Chapter Twenty-Five
Poppy was working in the kitchen, getting ready to prepare a nice meal for when Neil finally returned home. Sophie was playing right outside the open back door with her doll, where Poppy could keep an eye on her.
After Poppy had helped Paul and the men with the horses, she had gone to her room to pray because she needed to find strength in God.
It had helped her to see things clearer, and she had vowed not to drive herself crazy with her own thoughts and not to assume anything that hadn’t been confirmed yet.
Poppy didn’t want to be judgmental and needed to speak with Neil first to find out what had actually transpired between him and Lucy.
She was cutting vegetables when she heard laughter outside on the front porch.
Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about Neil being finally home, and she rushed to wash her hands to come and greet him outside with Sophie hot on her heels. It felt like an eternity since they had last spoken.
She had a bright smile on her face when she burst through the front door of the house, almost bumping into the other person standing there, which made Sophie run into her legs from behind.
Poppy’s smile immediately vanished when she saw who it was.
Lucy’s pearly laughter was a reaction to something Neil had said, and when Poppy looked at him, she could see her husband’s slightly awkward expression. Lucy seemed to enjoy herself very much. She even put her hand on Neil’s chest as she laughed, leaning into him too closely.
Poppy felt instantly nauseous. It was as if someone had doused her with a bucket of icy water, and her blood had frozen inside her veins. Her heart sank when she saw the two of them so overly familiar with each other.
All of Poppy’s good intentions evaporated immediately. This was the confirmation she had hoped not to get.
“Poppy!” Lucy exclaimed with a bright smile when she finally turned away from Neil. “It’s so nice to see you again! I was hoping we could have some tea if you know how to make some.”
Poppy was so shocked to see her here she didn’t notice the jab. She looked back at Neil, but he looked even more embarrassed.
Why would he be unless this was an admission of his guilt?
His mouth pulled into a thin line when he smiled at her. He was clearly aware how awkward it was that Lucy treated Poppy like a servant just so she and Neil could have tea together.
What kind of nightmare had Poppy stumbled into here?
Poppy cleared her throat and inhaled deeply.
“I know how to make tea,” she replied with as neutral a voice as she could manage.
She reminded herself not to let those dark thoughts pull her down, even though it was hard.
Neil had obviously made his decision, and all of Poppy’s worst fears had come true right in that very moment when he nodded at her encouragingly.
“I’ll watch Sophie for you,” he offered, but Sophie stayed hidden behind Poppy’s skirt.
“No need. Thank you,” Poppy replied. She almost had to choke those words out.
Being treated like a servant was just one of the horrors she experienced. Poppy couldn’t help but notice the stark difference between herself and that vision of a woman. Only this time, Neil was present, and he clearly saw it, too.
Lucy’s elegant appearance was that of a true lady, draped in a saturated indigo blue brocade dress, once again with all matching accessories, from the matching gloves all the way to the dainty riding boots, and perfectly styled hair.
Today, she had omitted the large hat and lacy umbrella and instead wore a smaller assemble that was better suited for riding.
Meanwhile, Poppy’s brown linen dress was stained from wrangling the horses earlier, and her apron showed the first signs of her working in the kitchen. She didn’t even want to think about what her hair looked like right then.
Poppy’s heart broke when she noticed that Neil couldn’t even look at her in front of Lucy. She took a fortifying breath so she wouldn’t faint on the spot from her overwhelming shame.
“I’ll be right back,” Poppy finally said.
She needed to get away from them. She spun around, picked up Sophie, and walked as fast as she could back inside the house.
Her eyes filled with tears, and the lump in her throat grew to painful proportions.
Her heart hammered so hard against her ribcage she feared it would burst out of it.
The unexpected had happened.
Neil had chosen Lucy right in front of her eyes.
Poppy realized there and then that her marriage to Neil truly had been nothing but convenience.
He hadn’t been searching for a wife. He’d been searching for a cook and cleaner.
All Poppy had done was switch locations—from Marveau Marvels to the Albright Ranch.
Nothing else had changed. She was still viewed as useless and worthless.
