by Sarah Silver
“I suspect he is out working. He should be in shortly to have some breakfast,” she said.
Hailey sat a small table in the kitchen. Willa poured her coffee for her.
“May I fix you some eggs?” she asked.
Hailey was about to say yes but Charlie and Hale pushed through the door boisterously. Hailey and Charlie made eye contact immediately. His gaze made her quiver. Some of the warmth of the way he made her feel rekindled.
“Eggs will have to wait, Willa. Mrs. Halverson and I are going to have a conversation,” said Charlie.
Hailey search him with some confusion. She rose from the table having just had a taste of her coffee. She was fairly famished. But if her husband wanted to speak with her, she had to obey. She followed him out of the kitchen and out onto the front porch of the home.
She stretched up on to her tiptoes to kiss his cheek but he gently thwarted her. Now she was definitely hurt. He regarded her with a scold. He held her hands in his. Her body was close to his.
“I want you to tell me who you are,” he said candidly but in his always-soft voice.
“I am your wife,” she replied, faking her confusion. He had figured something out awfully fast.
He tilted his head with warning. “The woman I wrote to said she was a widow and a mother. You tell me how when I laid with you last night that you did not feel like you were either of those things.”
Hailey’s lip began to quiver. She could not control it. She gripped his iron hard bicep for support.
“If you’ve made a mistake and there is something you need to tell me, I am here to listen,” he said softly.
“Did what we share last night feel like a mistake?” she asked, choking back emotion.
“No,” he replied, his voice as thick with that same emotion. “That’s why I am trying to understand.”
“There’s nothing to understand,” she insisted.
She could not bring herself to trust him all the way with the fact that she was an imposter. She had tried to pull the wool over his eyes and she didn’t have the nerve to fess up.
“Well,” he said standing up straight. “I think that there is. Somewhere there was a falsehood played against me. We’re married, for now. I am not sure that that can’t be undone. I can send you back to Wichita and no one has to be the wiser. I’ll decide on that later. But for now we are man and wife at face value only. You will not be sharing my bed again.”
Hailey thought she was going to be sick. If she told him what she did, he would send her back for sure.
“There’s a party tonight celebrating our marriage,” he said. “Everyone here who works for me is excited about the fact that I tied the knot. You and I will act like we are every bit the happy bride and groom. And any time you want to be honest with me about who you really are or who you really were, you are welcome to do so. I will listen and I will be fair. Maybe you just made up the part about being a widow and a mother for some reason that I for life of me cannot come up with.”
Hailey gripped the rail of the porch frozen with emotion. She hadn’t realized that he was watching her. So many times in the past few days turning her life upside down, she moved in and out of reality. She wasn’t sure what was real or what was true. She was worn out.
And the prospect of facing her falsehood brought her sister and her sister’s entire family to mind. They were all gone. And she missed them dearly, especially her sister.
As quietly as she could, Hailey sucked up the tears as they fell. She had to be discrete unless she attracted the wrong kind of attention. But her feelings were too powerful. She had to let them take their course.
Charlie cast a giant shadow over her shoulder. She watched as their shadows merged into one. He swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs.
He lay her down on the bed of what she knew now to be the master bedroom.
“I will tell Willa to bring you a tray,” he said softly.
“I am not hungry,” she said stubbornly.
“When you tell me the truth –“
“Please close the door behind you,” Hailey said cutting him off with an uncharacteristic assertiveness. It was not her style to talk back or to be disrespectful but she could not be lectured now.
Hailey cried her eye out until she fell back to sleep. She was still exhausted which probably contributed some to her emotional state. When she woke for the second time that day it was because Willa was fussing about in her room. Hailey sat up.
“Willa, thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it. But I can manage,” she said.
Thinking she was going to let the woman off the hook, Hailey actually bothered her. She continued to smooth a beautiful gown that she laid out for Hailey to wear to the party later that night.
“There is something you can do for me if you don’t mind,” Hailey got out of bed. “Would you mind giving me a tour of the house? I would like to have a look at the bedrooms particularly. I want to know if Mr. Halverson has special uses for them.”
“Special uses for them?” asked Willa.
“I can be straight with you, can’t I?” Hailey started tremble. She was not going to cry.
“Certainly,” said Willa.
“I want to find a suitable room for myself. I feel like this is Mr. Halverson’s room and I don’t want to push him from it,” she said.
“Oh dear,” said Willa.
Hailey wiped a rogue tear that drizzled down her cheek.
“The dress is lovely,” said Hailey. “When do I have to put it on?”
“I thought you could sit and I could do your hair and that would put us at the right time to get dressed. We only have couple of hours till it begins,” said Willa.
“And you probably have other things to do,” said Hailey. “You know I don’t mind pitching in and doing some of those things. I fully expected to anyway. I had no idea Mr. Halverson had a staff.”
“He does, missus. My only task is to make a few light meals and to help you. He has a regular house staff for the bigger chores. So I have nothing else to do but help you dress,” said Willa.
