Short Straw Bride by Dallas Schulze Page A
Authors: Dallas Schulze
probably lying in her room with a damp cloth over her forehead, trying to absorb the reality that, not only was her despised cousin going to make it to the altar before she did, but she was marrying a man Anabel had set her own sights on. The thought made Eleanor smile, the first time she’d done so since Luke’s proposal.
Luke didn’t know what had made his affianced wife smile, but he was glad to see a little color creep back into her face. She’d been so pale that he’d wondered if she might not just keel over right where she was sitting. Her eyes skittered past his and her cheeks took on a bit more color before she looked back down at her hands. She really was a shy little thing, he thought, feeling almost indulgent.
“I guess you’ll be wanting to set a date,” Zeb Williams said grudgingly. He’d offered the appropriate good wishes in a flat tone that drained any meaning from them.
“I think I could manage by the end of summer,” Dorinda said reluctantly.
“I had in mind two weeks from this next Saturday,” Luke said.
“Two weeks!” Her voice rose sharply. “Impossible!”
“I don’t see why,” Luke said. “Unless the preacher isn’t going to be around. Spring calving should be just about over by then. Seems to me like a good time for a wedding.”
“It’s obvious that you’ve never been married before, Mr. McLain,” Dorinda said with heavy-handed humor. “Weddings take time to arrange. There are things to be done.”
“What kind of things?” Luke asked, starting to feel impatient. Dammit, this whole business of finding a wife had already taken enough of his time.
“Since this has been so sudden, I think we should have a small party to announce the engagement and introduce the two of you.”
“Introduce us?” Luke raised his brows. “To who? Unless there’s been a sudden rush of immigrants, there’s not many people in this town that don’t already know each other.”
“Introduce you as a couple, Mr. McLain,” Dorinda said, with just a touch of condescension. “We need people to get used to the idea that you and Eleanor are…seeing one another.” The words seemed to stick in her throat. “Then we can announce your engagement. There’ll be a few parties. We’ll have invitations to write and Eleanor will need a wedding dress. These things may not seemimportant to you, Mr. McLain,” Dorinda said, anticipating his objections, “but this sort of thing is dear to the female heart. God willing, a woman only has one wedding in her life. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to deny Eleanor the opportunity to enjoy all the little traditions that go along with it.”
Luke swallowed the urge to argue. If this sort of feminine fussing was what a woman considered necessary for her wedding day, he supposed he had no choice but to go along with it. He could hardly start his marriage off by denying his bride her heart’s desire. But the thought of spending the summer traipsing back and forth to town, attending the sort of gatherings Dorinda Williams thought appropriate…He barely restrained a shudder.
“Two weeks sounds just fine to me.” It was the first time Eleanor had spoken since the discussion began, and three pairs of eyes immediately swiveled in her direction, reflecting varying degrees of surprise, as if her presence had been all but forgotten.
“Don’t be absurd, Eleanor.” Dorinda was the first to speak, her voice sharp. “You have no idea the amount of work that goes into a proper wedding.”
“I can’t think of anything that can’t be done in two weeks,” Eleanor said mildly.
Dorinda recognized the set of her niece’s chin and knew there’d be no budging her. How such a quiet girl could have such a stubborn streak, she’d never understand. Heaven knew, she’d done her best to break her of it and there’d been times when she thought she’d succeeded. Then something would come up and the girl would set her chin in that particular way and Dorinda would know
Luke didn’t know what had made his affianced wife smile, but he was glad to see a little color creep back into her face. She’d been so pale that he’d wondered if she might not just keel over right where she was sitting. Her eyes skittered past his and her cheeks took on a bit more color before she looked back down at her hands. She really was a shy little thing, he thought, feeling almost indulgent.
“I guess you’ll be wanting to set a date,” Zeb Williams said grudgingly. He’d offered the appropriate good wishes in a flat tone that drained any meaning from them.
“I think I could manage by the end of summer,” Dorinda said reluctantly.
“I had in mind two weeks from this next Saturday,” Luke said.
“Two weeks!” Her voice rose sharply. “Impossible!”
“I don’t see why,” Luke said. “Unless the preacher isn’t going to be around. Spring calving should be just about over by then. Seems to me like a good time for a wedding.”
“It’s obvious that you’ve never been married before, Mr. McLain,” Dorinda said with heavy-handed humor. “Weddings take time to arrange. There are things to be done.”
“What kind of things?” Luke asked, starting to feel impatient. Dammit, this whole business of finding a wife had already taken enough of his time.
“Since this has been so sudden, I think we should have a small party to announce the engagement and introduce the two of you.”
“Introduce us?” Luke raised his brows. “To who? Unless there’s been a sudden rush of immigrants, there’s not many people in this town that don’t already know each other.”
“Introduce you as a couple, Mr. McLain,” Dorinda said, with just a touch of condescension. “We need people to get used to the idea that you and Eleanor are…seeing one another.” The words seemed to stick in her throat. “Then we can announce your engagement. There’ll be a few parties. We’ll have invitations to write and Eleanor will need a wedding dress. These things may not seemimportant to you, Mr. McLain,” Dorinda said, anticipating his objections, “but this sort of thing is dear to the female heart. God willing, a woman only has one wedding in her life. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to deny Eleanor the opportunity to enjoy all the little traditions that go along with it.”
Luke swallowed the urge to argue. If this sort of feminine fussing was what a woman considered necessary for her wedding day, he supposed he had no choice but to go along with it. He could hardly start his marriage off by denying his bride her heart’s desire. But the thought of spending the summer traipsing back and forth to town, attending the sort of gatherings Dorinda Williams thought appropriate…He barely restrained a shudder.
“Two weeks sounds just fine to me.” It was the first time Eleanor had spoken since the discussion began, and three pairs of eyes immediately swiveled in her direction, reflecting varying degrees of surprise, as if her presence had been all but forgotten.
“Don’t be absurd, Eleanor.” Dorinda was the first to speak, her voice sharp. “You have no idea the amount of work that goes into a proper wedding.”
“I can’t think of anything that can’t be done in two weeks,” Eleanor said mildly.
Dorinda recognized the set of her niece’s chin and knew there’d be no budging her. How such a quiet girl could have such a stubborn streak, she’d never understand. Heaven knew, she’d done her best to break her of it and there’d been times when she thought she’d succeeded. Then something would come up and the girl would set her chin in that particular way and Dorinda would know