Poppy couldn’t understand how she had been so blind, so naive to think that a man like Neil could possibly like her beyond that.
Especially when she was competing against a woman like Lucy.
Why had she even hoped for that? Neil had never said anything to make Poppy think that he was interested in her.
He had made it clear from the start that their marriage was one out of convenience, and he had never told her otherwise.
Poppy was simultaneously shocked yet not surprised at all. The signs had all been there. She was angry at herself for thinking that her situation was more than what it was. So what would Neil do next? Annulment? Divorce? What were the options?
She ran into the kitchen, sat Sophie onto the counter, and walked straight to the tub full of fresh, well water where she splashed handfuls of the ice-cold liquid into her face to wake up from her nightmare.
At some point, Poppy just stood there, staring at her reflection in the water as droplets ran down her face, dripping off her chin.
Their life here on the ranch was over. She would have to take Sophie and... What? Where would they go from here? Her head was spinning with unanswered questions.
Poppy was devastated, but there was no point in crying. She should just accept her fate and focus on the imminent future. She wiped her face with her sleeve as she walked to the stove to set up the kettle to boil water for the tea.
Poppy went out of her way to prepare a fancy tray with fancy porcelain cups and plates, and she even put some cookies on there just so Lucy and Neil wouldn’t be upset with her.
Not because she’d accepted submission, only because she needed to buy herself some time. While her mind was racing, she could only hope that Neil wouldn’t kick them out immediately and that he gave them enough time to find a new home.
Somewhere.
When Poppy walked back outside, carrying the tray with their tea on it, she didn’t even look at them. She brought Sophie to their room and told her to wait there for her, just in case things took a turn for the worse. She didn’t want to worry her little sister.
“Poppy,” Lucy exclaimed as soon as she put the tray down on the small table between them. “I’d like to speak with you in private. Would that be all right, Neil?”
Poppy looked up at Lucy, who smiled at her with a sugary sweet smile, while Neil just shrugged. Would Lucy tell her right now to leave her house immediately?
“Sure,” Neil replied hesitantly. His gaze lingered on Lucy a tad too long, which made Poppy uncomfortable. “I go talk to Paul,” he finally said.
Poppy caught a quick glance from him, and he even smiled at her warmly, but she didn’t reciprocate it.
She couldn’t. In her mind, he was just being polite, and it no longer meant anything.
It never had. Poppy didn’t inform him of the loose horses that day, either.
He didn’t consider her to be his wife for much longer, so she omitted talking to him about things like that.
Neil tipped his hat and left, clearly without a care in the world. Or maybe he just didn’t care for her.
“Great!” Lucy exclaimed happily, and she went ahead to fill the cup closest to her with some tea. “Nice color. I hope it tastes just as good as it looks.”
Poppy stared after Neil, and she had the feeling as if she were in a daze. Her heart yearned for him to look back—at her—but that didn’t happen.
“Why don’t you take a seat, dear?” Lucy continued, still smiling at her with that sugary sweet smile, but her voice had taken on a sharper edge. Poppy noticed how comfortable Lucy already was around here, telling her to sit down on her seat. She clearly saw this house as her home. It cut deep.
Poppy hesitated, but at some point, she sat down on the edge of a chair, ready to jump up if need be.
“I have something important to discuss with you about your previous employment,” Lucy said as she bit into one of the cookies. She suddenly had Poppy’s full attention. “I know your little secret.”
Poppy looked around anxiously to see if Neil could hear them, but he had already taken his horse and was on his way to the barn.
“What do you mean?” Poppy asked cautiously, looking back at Lucy.
Lucy smiled, but this time there was no sweetness in it. Her entire demeanor changed, and Poppy prepared for the worst, all the while trying to maintain a neutral expression.
“Marveau Marvels,” Lucy said all too casually. She took a spoon and started stirring her tea, daintily holding up her little finger. “You did work at her brothel, didn’t you?”
Poppy’s eyes went wide, and she could feel how all the blood drained from her face. How did she know that? Lucy chuckled at her reaction.
