“I still don’t understand what this has to do with us, Amelia. How does this mean you’re in danger?” Felix pressed.
“I’m getting to that,” Amelia replied. “My father wanted to give me a better life. But every time he tried to make some money, he lost some. He lost more and more, until he was deeply in debt. My parents were killed in an accident one day. It happened suddenly. They owed money to some people in Boston. A lot of money. The men they owed belonged to a very powerful group of men. They sent some of their members to our home after my parents died. They took nearly everything we owned.”
Felix’s face grew angry. “But that’s robbery. That’s not fair. Why didn’t you talk to a lawyer?”
“They said it was to pay the debt,” Amelia continued. “But they would never tell me how much I owed them.”
“How many times did you see them?” Felix asked. He hated hearing that Amelia had gone through something so horrible. He wanted to help her, but he needed more information to find out how.
Amelia shrugged. “I lost count, honestly. I had to work in a factory and live with other young women in similar situations. We all had no family and no money. We worked hard, and we got paid, but every time I received a paycheck, the men would come and take most of it.”
“That’s just plain wrong,” Felix said sadly. He was upset that Amelia had hidden this part of her life from him. No one should have to deal with that on her own. “There was nothing anyone could do to stop them? The police?”
“No,” Amelia told him. “I tried to go to the police, but I didn’t have enough information. And they wouldn’t have believed me anyway.” She shook her head, remembering back to the day she’d gone to the police.
Felix was confused. “Why wouldn’t they have believed you?”
“One of the men who threatened me was at the station, dressed in a police uniform. If I said something, he would have twisted it and made it so I would be in trouble. No one could help me,” Amelia explained. “That’s why . . .” Her voice broke. “That’s why, when I met you, I thought all of my troubles were over.”
Felix leaned in closer. “Your troubles are over. No one could help you before, but I’m here now. I’ll help.” No matter how disappointed he was that she’d lied to him for so long, he had to help her. She was his wife.
“Oh, Felix,” Amelia cried. “There’s more.”
“What?” Felix was afraid to hear more, but he knew he needed to be strong for his wife. She was scared and vulnerable. It was his job to protect her. As Amelia continued with her story, he had a sneaking suspicion that the gossip he had heard in the bunkhouse that the previous day might have a factual basis.
“When I went to the mercantile a few days ago, two odd things happened. A man stopped me and asked for directions. That wouldn’t necessarily be strange, but then he started asking me questions about where I came from. He knew I wasn’t from around here. He gave me a bad feeling. I got away as quickly as possible,” Amelia said in a rush. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she remembered, a chill running through her.
“A stranger approached you? Why didn’t you tell me?” Felix crossed his arms. He hated the idea of another man making Amelia uncomfortable.
Amelia continued with her story. “Then, when I got to the mercantile, Ruby told me that two men had been in there, asking about me.” She knew she should have told him sooner, but she hadn’t known how. She said a quick, silent prayer that he would forgive her for her dishonesty.
This all came as a shock to Felix. He felt hurt that Amelia hadn’t trusted him with these incidents. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me any of this!” He wanted to yell and shake her, but he knew it would do no good. It was in the past, and he needed to work toward forgiving her and handling the problem.
Amelia sniffled. Not only was she terrified that the men would come back, but she felt guilty that Felix had been so badly affected by her lies. Still, she knew she needed to continue. “There’s more.”
“There’s more?” Felix shouted. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Amelia. I’m just getting more and more upset, because you’re the most important person in the world to me. I don’t want to let anything like this happen to you again.”
“A little while ago,” Amelia started, knowing this was the hardest part. “Before you came home, two men in masks came to our house. They demanded money. When I told them there wasn’t any, they thought I was lying and ransacked the dresser. They didn’t find any, so they said they’d come back. And if we still didn’t have money . . .”
“Oh, no,” Felix said, barely able to get the words out. “Oh, Amelia.” He pulled her close to him and embraced her. For a long time, neither of them said a word.
Then, Felix pushed his chair backwards and stood up. Amelia nearly lost her balance, even though she was still sitting.
“What did they look like?” Felix asked, speaking as calmly as he could.
“There was a shorter man and a taller man. The short man was round and squat. The tall man was thin and gangly. I couldn’t see their faces because they wore masks,” Amelia explained. She wished she had more information for him.
Felix’s face was bright red. “I’m going to find those men and—”
“No!” Amelia said firmly, standing up and facing him. “I don’t want you to have any part in this. This was my family’s mistake, and it’s my burden to bear. I’ll get a job while you’re at work. I’ll wake up early to make sure I still have time for my household duties.”
Felix shook his head. “No, Amelia. We’re married. We face things together. And this isn’t right. You should be safe in your own home.” He immediately thought about telling his family. And he could teach her to shoot a gun. There were options for keeping her safe.
“Please, Felix,” Amelia pleaded. “Don’t do anything foolish. I don’t want you to get hurt because of a mistake my family made.”
“We’ll discuss this later,” Felix said. He walked toward the door. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back to Amelia. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Amelia wiped some of the tears from her face. “I don’t know, Felix. I felt . . . I suppose I felt ashamed.”
