Anna: Bride of Alabama (American Mail-Order Bride 22) (3 page)

She straightened when she saw him. “Lunch will be ready soon.” She raised an eyebrow and nodded her head toward the hallway Julia ran down. “Best brace yourself for this one. Yell for me if you take a notion to strangle her. You’ll need a witness to what really happened.”

Ruth wasn’t known for making light of any situation so her warning caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up straight. “That bad, huh?”

Ruth snorted and shook her head. “You won’t believe it until you see it.” She shooed him away with a flick of a hand towel. “Go on. She’s been waiting for longer than you have.”

Gabriel headed down the hall as Julia stepped out of the parlor, pulling the door closed behind her. The room was rarely used now unless they had a guest. His spoiled little daughter was smiling as joyous as he’d ever seen her and he knew someone was waiting on the other side of that door. He was too afraid to ask who.

He wondered if he was presentable enough to receive company. He’d been in the fields since he returned home. Mucking around in the mud with James, dragging old wagons and wheels into piles to burn and fighting with that old mule to get her out of the vegetable garden had left him covered in dirt and sweat.

He glanced down to take a look at his clothes. He’d presented himself better but judging the look on Julia’s face, she wasn’t going to wait around for him to change. “Okay, make this quick,” he said. “I still have more work to do today.”

She ran a quick look over him then frowned. “You should probably change.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ll make a better impression if you do.”

“And who am I trying to impress?”

“I can’t tell you yet. Just trust me. Go change, please.”

“Julia—“

“Please, papa.”

She pouted. Gabriel cursed under his breath and stared at her, trying to come up with any sort of reply that would end this ordeal quickly. When she gave him that pleading look she was getting too good at, he sighed and headed for the stairs. “This better not be another one of your schemes to get a new wardrobe full of dresses.”

She grinned. “Its not. Now hurry.”

Gabriel took the stairs two at a time, asking himself again why he let her manipulate him the way she did. He grinned as he neared his room. “She’s spoiled just like everyone says she is.”

He washed best he could on such short notice and hoped whoever was on the other side of that parlor door wouldn’t get close enough to tell. He made quick work of changing, throwing on the clothes he’d been wearing that morning and running his hands through his hair to get the creases from his hat to settle a bit.

Returning to the parlor, he held out both hands when he approached Julia. “Will this do?”

She looked him over again and nodded before grabbing the doorknob and giving him a stern look. “Now promise not to embarrass me, papa. You can yell at me later, in private.”

That trickle of fear that crawled his back when Julia was up to something caused a cold sweat to break out on his flesh as she opened the door. Whatever it was she’d done was sure to be unpleasant.

He followed her inside the parlor, halting just inside the door. Of all the things he’d imagined waited for him inside that room, the woman from the train was not one of them. She recognized him if her wide-eyed expression was any indication.

“Papa, this is Anna Davis.” Julia grabbed his hand and pulled him across the room, stopping a short distance from when Anna stood. “And this, Anna, is my father, Gabriel Montgomery.”

She blushed, her pale complexion turning rosy red in an instant. “We’ve met.” She smiled and raised a hand to him, her fingers shaking as she said, “Its a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Montgomery.”

Gabriel took her hand and in a gesture he’d seen his father perform so many times it became second nature, lifted and kissed the back of it. Her blush deepened, those pretty pale blue eyes lowering moments before she pulled her hand away. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said, throwing a glance at Julia.

 His daughter watched them both closely, the smile on her face never wavering. She turned to the chairs and  said, “Let’s all have a seat.”

Gabriel waited until Anna and Julia sat down before he did the same. He looked toward Julia. Her back was straight, her feet crossed at the ankles, her hands clasped in her lap. He waited for her to say something but for once, she was quiet as a door mouse.

Anna Davis mimicked Julia, although the look on her face held more confusion than anything. He took the time to study her features, her eyes once again drawing his notice. The contrast of her dark hair seemed to make her eyes shine unnaturally. Her lips were a soft pink, her cheeks still flushed. She was even more lovely than he thought she was on the train.

She glanced his way and cleared her throat. “You have a very beautiful home.”

“Thank you.” He looked around the room and wondered if her eyesight was poor. The wallpaper was peeling near the ceiling. The carpets so dull he had a hard time remembering what color it was supposed to be. “Its in need of repair.” She turned her head to take in the rest of the room, Gabriel’s gaze tracing the line of her slender neck, her ruffled collar leading to a row of neat white buttons that ran down the front of her chest.

“Are all the rooms as large as this one?”

Her question drew his attention. “Most of them are. A few of the bedrooms are larger.”

“Oh? How many are in the house?”

“Bedrooms? Six in all.”

