Wesley
I stood in front of the fireplace facing Lillian and Mollie, who took up either end of the couch. Near the piano, Dax shifted restlessly from one foot to the other. Roland sat in the chair next to Lillian.
“What’s so important?” Lillian asked lightly. “You’ve interrupted our game of chess.”
“I was about to beat her anyway,” Roland said.
“What do you need, dearie?” Mollie asked. “I’ve a thousand things to do this afternoon.”
Roland crossed one leg over the other. “Has someone been murdered and we’re all the suspects?”
Lillian laughed and pointed a finger at Dax. “Isn’t it always the gardener?”
“Never the gardener,” Mollie said. “But sometimes the housekeeper.”
“As humorous as you all are, I’ve called you together because I have something to tell you.” I paused, searching for the words. They all stared at me, waiting. “Last night Roland and I were at the saloon and we got into a poker game with some men.”
“Why must you do such things?” Mollie asked. “Gambling and drinking in town with the ruffians will only lead to trouble.”
“Yes, well, that proved to be true,” I said, looking over at Roland for help, but he simply stared back at me with a slight smirk on his face. “One of the men in our poker game was Sam Quick. Luci’s father.”
“Luci? The Luci?” Lillian asked.
“The same, yes.” I shoved my hands into the pockets of my trousers. “After a few hands, I’d beaten Sam Quick out of all his money. That was when he challenged me to an all-or-nothing game in which he put up Luci as currency.”
“He used his daughter as the bet?” Lillian had flushed pink. “She’s not his property, for heaven’s sake.”
“Yes, right. Of course she’s not.” I cleared my throat. “I won, as you might have guessed. This morning I went out to see her and asked her to be my wife.”
Everyone spoke at once, except Dax.
“Your wife?” Lillian asked.
“What did she say?” Roland asked.
“Lord have mercy,” Mollie said.
“After spending the afternoon with her yesterday, I’m more than certain she’s the woman made just for me.” I was on a roll now, and the words spilled from me. “She’s agreed to marry me. I’ve brought her and Sadie here. I’d like to get them both new wardrobes before we leave for Castaway. We’ll wait for Mother to arrive, as I’d like her to meet my bride.” I spoke with more confidence than I felt, given the way Mollie was staring at me as if I’d suddenly grown horns.
“Dear Lord, have you lost your mind?” Mollie stood abruptly, knocking over a vase on the table. “This is all too fast.”
Dax reached down to rescue the vase, which had not broken, thanks to the thick rug.
“I do believe I have lost my mind.” I rocked back on my heels. “But for all the right reasons.”
“Did you bring them here against their will?” Mollie asked.
I cringed at the look of horror on her face. “Of course not. I didn’t pick her up and haul her into the car with brute force.”
“Who in their right mind would get into the car of a stranger?” Mollie asked. “A man, no less.”
“He hurts her,” I said. “The bruise on her cheek will tell you that.”
Mollie continued as if she hadn’t heard me. “And what about the child? Are you really prepared to take in a five-year-old girl? You’ll have to be her father.” She plopped back onto the couch, as if my announcement was such a great burden that she couldn’t possibly stand another moment.
“I understand the swiftness of my decision is troubling,” I said to Mollie. “However, getting her out of there before her father harmed her or Sadie further was utmost in my mind.”
Dax nodded, his blue eyes thoughtful. “The wee one has been on my mind lately. Something’s not right about that man.”
“He gave her away in a poker game,” I said to Mollie, hoping to appeal to her sense of justice. “What sort of father does that?”
“The same kind who took a strap to his son for bringing a poor family a basket of food?” Lillian asked dryly.
“That her father is violent may well be true, but I don’t see how that’s your problem to solve.” Mollie’s dark-blue eyes glittered. “I’m not being unreasonable. This is highly unusual behavior from an educated man.”
“That has nothing to do with anything.” I’d been patient, but my irritation toward Mollie was growing strong. “She and I belong together. Whatever hurts her, hurts me.”
