The Unexpected Bride Page 5

  Mistake or no mistake, he had to convince her to stay. “So how do you explain the contract? Are you saying now that you only glanced at it and assumed the rest?”

  Her brows drew down at that. “I have more sense than that!”

  Why was she so unwilling to admit she’d made a mistake? “You can’t have it both ways, Miss Sinclare. We’ve already decided that Pembroke had nothing to gain by tricking you and that I couldn’t have switched the contract in your trunk. Either you didn’t read the contract, or you’ve just gotten cold feet.”

  He tried a reassuring smile. “But don’t worry. I won’t hold either against you. Just tell me what I can do to make you comfortable enough to stay and go through with the wedding.”

  Her glare could have frosted a candle flame. “It is so kind of you not to hold my lying and reneging against me. Be assured, nothing you do could convince me to stay, much less marry you.”

  Her whole face glowed when she got riled. Her fire would provide a good example for Zoe, who seemed to keep too much of her feelings bottled up inside. But first he had to get Lady Privilege to stay.

  He raised a brow. “Isn’t there? You seem to keep forgetting that I have your signature on this contract.”

  She raised her chin another notch, but he noted the rosy tinge to her cheeks. “Regardless, surely you couldn’t be so vile-minded as to force an unwilling woman to marry you. I will tell you once more, I came here in good faith to serve a three-month term as governess. There was never any indication that anything more would be required.”

  If the fate of his nieces and nephews hadn’t hung in the balance, he might have enjoyed sparring with her. Her face was so expressive. Fascinating to watch it reflect everything from fire-spitting anger to what-have-I-gotten-into flinching. All things being equal, he preferred the fire.

  Taking a deep breath, she stabbed her glasses up on her nose. “Mr. Tanner, be reasonable. For heaven’s sake, we never even met before this afternoon.”

  Caleb waved that aside. “Surely you’ve heard of arranged marriages?”

  She grimaced. “Yes, of course. But that’s different.”

  He shrugged away her weak rebuttal. “Not by much.” Then he gave in to a bit of curiosity. “Tell me, even if you thought it was a governess job, why did you agree to come all the way to Foxberry? Surely there were suitable positions closer to home?”

  Lady Privilege drew herself up again. “My reasons are personal and none of your concern.”

  He raised an eyebrow. She sure wasn’t making it easy for him to feel sympathetic. “So you’re running away from something. Tell me, did you give your family this governess story?”

  She shifted uneasily. It seemed he’d struck a nerve. “This was my decision, and you’ll deal with me, not my family.”

  Caleb shrugged, trying not to grin. “Very well. We’ll get married day after tomorrow. It’s already arranged.”

  Her expression took on an edge of desperation. “But I don’t want to marry you.”

  She’s just a spoiled socialite trying to renege on a promise, he reminded himself. But her distress threatened to erode his determination. If only he could just wash his hands of the whole thing and send her on her way. But he couldn’t. Somehow he had to convince her to go through with their agreement.

  The sudden hint of a tremble to those lips of hers stabbed at him, and he raked a hand through his hair. That lady-in-distress air succeeded in accomplishing what none of her words had. He couldn’t go through with this.

  Then an image of that scene from twenty-two years ago flashed through his memory. But instead of himself sitting in the dark, listening at the dining room door, he saw Josie there. His failure to find a bride would likely condemn his niece to the same abandonment he’d faced.

  No! He could not put an innocent through such a wrenching experience. Hardening himself against his reluctant bride-to-be’s dismay, he met her gaze. “Irrelevant. Not wanting to live up to a commitment doesn’t cancel the obligation.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Lady Privilege lifted her chin. Caleb swallowed his surprise as he was presented with this suddenly enhanced vision of her feminine curves.

  Obviously unaware of his shift in focus, she switched tactics to stubborn defiance. “I won’t do it.”

  He forced his gaze back up to her face. If she wanted to try a contest of wills, she’d soon find she’d met her match. He had a lot more at stake here than she did. “I could haul you up in front of a judge and sue you for breach of contract.”

