Katie: Bride of Virginia (American Mail-Order Brides 10) (13 page)

Sorrow gripped him, squeezing his chest at the thought she would believe he killed his first wife. At the idea anyone thought him capable of murder.

He wanted to run away from the ugliness, his muscles unable to sit any longer. Rising from the chair he moved closer to the fire, hoping it would warm the ice flowing through his veins.

“I'd been working late every night the week she died. It had been a brutal winter and I'd had the crew out at night watering the vines, keeping the fires burning in the fields, to keep the vines from freezing.

“Eloise had been distant. She'd not shared my bed since October and the worst part was I didn't know what I'd done. Trying to keep her happy, I gave into most of her demands. She didn't like living outside of town. She hated that my mother lived with us. And she wanted me to go to work for her father in Raleigh.”

He paused, remembering that awful night. The way his wife had laughed when she told him about the affair. The pain of her betrayal gripped his insides. “When I came in from the fields, for the first time in months, she was waiting for me. Told me she had found someone else. Someone who would treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Someone who would give her the life she wanted. Said she was leaving in the morning.”

“What did you do?”

Laughing he looked at the woman he knew he was falling in love with. Katie listened to him, worked with him, and made him look good. Yet he couldn't give her his complete trust. The differences between the two women were suddenly so clear.

“At first, I tried to talk her into staying. I wanted to work things out, but she wanted no part of any reconciliation. The realization that my marriage was over slammed into me like a boulder. I'd loved Eloise deeply. But her mind was made up and I wasn't going to change it.”

And here was where everything became fuzzy. He'd slept hard that night. He'd been exhausted and after their argument had several glasses of wine. He'd not been drunk when he went to sleep, but he'd had enough wine that he slept well that night.

“When I left, Eloise, she was retiring for bed. Mother called me into her room and poured me a cup of tea. I didn't mention that Eloise was leaving in the morning. We talked about the wine and then I went upstairs to bed. I was so tired and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was asleep. The next morning when I woke up, she was gone.”

Daniel remembered the feeling of knocking on her bedroom door, and when she didn't answer, opening to see the empty room, the bed that had not been slept in. Her suitcase open like she hadn't finished packing.

“Did you try to find her.”

“Of course, I did. I was the one who searched the woods. Who found her cold body half buried in the snow,” his voice choked. “There was blood on the snow from a gash on the back of her head. But the weirdest thing was she had no coat on, no shoes.” He shivered at the memory. “No one should die like that.”

He walked to the window and stared out at the falling flakes, remembering the horror of finding her dead. “I'd give anything to find out what happened and why she went out that night.”

“Do you still love her?” Katie asked, her voice soft and mild.

No, he no longer loved Eloise. He was falling for Katie, but he didn't want to tell her while they were talking about his dead wife. Turning, he faced Katie. “No. Our marriage had never been a happy one and when she said she was leaving, I actually felt relief.”

At first he'd been upset, but then he realized how he could never have made her happy and it was probably for the best she left. This way another man could try to give her what she wanted in life.

“Did you kill her?”

His head jerked, feeling like he'd been slapped, her words stung. “Never.”

“But you want to know who did?”

“Of course. Not only to clear my name, but so I would know who had done this to Eloise. She deserves justice.”

He gazed at the woman he was rapidly falling for. She had been so trusting, believing in him, and he'd avoided telling her his side of the story. He'd been wrong and didn't know how to make it up to her.  Last night had been the best night of his life and somehow he wanted to hold onto what they'd had together.

“Come to bed, Katie,” he said softly.

She glanced away, her face tightened as she bit her bottom lip. Did she not believe him? Daniel felt his heart wrench inside his chest like someone had punched him. He should have told her the first night she arrived, before she was influenced by other people's version of the truth. But he'd been trying to put the past behind him.

“I need some time. I'll be up soon, but right now I just want to sit here and think for a few moments.”

