The Marriage Bargain. Angel Moore
“Then I say we do our part to keep the busybodies from having anything to talk about.”
“How do you propose to do that?”
“By living the part of a normal married couple.”
Lily’s eyes grew wide.
He gave her elbow a slight squeeze. “What I meant to say is if we give every indication of being a normal married couple, when we’re outside the cabin, no one looking will have any reason to question our relationship. The best way for them to concentrate on someone else is for there to be nothing to see here.”
“I think I see what you mean.” Her face relaxed.
“Good. So we’re agreed?”
She nodded.
“Here we go, then.” Edward leaned close and, with one hand behind her back and another behind her knees, he scooped her off her feet.
Caught unawares, she gave a tiny yelp and wrapped her arms around his neck. She whispered close to his ear. “What are you doing?”
“I’m carrying you across the threshold.” He climbed the steps and walked into the cabin. He turned in the doorway and kicked the door closed with his foot.
Lily laughed. “I think I may have married a deranged man.”
Edward laughed and set her on her feet. He put the distance of the room between them. “Not deranged.” He closed the shutters across one of the front windows. “But never happy to be the center of attention.” He closed the other shutters and dropped into a chair at the table.
Lily stepped to the cabinet next to the stove and looked out of the window that faced Main Street. “Then why did you make such a scene? Mr. Winters has joined his wife on the sidewalk, and they’re talking to Mr. Croft. Mrs. Winters is smiling and looking in our direction.”
“Close the shutters.” Edward leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him.
“It’s the middle of the afternoon.”
“I know. But if you don’t want them walking by on this side of the street and trying to peek in the window, you’ll close the shutters.”
Lily swung the shutters closed. The dim interior of the room was lit only by the fire. He marveled again at how gracefully she moved.
He went to the stove and set the coffee to warm. “Why don’t you sit by the fire? You’ve got to be bone tired.”
A slight shrug of her shoulders was the only response.
“It’s not the day either of us planned.” He opened a tin of cookies Mrs. Dismuke had brought for Ellen. His niece might not want him to share her treats, but he’d deal with her later.
Lily sat on the edge of a chair facing the fire. “Nothing has gone like I planned for most of my life.” He watched the back of her head as she shook it slowly back and forth. “I’d so hoped things would be different in Pine Haven.”
Edward poured two cups of coffee. “Do you drink coffee?”
“Yes.” She didn’t turn away from the fire. Her shoulders slumped forward.
He brought a cup to her and set the tin of cookies on the table by her chair. “This might help you.” He retrieved his cup and sat on the bench in front of the fire facing her.
She sipped the brew, and her face twisted. “Oh, my.”
“Not to your taste?”
“Is it to yours?” She looked up at him.
“Not really. But it’s the best I’ve been able to do.”
She sat up straight and set the cup on the table. “Did you bake the cookies?” A wary eye told him she was being cautious when it came to his efforts at cooking.
“No. The preacher’s wife brought them for Ellen. They’re quite good.”
“Do you think Ellen will be upset with you for sharing them with me?”
He grinned. She’d only been in town a couple of days, but she’d already figured out Ellen’s personality. “Probably. So consider it her wedding gift to you.”
She took a cookie and nibbled at it. Then she took another bite and picked up a second cookie.
“Have you eaten today, Lily?”
“I don’t remember. Everything has happened so fast.” She stared into the fire again. “I think I had some lunch.”
“Eat another cookie, then, and we’ll get some things figured out before we go get your trunks from the shop. I’ve got to take care of the wagon, too.”
She put the half-eaten cookie down and stood. “I’m sorry. I forgot about the wagon.”
“Relax.” She was like a frightened colt, jumping at every noise. “We need to wait a bit before we go outside again. If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to talk for a few minutes.”
She paced to the fireplace and back to the chair. “What are we doing?”
Edward stood and set his coffee on the table. “We’re making life better. For you. And for Ellen.”
Blue eyes looked up then. “We are, aren’t we?” She seemed to calm a bit.
“Yes.” He’d have to guard against those eyes. They were the kind of blue that could pull a man in against his will. Like a gorgeous sky that demanded attention. He took a step back. “Would you like to look around? Ellen’s room is through that door.” He gestured to the door closest to the fireplace. “I’ve cleared some space for you in my room.” He pointed to the other door on the back wall of the room.
Lily stiffened. He didn’t see it, but as soon as he said the words he knew it happened.
“Your room?”
“What I meant to say is, you’ll have the other room.” He nodded toward the fire. “I’ll be sleeping out here.”
“But I couldn’t take your room.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep my clothes and such in there, but I brought out my shaving things and stripped the bed. I thought you might have fresh linens you’d like to put on it.”
“Really, we can bring the settee from my rooms at the shop. I can sleep there.” She wrung her hands. “You’d never fit on it.” She lifted one hand to indicate his height. “You’re much too tall.” She pointed to the center of the room. “We could move the chairs back and...”
She was talking so fast he had to break in. “That won’t be necessary.” He pointed to the floor. “This is where I slept when I came here as an apprentice. The former owner took me in.”
“But now you’re the owner, and a man ought to sleep in his own bed.” Her voice became higher, and she was wringing her hands again.
He reached out and caught her hands in his. “Lily. Stop.” He kept his tone calm. If she maintained this pace, she’d work herself into a frenzy. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll sleep out here. Ellen goes to bed early. She’ll never know. You will take my bed. It’s the best I could do with the time I had.”
She withdrew her hands and put them to her cheeks. “It is all happening rather quickly, isn’t it?” She lowered her hands and met his eye. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually the sort of person to panic.”
“Anyone would be unsettled under the circumstances.”
“You don’t seem to be.” She tilted her head to one side and drew her brows together. “Why is that?”
“I told you. I’ve been considering marriage for the sake of Ellen.” He smiled at her. “Granted, I had thought to