by Barbara Goss
“Can I come, too?” Chloe asked.
Grace noticed Chase and Olive exchanging looks.
“Oh, but Chloe, I wanted you to teach me that card game you’re always talking about… what was it? Snap?”
Chloe giggled. “It's Slap, and I’ll teach you. I’ll go get the cards.”
Grace smiled up at Chase. She knew he’d planned that with Olive to get some alone time with her, which she looked forward to.
Chase guided her to a chair on the porch and he took the other.
“There, isn’t this nicer than being up in that bed?”
“Yes, but there is something not quite right,” Grace said.
“What? Are you feeling all right?”
Chase sounded so worried, she had to smile. “I’m fine, and ready to watch the sun setting…but we’re facing east.”
A look of dawning appeared momentarily on Chase’s face. “Of course. I was just testing to be sure that knock on the head hadn’t impaired your sense of direction.”
They both laughed.
“I have something important to say to you,” he said in a serious tone.
Grace’s heart felt like it had dropped from her chest. Had he changed his mind about marrying her?
“Tell me quick, and let’s get it over with,” she said.
“What?”
“You sound so serious, and that means disappointing news, so let’s have it.”
“You’re right. It is serious,” he said. “I love you, Grace, and I want to set a date for our wedding.”
Grace was speechless.
Chase reached into his pocket and brought out a beautiful ring. He took her hand and placed the ring on her finger. “That’s to seal our betrothal.”
Grace looked down at the ring, a beautiful blue stone in a gold setting. She didn’t know gems, but whatever it was, it was lovely.
“It’s beautiful, Chase.”
He sat back wearing a pleased smile.
Then it dawned on her. Had he discovered he’d loved her after she saved Chloe? That wasn’t love; that was appreciation. She couldn’t marry him if that’s what it was he felt for her.
How would she explain this to him? She sat staring at the ring and tried to think of what she should say. Should she marry him and hope that love came later? No, that wasn’t the way it should be.
“Chase,” she said. “Is it love you feel for me, or is it appreciation because I saved Chloe?”
“I bought the ring before it happened, and I told my father before it happened that I loved you. I do appreciate you, though, and I loved you even more, if that were possible, after you saved our Chloe, as it just proved to me what a great mother you’ll be to her, but that’s not why I fell in love with you.” Chase squeezed her hand. “Shall I call my father out here?”
“No, I just need to be sure, is all.”
“I don’t blame you. Marriage is a serious commitment,” he said. “Let me tell you why I love you: I truly enjoy being with you; you’re so understanding about my problems; you’re patient; and we’re definitely extremely physically attracted to each other.” He smiled and squeezed her hand.
“I knew I was in love the day you wanted to buy a ticket back to Maryland. At least, I thought I was, but I still had that grief and guilt hanging over me. I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want you to leave. I knew I’d miss you, and then I’d have to take a train to Maryland and try to find you.
“You were right about the counseling, too. It made a big difference, and helped me shed my guilt and grief. Flannery’s words did the trick. He said things I hadn’t heard before‒did you know he and his wife lost their first child?”
Grace shook her head.
“Sometimes, your heart knows before your brain does about these things,” Chase said. “I think about you all the time, and my heart beats faster when I see you. What it all boils down to is: having known you and fallen in love with you, I don’t think I could carry on without you.”
Tears rolled down Grace’s face. Chase bent over and wiped them away with his thumb.
“Come here,” he said. He helped her over to him and placed her on his lap. “I love you, Grace. You know how much I loved Mary, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“Well, I love you just as much, and I’ll be just as loyal and true to you as I was to her. I told her as much the other day.” He smiled. “I felt she was very happy with my choice.”
Cupping Grace’s face in his hands, he looked her directly in the eyes and said, “I love you, Grace.” Then he softly kissed her.
“That’s as much passion as I’ll give you until you’re fully recovered. And then we'll marry as soon as possible.”
