Beloved Counterfeit (38 page)

Maggie was first, her smile firmly in place as she wrapped her arms around Ruby’s waist. Then came Tess, who attached herself to Ruby’s apron with two fistfuls of calico. “I want to take you with me.”

Reaching behind her, Ruby untied the apron. “Want to keep this safe for me until I can come for it?” Tess grinned and allowed her to tie the embroidered cotton around her waist. “There,” Ruby said. “You’ll find something special in the pocket. Don’t lose it, you hear?”

Tess reached into the pocket to find the sand dollar Ruby had retrieved only yesterday on her early morning walk. How long ago that seemed.

Carol edged her sister out of the way. “I love you.” A look crossed the child’s face that gave Ruby pause. “Mama,” she added loudly enough for Micah to hear. And then came the smile. Pure and genuine. “Mama,” Carol repeated, this time soft enough for only Ruby to hear.

“Yes, baby.” Ruby gathered the girl to her. “Mama,” she echoed. While her heart tore in half, Ruby fixed on a smile. “Take care of your sisters,” she said, though the statement was unnecessary.

Of course she will.

Chapter 44

Ruby was standing at the kitchen window when the gate closed. Had she the luxury to show her emotions, her knees might have given way. Instead, she reached for the spoon and channeled her feelings into lunch preparations.

When Micah came up behind her, Ruby held her breath. “We need to go see them off.”

A statement that did not appear to offer an option, yet the prospect of being seen with the girls terrified her. “I’m not feeling well,” she said. The truth.

So Micah went with them, and Ruby left the kitchen to climb the stairs and slip into bed. Sometime later, she became aware of sounds. And smells. Someone had made lunch.

Or perhaps it was dinner.

It didn’t matter. Didn’t matter who cooked. Who cleaned. Or even who lay beside Micah Tate. None of it mattered.

She might have looked outside, but the effort of opening the curtains seemed too much. Micah came in and lay beside her, but she refused to acknowledge his presence. Sometime later he left, and even then she did not allow herself the luxury of tears.

Only when Caleb Spencer threw open the curtains and forced the sunshine into the room did she respond. And not well.

“Go ahead and be angry with me,” Caleb said. “I prefer that to seeing you give up. And yes, I know it’s quite improper to walk into a woman’s bedchamber like this, but I promised Emilie I would do this for her.”

Ruby rolled away from the blinding light and covered her head with the pillow. When Caleb snatched it up, she couldn’t manage a protest.

“Leave me be,” she said.

“I won’t.” When Ruby didn’t respond, Caleb walked to the armoire and opened the door. Selecting her blue frock, he returned to the bedside. “I’m going to walk out that door, and I want you to put this on.”

“Really, Caleb. Go away.”

“Ruby Tate,” he said as he threw the dress at her, “if you want to lie there for the rest of your days, that’s between you and the Lord. Keep in mind that what you’re doing right now, however, is letting Thomas Hawkins win.”

With that, he turned on his heels and stormed toward the door.

“Wait,” she called as Caleb placed his hand on the knob. “Why do you say that?”

“He wants you like this. Don’t you see?” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Micah can protect you from Hawkins. You just have to let him.”

“No.” Ruby reached for the dress, allowing her fingers to brush across the soft material. “The girls are safe, and that’s what matters.”

Caleb leaned against the door frame and studied the floor for a moment before turning his attention to Ruby. “Hawkins came after Emilie once,” he said. “Twice, actually.”

This news caught her attention and held it. “She mentioned something. . . . I didn’t know that.”

“I’m not asking you what happened the other night.” He looked away. “I don’t want to know.”

Ruby felt her lower lip begin to quiver.

“What I do know is the Lord gave me Emilie to love and protect. Had she not been truthful with me about Hawkins. . .” He shrugged. “Suffice it to say God allowed me to keep her safe.” A pause. “I thought I’d killed him,” Caleb said. “You’ll never know how very much I hate the fact I didn’t.”

“I wish you had,” she whispered as she shifted positions and tried not to wince.

“Tell Micah what happened,” Caleb said. “Let him take care of you, Ruby.”

“I can’t,” she whispered as she gathered the dress to her.

“Then I’ll tell him for you.”

