Chapter Thirty-Six
Hannah stared at the pretty maroon and pink rose pattern silk wallpaper that covered her and Garrett’s guest room.
She reached out tentatively, but at the last second, drew her hand back, worried that despite the bath she’d taken she might get it dirty.
She felt that way about everything. Not just in the guest room they’d been shown to, but the entire Rutherford residence.
She turned away from the wallpaper and took in the rest of the room.
A large, brass bedframe with crisp, white bedding.
Matching brass sconces. A dark wood bureau and wardrobe, writing desk, and vanity.
All of which had been polished until it shined atop the plush pink carpet it all sat on.
Dusky rose velvet curtains hung at the windows, and there was even an adjoining wash room.
When Howard had mentioned his house, she’d pictured something large of course.
He was a big man with a big personality, and she’d assumed his home would mirror such traits.
Even so, she hadn’t expected the mansion she and Garrett had followed him to.
It was so large and sprawling, she was certain the entire center of Twin Rivers could fit inside.
Howard was more than happy to give them a tour, showing off the marble flooring that stretched throughout the main floor where the two parlors, a dining room, a ball room, a gambling room, and of course the kitchen sat; the silk and velvet curtains, furniture, and wallpaper, and the many pieces of art he’d collected.
When he was finished with that, he took them upstairs, and if Hannah hadn’t been holding Garrett’s hand, she was sure she would have gotten lost in the maze of guest rooms; each more beautiful than the last.
Howard had given them the one nearest to the stairs, no doubt after seeing how overwhelmed they both appeared after the tour, and urged them to take their time getting cleaned up and rested before the dinner started.
“You deserve something as grand as this,” Garrett said softly.
Hannah turned as she heard his voice, and found him standing in the doorway between their room and the washroom.
He had let her freshen up before him, and she had changed into another gifted dress from Grace; this one being a darker blue that matched her eyes perfectly and had been trimmed with black velvet and had a matching black bow at the waist.
For a moment she simply marveled at how handsome he looked now that the dust of the desert had been washed away and he was changed into another impressive dark blue suit gifted to him by Dean.
However, when her gaze finally rose to his eyes and she saw the guilt there, she quickly stopped thinking about his good looks and started thinking about his heart.
“All I want is our adobe and our ranch,” she promised, going to him.
Garrett’s lips lifted toward a smile as some of that guilt faded from his eyes, and he chuckled.
“What?” she asked, smiling back at him.
“You said our adobe and our ranch,” he explained, taking her hands.
Hannah blushed as he pointed out her words.
“Oh… is… I guess I shouldn’t have said that,” she started to say, but Garrett quickly shook his head as he pulled her toward him and cut her off with a kiss.
“No, it makes me happy to hear you say that,” he promised, his dark eyes shimmering with delight, “Because it is ours, Hannah. Yours and mine.”
Hannah sighed happily as she leaned in to his chest, snuggling her head against his heartbeat as usual.
“Or at least it will be,” Garrett added, wrapping his arms around her waist, “Once all this legal business is behind us.”
Hannah simply nodded, having more faith than ever now that that day would come.
“It was nice of Howard to help us so much,” she said, tracing her fingers down the fine fabric of Garrett’s clean white shirt.
“Yeah, it was,” Garrett murmured. “Looks like God gave us many blessings on this trip.”
“He certainly has,” Hannah agreed, pulling away.
From below, the sounds of instrumental music rose up through the floor, along with the sounds of boisterous laughter.
“Sounds like Howard’s dinner party has started,” Garrett said, tracing his fingers down her arm and to her hand. “You ready to go down?”
Hesitation skittered through Hannah’s veins, but she nodded.
“Might as well,” she said. “How long do you think it will take his friends to realize that we’re just two country bumpkins trying to blend in?”
Garrett laughed as he led her to the door.
“I’d say less than a minute,” he teased back, “But let’s go down and see for ourselves.”
***
Though Hannah was expecting judgmental stares and raised brows from Howard’s guests, she was pleasantly surprised to find that they were all as welcoming and cordial as Howard was.
“You’re from Twin Rivers too?” A man Howard introduced as Mariah Sheffield asked.
He was a nice-looking man, Hannah decided.
Older, perhaps in his late fifties or early sixties, with salt and pepper hair and a matching mustache.
He had laugh lines around his pale blue eyes, and though he was dressed in a fine suit and even wore some rather large silver rings on his big fingers, he didn’t once cast Hannah or Garrett a disapproving look.
“We are,” Garrett agreed by Hannah’s side. “You know it?”
Mariah chuckled as he nodded.
“Oh yes. Small town, but has some big players in it,” Mariah replied. “I’m actually interested in one of the pretty ladies you all seem to raise down there. Do you know the Walkers?”
