Nellie (The Brides of San Francisco Book 1) (15 page)

Nick, ever the gentleman, obliged.

Although she could tell by the look on his face he was somewhat surprised.

He looked to Blake, who in turn rolled his eyes.

“Sit gentlemen, I’ve ordered breakfast to be served in here.”

“Nellie, I don’t…” said Nick.

She watched Blake shake his head.

“Don’t worry, if you’re not hungry, don’t eat, but a plate will be brought for you anyway. You’ll insult Cook, not me, if you don’t eat. So, Nicholas, how are you? I haven’t seen you since the wedding…what, nearly three months ago now? My how time does fly.”

A discreet knock sounded on the door.

“Enter,” said Blake.

James came in followed by one of the scullery maids.

On their heels was Violet. She was obviously trying to sneak past, but as soon as she cleared the door, she made a beeline for Blake.

“Daddy!”

Blake was ready. It wasn’t the first time he’d been ambushed by Nellie’s blond, green-eyed daughter. Ever since Blake had said he was her daddy, she’d been constantly in his lap or his arms, or pulling him with her to her room to play. At least as often as she could.

“Violet!” scolded Nellie. Was she jealous that her baby suddenly wanted Blake and not her? Maybe a little, but she was also very pleased.

The little girl stopped and looked at Nellie.

“How are you supposed to enter a room?” asked Nellie.

“Walk, don’t run,” said Violet. She started to put her thumb into her mouth, then looked at her mother and put her arms behind her back.

“Very good. Now give Blake his morning kiss.”

Blake held out his arms. “Good morning, Sweet Pea.”

Violet couldn’t stand it anymore and ran to him.

Nellie rolled her eyes and then looked at Nick. He had the goofiest grin on his face. One of humor and longing. The idea struck her that he was ready to marry, too. She could tell by the way he was looking at Blake and Violet now. He wanted children. She’d have to work on that. The problem was, her only friends, Annie and Cora, were promised to other men. Too bad. She thought Annie and Nick would make a great couple and, if she wasn’t mistaken, there had been a bit of attraction on both of their parts at Nellie and Blake’s wedding.

Blake’s voice brought her back to the present.

“What are you doing today, Violet?”

“Playing. Bertha and Cook are gonna have a tea party with me. Cook said we’d have to do it in the kitchen because she has to fix stuff to eat.”

“So you’ve wrapped Cook around your finger, too,” said Nellie, shaking her head.

“I would bet the entire staff is hers to command,” said Nick, with a chuckle.

“And you’d be right my friend. This house needed children. She and Henry are a breath of fresh air. You should try it,” said Blake with a quick kiss to Violet’s forehead.

“Does that mean they like us?” asked Violet.

“Yes, Sweet Pea, we like you very much. All of you,” he looked straight at Nellie. “Your mama included.”

Nellie’s heart beat a little faster. He liked her. He admitted it to Violet and in front of Nick. He really liked her. That was a start. Soon, if she had her way, he’d love her.

James put the breakfast plates on the side bar. Nellie was ravenous and picked up one of the plates. She dug into the eggs and was taking a bite of bacon when the nausea hit her. The sensation was immediate, and she ran to the waste can at Blake’s desk. There she heaved up her guts. There was nothing delicate about it. One moment, she was sick. Then she felt fine.

“Nellie!” Blake gave her his handkerchief. “Are you all right?”

She sat back on her heels, sighed, and then smiled. “Oh yes, I’m fine.”

“But you were just sick, how can you be fine now?”

“I always get morning sickness.” She couldn’t believe it. She was going to have a baby. A sense of calm followed by excitement settled over her. She pressed a hand to her belly.
Hello, little Malone. I can’t wait to meet you.

“Morning sickness? What the devil?” said Blake.

“I don’t think the devil had anything to do with it,” said Nick, drolly.

Nellie took a deep breath and met his confused gaze. “Blake, you’re going to be a father.”

“I’m already a father…you mean…” His eyes widened. “Oh, a baby?”

