His Brother's Bride Page 9

  She looked away. What had he meant by that? Had she shamed him as well as herself?

  He stepped closer again, this time wrapping her up in his arms like a big, cozy quilt. He planted a kiss on her nose.

  What was he thinking? Oh, that she could read his mind and have done with it.

  He laid his cheek against hers. She shivered, and he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. “Stop fretting,” he whispered in her ear. Then he took her hand and placed it against his heart. She could feel it beating under the plaid shirt, beating as fast as hers. What was he saying?

  The answer came softly in her ear. “This is what you do to me, Emmie.”

  She smiled at the word her father used to call her.

  “This is a good thing.”

  “I’m scared.” I can’t believe I admitted that.

  His arms tightened. “It’s all right. I am too.”

  He held her for several moments of bliss while their hearts settled back into a steady rhythm beneath their homespun clothes. He pulled away. “I reckon Adam must be wondering what’s become of us.”

  She nodded, still dazed.

  “Let’s take it a day at a time, all right?”

  She nodded again.

  He drew her hands up to his mouth and laid his firm, soft lips against them. “All this is new to me too, you know. It’s been so long. . . .”

  Ha, she thought. He could coax a bear from a honey hive!

  He curled his warm hand around hers, and together they went into the house to begin again.

  ❧

  Several days later, Emily scraped the bacon grease from the pan while Adam dried off a plate. Behind her, Cade’s chair grated across the wooden floor. She was ever so aware of him these days. He was like a cool breeze when he entered the room, and her skin shivered in his presence.

  “I’m going to town this morning, be back in a few hours,” he said over his shoulder.

  She turned, but he was already through the doorway. She dried off her hands and chased after him.

  “Cade!”

  He turned, that handsome, lopsided grin tilted on his face. Her heart flopped.

  “What is it, Emmie?”

  The nickname still made her tremble. “I was—I want to go with you if it’s not too much trouble.”

  Was it her imagination, or did his smile widen a fraction?

  He gave a nod. “I’ll hitch up the bays while you finish the dishes.”

  She smiled. “All right.” She watched him all the way to the barn, his long legs eating up the distance quickly, then returned to the kitchen.

  Once the dishes were in order, she went to the pantry and picked up her real reason for going into town. Her marionberry preserves. She’d topped the lids with a circle of cloth and had tied thin ribbons around the necks of the jars. When Mrs. Parnell had bragged on her preserves at the church social and asked for a few jars for the mercantile, Emily had felt so proud. Now, maybe she’d be able to earn a few pennies of her own and please Cade too.

  She packed the three jars in a basket and called for Adam to come.

  Outside, Adam scooted onto the center of the bench, and Cade lifted Emily up. Her insides ached to be seated next to her husband. The past few days, he’d touched her often, though he had yet to kiss her again. But he had said he’d wanted to take it slowly. Was she brazen for wanting him to go faster?

  As they bumped along the dusty road, with Adam’s little body tossing against hers, she realized God had given her everything she’d wanted. Adam was a child of her own heart, and as much as she wanted Cade’s love, it wasn’t because of what he could give her. A warm, soft feeling tickled her insides. She loved Adam so dearly. He was her son in every way that counted. She reached over then and pulled him close to her. He looked up, those big blue eyes so trusting and vulnerable, and smiled sweetly. She laid a kiss on his hair.

  When they arrived in town, Cade helped them down from the wagon, then he ran over to the feed store, promising to meet them shortly. Emily carried her basket of preserves into the store with Adam trailing closely behind.

  The door jangled their entrance, then Emily approached the table where Mrs. Parnell was tidying up a bolt of cloth.

  “Well, good day, Mrs. Manning,” she said.

  “How do, Mrs. Parnell.” Suddenly she wondered if the woman had really meant what she’d said about selling her preserves. Perhaps she was only being friendly. She wished she could hide the basket behind her, but its bulk prevented that.

  “Can I help you find something?” she asked.

