Chapter Fourteen

 

When Danielle turned into the driveway of her mother’s townhome in Savannah, she realized her hands were shaking on the gear shift as she moved it to the park position. For the first time in her life she was nervous about returning home. She felt like a teenager who snuck out of the house and was now facing her angry mother standing at the door. Of course, her mother wasn’t angry at her, at least not yet. Once Danielle told her what she’d done, marrying a complete stranger, she was sure her mother’s southern wrath would bare its scary head.

Just trying to rehearse what she would say to her mother, made her realize how rash and utterly crazy her behavior had been. Too late to do anything about it now. And truthfully, she could say, Mason was no longer a stranger. They’d only been married a little over a week, but she felt like she’d got to know him pretty well in that time. She’d even begun to develop feelings for him. No, scratch that. She’d put the brakes on any feelings. She knew she couldn’t risk her heart, and clearly that had been the right thing to do. Since his father had shown up, any chance they had at success in their arrangement had gone down the drain.

She put the car in park and slipped the key out of the ignition. She’d tried to talk Mason into staying at a hotel while she broke the news to her mother, but the man was stubborn as a mule. He insisted on accompanying her, stating it was only right her mother should meet her new husband. Yeah, like that title wasn’t going to be stripped away in the next twenty-four hours. And while her stomach was in knots as she raised her hand to knock on the front door, a confusing set of emotions assaulted her mind as she thought of her father locked up in prison for a crime she knew he didn’t commit. She felt more than a hint of anger at her mother for never telling her. She could have at least visited him to cheer him up all these years instead of thinking he’d abandoned them.

All worry left her as the door opened and her mother’s familiar figure stepped out in her familiar flowered apron with the expected smidge of flour on her cheek. And then Danielle was in her mother’s familiar embrace, her mother’s gardenia perfume enveloping her, and she knew everything would be okay.

“I’m so happy to see you, honey,” she said as she hugged Danielle so tight, she thought she might pop. She stood back a moment and studied Danielle in a way only a mother could. “You have a glow about you,” she said. “Are you in love?”

A cough caught in Danielle’s throat. “Momma, I have someone I’d like you to meet,” she said, turning to Mason who’d waited patiently behind her.

He stepped forward and put his hand out, his manners impeccable and charming as ever. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Williams. I can see where Danielle gets her beauty,” he said, shaking her hand.

Her mother looked back at Danielle, her eyebrows raised high. “This is Mason, Momma. My husband.”

She thought her mother might fall into a Victorian swoon. “What?”

“I’m married, Momma,” Danielle said, showing off her wedding ring as if her mother needed proof.

Her mother glanced down at the ring and then back up at Mason, in a way only a mother could size up her daughter’s suitor. Of course, it was far too late for courting. They’d skipped over that part and gone straight to a wedding.

“You’d better come in and explain.” Her voice had a slight edge to it.

Mason slipped his hand into Danielle’s as they stepped into her mother’s home. They’d barely sat down on the sofa when Danielle’s mother planted herself in front of them, standing with her hands on her hips and a surly expression fixed across her face.

“Why didn’t you invite your Momma to your wedding?” she asked.

“We didn’t have a wedding. It was all decided very quickly,” Danielle said. She belatedly realized her mother must have looked forward to planning her only child’s wedding one day. It pained her she hadn’t thought of having her flown in for the wedding. Mason has his own jet for goodness sake. A tinge of guilt began to seep through her.

“Danielle Elizabeth, do you have a bun in the oven?”

Danielle jumped up from the couch. “No! Nothing like that,” she said.

“Mrs. Williams, it is my fault. I was in a hurry to marry Danielle. We should have waited and had a proper wedding.”

Danielle’s mother squinted as she studied Mason. “Yes, you should have. I would want to see my only child get married in a proper Church wedding,” she said. She turned her attention to Danielle. “Were you married in a church at least?”

Danielle was feeling smaller by the minute. She felt like melting into the seat cushions. “No,” she said in a small voice. “But we were married by a Minister.”

Her mother looked indignant.

“We can still have a proper wedding,” Mason said, standing up. “We are legally married, but there isn’t any reason we can’t have a proper Church wedding and a grand reception right here in Savannah.”

Her mother’s face softened. “That would be grand,” she said. She suddenly wrapped her arms around Danielle in a big bear hug. “My baby’s married. I’ll finally get some grandchildren.”

Danielle graced Mason with a scowl over her mother’s shoulder while she hugged her. She’d wanted to tell her mother the truth. She knew this marriage wasn’t going to last to the end of the week. His father was never going to let this go. Ever. What was Mason thinking promising her mother a proper wedding for them? They’d already married once, which had produced detrimental consequences to both of them. Goodness knows what would happen if they did it again.

“Well, we’ll see,” Danielle said as she disentangled herself from her mother’s hug.

