Harold stood up. “This has been a lovely meeting, but it’s time for us to go home. Thank you again for an excellent dinner. Amelia, welcome to the family!”
Amelia blushed. She was so grateful to the entire Gardener family for taking her in as one of their own. How would she ever be able to express her gratitude? “Thank you, Mr. Gardener.”
“Mr. Gardener was my father. Call me Harold—or better yet, Dad!” Harold winked at Amelia.
Amelia laughed. “Yes, sir. I mean, Harold.” It felt too awkward for her to call Harold ‘Dad,’ but she thought that one day, she might be comfortable doing so.
Adele smothered Amelia into another lengthy hug. “Come over any time you need anything, all right? We’re just a quick walk away.”
Cora grabbed Amelia’s hand. “Yes, please visit! I’ll play my fiddle for you, and you can help me learn to make some of your delicious treats.”
Amelia smiled. “That would be nice.”
Felix hugged his parents goodbye, and they all moved out to the porch. Felix and Amelia waved as Adele, Harold, and Cora walked back to their house.
Amelia and Felix went back inside, and Amelia collapsed onto the sofa in a heap. “I’ll finish cleaning later. I’m exhausted,” she admitted.
Felix joined her on the couch and patted her on the head. “That was a smashing success, don’t you think?”
Amelia grinned. “I think it went well. Your family is wonderful.”
Felix shook his head. “Our family is wonderful.”
Amelia smiled and relaxed into his arms. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve such a fine young man as Felix, but she was grateful and would work to make sure he felt loved and appreciated every day of his life.
Six
After the success of having Felix’s family over for dinner, Amelia felt more hopeful and optimistic than ever. She decided to pay a visit to the local bank so she could add her name to Felix’s accounts.
The trip to the bank was slow and uneventful. The sun hung in the sky, bearing down on Amelia and making her sweat. Still, she was glad that she hadn’t run into any more mysterious men.
At the bank, Amelia waited in line to speak with a teller. She hoped the errand wouldn’t take too long, because she had decided to bake Felix sugar cookies as a special treat. He had been so kind and understanding in helping her adjust to Nowhere, and she wanted to express her appreciation.
When it was Amelia’s turn, she approached the teller’s desk and sat down.
“Name?” the teller asked, barely glancing up.
“I’m Amelia Apple—er, Amelia Gardener,” she said, nearly forgetting to use her married name.
“And how can we help you today?” The teller, a tall, portly man, smiled at her.
“I’d like to add my name to my husband’s accounts,” Amelia explained. “His name is Felix Gardener.”
An expression of concern flashed across the teller’s face. “Please tell me your name again, ma’am.”
Amelia’s pulse quickened. Was something wrong? “Amelia Gardener.”
The teller’s eyes narrowed. “Have you ever gone by the alias Amelia Appleton?”
Amelia frowned. “It’s not an alias. It’s my maiden name. I was formerly Amelia Appleton, but then I got married.”
“I’m afraid you’ll need to come with me. The manager would like to have a word with you.” The teller stood up and motioned for Amelia to follow him.
Shaken, Amelia stood and followed the teller to the back of the bank, where they waited outside a wooden door. The teller knocked on the door.
Amelia wanted to run to the front of the bank, exit, and race home, where no one could hurt her. But she knew that would reflect poorly on Felix, so she stayed. She felt like she was in trouble, even though she had done nothing wrong.
The manager, a tall, thin man with a receding hairline, opened the door. “Come in.”
The teller stood and motioned for Amelia to sit down in a chair. “This is Amelia Appleton.”
The manager sighed wearily. “We’ve had some . . . visitors here at the bank who are looking for you, Miss Appleton.”
“It’s Mrs. Gardener now,” Amelia said boldly. “I’m married.”
“Yes, of course,” the manager replied stiffly. “The fact is, Mrs. Gardener, these men—on multiple occasions—came into the bank and demanded we tell them where you were.”
“Who were they?” Amelia asked, trying to stay as calm as possible.
“They said they were from Boston,” the manager replied.
“No, no, that can’t be!” Amelia blurted out. She couldn’t believe it. They had followed her all the way from Boston. They were here in her new town.
The manager cleared his throat. “We told them we didn’t know you. But Mrs. Gardener—if I were you, I’d be very, very cautious. These men seemed quite unsavory.”
Amelia was too stunned for words.
The manager then said, “We won’t be able to add your name to your husband’s account until he comes into town to add it himself. We can’t just take your word on the fact that he wants you to access his money.”
Amelia hadn’t wanted anyone in Nowhere to know about her past, but she felt that she needed to explain a few things to the bank manager. In the corner, the teller sneered, looking bored and judgmental. Amelia shook her head. “You don’t understand. Neither of you do. Those men are part of a group my parents owed money to. I never made any kind of agreement with them or borrowed money from them. But after my parents died, they forced me to make payments. They say I still owe money, but it’s been years.”
The manager held up his hands. “I’m afraid you’ll have to take that up with the men who are here to see you.”
“These men are bad. Isn’t there anyone who can help me?” Amelia asked, her voice quivering with emotion.
