The Reluctant Bride (The Ladies Club of Laramie Book 4)

by Everly West

  Guilt poked at Eva's conscience, reminding her there was still time to right the wrong she was inflicting on Levi.

  The man called Will spoke up. "We should probably get started soon. And we are going to need a witness. Was there anyone you had in mind, Levi?"

  "Yes, I thought perhaps Mary would do the honors. And I can trust her to be discreet," Levi responded.

  "Why do we need a witness? After all, this isn't a real wedding. Can't we just say we had a witness?" Eva wondered. The less people that were involved, the less damage her father could do to the people who helped her.

  She watched Will study the certificate on the table in front of them. "If what Levi says is true, your father will do what he can to dismiss this marriage if the proper documents are not present. The marriage certificate requires the signature of a witness."

  Levi turned to her. "Will had mentioned this to me earlier and I agreed the more we can do to present a legitimate marriage to your father, and the rest of Laramie, the less chance someone will question it.

  “I had mentioned the possibility to Mary. She is very discreet, and she would never disclose anything I asked her not to."

  "I suppose if that's what is necessary to fool my father, then by all means, go and get her." Eva knew she was in too deep now to back away from this plan. After all, it was her idea to pretend to marry and Levi had gone to all this trouble...

  "I think it is necessary," Will insisted.

  Levi let go of her hand. "I'll be right back."

  He quickly left to find their witness, leaving her alone with Will. She had no idea how long Levi would be gone, so she filled the awkward silence with nervous chatter.

  "Thank you for agreeing to do this. I trust once this is over, you will make yourself scarce. I would hate for my father to cause trouble for you."

  "I would not like to have an altercation with your father. It wouldn't be good for any of us," the man admitted.

  Eva’s stomach fell at the thought. "Yes, I would agree. I'm worried about Levi. I only hope we can convince my father this marriage is real so he will leave everyone alone. That is my desire for all of us."

  "That is all of our hope, Miss Delacroix."

  A sound at the door announced Levi's return. He opened the door and ushered in the same young woman that had let Eva in the hotel's side door.

  "Eva. This is Mary, a young woman who works for me. You can trust her to be discreet."

  Eva nodded to Mary. "Hello, Mary. It's nice to see you again." She turned to Levi. "Mary was kind enough to let me in the side door when I arrived."

  "Thank you, Mary." Levi offered the young woman a kind smile.

  "My pleasure, Mr. Copper." Mary curtsied and blushed at Levi's praise.

  "We really must get started." Will picked up the bible off the table and turned toward them.

  Levi took her hand and led her to stand in front of his friend who would be officiating the ceremony.

  "Levi. Eva. I'm going to make this the short version for obvious reasons. Eva, repeat after me. I, Evangeline Josephine Delacroix, do hereby take you, Leviticus Augustus Copper, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward."

  Eva repeated the words and silently prayed. For what exactly, she wasn't sure she knew.

  * * *

  "With this ring, I thee wed." Levi slipped the sparkling gold and sapphire ring onto Eva's slender finger.

  "And now, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride, Levi." Levi smiled at his friend and turned to his new bride.

  "Would you mind, Eva?" He wanted every aspect of this marriage to be legal and skipping the wedding kiss wasn't something he wanted to test. Besides, there was nothing he wanted more in this world than to kiss his beautiful Eva, no matter the pretext.

  He watched her pretty blush in the candlelight.

  "I think it would be appropriate considering the circumstances," she said.

  Levi stepped closer to the woman of his dreams and pulled her into his arms. "I'll do my very best to take care of you, Eva. I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever." He leaned in and watched in fascination when Eva closed her eyes.

  He was mesmerized by this woman's beauty and he still found it hard to believe she was standing here in his arms.

  Levi leaned in and touched his lips to Eva's. He intended a quick, chaste kiss for appearances’ sake. But when his lips touched hers, a bolt of desire like nothing he had ever felt before punched him hard and sent his senses reeling.