  “I—well, I brought these preserves.” She held out the basket. “That is, if you still have need of them.”

  Mrs. Parnell put her age-spotted fingers to her face. “Oh, that’s wonderful. Let’s see what you brought.”

  She set the jars on the counter, marveling over the pretty cloth and ribbons. “These’ll fetch a fine price. I’d love to try your strawberry and boysenberry as well, if they’re up to the same standards as your marionberry.”

  “They’re yummy!” Adam said from her side. “Sometimes I want to skip the biscuits and eat the preserves right from the spoon!”

  Mrs. Parnell laughed.

  “Adam!” Emily scolded.

  “Well, it’s probably true, Dear, your marionberry is mighty fine indeed.”

  They settled on a price, and Emily left the store, eager at the thought of making money of her own. They shopped a bit, then went out to where Cade waited for them. After he assisted them up, they started off.

  As they passed the post office, the postmistress came running out the door. “Mrs. Manning!” she called.

  Cade slowed the horses to a stop while the postmistress ran into the road. “You’ve a letter, Dear.” She handed up a well-handled envelope.

  “Thank you,” Emily said.

  As she looked at the heavy scrawling on the envelope, she could feel Cade looking over her shoulder. “From your uncle?” he asked.

  She nodded, anxiety worming through her and drying her throat.

  As Cade gave the reins a yank, she tucked the letter into the pocket of her skirt. Part of her wanted to rip the package right open, but the smarter part of her knew she’d better wait until she was alone. There was no telling what Uncle Stewart had to say, but she was certain it was nothing that would benefit her fragile relationship with her husband.

  Thirteen

  Once Cade set off to the back pasture and Adam got settled with his marbles, Emily sat at the desk and ripped open the envelope. Her uncle’s handwriting was scrawled hastily across the paper, and she read quickly.

  Emily,

  I’m advising you that I have put your grandmother in the asylum.

  Emily sucked in a breath, her heart beating against her ribs in fear. Oh, no!

  As you know, her health has continued to decline so I am no longer able to take care of her here. You have expressed interest in taking care of the old woman, but you have failed to fulfill our agreement. Until you find the gold, which I might remind you is the reason you were sent there in the first place, your grandmother will remain in the institution. As her legal guardian, I will do with her as I see fit since she is not of her own mind.

  If you will bring yourself to continue the search, I will consider handing over guardianship to you. Though, I must admit, I’m growing increasingly irritated by your games.

  The gist of it is this: if you want your precious grandmother out of the institution, you must find the gold and quick. I’ll not wait an eternity whilst you whittle away your days.

  Uncle Stewart

  Emily covered her face with trembling hands. Oh, sweet Nana in the institution! Emily had been there once to visit a friend’s mother and had seen the deplorable conditions of the facility. And the treatment of the patients was something to be feared! Some had their hands
bound about their waists, and some were strapped to their beds and left moaning with nary a soul to comfort them.

  Oh, Nana, have they done this to you as well? She brushed away the tears that had fallen on her cheeks. How selfish of her to become so taken with her life here that she actually thought Uncle Stewart might give up on getting his gold. She’d been thinking only of herself.

  She lay her head against the hard surface of the desk and allowed herself a good cry. When she finished, she smoothed the letter and stuffed it back into the envelope. She had to find that gold, that’s all there was to it.

  Outside the window, Adam picked up a stick and used it as a gun toward the grove of trees. “Pow, pow, pow!”

  How could she search the caves when she’d promised Cade she’d not take Adam there again? Besides her promise, she couldn’t risk his safety.

  Her heart grew heavy at the thought of deceiving her husband again, just when things were starting to go right. The heaviness turned leaden when she thought of justifying the hours she’d spend away from the house. Would Cade grow to mistrust her? How could she keep up such deceit? Lord, I know it’s wrong to deceive my husband, but what choice have I?

  Tell him.