She nodded, her lips pursed and Gabriel noticed she was wringing her hands. She was nervous. Were the questions about the house a result of that or was she genuinely interested?

Julia had yet to say a word and he turned his attention to her. What was she up to? Why was Anna Davis in his home? He sat up and cleared his throat. “So, Miss Davis, what exactly brings you by today?”

She gave him a wide-eyed look and glanced toward Julia before looking back. Confusion clouded her features but she managed to say, “I answered the ad you placed,” before her voice cracked. Gabriel couldn’t recall anyone mentioning an ad. Anna’s questions about the size of the rooms and how many there were told him everything his daughter hadn’t. Julia had hired a new house keeper.

He didn’t think they needed one but he knew very little about what it took to run a house this size and it was no secret there were things being neglected. Not that he blamed Ruth for that. She was getting on in age. It was time someone younger helped her out a bit. And as luck would have it, the intriguing woman from the train would be taking the job.

She blushed again as he sat staring at her and he had so many questions she’d probably think him insane if he started asking them. There was time for that later. Besides, he’d left James at the stable by himself and needed to get back to him soon.

He smiled and stood, the pressure on his chest releasing now that he knew Julia wasn’t up to something sinister. “Ruth and Julia can help familiarize you with the house and get you settled into a room. I don’t know much about how things run inside these walls, so I won’t be much help if you ask. I look forward to talking with you later but for now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.”

He had so many questions, he didn’t know where to start but didn’t have time to ask them, especially with Julia in the room. His luck of late was dire but seeing the lovely woman from the train, the one he’d tried to find in town, sitting in his house? Maybe his luck was about to change.

She stood as he turned to leave the room, the rustle of fabric from her dress loud in the stillness. Julia was on his heels as he reached for the doorknob and pushed her way in front of him, leaning against the door so he couldn't open it.

“You can’t leave yet.”

“Why?”

“Because you got it all wrong.”

“What did I get wrong?”

Julia’s shoulders slumped and her voice lowered. “The reason Anna is here.”

He glanced over his shoulder. She was standing again, a small bag clutched in her fingers, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. He smiled at her, pleased when she blushed prettily. “And why is she here?” he asked, using the same hushed voice Julia had.

“Promise you won’t get mad?”

“Mad about what?”

“I can’t tell you unless you promise.”

He met Julia’s gaze and wasn’t sure if he should be mad or amused at the look on her face. “And I can’t promise unless I know what I’m promising.”

Julia sighed dramatically. “Why are you always so difficult?”

“Because you make everything difficult.” He held back a chuckle when she rolled her eyes. For all her meddling, her heart was always in the right place. He had no doubt, whatever was going on, it was done out of love and not mischief. “I’m waiting, Julia. What did I get wrong?” He resisted the urge to glance back at Anna. “What am I not understanding?”

“Anna isn’t here to help Ruth clean. She’s here for you.”

“For me?” he blinked, his heart punching his ribcage in one hard thump. “What do you mean?”

Julia sighed again and looked toward the opposite side of the room. “She’s here to be your new wife.”

Chapter Three

Something was wrong. Anna watched Julia and Gabriel speak in soft whispers by the door. Her new groom kept looking back at her, his expression giving away nothing.

Julia had surprised her when she burst into the room ahead of her father. She was nothing like she pictured in her head. The girl was full of energy, her eyes bright and curious, her smile friendly. She’d greeted her with a hug so tight, Anna was surprised at the intensity of it and every time she looked her way, that cheery smile flashed.

The smile was gone now, her brows low over her eyes. Julia said something, Gabriel’s body stiffening before he yelled, “What?”

Anna jumped, startled at the outburst and clutched her bag tighter when Gabriel turned to face her.

“Will you excuse us a moment, Miss Davis?” He took Julia by the arm, moved her away from the door and opened it, pulling the girl out with him before shutting it firmly as they left.

Anna stood staring at the door for long moments before it opened, Ruth coming in with a tray.  “I have your tea, Miss Anna. This should help settle you a bit.”

Something thumped the floor above her and both women looked up. Ruth said something under her breath before setting the tray down and pouring Anna a cup of tea. Another thump from upstairs and Ruth’s hand shook, the tea cup tipping on the saucer.

Anna looked toward the ceiling again. “Do you suppose everything is all right?”

“Oh, I’m sure of it.” Ruth wiped the spilled tea up and straightened. “Miss Julia tries his patience but he’s never taken a hand to her. Probably what's wrong with the girl, if you ask me, but its not my place to say.”

Heavy footfalls echoed from the floor above and Anna sighed. “I take it from his reaction that he wasn’t expecting me.”

Ruth shook her head. “No one knew of your arrival until today. Julia kept her plan to herself until the last moment.”

