by Rye Hart
"Drats," Georgina muttered to herself.
"What was that?" Mabel asked quizzically.
"Nothing," Georgina threw over her shoulder and she made a quick move back toward the desk.
The poor desk attendant saw her coming, his face turned ashen. "No ma'am, I told you —"
"Not about that," Georgina waved him off. "I need to know Ms. Barrington's forwarding address —"
The manager broke her off before she could finish. "I am sorry, but I will need to ask you to return to your party or leave this establishment," he said firmly.
Georgina wasn't one to let a hard-nosed manager and timid attendant get in her way. But she also didn't want to get kicked out of one of the few hotels in town on her first night , especially since she didn't have a whole lot of options at the moment.
"Alright," she raised her hands in a sign of surrender. She backed away, but she knew that she was going to get the information one way or another.
The group she was with had started to depart. She quickly caught up to them and asked the closest girl, Lilly, where they were all heading.
"There is a small conference room at the side of the hotel. It seems that is where we are to meet the men that we have been matched with and sign our marriage certificates," she said excitedly.
Georgina couldn't control the groan that emitted from her lips.
"You don't sound excited," Lilly said curiously.
Georgina plastered on her best 'potential housewife' smile. "On the contrary," she said through her glimmering teeth.
"Oh good!" the bubbly Lilly said without registering Georgina's level of sarcasm. "I sure hope he is handsome," she paused for a moment, "or at least kind." She giggled a bit, "But handsome would be nice, don't you think?" She turned her wide-eyed gaze back on Georgina.
"Sure," she said hesitantly. Georgina wondered what level of purgatory she had just entered.
Before Lilly could continue to ramble on about why she couldn't wait to be a bride, they had entered the room reserved for the "nuptials."
The men were already waiting, sitting patiently in chairs along the wall while the women were brought in. The whole parade made Georgina feel oddly uncomfortable, but she tried to ignore it.
That is, until she saw him.
It was the very man that had questioned the attendant about Mia Barrington; the man that had asked of her whereabouts was now sitting in one of the prospective grooms' chairs. Georgina's mind whirled with the complexity of the moment. Why would a man want to know Mia's address, and then be waiting for a bride? The whole thing was incredibly odd, yet intriguing.
"Now Ladies, as part of the process here at Distant Heart Matchmaking, the groom have already chosen your name from a list," Mabel prattled on. "When your name is called, your groom will join you. You will then be guided toward the licensing table, where you may sign the marriage agreement if you so choose."
At this point in Mabel's speech, Georgina stopped listening. She didn't know how things had gone so off plan that she now stood in a room about to get married. She had started to suspect that Devon hadn't been entirely honest with her when relaying the plans for the trip. Most likely, he figured he would send her along and allow her to figure it out as she went. At the very least, he probably hoped she would come back to the office, with her tail between her legs, and apologize for questioning him and asking for an assignment that was too much for her to handle. Well Devon, if that's the way you are going to play it, you've gravely underestimated me. Even if this whole article was an elaborate joke, she wasn't going to return until she could personally hand Devon the article he thought she wouldn't be able to deliver. Just watch, she smiled at the thought of seeing his shocked face.
"Ms. Georgina Wellington," Mabel primly called.
Georgina snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Mabel's shrill voice speak her name. "Yes?" she said.
Mabel threw her a hard look. "Mr. Carter Heath," she gestured toward the man who had asked about Mia.
Georgina and her would-be suitor's eyes locked. She thought she saw something swimming beneath his brown-eyed gaze, but just as she tried to decipher it, it was gone.
So, she thought to herself, the very man that has the information I need to get to Mia, just so happens to be my groom? She couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the moment. It couldn't all be coincidence, unless Devon was trying to set her up with Mia's kidnapper. The last thought sent a shiver down her spine as she contemplated the possibility that she might meet a similar fate to Mia. Well, only one way to find out.
With a boldness characteristic of her stubborn nature, she stepped forward. "Pleased to meet you," she said in her best lady-like voice. She extended her hand.
Carter took it. "Charmed," he drawled as he brought her hand up to his lips to kiss it.
The feel of his bare lips touching her skin sent another shiver down her spine; a reaction Georgina was decisively not prepared for.
"I," she began, but stopped short of forming a coherent sentence. At the moment, she was debating whether or not she should blow her cover and walk away from the absurd situation, or stay and follow through with the unthinkable.
"Unfortunately, this situation is not the ideal way to first meet your bride," Carter smiled.
He presented himself with an air of self-assured confidence, which was a striking difference from the other nervous, fidgety males in the room. This man didn't look like the type that needed a matchmaking service to bring him a bride, but rather the kind of man that could easily have his pick of any woman in town.
Georgina assessed him curiously. She wanted to know why he was asking the desk clerk about the missing girl.
"I beg to differ, how else is one supposed to meet a husband these days?" She was stalling, choosing to play the game until she knew what her next move was. "I know why I am here, but what made you decide you needed a wife?" She gave him a cool look, choosing not to reveal too much about herself just yet.
