Spring Brides

by Judith Stacy

  Which meant everyone in town knew Anna had been abandoned. She cringed inwardly. What must the town think of her? Or worse, what did the town know about her? What had Henry said to everyone before he left?

  Mrs. Harrington’s words had been kind. Anna had been grateful when she’d set to work making her comfortable. A hot bath, a tray in her room, then, thankfully, solitude. Anna had slept straight through the night.

  Only to awaken to thoughts of Cade Riker.

  She sat up and pushed her dark hair over her shoulder. After all she’d been through, why would she think of that man?

  A tremor jolted her as she realized that she hadn’t been very nice to Cade yesterday. He had, after all, come to meet her at the station. He’d offered to help, even if he’d acted as if she didn’t have sense enough to take care of herself.

  And then he’d kissed her.

  Warmth grew inside Anna as she recalled lifting her head after her crying spell and seeing him standing in the alley. He’d followed her. Wiped away her tears.

  She touched her finger to her cheek, remembering the feel of his thumb against her skin. And those strong arms of his wrapping around her, pulling her close. His hard chest. Everything about him was muscular.

  Except his lips.

  A little sigh escaped from Anna’s mouth, jarring her from the recollection. She got to her feet, reaching deep for a different emotion. She settled on anger.

  How dare Cade Riker kiss her like that? How dare he kiss her at all?

  Of course, she’d let him.

  A sharp hunger pain drove all other thoughts from Anna’s mind. She went to the window and pulled back the eyelet-trimmed curtain. Outside, the street was crowded and the sun shone brightly. The day was already under way.

  Anna braced her hands on the sill and leaned out the window. She spotted a bank, general store, bakery and restaurant. All looking neat, clean and well-kept.

  She’d walk through the town today, she decided. Stroll the boardwalk, duck into a shop, sample a cookie from the bakery, eat at the restaurant. Her insides warmed at the thought. She could do anything she wanted.

  Not like back home. Papa insisted on knowing everything she did, every person she spoke to. Her brother quizzed her on the details of her days. Not that either of them cared or were interested. They simply thought it their duty to keep track of her.

  Would Henry, as her husband, have done the same? Anna wasn’t sure.

  No one had kept track of her on board the train. A smile came to Anna’s lips as she recalled the freedom, the joy of making her own decisions and doing as she pleased.

  She turned her head the other way, taking in the view to the east. A feed store, hardware store and the train station. And beside it was the alley where Cade had…

  That kiss again. Anna pulled her head back inside and turned from the window, willing away a sudden rush of warmth.

  She freshened up at the washstand, then opened one of her trunks to select a dress. Yards of white satin lay before her, causing a little ache to tighten around her heart.

  Her wedding dress. Would she ever get to wear it?

  Anna straightened away from the trunk. Yesterday she’d made a point of insisting to Cade Riker that she could take care of herself. Maybe she should get on with it.

  Downstairs, Anna found Mrs. Harrington sweeping the lobby. The front door stood open, letting in the breeze.

  “Good morning, Miss Kingsley. Sleep well, dear?”

  “Yes, the room is wonderful. Especially after being on the train for so long.”

  “Oh, I know what you mean.” Mrs. Harrington laughed gently, then her expression sobered. “It’s a difficult thing you’ve been through, dear. Coming all this way only to hear the news about Henry. You must have been devastated.”

  Kissed. She’d been kissed upon hearing the news.

  Good gracious, what was wrong with her? Anna fought off the recollection, hoping the kindly hotel keeper hadn’t noticed the warmth she felt gathering on her cheeks.

  “I suppose Henry had a reason for what he did,” Anna said, though deep in her heart she knew there was no supposing about it. He’d somehow realized she’d never make an acceptable wife, and had left. “But I really have no business being upset. Henry’s family, his friends claim that right. Everyone here in Branford surely knew Henry better than I, and are truly upset by his leaving.”

  “You’ve a generous spirit.” Mrs. Harrington took up her chore again. “You’re not thinking of going home, are you?”

