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A deep, decidedly male voice exclaimed, “Whoa, there.”
Ada gasped, dropping the bowl in her surprise. It smashed, sending ceramic bits and pieces scattering over the length of the front porch. Horrified, she surveyed the damage and then raised her eyes to behold Jack Burnett, his face and the front of his shirt both dripping wet. If only the ground would open up and swallow her.
“I am so sorry, Mr. Burnett.” She tugged inside her sleeve, pulling out her handkerchief. “Here. Take this.”
He motioned the handkerchief away, his expression dark and unreadable. “No, thank you. I’ve got one of my own. I wouldn’t want to ruin yours.” He mopped his brow. “I suppose you and your aunt have had a chance to talk?”
“We have,” she replied, with as much dignity as she could muster.
He tucked the bandanna back in his pocket, and a surge of some strange feeling grabbed hold of Ada. Surely she wasn’t attracted to this man? He was no better than any other man of her acquaintance, arrogant and smug. No, she must be exhausted from the journey and from the emotional upheaval she had endured.
“Will you marry me?”
“For a price?” She couldn’t keep her voice from trembling. She cleared her throat.
“Well, out here we would say we are killing two birds with one stone.” His eyes gentled, and he gave her a smile. “You see, we need each other, and marriage would fix both of our problems. If you make me a nice home, then I get my daughter. I pay you for your trouble, and you can keep your sisters in school. What do you think?”
“Aunt Pearl makes it sound as though I have no choice in the matter.” She admitted it grudgingly. Life had been constant humiliation for months now, and everywhere she turned, doors had closed in her face.
“Of course, you have a choice.” He leaned up against the porch column, eyeing her squarely. “The only reason I acted the way I did is because, well, I thought you had come to an understanding already with your aunt. I thought you two had corresponded and she had explained matters. But maybe that was the wrong way to handle things. You see, there’s a reason why I want to marry you. As I said before, I need a wife.”
“Surely there’s someone around here you know better than me.” For the first time since their meeting, a real curiosity seized her. Why on earth did this man want to marry her, after all? It didn’t really make sense.
“It’s not that simple.” He glanced down at his boots, his jaw tightening. “My first wife died eight years ago, and her father thinks that Winchester Falls is no place for his granddaughter to grow up. He placed Laura in a boarding school a few years back. I visit her during the holidays. It’s not worth bringing her to Texas for visits. My father-in-law raises such a fuss that bringing her here causes a lot of trouble. In fact, he was threatening to take Laura away for good. I can’t let that happen. She’s only ten years old, and she needs a real family. Your aunt Pearl was kind enough to offer a compromise.”
“Why would Aunt Pearl even get involved?” None of this made much sense.
“Your aunt has been a friend of my family since we moved out here. She became acquainted with my father-in-law and, well, people have a tendency to listen to Pearl Colgan when she speaks. So she was a good person to step in and settle matters before it got too ugly.” He gave a wry smile, but the expression in his green eyes was still dark.
“One of the conditions my father-in-law agreed to was that if I could marry a girl from a fine family, and set up housekeeping here in Winchester Falls—proper housekeeping, not frontier living like I’ve been doing—then he will allow Laura to come live with me.” He gave her a searching glance. “You’re from an excellent family back east. My father-in-law would approve of you. Besides which, you’re related to Pearl Colgan, which makes you okay in my book.” He lifted one shoulder laconically. “If you agree to the bargain, my daughter gets to come home. I don’t even want to wait for the end of the school year—we’d go get her as soon as possible. You’ll have a nice place to call your own. I’ll pay you wages, so that you can keep your sisters in school. I’m a good provider, and I even know how to make a decent cup of coffee. What do you say? Will you marry me?”
Ada hesitated. “I’ve never thought of marrying anyone, to be honest. My work in the women’s suffrage movement means a lot to me.” She lifted her chin. “I believe that women should have the same rights as men.”
He grinned, a boyish smile that made her heart flutter ridiculously in her chest. “Fine with me. If you think you’re the equal of any man, I’ll take your word for it. In fact, I challenge you to prove it. Show everyone out here that you are made of sterner stuff than your average New York belle.”
She eyed him warily. “You’ll get to have the family situation your father-in-law demands of you.”
He shrugged. “Sure. I’m aiming for an agreement that’s acceptable to both parties.”
Ada swallowed, nervousness gripping her tight. There was no reasonable way to decline. She had no place to go, after all. Aunt Pearl had made that quite clear. If she married Jack, she would help him to bring his daughter home. It was sweet that he cared so much. Her father couldn’t have been bothered to bring any of his daughters home. No, in fact, the arranging of schooling and vacations, trips and homes had been done by Mother. After Mother died, Ada had assumed that role for the family.
Her sisters had come to rely on her for strength and security. This arrangement would allow her to continue to provide both. If they wanted to remain in school, she would have the funds to make that possible. If they preferred to come to Texas, she would have created a suitable home, not just for Laura but also for her sisters.
On the other hand, she had never intended to marry. Marriage made her suspicious. It seemed that men used matrimony as a kind of weapon to get what they wanted, as Jack was doing now. “If I agree to it, I have one condition.”
“Name it.” He had grown suddenly still, watching her with those disconcertingly green eyes.
“If we marry, I’m an equal partner in this venture,” she replied, slowly forming the words that had entered her mind. “I must have my rights. I need to be able to continue my work as a suffragist. I must maintain my own funds, which cannot be touched by anyone. The lack of equality in the wedded state that I have been witness to has made me hostile to the institution of marriage for many years.”
He stared at her, as though taking a few moments to process all that she had just said. His expression was shuttered a little, as though he were distrustful of her intentions, as well. Her heart continued its heavy pounding against her rib cage, and she surreptitiously wiped her palms on the front of her dusty black skirt. What if he said no to her conditions? What then?
After a small eternity, he stuck out his hand. “Miss Westmore, you have yourself a deal.”
As soon as Jack grasped Miss Westmore’s hand in a firm shake, a sense of loss tugged at him. Another marriage that didn’t mean anything, at least in the traditional sense. That seemed to be his lot in life. Well, there was no use in getting upset. Miss Westmore was everything his father-in-law wanted in a stepmother for Laura. She was educated, cultured and pretty. СКАЧАТЬ