Her Wyoming Man (2 page)

She took a dainty bite of the pudding and closed her eyes. “Exquisite.”

He couldn’t help a smile. She held half a plate of sweets. “Are you a cook yourself, Miss Reed?”

Her pleased expression vanished and a concerned frown marred her forehead before she seemed to catch herself and her skin smoothed once again. “Cooking was not one of my studies. But I’m a fast learner and could pick up the skill quickly if need be. Is cooking a requirement of a wife in Sweetwater?”

“I apologize. My question was a bumbling attempt at conversation. I’m sure you could learn to cook. I’d wager most of the men here tonight are unconcerned about cooking skills.”

She held her plate in her lap and cast him an interested glance. “Are
you
seeking a wife, Mr. Lantry?”

Chapter Two

H
e’d gone along with this venture because they did need more women in Sweetwater. He’d listened to the recommendations of the board, but he hadn’t committed. He’d had a wife, and he hadn’t planned on another. For the past couple of years a woman hadn’t been high on his list of priorities. But then…he hadn’t met
this
woman. “My fellow board members think a wife would offer a sense of stability and portray a solid family image when I run for an office.”

Her clear blue gaze searched his eyes with rapt interest. Their gazes met and held. “Which office would that be?”

He sensed there was more than a confident, beautiful young woman behind the exquisite exterior. “Governor of the territory. Perhaps one day of the state.”

“What about you?” she asked. “What do you think?” This time the tone of her voice held a vulnerable edge.

“I have children. A genteel influence would be in their best interest.”

“Children?” she asked. “You’re a widower?”

“I am.”

“My deepest condolences. How many young ones are in your care?”

“Three.” This was beginning to sound like an interview, and quite well it should be. He dared guess the tawny-haired miss could have her choice of any man in the house. “Why did a lovely young woman like yourself answer the advertisement and travel West? You don’t strike me as an adventuress.”

“No, I don’t suppose I am. My friend Celeste had already sent a wire, and joining her seemed logical. A fresh start was better than any of the prospects I had at home.”

He wouldn’t have thought so. “Did you leave behind family?”

“No, my mother—and father—both of my parents, that is, are dead. I have no family.”

“That’s unfortunate,” he said kindly, thinking she was too young to be forced to make life choices alone. But then she carried herself with sophisticated confidence. “You’re obviously a city woman. The territory is barely civilized. Our dinner parties and social activities aren’t what you’re accustomed to.”

She glanced down. “You’d be surprised what I’m accustomed to.” Taking a breath that beckoned his attention to her breasts beneath the rose-colored material of her dress, she brushed nonexistent crumbs from her skirt. “I’m quite good with figures, so I can keep an account. I can read music and am accomplished on the piano. I speak French fluently and embroider. And I am well-read. I can tutor students in a variety of subjects, should they require my help.”

He still imagined this beautiful, intelligent young woman had her choice of husbands in Illinois. He found it remarkable that she’d left her familiar surroundings and traveled to Wyoming with the intent of marrying. “I’m keeping you from your food, when I meant to rescue you from others doing the same. Please. Enjoy.”

She gave him a grateful smile, picked up the éclair and took a dainty bite. “Oh my goodness.”

Her enjoyment of the sweet was obvious. After a few minutes, he asked, “Would you care for a cup of tea?”

“That would be nice…but…”

“What?”

“Did I see champagne?”

At her request, he had to deliberately keep his eyebrow from rising on its own. She was a refreshing change from the teetotaler majority of females of his acquaintance. “I’ll bring you a glass.”

He fetched two glasses, and she accepted one with thanks.

“I’ve never had the pleasure of satisfying my sweet tooth, so forgive me for appearing a glutton.”

“On the contrary,” he answered. “You have a dainty appetite.” He seated himself beside her. “Éclairs weren’t on the menu back home?”

“At Miss Haversham’s Academy for Young Women, we weren’t allowed to eat anything that would place our figures at risk.”

Now that Nathan thought about it, all of the young women he’d seen so far had been exceedingly trim. “A person deserves a treat now and then,” he said with a smile.

