"Now, Katybeth," Rev. Norris interrupted. "Miss Markham didn't actually say that. She only implied that was a possibility."
"She implied that I was going to be an invalid?" Cooper crossed his arms over his chest. "Mind telling me how she managed to do that?"
"Well, let me see if I can remember exactly how she put it." The older man looked thoughtful. "Oh, yes, I remember now. When I inquired as to the chance of your full recovery, she said, 'Miracles do happen.' Perhaps we misunderstood her meaning."
Cooper ground his teeth. "Perhaps." But he knew they'd understood precisely what Mary Louise had intended.
Katybeth rested her hand on Cooper's arm. "In any case, I must say it's wonderful seeing you looking so well, Sheriff." She squeezed the taut muscle lightly, intimately. "I was so worried about you. We both were, weren't we Papa?"
"Most assuredly."
"Thank you." Cooper hardly heard Katybeth as he glanced at the stairs leading to Mary Louise's rooms. Now he understood why Katybeth hadn't been back to visit him and why she hadn't answered his notes. Mary Louise had painted such a grim picture of his future, no woman in her right mind would have come back. That conniving little...He glanced at Katybeth. Well, he thought, two can play at this game. And with a tight smile, Cooper said, "I'd be pleased if you'd join me for supper this evening, Miss Norris. It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of your company."
Katybeth smiled as she gazed up from beneath her lashes. "Sheriff Matthews, I'd be delighted to join you for supper."
"Then I'll call for you at seven— thirty? We'll dine here, if that's acceptable."
"Seven— thirty will be fine, as will our dinning here."
Reverend Norris cleared his throat. "Well, sir, we had better be getting along, Katybeth and I still have several more stops to make before going home. So, if you'll excuse us?"
Cooper bowed slightly. "Certainly. Good to see you again, sir."
As Rev. Norris and his daughter left the hotel, Cooper glowered toward the stairs leading to Mary Louise's suite. Honest, huh? No guile, no tricks up her sleeve? She was no different from other women after all. She could not be trusted. What a fool he'd been!
Mary Louise Markham had manipulated his life to suit herself for the last time. She may have played him for a fool once, but tonight when she sashayed down stairs expecting to find him waiting for her, she'd be in for quite a surprise. "Let's just see who is fooling whom, Miss Markham," he muttered as he limped out of the hotel.
COOPER frowned at his refection in his shaving mirror. He'd had to plead with Lizzie to get her to agree to stay with Annie while he took Katybeth to supper. And she'd agreed, finally, but only after telling him exactly what she thought of Katybeth Norris— and she didn't think much of the woman.
Cooper couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Lizzie so angry. "How come you wants to spend time with that meek lil' thang?" she'd grumbled when he told her about his supper plans. "You is wastin' your time with that silly girl. You needs a real woman, Cooper, not no timid titmouse."
Titmouse! If he'd heard Lizzie call Katybeth that cursed name once in the last few hours, he'd heard it a hundred times. Until recently, he'd never known Lizzie to voice an opinion about any of his women friends. What on earth did she have against Miss Norris?
Cooper twisted his mouth and scraped the razor over his lather— covered jaw— and winced when he nicked himself. The unwanted memory of Mary Louise's expert shave entered his thoughts as he eyed the trickle of blood sliding through the white lather. Damn it! If he weren't careful his face was going to look like mincemeat. Gritting his teeth he set the razor against his jaw again just as Annie toddled into the room.
"Where Weezie, Papa?"
Cooper closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "We've been all through this, Annie. I told you that Weezie's gone back to the hotel."
"Weezie gone?"
He looked down at Annie's upturned face. "That's right, Pumpkin, Weezie's gone. It's just you and me again, Kid."
Annie sat down on the floor and stuck out her lower lip. "Ah— nee want Weezie," she whined. "Papa get Weezie?"
Cooper shook his head and looked back into the mirror. "Sorry, Sweetie, I can't do that."
Annie slammed her heavy shoes on the floor. "Ah— nee want Weezie, now!"
Having finished shaving, Cooper wiped the residue of lather off his face and tossed down the towel. Then he set his fists on his hips and gazed down at his daughter. "Annie Matthews are you throwing a tantrum?"
