Dee. It was a pretty, practical name, and he decided he couldn’t wait to meet the woman who bore it.
Chapter Three
THE PRETTY LITTLE FANdid little to cool Deirdre’s face, but she waved it vigorously because moving hot air was better than still hot air. Her place near the open window allowed her to spy Clara before her friend arrived at the door. Clara clutched an envelope in her hand.
The heat forgotten, Deirdre sprung up from her seat and ran to the door. She flung it open and waited impatiently for Clara to appear.
“He’s sent the funds.” Clara pushed the envelope into Deirdre’s eager hands.
Unable to keep the smile from her face, Deirdre tore open the envelope addressed to Dee in New York as Clara closed the door behind her. It contained a letter along with enough money for “Dee” to purchase train fare to Crest Stone.
Deirdre set the bills aside as she devoured the letter. Jeremiah’s words were hopeful and happy, reflecting every feeling Deirdre held in her own heart. She was perfect for him—she’d known it from the start. And if this was what it took to make him see it, she was willing to take the chance.
She only hoped he would forgive her the deception.
“He’s expecting me to arrive by the end of the month,” she told Clara.
Her friend nodded. “It’s perfect timing. You’ll be married before his parents arrive in mid-September.”
Deirdre crossed the room, unable to remain still, while she tapped Jeremiah’s letter against her hand. “I can’t believe it’s truly happening. I told Abigail just this morning that I fully expected to wake up and find this was all a cruel sort of dream.”
“We’ll have to figure out the best way for you to arrive,” Clara said, taking Deirdre’s abandoned seat and waving the useless fan at her face.
“I won’t waste his money on a railroad ticket I don’t need.” She knew he hoped to buy an interest in the livery from Roman. She couldn’t wait to hand these bills back to him to help with that endeavor.
“No, of course not. But he’ll be at the depot, waiting for you, so we must orchestrate your arrival with the train from Cañon City. You’ll need to choose a date and write to let him know.”
“I’m sure Mr. Thomason will be happy to be finished with all of this,” Deirdre said.
The dear older man who ran the depot and post and telegram office had been kind enough to go along with their ruse, once Deirdre had appealed to him. Clara took each letter that Jeremiah had written on the pretense of delivering it to the post office. Instead, she brought them directly to Deirdre. Deirdre had then waited to pen a return letter, enough time that his letter could have feasibly reached her in New York and then enough time for hers to travel to Colorado. Clara had taken that letter and Mr. Thomason stamped it and smeared the postmark so the location would be illegible before delivering it to Jeremiah.
“I’m certain Mr. Thomason wishes to sit front and center at the wedding. In fact, he may even volunteer to give you away if Liam refuses,” Clara said.
Deirdre pushed the thought of her brother from her mind. She didn’t think he would refuse outright to allow her to marry Jeremiah, but she feared his growing prominence among the businessmen in Crest Stone might make him more reticent. And so she’d kept her plans to herself. He’d learn of them when Jeremiah actually agreed to marry her—once he’d seen that she was Dee. Surely if she expressed her feelings to her brother, he’d have no choice but to give her his blessing.
And if he didn’t . . . well, she would find a way around that, if needed. She hadn’t come this far to let Liam’s opinion stop her.
