His Substitute Wife

Blake’s tone didn’t invite any more casual comments. She walked on beside him, looking at the beginning of Whisper Creek village. Would the new town become her home for a while? She glanced at Blake through her lowered lashes. He looked distressed, concerned. Would he even listen to her plan after he learned—

“Here we are.” He shifted her satchel to his left hand, helped her up the steps, then crossed the deep porch and opened the door.

She moved forward into his store and inhaled the scent of newness, then waited for Blake to lead her to where he intended for them to talk.

He closed the door, set her satchel on the floor and faced her. “Again, I don’t mean to be rude, Audrey. But where is Linda? We’re supposed to be married today. If she’s not ill, why is she not here? What has happened to her?”

The strain in Blake’s voice brought the guilt washing over her. She clenched her fingers around the cord on her purse and wished it was her sister’s pretty neck. “I don’t know where Linda is, Blake. She...married two weeks ago and left town. I’ve not heard from her since. Of course, I’ve been traveling the last—”

“Linda is wed to another?”

She couldn’t tell if his harsh, choked tone was caused by pain or anger—probably both. “Yes.” She rushed to push out words to ease the shock of the news. “I’m sorry—”

“Sorry! My betrothed has given herself to another, and you’re sorry?”

The words exploded from him. She flinched, then pressed her lips together against the useless words of sympathy. There was nothing she could say. It was too late. She should have warned him of Linda’s flirtatious nature when he first started courting her—though he wouldn’t have listened. None of Linda’s conquests did. They were all too blinded by her blond beauty, too smitten by her womanly charms and coquettish manner. Still, she should have tried. The guilt held her mute.

Blake strode away from her toward the interior of the store and stopped. He sucked in a sharp, ragged breath. “I believed her. I built this store—our home upstairs—on the strength of my faith in our love. How could I have been so wrong? Her letters were so full of love and caring...”

My letters. The guilt bit deeper. There was no mistaking the agony in Blake’s voice. She glanced at the door wanting to leave, to not have to witness the pain Linda’s selfish behavior had caused, but Blake’s situation was dire and time was short—and she was his solution. Dear Lord, give me strength. She braced herself for his reaction to her absurd plan. “That’s why I’ve come, Blake. Because of the store.”

He turned, stared and raked his fingers through his hair. “Forgive me, Audrey, I forgot that you were here. I—What?”

“I said that I’m aware of your situation, and I’ve come because I believe there is a way you can keep your store.” Please, Lord, let it be so.

“Keep my store?” Awareness flickered through the shock in his eyes. His face went taut. “No. That’s impossible now. There are only four days remaining before—” He clamped his lips shut, turned away.

“Before you must marry.” How cruel that sounded.

Blake stiffened, spun back around and walked to her, anger in every line of his body. “I appreciate you coming all this way to deliver the news of Linda’s betrayal in person, Audrey. But, as you’ve experienced betrayal yourself, I’m sure you’ll understand that I’m in no mood for polite commiseration—no matter how sincere.” A muscle along his jaw twitched. His hands clenched. “As I said earlier, a train headed east comes through in about an hour. It’s the last one today. As there is as yet no restaurant in town where you can wait in comfort, I’m afraid the bench at the station will have to do. I have to go tell Pastor Karl there will be no wedding. He will have heard the train arrive and will be expecting—” Pain flashed in his eyes. His lips clamped tight again. He bent and picked up her satchel. “I’ll walk you back to the depot.”

She shook her head, his reference to her ex-beau John Barker bringing the pain of being a second-best castoff surging forth and strengthening her resolve to spare Blake as much pain as possible. “I’m not going home, Blake. At least, not unless you tell me to.” He jerked away from the door and stared at her. She looked at his tight mouth, at the pulsing vein at his left temple and blurted out her plan before he dragged her out the door. “I came to marry you.”

* * *

Audrey’s words slammed against the shock of Linda’s betrayal with stunning force. His mind reeled. Blake drew breath to speak, but no sound came. He gave his head a quick shake, struggling to grasp the incomprehensible thought. “I’m sorry, Audrey, but—” He gave his head another shake and stared down into her hazel eyes. Surely, he’d heard her wrong. “Did you say, you came to marry me?”

“Not for real!”

The skin over her cheekbones turned redder than her hair. He rubbed at his throbbing temple, tried to make sense of what she was saying. “I don’t understand. How—”

“The marriage would be real. But you and I wouldn’t—” Her gaze jerked from his, focused on the floor. “That is to say, the marriage would be...”

Her embarrassment brought the word springing forth—“Impersonal?”

