Faith (Goldwater Creek Mail-Order Brides 1) (5 page)

F
aith stared
in amazement at the silky gown laying wrapped in blue tissue inside the box. She'd never owned a dress so beautiful. Had Jax really bought this and sent it here for her? Her heart was touched by his thoughtfulness.

The nice gesture almost made her feel bad about her frantic search for the book. Almost. She’d scoured the whole house only stopping short of going in his room. She didn’t dare do that while Maisie and Robertson were around. She wondered if she should asked Maisie, who was standing beside her staring open-mouthed at the dress, about the book but decided against it.

“Well, I’ll be.” Maisie looked from the dress in the box to the one she’d been working on. She’d altered Faith’s plain dress quite a bit, adding lace and embroidery, but it was nothing compared to the one in the box. “Let’s get this thing on you and see if it needs a fittin’.”

Maisie lifted the dress out, revealing matching slippers underneath. She eyed the dress and shoes skeptically.

“I dunno how Mr. Jax would know what size you are, but let’s get these on.”

She helped Faith into the dress. The fabric was soft against her skin, like the whisper of a summer breeze. She’d never owned anything as soft, silky and beautiful and when she twirled around and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she almost gasped. She looked, and felt, like a princess. And amazingly enough, the dress almost fit.

Maisie was already fluttering around her, a row of pins in her mouth. Tucking here and raising there. Faith stood still while Maisie did her work, not wanting to get jabbed with a pin. Thoughts of the book vanished as she listened to Maisie mutter to herself.

“I knew Mr. Jax would do the right thing,” Maisie mumbled around the pins. “Why, you’ll be the most beautiful woman in Goldwater Creek!”

Faith blushed. “You’re kind to say so.”

Maisie leveled her with a look. “Now don’t tell me you don’t believe it. Why, Mr. Jax could have his pick of women and he married you. That ought to tell you somethin’.”

Faith wondered why Jax hadn’t just married one of those other women. Then she remembered how he’d asked for a plain-looking, unassuming bride of mediocre intelligence. Why would any man want that? There was only one reason—he didn’t want her getting in the way of his plans, nor did he want her to be a proper wife.

She blushed again at the thought of being a ‘proper wife’ to Jax. Her marriage to Charles had not been a pleasant experience in that area. But Jax … well, she felt different about him. And that kiss at their wedding … oh, well, no sense in thinking about
that
. It was not to be.

“Well, you could hardly say he married me for my looks. He had never even seen me before I arrived here,” Faith pointed out.

“Yes, but he didn’t have to marry you once he laid eyes on you. He could have backed out. Suck in your breath.” Maisie snugged the waist of the dress tight and jabbed a row of pins into it.

“But why
did
he send away for a bride? If he could have the pick of women here?” Faith asked.

Maisie jabbed another pin in.

“Ouch!” Faith frowned at the older woman.

“Sorry. I guess Mr. Jax didn’t fancy any of the women here. And, well, he wasn’t always an upstanding member of the community. He’s tryin’ to rectify that.”

Faith frowned. “What do you mean he wasn’t always an upstanding member of the community?”

Maisie shrugged. “Drinkin’. Carowsin’. Him and that Ryder Devlin. ‘Course they were younger then. And that was before—”

Maisie stopped abruptly, then backed away, taking in the dress from a few feet away. “I think that will do it. Take it off and I’ll fix it up to fit you like a glove. Now try on the shoes, though there's not much I can do if those don't fit.”

But Faith was curious about what Maisie had been about to say. Was it something about the gold mine?

“Before what?” she asked as she lifted the silky shoes out of the box. She noticed they were embroidered with the same gold thread—not very practical but good enough to wear to a party. She slipped them on. Perfect fit.

“Oh, nothing.” Maisie waved her hands in the air. “Before he straightened up and became the man of the ranch. Before his daddy died and left him in charge. Now, up with your arms and I’ll help you get this off.”

Faith raised her arms. Maisie’s explanation made sense, but she still felt that there was more to it. Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to get that out of Maisie today. If she’d learned anything about the old woman, it was that she was stubborn.

“I have to say Mr. Jax surprised me with this one. You know I been tending to him since he was a little boy. His momma, God rest her soul, died when he was only ten.”

Faith’s heart pinched and she made a murmur of sympathy.

“Anyway, ain’t never seen him buy a dress for a woman before, but I guess he’s got good taste. This is a right pretty dress and it looks beautiful on you.”

