“I know exactly how you feel.”
He opened his mouth to protest that she really couldn’t and to ask her what she meant but didn’t get to because Abby called her name from somewhere nearby. “Leah!”
“Here!” Leah called back and stood.
“There you are.” Abby looked at her sister then over at Jake. “Hi, Jake. Boy, don’t you look nice.” She whistled.
Heat rushed up the back of his neck. “Thank you. So do you.”
“I do, don’t I?” She whirled. “It’s my new dress. You like it? There’s something about a new dress that just makes a gal feel better and prettier. Not that I’m saying I’m pretty or anything. I’m just saying...” Jake listened as she babbled on, smiling and laughing at her antics. The girl was such a character. “And now... I really hate to steal Leah away from you, Jake, but Mother sent me to find her. They’re getting ready to head to Markus’s father’s house for the reception and dinner. Come on, Leah. Mother’s waiting.”
Leah looked up at Jake. Her silent question if he was okay showed through her concerned expression.
A short nod and a quick jerk of his head toward the direction of the church told her he was. “You two go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“You sure?” Leah asked.
“I’m sure.”
* * *
Leah hated leaving him alone, especially after what she’d witnessed. She thought what she went through with the nightmares was bad, but now they seemed mild compared to Jake’s experience. Torn between leaving him and going with Abby—and knowing there was no way she could tell Abby without betraying Jake’s trust—she finally conceded. “Okay. See you later.”
“Count on it.” Jake smiled, and she returned his.
Leah and Abby headed to the white clapboard building where Mother and Mr. Barker were waiting in his carriage. Mr. Barker hopped down and helped her and Abby into the wagon. They headed down Main Street. Dust rolled from the parade of buggies and wagons in front of them.
In minutes they arrived at the estate of the richest man in town. Mr. Barker pulled his landau alongside the rest of the carriages and buggies and helped everyone out.
“Can you believe the size of this place?” Abby asked, linking her arm through Leah’s. Then she leaned in so only her sister could hear. “I bet Mr. Darcy’s is bigger than this, though.”
“Mr. Darcy?” Leah looked at her sister as they headed up the wide staircase of the three-story mansion filled with windows and verandas. Wrought-iron benches, chairs and tables were situated precisely down the long, covered porch. “What made you think of him?”
“Well, last night I was reading Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time and thought about Mr. Darcy’s wealth. Ours is probably nothing compared to his. I’m sure glad we don’t have to live stuffy lives like that and that we can marry for love and not the size of someone’s pocketbook like they did back then in England. Wouldn’t that be awful?” Abby chattered on with her usual dramatic embellishment, using her arms to help aid with what she was saying. “I can’t imagine having to consider my future husband’s financial status or his connections or his station in life before even thinking about marrying him. Who cares about those things? Not me. But even worse than that would be having to be someone I’m not. Having to act all properlike. Ick. Can you imagine how boring that would be?”
“I don’t think it sounds boring at all. We weren’t bored in New York, and our lives were similar to Mr. Darcy’s.”
“I guess I was too little to remember. But Mother said Father told her that he wanted us girls to marry for love, not money, not for what the man did for a living or who he knew. And Father would have made sure the man loved us. That’s the way it should be, Lee-Lee. Marrying for love. Not all that other stuff.”
Abby’s words struck a chord in Leah. She was right. Father would not have allowed his girls to marry without knowing they were in love and loved in return. If the man they loved didn’t have money, Father would have made sure his daughters had a nice home and plenty of money to live on. He did make sure by seeing to it that she and Abby had sizable dowries. Still, was she settling for less by marrying just to move away from this place? If her father were alive, how would he feel about that?
She gave a silent snort. If he were still alive, she wouldn’t even be thinking about marrying a stranger and moving away from those she loved.
