Brides of Noelle

by Kit Morgan

  “I’d say it’s something,” Walker said with concern. He looked at Genevieve, but all he got was a calm shrug.

  “Can I be of some service?” Father O’Flanagan offered.

  Daphne took one look at him and let out a wail.

  Walker’s eyes went wide. “Daphne, darling, what is it?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Darling is it? Oh, stop …”

  “But sweetheart, what’s wrong? How can I help if you don’t tell me?”

  “Please,” she said as she wiped her eyes again. “You know very well what it is. Why else were you back there talking with the priest?”

  The men exchanged a quick look. Daphne didn’t care. She knew what they were about. Walker ratted her out. That’s what. Now she felt like a fool wearing robes of guilt and shame. The worst part was, it was all her fault.

  “Daphne,” Walker said, his voice tender. “Let me take you home.”

  She looked at him through misted eyes. “Home? Denver’s a long way off. But I’ll start packing.”

  “Packing? What are you talking about?” he asked.

  She sniffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s over, Walker. We can’t go through with it.”

  “Can’t? You mean court? Of course we can. You have to give us a chance.”

  “A chance? What chance is there now?”

  Father O’Flanagan and Genevieve glanced between the two with interest, as if they hadn’t a clue what they were talking about. Well, Genevieve didn’t, Daphne didn’t get the chance to tell her. Father O’Flanagan on the other hand …

  “Daphne,” Walker said and held his hands up as if to rest them on her shoulders and froze. Instead of touching her he looked into her eyes with a tender look of concern.

  “Don’t make this worse, Walker. Just don’t,” she said and turned away.

  Walker glanced between the priest and Genevieve, and without warning, pulled Daphne into his arms.

  “What are you doing?” she gasped.

  “Something I should have done a long time ago. Okay, days, we haven’t known each other that long, but that’s beside the point!”

  Father O’Flanagan put a hand over his mouth to stifle a giggle as Genevieve’s brows shot up. “What are you talking about, Mr. Brooks?” she asked. “Though I think I can guess.”

  Walker took a deep breath. “This,” he said, and kissed Daphne!

  The shock of it took her by surprise. So did her reaction. Her body turned to jelly and her mind went blank. Heat shot through her as his kiss shook her to her very core. It was then she realized he wasn’t play-acting. This was genuine emotion being conveyed between two people in a dance as old as time.

  And then the truth hit. Walker Brooks was in love with her.

  * * *

  “Mr. Brooks!” Mrs. Kinnison cried.

  Father O’Flanagan cleared his throat. “Er … young man …”

  Walker’s head was reeling. How it happened, when it happened, he wasn’t sure. But at some point in the last day or two, he’d let himself fall in love with Daphne Dolittle.

  “Mr. Brooks!”

  Walker finally broke the kiss to leave them both gasping. Daphne looked at him, her mouth still open, her lips pink and swollen, and sighed.

  “Mr. Brooks! Remove yourself from Miss Dolittle this instant,” Mrs. Kinnison cried.

  Walker gave the woman a sheepish look and with as much strength as he could muster, let Daphne go. “My apologies, ma’am.”

  “I’m not the one you should be apologize to,” she said.

  Walker gave her a lop-sided smile then faced Daphne again. She stared up at him with longing. He swallowed hard and gave her a hint of a smile. He’d kissed her senseless, and didn’t wonder if it was her first kiss.

  “Mr. Brooks,” Father O’Flanagan started. “Er … Walker. About what we discussed earlier? I think it’s safe to say that now you know where your heart stands.”

  “Wha … what?” Daphne said as her wits slowly came back. “Stand?”

  “I’ll explain later,” Walker said. He turned to Mrs. Kinnison who eyed him with disapproval. “I’ve behaved less than a gentleman. Of course I’ll make it up to the lady. But at least now my … um … intentions are clear.”

  “You’ll do the right thing, Mr. Brooks,” Mrs. Kinnison said. “Even if it was just a kiss.”

  “Of course,” he said and put an arm around Daphne, who still wasn’t fully recovered.

  “Mr. Brooks!”