  But I can’t! I can’t tell him the truth. That I’d only come to marry his brother because of the gold. He’ll never trust me again, and rightly so!

  Tell him.

  I can’t!

  There must be some other way. If she could only find that gold, all this would be over with and she and Cade and Adam could go on as if all this never happened. Cade would never have to know, and he would be free to love her, to trust her.

  Yes. That was the best thing to do.

  But how to search the caves when she had to protect Adam. That was the problem. If she could just solve that, her dilemma would be over. If she could just figure some way to keep Adam safe while she searched the caves.

  Mara.

  ❧

  It was late afternoon by the time Emily made it over to Mara’s house. She found her friend bent over an onion plant, knees planted firmly in the rich soil. Down the row, Beth stood and stretched, her skirts billowing in the breeze.

  Adam ran ahead. “Beth!”

  The girl walked toward them, and Mara stood, stretching her shoulders back with her hands on her hips. Her bonnet flapped in a mock wave, and Emily saw the smile that bloomed on her face.

  “Emily, Adam, to what do we owe this pleasure?”

  “I wanna show Beth my new aggie!” Adam said. The two youngsters ran to a spot under a shade tree and started a game of marbles.

  Fear sucked the moisture from Emily’s mouth as she thought of what she must tell her new friend. The relationship was too new to be tested in this way. What if Mara wanted nothing to do with her or her rotten scheme? What if Mara told Cade what she’d been up to all this time? Her insides quaked with the weight of it.

  As the women approached each other under the hot summer sun, the smile slipped from Mara’s face. “What’s wrong?” Mara took her arm.

  Emily tried for a smile. “Everything’s fine. I just. . .I just have some things to tell you. I need your help.” She said the last with all the desperation she felt.

  Mara squeezed her hand. “You know I’ll do anything I can. Come inside; let’s have a glass of lemonade.”

  As they entered the house, Emily’s stomach churned with doubt. Maybe there was some other way. Sure, Mara was willing to help a friend, but that was before she knew that Emily had married Cade under false pretenses. Before she knew that she’d been deceiving her husband all these weeks. What would she think of Emily when she knew the truth? At the thought of losing her only friend, a heavy weight settled in her middle.

  She took a seat on the sofa while she waited for Mara to fetch the lemonade. How would Mara react? There was no way of knowing, especially since she really hadn’t known her all that long. But even so, she felt their bond of friendship was strong. And Emily had already gone over all her options. This was the only one she had. The safest one she had. She had to find that gold without Cade knowing about it. If the thought of losing Mara made her sad, the thought of losing Cade just when things were coming along sent prickles of terror through her. No, she must do what she’d come to do.

  Mara entered the room and set down the lemonade. Emily took a long sip and complimented Mara on the taste.

  “Enough small talk, Emily. What’s going on? You look as if you’re being chased by a band of renegades.”

  Emily tested Mara with a glance, then fastened her gaze on the glass in her hands. “I have some things to tell you that will surprise you. I’m afraid what I say will be a bitter disappointment to you. And I’m afraid you’ll think me a horrible person.”

  “Nonsense.” Mara squeezed her arm. “Nothing you can say will make me think that. We all do silly things sometimes. Believe me, I should know about that with all the shenanigans I’ve pulled.”

  Emily remembered some of the stories she’d heard about Mara. Stories of things she’d done and said before she became a child of God. Maybe she would understand. With trembling hands and a quaking spirit, she told Mara the truth. All the way from her uncle finding the map to her agreement to marry Thomas in order to have access to the farm. From finding about Thomas’s death to accepting Cade’s proposal; then her refusal to search for the gold and her uncle’s news that he’d put Nana in the asylum.

  Throughout the story, Emily carefully avoided Mara’s gaze, but when she mentioned that her grandmother was now in an asylum, she heard Mara gasp. It was all the encouragement she needed to meet her friend’s gaze.

  Mara’s sky-blue eyes were widened, her delicate skin drawn. “That’s awful,” she whispered.

