Annie turned back around from the mirror and shook her head. “I don’t think those hot springs can cure anything. And besides, I’m sure what my mother is suffering from isn’t physical anyway.” Claire sensed Annie wanted to tell her more but was hesitating.
“What do you mean?”
Annie looked toward the door which led to the common parlor where Roger Hastings would be waiting. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders and motioned with her head to the doorway. “I’m sure you’ve probably already noticed my father isn’t exactly a nice man. Unfortunately, my mother has been the brunt of a lot of his meanness. I think she’s just given up.”
Claire didn’t know what to say. She wondered how much Annie knew about her father.
As though she were reading her thoughts, she said, “I’ve often wished one of these times he’d just get caught. Everyone knows he’s not a good man. If he wasn’t around, I’m sure my mother would be able to live again.”
“What are you two girls doing in here? I thought you were just trying that blasted dress on one last time. Why are you sitting around talking? I’ve got business to take care of today, and I’d like to get this all finished up. So if you’re done, I’ll pay you and you can be on your way.”
As Roger came into the room, panic rose up in her throat as she realized this was her last chance to try finding anything. But there was no way to be alone in these rooms. Her heart sunk as she realized everything she’d done had been for nothing. She’d lied to her husband and put herself in danger, with nothing to even show for it.
Annie came over to hug her. “Thank you so much, Claire. I hope I’ll get to see you again sometime.”
They followed Roger back into the parlor and something caught Claire’s eye in the far corner of the room. Sitting on a desk was a small suitcase that hadn’t closed all the way. Roger walked over to it and reached inside, pulling out a handful of bills.
“These are legal tender at our bank in Vancouver, so they’ll be good here. I’ve paid you fairly for your work, but I’ve deducted some for the times you were just in the room visiting.”
“Father!”
Roger turned on his daughter. “Annie, do you dare to argue with me?”
His voice rumbled with a deep underlying threat. Annie looked to her apologetically, and Claire saw genuine fear in her eyes.
Taking the money in her hand, she walked to the door. She no longer felt bad for doing anything she had to do to put this man in jail.
“I know it’s him. I tried to explain everything that had happened to the others, but there isn’t anything we can do without proof. But seeing him walk off that train, with that smug look of a man who believes he’s above the law and can never be caught, made me as angry as I was the day he shot Elliot.”
His parents were visiting with him at the station, discussing the fact that Roger Hastings—the man who’d shot their son—was staying in the same resort as them.
He’d realized after spending the past couple of days with them how unfair he’d been to them over the years. His father had worked hard for the wealth he had, and when Nathaniel thought back now, he saw his parents had never thought of themselves as any better than anyone else, just because they had money.
It was funny how growing up and moving away had made him see his parents differently. A lot of the anger and sadness he’d held on to after Elliot was killed had been taken out on them, and he felt bad knowing they’d been suffering too.
The door to the station opened, and he turned to see who was coming in. He was sitting behind his desk, but stood up when Claire came through the door. She looked upset, and his stomach clenched with worry.
She marched straight over to his desk and threw something onto it. Looking down, he scrunched his brow in confusion. “Why are you throwing money at me?”
“It’s not real money. It’s counterfeit. And it came from Roger Hastings.”
Chapter 16
The loud ticking of a clock behind the desk was the only thing to break the silence that had fallen over the room. It seemed to mimic every beat of her heart as she stood there waiting for Nathaniel to look back up. She was looking at the top of his head, bent over as he studied the bills she’d set on his desk.
His stance was rigid and she could see every muscle in his body tensed. The anger she’d been feeling with how scared Annie had been of her father was slowly being replaced by dread. She’d known Nathaniel would be mad, but she’d hoped somehow by her being just as mad for her friend, he might be more forgiving.
Raising his head to meet her eyes, she swallowed when she saw the fury reflected there.
“How did you get this money?”
His words were spoken methodically, as though he were fighting hard to keep his anger in check. The muscles moved in his jaw as he clenched his teeth together.
Her gaze darted to where Sylvia and Peter were sitting quietly watching everything unfold. His mother met her eyes with sadness, making Claire feel like she’d somehow let the woman down too by disobeying her son.
“I made dresses for his daughters for the Christmas Ball.” She wasn’t going to lie. He was going to have to know what she’d done. “I overheard them talking about needing someone to make them, and I wasn’t thinking. I just walked up to them and offered to do it, hoping it would give me enough time in their rooms to find some kind of evidence you could use against him.”
Her heart vibrated in her chest with every beat. It was hard to stand there facing him, meeting his stony stare as anger emanated from him.
“I told you not to go near Roger Hastings, and you deliberately went against my orders?”
He spoke so low she almost wasn’t sure she’d heard him.
Clenching her fists together, she tilted her head. “I thought I was your wife, and no longer a maid. I didn’t realize I had to follow orders.”
She knew she was in the wrong, but it still didn’t change the fact she was getting mad again too. She’d done this for him. No, it might not have been the smartest thing she’d ever done in her life, but she’d learned that sometimes following her gut was the best thing to do. That’s what had led her all the way out to Alberta in the first place.
