Grace (The Marriage Market Book 2) (3 page)

              "Oh, I'm so pleased," her mother said as she walked upstairs with Grace. "The Remingtons are a very powerful family. You'll never have to worry about a thing."

              "I quite agree, Mother," Grace replied, accepting her mother's kiss. "Very soon I'll have everything I want. Goodnight."

              Grace didn't undress; she simply lay on her bed until the house was quiet. Slipping down the stairs and out the back door, she ran across the lawn and made her way to Effie's window. Taking several small stones she repeatedly hit the glass until it opened and Effie's head appeared.

"The garden, now!" Grace hissed, vanishing into the dark.

              Effie threw on a robe and slippers and left the house. It was difficult to work the lock in the dark, but as soon as she got through the gate, she hurried to the clearing. Grace was clearly visible in the moonlight.

              "What is it?" she demanded, knowing it had to be serious. Grace had never woken her this late before.

"I'm going with you. Do you think it's too late to get a seat?"

              "I have a compartment, you can share with me, "Effie replied. "What happened, you've been crying?"

              Grace sobbed and threw herself into Effie's arms relating all that had transpired that evening. By the time she was done, Effie was vibrating with anger.

              "The only thing I regret is that I can't take the time to shoot Horace before we depart," she snapped. "How will you get out of the house with your things?"

              "I may have to leave with very little," Grace admitted. "If I can pack a valise, I will, but if not, I'm going with the clothes on my back."

              "Don't worry, dear. I have plenty of money and we can get what you need at stops along the way. We'll have a wait in Albany and Chicago for certain and there may be other stops where we can shop. I'm so sorry this happened, but thrilled you'll be traveling with me. Have you money for your fare?"

              "Yes, I have money, but I think I'd better buy my ticket under a different name," Grace said. "I don't want to make it easy for them to find me and I will leave a note for my father explaining the circumstances. I don't want him to worry; I plan on telling them I'm going south."

"Good idea," Effie agreed. "So what's your new name?"

              "How about Lacy Brown? I think it sounds enough like Grace that I'll notice and people have called me Gracie for years."

              "I think that's fine, Lacy it is. Now go home and try to get some sleep. I'll call for you early. The train leaves at seven o'clock, and by the time your mother wakes, you'll be hundreds of miles away."

              "Oh Effie, what would I do without you?" Grace cried resting her head on Effie's shoulder.

              "I could ask the same thing," Effie said patting her back. "Oh how I wish I had time to shoot Horace."

"Maybe my father will," Grace said thoughtfully.

              "Then he would be doing the women of the world a service. You go on and I'll watch from the gate until you get in the house, just in case Horace decided to come back."

"All right, and I'll be waiting in the morning."

              Effie stood at the gate until she was sure Grace was safely inside. Filled with anger, she returned to her home and once in her room, penned a note to Mrs. Remington that was sure to have Horace in plenty of trouble. Smiling, she lay down and waited for morning.

              Hugh Jordon lay on his side on the bed, tracing white designs on his wife's naked red bottom as she lay on her tummy.

"Must you make it worse?" she demanded, kicking her feet.

              "Me? You're the one who managed to get into trouble the very first day I returned to work," he said, giving her a good swat before rolling onto his back.

              Amelia yelped and quickly maneuvered her body so her breasts were pressed against his chest.

              "We only wanted to go and see the cabin Mr. McGuire is building for Molly," she said, twirling a lock of his dark hair around her finger. "It's quite large you know." Nibbling on his jaw, she wiggled until her apex was pressed against his naked hip. "Much too large for one person."

              Hugh's head rose from the pillow as he looked at her suspiciously. Sliding an arm down her back, he clutched her warm bottom.

"Is there a point to this surplus of information?" he drawled.

"No, not really, but the cabin is big," she hissed, trying to wiggle away.

"Amelia, you keep your naughty little behind right where I can reach it," he ordered.

"Why, you already spanked me for going?"

              "Because I have an idea I'm not going to like where this conversation is headed," he said with a sigh, releasing his grip and giving her a pat. "Now why don't you spit it out and tell me what's on your mind."

              "All right, but you have to promise me you'll stay quiet until I'm finished," she sighed, toying with his nipple.

              Her warm breath on his abdomen, her soft naked skin pressed against his and the feel of her freshly spanked bottom were not conducive to a serious conversation Hugh decided. In this position he was likely to agree to anything she wanted. Sadly, this discussion required clothes.