  Walker dropped his arm and stepped away. “Sorry.”

  “Well, isn’t this grand?” Father O’Flanagan cheered. “Love speaks at last!”

  “If that was speaking, Father,” Mrs. Kinnison said. “Then I dare not think what shouting consists of.”

  Walker wiped his mouth with a hand and gave her a sheepish look.

  “Best not shout in public then, lad,” Father O’Flanagan advised. He cleared his throat again and gave Mrs. Kinnison a stern look. “I think it best if we escort these two back to The Golden Nugget. I’m sure they have details to work out, hmm?”

  “Yes, I couldn’t agree more,” Mrs. Kinnison said. “We’d best inform Reverend Hammond.”

  “What?” Daphne piped up. “Reverend Hammond!”

  “Uh, yeah,” Walker said. “I … didn’t realize that I …”

  “Go on, lad, say it,” Father O’Flanagan urged. “Tell her.”

  “Tell me what?” Daphne asked.

  She looked confused. Maybe he should have expressed his new-found feelings another way. “Daphne, I …” He cocked his head. “Care for you. I know it’s sudden, I’m not sure what happened. It just hit me.”

  “What are you saying?” she asked in a small voice.

  Mrs. Kinnison’s face softened “Daphne, dear, you mean, you don’t know?”

  Daphne glanced at her then returned her attention to Walker. “Are you saying that …”

  Walker closed his eyes a moment, opened them. “I think … no Father O’Flanagan made me realize that … I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  Her eyes went round as saucers. “But … but that wasn’t the plan!”

  “Plan?” Mrs. Kinnison said as her brows went up. “What plan?”

  Daphne’s head snapped between them. “Nothing. It’s nothing.” She lifted her skirts and hurried away.

  “Daphne!” Walker called after her.

  “Let her go, Mr. Brooks,” Mrs. Kinnison said. “You’ve given her quite a shock.”

  “Believe me, ma’am. I’ve given me quite a shock too,” he said.

  Father O’Flanagan slapped Walker on the back with a smile. “Best it’s out in the open. You’ll want to marry her before someone else does.”

  “Yes, I know,” Walker said. But after making his un-realized feelings known, what was Daphne going to do? He had a strong notion he’d just ruined his chances of marrying her. He’d had all the signs the last couple of days. Knew he was feeling something for her beyond attraction. He’d started dreaming about her, couldn’t get her out of his mind, and like an idiot, didn’t do a thing to stop it. But he’d never fallen in love before either. So how was he to know? Until he asked Father O’Flanagan that is.

  “Don’t worry, lad. She’ll come around,” the Father said as he clasped his hands behind his back. “Let’s return to The Golden Nugget and let the womenfolk spend some time with her. She’ll realize where her heart stands soon enough.”

  “Yes, but what if it’s not where mine is?”

  Mrs. Kinnison gave Walker a look of suspicion. “She wanted to tell me something but you interrupted us. Do you have any idea what it was?”

  Walker shook his head. If Daphne wanted the woman to know about her original plan, her dreams of travel and everything else, it was Daphne’s business. Besides, he was ready to make an honest woman of her.

  Oh. Wait a minute.

  “Something wrong, lad?” Father O’Flanagan asked. “You look a wee bit pale.”

  Walker swallowed hard. “Oh, no,” he breathed
.

  “Mr. Brooks?” Mrs. Kinnison prompted.

  Walker shook his head. He couldn’t marry Daphne and let her go off to fulfill her dream. How would that work? He’d have to go with her. But, that wasn’t the problem. Money was. He doubted her investment would produce enough for both of them to travel. Not only that, she’d never mentioned wanting to travel with anyone to begin with. Surely she wouldn’t try to find someone else just so she could go through with her original plan? If she didn’t feel anything for him, she very well could. And even if she were falling in love with him, would that love be strong enough to keep her in one place? Or would the desires of her heart drive her away?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Daphne reached The Golden Nugget, lifted her skirt and raced upstairs to her room. Once inside she went to the settee and sat, her heart in her throat. “Good Lord Almighty, help me!”

