A British Bride by Agreement

by Stenzel, Therese

  With his arm firmly around her waist and an eye roving for more photographers, he directed her through the crowd until they entered the quiet atmosphere of the refined eatery. The restaurant smelled of warm chocolate and fresh-baked bread.

  Immediately the proprietress, dressed in a traditional green wool suit with a red feather sticking out of her felt hat, greeted them. “Herr Steller, it is my pleasure to serve you again. The private room is available.”

  His chest welled with pride. Now Emma would experience travelling as a Steller. “The pleasure is all mine.” He kissed both cheeks of the older woman.

  Immediately they were escorted past a large waiting crowd, upstairs into a small chamber with vaulted ceiling and a view of Petreskirche, the oldest church in the inner city of Munich.

  High backed, wooden chairs were pulled out and linen napkins placed on their laps. A cook, wearing his white garb, came into the room. “Herr Steller, Guten Tag.”

  Jonathan stood and shook his hand. “Gustaf, good day to you as well. I’d like to introduce you to the new Mrs. Steller, my wife, Emma.”

  She smiled and waved her injured hand. “Gruss Gott. I greet you with God.”

  Jonathan shot a look at Gustaf as he offered a brief nod and answered her back. “Gruss Gott.”

  Before Jonathan could ask Emma how she knew that quaint greeting, Frau Tasse bowed. “Gustaf is here to cook what you would like for your mittagessen, er, lunch.”

  Emma’s eyes widened. “Anything we want?”

  Jonathan settled back into his chair. “Whatever you like, he will prepare. And I would like a steak, baked potato, and green beans.”

  “Jonathan, you’re jesting. We must enjoy the local food. Schweinbratan, knodel, sauerkraut, and schwarzwaldkuchen.”

  “Schwars—what?”

  “Black forest cake.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  Gustaf bowed. “Shall I follow your wife’s desires?”

  Jonathan’s mouth quirked. “Sure, yes, that would be fine.”

  “Vielen Dank.” Emma said to the cook as he left the room. “I just said many thanks to him.”

  “Did you learn the language in your sleep last night?” Jonathan shook his head.

  “I just picked up these German phrases books before we left. I like learning new things. I guess it’s like music, it just comes easy to me.”

  He took her hand and squeezed it. “Well, I’m impressed. Would you like to explain to me the workings of the local government?”

  She smiled. “No, but I can tell you that I am touched by how kind you are with everyone you meet. You didn’t have to offer to pay for that horrid man’s camera. I’ve known some posh people who were such—”

  “Snobs?”

  Emma laughed.

  And he savored the sound.

  He also enjoyed the delicious array of local cuisine prepared for them. How could he have spent so much time here and not tasted much German food? It was amazing. After the dishes were cleared, Gustaf brought in coffee and dessert.

  She took another nibble of her apple strudel. “This is the best I’ve ever had.”

  “Waiter,” Jonathan held up his hand. “Another Apple Strudel for my wife, bitte.” He smiled broadly. “Aren’t you impressed I said please?”

  “Very impressed.”

  By the tilt of her head, he wondered what she looked like as a child. What would it be like to have a little girl? “Do you have any thoughts about children?”

  She paused sipping her hot chocolate. “Children?”

  “I’d like a boy, and name him Joshua after my brother, and then a girl.”

  She set her cup down, her attention fixed on her lap. “You know you can’t just order those up. God has a hand in it.”

  His father had already asked when there would be children. Jonathan knew his father would continue to pressure him about heirs, as it was an important part of sealing his position as the head of the company. It has to be done sooner than later. “I think by the end of the year?”

  She slowly set her hands together as if in prayer. “Like, this year?”

  “For us to begin to have our first child.” The memory of holding Emma at the souvenir store sent a wave of heat through his body. “Do you think that’s possible?”

  She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Of course.”

  Concern furrowed his brow. “I don’t mean I’m going to insist on it, I just thought we should talk about it.”

  “Could we just enjoy getting to know one another, then discuss it again later.”

