Bluebonnet Bride

by Colleen Coble

  “I know the Russian ambassador. Finland is a Russian province. He might be able to make some inquiries. Unfortunately, it might take some time.”

  Nathan knew very little of the politics of the region. “Of course. And I appreciate anything you can do.”

  “Are you sure the house is stout enough? How did the scoundrel get in?”

  “Through the bedroom window.”

  Marshall extended his hand. “Well, I’ll be going. I wanted to commend you on the job you’ve been doing so far and tell you if you need to take off a bit of time while your new wife settles in, take it. The last idiot didn’t know a thing about what was done here. On my way out of town, I’ll arrange for bars to be put on the windows.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  When the door closed behind the senator, Nathan stepped to the window. Though he’d made sure the doors and windows were securely locked, he was uneasy leaving Elli alone. She’d promised to run to the nearest neighbor’s if she felt endangered at all. And surely no one would be bold enough to break in during the daylight. There were too many neighbors who would notice.

  When another tap came at his door, he turned, expecting to see Marshall. When the door didn’t open, he frowned. “Come in.”

  A police officer stood in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt you at work, Mr. White. I’m Officer Turley. I have some information about last night’s break-in.”

  He leaped to his feet. “You’ve caught him?”

  Turley’s handlebar mustache quivered. “Not exactly. We found a man matching his description in the lake.”

  It took a moment for the policeman’s words to sink in, and Nathan sagged back to his chair. “Elli’s attacker is dead?”

  “A man matching his description is, anyway.”

  “Drowned?”

  “Dead, but not drowned. He was strangled.”

  “Any identification on him?”

  “Yes, he’s a Finn. Marko Nyland. Twenty-seven. We don’t know much more than that, but we’d like to have your wife come by the morgue to see if he is the same man who attacked her.”

  Nathan winced. “That won’t be pleasant for her.”

  “No, it won’t.” He hesitated. “I noticed your wife had an accent. What is her nationality?”

  “Finnish.” Nathan saw the man’s expression change. “She didn’t recognize the man.”

  “Perhaps not, but it’s odd they would be the same nationality. One we don’t see here often. How long has she been in America?”

  “She arrived by boat earlier this week. But she traveled by train to Austin yesterday. We were married that very day.”

  Officer Turley lifted a brown brow. “Do you know your wife well, Mr. White?”

  “We met yesterday for the first time.” He’d have to tell the man something. Otherwise he would assume Elli was involved in something unsavory. “After the police left last night, she told me her father was murdered, and she came here to escape his killer. But the man who attacked her was not the neighbor who had her father killed.”

  The man’s brown eyes hardened, and he stared at Nathan for a moment. “I think I’d better hear more of this story directly from your wife. Now.”

  Nathan hesitated. He didn’t want to get a reputation for shirking his duty, but Mr. Marshall would understand. “Very well. She has to identify the man anyway. But my employer tells me other foremen have had their families attacked by labor-union members. Could that be what’s happening here?”

  The officer’s burly head swung toward the window, then back again. “There’s one guy we’ve had trouble with. I can check it out. But I really need to speak to your wife.”

  Nathan nodded. “We’ll go now.”

  FOUR

  With Hannah by the hand, Elli walked through the small yard surrounding her new home. The house didn’t appear to be more than five years old. The other homes on the street were about the same size and style.

  They wandered through the backyard. The long grass dampened the hem of her skirt, but a small building at the back of the property caught her eye, and she headed for it. The wooden siding appeared new, and the door opened without a sound. She gasped when she saw the interior. Benches lined the back wall, and a small sauna stove occupied one corner.

  “Uncle Nathan builded it,” Hannah said. “So you would feel at home. And there’s a garden shed attached. He plowed up your garden too.”

  Elli’s throat tightened. “He is very thoughtful.” It had taken time to find the necessary sauna stove. Time to build the structure and the benches. She touched the smooth boards covering the inside of the building. It hadn’t been inexpensive either. She would have a sauna tonight. Why hadn’t he mentioned it last night? Too late?