She sipped her champagne as though it were an accustomed taste. “Your children,” she said. “Girls or boys, and what are their ages?”

“Christopher is my oldest, and he’s six. Grace is—”

“There you are, Miss Reed.” William Pickering chose that moment to lead a party out of doors. “Nathan is holding our guest captive, I see.”

Ella gave Nathan an apologetic look and stood.

“I’ll take your plate,” he offered.

She handed the dish to Nathan, and an almost pleadingly hopeful look crossed her features before she raised her chin and turned away, joining the others.

William touched her elbow, and something dark and primitive rose inside Nathan. The other man introduced Ella to three young men in the gathering, and the crowd moved back indoors. He was left with an unfamiliar hollowness in his gut. Odd, how she’d affected him so profoundly and left him aching.

“Beautiful evening.”

Nathan hadn’t realized he’d been staring after the group until the feminine voice spoke from beside him.

“I’ve never seen so many stars in the heavens,” she said. “Never spent much time out of doors looking for them, I guess, but they aren’t near as bright in the city.”

The woman’s dark hair was arranged in an artful upswept twist, with curls that hung on either side of her face. Her pale dress shimmered in the torchlight.

She turned her dark gaze on him. Her smile held a surprising edge of seduction, though he was sure she’d been intending coquettishness. “You’re Nathan Lantry?”

“I am.” He wanted to follow Ella and make sure the hounds didn’t devour her. “And you’re…?”

“Lena Kellie.”

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“Looks as though this town could’ve used a dozen more women.”

“It takes a special breed to flourish here,” he replied.

“Think Miss Haversham’s girls will do?”

“The men seem to think so.”

“What about you?” She met his gaze boldly. “Are you in the market for a bride?”

He hadn’t been until half an hour ago. “I might be.”

She rested her hand on his coat sleeve and raised her dark eyes up to meet his gaze. “Seen anything you like yet?”

Her overture didn’t rest easy with him. He’d seen someone he liked a lot. “Would you care for a glass of champagne?”

“Thank you, yes.”

“Join me inside,” he suggested and led her toward the house.

Ella’s last full breath had been drawn an hour ago in the garden. Since then she’d been gawked at, showered with smiles, spoken of when men didn’t think she was paying attention and fed enough éclairs to burst the seams of her evening dress. Once the gentlemen discovered her fondness for desserts, each successive guest had come bearing a sweet.

How long was this civilized cattle auction going to last? Two men had proposed upon introduction. Three others had requested her hand in marriage after a few pleasantries. She’d never imagined it would be this easy to find a husband. But how on earth would she choose?

She looked them over now. The youngest one with the shy smile and the sandy-colored sideburns seemed the safest and the most endearing. He was rather boyish actually, and youth and innocence had its charm. The oldest gentleman appeared the wealthiest however, and his asset was definitely one worthy of consideration. Age made no difference as long as a husband was a good man. But this one had a tick that inched his cheek up into a squint every few minutes. No matter how rich he was, that trait might get distracting over dinner for the next thirty or forty years.

Celeste seemed taken with a tall fellow Ella had learned was a rancher. He had kind eyes and a warm smile, but she knew well that looks could be deceiving. It was imperative that Celeste find someone kind. Ella wished she could be certain of his character.

The conversation swelled into a buzz around her. The room had grown uncomfortably warm. She studied the circle of men for an opening and spotted Nathan Lantry. He stood like a solid beacon in a rolling sea. Though all of the men were dressed similarly, Nathan wore his dark suit and white shirt with an elegant style that drew attention to his height and the breadth of his shoulders.

His cheekbones were sharp and his brows dark slashes, but his kind eyes and well-shaped lips softened his appearance.

“Excuse me,” she said to the nearest suitor and worked her way toward Nathan. Lena stood beside him. Spotting Ella, a predatory gleam lit her features. She took a step closer to Nathan and gave Ella a glare.

“Is everything all right?” Ella asked her in a quiet voice.

“Everything is just fine,” Lena replied, but looked away.

“I need to ask Mr. Lantry a question.” Ella turned to the man. “I wonder if I might have a word with you.”

