© 2014 by Colleen Coble
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Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version.
ISBN 978-1-4016-8999-5 (eBook)
CONTENTS
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
READING GROUP GUIDE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ONE
AUSTIN, 1907
The train blew out a long, mournful wail before steaming to a halt in the Austin station. Elli Korpela laced her gloved fingers together and drew in a shaky breath. If only she had a mirror to ensure no smudges marred her skin. She glanced uneasily behind her as she stood and gripped the valise at her feet. No one followed. It was just her imagination again.
She peered out the sooty window at the people waiting at the station. Which one was Nathan White? That one with the shock of red hair peeking out from under a cap or the older man leaning on a cane? Or maybe it was the young man, barely out of his teens, who stood off to one side with his bicycle. She knew so little about him.
She whipped her hat from her head and gazed at the bluebonnets she’d picked at the last stop. The stems were a little wilted, but the gay color enhanced her plain straw hat. Perhaps they’d enliven her appearance in her new husband’s eyes.
She replaced her hat and took a tentative step into the aisle.
The conductor had already opened the door, and he raised a bushy eyebrow her way. “Isn’t this your stop, miss?”
She glanced around. She was the last passenger. Nodding, she moved to the door and thanked the conductor for his help. The bright Texas sun made her blink. She’d never felt such heat in Finland’s cooler climate. Her throat constricted as several men glanced her way. Everything in her wanted to turn and leap for the train car pulling away from the station.
She was a Korpela. Tipping up her chin, she met the gaze of the man standing in the shadows of the doorway. In his middle twenties, he was tall, at least six two. His green eyes held her transfixed as he looked her up and down before he moved into the sunshine with intention. He must be Nathan White. With his neat brown beard, he was much more handsome than she’d imagined. She caught a glimpse of brown hair beneath his hat brim that curled at his nape.
Her gaze took in the little girl he held by the hand. “Mr. White? I am so pleased to meet you.”
He inclined his head. “You’re Elli Korpela? Your English is very good.”
“My mother was Australian, and she was determined I speak English as well as my native Finnish.” Her knees trembled, but she didn’t look away from his speculative stare.
Was he disappointed at her appearance? She’d lost weight since her father’s death. There’d been little food in the house and no money to buy more for the trip over on the Baltic. She’d had little to eat on the voyage. The arrangement made with the organization that brought her over had been an answer to prayer.
She smiled at the child. “Is this your beautiful daughter, then?”
“My niece, Hannah. I hope you’re familiar with the raising of a child.”
“I love children.” There was a mystery here Elli was eager to delve into. But now was the time for proper introductions. She crouched in front of the little girl. “Hello, Hannah. How old are you?” If she’d known about Hannah, she would have brought a gift. Was there anything she could offer the little one?
Hannah wore a ruffled blue dress and white stockings. The clothing seemed expensive in comparison to Nathan’s brown suit. Her blond curls had been carefully styled.
Hannah smiled up at her. “I’m four.” She curtsied and nearly toppled over until her uncle steadied her.
He patted Hannah’s head. “She’s been practicing.”
“You taught her to curtsy?” He grinned and nodded. An idea occurred to her. “I have a present for you, Hannah.” She dug out a small wooden doll from her bag. “My father bought this for me when I was your age. He brought it home from a faraway place. It is very special. Can you take good care of her for me?”
Hannah clutched it to her chest. “A dolly! I’ve never had one made of wood.”
“I am glad you like it.”
“I shall call her Sally.”
Nathan frowned, and his gaze swept over her. “All right then. There will be time for all that later. Elli, you must be hungry from your trip. When did you eat last?”
“I . . . I had some crackers this morning.” No reason for him to know it was the last bit of food she’d brought from Finland. Or that one serving a day was all she’d had.
He took her gently by the elbow and escorted her down the street, Hannah in tow. “There’s a good café this way. We’ll get you some lunch. As a matter of fact, I’m hungry myself. How about you, Hannah?”
Elli couldn’t think past the warm fingers pressing against her skin. He could have had his pick of women. Why arrange to obtain one of the mail-order brides arriving from Europe? And why did he have care of his niece? She’d only been told she was to marry a Nathan White and that the man had a child. There had been no correspondence between them, though many times she’d read his initial letter applying to receive one of the women brought over on the Baltic. She loved his courteous and respectful tone. Respect was all-important to her.
He pulled out a patio chair for her to sit on outside the café, then waved to the waitress who took his order for sandwiches and tea. The delicious aromas wafting out the screen door made Elli’s mouth water. She clasped her hands in her lap and tried to look calm.
“I suppose you would like to know the reason for my sending for you with an offer of marriage. Hannah here is my only concern.”
“You are raising her?”