His stomach tightened, nausea rising. “This is why I hadn't told you. I didn't want you to believe I'd killed her.”

She said she didn't believe he'd killed Eloise, but still there was something holding her back.

She sighed. “I don't think you killed her. I just need some time to consider what you've told me. I learned about Eloise from everyone else until tonight. Tonight I finally hear your side. Is this a sign of you finally trusting me?”

“I do trust you,” he said.

“Then why whenever something happens in the vineyard do you believe it's me?”

“Before you arrived, I wasn't having any problems and now suddenly every time I turn around something has gone wrong. What am I supposed to think?” he said, having a hard time believing his sweet wife would create havoc in his vineyard, but then he would think back to how his first wife had acted and he feared Katie was doing the same. He felt torn.

“Did you ever consider that maybe someone wants you to think it's me.” She sighed and hung her head. “I'm not Eloise, Daniel, and I refuse to battle her ghost.”

It wasn't fair to compare her to Eloise. He knew it and he was trying, but he'd been burned before. “I'm doing my best, Katie. Really I am. But Eloise betrayed me and I fear you will too.”

#

Katie watched her husband climb the stairs, his retreating back so strong and muscular. Had she fallen in love with a murderer? No, there was no way Daniel would have harmed Eloise.

Her husband was an honest, hard-working soul, but never a murderer. But what could have sent the woman fleeing into the snow?

The only people in the house were Daniel and his wheelchair ridden mother. Neither seemed capable of forcing Eloise into the cold. Unless it was the lover his mother claimed Eloise had.

But who could that be? And did they work here in the vineyard?

So many questions swirling around in her head and she truly did not know who to believe.

Tears sprang to her eyes. Daniel expected her to trust him when he said he hadn't killed Eloise, but he couldn't trust her when it came to the accidents in the vineyard. Sitting in the parlor she let the tears slide down her cheeks. Pain clenched her chest. The very idea that the man she loved thought she could harm their crops or destroy their wine, broke her heart.

Tomorrow the ladies from the church would be attending a tea party she was putting on and she would have to face them knowing they suspected her husband of murder and he believed she was causing damage to the vineyard.

Had the journey from Lawrence been worth the heartache she'd found here in Charlottesville?

Chapter Ten

D
aniel was late this morning. He'd overslept after not being able to rest peacefully most of the night. Katie had not come to bed until late. He'd missed the feel of holding her in his arms and this morning she was busy preparing for her tea. Neither one of them had slept well.

“Before you leave for the fields, would you bring up a couple of bottles from the wine cellar?” she asked.

He really didn't have time, but he wasn't about to deny her any small request at this point. Hurrying down the cellar stairs, the smell of alcohol stunned him. When he reached the bottom he stared in shock, his chest aching with pain.

Broken bottles were strewn about like a cyclone had lifted them and smashed them against the floor. At least two cases of his best wine was evaporating on the ground. How could this have happened without anyone noticing the noise?

After hearing his story last night had she gotten her revenge by shattering his best wine?

Since her arrival someone had been doing their best to try to destroy the vineyard, but why? And why would Katie harm the very livelihood that kept her off the streets? It didn't make sense. Nothing was making sense these days and somehow he had to learn who was behind this. It had to stop, now.

If it was Katie...his chest tightened and his head began to throb. Had he once again chosen a woman who wanted to destroy him?

Sinking down on his heels, he touched the wine littered floor. It had been here for a day or two as it was already evaporating.

Fortunately, the destruction was either a warning or they'd been interrupted in their attempt to demolish the wine in the cellar. They'd only gotten to two cases, but still it was enough to frighten him.

Grabbing two bottles, he hurried up the stairs. Katie was sliding what looked like a coffee cake into the oven.

She turned and smiled at him, in that way that chased the dark thoughts from his heart and brightened his day. There was no way she could be behind this devastation.

“Thank you. I have your breakfast almost ready,” she said.

