Katie: Bride of Virginia (American Mail-Order Brides 10) (8 page)

He laughed. “You're good for her.”

Katie smiled. “Feeling sorry for yourself only brings yourself and everyone around you down. I want our home to be a happy place for us and our children.”

If they ever had children. She kept reminding herself that she should allow her husband his rights if she wanted babies. And yet, she wasn't quite ready. Soon.

Pulling her into his arms, he stared down at her. “I think we should get started on creating these babies.”

Feeling his body against hers, felt right. Spirals of warmth were trickling through her and she laid her head on his shoulder. “In time.”

She leaned back in his arms. “I better get busy or you won't have any supper.” She stepped out of his arms. “I need to tell you that I had a visitor this afternoon.”

“Who?”

“Your foreman, Jack Edwards, came through the back door without knocking. Does he normally do this?”

Daniel frowned. “He's never done it while I'm here.”

“Maybe he got confused because he was looking for you.”

“Maybe,” Daniel said. “I told him I was going into town.”

“I wanted to tell you since I knew how you felt about me being alone in the house with a man. He stayed about five minutes. He asked to see the changes to the house that I was making, but I told him today was not a good day.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“He's a strange man.”

“But he knows vineyards and that's why he's here.”

Maybe he was good with wine, but right now, Katie felt weird with him around.

“I better get started on supper.”

“Oh,” he reached back behind him and pulled some envelopes out of his back pocket. “These were at the post office for you.”

Taking the envelopes from his hand, her heart started to race and she squealed. “It's letters from Genny and Julia.”

Quickly she stepped away from him, sank down in a chair and ripped the first envelope open and began to read.

November 1, 1890

Dear Katie and Julia,

I hope you don't mind that I made the letter to the two of you. I also hope that this reaches you and finds you both well and happy.

My new husband, Stuart MacDonnell, is kind and very handsome. I couldn't figure out why a man like him would send for a mail-order bride. He said he needed someone quickly and didn't want to have to court someone for two years and pretend to be in love. I suppose that makes sense, but it seems to do so to him.

I don't know if I believe him or not. But he didn't waste any time marrying me. It happened in a judges office about thirty minutes after I arrived.

Stuart told me he doesn't want any more children. Had I known before I wouldn't have come, but he does have two beautiful children that I've fallen completely in love with. Three-year old Billy is a rascal and adorable. He has blond hair like his mother and his father's gorgeous blue eyes.

Lucy is six-months old and the most wonderful baby I've ever known. She took my heart as soon as I saw her. She has brown hair that's in soft curls all over her head and again her father's blue eyes. She's so funny. Babbles all the time and laughs like she's just told you a funny story.

And that's my new family. I already adore them, including I'm afraid, their father. If he would just let me in, we'd have such a wonderful marriage and a good life. I don't know what I'm going to do if he won't let me in. I don't know if I can live in a situation without love or at least the possibility of gaining it someday.

I keep telling myself that it's all right. I don't need love. But it's a lie. I do need it to survive. I need it for my very soul to be nourished and happy.

Thank you both for letting me carry-on so, though I know you didn't have any say about it. I miss you both so much and hope you have found the loves of your life and that they love you back.

I guess that's the problem. I have found the love of my life and he doesn't love me back.

I hope to hear from you both soon.

My love to you both,

Genny

After Katie had read the first one, she sighed and ripped open the second letter, from Julia.

Dear Katie and Genny,

My dearest friends, I already miss both of you so much. I have arrived safely in Wickerton, New York. I wish I could tell you it went smoothly, but unfortunately, my intended groom took an issue with my limp.

I was mortified to have him leave me at the train station, with the poor sheriff stuck having to tell me Mr. Johnson didn't wish to marry me, after all.

Since that time I have come to be rather grateful the man didn't want to marry me. The sheriff has been kind enough to give me a job at the jailhouse until I can find other employment.

Please know that my love and thoughts are with you both.

Love,

Julia

Katie choked up as tears pricked her lids. Poor Julia had suffered so much due to an unfortunate accident that left her with a limp. She worried about the poor girl and if she could, she would immediately send for her and find some type of work for her here.

But that was impossible, given the state of her marriage to Mr. O'Malley. Hopefully it would soon improve and then she would invite her friend to come to Charlottesville. But if not, she could be joining her in the near future.

Chapter Six

K
atie sat next to her husband at the dinner table that night, her mother-in-law across from her. She'd been civil all day and Katie hoped they could get through one meal without her starting something new or revealing another of Daniel's secrets.

She was tired from cleaning, though in the last two weeks she had worked until the house sparkled from top to bottom. Now she was going to start on going through the linens.

“When do you think you'll start selling the cabernet?” his mother asked.

She seemed better today. There was a calmness that had been missing before and Katie wondered about her. What had changed besides Katie talking to her?

“Anytime. I think the first batch of wine is ready. Katie and I had part of a bottle the other night.”

“Who will be your customers,” Katie asked.

There was so much about Daniel's business she wanted to know. She wanted to understand what her husband loved about creating his own wine. They’d been married less than a month and she was still learning about her husband, both the good and the bad.

“Restaurants, clients, and liquor stores.  I'd really like to get a distribution deal that would ship our wines across the country.”

“Have you named the wine?”

“O'Malley's,” he said quietly. “This way I can just name the type of wine and people will know it came from our vineyard.”

“Well, Mr. O'Malley, I think you have overlooked one big possible client.”

“Who?”

“The Catholic church. Wine is used every Sunday at mass. You might want to see who supplies their wine. It seems to me that supporting a local vineyard would certainly be better than hauling the stuff from the liquor store.”

