The Perfect Wife

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Good. Maybe nothing would come of it. He couldn’t be sure what to expect, but it was possible that she might see something that would make her believe he had a reason to be concerned.

  “Are you ready to go back in there and watch the rest of the opera?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yes. I’m all done coughing.”

  With a smile, she slipped her arm around his, and they returned to their seats.

  Chapter Twelve

  Natalie felt silly paying such close attention to Kenneth, but since Mark seemed so worried about him, the least she could do was give his warning some consideration. As he had pointed out, he had been right about Velma and Tony. He just might be right about this, too.

  During dinner, she kept glancing Kenneth’s way, hoping she wasn’t being obvious. It helped that she had to look over at Mark to make sure she was using the right utensil, holding it right, and eating properly. After having tea with the other women, she realized there was a certain order to eating and drinking in a public place. The last thing she wanted to do was give Fran a reason to correct her again.

  Fran, as it turned out, was sitting next to Katherine and Janet, which happened to be further down the table. Fran probably wouldn’t call out the things Natalie was doing wrong during the meal, but she might come up to her later. Natalie didn’t want to be alone with her. Ever. She didn’t like the way Fran had smiled at her during the tea. It reminded Natalie of a cat playing with a mouse, and, unfortunately, Natalie was the mouse.

  At the moment, Fran was laughing at something Katherine was saying. Not far from Fran were Annabelle and Kenneth. Annabelle seemed to be having a good time. She was nodding at something Fran was saying, and at one point, she glanced over at Kenneth and blushed.

  Natalie frowned. Kenneth was leaning toward Annabelle, and while Annabelle didn’t mind, the way he was leaning toward her struck Natalie as odd, especially considering the fact that they hadn’t known each other that long. Could it be that Kenneth was trying too hard? And if he was trying too hard…why was he doing that?

  After the meal, everyone went to a large ballroom. Natalie knew that sooner or later, she’d have to dance the kind of dances wealthy people enjoyed, but she was hoping she could use watching Kenneth as an excuse to get out of it. So after telling Mark she was going to keep an eye on him, she stayed to the edge of the room. She hadn’t thought Mark would protest since he was concerned about Kenneth, and she’d been right. He’d been more than happy to let her fade into the background. The background, after all, was the best place to hide.

  Fortunately, she knew how to be inconspicuous. She’d learned to do that when she’d had to sneak up on a chicken so her family could eat it or to figure out where a mouse was hiding whenever one found its way into the house.

  She passed by a couple of men who were talking and exchanged quick pleasantries with them before she finally got to the part of the room that allowed her a good vantage point so she could see Kenneth and Annabelle without someone else getting in the way. It was surprising he hadn’t left her side all evening. The other men hadn’t stuck by the women they had escorted for the evening. They were mingling with other people.

  Natalie’s gaze went to Mark, who was on the other side of the room. At the moment, he was talking to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon. One would never know he was fretting over Annabelle just by looking at him. He seemed as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  She turned her attention back to Kenneth. He led Annabelle to the dance floor. Mark had mentioned the waltz, and if Natalie guessed right that was the kind of dance they were doing. At least watching them would give her a good idea of what to do if it came time for her to dance.

  Natalie alternated between watching their feet to see how they danced and watching their faces, particularly Kenneth’s. He was attentive to everything Annabelle was saying. Even if she couldn’t make out what they were talking about, she could tell he was interested, or at least pretending to be interested, in the story Annabelle was telling him. He was smiling and nodding, and, from time to time, he offered a word or two in reply.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I offer you a little bitty piece of advice,” someone said from next to her.

  Jerking, Natalie took her attention off of Kenneth and Annabelle and turned to Fran. “Oh hi, Fran.” She cleared her throat. “What is it?”

  “Well,” Fran began as if she dreaded having to come out and say what was on her mind, “I couldn’t help but notice you didn’t like the fish that was served tonight. Is it that you don’t like fish, or did you not find the chef’s job adequate?”