Annie bobbed her blonde head and screeched. "Want Weezie! Ah— nee want Weezie!" The hard soles of her shoes hammered noisily on the wooden floor.
"Come here, you." Cooper picked up the angry child and strode from the room. "Lizzie!" he called over Annie's high— pitched screams. "Come get this little tyrant and see if you can do something with her while I finish dressing."
Lizzie stepped into the hall to find an angry, red— faced Annie shrieking at the top of her lungs. Cooper, feeling his own face turning red with frustration, was nearly at the end of his rope.
"What's wrong?" Lizzie asked. "What you do to this chile? I ain't never seen her carry on so. "
Cooper glowered at Lizzie. "I didn't do anything to her," he snapped, having to raise he voice to be heard over the ruckus. "She's throwing a tantrum because Mary Louise is gone. She wants me to bring her back here, and she's mad because I won't do it."
"Po' lil' thang. Come to Lizzie, Shuga— Boo." Clucking, Lizzie reached for the child.
Cooper couldn't believe his ears. "Poor little thing? She's throwing a fit and you feel sorry for her?"
Lizzie patted Annie's back and crooned to her. Then, as Annie's shrieks turned to sniffles, Lizzie frowned at Cooper. "'Course I feels sorry for her. Po' Baby. She loves Weezie and misses her. If you wasn' so caught up in your evenin' with Lil' Miss Titmouse— "
"Stop calling her that! Her name is Katybeth, not Titmouse."
Lizzie shrugged. "Whatevah."
"And you'd better get used to the idea of my courting her, because I'm going to be seeing a lot more of Miss Norris after tonight." He started to walk away and then turned back to glare at Lizzie. "As a matter of fact, I may even ask Katybeth to marry me."
Lizzie stared at him. "Oh, Lawd! Tonight?"
Cooper rolled his eyes. "No, of course not tonight. But sometimes soon. That ought to make you happy."
"Happy! You think you marryin' that woman gonna make me happy?"
"Haven't you been nagging me for months about finding a wife and settling down?"
"Yeah, but I didn't mean I wanted you to marry that lil' Tit— "
"Don't say it!" Cooper warned. Lizzie's response was to turn her back on him. Cursing under his breath, Cooper strode into his bedroom and slammed the door so hard the house shook.
Lizzie frowned and murmured to Annie, "Don't you worry, Shuga— Boo, I ain't gonna let yo' Papa marry that silly woman. Weezie is gonna be your mama if I has anything to do with it. Soon as your Papa goes to get Miss Titmouse, you and me is gonna go visit somebody who can help us. We got to do something before Cooper gets hisself in a sho— nuff mess."
Chapter 14
MARY LOUISE smiled at the waiter as he pulled out her chair. "Will someone be joining you, Miss Markham?" he asked as he handed her the menu.
"Yes, he should be here shortly, Richard. I'll just have tea until he arrives." She settled back to wait. As she waited, her mind strayed again to the episode in her suite. She couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. The very thought made her heart skitter erratically and she wondered if he'd felt the same sense of magic she had.
Suddenly, as if she'd conjured him, she heard Cooper's voice and she looked eagerly toward the entrance to the dining room. Her happy expression turned to one of confusion when she saw Katybeth Norris leaning on Cooper's arm. She assumed that the two people had simply bumped into each other in the hotel's lobby until Katybeth looked directly at her with a self— satisfied smile. Then, as Mary Louise star
ed in disbelief, Katybeth pressed closer to Cooper and whispered in his ear. Mary Louise forgot to breathe as Cooper's eyes sought and found hers before leading Katybeth to a table across the room.
Feeling as if she'd just been slapped, Mary Louise drew in a shuddering breath. Hurt and humiliated, she stared blindly at the tablecloth while she struggled to keep from crying. Had it all been some cruel joke? When Cooper had looked at her she'd seen a glitter of anger that seemed directed at her. Why? What had she done to warrant such malice? Praying he couldn't see how upset she was, Mary Louise schooled her face as the waiter appeared at her elbow.
"I'm afraid my dinner companion has been unavoidably detained, Richard," she said. Her voice shook and she cleared her throat to cover it. "I'll have the pot roast, please."