“Certainly.” He glanced at Lena. “Excuse us.” He led Ella out to a wide wood-paneled hallway, lined with oversize oil paintings of various landscapes and hunting scenes. Small tables were draped with fringed scarves and held candlesticks and bric-a-brac. “What is it, Miss Reed?”

“The rancher named Adams. Do you know him?”

“Paul Adams? Yes, I know him. Are you thinking of marrying Adams?”

“No, my friend Celeste is thinking of accepting his proposal.” Was that a look of relief that crossed his elegant features? “But I want to be certain he’s a trustworthy sort. Not given to violence.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but answered immediately. “Paul’s a good fellow. Honest and hardworking. Treats his hands well from what I know. Just built a house on the southwest portion of his land last summer. Not far from town.”

“Would he be a considerate spouse, do you reason?”

Their gazes met and held longer than it took him to form a reply. Ella recognized when a man was attracted to her, but for the first time she experienced a positive reaction to his interest. She felt unexplainably safe with him.

“I don’t have any grounds to think otherwise.” He glanced aside and then back at her.

“Thank you.”

Nathan Lantry’s discomfort was obvious. He didn’t know anything about her, so the irritating prickle of shame she experienced wasn’t because of his censure. She must have been mistaken about the interest she thought she’d glimpsed. She turned back toward the doorway.

Nathan shouldn’t have been disappointed that she’d only wanted to ask a question on behalf of a friend. What had he anticipated?

Besides her beauty, Ella Reed was cultured, well mannered and graceful. Her concern for her friend’s well-being touched him. He’d be a fool not to recognize her as a perfect partner for a man in his position. Besides her obvious external qualifications, she had a compassionate nature and could provide a gentle influence for his children.

“What about you?” he asked before she could slip from the hallway.

She turned back. “What about me?”

“Have you singled someone out? Want to ask me about a prospect for yourself?”

She took a few steps back toward him without reply.

“Has anyone asked you?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Who?”

“The newspaperman.”

“Lewis Frost.”

She nodded. “The rancher from South Pass. He has a spread overlooking a valley.”

Nathan had a difficult time picturing her on a ranch.

She thought a moment. “Mr. Pickering.”

Three of them? William Pickering wasn’t a bad sort, but he did spend Friday and Saturday nights in the saloon.

“And a handful of others.”

Six altogether? Eight? Of course he wasn’t surprised. Every man in the gathering would recognize her as a suitable prospect as easily as he had. A prize like her didn’t come along every day. Not even once a lifetime, he’d wager.

However, the last thing he wanted to do was rush into a second marriage and risk another woman’s dissatisfaction. His wife hadn’t known what she was getting into by marrying him and coming West. She’d done her best, but their courtship had been rushed—she wouldn’t have married him if she’d known all that was involved—and she’d never really been happy.

But Ella Reed had come West on her own. She planned to marry one of the men who’d proposed tonight. He wasn’t sure how she’d fare with one of the others, but
he
would treat her the way a lady deserved. She would do well marrying him. She could learn to love his children and they her. His heart hammered. With impulsiveness he’d regret later, he groped for the correct words. “I’d be honored if you’d add me to your list of prospects, Miss Reed.”

Her blue gaze flickered in the light from the nearby gas lamp on the wall.

The sensation in his belly felt as though he’d leaped off a cliff. Perhaps he had.

“You,
Mr. Lantry?”

“I’m asking for your hand in marriage. I’d make a good husband. I have help for the children and someone who cooks, so I’m not asking because I need you to perform household chores.”

She listened without a visible reaction.

“I’m asking because I believe we could develop a mutually satisfying relationship.”

Her gaze didn’t waver from his. “I understand.”

Had he said enough to convince her he was the best choice? “I’m the city attorney. I own three lucrative businesses in town. My children and I attend Mount Calvary Church on a regular basis. I’m on the town council board, and I don’t—”

“I accept.”

Chapter Three

H
e blinked, gathering his wits, undoubtedly looking like a fool. “Just like that?”

“It’s not a difficult decision.”

Should he be flattered?