“It’ll be the most beautiful wedding Savannah’s ever seen,” Mason continued, ignoring Danielle’s icy glare. “No expense spared,” he said as he put his arm around Danielle with affection. “We’ll take care of the costs. You just plan to your heart’s content.”

Her mother clasped her hands together. “That sounds wonderful! I hope you’ll be staying a while, Danielle. We need to start planning right away. Now, come into the kitchen for some peach pie. That’s Danielle’s favorite, as I’m sure you know,” she said, gesturing Mason to follow her. “Now, I’ve got to get to know my new son in law.”

~

If Mason knew one thing for certain, winning over Danielle’s mother would be his best bet for convincing Danielle to stay married to him. He flattered and charmed her every chance he could while they chatted over the best peach pie he’d ever tasted and sweet iced tea. He didn’t feel like he was being disingenuous because he really did like Danielle’s mother very much. She was kind, funny and warm. A lot like her daughter. When she insisted they stay in the guest room instead of a hotel, there was no reason they could refuse.

“Now, when my daughter returns home, she’s always got a room at her Mama’s. No sense in spending hard earned money on a hotel,” Mrs. Williams clucked as she led them down the hallway.

Mason declined to tell her the family company owned hotels in every major US city as well as Europe. Besides, he was basking in her Southern hospitality. There was a warm, comfortable feeling in his new mother in law’s home, one he’d never had as a child. She ushered them into a small but comfortable room with a double bed and curtains printed in pink roses. Mason glanced over at Danielle. He could swear he saw her flush as she laid her eyes on the small bed. He for one was happy he’d get to spend another night with Danielle falling asleep in his arms. “Looks perfect,” he said.

Mrs. Williams smiled broadly. “I never thought I’d be meeting my son in law today, but I have to say, it has been a pleasant surprise.”

“For me as well.” Mason beamed at Mrs. Williams before she turned to open the curtains. Danielle scowled at him behind her mother’s back.

“I’m sure you are tired from your flight. Why don’t you rest up while I make dinner?”

“Sounds good,” Mason said. “You do look tired, my love,” he said to Danielle.

She furrowed her eyebrows at him in response as her mother shut the door leaving them alone together in the tiny room. “What are you doing?” she asked Mason.

He shrugged. “Just being polite.”

“I’m going to have to tell her the truth. All of it,” Danielle said. She sat on the bed since there wasn’t anywhere else to sit in the tiny room.

“I don’t see why,” he said. “Why would you want to tell her something that will make her upset? We are married and happy about it, right? It will be bad enough for you to ask about your father. Let her have something to be happy about.”

“A lie?”

“What lie? We married quickly and we told her that,” Mason said.

“But you omitted a big detail. That this is not a real marriage. And it won’t last because you father will certainly not rest until we get an annulment.”

Mason sat on the bed next to Danielle and put his arm across her shoulder. The scent of her perfume made his heady. He leaned into her, resting his head against hers, taking a second to languish in her silky hair as it brushed against his neck. “We aren’t getting an annulment. I don’t care what my father does,” he said. “And arranged marriages have been around since the beginning of time. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a real marriage.”

Danielle pushed away from the bed and turned to face him. “You aren’t being realistic. My father is in prison for murder. Do you really think your father will ever forget that?”

“You said you didn’t believe your father did it. I am having my lawyers look into his case. Have some faith in me, please,” he said softly. “Even if he did do it, I don’t care. You aren’t responsible for another person’s actions.”

“He didn’t do it, I know that in my heart. But your father is going to have this plastered all over the newspapers. He is going to shame me and my family in front of the world. I don’t think I can deal with that,” Daniella said. “I think it is time we put an end to this travesty of a marriage. It was a mistake and we both know it.”

Mason stiffened. “I don’t care what my father does.” He grasped Danielle’s hand and looked into her eyes. “We can make this work. It wasn’t a mistake.”

“Of course, it is. You married me to save your family’s company. That reason no longer exists. And I wouldn’t want a child under the media scrutiny that will most certainly come being married to you. The scandal of my father being in prison will follow my child throughout his life if you are his father. I’d rather not have a child at all than to subject my kid to such a thing,” Danielle said.

“I can’t believe you are saying that,” Mason said. “I can’t be wrong about you. You have to feel something.”

“I feel like we are living a lie. This is all wrong. This isn’t the way to go about marrying someone and starting a family.”

“If you want to tell your Mother the truth, that’s fine. I thought we’d spare her more worries. But we made vows to each other and maybe it wasn’t in a church but it was before a minister and before God. Are you going to break those vows after barely a week?” Mason knew he was playing the only ace he had left but he wasn’t going to let Danielle off the hook that easily. He wanted her by his side. As his wife. He’d be a fool before he let her go.

Danielle pulled her hand from his and lay back against the headboard with her legs stretched out, keeping a safe distance between them. “We never planned to keep the vows anyway. And the marriage is not consummated so…” A pink blush swept across her face. “So, it isn’t like we are breaking our vows, really.”

