Dacey: Bride of North Carolina (Amercan Mail-Order Bride 12) (10 page)

The station office was open, so she walked inside and smiled at Mr. Jones when he glanced up at her.

“Miss Butler. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this morning?” he asked, straightening the papers in front of him as he spoke.

Dacey almost giggled at the gesture that had to be a habit. She stepped up to the counter and gave him her most charming smile. “I need a ticket to Hendersonville, if you please, Mr. Jones.”

“Round trip?” he asked.

“No, sir. A one-way ticket. I’m not sure how long I’ll be there.” Dacey glanced around, glad no one else was in the room. The fewer witnesses who saw her run away from Bramble Hall, the better.

Mr. Jones gave her a curious look. “Are you taking your trunk?”

“No, sir. Only my valise.”

“I see,” the man said cryptically. “And you want to leave on today’s train. One ticket. To Hendersonville.”

Dacey wanted to stamp her foot. Were all agents so reluctant to sell a potential passenger a ticket? On the other hand, did Mr. Jones suspect she was running away? Either way, it really wasn’t any of his concern.

“There is a train heading there today, isn’t there?” she asked.

“Yes, indeed. It will pull out of the station at a few minutes past noon.”

Relieved she’d only have to wait a few hours, she smiled at him again. “Then I’d like one ticket to be on it when it leaves.”

“Are you sure, Miss Butler? I thought you were staying at Bramble Hall. In fact, you were at the Harvest Ball last evening, weren’t you? I thought I caught a glimpse of you dancing with young Mr. Douglas.”

“Yes, I did dance with him and it was a grand ball. The grandest I’ve ever seen.” Dacey realized if she didn’t have a good reason to be on that train, Mr. Jones would refuse to sell her a ticket. “The Douglas family is still entertaining visiting guests, so I’m traveling to Hendersonville to meet with one of Braxton’s horse buyers.”

Word of Dacey’s talent with horses and her work with them at Bramble Hall had spread quickly through town. Based on that, it wouldn’t seem too far-fetched for her to discuss horse business with an out-of-town buyer.

At least she hoped it wouldn’t.

While she was at it, Dacey hoped she wouldn’t be condemned for stretching the truth. Everything she said was true, just not the implication that she was meeting with the buyer on behalf of Braxton.

Mr. Jones stared at her for a long moment before nodding his head then turning around to get her ticket.

“I also need to send a telegram.”

He gave her the price for the ticket and telegram. She dug the funds from her reticule after digging it out of her valise. She removed the correct amount of money then hung the reticule from her wrist. With the train ticket safely tucked into her coat pocket, she glanced at the big clock on the wall.

“Mr. Jones, would you mind if I left my valise here until the train arrives? I have a few errands to attend to before I leave town.”

“That’s fine. Give it to me and I’ll set it here behind the counter.”

Dacey handed over her few precious belongings and thanked the man. “I’ll be back before noon.”

“See that you are, or you’ll have a long walk to Hendersonville.”

She grinned and sailed out the door.

As she meandered along the street, once again looking in store windows, she thought of how frightened and unsure she’d been when she’d first arrived in town.

Now, she felt plagued by similar feelings, compounded by the regret of leaving Beatrice without a spoken word of thanks or a proper goodbye. Thoughts of Braxton made tears sting her eyes.

Purposely she ignored the pain taking up residence inside her chest in place of her heart. Falling in love with Braxton taught her a valuable lesson. One she wouldn’t forget or repeat.

When something seems too good to be true, it generally is.

Chapter Eleven

“Dacey! What a pleasant surprise!” Ellie Howell hurried around the counter to give her a hug as she entered the store.  “What are you doing in town today?”

“Oh, I had a few errands to run.”

“I’m so glad you stopped by the store. Will you stay for a cup of tea?” Ellie asked with a hopeful gleam in her eye.

“I’d love a cup of tea, if you have time.”

“I do,” Ellie said, pulling Dacey over to the table where she’d sat and eaten a sandwich the day she first arrived in town.

Melancholy feelings swept over her, but she did her best to hide them with a bright smile.

As Ellie took a seat beside her and poured a cup of tea, Dacey breathed in the fragrant steam, cradling the cup in her hands and relishing the warmth it provided. “So, Ellie, what did you think of the ball last night?”

“I think it was the best one yet. Did you see Mrs. Ralston? She had the gown with…”

Dacey hid her grin behind her teacup as Ellie spent the next hour discussing her favorite gowns, hairstyles, food, and decorations from the previous evening’s festivities.

“Did you see my Ernie? Didn’t he look handsome?” Ellie beamed with pride as she mentioned her son.

Dacey decided a horrible flaw existed in local mothers, enabling them to see only the good in their offspring. Everyone in town except Ellie knew Ernie Howell was lazy and conniving, out to break as many hearts as possible.

Evidently, people in Asheville knew the truth about Braxton Douglas, too, even if they chose to ignore it.

