"I'll be back to help you get dressed for dinner. It's going to be another hour or so, take your time getting rested up, you've been through a lot today." She gave her another kind look, then turned and walked out of the room, followed by Liza. Charity watched her go, shaking her head and wondering what they could have meant.
She then walked back to the bed and looked down at the note they had left.
I thought you might want to use these. Although, you look lovely in what you have on.
~Chase
With confusion swirling through her brain, she looked from the note to the bundle on the bed, then she walked over and undid the strings. After unwrapping the paper, she gasped at the sight that awaited her. There were five of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen in her life neatly folded inside all in different vibrant colors.
She took a step back in fear that her touch might ruin them. Her eyes went wide as she scanned the silk, lace and immaculate stitching.
They were all different styles, and she could see they were perfect for all occasions. With these five dresses, she would be able to do anything with anyone, and perfectly fit in. Chase had sent them to her as a gift. She felt her heart soften toward him slightly but she was quick to shake her head, forcing the thought and the feeling out of her heart.
This might have been a nice gesture, but it was nothing more than a gesture.
She knew how he really was, and his trick wasn't going to work. She wasn't going to bend on what she said, and she certainly wasn't going to turn into the person he said she would. She could wear these nice things and still be the polite and grateful girl she always had been. Money couldn't change that, gifts couldn't change that. Not even this lifestyle was going to change that.
He was wrong about her and she would prove it.
Chapter 6
“Mother, she is new around here and no doubt nervous. With the war being waved back East, it is a wonder she is in the spirits she is. All I ask of you is that you are kind and happy. Treat her like one of us—she is going to be soon after all.” Chase was leaning over, speaking to his mother in a hushed tone.
She gave him a look, then picked up her glass of wine and lifted it to her lips, setting it back down with a rather loud clatter.
“I didn’t know you were rescuing someone out of the flames,” she said with a snarky tone. Chase shot her a look.
“If she hears you, you are going to ruin the chances we have of her wanting to marry me—or stay here at all for that matter. You are the one who has been pushing me to find a bride to begin with, I would appreciate it if you didn’t make things difficult for me.” He gave her another look, and his mother sighed.
“Alright, I’m sorry. But, you have to be gentle with me—I thought that you had found someone who was well-bred, not someone you were taking pity on, admirable though it is.” She took another drink of her wine and Chase was about to say something else when Olga walked into the room. Chase saw her and said nothing, not wanting to risk something being told to Charity that he didn’t want shared.
It was true, though. Olga and all the servants were supposed to be seen and not heard, hear and not tell, none of them could be trusted. There were many times when he heard them share things that shouldn’t have been, and it was at that time he vowed he would never say anything he didn’t want anyone to find out…at least, not in the presence of the servants.
“Miss Stevens is going to be along directly. She said that she is feeling tired, and she was going to take a moment to herself,” Olga said, looking from one to the other. Scarlett smiled warmly, though Chase could see that she was doing her best to hide her displeasure.
“Did you help her to get dressed?” she asked, and Olga nodded. Scarlett smiled with some satisfaction. “Good, I was worried when I saw that carpet bag that there was nothing in it. You have to hand it to me, Chase, I could have said something about that— but I didn’t. I was good. Give your mother some credit.” She held her hand out and Chase assumed she wanted him to reach for it. He didn’t. He just smiled.
He could insult his wife-to-be, but he’d be damned if anyone else did.
His mother was walking a fine line. Chase nodded, though he didn’t say anything. If he was honest with himself he had to admit that he was rather annoyed with how his mother was talking about Charity. Yes, there was a lot of things she didn’t know especially regarding what they had discussed on the way home, but at the same time, he didn’t like hearing the way his mother had judged the girl without at least getting to know her first.
Of course, he knew he had done the same thing at least to an extent. He had flat told her that he thought she was going to behave in a spoiled manner, especially when she got used to the money they had, but at the same time, when they had been discussing their plan to deceive their parents, he had seen a different part of her that he had to admit…he liked. She was witty and charming, and though he knew she wasn’t the kind of woman he wanted to marry, he didn’t want to hear how his mother judged her for the life she had been living before she came to the West.
“All I ask is that you are kind and engaging. She is bound to be tired during dinner, and I don’t expect she is going to want to talk too much,” he said. She was about to reply when the door opened, and Charity walked into the room. Chase glanced over her way, expecting her to look as she had when he saw her last, but, he quickly looked back to her, his breath taken away.
It was as though a transformation had taken place. She had chosen the red velvet gown—the one with the black lace around the throat and the cuffs. It had a large bow at the lower back, and the hem stood far away from her body, making her waist look even smaller than it already was. The low-cut neckline showed off her beautiful womanly form, and he found himself at a complete loss for words.