  Her cheeks warmed. Fran had been watching her during the meal? Forcing the uneasy feeling aside, she said, “I don’t care for fish. I wasn’t trying to insult the chef. He did an excellent job.”

  “That’s a relief because I couldn’t be sure. Katherine wants to make sure all of her guests are satisfied.”

  “I am. I have no complaints.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Fran smiled, but Natalie suspected it wasn’t sincere. “I know you’re new to this type of society. Annabelle said you grew up on a farm in Kentucky.”

  Unsure of what she was getting at, Natalie reluctantly nodded. “Yes, that’s true.”

  “Just between us, in the future when you eat something you don’t like, try not to grimace.”

  “I was grimacing?”

  Fran winced. “I’m afraid so. It was obvious you didn’t like the fish.”

  Feeling self-conscious, Natalie scanned the room. How many other people knew?

  “Don’t worry,” Fran hurried to assure her as she placed a hand on her arm. “No one was paying attention to you. I’m probably the only person who noticed.”

  If that was supposed to make her feel better, Fran failed miserably.

  “So,” Fran said as she put her arm back to her side, “how long did you know Mark before you married him?”

  “A couple of months.”

  “Only a couple of months?”

  “Well, I didn’t want to wear out my welcome at his uncle and aunt’s. They were nice enough to let me stay in their home since I had no other place to go.”

  Fran’s eyes grew wide. “Oh! You’re one of the misled mail-order brides I heard about.”

  “I don’t know if I would say ‘misled’. The others and I didn’t realize the man we were coming to marry planned to auction us off.”

  “It sounds like you were misled to me. ‘Misled’ means deceived.”

  When she put it like that, Natalie supposed she was right. Still, there was something about the word ‘misled’ that made her think she was too stupid to know any better than to come out to marry Mr. Dodson.

  “Which uncle and aunt did you stay with?” Fran asked.

  “Owen and Jenny.”

  “They’re quaint. I’ve been out there to visit them a couple of times.”

  “You have?”

  “Sure. Mark and I’ve known each other for years. We even courted for a little while.”

  “You did?” Natalie didn’t like hearing this. She remembered Mark saying something about courting a couple of women. She didn’t realize one of them was friends with his sister.

  “It’s all in the past,” Fran said. “You have nothing to worry about. He married you.” She eyed her up and down in a way that made Natalie feel as if she was trying to figure out exactly why Mark had married her. She smiled again. “I hope everything is going well between you two.”

  Natalie swallowed. Why did her throat suddenly feel dry? “We’re doing fine.”

  “That’s wonderful. You two came from such different worlds. I mean, I know he came from humble beginnings, but he didn’t stay there. You know how much wealth he has. I’m sure it’s quite an adjustment to get used to your new life. Not everyone is suited for it. I knew a young lady who married Wilson McGee. She wasn’t used to this life. Unfortunately, she ended up running back to her parents. It was a scandal for years. However, I’m sure that won’t h
appen to you and Mark.”

  “No, it won’t. When I married Mark, I promised to be with him for the rest of my life.”

  “I’m sure Judy meant that on her wedding day, too. She’s the one who married Wilson.”

  “Well, I’m not Judy.”

  “No one’s saying you are. Just because you and Judy were raised on a farm and came into Omaha as mail-order brides, that doesn’t mean you will react to things the same way.” She snapped her fingers and gasped. “I almost forgot. I have to do something. Remember what I said about the fish.” She patted Natalie on the arm as if she were a child then breezed past her so she could slip into the crowded room.

  Natalie took a deep breath then released it, telling herself not to let anything Fran said bother her. That, however, was easier said than done. Though she tried to focus on Kenneth, she kept thinking over everything Fran had said to her. She might not be as sophisticated as the other wealthy ladies in this room were, but she knew when someone was only pretending to like her. Fran wasn’t her friend.

