for the first time, then that proposal went flying out my mouth. I couldn’t believe it when you accepted. I thought for sure you’d change your mind or your mother would change it for you. I didn’t want to wait for that to happen.”
He paused, realizing that was exactly what had happened. She’d eventually changed her mind about marrying him. All of that rushing had accomplished nothing. Before he could say as much, Adelaide picked up the story where he’d left off.
“It was raining, remember? The county clerk had left his windows open at home so he rushed us through the paperwork. Reverend Sparks didn’t want to agree to the secret ceremony, but his wife convinced him it was romantic. He gave in, and we said our vows.”
“Then you ran off to tell your ma. That was the last I saw of you until you walked into the mercantile a few weeks ago.” Chris shook his head. “Listen, there’s no use in reminiscing about all of this. It isn’t going to change anything.”
She leaned forward. “Chris, the story might not have changed, but the facts did.”
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
“The only thing that made our marriage invalid back then was the fact that I was seventeen.”
“So?”
“So I was actually eighteen. I just didn’t know it because my mother let me think I was a year younger than I actually am.”
Chris gaped at her for a minute, unable to process the implications of what she was saying. Finally, he managed to say, “Why would she do that?”
“She didn’t want me to know that she had a shotgun marriage to my father because they were expecting me.”
He shook his head. “Man, your father was a real piece of work, wasn’t he?”
“How did you—? You’ve been talking to Everett. Haven’t you?” She held up a hand and shook her head. “You know what? That isn’t important. Chris, do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“You were eighteen when we got married.”
She gave a firm nod. “Right.”
Cautious hope filled his chest. “What does that mean for us?”
“It means the marriage was valid.”
“Really?” He managed to keep all but a hint of relief from his voice. He tensed again. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Judge Hendricks is the ultimate authority on this kind of thing in Peppin. He says if I was of age, gave my consent and followed all of the other proper procedures—”
“Which we did.”
“Then the marriage is legal and binding.”
His eyebrows rose along with his heart rate. He wanted to shout for joy but the serious expression on Adelaide’s face reminded him she might not feel the same way. He needed to be cautious, find out all the details and make sure he was hearing things right before he let it all sink in. He cautiously took the seat she’d offered earlier. “Legal and binding? That sounds…permanent.”
“There is another option.” She angled toward him and searched his gaze as she spoke. “Judge Hendricks said that we’re the first couple he’s run across who had sufficient grounds for annulment. He’s had requests before, but only gave out the paperwork in the hope that it would shock the couple to their senses or give him a chance to sit down with them and convince them otherwise. However, since I left town right after the ceremony and stayed gone for five years, he’s willing to file the annulment without giving us any trouble about it.”
Her words put a damper on the joy he’d been feeling and prompted a frown. “An annulment would say our…marriage…never existed. Right?” At her nod, he slowly shook his head. “I don’t think that would be true. Adelaide, I meant those vows. You did, too. We both thought you were of age, and you were. When you went home that day to find your mother packing your bags—if she hadn’t mentioned you were under the age of consent, would you have gone to Houston with her or would you have stayed with me?”
She was silent for a long moment, then the truth rang out in a whisper. “As nervous as I was… I still would have stayed. I know that without a doubt.”
“We would have been married all these years.”
“We were married all of these years.” She straightened, her eyes widening. “It’s a good thing you didn’t give in and marry Britta.”
“Yeah, having two wives at once is a little Old Testament—not to mention illegal.” Glad to see a hint of a smile on her face again, he gently bumped her with his shoulder. “Speaking of which, I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t marry that other fellow who proposed to you. What was his name?”
“Bertrand. There were several before him, though.” She eyed him thoughtfully. “You’re being awfully calm about all of this. I almost hyperventilated or swooned or something.”
“I’m not all that calm on the inside, I assure you. It’s just that… Well, I guess I’ve just always felt that we belonged to each other. That made this come as more of a confirmation of what I already knew deep down rather than a huge shock.”
“That’s really sweet and I’m glad that you’re taking it well, but I’m still a little…” She waved her hands in uneven circles until one of them came to rest on her forehead. “We’re married! What are we going to do?”
Chris searched her face. Unable to discern her feeling about the matter beyond her obvious confusion, he offered the most logical answer. “Be married?”
She gave him a disbelieving look. “Chris, I was having trouble with our courtship. Now I’m supposed to be fine with our marriage? That isn’t going to happen. I’m not even close to being ready for this.”
“You were ready five years ago. What’s so different now?”
“I’m different. I grew up. So did you.”
He frowned and glanced away. “Yeah, that’s what you said in your letter—that we’d ‘outgrown each other and we’re no longer suited.’ I thought that was just an excuse.”
“It was, back then.”
“And it isn’t now?”
