A Bride Most Begrudging (13 page)

“Do not
ever
drop a trencher. We’ve only a few as it is.”

“Why do you not use porcelain or silver?”

“I’ll not waste money on such as that. Trenchers do just fine.”

“Oh. Well, maybe you need to make some more while I cleanse the dishes instead of slouching against that tree.”

He handed her the trencher. “Clean it.”

She looked down at it. “I’d say this one has already been cleaned.”

“It’s been rinsed. Now it needs to be cleaned.”

“How?”

He frowned. “What do you mean, ‘how’? You scrub it. How else?” She looked around at the pots and other trenchers. “Scrub it with what?”

He tossed the trencher down. “With sand. Have you no power within your brain?”

She straightened. “I have never before scrubbed dishes.” Back rigid, she fell to her knees on the bank, grabbed a handful of muddy sand, and scrubbed.

He located his discarded pipe and again settled back against the tree.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” she began. “To clean the dishes, you rub dirt on them. It’s absurd.” She dunked the trencher into the water, then dunked it again.

He tightened his mouth. The tobacco in his pipe was wet. Turning it upside down, he tapped it out.

“How’s this?” she asked. “Is it clean, or do I need to get it dirty again?”

He looked over at her. She had pushed up the sleeves of her gown in order to wash. Her arms were covered with freckles.

“Run your hand across it,” he said. “If it’s grimy, rinse it some more. But you shouldn’t need to scrub it again.”

She pushed the curls away from her face with her shoulder, then ran her hand across the trencher. Frowning, she dunked it back into the water.

He sighed, looked at the stack of dirty trenchers, then the sun lowering in the horizon. They were going to be here all night.

Pulling away from the tree, he grabbed a trencher and knelt beside her. When he finished, she snatched it from him and ran her fingers over it.

“It’s grimy,” she said and handed it back to him. He looked at her with disbelief. “It’s perfect.”

Slowly, a smile crept onto her face. “Easy, now. I was merely jesting.” Jerking the trencher back, he dropped it to the side and started on another. The sloshing of the trenchers continued as they worked in com panionable silence. In the distance, a woodpecker tapped out a staccato beat while a persistent dragonfly patrolled the shoreline, briefly lighting on the old raft before resuming his restless flight.

Drew had cleaned five noggins, two trenchers, and both pots before she’d finished her fourth trencher. Grabbing it from her, he proceeded to finish the last one. Rolling down her sleeves, she stood and watched.

“Well,” Josh said, “isn’t this a pretty picture.”

Dropping the trencher in the creek, Drew jumped up and whirled around.

Constance quickly reached in and retrieved it, shook the water off, and handed it to him. “Do not
ever
drop a trencher. We’ve only a few as it is.”

He ignored her. “What do you want, Josh?”

Josh eyed Drew’s sodden breeches but said nothing of it. “I came to say good-bye.”

“Good-bye?”

He nodded. “We’re going to Nellie’s. I need to say good-bye to her and Grandma. I’ll leave from there in the morning.”

“
We’re
going to Nellie’s? Who’s
we
?” Drew asked.

“Mary, Sally, and I.”

“Why are Mary and Sally going?”

Josh darted a glance at Constance. “Because.” Drew frowned. “Because, why?”

“Because it’s your wedding night, you beetle-headed knave,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Why do you think?”

Drew reddened. “It’s not necessary.” Josh lifted an eyebrow.

Drew grabbed Josh’s arm and propelled him several yards down the path, well out of Constance’s hearing. Still, Drew waited to speak until she’d turned and began stacking the clean noggins inside the pots.

“We’re not to have a
real
marriage, if you will.”

“What are you talking about?”

Drew lifted his hat and settled it back on his head again. “I’m merely providing Constance with the protection of my name to satisfy the council. When her father returns, she plans to have the marriage terminated.”

“On what grounds?” Josh asked, obviously appalled.

“On the grounds that she was forced into marriage and on the grounds that the marriage hasn’t been consummated.”

Slapping Drew on the back, Josh laughed. “You gorbelly. I almost believed you for a moment.”

“I’m deadly serious.”

Josh paused. “No. Surely you jest. Drew, look at her. She appears to be endowed with all a woman should have and more. If you but bridle her and slip her some sweets, she’ll be eating from your hand long before I return.”

“You overstep yourself, Josh. That is my bride you speak of.”

“A bride most begrudging, it seems.”

“Even so, you’ll hold a civil tongue in your head when you refer to her. I’ve given her my word on the annulment matter and that’s an end to it.”

“Given her your word? To abstain until I contact her father? But I won’t be back for eight extremely long months. Why would you do a fool thing like that?”

“Because she might not die before you return, and if she doesn’t, I do not want to contend with the possibility of offspring, much less a wife.”

“This was
your
idea?”

“Of course not. It was her condition for marrying me.”

A myriad of expressions crossed Josh’s face. “Sweet saints above. In the cottage … Is that what she wanted to discuss with you in the cottage before the ceremony?”

Drew blew a puff of air from his lungs. “Yes.”

“By trow, never have I heard of anything so absurd. ’Tis folly for sure.”

“Probably, but leave Mary and Sally just the same. There is no need to take them.”

Josh shook his head. “Everyone in the colony knows it’s your wedding night. Regardless of what the situation is, you must at least pretend to have a real marriage or no telling what Emmett will stir the council to do.”

Drew drug his hand down his face. “A fie upon it.”

“Mary and Sally will go to Nellie’s with me tonight. I will send them back come morning.”

Drew sighed and extended his hand. “Best so.”

Josh grabbed his brother’s hand. Leaning forward, the men embraced.

“Godspeed, Josh, and be careful. I’d appreciate your returning to factor my tobacco. If you get caught in the crossfire of that war, it will really put a cramp in my plans.”