While she awaited supper, Mary Louise studiously avoided looking in Cooper's direction and she was vastly relieved when Richard set her meal before her. At least now she had something other than Cooper and Katybeth Norris on which to focus her attention. She took a bite of food and had to struggle to swallow it. The usually succulent pot roast tasted like shoe leather tonight. Her hand shook as she reached for her water glass. Oh, please God, she prayed, let me get through this evening without bursting into tears. Now when she thought Cooper's kiss, she felt cheap and tawdry. Used. How could he have kissed her the way he had only to humiliate her a few hours later? How could she have been so wrong about him?
Mary Louise was about to forgo the rest of her dinner and flee to the sanctity of her rooms when she heard a familiar voice speak her name to one of the waiters. She looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. "Erik? Oh, my God, it is you!"
The handsome man threaded his way around the tables and hurried to her side. When he reached her, she stood up and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Erik, I'm so very happy to see you."
He hugged her and then kissed her cheek. "I'm happy to see you, too. Tell me, how are things with Tennessee's notorious blue stocking?"
She laughed softly. "You're such a tease."
Erik was only a few years older than Mary Louise and the two had always been close. Tall and blond, with the regal bearing of his Nordic ancestors, Erik reminded Mary Louise of a Viking prince. So she was amused, though not surprised to note that the gazes of most of the women in the dining room were riveted on her handsome uncle.
Erik brushed her cheek with a knuckle. "You haven't answered my question. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Even better, now that you're here. What are you doing in Hollisburg?"
"What do you think? I'm here to see about you. Your Papa is beside himself with worry. You've been gone from Belle Rive over a month, after all."
"I've written him every single day."
Erik laughed. "I know, but he didn't believe you when you said you were doing well. He insisted I come see for myself."
Mary Louise held out her hands. "Well, as you can see, I couldn't be better."
"So you say." His gaze searched her face. "But I get the feeling that all is not as it seems?"
Mary Louise sighed. "I could never fool you, could I, Erik?"
"Want to tell me about it?" he asked softly.
She shook her head. "Maybe later." She smiled at him. "Have you had supper?"
"I ate on the train. But you go on and finish yours. I'll visit with you will you eat."
Mary Louise glanced at Cooper and saw that he was staring at her, his face a mask of fury. She patted her lips with her napkin and then smiled at Erik. "To be honest, I'm not very hungry. Let's go for a walk and maybe then I'll tell you all my troubles."
"All right, let's." Erik rose and helped her from her chair. Then, while heads turned to admire the handsome couple as they passed, he led Mary Louise from the dining room.
COOPER'S eyes were anything but admiring as he watched the stranger with Mary Louise. His scowl deepened when the handsome man possessively took Mary Louise's arm and led her from the room. Who the hell was he and what did he have to do with Mary Louise?
Katybeth touched Cooper's arm. "Who was that, Cooper?"
Her voice sounded so strange that Cooper glanced at her and frowned when he noticed the slack— jawed expression on her face. "I have no idea," he growled. Then, under his breath, "But I certainly intend to find out."
"He was quite...breathtaking," Katybeth murmured, gazing past Cooper shoulder.
Cooper arched a brow. "Really? Funny, I don't seem to be having any difficulty breathing."
Katybeth blushed and quickly dropped her gaze to the menu. "Oh, well, what shall we order? Chicken or pot roast?"
"You choose," he replied curtly. "Anything will do for me."
Cooper knew he was lousy company the rest of the evening. He'd hardly spoken three words to Katybeth— he'd been too busy wondering what Mary Louise and her "friend" were up to. Luckily, Katybeth didn't seem to notice his inattention. She talked throughout dinner and all he had to do was nod and smile at suitable intervals. He was relieved when he could finally take her home. At her front door, he kissed Katybeth's hand, smiled, and said good night. As soon as she was safely inside, he limped to his buggy and hightailed it back to the hotel.
ERIK ESCORTED Mary Louise back to her room. The walk had done her good, as had telling her uncle about Cooper and her unresolved feelings for him. She hadn't, however, mentioned the fact that Cooper had asked her for supper and then showed up with another woman on his arm— it was too humiliating. Outside her door, Mary Louise smiled up at her uncle. "Thanks for listening to my troubles."