Anna took a sip of the tea. It was still too hot to drink but the burn to her lip cleared her head a bit. “So the marriage proposal was all Julia’s doings?”

“Afraid so.” Ruth folded her hands together and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Don’t worry. Mr. Montgomery always takes care of his responsibilities, even those he isn’t aware he has. Once he and Miss Julia have their go at each other, things will come together.”

Ruth left her there with the tea and her thoughts. Anna set her tea cup down and reached into her reticule and pulled the letter out again, reading the words that had drawn her to the ad she’d answered. Of all the men who had advertised for a wife, she’d picked the one man who didn’t really want one.

She groaned, crumpled the paper in her hand and closed her eyes. “Now what?”

A door slammed somewhere in the house. Anna looked up, the entire encounter with Julia and Gabriel replaying in her head again.

As interested as Gabriel seemed in her on the train, it was obvious from the look on his face he’d been unprepared for her arrival. She could only imagine what he was thinking. He’d looked as surprised to see her when he entered the room as she was at seeing him. It hadn’t taken long for her to realize her new groom was the handsome man from the train and the last bit of fear she’d had vanished in an instant.

That is until he went to leave. The look he gave her before leaving with Julia told her everything. He hadn’t known anything about the ad or her. To him she was nothing more than some strange woman showing up to marry him, sight unseen. Julia had put them in a tough spot, one she didn’t know how to fix.

She glanced out the window, those beautifully haunting trees around the pond drawing her attention before loud voices filled the air. They were arguing and she knew she was the cause.

Anna set her tea cup down and stood, reaching down to grab her carpet bag. She’d made the long trip south for a husband and judging Gabriel's reaction, she wasn’t going to find one here regardless of the fact their attraction seemed to be mutual. Finding someone pleasing to the eye didn’t mean you were ready to marry them and Gabriel Montgomery didn’t act as if he were in any hurry to marry anyone.

She left the room and peered down the hall. She could hear someone humming in the distance, Ruth, she assumed, and hoped the woman stayed occupied and didn’t see her leave.

The front door opened and closed with only a slight creak and Anna hurried down the steps and headed for the main road. She was a good ways from town but the walk would be good after being cramped inside the train car for so long.

She made it as far as the pond before stopping. Nestled under a tree with branches that swept the ground was a bench made of carved stone. The grass underneath it was cut short and felt spongy under her feet.

Placing her bags on the ground, Anna walked to the edge of the pond, those strange birds still wading in the shallow waters. A warm breeze ruffled the tree branches and carried a scent so sweet it perfumed the air. She lost track of time as she stood there staring at the water until Gabriel stepped up beside her and cleared his throat, causing her to jump.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Anna smiled and shook her head. “I was lost in thought. I didn’t hear you approach.”

He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and glanced across the pond as she’d been doing. He was quiet for long moments before turning to look at her.

If there was one fault she had she wished she could overcome it would be her tendency to be shy around people. She rarely made eye contact with anyone for any length of time but as Gabriel stared down at her, she couldn’t look away. His eyes were bright green with specks of brown. There was kindness there and a hint of curiosity that matched her own. She’d spent hours trying to sneak glances at him, had given him more than one smile and received more back in return.

Anna placed his age somewhere in his thirties but something in his eyes told of hardships that aged him considerably more than that. He was a bit of a contradiction to his station in life. One would think the owner of a large plantation would be stuffy and proper to a fault. Gabriel was anything but. He shared his daughters dark hair which was much longer than men she’d seen wear theirs. His laid against his shoulders in waves and although it was too long, it suited him well. His skin was tanned from the sun, his hands calloused from hard work and that alone told her he spent most of his days outside working instead of seeking shelter from the heat inside.

As horrible as the situation his daughter had put them in, Anna found herself more than a little bit curious as to what he would say about the situation. She tucked a stray curl the wind blew in her face behind her ear. “I’m sorry my arrival caught you so off guard. If I had known this wasn’t your idea, I would never have come.”

“Don’t worry yourself about it.” He chuckled and brushed a thumb nail across his eyebrow. “Of all the things Julia has done over the years this will go down as the most surprising but I’m sure it won’t be the last.”

“I take it she’s quite a handful.”

“And then some.” He shifted on his feet and rolled his shoulders. “I accept most of the blame for it. Her mother was quite hard on her, insisting she conduct herself in a certain way and to be lady-like every moment of the day. I didn’t hold the same convictions and let her do as she wished. That didn’t turn out so well, as you can see.”

He had a nice smile. As nervous as she’d been about meeting the man she agreed to marry, she would have said her vows to Gabriel with little reservation.

She knew nothing about him and the situation Julia put him in was enough to rattle anyone’s nerves but he was handling things calmly. She wasn’t so sure she would have been able to do the same had their rolls been reversed.

