Fourteen

Magdalene slept better than she had since she’d gotten married. Opening her eyes to the morning light, she actually felt refreshed. Retiring to bed alone every night, as a married woman, had made sleeping difficult because of the guilt and rejection issues.

Stretching, she enjoyed the precious sound of her sleeping nieces and nephews. After her conversation with Gabrielle, she walked along the bay and had a long talk with God, which included a lot of repentance. She was now prepared to go home, open up to Chandler, and work at being the wife God desired her to be.

After breakfast, Magdalene bid her sister, Nathaniel, and the children good-bye. She hitched up the buggy—by herself—and aimed the horses toward town. She anticipated finding a small gift for each of the children but had no idea what to get for Chandler.

After a successful morning in town, Magdalene headed home, actually looking forward to being there. Chandler came out and met her. She wondered if he’d been watching for her.

With the bitterness gone and renewed hope, seeing him caused her stomach to do a somersault. He appeared relieved to see her as well. Lifting her down from the buggy, he whispered, “I missed you.” He took her hands in his own. The action nearly undid her. His thumbs gently drew circles across her fingers. She focused on the ground beneath her feet, afraid if she looked into his eyes, her every feeling would pour forth in bold proclamation.

Taking their intertwined hands, he moved them to her chin, lifting it until their eyes met. He lowered her hands to her sides and slipped his free, placing them on her shoulders. He drew her toward him while, inch by inch, his lips moved closer to hers. What in the world was a girl to do?

It ended up she did nothing at all except willingly let him kiss her. Unbeknownst to her before that moment, her lips had a mind of their own and savored the joy of his mouth on hers. When he pulled back, Magdalene lowered her lashes. Breathless, she rested her forehead against his chest.

❧

Chandler longed to see her eyes, read her expression. His mother said woo, and woo he would. He’d try one last time to win her heart before he offered her an annulment, and if he couldn’t say the words “I love you” aloud because she wasn’t ready to hear them, then he’d show her in every way he could. Did she understand his secret message hidden within the kiss, the message of commitment and forever?

Not wanting to rush her or scare her, he waited for her to make the next move. For several minutes, she stood with her head against his chest and his arms around her. Was she realizing this was where she belonged, wrapped in his embrace? Dear Lord, please let her feel all the emotions I’m feeling. Open her heart and fill it with love for me.

“Chandler, I’m sorry.”

“Me too, Maggie.” He kissed the top of her head. “Me too.”

“I haven’t been very nice.”

“Nor have I.”

She pulled free and put a few steps between them. Keeping her back to him, she said, “It’s hard, knowing you’d have never married me if you hadn’t had to.”

Turning her around, he said, “I didn’t have to marry you. I chose to marry you. There’s a big difference.”

Looking straight into his eyes, she said, “The truth is, Chandler, had you never received the letter that put the orphanage in an ominous financial position and had you not had an inheritance available to you should you ever marry, I’d still be Miss Fairchild—the woman you barely knew.”

The pain in her eyes caused an ache in his heart. “I barely knew you because you shut me out. I tried to get to know you, but you insisted on distance between us.”

“I didn’t want you to hurt me then, and I still don’t.”

“Magdalene, I love you!” There—he’d said the words aloud. “Maybe we wouldn’t have ever realized we were meant to be together if God hadn’t put us in a situation where we had no choice. Can’t you get past that and just accept where we are now?”

“If you love me, why are you suddenly going to town so often?”

Where did that come from? Chandler reached for her, and she willingly let him hold her. “I’ve been meeting with my father for the last couple of weeks. I’m working at reconciliation and picking information from his brilliant business mind at the same time.”

She pulled back, peering deep into his eyes. “That’s all?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Gabrielle saw you and Isabel together. Chandler, if you love her—if you realized she’s really the one—”

“No!” He put distance between them. She doesn’t trust me! She thinks I’m dallying with Isabel behind her back.

Lifting his hands in disgusted resignation, he turned back to face her. Hurt echoed through him. “I can’t believe that after three years, you don’t know me any better than that. I’m nothing if not honest.”

Magdalene raised her chin. “Then why were you with her?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.” He clenched his jaw. She’d not pry this out of him.

“How can we work on a real marriage if you keep secrets?” She stomped toward the house, and he led the horses into the barn.

“How, indeed?” It seemed every time they took one step forward, they fell back two. Was there really any hope for them, or were their lives destined to be a web of misunderstanding? He took deep, controlled breaths, trying to expel his anger.

❧

“I don’t understand him,” Magdalene grumbled on her way up the hill to the cottage. “If he has nothing to hide, why doesn’t he tell me why they were together?”

Needing time to calm down before she greeted the children, Magdalene quietly snuck into the cottage. “He said he loved me.” She spoke to her reflection in the mirror. “Why can’t I believe him?” Because men like Chandler Alexandre don’t love women like me. She curled up on the bed in a ball of misery.

Chandler’s steps resounded across the wooden cottage porch. Magdalene sat up, not wishing to be found in such a pathetic state. She held her breath, hoping he’d assume she’d gone to the orphanage instead. Maybe he’d not check the bedroom.

No such luck. He stormed into the room, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her behind him back down the hill and into the barn.