Just when she and Abby had walked up the steps to the front door, Leah didn’t know. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t realized the butler was waiting to take her wrap. “Oh. Um. Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome, miss.” The slightly balding man held his chin up high. His white, pristine, high-collared shirt, white bow tie, black tailcoat and trousers were as stiff and starchy as he appeared to be. His black shoes sparkled, and when he went to receive her coat, she noticed his white gloves didn’t have a speck of dirt on them. He draped their wraps over his arm, stepped back and stood stiff as a wooden plank until they passed. Only one word came to mind. Abby’s word—stuffy.
“C’mon, Lee-Lee.” Abby grabbed her hand and tugged her forward.
They strolled through the foyer. At the end of the vestibule, two men stood statue-still, one on each side of the doorway, wearing somber expressions on their faces and dressed the same way the butler was, only their ties were black.
Inside the massive main room, Abby told Leah she’d see her later and strode toward Phoebe, who squealed with delight at seeing her friend. Leah suddenly felt alone in the sea of strangers. Women who hadn’t attended the wedding ceremony at the church stood talking and fanning themselves. Their bustle gowns were made of fine silk, brocaded tulle, crepe de chine and velvet materials. There were other styles and materials Leah didn’t recognize, also. Leah glanced down at her new gown. It was nowhere near as fashionable as these ladies’ dresses were. Suddenly she felt like an ugly caterpillar amid a swarm of beautiful butterflies.
She tugged on the collar of her dress. Spotting the open glass doors, she strode in that direction and stepped outside into a beautiful garden with tall, sculptured hedges. Bouquets of various flowers greeted her nostrils, mostly wild pink roses, white and lavender syringa bushes and a hint of the powdery, carroty scent of irises.
Trickling water lulled her toward the center of the garden, where a massive greenish-gray marble statue of a woman with one hand held above her head and the other next to her side holding a bowl stood on a pedestal in the center of what looked to be a large clamshell. Underneath the shell were large carved leaves that ran down the length of the fountain and touched the ground.
Leah’s eyes drifted shut as she ran her fingers over the smooth marble, relishing the cool wetness of the slick stone.
“Sure is something, ain’t it?”
“Sweet twinkling stars above!” Her hand flew to her neck as a gasp snapped through her. Jake’s voice, along with his breath so very near her ear, nearly caused her to go toppling into the statue.
She spun toward him, but Jake stood so close to her that she couldn’t, so she turned her neck and glanced up at him.
“‘Sure is something’ is an understatement. It’s breathtaking,” she whispered.
“This whole place is...it’s...” He moved to her side.
“It’s lavish. And so beautiful. Like something out of a fairy tale.”
“Fairy tale, huh? Still believe in those, do you?”
“I sure do.” She smirked at him. “I think every young woman wants to see her very own Prince Charming ride up on his white horse and swoop up and rescue his fair maiden.”
“White horse, huh?” He chuckled.
Leah planted her hands on her hips. “You go ahead and laugh, but you’ll see. I’ll have my happily-ever-after. Mr. Darcy, I mean, Mr. Barrington, will come and take me away from all of this.”
Jake’s smile dropped and sadness took its place. “What you doing out here anyway? Why aren’t you inside with everyone else?” He changed the subject, and she
felt the relief of it. She didn’t like him laughing at her dream of a fairy-tale ending.
Leah tilted her head and looked up at him. “Why aren’t you?”
“Too crowded in there for me.” He shrugged, but she saw how embarrassed he really was about his phobia.
She hated seeing him like that and wanted to make him feel better. She rested her hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Jake. If you can’t go in there, you can’t go in there. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all have something in our lives that we can’t do. Besides, you have a good reason why you can’t.”
He nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “You never answered why you came out here.”
Her hand fell from his arm and her gaze fell with it. “Well, if you must know, I came out here to think.”
“About what?”
She’d gone that far, what sense did it make to stop now? “About Mr. Barrington.”
“What about him?”
“I just wondered if this is the type of lifestyle he lives.”
“How do you feel about that?”
Good question. How did she feel about that? Moments ago she felt underdressed and out of place. Did she still? A little. But she would overcome her insecurity. She’d learn to dress as fine as all the ladies in New York if need be. After all, she had before, when she was younger and living in New York. She could do it again. Of that she was certain. “I love the idea.”
