A Bargain For A Bride (Westward Hearts Book 8)

by Blythe Carver

  Landon watched, his heart swelling, as his mother held the baby in the crook of her arm. The look of pure wonder on her face seemed to erase twenty years, turning her into a young woman simply overwhelmed with the joy of holding a beloved baby. “Goodness gracious! When were you going to tell us about this?”

  “To say nothing of the fact that you now have a wife.” Oliver still looked perplexed, though he clapped Landon on the back and laughed heartily. “You are certainly one for keeping secrets, are you not?”

  Landon was careful to avoid Cate’s gaze upon hearing this, knowing he would either laugh or do something to give them away if their eyes met. If they only knew the secrets that were being kept.

  Hermione turned to him, looking as if she wanted to scold but was entirely unable to do so. “You were wed, and you did not tell us? You couldn’t even so much as send a telegram?”

  He had predicted this, and in his more rational moments could completely understand why this question would arise. After all, he had spoken not a word of either a wife or child.

  “It happened rather suddenly. That is my marriage, if not the child,” he chuckled, looking from one parent to the other. “We met while I was traveling, and the ceremony was not anything more than a visit to the Justice of the Peace. I wanted to surprise you. After all, I knew you would be visiting for the holidays, and with father so busy with his work I knew it would put a strain on both of you. You would want to come earlier. You would want to meet Cate and Violet, so I chose to hold my tongue and wait. I hope you are not too disappointed in me for having done so.”

  “Disappointed?” Hermione merely clicked her tongue while gazing down in adoration at her granddaughter. Landon sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the fact that she merely gazed back up at her grandmother without crying or carrying on. It was a beautiful moment, worth all of the deception and strain he had been under.

  Oliver went to her, looking frankly amazed at this turn of events. “My, she reminds me a great deal of you when you were born.”

  He looked up at Cate then and laughed. “And you are our daughter-in-law!”

  Hermione laughed, as well. “Heavens, I hope you do not think me rude for having ignored you. This is all such a surprise!”

  “Cate, is it?” his father asked, taking Cate by the arms and kissing her cheek. “I hope you do not find me too forward, but this is a great pleasure. My wife and I have long hoped Landon would settle down and know the happiness of the family and home. And he did choose well.”

  Cate blushed prettily. “Thank you, sir. I believe I chose well, too.” It was the perfect response, as both of his parents laughed merrily with her. He could not help but feel proud. She was doing beautifully.

  “You may call me Hermione,” his mother said. “This is such a wonderful surprise. I’m afraid I do not know what to do with myself. I’m so happy!”

  “Why don’t we all have seat in the parlor, and the two of you might remove your coats and be more comfortable.” Landon brought their bags in from the porch, where they still sat for the lack of anyone remembering to bring them inside after finding a surprise in store for them, then joined them around the fire.

  Hermione had yet to let go of Violet, and as such sat down in the chair still wearing her coat and hat.

  “Father, allow me to pour you a drink. Is there anything either of you would like? I’m sure you’re fatigued after your journey.”

  “Not at all, my boy!” Oliver’s chest puffed out, the proud grandfather. “Why, it seems the trains go faster every day. I predict that before the end of the century, riding from one coast to the other will take no more than a few days.”

  “I wish that had been true while I was traveling.” Landon poured them both a drink, one eye always on the women.

  Hermione murmured one question after another in regard to the baby. Cate appeared to be handling it well. The two of them shared a quiet laugh, making him wonder what joke they’d shared. He wished he could listen without making it look as though he was listening.

  “How did the two of you meet?” Hermione asked, looking from one of them to the other.

  Cate’s eyes met his, and he spoke before she had the chance. He had not truly considered this. “We met at the theater, in fact.”

  He did a bit of rapid calculation in his head before continuing. “It was in Chicago, the first leg of my journey. By the time I left for St. Louis, we were married, and we had a bit of an unconventional honeymoon in St. Louis and then on to New York.”

  “I do adore New York,” Cate murmured to Hermione, the two of them laughing as if they were already old friends.

  “And by the time you returned, you had a child,” Hermione marveled. “I don’t know how you did it.”

  Cate shrugged. “To be honest, I was quite relieved to finally reach our home. It was nice to settle down. After all, what woman does not wish to set up housekeeping in a home of her own rather than in a hotel?” Yes, that was the perfect thing to say.

  “Oh, heavens. I know all too well what that is like. My husband’s work with the government has always kept him quite busy, and in the early days, I accompanied him from one place to the other. I’m fairly certain I have crossed Massachusetts enough times to know the terrain by heart.”

  “Now, Mother.” Oliver smiled fondly at his wife. “Do not forget that it was your presence at my side which helped me win the election.”

  “I find that quite admirable,” Cate smiled. “You never know. Perhaps one day, you might decide to go into politics yourself. If such a time ever comes that women are allowed to do so. You will know everything there is to know before you even get started!”

  Landon shot her a warning look before draining his glass. That had been a misstep.

  Oliver sputtered. “Oh? Are you of such a mind that women ought to be allowed to vote? And to hold office?”

