Adams, Eve - Patience is Their Virtue [Brides of Bachelor Bay 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (6 page)

Patience’s Journal, Sunday, April 2, 1865

Port Steele, Washington Territory

Just my luck. No ships were scheduled to leave port today, so I’m forced to remain in Port Steele another day. I’m sure shipping will resume tomorrow, and I’ll be on the first boat no matter the destination, even if it is Boston. The wayward man I used to call my husband is surely living somewhere down South, along with all of the other traitors who have changed sides. Whether the others abandoned their loyalty to the North over a woman is not my business. The fact that I wasn't enough to keep my husband loyal, to me or to the North, is more than sufficient to weigh on my mind night and day without introducing additional strains on my already overwrought nerves.

A knock on the door startled Patience, and she slammed her journal shut before shoving it under her mattress. She jerked her hands to her lap just as Constance Kendall waltzed into the room with an even more exceptional smugness to her than normal.

“Good morning, Constance.”

“Oh, it will be.” She beamed at Patience, her green eyes glimmering with spiteful intent. “Mr. Gallagher is downstairs to see you.”

Oh, no.
That was not good. Why would any of the Gallaghers want to see her?

“Which one?”

“Why, all of them! But it is Logan who is most, shall we say, intent on speaking with you.”

That was definitely not good. Patience couldn’t deny him or the others. After all, they paid for her room and board. “Are they meeting with all the brides?”

“Just you.” Her overabundance of glee couldn’t be a good thing. Constance Kendall only grew excited over two things--when Miles Petty came to visit, or when she was about to dig her claws into one of the brides who didn’t blindly follow her every misguided word.

“Splendid,” Patience said and stood. She had to find a way out of the inn without going through the parlor. The window opened to the rose trellis. It was most unladylike, but she didn’t have a choice. She had to escape before the Gallaghers put her into a life of servitude to repay the debt of her living at the inn without any intention of marrying one of their men.

“Just let me gather my thoughts. I’ll be down in a moment.”

“Oh, I’m afraid that won’t do. They specifically told me to not return without you.”

Of course they did.

She knew when to say when. Logan Gallagher had caught her last night at the dance. She was a fool to think she could have gotten away with living amongst the brides without a contract.

Damn Adam for noticing her at the dance. And damn her for wanting him to.

With a sigh that solidified her decision, she followed Constance into the parlor where not only the Gallaghers sat waiting, but the one man she vowed to never speak to again.

Adam Steele.

His dark eyes gleamed as he stood when she walked into the room and did wicked things to her resolve. “Miss Weber. Always a pleasure to see you.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. “Mr. Steele. I can’t say I share that sentiment.”

“Now, don’t you two start back in,” Logan ordered. “Miss Weber, would you please have a seat?”

And give them all an advantage over her? Not in this lifetime.
No man had an advantage over Patience Weber, not any longer. “I’d prefer to stand, thank you.”

Constance huffed behind her. “Positively deplorable.”

That did it. If she was about to enter into a life of servitude where she’d be forced to hold her tongue against this woman, she had to at least tell her exactly what she thought of her once.

“Constance Margaret Kendall, from the day we stepped off that boat, you have been nothing but a mean, spiteful biddy whose sole intent is to make others suffer so you feel better about yourself. Every acquaintance you’ve made here was to further your place with the brides as well as the men. You have the integrity of a pile of dirt and the wit to match.”

By the time Patience’s tirade faded and her tongue fell limp, she was panting. Constance’s cheeks reddened as she set her jaw. Those vicious green eyes darkened on her. Although Constance Kendall’s beauty rivaled Amelia Prescott’s, the woman had never looked uglier than at that moment.

“Here, here.” Adam pulled Patience over to the chair next to him, leading her with his hand on the small of her back. He helped her into her seat and gave her a wink that only she saw. “I see I've made the right choice. Any woman willing to give Constance Kendall a piece of her mind is definitely the woman for me.”

She ignored the delicious chills that washed up her spine from his touch, too occupied with his words. “For you?”

“Miss Weber,” Logan started in. “It’s been brought to our attention that your name wasn’t on the ship’s manifest.”

Patience didn’t deny it. Instead, she lowered her gaze to her lap.

“Was that a mistake?”

She shook her head. They’d all find out soon enough when the contracts arrived. Frankly, it shocked her that they hadn’t already arrived.

Logan went on. “We paid passage for twenty-three brides. Gage checked with Hattie. It seems that with you here, we have twenty-four.”

Andrew spoke up. “We could just have her sign a contract now.”

No way in hell would she agree to marry a man simply in agreement to pay her way here.

No way.

“You’ve put us in a rather precarious situation, Miss Weber.”