  He let out sigh. Although his father had told him that marriage and family were a requirement to run the Steller Corporation, why was he pushing this? Just get to know the woman. Who knows, you might fall in love—he rubbed his face with his hand. He hadn’t realized until this moment how hardened his heart had become since his breakup with Dede. “You’re right, forgive me. Let’s just enjoy our time here. Shall we go?”

  As they came out of the restaurant, the wind had picked up and the distant view of the Alps became crystal clear.

  “Could we walk up a mountain?” Emma asked

  Jonathan looked at the tall peaks and thought of all the ways he’d been up there. Ski lift, horse-drawn carriage, motor scooter, car, but never just on foot. “Are you sure?”

  She laughed at him and patted his back. “We don’t have to go to the top. We can just follow the walking trails and enjoy the scenery.”

  Again, he was at a loss for words. On one of his previous trips to Bavaria with his family, Dede had come, and she had dragged him from designer shop to designer shop. She showed no desire to mix with the locals, much less eat their food or learn their language. Emma was a totally different woman. He pulled a strand of her blonde hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. “I like you, Emma Steller, very much.”

  She stepped away from him, studying the crowds of milling people. His chest tightened. Did she not like to be touched? “Are you okay?”

  She fixed her green-eyed gaze on him as if weighing her words. “I—I,” again her gaze faltered. “You have made me happier than I can say.”

  His throat tightened. She could have said many things, but that he’d made her happy, filled him with a rush of pleasure. “Wunderbar!”

  As they shared a laugh, he found himself hoping it would be one of many.

  CHAPTER SIX

  After an hour and a half drive to the Alps, Emma and Jonathan started their walk. A couple of miles into their journey, she stopped to take a drink from her water bottle. The view of the sweeping valley covered in yellow rapeseed flowers and framed by a cornflower-blue sky with milky clouds held her gaze.

  “Looks grand, doesn’t it?” Jonathan leaned over to catch his breath.

  “Lovely.” She passed him her water bottle. “God did a really good job, didn’t He?”

  He took a long swig and studied her. “I like how you tie everything to God. That’s a good way to live. Keeps you humble.”

  “And grateful.”

  The squeal of a young child, followed by the stern voice of an American woman, turned Emma around.

  “Chloe! Come back.”

  Emma strained to see who was coming around the bend in the path. That voice sounded familiar.

  A tow-headed little girl zipped passed them, followed by a jet-black haired woman and a blond man with a flushed face. Both had babies strapped to their backs.

  “Chloe, slow down!” The man flew past Emma and Jonathan.

  Glued to the spot, Emma’s jaw dropped open. “Debbie? Debbie Komber?”

  The woman halted and wiped the sweat off her brow. “Yes. Do I know you—Emma Waterhouse?” The woman yelled ahead toward her husband. “Ben, it’s Emma,” and threw herself into Emma’s arms.

  Emma squealed as she hugged her then pulled back and stared at her friend from college. “You haven’t aged a bit.”

  Debbie slapped her thighs. “Have you seen what three kids have done—oh my goodness! W
here’s Chloe?”

  Clutching a wiggling tot under one arm, Ben trudged back toward them. “Got her.”

  “It is so good to see you.” Emma hugged Ben, but she felt a stab of anxiety when Debbie sneaked a peek at Jonathan.

  Emma touched her friend’s arm. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but DJ died—”

  “Oh, no. How long ago?”

  A sick feeling of dread twisted in Emma’s stomach. She and Debbie hadn’t talked in over two years. The words four months stalled on her lips. Now you’ve gone and done it, Duckie. How was she going to explain to one of her friends how she came to be remarried so quickly?

  “Hi, I’m Jonathan, Emma’s husband.” He held out his hand to Ben.

  Emma released the breath she’d been holding, grateful to him for changing the subject.

  Debbie gasped and directed her gaze between the two of them. “You’re on your honeymoon.” Her face lit up. “I knew it. No wonder you don’t appear the least bit tired from climbing this mountain.”