  “I have a cousin near San Francisco. I might go there.”

  “I hope you’ll give Branford a chance. We have—”

  Mrs. Harrington stopped her sweeping and squinted out the front door. Then, with a look of smug satisfaction, she turned to Anna. “I knew Her Highness would be along. Vida Kendall, the mayor’s wife. I knew she’d be over to see you right away.” Mrs. Harrington leaned a little closer to Anna. “You were supposed to be the fourth, you know.”

  “The fourth what?”

  “Bride,” Mrs. Harrington explained. “It wasn’t enough that Vida’s own daughter was getting married. Oh, no. She decided to put on a wedding festival so that all the young ladies in town who’d planned to marry this spring could celebrate together. Four couples—three, now that Henry’s gone—in one grand ceremony. A day-long festival so that the whole town would turn out. You ask me, Vida Kendall just wanted to stage the occasion so that her daughter would outshine the other brides.”

  “And they wanted me to be part of the ceremony?”

  “Oh, yes. But your not being there won’t deter Vida. Not one little bit. She’s going to have her grand wedding, regardless.” Mrs. Harrington lowered her voice. “Some of us are wondering if it’s her wedding or her daughter’s.”

  “Three weddings at once?” Anna shook her head. “That’s quite an undertaking.”

  “The whole town is flush with wedding fever.” Mrs. Harrington rolled her eyes. “Edgar Talbot might end up getting run out of town before it’s all said and done. He owns Talbot’s General Store, just down the street. Vida Kendall insisted the brides—meaning her own daughter, of course—have the finest fabric available for their dresses, so she had Mr. Talbot send all the way to England for it.”

  “England? Oh, my…”

  “Yes. Can you imagine?”

  “The fabric must be beautiful.”

  “We may never know,” Mrs. Harrington predicted. “We’ve not seen the fabric. It should have arrived but hasn’t.”

  Anna gasped, imagining how the brides must feel. The scene at the train depot yesterday flashed in her mind. Were the distraught young women gathered around the conductor the brides, disappointed that their fabric hadn’t arrived?

  “Time is getting short. If that fabric doesn’t get here…” Mrs. Harrington’s words trailed off, but Anna knew exactly what she meant.

  “Why don’t the brides order fabric from somewhere else?” Anna asked.

  Mrs. Harrington’s eyes grew round. “Do you think Vida Kendall would allow her daughter to marry in a dress made of just any fabric? Why, I can tell you right now that—”

  Mrs. Harrington cut off her words abruptly as two women entered the hotel lobby. Anna knew, even without an introduction, that they were the mayor’s wife and daughter.

  The older woman wore a garnet-colored dress and a hat with a black feather sticking out the side, her dark hair graying slightly. The younger was a mere wisp of her mother, tall and slender, with golden hair gathered under a blue bonnet. Anna guessed the girl was no older than herself.

  Mrs. Kendall introduced herself and her daughter, Rachel, then got down to business.

  “Too bad about Henry Thornton.” She said the words kindly enough, yet dismissively. “But don’t think you’ve come all this way for nothing.”

  “You’re from Virginia?” Rachel asked with a shy smile. “And you made the trip by yourself? It must have been very exciting. I’d love to hear about it.”

 
; “No time for that now,” Mrs. Kendall declared. “Just because Henry up and left is no reason for you not to participate in the wedding festival. Come by the house tomorrow morning. We’re discussing preparations.”

  Anna didn’t respond. She didn’t think it necessary. The invitation sounded more like a command than a request.

  Rachel cast an uncomfortable glance at her mother. “Mama, maybe Miss Kingsley doesn’t want to be part of the festival.”

  “Nonsense. Of course she wants to,” Mrs. Kendall declared, then turned to Anna. “You’ve just come from the East with firsthand information about the latest fashions. You must share it with us.”

  “I did bring quite a few catalogs with me,” Anna said.

  “Then you absolutely must be there.”

  Rachel gave Anna an apologetic smile. “It’s a perfect chance for you to meet everyone.”