              "Get up and put your robe on," Hugh said huskily, trying to ignore his rapidly growing erection.

Amelia's head popped up, her surprised gray eyes questioning.

              "Why?" she asked, brushing her long dark hair over her shoulders, thus exposing nearly all of her breasts.

"Because I said so."

              Frustrated, she scrambled out of bed and picked up her sheer robe, a gift from his mother, Tempest.

              "You know, husband, I've tolerated that answer more than I should have," she informed him as she slipped on the robe.

              "Good grief, not that one," Hugh protested, tossing her a heavy flannel robe. The one she had on was more an invitation than a proper covering and he was already sweating. Quickly he slipped into his own robe and sat on the large overstuffed chair in their bedroom.

              "I'm not a child, despite the fact you spank me like one," she snapped, pulling her hair out from under the thick fabric as she obeyed. "Because I said so, is not an answer."

              "All right, allow me to explain," he replied. "Having an important discussion with you should never happen in bed, not if I want to keep my wits about me. It seems that regardless of the number of times we make love, each day I want you more and more. Don't take that to mean I am somehow more likely to let you get away with disobeying me. It's merely more prudent to talk when your lovely naked body is not pressed against mine, when we are not in a bed and your sweet red bottom is not easily accessible.

              "Now that I think about it, we should have a rule that anything you ask me for in the… well let's refer to it as the heat of passion for want of a better description, you must ask me again when I have recovered. There, is that answer more to your liking than, because I said so?"

              "Not really," she said with a grin as she sashayed toward him. "But it is nice to know you find me distracting," she continued with a giggle as she straddled his lap. Leaning closer she licked his lower lip before pulling it into her mouth and nipping it gently with her teeth.

              "I can see I did not spank you nearly hard enough," Hugh said with a moan. Sinking his hand into her thick hair, he held her head still, kissing her until they were both out of breath. "This is your last chance, my love," he warned as he released her. "Your window of opportunity is rapidly closing as far as any serious discussions are concerned."

              Amelia pouted and climbed off his lap. As much as she would have preferred returning to their bed, this was an important matter and should not be put off.

              "I want to talk to you about the brides," she said, sitting at the vanity and picking up her hairbrush.

              "What about them?" Hugh scowled. The so called brides almost cost him the love of the woman he'd come to adore. "I've turned over our home to provide them with a roof over their heads and Mother is trying to find them suitable husbands. Sam gave up his house so we could have some privacy and is forced to live with our parents. What more could they possibly want?"

              "Don't be cruel, Hugh. Except for Alice and Jane, every one of those women came here with the intention of marrying you. It's not their fault they find themselves in an awkward and difficult position."

"It's not mine either," he insisted, trying to stay calm. "I proposed to one woman, you."

"Yes, technically that's true, but the letters they received all had your name on them."

              "I'm not responsible for every jackass who asked them to marry using a false name. If Clarence had given the letters to responsible men, they'd all be married by now and out of my hair," he snapped, rising and beginning to pace the room. "As it is, Molly knew she was coming here to marry Angus, and yet refused him."

              "Because he got bossy with her, in fact he reminded me of someone else I know," she snorted. "Had he come to fetch her with a handful of flowers and a touch of kindness in his voice, she would have gone with him, most likely."

"So Angus and I must both pay for his offending her girlish sensibilities?"

              "She is going to work for him, and in a way, for you. As soon as the cabin is finished she'll be living in it and assisting Angus with the meals."

              "Yes, and I'm pulling men off their jobs to build her a cabin. I'll tell you Amelia, I think most of those women came out here for exactly one reason—because they thought they were marrying into money. Now they don't want to settle for a working man."

              "Oh, I can't believe what I'm hearing. Just because they don't want to marry men who lied to them, deceived them, does not make them mercenary," she cried, turning to face him. "They came to marry you!"

              "I didn't send for them," he bellowed. "I placed one advertisement for one bride and ended up with what… sixteen?"

              "Don't exaggerate, you have nine, counting me, and I actually married you," she hissed spinning away.

              Hugh ran his fingers through his hair as he approached her. Taking the brush from her hand, he evaluated whether he wanted to use it on his sassy bride. Instead, he brushed the tangles from her hair. He'd already spanked her once today for going up the mountain without his permission. It could be a dangerous place and not just because of the terrain. The men who lived in the camps were lonely and hungry for a woman. Not only had she gone up, but she'd taken Molly and three of the other girls. It had been foolish at best.

