Captive Bride (22 page)

It was dark in the yard, only the light shining from the kitchen window illuminating the scene. The two men were throwing punches and staggering back and forth across the courtyard. Alan was taller, Ralph bulkier. But the other man was also drunk and unbalanced. Alan hit him in the jaw, snapping his head to the side. Then he punched him in the stomach.

Ralph doubled over with a loud grunt.

The ox roared in anger and charged Alan with his head down. Alan sidestepped him but the man’s shoulder caught him and knocked him sideways. Alan raised both hands knotted together and brought down his arms in a chopping motion across his opponent’s neck. Ralph sprawled facedown on the ground.

Breathing heavily, Alan bent and grabbed Ralph by the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. “Go home and sober up.”

Alan pushed Ralph, who staggered backward then stood swaying from foot to foot. Huiann pointed the gun at him, fighting to keep the barrel steady as she felt for the trigger with her finger. If Ralph charged Alan again, she’d pull it.

The drunken man pointed a finger at Alan. “Send that bitch home if you know what’s good for you.” He stomped off into the shadows toward his place.

Huiann exhaled a shaky breath and lowered the gun.

Bonnie Dee

201

Alan turned toward her and stared at the weapon in her hand. “You were going to shoot that?” He walked over to her and held out his hand.

Huiann handed him the gun, glad to be rid of its awful weight. Her legs trembled like jellied eel and threatened to buckle beneath her, but she willed strength into them and went inside to check on Dora.

She almost ran into Dora coming toward the door.

Huiann took her arm and led her back to the chair.

“Sit now.”

Alan closed and locked the door behind them. “It’s all right for now. He’s gone home.” He bent over Dora and examined her nose. “I don’t think it’s broken.” Huiann draped a cool compress over Dora’s swelling nose and treated the other wounds she’d received from Ralph’s beating. She brewed her hot tea to soothe her nerves and listened to her story. Alan leaned against the counter, staying out of the way.

When Huiann was about to take her upstairs and put her to bed, he finally spoke up.

“You can’t go back to him tomorrow just because he’s sober, Dora. This will never stop. He’ll always treat you this way. But you can stay here until you find some other arrangement.”

Huiann’s heart swelled with pride in this kind man, who offered Dora safe harbor just as he’d done for her.

Dora paused at the foot of the stairs, her lips trembling, but she didn’t give way to tears again. “I’m done with him now,” she said at last. “And thank you.”
Chapter Fifteen

Ralph Stubbs was in jail thanks to his own stupidity, more whiskey and a broken window. Instead of sleeping off his drunk like Alan had warned him to do, he’d staggered back out into the city, found a bar and a fight to get into. During the brawl, he’d thrown a chair through the window and, while the bouncer held Ralph, the owner got the nearest patrolling policeman to take him away.

When Alan accompanied Dora to her place the next day to collect her things, they learned this story from a neighbor who’d witnessed the fight. Alan half expected Dora to run to her man’s aide with bail money, but she showed more backbone than he credited her with.

“Good. They’ll probably keep him for a few days at least. I’ll find myself someplace to live by then.

Someplace he can’t find me. And thank you, Mr.

Sommers, for lettin’ me stay with you in the meantime.”

“Glad to help. You know, I’m buying a house outside the city. Huiann will be setting up a workshop there and I don’t think she can do it without you.” Dora’s grim mouth split in a wide grin that displayed her snaggletooth. “Me?”

“You two are a good team. As she hires more girls, she’ll need you to help train them.” He picked up the worn carpetbag she’d packed with her meager possessions. “To tell you the truth, I don’t like the idea Bonnie Dee

203

of her out in the country all alone on the nights when I might not be able to see her. She’ll need a friend with her.”

Dora stood with a pair of boots hanging from one hand and stared at Alan. “You ain’t comin’ home every night, just visitin’ her whenever you please?” Her grin disappeared and he nearly squirmed under her disapproving stare. “What do you suppose that’d make a gal feel like?”

Alan swallowed the excuses that instantly rose to his lips.
I can’t marry her. It would ruin my business
and my political ambitions. People would never accept
us, can’t you see?
“I just want her to be safe,” he answered instead. “And I believe she will be there.” Dora shrugged and dropped the boots into a box along with a battered tin bowl and a faded quilt.