  Anna didn’t know if she could face the women tomorrow. She had no idea what Henry had told the townsfolk about her. Had he given a reason for leaving? Had he told them something unflattering about her? She couldn’t be sure, judging from Mrs. Kendall’s invitation. The woman, it seemed, wanted her for her catalogs, regardless.

  “Tomorrow morning,” Mrs. Kendall declared. She headed for the door. “Come along, Rachel. I’m paying a visit to the mercantile to see what’s going on with that fabric.”

  “But Mama, I’m sure Mr. Talbot is doing the best he can,” Rachel said.

  “We’ll just see about that.”

  Rachel offered Anna a quick wave as she followed her mother out the door.

  Mrs. Harrington gave Anna a telling look, then went back to sweeping. Anna stepped out onto the boardwalk.

  Townsfolk passed, some of them nodding, some smiling faintly, others staring. What were they thinking? Anna wondered. What did they know?

  If only she had some hint of what Henry had told folks before he left town. Had he ruined her reputation before she’d even arrived?

  Something that awful Cade Riker had said to her yesterday drifted into her mind. A letter. Henry had left a letter. Anna had to learn what he’d written.

  She sighed heavily. Much as she hated it, she’d have to find Cade Riker.

  Chapter Four

  Anna located the Branford Lumber Company on the west edge of town. Oxen dragged gigantic logs through the sprawling site, mule teams pulled wagons and men worked at a steady pace. There were barns and animal pens, storage buildings and sheds. A railroad spur from the main line snaked through the yard. Saws buzzed relentlessly.

  Wood lay everywhere. Piles of logs. A maze of perfectly piled stacks of boards. Heaps of scraps. Sawdust mounds. The sweet smell of just-cut wood filled the air.

  Henry had owned this business. The biggest in the state, he’d said. Surely the workers were concerned about their jobs, their futures.

  Anna worried about her own. Though nearly everyone in Branford was a stranger and she could leave at any moment, she didn’t want to be forced away. She wanted to take her time deciding what to do with her life. She needed to give it considerable thought. Her last decision hadn’t been a good one, obviously.

  Back home in Virginia, facing a marriage proposal, Anna had thought she and Henry shared a respect and fondness for each other. Even with her own feelings of inadequacy, she’d thought those qualities were enough to keep them together until she figured out how to make him happy.

  They weren’t. Henry had made that perfectly clear when he’d run out on her before she’d even arrived in Branford.

  What did a man expect from his wife? She’d wrestled with the question. She’d observed other marriages but had gleaned nothing. None of those unions seemed to work well.

  Her parents, for one. They had merely tolerated each other for several years before her mother died. Some of Anna’s friends seemed to actually fear their husbands. Other husbands whom she had thought loved their wives were known to consort with all manner of women. Yet Anna had known men who doted on their wives. It made no sense.

  She was left to wonder how a woman might discover these things in a prospective husband. Was there a way of finding out during the courting process?

  To know the answer, a woman first had to understand what a man expected from a wife, what he thought, what he believed true and right in a marriage. Schools didn’t teach it; Anna had found no books on the subject. Even the women she’d asked didn’t seem to know the answer.

  Gathering her skirts, Anna stepped up onto the long, narrow, covered porch of the lumber company’s office. She’d come here to find Cade Riker. Someone at the lumberyard would know where she could find the man, since he was Henry’s cousin. And, hopefully, Cade would let her see the letter Henry had left so that she might learn the answers she sought, as well as how much Henry had shared with the town.

  Anna opened the door and stepped inside. Two desks sat at right angles in the center of the large room. Maps and charts hung on the walls. Windows on all sides let in sunlight and provided a sweeping view of the lumberyard.

  Every flat surface in the office was piled high with crooked stacks of ledgers, and crumpled, dog-eared papers shoved haphazardly into them.

  A door at the back of the office opened and a man walked out of what appeared to be a storage room. Her heart rose in her throat.

  Cade Riker. What was he doing here?

  An easy smile spread across his face. “Afternoon, ma’am. Can I help you?”