She nodded.

“Shouldn’t you sit down?” Blake said as he slid an arm around her shoulders. “We don’t want you to wear yourself out.”

“I’m already sitting, but maybe you should sit. You look a little green. Violet, go get Henry please and Bertha. Bring them back here with you.”

The little girl ran out of the room.

“What do you need them for?” asked Blake.

“I want to tell them myself before the news becomes scuttlebutt among the staff, but it won’t be until tomorrow. Violet will forget what I asked her to do, she always does,” said Nellie. “Now please help me up.”

Blake helped her to rise and she dusted herself off.

“Congratulations, my friend,” said Nick coming to Blake and shaking his hand. He laughed. “Maybe you had better sit.”

“Yes, sit,” said Blake, dropping into the chair behind his desk. “I never thought, I mean I never…I don’t know how this happened.”

“Think about it, old man, and I’m sure it’ll come to you,” quipped Nick.

“Well, I mean I
know
how it happened, but I just…I was…am…unprepared, that’s all. It’s a surprise,” said Blake.

“It shouldn’t be,” laughed Nellie. She slammed her hand over her mouth and sure she was beet red, she shook her head at the turn in the conversation.

“No,” said Blake with a chuckle, “I guess it shouldn’t be. Now sit down, Nellie, please just accommodate me without argument.”

“Only because you’re currently in shock. You’ll get used to it as I become more and more like a whale,” snipped Nellie.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Blake waved her off with a casual flick of his hand.

“When she learns I’m with child, Maddie is going to try to kill me again,” stated Nellie. It wasn’t a prediction, it was a fact and she knew it.

“Whoa, wait, someone explain, please,” said Nick. “Maddie tried to kill Nellie? Is that what happened to your face. That scrape and the bruise?”

“Yes, Maddie tried to kill me, but Blake doesn’t believe me,” huffed Nellie.

Nick shook his head. “That makes no sense. Maddie is one of the gentlest people I’ve ever met.”

“Until you cross her,” retorted Nellie. “Then she’s your worst nightmare.”

“Nellie said she was pushed in front of the carriage that nearly killed her day before yesterday and she says Maddie did it,” explained Blake.

“Start from the beginning, please,” implored Nick.

Nellie reiterated the story, and why she believed Maddie was the one who pushed her.

“Don’t you see? She believes Blake is hers, and I’ve taken him from her by marrying him. She says that he’s not keeping to the plans they made for them to be together after he married me. So if I’m out of the way she’ll have Blake back.”

“That’s ridiculous. I was never anything but honest with Maddie. I told her that if I got married, that she and I were through. At that point I didn’t know if you and I were going to get married or not.”

“There you see you did make plans, at least in her mind.” Nellie paced in front of the fireplace while Blake and Nick watched. “You don’t casually mention that you might be with a woman if things go wrong with the woman who may be your wife. She assumes that things
will
go wrong because how could they not when you don’t even know who your wife is. Do you understand?”

Blake nodded and begrudgingly admitted, “Maybe I don’t understand women. I admit it, but that is still no reason for you to think she might kill you.”

“I don’t know, I think given everything that Nellie said, about Maddie killing the man who bought her, it’s entirely possible that she’d try and remove Nellie from the picture,” said Nick. He stood with his elbow on the sidebar

Blake ran his hands through his hair. “Well, I can’t fire her and keep an eye on her at the same time. What would you have me do?”

Nellie stopped pacing. “Keep her working with Nick. At least this way, he can keep an eye on her. Although, you may find that she really has traded places with Trixie. Poor Trixie wouldn’t know not to trade back, she’d just be happy to be with Nick again. Let her know that you’re staying with me,
if
that’s what you want. She’ll try again, I know it. I want you to hire men to protect my children.”

“And you,” added Nick.

“Yes, and you, too.” Blake came over and hugged her close. “Especially now that you’re with child I won’t let anything happen to you, Nellie.”

Now that I’m expecting he wants to keep me around. What if I wasn’t? Would he let Maddie do me in? Would he care?