“Thanks.” Faith leaned over to pick her gray dress off the bed and the key, still hanging from her neck on its brown velvet ribbon, glimmered in a ray of sunlight as it swung away from her body.

Maisie nodded at it. “I see you’re guarding that key. After Mr. Jax sees you in this dress, you gonna have to guard it even closer.”

Maisie bustled off, laughing as Faith grabbed the swinging key, turning it over in her palm. Jax had never once indicated he wanted to get into her room. She was sure seeing her in the dress wouldn’t change that. At least she hoped not, didn’t she?

Her stomach fluttered as she slipped her plain old dress over her head. She hadn’t spent much time with her new husband and now she would have to attend a party with him. What would he expect of her?

She had no idea, but the fact that he’d bought the dress just for her and heeded Maisie’s advice made her realize he wasn’t the ruffian that she’d thought he was. Sure, he’d been wild in his youth, but he’d settled down, according to Maisie. And the way he treated the old woman, with respect and caring, said a lot about him.

Of course, there was the way he’d practically ignored her since the moment she’d gotten there. And he’d run straight from their wedding to the saloon and then acted so strange in the library. But she didn’t think he had been drunk. Then again, maybe he just handled his booze better than Charles.

On the other hand, he
was
thoughtful. He could have let her wear her old dress to the party, but he hadn’t. Faith knew the dress he’d picked was expensive. He hadn’t just pulled the first thing off the rack. She’d have to remember to thank him for it.

There was more to her handsome husband than first met the eye and Faith had to admit, if the circumstances were different and she didn’t know the disastrous effects of falling in love, she could fall for a man like Jax Blackburn. Lucky thing that had no chance of happening, because it would make her task all that more difficult.

F
aith didn’t get
a chance to thank Jax that day. He came home after she was in bed. She heard him come in, then shortly after, she heard something outside. Peeking out her window, the moonlight highlighted Jax’s figure walking off toward the woods. Was he going to the mine?

The gift of the beautiful dress did not stop her from searching for a clue about the mine entrance or the book he'd snatched from her in the library, but her search had come up empty.

She couldn’t do a lot of in-depth searching, though. Maisie and Robertson were always underfoot and she didn’t want them to get suspicious. So, she'd broken the search up into little tasks—searching desk drawers, nooks and crannies in the house in between letting Maisie feed her in the kitchen. The woman was an extraordinary cook, but any attempts on Faith’s part to get information out of her about Jax or the gold mine came up short. Especially when she hinted about Jax sneaking off in the middle of the night, which she'd seen him do almost every night since she'd been there.

In the end, she satisfied herself with writing a letter to her sister, Mercy. She’d jotted off one on her first day at the ranch, but it was too soon to expect a reply. Still, she couldn’t help it. She was desperate to know that her sisters were doing okay. Lefty Brewster was not a patient man and, even though he had not given her a deadline on when she must pass on the information, she feared he might harm her sisters in order to get her to move faster.

Maisie had been kind enough to fill the old copper tub with warm water and Faith had scrubbed with the lavender soap she'd brought from home. Then, once clean, she'd pinned her hair up in back, letting a few loose tendrils escape down the side of her face. Charles had always said her hair looked best that way and Faith wanted to make a good impression during her first meeting with the people of Goldwater Creek. It had nothing to do with looking attractive for her new husband.

Faith only wanted a light supper before the party. She was too nervous to eat. Maisie had the perfect solution—her old standby, flapjacks.

Sitting at the long pine kitchen table, Faith was amazed at how quickly she’d come to think of the kitchen as ‘home’. It was a comforting place, the smells of Maisie’s cooking brought back memories of her grandmother. But it was more than the cooking. Maisie’s easy style and friendly chatter soothed Faith and made her feel as if she wasn’t alone.

“Now you try this syrup. This is a new recipe. Strawberry.” Maisie poured a thick puddle of deep red liquid on top of the stack of flapjacks on Faith’s plate. Faith carved off a slice of flapjack with her fork. Creamy butter oozed down the side as she dipped it into the syrup, pushing it around to let it soak in.

Faith put the fork to her lips, the sweet strawberry flavor exploding on her tongue. She closed her eyes. “Yum. This is your best yet.”

Maisie smiled proudly. “Why, I do like having you here, child. You’re like my own taste testing panel. And good company, too. Better hurry up now. We gotta get you changed into that dress before Mr. Jax comes home to take you to the party.