Nathan released a breath. He was relieved. More relieved than the situation deemed logical. He’d never met Ella Reed until this evening. His heart wouldn’t have been broken if she’d chosen Lewis Frost or William Pickering. But he knew instinctively that he’d have regretted letting the moment pass without giving a proposal his best effort. “I give you my word I won’t disappoint you.”

She smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes, which still held an edge of concern. But her words belied worry. “I don’t doubt that.”

“The city is paying for the hotel rooms throughout the end of the week,” he told her. “If you need a little time to plan a wedding or—or to acclimate yourself, I’ll arrange to keep your room.”

“I only know four people to invite to a wedding, and I wouldn’t know the first thing about planning one. I can figure it out if you like. But not for my sake, please. A small ceremony will suffice.”

“I’ll make arrangements then,” he offered. “I expect the minister will be busy after tonight.”

Ella had no schoolgirl fantasies about a fancy church wedding or a white satin dress. Marrying Nathan Lantry was the best and most secure move she would ever make to seal her future. She would have stood on a wooden crate in a Kansas dust storm to say her vows.

Footsteps sounded and Lena appeared through the doorway opening. Her intent gaze zeroed in on Nathan, and she made a beeline toward him. “There you are. I missed your company.”

Nathan glanced at Ella. “Shall we make our announcement now?”

She nodded in agreement.

“Announcement?” Lena frowned at Ella.

“I’ve accepted Mr. Lantry’s proposal,” Ella whispered.

The other woman’s frown turned into a scowl. “I might’ve known.”

She gathered her skirts and swished away into the main room.

Nathan touched the small of Ella’s back and guided her to a prominent place in the noisy gathering. The innocent touch seemed at once proprietary and comforting. He unerringly found Leland Murdock and leaned to say something to the man in private. Leland’s eyebrows shot up. He gave Ella a broad smile, then turned to the crowd. “May I have your attention, please!”

The cacophony of voices fell to a murmur and then expectant silence.

“We have our first announcement,” Leland called.

Murmurs tittered through the bystanders.

Leland gave Nathan a nod.

Nathan stepped forward. “I guess I’ll be the first,” he said. He glanced from one face to another. “I’ve asked Miss Ella Reed to be my wife.” The room fell perfectly silent. “She’s accepted.”

A cheer rose, followed by a few grumbles, which had been expected. Celeste darted around a couple of men to reach Ella. She threw her arms around her. “I’m so happy for you.”

The lanky rancher Nathan had called Paul Adams pushed past a few people to stand in the space that had opened. “I have another announcement.”

“Go ahead, Paul,” Leland prompted.

Color rose in Paul’s face, but he drew a breath to say, “I’m marryin’ Celeste, here.”

He turned to look for Celeste, and she joined him by taking his hand and smiling ear to ear.

By the time another hour had passed, four of the women were pledged to local men. Nearly everyone had made a match. Everyone except Lena. Certainly her lack of commitment wasn’t for lack of proposals. Lena was undoubtedly holding out for a better offer.

Ella, on the other hand, would never get a better opportunity than the one she had right now.

Ella’s bridegroom had arranged a ceremony for Saturday afternoon. Two other couples planned to marry that same day, both scheduled in the morning. Ella attended both ceremonies, one in the judge’s chambers in a small building beside the sheriff’s office and the other at the Methodist church. After a joint informal reception, she hurried back to the hotel to prepare for her own wedding.

Though Celeste had been married only a few hours, she and her new husband remained in town for Ella’s wedding, which would take place at Nathan’s church. Ella couldn’t have been more relieved to hear her knock and opened the door to admit her.

“Did you ever think it?” Celeste asked. “Did you ever in your wildest imaginings think we’d be brides?”

Ella shook her head. “Or that we’d be married to upstanding citizens and able to walk about town without scorn. I was greeted politely half a dozen times on my way to your ceremony this morning.”

“We got wedding gifts.” Elation buoyed Celeste’s tone. She buttoned the remaining buttons on the back of Ella’s pale peach dress and fastened a string of pearls around her neck. “Quilts and dishes and such. Paul has family nearby. Did you see all of them in the judge’s chambers?”