CHAPTER 10

“So you believe me about Maddie?” she asked Blake. “And what about you Nick? Do you believe me?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think, but what you and Blake think,” said Nick. He went to the sidebar and poured himself a brandy.

“A brandy? Really Nick? It’s,” she checked the clock on Blake’s desk. “It’s ten o’clock in the morning.”

“Nellie, I’ve been working all night. For me this is the evening and after this I’m headed to bed.”

“I’m sorry. I’m still not used to this twenty-four hour working thing.”
I’m at the point I might join him for a drink, breakfast time or not.
“So have I convinced you?”

“No,” Blake admitted. “I don’t think she tried to kill you, but I do believe in being prudent and since you feel so strongly, then I must take those feelings into consideration.”

“I don’t understand you.” Her knuckles turned white as she fisted and unfisted her skirt in her hands. “I’ve told you what she said to me and you still think she’s harmless as a kitten. Well, that kitten has claws and she’s used them before. If I stay married to you she’ll use them again.”

Blake was in front of her, taking her by the shoulders.

“No more talk of us not being married. You’re my wife and you’ll stay my wife.” He kissed her hard, punishingly. “There will be no divorce. Ever.”

Once Nellie got her breath back, she tensed as her anger returned.

“You expect me to have faith in you, when you have none in me.” Her voice was almost a shout and she didn’t care. She was tired of always being proper.

“Yes. I’ve told you I’ll take care of you and the children.” He bent down so he connected with her gaze. “You have to believe that. Against anyone who wants to do you harm and if that’s Maddie, then against her, too.”

Nellie took a deep breath, closed her eyes and regained her calm. He would protect her and that was all she could ask. He’d known Maddie longer, even though she’d hoodwinked him for all these years, and there was where his loyalty lay. Not with Nellie, who was his wife, but whom he didn’t know.

“Alright. I leave it up to you to protect the kids as they rarely go out. Forgive me if I look to my own safety.”

“What do you mean? What are you going to do?” asked Blake.

“I’ll start carrying a gun. If I see Maddie anywhere near me or my children, I’ll shoot her.” She pointed at him. “You tell her that. Maybe that will keep her away from me.”

“There is no need for you to carry a gun.” Blake stared at her with his arms crossed. “You could hurt yourself.”

“Or her, isn’t that what you mean? You’re worried I’ll kill your lover, then what will you do?” Nellie shook her head. “I guess I’m done here. Until you believe me, we have nothing more to talk about.”

She stalked out of the room, up the stairs to her bedroom, and locked the door. Standing with her back to the door, Nellie waited, expecting Blake to come after her, but he didn’t, and that hurt her more than she thought it would. He must love Maddie.

At her dressing table, she sat. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, unchecked but silent. She would not give in to the wailing that she wanted to do. The sound would scare her children if they heard her carrying on in such a manner.

She rested her arms on her vanity and lowered her head to them, crying as quietly as she could. She didn’t hear Blake come into the room. When she felt his hands on her shoulders, she jumped before realizing that it was him.

“What are you doing here and why’d you sneak up on me?”

“You had your door locked. I came in from my rooms.”

“I wanted some privacy. I forgot about that door.”

“I’m glad but I would have just used the key.” His brows furrowed. “Why are you so upset? I said I’m putting you and the children under protection.”

“Even so, you still don’t believe me about Maddie.” She sniffled. “You still think she’s the poor girl you hired. Well, she was never that girl, and you may find that her affections turn to hate when they aren’t returned. So, you’d better watch yourself.”

Nellie stopped to catch her breath and dab at her tears with a handkerchief. “I’m upset because you’re my husband and I thought we were building something, but I can see that we aren’t.” She glared up into his stare. “You are just going about business as usual, and don’t give a damn about my feelings. I think it best that you leave now. Go to work, do whatever it is you do. I want to be alone and think about what kind of marriage it is we have. Because it’s certainly not the kind I thought we had, where the partners trust and lo…well trust each other anyway.”