  She picked up the hem of her gown and went over to Mark. He was still talking with Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, and from what she picked out from their conversation, it sounded like they were discussing the plans for building Mr. Gordon’s business.

  “Once you approve the proof for the building, it’s really just a matter of two or three months before it’s completed,” Mark told them.

  “That quick?” Mr. Gordon asked.

  “Johnson and his men are some of the finest builders in Omaha,” Mark replied. “They’re good and efficient.” He stopped talking and turned to Natalie. “Mr. Gordon, I don’t think you’ve met my wife yet. This is Natalie.”

  Mr. Gordon took her hand and kissed it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  As Natalie thanked him, Margie told Mark. “Your wife is such a sweet young lady. I can’t think of anyone else who’d invite a stranger to a social engagement with her friends.”

  Friends? Natalie wouldn’t call people like Fran and Katherine friends. But she bit back the reply. Margie had enjoyed the afternoon, and that was what mattered.

  Mark smiled at Natalie then told Margie, “Now you know why I had to marry her.” He patted the small of Natalie’s back.

  “You two make a fine match,” Mr. Gordon said. “My wife and I will let you two dance.” To Mark, he added, “We’ll go into more detail about the project later.”

  Mark nodded and led Natalie to the dance floor.

  “We don’t really have to dance,” Natalie whispered.

  “It’s a simple one,” he assured her as he took one of her hands in his and put his free arm around her waist, keeping her at a respectable distance.

  Since there was no getting out of it, she did the same thing other women were doing and place her free hand on his shoulder.

  “Just follow my lead,” he whispered. “When I move, you step back with your right foot. I’ll tell you what to do until you get the hang of it.”

  Feeling someone’s gaze on her, she glanced over to her left and saw that Fran was watching her. Though Fran smiled and offered a wave, she doubted Fran was all that happy to see her dancing with Mark.

  The music started, and Mark told her to step back. Turning her attention back to him, she followed his instructions. She would have had a better time concentrating on what he was saying if she didn’t catch Fran whispering to Katherine. Katherine glanced over at her and laughed.

  They were talking about her. She just knew it.

  She stepped on Mark’s foot. Heat flooded her cheeks. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  “It’s alright. Move to the left,” he replied.

  Thankfully, that put her back into the right position. Ignoring Fran and Katherine, she did her best to focus on Mark’s instructions. Fortunately, she made it through the rest of the dance without doing anything to further embarrass herself.

  When the dance finally ended, he gave her waist an encouraging squeeze. “You did great. Do you want to dance again?”

  “No.” And that wasn’t just because Fran and Katherine were still watching her. She didn’t care much for this kind of dancing. It wasn’t the least bit fun. People were so serious about it. No one was smiling or clapping or laughing. Well, Annabelle and Kenneth were laughing, but that was because they were enjoying their conversation. “Can we take a break from all of this?” she asked, gesturing to the room.

  With a nod, Mark led her off the dance floor before the next song started. He glanced back once, and she followed his gaze, wondering if he’d noticed the way Fran and Katherine had been watching them, but he was looking over at Annabelle and Kenneth.

  He took her to the veranda and led her to one of the benches. He sat next to her and held her hand. “Did you see anything about Kenneth?”

  She shouldn’t be surprised that was the only thing on his mind. He probably thought she’d noticed something and wanted to talk to him in private. He had no idea her problem stemmed from Fran or Katherine.

  Since his eyebrows were furrowed in concern, she decided to focus on Kenneth. “I haven’t seen anything outwardly suspicious about him.” When she noticed his disappointment, she added, “But I think he’s too eager to be with Annabelle.”

  His eyes lit up in interest. “You do?”

  “It’s like he’s trying too hard. I know he wants to court her, but he’s being too obvious about it. He doesn’t know her very well, but he seems to be doting all over her as if they’re already engaged. I realize some courtships don’t last long, but something doesn’t seem natural about the way he’s acting.”