“That's a great suggestion.”

An idea begin to form in her mind and she could barely sit still from the excitement. From what she could see, Daniel had very little interaction with the people of Charlottesville and that had to change.

“I think that we need a party to debut our wine. We could not only serve it, but give everyone a small taste of what we're doing here at O'Malley's Vineyards.”

His mother made a hrrmphing sound that she couldn't tell was for or against her idea.

“No one would attend and you know why,” she said glancing at her son, her brows raised.

Daniel, cut his meat and placed a bite in his mouth. While he chewed, Katie could see the wheels turning in his head. “You don't know that, Mother. They may come out of curiosity.”

What were they discussing? It was like they were talking a secret language only they understood. This probably had to do with Eloise.

“They may attend because they heard you have a new wife,” Katie said. She knew what she was doing. She was urging her husband to come and talk to her, let her know his past. But so far that had not happened. And with each passing day, she grew more curious.

She watched her husband contemplating her idea. “The holidays will soon be here. We could make it a Christmas party. Decorate the house, food, company and introduce my beautiful wife to the community.”

“And launch your new wine,” she said. “We could give our guests a gift when they left, a bottle of Chardonnay.”

Katie didn't know if the Chardonnay was ready, but it was a suggestion. A taste of their wine. A chance for the vineyard to finally start to be profitable in the coming year.

His mother sat back watching the two of them shaking her head. “If you'll excuse me. I'm going to bed. Just the thought of a party, tires me.”

While Katie cleared the table, she thought of all the preparation and how much time she would need. For their first big social event, she wanted everything to be just right.

Her husband came into the kitchen carrying dishes. “You don't have to do that. I know you're tired.”

“I know.”

After he helped her clear off the table, he pulled her to the parlor and sat her down. “Are you certain you want to hold a party? I mean the house is looking better than ever, but I know it's a lot of work.”

“It's all right. I can't wait to meet other people in the community. I want to be your partner and help your business. I want to be a good wife to you,” she said reaching out and taking his hand. “But you have to help me. You have to be honest with me.”

Maybe tonight he would finally tell her about Eloise's death. She'd given him time, she'd been patient. But her resolve not to badger him was beginning to wane. He would do well to tell her. Now. Tonight.

He pulled his hand from her, stood and walked away. “You don't understand.”

“I'm trying, help me.”

“Eloise's death was shocking. It's in the past. I don't want to talk about it.”

Katie stood and went to her husband. She laid her palm on his arm. “I have high hopes for this marriage. When I came here I wanted to create a union with a man I didn't know. I hope to have children with you and for us to have a life filled with bad and good times. But it's all based on trust and you don't trust me. You showed me that this morning, when you thought I had stolen money.”

“I'm trying to trust you. But I trusted my first wife and I shouldn't have.” Daniel ran his hand through his hair. “I don't like talking about Eloise because everyone in town thinks I murdered her.”

He turned and walked away, leaving Katie staring at his retreating back. She sank onto the sofa. Her stomach clenched with fear and she gazed at the man she had grown to like and even care about. Could he have killed his first wife? What made people think he was her killer?

#

At daylight, Daniel woke to find his wife's side of the bed empty. Rolling over he was shocked at how quickly their marriage had spiraled into trouble. All marriages had peaks and valleys, but they were still newlyweds and they were having issues.

When he'd seen her on that train platform, he thought she'd seemed like a ray of sunshine. For over a year he'd been needing someone or something to brighten his days.  And Katie did. He couldn't wait to get home and see her smiling face.

In the time she'd been here, he'd even seen a change in his mother. If he were honest with himself, he was the one causing the problems in their marriage. The girl was smart enough to recognize he was not being honest.

If he didn't tell her the truth, someone sooner or later was going to give her their version and how could he blame her for getting upset. He had to find the time to tell her what happened between him and Eloise.

There was a rapid fire knock on his bedroom door. “Mr. O'Malley, wake up, sir.”

He jumped out of bed and opened the door to see one of his workers, standing before him. “Sorry, to disturb you, sir, but there is a herd of cattle out in the vineyard. I need help rounding them up.”

“Dear God,” he said grabbing his pants. “Where the hell is Jack?”

“I don't know, sir,” he said. “I saw them when I was walking to the shed.”

He paid his foreman a decent salary to make certain the vineyard was protected, the hands did their work and the wine was produced. Sure Daniel was involved in all the day to day activities, but he had a foreman because the man was in charge of his workers.

“You go on and I'll catch up to you. Who the hell's cattle is it?”

“I don't know, sir,” he said running down the stairs.

If they trampled the vines, he was ruined. Everything he'd worked so hard to achieve would be for naught.

“Do you need help?” Katie said appearing in the doorway.

“Yes, pull on a coat and boots and grab a blanket to shoo them away with,” he said.

No, he didn't want his wife out in the vineyard herding cattle, but if the vines were trampled, they would have nothing. They all had to work to keep them from destroying their future crops.

Hours later when they returned to the house, Katie turned to him and sank down at the table. They had saved most of the vines, but there were some the cattle had not only trampled, it appeared they'd been running through his field. Thank goodness it was not his older grapes, but the newer ones and he thought he could save the cuttings, though he would have to do a  lot of work.

Katie turned and stared at him. “Do not blame this one on me.”

He laid his head back against the chair rest. “If only I could, because then I would know who had created the problem. My gut is telling me this was deliberate.”

But who would be trying to destroy him?

She stared at him, her big eyes wide and bright. “But why? Who would want to ruin the vineyard? You're just starting to make money.”

Shrugging his shoulder he shook his head. “I don't know.”