Devlin's Montana Bride (Sweet, clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers Brides series)

by Maya Stirling

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  "How is the food?" Devlin asked.

  Elise put some of the delicious chicken into her mouth and nodded wordlessly. Eventually she said: "Very nice. Mrs. Mildmay is a good cook," she answered.

  Devlin almost laughed out loud at Elise's efforts at speaking with her mouth full. Not especially ladylike, he guessed, but charming nevertheless.

  They were in the dining room of the ranch house. It was evening and the sounds of the night filtered in through the open french doors. A cool breeze drifted through the room, wafting the smells of the delicious meal around the room. His housekeeper had been real busy while they'd been riding on the tour of the spread.

  They'd returned just as dark had been settling over the ranch. Devlin had given Elise some time to prepare herself in her room. He'd have to send for her clothes and other personal possessions the next day. Devlin knew that her first night at the ranch was going to be an awkward one in many respects.

  But when she'd come downstairs he'd had to catch himself from saying what had come so suddenly to his mind. She was a mighty fine looking young lady, he thought to himself. Mighty fine.

  Devlin had been pleased at Elise's reaction to what he'd shown her of the spread. She'd been fascinated by the way the herd was controlled by the ranch hands; she'd been amazed at the sheer size of the spread; she'd been especially curious when Devlin took her to the edge of his territory and showed her the small parcel of land that contained the disputed water course.

  Devlin had tried to explain to her the importance of his owning that land. She'd said it seemed so small, so unimportant, but he'd emphasized that he needed it if he was going to have any future on his land.

  Now here, back in the ranch, sharing their first meal together, watching her eat and trying to think of the right thing to say to his new wife, Devlin could hardly believe what had happened. It seemed the strangest thing in the world that he had a wife and a ranch and a life to look forward to.

  But then he reminded himself that this was a marriage in name only. That thought caught at him and gave him a sudden jolt.

  Watching her eat was such a simple pleasure, but one that took him by complete surprise, so intensely enjoyable was it. He wondered what other pleasures they could share, given that their marriage was one of convenience only. What did that really mean? They were legally wed, and with that, certain duties and obligations were established. He was perfectly within his rights to consider all the aspects of their relationship, not just the public ones. The private, intimate thoughts filled his mind, in spite of his best efforts to resist them.

  Devlin looked at her. She was beautiful. But she was also a beautiful stranger. He knew virtually nothing about her, except what her public reputation had been. He'd been told she was difficult and temperamental but he'd seen little of that so far. Perhaps the gravity of her predicament had forced her to adopt a more amenable disposition. Maybe that would fade and she would resort to what he'd heard her true character was. If that was the case then life at the ranch would take on an entirely different aspect, one that he wasn't sure he was ready for.

  It had been bad enough when he'd been left in the lurch by his previously betrothed. It had been all too sudden. Their wedding had been finalized, their courting had been brief and he'd thought his happiness had been assured.

  But then she'd left him. Abandoned him. With no explanation. He'd been devastated, furious, and then finally utterly resigned to the unreliability of all women. He'd decided that the only life for him was his ranch and the men who worked for him. The only thing he would care about from then on would be his most prized possession, the spread it had taken him all those years to build into a firm foundation for his old age; an old age in which no woman would figure, if he had his way.

  And then Elise had come along. When his friends Trent McIntyre and Nathan Grantly had persuaded Devlin that marrying Elise would ensure that his ranch would survive, he'd not given much thought at first to what it would mean to Elise.

  But he'd seen that her escape from the clutches of Bart Caulfield had given her the hope of a new life. She'd seemed genuinely happy this evening, even surprised at what she'd discovered about ranch life. The question was, would it be a new life with Devlin, and if so, for how long?

  "This is so lovely, Devlin," Elise said softly, interrupting his thoughts. "The whole evening has been truly delightful," she concluded.

  Devlin smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Mrs. Mildmay is a fine cook."

  Elise frowned slightly. "I'm not sure she likes me too much."

