Before the Dawn (Truly Yours Digital Editions) (6 page)

Jesse grinned like a well-fed cat, his arms banded across his broad chest, his booted ankles crossed toward the hearth. Sam tipped a pawn on edge and rolled it in a circle, not looking up, though an arrow of concern formed between his brows.

When Karen got to the monetary compensation clause, the pencil David had been toying with snapped. “That’s outrageous.” The words burst from him like bullets from a gun. “That sum is preposterous. This entire situation is preposterous.”

Karen lowered the papers, not trusting herself to speak. She wanted to tell him this was a farce, that she had no intention of going through with it, that she loved him and wanted him to
want
to be married to her.

Matilda nodded, a smile playing around her lips. She must think her plans were working at least in part. David was talking to them.

“Whew, Karen, that’s a sight of money.” Jesse whistled. “Fuller thinks he can get you that much?”

David shot to his feet, sending his chair crashing into the wall. “Over my dead body. And, Father, I can’t believe you aren’t livid about—”

Matilda cut him off. “There is a simple solution to this problem, David. I believe Karen is entitled to something out of this whole affair. If you aren’t prepared to do the right thing by her, then she deserves compensation. Of course, you could end this entire business by marrying her. The family is agreed in this, and it is what you want, isn’t it, Karen?”

“With all my heart,” Karen whispered, choking back the tears.

David snorted. “That is not going to happen. Karen, you’ve lost your senses. You will not coerce me this way. Neither will you rob my family in this manner. Mother, I’ve abided by your new rules, but as of now, my evening is finished. Good night.”

David skirted the settee and ran straight into the potted palm on the table by the door. The pot teetered for a moment, then crashed to the floor, shattering and sending dirt and palm fronds across the rug. Redness barged up David’s neck and across his high cheekbones. He stumbled through the wreckage and groped for the door handle before anyone could move.

Karen’s mouth hung open. She was the one who had lost her senses? She rose to go after him.

Matilda tried to restrain her. “No, Karen, don’t back down now.”

“Don’t worry.” She gently removed Matilda’s hand from her arm. “I have no intention of backing down.” Her footsteps rang on the foyer floor. “David Mackenzie, stop this instant.”

He stopped, his hand gripping the rail, halfway up the staircase.

She lifted her hem and marched up the steps. “How dare you! How dare you claim I am out of my mind or somehow out of order in seeking recompense. I didn’t break this engagement. You did. You called the tune, now you can pay the piper. You’ve been nothing but rude and cold since I returned, and your treatment of your mother was atrocious. You owe her an apology for your unkind words, and you broke her vase and didn’t even have the decency to say you were sorry.”

“My mother’s vase?” His head tilted and his eyebrows rose. Then his face hardened once more. “When you receive your payout from the lawsuit, you can buy her a new one.”

His voice flicked at her, and she burned to grab his shoulders and shake some sense into him, to make him realize how much he was hurting all of them, how much he was hurting himself. “Stop being so difficult. I don’t want the money. I only want to marry you. I love you, David, and I know you love me. Why must you be so blind?”

He froze, his face going white at her words.

She wanted to call them back, but it was too late.

A ripple went through his body, as if she had struck him.

Her apology was halfway up her throat when she touched his arm.

But he stiffened and thrust her hand aside. “
My dear
. . .”

She winced at the endearment he used to say with such tenderness.

“You claim you still want to marry me? You say you’ll sue me if I don’t capitulate? Well, if nothing else will please you, and since you have the support of my entire family, then I will marry you and leave you to suffer the consequences brought about by your rash actions.”

The fight rushed back into Karen, and she stepped up onto the riser beside him. “Don’t toy with me, David. If this is some kind of joke to get me to withdraw the lawsuit, I’m warning you, I won’t be trifled with.”

“You are warning me?” His hand gripped the banister so hard his arm shook. “You are the one who is in trouble, lady.” He grabbed her by the shoulders, shifting one hand to her chin. He kissed her, fierce and quick. It was over before she could react. “You have your wish,
my dear
.
We’ll be wed tomorrow afternoon, and I expect this lawsuit to be dropped by the following day.” He turned and walked up the stairs every bit as if he saw each one, seemingly in too much of a temper to be tentative.

Karen sank down onto the steps and stared after him, incredulous, her trembling fingers raised to touch her lips, still tingling from his kiss. She remained staring up toward the landing until a door slammed on the second floor. Her bludgeoned mind could hardly take in what had happened. At a noise below her, she turned.

Sam, Jesse, and Matilda crowded in the parlor doorway. Sam rubbed his cheek. “At least Dave’s out of his doldrums now.”

❧

“What made you change your mind?” Sam plopped into the chair beside the bed and propped his boots on the comforter, making the mattress lurch.

David tucked the fingers of his good hand behind his head and pressed back into the pillow. “General idiocy? Or maybe I thought it would be less expensive to marry her than to go through with that lawsuit.”

“Or maybe it’s what you want deep down in your heart? You said you still love her.”

The memory of Karen’s lips under his, even though he’d kissed her in anger, seared David through. He loved her and he wanted her. His abdomen trembled. He knew he was using the lawsuit as an excuse to push past his fears and marry her. But what about later? What about when everything fell apart? “Why did you come up here, Sam?”

“I guess I wanted to make sure. . .I don’t know. You know I wouldn’t have pushed going through with this wedding if I wasn’t one hundred percent sure you two still loved each other, right? If I didn’t think it was the best thing for both of you, I never would’ve gone along with this breach of promise idea.”

“How can you say it’s for the best? I’m getting railroaded every which way from Sunday. I never would’ve thought Karen capable of coming up with an idea like this. It’s so unlike her. More something Mother would do if she got the bit between her teeth.”