Carter Heath laughed in response to Georgina's question.
Georgina prickled at his amused response. Nothing in her statement was meant to be amusing. She was a hard-earned journalist, not some ninny to be laughed at. "What do you find so funny?" she questioned as his laughter subsided.
"You are fascinating," he said without quite replying to her question. He rubbed his chiseled, clean-shaven jaw and surveyed Georgina with unabashed interest.
Georgina felt her cheeks redden. "And you sir, are quite bold," she tossed her comment back at him.
He smiled and cocked his head to the side. "How about we go ahead and get the marriage license business out of way then?" he teased.
Georgina stopped short. This was the moment that she had been dreading all day. There was no way she was signing a marriage license, especially to a complete stranger, just for an article.
"Look," she figured it was best to just lay it out there. "You seem like a sensible gentleman, I think we might be able to come to a more reasonable compromise."
A single eyebrow shot up in surprise. "A compromise?" he asked with curiosity. "Continue," he encouraged.
Georgina took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She usually wasn't the type to get performance anxiety, but at the moment, her ability to finish this investigation and write that article hinged on the information that the man before her might have. "Well, I think it is a bit premature to get married on the same day we met. You even said yourself, that this is not the most ideal situation."
Carter Heath was silent for a moment, and he rubbed his jaw in thought. "You are completely right, but how do you propose we solve this as the marriage license is waiting for us to sign?" he added.
"Well," Georgina elaborated, "I was thinking we could just take the contract with us to sign when the time is ready." She didn't bother to say that there would never be a time to sign it, for as soon as she had her story, she would be on the first train home. A part of her felt bad for deceiving Carter, but all it took was one look at his dark eyes a
nd brilliant smile and she knew that he wouldn't be struggling to find a bride for long. However, at the moment, she needed lodging and information from him first.
"You don't think that might be a bit improper?" he teased, while his eyes danced with an amused brilliance.
"Perhaps a little," she flashed him a dazzling smile in return. She could feel her stomach twist with anticipation. Usually she felt this when she was on the verge of a good story, but now she felt it whenever her eyes locked with his.
"Then we best be on our way," he suggested.
They both moved toward the marriage licensing table where a wiry older gentleman sat with a stack of printed licenses. "Name please?" he asked in a monotonous voice.
"Carter Heath," said the man.
"And you Miss? The man at the desk asked once he finished writing Carter's name on the license.
"Georgina Wellington," she replied.
"Ok, now sign here," the man produced the document and pointed at the two lines at the bottom.
"That is all for now," Carter picked up the document, folded it, and tucked it into his lapel pocket.
"Sir, you need to sign it first," the man at the desk said in a bored tone.
"We will sign it when we are ready, but at the moment we do not feel it is necessary to enter into the legally binding portion of a marriage contract before we have a decent conversation," he stated.
"Sir, I don't care about how many conversations you have had or not, I need you to sign it first," the clerk reaffirmed.
"What is going on here?" Mabel's voice interrupted as she poked her head next to Georgina's arm.
"They are refusing to sign the document," explained the licensing clerk.
"Well, that is unacceptable!" Mabel said in her usual shrill voice. "It is not proper for you to go home with your groom if he is not officially your groom. Likewise, it will damage our company's reputation if one our couples refuses to abide by the rules of proper courtship," she chastised.
"We are not refusing to sign it ever," explained Carter, "we just believe that it is in our best interest to give ourselves a bit more time to get to know each other."
"You can get to know each other within proper rules of marriage," Mabel corrected again.
Georgina had had enough of the back and forth. She was tired from the long journey, cranky from the myriad of complications she was facing at the moment, and Mabel's voice was giving her a headache. All she wanted was a place to rest and to try to piece together the few clues she had, as well as the clues she was going to get once she grilled her 'fiancé.'
"Mabel, I understand where you are coming from, where reputations are concerned and all, but I am sure that no one besides you and this clerk care whether or not we sign the document today," she said with commanding authority. "We are going to go now, and when or if we decide to sign the thing, it has nothing to do with you!" And with a flourish, she turned on her heels and toward the door.
"You will regret burning your bridges with Distant Heart Matchmaking," Mabel threatened Georgina's retreating back.
Georgina could care less. During her time with the company, she was not able to glean any information regarding Mia, and neither was she able to dig up the dirt that Mia's father was asking for. She wasn't getting anywhere by trying to get information out of them. Besides, she was just about to leave with her biggest clue.
Carter Heath clearly knew Mia Barrington, and Georgina was going to find out just how well. One way or another, she was going to get that information out of him.
With a confidence born only of a woman at the end of her patience, she strolled out of the hotel with Carter beside her.
Chapter Four
"So why did you choose to come out west as a bride?" Carter asked as they walked down the street.
Georgina debated what she could tell him. What she wanted to say was, where is Mia? Did you kidnap her? Are you going to try to kidnap me too? Is that what you do, find mail order brides and kidnap them, or worse? But her rational mind argued against such an aggressive tactic.
"I wanted a bit of an adventure," she answered vaguely.
"What do you think of your adventure so far then?" he asked.