“You unhand me! What do you think you’re doing?” Her heart pounded, partially from anger and partially from fear. She’d never seen him like this before.

He led her to a bale of hay. “Sit down. You want to know what’s between me and Isabel?” After pulling an old trunk from behind the grain bin, he snapped it open. “This! And this is all that’s ever been between us.” He pulled out a beautiful, red velvet dress and shoved it at her. Then he proceeded to pull out two smaller ones about Sarah’s and Susie’s sizes. “Hannah’s and Rachel’s will be finished day after tomorrow.”

Magdalene hung her head. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“Since I know nothing about sewing, I asked Isabel to come with me to make the purchase. I bought a length of red velvet, and she picked out all the other necessities.”

Magdalene rose, carefully draping the new dress over her arm. “The dress is beautiful. I’m sorry I spoiled your surprise.”

“I couldn’t bring myself to let you doubt me for three more days just so you’d be surprised on Christmas morning.” He took the dress from her and returned it to the trunk with the other two. Then he guided her back to the hay bale, squatting down in front of her. “I wish for our marriage to work. Can we put all the confusion and questions behind us and try?”

She touched his face. “Yes.” He turned his head and kissed her palm.

Rising, he pulled her up with him. “Here’s to a fresh start.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her until liquid fire ran through her veins.

The dinner bell sounded, startling them both. He held her face between his hands, laughing. “You, my dear wife, look completely disheveled and thoroughly kissed.”

She mussed his hair and ran for the orphanage. Not quite to the porch, he caught up to her, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her off the ground. He drizzled a fistful of straw over her hair. Wrestling with him for the rest of the straw, she tripped. They both toppled to the ground, where they stayed, laughing.

“Well it’s about time you two started actin’ like newlyweds.” Magdalene’s cheeks warmed at Mrs. Lindsay’s declaration, and to make things worse, Chandler kissed her again right there in front of Mrs. Lindsay and seven giggling children who piled on top of them.

❧

Shortly before sunrise on Christmas morning, Chandler awoke with a smile. Being in love was great. He rose from the couch and peeked in at Magdalene, who looked like an angel while she slept. They had spent the last three incredible days together, doing nothing out of the ordinary—just enjoying each other in day-to-day life.

Even though they were already married, he decided to do things right and court her, especially since Isabel had said Magdalene had never been courted. When she finally believed he loved her, realized she loved him, and could say the words aloud, then—and only then—would he move into the bedroom.

The dinner bell sounded, indicating the children were awake and ready to celebrate Christmas. Magdalene stumbled out of the bedroom, wrapped in a robe and still looking very much asleep.

“You go. I’ll be there shortly.” Her eyes were only partially opened.

He kissed the tip of her nose. “You stayed out way too late last night.”

She gave him a sleepy grin. “Some handsome fellow and I were spooning on the porch swing.”

“Hasn’t your father spoken to you about cuddling with gentleman callers?” He winked. The bell rang again. “The natives are restless.” He enfolded her in his arms. “Don’t make us wait too long, Mrs. A.”

“I won’t.” She rose on her tiptoes and planted a kiss firmly on his lips.

When he got to the house, the children ran to him. “What took you so long?” Susie asked.

“Were you kissing Miss Maggie again?” Bobby’s disgusted expression matched the disapproval in his tone.

Chandler ruffled the boy’s hair. “Again,” he said with a smile.

Bobby shook his head.

“In ten years, you’ll be yearning for a Maggie of your own to kiss,” Chandler predicted.

Bobby didn’t even dignify the remark with an answer.

When Magdalene arrived, she passed out stockings to the boisterous children. Inside, each child found sugarplums, nuts, and candies. “Not before breakfast,” she cautioned.

Magdalene had placed a doll for each of the four girls under the tree and a baseball glove for the three boys. They raced to untie the ribbons and unwrap their packages. After smiles, hugs, and thank-yous, Chandler handed the four girls and Magdalene each a box tied shut with a shiny bow. The dresses pleased each lady in his life, but when they wanted to put them on, Magdalene told them, “Not before breakfast.”

The boys weren’t nearly as excited about their own leather-bound copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. “It’s one of my favorites, so I wanted you to have your own copy,” Chandler informed them.

“One more.” Magdalene handed him a shoe-sized box.

Lifting the lid, he found a carved wooden treasure chest. “It’s beautiful.” He slid his hand over the smooth texture of the wood and admired the craftsmanship. “Thank you so much.”

“What’s inside?” Sarah asked.

He opened the box. “It’s empty.” He held it upside down to show the children nothing was inside.

“It’s empty so your uncle Chandler can fill it with his own special treasures.” Magdalene gazed into his eyes. “Someone is teaching me life is like an empty treasure chest, and we each have to find our own special things to cherish and save.” Her expression said she’d found her treasure in him. He wished she’d say those words aloud so they could share the greatest treasure God bestows on a married couple.

He whispered a pointed hint in her ear. “My mother hopes we’ll give her at least one grandchild who is ours.”

Lowering her lashes, she said, “She does now, does she?”

“Definitely a treasure, wouldn’t you say?”

She only smiled and nodded her head.