  “You could, but you still couldn’t force me to marry you.”

  Caleb repressed the urge to howl in frustration at her words. The woman was a stubborn, agreement-reneging female. Did the man she’d been engaged to know he’d likely escaped a life of constant bickering? But he didn’t have the luxury of washing his hands of her. “Do you really want to take that chance?”

  Elthia rubbed her temple. How did one reason with such a determined, single-minded man? “There has to be another way to settle this.”

  “Believe me, I wish I knew of one.” He pushed away from the rail and straightened. “This marriage is not my first choice either. But if I can’t convince you to honor your commitment to me, at least give some thought to the kids and their feelings.” He pinned her with a searching stare. “You have to know what’s at stake—it was all there in the files I sent the agency.”

  What did that mean? But before she could ask, he held a hand up. “It’s been a long day, and we could both use some rest.” He offered his arm. “Maybe things will look better to you in the morning.”

  In the morning? He expected her to spend the night here?

  Heaven help her though, she was here, in the middle of nowhere, with six children and an arrogant stranger who wanted to force her to marry him.

  Did he actually think she would get any sleep tonight?

  CHAPTER 4

  She stood there with a stiff back and pale face, making no move to accept his arm. Caleb could almost read her thoughts as her gaze darted around the dusk-shadowed yard, searching for some means of escape.

  Could she truly be so unconcerned for the fate of the children? Or did she not realize how serious the situation was? Whatever the case, Lady Privilege didn’t seem up to facing the grim reality tonight. He would just have to hope he’d have better luck dealing with her in the morning.

  Despite himself, a small measure of sympathy surfaced. It probably wasn’t her fault she was so spoiled. She likely had never had to face much in the way of hardships.

  He lowered his arm.

  They stood that way for a long minute until he finally broke the silence. “Come on into the kitchen,” he said gently. “I don’t believe you’ve eaten yet this evening.”

  Still she hesitated, and he forced a smile. “I promise not to pounce on you. Besides, you need to keep your strength up if you want to marshal your forces against me.”

  Her don’t-mess-with-me tilt of the chin let him know she didn’t appreciate his attempt at humor, but she didn’t resist when he took her arm and led her back into the house.

  Caleb paused at the make-do infirmary. The sight of Zoe tucking Josie in delivered a forceful reminder of what he was fighting for. Moving back into the hall, he led his foot-dragging bride-to-be into the kitchen.

  He ladled up a bowl of the stew and placed it in front of her. “Here you go, eat up. Looks like there’s plenty more if that’s not enough.” He turned back to the stove to fix a bowl for himself, giving her time to pull herself together.

  So, what was the truth here? He couldn’t believe she’d been duped. Which meant she’d either gotten cold feet or she’d made assumptions and signed blindly without checking her facts and didn’t want to admit it.

  Whatever the case, he couldn’t let it sway him. Watching her with the kids had been eye opening. She was surprisingly good with them, especially the little ones. She’d seemed… well, motherly, a trait that would be bound to impress an adoption jud
ge. He might pull this situation out of the fire yet, if he could only manage to secure her cooperation.

  He took a seat across the table, studying her. Right now she looked tired and scared. He planned to take full advantage of the edge that gave him—after all, the kids’ future hung in the balance. But he didn’t have to be heavy-handed. A high-strung filly responded better to a gentle touch.

  When she finally finished her meal, he put down his spoon and gave her his undivided attention. “Feeling better?”

  She adjusted her glasses with a finger and eyed him suspiciously. “Yes, thank you.”

  “Good. Then let me thank you for all you did this afternoon. I know the kids weren’t at their best, but you kept the fretting down to a manageable level. I can tell the little ones are getting comfortable with you already.”

  Some of her stiffness eased. “I told you, I like children.”

  “Now, why don’t you go on upstairs and get some sleep. The next few days are going to be busy ones.”