“As I said before, Mrs. Gardener, I think it’s best that you leave and discuss this matter with your husband,” the manager said. He sat back at his desk and stared at Amelia.
Amelia bit back the tears that threatened. She wouldn’t give these unsympathetic men the pleasure of seeing her cry. She was stronger than that. Without saying another word, she stood up and waited for the teller to open the door. She held her head high and strode toward the front of the building and out the front door.
She couldn’t believe the debt collectors had come all the way to Nowhere to track her down. She feared for her own safety as well as Felix’s.
The thought of Felix made her want to cry all over again. He had no idea what kind of woman he had married. It wasn’t fair that he could be in danger. He needed to know.
Amelia loved her marriage. It was the first relationship she’d had with anyone since her parents had died, and she couldn’t wait to have his children and enjoy a long, happy life together. But keeping her secret didn’t feel like an option any longer. She had to tell him. But how would she be able to make him understand?
As much as Amelia wanted to sit down and cry right there in the middle of the street, she refused to give in to the desire. Instead, she set off for the house, walking at a brisk pace. She couldn’t wait to sink onto the soft sheets of the bed and take a nap. She was suddenly exhausted.
She had thought she could handle keeping a secret from her husband, but now she wasn’t so sure.
* * *
When he had finished work for the day, Felix stopped where a clump of cowboys were talking in front of the ranch house. He wanted to say goodbye to Abner and unwind before he rode home.
When he approached, all of the men suddenly became quiet.
Felix laughed. “What’s going on?” He stopped laughing when he saw Abner’s face.
His best friend had a worried look on his face. “I think you should sit down,” Abner said.
Feeling sick to his stomach, Felix sat down in one of the chairs. “What is it?”
Kent Clearwater, another worker, cleared his throat. “There’s word going around town that your new wi
fe is involved with some dangerous people.”
“My wife?” Felix laughed. “You’re thinking of the wrong person. That’s impossible. She doesn’t even know anyone here.”
“Hear him out, Felix,” Abner said quietly. Felix had never seen Abner look so serious.
Felix nodded, indicating that Kent should continue.
Kent looked around the room. “A few men were asking after her in the bank and in the mercantile.”
“That’s not all,” Bryce Smithers chimed in. “I heard the men were going around threatening everyone they came across. They won’t stop until they find Amelia. They said she’s on the run.”
Felix didn’t know what to think. He knew Amelia wasn’t capable of what the men were suggesting. But Kent and Bryce were good, trustworthy men. If they said something, you could be sure it was true.
Felix shook his head in denial. “There must be some mistake.”
Abner shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. “Felix, I heard something, too.”
Felix felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He inhaled sharply. “What are you saying, Abner?”
“I heard she owes a lot of money to bad people,” Abner said quietly.
“I don’t . . . I don’t understand.” Felix couldn’t reconcile what he was hearing with the woman he had grown to love. How would all these people have heard that she owed money? It didn’t make sense to him.
Tom McClain stepped to the front of the ranch house near where Felix was sitting. He put his hand on Felix’s shoulders. “You should go home and talk to your wife, son.”
Felix knew Tom was right. But he didn’t want to stand up. He felt like the room was spinning, and he didn’t know if he could walk without falling.
After a few moments, Felix finally rose to his feet. Too dazed to say goodbye, he trudged out of the bunkhouse and blinked as the sun glared into his eyes.
He saddled his horse and rode home, wild thoughts dancing through his head. Had Amelia been lying to him all this time? Was she in some kind of trouble? Or worse, was she in cahoots with the men who were looking for her? Felix had heard stories about conmen and their accomplices, but he had never thought something like that could happen in Nowhere.
When Felix got to the house, he felt dizzy. He got off his horse and tied him to the porch rail, then walked as calmly as he possibly could into the house.
Amelia pulled a pot roast out of the oven. “I’m so glad to see you.”
In an instant, Felix’s worries melted away. The men at work were fools, spreading nonsense and hearsay. This was his wife, his Amelia. She would never do such things. Felix walked up to his bride, engulfed her in a big hug, and began to kiss her passionately.
Amelia kissed Felix back, wondering what had gotten into the man. She loved feeling his desire for her and how plainly he liked to express it.
Felix finally set Amelia down and took a few deep breaths. The effect the woman had on him was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. He had almost forgotten everything he had been so upset about earlier. It all came flooding back to him, and he sighed.
“What’s wrong, Felix?” Amelia asked. She had calmed down after her earlier panic, and now she wanted to make sure she was meeting all of Felix’s needs.
“A few of the men at work said the craziest thing,” Felix began. He wanted to let Amelia know that he didn’t believe a word of it, so he tried for a light tone. “They said they thought some men were looking for you. That you owed them money. Isn’t that the silliest thing you’ve ever heard?”
Amelia stiffened, trying not to show her discomfort. She couldn’t believe word had already made its way to Felix. She knew Nowhere was a small town, but she had no idea how fast word could travel. She saw how casual Felix was acting and tried to match his manner. “Oh, my! That is crazy.”
Felix thought he saw Amelia fidget and sensed that she didn’t like the subject. Still, he felt like he needed to ask. “Do you have any idea what they were talking about?”
