Ashley Merrick - India: Bride of Indiana (American Mail-Order Bride 19)

by Ashley Merrick

  “I’ll be back in a minute.” Richard wandered off to get their drinks while India walked the perimeter of the room to check out the silent auction tables. They lined the walls and each one had an explanation of the item or service that had been donated and a sheet of paper below it, so that people could enter their bids. Toward the end of the night, the papers would be collected and the winners announced. The prizes looked impressive and she hoped that they would have a good turnout for bids.

  Richard returned with her wine and India took a small sip. The cold liquid slid down her throat and then the alcohol warmed her. The wine was good, smooth and light and India took another sip, feeling happy.

  She’d never been to any kind of event like this and felt like a child in a candy store, looking all around in wonder. She took in all the elegantly dressed people and the beautiful surroundings. And then her thoughts turned to Julia’s friend Tommy and for a moment she felt guilty that they had so much while his family had so little. She’d been in their shoes before, with a father gone and a single mother struggling to make ends meet. It was very difficult. She hoped that things would get better for them soon.

  “You look beautiful in that dress!” Laura exclaimed as she and her husband Jason walked up to them.

  “Thank you for letting me borrow it. You look lovely, too.” Laura did look radiant in her dress. When light hit the copper- colored material, it seemed to shimmer and take on a life of its own and made her skin glow.

  “What are you drinking?” Laura looked curiously at the wine glass India was holding.

  “White wine. I don’t typically drink alcohol, except for special occasions.

  “Same here. Honey, I’ll have a glass of that too, if you’re going to the bar?”

  Jason chuckled. “I guess I am now. I’ll be right back.”

  He returned a few minutes later with Laura’s wine and handed it to her.

  “Thanks, honey. We’re going to socialize a bit. Be back soon.” She took India’s arm and pulled her along.

  They made the rounds of the room, with Laura introducing her to so many people that India finally gave up even pretending to remember all of their names. She recognized quite a few faces, though, some people from church, the women’s group and the various businesses along Main Street. Laura wanted to check all of the auction items, to make sure everything was as it should be. She’d been by earlier in the day to set everything up. Once she was satisfied that it all looked as it should, they made their way back to their husbands, who were gathered around several cocktail tables, along with some unfamiliar faces.

  “I’ll introduce you when there’s a break in conversation,” Laura said and then explained who they were. “The tall man in the middle is Ray Brannigan and his wife Leslie.”

  “From Brannigan’s Restaurant?” India asked.

  “That’s right, and to his left is Smith Jones. He’s a handsome devil that one, don’t you think?”

  India looked at the man she was referring to and had to agree. He was tall and somewhat dangerous looking, with dark hair, a square jaw and strong nose that looked as though it may have been broken once or twice. He must have sensed her looking his way because he suddenly caught her eye and smiled knowingly. India immediately looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring. The man had eyes that could see right through you. Even from where she stood, she could see that they were a piercing blue, very pale, almost ice-like. It was a bit disconcerting. She glanced Richard’s way and was even more mortified to find him scowling at her and then glaring at Smith.

  “Yes, he’s quite handsome,” India agreed, thinking it was the understatement of the year. She glanced back at Richard and saw that he was engaged in conversation with Ray Brannigan. India studied his face, comparing it to the newcomer, Smith Jones. Smith was, no doubt, a more handsome man, but when she looked at Richard, she was moved so much more by his inner beauty. And by his intensity. Even though he didn’t think so, she still thought Richard was a handsome man, especially when he smiled and the joy radiated from his eyes.

  “A penny for your thoughts?” The deep voice was unfamiliar and came from the man beside her. India took a slight step back when she realized that Smith Jones had walked over to talk to her.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m India Mitch…Um, India Blake, Richard Blake’s wife.” She glanced Richard’s way as if to emphasize the point and Smith chuckled.

  “Yes, so I’ve heard. I’m Smith Jones. I’m fairly new in town.”

  “Oh? Where are you from?”

  “Boston. Cambridge, actually.”

  “I’m from Boston, too. What brought you here?” India was curious why anyone would leave Boston unless they had to.

  “I have a business in Boston, and am looking to expand across the country. Having a location here in South Bend, by the river, will enable me to easily transport my products from one state to another.”

  “What kind of products do you make?”

  Smith smiled. “I suppose you could say I’m a competitor of your husband’s company. We make wagons and carriages too, and we’re working on something even more exciting.”

  “What’s that?” India hadn’t realized that there were any other wagon-making companies in the area.

  “A personal vehicle that will run on steam, like the trains do. We’re not quite there yet, but it looks promising.” India could tell that he was just as passionate about his business as Richard was and she wondered if Richard’s company was working on developing anything like the steam-powered vehicle that he spoke of. Richard didn’t often share many details of what he was working on, but when he did, she found it very interesting. She looked up and saw Richard staring at the two of them, and decided to go over and talk to him.

  “That sounds fascinating. If you’d excuse me, I need to go see my husband for a moment.”

  “Of course. It was nice to meet you, India,” Smith said with a lazy smile and then turned to accept a meatball from an elegantly clad server. The servers were dressed all in black, except for white ties and cummerbunds, which Laura had noted earlier made them all look like quite elegant penguins.