“You do?”
“Yes. Seeing all those beautiful gowns reminds me of when I was a young girl.” She gazed out into nothingness as memories of her childhood wove through her mind. “I remember attending many elegant balls and wearing dresses as fine as, if not finer than, those ladies in there.” And feeling every bit the princess, but she kept that thought to herself, especially after he’d laughed at her earlier.
“I can hardly wait to meet Mr. Barrington, to be whisked away to a life full of style and beauty. What girl wouldn’t?” She couldn’t keep the contentment or the happiness that idea brought on from curling her lips upward. Her very own Mr. Darcy would be coming soon. She would finally get away from this place and the nightmares to live the lifestyle she dreamed of living once again. Nothing would stop her from returning to where she had always been meant to be.
Chapter Seven
Three days later, Jake stood next to Leah at the front door of Michael and Selina’s house. “Hi, Michael.”
“Hey, what are you two up to?”
“Jake wanted to see the babies, so I told him I’d come with him. I haven’t seen them for a while,” Leah said, bouncing at his side. Yes, he had mentioned it, but he didn’t think she’d drag him right over there right away like she had.
“That’s right. It’s been one whole day.” Mischievousness sparkled through Michael’s eyes. “And I’m sure this was all Jake’s idea.”
Jake chuckled.
Leah elbowed him in the side. “It’s not funny.”
He thought it was—in more ways than one.
“Don’t just stand there, y’all. Michael, let them in.” Selina’s voice came from somewhere behind Michael.
Michael moved out of the way and Jake and Leah stepped inside. Jake hung his hat on a long peg near the door, feeling a little sheepish and very much out of place. He’d never been to the house of brand-new parents before, and truth be told, the babies scared him a mite more than he wanted to admit.
His attention went to Selina sitting on the couch, her legs stretched out before her and covered with a blue lightweight blanket. Two wooden cradles sat on either side of the rocking chair near her. “Sure nice to see ya again, Jake. Can I get y’all some coffee or tea or somethin’ to eat?” Selina tossed her coverlet aside, but before she could even move her legs, Michael had sprung over to her and stood in the way of her moving.
“Don’t you dare move. I’ll get it,” Michael ordered. The way Michael acted made Jake chuckle again and Leah, too, though she covered her amusement better than he did.
“Why don’t you let me get us all something to drink?” Leah said from beside him.
“I can get it, Leah. I do know how to get refreshments.” But the look on Michael’s face said how much he’d appreciate her help.
“Oh, please. I’m surprised you managed to stay alive until Selina got here the way you cook. You two go sit down. I’ll get it.” Leah pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Michael. That threatening look would have made Jake obey.
Finally Michael shrugged. “Fine. I know better than to argue with you, sis. What would you like to drink, Jake?”
“Coffee, if you have some already made.”
“Just made a fresh pot. It’s there on the stove, Leah.”
“Of course it’s on the stove, Michael. Where else would it be, you silly goose?” She walked past him and tapped him on the arm.
“Watch it, or I’ll turn you over my knee.”
“You’d have to catch me first.” She wrinkled her nose up at him.
“Don’t tempt me.”
Jake loved watching the interaction between the two siblings. He didn’t have any family there to interact with. His sister and her husband lived in Oregon and so did his mother and her husband, Jed.
“When y’all get done horsin’ around, me and Jake here would like some coffee,” Selina piped in with her slow Southern drawl.
“You lucked out, sister dear. Selina just saved your hide from a good tanning.”
“Sure I did.” Leah glanced at the ceiling and shook her head, then headed to the kitchen stove. With her back to her brother, she asked, “You want coffee, too, Michael?”
“Yes,” Michael answered, then turned to Jake. “Shall we?”
They moved to the living room.
Michael sat in the rocking chair situated next to Selina and the babies.