When he didn't move, her facial expression drained like an hourglass. “What's wrong?”

He wanted to see if she was lying. “Someone broke several cases of wine in the cellar.”

“Oh no,” she said. “Why is this happening?”

“If I knew the answer to that, the mystery would be solved. When was the last time you were down in the cellar?”

She frowned. “The night of the party, Why?”

“I just wanted to know.”

She bit her lip, her eyes darkening. “I forgot to tell you, but the night of the party, Martha found several shattered bottles. When I came in to take the glasses to our guests there was wine and glass strewn across the kitchen. I even checked people's clothes for wine stains, but nothing.

“I didn't tell you right then because I didn't want to spoil the party for you. Then afterwards you and Frank were in that heated discussion and after that I learned you hadn't sent for me. And I forgot.”

The fact she hadn't told him left him leery. They were under attack. How could he fight if he didn't know when to battle? Unless of course the enemy had infiltrated the base. Anger churned through him and he took a deep breath. “You should have told me.”

“I meant to, but things were a little hectic at the time.”

“I'm going to have one of the men come over and put a lock on the cellar. No one is to go in or out without me here, do you understand?”

“Of course.” Her brow drew together in a frown. “Daniel O'Malley, you don't think I did this, do you?”

“I don't know what to think. This all started when you arrived. But that doesn't mean you're the one behind this.”

As soon as he said the words, he knew he should have kept his suspicions to himself.

She whirled back to the stove, dished up his eggs and laid the plate down on the table.

“Enjoy, I need to make certain everything is ready for my tea.” And walked out of the room.

Whatever progress they'd had made as a couple was looking bleaker by the minute.

#

Two hours later, Katie was still indignant over her husband's lack of trust and suspicions. She'd been trying all morning to put her hurt feelings aside, but it was hard. The man she loved, who she admired and felt grateful for, thought she was trying to destroy him and his precious grapes.

It took a lot to make Katie mad, but right now not only had his accusations hurt, they'd left her disillusioned and questioning why she was here. Marriage was built on trust and Daniel obviously thought the worst of her.

Yet she didn't believe he'd killed his wife. She trusted him more than he trusted her and that made her even angrier.

Katie's lips felt frozen in a permanent grin as she mingled among her guest from church, doing her best to keep a smile on and pretend everything was fine.

But her heart ached with the knowledge he thought she was damaging his vineyard. And why she thought inviting these women would help with the suspicion over Daniel was enough for a good laugh. They were here snooping.

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes, hoping this would soon be over. Why in the world would she try to destroy the new life she loved? Why would she hurt the man who had married her and taken her into his home? And why didn't he realize she loved him?

“Katie, dear, where did you come from?” the old biddy in the group asked. Katie called her an old biddy because frankly she'd watched her stirring up trouble the entire time she was here.

“I worked in Lawrence, Massachusetts until a factory fire claimed my job.”

“You worked?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Well, I must say you've done an amazing job on this house. Eloise, God rest her soul, she just didn't have the touch,” a dark-haired elderly woman said.

Katie smiled. She knew they'd come on a fishing expedition to try to learn what she knew about Eloise's death. Well, she refused to answer their curiosity. “Thank you.”

“You do know about Eloise,” another woman asked lifting her tea cup.

“Yes, I do. What I would love to know about Eloise is who was her lover? That way we could finally solve her murder and my husband's name would be cleared,” Katie replied anger roaring in her ears like a tiger on the prowl. As she stared at the shocked faces around her, she couldn't help but feel a smidgeon of pleasure. She smiled. “Is everyone ready for Christmas?”

Somehow she had to steer them away from the topic of Eloise and back to safe tea discussions. Or she could lose her temper completely and send them all running for the door.

“We need to decorate a tree and that’s it,” one woman said. “Don't you just love the smell of pine in the house.”

The door to the house burst open and Daniel strode in looking like a madman. His dark hair was windblown, his face twisted with anger. “Katie, why?”