Capital Bride by Cynthia Woolf Page A

buggy and get off my property or,” she grabbed John’s gun from his holster and aimed it at William, “I swear I’ll shoot you myself.”
    “You’ll regret this, Sarah.”  
    Furious, he leaped into the buggy. Standing, reins were taken in both hands and lifted above his head. In one savage motion he brought them down upon both horses. The start was so violent Grayson would have been thrown backward all the way to the ground had the reins not stopped him. The yank on the reins, of course, brought the team to a halt.
    Grayson’s rage had not subsided be he did manage to regain some self control. This time he sat down and slapped the horses smartly. He drove them in a tight right turn and headed for the front gate. Taking the buggy whip from beside the seat he cracked both horses twice before even reaching the gate.
    Sarah let her arms fall and her head with them. Tears ran down her face. “I’ll take that now.” He gently took the gun from her.
    She looked up at him, tears streaked her beautiful face. “John, I’m sorry, so very sorry. I should have told you, but I was afraid….”
    “You should have told me. It was my decision to make. Me to decide if and how your background would affect me.” He spat the words at her, knowing they would hurt. He wanted to hurt her, like he hurt now. She didn’t trust him.
    “Everything I told you was true. I never said I was married. I let you assume it, which is just as bad. Lee and I were days from being wed. But they didn’t care…his superiors…they wouldn’t even allow us the time to do it that day. It’s the God damned army and the war that kept me from being a bride. That caused me to live in fear every time I went anywhere in New York. And Mrs. Selby knew. I didn’t lie to her. She knew everything but you’re right, I should have told you. And you’re probably right to reject me.”
    “I didn’t say I was rejecting you. Nor would I have rejected you had I known, but you didn’t give me the chance.”
    “But you are. You’re pushing me away, I can feel it. I’d hoped this baby would bring us closer. But I can’t overcome the ghosts of the dead. Dorothy will always have your heart. And now this on top of that. I don’t know if I can live like that. Live in a house where I’m not wanted.”
    “Sarah…”
    She went inside, up to their room and slammed the door.
    The smell of burning cookies came from the kitchen.
    He closed his eyes. “Well, hell.”
    * * *
    Yes, she’d been wrong to withhold the information. Yes, it should have been his decision but by his own account he wouldn’t have rejected her. So why was he now?
    She’d come out of their bedroom long enough to cook and serve supper, then retreated there once again. Now it was bedtime and she expected John to come up soon, after he put the girls to bed.
    She got out her nightgown and robe and put them on.
    He came into the room. “The girls wondered where you were at supper. I told them you weren’t feeling well.”
    “I guess you didn’t lie to them. Anger is a form of not feeling well.”
    “What do you have to be angry about? I’m the one who was made a fool of.” He sat on the bed and took off his boots.
    “Made a fool of? What haven’t I done that you asked for now or in your letters to Mrs. Selby? What aren’t you getting out of this farce of a marriage? You get to bed me every night. I’ve given you and your employees palatable food to eat. Our daughters are best friends and doing better than either of them were before. And we have another child on the way. So what aren’t you getting?”
    “I’m not getting a wife I can trust.” He stood, took off his shirt.
    “And that’s what’s between us, keeping you from loving me? A lack of trust? Well, I wish I could trust you, with my heart, but you’d just stomp on it like you do to everyone who tries to get close to you. Maybe Katy would’ve talked if you’d spent some time with her.”
    “That’s enough,” he