Chapter Three
CREST STONE, COLORADO
“I suppose this will do.”
Hale Darby arranged his face into what he hoped was a neutral expression. Most of the time, he liked the people who chose Darby’s Boardinghouse. This gentleman, however, was proving to be an exception.
“It’s the best we can do for today. I’ll inquire at the general store to see if they have any heavier material,” Hale said, as nicely as he possibly could.
Mr. Quarles had only arrived at the boardinghouse the night before, and he’d already taken up more of Hale’s time than all of the other guests combined.
“As long as I can sleep past five-thirty.” Quarles pulled at the three layers of drapes Hale had spent the last hour locating and hanging. The man had taken up most of his morning and had caused Hale to beg his sister to go to the depot to meet the woman scheduled to arrive in town.
His bride-to-be.
A shot of fear chased itself straight into Hale’s chest. What had he been thinking when he’d placed that advertisement with Mrs. Gilbert’s mail-order bride service? He must have been out of his mind. Mad with loneliness. Awash with longing. Desperate for—
“Mr. Darby!”
Hale startled at the sound of his name. Quarles looked at him expectantly.
“Yes, I’ll go to the general store later today,” Hale said, ready to be done with this man and his demands.
He’d already insisted the washbasin be scrubbed again even though it already sparkled, requested two extra quilts despite the warm nights, complained about the cooking at breakfast, and asked for a litany of other pointless items.
“That’s not what I—”
“I’ll find you at supper.” Hale slipped out of the room before the man could levy another demand.
He moved quickly to his office and shut himself inside, hoping Mr. Quarles hadn’t seen where he’d gone.
He needed just a few minutes of peace. Just a little time to take a breath and get ready to meet the lady his sister would be bringing home any moment.
He stood and moved to the small mirror that hung on the wall opposite his desk.
A weary face reflected back at him. Hale frowned at himself before smoothing his hair and tugging at his vest. He squinted at his image.
A single line of silver shimmered against the brown hair at his temple.
He grabbed hold of it between his fingers and yanked it out.
This boardinghouse was aging him by the day.
But having Miss Sutter here should help.
A third person would make both Hale and his sister’s workload easier.
In her letters, Miss Sutter described some of the dishes she enjoyed cooking, mentioned she was skilled at sums, and talked about how much she enjoyed meeting new people.
It was her enthusiasm for all of those things that made Hale choose her from the other women who had written to him.
Selfishly, he hoped she was pretty and a good conversationalist, but a man in his position couldn’t afford to be picky.
Besides, it was more important he married someone competent rather than someone nice to look at.
If not, he and Tansy would be working themselves into an early grave.
They loved this boardinghouse and were thrilled it was doing well, but with success came a price.
A knock came at the door.
Hale made a silent plea that it not be Quarles before stepping to the side to open the door.
Tansy stood there, smiling. That boded well. He peered behind her to see a lady with hair so brilliantly red he was half-convinced she’d borrowed a wig from an opera house somewhere.
“Miss Sutter, this is my brother, Hale Darby. Hale, this is Miss Isabella Sutter.” Tansy beamed at the two of them as Miss Sutter gave Hale a hesitant smile.
He opened his mouth, searching for words as he stared at her. She wasn’t what he pictured when he thought of a beautiful woman. She didn’t have an even complexion with a mane of soft blonde or chestnut hair, paired with a voluptuous shape and a generous smile from perfectly-shaped pink lips.
Miss Sutter was, however, the most intriguing woman he’d ever seen.
That bright red hair, freckles that would send most women running for a tin of powder, eyes that were somehow both green and brown at the same time, and an expression of undisguised curiosity—somehow, all of that made what he’d imagined pale in comparison.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Even if her smile was hesitant, her voice wasn’t. She stuck out her hand like a man, and after a moment, Hale reached out and shook it.
“Likewise,” he managed to say as he tried not to think of how small her hand was in his. He let go before he could dwell any more on that thought.
“Shall we let Miss Sutter refresh herself before we visit Reverend Canton?” Tansy asked.
Hale’s mind caught on his sister’s last words. Visit the reverend. To get married. He swallowed, but before he could speak, Miss Sutter piped up.
“That would be lovely. I’ve never been on a train before. It was a fascinating journey, but it was long, and very hot and dirty.” Miss Sutter laughed a little as she gestured at her skirt. A few streaks smudged the lavender calico.
“All right. Yes, of course. Tansy, will you . . .?” He looked to his sister for help.
“I’ll take her to your room,” Tansy said as if her words weren’t entirely terrifying.
“Yes. All right,” he said quickly.
Miss Sutter gave him a curious look before Tansy closed the door.
Hale sank back against his desk. Every doubt he could have ever had came rushing at him all at once.
He wouldn’t be surprised at all if Miss Sutter made her excuses and hopped on the next train back to the Wyoming Territory.
Especially when he’d done nothing whatsoever to make himself look like a man she’d want to marry.