Clearing his throat, Sam shifted his weight. “Well, truth be told, the idea did originate with Mother—Now, don’t explode. She had the full backing of Father, and Karen just went along with it. You hit it square when you said Mother had the bit between her teeth. And her plan worked, too. You’re out of the study, dressed, and things are moving forward for the wedding.”

David fisted his hands and pounded his thighs. “You’re joking, right? This was all Mother’s idea?” And he’d fallen right into it. “I’m such an idiot.”

“You aren’t going to back out now, are you? Mother will kill me for opening my big mouth. Things are so close to working out between you and Karen. You won’t let this upset the ore cart, will you?”

Impotent anger washed over David. He was no more than a rag doll. Without his sight, he couldn’t even fight back, falling into the trap Mother had laid for him. And Karen, dancing to Mother’s tune, though she didn’t bear as much blame since she hadn’t known his mother as long as he had. “I won’t back out now. I’ll give Karen the protection of my name, and she’ll be provided for, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is some sort of happily-ever-after. Eventually, she’ll regret marrying me and she’ll leave, or she’ll stay and be miserable. And you and Mother and Father will have to live with knowing you pushed us both into this.”

Sam tapped him on the leg. “You know, time’s going to prove you wrong. When you’ve been happily married for ten years and have half a dozen kids, I’m going to remind you of this little discussion.”

“Stop kidding around. Time isn’t going to change the fact that I’m helplessly blind and no fit husband for any woman. This is a legal move, nothing more.”

His brother moved to the door. “I’ll expect you to name at least one of those kids Sam. See you in the morning, bridegroom.”

SIX

“I don’t think I can do this.” Karen drew a deep breath, then several more. The bouquet of flowers from the conservatory trembled in her hands.

Jesse leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Don’t let my son’s sour face fool you. Deep down, he’s getting what he wants. Believe it. David loves you and needs you. This is for the best.”

She pressed her free hand against the hummingbirds bom-barding her stomach.

With little ceremony, Jesse led her into the parlor. Sam stood beside David and ran his finger around his collar as if he was the one getting married. Dear Pastor Van Dyke, his suit rumpled and his white hair running amok, held his Bible before him like a shield. Matilda smiled and nodded encouragement, and beside her, David’s cousin Marcus stood. He didn’t meet her gaze, and he checked his watch as if he’d rather be anywhere else.

Marcus. He had been one of the first people she’d met when she first got her job at the registry office. She lost count of the times he’d asked her permission to call. Though he was nice enough, she just wasn’t interested, especially after meeting David.

She glanced at her soon-to-be husband. He looked like he might try to beat Marcus to the door in a footrace. She blinked back tears.
You’re doing the right thing, even if he doesn’t realize it right now. Once he learns that your love for him hasn’t changed, he’ll feel safe showing his love to you. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will his confidence return overnight.

Jesse put her hand into David’s, and the ceremony began.

David didn’t falter in his vows, though his voice lacked enthusiasm. She repeated her promises, squeezing his hand when she vowed to love, honor, and obey him until death parted them. He gave no indication he felt it.

Pastor Van Dyke pronounced them man and wife. “You may kiss your bride.”

Air crowded into her throat. David fumbled for a moment, placed his hand on the side of her face, then kissed her cheek as if she was his mother. She blinked, and the chill that blew through her lingered.

He signed the marriage certificate, his name scrawling off to the side like a primer student’s. Karen wrote her name beneath his, swamped with misgivings and doubt one moment, sure she was doing the right thing the next.

Marcus shook David’s hand and patted Karen on the shoulder then scooted out the door like his tail was on fire. Karen couldn’t blame him, what with David acting like he was taking part in his own execution.

Only once during the wedding breakfast did she catch a glimpse of the David she knew hidden beneath the wounded exterior. Buckford set David’s plate before him and leaned down to whisper something Karen didn’t catch.

The grim expression cemented on David’s face all morning softened, and a smile relaxed his lips. He blew out an easy sigh. “Thank you, Buckford. Thank you for understanding and not judging.”

The older man patted David on the shoulder and cast a glance at Karen. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Buckford was pleading for understanding himself. She lifted her brows, but he shook his head and returned to the kitchen.

Jesse rose when it came time to serve the wedding cake. “A toast to Karen and David.”

Karen lifted her glass of punch. Would David take part? A trapped breath escaped her chest when he felt for his glass and held it before himself.

“Karen, you are a gracious and lovely addition, and Matilda and I welcome you as the daughter we never had. We know that things don’t always work out according to our plans, but they always work out according to God’s plan and for our good.” He smiled and nodded several times, his eyes suspiciously bright. “David, you’ve had a bumpy road this past little while, but with Karen by your side, I foresee things smoothing out for you. If I didn’t know how much you love each other, I would’ve suggested waiting for this union, but if ever two people were meant to be together, it’s you. I wish you all the happiness you deserve.” He raised his glass. “To Karen and David.”

Matilda and Sam echoed his words. “Karen and David.”

Karen pressed her glass to her lips and took a deep drink, all the while watching David over the rim. He lifted his punch and took a sip, his face thoughtful. Was he softening?

The family scattered as soon as they could decently do so, leaving Karen and David alone together for the first time all day.

She folded her napkin into a square and laid it beside her plate.

“So, what’s your next move, Mrs. Mackenzie?”

“I was just going to ask you the same thing. Where do we go from here?”

“You’re not already regretting your decision, are you?”

“Of course not. It would be natural for me to ask what your plans are for the near future.”

“How appropriate, because I do have plans. Buckford is upstairs packing my things. I’m headed to Denver to take up residence in the town house. Certain information has come to my knowledge that makes it prudent I separate myself from my family for the time being, my mother in particular. The train departs in two hours.”