Determined not to think about him, Dacey smiled at Ellie. “Ernie did look quite handsome. I saw him dancing with Miranda Beaudry. They made quite a striking couple.”

“Oh, gracious, I must have missed that. I hope he didn’t take an interest in that girl. She’s nothing but trouble.”

“Why do you say that, Ellie?” Dacey asked, suddenly very interested in Ellie’s opinions.

“She’d rather lie than tell the truth and she all but accused Braxton of compromising her virtue in a desperate attempt to force him into marriage.” Ellie leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Even if he had, which no one believes, Miranda used that particular ploy before. The first boy she accused ran away from home to escape the horrible rumors, none of which was true. He hasn’t set foot in town since then, and that was five years ago.”

Startled by this revelation, Dacey began to wonder if perhaps Miranda had lied to her, attempting to stir up trouble.

Then a vision of the dark-haired beauty and her son came to mind. There had to be some truth to Miranda’s words. Nothing else explained the existence of the child who looked so much like Braxton.

Disheartened, Dacey glanced at the clock near the door and decided it was time to return to the depot. She rose to her feet and watched as Ellie stood.

“I wanted to thank you, Ellie, for your friendship and for being the first person to make me feel welcome in town.”

The woman gave her a warm hug. “You are an easy girl to like, Dacey Butler. Now, before you make me all teary-eyed, you best get on with your errands. I heard Beatrice mention something about taking you on a carriage ride this afternoon.”

“Yes, I suppose I better hurry on my way. I don’t want to miss out on any exciting plans.” Dacey tugged gloves onto her fingers and hugged Ellie again before she rushed out the door and wandered back through town to the depot.

When she entered the ticket office, Mr. Jones glanced up at her as he helped several customers at the counter.

Once the line cleared, she stepped up to the counter and he handed over her valise. “Are you sure you must make this trip today, Miss Butler?”

“Absolutely certain, Mr. Jones, but I thank you for your concern.”

He nodded his head and turned to the next customer.

Dacey took a seat on a hard wooden bench near the stove and soaked up the warmth. Absently, she wondered if she’d ever feel as warm and secure as she had at Bramble Hall. Even growing up on the ranch, she’d never experienced such a sense of belonging.

Desperate for a distraction, she picked up a discarded newspaper from the previous day and read the front page.

She noticed an advertisement for the Crystal Palace with a drawing of a beautiful lamp that guaranteed remarkable goods including crockery, lamps, household furnishings, and glassware.

An advertisement for the Bon Marche promised new novelties arrived daily that were both beautiful and cheap.

Dacey grinned at the choice of wording in the listing and continued perusing the page. An announcement for a furniture store inviting customers to come by to see their new stock caused her to reread it when she noticed a line promoting undertaking as a special feature. Disturbed by the morbid thoughts that generated, she looked outside as the train rolled into the station.

She stood and watched passengers disembark before the call came to board. She nodded once more to Mr. Jones then hurried to find a seat near a window. Although it wasn’t a long trip, she wanted to watch the landscape on her way to Hendersonville.

The train chugged away from the station on time, much to her relief. Every moment she spent in town, she worried that someone from Bramble Hall might appear and demand an explanation for her abrupt departure.

Dacey settled into her seat, mentally closing another chapter of her life. She would have to write Josephine, Della, India, and Chevonne as soon as she acquired a new position and update her former roommates on what had transpired.

The train had traveled only a few miles when she glanced out the window and watched a rider approach on a fast moving horse. The man waved, trying to catch the engineer’s attention, then finally gave up.  He rode the horse beside one of the cars ahead of Dacey. She saw him reach out to grasp the railing above a set of steps.

Afraid they were about to be the victims of a robbery, she joined others in the car as they tried to see if the man managed to board the train.

It didn’t take long until a hatless man opened the door to their car and studied the faces of the occupants.

Dacey sucked in a gulp of air when Braxton’s silvery gaze collided with hers. Purposeful, he marched down the aisle as she looked around for a means of escape. With none available, she wanted to squirm or hide beneath the seat when he stopped next to her.

His eyes held a mixture of hurt, anger, disappointment, and confusion as he sank down beside her.

“What are you doing?” she hissed, aware that every set of eyes in the train car stared at them.

“Apparently, I’m going with you to Hendersonville to talk to a horse buyer.” Braxton unhurriedly removed one leather glove then the other, stuffing them into his coat pocket.  “At least that was the story Mr. Jones told me when I arrived at the depot.”

The reaction of her traitorous body to Braxton unsettled her. While her mouth watered at the familiar welcome scent of him, the heat of his presence penetrated her side, leaving her warm and languid. Her heart cheered that he’d sought her out.

Panic set in when she realized he must have come expecting payment for all his family had done for her since she arrived at Bramble Hall. With only a few dollars left to her name, there was no possibility she could pay him back, especially given the exorbitant amount of money his mother had spent on clothes and accessories for her.