He nodded as he settled into his own seat. “My sister, Jane, died three years ago when Hannah was a baby. I tried to take care of her with the help of some friends, but my situation has changed. I want Hannah to have a stable home. This being shifted from place to place isn’t good for her. She’s all I have now, and I want her loved and cherished.”
Cherished. The word struck a chord in Elli’s heart. It had been so long since anyone had held her or smiled into her eyes with love. Not since her mother died five years ago. Her father rarely paid her any mind. He was much too busy with matters of state.
“So, you want a nursemaid, not a wife?” She was unable to keep the relief from her voice.
He inclined his head. “Nursemaids come and go. I need someone committed to us for the long term, you see. There’s a separate bedroom waiting for you. I have no intention of making any, er, demands on you.” He looked away.
“I appreciate your honesty.” Conflicting emotions churned her stomach. On the one hand, she’d dreaded the thought of having a bully for a husband who made unwanted demands on her,
but she held a tiny picture in her heart of a cozy home with a loving husband and children around her skirts someday. She hoped this man she had agreed to marry would one day come to love her as she learned to love him.
Perhaps that was too grand a dream. This one would have to do.
She was a tiny bit of a thing. Nathan watched Elli take dainty bites as if she wasn’t starving, but she dispatched her sandwich in five minutes flat, even though she’d stopped several times and offered a bite of this or that to Hannah, who was at the stage where she was too interested in things around her to eat. He urged cake on Elli too, and she didn’t demur. What had driven her to leave her homeland and marry a stranger? He eyed the drooping bluebonnets on her hat.
She dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “You are smiling.”
His grin widened. “Where’d you get the flowers?”
Her hand flew up to pat at the wilting flowers. “I picked them at the last stop. I wanted to set a happy note for our first meeting.”
“It was a kind thought, but I’m not overly concerned with appearances.” Even so, he’d been taken aback by her beauty. Until she stepped off the train, he’d only been concerned with how she would be as a mother for Hannah. Her obvious concern for his niece pleased him, but her looks hadn’t hurt his first impression.
Her long lashes came down to fan her cheeks. Had he offended her by brushing off her appearance?
“But you’re very beautiful, Elli.” He stumbled a little over her name. He’d never expected such a blond goddess. He found himself imagining what her golden tresses looked like down on her shoulders.
Her lids raised, and her blue eyes held a trace of surprise and pleasure. “Thank you, Nathan. I find you much more handsome than I expected.”
“Not at all.” He wanted to tug on the neck of his shirt, but he didn’t want her to know her words had made him uncomfortable. He pulled out his pocket watch. “We’d better get going. The minister will be waiting for us. We’re to be married today, after all.”
She paled and bit her lip, then rose. “Of course.”
Elli had expected a brief wedding ceremony upon arrival in Austin, but she hadn’t anticipated a setting so lovely as this mansion called Butterfly Palace. Flowers spilled over an arbor in a grassy yard behind the most beautiful mansion she’d ever seen. The butterfly fresco at the front of the house stunned her into gaping mutely. Several of Nathan’s friends milled around the space as they waited for the ceremony to begin. A linen-clad table held food and punch, and ribbons adorned the area. All of the dishes on the table were unfamiliar to her.
This would be a wedding very unlike what she was used to. She wore no golden crown. She wasn’t carrying a pillowcase to receive gifts, and she had no older relative to walk beside her with an umbrella over her head. But the symbol was unnecessary: She still had protection. God was her umbrella.
Nathan touched her arm. “Do you like it?” He’d taken off his hat and looked a bit more carefree with a lock of brown hair on his forehead.
“It is so much more than I ever dreamed.”
“May I introduce you to our hostess, Miss Belle Castle?” When Elli nodded, Nathan led her toward the refreshment table.
“Miss Belle, may I introduce you to my fiancé, Elli Korpela?”
The sultry brunette held out her hand. “Welcome, Miss Korpela. We think the world of Nathan and little Hannah. She’s like a daughter to me.”
Nathan was friends with such a grand lady? Elli curtsied. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Castle.”
He turned her toward the refreshment table. “And that is Lily Hawkins and her husband, Andrew. She was a good friend to my sister. She and Miss Belle have made sure Hannah has not wanted for motherly love.”
Elli’s gaze went to the lovely blond by the refreshment table. Hannah held on to her skirt. Lily’s head was thrown back as she laughed up at her handsome, black-haired husband. The adoration on his face made Elli a little sad somehow. How would it feel to bask in the glow of such love? Now she’d never know. Her own marriage was simply convenience.
Belle gestured to her. “Let me introduce you. Lily was my maid until she married Andrew, and she continues to be my friend.”
Nathan took Elli’s hand and walked with her behind Belle. “I would have needed a nanny much sooner if it wasn’t for Miss Belle and Lily. But Miss Belle is going on a world trip, and Lily is going to have her own baby. I couldn’t ask her to continue to care for Hannah.”