His eyes never moved from hers, pinning her to the spot. “No, you don’t have to follow orders, but when your husband—who also happens to be a Mountie—tells you to stay away from someone because they’re dangerous, you should listen. Perhaps I should start giving you direct orders so maybe you’ll listen next time.”
Her body shook with rage. She knew he didn’t mean the words he was saying, and he did have every right to be angry. But at the moment, she couldn’t even think clearly.
“I assure you, from now on, I’ll obey all orders like a good wife should. I’ll have your meals ready and your house clean, and I won’t do a single thing that could possibly get me in trouble.”
His eyes flickered and he shut them briefly as though he’d been slapped. “Claire…”
“No, you’ve made your point. I know I went against your wishes, and I could have been hurt. But I did it for you. I did it because I wanted you to have justice for your brother. I had a chance to get into Roger Hastings hotel room, so I took it. And you know what? You were right. He is a dangerous man. And I want nothing more than to see him punished.”
He came around from behind the desk and reached out with his hands to hold her arms. “How did you find that out? Did he hurt you?”
She’d never heard his voice so angry.
“No, but I have no doubt he’s hurt his daughter and his wife. They’re scared of him, and even though I know it will likely hurt them to see their father put in jail, at least then he can’t hurt them anymore.”
Peter stood up from where he was sitting and came over to the desk. He reached down and picked up one of the bills, then held it up to the light from the window. “She’s right. This isn’t real currency. I know the familiar markings of the bills from the Bank of Vancouver, and this is close but nowhere near re
al.”
Nathaniel was still holding her arms, seeming to fight an inner battle with himself. Finally, he let go and turned to pick one of the bills up himself. Claire stepped back and tried to get her breathing back under control as Sylvia came over to put her arm around her, pulling her in close.
She’d always imagined this would be what having a mother would feel like, having them offer comfort when she was hurting.
And right now, knowing how angry Nathaniel was with her, she’d never felt a pain so deep in her heart.
He was lying on his back, arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Light shone in through the window from the full moon outside. He loved a full moon in the winter because it would light up the ground for miles as it reflected off the snow below. Now, it gave a blueish tinge to the walls inside the cabin.
Turning his head slightly, his heart ached at the sight of Claire lying beside him—once again as far over in the bed as she could get. She’d barely spoken more than a few words to him, and he realized once again in his anger, he’d said things he shouldn’t have. But having Claire around him seemed to be making him slightly crazy. That was the only explanation for how he was acting.
This was the second time he’d gotten angry with her over something she was only doing to try helping him. He knew he could have handled things better. Even though he’d been angry that she’d gone against what he’d told her, that wasn’t what he was angry about.
When he realized she’d been that close to Roger Hastings all those times without him knowing, it had terrified him. He’d never felt fear like that before in his life, and he didn’t like it.
Claire was the kind of person who was always going to do anything she could for the people she cared about, even at a possible risk to herself. She’d done it all those weeks ago for her friend Rose, even knowing she’d probably lose her job if she got caught. And now she’d done it for him, and was intent on helping her new friend Annie too.
He suspected that never having anyone to love while growing up, or who cared for her in return, had made her fiercely loyal to those she did find to care about in her life.
He was sure she was still awake by the tension he could see in her body. But he assumed she needed time to sort through her feelings. He didn’t want to push her and hoped she’d eventually forgive him for how he’d acted.
Tomorrow night was the Christmas Ball at the hotel. He’d make sure he wooed her and showed her how much he loved her. He wasn’t exactly sure how to even go about courting his own wife, but he figured he had nothing to lose by trying.
He just hoped he could make her believe that she now did have someone who loved her. Sometimes he might get angry and say things he didn’t mean, but it was only because he couldn’t bear the thought of ever losing her.
Chapter 17
“Claire, I’m sure everything will work out between you two. I can see the way he looks at you, and I’m sure he’s hopelessly in love. Just give him a chance.”
She smiled at her friend in the mirror as she pulled Beth’s hair up and put the small clips in to hold it tight. “I have no doubt when Samuel sees you tonight, he’s going to be lost for words.”
Claire had done Rose’s hair numerous times for various parties and events in Ottawa over the years, so she’d made Beth’s hair look every bit as elegant as anyone else who would be at the ball tonight. Beth had done her hair for her too, and Claire loved how it turned out. It was pulled back and tied loosely with a large clip that held it just off one shoulder. She wasn’t comfortable doing anything too fancy, so she’d asked Beth to keep it simple.
“Thank you, Claire. I don’t think I’ve ever looked this beautiful.” Beth’s eyes looked wet as she studied herself in the mirror.
“Beth, you’re always this beautiful. Doing your hair fancy hasn’t changed anything.”
She went over to sit in her chair and wait for Samuel to pick them up. Since Nathaniel was working and taking Claire to the Christmas Ball, the other men had all decided it would be nice to take their wives too. Claire was excited to see all the other ladies. Since they’d arrived, she hadn’t been able to see them as much as she’d have liked.