  Anna just stared. It wasn’t Cade, after all.

  “Ma’am?” he asked.

  “Sorry,” she said, giving herself a little shake. “I didn’t mean to stare. But you look so much like—”

  “Cade.” He walked over. “I’m Ben Riker. Cade’s brother. Most people get us mixed up.”

  “I can see why,” Anna told him.

  “You can tell us apart because I’m the good-looking one.”

  Ben’s smile was wide and genuine. The resemblance between the brothers was uncanny. The difference lay in the soft, friendly lines of Ben’s face.

  “I’m Anna Kingsley,” she said.

  Ben’s expression turned somber. “I can’t tell you how sorry everyone is about Henry. I know this is a blow to you.”

  “I’m sure everyone here misses him,” Anna said.

  “Did you want to see Cade?” Ben asked.

  “Why, yes,” Anna said, wondering how he knew.

  “I’ll get him for you.” Ben opened the back door, yelled Cade’s name, then turned to Anna again. “He’ll be right in.”

  She touched her fingers to her lips. “Mr. Riker—”

  “Call me Ben. Keeps things simple that way.”

  “I didn’t realize—”

  Cade strode in the back door. He whipped off his hat and tossed it on the desk, then wiped his forehead with his shirt-sleeve. Anna’s heart gave an annoying little lurch.

  “You’ve got company,” Ben said.

  Cade turned, and just as he’d done at the train station yesterday, froze at the sight of her. Anna stilled, as well.

  Some time dragged by while they both stared. Finally, Anna said, “I—I didn’t know you worked here.”

  “Work here?” Ben chuckled. “Cade owns the place. Along with me, of course.”

  Heat swept up her throat and onto her cheeks. “I thought Henry…Henry told me he owned the company.”

  Ben shook his head. “Henry worked for us. He did the books, took care of the payroll, things like that.”

  Embarrassment burned her face. Yesterday, outside the train depot, she’d railed at Cade about how she could turn to Henry’s employees in her time of need, since he’d been such an important man in town. And all along Cade knew the truth. He’d stood there and let her humiliate herself.

  “You own the company?” she asked, stepping toward Cade.

  “Well…yes,” he admitted, and at least had the good grace to look uncomfortable.

  She pushed her chin up. “You must have had quite a laugh yesterday at my expense.”
r />   “Uh, well, Miss Kingsley—”

  Getting a look at Henry’s letter didn’t seem important at the moment. Anna drew herself up. “I came here, Mr. Riker, to thank you for your…assistance…yesterday when I arrived. So…thank you.”

  Anna yanked open the door and turned back. “For everything except the kiss.” She stomped outside and slammed the door.

  Anger and embarrassment rolled through Anna as she stopped at the edge of the porch, getting her bearings. She could burst into tears—if she wasn’t so mad.

  Behind her, the door opened. She glanced back to see Cade coming outside.

  “Wait, Miss Kingsley,” he called. “Don’t go.”

  If he hadn’t sounded a trifle contrite, she would have started walking. Instead, Anna waited. As Cade stepped in front of her, she wondered if she shouldn’t have left.

  Lord help her, he was handsome.

  “Look, uh, I’m…” Cade pulled at the back of his neck. “I, uh, yesterday I should have, uh—”

  “Is this some sort of attempt at an apology?”

  He quit shuffling his feet and looked down at her. “I don’t do it very often.”

  “Well, don’t bother to do it now,” Anna told him, her warring emotions draining away. “I probably deserved to be laughed at, after the way I carried on. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry, too,” Cade said, though the words didn’t roll off his tongue very easily. “I’d just told you the man you’d come here to marry had up and left town. I couldn’t see telling you he was a liar, too.”

  His reasoning made sense, though Anna didn’t really want to agree with him.

  Cade shifted again. “I want to apologize for the kiss, too.”

  “Well, you should. I can’t get it out of my mind.”

  Cade raised an eyebrow. “You can’t?”

  Her cheeks flamed and she turned away, but he leaned down and caught her gaze. “Can’t stop thinking about it, huh?”