  Landon spoke before she had the chance. “I’m sure Cate is only trying to be kind. She understands that you are of a rather conservative mindset and that any chance for women to play a role in the political landscape is nonexistent.”

  She blushed, lowering her eyes. “Of course.” Yes, they would have to have a discussion about his father’s political views. Was she not supposed to remain silent in hopes of avoiding such uncomfortable situations? How quickly she had forgotten her own assurances.

  Quickly, she changed the subject. “It is nearly time for her evening feeding. Would you like to be the one to do so? We feed her by glass bottle,” she informed Hermione. “There is a lovely rocking chair upstairs near the crib, and a warm fire. You might be able to make yourself more comfortable.”

  His mother nearly glowed with happiness. “I would love nothing more. Oh, if only I had known! I would have brought so many presents for the little one. She is so beautiful. Oh, how I have longed for a granddaughter to spoil terribly!”

  The two of them laughed, their heads close to each other, and once again Landon was happier than he could ever remember being. This was going so well, minor setbacks aside, and she was so very happy. He resolved then and there that no matter how much Cate’s theater cost, it would be well worth it. He would even be her most ardent admirer, never missing a performance.

  He clasped his father’s shoulder in a gesture of affection. “And as for you. I can show you to your room, and I will help you upstairs with the bags. Mrs. Davis has gone home for the evening, but she prepared a lovely supper for us which I’m sure Cate can manage to serve.”

  She did her best to conceal any surprise this announcement brought her. They truly had had such little time to discuss things.

  “Naturally, and I’m sure you are hungry after being on the train all day,” she added.

  “First, I must see to my granddaughter’s supper.” Hermione stared down at Violet as she stood, cooing and babbling softly to the baby while she and Cate left the room and ascended the stairs.

  He let out a long sigh, feeling the tension drain from his neck and shoulders. This was
working. This was working beautifully. All would be well.

  “I had considered the idea prior to our arrival, but now it seems there is no choice.” Oliver finished his drink, placing the glass on the serving tray and chuckling.

  “What idea is that?”

  “I thought it might do your mother world of good to extend the length of our stay. Now, I’m afraid I would not be able to drag her away if I tried. Perhaps we shall stay for a week. Or two. We might even remain through Christmas.”

  16

  “He wants to stay longer. Perhaps through Christmas.”

  Cate turned to him, her mouth hanging open. It was bad enough she had to make sense of what Mrs. Davis had left them for supper and to serve it in a dignified manner, but this? “You know I can’t stay that long.”

  Landon heaved an exasperated sigh. “Of course I know that. Which is why I’m telling you now. You simply have to find a way to extend your stay.”

  “But I can’t!” she whispered, always careful to keep her voice low. Hermione was upstairs with the baby, while Oliver freshened up and rested. Even so, the walls were thin, and she would not wish to give them away so soon.

  “You will simply have to work something out with Phoebe.”

  “Oh, yes. Phoebe. Because she seemed to be so supportive of this scheme when we last saw her. I am sure she would go out of her way to help us now.”

  “We have no choice.”

  “Perhaps I can say I must visit my sister at the ranch? I can tell them she is expecting—that is not a lie—and that she is feeling poorly?” It was the best she could do on the spur of the moment.

  Landon at least appeared to think this over. “I don’t know. That might bring up too many painful memories for my mother.”

  She winced. “Fair enough, but I can say I need to go to the ranch. There is some trouble there that needs tending to.”

  “No! You can’t say that! What am I thinking?” He ran his hands through his hair, pacing the length of the kitchen. “You’re supposed to be from the east, remember? That is where we met. There would be no reason for you to have a sister on a ranch here.”

  Cate groaned, holding her face in her hand. “Of course. I ought to write these things down, so I can keep them straight. I am from Chicago, not Carson City. Can I at least pretend to be from Baltimore? That would not be a lie. I might have been traveling in Chicago, visiting family.”

  He nodded, distracted. “Yes, yes. That’s fine. You might lend the story an air of legitimacy if you speak of places you know. I’m sorry, but there is simply no way for you to excuse your not being here.”

  “Yes, there is. And if your father has even a modicum of sensitivity and discretion, he will not ask for a specific reason as to why I must be away for a few days. I can always say I have a friend in need. For heaven’s sake, your parents seem to be reasonable people. You behave as though they lack all understanding.”

  “So far, things have gone to their liking. Wait and see how my father reacts when something does not go the way he wishes. You saw the way his jaw dropped when you even suggested a woman’s presence in politics.”

  Yes, that had been a misstep on her part. She had felt the change in the room almost instantly once the words had left her mouth. Just the memory made her uneasy.

  “I simply do not understand why you would have to rearrange your entire life and any plans you had from now until Christmas simply because your father decided on a whim to stay longer than he had intended to. If I had planned to go visiting, why should I have to disappoint a friend who expects me?”

  Landon gritted his teeth, glaring at her. “Do you forget why we’re doing this? I don’t mean for the sake of your theater. If you were my wife, and my parents decided to extend their visit, I would expect you to fall in line.”

  Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. “Oh. You would expect me to fall in line? Would you then expect me to wear a yoke around my neck, or perhaps a collar and lead? As if I were your dog?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Must everything be so dramatic?”

  “Pardon me, but I tend to be dramatic when a man speaks to me as if I were his slave.”

  “What is it, then? Cattle, a dog, or a slave?”

  She glared at him, spitting her words out. “It depends upon how you choose to treat me, sir.”

  He waved his hands, shaking his head. “Enough of this. It is a moot point, since we are not really married. “

  “Yes, we are.” She raised her left hand as proof. “And we have a marriage license, which incidentally was granted us by the Justice of the Peace here in Carson City. Not in Chicago. That was a bad bit of explanation on your part.”

  “What was I supposed to say? That we waited until we arrived in Carson City to be married? That would hardly explain the presence of a two-month-old child in the house.”

  Yes, that made sense. “I suppose we could always pretend we lost the original marriage license in our travels,” she mused, chewing on her lip. “For heaven sakes, we could have pretended that all along! We did not need to truly be married at all!”

  He appeared truly stricken at this. “Pardon me if I did not think this through completely. In case you’ve forgotten, this is all rather spur of the moment. Some of it might have been worked out had my father not completely upended his schedule.”

  Yes, and she was beginning to tire of his father already. An old windbag, at least that was her first impression of him. Imagine, looking at her the way he had for only suggesting a woman one day take part in government. For heaven’s sake.

  “I must get supper on the table,” she muttered, pushing her way past him a bit more forcefully than strictly necessary, but she was in a temper and more overwhelmed than she could ever remember feeling.

  Could she possibly hope to extend her stay? It was bad enough Roan would have to lie to her sisters on her behalf. This would mean adding more lies on top of that, and her conscience already plagued her enough.

  Hermione surprised them both by suddenly appearing in the doorway, then appeared to think better of it when she saw their expressions and the way they stood as if poised to fight.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, looking from one of them to the other.

  Cate understood how it must look, as though she’d stepped into a domestic squabble. Well, they were fighting, but it was important for Hermione not to know this.

  She forced a bright smile, shaking her head. “Not at all! You are a guest here. You are required to do nothing but relax and enjoy yourself and get to know your granddaughter.”

  Her mother-in-law was not to be put off so easily. “Yes, but the little angel is asleep, and I thought it best to allow her to do so undisturbed. I did so wish to continue holding her, but that is how bad habits start. When a baby becomes accustomed to being held always, they tend to expect it and fuss terribly when they’re put down.”

  Cate made a mental note of this. That might explain why Violet only seemed happy when she was being held. Perhaps Violet’s own mother had spoiled her that way.

  “Besides,” Hermione added with a shy smile, “I’ve never had a daughter, and have always longed for one. I would like to get to know you better.”

  What a choice of words. As if Cate needed reminding of the seriousness of the situation. Perhaps one of her lost babies had been a girl.

  With this in mind, she handed Hermione an apron which hung on the hook behind the pantry door. “By all means, if you would not mind helping me dish out the delicious roast which Mrs. Davis so kindly prepared for us.”

  Landon appeared as if he wished to linger, likely out of concern for what Cate might say, but Hermione was having none of it. She placed her hands on his shoulders, turning him in place before pushing him out into the hall. “Now, now. This is my chance to get to know your wife better. You just go about your business and leave domestic matters to the women.”

  Landon looked absolutely terrified, but he did his mother asked. Cate wondered i
f he had lost faith in her, if he ever had any at all.

  She resolved more firmly than ever to do well for his sake.

  “I would love to hear all about when Landon was a little boy,” she whispered with a wink. Anything to keep the conversation away from herself.

  But Hermione was too quick for that. “It is you I want to know about. I would like to know the sort of girl my son chose. Which is not to say I disapprove of you,” she was quick to add, “but I feel we will have so little time to know each other and do so wish to know you.”

  Naturally. “What is it you wish to know?” she asked, keeping her back turned while she pulled a pan of biscuits from the oven where they had been left to stay warm.

  She was an actress. She could do this. She simply had to play the role of an adoring wife and happy, young mother. I could not be so difficult, could it?

  “Where do you come from? Do you have family? What are they like?”

  She supposed she could be mostly honest about this. It would be important to tell the truth whenever possible, to avoid keeping one lie after another straight. “I have four sisters, all of them older. My parents divorced when we were quite young, and we were raised by our mother. She came from a fine old family.”

  “Do they live in Chicago?”

  “Actually, I was only visiting friends in Chicago. I did not make my home there. We lived in Baltimore.”

  “Baltimore! A lovely town.”

  “Have you been there?”

  “Oh, yes. My husband’s work takes him into Washington quite often, you see. Baltimore is not far from there.”

  “Of course not, how silly of me. I hadn’t considered it.” This was good. This would give them common ground on which they might meet.

  “Your sisters live out there, then?”

  “Yes, they do. My sister Holly is a schoolteacher. Molly works at the Baltimore Sun. Rachel works in a telegraph office, while Phoebe is a housekeeper. You see, while our mother’s family was quite well-off, there is only so much left of our inheritance. We decided it was important to make our own way and save what was left.”