“My dear, you look beautiful!” Mrs. Cunningham said. Charity walked over to the table with a smile, and she gave Chase a look that was feisty and dare he say…mischievous? He rose from his seat quickly as she drew near to the table, pulling out a chair for her and smiling as she took a seat in it. She thanked him as she scooted herself into the table, and he was quick to take his seat next to her. Charity looked from one of the forks to the other, and he wondered if she would know how to use them.
At that moment, however, the servants started coming in with their trays loaded down with foods of all kinds, and Mrs. Cunningham picked up the serving utensils and served herself, and the servant moved next to Chase. He served himself as well, and once again the servant moved on. Though Chase was doing his best to keep his eyes on his own meal, he was watching Charity out of the corner of his eye, eager to see how she was going to behave.
He was surprised to see that she, too, served herself with the utensils—using the same ease and grace they had. He began to felt foolish for thinking she was a barbarian. He immediately wondered if she had learned how to do that elsewhere, but was quick to remind himself that there was no way she could have. After all, she was from a poor family, and there was no way anyone could have taught her how to use the proper utensils.
When they began eating, she surprised him even further as she started with the correct fork.
“Chase! You are too old to be reminded not to stare!” His mother’s voice suddenly broke into his mind, and Chase suddenly realized he was staring at Charity as she ate. She glanced up at him and with perfect manners, she covered her mouth with the kerchief and smiled. He apologized and turned back to his mother with an embarrassed look.
“Forgive me, please. But I can’t help but be taken with your beauty. You have no idea how long I have been searching for a woman such as yourself, and with you sitting here right here next to me, I can hardly believe you are real!” He smiled once more, glancing from her to his mother, then looking back down at his plate. Mrs. Cunningham seemed to be pleased, and gave them both an understanding look, though she didn’t at all understand the situation.
“That reminds me of when I first met your father. He couldn�
��t keep his eyes off me no matter what I did! Are you certain you want to wait to get married? There is no need to put it off when you so clearly like each other!” Mrs. Cunningham said.
Although out of the corner of his eye Chase could see Charity give him a panicked look, he was quick to chuckle and brush off the notion, calming his mother down and changing the subject.
“Now, now Mother, you know that she has only just gotten here. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you have to give the poor girl a chance to get settled in. I know you and Father did wait a little while before you got married—even if you did want to as soon as you met,” he said with a laugh. Mrs. Cunningham nodded with a look of fondness in her eyes.
“You’re right, you are always so right. I have to admit, my dear, when you got out of the coach today I didn’t know if you were the right fit for my son. There was something about you that made me think you didn’t quite want to be here, but I see now that you are a better fit than I could have hoped. If you knew how little he talked of things like that, you would know you are quite special!” Mrs. Cunningham shook her head with a smile as she took another sip of her wine, and once again, Chase spoke up.
“Mother! You promised you weren’t going to embarrass either one of us! Come now, let us enjoy our dinner in peace. You know poor Miss Stevens must be dreadfully exhausted after her trip, and let’s not make it worse for her than it already is,” he replied, giving her a smile. Chase desperately wanted his mother to stop talking, but he also knew that it was impossible for her to do so. She liked to be the center of attention too much, and would continue to do so until the end of the dinner.
“Chase! You are to be married! There is no need for such formality!” Scarlett chided.
“Again, Mother, I wanted to give her the chance to settle in!” Chase spoke with annoyance in his voice, but for the first time in the meal, Charity herself spoke up before Scarlett had the chance to reply.
“Charity is fine. Your mother is right, if we are going to be married, there is no need to stand on such ceremony.” She gave him a haughty look, and Chase knew she could see the look in his eyes as he gave her a forced smile.
“See? I told you I was going to like her!” Scarlett said with triumph in her voice. Chase held Charity’s gaze for a moment longer, not wanting to be the first to look away. However, it was clear she was going to stand her ground, so he gave up.
“Right you were, Mother, right you were,” he said. She smiled and went back to her meal, while Charity also dropped her gaze. Chase didn’t say anything else, though he watched Charity out of the corner of his eye. He had to admit, so far, she had surprised him greatly, and though he wanted to believe it was all just a show for him, he couldn’t help but doubt himself.
Perhaps there really was more to her than what met the eye.
Chapter 7
“But I don’t see anything wrong with the shoes I am wearing. I’ve walked miles in these shoes and never had so much as any problems in them at all!” Charity looked down at her feet then back up at Olga, who was standing with a pair of boots in her hand.
“I’m certain you have, Miss, but it isn’t my decision to make—nor is it yours. When you came to the Cunningham Estate, you basically agreed that you would live life the way we do here, didn’t you?” She raised her eyebrows as she spoke, and Charity sighed. She knew life was going to be different out in the West than it had been back home, but she didn’t know they were going to change everything about her. In the past few days, they had changed what dresses she was wearing, then Olga had shown her how to wear her hair up in a braid of sorts—with the intention to keep her hair back and out of the way with the daily activities she would be doing.
Now, standing in front of her with a pair of boots in her hands, it was clear Charity was to give up the shoes she had been wearing the past couple years in favor of these boots that crept up her legs—reaching nearly to her knees.