  "Nonsense. Of course she likes you," he said.

  "Oh. I don't think so. She gave me such a look when you introduced me," Elise said.

  "She's only thinking of my welfare,I guess. Especially after what happened with..."

  Elise's brows furrowed. "What?"

  "You know I was jilted recently."

  Elise leaned across and placed a hand over his. "I heard about that. Some of the town gossips talked about it. I don't know the details. It must have been a very difficult thing for you to deal with," she said.

  Devlin nodded. He wasn't sure he wanted to even talk about it. Not here. Not this evening of all evenings. But he felt he owed Elise at least some explanation so he told her, briefly of the circumstances. As she listened to his account Devlin was struck by the sincerity of her listening. It was as if she felt the pain he was describing, and it took him by surprise.

  As he concluded his account of arriving at the church to find his wife-to-be gone he looked at Elise. She was shaking her head and gazing down at the table. Devlin was impressed by her genuine concern for him. In that moment he felt a rush of panic inside him. He didn't want her sympathy. He didn't need the sympathy of any woman, especially one he'd married for their mutual convenience.

  Devlin lifted his glass. "May I propose a toast," he said hurriedly.

  Elise's eyes lit up. "Of course," she replied lifting her glass.

  Devlin cleared his throat and tried to compose his mind. It was racing with thoughts of the need to leave the room. But he knew he had to maintain an appearance of propriety. He didn't want the evening to end on a sour note, even if he felt an overwhelming desire for their first meal together to end as swiftly as possible.

  "I would like to propose a toast to our marriage. Our union of convenience," he said.

  Devlin saw Elise frown at his choice of words. Her mouth opened as if she were about to say something, but he continued hurriedly. "I hope that the time we spend together can be passed in the most amenable and pleasant manner possible. And that ultimately we can both obtain what we hope to gain in the speediest way possible."

  Devlin sipped his wine and watched Elise do the same. He saw that she appeared to have difficulty swallowing and for a few moments afterwards she seemed to struggle to find a reply.

  Eventually she spoke, her voice cracking slightly. "I'm sure that our marriage, such as it is, can be successful for both of us. As you so eloquently said. I also hope that we both get what we want out of this union," she said, her voice dropping to a low whisper.

  Elise took another longer sip of wine and placed the glass down on the table, heavily. She paused for a long time, not eating, seemingly lost in thought. "Now. If you might excuse me," she said finally. "I feel suddenly rather tired. I'd like to retire for the night."

  Elise stood and seemed shaky on her feet. Devlin stood and made as if to go and steady Elise, but she extended a hand to him, making it plain that she didn't want his help. Devlin felt something lurch inside him at her gesture. What had he done? How could he have been so tactless? She'd obviously taken offense. His mind raced, desperately trying to think of something to say that would salvage the situation, but he couldn't think of anything.

  And then, quickly, and without another word, Elise turned and strode quickly out of the room, leaving Devlin utterly alone.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Elise awoke alone.

  She reached out across
the empty bed and recalled that Devlin had no place by her side. Not yet.

  The early morning light filtered through the thin curtains and filled the small room. The bedroom was plainly furnished with a dressing table, a wardrobe (empty of her own clothes for the moment), and a sideboard upon which was an empty jug and bowl. The bed she lay in, alone, was wide enough for two. She felt momentarily small in the large bed. She'd slept deeply after the events of the previous day, having been overcome by an intense exhaustion upon lying down.

  She'd made her way upstairs after the meal, walking slowly along the hallway, passing what should have been the room she and her new husband would have shared under normal circumstances.

  But these were not normal circumstances. This was not a normal marriage. Devlin's words at the dinner table the previous night had only driven that truth home harder than she would have liked.

  It was a marriage in name only, no matter what she'd allowed herself to begin to think.

  Elise got up and dressed. She'd have to arrange for her things to be sent up to the ranch, she realized. Devlin had said he would arrange that. She'd promised to give him a list of what she wanted. Her sister would most likely put the things in a trunk.

