Katie: Bride of Virginia (American Mail-Order Brides 10) (10 page)

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Most of the guests had left, and Daniel was saying goodbye to the last of them now. Katie carried a tray of empty wine glasses into the kitchen, pleased the party had gone so well. And that her husband had been so outgoing, friendly, and by her side most of the night, touching her in the slightest way.

The lingering feel of his hands announcing to his friends, we're together, we're happy, and I'm thrilled to be married to her. His toast had been heart warming and she'd felt cherished.

One thing about her husband, while there was a cloud of shadow and suspicion hanging over him, he was kind to her. Though adjusting to marriage had been hard for both of them.

But what happened to his first wife and why didn't he want to talk about it? Entering the hallway that led to the kitchen, she bumped into Frank. “Sorry, I was deep in thought and didn't see you there in the shadows.”

“Great party,” he said to her. “Everything went really well and the turnout was much better than I expected. What with the scandal, I didn't think anyone would come.”

Licking her dry lips, she gazed at him, knowing he knew about the incident with Daniel's first wife. While she knew she should wait for her husband, she'd given him ample time and he'd yet to tell her about Eloise. “Tell me about the scandal. What happened.”

The man was her husband's best friend, so surely he knew the story of what happened to her husband's first wife.

He stared in shock at her. “Daniel hasn't told you?”

“Daniel doesn't want to talk about it. He said some day he'd tell me, but I had several comments said tonight that concerned me. I need to know what happened.”

Taking the tray from her hand, he led her into the empty kitchen. For a moment she wondered where Martha had gone. The room was empty and after the broken wine bottles she'd found earlier tonight, she feared someone breaking into the cellar and finishing the destruction of the winery. The woman was supposed to stay in the kitchen.

“The scandal concerns what happened to Eloise. Many people believe that Daniel killed her.”

That much Katie knew, but she wanted to understand why people believed her husband would kill his wife and how Eloise had died.

“How?” Katie asked. “I found her death certificate and it said exposure.”

“Yes,” he replied setting down the tray of dirty wine goblets. “Eloise left during the night. The next morning her body was found. She was in her nightgown, barefooted without a coat. It appeared she'd left the house in a hurry. The sheriff thought maybe she was running and hit her head on a rock. There was a gash in her head and blood. Many people believed she must have been running from Daniel when she fell.”

Katie felt concern and shock ripple through her as she thought of her husband sending his wife out into the cold. The man she knew would never do something so evil. “But why? He loved her, he told me so.”

Shrugging, Frank faced her. “I recently learned she was expecting and he knew the baby wasn't his. So maybe there was a reason she was running.”

Eloise had been pregnant? With another man's child? That must have hurt Daniel so much. The thought of the woman he loved expecting another man's child, would have devastated him.

“Maybe she left to go to her lover.”

“Without her coat and shoes in the dead of winter?”

Katie glanced around at the kitchen she'd worked so hard to clean. The home she'd created here, and yet, there was this cloud of darkness she hadn't been able to dispense and now she knew the reason why. The death of Eloise hung like a ghost over the house and until Katie could somehow learn the truth, her husband would never be free of the shadows.

“Did anyone look for her coat and shoes here in the house? Maybe she was wearing them when she left and her killer--lover hid them to make it appear that Daniel was behind her death.”

Frank frowned. “I'm sure the sheriff would have checked that out.”

“Daniel, did not kill Eloise or send her out into the cold. Something happened that night no one is talking about and I'm going to find out and clear my husband's name.”

There had to be more because she refused to believe Daniel had killed Eloise. They were missing something that would lead them to the real killer.

The door opened and Daniel walked in.

“What the hell is going on Frank? First you tell the banker I'm selling the property and now I catch you talking to my wife about Eloise? What are you doing?”

Katie jerked her head from her husband to Frank, her heart pounding in her chest.