  Without conscious thought he deepened the kiss and plundered Eva's mouth with his own. His fingers reached up and cupped the back of her head, pulling her mouth closer. A discreet cough from Will brought him up short and back to the present.

  Levi stepped back and watched Eva's beautiful soulful eyes open to meet his. Her surprise at his anything but chaste kiss was plain to see.

  "I suppose we should sign the marriage certificate and let Mary get back to work," he suggested, unsure of what to else to say.

  "I—I suppose we should." Eva stuttered on her words.

  Will presented the certificate on the table and handed Levi a pen. "Sign here Levi. Eva, you sign next to Levi. Mary, you and I will sign below their signatures."

  When everyone finished signing their names, Levi turned to Will. "Thank you, my friend. I will never forget what you have done this night."

  "I pray you do not," Will teased. “Unless, of course, your plan doesn’t work as expected, then I would appreciate it very much if you would forget it ever happened.”

  Levi turned to Mary. "Thank you, Mary. I appreciate your willingness to stand in as a witness. Please, don’t let us keep you any longer from your work. I will add a little something extra in your paycheck at the end of the week. And I trust you will not be speaking of this matter among your coworkers.”

  Mary curtsied. "Thank you, Mr. Copper. I appreciate your generosity and no, it is not my place to tell the staff about your marriage to Miss Delacroix." She curtsied again and left the room.

  "I'm headed to the gaming tables, Levi. Mrs. Copper, I trust you will sleep well in your new home."

  Will bowed to Eva, shook Levi's hand and slapped him on the back. "Congratulations, my friend. You have done what you set out to do. I hope everything works out as you hoped."

  The telling look Will gave him was a silent message. Quite frankly, he hoped so too.

  His friend shut the door on his way out, leaving Levi and Eva alone in a candlelit room full of buttercups.

  "Eva. Perhaps we should make ourselves scarce around the hotel? If your father should come looking for you, I would like to avoid a public spectacle."

  "Yes. It is getting late and my parents will expect me to come down for dinner soon. When I do not, they will send for me. And that is when all hell will break loose."

  Levi saw the nervousness in Eva's body language. She was afraid of her father's wrath. Well, he wasn't afraid of the arrogant puffed up horse's ass, but he wanted to protect Eva from her father’s cruelty.

  "Then let us make our way to my suite upstairs and out of harm’s way, shall we?" He placed his hand on the small of Eva's back to guide her toward the door. "Let me get your cloak. Here's your reticle."

  Levi draped Eva's cloak over his arm and offered her the bag. She took it and he opened the door. "We will go down a back hall and up the employee stairs. It will prevent any accidental meetings we hope to avoid."

  He escorted Eva out of the room, down the back hall he spoke of and up a narrow wooden set of stairs against the hotel's rear wall. They followed the stairs to the third floor without passing a single person. Relief relaxed Levi's shoulders.

  He pulled his door key out of his pocket and turned it in the lock. "I don't usually use this door, but I don't want to risk any of my employees seeing us until we are ready to share our news."

  "I agree," Eva whispered in the dark stairwell.

  Levi pushed the door open and stepped back so Eva could enter first. The door opened into
the back hall of his suite of rooms. "This way." He ushered Eva ahead of him, careful to keep his hand on her waist. He was loath to lose the connection with her. It was all so new, and he treasured every moment of it.

  He pushed open another door and they stepped into the main room.

  "Oh, Levi. This is so beautiful. I had no idea how big your home is up here. I guess I just assumed—"

  "That I lived in a hotel room? Hardly. When I purchased the Grand Union Hotel from its previous owner, I had the entire third floor gutted and remodeled. I have almost three thousand feet of living space. Let me give you the tour and then I'll call the kitchen for our dinner."

  "Dinner? I don't think I should be seen downstairs, Levi. Not yet. It's too soon." He saw the worry in her eyes.

  "No, Eva. I will send for room service. I have a full staff in the kitchen, and they will bring our dinner when I ask them to. What do you wish to eat this evening?"