  She made her way downstairs, passing the open bedroom door where she supposed Devlin would have slept alone the previous night. There was no-one in the bedroom and Elise wondered where Devlin might be so early in the morning.

  As she reached the bottom of the stairs noises from the kitchen caught her attention and she entered to find Mrs. Mildmay setting the table for breakfast.

  "Good morning," Elise said politely.

  Mrs. Mildmay looked up at Elise and nodded, her lips tight. There was a piercing look in the housekeeper's eyes that immediately set Elise's nerves on edge.

  "Where is my husband, Mrs. Mildmay?" Elise asked.

  Mrs. Mildmay frowned and sighed. She didn't immediately answer, instead keeping herself occupied with the setting of the table.

  Elise bristled at the housekeeper's attitude. "Did you hear my question? Where's my husband? Is he out at work?"

  Mrs. Mildmay whirled around quickly. "Devlin is a hard working boss. He's not like your typical townsfolk. He doesn't lay in bed 'till all hours, wasting the best part of the day," Mrs.Mildmay said curtly.

  "I beg your pardon?" Elise demanded.

  She was shocked at the housekeeper's choice of words as well as her tone.

  "You heard me, ma'am," Mrs. Mildmay said continuing with her work, keeping her head down, avoiding eye contact.

  Elise felt outrage rise within her. "Are you suggesting I'm some sort of spoiled townsperson?" Elise asked.

  The housekeeper turned her back on Elise. "I wouldn't presume ma'am. I only say it like I see it," she muttered,

  Elise strode across to the woman's side. "And how exactly do you see it, Mrs.Mildmay?" she said gazing defiantly at the elderly woman.

  The housekeeper kept herself busy with dishes, averting her gaze from Elise's penetrating stare.

  "You don't know anything about me," Elise stated.

  Mrs. Mildmay shook her head slightly. "I know what I've heard," she murmured.

  Elise felt a jolt of burning energy course through her and she just about managed to contain an impulse to act in a way which would have proved Mrs. Mildmay's point.

  "And what have you heard?" Elise demanded.

  Mrs. Mildmay stopped what she was doing and looked up at the ceiling as if carefully considering her words.

  "That you are a spoiled brat, who only serves herself and cares nothing for anyone else except yourself," Mrs. Mildmay blurted out suddenly.

  Elise was rooted to the spot. For a moment she was entirely speechless. She felt her mouth open and the blood drain from her face. Then she summoned up a response from somewhere: "How dare you speak to me like that. I'm your employer's wife."

  Mrs. Mildmay narrowed her eyes. "You may be his wife in name, but you are hardly fit to be his wife according to what I've heard of you," she said firmly.

  Elise turned and let out a guttural groan of frustration and outrage. Mrs. Mildmay took a step backward when she heard the sound. How dare this woman speak to her like this! She had no right. She didn't even know Elise except by hearsay and gossip.

  Elise closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mother had always cautioned her against impulsive responses to any kind of provocation. For years Elise had struggled with a short temper. She realized that now was a moment to put into practice everything her mother had taught her about how to deal with unreasonable people. She had to try and reason with this woman. It would hardly do to get off on the wrong foot with someone that Devlin obviously placed so much faith in as his housekeeper.

  Elise cleared her throat and clasped her hands together, adopting what she hoped was a pose that was both patient and courteous. "Mrs. Mildmay. You are wrong about me," Elise said quietly. "Everyone is wrong if they think they know what kind of person I really am. This past few days have been so difficult. Unbelievable really. I don't know what I would have done without Devlin," Elise said, trying to maintain her composure. "I'm not the kind of person you've been led to believe," Elise said pleading.

  The woman turned and looked at Elise, her brows narrowing, curiosity and surprise written in her expression.

  Mrs. Mildmay nodded slowly. "Ma'am. I can't rightly comment on that. I just hear stories. That's all. Whether I believe them or not is neither here nor there."