Nathaniel was already at the station, so Samuel was going to escort them to the ball and he would just meet them there.
Claire suspected perhaps he was still angry with her so hadn’t wanted to get her himself. But there was nothing she could do to change it. Things had been so tense between them yesterday evening that when she’d gone to bed, she hadn’t slept a wink. She’d sensed that he was awake beside her, and no matter how hard she tried to find the words to apologize to him, she couldn’t speak a word.
And today he’d spent most of the day at the station. She was sure he was avoiding her, and it broke her heart knowing she may have destroyed the one chance she had at finding love with someone who could have possibly loved her in return.
A knock sounded at the door, and Beth rushed over to open it. Samuel stood on the other side, wearing his red jacket, black pants, and full hat. He looked every bit the part of the dashing Mountie here to whisk his wife off to a ball. When he saw Beth, he reacted exactly as Claire had expected.
His mouth opened, and he struggled to get words out as he looked her up and down. Beth’s cheeks were turning a bright shade of red as she smiled back at him. “Come inside and warm up before we walk to the hotel.” Beth stepped back and let him inside.
He was finally able to speak and he reached out to take her hand, lifting it to his lips to place a kiss on the back. “You look beautiful, Beth.”
Claire almost laughed out loud when her poor friend’s cheeks got even redder. Standing up, she hated to intrude on the moment, but she was anxious to get to the ball. She’d never been to anything like it before, and she didn’t want to miss a moment. Now that she didn’t need to worry the entire evening about being found out, she was looking forward to enjoying herself.
Even if Nathaniel spent the whole night ignoring her.
She would always have Beth, Sinead, Molly and even Annie to keep her company. But she admitted to feeling a twinge of sorrow knowing she might not get to dance and be held in her husband’s arms as they spun around the dance floor. Seeing the way Samuel was looking at his wife right now was making her heart ache.
“You look nice too, Claire.” Samuel smiled at her, obviously feeling guilty that he hadn’t said so already because he’d been too busy staring at Beth in open-mouthed wonder.
“Thank you. Are we ready to go?”
She grabbed her heavy coat from the rack, knowing the wind that was blowing earlier was chilly. Nathaniel had ordered her this jacket as soon as he’d realized she didn’t have a good one to keep the cold out. She wrapped it tightly around her shoulders as she went out the door.
“I’d say winter’s finally here to stay. I just hope the snow stays away until this wind dies down a bit. That’s a perfect way for a blizzard to start, and here in the mountains, the weather can be unpredictable.”
Samuel was talking as they walked along the moonlit street. But his eyes kept going to his wife, and Claire smiled to herself as she realized her friend had found love too. She was glad. If there were ever two people made for each other, it was Samuel and Beth.
Claire turned and looked ahead toward the lights coming from the hotel and spa. They’d gone all out on the Christmas decorations, and she felt like she was walking into something from a fairy tale.
But here on the street, it was lit only with the lamps and moonlight above them. The light reflected off the snow as they made their way along, waving to people as they passed in their wagons and carriages. The atmosphere in the air was festive, and Claire’s stomach started to twist with excitement.
She used to sneak into the corners and watch the dances and parties at the Lambert house in Ottawa, always dreaming that someday she’d be going to one herself. But she’d never truly believed it would happen.
And now she was walking down a snow-covered street,
miles away from where she’d grown up, toward one of the fanciest balls she could have ever imagined.
Nathaniel had told her the Christmas Ball in Cougar Springs was an annual event, and nearly everyone in the town would be there. It also attracted guests from all over the country who wanted to spend their holidays in the mountains while enjoying the hot springs. It was considered one of the grandest events of its kind.
If only she were walking there with her own husband beside her it would be the perfect dream come true.
As they got closer to the hotel, the music wafted out from the open doors and windows in the ballroom. Laughter could be heard among the chatter of guests making their way inside.
Her heart pounded with excitement, while her eyes took in everything around her. Attending balls wasn’t something she’d likely get many chances to do, so she planned to take full advantage of this moment. There were candles hanging in sconces on the walls lining the hallways, with elegant chandeliers hanging from the ceilings all the way down toward the ballroom. The halls had large, ornate doorways leading off into the ballroom, and many of the guests were already on the dance floor.
Her eyes were pulled toward an open doorway framed in gold decoration. But she barely noticed the fancy designs showcasing the entrance to the grand ballroom. Her eyes had found her husband, waiting next to the door with his red jacket standing out in stark contrast to the fancy background behind him.
Her breath caught, and she stopped, unsure if she should approach him first or if he was on duty and shouldn’t be bothered. But as soon as she did, he started coming toward her. His eyes were on hers, and she was sure the room around her was humming as she waited for him to get to her. He nodded to Samuel, who continued on to the ballroom with Beth on his arm. Beth looked back at her and winked.
Bride for Nathaniel Page 7