He kissed her cheek. "That's what uncles are for," he said. "I'm sorry to hear that you've given your heart to a man who hasn't the sense to appreciate it. He must be a fool!"
Mary Louise smiled. "He doesn't know how I feel."
Erik chuckled. "Well, that explains things. Don't you think you should give him some clue as to your feelings? I doubt he's a mind reader. Telling him might be just the impetus he needs to tell you he feels the same about you."
Mary Louise shook her head. "It's better that he doesn't know. He doesn't feel the same about me." She smiled bitterly. "On the contrary..." She shook her head. "Suffice it to say that confessing my feelings would only serve to embarrass us both."
Erik shrugged. "Well, you know him better than I."
"Yes, I'm afraid I do." She unlocked her door. "Good night, Dearest Erik. Sleep well."
"You too, Weezie. I'll come by at seven to take you to breakfast."
She nodded and stepped into the room, then closed the door and leaned against it. Slipping off her shawl, she sighed heavily and started toward her bed. She was grateful that the pale moonlight filtering though the window lit the room in a silver glow so that she didn't need a lamp to make her way to the bed. She was halfway across the room when, from somewhere in the deep shadows, a disembodied voice growled, "Did you and Dearest Erik have a nice evening?"
Terrified, Mary Louise whirled to flee and had no more than touched the doorknob when a hand roughly closed over her wrist. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on between you and What's— His— Name."
Mary Louise stared up into Cooper's furious gaze. "H— How did you get in here?"
"I picked the lock." He pulled her across the room and pushed her into a chair. Resting his hands on the arms of the chair, he leaned over her. "I've answered your question, now you answer mine— what's going on between you and that man?"
Anger replaced her initial fright and Mary Louise glared at him. "How dare you! What I do and with whom I do it is none of your concern. Get out of here before I call..." Her voice trailed off.
Cooper grinned menacingly. "The law?" he finished for her. "No need, Miss Markham, I'm already here."
"You have no right to come into my room like this, and after what you did tonight, you certainly have no right to question me about the company I keep."
Cooper struck a match and for a moment the scent of sulphur filled the air. The he removed the chimney from the lamp by the bed and touc
hed the lighted match to the wick. The ensuing flame lit from the lamp lit his features as he turned back to her. "Maybe I don't have the right to question you, but I'm not going to leave here until you tell me who you left the hotel with."
She hesitated for a moment. "His name is Erik Knudson. He's..." Mary Louise paused. Why should she reveal that Erik was her uncle? Why not let Cooper believe the worst? "He's an old friend from back home."
"How good a friend?"
Mary Louise leveled her gaze at him. "A very good friend."
Cooper growled, then grasped her shoulders and pulled her from the chair. His face only inches from hers, he said, "Did he kiss you?"
"That's none of your business."
"I'm making it my business. Answer me, did he kiss you?"
"Yes. Yes, he kissed me."
"How?"
Mary Louise looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean, how?"
"I mean," he said in a voice that had grown husky, "Did he kiss you like this?" He brushed his lips over her cheek, moved to graze her ear, then nipped at her chin and Mary Louise felt her skin prickle with pleasure. "Or was it like this?" Suddenly his mouth came down on hers hard and demanding, his tongue forcing her lips apart and slipping inside to taste where no other had tasted. And while he plundered her mouth, his arms slid around her waist to pull her more tightly against him.
Mary Louise struggled against him, and jerked out of his embrace. "Don't. Leave me alone."
"Weezie, I..."
She looked at him with tears sheening her eyes. "Haven't you done enough to hurt me? Did you invite me to supper and then stand me up simply to embarrass me? If so, you succeeded. I was thoroughly humiliated."
Cooper had the grace to look ashamed.
"Tell me, was Miss Norris a party to your plan?"
"No, Mary Louise, it— "
"You and she must have had a good laugh at my expense," she said as the tears she'd tried so hard to keep at bay slid down her cheeks.
"Katybeth didn't know about our supper plans, I swear it."
She turned from him and walked further into the room. "And I'm supposed to believe you?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "Just tell me why, Cooper. What on earth have I done to warrant such malice from you?"
For the Love of Annie Page 18