Adams, Eve - Patience is Their Virtue [Brides of Bachelor Bay 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (3 page)

“This is Raven.” The first man set his jaw and thinned his lips as he glared at the darker man. “He’s my manservant. Raven, meet Patience Weber.”

Raven narrowed his gaze but didn’t remove it from her. He gave her a single polite nod before stepping back and standing behind the first man, but not without first releasing a very audible, very intense growl that had every cell in Patience’s body humming.

“Pleased to meet you.”
Pleased, indeed.
He was like candy for her eyes. His skin, the color of dark caramel, only enticed her more and made her mouth water.

The first man spoke. “Forgive me if this seems forward, but do you currently have a suitor?”

Oh, no.
Should she lie and say yes? That would stop him from getting any closer, and from that dark, wicked look in those eyes, he intended on getting very close.

“Suitor. Yes, yes, I do.”

The man spiked an ebony brow and turned to Raven. “It seems I’m too late.” When he turned and rested that powerful gaze back on her, Patience held her breath. “Or perhaps he is more of some healthy competition. What’s his name? I’m sure I know him.”

“I’m sure you don’t.”

“It isn’t that big of a town, Miss Weber.”

Enough. She couldn’t afford to lose her head now, not when she had made it almost a year without anyone noticing her. She headed in the opposite direction, hoping to make it past the protection of the gate without another accosting from the nail.

She reached the safety of the gate and pushed through before glancing behind her. Just as she feared, they both watched her with intent, with a primal hunger that loomed in their equally dark gazes.

“I wish you good day, gentlemen.”

“Not so fast.”

Not wanting to seem rude, she paused at the gate when she really wanted to run back into the house and hide under her covers until they both went away. She didn’t appreciate the way her body responded to them, the way her nipples tightened, the way an angry throbbing pulsed between her legs, drenching her drawers.

“A name, Miss Weber.”

Think
. “John.” There had to be several Johns in the town. It was, after all, a common name.

Amusement danced in his gaze as he regarded her. “Does John have a last name?”

“Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Oh, but it is.”

“And why is that?”

“If I’m to kill a man over you, I’d like to make sure I have his name correct on his tombstone.” He winked and added, “If it comes to that.”

Shock plunged through her body. “Surely, you can’t be serious.”

Raven spoke up. “Oh, I assure you, he most definitely is.

"Thank you, Raven. Now, Miss Weber, his last name, if you please.”

“John.”

“That was his first name,” Raven pointed out, clearly amused at her frustration.

“Son. His name is John Johnson.” Oh, she hoped she hadn’t just gotten some stranger in trouble with this man. Or worse, with his own wife. Patience swallowed thickly. “And we are madly in love. Wildly in love. He’ll be asking for my hand any day.”

He darted a quick glance to Raven, who had the same amused curl in his lips, before snapping attention to her. “John Johnson. Are you sure about that?”

“Most definitely. Don’t you believe me?”

“Not at all,” he crooned.

For the second time since meeting him, her mouth fell open. “How dare you call me a liar right to my face.”

“Would you rather I do it behind your back?”

He had a point. She snapped her mouth shut as her answer.

“Miss Weber, there are only two reasons for you to lie about dear John Johnson. One, you really do have a suitor and his identity must remain hidden for a number of scandalous reasons. Or two, you don’t like me and instead of honoring me with the truth, you find it easier to lie. Which is it?”

Patience pinned her glare to him with determined precision. There were so many other reasons to lie, reasons she wouldn’t dare give. “Good day, sir.”

And, as if his rudeness hadn’t been enough, the ruthless stranger had the gall to smile and smile wide. “Good day, Miss Weber. I’ll see you at the next social gathering.”

Like hell he would.

Patience’s Journal, Saturday, April 1, 1865

Port Steele, Washington Territory

Hattie is holding another dance tonight and for the first time, I’m excited to attend. Amelia Prescott was gracious enough to loan me a brilliant green dress that, I must admit, fits perfectly. The rain has returned, and the women in the house have all fallen into a melancholy. At least the anticipation of another dance seems to have lifted everyone’s spirits. I can’t stop thinking about that handsome stranger and his delectable manservant, Raven. Why the stranger never gave me his name puzzles me and makes me believe he did so purposely. Just what is he hiding? Could it be anything worse than my secret?

Patience pinched at her cheeks and bit at her lips to give herself more color. Constance Kendall scurried around the dance hall, fussing with the ladies to make sure they all looked their best. As the acting voice for half of the brides, Constance pretended to take her role very seriously. But Patience knew better. She loved the attention. Nothing more.

She hated sharing a room with the likes of Constance. She kept Patience up night after night filling her ears with gossip she claimed she’d heard from Lucy, another bride living at Hattie's Inn until she married. Patience knew better. Lucy had a heart of gold and would never say the mean, spiteful things falling from Constance's lips. No, what she had to say came straight from her cold, black heart.