“What am I to be doing that is going to require such apparel?” she asked. Charity was used to doing the basic housework back at home, but here, the servants and hired hands took care of everything. Inside the house, there was the cook and the two maids, but outside were the hired hands. Charity liked to pretend they didn’t bother her, but the fact of the matter was that she was rather intimidated by the men, and felt nervous around them.
Of course, each one was polite and a perfect gentleman toward her, but there was something about their large coats and hats that were pulled down low over their eyes, along with their shining spurs that made her feel nervous. They rode their horses faster than she had ever seen. They’d ride up close to the house, leap off and come inside without any kind of grace or manners.
It was a rare thing for any of the hired hands to be in the house, to be sure, but when it did happen, Charity often felt that she should to slip into one of the back rooms—out of sight. Chase didn’t seem to mind when any of the men came in the house, though Scarlett would often send them out again before they even had the chance to state their business.
“This is for the owners of the land—and those who pay you, not you!” she would say as she directed them back toward the door.
Charity would often remain out of sight until the man was gone, then she would slip into the drawing room or another part of the house where she felt she could be undisturbed for a while. All in all, Charity did her best to keep to herself, not wanting to spend any more time with Chase than what was necessary.
Of course, to maintain the appearances with his parents, they did make sure they spent some time together, but they never talked about the future or anything most couples spoke of. Instead, they would talk about how they were going to continue with their show—and what she was going to do when it was over.
Chase had come up with the idea that they should do something together every day, while spending more time together every couple of days to show his parents that they really were serious about their relationship. Charity was reluctant to agree at first, but she soon realized she was going to have to do her part in making them believe she really was falling for their son, and the only way that was going to happen would be through the time they spent together.
There were several benefits to the time they spent together that Charity hadn’t thought of at first, and she was glad for when she got used to the idea. One of the benefits was that she had him to herself for an hour or two—and she could speak freely with him without worry that one of the maids or the hired hands would listen in and betray their secret.
“When do you think your parents are going to move?” she asked, and he shrugged.
“Father isn’t doing well, and I know that is why they are planning on moving in the first place, but I also know Father needs to be well enough to travel. If he can’t manage it on the train or on the ship, they aren’t going to make it.” Chase had offered to take Charity for a ride about the property, selecting one of the smaller buggies so the two of them would have some privacy. She had agreed, knowing that if she didn’t, it would only raise questions from Mrs. Cunningham.
“I understand that, but suppose they are going to start pressing us to get married? Your mother has already brought it up on more than one occasion, and I fear your father is going to decide he wants to see us married before he leaves.” Charity knew the frustration was showing through in her voice, and Chase put his hand over hers.
“He’s not going to—or at least, I’m not going to let him. I know they want me married, but they also know that this is my decision, and I’m not going to let them push me into getting married before the both of us are ready.” His words hung awkwardly in the air, and Charity said nothing. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. “I didn’t mean it that way. I merely meant that we aren’t going to be forced into getting married before they leave.”
“I know what you meant,” she replied, her tone rather short this time. Charity felt herself relax slightly, knowing that he still felt same way she did, but at the same time, she felt anothe
r twinge inside her—and she didn’t understand it. Brushing off the feeling as nothing more than her own mind playing a trick on her, Charity decided to turn the focus of the conversation back on Chase. She removed her hands from under Chase’s touch.
“So, I’ve been wondering, what are you going to do with yourself after I leave? I mean, one your parents have made their move and the estate is yours, there really is no reason for me to stay here any longer—and I don’t think that it would be fair for me to do so. You have already taken care of me this long, it wouldn’t be right for me to take advantage of your kindness.” She looked at him with questioning eyes, though it was impossible for her to maintain her haughty attitude as she did so. The truth was, she did want to know what he planned to do.
Her part in the bargain only lasted until his parents moved, and though she was perfectly fine with that, she couldn’t ignore the whisper in her heart that questioned what he was going to do without her. Not that she wanted to stay—and certainly not that she was even thinking about marrying him after she’d formed her opinion of him, but there was still an unsettled feeling in her chest when she thought about it.
“I’m going to take over the estate, that’s what I’m going to do,” he replied with a seemingly careless tone.
She looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“And that’s it? That’s how you’re going to spend the rest of your life—driving cattle from one field to another and raising horses to drive those cattle.” She knew her tone spoke of her opinion on the matter, and it was his turn to look at her in surprise.
“Well, yes. To be fair, you don’t even know what you are going to do when you leave here—you don’t even know where you’re going to go! What? Are you going to move to some new town and become a seamstress? I know you won’t be a school teacher, you have to take your own schooling for that.” He didn’t smile as he spoke, and her hand flew to her mouth in horror. She couldn’t believe how rude Chase could be at times, and she wanted to slap him.
Mail Order Bride: A Bride's Unexpected Love: A Western Romance Book Page 5