  But with her luck, the Almighty had been planning this all along. Wouldn’t that just figure? Walker Brooks in love. With her! What a pickle. Worse, she didn’t know what to do about it. Her mind was still reeling from his kiss and her limbs were like jelly. She was amazed she made it back to The Golden Nugget as fast as she did.

  “Oh, drat! What am I going to do?” Her fingers went to her lips unbidden. She touched them, and a part of her longed to feel Walker’s lips on hers again. She jumped to her feet.

  “No! Absolutely not! I can’t!” She put a hand over her heart. “I can’t afford to fall in love. I’ll never see the world if I do.”

  Daphne went to her bed and sat. “I can’t.” To her surprise, tears filled her eyes. The sudden turn of events had shocked her, and her heart had reacted in the most unexpected way. As if a door had been opened to allow Walker inside. And the blasted man walked right in! And merciful heavens, he was still there!

  Daphne began to wring her hands. “This will never do! How am I to get to China?”

  A knock at the door interrupted her fretting. Just as well. Though what she really wanted at the moment was to be alone.

  The knock came again. “Fine,” she said and went to answer it.

  “Hello,” Ophelia said with, what else, a smile. The woman was always smiling. At the moment Daphne found it downright irritating.

  But Ophelia’s constant moods of marital bliss couldn’t be dismissed so easily. Maybe there was something to married life Daphne should think about. Ophelia, with all her family’s money could have traveled the world three times over, but never had. Now here she was, living over a saloon in a nothing of a little town with a man who monetarily, didn’t compare to the woman’s father, but who loved her deeply. To Ophelia, that’s all that mattered.

  So why didn’t it matter to Daphne? “Hello,” she said.

  “What’s wrong? Didn’t your time with Walker go well?”

  Daphne shook her head and stepped away from the door. Ophelia hurried inside. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Daphne went to the bed and sat. “There’s not much to talk about.”

  Ophelia took in her glum expression. “Did you and Walker have a fight?”

  She noticed the use of Walker’s Christian name. Ophelia must think they were heading for the altar.

  “Daphne, tell me,” she urged.

  Daphne sighed. “He kissed me.”

  Ophelia gasped.

  “In front of Mrs. Kinnison and Father O’Flanagan.”

  “No!”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, Daphne, what are you going to do? Were they furious?”

  Daphne thought a moment. Come to think of it, they didn’t react as opposed to the kiss as she thought. And didn’t Walker say something about having kissed because of something the priest said? Good heavens! Is that what Walker was talking with him so intently about? His growing feelings for her? Yes, it was. He’d said as much …

  “Is he going to marry you?” Ophelia asked.

  “I have no idea,” she admitted. “And even if he did, I’m not sure I want to.”

  “Oh, Daphne, I’m so sorry. But he’s a nice man and handsome to. He’d make a wonderful husband…”

  “But I’d make a terrible wife.” There, it was out. She would make a terrible wife. She’d want to travel and he wouldn’t allow it. He’d naturally want her home with him since they could never afford to go anywhere together.

  “What will you do now?” Ophelia asked.

  Daphne’s eyes went to the armoire in the corner. “What I should have done yesterday.” She got up, went to the armoire and opened it.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Packing.”

  “Packing! But you can’t leave!” Ophelia said and rushed to her side. “Please, don’t go just yet. Give us a chance.”

  Daphne stared at her. “Us?”

  “Yes, Clint, me, Chase and Felicity, the other brides in town. Everybody!”

  Daphne continued to stare. “What do all of you have to do with anything?”

  “What do we have to do? Daphne, don’t you understand what kind of a place Noelle is?”

  She shook her head. Words were lost to her at this point.

  “We’re family. All of us. We look out for each other, help each other, and try to take care of our neighbors. The way a town should be.”

  Daphne’s mouth was hanging open at this point, but she didn’t care.

  “Please, don’t go yet. You can be a part of this.”

  She slowly shook her head. “How? How would I survive here on my own?”

  Ophelia gave her a heartfelt smile. “You wouldn’t have to be. Walker would take care of you.”