  “I knew it!” He squeezed her hand. “Now you know why I don’t like him.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s a bad person, Mark. It could just mean he needs to find a wife in a hurry.”

  He rolled his eyes. “His motives aren’t innocent. You said he isn’t acting natural.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean his motives are bad. Maybe he’s just in a hurry to get a wife. Angela, Velma, and I were in a hurry to find a husband, and we didn’t do anything wrong.”

  He thought over her words for a moment. “Fine. I’ll introduce him to Fran. Maybe he can go after her.”

  Before he could stand up, she tightened her hold on his hand. “Mark, I want to ask you about her.” She waited until she had his attention before she continued, “Fran said you two courted.”

  He grimaced. “It was nothing. I escorted her to a dinner party one evening and then walked with her and some others at the park on another day. We barely even kissed.”

  “You kissed her?”

  “A quick one. It wasn’t any good. I knew right away things weren’t going to go anywhere.” He scooted closer to her. “I knew before we kissed that you were going to give me the best kiss I ever had, and I was right. I felt a connection to you that I didn’t feel with anyone else. That’s something you can’t force.”

  Relaxing, she smiled. “I felt the connection with you, too.”

  “So you know what I’m talking about. To be honest, I only considered Fran because her father is good friends with mine, but there has to be more than that to establish a lifelong commitment with someone. I don’t regret marrying you.”

  “I’m glad to be married to you, too.”

  “Good.” He kissed her then caressed her cheek. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to marry.”

  Feeling much better, she let him stand up from the bench.

  “I’m going to introduce Kenneth to Fran,” he said. “I wish I’d thought of it sooner.”

  She rose to her feet. “You’re not going to be obvious about what you’re doing, are you?”

  “Of course not. I know how to be subtle. I’m going to introduce him to several people. He hasn’t left my sister’s side all evening. That means there are plenty of people he hasn’t talk to yet. I’ll just make sure Fran is one of the people he gets to meet. Will you talk to Annabelle while I’m doing this?”

  She bit her lower lip. Was th
is being manipulative? No, it didn’t mean she was being manipulative. It just meant she was talking to Annabelle while Kenneth met other people. She wasn’t actively trying to come between the two. If Kenneth happened to fancy Fran, then he’d end up liking Fran. That was all. It wasn’t like she was forcing Kenneth to marry Fran.

  Assured that she wasn’t acting inappropriately, she said, “I’d love to talk to Annabelle for a while.”

  “Good.” He gave her another kiss. “I’ll bring her out here. You just sit back down and wait, alright?”

  With a nod, she settled back onto the bench and waited for him to get his sister.

  “Why are you hiding out here?” someone asked.

  Natalie glanced over her shoulder and saw Katherine heading in her direction. After her unsettling conversation with Fran, she wasn’t in the mood to speak with Katherine since the two were obviously good friends.

  Unfortunately, when she chanced a glance in Katherine’s direction, the woman was still heading her way. Natalie let out a long sigh. If this was a barn dance, she could hide. But out in here on a veranda that only had a couple of benches, she was stuck.

  “What are you doing out here all by yourself?” Katherine asked as she sat beside her, her voice laced with hurt. “Are you bored?”

  “No, I’m not bored. This is a lovely dinner party,” Natalie hurried to assure her. “I’m waiting to talk to Annabelle.”

  “And you couldn’t do that inside where all the excitement is?”

  Since Natalie didn’t feel comfortable telling her what Mark wanted to do, she wasn’t sure how to answer that.

  “Or is it because you’re embarrassed about the way you dance?” Katherine whispered.

  Natalie’s face grew warm. “What?”

  “I don’t think anyone else noticed,” Katherine said. “You have nothing to worry about. Everyone’s having too much fun. I’m sure no one saw the way you stepped on Mark’s feet.”

  If everyone was having too much fun, as she put it, then how did she notice?

  “You’re new to all of this,” Katherine continued, gesturing to the ballroom. “Where you come from, they probably don’t even dance.”