Hannah nearly spit out her lemonade as she coughed in surprise.
“You know Grace?” She asked.
Mariah’s blue eyes twinkled as Hannah said Grace’s name, and he nodded.
She looked him up and down, shocked that Grace would consider such an older man.
“Well, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her, yes,” Mariah went on, “However, her father and I are still discussing me courting her. He’s keeping her options open, the little devil. Put in a good word for me, would you?”
Hannah feigned a smile as she nodded, her mind whirling with the new news.
It stuck with her as the party drew on into the evening, even as the delicious dinner of roast beef and the dozen or so side dishes was laid out prettily on her plate by a servant.
Even as after-dinner cocktails and conversation were moved to the second large parlor. All she could think about was Grace.
“Are you alright?” Garrett asked. It was later, after the party had ended and they had returned to their room.
Hannah looked up, still half dazed as Garrett pulled back the covers of the large bed. She blinked, then blushed as she looked down at herself. She’d been so distracted she hadn’t even noticed that she’d already changed into her nightgown and Garrett was also dressed for bed.
“What?” She asked.
Garrett’s brows furrowed in concern as he reached for her hand. She let him take it and pull her onto the bed. Garrett laid down first, sitting up among the many plump pillows, then pulled her into his side. She immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, comforted by his presence.
“You seemed distant most of the night. Did that Sheffield man say something to upset you?” he asked, rubbing his palm up and down her arm.
“I just keep thinking about what he said about Grace,” Hannah confessed, nuzzling into him, “And that her father is the one choosing her future husband? Amanda mentioned something like that way back when we first met, but I had no idea that he would marry Grace to a stranger like Mr. Sheffield. Someone so much older than her? Someone she’s barely had conversation with? ”
She shook her head.
“That just seems so unfair and unnatural,” she added.
Garrett hummed in acknowledgement.
“I can’t say I disagree with you,” he replied, “But a lot of families, especially wealthier ones, arrange marriages for their children.”
“I can’t imagine how scary that would be,” she said, snuggling into him. “I know there was a lot we had to learn about one another when we met. That we still need to learn about one another. But at least we got to grow a friendship through our letters.”
She lifted her head then, turning slightly so that she could place a kiss on his lips.
Garrett’s brows lifted up as he gave her an instant, goofy smile.
“What did I do to deserve that?” He asked.
Hannah giggled as she settled back into his arms.
“Loving me. I’m just… I’m so grateful that I have a husband that loves me.”
She went to scooch down further under the covers, but stopped when Garrett gently grabbed her chin and tilted her head back up. She was surprised to see the sudden sincerity in his dark eyes.
“I do love you,” he said, his deep voice full of affection. “Very much. And I’m very grateful that you love me too.”
Hannah’s lips curved into a smile, even as Garrett placed another kiss on them.
“I just hope that, whoever Grace’s father marries her to, that she can find love for him.”
“You do?” Garrett asked as they both settled further into the bed, “Even after how she treated you?”
“Of course I do,” Hannah replied, “In fact, after meeting Mr. Sheffield, I understand now more than ever why she acted the way she did. It must be terrifying to know that such a big decision is out of your control. We’re friends now, and all I want for her is to be able to have happiness and love with whoever she has to marry. ”
With one arm still wrapped around her, Garrett reached up toward the sconce above them and turned down the oil lamp until the room filled with darkness.
“Me too,” Garrett whispered, snuggling in behind her.
He laced his fingers through hers, holding her to him, and Hannah hummed in delight; grateful for the man God sent to her. The man that was already going through so much, and despite it all, still made time to love her, heal her, and lead her back to God.
“Garrett?” She whispered into the dark.
“Hmm?” He murmured sleepily.
“Will you say our nightly prayer?”
Hannah felt his smile at the back of her neck. It was something they’d started the first night they’d shared a bed, and again when they’d stopped at the creek to recover. It was something, she decided in that moment, that she wanted to share with him every night.
Garrett softly kissed the back of her neck, then pulled their joined hands up to her chest.
“Heavenly Father,” he began to pray, his deep voice sending waves of calm over her as he spoke softly into her ear, “We come to you this day with prayers of thanks and hope. We thank You for what we have learned on this journey, and we thank You for the help we found. Please Lord, bring us back safely to our family, and let Your justice be swift for those that have tried to take our land. Please watch over our friends and family—”
“Especially Grace,” Hannah interjected.
Garrett chuckled softly.
“Especially Grace,” he added to the prayer, “And may her future marriage be as full of love as ours. In Your name we pray, Lord. Amen.”
“Amen,” Hannah whispered, then sealed the prayer with a kiss to their intertwined fingers.