              "So, is this what you wanted to talk to me about? You wanted to rehash the last three weeks?"

"No."

"Well, that's a blessing. I'm pretty tired of explaining the entire mess."

              "I just wondered why the cabin is so big and what you're going to do with the extra space."

              "Truthfully, I think Angus is making it big enough for a family. His cabin is very small if you don't count the cooking and storage areas and the dining room. If I had to guess, I'd say he's still hoping to get married, either to Molly or one of the other women."

              "Lucy, Sara and Lydia are all very young," Amelia sighed, peeking in the mirror and gauging his reaction.

              "I know, but no one made them answer the ad and besides, they knew each other. There's something very fishy about them all coming west to marry the same man."

              "I agree, I think they were planning on one of them marrying you and then helping the others find husbands of their own. In the meantime, what would you say to them going to live in the cabin with Molly? They could take in washing to earn money and Molly wouldn't be the only woman up there. If they are not going to marry right away, they need to find a way to support themselves."

Hugh laughed.

              "So let me get this straight. I supply the cabin, and their food and their clientele and they keep whatever they make? What is their investment in this little enterprise?"

              "The work and it would only be for a little while. The camps are of full big, strong men, surely a few of them will try to win the girls hearts."

              "Forgive me if I don't quite feel the same way about it you do," Hugh said softly. Putting the brush down, he ran his fingers through her hair. "Those three days aboard the Mystic Maiden were the longest and most frustrating of my life. I finally found the one woman I wanted for my bride and she locked herself in our cabin, put on widow's weeds and wouldn't speak to me, let alone see me. I had no idea Clarence had taken the responses to my advertisement and given them to other men wanting Mail Order brides or, that fearing rejection, some of those men left my name on as the prospective groom. Believe me, had I been able to find a way past your guards I would have straightened things out pretty quickly."

"I know and I'm sorry for my lack of faith in you. It is something I will forever regret."

              "I forgave you," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I understand that mistakes were made, terrible mistakes, but the women came to get married and they should get married. Why are they being so picky?"

              "Not all women have to get married you know," she said. "Many are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. Martha had her own business in Philadelphia, a dress shop."

"Then maybe she should open one here, if the men of Seattle aren't good enough for her."

"She never said that," snapped Amelia.

"What about the rest of them, what are their names?"

              "Suzanna, Ellie, Clara, Charlotte and Mary will be left if Lucy, Lydia and Sara go live with Molly. Jane is going to work for Dr. Martin as soon as the others are settled."

"And what schemes have you cooked up for them so they don't have to take husbands?"

              "I'm not trying to keep them from marrying, but to give them options. Women should have options," she insisted.

              "Ah, yes. I'd forgotten I'd married a women's rights crusader," he laughed as he plucked her from the bench and carried her to the bed.

              "I did warn you I believed in equality for all," she said with a smile, looping her arms around his neck. "So what do you think of my idea, I mean mine and the girls?"

              "I'll think about it and discuss it with Sam and Father." Placing her on the bed, he separated the thick robe and reached for her breast, cupping it as he sat beside her. "Tell me, did your friends back east march alongside you? Effie and…"

              "Effie and Grace? Yes, they are equally committed to the cause. You see they… oh my goodness, Effie and Grace," she screamed, pushing his hand away and bolting from the bed. "I forgot to write Effie and Grace," she cried running to the door.

              Hugh made an effort to stop her as Amelia tore open the door and raced into the hall. Her bare feet slapped the shiny wood floor and for once Hugh was happy she didn't have her slippers on, or she would have broken her neck running down the stairs. Hurrying after her, he found her in Sam's study scrambling for paper and pen.

"Whatever is the matter with you?" he demanded, catching his breath.

"Oh Hugh, I've been so selfish and thoughtless," she cried in near panic.

"Perhaps you'd better explain."

Looking at his scowling expression, Amelia wished with all her heart she didn't have to.

              "While I was aboard the Mystic Maiden, I wrote to Effie and Grace," she said, avoiding his eyes. "I told them terrible things about you."

"What kind of things?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Things I believed true at the time," she softly replied. "I said I'd been deceived and you were a scoundrel who proposed to scores of other women. My intention was to divorce you immediately and possibly take a job until I earned enough to pay my passage home."

              "Scores? I see. And did you write to them once you realized it had all been a mistake. That I was not guilty of these sins?"

"No," she whispered, looking at the floor.

"Why not?"

"I just forgot. Everything happened so fast, and then you brought me here and well…"