Ella turned to face her, hoping for all she was worth that Paul Adams was every bit the man of character Nathan had assured her he was. “You will come to me if he’s…unkind, won’t you? I have some money, and I can pay for a hotel or train fare.”

Celeste nodded. “Don’t worry. Paul’s a good man, Ella.” Her smile faltered. “We’re all doing what we had to do, but we might as well make the most of it. Once tonight has passed, I’ll be able to handle everything else.”

Ella gave her a questioning look. “What do you mean?”

“We’re supposed to be innocent virgins the first time.”

“Oh, yes,” Ella agreed. She’d thought of the coming night, as well, but she hadn’t let herself dwell on it.

“Just cry a little,” Celeste suggested. “And don’t appear eager. We’re good girls now.”

“I’ll remember,” Ella replied with a nod.

“Why do you suppose Lena is holding out?” Celeste asked, changing the subject.

“She wasn’t happy about Nathan asking me to marry him,” Ella replied. “That was obvious.”

“Your man is one of the richest in the territory,” Celeste agreed. “That probably stuck in her craw.”

Ella liked the sound of Nathan referred to as
her man.

“Since Lena couldn’t have him, she probably wants the next-wealthiest man for herself. I’m just glad I got a kind one. I’m not going to mind cooking or cleaning or even helping with ranch work, as long as Paul is mild tempered.”

Ella checked her timepiece and ushered Celeste toward the door. Paul waited in the hotel foyer, his hat in his hands.

“Mr. Lantry sent a carriage for you,” he said and gestured toward the door. “And he’s even invited us to the reception.”

Sure enough a black carriage pulled by two fine horses with shiny mahogany coats waited in the street. “There’s room for the three of us,” Ella offered.

All three weddings she’d ever attended had been on this same day, and all three were ceremonies she’d never imagined to attend, especially not her own. Butterflies created havoc in Ella’s stomach as the three of them traveled across town. She composed her nerves before Paul helped her step down from the carriage and led both women to the door.

Inside, the late-afternoon sun streamed through stained glass windows, illuminating depictions of Christ in various settings. A garden scene extended its long green shadows as far as Nathan’s feet, where he stood at the front of the middle aisle.

Three fair-haired children in their Sunday finest stood in stair-step alignment and craned their necks to watch Ella’s approach. She gave each a hesitant smile. Her stomach quivered and her head felt light. This was the best day of her life, but she didn’t know the least thing about children…or about being a wife.

Dressed elegantly in pinstripe black pants, Nathan wore a black jacket over a crisp white shirt with a white bow tie. Seeing him dressed so formally brought the reality of this moment into sharp focus. She was pledging herself to this startlingly handsome man, who was but a stranger.

And he in turn was binding himself—and his young family—to her, a woman he knew nothing about, and yet he accepted her.

She was going to do her very best to live up to his expectations and his trust. Whatever it took to endear her to him and make their marriage work, she vowed to throw herself into wholeheartedly. This act saved her from a lifetime of servitude and a bleak future. He would never regret making her his wife.

Ella was going to make Nathan Lantry a happy man.

Her first glimpse of her new home took Ella’s breath away. In the semidarkness, the stately three-story brick house nestled between towering oaks on a parklike lawn. Directly to one side and behind was a carriage house with glowing lanterns on both front corners.

Nathan helped Ella and the children down, and a weathered fellow came to take the buggy and horses.

Squares of light spilled from the first floor windows of the house. Several other carriages and wagons had preceded them, the occupants apparently inside.

The woman Nathan had introduced as Virginia Shippen took little Robby’s hand as they approached the house. The short good-natured woman was at least twenty years older than Ella, with a ready smile and an ample waist and hips. The three-year-old kept looking up at Ella with questioning blue eyes, then quickly looking away when she smiled at him.

Grace, the four-year-old, observed Ella with silent curiosity. During the buggy ride, she had directed her attention to her tiny reticule. She wore her sandy hair in two long braids that bounced against the frilly sleeves of her dress when she ran toward the front door.