Lily approached them with an excited smile. “Welcome, Elli! I’m Lily, and I recognize your bewildered expression. Don’t worry, we won’t expect you to remember all our names just yet. I want you to try to relax and enjoy your day. We are all here to help you. The minister says he will start in ten minutes.” She patted Elli’s arm. “You’re nervous?”
Elli pressed her hand against her waist. “A little. Yes.”
Lily smiled at Nathan. “Nathan will take good care of you, just as he took care of his sister, Jane. And he’s taken care of Hannah beautifully. He’s a good man.”
A faint red ran up Nathan’s neck. “Thank you for all you’ve done, Lily. The yard looks perfect.”
“Belle helped, if you can imagine that. She’s upset about your moving Hannah off the premises, you know. Though I must admit your new place is much nicer than the carriage house. She’ll want to see Hannah the minute her ship docks.”
“We’ll be just across town. I will make sure Hannah is here to greet her.”
Belle’s devotion warmed Elli’s heart. As she looked around at the lovely setting, she cast her gaze to the right where a shadow moved. She startled and let out a little gasp, but it was only a calico cat, tail held high, prancing through the shrubs.
Nathan glanced from her to the cat, then back again. “Everything all right?”
She pasted on a smile. “Oh yes. The minister just motioned for us to join him.”
He nodded and took her hand. She allowed him to lead her to the arbor. The scent of flowers wafted down over her from the arched frame. If only her mother were here. Elli could only hope her impulsive decision to come here was the right one.
She clung to Nathan’s hand, so warm and strong. Was he truly as kind and steady as he seemed? She’d have to guard her heart. The man she’d trusted had betrayed her and her father. Now she was looking over her shoulder, hoping he hadn’t followed her across the ocean.
The minister, an older man with a balding pate and kind blue eyes, cleared his throat. “I trust you’re both ready? Let us begin.” His gravelly voice intoned the wedding litany.
She took a deep breath and lifted her head to repeat her vows in a shaky voice. Nathan repeated his vows in a strong, commanding tone as if he had no hesitation about his course of action. He seemed the type to study a situation, decide on a plan, then follow through.
The thought brought her little comfort. He’d already decided she would never be more than a nursemaid. Her gaze went to the little girl, and she offered a dim smile. There would be comfort in helping Hannah learn and grow.
Nathan took her hand and slipped a simple gold band on her finger. His grave eyes sent a message she couldn’t decipher.
The unfamiliar weight of the ring brought a lump to her throat. She fingered it with reverence. “I have no ring for you.”
“I didn’t expect you to.” He turned back to face the minister for the last of the ceremony.
She did the same and blinked back hot tears. Why was she so emotional today? This was a business arrangement only.
Warm flesh nudged her hand, then Nathan’s big hand enfolded hers. She glanced up to see his confident smile. He squeezed her fingers, and she returned the pressure. How wonderful it must be to have full confidence in this decision like he did.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” The minister smiled and closed his Bible.
Nathan turned her to face the handful of well-wishers. Her face felt frozen into a smiling mask when all she really wanted to do was run. She’d worked so
hard to get here to escape the misery back home, traveled so far and traversed so many difficulties to find safety. Now that she’d accomplished the monumental task, she just wanted to break away and sleep for a year. But she had no space all her own. There was only the small cottage where Nathan had put her valise. Everything felt so strange and alien in this new land. Would she ever fit in?
TWO
Elli had never ridden in an automobile. The monstrous machine leaped and lurched over the ruts in the road as it left Austin city limits behind for the small town of Waters. Dusk cast pink and orange rays over the hills and valleys, and she craned her neck to take in the small village, fifteen miles from Austin.
Andrew Hawkins, driving scarf flying in the wind, grinned from behind the wheel as he stopped in front of a small cottage. “Here we are. Your belongings should be inside, Nathan. I had them brought over by wagon yesterday.”
Nathan thanked him and helped Elli disembark from the auto. She took in the tree-lined street and admired the small homes on both sides. They had fresh faces of paint and clean windows. The cottage where she would live presented a welcoming red door and black shutters. A narrow brick walk led to a porch. Someone had planted pansies in the flower box under the biggest window.
“It’s charming!” Elli envisioned sitting on the porch in the evenings with fireflies flitting about the yard while she held Hannah and told her a story. She could see them playing in the grassy yard and walking down the street to fetch a stick of hard candy or to visit with a friend.
Could she find friends here? She desperately wished Lily lived close.
Nathan reached in and lifted Hannah out of the back-seat. The little girl squealed and ran toward the house. “Glad you like it.” He took Elli’s valise from Andrew, then the two men shook hands.
“We’ll see you next week.” Andrew slid behind the wheel again. “I’ll send the chauffeur to pick you up so you don’t have to take the train.”