Josh chuckled and pulled away. “I’ll be home come spring.” Drew nodded.

Josh strolled back down the path to Constance. “Take care of him for me, Lady Constance. I do not want to be a plantation owner. Being the second son suits me quite nicely.”

Standing, Constance smiled. “He’ll be fine. You have the letter I wrote for my father?”

He nodded. “I have it.”

“When do you leave?”

“On tomorrow’s tide.”

“So soon?”

“The seaworthy old girl’s anxious to go looking for cargo and has no reason to linger here.”

Constance clasped her hands together. “Well, then. Have a care.”

He lifted her clasped hands to his lips and kissed them. “I’ll find him, Lady Constance.”

She took a deep breath. “Thank you. And Josh?”

“Yes?”

“Please, call me Constance.”

He crinkled his brow. “Sally gets to call you Sissy.” She smiled. “Sally is three years old.”

A wicked gleam entered his eyes. “Yes, but I’m better looking.” Constance’s laugh tinkled out across the clearing. “Hurry back, Josh.” He tipped his hat. “I will, sister.”

Turning, he passed by Drew and bumped him to the side with his shoulder. “Try not to pick the lock before I return,” he whispered, winking before sauntering up the trail.

Drew glanced toward Constance. The sunlight at her back outlined the curves hidden beneath Nellie’s old dress. He swallowed.
Dear God, please let Josh return before spring
.

chapter
S
EVEN
   

THE MOON AND STARS lit up the night sky with abandon, showering some of their beams on Constance. Leaning against a girdled tree, she greeted Orion. He stood as stalwart as ever, raising his club for a kill, while his brilliant belt housed that mighty sword. She looked a bit to the left and, yes, there was Venus dazzling in the rectangle of Gemini. High above and to the right of Orion shone Jupiter.

With these old friends joining her, she could almost pretend she was in her flower garden back home. Almost. But sooner or later, she’d have to bid her friends good-night and go inside that cottage. With him.

She glanced at the cottage door. Why had he allowed Josh to take Mary and Sally with him for the night? Had he misconstrued her rather warm response to his wedding kiss? She hadn’t meant to respond at all. But respond she did and with not just a little enthusiasm.

She readjusted the hem of her sleeves. Something intense had flared between them. Most likely, it was a product of the excessive tension. Still, whatever the reason, it couldn’t happen again, and if he’d arranged for an empty cottage with a reckoning in mind, she would have to persuade him otherwise. Fortifying herself, she turned and entered the cottage.

Due to the heat outside, the fire in the hearth was small and gave off little light. He sat on a bench in front of the fire, smoking a churchwarden pipe, its long stem protruding a couple of feet from his mouth.

“Where are the candles?” she asked.

He slowly expelled a stream of smoke. “What need have you for a candle?”

She dabbed at the moisture around her hairline. “I’d like to work in my diary.”

“The cruse is on the shelf, but it drips, smokes, and smells so bad, we never use it.”

“The cruse? With grease? You’ve no candles?”

“No need for them. When darkness falls, the family usually retires.”

“But the family isn’t here.”

He took a long drag from his pipe. “No, they aren’t.”

He’d removed his hat at some point, and the glow of the fire framed his dark curly hair with bluish highlights.

“Where’s my diary?” she asked.

“In the cedar chest.”

She glanced in the direction of the chest but saw nothing. The cottage was shrouded in darkness.

“Have you any parchment?”

“Why don’t you just go to bed, Constance? You’re bound to be worn out.”

“Yes, I should be, but for some reason I’m wide awake.” He lowered his pipe. “Me, too.”

She barely caught his murmured words. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she headed toward the chest. At least, she hoped she did. Her hands made contact with the wall. Moving along its rough surface, she methodically felt up and down.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Looking for the chest.”

He sighed. “It’s too dark. You’ll never be able to find the booklet inside that chest without some light.”

“Then where’s the cruse?”

“No, you’ll simply have to wait.”

Tears immediately sprung to her eyes. This day had been almost more than she could bear. Too much had happened too fast. If she could just work on an algorithm, everything would fall into place for her. Swallowing, she continued her search, then jumped when she felt his hand encircle her wrist.

“Come and sit down, Constance. If you cannot sleep, then sit by the fire. Even if you found your diary, the fire would not give off the light you’d need.”

“Yes it would.” She pulled back her hand. He paused. “Are you crying?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I be crying?”

“No reason I can think of, but that never stopped my sisters.”

“Well, I’m not one of your sisters.”

A great swell of silence encompassed the cabin. “No,” he whispered, “you’re my wife.”

She swallowed. “Why did Josh take Mary and Sally with him? Didn’t you explain?”

“I explained.”

“Then why?”

“Appearances. Emmett. The council.”

“Who could we possibly be trying to impress with appearances? I’ve seen no neighbors.”

“We’ve neighbors, Constance. They just live a good distance away. Still, word always seems to get around.”

“But what does it matter? Who would care?”

“The council. Emmett. Me.”

“But I’ll be leaving soon. Why, I could take next month’s ship. There’s no need for me to wait for your brother.”

He shook his head. “This isn’t London, Constance. Ships are few and far between here. But even still, you’ll be going nowhere until I’ve confirmation about your background from Josh or until your alleged father himself shows up.”

She sighed. Her background again. “This is such a mess.”

“Um.”

They stood in the darkness. Her eyes had long since adjusted, but she still couldn’t make out his expression. She could smell him, though—that now familiar mixture of male, sunshine, and tobacco. His breath tickled her face. She took a step back. “I think I will sit down.”

After settling herself on the bench, she suppressed the urge to scoot to its farthest edge when he joined her.