  Daphne closed her eyes and turned away.

  “Please, what man kisses a woman in public in front of someone like Mrs. Kinnison and a priest?”

  “A desperate one?” Daphne shot back.

  “No, silly. A man in love.” She put her hand on Daphne’s shoulder and turned her around. “If Walker Brooks is in love with you, and I know you have feelings for him …”

  “What? Nonsense,” she scoffed.

  “Daphne, stop lying to yourself. Anyone can see it.”

  Daphne gaped at her.

  Ophelia’s hand went to her hips. “Well, they can. What I don’t understand is why the two of you are dancing around each other the way you are. He adores you, and you’d be a fool to pass him up!”

  Daphne took a step back. She’d never seen the sweet, kind, Ophelia Jones so riled up before.

  “The perfect man comes your way and what do you do?” She continued her tirade, even started to pace the room. “I understand how fast it can happen! It did to Clint and me!”

  “Ophelia …”

  “He’s a decent man! Rumor has it he doesn’t even go to the brothels!”

  “How would you know that?”

  “Because of the madam. She comes in here to get whiskey from Seamus for her place and brags how his customers are her customers. I’ve heard her say so. Walker doesn’t come into The Golden Nugget often, so how could he be included in that?”

  Daphne sighed. Her head was screaming to pack her trunk and leave, while her heart was hearing every blasted word coming out of Ophelia Jones’s mouth. And liking them.

  A good man in a growing town full of helpful, kind folk? What was not to like? Except the fact she’d be giving up her dreams to stay, marry, live out her days in such a place. Selling hats, no doubt, raising children, loving Walker.

  She swallowed hard on that last thought and headed for her trunk.

  Ophelia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think you’re a fool, Daphne Dolittle.”

  Daphne gasped. “How dare you!”

  “If I don’t dare, you’ll make a mistake and leave. Can’t you see I’m only trying to help?”

  Daphne’s mouth formed a firm line as she shut her eyes tight. Ophelia was trying to help, and in the best way she knew how. But if Daphne gave in, if she acknowledged what was in her heart and let herself fall in love with Walker Brooks, she’d be giving up everything. “
I can’t.”

  Ophelia’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” she said in a soft voice. “But know this. I could have left. Gone back to Denver, talked with my father and made amends. But I didn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  Ophelia met Daphne’s gaze and held it. “Because I knew I couldn’t live with the regret. Clint is the best thing that has ever happened to me, Daphne. To pass him up for my old life in Denver would have been a terrible mistake.” Without another word, she turned and left the room.

  Daphne stared after her, her heart in her throat. After a moment or two she went to the bed, sat down, and wept.

  * * *

  “Why Walker, that’s great news!” Reverend Hammond said with a happy smile.

  “I kissed Daphne Dolittle, and you think it’s great?” Walker asked in surprise.

  “It was bound to happen sooner or later. Let’s see, I can marry you come Sunday if you like.”

  Walker shook his head. “No, Reverend, you don’t understand. I can’t marry her.”

  Reverend Hammond’s face fell. “Why not?” He glanced at Father O’Flanagan. Mrs. Kinnison had gone home, thank heaven, which left Walker with just the two men.

  “Because … because I can’t, that’s all.”

  Father O’Flanagan sat at the table next to him. “But after all you told me, lad, I thought your heart was set on marrying Miss Dolittle.”

  “Yes, I’d like that, but she … she doesn’t …” he sighed. “She won’t marry me now.”

  “Now?” the clergymen said at once. “Walker, what are you talking about?” Reverend Hammond asked.

  Walker took one look at their concerned faces, and it all came tumbling out. The deal with Miss Doolittle, her longing for adventure, him wanting to leave Noelle and needing the money, taking care of Jasper and … who his father was.

  “Walter Brooks the gunslinger you say?” Father O’Flanagan mused. “Yes, I’ve heard tell of him. He was your father?”

  “Yes. Jasper made a good point when he said that if I married Daphne, I might be putting her in danger. Never mind her running off to see the world while wearing my name. Not that it would do her any good out there,” he said with a wave at the saloon doors.