“I promise you that I’ll keep your secret,” she said too loudly. Poppy looked over to the barn again, but Neil had disappeared and wouldn’t be able to hear them anymore.
“Where did you get this information from?” Poppy asked, not admitting to anything. Particularly not that woman.
“Finn has connections everywhere,” Lucy explained, no longer smiling. “His men report back to him regularly, and he only had to ask a few questions to find out that you were a prostitute—”
“No! I’ve never been a working girl for Madam Marveau!” Poppy exclaimed as she jumped up from her chair. It startled Lucy enough to rattle the porcelain cup on its saucer, but she recovered quickly, grinning at her with a single raised eyebrow.
“You weren’t?” Lucy laughed at that. “I paid her a little visit yesterday. She seemed to remember you very well. You and your little sister,” she added.
“What else would you be there for?” When Lucy took a sip of her tea, she stared at Poppy over the rim of her cup, watching her intently.
Then she pulled a face and put the cup down.
Poppy’s cheeks burn.
“I have never worked as a working girl,” Poppy repeated angrily, which was the truth.
She was outraged that Lucy—of all people—knew about the brothel.
Her having this kind of information was dangerous because rumors spread all too easily in this town, and since the lies at the horse auction, Neil was still dealing with his own.
Neil.
He never knew about the brothel. Poppy never wanted to tell him.
Poppy sighed heavily when she thought about him. It didn’t even matter anymore. Looking down at Lucy, she could clearly see that she didn’t believe her, whether she denied it or not. Poppy hadn’t even admitted working there.
“Don’t fret,” Lucy said, smiling again. “I won’t tell anyone. I’m here to help. That’s why I asked Neil to come here. So I could speak with you.”
Poppy was confused. She had asked Neil? Did that mean that Neil hadn’t actually invited her to come here?
“You wanted to speak to me?” Poppy asked. “Why? So you can threaten me?”
Lucy raised a single eyebrow and leaned back in her chair. Poppy bit her lip. Maybe she should be careful how she spoke to this woman. After all, Lucy could destroy her completely in the blink of an eye.
“I’m not threatening you with anything,” Lucy finally said. “Finn is.”
“What?” Poppy gasped. “Why?”
“Finn is determined to tell Neil the truth about you,” Lucy explained as she needlessly fiddled with her skirt. “He wants to ruin him, and he figured that he could do that best by ruining the name of the woman he married. I mean, what self-respecting man would marry a prostitute?”
Poppy closed her eyes for a second. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Her entire world was collapsing all around her.
Lucy was watching her closely, but when Poppy didn’t respond, she continued.
“Anyhow, I am here to prevent any of that from coming out,” she said. “I’m your only friend in this. Trust me.” Poppy barely managed to suppress the scoff.
“Finn wants to take everything away from Neil, including you,” Lucy said with a shrug. “If you agree to work for Finn—in the kitchen or wherever—then he might be persuaded not to tell Neil about your past.” Once again, her voice had taken on a sharper edge.
Poppy was shocked. Breathlessly, she sank back down onto the chair. “What guarantee do I have that he won’t tell?” Poppy asked, defeated.
“Do you remember when Finn offered you a job back at the train station?” Lucy asked then.
“His offer was sincere. He really wanted you to work for him. So if you come with me right now, I’m sure I can persuade him not to tell.
He’s enamored with me, so he’ll listen to anything I say,” she added haughtily.
“Make no mistake, if Finn gets to Neil first, it’ll be a disaster,” Lucy continued with a more threatening tone.
“Trust me. I know Neil better than anyone. He was so very much in love with me. We almost got married. If he finds out about your work at the brothel, he’ll kick you and your sister out of the house without blinking twice.
You’ll both be on the streets, and I don’t know if Finn would even consider taking you in then. He’s got a reputation to uphold.”
Lucy smoothed over her skirt before she daintily folded her hands in her lap while she waited.
Poppy couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she had to put her own pain and suffering aside and think about her sister first. Sophie depended on her to make the right decisions and to keep her safe.
And apparently, Poppy also had no time to think things over, so she was forced to decide there and then.
Lord help us!
“We’ll leave tonight.”