  The stiffness returned in spades. He’d seen broomsticks with more bend to them. “Don’t worry, you’ll have the room to yourself. I’ll spend tonight downstairs, where I can keep an eye on the patients. You can even set the latch on your door if it’ll help you sleep better.”

  Standing, he carried their dishes to the sink. “Is there anything you need before you turn in?”

  “No.” Then her head snapped up. “Oh, I almost forgot.”

  She left the room without another word. Caleb followed. Surely she wasn’t going to try to run off?

  Elthia could hear the children as she passed the parlor. Guiltily she realized she’d barely spared a thought for them since she’d learned of this awful mix-up.

  She stepped outside, relieved to find Poppy there, curled up in his basket. It was full night now, and the only illumination came from the moon and the soft glow of lamplight from the windows. Elthia lifted the basket, raising it high enough for Poppy to sleepily lick her face.

  “Poppy’s sleeping in the room with me,” she announced and braced herself for an argument.

  But Mr. Tanner only shrugged. “Of course.”

  Head high, Elthia nodded and stepped past him into the hall. Spending an unchaperoned night under the roof of a bachelor placed her feet firmly on the path to social ruin, but she didn’t have any choice.

  She’d shown him enough cowering though. It was time she reasserted herself.

  Elthia stopped by the parlor to tell the children good night, interrupting a whispered discussion among the three older children. From the guilty looks on their faces, she guessed she’d been the subject. Little Josie claimed her attention, sleepily clamoring for an introduction to Poppy. Keith and Kevin demanded a turn as well. As she tucked them back in, Elthia realized she could already see differences in the twins, could identify them as individuals rather than as images of each other.

  With a pang, she mourned the fact that this hadn’t turned out to be the governess role she’d applied for. Even with the extra children, she’d have enjoyed working with this group. It was impossible now. No matter what Mr. Tanner thought, given the circumstances, she would not be staying more than the one night. She didn’t intend to exchange a forced marriage to one man for that of another.

  She turned and found Mr. Tanner studying her from the doorway. He stepped back just enough to let her pass, and their arms brushed, sending an involuntary shiver through her.

  Elthia forced herself to take the stairs with dignified, ladylike steps, though the feel of his eyes boring into her made her itch to scurry.

  Reaching the relative safety of her allotted room, she set Poppy’s basket down with not-quite-steady hands. She lit the bedside lamp while Poppy explored under the bed. Then she walked to the door, shut it, and very carefully set the latch.

  Only then did she realize she’d never asked him to explain what he’d meant when he’d said she had to know what was at stake.

  But there was no way she’d go find him now. Getting an answer would have to wait for morning.

  Later that night, Caleb sat on the porch, whittling by moonlight.

  Thankfully Miss Sinclare had finally settled into her room. Maybe, once she had a good night’s sleep, she’d be more willing to see reason.

  Caleb shaved another curl of wood from the block with a bit more force than necessary.

  It was a good thing he’d headed back to Indiana in time to attend his brother’s funeral. He’d been just in time to keep these kids from being separated just as he and his siblings had been all those years ago. Not that the rest of his family had been convinced he was the young’uns’ best option.

  He’d had another letter from Annie yesterday. Before all this, he’d enjoyed hearing from one of his sisters. Their letters had been his only lifeline to his former life after he’d been sent to Texas.

  But this letter had focused on urging him to delay a wedding as long as possible. Though neither she nor Liz were able to take in all of the children, they were still trying to find another solution. Both his sisters were appalled at the idea of him sending for a mail-order wife. Seems they still believed in holding out for love. He was happy they’d found such matches for themselves, but it wasn’t for him.

  Besides, Judge Walters planned to check on him by June first. Caleb sure wasn’t going to take the chance on the adoption judge deciding he wasn’t taking this whole matter seriously.

  He’d write Annie back first thing tomorrow and tell her his bride had arrived and he had no choice but to go through with his plan for the sake of the kids.