Faith’s heart warmed at Maisie’s words. Since her arrival, she’d tested three flavors for her and had come to cherish her taste testing sessions as well as her other time spend in the kitchen with Maisie. She was flattered the other woman seemed to feel the same way. She had to admit, she was getting a bit lonely since she didn’t know anyone in town to talk to. Not yet, anyway. She’d probably meet plenty of them at the party. The thought made her stomach roil and she pushed the plate of food away.

“You’re right, I better get going.”

“I’ll just clean up a bit and be right there,” Maisie yelled after her.

The dress shimmered on Faith’s bed. The gold embroidery gave just the right amount of attention to the ivory gown. The lace bodice added a feminine touch. Faith inspected the gown—Maisie’s stitches were small and tight. Faith was a good seamstress herself and recognized superior work. The dress would hold up fine for the party tonight and many more.

She slipped it over her head. She’d need help with the twenty-five buttons that ran down the back, but even unbuttoned, the dress felt like a dream.

“Now, let’s get you fixed up.” Maisie started on the buttons, Faith could feel the dress was more snug around the waist than before the alterations, but as Maisie finished the job, she saw it was perfect, accentuating her slim waist and then flaring out in a shimmery cascade over her not-so-slim hips.

“Let me see.” Maisie turned Faith around, a smile cracking her lips. “I knew it. You look perfect. Mr. Jax is gonna bust a gut. Oh, and I made something special for you.”

Maisie pulled a piece of lace out of her apron pocket. “I salvaged this from the alterations I did on the waist.” She held the length of lace flat in her palm. An oval black and white cameo had been pinned in the exact middle. “It’s a choker necklace. It will match the dress perfectly.”

Faith took the necklace in her hands. “It’s beautiful. I don’t how to thank you.” Tears burned the backs of Faith’s eyes. No one had been this kind to her since she moved away from her mother after marrying Charles. “I couldn’t take one of your cameos, though. This must be a family heirloom.”

Maisie waved her hands “Oh, hush now. You can take it, it belongs to you. It’s one of the Blackburn cameos. Mr. Jax’s grandmother’s.”

A feeling of trepidation tingled in her belly. “I don’t know if he would want me to wear this.”

But Maisie was already behind her, fastening the necklace to her neck. She came back around to the front, adjusting it so the cameo was in the middle, then stepped back and smiled. “There, now. It looks perfect, see?” She spun Faith around to look in the mirror.

Faith had to admit, the necklace did add a finishing touch to the outfit. She could barely even recognize herself in the mirror. With her hair pulled up in the back and more lace adorning it, even her own mother might not know it was her.

“Thank you, Maisie. For everything.” In a moment of spontaneity, Faith reached over and hugged the other woman.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Maisie’s eyes turned misty. “It’s just nice to have a woman in the house again to do things for.”

Again?

But she didn’t get a chance to ask the question because just then Buttercup trotted past the window, pulling the buggy which had been washed and shined.

Maisie flew to the window. “Oh, Lordy! Mr. Jax is here already. He’s gonna have Robertson drive and he’ll sit in the buggy with you. Why, he hasn’t ridden in the buggy since…” Maisie’s voice trailed off and her face constricted. “Well, never mind that. We better get you out to the foyer.”

“Wait, since what?” Faith asked, but Maisie didn’t answer. It was maddening, all these things the woman kept blurting out. Secrets. Did any of them have anything to do with the gold mine? But how could having a woman in the house
again
and Jax’s aversion to riding in the buggy have anything to do with a gold mine?

Faith didn’t have time to think about it. As Maisie propelled her down the hallway, a squadron of butterflies started to flap in her stomach. She didn’t know if it was nervousness over attending a party where she knew no one, her own fear of riding in the buggy, or the prospect of Jax seeing her in the dress.

“Here’s your beautiful wife. I knew a new gown would be just the thing.” Maisie pushed her into the foyer.

Jax was standing with his back to her, looking out the window at the buggy. He was wearing a nicely tailored charcoal black suit and starched white shirt. He hadn’t been home all day, and Faith wondered where he had changed. At the saloon? Maybe he frequented the rooms upstairs where some of the saloon girls worked. For all she knew he had a whole wardrobe stashed there. Was that where he snuck off to in the middle of the night?

As he turned around, she couldn’t help but notice how the suit made his shoulders look broader than ever. Even though it was made from good cloth, she could still see his muscles bulging underneath it. Her eyes drifted up to his face. And in the slanted afternoon light coming in from the door she was struck by how handsome he was. He had taken a half inch off his dark hair, so that it curled now not at his collar but just below his ears, accentuating his chiseled jaw. In the light from the window, his eyes took on a golden hue, like the maple syrup Maisie had had her taste test just yesterday.