Jake chose a spot on a chair across the way. Curious, he craned his neck, looking into each cradle to see the babies’ little sleeping faces. Lottie’s was round and Joseph’s was square. Joey’s hair was blond and Lottie’s was brown. “They sure are cute.”
Envy roped through him. Someday he hoped to have a wife and family, too. He glanced over at Leah, standing in front of the stove, looking every bit the part of the homemaker. If only she’d said yes to his proposal, she’d be at his place right now, making a home with him. He sighed. No sense wishing for something that would never be. She’d made it very clear she wasn’t interested in that kind of relationship with him. She’d also made clear the lifestyle she wanted to live and the type of man she wanted to live it with. Pride and Prejudice popped into his mind. She said that Mr. Darcy fellow was the kind of man she wanted. He really had to read the thing to find out what sort of man did interest Leah. Not that it would make any difference. Still, he wanted to know.
“So how’d Phoebe’s weddin’ turn out the other day?” Selina asked, adjusting the coverlet that had slipped when she’d changed positions. Michael leaped up and immediately helped her with it.
Jake glanced over at Leah, wondering just how he should answer that.
Leah came into the living room carrying a tray with four cups of coffee each sitting on a small plate, spoons, a bowl with sugar and a creamer jar. “Phoebe looked fabulous,” Leah responded with her back to Michael and Selina. She offered Jake a half wink of understanding, and his heart jerked when he realized what she was doing. She was protecting him. His admiration for her went up another notch. “Markus was so cute,” she continued as she handed each of them a cup and waited while they added what cream and sugar they wanted to their beverage. “Markus couldn’t take his eyes off of Phoebe the whole time. Especially when she walked down the aisle.”
As she went on telling the details, Jake thought back to the reception and how he’d finally talked Leah into going back inside. It was sweet of her not to want to leave him out there by himself, but he didn’t want her to miss out on a fun evening because of him. He’d said goodbye, told her he was going to leave but not until he saw her safely inside. He’d w
alked her to the double glass doors, and Leah slipped inside with her head held high, walking with the grace of a queen. Stepping back into the shadows, he watched her mingle with those high society ladies, looking every bit as if she belonged there. An ache filled his heart even now, knowing he could never compete with that.
“I sure do wish we coulda gone, but Michael wouldn’t hear of it.” Mercifully, Selina’s voice pulled Jake from the deep, black hole of sadness his heart had started to fall through.
“Selina.” Michael drew out her name. “We’ve been over this a million times already. It’s only been a week since the babies were born. You know how fatigued you get. You need your rest.”
“Sure, I get tired, but I’m about to shanty up the stair rail. I can’t just sit around here doin’ nothin’ all day.”
“You can and you will, sweetheart.” Michael’s order sounded like a request, too.
Selina hiked one brow. “You’d best be careful orderin’ me about like that, Michael, or whenever I get stronger, I’ll fix you up a mess a crawdad tails. Or snails.”
Jake’s attention darted between Selina and Michael. Was she serious? He’d heard about the crawdad tails before but not snails. Had she fed Michael those, too? Jake swallowed hard just thinking about how disgusting that would be. His wife had better never serve him anything like that. Once again, his attention slid over to Leah, sitting in the chair across from him, her attention on Selina.
“Would you really do that, Selina? Feed him snails and crawdads?” Her blue eyes blinked. She looked so cute and shocked.
Jake couldn’t help but smile. He’d like to hear the answer to that one, too.
“Yes, ma’am. I would and already have.” A look passed between Michael and Selina. They smiled at each other and the tension dropped. His hand slid over hers and caressed it.
“She sure did.” He kissed Selina’s hand and smiled at her again.
“You’re kidding me, right?” Leah’s forehead crinkled. She looked back and forth between them, blinking as she did.
“No, we’re not kidding. In Kentucky they eat them all the time. The crawdads aren’t too bad. I don’t know about the snails. Haven’t had those. No offense, sweetheart, but I hope I never do, either. And I refuse to get too worked up over it. It’s part of who Selina is, and I love her for it.”
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