“Very well. We can worry about the room after I dress,” said Hailey.
“Honestly, missus, Mr. Halverson doesn’t sleep in the house. He sleeps outside mostly or in the guest house or in the bunk house with the men.”
Hailey didn’t know how to respond. She stripped out of her dress and let Willa fit her corset on.
“Not so tight, Willa. It doesn’t make so much difference now,” she said forlornly.
It didn’t matter. Hailey knew she had a naturally lithe and curvy figure so even without cinching her body up into an unnatural tininess, she would still look fashionable. But it didn’t matter that the man she wanted to look beautiful for had no interest in her so long as she was not the woman he sent letters to.
Willa carefully rolled and pinned her long tresses into a beautiful array atop her head, leaving a sole lock cascading down her back. It fell like a waterfall ending in a curl. Hailey could feel it roll around as she walked.
She stood still, holding her arms just so, so that Willa could press the opened fitted dress to her body. Willa worked fiendishly to fasten the hooks. Both women admired Hailey in swivel mirror.
“You do good work Willa,” said Hailey, her mood lightened some by the beautiful clothes.
But she was hungry. She hadn’t eaten last night, except for the biscuit Willa gave her, or that morning. And she had quite a lot of exercise the night before. Recalling that, Hailey burned with a fierce blush. She froze with arousal so momentarily intense that she could almost feel Charlie behind her kissing her neck.
She shook her head from her daydream, with her arms embracing herself.
“Willa I know there will be food tonight but I haven’t eaten since yesterday,” she said. “Can we go to the kitchen and get something?”
“Let’s go,” said Willa. “I will fix you up some butter milk and biscuits.”
That sounded absolutely divine to
Hailey who was happy to have any appetite at all. As best as anyone could who wore a dress like her party dress, she hurried after Willa who for a woman of her age, spryly took the winding stairs down.
Hailey was caught up with focusing on not tripping. She didn’t notice that she and Willa had caught the attention of a few men looking on, including Charlie. He was dressed for the party. He cut such a fine figure in a dress shirt and a waistcoat. He as the most handsome man she had ever seen. She caught his gaze forever seemed to be a mix of desire and scold.
Her insides clutched. Her heart raced and she was wet for him. She wished that she were underneath him this very moment instead of out in the doghouse.
“What are you two up to?” he inquired.
Willa looked to Hailey who looked back at her.
“I asked the question,” Charlie reminded them.
“I am just getting a snack,” said Hailey.
“She hasn’t eaten since before she got off the stage yesterday,” said Willa defensively. “Practically.”
Everyone in the room knew she had a little something to eat.
“Oh,” said Charlie, his eyes gathering. “I take full responsibility for the oversight last night. I should have insisted you eat a full meal.”
“As do I,” said Willa. “A little bitty biscuit after a long ride is nothing ‘tall.”
Hale chimed in. “Willa don’t be so helpful. Get out in the kitchen and fix her a dish.”
Hailey braced herself for his reproach.
“Don’t let that happen again,” said Charlie in a sensual voice as he stalked her.
She froze while he toured her body, checking out her dress for the party.
“Nice,” he said. “I appreciate that you sent a dress ahead of yourself so that I could have it made. At least it was your dress, whoever you are.”
Hailey had to have sent a dress ahead. It had to be her sister’s but fortunately they wore the same size.
“Although,” he very discretely traced her neckline with the rough tip of his finger. “Seems to be a little snug here.”
His face was now but a breath from her. He was close that either one of them could lean in and kiss. She wanted to feel his tongue in her mouth but that might not ever happen even if she told him what he wanted to hear.
“I have to go into the kitchen,” she stammered.
“Do that,” he said. “You’ll need your strength tonight though we will have a proper supper. There’ll be lots of dancing. You do dance, do you not? I can’t recall if we discussed that.”
“I do dance,” she replied, shaking at his nearness.
“I enjoy it myself,” he in a voice so soft it was just above a whisper.
Hailey swallowed hard and went into the kitchen. He followed her. She had hoped that she would get some relief from the way he made her feel but he was right there behind her. Willa was setting her plate on the small table. Hailey glared her eyes at Willa to signal that her
“Leave her eat,” said Hale.
“I have to help her so she doesn’t get it on her clothing,” said Willa.
It was awkward. Hailey was not about to be fed like a baby.
“I will be careful, Willa. That is very thoughtful,” she said
Hailey sat down at the little table with the biscuits and buttermilk. She lifted one biscuit and a strand of golden honey dropped to the plate. Charlie barged to the table and took a seat.
“Here,” he insisted. He held the dish up to her chin and put the biscuit to her lips. She bit. It was just about the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. Butter melted with honey. There was still some sweetness on her lips when she sipped the buttermilk.
“You can ruin your clothes just as easily as I can,” she remarked.
With a look Charlie reminded her he was her husband. He dabbed her lips carefully with a napkin. It was erotic, she thought she would faint. Their chemistry was undeniable. She revved up just feeling his touch through the cloth of the napkin. He pressed slowly, deliberately. She found herself pursing her lips to his fingers. She kissed him through the fabric. She had forgotten he was off limits to her. He glared at her ever so slightly.