  Mrs. Mildmay wiped her hands on her apron and took a step closer to Elise. "Devlin's a good man. The best I've ever known. He has a good heart and it has already been broken once," the housekeeper said, pain creasing the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to see him hurt again like he was before."

  Elise reached over to the woman, trying to place a hand on her arm, but the housekeeper pulled away. "It's not my intention to cause any pain to Devlin. I don't think I can. What he has done has...well...rescued me from a terrible fate," Elise said quietly. "He seems like such a strong character."

  Mrs.Mildmay's eyes lit up. "That's where you're wrong. Devlin puts on a good show of being a strong man. But inside there's pain and hurt and that hasn't healed. Don't know if it ever will, if you ask me," she said.

  "Did he love her?"

  The housekeeper paused and sighed. "He said he did. I think he was crushed when she left him. When he told me he was getting married to you yesterday I could hardly believe it. Not so soon after the other leaving him like that. But then, he has his reasons. Who am I to argue with that?" Mrs. Mildmay concluded.

  Elise sighed and sat down at the table. "Isn't it the job of a wife to heal a man's pain?"

  Mrs. Mildmay sat down at the table and peered at Elise. She seemed surprised at the words Elise had uttered. "What do you mean, ma'am?"

  "Call me Elise. Please."

  Mrs. Mildmay nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess a wife has a lot of duties, now you mention it," the housekeeper said.

  Elise felt a rush of color to her cheeks.

  "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you, Elise," the housekeeper said placing a hand over Elise's. "That's not what I meant at all. I just meant that a wife is an important thing for a man."

  "Even a wife of convenience?"

  Mrs. Mildmay looked pensive for a while. "A marriage is a marriage, even if it's in name only. You never can know how a man and woman can end up getting along together. Life has a way of forcing people together, as you've already seen," Mrs. Mildmay said.

  "I certainly have," Elise answered.

  "Now that you're both together it might be wise to let things develop in their natural course. You're with him and he's with you. Maybe it's best just to see how things go."

  Elise looked at Mrs. Mildmay. "But he's holding so much back. It's like he wants to keep his distance."

  "That's understandable given what he went through with that other hussy. Don't you think?"

  Elise smiled at Mrs. Mildmay's description of Devli
n's runaway fiancee. "I guess so. But what can I do?"

  "Give him time. He'll come to you in his own time?"

  Elise frowned. It couldn't be that simple. Could it? Devlin had put up a wall and she wasn't sure she was going to be able to breach it. Now that she had committed herself to being his wife she felt the right thing to do was to somehow find a way to get through to Devlin. Even if the issue of the land access was resolved in Devlin's favor as a result of their marriage, they were still man and wife. It was a thought that created a rush of sharp emotion inside Elise in spite of herself.

  Man and wife.

  Somewhere deep down Elise had a feeling that Devlin was attracted to her and that he was taking extreme measures to conceal that attraction. Now that they were married it seemed that the only natural thing to do was to test that level of attraction.

  The question was, where could she possibly start?

  CHAPTER TEN

  What was he going to do about Elise? He just couldn't figure her out. Images of her clung to Devlin's mind all morning as he was out with the herd. Time and time again he found his mind wandering to thoughts of her, even while he was trying to concentrate and supervise the branding of the cattle.

  Devlin had just hated having to sleep alone the previous night. She was his wife after all! Elise should have been by his side in the marital bed. It didn't matter that their marriage was an arrangement.

  But when he'd made that toast at the dinner table he'd seen the look on her face when he'd described their marriage in such cold and businesslike terms. He'd regretted the words the minute they'd come out of his mouth. But sometimes there was no taking back what you said to people. He'd said the words and he wished he hadn't.

  When she'd walked out of the dining room, obviously trying to contain the emotion she felt, he'd just wanted the floor to open up beneath him.

  When he'd gone up to bed later in the night after a long time thinking on the porch he saw that the door to her room was shut tight.