Donovan's Daughter (The Californians, Book 4) (33 page)

"I remember the peace I saw on her face even as she
told me she was going to heaven very soon. I also remember thinking that the doctor was the most awful
man on earth. I figured if he hadn't come, then Mother
would still be well. Father tried to tell me otherwise, but
my mind was made up. When I saw him at the funeral, I
thought he didn't look like such a bad man, but my heart
was convinced that he'd caused my mother's death."

'And you've been afraid of doctors ever since," Alex
finished for her.

Marcail could only nod. She'd never intended to tell
anyone that story, but found that a burden had been
lifted from her heart. She also found the touch of Alex's
arm as it slipped around her the most comforting thing
she'd ever felt. Marcail snuggled unreservedly against
his side, loving the clean smell of his shirt. Hope burgeoned within her that he might still care.

Neither one talked after that, which was fine with
Marcail. She needed the quiet to gather her thoughts and
pray about her family meeting Alex. A week ago there
would have been grave doubt in her mind, but the train
ride had restored her hope. Knowing that Rigg and Katie
were going to love this man she had married left her
feeling suddenly lighthearted.

Marcail's feet had barely touched the platform before
Rigg swept her into his arms. She laughed as he released
her and turned to hug Kaitlin. After a brief hug Katie
surprised Marcail by beginning to chatter in Hawaiian.
Marcail, from long habit, answered her sister in kind.
Marcail looked thin to Katie, a sure sign that the younger
girl had been unhappy. Katie, momentarily forgetting all
the wonderful things her father had said about Alex,
presumed he was to blame.

Alex stood dumbfounded as Katie spoke swiftly and
Marcail answered. He felt like a fool. For months he'd
believed his wife knew a simple Hawaiian lullaby because she'd been born in the Islands. Now she stood
speaking fluently in a language he had no hope of understanding.

It took a moment to gather his wits and drag his eyes
from his wife, and when he did, he looked over to find
Rigg grinning at him.

"You're doing better than I did. The first time I heard
them go at it, my mouth nearly swung open." Rigg, still
smiling, held out his hand to his new brother-in-law.
"Welcome to Santa Rosa, Alex."

"Thank you," Alex spoke sincerely, and then glanced
again at his wife. "They're not arguing, are they?"

"No," Rigg told him calmly.

"Then you understand them?"

Rigg shouted with laughter. "I don't understand a
word of it, but believe me when I tell you, you'll know if
the conversation turns angry."

Alex could only nod before glancing down beside Rigg
and spotting a young girl struggling with a squirming
toddler. Rigg noticed at the same time and rescued his
daughter Gretchen from the terror of her little brother.

"Alex," Rigg spoke and smiled again, "I'd like you to
meet my Gretchen. Gretchen, this is your Uncle Alex."

"Hello, Uncle Alex," Gretchen greeted him politely,
and Alex studied the traces of Marcail he saw in her face.
He greeted her and gave her his warmest smile.

'And this," Rigg went on, "is Donovan. Donovan, this
is your Uncle Alex. Can you say hello?"

Donovan's answer was to shove his thumb a little
further into his mouth, but Alex could see the beginnings of a smile. In fact, Donovan must have liked what
he saw, because he abandoned his thumb long enough to
hold out his arms, inviting Alex to take him. Alex didn't
hesitate, and the youngest member of the Riggs family
gave his father a cheeky grin as he settled on his new
uncle's arm.

Rolling his eyes in amusement, Rigg attempted to
draw his other daughter out to be introduced. Gretchen
had been a picture of manners and grace. Molly, on the
other hand, was not quite so amenable.

"Come on, Molly," Rigg coaxed gently as she hid
behind his left leg.

Alex watched as she wrapped her little arms around
her father's pant leg and peeked out, ever so carefully, to see him. A huge smile broke over Alex's face; it was like
looking at a tiny version of his wife.

Rigg, knowing how Molly was going to appear to
Alex, watched the younger man carefully. As he then
called Katie over to be introduced, he found himself
thinking that although their marriage might have started
out as a convenience, without a doubt this man had
fallen in love with his wife.

An hour later, Marcail and Alex stood across from each
other in Marcail's room. Marcail told herself that she was
not going to blush, but she had to tell Alex there was an
alternative to sharing the bed. She watched as his eyes
took in the one bed, the large dresser with mirror, the
dressing screen in the corner, and the oak chest at the
foot of the bed.

After he'd looked his fill, Alex's eyes settled on his
wife. They were not hesitant or questioning, but steady,
waiting for her to make the next move. She did not
disappoint him.

"My sister is the soul of discretion, Alex, and if you
want, I could ask her for a cot. Or," Marcail went on
quietly, "we could share the bed like we did in Fort
Bragg."

Alex knew this was not an invitation for intimacy, but
that was fine with him at this point; he felt the place for
such things was in their own home. He also understood
that Marcail had no inkling of how tiring it had been for
him in Fort Bragg.

