“Annabelle informed me that she told you we were going to be having more colts being born last spring, but you never got a hold of us.” Mr. Jackson watched Chase coldly as he spoke, and there was a bit of a dry tone to his words. Chase didn’t like it one bit. He didn’t like that he had to handle this right in front of Charity—especially since neither of them had spoken of Annabelle frequently.
“Well, I purchased a fine animal from Norman last week. I don’t know if I’m going to need another. If I can’t get him to do what I want him to do, I’ll use him for breeding my own stock, and raise up my own herd that way.” He took the reins in his hands, doing his best to show that he didn’t want to discuss the prospect any longer.
“Now, now, that’s a good idea, but you have to understand that it’s going to take you quite some time before you are able to get the stock you want if you are going to do it that way. You know your father wouldn’t want you to wait that long to get a herd going, and with him leaving soon, you’re going to have to prove that you are going to run things the same way he did.” Mr. Jackson watched him as he spoke, and Chase smiled, though it was clear that his heart wasn’t in it.
“Well, since it is going to be under my care, I am going to have to be the one who makes the decisions form now on, and I would like to think that my father would approve of the choices that I make when it comes to the care of the animals on this estate,” he replied. He was going to slap the reins on the horse and urge it forward, but at the same time, Mr. Jackson picked up the reins to his own animal and slapped them on the back.
Chase thought he was going to turn the buggy around and head back to town, but as Mr. Jackson rode onward, he turned and looked at Chase, “I’m going to see what your father has to say about this. I bet you anything he’s going to want to hear what I have to say—your wealth is in the balance here, and if you can’t make the decision to keep it going properly, I’m going to find someone who will,” Mr. Jackson spoke with a smile, but it was clear by the look in his eyes that he wasn’t pleased with the situation.
He urged the horse forward, and Chase muttered under his breath as he yanked on the reins of his own animal, turning the horse around. He wasn’t going to allow that man to speak with his father without him at least being there, knowing that he was going to say something that would confuse his father in the process. His father was sick, and it was easy to get him to do things that he wouldn’t ordinarily do.
“What are we doing?” Charity asked and Chase gave her a sidelong glance.
“There was a time when I used to court that man’s daughter, and I do believe he has never forgiven me for breaking off the relationship. I don’t care what he has to offer me, I am not going to allow him to get his lineage on this estate, even if it is through his horses!” He spoke with such passion, Charity looked straight ahead, not understanding what was happening, and looking as though she didn’t like hearing that he had once courted anyone but herself.
Chase looked at her once more, but he didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say—he wanted to explain that they weren’t involved any longer, but at the same time, he wasn’t supposed to be marrying Charity, either. He felt confused—it looked as though she was offended with the idea of the story, but at the same time, she wasn’t going to say anything.
But, at the moment, he wasn’t going to think about it any further. With Mr. Jackson getting ready to present his dad with a confusing but convincing argument, it was quite possible that his father would agree.
And that was the last thing Chase wanted to happen.
Chapter 13
“Alright then, I’m going to go mail my letter, then I am going to head over to the general store for a few minutes. You can meet me there when you are done, unless there are other things you need to do beforehand?” Charity looked at Chase with raised eyebrows, and he shook his head.
“I’m just going to go to the bank to handle a few things, then I’m going to visit the blacksmith. I’ll come over to the general store if that’s where you’re going to be, but you should know that you are going to have plenty of time to browse around, so there really is no need to hurry.” Chase gave her a nod as he spoke, and she nodded in reply. The two of them had postponed their trip to town until the next day after Mr. Jackson had arrived at the estate, and she wished there was more she could do to help Chase with what had happened.
Chase had told her that morning as they rode into town that everything he feared was going to happen, happened, and his father did like the idea of using the stock from Mr. Jackson’s line. Chase had done everything in his power to convince his father that it was a very bad idea, but his father, being confused and in his sick state of mind, had ignored him and insisted. Chase had no choice in the matter—he was going to have to work with the Jackson family if he was to make his own parents happy.
Charity had to admit, she still wasn’t entirely certain what was going on between the Jackson family and the Cunningham family, Chase had only mentioned that there was a time he courted the young Miss Jackson—and he had also mentioned that since she was working with her father more, she was going to be coming by the estate to ensure things were going smoothly.
Charity didn’t like the idea of that one bit, and she certainly didn’t like to admit that the thought of it filled her with jealousy. Though there wasn’t any way she could justify her jealousy considering her position in the situation, she still didn’t like the idea that there was a woman whom the man she was allegedly betrothed to had once courted would be coming around the house—even while she was there.
But, as with Chase, she knew that she had no say in the matter, and the both of them were just going to have to handle the situation as it presented itself. She could be angry about it, she could argue about it, and she could even get angry with Chase about it, but the fact of the matter was that nothing was going to change for either one of them—it was merely one of those things they had to deal with and work through.
There were many questions going through Charity’s mind as she walked to the post office, her letter in her hand. She paused as another young woman stood in front of her, speaking with the postman. She never thought eavesdropping was okay, but when she heard what the young woman told the man, she couldn’t help but listen in.
