The Cold Wife

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Chapter Four

  The next morning, Carrie dressed in her favorite pink dress and pulled her hair back with a pink ribbon. She wanted to look as nice as possible when she saw Harrison. She went out for a walk to Harrison’s house after she got her measurements done for her wedding dress. She could only hope she wouldn’t need to wear it. She was on her way to the florist to select the flowers for the ceremony. She wondered why Justin felt it necessary to give her so many tasks. She also had to choose the colors, the decorations and the music. She was so exhausted from all the running around she was doing that she barely had time to think of how much she was dreading the marriage.

  One look at the wedding gowns surrounding her in Mrs. Parker’s shop reminded her that time was quickly running out and if she wished to get out of this marriage, she had to talk to Harrison. When she arrived at Harrison’s house, her pulse was racing. Harrison did seem to care for her. They weren’t close but she had spent more time with him than she had with Justin.

  His butler answered the door. “Good afternoon, Miss Allen. How may I help you?”

  “Good afternoon,” she greeted, aware that her voice slightly shook, betraying her anxiety. “I would like to speak with Mr. Grant.”

  “I will see if he is available. Would you like to come in and wait in the parlor?”

  She shook her head. “No thank you. I will wait here.”

  “As you wish.” The butler left the door slightly open while he went to get Harrison.

  She turned around and examined her surroundings. She was used to living in the wealthy section of town. She didn’t understand how her life would change if she were to live without the comforts of wealth. Certainly, it would be preferable to go without riches than to live with Mr. Monroe.

  The butler returned to the door. “He will be with you shortly.”

  She thanked him and sat on the chair on the porch. It was early afternoon. A couple of women walked down the street but no one paid her any mind. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She was still upset that Justin didn’t take the time to listen to her the night before. A business meeting took precedence over her? She suddenly realized that Justin’s opinion of her was poor. She was no more than a means to an end. Married men often fared better in the business world since they were viewed as more stable and loyal than the single men. Justin was merely out to make himself more appealing as a businessman. He had no personal interest in her.

  She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to bring up their honeymoon or dancing. As if she had any desire to touch a man who only valued her for what she could do for him! He had a lot of nerve. He never once approached her all the years that he and her brother talked at dinner parties. Then last night, he was acting as if he was happy to be with her. It made her sick to her stomach. He only acted interested in her because he was expected to. He was in front of their family and friends, so he had to put on the mask of being a devoted fiancé. She was sure that he would put the same mask on in public after they married as well. She couldn’t tolerate such a show. She refused to play into his game, which was why she had rested in his guest bedroom upstairs.

  She was shocked to see that every guest bedroom had a theme to it. One bedroom looked like it came out of the European medieval time period. The second one looked like it belonged to the Roman Empire. The third one was reminiscent of Ancient Egypt. The fourth one was decorated with artifacts from a Chinese Dynasty. The fifth one looked like it belonged to the Viking time period. She wondered what his bedroom’s theme was. His bedroom door had been shut. She sighed. She didn’t care. She prayed that she would never find out.

  The maid had led her to the Roman bedroom. She didn’t bother to lie down. Instead, she paced back and forth and practiced her speech. “Mr. Monroe,” she would begin, “this marriage cannot happen. Surely, you can understand that since we don’t know each other, this arrangement won’t work. I don’t love you and you don’t love me. I am perfectly content with finding employment to support myself. You are free to find a woman you will care for who will care for you in return. I thank you for your kindness. Good evening, sir, and have a nice life.”

  Except, she hadn’t been able to give her speech because he had to magically run off to business as soon as she appeared on the steps. The timing was downright suspicious. Were her father and his uncle purposely trying to separate them so that she didn’t have the chance to voice her thoughts to him? When she ventured by his house that morning, he was at his office. Even there, he was engaged in an important meeting that couldn’t be interrupted. “This afternoon, he will be getting his tuxedo fitted,” the receptionist informed her at the firm. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but his schedule is booked.” Despite her protests that she was supposed to marry him, the receptionist remained firm in his decision to forbid her to see him.

  This led her to her final plan, so she walked to Harrison’s residence. She was relieved that he, at least, had the time to speak with her.

  When he came to the front door, she stood up. She couldn’t tell if he was happy to see her or not. He didn’t greet her with his usual smile.

  “Good afternoon, Harrison,” she said. “Would you care to go for a walk?”

  He hesitated but finally nodded. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to come by and explain things or not.” He closed the door behind him and walked with her down the street.

  “I don’t want to marry Mr. Monroe,” she told him.

  “I know you don’t,” Harrison softly replied. “I heard that your father and his uncle arranged the marriage.”

  “Yes. I was not consulted before they did it.” She took a deep breath to settle her nerves. “I know we haven’t had time to actually go to any social functions together, but I was wondering if you would consider marrying me so I don’t have to marry Mr. Monroe.”

  He stopped walking and turned to face her.

  She immediately stopped so she could look at him.