  Caleb blew the sawdust from his handiwork, then ran a thumb across it to test for splinters. Some of his earliest memories were of watching his father’s large, callused hands turn a simple block of wood into a thing of beauty or amusement.

  After Caleb had come to live with Aunt Cora, he’d sit on this very porch, take out the pocketknife his father had given him, and shave away at any stick or piece of wood he could find. The feel of the knife and wood in his hands comforted him, as if it connected him in some way to his father, to the home he’d been forced to leave behind.

  Tonight, however, that comfort was nowhere to be found.

  Blast Lady Privilege! She’d sounded so sincere, so impassioned when she’d spoken of being a woman of her word and of living up to the full provisions of the contract that he’d almost been suckered in to believing her.

  More fool him.

  Caleb’s hands stilled as he looked up to the heavens, brilliantly studded with thousands of stars.

  Dad, if you’re watching, you see how mixed-up everything’s gotten. Forcing a woman into marriage against her will just doesn’t sit right with me. Even if she is a born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-her-mouth miss, she did pitch in and help with the kids today, so I know there’s some good in her too. Besides, having to drag a woman to the altar is just plain hard on a man’s pride.

  But I’ve got to think of the kids. If Lady Privilege doesn’t live up to that contract, I may lose them.

  How do I find a way to salvage this mess?

  Caleb blinked as a falling star streaked across the heavens. Almost as if…

  Shaking his head at his own fancifulness, he folded his knife and went inside to check on the kids. Shooting stars to the contrary, he didn’t believe in foolish dreams anymore.

  Elthia woke with a start. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to sleep at all, but a quick glance toward the star-speckled window pane showed her it wasn’t yet morning. A whine from Poppy alerted her to what had interrupted her slumber.

  She stretched, working the kinks out of her cramped muscles. “Do you need to go out, boy? All right. Just give me a moment to pull my shoes on.” She’d slept in her clothes last night. Somehow she hadn’t felt comfortable with the idea of donning her nightgown…

  Sitting beside the window to pull on her shoes, she noticed the faint lightening on the horizon. Nearly dawn.

  Another, more insistent whine from Poppy set her mov
ing to the door, scooping up her pet as she went.

  Elthia stealthily released the latch, trying not to awaken the children. The resulting click sounded like cannon fire to her ears. She paused, waiting for a sign she’d disturbed someone’s rest.

  Elthia stroked Poppy’s head, whispering reassurances, then opened the door and moved toward the stairs, wincing at every creak and groan. Nothing stirred. There were no lights left burning upstairs though Elthia could make out a soft glow coming from below.

  Keeping her hand moving reassuringly on Poppy’s head, she practically tiptoed down the stairs.

  Finally, she reached the hall. The door to the parlor was partially open. Those sweet children, if only…

  But she couldn’t stay. Mr. Tanner asked too much of her. Hopefully he would see reason by the time they resumed their discussion.

  She resolutely turned her back on the parlor and headed for the kitchen. The one lamp left burning in the hall provided enough light for her to find her way. Once she entered the kitchen, though, it was a different matter. The light from the hall didn’t reach into the room, nor did the faint light of the emerging dawn do more than betray the location of the door and windows.

  Finally she was outside. She set Poppy down, and he trotted off, sniffing the ground and looking for the perfect spot to take care of business. That done, he continued to explore the backyard area.

  Elthia decided to let him roam for a bit while her thoughts turned to figuring options for her current situation.

  She would have Mr. Tanner transport her to Foxberry this very day. As soon as she arrived, she would telegraph Mrs. Pembroke, explain about the inexplicable mix-up, and ask her to find her another position.

  In the meantime, she wasn’t entirely without resources. She’d made sure to have some money with her when she left home. If she was careful, it should be enough to tide her over for a couple of weeks. Perhaps she could even find a job in Foxberry itself.

  Elthia looked around the darkened yard and realized she’d lost sight of Poppy. Then she spotted him disappearing into the barn.