“You’ve only observed her like one might a painting or sculpture,” Mollie said. “Just because she’s pretty to look at doesn’t mean you love her.”
“I fell in love with you at first sight,” Dax said. “Right there in front of the schoolhouse.”
Mollie shook her head crossly. “No one wants to hear that old story again.”
“I might,” I said. “Because it’s exactly how I feel about Luci.”
Dax flashed his gentle smile. “The loveliest lass in all the land she was.”
“For pity’s sake.” Mollie crossed her arms across her bosom and glared at me. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the two of you. You’re both hopeless romantics.”
“The world needs romantics,” Dax said.
“I agree,” Roland said. “And Wes is the best one of all.”
“And you’ll all live happily ever after, I suppose?” Mollie asked. “The prince and his pauper?”
“Mollie,” Dax said quietly. “Be kind.”
“Wesley, you’ve been bringing injured birds to me since you were old enough to talk,” Mollie said. “This is no different. Just be careful, love. Pretty birds can sing and sing, but we don’t know who they are behind the song.”
“Were any of my injured birds ever any trouble?” I asked.
Mollie closed her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Well, no. They were birds.”
I laughed. “Well, then, your metaphor’s not working.”
“What about their father?” Mollie asked. “Will he give you trouble?”
“Give him money,” Lillian said. “That’ll keep him away.”
“No, then he’ll always come back for more,” Roland said. “You’ll never get rid of a man like that.”
“Do you know what her mother was?” The words came out of Mollie’s mouth like bullets from a gun.
“What do you mean?” Lillian asked.
“Her mother was . . . the oldest profession in the world,” Mollie said.
Roland coughed and looked down at his lap.
“They’re the daughters of—” Mollie pressed her lips together. “Well, you know.”
A dart of surprise pierced my chest. I hadn’t realized Mollie knew. “How do you know that?”
“Everyone in town knew,” Mollie said.
I ached for Luci. How hard it must have been for her in a town where she was shunned.
“You don’t know enough about her.” Mollie slapped the couch cushion. “That’s all there is to it.”
“I know her,” Dax said. “There’s no one finer.”
I nodded as I shot him a grateful smile. “She kept an infant alive when she was a child herself, with no one to help except for Dax.”
“Toughest little thing I’ve ever known,” Dax said. “Never once complained. Worked that hard piece of land like a man.”
“I can’t imagine how she did it,” Lillian said. “I would’ve just walked out into the cold with the baby and let us both freeze to death.”
“Lillian, you would not have done that,” Roland said.
“Mettle untested.” Lillian looked over at Roland and raised her eyebrows. “Perhaps I’ll be useless as a wife and mother.”
“Not a chance.” Roland reached over to give my sister’s hand a squeeze.
Mollie rolled her eyes. “We’ll simply have to pray this doesn’t ruin us all.” She tented her hands as if she was going to begin praying immediately.
“This will not ruin us,” I said.
“You’re a grown man. I suppose I’ll have to trust you know your own mind.” Mollie pushed away a curl that had loosened from her bun.
“Lillian, will you arrange for a seamstress to come? They’re in desperate need of new dresses.”
“Yes, yes. It’ll be a rush if we’re to get them ready to meet Mother.” Lillian glanced over at Mollie. “We can do it, though.”
“I’ll tell June to get rooms ready for them,” Mollie said.
“The question is, where are they?” Roland asked.
“She’s outside on the porch, and Sadie’s enjoying the swing.” I grimaced as I scratched the back of my neck. “I asked Luci to give us a few minutes to talk.”
Lillian stood and smoothed her skirt. “I’ll send June down to fetch the dressmaker.” She turned to me. “Wesley, would you like to introduce Roland and me to Luci?”
Roland and I exchanged a quick glance before following Lillian from the room. When we reached the hallway, my sister whispered, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I most certainly do not.” I grinned down at her. “But it’s going to be all right. You’ll soon see for yourself.”