  “I didn’t realize what your intention was when I left the house,” he slowly admitted.

  She shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “I don’t wish to put you in an uncomfortable position, but considering my wedding is tomorrow, I don’t have a choice.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, Carrie. Your father did come to my father about a marriage between us, but my father doesn’t want me to marry someone who won’t bring any money into the marriage.”

  Her heart pounded nervously in her chest. She wasn’t sure if this conversation was going positively or not. “But if you are willing to marry me, then we can elope and live somewhere else. I’d be willing to leave everyone behind for you.”

  He looked sadly at her. “It’s not meant to be.”

  Time stood still for a moment while she struggled to make sense of what he just told her.

  “I like you,” he began. “You’re a great person, but I’m the only son and the only one who can take over my father’s business when he retires. It would kill him if I left it to marry you.”

  She sighed, trying not to let her despair show. She couldn’t expect him to leave everything he knew behind just so he could run off with her and be her husband. “I understand,” she finally replied. “Thank you for your time. I will not bother you anymore.” She turned from him and walked away.

  “I’m sorry,” he called out.

  She didn’t bother to respond to him. She simply kept walking. Tears formed in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. The very next day was her wedding day and it didn’t look like there was anything she could do to stop it. She was about to be forced into a life of misery with a man who was not only dull and didn’t care anything about her but wanted to improve his clientele. Is that all I’m good for? Helping a man make a good impression for the sake of his business? Am I not worth more than that?

  ***

  That evening, Carrie saw her father packing his things in the den. He was selling most of his items. She sighed and walked over to him.

  He smiled
when he saw her. “Hello, my dear.”

  She didn’t return his smile. Instead she asked, “Father, can’t you reconsider this marriage and let me be on my own? I am old enough to take care of myself.”

  He stopped putting his books in a box and led her over to the couch where he sat next to her. “Carrie, I have something to tell you. I wasn’t going to mention this until after the wedding, but I’m no good at keeping secrets from you.”

  “What is it?”

  “My reputation has been destroyed. I won’t be able to find employment here. I have to move somewhere else. I have discovered that there are many opportunities out west. Therefore, I will be going to Oregon.”

  “What?” She felt as if her entire world was spinning out of control.

  He took her hands in his and looked sorrowfully at her. “I can’t recover from this, honey. I don’t have a choice if I wish to continue with my job. Since your mother is gone, my work is all I have left.”

  “What about me?”

  “You are very important to me. You know that. But it’s time you had your own family.”

  She shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes.

  He sighed. “Do you feel that I have made a bad choice in who’s to be your husband?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t need a husband to be happy. I can be content to live by myself. I could even live with you, as I do now. I would be willing to move with you. I could take care of you. I know your back hurts sometimes. I have experience with caring for the elderly in the nursing home.”

  “I remember what happened when your friend Nicole got married two years ago before she moved to Maine with her husband. You came to me and cried that you feared you would never marry. You don’t want to be alone for the rest of your life. You are already twenty-four. I can’t remember you ever being courted.”

  “Perhaps I am not meant to be married. Maybe I am meant to be single.”

  “You long for a husband and children. Justin will be good for you.”

  “Justin only wants a wife to make him look good to his business clients.”

  He smiled at her. “I saw his face last night. He’s in love with you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t know me. He can’t love me.”

  “Well, he certainly is eager to know you.”

  “Which is why he ran off to a business meeting before he could talk to me.”

  “That was a very important meeting he went to. His uncle’s firm is going to face some difficulty in the next few weeks. You must be prepared for a lot of meetings. He won’t have a choice unless he’s willing to lose everything. You have to realize that how he feels about you doesn’t change just because he has to go to business meetings.”

  She shook her head. “You are determined that this marriage will occur.”

  “I honestly believe that Justin will make you very happy. I know you think he’s boring, but wait until you get to know him. He actually has a great sense of humor. Only, he doesn’t get to show it much because of the line of work he’s in. I suspect you will be as good for him as he will be for you.”

  She seriously doubted that she could ever have any fun with the man but knew it was pointless to tell her father that.

  He patted her hand. “Someday, you’ll thank me for insisting on this course of action. If you want my personal opinion, he is a better man than Harrison Grant. After getting to talk to Justin last night, I am relieved Mr. Grant didn’t allow the marriage between you and his son. Justin cares about you, but Harrison only cares for himself.”

  She knew when it was time to give up, so she went to her bedroom and spent the rest of the night crying. She refused to see anyone. She finally fell asleep during the early morning hours, but she didn’t sleep long. The knocking at her door around seven notified her that her day of doom had arrived. In four short hours, she would be Mrs. Monroe. She could barely tolerate the thought. The more other people kept insisting that Justin was a wonderful man, the more she detested him.

  She secretly agreed with her father on his analysis of Harrison though. He obviously thought working at his father’s business was more important than her. The realization suddenly dawned on her that he shouldn’t have known about her father’s lack of money. Only a select few knew about it. He wasn’t supposed to be one of them. How does he know about the bankruptcy?