Nathan’s oldest child, Christopher, wore a solemn expression, but walked ahead to be the first to open the door and usher Ella inside. “This is our house,” he told her importantly.

His hair was darker than the other two children’s and parted with severe precision. Once inside, he gazed up at her, revealing hazel eyes fringed with long black lashes.

“Thank you, Christopher.”

His cheeks pinkened, and he glanced away.

A woman in a black dress and white apron met them to take hats and wraps. Ella wore only a scrap of Venetian lace on a pearl comb, which she left in her hair.

They had entered into a foyer lit by a gas chandelier. Voices and music spilled from the open room to the right.

“Papa, are we allowed to stay up for the party?” Christopher asked.

“Of course,” Nathan replied. “This is a special night. You may have an hour to greet our guests and eat. After that Mrs. Shippen will see you off to bed, and I’ll tuck you in.”

Christopher’s grin lit his face and revealed charming dimples in each cheek.

Robby extended both arms to Nathan, and the man picked him up. “I imagine you’re a little confused about today, aren’t you?”

The child nestled his head on Nathan’s shoulder. Nathan patted his back through the miniature suit jacket and laid his head against the boy’s while Ella watched their interaction with interest.

She’d never seen a man interact with his children before. Observing their little family filled her with a sad yearning. Ella had never known a father’s love or attention. She doubted her mother even knew who her father had been, and if she had, the man wouldn’t have acknowledged her. These children were privileged in more ways than financially. They had a loving father, a man who willingly played a role in their lives and was concerned for them.

She’d become a recipient of his care and attention, as well. She’d never welcomed change as much as she did now. A shiver of expectation gripped her.

“Are you all right?” Nathan caught her attention.

“Yes. Perfectly.”

“Then let’s go greet our guests, shall we?”

Besides Nathan’s tender concern for his children, Ella had so much to take in all at once: the size of Nathan’s home and the lovely furnishings; the guests, dressed in elegant clothing, who milled about and stopped to wish them well; the way his peers looked up to him and honored him by attending his wedding and reception.

All but one of the other girls with whom Ella had come West were in attendance. Instinctively Ella knew that regardless of their new husbands’ positions—or lack thereof—in the community, they’d been invited and accepted as Ella’s friends.

“Thank you for including Celeste and the others in the reception,” she said during a brief moment alone with Nathan.

He had handed her a glass of champagne and, after she had sipped the bubbly liquid, smiled. His warm awareness brought a surprising heat to her cheeks. “Of course your friends are welcome,” he said.

Why his attention embarrassed her, she couldn’t fathom. She hadn’t blushed in years, and all he’d done was smile at her. “I—I haven’t seen Lena.”

“I sent an invitation that included a guest,” he said. “She declined. I’m sorry she slighted you.”

Ella shrugged. “We aren’t close friends.”

“Your friend Celeste will be less than an hour’s ride from Sweetwater,” he told her. “If you should want to call on her, I’ll make arrangements whenever it pleases you. I’m sure being in a new place will be an adjustment for both of you.”

“That’s kind of you,” she said in surprise.

He glanced away as though thinking, but brought his gaze back to hers. “I want you to be happy.”

The intimate low timbre of his voice, the words spoken softly for her alone, hammered a dent in her self-protective layer of aloof dignity.

The warmth that had been in her cheeks now spread to her chest and squeezed her heart until it ached. No one had ever said that to her. No one had ever cared about her happiness. She didn’t know how to react—or how to believe him. But she wanted to, and she wanted to revel in the luxury.

Even if words had come to her, she couldn’t have spoken them. For the first time, she wondered about his previous wife, the woman he’d loved. If he was this kind to her—a woman he’d only met, how must it have been to be loved by such a man?

What did a love like that feel like?

Immediately, Ella caught herself giving way to fanciful thoughts and reined them in. She’d come to Sweet water with the intent of gaining respectability and finding a safe haven. She wasn’t hitching her wagon to a star. Being Nathan’s wife and gaining his respect as well as that of the community was all she’d hoped for. Above everything now she wanted to be worthy of him and deserving of his trust.