“How do you know I love you?” she asked.
“Because I heard you tell Mary you did.”
“I do love you, Chase.”
Two weeks later, Chase and Grace stood before Reverend Flannery and repeated their vows to one another. Chase’s heart skipped a beat when he had to repeat, “To death do us part,” but he'd said the words and meant them.
At their wedding luncheon, Graham showed up with Mrs. Manning on his arm. He introduced her to the guests, and everyone looked surprised, except for Chase.
“You knew?” Grace whispered to him.
He nodded. “I thought I knew, so one day, while you were recuperating, I asked him where he went on those nights when he got all dressed up. He said he was courting Pauline.”
“While he was betrothed to me? What nerve! When were you going to tell me?” she asked.
“Tonight, once we were alone, there’s more, but I’ll save it for later.”
Chase had their suitcases packed and onto the buggy by the time Grace had changed into a more comfortable dress than the stiff one she’d married in.
“Please tell me where we’re going,” she said for the third time.
“Nope.” He tied their luggage to the back of the small buggy. When he’d finished he walked around and helped her up.
“Do you want to drive?” he asked with a teasing grin.
“Very funny. For that, I may have you teach me to drive again.”
“No, no. Please, not that!” he laughed.
He got the horse moving and he pulled out onto the road. He drove about a half mile before turning right.
“We’re not going to town?”
“Hush,” he said.
The road was dark, and Grace felt uncomfortable as they could barely see where they were going.
“We should have brought a lantern,” she said.
“We’re almost there. I can see…a little.” He laughed.
He pulled the horse to the right and there on the hill stood the little cabin and it was all lit up. The sight took Grace’s breath away.
“Oh, my! It’s beautiful, Chase. I’d forgotten all about the cabin.”
“I have many surprises for you tonight, my darling wife.” He stopped the buggy in front of the cabin, dropped the reins as well as the riding crop, and took her into his arms. “I know you’ve had a lonely life, Grace. I promise to make every day, from now on, filled with love and companionship, and I plan to treat you like a queen. You deserve it.”
He kissed her passionately for the first time since the day he'd driven her to town to buy her train ticket. The kiss became heated, and they both struggled to control their breathing.
“I think, dear husband,” she said breathlessly, “that we had better go inside and finish this.”
“I think you’re right,” he whispered.
Chapter 18
They walked into the house to see every room had been lit with oil lamps.
“Who did this?” she asked.
“My father and Pauline arranged this for us.”
“How lovely.”
They walked from the sitting room into a small dining area where the table was set for two. Together, they entered into the kitchen where a roasted chicken sat on the stove, with all the trimmings.
“This is
fantastic,” Grace said.
Chase led her back to the dining area. He pulled out a chair for her. “M’lady.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said as she sat down.
Bringing the chicken and fixings to the table, they enjoyed a wonderful meal.
When they were finished, Chase took her hand.
“Are you ready to go into the bedroom?”
“I’ll need to get my nightgown out of the suitcase—”
“It’s all been taken care of,” he said.
She gave him a confused look. “Then I should clean up—”
“Stop!” he laughed. “No cleaning up, either.”
“But—”
“You’re stalling the inevitable, are you?”
“No, I’m looking forward to it,” Grace said. “But we should clean up.”
Chase reached under the table and brought out a bell. He shook it.
Grace looked at him more confused than ever, when the back door to the cabin opened, and a woman came in wearing an apron.
“Meet the Mannings’ maid, Agnes.”
“How do you do, Agnes,” Grace said.
“Very well, ma’am,” she answered, as she began to clear the table.
“Now, I want you to go into the bedroom and get ready for the best night of your life, I hope.” He snickered. “I’m going to go outside and make sure Joseph took care of our horse and buggy.”
“Joseph?”
“The Mannings’ stable lad.”
As she made her way to the bedroom, she heard Chase tell Agnes to lock up on her way out and for her and Joseph to have a safe trip home.