Felix shook his head in anger and strode out the front door. Amelia couldn’t tell if he was angry with the men or with her. Maybe it was a little bit of both. She was certainly angry with herself.
Felix saddled his horse and rode across the property to his parents’ house. When he arrived, Cora opened the door.
She beamed at him. “Felix! We weren’t expecting—”
“No time to talk. Go to the house and stay there with Amelia until I get back,” Felix commanded.
Cora was stunned. Felix wasn’t the type of brother to bark orders at her. Something must be wrong. “What’s the matter, Felix?”
“Now!” Felix shouted and got back onto his horse. He waited to make sure Cora was going to do what he had asked, then rode back to the ranch, growing angrier by the minute.
“What are you doing here? I thought you went home,” Tom remarked as Felix burst into the bunkhouse. Some of the men who lived at the ranch were eating dinner, while others were still unwinding after work. Kent and Bryce were still there, finishing their food.
“We have a problem,” Felix said. He proceeded to tell the group everything Amelia had told him.
Bryce stood up and offered his hand to Felix, shaking his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, Felix. I didn’t know everything. I apologize for spreading lies about your wife.”
“It’s all right, Bryce,” Felix said. He didn’t care about that anymore. All that mattered was keeping Amelia safe. “But we need to come up with a plan. If those men come back, there’s no way they’re going to treat my wife badly.”
“What exactly did you have in mind?” Tom asked.
“That’s as far as I’ve got,” Felix admitted. “I know we need a plan. I just don’t know what it is.”
“First, we need to spread the word abo
ut these men,” Kent said. “The tellers at the bank know what they look like.”
“Bryce, you’re good at drawing,” Felix said. “Maybe the people at the bank can tell you what they looked like and you can draw a picture—kind of like a wanted poster.”
“We could post the pictures around town, let people know that these men are not welcome here,” Kent suggested.
“Yes, that would be great!” Felix said.
“I can stop by a few of the local establishments this evening on my way home,” Bryce offered.
“Thank you,” Felix said gratefully.
“What else can we do to help?” Kent asked.
Felix thought for a little while. “My sister is at the house with Amelia now. I don’t feel safe with her being at the house alone while those men are in town. Do you think we could figure out a way for our neighbors and friends to stay with her while I’m at work?”
“I’m sure my mother and sisters would be happy to help out,” Bryce replied.
“You should talk to Penny,” Tom suggested. “She and her sisters are used to helping out those in need.”
“That’s a good suggestion,” Felix said.
“I’ll take you to talk to her now,” Tom told him. Together, the two men left the bunkhouse and walked to the main house. Tom and Penny lived in a beautiful home on the property. Felix hoped one day he and Amelia would be able to fill their home with love and children the same way Tom and Penny had.
When they arrived, Tom and Penny’s four sons were excitedly racing around the house. Penny had their fifth son in her arms. They were balls of energy, and Felix was temporarily distracted by their enthusiasm. It almost made him forget about the predicament at hand. But he quickly snapped back to attention as Tom led him into the kitchen.
“Penny, we need to tell you about something that’s happening in town,” Tom began.
Penny listened quietly and compassionately as Tom and Felix explained the whole story. She nodded when Felix finished speaking. “Felix, I’m sorry this is happening to you. I’ll help in any way that I can. I think the first thing we need to do is make sure Amelia is never alone.” She looked at Tom. “If it’s all right with you, I can take the first shift tomorrow while we get out the word to other women that Amelia needs support.”
“Thank you,” Felix said gratefully. “You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”
Penny waved her hand. “I’m only doing what anyone else would do, knowing that Amelia’s in danger.” She bit her lip, continuing to think. “Another thing we should do is have someone talk to Cletus.”
Felix scratched his head. “Why is that?”
“As town judge, he has connections with many other local towns and sheriffs. He can put the word out that these men are dangerous,” Penny explained.
“Oh, I see,” Felix remarked. “Thank you. That’s a great idea.”
“I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Tom offered.
“Thank you, Tom.” Felix shook Tom’s hand. He turned to Penny. “Thank you, too. We’re very fortunate to have your family on our side.”
“Don’t mention it,” Penny instructed. “Now, you get home to your wife. I’m sure she’s expecting you back.”
“Thanks again,” Felix said as Tom walked him to the door. He couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that had lingered around him ever since Amelia had explained everything that was going on. But he felt glad that Tom and his family were so understanding. Although the situation was horrible, he was glad that he had strong allies on his side.
Eight
Felix didn’t sleep an uninterrupted hour the entire night. He tried to drift off but kept waking up, jolted out of brief nightmares about someone trying to break into the house and hurt Amelia.
In the morning, Amelia made breakfast and a pot of coffee. “Are you sure you’re feeling well enough to go to work today, Felix? You barely slept at all.”
Felix nodded grimly. “I wouldn’t feel right not going to work. Tom and his family are helping enough as it is, and I need to keep providing for our family.”