  "I fear my stomach is too nervous to eat much. You choose and I will eat whatever arrives."

  Levi touched Eva's cheek, stroking his thumb against it. "Please do not worry, Eva. You are a married woman now and your father can no longer control your destiny."

  "Yes. At least he will think I'm a married woman, and when the times comes for me to leave, Levi, I will never allow my father to seek his retribution upon you. I promise."

  Levi felt the sting of his conscience at Eva's promise. In time, he would make her love him. And he would work as hard as he had ever worked to gain the prize he sought—Eva’s heart.

  Chapter 6

  Eva's appetite was much improved by the time the food arrived. The lavish display of food and wine rivaled anything her father could provide. She knew her friend had done well for himself, but she never really gave it much thought just how well he was doing—until now.

  "This is beautiful, Levi. The ceremony was very beautiful too. Thank you for putting out the extra effort to make this all appear to be real. If I were to have imagined my own wedding, I would have it look something like this. It was all so beautiful. And personal. The candlelight. Everything was so lovely. Thank you.”

  When Levi didn't say anything in response to her comment, she tore off another piece of fresh bread and stuffed into her mouth. "You know, if I were home now, my mother would be chastising me about my manners. Sit up straight, Eva. Stop stuffing your mouth so full, Eva. You are chewing like a cow, Eva."

  Levi's amused grin held no judgment or condemnation at her behavior. It was an exhilarating feeling. She grinned back.

  "Another glass of wine then, since no one here will be judging you?" Levi offered.

  "Why not?" Eva had never been allowed more than one glass of anything under her parent's scrutiny.

  "Why not, indeed." Levi poured a small measure into her glass and she chased another bite of the delicious fresh baked bread with a healthy portion of the wine. For the first time in a long, long time, Eva began to relax.

  Half an hour later, contentment washed over her, and she melted into the overstuffed chair in Levi's main room. She watched him reading a newspaper, occasionally sipping his glass of whiskey.

  "Now, what?" The words slipped out of her mouth before she even knew they were there. She blushed at Levi's surprised expression when he lowered the newspaper he had been reading.

  His amused gaze sent ripples of something over her body when his sultry dark eyes met hers.

  "What did you have in mind?" He followed his cheeky words with a teasing grin.

  Eva had been in the company of enough gentlemen during her many debutante balls to know there was a double meaning behind his innocent tease, but this was Levi, her dear friend, and yet there was something different about him tonight. She studied him harder. He looked the same with his dark good looks and rakish appearance, and yet something about him made her wish he wasn't her friend.

  "Eva? You look a bit flushed. Are you alright?" Levi's concern wrinkled his brow. He lay the newspaper down and stood.

  "Yes, I do feel a bit flushed." She stood and the room suddenly spun around her. "Oh." It was all she could manage before she swayed.

  Levi's strong arms caught her. "I don't know what is happening to me." She clung to Levi.

  "I think perhaps you had more wine that you are used to, my dear."

  "Nonsense. I only had two glasses."

  "Or was it three?" Levi asked.

  "Three? I confess I wasn't paying attention. Both the wine and the food were so delicious, I must admit I was a glutton and I may have overdone it. I guess now that I am making my own decisions, I should make them with a big more forethought."

  Levi's strong arms pulled her back to the sofa where he settled her into the solid piece of furniture and covered her lap with a soft blanket. He poured her a glass of water from a crystal pitcher on the dining cart and offered it to her. When she reached to take the glass from him, her fingers touched his.

  Eva noticed Levi had taken off his coat and had rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up to just below his elbows. She studied his strong forearms and fingers.

  "Eva?" She heard his voice and she raised her gaze to his. "Are you alright? You still look a bit dazed. Perhaps you would like to change your clothing. Get more comfortable." She heard him offer.

  "I think that might be a good idea. Would you be so kind as to show me to my room?"

  Levi pulled her to her feet and held her steady when she swayed.