#

Daniel had heard enough to know that Katie was defending him, telling Frank she didn't believe he had killed Eloise. He hadn't told her about the suspicions the town had, but it sounded like Frank had told his wife everything. Of his pain and humiliation at the knowledge his wife was leaving him for another man.

“We're business partners, but that doesn't give you the right to interfere in my personal life. We're friends, but that doesn't give you the right to do what you've done.”

He felt betrayed that Frank would have found someone to buy the land and hadn't told him. Daniel had no intention of selling. Not when the vineyard was finally starting to see success. This had taken years and he thought his friend would help him be successful, not try to undermine his operations.

“All I've done is try to help you. I stood by you when everyone in town believed you killed Eloise. I ordered you a mail-order bride, when I thought you needed companionship and it would help your position in town. I lent you money when your damn vineyard drained you and became your partner.”

Daniel knew what he said was true. Frank had been there during those terrible days right after Eloise's death. He refused to call it a murder, because he hadn't kill her. He'd loved her even though she'd been difficult. Glancing at Katie, he realized how she'd done more in the short time she was here, than Eloise had ever accomplished. She was a helpmate, a joy and his life was better with her by his side.

“You're right. You have been my friend, but why did the banker ask why I'm going to sell the property when the wine is delicious and should do very well? Why, Frank? He told me you were the one who found the buyer.”

“And I told you about the buyers. I presented the opportunity to you and you declined. I forgot to tell the banker. I've already told the buyer the deal is dead.”

Daniel stopped for a moment. Was this all just a big misunderstanding? Was he wrong to question what Frank was doing. He sighed and sank down into a chair. Had the attacks on the vineyard made him afraid that someone was betraying him?

Frank had always been his good friend and now he was suspicious of the man, when it wasn't his fault that someone was deliberately sabotaging the wine. “There for a moment I thought you were double crossing me. “

“Have I ever double crossed you? We've been friends a long time, you're more a brother than a friend. I would never do anything that could hurt you or Katie. You're my family. Even your old crotchety mother I care about,” Frank said his eyes flashing with rage at Daniel.

“Well, this has certainly been a very revealing night,” Katie replied, placing her hands on her hips. “On the night of our very first successful party, Frank, not you, my darling husband, tells me about the death of your first wife.”

A ripple of
oh crap, I'm in so much trouble
had Daniel's stomach clenching, his breath swooshing from his chest. From the tone of her voice, his lovely wife was furious. He'd never seen her so angry before and then he realized with startling clarity she just learned the truth regarding Frank ordering him a mail-order bride.

“You, Daniel O'Malley, didn't order a mail-order bride, Frank did. Now it's all starting to come together. But why did you marry me?”

“Katie, let me explain.”

She walked out of the room, leaving him staring at the door.

“I think I will leave you two to sort this out. There has been enough discord between us tonight. I'd like to remain friends and partners without remembering this night as the time I ended your marriage. I'll show myself out the door.”

Frank left the kitchen, his boots echoing on the wooden floor. In the silence that followed, Daniel heard the front door of the house open and close. He hurried out of the room to find his wife. He had to right this wrong now.

He found her in the parlor sitting on the sofa, crying. His chest ached with the pain he'd caused this lovely young woman. She deserved a much better husband than him. She deserved to be happy and when he married her, he'd only thought of himself. Yet he didn't want to let her go. He desperately wanted to make this marriage work.

Sitting, he pulled her reluctant stiff body into his arms. He wanted to hold her, soothe her and let her know she'd been the best thing that had ever happened to him.

“After Eloise's death, I had no intentions of ever marrying again. When I went to Frank's office, I told him I would not marry you and planned on sending you back on the next train to Lawrence.

“But then I saw you and you were a ray of sunshine I couldn't turn away. I didn't even consider not marrying you. I took you to the county courthouse and made you my wife.

“Don't be angry with me for not being the one who wrote to you. I wanted you from the moment I saw you. Frank may have brought us together, but I chose to make you my wife.”