"It's been interesting to say the least," she mused. "But how about yourself? You never answered my question regarding why you chose to sign up for a mail order bride?" she figured his answer might provide a few clues.
"Same," he shrugged. "I needed a bit of a change and thought a wife would bring some adventure into my life."
Georgina tried to hold back her groan of displeasure. This man was difficult to crack, but despite his nonchalant answers, she felt that he was hiding something. She was getting impatient as her curiosity urged her on to find out what that was. She knew that her family back home would kill her for agreeing to leave with a man she suspected of possibly kidnapping another woman, but she assumed she could take good care of herself had any unexpected turn of events taken place.
"So where are you taking me again?" she asked as they turned around a corner toward a small building.
"I am renting an apartment, it is just over here," he pointed toward the building ahead of them.
Georgina gaped. "I thought all men who ordered brides had homesteads and the like," she said.
"I might one day," he said absently. "But at the moment, I prefer to live closer to the growing city."
Georgina wasn't sure what to make of his answer. So she would be sharing his apartment then? She knew that traditional etiquette would disapprove, but at the moment she could care less. Traditional etiquette disapproved of her having a job, so it held no relevance in her life.
"If the landlady asks though," he said as they approached the building, "we did sign that contract."
Georgina nodded. She knew that if the landlord knew, they might no longer rent to them, which would mean that she went through with almost getting married, just to end up homeless.
Carter opened the door and was greeted by the cheerful face of Mrs. Gavin, the landlady.
"Ah, Mr. Heath, I see that you indeed brought back a bride," she took a surveying look at Georgina. "And is she a pretty one," she stated with a lilting voice.
"Thank you Mrs. Gavin," Carter said with an appreciative smile.
"It is nice to see young folk starting their lives together," Mrs. Gavin said.
Carter coughed, visibly uncomfortable.
Mrs. Gavin didn't seem to notice, and instead continued to prattle on about what a beautiful couple Carter and Georgina made.
"I think my new bride is a bit exhausted from the excitement of the day," Carter brought his arm protectively around Georgina.
"Oh yes, yes," Mrs. Gavin replied excitedly. "Must protect your bride's delicate constitution."
Georgina's eyes flared with indignation. She opened her mouth to tell Mrs. Gavin exactly where she could stick her "delicate constitution," but abruptly quelled it the moment she noticed Carter's pleading look. She realized it probably wasn't to her best advantage to engage in an argument with the elderly landlady.
With the strength that had carried her through many difficult challenges, Georgina plastered the closest thing to a smile that she could muster on her face. "Thank you Mrs. Gavin, you are so thoughtful."
Mrs. Gavin didn't seem to notice the rigid way Georgina held her spine as she spoke, but Carter did. Georgina suspected that he saw right through the mask she presented to the world and straight into her soul. It was unnerving the way he appeared to study her with a quizzical intensity that not many men possessed. Unnerving, but also intriguing.
"All right you two lovebirds," the elder Mrs. Gavin echoed as Carter guided Georgina away.
Neither one spoke again until they were in the safety of his apartment.
With a sigh, Carter placed Georgina's suitcase down on the ground. "I apologize for Mrs. Gavin, she can be a bit —"
"Presumptive?" Georgina finished for him.
"Precisely," he nodded.
"It was probably
for the best then, that we didn't mention our unsigned marriage license," she admitted softly.
"Yes, I suspect she would put up quite the fuss if she thought that we were —"
"Living together outside of wedlock?" Georgina finished. She batted her eyelashes with a sense of innocence that she did not possess.
Carter cleared his throat as a reddish blush crept up his neck.
Georgina was surprised by his reaction. He had seemed so self-possessed, confident, and self-assured. And although she suspected he was still a bit cocky, his response to her words suggested that he had a gentle heart beneath is manly demeanor.
"You may take my bedroom," Carter offered. "I will sleep on the couch tonight."
"Thank you," she muttered. Georgina was thankful that she would have access to her own room. Besides, she thought, it will give me the opportunity to investigate his room and see if he has anything to do with the disappearance of Mia Barrington.
"Well then, I bid you goodnight," Carter shot her a smile.
"You too," she added with a hint of her own faint grin.
Suddenly, Georgina felt very shy. With an awkwardness she had not realized she possessed, she picked up her suitcase, headed toward the door to the small bedroom, and quickly shut it behind her. She didn't know what came over her, but suddenly she felt very self-conscious around the mysterious Carter Heath.
Chapter Five
Georgina didn't care about unpacking the few items she had. She didn't plan on staying with her new "husband" for long.
She was, however, sick of wearing the same travel outfit. She quickly opened her suitcase and pulled out her nightgown. She took off her long overcoat and placed it on the bed, then proceeded to change into the lightweight, sleeping-garment.
Once she was ready for bed, she figured she could make the best of investigating Carter's room. However, the barely decorated bedroom didn't appear to contain anything that might reveal the mystery of the man she almost married that day. She checked under the bed, in the nightstand drawers, and even between the mattress and the bedframe. Her search revealed nothing.