“No!” She lowered her voice. “You can’t. Promise me you won’t.”

He looked reluctant.

Ruby’s heart pounded as her fingers clutched the fabric. “Promise me. You have to.”

“First, you must understand I will not lie. Not for you or for anyone.”

She nodded. “I’m living proof nothing good comes of lies.”

“Will you get out of bed and get back to the business of living, Ruby?” His expression changed. “I cannot be held to a promise if I know it to be against your best interests.”

“What’s going on here?” Micah pushed past Caleb to glare at Ruby. “Why is he here?”

Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but Micah whirled around to punch him, sending the judge reeling backward into the hallway. “Micah, no!” she shouted. “Don’t! He’s only here because he’s worried about me.”

“I’m sorry, Micah,” Caleb said as he massaged his jaw. “I promised Emilie I would see how Ruby is faring without the girls. She was quite insistent.”

Micah looked unconvinced.

“Yes, well, I’ll just be going, then.” He looked past Micah to meet Ruby’s stare. “I’m sure you two have plenty to talk about anyway.”

When the squeaky step sounded, Ruby knew Caleb was likely out of earshot. “That man is your friend, Micah Tate,” she said with more bravado than she felt, “and you owe him an apology.”

“Do I?” He seemed to be studying her. “Am I to understand it’s appropriate now for you to entertain men in our bedchamber?”

“Micah, no,” she said. “What a thing to say.”

“Is it?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Where were you the night before the girls left, Ruby? Caleb said you were with Emilie, but I wonder. And why did you leave without taking a guard with you?”

“Yes, I was with Emilie, and she’ll tell you that’s the truth.”

“So you spent all that time with Emilie. You didn’t go anywhere else? Like down to the beach?” A choice between the truth and a convenient lie was impossible, so she said nothing.

“I see.”

“Ruby?” Viola called. “Are you up there?”

Micah looked away.

“Give me a minute,” Ruby called.

“Ruby,” Micah said. “You’re my wife, and I’ll have an answer to where you were all night.”

She held the dress against her chest in the hopes it might cover the evidence of her breaking heart. “Micah, please. You alone are my husband.” Ruby met his gaze. “And I think of none other in that way, nor do I desire to.”

The truth.

He came to her then, standing between her and the dreams she knew would be shattered if she spoke. Reaching to grasp her wrist, Micah gently pulled her to her feet.

She swayed, and he caught her. An embrace that once brought comfort now took her breath away. When his hand moved down her spine to rest at the small of her back, she froze.

What to do? A glance at what lay beneath the nightgown, and he would see. Would know. His hand pressed her against him, leaving no doubt of his intentions. “Ruby?”

She looked past him to the door. “Viola’s downstairs waiting for me.”

“Tell her to go away.”

When Ruby did not respond, Micah held her for a moment then released her. Without a word, he turned and walked out the door.

Numb, Ruby shed her nightgown and quickly donned the blue dress lest Micah return and see her bruises. She’d find a way to keep him from knowing.

She had no choice

* * *

Micah stormed from the room, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Obviously Caleb knew more than he was saying, so he’d head there first. Viola greeted him at the bottom of the stairs, but he had no stomach for pleasantries.

“Go on up,” he said to the midwife. “Likely she’ll be happier to see you than me.”

Words he regretted as he slammed the door and stormed down the porch steps. The last thing he needed was yet another citizen of Fairweather Key to know of his marital troubles.

He reached the gate before a thought occurred and he stormed back inside. Catching Viola midway up the stairs, Micah called to her.

“Your brother, has he left yet?”

Viola gave him an odd look. “This morning, actually,” she said.

“I see.” He swallowed hard and worked to keep any trace of irritation from his voice. “So where was your brother two nights ago?”

“Two nights ago?” The midwife astonished him by blushing. “I’m not exactly certain.”

“And might I inquire as to why that is?”

She smiled. “I suppose it’s all right to tell you. I was with Mr. Drummond until an hour that might be considered a bit late for a younger woman. You see, it was a lovely night, and the stars were out. I hope you don’t think less of me. I assure you he’s quite the gentleman.”

“Drummond?” He shook his head. “No, of course. Thank you.”

