Donovan's Daughter (The Californians, Book 4) (18 page)

"So you think that's funny?" Alex tried to look indignant.

Marcail shook her head, but her eyes were brimming
with laughter, and Alex would have been a fool to believe
her.

"Well, you can laugh now, but I can tell you they'll
show no mercy the first time they see those rosy cheeks."

Alex watched as Marcail suddenly grew very serious.
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what he'd said
wrong when she spoke.

"Will they like me, Alex? I mean, your family. Will
they be disappointed that you've married someone they
don't know?"

"No." Alex's voice was now as serious as hers. "They'll
love you the first time you meet. It's true that they're all a
big bunch of jokers, but their hearts are warm and caring. You'll be taken into their hearts and lives as though
you'd been there all along."

Marcail nodded, wanting so much to believe him, but
still feeling uncertain.-'-'How- big is your family?"

"I'm the youngest of five. I have two brothers and two
sisters. They're all married with children. My oldest
sister and I are the only ones who live away from our
hometown."

"And your-folks-are they still living?"

"Yes, my father has been a doctor in Fort Bragg for
years."

"Fort Bragg? That's out on the coast, isn't it?"

"Right. I think you'll like it when we get there. We
have to take the logging train when we go, but once
there, it's a great little place."

"Are we going soon?" Marcail asked tentatively, thinking it sounded like they were leaving in the morning.

"About ten days," Alex said with a wide-eyed look,
realizing how presumptuous he'd been. "I always go
home the weekend before my birthday. I just assumed
you would go with me. I'm sorry I didn't check with
you.

"Don't apologize. I'd like to meet your family; that is, if
they really won't mind our being married and-"

Alex shook his head, and Marcail stopped.

"It's a long ride on the train, Marcail. I was wondering
if you would have a problem with my asking Stan Flynn
if you could have two days off?"

Marcail looked surprised, but didn't deny his request.

"I thought we would leave first thing Friday morning.
That puts us in Fort Bragg in the afternoon, and I thought
we'd come home on Monday."

"I don't have a problem with it. It would be a nice
break, but I don't know how Mr. Flynn will feel." Marcail
sounded as dubious as she felt.

"I'll talk to him. He knows he can be honest with me.
Since I know he feels partly responsible for our being
married, I somehow doubt he would deny us a little time
away."

Marcail agreed, and they continued to talk for a while
longer. She found out Alex's exact birthday and that he
was going to be 31. With her birthday coming in March,
it wasn't hard to figure that he was almost exactly 11
years older than she was. Marcail wasn't sure how she
felt about that.

A half hour later it was heavenly for Marcail to finally
take her hair down and crawl onto the sofa for the night. As she fell asleep with a dull headache, Marcail wondered if she should try to explain to Alex about her hair.
As she pictured herself trying to do just that, the image
caused her to blush all over again. Marcail told herself
she was going to have to suffer through the headaches.

The next day Marcail sent a note home with Erin
Vesperman in regard to Alex's birthday present. Marcail
prayed that there would be enough time to order the new
black leather satchel she'd spotted in one of Rigg's catalogs when she was home for Christmas. Why she'd been
looking at the medical supplies, she wasn't sure, but she
knew what she wanted and could only hope that Mr.
Vesperman dealt with some of the same suppliers as
Rigg.

Alex was a little late in claiming Marcail, but she had
some work to do at the schoolhouse and didn't miss him.
Their evening was much like the previous, with a quiet
supper and talk across the table. Again, Marcail went to
bed with a dull ache around her forehead, but as always,
she slept soundly and woke up refreshed and ready to
take on the day.

Alex had made the coffee that morning, and when
Marcail was enjoying her second cup, he surprised her
with a question.

"I don't want to put you on the spot, Marcail, but I was
wondering-how do you feel about Dean and Kay Austin?"

"I think they're very nice." Marcail was a little taken
aback by such -a question.

Alex nodded. "The three of us have been meeting for
Bible study on Wednesday nights for a long time, and I
was wondering if you'd be interested."

'Alex," Marcail thought she understood, "you don't
have to ask me. I know you have things you want to do
that don't include me."

"That's just it-I want to include you. I want you to
join us, but Idon't want you to feel like you should."

"How do the Austins feel about my joining you?"

"Kay was in yesterday, making sure I planned on
bringing you."

Marcail warmed with his words. It had seemed the
majority of the town was against her. Then both Mary
Vesperman and Cindy White had talked to her in the
bank, telling her how much they appreciated her stand.
And now knowing that the Austins wanted to include
her in their Bible study meant more than Marcail could
say.

"So you'll come?" Alex had seen the look of pleasure
in her eyes.

"Yes, I'd love to."