“Emily! Stop eating already. You barely fit into your dress as it is.” Constance threw a fit and stomped over to the traumatized woman. She slapped the finger sandwich out of Emily’s hands. “You certainly won’t attract a husband if you have spinach in your teeth. Go brush again.”

With tears in her eyes, Emily hurried out of the room, her face in her hands. Patience shook her head as she narrowed her gaze on Constance.
What a wretched woman.
She favored that scoundrel, Miles Petty. Everyone knew it from the way her pretty green eyes lit up whenever the man paid a visit to the inn. Patience had only met him once, but that was enough. The man gave new meaning to reprehensible. More than once, Patience had caught his roaming gaze tracing her frame. She made it a point to keep her distance when she knew Mr. Petty was paying Constance a call.

Constance had mentioned the town mayor, Adam Steele, but Patience had never seen him. If he was anything like Miles Petty, Patience would rather it stay that way.

“I wish she would just marry already,” Amelia Prescott said under her breath as she walked up and stood next to Patience. With blonde hair and bold blue eyes, Amelia could have her pick of any of the men, and typically did at the dances. Why she hadn’t settled on a husband yet had Patience bewildered.

“As do I. Then I’d get the room to myself.” Patience smiled at Amelia, who giggled in return.

“I couldn’t imagine sharing a room with her. You must have the patience of a saint.”

“That is my name.”

Amelia giggled again, this time covering her mouth with her hand. “I must say, it pleases me to no end that you’ve finally decided to come out of your shell.”

“I’ll still remain in the corner, I’m sure.”

Amelia rolled those pretty blue eyes that captivated every man in Port Steele. “You are perfectly wrong. The dress looks divine on you. No man will be able to resist.”

Patience glanced down at the green cotton. It must have cost more than what one of the men made in a week. “I’m scared to move in it.”

“Oh, please.” Amelia hooked Patience’s arm with hers and patted her hand. “Lizzie didn’t mind. Since she has the same color hair as you, a fiery red that seems to have come straight from the sun, we both thought it perfect for you. This green matches her eyes brilliantly. Because yours are gray—or are they a pale blue? Never mind that. Did I tell you she has asked for you to keep it?”

“I couldn’t,” Patience said. She’d never owned anything this nice in her life.

“Nonsense. Lizzie insisted, and you know her. Once she gets something in her mind, there is no convincing her otherwise.”

“Must run in the family.”

Amelia laughed at the comment. “I should hope that is the only thing we have in common. My sisters—both of them—were too quick to marry, if you ask me. They should have enjoyed a few more courtships.”

“Do you not approve of their choices in husbands?”

Amelia quickly shook her head and widened her eyes. “Oh, heavens no. I adore their husbands.”

Patience glanced down at the dress again and sighed. She’d want to wear it every hour of every day. “The next time you see Lizzie, will you thank her for me?”

“Of course. She said this was no dress for a married woman since is shows too much cleavage.” She leaned closer and whispered behind a cupped hand, “But that’s what turns the men’s heads.”

Patience laughed. Amelia’s mind moved swifter than a high wind.

“Do you suppose there’ll be some new men here tonight? I’m growing weary of dancing with the same men over and over.”

“Perhaps you should settle on one,” Patience offered.

Suddenly Amelia’s pretty lips turned to a frown as she batted those large eyes at Patience. “And spoil all the fun?”

They both laughed.

The first of the men arrived and flooded the dance hall, all grinning and eager to fill the dance cards of the women there. More than one searched the room until his ready gaze settled on Amelia.

“I must go. Promise me that you’ll dance tonight.”

“We’ll see.” Patience smiled as she watched the crowd of men swallow Amelia. Oh, if she only had the energy Amelia had. She was only two years younger than Patience. Surely two years wouldn’t drain a woman of all her energy.

But Patience felt tired. Tired of hiding. Tired of being alone. Simply tired.

Constance suddenly popped up next to her, and Patience knew the woman had to have been standing behind them, listening in on their conversation.

“Hello, Patience.”

“Constance.” She kept her voice cool, polite, but nothing more. They’d roomed together since arriving in Port Steele, and Patience knew way too much about her to call her a friend.

“What brought on this sudden desire to be a joiner? There are no seeds or dirt here.”

Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.
Patience hid her irritation behind a frozen smile. “I felt it high time I come and see what all the fuss is about at these dances.”

Constance ruffled just like a bird would if petted the wrong way. “Well, I really wish you would have told me.”

“Why is that?”

“I would have been able to help you make yourself more presentable. Honestly, Patti. You have dirt under your nails.”

Patience’s fervor wilted, as did her smile. When Constance saw her reaction, she smiled in triumph. And with that, Constance Kendall bounced away, a bright look in her evil eyes as she, no doubt, perused the crowd for Miles Petty.