  “I know what I’ve done is wrong, but I only did it for Nana’s sake, don’t you see?”

  Mara’s gaze found her lap. “I understand why you did it, truly.” She met Emily’s gaze. “It was wrong, mind you, what you did to Cade, using him that way.”

  “I know. I know.” Guilt bore into her stomach, filling it with a week’s worth of shame and embarrassment.

  Mara brushed a smudge of dirt from her skirt. “Well, there’s only one thing to make this right.”

  Oh, thank You, Lord, she understands! If I only find the gold, all this deceit will be over and done with. She felt a deep urge to hug her friend.

  “You must tell Cade, of course,” Mara said.

  Emily settled back into the sofa, feeling her the skin on her face sag with disbelief. No. No, she couldn’t do that. He’d never forgive her, never trust her, couldn’t Mara see that?

  “No,” Emily said, but the word came out a croak.

  “Emily, you have to. You can’t go on deceiving him anymore. It’s not right. God is displeased with—”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” The words were too loud, and she immediately regretted them. Especially when Mara shifted uncomfortably.

  “I’m sorry,” Emily said. “I have no aught against you.” She grabbed Mara’s arm, desperate for her friend to understand. “Cade is finally starting to care for me. After all these weeks, he’s tender with me, and he’s treating me like his wife.” She looked down. “Well, almost.” The heat she felt in her face left no doubt Mara understood.

  “Still, Emily, it’s lying.” Mara shook her head and looked away. “You have no idea who you’re talking to. I’m the queen of lies. Or at least, I used to be.”

  “I’ve heard stories,” Emily admitted, berating herself for listening to the gossip.

  “They’re all true, I’m sure, every last one. I shamed myself time and time again, and believe you me, I made no friends in doing so.”

  “But you got Clay.”

  She gave a brittle laugh. “That was God’s work, rest assured. I began our relationship under pretense, just as you have done with Cade.” Her face filled w
ith color. “He needed a housekeeper and caretaker for Beth, and I pretended I was up to the task.”

  “How is that pretense?” Emily knew Mara to be a fine homemaker and mother to Beth.

  “Oh, Emily, you’ve no idea how I’ve changed since then. I was raised in the lap of luxury with nary a thought for anyone other than my own self. I’d never cooked or cleaned, and certainly never fed hogs.”

  A smile sneaked up on Emily’s face as she tried to imagine Mara doing those things for the first time.

  “It was a disaster, I assure you. Oh, I was able to hold it together for awhile, but eventually things came crashing down around me. Clay found out the truth, and I was caught.”

  “This is different, though. I’m doing this for Nana. I can’t allow my uncle to leave her in the asylum!”

  Mara squeezed her hand. “Of course you can’t. But as hard as it will be, you must be honest with Cade.”

  “No. I won’t do it, Mara.” Didn’t her friend understand how delicate Cade’s feelings for her were? If he found out how she’d tricked him all this time, it would ruin things for sure. Her eyes stung with tears. “Yes, I married Cade for all the wrong reasons. But I’ve come to love him. And finally, after all these weeks, he’s beginning to care for me too.” Emily stood and walked to the window, letting the sunlight warm her skin.

  There was only silence behind her, and she wondered if Mara was beginning to come around. The thought sent hope bubbling to the surface. She turned.

  “I know it’s not right, but I just need to get this over with. I need to find the gold and give it to my uncle, then I can get my grandmother back, and Cade won’t have to know about any of it.”

  “All this aside, the stolen loot belongs to the bank, Emily. Giving it over to your uncle is stealing.”

  Emily blinked. “What else am I to do, Mara?”

  “Why did you come to me, Emily?” Mara asked quietly.

  In her rush to tell the story, she’d forgotten to tell Mara about Adam. “Awhile back, Adam and I got lost in a cave, and Cade became very worried. He forbade me from taking Adam into the caves anymore.” She walked to her friend and knelt at her feet.