“Thank you Charles,” she said stiffly. “That will hold me until I have dinner tonight.”
“Finish them off please. There are only two and you haven’t eaten anything decent I am guessing in days,” he said.
“I am not a flower. I can feed myself,” she protested.
But it wasn't true. She didn’t want to feed herself at all. She wanted to have him feed her every meal. She found him so sensual and arousing. The way he made her feel, made her want to do so many wicked and wanton things.
If he insisted then, she decided to eat slowly so that she would not finish any time soon. So that he would have to attend to her. And she would feel his hands so close to her mouth. And she would have his attention and look into his eyes.
But she decided she ate enough. Not so much that she would be obvious that she was milking it just to have him near, and just enough so that he would be satisfied that she was fed. He rose, taking her plate to the sink.
“Come,” he said. “We should go.”
He took her hand and they began the pretense that they were happily wed and there was no friction between them.
Chapter Nine
Charlie walked her to a great room that was through a set of double doors off the living room. He must indeed love dancing. This great room was Dodge’s answer to a ballroom and he had it in his very own home. The side of the house folded back and it opened the room up to a lamp-lit garden. It was spectacular.
Horses and buggies carrying festively dressed guests, began filing in. The clapping of horse hooves sounded up the drive. Musicians took their places as the various servants set out the party fare. In no time, music was playing and, skirts and boots were twirling around the floor.
Guests were shaking Charlie’s hands and nodding to Hailey. Everyone was smiles from ear to ear. Women were kissing his cheek and wiggling her fingers in lady’s rendition of a delicate little handshake. It seemed odd that she and Charlie were going to such trouble when he wasn’t even sure he was going to stay married to her.
Music playing full swing. They started off the dancing with a lively piece. Guests nudged the two them to dance. If they were going to keep up appearances, they had little choice but to dance together.
Charlie placed a firm hand at the small of her back and took her other hand, they went sailing around the floor. It was wonderful. He was a superb dancer. The touch of his hand in hers was directly connected to her heart. Her whole chest tightened. She had the strong urge to sigh
The floor was crowded. Making great sweeping moves was tougher to do. Charlie and Hazel’s bodies were closer and closer. They grazed each other as they danced through their moves. They gazed at one another. Hailey’s yearning was tortured. She needed him bad.
The music played right into the next piece that was considerably slower. They stretched their arms and turned their bodies, pressing into each other if but for seconds. All the while they held each other’s gaze. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. He was being stubborn.
She loved that she could put her hands on his hard muscles. He was so big and square and solid and his arms were like railroad ties. So strong and hard as they held her. They twisted and turned so slowly, points of his body joining hers.
She wavered. She had spent the biscuit dancing with and she needed solid food. He was so attentive that he knew this.
“Come,” he said. “Let’s get some dinner and eat.”
People could fix themselves plates as they wanted and eat. That’s what Charlie and she did. She had hoped he would choose from the buffet for her. She liked being slightly dominated by him. But he left her to make her own choice. He ladled out two glasses of punch for them and they sat.
“If I eat all this, I’m liable to bust out of my party dress,” Hailey said innocently.
Charlie regarded her with
lurking passion. She blushed. She didn’t know whether she should excuse herself for the inadvertent remark or be glad for it. She hoped she got him so worked up that he had to take back his ultimatum.
“You are a wonderful dancer,” she said, taking a forkful of steak.
She could see the trace of a smile bending his lips. “So are you, I must say. Dance much in Wichita?”
“I’ve been to a dance or two,” she replied, with fond remembrance.
“I suppose with your late husband -” he began.
But a surge of her emotion stopped him in his tracks. She was stunned, a dam of pain threatening to burst right where she sat. She was trying to be discrete. She fanned herself.
“Are you alright? Did you swallow wrong?” he asked with genuine concern.
She shook her head no. She knew her face turning beat red. Her sister always said her face looked like a tomato before or after she was cried.
“Let me take you out for some air,” he said.
Charlie ushered swiftly out to the garden patio and beyond. He grabbed a chair from the patio and took is far out as he could before the garden reverted back to uncivilized prairie. He sat in the chair and put her on his lap. Hailey wrapped her arms around his giant shoulders.
“Please talk to me,” he said softly. “I made you well up just now. Best to get it out even if it’s right here at our wedding party.”
“I don’t know if I can do it without sobbing my eyes out,” she began. “I thought I had cried all my tears for Warden, and for the baby -”
All the avoiding she had done by wrapping up her sister’s life and hopping on a stage was now right in front of her. And the only thing that was making it any better was talking about it and being held by Charlie.
“Hailey,” he said softly. “I am confused here. I believe the feelings you have for the two of them are real but last night, I know what that was real. You have never been with a man before. You may have been married but not in every way.”
“Charlie,” she pleaded. “I’ve done something. If I tell you what I did will promise me to not send me back?”