  India reached Richard’s side and he smiled down at her. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked.

  “Yes, it’s been a wonderful night so far. I feel like a fairy princess,” she chuckled as she looked about the room at all the elegant dresses and waiters circulating with trays of delicious food.

  “You look like one. That dress is beautiful on you. You’re beautiful.” There was a new, husky tone to his voice that got her attention. He wasn’t just being polite. It sounded like he really meant that he found her beautiful. India’s heart leaped. Could it be that Richard actually felt something for her? She was pondering the thought when she heard him introduce her to Ray Brannigan and his wife, Leslie.”

  “…And this is my wife, India.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you both,” India said and shook each of their hands. “I’ve eaten at your restaurant several times now, for the women’s group meetings, and have really enjoyed the food.”

  “Thank you,” Ray said.

  “We’ll have to go in for dinner sometime,” Richard said, and then asked, “How’s business?”

  Ray chuckled. “It’s been good, better than expected, frankly. People seem to like the food and have been spreading the word. It’s still up and down, though. Busier one week than the next. Makes it hard to always plan accurately. Sometimes we end up having to throw out a lot of food. It’s a shame, really. We try to use up as much as possible, but like I said, sometimes we’re left with extra or run short on something else. The nature of the business, I suppose.”

  “What do you do with the extra food?” India asked.

  “We take some of the leftovers home or give to staff to take, but the rest of it we toss in the trash. Like I said, it’s a shame. We’re hoping that business will eventually even out and be more consistent, so we can plan better.”

  “India, you
have to try a bite of this!” Laura was by her side holding a plate of what looked like a decadent chocolate cake. “I brought you a fork so you can help me eat this.”

  India accepted the fork and took a bite of the cake. The flavor was rich and the frosting was creamy and the cake itself was moist and delicious. “It’s wonderful, but I don’t think you need my help to eat this. I could devour the whole slice easily.”

  “Yes, but you need to save room for the slice of lemon pie we’re going to split,” Laura whispered and India laughed. She had found a true friend in Laura and was having a dream-like night. She never could have imagined such an evening when she lived in Lawrence. No one she knew attended these kinds of events. No one could afford to do so.

  “What’s wrong? You look suddenly sad?” Laura asked.

  “Oh, it’s nothing. Just feeling grateful. Where I come from, no one goes to fancy events like this or could even imagine being able to afford a dress like this. It’s a little overwhelming.”

  Laura looked serious for a moment. “It’s true. We’re very lucky to live like we do. But don’t feel guilty for enjoying yourself now. I can tell that you are, a little.”

  India blushed and didn’t say anything. She couldn’t deny it.

  “Remember, we’re not just here to indulge ourselves. This is for a good cause. We’re going to raise a lot of money tonight, to help a lot of people.” Laura smiled and then polished off the last bite of chocolate cake. “On to the lemon pie. I’ll be right back.”

  When Laura returned with the lemon pie, the band had started to play at a livelier tempo. They’d been playing softer slower songs during the cocktail hour. Now with the up-tempo, India watched as several couples ventured onto the dance floor. The song was one of her favorites and she found herself tapping her toe to the music. She glanced at Richard, wondering if he liked to dance, but he was engaged in conversation with Ray Brannigan.

  “Shall we?” She immediately recognized the seductive voice this time and she was tempted. She glanced Richard’s way again. She really wanted to dance, but wasn’t sure if it was all right if she danced with Smith. Richard caught her glance and saw Smith at her side, gesturing toward the dance floor. His eyes darkened for a moment, but then he nodded and gave a small smile and she followed Smith onto the dance floor. To his credit, he was an excellent dancer and twirled her around the with ease. They danced for two lively songs before the tempo slowed and couples drew closer together and began to sway to the music. Smith drew her in uncomfortably close and she was about to pull apart when she heard Richard’s voice. “I’ll take over from here.”

  “Of course. Thanks for the dances, India.” Smith walked away as Richard took his place and pulled India in close. But she didn’t mind being so close to him. She loved it, actually. They were so close that she could feel the slight stubble on his jaw as her cheek brushed against him. He had one hand on her waist and the other lightly across her back. One of his fingers tapped against her back, keeping time to the music and the touch sent shivers up her spine. This was the first time she’d felt her husband’s touch, except for the brief kiss they’d shared when they got married. She leaned into him and sighed, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers. When the song ended, the band played another slow song and they stayed on the dance floor, swaying to the music, lost in their own world, until it ended. The band decided to take a break and they reluctantly left the dance floor. Richard had an expression that India couldn’t read. He seemed lost in his thoughts.

  “Would you like another drink?” he asked when they reached their table and he saw that her glass was almost empty.

  “Are you going to have one?” she asked. He was drinking whisky and his glass was nearly empty as well.

  “I thought I might have one more,” he said.

  “Then I think that I will, too.”

  He went off to get their drinks and India decided to visit the ladies’ room. While she was in one of the powder rooms, she heard two other women come in and recognized one of the voices as Olivia’s.