  This one kind deed showed her she’d married a good man.

  She led Hannah to the back door. “I had better get started on the laundry.” Everything she’d brought with her on the ship needed washing. She’d already sorted it with Hannah’s “help,” but she had been unsure how to use the monstrous white wringer washer in the corner. She knelt to load the tub. She’d already located the washing powder. At least a washing board hung on the wall back here, and a galvanized tub leaned into the other corner. If she couldn’t use the fancy washing machine, she could wash her clothes the old-fashioned way.

  Elli turned at a knock on the back door. A young woman, a pie in her hands, smiled through the glass at her. In the instant before Elli threw open the door, she registered the woman’s gleaming brown hair, ruddy cheeks, and stylish blue dress. With the door open, she caught the aroma of apples.

  The woman’s smile broadened. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I’m Abby Becker from next door. I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

  “How lovely. I am Elli Korpela—I mean White. Come in.” She stepped out of the way and picked up Hannah who was hiding her face in Elli’s skirt. “I am sorry for the disarray.” She led her into the kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the clean windows, and Elli gestured to the table. “Let’s cut the pie and share it.”

  “Oh no, it’s for you and your little girl. I have more at home.” Abby set the pie on the table and glanced around. “You’ve got a coal stove. I’ve wanted one for a long time, but my father seems to think the old woodstove is just fine. I love your accent. Where are you from?”

  Elli struggled to follow the young woman’s stream of words. “Finland.”

  “Finland, how exotic. Did you just arrive in the States?”

  Abby seemed determined to pry out any information she could in two minutes. Still, Elli warmed to the neighbor’s open manner. “Would you like some tea in the parlor?”

  “Tea would be lovely. But we can stay in the kitchen. I believe we’ll be friends.” Abby pulled out a chair at the table and settled in it. She smiled at Hannah and held out her hand. “What’s your name, honey?” Hannah buried her face in Elli’s shoulder. “That’s an interesting dolly you have there. You must be shy.” She smiled up at Elli. “You didn’t say when you arrived here, but your English is excellent so you have probably been here awhile.”

  “I . . . I came over on the Baltic a few days ago.” Elli shifted Hannah to the other hip and turned to set the kettle on the heat. When she turned back around, she faced Abby’s frank stare.

  “The Baltic. You were one of the mail-order brides from Europe? I read about it in the newspaper. Wasn’t that terrifying to come here all alone to marry a man you didn’t know?”

  Elli blinked at the way Abby didn’t give her a chance to respond to the first question. Of course it would have been in the paper. She shouldn’t have mentioned the name of the ship. “My husband is very kind.”

  “Did you know anything at all about him before you met him?”

  “I had his initial letter detailing he needed a wife because he had a child to raise.”

  Abby’s gaze sharpened. “So Hannah isn’t yours.”

  Were all Americans so nosy? Elli was used to her own people who would never dream
of asking so many questions on a first meeting. “Hannah is mine now.” She smiled and patted the child’s back.

  “Of course. Well, I hope we can be friends, Elli. If there’s anything I can do to help you adjust, I’m happy to assist. You’re an interesting woman.”

  Elli hid a smile. How would Abby know such a thing? She hadn’t allowed Elli to say much. “Are you married, Abby?”

  Abby shook her head. “I live with my father and two brothers. Mama died five years ago, so of course they need me.” Her laugh held a touch of exasperation. “I know I’m talking too much, but my menfolk are the kind who come home, shovel food into their mouths, then disappear into the workshop. All the neighbors along the street are older and think I’m a flibbertigibbet. It’s nice to have someone my own age right next door.”

  Elli’s discomfort vanished. No wonder Abby talked so much. It sounded like she needed a friend. And so did Elli.