  Chapter Five

  Carrie mindlessly went to the church where Mrs. Parker helped her put on her wedding gown and made some last minute alterations. The white dress had long sleeves, a heart-shaped neckline and a pearl flower design in the front. The pearls on the dress matched her pearl necklace and earrings. Carrie thought it was pointless to be so particular about a wedding gown. Why spend so much time fussing over a dress that is only worn once?

  Mary, her maid of honor, smiled. “You look splendid.”

  “I have yet to see an ugly bride,” Mrs. Parker added. “Though I confess you are more attractive than some women I have worked with.”

  Carrie decided not to respond. Instead, she waited until Mrs. Parker was done before turning her attention to her best friend. Julie was her bridesmaid, but she hadn’t shown up yet. There was still another hour before the ceremony, so Carrie wasn’t concerned.

  Once Mrs. Parker left, Carrie finally got a chance to talk to Mary alone. She quickly sat at the small table in the bridal chamber and wrote Justin a note, asking him to call off the wedding since she didn’t wish to marry him. She turned to her best friend. “Will you send this to Mr. Monroe?”

  Mary frowned. “I don’t know if calling off the wedding is a good idea, Carrie. I’ve thought about it and I think he’ll be a good husband to you.”

  She groaned. “Not you too!”

  She shrugged. “I can’t explain it but I don’t think he’s as boring as you fear. I had time to watch him at the engagement party, and I saw the way he looked at you. He loves you, and he’s willing to marry you even though you’re poor. I believe you will be very happy with him, though it won’t seem so at first.”

  “What is wrong with everyone? Am I the only one who sees how wrong we are for each other?”

  “Apparently.”

  She shook her head. “Obviously, the insanity is spreading.”

  Mary laughed. “Is that what it is? If insanity is wanting my friend to be happily married to a man who’ll adore her, then I confess that I am insane.”

  Carrie ignored her as she stood up and left the room with the note.

  Her friend ran after her. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” She reached for her arm and stopped her. “Carrie, don’t be rash. Seriously, he isn’t that dull. He laughs a lot and has enthusiasm for life. I didn’t notice this until I watched him on Thursday evening. I misjudged him because he doesn’t stand out in a crowded room. And if you take the time to actually look at him, you’ll find that he’s attractive.”

  “Since you think so well of him, why don’t you marry him? I’ll be glad to let you take my place.”

  “No. He’s not for me. He’s for you.”

  “See? Even you wouldn’t marry him.”

  “He cares for you in a way he doesn’t care for me. I’m not the one he wants.”

  “So it’s all about what he wants? What I want doesn’t matter?”

  “You are being unnecessarily stubborn. Do you honestly think Harrison would make a better match?”

  “No. Harrison puts money before me. He would make a dreadful husband.”

  “Then be grateful that you get to be with Justin instead.”

  “Justin’s not any better. His big concern is looking good for his clients. The only thing I will be is a doll he can put on display.”

  “You have no idea how wrong you are, and until you’re married to him, you won’t know the truth.”

  Carrie decided that she had heard enough. She shook her friend’s hand off of her arm. She marched across the entryway, ignoring the startled looks from the guests, and went straight to the groom’s chambe
r. She loudly knocked on the door.

  Her brother opened it. He looked shocked to see her. “Carrie, you shouldn’t be here. You know it’s bad luck for the bride to see the groom before the wedding.”

  “This wedding is a big mistake and we both know it. I need to speak to Mr. Monroe at once,” she demanded.

  “You can’t. He’s not here.”

  “What?”

  “He had to take care of some business with a client. He expects to be here five minutes before the ceremony. You won’t have time to talk to him before the wedding. You’ll have to give him a list of your grievances later.”

  “How convenient it is for him to be unavailable so often,” she snapped. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was a ploy to make sure I’d have to go through with the marriage.” She crossed her arms and glared at him.

  “Come on, Carrie. Don’t look at me like that.”

  She stood still.

  Mary ran over to them. “I’m sorry, Mr. Allen. I tried to stop her.”

  He smiled at her. “You can call me Brad. We’ve known each other long enough. There’s no need to worry about my sister. Justin isn’t here so she can’t talk him out of marrying her.”

  “This was done on purpose, wasn’t it?” Carrie asked.

  He shrugged. “There might have been some concern that you would resort to harassing him before the wedding.”

  “Harassing?”

  “Certainly. You’ll break his heart if you don’t marry him.”

  She stomped her foot on the ground. “Doesn’t anyone care about my feelings?”

  “Of course, we do,” Mary gently insisted. “That’s why we want to see you with him.”

  “I refuse to go through with this!” She ran to the entrance.

  They gasped and chased her.

  Brad managed to jump in front of her as she reached the doorway but she quickly darted around him and left the church.

  “You’re getting the hem of the dress dirty!” Mrs. Parker protested when she saw her run down the steps.

  Dirt was the least of her concerns, so she ran right past the seamstress.