“’Tain’t my nevermind,” she said calmly. “I’m just pointin’ it out to ya.”

Alan was intent on getting both Huiann and Dora moved before Ralph returned to cause more trouble or the Irishman and his partner came looking for Huiann.

He left Jeremy in charge of the store and went to see the broker handling the house sale. Since the building was already empty, its owners foreclosed on by the bank, Alan was able to arrange for quick occupancy.

On Monday, he could sign the papers and take possession.

But meanwhile, there was the rest of the weekend to get through. Saturday was the date for the opera house fundraiser he’d so blithely offered to help with.

He couldn’t get out of the obligation and he’d have to attend the event too, since it was the social high 204

Captive Bride

watermark of the season, an imperative occasion for a would-be politician.

“Dora, maybe you could take charge of the store tomorrow,” he suggested over the dinner table when he returned from his visit to the broker.

Her face lit up as she plunked flatware down on the table. “You want me to mind the store?”

“I’ll teach you to use the register. It shouldn’t be for long, but Jeremy and I are going to be busy with this fundraiser and I don’t want to close the store on a Saturday. It’s the busiest day of the week. Do you know how to make change?”

“Sure, I can.”

“Then you’re hired.” He turned to Huiann, who was placing a dish on the table. “I will have the house by Monday. You and Dora will move there then.” Huiann stared at him over the steaming dish, her almond eyes inscrutable. She didn’t smile but she didn’t frown either. She dipped her head in acknowledgment.

Alan wanted more from her, some sense of what she was feeling, but it wasn’t a discussion they could have in front of Dora.

Later that evening, after they’d spent a short time in the parlor, Huiann accompanied Dora to her bedroom.

She stayed there so long that Alan began to fear she wasn’t planning on coming to his room. He shifted restlessly in bed, throwing back the top cover then getting up and opening the window to let in more air.

He decided she’d had an attack of propriety because of Dora’s presence, although heaven knew why, considering Dora had lived in sin with Ralph. Or Bonnie Dee

205

maybe she was punishing him because he was planning to—in her eyes—“send her away.” He cursed and kicked a shoe across the floor.

Ungrateful woman.
Couldn’t she see that he did everything with her best interests in mind?

Well, maybe not everything or he would never have slept with her and given her the impression they could have some kind of future together. He was a damn hypocrite, telling her he cared for her, but using her like she was the whore Xie had tried to make her into, refusing to marry her because of the damage it might do him. God, he hated himself. She had every right to hate him too.

Alan was boiling over with worry, regret, shame, guilt and a sudden deep sorrow that it was finished, that Huiann would refuse to be with him ever again.

He’d never touch her skin, her hair or be allowed to kiss those sweet lips.

And then a soft tapping at his door blew away all those turbulent emotions like a sudden stiff breeze.

The door opened and Huiann glided across the floor and into his arms like a ghost in her airy white nightgown. His life was complete again.

He kissed her hard, like a drowning man sucking in a last breath of air. He felt himself skating on the edge of losing her and that was not something he could live with.

“Are you angry with me?” he asked after he pulled away.

“Angry?”

He frowned to illustrate. “Mad. Upset. Unhappy because of the house.”

206

Captive Bride

“No.” She shook her head vigorously. “No, Alan.

Not angry. I know you do good thing for me. I thank you.”

“But…” They didn’t need to speak the same language for him to feel the stiffness in her body or see the unhappiness in her eyes.

“But?” She gazed at him, confused.

“But you are sad.”

“I no want…don’t want not be with you. And…” She hesitated, her lips compressing into a straight line for a moment. “And you not ask me. You
tell
me go to house. I no belong…I
don’t
belong to you.”

“No. I know that. I’m sorry. I should have asked what you wanted. But we discussed having more room for workers, didn’t we? You want a proper workroom.”

“Yes. For work. Not live.” She waved a hand, erasing the entire argument. “But no. It is good. I sorry to be…” She broke into Chinese, at a loss for the right words.

Alan grabbed her hand and held it. “No. I was wrong. Let me ask you properly. Huiann, will you move to my house in the country and live there?” She bowed deeply. “Yes, Alan, and thank you.” But when she straightened, although she smiled at him, he still saw clouds in her eyes.