"I have no problem sleeping beside you while we're
here, Marcail." Alex stated this carefully, so his wife
would know he had not missed her meaning. "However,
I rose early and came to bed late in Fort Bragg so you would have privacy. I'd like to get a little more rest while
I'm here, and that will probably mean less privacy for
you. So you see, the choice is really yours."

Marcail nodded after just a moment's hesitation. "I
don't think that will be a problem."

Alex, who'd been holding his bag, then placed it beside the bed. He slipped out of his coat and placed it over
a chair. Marcail took her cue from him, and reached for
her own bag. She put a few things in the top dresser
drawer and then went to the closet in the corner.

A moment later she disappeared behind the dressing
screen. Alex, more than a little curious about what she
was up to, lounged back on the bed and waited. Less
than five minutes passed, and Marcail appeared in a
lovely white dress with a round neckline and puffy
sleeves. Her hair was down, pulled back at her neck with
a white ribbon.

Alex thought she looked like a breath of spring air. She
also looked a little flustered over the way he stared, so
she explained in halting tones why she had changed.

"It's warm here, and my other dresses are heavy, and
well, I-"

"Don't explain, Marcail," Alex said smoothly. "I quite
approve. It is hot here, and I hope your family won't
mind my shirtsleeves."

Marcail shook her head. "I think you'll find we're
pretty relaxed."

They continued to talk until they heard a commotion
outside the door. It sounded as if Molly was squealing
and Rigg was trying to quiet her. Alex's brows rose in
question, but Marcail, as much in the dark as he, could
only shrug.

Alex swung off the bed and opened the door so Marcail could precede him out of the room. They walked past
the stairs and into the living room. When she saw Molly sitting on her brother's shoulders, Marcail halted abruptly.
Alex nearly ran into her.

"Sean!" Marcail whispered, her mouth dropping open
in a most unfeminine way.

Sean's smile was boyish as he caught sight of his sister.
He swung Molly onto the sofa and crossed the room to
hug her. Alex, quietly watching this reunion, had only
one thought, she had never planned on marrying anyone even
as tall as I am, but all the men in her life are huge. I've never
considered myself short, but Rigg and Sean dwarf me.

"This is Alex," Alex heard Marcail say before Sean's
hand took his own.

'Alex, this is my brother, Sean."

"It's good to meet you," Alex began. "I take it that
Marcail knew nothing of this?"

"Right. We meant to be at the train station but didn't
get away on time. Charlie?" Sean suddenly called over
his shoulder. Alex watched as an adorable redhead approached.

"It's short for Charlotte," she said to her surprised
brother-in-law.

Introductions were made all around. Alex met Ricky,
who was a picture of Sean, and Callie, whose hair was
the exact shade of her mother's. The entire family was
gathered in the living room, and things were just settling
down when Charlie announced that she was expecting
once again. There was another round of mayhem as hugs
and congratulations were shared. When the room was
finally calm, Alex found himself next to Katie. His voice
was very quiet and gentle when he spoke privately to
her.

"Unless I miss my guess, you have an announcement
of your own to make."

Katie could only stare at him for the space of several heartbeats. "How did you know?" Her voice as soft as his
own.

"I'm not sure how I know; I've just always had this
knack for sighting such things."

"I haven't even had a chance to tell Rigg."

Alex chuckled at her dry tone. "Then this is decidedly
not a good time to reveal your news."

"Is it because you're a doctor?" Katie was still captivated by his perception.

"No, I don't think so. My father and brother are both
doctors, but they've never been able to do it. I can't do it
unless the woman herself knows, so you must give off
some type of signal."

Katie nodded, looking deep in thought.

"I didn't want to intrude," Alex continued, still for
Katie's ears alone. "But since you haven't decided whether
or not you like me, I'd hoped to do or say something that
would put your mind at ease concerning Marcail."

Again Katie could only stare. Had she not been so
surprised, she would have blushed to the roots of her
hair over being read so easily.

"It must be rather difficult to live with someone who
can read your mind," Kaitlin spoke at last. "Poor Marcail, she's never been able to keep a single emotion from
her face."

Alex frowned at Katie a moment as he thought of
Marcail's reserve in the last weeks.

"You'd be surprised," was all he finally said.

Kaitlin, having had no idea what a sensitive subject
this was, was a little taken aback at the look that had
passed over Alex's face.

The subject was changed then, but Alex couldn't get
his sister-in-law's words out of his head. He wondered if
he knew his wife at all.

The next day was Sunday, and Alex began seeing a
Marcail he'd never met before. She was not the normally
quiet and thoughtful person she seemed to be at home.
She talked almost nonstop and laughed with an abandon
he didn't know she possessed.

He continued to pray about their relationship, turning
his emotions over to God. He was starting to feel desperate to know which Marcail was really his wife. Unfortunately the events of the morning church service would
only cause that desperate feeling to intensify.