“Yes.”

The color on her cheeks flared. He gaped at her, his mind numbed by the shock upon shock. She burst into speech.

“When Linda left, I opened your last letter to answer it and tell you what had happened, but the railroad ticket and money were there, and that’s when I learned that you had signed a contract that states if you do not marry within thirty days of opening your business all that you have invested will revert to the founder of Whisper Creek. And that you had signed that contract because of Linda’s promise to marry you as soon as you had your store and living quarters built.”

“And so you came here to marry me.” It was so preposterous he could hardly credit it, let alone relate the idea to the young woman standing before him. Audrey had always been quiet...reserved...sensible.

“It wasn’t like that.” Her chin lifted. “The letter had lain unopened for over two weeks. Had I responded in kind to explain what had happened, by the time you received my missive there would have been no time left for you to do anything to save your store and all you have invested.” Her shoulders squared. “So I’ve come to honor my sister’s promise.”

“To marry me.”

“Yes. And, as you just stated, there are only four days left for us to do so.”

Four days. “Audrey, I—”

“—think I’m insane.” She stepped closer. “I know it sounds mad, Blake. But I’ve thought it over quite carefully, and it’s the only way I can think of to save your store. The contract states that you must marry—not how you must conduct that marriage. Correct?”

The pain of Linda’s betrayal hit afresh. Bitter gall rose in his throat. “And how long would this pretense of a marriage go on?”

“Until you find another solution to your problem.”

“Until—That could take some time.”

Her gaze lowered to her satchel gripped in his hand. “I’m prepared to wait.”

His mind jolted backward, pulled up an image of her trunks sitting on the station platform. She was serious. She’d come prepared to stay. What sort of man did she think he was? She should have known he wouldn’t consider letting her do such a thing! He set his jaw, shook his head. “That’s generous of you, Audrey. But... Linda’s...behavior is not your responsibility.” His throat tightened at the taste of his beloved’s name on his tongue. “Nor is saving my store. That is my problem. I’m the one who signed the contract.”

“But you did so because of Linda’s promise.”

Of course I will marry you, Blake darling. I love you. Go to Wyoming. I will join you when you build our home. Our home. How wonderful that sounds! Pain constricted his chest at the memory of Linda’s words. He squeezed the satchel’s handle, fought down the urge to throw the case across the room.

“I can do nothing to ease your hurt over my sister’s betrayal, Blake. But I can do something to stop it from costing you your inheritance. I hope you will let me.”

The desperation in Audrey’s voice caught at him. He yanked his thoughts from the painful memory and fastened his gaze on her. “I’m sorry, Audrey. I can’t—”

“Please don’t refuse me! My plan will work, Blake.” She stepped close and peered up at him, her eyes imploring. “Surely you can see it is the only way to save your store! And it will only be for a short time.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I know that you are an intelligent, resourceful man. You will find a solution.”

He put down her satchel and scrubbed his hand across his eyes trying to think through the cloud of shock. “Your faith is misplaced, Audrey. I have no idea what that solution might be. I can’t think...” He drew in a ragged breath, swept his gaze around the store. “Perhaps, given some time, I might think of something, but... I don’t know...” He turned and stared out the window, jamming his hands into his suit jacket pockets. Pain jolted him at the touch of the ring. It was over. His love had chosen another. What did anything else matter? He might as well let Audrey have her way—whatever her reason. He pulled air into his aching chest and motioned for her to join him. “Do you see that small church, down a ways across the road?”

“Yes.”

He fingered the ring, forced out words. “That’s where Pastor Karl lives. He’s waiting to perform the ceremony that would have made your sister and me man and wife.” Bitterness swelled, drove him on. He pulled his hand from his pocket and looked down at her. “There is no place you can stay in Whisper Creek but upstairs in the living quarters with me, so be absolutely certain you want to do this, Audrey. We will have to marry immediately. There will be no opportunity for you to change your mind.” Like your sister. He waited for her answer, his jaw set, the vein at his temple drumming.

“I’ve had days to think about this plan, Blake. I’ve thought of nothing else since I read your letter and boarded the train in New York. I’ll not change my mind.”

Her voice was soft and steady. There was determination in the lift of her chin. He dipped his head in curt acceptance. “There’s one thing more. We will have to play the part of loving newlyweds in front of others. If Mr. Ferndale were to discover that the marriage is a pretense it might void the contract and your...kindness will have been in vain.” Her eyes widened, her posture stiffened. Clearly, she had not realized what her offer entailed. But he understood. He reached for her satchel to walk her back to the station.

“I understand. I shall do my best.”