The Substitute Bride. Janet Dean

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      His words reminded her to take dainty bites, not pig-at-the-trough gulps. “I had tea and cookies at the parsonage.”

      His brow furrowed. “You didn’t eat on the train, did you?” he asked softly.

      She stared at her plate. “No.”

      “Look at me, Elizabeth.”

      She raised her chin and looked into his eyes, which were now clouded. Was it with dismay?

      “I may not have much in the way of money, but my cellar’s stocked. You won’t go hungry. At least if you’re a good cook,” he added with a chuckle.

      She fiddled with her napkin. “I’m sure I can.”

      “You’ve never tried?” he said, his tone laden with amazement.

      Elizabeth took a swig of water. “I grew up in a home with maids, a cook, laundress, tutor, butler, even a nanny.”

      Ted frowned. “You said you were destitute.”

      “I am. Of late.”

      “What happened?”

      “What happened isn’t a topic for good digestion.”

      She wanted to ask how long it had been since Rose had died, but it didn’t seem like the right time, either. Instead she returned to her food.

      Ted took a bite, obviously enjoyed the tasty dish and ate every morsel, and didn’t end the meal with a belch.

      Uninvited, a memory invaded her mind. Of the three red-faced, ho-humming, toe-tapping times she’d sat in the parlor with Reginald after dinner, swishing her fan until her arm ached, trying to dissipate the silent belches rocking his spindly body and the unpleasant odors chasing after them. She’d tried to be kind, to turn the other nostril, ah, cheek, but he’d been…distasteful.

      Papa had said Reginald Parks was short on manners but long on cash so he had to be forgiven. Instead of forgiving Reginald, she’d defied her father. A heavy weight squeezed against her lungs. Would Papa find it in his heart to forgive her?

      Would Ted forgive her once he knew about Robby?

      She looked up to find Ted studying her in that quiet way of his. He wiped his lips on the napkin. Nice lips. Full. At the memory of Ted’s kiss at the end of the ceremony, Elizabeth’s pulse leaped. His lips had been soft. Gentle. Enticing.

      The one time Reginald had lowered his whiskered face to hers, he’d triggered spasms in her throat that threatened to make her retch.

      Another point in Ted’s favor.

      Though, at the moment, her stomach tumbled. Too many uncertainties churned inside her.

      The door burst open and in marched Mrs. Van Wyld, followed by a knot of ladies, beaming like sunshine. Johanna led the procession to their table.

      “The folks of New Harmony, leastwise those I could round up, are here to give you newlyweds a party.” She gestured to Cecil Moore. “If I know the mayor, he’s got his harmonica. His brother will be along with his fiddle.”

      Grinning, Cecil flipped the instrument out of his pocket and played a few merry notes. Ted looked as if he wished the floor would open up and swallow him, but Elizabeth’s toe tapped under her skirts.

      People came over, shook Ted and Elizabeth’s hands, offering their congratulations.

      “Would you like a piece of Agnes’s pie?” Johanna said, once the crowd cleared.

      Ted took a step toward the door. “We really need to be going.”

      “My treat,” Johanna persisted. “Sorry it’s not cake, but it’s mighty good.”

      In case she needed to escape tonight, Elizabeth couldn’t risk putting the sheets to the test. She turned to Ted. “Is your house one story or two?”

      “One.”

      “Oh, I’ll have a slice of pie, then. A big one.” She smiled at Ted, resting her chin on her palm. “Pie is my weakness.”

      Johanna waved to Agnes. “They’ll have pie. I’m paying.”

      Agnes appeared at their elbows. “I’ve got sugar cream and cherry today.”

      “The sugar cream, please,” Elizabeth said.

      Ted frowned as if he didn’t approve of the turn of events. “None for me.”

      “Don’t be silly,” Johanna said. “This is your wedding day. Your bride shouldn’t eat pie alone.”

      Ted sighed. “All right—”

      “Cherry and coffee black,” Agnes said, obviously familiar with Ted’s tastes.

      With Johanna issuing orders, diners moved the tables, opening space in the middle of the room. The mayor let loose on his harmonica. A heavyset, squat fellow strode in carrying the fiddle and joined in. Cecil’s brother Oscar, Johanna informed Elizabeth.

      Four couples formed a square, moving up and back, square dancing or so Johanna explained.

      Agnes arrived with coffee and pie. Flaky golden crusts piled high with luscious filling. Elizabeth thanked her, and then dug in. Mmm, cinnamon. Sugar. Cream. She licked her lips, capturing a speck from the corner of her mouth. “This is delicious.” She glanced at her husband.

      Ted sat motionless, his fork hovering over his plate. Did the man pray before each course? No, he was staring at her lips. Had she missed a crumb? She dabbed at her mouth with the napkin.

      His face turned a deep shade of red. Blue eyes collided, hastily looked away and then back again. He dropped his gaze to his plate, slicing his fork into his pie and then lifting a forkful of cherries and crust to his mouth. Her stomach dipped. When had pie ever looked better going into someone else’s mouth besides her own?

      In all of Elizabeth’s years she had never been unable to finish a piece of pie. But tonight, her wedding night, she pushed the plate away. “I’m stuffed.”

      Ted smiled. “Glad I finally got you filled up.” He glanced out the window. “Time to head for home.”

      “We can’t leave.” She waved a hand. “Your friends have done all this for us. To celebrate our marriage.”

      “Johanna’s turned our wedding dinner into a spectacle.”

      “My dreams for my wedding day hardly match our ceremony.”

      Ted had the decency to look contrite. He rose and offered his hand. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Logan?”

      “If you’ll teach me the steps, Mr. Logan.”

      “It’ll be my pleasure.”

      Her pulse raced at the warm, steady pressure of his hand on her back. At the warmth radiating from his very masculine body. At the СКАЧАТЬ