  Levi took her arm and guided her down a wide hallway, passing several doors along the way. Most of the doors were closed but one or two stood open revealing their contents along the way.

  Her steps slowed at the open door of what appeared to be a library, gleaming wooden bookcases holding rows and rows of beautiful books. She stopped and glanced inside. "I had no idea you owned so many books. Why have you never mentioned it before?"

  Levi's fingers gripped her elbow. He shrugged. "I suppose it just never came up. I didn’t see the need to brag about how many books I had. It seems rather arrogant, don’t you think? Kind of like—"

  “Like my father?” She could see the hint of something behind his words. Pain perhaps? Did he still feel as if he did not matter?

  “I didn’t say that, but he does have a way of speaking over everyone else’s words.”

  "Ah, yes. My father. No one can get a word in edgewise when my father starts to speak. He is so busy telling everyone how smart he is, no one else has a chance to speak of things that matter to them."

  She swayed a bit, feeling Levi's hand steady her. His other hand touched her waist and lingered there. She liked it.

  "Well, no matter. Now that you are here, you and I may sit and talk about every book in that room if you like," Levi offered.

  She turned to face him. Her eyes roamed his handsome features. He said nothing but she knew he was studying her too. Perhaps he was trying to figure out what to do with her now that they were supposed to be married. She knew what she might like him to do with her—

  Where had that thought come from? The wine perhaps? "I would like that very much. The books, I mean." She blushed.

  Her conscience reminded her that Levi did not belong to her. They were caught in a charade of her making and she had best be careful she did not get caught up in it.

  "Good. I look forward to it. Now, let's get you settled in, shall we?" Levi helped her down the hall and into the huge bedroom at the end of the hallway.

  "Oh, my. This is beautiful. Thank you, Levi. You are truly a great friend." She mumbled more to herself than Levi.

  “I will always be your friend, Eva, no matter our circumstances. You can always call on me. That is a promise you can count on.”

  Eva was touched by his sincerity. The lump in her throat prevented her from speaking.

  Levi continued with the tour. "I have asked Mary to help you undress and get settled. I'll call her to come up, and if you need anything at all, Eva, please ask. It will be my pleasure to see that your needs are met."

  Levi le
aned in and kissed her on her cheek. His scent of good whiskey and quality cigars drifted through her muddled senses and pulled her to him. She leaned up on her tiptoes to give him a chaste thank you kiss, but at the last moment she turned her head and her mouth claimed his.

  * * *

  Levi heard the words his slightly inebriated wife mumbled under her breath. She still considered him her friend. Would she continue to think of him that way when she found out the truth about their marriage?

  He knew Eva was just shy of having had too much to drink. She had consumed three glasses of wine, but he never dreamed the alcohol would go to her head, especially with all the food she ate. He supposed she was more sheltered than he imagined a sophisticated young woman of her family's means would be.

  Now he had a decision to make. He could go along with his inebriated young bride and give in to her desires, a thought that certainly appealed to his baser desires.

  Or, he could send her to bed alone. And untouched. He didn't ponder the decision long. He didn't have to because his sense of honor would never allow him to compromise Eva before she learned the truth about their marriage. When she did come to him, he wanted it to be her choice, not because she had no choices of her own.

  She was still kissing him when he came to his decision. He reluctantly broke contact with Eva's sweet mouth.

  "Eva, you have had a very emotional two days, between your father’s machinations and now our wedding. Here, come sit in this chair and I'll call for Mary to come and help you undress. Today has been a very long day and you could use some rest, I think."

  He gently pushed her from him and helped her to one of the overstuffed wingback chairs by the window. He lit the lamp on the table next to the chair and rang the bell next to the bed to call for Mary's assistance.

  "Mary will be here shortly. Why don't you just sit there and relax until she arrives?" He turned to leave.

  Eva begged him to stay. "No, please stay and talk to me until she arrives. I feel like I should thank you, or apologize, for getting you into this mess. It's getting late and soon my parents will sound the alarm that I am missing. I can only imagine what will happen when my father learns about our marriage."