“Why would it be?”
He stood. “Because it’s the same thing with you over and over. You let me get close to you. You let me marry you. Then you push me away for any and every trumped-up reason you can find.”
“These are not trumped-up reasons, Chris. The fact that you can’t see that is concerning.”
Chris could see his future playing out before his eyes. It wasn’t at all as he’d hoped or imagined it. Marriage was supposed to mean safety, be a resting place that would bring healing to his broken heart. Instead, it promised the opposite. A lifetime of courting a woman who would constantly reject him, pushing him away any time he got too close for her liking, breaking his heart a little more each year. That didn’t change the fact that he felt honor-bound and determined to honor his marriage vows. It only meant there was nothing he could do about it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Adelaide jumped when the sound of the hotel’s screen door slapping shut cut through the silence. Chris turned to greet Mr. Bradley. The man gave them a regretful smile. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Y’all are welcome to stay for a while longer. I just wanted to let y’all know that I’m going to have to open up the garden to the hotel guests now. So if you see other people wandering through, that’s why.”
Chris offered the man a handshake. “We were just about to head out. Thank you for arranging all of this for us. Your staff did a wonderful job.”
“I did. Everything was perfect.” At least, it had been until the last few minutes. She might not have been able to shake the tension that had been coursing through her body since her mother’s revelation, but Chris had been so engaging during dinner that she’d managed to forget her troubles for a little while. She slid a glance toward him, but he was busy staring at the concrete tiles that made up the hotel’s patio.
Mr. Bradley nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. Well, you two have a good rest of the night.”
She gave him a little wave as he walked away. Suddenly realizing how tired the day had made her, she released a weary sigh. “I’d like to go home now, Chris.”
“I’ll take you.” He swept a hand toward the hotel. She followed him out to the buggy. They had a lot to talk about and work through, but the ride was a quiet one until they passed the newspaper office. Even then, Chris only spoke to comment on the lamplight seeping through the curtains. “Should we go in and turn it off? The last thing this town needs is another fire.”
“No. It’s probably Everett. He often stays at the office late. He must have gone back in to work on something after he dropped me off at the hotel.”
Chris turned into her neighborhood. “Look, I know we need to talk and figure out this marriage business. We’ll probably be more clearheaded once we’ve slept on it. I’ll call on you in a day or so. We’ll talk about it then.”
She didn’t tell him she’d already slept on it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been nearly as calm. It was only fair that he have time to think about it, too.
Ever the gentleman despite their disagreement, Chris walked Adelaide to the door. Everett opened it for them, looking every bit as worried as he had when he’d dropped Adelaide off. “How did it go?”
“It was…” Adelaide began, then paused. “Wait. I thought you were at the Herald office.”
“Why?”
“When we drove by, there was a lamp on inside,” Chris said. “I can turn it off for you when I return my buggy to the livery. You’ve got to be careful about that, though. The town’s been wary of fires since that last one.”
“I haven’t been in there this evening, and I certainly wouldn’t have left a lamp on around all the paper that recently arrived. You saw it just now?” At their nods, he stepped inside and grabbed his boots. “Someone is in there who shouldn’t be. Chris, can you take the buggy to notify the sheriff or the deputy? I’ll meet y’all at the Herald.”
“Wait!” Adelaide said in time to keep both men from rushing in different directions. “What do I do?”
In tandem, they both said. “Stay here.”
Everett added, “Lock the door. Keep your gun handy.”
Chris gave him a disbelieving look. “You gave her a gun?”
“I know how to shoot it,” she said while Everett grabbed the rifle from over the interior threshold. “I should come with y’all.”
Everett shook his head. “We don’t have time to waste arguing. Do as I say.”
She followed them down the path. “What if it’s a plot to lure y’all away from the house so that they can snatch me again?”
The men exchanged a look. Chris frowned. “You know she’s only saying that to come along.”
“Yes, but she’s right that it’s a possibility. Take her with you. I’ll get Rose.”
Adelaide rushed ahead of Chris so that she was waiting in the buggy when he hopped in and set it in motion. He shook his head at her. “Adelaide, you know this isn’t one of your stories, don’t you?”
“I know. I could be in real danger. That’s why I have a real gun.” She pulled it from her boot to show him.
“That’s been there the whole time? You could have shot off your foot.”
“It isn’t loaded…yet.” She emptied the bullets from her pockets and loaded the derringer while Chris muttered beneath his breath. She caught the words “trigger happy” but ignored the rest. By the time they convened outside the newspaper office with the sheriff, the interior appeared to be totally dark. Sean went inside to check it out first. The lamp flickered to life again. Sean appeared at the door a little while later to wave them in. “I’m afraid whoever did this is long gone.”
“What did they do?” Everett asked.