He tugged at his collar. The open window was doing nothing to dissipate the heat of the day. And he still had to get himself through this wedding.
The very thought of it made him want to lock the door and never emerge. He’d melt in here from the summer heat, but at least he wouldn’t have to try to live up to whatever it was Miss Sutter expected of him.
Not nearly enough time had passed when Tansy came knocking on his door to collect him. Miss Sutter wore a clean white blouse with a pretty red skirt. Her nose had an adorable upturn to it, he noticed, and her smile was gentle but nervous.
“Shall we go?” he managed to say.
Miss Sutter nodded, and Hale tore his eyes away to close and lock his office door.
Tansy chattered on to both him and Miss Sutter—about the housekeeper she’d asked to keep an eye on the place while they were gone, about the most interesting guests they’d had lately, about the new linens she was ordering.
“Speaking of linens, Moira said there was something wrong with the drapes in Mr. Quarles’s room?” Tansy looked at him as they approached the church.
Hale tugged at his collar again. Why did it have to be so blasted hot today? It made it hard for a man to think. “There’s nothing wrong with them. He’s an irritating, demanding—”
“I see,” his sister said, cutting him off before he said something in front of Miss Sutter that he might regret. “We’re here!”
Hale’s stomach turned over as they went inside the church, and he was grateful he’d skipped the noon meal. Reverend Canton and his wife were waiting for them.
Thankfully, Tansy answered most of the minister’s questions for him, because every time Hale glanced at Miss Sutter, it seemed he forgot how to speak.
He could barely keep track of what was happening as the ceremony began. After a nudge from the reverend, he took Miss Sutter’s hands in his. Thankfully, all he had to do was repeat the vows the minister spoke first.
After a while, he found everyone looking at him in silence.
His heart jumped into his throat as Miss Sutter gave him another one of those curious smiles.
When she closed her eyes and tilted her chin up, he realized what everyone was waiting for.
Apparently, the minister had already pronounced them married, and now Hale was supposed to kiss his new wife.
He quickly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
They were softer than he’d imagined, and her hands tightened around his.
A little gasp—too quiet for anyone else but him to hear—escaped her mouth, and her eyes flew open.
He broke away, and as she swayed just a little, he grabbed hold of her upper arms.
“Are you all right?” he asked, more concerned now for her health than about that embarrassing kiss in front of everyone.
She swallowed and nodded. It was almost as if the confidence she’d worn since he’d met her had faded like a ghost into thin air. Right now, in his arms, she seemed just as nervous as he was.
He watched her for a moment before dropping a hand to take hers again. The bare honesty she’d just shown disappeared as she lifted her chin and smiled at him. “I’m just fine. I’m . . . happy to be married.”
There it was again, just a hint of uncertainty under her words. And for some reason, Hale found himself wanting to wrap his arm around her waist to reassure her. But the moment passed before he could barely register it as the new Mrs. Darby received congratulations from Tansy and Mrs. Canton.
Hale felt as if he were walking through clouds the entire way back to the boardinghouse.
Tansy and Miss—no, Isabella—kept up a conversation while Hale felt as if the day had passed in an instant.
Surely, he’d blink and find himself still standing in Mr. Quarles’s room, hanging yet another set of those annoying draperies.
He needn’t have worried though, because Mr. Quarles was waiting for him the moment they arrived at the boardinghouse. Tansy ushered Isabella to the kitchen to show her around, and Hale lost himself in the work of the afternoon.
Behind on everything, he took his supper in his office, tallying payments and income as he ate.
Part of him felt guilty for leaving his new wife, but she would be busy serving supper with Tansy.
The two of them would eat once all of the guests had been served, and then came the cleaning up. He’d only be in the way.
It was late when he finally stood up and stretched.
He took the lamp and closed and locked the office door behind him.
His room was only a few doors away, strategically placed so he could hear any comings and goings in the middle of the night.
He and Tansy ran a reputable business, and they only stayed busy because they ensured it remained that way.
Hale paused outside his door, key in hand. Surely Isabella would be asleep by now, after all the excitement of the day. That was a reassuring thought. He turned the key as quietly as he could, and the door barely gave a squeak when he opened it.
But instead of finding a dark room with his new wife fast asleep, he discovered her sitting in an armchair and reading a newspaper by lamplight.
“Oh, good, you’ve returned! We’ve hardly had a chance to talk. Please, sit.”
Hale felt like a mouse trapped by a cat as he stood there, lamp in hand.
Isabella tilted her head as she looked at him. The lamplight made her hair look as though it was on fire. He had the strangest urge to reach out and run a hand through it.
He took his time dousing the flame in his lamp and finding a place for it on the little writing desk before sitting into the chair opposite hers.
“Now,” she said, clasping her hands in her lap. “Tell me why a busy man such as yourself wants a wife. Is it for companionship? Or do you wish to have a house filled with children?”