  “It was a small wedding—” Emma fidgeted. “Well, not small, but it came up very quickly, and I didn’t have time to invite any friends.”

  Debbie grasped her hand. “No need to explain. I’m just very happy for you.”

  “You look familiar.” Ben tipped his ball cap back and stared at Jonathan. “Do I know you?”

  Heat flushed Emma’s cheeks. Now and then, she’d seen Jonathan’s picture in a newspaper or in a magazine, and it wasn’t for noble reasons. The Jonathan Steller that she’d read about had been a big spending partier. Had they seen the pictures, too? How could she explain that he had completely changed? She flashed a peek at Jonathan. She hoped he’d changed.

  Jonathan pointed to Ben’s St. Louis Blues hockey sweatshirt. “We’ve been to a lot of the same hockey games together.”

  “Blue’s fan?”

  “Since I was knee-high to a hockey puck.”

  “I can’t get over the feeling we’ve met before.” Ben rubbed his chin. “What kind of business are you in?”

  Emma pressed her lips together.

  “Manufacturing,” Jonathan said.

  “Me, too.” Ben shifted Chloe in is arms. “Maybe we’ve met at a convention or something.”

  Emma let out a breath.

  Debbie put her arm around her. “I am sorry to hear of DJ’s death and for all you’ve been through, but it looks like,” she nodded toward Jonathan, who was in a rabid discussion with Ben about the Blues hockey team, “things have turned out really well.”

  Emma squeezed her hands. “Yes, they have. Better than I ever expected.”

  “So you landed a Steller.” Debbie winked.

  Emma’s eyes widened then she laughed at her friend’s teasing. “Have you read about him?”

  “I’m not too proud to admit I read Celebrity News. But I did think it was very considerate of him not to bluster about who he was.”

  “It was, wasn’t it?” Emma thought of all the times she’d seen Jonathan shun opportunities to brag about himself. So unlike her parents.

  Chloe slipped out of her father’s grasp and tugged on her mom’s sweater. “I’m hungry.”

  Debbie picked up her daughter. “You remember Chloe, don’t you?”

  “She’s gotten so big.”

  “She’s now five and, “she turned to show off her baby strapped to her back. “We have Angel and,” she nodded toward her husband’s back. “Amelia who are our ten month old twins.”

  “Brilliant.” But a pang of wistfulness hit Emma. She’d always wanted children, and here was one of her dearest college friends with three of them. Seeing her children brought back a sad memory of a baby that could have been.

  Emma shook her head. “Well, you have beautiful girls. So what are you doing in Germany with three kids?”

  “Oh, Ben has always wanted to come, so we’ve saved and scraped, and earned a few airline miles and now we’re here. We’re staying right by this really exclusive shopping area, but the hotel’s pretty small and cramped. I guess you get what you pay for.”

  “Honey,” Ben touched Debbie’s shoulder. “I think we need to head down. My headache isn’t getting any better and Chloe’s hungry.”

  “But we just got reacquainted—”

  Ben nodded toward Jonathan and mouthed the word honeymoon.

  “Oh, sure, yup, time to be going.”

  Emma and Debbie traded cell phone numbers and vowed to keep in touch. As Emma and Jonathan continued their trek up the mountain, she nudged his shoulder. “Thank you for, you know, not flaunting your name or position.”

  He nudged back. “My family and our situation are gifts from God. I can’t take any credit for them.”

  She kept her eyes on the gravel path, but inside her heart was brimming over with joy. Jonathan Steller was a good man.

  After a meal at a restaurant on an overlook point, they headed back down the winding stony path in companionable silence. The setting sun cast long rays of tangerine, butterscotch, and blush across the snowcapped mountain vista. This had been the day of a lifetime and she didn’t want it to end.

  But now and then, her thoughts would drift to life once they got home. What would life as a Steller be like? Would she fit in the society world? Would she and Jonathan’s feelings continue to grow? A tendril of worry snaked up her spine. What if he hadn’t really changed? Was he still a big spending partier? What if this turned out to be another difficult marriage?