  Nathan hated to see the panic in Elli’s face. She sat on the sofa with her hands folded in her lap and listened to Turley recount what he’d found. Hannah was napping when he arrived with the policeman, so at least she didn’t have to be frightened by the serious faces all around.

  Officer Turley took out a pencil and notebook. “Your husband told me about your father’s murder.”

  Nathan turned to Elli. “Once he knew you were Finnish, Officer Turley wondered if the man they discovered might be connected to you.”

  “Did you notice this man aboard the ship?” Turley asked.

  Elli stared at her hands. “No. It was mostly women except for the crew.”

  “And you’re sure he wasn’t among the crew?”

  “Not completely sure. I doubt I saw everyone who worked on the Baltic.”

  Nathan moved over to sit beside her. If he knew the gesture would be welcome, he would have taken her hand. “How easily could Laine have discovered where you went?”

  She glanced up and fixed fearful blue eyes on him. “My maid knew where I was headed. I hated to leave her, but what choice did I have? If he got that information out of her, he might have discovered which ship I took.”

  “Was it common knowledge what kind of passengers the ship carried?” Turley asked.

  Her cheeks paled. “You mean brides for the New World?”

  He nodded.

  “It was in the newspapers and was a subject in parlors and drawing rooms for months before she sailed.”

  Turley wrote on his paper. “So he would have had no trouble discovering you went to New York. He would have had to have someone follow you to discover your final destination.”

  She looked back down at her hands silently. Nathan’s gaze roved over her slim form, her perfectly chiseled nose and chin, her fair complexion. How had he ended up with such a beautiful bride? He’d assumed all the women arriving would be homely. He hadn’t thought he cared as long as Hannah was well cared for, but he found himself wanting to look at Elli all the time.

  She stared across the room at the detective where he sat in the armchair. “I had Nathan’s letter in my dresser. I’ve looked for it in my things, but I cannot find it. It didn’t seem like a problem at first since I had memorized it, but Laine could have bribed a servant to steal it. Nathan’s address was on the envelope.”

  She’d memorized his letter? He tried to put himself in her place—alone and so frightened she had to throw herself on the possible kindness of a stranger. What if a different kind of man awaited her? One who might have hurt her?

  “But you came here right away.” Turley glanced at Nathan. “So someone followed you here.”

  Elli shook her head. “Or he knew where I was coming and sent someone to find out the plans after I arrived.”

  Nathan nodded. “Lily talked incessantly about the wedding to anyone who would listen. The entire city probably knew of our plans.”

  Her hand crept into his, and he wrapped his fingers around her slim fingers. God had brought them together. It was his responsibility to care for her. “Or this had nothing to do with Laine. He might just have been glad to get rid of you.” He told her about the labor problems.

  Color sprang back to her cheeks, and her eyes brightened. “Nathan, I surely don’t want any trouble for you, but I’d rather believe the attack had to do with the quarry than to imagine I’ve put you at risk by coming here.”

  “Even if it’s a labor problem, you would be wise to take note of your surroundings,” Turley said.

  She hugged herself and shrank back against the sofa. “I’ll be careful.”

  Turley rose and hitched up his pants. “I need you to come to the morgue with me and see if the deceased was your attacker.”

  Her eyes widened. “Must I?” She looked up at Nathan with an appealing gaze.

  He squeezed her fingers. “I’m afraid so. You’re the only one who can identify him. I’ll be with you though.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want Hannah to have to see something like that.”

  Her concern for his niece touched him. “Perhaps someone at the station can look after her for a few moments while we go in together.”

  Hannah called to him from the other room. Their voices must have awakened her. Elli rose with a swish of her skirts and hurried from the room.

  Nathan stood to join the policeman. “Who is the troublemaker at the quarry? I’d like to keep an eye out for him.”

  “Jason Thatcher. Big fellow. Bald on top and always wears a Cincinnati Reds cap.”

  Nathan nodded. “I’ve seen him, mostly just taking breaks. I had to speak to him first thing this morning to get him back to work.”