Grace walked into the bedroom where a white nightgown had been spread across the bed. She picked it up and gasped. It was so thin, you could see right through it, yet, it was all she had, unless Chase had brought her bag in. She closed the door, and then the curtains. Undressing, she slipped the diaphanous material over her head. She looked at herself in the mirror over the dressing table, trying to hide her personal places with her hands.
She took the pins from her long, blonde, wavy hair and found a lovely brush someone had left on the dressing table. She ran it through her hair until she feared she’d wear out the bristles. Then she heard Chase coming in the front door. Thinking he’d closed it loudly as a warning, she leaped onto the bed and covered herself up to her chin.
He didn’t walk in right away, which gave her time to think about what would happen next. She felt nervous and excited all at once. This would be the first of many, many nights of lovemaking with the man she loved. How unfortunate her early life had been so much in contrast up to now. She couldn’t imagine ever being happier than she was at that moment.
When Chase came in, she knew what had kept him. He’d changed his clothes and was now wearing a lounging robe. She smiled at him. She couldn’t see his luscious biceps beneath the robe, but she knew they were there. She couldn’t wait until they were holding her.
Chase sat down on the bed beside her, and gave her a light kiss.
“There’re lots more kisses coming, and better ones, but first I need to tell you what my father and I have decided.”
“Oh?”
“He’s going to marry Pauline, probably in a matter of weeks. Her ranch is about two miles away and is about half the size of this one. He’s giving us this ranch and he is moving into her place. He said he was getting older and he’d been thinking about downsizing for some time now. He'd planned on splitting this ranch and giving me half, anyway.”
“That’s wonderful, but what about Dora and Olive?” Grace asked.
“We get to keep Olive, as Pauline has a full staff. I think her husband left her quite well-off, financially. As for Dora, it’s up to her. Would you mind if my sister lived with us?”
“Are you joking? I’d love it. She’s such a lovely young lady and would be so helpful with Chloe and…well, we might have a few more little ones, soon. I hope she stays.”
“We won’t have any more little ones if we don’t get busy learning how to do that now.” he winked and Grace blushed.
“Would you like the lamp on or off?”
“Off,” she said quickly.
“But that means I won’t get a peek at you in the nightgown Pauline made especially for tonight,” he said.
“Chase, there’s nothing there! The cloth is like nothing. I just couldn’t.” She pulled the quilt back up to her chin.
Chase laughed. “All right. Maybe I’ll get to see it in the morning, then?”
Grace blushed again.
He turned out the lamp and climbed into bed with her. He lay there for a few moments thinking how best to go about it. In fact, he’d forgotten his first time with Mary, for it had been five years ago. Chase had to be slow and careful. He mustn’t get carried away and scare her, this being her first time, and all.
As he lay there thinking about how to approach his new wife, he felt her roll over, put her arm around his waist, and rest her head on his chest.
“Come, husband. I haven’t all night. I do need my beauty sleep,” she whispered.
Chase rolled over to face her and he hugged her to him. Now that his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, he could see her smile.
He whispered back, “I think you may not get much sleep tonight, but you’re beautiful enough already.”
He found her lips. He kissed and held her as he’d never dared to before. Just the thought of what was to come was enough to ignite his passion. As Grace’s passion rose to match his, and he knew, at that moment, they would live happily ever after.
.
The End
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Other books by Barbara Goss:
Forbidden Legacy
Captured Heart
Stolen Heritage
Dangerous Illusions
Silent Love
The Final Vow
The Kissing Bridge
Drawn from Darkness
Temptation by Moonlight
The Romantic Ruse
Shadow of Shame
Shadow of Deceit
Shadow of Regret
Shadow of Hope
Shadow of Love
Shadow of Faith
Shadow of Second Chances
Sunshine in the Rain
Yesterday’s Rain
Mail Order Mishap
Mail Order Vixen
22. Mail Order Ruse
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