  Her foot slid out from under her on the gravel path, but Jonathan caught her in his arms. Their lips were only an inch apart. His eyes were full of concern. “You’re safe...with me.”

  ***

  Emma sipped her tea and stared at the distant mountain range through the floor-to-ceiling windows in their luxurious two-bedroom suite. Jonathan was still asleep in his bedroom and the quiet morning had given her a few minutes to read her Bible and pray.

  She was reading in the Psalms, I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, seemed so appropriate. She allowed the verse to linger in her spirit. Never again did she want to rely on her own strength to get through her days. Her strength, her help, would come from the Lord. She didn’t know what was ahead in this new life as the wife of a very wealthy man, but she knew God would see her through.

  “Good morning.” Jonathan sauntered into the room, his pj shirt undone and his hair a tousled mess. “How is my favorite fraulien?”

  A wave of giddiness swept over her. She hardly knew where to look, or if she should look. Clad only in her white silk pajamas, his lingering gaze told her he was enjoying the sight of her, too. She patted the cushion next to her on the couch. “That’s Frau to you mister.”

  He poured some coffee into a mug and sipped it. His gaze never moving from her. A grin tugged on his lips. He picked up a muffin. “Oh, right I forgot. Fraulien means miss.”

  When he sat beside her, his thigh brushed against hers, a tingle of awareness shivered through her. Had she ever been this attracted to DJ?

  “We only have two days left, and we still need to go shopping.”

  “Shopping?” She forced her brain to concentrate on what he was saying. “Is there something you need?”

  He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I need to get something for you.”

  Her face warmed, glowing with that unbelievable, pinch me feeling. Her once stressful and chaotic life seemed like it was falling into order and she had landed in a very soft place. Jonathan’s affections had been steadily increasing over their time in Germany, and her heart trembled at the thought of them increasing further still. Emboldened by his tenderness, she ran a finger down the side of his bristly cheek. “And what is it that I am lacking?”

  He pulled her to her feet.

  She stood close enough to him to see his shoulders rise and fall. Her own heart started thumping with measured beats of hope. Would he kiss her?

  “You, Mrs. Steller, lack nothing, but I would like to give you s
ome extras. So, off you go to get showered and dressed.” Instead of a kiss, he took a bite of his glazed muffin.

  It took her a moment to realize he’d dismissed her and not kissed her. With an impish urge for retribution, she snatched his muffin out of his hand and raced toward the bathroom door with at him at her heels. Slamming the door shut, she leaned against it and laughed.

  “What was that for?” He shouted good-naturedly.

  “I didn’t get a proper good-morning kiss.”

  Quiet sounded on the other side.

  Her smile dropped. Had she been too forward? Made him cross? She pressed her hands to her flushed face. How embarrassing. She’d let her emotions take over. Romance wasn’t part of their agreement. “Jonathan?”

  No answer.

  Slowly she inched open the door to find him leaning one hand against the wall, watching her intently. “I’m ready for that kiss.”

  She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek until he caught her by the arms and pressed his warm lips to hers, lingering over her mouth like a sweet sip of hot chocolate. When he pulled back, she sucked in her breath. Was it possible to fall in love in thirty seconds?

  ***

  Jonathan and Emma rode back from the shopping trip in a Mercedes in silence. Jonathan shifted on the leather seat as Emma sat staring out the window with the back of her hand pressed to her lips.

  “Thirsty?” He tilted his head to get a better look at her. Was she upset?

  “No, thanks.”

  “Too warm?”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  He wracked his brains trying to think of something he might have said to offend her, but nothing came to him. She seemed happy about the black Chanel dress and the Prada bags. The complete set of pearls in two lengths and the two gold necklaces with matching bracelets looked lovely on her. Some very respectful photographers asked if they could take their pictures and he and Emma complied, was that it? “Are you okay with having your picture taken again? Did you like the gifts I bought you?”

  She offered a wan smile and squeezed his hand. “They were lovely.”

  There was that lovely word again. Normally it meant something good. He leaned forward in his seat to see beyond the side of her face. “But you’re not happy.”