She closed her eyes as she waited for the news that would change her life. Would he make her a servant in his own home? Work for Hattie? It didn’t matter. Whatever verdict he delivered would be better than having to work in Seattle at a house of ill repute. That would be her only other choice if they kicked her out.

“Do you have anything to say?” Andrew Gallagher asked.

She shook her head.

“So you don’t deny it?”

Finally she brought her gaze up and rested it on Andrew. “Why deny the truth?”

Logan brought the attention back to him as he spoke, but he didn’t look at Patience. His eyes had rested on Adam. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Adam gave him a single, curt nod. “I can have my coach here within the hour.”

“Not until you marry,” Gage said. “It isn’t proper to have a single woman living under the same roof as a single man. I won’t have rumors starting.”

Marry?
Patience jerked her gaze back and forth between Adam and Gage.

“And you are willing to repay her debt?” Gage kept his watchful blue gaze on Adam.

“I am.”

“Then I suppose it’s settled.”

Patience jumped to her feet and backed away as comprehension slowly sank into her brain. “You—you promised me to this man?”

Logan nodded. “That we did.”

“You had no right.”

This time Noah spoke up. “You have no contract with us. You’ve been living on our expense for almost a year without any intent on marrying one of our men. You owe us a considerable sum in repayment, Miss Weber.”

“I’ll repay you,” she offered, not bothering to cover the desperation in her shaking voice. She’d rather live a life of servitude than marry Adam Steele.

“How?”

“I’ll work, night and day. I’ll wash dishes. Clean floors. I’m quite good at gardening. If given the ground, I can provide enough fresh vegetables for the entire town. Just please,” she pleaded, her lower lip quivering as her eyes flooded with burning tears. “Please don’t make me do this.”

“Mr. Steele has offered to repay your debt in its entirety.”

She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, but she felt the burn of his glare nonetheless. “At what cost to me? My freedom?”

Andrew, always the peacemaker, stepped forward. “You owe more than you could possibly work off. At two dollars a week, which is what we pay the rest of the help, there is no way you’ll be able to ever pay us back. At least this way, you won’t be married to a life of servitude.”

She darted an angry, heated glare to Adam. “Won’t I?”

Adam shook his head. “No, you won’t. Quite the contrary. I need a wife, and from the looks of things, you need a husband, if for no other reason than to keep you out of trouble.”

She thrust out her chin, having no intention of going along with this madness. “And paying for your bride is the only way you can secure matrimony?”

“I suppose I could follow in your graceful footsteps and lie.”

“How dare you! I had no choice!”

“And you have no choice now.”

Her anger made her pant as she fought to catch her breath. Why did this man infuriate her so? And why then was she always struggling to take a breath when he stood next to her? “I most certainly do.”

He spiked that arrogant ebony brow. “And that is?”

“I could always travel to Seattle and find work there.”

Logan shook his head. “Sorry, Miss Weber. Until your debt is paid, you do not leave Port Steele. And we expect immediate repayment.”

“But you can’t.”

Gage lowered his gaze and released a sigh. “You’ve left us no choice.”

“Then allow me to sign a contract and become one of the brides. I swear to you, I’ll marry.”

Logan looked at her, the determination in his dark gaze telling her he wouldn’t be backing down anytime soon. “That’s what we are offering you now.”

“But the rest of the brides have more time. Please, offer me at least that.”

The Gallagher brothers all exchanged glances.

Adam brought his hand up. “Enough. I’ve given you my terms. The offer expires as soon as I lose my temper, and, by damned, I’m close now.”

“Miss Weber,” Logan said. “You could do far worse than a marriage to the town’s most prominent man.”

“Offer me a contract,” she whispered, desperate to find anything else but marriage to a man she hated. Logan shook his head. “That is not the offer. You will either marry Mr. Steele and have him repay your debt, or you will go to jail for stealing from us.”

“Please make the right choice,” Andrew said softly.

Her shoulders slumped as desolation overtook her. She melted down into the chair and stared at the splintered wood floor. This couldn’t be happening. She had no choice. It was either marry Adam Steele or…What? What else could she possibly do?

“So it’s decided?” Logan asked. “You agree to this arrangement?”

She couldn’t bring herself to say it, so she gave him a single nod. “I hate you,” she whispered to Adam. “I hate that you are forcing my hand.”

She watched his eyes darken as they narrowed in on her. But something else flickered in that gaze, something that surprised her. Emotion, thick and full of sorrow, softened his expression. He stood and approached her, a steady throb in his gaze that had her heart pounding in time with it.

“I do wish you’d watch that sharp tongue of yours, my dear. As my wife, it is your duty to uphold the perfect image of the ideal woman.”

“I’m not your wife yet.” She hoped the hiss in her voice conveyed how she felt about this arrangement. “I will speak my mind, whether you approve of it or not.”