by Everly West
"My daughter is in love with you, Mr. Copper. She may not know it yet, but I can see it in her. And right now, she is miserable. If you love her and you wish to make my daughter happy, then it is up to you to make that happen. All I can do is give you an address where you can write to her.” Eva’s mother handed him a piece of paper with an address on it. Boston. So, Eva was in Boston.
“Don't bother trying to find her at this address. You will only be wasting your time. The people who live there will thwart your every move if you try to see Eva against her wishes. You must make her want to come to you, Mr. Copper. It is the only hope you have if you wish to win my daughter’s trust again.”
"Thank you, Mrs. Delacroix. Thank you."
The woman stood and turned to leave. He rushed to the door to open it for her. His hand on the doorknob, she placed her hand on his arm. He raised his eyes in question. "Mr. Copper, in spite of what people think, I love my daughter immensely. I was young when I married Henri and he was so handsome and dashing. He was quite the catch. It was only after we married, I learned what an arrogant, selfish ass he could be. I've not been the best of mothers, I can admit that now that Eva is grown. It was more a matter of self-preservation than choice."
Levi watched tears pool in her dark eyes, so much like Eva's. He suddenly felt sorry for the woman. "I have done the best I could to protect Eva from Henri's machinations. I would never have pushed her into a marriage not of her choosing, even if I had to steal her away in the dead of night. I'm glad you love her, Mr. Copper. I've watched you over the last decade and,” the woman paused and looked him in the eyes, “I like what I see.”
Speechless, Levi stood staring at Eva's mother. Small crinkles appeared at the outside corners of her eyes and Levi realized she was smiling at him. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to try to win my daughter back?"
“Yes, ma’am. I’m going to win your daughter back, starting right this minute.”
Chapter 14
Eva had been in Boston staying with her Aunt Latisha, her mother's sister, and her twin cousins, Arielle and Arianne Dufosse' for almost two months. And she was starting to go stir crazy.
It wasn't that they hadn't welcomed her with open arms, it was just that she missed Laramie. And Levi.
Thoughts of Laramie always pulled her toward thoughts of Levi and that night of the town hall meeting. She had been so happy to stand by Levi's side, but when she learned of Levi’s deception and he had played her for a fool, she had been devastated and heart broken. She had played right into his hands when she asked him to marry her. Was it really just coincidence he needed a wife at the same time she needed a husband?
She thought he was her friend. A loyal friend. A trusted friend. Instead, he turned out to be just another manipulative male who used her to get what he wanted. He was even worse than her father because he pretended to be her friend.
"Eva, are you pining for that handsome husband of yours again?" Arielle asked over the top of the latest book she was reading. Her cousin was an adventuring romantic at heart and was always reading about some faraway place, imagining herself there.
"Yes, dear cousin Eva. If you are missing the man so much, why don't you just go home?" Arianne, the practical cousin, pointed out.
"Because he lied to me and I can no longer trust him," she snapped. They’d been over this before.
"Perhaps if you hadn't been in such a hurry to leave town, he might have explained the situation to your satisfaction. As it is, you are mad because he didn't chase after you and profess his love, but in his defense, you gave him no clues as to where you fled. You simply packed your bags and left in the dead of night."
"Oh, Arielle, you are always so dramatic. The dead of night? Really," Arianne pointed out.
"My dear Arianne, since you are so fond of stating only the facts, has the fact that she left him no trail to follow escaped your usually astute observations? She bought a train ticket under someone else's name. How can she in all good conscience blame him for not following when she left no trail for him to follow?"
"Cousins. I'm right here. Please don't talk about me like I'm invisible. I've had enough of that from my parents."
The identical twin sisters looked at each other and nodded. They had this uncanny ability to communicate with each other without saying a word. Eva had seen them put that talent into action when they needed to. It was quite amazing to watch but a bit unnerving, she had to admit.
"We are so sorry, Eva. We didn't mean to do it," they said in unison.
She knew there was a grain of truth to her cousins’ comments. She had snuck away while Levi was giving his speech and she had bought a train ticket in someone else's name. She knew Levi well enough to know his sense of honor would force him to explain, but she hadn't wanted to listen then. Now, she wasn't so certain.
She had always thought him to have a sharp sense of honor. Could she have been so wrong about him?
"Eva, are you listening to me?"
"Yes. No. I was thinking."
"We know. You are always thinking, but what are you doing about it?" Arielle asked.
"About what? There's nothing to do. Levi lied to me and now I can't trust him. End of story."
"Eva, are you blind? The man is in love with you and he has been in love with you ever since that summer when Arielle and I came to visit. We were, what twelve, thirteen at the time? All I know is that the boy was smitten with you and saw no one else but you."
"How could you possibly know that?" Eva shook her head at her romantic cousin.
“We came to know him over the many summers we visited you in Laramie, and he is a good person, Eva.”
“He tricked me.” Eva tried to plead her case, but she wasn’t as convinced as when she left Laramie.
“Did he?” her cousins asked in unison.