Micah’s imagination took over, and by the time he reached Caleb’s office, he’d determined that his wife had indeed succumbed to Dumont’s questionable charms. The judge, however, quickly dismissed Micah’s concern.

“I guarantee you’re wrong,” Caleb said.

“Wrong about what?” The door closed behind Josiah, and he smiled. “What did I miss?”

“Not much,” Micah said. “I’m only trying to find out where my wife was two nights ago. I don’t suppose you would know.”

The statement obviously stunned the normally talkative Josiah into silence.

“You were right,” Micah said, warming to the topic. “You warned me about her, and I didn’t listen.”

Josiah held up his hands. “Wait a minute. What are you talking about?”

“He’s out of his mind,” Caleb said. “Ruby’s a good wife, Micah. Trust her. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Caleb’s words chased him down the steps and out into the afternoon sun. He wanted to believe them. But with every step he took, Micah found reason to disagree.

The silence. The way she stiffened when he touched her. The fact that she would neither look him in the eye nor account for her whereabouts. The odd way she sent off the very children she’d married him to protect.

The memory of their last time together as husband and wife intruded, and Micah shrugged it off. Better to concentrate on the
now
rather than the
then
.

Josiah fell into step beside him. “You can’t just walk out and leave like that.”

Micah stalled. “I won’t talk about this.”

Josiah studied him a minute. “All right,” was all he said before shaking Micah’s hand and heading off in the opposite direction. “Oh, Micah,” he called. “I almost forgot why I was looking for you. Isabelle’s heard from the Campbells. It appears the boardinghouse is officially hers. She wanted me to let you know.”

“Well then,” Micah said. “That’s great news.” It wasn’t, but he’d not let Josiah know this.

“There’s no hurry in moving out,” Josiah added. “I’m sure Ruby will need time to prepare.”

“Time?” Micah shook his head. “No,” he said, “with the girls gone, I think preparing for a move is exactly what she needs now.” He paused. “And what I need as well.”

What he didn’t tell Josiah was that while Ruby would be preparing to move into the parsonage, he would move back to the boat. There he could consider what to do next.

The folly of that plan became apparent when he stepped aboard and settled onto the bunk. The citizens of Fairweather Key would never stand for a pastor who didn’t live under the same roof as his wife.

Try as he might, there was no way around it. He had to go home.

But not tonight, and maybe not tomorrow night. No, it might take a few days before he was ready to climb under the covers with that woman.

* * *

Saturday night Ruby sat at the table and picked at the food Mrs. Carter had left for her. Micah had been in and out of the boardinghouse many times, but each night when she went upstairs to bed, she went alone.

Tonight, with the girls gone, the house seemed impossibly quiet. Even the fact that the second floor was full to the brim with boarders and the front and back porches held a militiaman, each ready to guard her with his life, did not keep Ruby from feeling completely alone. With Mr. Defoe’s
Crusoe
as her companion, Ruby pushed away the untouched plate and drew the lamp closer.

When the door opened and closed again, she ignored it. Now that the Carters were taking on the kitchen duties, she was merely another boarder.

“Ruby.”

Micah. She did not look up.

“I’ll be staying here tonight,” he said.

Again she did not respond. Rather, she turned the page, even though she’d not read a word on it. The creaking step sounded, and he was gone.

Only then did she allow a single tear to fall before going back to join Crusoe on his island. After a while, she gave up and closed the book, unable to recall a word she’d read.

Trudging up the stairs gave her time to decide what to say to Micah. The truth of her absence would set her free. But could he touch her knowing Tommy had defiled her?

She stopped in the parlor then turned to open the door to the room where the girls slept. Or rather where they used to sleep.

The girls.

Yes, that was the solution. No one in Fairweather Key would fault her for going to be with her girls. And likely Emilie would be wishing to return to her husband. Indeed, it was the perfect solution.

Closing the door, she walked across the small living area and into her bedchamber with renewed purpose. She’d expected to find Micah asleep, thus giving her time to consider the words she would use to convince him.

Instead, he was waiting for her.

“I’ve come to a conclusion,” he said. “Our arrangement is not working.”

“Our arrangement or our marriage?” Ruby skirted the lamplight to move toward the armoire.