  It sounded like they were in the front area, fixing their hair possibly. Something made India stay put, though, when Olivia started speaking in a softer voice and she thought that she heard her name, but wasn’t sure.

  “There’s not much you can do about it now, though, right? After all, they are married?” she heard a voice say.

  “I’m not ready to give up yet. She’s just a mail-order bride, someone he brought from Boston to take care of his children. More like a nanny, really. I heard that there’s nothing romantic there. If they haven’t consummated the marriage, it could be annulled. I’ve wanted him to be my husband for as long as I can remember.”

  “Is it him you want? Or just to be married to someone with his level of wealth and power?”

  Olivia chuckled. “What do you think?”

  The other woman laughed. “You’re terrible. Are you ready to go out there? If you’re going to make your move tonight, you’d better do it soon, while his wife isn’t around.”

  “Let’s go.”

  India heard the door close and then waited a few moments for her temper to subside before she exited the stall and washed her hands, and then checked her appearance in the mirror. Olivia may be beautiful, but she wasn’t looking too bad herself and Olivia and another think coming if she thought that India was going to stand back while she made a play for her husband.

  Chapter 19

  When India came out of the ladies’ room, she slowly made her way back to the ballroom and scanned the crowd. Richard was at the same table he’d been at earlier and her glass of wine was by his side. But so was Olivia. Everyone else was off dancing, so it was just the two of them and Olivia was laughing and flirting with Richard. She was lightly touching his arm as she talked and looking up at him, batting her eyelashes. It made India feel sick to her stomach to see it. She felt even worse when she saw Richard smiling back at her. He was obviously enjoying the attention. She supposed it was understandable. Olivia was a beautiful girl, after all. She almost felt like she was interrupting something as she sidled up to Richard’s other side and reached for her wine glass. Olivia shot her a dirty look.

  “Hello, India. So nice to see you. That dress looks familiar. One of Laura’s I believe?” she said in a sugary sweet voice that set India’s nerves on edge. Who would dare point out that someone was wearing a borrowed dress? She thought that was incredibly rude, but Richard didn’t even seem to notice.

  “Yes, it’s Laura’s. Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Olivia narrowed her eyes. “Yes, it’s lovely.” Then she turned on the charm again, looking directly at Richard as she spoke to India. “I was just telling Richard how much I love this song. You don’t mind if I steal him for a dance?”

  The nerve of her! There was no polite way for India to say no, so she just nodded and said, “Of course.”

  Richard shot her an apologetic look as Olivia led him onto the dance floor. India seethed as she sipped her wine and watched them. She supposed that it was what she deserved, though. Richard had likely felt the same when she’d danced with Smith earlier. But maybe he hadn’t? Maybe he hadn’t cared at all, and it was Olivia that he preferred to dance with. Maybe it was just bothering India so much because she was starting to realize that she had developed romantic feelings for Richard. That she wanted to be more than just the mother of his children. But as she watched the two of them twirling and smiling and they made their way around the dance floor, she wondered if Richard had any feelings for her. Maybe it was completely one-sided and he would never be able to get over losing his wife. Or maybe he just wasn’t interested in her that way? And Olivia was more his type. She thought about what Olivia said and wondered if it was true. Maybe they could get an annulment. Then Richard could be free to marry Olivia and consummate that marriage.

  India couldn’t stand to watch them together a moment longer. She went to take another sip of her wine and realized that her glass was empty. She’d said earlier
that she was only going to have one more. But, now she found herself heading toward the bar at the furthest end of the room, as far away from the dance floor as she could get. She ordered a new glass of wine and then walked to the edge of the room near the silent auction items, and pretending look at those while she sipped her drink and felt sorry for herself.

  “It can’t be that bad.” Smith was back by her side and looking at her curiously.

  “I don’t know. I really don’t know.” India realized she wasn’t making much sense and she didn’t really care. She wasn’t interested in Smith. The only man that she would ever be interested in was on the dance floor with another woman and she wasn’t sure what to do about that.

  “You love him.” It was a statement with a bit of surprise to it.

  “What?” She looked at Smith then and paid closer attention to what he was saying.

  “It’s obvious to me. I didn’t see it earlier and for that I apologize. I don’t typically make a move on married women, but I’d heard that you had an arrangement of sorts. I can see now that I was misinformed.”

  “Who told you that?” India asked sharply.

  “Who do you think?” Smith glanced toward the dance floor as Olivia and Richard twirled by.

  “Olivia.”

  “None other than. I think it’s wishful thinking on her part. She quite clearly has designs on your Richard, I’m sorry to say.”

  “That’s all right. It’s not your fault. But what do I do about it?”

  Smith chuckled. “It’s clear to me what you need to do.”

  “What’s that?” India was feeling confused and her thoughts were a bit muddled from the wine.

  “Well, it’s quite obvious that he’s in love with you, too. I half expected him to deck me when he came out to take my place on the dance floor. Every time I looked up, he was watching us. I felt like a jerk. Your husband is a good man. Just tell him how you feel.”

  “I don’t know.” India took another sip of wine and felt miserable as she saw Richard laugh at something Olivia said.