“I told you what happened. Of course, he did.”
“You asked him to marry you and save you from your father’s trickery, and he did. I don’t see the problem,” Arielle stated.
“I asked him to pretend to marry me and he married me for real.” Eva couldn’t see why her cousins were being so thick-headed about the matter.
“So, let me get this straight. You wanted him to ruin your reputation by pretending to marry him. Instead, he married you for real. Gave you his name. Gave you a home of your own. Invited you to help him run his business. Put you in charge of a project that was near to his heart. I’m just not seeing where your problems with him lie, Eva.
“You wanted to marry someone of your own choosing. He wanted to be married to you. Seems to me you both got what you wanted. You are away from Uncle Henri and you are living your dreams. Making your own decisions. And Levi has enlisted your help, your ideas, and your efforts to help him provide this nursery care thing you keep talking about. I don't see the problem here.”
“The problem is he tricked him. He lied to me. I thought he was the one person I could trust, but he conned me just like my father does. He used me to get something he wanted.”
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. “Come in,” Arielle said.
Eva’s Aunt Latisha, the twins’ mother, opened the door and entered the girl’s bedroom. “There’s a letter here for you Eva. It arrived by special post. Someone must have something really important to say to you if they were willing to spend that kind of money to have it delivered by special post.”
Her aunt handed her the packet. Her cousins crowded around while she tore it open. Keys fell out and onto the floor followed by a deed of some sort. And a letter.
Her heart punched her chest. She recognized the handwriting. It was Levi’s. He had found her and she was both relieved—and scared.
Arielle picked the keys off the floor. “I wonder what these go to?”
“Read the letter, Eva,” her aunt urged.
Eva unfolded the parchment paper and began to read.
“Dearest Eva,
I’m so very sorry you had to learn about m
y deception in front of the whole town. Laramie, and you, deserve better from me. I’m not going to bother making my actions appear honorable. Instead, I can admit what I did was selfish. And self-serving. But, I want you to also know, I didn’t do it for the reasons you may think.
You wanted a marriage of convenience on a temporary basis. I wanted a marriage of love and friendship on a very permanent basis. I thought if I could convince you to love me before you found out what I had done, the end would justify the means. I know now that any relationship based upon a lie is doomed to fail. Love is based on truth and I have betrayed my love for you by not telling you the truth even though I swear my heart was in the right place.
You told me once you always wanted your own place to call home. Some place where you decide what color the walls are or when dinner is served. Some place your children can grow up happy. So, I purchased the house on 5th and Elm Street in Laramie. You know, the big two-story gray one with the giant oak trees out back. I bought it the day of the town hall meeting and I had hoped to surprise you with your own home. A place you would have complete control over. A place you and I could call home.
I know I let you down, Eva. For that, I’m truly sorry. If we could go back to the night at the Quincy party when you asked me to marry you, I’d say yes the minute you asked me, but I would have insisted outright that our marriage be every bit as real as my love for you.
I hope you can forgive me and come home soon. I will be waiting for you as long as it takes.
All my love,
Your husband, Levi.
Eva had no idea she was crying until a tear dropped onto the letter, smearing the ink. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes trying to come to terms with the situation.
Her aunt and cousins remained quiet for about half a second before Arielle spoke up. “Well, I think that about sums it up. If that doesn’t prove the man loves you, then I don’t know what does. He bought you a house, Eva. A house. And, he gave you the deed. It doesn’t look to me like he’s using you for his own gain. What do you think, Arianne? You are the practical one.”
“I think the man is crazy in love with you, Eva. What else matters? He. Loves. You. How often does a love like that come along in a woman’s life?”
Eva knew what her cousins were trying to do, but could she ever trust him again?
Mired in confusion and doubt, she sat staring at the letter. Arielle picked up the deed and unfolded it. Another piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor.
“What’s that?” Arianne said. She sidled up to her sister and read over her shoulder. Eva was re-reading Levi’s letter once more when both cousins turned to face her, the piece of paper in their hand. The look on their faces pulled Eva up short.
“What is that? Why are you looking so serious?” she asked. When they hesitated to answer, she reached for the paper. The bold type across the top of the document punched her in the gut. She scanned the contents of the document and saw Levi’s bold signature at the bottom.
“It’s a divorce decree. And it says that Levi has given me a monthly allowance of whatever I decide is fair. And—he signed it.”
Eva sat down in the nearest chair and stared at the piece of paper in her hand. Levi was setting her free. He bought her a house and was willing to give her whatever monthly allowance she saw fit without limits or argument.
“Well? Are you going to let him go? We know you have feelings for him. Isn’t there something he can do to right his wrong?” her Aunt Latisha asked.
Eva sat still for a long minute. She thought about everything Levi meant to her over the years. Friend. Confident. Trusted advisor. Husband. The least she could do was to return to Laramie and deliver this divorce decree to him in person. She realized she had some things to say to him and she needed to say them in person.