His gaze stopped on her. His eyes widened as they drifted from her ivory slippered feet to her hips, then her waist, her bust and finally her face. Their eyes locked, causing the jolt of electricity to flow through Faith and stab her right in the heart.

F
aith looked so
beautiful in the ivory dress that it took Jax’s breath away. Maisie had done a good job. The dress fit like a glove. It accentuated her tiny waist which Jax’s palms now itched to encircle. The bodice was cut lower than her day dresses. It was still demure, but made Jax realize he hadn’t fully appreciated his new wife’s figure in those dowdy old dresses she wore. He made a mental note to make sure she went dress shopping to pick out suitable clothes that she liked for everyday wear.

His gaze drifted upward, noticing his grandmother’s cameo at her neck. Since his mother died, the only other woman who had worn it was Mary. He should have felt a prickle of betrayal, but somehow, the cameo looked like it had been made for Faith’s neck. He hardly had time to give it a thought, though, as he was distracted by the way it highlighted how long and graceful her neck was, the hollow of which suddenly seemed incredibly … kissable.

His gaze flicked up to her face and their eyes locked. A coil of warmth settled in Jax’s stomach, his heart beat kicking up a notch. As he had expected, the color of the dress enhanced Faith’s pale complexion, giving it a luminous glow like the petals of a white rose in moonlight.

Her golden blonde hair framed her delicate face perfectly and he had to resist the urge to reach out and tuck one of the silky loose tendrils behind her ear. Her flushed cheeks added a hint of color, but it was her eyes that had him mesmerized. In the late afternoon light, they appeared more of a pale blue than usual, reminding him of the reflection of the creek on a cloudless summer day.

“You look good.” Was that the best he could do? He felt like a stumbling schoolboy and reminded himself that the
last
thing he had wanted was a beautiful wife. But looking at Faith, he could barely remember why.

“Thanks.” Her tone was uncertain as her gaze flicked out to the buggy. “Is it a far ride?”

“No. But too far to walk.” Jax wondered why she would ask. “Is something wrong with the buggy?”

“No, it’s just that I’m not too fond of horses. There was an accident when I was a child and…” Faith’s voice trailed off as she glanced out the window again. “Anyway, sometimes one has to face their fears, don’t they?”

Her words struck a chord in Jax’s heart. He knew she was talking about her fear of the horse, but in his mind, he thought of his own fear. His fear of loving someone and having them taken away. The truth was, while he loved horses, he wasn’t that keen on buggies. He, too, had an accident in his past, a terrible tragedy that had ruined his life.

Or had it? Maybe his life could be salvaged if he could face his fears. Maybe Faith was the person to help him.

He held out his hand to her. “That’s okay. I’m not that keen on buggies. Perhaps we’ll face our fear together?”

She looked at him quizzically, then placed her tiny hand in his. He curled his fingers around it, his large hand swallowing hers. He could feel her tremble as he led her outside to the buggy. Robertson stood beside it, attentive as usual.

Jax’s stomach twisted as they helped Faith into the buggy. Perhaps it was a good thing she was afraid of the horse. He wouldn’t have to worry about her taking it out on her own. He wouldn’t have to endure the news of a fatal accident—an accident that would be
his
fault for not paying close enough attention to his wife.

When she was settled in the back seat, he climbed in beside her and Robertson hopped into the front driver's seat and urged Buttercup forward. Jax noticed the color had drained from Faith’s cheeks and he grabbed her hand once again. “Don’t worry, Robinson is a good driver and Buttercup is a gentle horse. You never need to worry about taking the buggy on your own. Robertson will be available to drive you wherever you need to go.”

Faith nodded. “Thank you. That’s very generous.”

They rode the rest of the way in silence with Faith’s hand tucked between both of Jax’s. Her subtle lavender scent swirled over toward him, driving him to distraction. He sat calmly beside her on the hard seat, but inside, his mind was whirling with indecision.

He couldn’t deny he was starting to have feelings for Faith. Those very feelings felt like a betrayal of Mary. But
now
he was married to Faith. They lived in the same house. They would be going out in public together. And he wondered just how long he would be able to keep his feelings in check.

He snuck a sideways glance at her. Something told him he'd better rein it in and it didn’t have anything to do with Mary. Faith was truly beautiful, and if his suspicions were correct, she was smart, too. She was no dowdy woman of mediocre intelligence as her letters had claimed. Was that truly how she saw herself, or did she lie?

And if she
did
lie, why?