  “How did he take it?”

  Nathan thought back. “I think he may have made a rude gesture when I walked away. I heard his friends laughing and egging him on.”

  “I’ve had him in jail for vandalism several times. He’s a brute.”

  “I’m going to check our records and see if Marko Nyland was ever employed at the quarry. The two could have become acquainted.”

  Turley fingered his mustache. “We’re checking to see how long he’s been in the area too. Let me know what you find out from your records.”

  Elli returned with Hannah by the hand. Dread filled Elli’s face, and Nathan wished he could spare her the next hour. He took her hand and led her to the door.

  FIVE

  The cold room reeked, and the hard floor under her feet almost seemed to push her toward the shrouded body on the gurney. Lights cast a harsh glare on the stark scene.

  Nathan’s hand circled hers in a comforting grip, and he drew her closer to the corpse. Thankfully, a nurse offered to keep Hannah for a few minutes. Elli didn’t know what she would have done if she had had to do this without Nathan’s steady presence.

  She shuddered when Turley pulled back the sheet to reveal the ashen face of a dead man. “It’s him.” She turned and buried her face in Nathan’s shirt. The fresh scent of laundry soap obscured the morgue’s odor for a moment. Though it was some relief to know her attacker was dead, the menace still felt real. She could still feel the man’s hands around her throat.

  “Thank you,” Turley said from behind her. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Nathan kept his arm around her and steered her quickly from the cavernous room. She drew in a few cleansing breaths as soon as they were in the hall, painted a sickly shade of green.

  Turley opened the door to a small room in the hall. “One of my detectives gathered more information on Nyland.”

  Nathan guided her to a chair with a cracked leather seat, then stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. It was the only chair in the sparse room dominated by musty smelling boxes. “What did you discover?”

  Turley pulled a paper from his pocket and unfolded it. “He’s been in the U.S. for two years. Been in and out of jail for a variety of petty offenses like pickpocketing and vandalism. Unmarried. I’d guess he never worked for the quarry, Mr. White, since there’s no record of him holding down a job.”

  Nathan�
�s fingers tightened on her shoulders. “Did he know Thatcher?”

  “They were seen drinking together at the Thirsty Pig last week. It’s enough evidence for me to bring Thatcher in for questioning. I’m going to do that as soon as I leave here.”

  Elli exhaled and drew in a relieved breath. “Then maybe this will be over soon. I’m so thankful it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Laine.”

  “I’m not ready to say this has nothing to do with your previous problem. The fact Nyland is Finnish is worrisome. I still advise caution, Mrs. White.” Turley shuffled toward the door. “Take a moment to compose yourself. I apologize for the upset. I’ll report my findings in the morning.” He exited the room and shut the door behind him.

  She rose and turned toward the door too. “I should get Hannah home. It’s time for her lunch, and I’m sure she’s hungry.” Nathan’s green eyes held her transfixed. The softness and approval brought a lump to her throat. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “You already put Hannah first. She’s gone through so much and needs a mother’s love.”

  “She’s easy to love, Mr. White.”

  “Please, Elli, call me Nathan. I am your husband, after all.”

  Husband. The realization kept hitting her in the face. She’d pledged herself to this man, and she still wasn’t sure how to go about building a life with him. Yet she knew God had put her here. Nathan had been through so much in his life. Could she soothe away that hurt? Could they ever be a real family?

  She so desperately wanted a place to belong. To feel like she mattered and was special to someone. A purpose. She could find fulfillment in being Hannah’s mother, but the little one would grow up much too soon. Was a real life with Nathan too much to dream of?

  He opened the door, and she followed him out. Hannah ran to her, and she knelt to hug the little girl. “Hey, dear one, are you hungry?”

  “Can I have ice cream?”

  She laughed and hugged Hannah again. “How about buttered beets and applesauce? And we can bake pulla this afternoon.”