* * *
It had been two weeks since he had sent his letter to the address Mrs. Delacroix had given him. He had heard nothing back. He sat in his office and stared at the ledger in front of him once again, but he couldn’t focus on the numbers. If only he knew where she was and what she was thinking. Would she forgive him or would the Divorce Decree he had Will draw up appear in the post instead?
He stood and paced his office for the hundredth time today. Why couldn’t she see he had loved her long before Governor Moonlite made his proposition? He had loved her since that night she kissed him at her birthday party. He had wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her how he felt, but he had been too afraid she would come to her senses and see him as her father did, so he vowed to always be her friend, no matter what happened between them. “How can I do that now?” He yelled to his empty office walls.
“Can I come in?”
Levi whirled and there stood Eva, as beautiful as ever.
“Eva!” He rushed toward her and then stopped, unsure what he should do or why she was here. It was then he saw the divorce decree in her hand and fear and regret nearly stopped his heart.
He watched her walk into his office, full of grace and beauty. She stood next to one of the chairs in front of his desk and waited.
Levi rushed to her side and pulled the chair back away from his desk so she could sit. He was painfully aware when she placed the divorce decree on his desk where he could see it. She hadn’t signed it yet. That was a good sign. At least he hoped it was a good sign.
He waited for her to settle in her chair and then he returned to his side of the desk, waiting for fate to deliver the final blow to his dreams.
“It’s really good to see you, Eva. It seems like years instead of a few months,” he offered, not sure what he should say or do.
“Thank you, Levi.” She offered a smile of sorts. It seemed sad and resigned. Was he reading too much into it? He hoped so.
The awkward silence between them grew until he was close to losing his mind. “Eva, will you let me explain? I was going to tell you the night of the fire. And then I was going to tell you after the town meeting, when—”
“When I left?” Eva asked.
“Yes, I’m not blaming you. Not at all, but I wanted a chance to explain to you—”
“The trouble with such an explanation, Levi, is that it would have been after the fact. I was already legally married to you, so any explanation you could have shared would have been too little too late. Don’t you see that? You took my choice away from me and you made the decision yourself. Just like my father.”
Levi’s stomach sank. She was saying goodbye. What could he say? That she was wrong? Yes. And no. He loved her, but he had also betrayed her by marrying her without her permission. He deserved whatever he got at this point.
“I suppose I can’t disagree with that, as much as I would like to. I know I should have told you the truth and I wanted to, but I made an impulsive decision, probably the first one in a long time, and it cost me more than I ever dreamed.”
When she didn’t say anything in return, he resigned himself to the reality of his situation. He nodded his understanding of what was happening and turned the divorce papers around so she could have full access to the place where she would sign her name and end their marriage.
“I hope the terms of our divorce are agreeable with you. If you need more money, later on—all you have to do is ask. I won’t deny you any request.”
He watched Eva pick up the documents and study them. “Here’s a pen.” He might as well give her the weapon to do him in. When she took the pen from him, their fingers brushed and their eyes met.
“Eva, I know I should have given you the chance to make your own decisions. I should have been honest with you from the very beginning. And, I should have taken you in my arms and told you how much I loved you years ago. I didn’t and I have no one to blame but myself.”
Eva nodded. “That’s true. No one to blame but yourself. I’m certain this situation has taught you never to do something like this again.”
“No, I certainly will not,” Levi admitted.
“Good. Then I hope you understand
why I have to do this.”
“I wish I didn’t, but I do.”
Eva poised the pen over the place she would sign and end their marriage. He held his breath, knowing that, with the simple stroke of a pen, his life would never be the same again.
And then, in an instant, everything changed.
Epilogue
It was early fall and Eva laughed at the children chasing each other around the giant oak tree in the backyard of the two-story gray house Levi had bought for her on Fifth and Elm Street. The dozen children or so ranged in age from five months to five years old. All of them too young to attend regular school. That’s why they were attending the very first nursery school in Laramie.
Charley was repairing a window someone had broken trying to hit a rock with a board slat and Mary was cooking the children’s noon day meal. She was almost ready to have her own child and Eva thought the young woman looked so much younger with the weight of her problems behind her. Eva smiled at the sight before her.
“What has you so amused, my beautiful wife?” Shivers of delight ruffled over Eva’s skin as Levi’s words greeted her.
“I’m just imagining our own child playing here early next spring.”
Levi’s strong arms reached around her stomach and held her close to his body. It was exactly the place she wanted to be. “I hardly think our baby will be playing as soon as he—or she—is born. Besides, it will be winter in another couple of months,” he reminded her.
“I know, but our first nursery care house is fully operational, and I want our baby to spend time here too.”
The deep rumble of his laugh against her back brought to mind all those nights in his arms after she had torn up that divorce decree. It had been the right decision.
“I want our children to grow up in this house and in this neighborhood making friends that will last them a lifetime.”
“Like we did?” Levi asked, his warm breath caressing her neck.
Eva smiled and lay her head against her husband’s strong chest, feeling his desire for her beneath her skirts. “Yes, my darling Levi. Like we did.”