Standing, Katie walked away, her shoulders were heaving and he knew she was crying. Rising from the sofa, he walked up behind her, he turned her in his arms and saw the tears flowing down her cheeks. The sight filled his chest with a pain he'd never felt. He didn't want to make her cry.

Pulling her in his arms, he whispered against her head, “I know I'm not an easy man to live with and I've made mistakes, but don't give up on me. No, I didn't intend to marry you that day, but I'm so glad I did.”

How could he convince her his life was so enriched because she was here. And now he couldn't imagine his living without her.

“I want to believe you. I really do, but it's hard with all of the allegations I keep hearing.”

“Believe that these last few weeks with you have made me happier than I can remember. Believe that I want us to have children and grow old together. I want you working beside me in our vineyard, making our family business a success. I want you to be my partner for life. “

When the words came out of his mouth he was shocked and yet they were true. Besides the party, which had been her idea, he'd not included her in the decisions and the running of the vineyard. Maybe it was time to show her how important she was to him. Maybe it was time to court his lovely wife and make her feel a part of the operation.  Maybe it was time to treat her with the respect his wife was due.

“Come to bed, Katie. Whether or not you sleep with me doesn't matter. I'd just like to hold and comfort you and show you how much I care about you.”

Tugging on her hand he led her from the kitchen and into the hall towards the stairs and their bedroom.

Chapter Eight

K
atie awoke the next morning feeling more confused than ever. The Christmas party had been a huge success and the debut of the wine had them giddy over its success. Now if only the orders would come pouring in.

Last night had been illuminating in so many ways with Katie learning about Eloise's death and the banker telling Daniel about the buyer for the vineyard. So much had happened, but the most confusing of all had been her husband.

For a man people believed had killed his first wife, he'd been kind and caring last night when she'd learned he had not been the one behind the ad in the Grooms' Gazette, but Frank.

And yet when they'd gone to bed, he'd simply held her until she fell asleep. She'd been so exhausted, once her head hit the pillow, she quickly slipped off into dreamland where none of the pressing problems of the day were present.

Somehow she wanted to find out who had really killed Eloise. Sure, her husband must have been in pain at the idea of his wife, pregnant with another man's child, leaving him. But he didn't seem capable of hurting someone he loved. He’d taken care of his cranky mother for the last five years and Katie couldn't help but think anyone who would do that woman, deserved a box of gold nuggets.

Katie climbed out of bed and stretched. Hurriedly she dressed. The cock had crowed, the sun was up and she was late getting downstairs. The smell of bacon hit her nose as she reached the kitchen. Opening the door, she saw her mother-in-law sitting at the table drinking tea and her husband cooking eggs.

“Good morning,” he said. “I hope you rested well.”

“Sorry, I'm late. I slept so hard last night that I overslept this morning.”

He came around the kitchen table and kissed her softly on the mouth. “You worked so hard on that party, I'm sure you were exhausted.”

His mother smiled. “It was a good party. I enjoyed it.”

Praise from his mother? Had the sun risen in the west or had Katie just not totally awakened yet? Was she dreaming. “I'm glad you had a good time, Mother O'Malley.”

“Well, don't let it go to your head. People still don't like my son.”

All the revelations from last night suddenly weighed heavy on Katie's heart and she couldn't help but wonder why so many people had attended their event. Was it curiosity or something else? And who had destroyed all the wine bottles last night? It had to be someone at the party. Or could it have been Martha? The woman had disappeared when she'd asked her to stay.

“Mother,” Daniel warned. “Katie is not responsible for how people perceive me. It was her idea for the party and we have reason to celebrate this morning.”

Warmth rushed through her clear down to her center. Last night her husband had held her gently in his arms and this morning he was defending her to his mother.

Were his words last night true? She hoped so, because she could still see so much potential here and she felt so much hope that maybe they were finally coming together as a couple. Maybe they could put the past behind them.