“There was a time when we were courting, but he broke off the relationship and broke my heart in the process. I was devastated!” she wailed.
“You poor girl!” the clerk replied, showing as much concern as he could.
“He was so very rich, too. I could have anything that I ever wanted when we were a couple—of course, my father has made money of his own now, but it still doesn’t compare to the money that the Cunningham family has. To make matters worse, I hear that he is seeing someone new!” the woman said with the more distressed tone Charity had ever heard. She did her best to remain calm, but the mention of herself in the conversation was more than she could handle. She gasped, covering her mouth to stifle the sound.
But, it was too late.
Annabelle turned around and gave her a look, her eyes opening wide then quickly narrowing. “You! I’ve seen you around here—riding with Mr. Cunningham. Are you the woman he’s seeing? Tell me honestly!”
She pointed her finger right in Charity’s face, and Charity took a step back, completely shocked by the behavior of this woman. She had never met anyone so rude in her entire life, and she didn’t know what to say.
“Y- yes, I am,” she managed.
“Are you going to marry him?” Annabelle demanded.
“I am,” Charity replied. She knew her voice was weak, but she squared her shoulders and held her head high as she did so, doing her best to appear confident. She could see a look of horror mixed with hatred in the young woman’s eyes, but it was quickly masked with a coy smile.
“How rude of me! I should introduce myself. I’m sure you have heard of me—I am Miss Annabelle Jackson, and the man you say is going to be your husband is actually intende
d for me. I am so sorry for your situation, but I feel it only right that someone should tell you.” Her words were as smooth as honey, and Charity did her best to ignore the woman. She pushed past her to the counter.
“That was rather rude, but I don’t blame you. There was a time when I was a poor girl as well, and I didn’t know how to properly act around other ladies, either. But, don’t you worry, Miss Charity Stevens, Father has already told me who you are, and I don’t need you to also tell me for me to be happy.” Annabelle was speaking in a condescending tone, and Charity just wanted her to go away. She didn’t know how much this girl knew about her, but she also didn’t want to find out.
The best thing she could think to do was to ignore her—perhaps she would take the hint and leave her be to mail her letter in peace.
“Can I post this, please?” she asked as she handed the man the letter. He took it and pressed a stamp to it, then told her the price. Charity fished around awkwardly in her coin purse, her mind spinning. She didn’t know how she was going to address this girl behind her once she was finished, but she knew she was going to have to say something. Her mind was full of questions, however, and she knew that this girl would be the wrong person to ask any of them. If she had anything to do with Chase in the past, it was in the past, and Charity was merely going to have to acknowledge and accept that.
But, what did she mean that she was going to be marrying Chase? Chase hadn’t ever mentioned her—at least, not much, and she had never really thought anything of it. But, this girl was making it sound as though there were plans being made. Perhaps Chase was going to pursue something with her once Charity was gone?
The thought made her feel sick to her stomach, and she wanted to slap the girl, though it was very unladylike for her to want to. She thanked the clerk and turned around, preparing herself for some final confrontation with the girl. But, to her surprise, Annabelle had left, and she was alone with the clerk.
“Is that all for you today, Miss?” the man asked, and she turned, stumbling over her words as she nodded.
“Yes, thank you—that will be all. I’m sorry, I am a little scattered today. I swear would lose my own head if it weren’t attached!” She laughed, and the clerk joined in, though there was a bit of a strange look on his face as he did so. Charity only felt more uncomfortable standing in front of the counter, and she quickly left.
Once she was back on the street, she tried to think about what had just happened, but she was still confused. There was something about the girl that she didn’t like, but again, there was something confusing about why Chase had never bothered really telling her about Annabelle, either. Somehow, that young woman had already known her name—of course, she knew that Mr. Jackson likely got it from Chase or his father when he was at the estate, but it still bothered her.
Certainly, there was some point Chase could have told her something—anything about the girl—and not leave her to figure this all out on her own. She sighed as she walked up the street, heading for the general store. She was going to have a lot of questions for Chase when she saw him again, and she didn’t want any of them to turn into a fight. The last thing she wanted to happen was to have more tension between the two of them—especially if there was something going on with Annabelle that she needed to know about.
“Thank you,” Charity said when a man held the door open for her.
“Anything for a pretty little thing like you,” the man replied. Charity gave him a warm smile, and she felt her cheeks flush. She was suddenly distracted from her troubles with Annabelle, wondering who this man was and why he was so pleasant toward her. There was a smile on his face as he followed her into the general store, and she touched her hair nervously. It was a habit she had often done when she was feeling flattered, and with such a handsome man telling her she was pretty, the flattery did come out pretty hard.
At the same time, there was something about this man that she didn’t like. She enjoyed that he had noticed her, but she was also glad that there were other people in the store along with them. She wouldn’t want to meet this man somewhere where they would be alone—he just seemed rather strange to her.