“Yes, your work ethic is something I noticed right away about you,” Amelia replied. “I really admire that. It’s something I want to instill in our children.”
Felix smiled as he thought about the children they would one day bring into the world. At a time like this, it was difficult to think much about the future. He was glad to hear Amelia speaking so positively. “I’d like that, too.” He glanced up at the clock. It was almost time to leave for work, but he didn’t want to leave Amelia alone for any amount of time.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. “It’s just me. Penny!” Penny called from outside the door.
Felix breathed a sigh of relief and answered the door. “Good morning, Penny.”
“Good morning, Felix and Amelia. I can stay as long as you need me to today,” Penny explained. She held up a basket that obviously contained sewing materials. She had a sleeping newborn in her other arm. “I brought plenty of work to keep me busy.”
“That’s great.” Felix walked over, kissed Amelia, and said goodbye to both women. “I’ll see you this evening after I’m done with work.” He exited the house and set off for work.
“Thank you again for all your help,” Amelia told Penny. “Felix said Tom has been very understanding and supportive.”
“That’s what we do here in Nowhere,” Penny told Amelia. “We all have hard times, and we need to help each other get through them.”
“That’s so nice,” Amelia remarked. “I don’t think where I lived in Boston had that same sense of community. It feels so good to be surrounded by so much kindness and generosity.”
Penny smiled. “Yes, I was raised in an orphanage in New York. Things were different there, too. But I like the way we do things around here.”
Amelia frowned, a look of realization crossing over her face. “Who is watching your other children today? I feel awful for keeping you from them.”
Penny grinned. “Oh, don’t worry about that. My sister Dorothy took the older ones for today. She has a few of her own who are the same age. The cousins all have a wonderful time playing together.”
“Oh, that’s nice. How many children do you have?” Amelia asked politely.
“Five boys,” Penny replied with a smile.
“Wow! That’s a lot of boys!” Amelia exclaimed.
Penny chuckled. “Yes, it is. But I suppose I knew what I was getting into when I married Tom. He’s the seventh son of a seventh son. He always said it was destined that we would have seven boys as well.”
“Oh, I see,” Amelia said, though she really didn’t. No one could know how many children they would have and what gender they would be. “They must keep you busy.”
Penny laughed. “You don’t know the half of it. But you will soon enough, whenever you and Felix have children.”
Amelia tried to smile, but she winced instead.
“What’s wrong?” Penny asked, her voice filled with concern.
Amelia shook her head. “I don’t know if Felix will want to start a family with me after all of this.”
“How can you say that?” Penny looked Amelia straight in the eye. “I’ve known Felix Gardener for a very long time, and the man is positively smitten with you.” She carefully laid the baby beside her on the sofa.
“I know he cares for me, but will he be willing to start a family with me? I’m worried he’s going to think I’m damaged goods.” Amelia hated sounding so weak and unsure. She was a strong-willed person who was used to taking care of herself and making sure she had everything she needed. She wasn’t used to relying on someone else to help care for her.
Penny grabbed Amelia’s hand and squeezed it. “You’re not damaged goods. Not even a little. This will all blow over, and soon you and Felix can get on with your lives.”
“Do you really believe that?” Amelia bit her lip. She hoped Penny was right, but she had her doubts.
“I do.” Penny picked up the fabrics
she had brought with her. “How are you at stitching and sewing?”
Amelia made a face. “Average, I guess.”
“Well, you’re in luck,” Penny smiled. “We have the whole day ahead of us.” She placed a needle and piece of fabric in Amelia’s hands. “We’ll start with the basics.”
Amelia grinned. She was still anxious, but she was lucky to have a friend like Penny on her side. Any distraction was a welcome one.
Felix blinked his eyes rapidly as he rode his horse to work, trying to stay awake. He took the same route every day and often joked that he could travel the path in his sleep. He didn’t want to find out whether or not that was actually true.
As his horse galloped along, he hoped Amelia and Penny would be all right back at home. The more he thought about it, the more he worried that he’d left the two women all alone without any form of protection. Still, he knew that Penny was smart, and she wouldn’t let anything bad happen to Amelia.
Felix didn’t know what he would do. The problems Amelia had told him were just starting to sink in. It sounded like the men wanted money. He had worked hard and been careful about his savings, so maybe he could reason with the men. Then again, that might not be the smartest move. They might take advantage of him and threaten him until he continued to pay them money, the same way they’d done to Amelia back in Boston.
He couldn’t believe that the men had followed her all the way to Texas. It seemed like a long way to go to track someone down. Was there something more that Amelia was holding back from him? He had to admit, he had been hurt to learn that she had been hiding such a big secret from him for the entire time they had been married. Felix had always believed that a man and a woman in a relationship should share everything and not keep any secrets from one another.
He wondered what it would take to get the men to go away and leave Amelia alone forever. It made him scared to consider the possibility of bringing children into the world. What if the men came back when they had an infant or small children? Would their entire family be at risk? What were these men willing to do if they didn’t get what they wanted?
Amelia's Arrangement (Madame Matchmaker Book 2) Page 6