Mrs. Dodge had volunteered Alan’s services as well as supplies from his store to the illustrious Mrs. Wallace Finch and her society friends. He and Jeremy hauled foodstuffs to the kitchen and sundry items for the decoration of the hall—items which ended up requiring stops at other locations around the city.

Bonnie Dee

207

The spacious hall had been transformed into a flowery bower. Crystal dishes, silver cutlery and lavish floral arrangements graced the white-clothed tables at one end of the room. The dance floor glistened as if it had a layer of ice glazing it rather than beeswax. Alan pictured couples in formal wear skidding over its surface and perhaps landing on their well-dressed asses.

As they grunted and wrestled with a stone fountain Mrs. Finch had decided at the last minute was absolutely necessary to install as the room’s centerpiece, Alan deeply regretted ever agreeing to Mrs. Dodge’s plea for help. His arms strained, and sweat made his shirt cling to his back as he and Jeremy carried the heavy fountain to the spot Mrs. Finch indicated.

“Right there, please.” She pointed imperiously then floated away without offering thanks for their efforts.

Feeling more like a menial laborer than a member of the business community, Alan set the base on the floor and steadied it while Jeremy righted his end, then he dusted his palms together, wiping off the stony grit. He stared at the dry fountain with the toga-clad nymph in the center.

“It’s going to be simply lovely,” he remarked dryly.

“Worth coming to the ball just to see this thing in operation. Let’s get out of here before one of these ladies realizes there’s no way to run water through it without laying pipe.”

“Would you distract Mrs. Dodge for a few minutes?” Jeremy begged.

Cynthia stood on a low ladder, draping a floral swag over a mirror. Her mother hovered nearby, 208

Captive Bride

chatting to several other ladies—too close for Jeremy to snatch a second alone with the object of his affection.

“Sure.” Alan doubted whether Cynthia would give Jeremy any attention with her mother and the other women on hand, but he tucked in his shirt, straightened his vest and strode across the floor toward the ladies.

“Mr. Sommers, thank you for all you’ve done,” Mrs. Dodge greeted him. She might be annoying but at least she was more polite than snobby Mrs. Finch. “I see you got the fountain in place.”

“We delivered it, but I don’t know anything about plumbing.”

She burst into laughter and the rest of the group joined in. They reminded him of a flock of pigeons in a park, rustling their feathers as they kept up a constant cooing.

“The effect of flowing water is to be achieved with sprays of ivy and cascading flowers,” Mrs. Dodge explained.

“Well, that’s a relief.” Alan smiled. “I’m sure it will be charming, and the event is sure to be a huge success.” He complimented the ladies and kept them talking while occasionally checking on Jeremy. The young man held on to Cynthia’s ladder, his face turned up to her like a flower to the sun.

At last Mrs. Dodge ended the conversation. “I suppose we’d better let you be on your way and finish our decorating, but we’ll see you tonight at the ball, won’t we?”

“That seamstress you employ is a wonder,” one of the others added. “My daughter’s dress couldn’t look Bonnie Dee

209

any finer if it came direct from New York. You must see her in it.”

You wouldn’t think I was such a catch if you knew
what the seamstress and I get up to.
“I look forward to seeing you all in your finery,” he answered. “Good afternoon, ladies.”

He beckoned Jeremy and the clerk broke off what appeared to be an intense discussion with Miss Dodge to follow him from the room.

“Did you get what you wanted? Will she save you a dance tonight?” Alan asked as he drove the wagon back to the store.

“I haven’t been invited to attend the event,” Jeremy said bitterly. “But Cynthia said I should wait for her outside at nine o’clock. She’ll come out and meet me.”

“A dangerous game for a young lady to play.” Jeremy looked at him. “I know you think I’m a fool and that she’s only toying with my affections, but you’re wrong. And you’ll find out how wrong soon enough.”

Alan had never heard him so serious. Easygoing Jeremy suddenly sounded very much a man instead of a boy. Alan held his tongue but prayed his employee wouldn’t do anything so foolish as to elope with the Dodge girl. Her parents would have his hide.