The conductor rushed into the car and hurried over to Braxton. After he paid the fare for a ticket, the man left, grumbling about young lovers being the death of him.

Braxton fixed his gaze on her again. “I ought to turn you over my lap and paddle your sweet little backside for leaving as you did.”

Men seated around them snickered at Braxton’s words.

Mortified, Dacey stared out the window and held her tongue, doing her best to ignore the handsome man sitting next to her.

Finally, he reached over and took her hand in his. She tried to jerk away, but he held fast. “Why did you leave Bramble Hall, Dacey?”

The sound of his deep voice, especially when he said her name, made her temperature climb.

When she remained silent, his thumb rubbed tantalizing circles across her palm. Wholly entranced with the sensation, she forgot to pull away, to fight him.

“Why did you leave me?” At his wounded tone, she looked at Braxton and fell into the stormy depths of his eyes.

“I had to.” She forced herself to look away but the magnetic draw of his presence was too much and she faced him again, soaking up every feature of his beloved face.

“Did someone say something last night that upset you? Tell me the truth.” Braxton studied her for a moment. His face softened while his voice lowered. “I thought we both enjoyed the ball, especially what happened outside.”

“I did. I was, until…” She snapped her mouth shut.

“Until what? I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me what happened. If it takes the whole train ride to Hendersonville, then so be it. If I have to follow you around for days on end, I’ll do it.” Braxton bumped his leg against hers and grinned. “You know I don’t give up easily.”

“No, you don’t,” Dacey agreed. A sigh that carried her pain and loss worked free from her chest and hung between them for a long moment while she gathered her thoughts. “If you must know, someone shared a number of rather revealing facts about your nature and mentioned your tendency toward indecent habits. Quite simply, I concluded the best course of action was to immediately leave Asheville.”

Braxton frowned. “Did the person sharing these so called facts happen to be Miranda Beaudry?”

Dacey gaped at him, wondering how he knew she’d spoken to the woman. “Yes.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. She’s been full of spite and vengeance since I refused to marry her last spring.”

“But she said you…” Dacey couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

“I what? That I ruined her? That I sullied her sparkling reputation? That I did unspeakable things?” Braxton experienced a degree of gratification when Dacey appeared appalled by his questions. “The truth of the matter is that Father insisted I take her to a soiree and after the one evening we spent attending the festivities, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I paid court to her for a short time then I couldn’t take it anymore. When I bid her goodbye, she concocted a story she thought would force me into marriage, but she’d woven the same web of lies before and no one believed her.”

“I see.” Dacey stared at her lap, wondering if she dared believe Braxton. He looked and sounded so sincere.

“I don’t believe you do, Dacey. I’d never do any of the things she claimed. Not ever.” Braxton tilted his head beneath the wide brim of her western hat and stirred the air near her ear with his breath. “There’s only and ever been one woman who captured my interest and my heart.”

“I know. I saw her last night and again this morning.”

Perplexed, Braxton sat upright. “What? Who are you talking about?”

“There was a beautiful woman with dark hair at the ball. She had a young son. I saw you and your mother with her. It’s obvious he’s yours, Braxton. How can you say Miss Beaudry lied when you so clearly have a mistress and a son?”

Shocked speechless, the air whooshed out of Braxton and he released Dacey’s hand. After forking his fingers through his hair and leaning forward with his elbows on his knees for several minutes, he sat back and took her hand in his again.

“If you were a man, I’d pop you in the nose for making such an assumption and besmirching my character.” Braxton tempered his words with a teasing grin. “I can see how you arrived at such an outlandish conclusion though, especially with Miranda’s tasteless implications. Honestly, I thought Mother told you. I suppose I should have mentioned it myself.”

Frustrated and confused, Dacey glared at him. “Told me what? That she wants you to wed even though you have no need for a wife? I’m perfectly clear on that fact.”

Much to her dismay, Braxton chuckled. “So was I until you wandered into my life and took up residence in my heart, Dacey Jo Butler.”

It was her turn to sit speechless and stare at him.

He shrugged his broad shoulders as sadness filled his eyes. “I had a brother, William. He died four years ago in a tragic accident. He was hunting with friends and a gun accidentally discharged, killing him almost instantly. It upset Mother and Father so badly, they dealt with his death by removing every reminder of his existence. There isn’t a single photograph of him at Bramble Hall and no one dares mention his name.”

“Oh, Brax, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.” Dacey squeezed the hand that still held hers. “What about that woman and her child? He looks just like you.”

“That’s because he’s my nephew. Charlotte was married to William. He died eight months before Billy was born. Charlotte stayed with us until the baby arrived. When he was three months old, she returned to her family in Greenville. Eventually, she fell in love with a good man, and remarried.” He gave her a long look. “I meant to introduce you last night, but Charlotte arrived late and then I couldn’t find you. Although her husband couldn’t get away, she and Billy will stay at Bramble Hall for a few weeks.”