Mason stood up, rubbing his forehead. “Yes, it is. Our vows weren’t just about fidelity. I don’t want an annulment.”

Danielle stirred from her languid position. “Are you saying you won’t let me ask you for an annulment?”

Mason had no intention of forcing Danielle to stay married to him. Nor did he have any intention of letting her go. He took a deep breath. “Let me try and deal with my father. And find out what we can do to help your father. Give me a chance to make things right. Will you consider staying then?”

Danielle looked away from Mason and out the window to the side yard. “Why do you want to stay married to me?” she asked in a whisper.

Mason wanted to tell her how he felt, but he couldn’t. What if she didn’t feel the same? What if she outright rejected him? “I’m a man of my word. And I enjoy your company,” he added hastily.

Danielle snapped her attention back to him. She looked as though she didn’t believe him. “Okay,” she said quietly. “We’ll stay married until I find out why my father is in prison. Meanwhile, you need to control your father from leaking this to the press and see what your lawyers dig up. In a week, we’ll see where things stand. If everything doesn’t blow up by then.”

“Fair enough,” Mason said. He walked to the door, feeling the need for fresh air. “I’ll get our luggage from the car,” he said.

As he reached for the doorknob he heard Danielle speak. “I enjoy your company too,” she said softly.

He left the room with a smile as wide as the ocean.

~

“I hope Mason likes cornbread,” Danielle’s mother said as she pulled her trusty cast iron skillet from the oven. The sweet scent wafted through the kitchen, bringing memories with them, some happy and some painful.

“Daddy loved cornbread,” Danielle said, slipping into a worn chair at the kitchen table.

“That he did,” her mother said in a thoughtful tone.

“What happened to him, Momma?”

Her mother whistled as she busied herself dipping pieces of chicken in buttermilk and breading, pretending as if Danielle hadn’t spoken. But Danielle was done with games and lies. “I know he’s in prison,” she blurted out. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Danielle’s mother froze for a second. The silence of the room was deafening, only broken by a screaming sizzle as she dipped the chicken into a pan of hot oil. “He didn’t want you to know. How did you find out?”

“Mason’s family. They are very wealthy and did a background check on me. They don’t approve of our marriage.”

Her mother turned around, anger spilling over as she spoke. “Mason is lucky to have you. Money doesn’t make you someone worthy of love. It’s your character that matters,” she muttered.

“I know that,” Mason said as he entered the kitchen. He came up behind Danielle and rested his hands on her shoulders while he kissed the top of her head affectionately. A skitter of goosebumps trailed down her shoulders.

“And it isn’t my whole family, just my pig-headed father. Danielle is a wonderful person. I’m lucky to have her as my wife,” he said as he pulled out the chair next to her. He sat down and wrapped his arm around her. “I couldn’t be happier.”

Danielle’s mother gave him a frown. “When a family disapproves of a marriage, that happiness can be short lived. Mind you, don’t discount their influence.” She turned back to the chicken and flipped the pieces over. “And if they’re disapproving of her, either they clearly don’t know her or they are holding her father’s situation against her. Both are wrong.”

“I agree,” Mason said.

He gave Danielle a sly wink as he sat back. She dared to glance at him, and her whole body warmed just taking in his presence. She turned her attention back to her mother, who busied herself at the stove. “Why is Daddy in prison? What happened Momma?”

“Your father is innocent. He saw something he wasn’t supposed to see when he was out shrimping one night. Those no-good criminals framed him and paid off some higher ups for good measure.” She sniffed back a sob and covered it with a cough.

“Do you visit him?” Danielle asked. This was all news to her. She still couldn’t fathom her father was still around.

“Every chance I get. He is the love of my life and always will be.”

Mason shifted in his seat next to Danielle. “Mrs. Williams, I have the best criminal lawyers I know looking into his case. I’ll do everything in my power to see he gets to appeal the sentence,” Mason said.

“Oh, he’s never wanted to appeal. He feared they’d hurt me and Danielle. That’s why he didn’t properly defend himself. Never sat right with me, but he refused to fight them.” Her eyes caught Danielle’s for one guilty second. “He did it for us.”

“I can’t believe you kept it from me,” Danielle said. “All this time I could have been visiting him. I thought he’d abandoned me.”

Her mother piled the hot chicken on a platter covered in newspaper and set it on the kitchen table next to the corn bread. “Your father never would have abandoned you. He didn’t want you to visit him in prison. He was trying to protect you.”

“I can protect you and Danielle. I’ll hire the best bodyguards money can buy. An army of them if I have to. You’ll be safe. And we’ll bring your husband home,” Mason said.

Her mother sat a steaming pot of collard greens on the table followed by a bowl of mashed potatoes. She pulled out a chair and sat across from Mason. “You might be worthy of my daughter yet,” she said quietly. She passed plates across the table to Danielle and Mason. “Now let’s say grace, shall we?”