The second they stepped inside they saw the answer. The place had been trashed. The furniture had been turned over. Much of the upholstery had been slashed. Some of the stuffing had been taken out and scattered across the floor, seemingly along with every piece of paper and book in the office. Through the dark relief of shadows, Adelaide saw a dripping red line on the back wall. She hesitantly stepped closer to it. “What is that?”
Sean moved the pale lamplight closer to illuminate the line, which became part of a letter, then a word. Finally, it revealed the full message that dripped down the wall in rivulets of red. Rose whispered, “‘Leave or she dies.’”
Adelaide shuddered. “She?”
“Adelaide,” Everett said gravely. “The threats specifically target you.”
She swallowed down the bitter taste of fear. “Right. Of course they do. That’s only a little terrifying. We—”
Chris’s hand gave her arm a comforting stroke. She turned to bury her face in his chest. His arms slid around her. “We aren’t going to let anyone harm you. Everett, our wives don’t need to see this. Let’s take them home. We can decide what to do there.”
The ease with which Chris had slipped into the role of husband was unsettling. Still, it somehow gave her the strength to push away from his chest and face the wall once more. She stole one last glance at it before Sean set the lantern on a far table, casting the wall back into shadows.
Everett agreed with Chris’s assessment and led the procession out of the building. They all gathered at the Holdens’ house minutes later. Adelaide took the opportunity to slip upstairs to her room. She leaned back against the door, closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. How was it possible that this was so much scarier than being chloroformed and blindfolded in that closed carriage? Perhaps because this time she was fully aware, fully awake. Besides, this was Peppin—she was supposed to be safe here.
She gave her head a quick shake and straightened her shoulders. She hadn’t given herself over to fear the first time. She wouldn’t do it now. She’d change out of her evening gown into something more practical. After that, she’d go downstairs to contribute to the discussion.
She turned to do just that, but froze at the sight of her bed. The quilt had been pulled back to reveal sheets and pillows drenched in what appeared to be blood. It pooled from the knife that had been plunged into her mattress. Her gasp turned into a scream as she stumbled backward to scramble from the room. The sheriff reached her first. He assessed her with a glance. “Is there an intruder in the house?”
“I don’t know.”
He stepped past her into the bedroom with his gun at the ready.
Chris caught her arms, looking her over for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
“No. Just scared.”
Everett placed a hand on her back. “What happened?”
Sean appeared at the door. “The intruder must have doubled back here while we were inspecting the newspaper office. This room is clear. I’m going to check the rest of the house. Stay in this area until I’m done.”
Chris released her and stepped inside her room with Everett on his heels. Adelaide swayed a little without their support until Rose put an arm around her waist. “Take a deep breath, Adelaide.”
After obeying her mother, she rubbed her hand against her temple. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have screamed like that.”
Everett stepped into the hallway. “Yes, you should have. Rose…” Everett tipped his head toward the room to tell her to take a look. Despite his protests, Adelaide entered the room, as well. Chris turned from studying the scene and she walked into h
is arms as naturally as he opened them to her. It was only then that she realized she’d reentered the room expressly for this purpose. Keeping hold of her hands, he stepped back to meet her gaze with determination filling his. “You aren’t safe here. I’m taking you home with me.”
She pulled away from him and crossed the room to peer out the window into the darkness. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t go with him. She knew that if she did, she wouldn’t be returning to her family’s house. In her fear and vulnerability, she’d let him convince her that her place was with him as his wife in the apartment he’d prepared for her. Eventually, she’d let him into her heart completely. Her love for him would consume her. Then, one day, he’d betray her just as her father had with his women and the way her mother had by concealing the truth.
Sean’s reflection strode across the window’s glass as he stepped into the room. “I’ve been through the entire house and the yard. Nothing else seems disturbed, but I’d like y’all to make sure of that by walking through yourselves. I can’t find a point of entry. Does anyone remember leaving a door unlocked?”
“I locked the front door on my way out,” Rose said. “Everything else should have been locked, as well.”
“Then the intruder must have had a key.”
Adelaide sank down to sit on the window bench as Chris, her parents and the sheriff discussed how that might be possible. She couldn’t quite get herself to focus on the conversation until it turned to what they were going to do about the situation. It was then that Adelaide realized Chris had taken her silence for acquiescence to returning to his apartment with him. Rose must have realized the same thing because she sent Adelaide an alarmed look before saying, “Hold on, Chris. I don’t believe Adelaide’s agreed to that plan yet.”
Catching his inquiring gaze, Adelaide lifted her chin. “I haven’t. I know your apartment is probably the safest place for me, but I still don’t think it’s a good idea. It wouldn’t look right. No one in town knows we’re married besides the sheriff, whom I reckon is pretty confused by all of this.”