"Great," Alex too was feeling very pleased himself.
His Wednesday night study was important to him, both
spiritually and emotionally, and he'd have definitely felt
the void if Marcail had stayed home.

When Alex picked her up from school that afternoon,
he surprised her with the news that Kay had asked them
to supper that evening. He told Marcail when he would
be back for her, and she took advantage of the time to do
a little baking.

By the time Alex returned, Marcail was flushed from
her baking efforts, but the cookie tin was full. Marcail
also had a basket to go to the Austins.

"You've been busy," Alex commented with pleasure
as his nose tested the air. "What is that I smell?"

"Probably the peanuts. I like cookies with peanuts in
them."

Marcail held one out to her spouse and waited for the
verdict. Her smile was triumphant at the look of rapture
on his face.

"I take it you like them?"

Alex quickly schooled his features into a blase mask.
"They're pretty good, but it's hard to tell after just one.
I'd better try another."

He started toward the basket, but Marcail neatly
scooped it up with one hand and held it behind her back.

Alex's brows rose, along with the corners of his mouth,
at her impertinence, and he came to stand very close to
his wife. When Alex leaned very close and put his arms
around her, Marcail began to wonder if she should have
hidden the basket. He seemed to take an inordinate
amount of time stealing a second cookie, and Marcail's
face was a dull red by the time he finished.

Alex never took his eyes from his wife's face as he
reached around her slight form and retrieved the cookie
without ever touching her. As she watched him, Marcail
had the sudden impression that Alex was not all that
interested in the baked goods. The idea scared her a little
and caused another emotion, one she could not define.

Alex kept his place by Marcail as he ate the second
cookie, and did nothing this time to hide his pleasure.

"These are really excellent, did you know that?"

"I'm glad you came to that decision after only two; one
more and you wouldn't want any supper."

"Now you sound like a teacher," Alex told her as he
wiped the crumbs from his hands.

The smile Marcail gave him was brilliant. "I do, don't
I?"

Alex only laughed, shook his head, and escorted his
wife out the door.

Kay Austin said little to the new Mrs. Montgomery
when she first walked in the door. Not until they were in
the kitchen, and alone, did Kay give any hint as to what
was on her mind.

"Are you all right?" Kay asked the question while
looking directly into Marcail's eyes, and Marcail suddenly felt tears stinging her own.

Marcail nodded a little. "Why do you ask?" she whispered.

Kay hugged her before answering. "Because there was
not one bit of color in your face when you were here on
Sunday to marry Alex. I know Alex well enough to know
that he's a very gentle and compassionate person, but
this can't have been easy for you. So tell me, are you
really okay?"

"It doesn't seem real yet," Marcail admitted softly.
'And you're right, Alex couldn't be more kind, but he's
still-' Marcail hesitated.

"A stranger," Kay finished for her. Marcail nodded.
The older woman reached out and gently squeezed Marcail's arm.

"You can talk to him about anything," Kay told her.
"He's very understanding, and he's also a man who
really strives to obey God every day of his life. I know he
prayed about marrying you and believed it to be the best
thing, or he never would have asked.

"Maybe you think I'm being too optimistic, but years
ago my older sister Addie was widowed suddenly while
she had four children under the age of five. So her
children could eat, she married a near stranger three months later. She and Hank have had a wonderful life
together. In fact, Hank is a lot like Alex, with his gentle
ways and quiet humor. As hard as it must be for you to
believe this, I really think that the two of you will make a
go of it."

Her words did much for Marcail's spirits, and the
evening proved to be both relaxing and refreshing. After
supper, Marla and Daisy went off to bed, and the adults
gathered around the kitchen table for the Bible study. As
they studied in the book of James, Marcail found out in a
hurry that Alex, Dean, and Kay were serious about
knowing God better and dedicating their lives to His
glory.

Alex had been in his office for two hours on Saturday
morning before Marcail stirred from her sofa-bed. Sleeping in seemed almost decadent, but as tired as she'd been
on Friday night, Marcail needed the extra rest.

There was cleaning to be done, clothes to be washed,
and baking to be tackled. Alex had told Marcail he would
not return until midafternoon, and Marcail took advantage of the privacy to bathe and wash her hair. She
luxuriated in the water a little longer than she should
have, but it felt so soothing that after scrubbing every
inch of herself, she just wanted to relax.

Fifteen minutes later, Marcail was dressed in her
undergarments and looking over her dresses. They all
needed to be washed, but she wouldn't have anything to
wear if she got all three of her dresses wet. She wished
she'd brought a couple of work dresses from Kaitlin's
until she suddenly remembered the several dresses hanging on the far end of her wardrobe. Marcail opened the
second door, something she hadn't needed to do as yet.