Gabriel glanced to the bench and nodded his head to her bag. “You weren’t leaving, were you?”

She nodded. “The thought had crossed my mind.” She glanced at her bags and felt her face heat. “To be honest, I’m quite embarrassed.”

“Why?”

She laughed nervously. “Well, I traveled a long way to marry a man I didn’t know, only to find out he had no idea I existed.”

“That’s not exactly true,” he said in a deep-timbered voice. “I spent hours watching you on that train, trying to find one good reason to talk to you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced up and tried holding back a smile but failed miserably. “Its a shame it took a man sitting on me to get you to cross the train car.”

They both laughed.

“I looked for you once I made it in to town.” Gabriel shoved his hands back into his pockets. “I thought you stayed on the train.”

“And I thought you did the same.”

Neither spoke for long minutes, both staring out across the pond until Gabriel said, “Julia will be quite disappointed if you don’t come back to the house. I’m used to her tantrums but a I really don’t want to listen to her complain all evening.”

“You don’t seem as upset about this as you did earlier.”

“I’ve found being angry about a situation does little to solve the problem.” He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “Julia wants a mother.” His cheeks darkened for a moment before his naturally dark complexion returned to normal. “She’s made her feelings on the matter known on more than one occasion but I hadn’t thought to take a wife again. The last one left me with a distaste for it that will take a lifetime to overcome. Normally I’d move the sun to make Julia happy but in this, I’m not sure I can.” He turned to look at her. “As lovely as I find you, Anna, marriage just isn’t something I want.”

“I see.” Anna’s heart ached at his admission. She’d not been overly excited about marrying a stranger but from the moment she saw Gabriel walk into the parlor, she’d been more than willing.

“I hope you understand and aren’t too upset with Julia. She doesn’t think things through before she acts on them.”

“No, I understand,” Anna said. “I can’t be angry at a twelve year old girl whose only desire is for a mother.”

“My daughter wants a companion. A mother is the natural choice for her but there are other ways to give her what she wants. If you’ll agree.”

“I’m listening.”

“As a child, my sister had a governess before she took ill. Its an old fashioned notion but there’s no reason why Julia can’t have one. There’s things I can’t teach her that you’re more than qualified for.”

He detailed the things Julia needed instruction on. Things only another woman would know. Ruth had enough responsibility as it was and he didn’t want to burden her with more. He offered her a place in his home befitting her new station. It wasn’t a marriage proposal, or a promise of love everlasting, but she’d have a roof over her head, which was all she’d really been expecting. “I’ve no idea how to be a governess.”

“You’ll do fine. Just teach her the things she’ll need to know when she’s old enough to make her own decisions and you’ll have my undying gratitude.”

 Anna knew next to nothing about teaching anyone anything. She could read, do simple figures and sew, but other than that, she was as clueless as Julia was. Would it be fair to do this when she herself knew so little? Seeing as she had no where else to go, she had little choice but accept the offer. “All right. We’ll give it a try.”

“Wonderful.” He smiled at her, her heart giving one powerful thump against her ribcage. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. There was no denying her attraction to this man. How would she ever be able to live in his house and not act like a lovesick schoolgirl every time he looked her way?

“Let’s go break the news to Julia,” he said, turning to the bench to pick up her carpet bag and reticule. “Hopefully she’ll be receptive to the idea. I’ll have terms of the arrangement drawn up. Nothing too restrictive. It will just protect us both incase something goes wrong.”

“Like what?”

He laughed. “A week in this house and you’ll wish you’d kept walking instead of stopping to look at the pond.” He motioned to the house with a nod of his head. “Shall we? Ruth has lunch waiting.”

Anna looked toward the house with its flaking paint and broken shutters and felt the first bit of glee she’d managed to find since leaving Massachusetts. It wasn’t the happy marriage proposal she’d always hoped for but it was better than begging for scraps in a dark alley or worse, selling the only thing she had worth any value—herself.

Gabriel may not want to marry her, but he would provide her with a roof over her head and security for the time being and really, what more could she ask for?

* * * *

What was he doing? Gabriel could usually smell trouble a mile away and although Anna’s sweet demeanor seemed less threatening than Julia’s did most days, he knew this arrangement was a disaster in the making.

The woman was too lovely to ignore. He hadn’t been able to do it on the train, what made him think he could do it now? He’d been truthful when he said he had no wish to marry again even if Anna was a temptation strong enough to make him rethink the notion. But inviting Anna to live in his home? He’d gone daft. There was no other explanation for it.

The walk back to the house was long, the summer sun warm enough to cause a fine sheen of sweat to break out on his brow. The trees helped to keep a steady breeze blowing but just barely. Anna had yet to say anything and the silence was making him more uncomfortable by the second. “So, Anna, where are you from?”