Charity didn’t say anything else to the man, but as she shopped through the store, she couldn’t help but notice that he was a very attractive individual. He had light blonde hair and green eyes, and a smile that made her cheeks flush. She would look down each time she blushed, doing her best to not look up at him once more. But, there was something about him that seemed irresistible, and though she reminded herself that she was to maintain the appearance of being betrothed to Chase, she still felt the flattery of this man’s attention.
Perhaps she would find someone to fall in love with in the same town. As strange as it would be to get used to, she wanted to be happy, and if she was married and taken care of, then she would be. The way this man kept looking up at her as she made her way around the room kept her glancing back at him and smiling—making it all the more difficult to concentrate.
Suddenly, the bell above the door chimed, and Annabelle came flitting into the shop. At once, Charity felt her heart sink, and she dropped her gaze down to the fabric she was looking at. The last thing she wanted was to have another conversation with that girl. But, the man who was watching her as she shopped seemed to think that it was because of him she suddenly changed her behavior, and he took the opportunity to walk over to her.
“Pardon me, Miss, but I couldn’t help but notice the way you were looking at me from over here. I thought it would be downright impolite if I did anything but come introduce myself to you.” He held his hat in his hand and smiled at her, and Charity felt her cheeks flush as she put her hand in his.
“Charity Stevens,” she said. He kissed her hand suavely. She pulled her hand back, trying not to look as uneasy as she felt.
“Cory Jones.” His voice was as fine as silk, and he looked up at her with the deepest admiration in his eyes. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she nervously pulled her hand back, her tongue tied in knots. She didn’t know how to reply to him, her mind completely going blank.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jones,” she said with a shy smile. The smile he gave her in return made her heart skip a beat, but at that very moment, Chase walked through the door. He paused for a second when he saw that Charity was speaking with this man in front of her, and Charity at once hoped that there wouldn’t be any trouble.
“I see you have met my fiancé,” Chase said as he walked up to the pair. Cory looked at Chase with raised eyebrows, then back at Charity. She dropped her gaze, ashamed she had not told him so herself.
“Fiancé? She didn’t mention that you were engaged,” he said with a cold tone. Chase smiled and crossed his arms, and Charity could sense that there was some sort of tension between the two of them. He rose onto the toes of his boots for a moment, then he dropped back down on the balls of his feet.
“I’m sure she was just getting around to that. Did you find everything that you were looking for, Sweetheart?” he asked as he suddenly turned to Charity. She was taken by such surprise, she hardly knew how to reply. Nodding, Charity gathered up the material she had chosen and started for the counter, and Chase fell into step right behind her. She put her purchases on the counter, then smiled as she looked up at the clerk. He began calculating what she owed, and she was about to turn and thank Chase for finding her when suddenly another voice came from behind them.
At once, Charity recognized Annabelle, and she could see Chase roll his eyes before he turned around. “Hello, Miss Jackson.”
“Oh Chase, you are so funny! You know there is no need for such formality. We were lovers at one time, after all,” Annabelle said with a coy smile. Chase gave her a cold look.
“That was a very long time ago, and it ended with good reason,” he replied with a rather dry tone. She looked at him with hurt in her eyes, though Charity thought that it seemed rather forced.
“Love knows no time nor age. I know you still have
feelings for me—and I’m sure you are going to see for yourself the more you see me! I trust Father has told you that I am working with him with the stock now?” She raised her eyebrows, and he sighed.
“He told me, and I am going to tell you right now -the time you spend on the estate is for business only, and you are not going to be spending any more time there than what it necessary for that business. I am going to marry this young woman here, and that is the end of the matter.” He put his hand on the small of Charity’s back as he spoke, and Charity felt a rush run down her spine. There was something intense in the way he spoke to that young woman, and something protective in the way he touched her.
Though she didn’t know how to react, she liked it, and she didn’t want him to move his hand. It was a feeling she had never before had, and for a brief moment, she felt that he was the one who could take care of her. But, Annabelle wasn’t about to give up, and with a pout on her lips, she walked over with a bouncing gait.
“Does she know that? Before you showed up things seemed to be getting mighty friendly between her and Mr. Jones over there.” Annabelle gave a flip of her head as she spoke, and Charity felt her cheeks burn with shame. She looked down as the clerk finished wrapping her purchases and handed them to her, but Chase was quick to step in and taken them.
“I’m sure what you saw was my fiancé being kind to everyone—perhaps you could learn a thing or two from her,” he replied. Then, he turned to Charity and gave a slight nod toward the door. “Shall we?”
Charity nodded and put her hand in the crook of his arm as he led her toward the door, her cheeks still flushed with the embarrassment of what had just happened.
“I’ll see you around!” Annabelle called after them. Charity cringed, but Chase didn’t bother to give the girl a reply. They pushed through the door and walked down the stairs of the general store in silence. Charity thanked him as he helped her into the buggy and set her things on the seat beside her, then climbed into the seat himself.
Mail Order Bride: A Bride's Unexpected Love: A Western Romance Book Page 9