Amelia couldn’t lie to her husband. She had obscured the truth, but that was different than answering his question dishonestly. She opened her mouth to speak, then thought of something else. “Felix, I’ve been thinking—I’d like to get to know more people in town.”
“What?” Felix asked, befuddled.
“It’s just like what you said—these people are telling tall tales about me because they don’t know me. If I can meet more of them, if they get to know me, they’ll know the kind of person I am. The kind of person that you already know I am,” Amelia finished, proud that she had thought of a different topic to steer conversation toward. It really was something she had thought about.
“That’s a good idea, Amelia. Maybe you can start with my sister. She knows nearly everyone in town, and she can help make introductions,” Felix suggested. He knew that now he had confronted Amelia, she would have told him the truth if she was involved with bad people. Maybe she thought she could hide it from him before, but she wouldn’t lie to him.
“Yes!” Amelia clapped her hands together in delight. “That would be wonderful.”
Felix sighed. “I don’t know how I got so lucky as to be your husband.”
“I don’t know how I got so lucky as to be your wife,” Amelia echoed. They shared a kiss. “Now, aren’t you hungry? We should eat this pot roast before it gets cold!”
Felix grinned. “Just another reason I know we were meant to be. You’ll never make me go hungry.”
Amelia smiled and began serving the pot roast. With Felix by her side, she knew she could get through anything.
Seven
The following day, Amelia was scrubbing the kitchen floor when she heard a series of loud knocks at the front door.
“Coming!” Amelia called. She wasn’t expecting anyone but thought there was a good chance it was Cora. As she walked to the door, it burst open, and two men in masks stormed in.
Amelia screamed.
“Give us our money!” the taller man demanded.
“If you don’t, we’ll just keep coming back until you give it to us,” said the smaller, squatter man.
“I don’t have any money,” Amelia explained tearfully. “My parents were the ones who borrowed it. I don’t know what they did with it! I’ve worked for years to pay off their debt, but I can’t keep doing that forever.”
“A debt is a debt,” growled the tall man. “You need to find some way of paying it . . . or else.”
“Or else next time, we won’t be so considerate,” the shorter man said, kicking over a chair.
Amelia covered her ears with her hands at the loud noise.
The tall man walked into the bedroom and began rummaging through all the dresser drawers.
“Please, don’t go in there. It’s just clothes!” Amelia pleaded.
“She doesn’t want us to go in there. I bet it’s something good,” the shorter man commented.
The tall man began picking up belongings and throwing them on the floor. Amelia clenched her fists, getting angrier and angrier. What was she going to do?
After a few minutes, the tall man gave up. “None of this is worth anything.”
The short man sighed. “This was a waste of time.”
“Next time we come back, you’d better have our money,” the tall man threatened.
They walked out the front door without bothering to close it. Amelia immediately closed the door behind them, refusing to let anyone see her house in the state it was in. She was still shaking, but she couldn’t let it upset her so much. She just couldn’t.
How had the men found out where she lived? She felt angry, sad, and ashamed. She was furious that the men had somehow followed her from Boston to Nowhere. She was sad that she couldn’t feel safe in her own home. And she was ashamed when she thought about Felix and how she had been keeping a secret from him.
As Amelia thought about her husband, she frantically realized that he would be home soon. She stood up and hurried to p
ut all the clothing back into the dresser. Next, she went into the living room and picked up the chair one of the men had knocked over. She looked around the room, wondering if anything else was out of place.
The door burst open again, and Amelia cowered in fear. Had the men come back to hurt her? She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Amelia? What’s wrong?” Felix rushed over to her and wrapped her in his arms.
Amelia heaved a sigh of relief and let out a huge rush of air, resting her head on Felix’s shoulder.
Felix leaned back and looked at her with a concerned expression on his face. “What is going on, Amelia?”
Every time Amelia opened her mouth to speak, she became scared or nervous again, and she couldn’t find the words.
Finally, Felix helped her stand and walked her over to the kitchen table. “I’m going to make you some tea.”
As Felix boiled water, Amelia took a few deep breaths. She knew she needed to tell Felix everything. She just wasn’t sure where to begin. “Felix, I’m in danger.” She hated that she’d lied to him and hidden it from him, but it was time for her to admit the truth, no matter how ashamed she was.
“What is it? Should I send for the doctor?” Felix asked, alarmed.
Amelia shook her head. “No, I don’t need a doctor. I need to tell you something. You might want to sit down.”
Felix frowned. “That’s the second time someone’s told me that today.”
“Who else told you that?” Amelia asked, confused.
Felix shook his head. “It’s not important. Go ahead.”
“It’s a long story,” Amelia began. “It started a long time ago, before my parents died. Felix, they were good parents, but they made some horrible choices.”
Felix didn’t know where Amelia was going with this story, but he tried to follow. “What do you mean by that?”
Amelia sighed. “My father liked to gamble. Sometimes he drank, too. Often when he got his paycheck, it would be gone within a few hours. I know they loved me, Felix, they just . . . they got lost sometimes.”
Amelia’s Arrangement: Madame Matchmaker Page 5
