“I . . . well . . .” Hale cleared his throat. He took a moment to flatten the creases in his trousers before continuing. “As I mentioned in my letters, Tansy and I need assistance here at the boardinghouse.”
Izzy nodded. She knew all of that. “I mean for the marriage. What do you want in a wife?” She paused as his face grew somewhat red. She was making him uncomfortable, and that wouldn’t do. She gave him a pleasant smile and added, “I only wish to ensure that you’re pleased you chose me over any of the other ladies who wrote to you.”
Hale swallowed, not looking the least bit more relaxed by her explanation. “I am pleased,” he finally said. “You’re very . . .” He gestured at her face. “Very nice.”
Izzy bit the inside of her lip as a giggle threatened to find its way out of her mouth. No man had ever called her pretty before, possibly because she’d spent most of her time in men’s clothing and had the shape of a beam of wood. Besides, she hadn’t been around many people other than her own family. Yet she had the distinct impression thatprettywas precisely what Hale was trying to say.
“Thank you,” she said, unable to hide the appreciation she felt. Especially from a man as handsome as he was. When she’d first laid eyes on him earlier in the day, she’d immediately wondered why one of the women in town hadn’t convinced him to marry already. As if dark eyes and rich brown hair that hung just a little too long weren’t enough, he bore himself like a man strong enough to carry a woman in his arms for miles.
“You get along well with Tansy,” he continued as Izzy shook the image of him carrying her across some desert landscape from her mind. “And you seem the sort who can keep herself entertained.”
Izzy tried not to frown, but it was impossible. Aside from possibly saying she was nice to look at, Hale wasn’t answering her question. Perhaps she needed to be more direct, the way she was with Carter when he tried to keep bits of information about Papa’s plans from her.
“Hale,” she said.
His face reddened even more, and he clasped his hands on his lap. He was awfully nervous in her presence. She didn’t quite know what to make of that.
“Do you want children?” she asked.
He averted his eyes immediately. Maybe it came from having brothers, where she had to speak up loudly or never be heard atall, but Izzy wasn’t one to shy away from anything. And this was an important question, considering they were now married. And especially considering that Izzy wasn’t entirely certain how she felt about the idea herself.
“Well, I suppose,” he said in a strained voice as he appeared to thoroughly examine the doors to the wardrobe across the room.
“All right.” She didn’t like the way her voice trembled a little when she started to speak.
“You needn’t worry about that right now.” His eyes shot back to her, and for the first time since he’d entered the room, he sounded sure of himself. As if he wanted to comfort her.
A bloom of warmth flooded Izzy’s chest, and she wanted to fling her arms around him in gratitude. She flattened her hands on her lap, reassuring herself that she wouldn’t do anything so embarrassing. “All right,” she said again, relieved. “I really . . . Well . . I’d like to get to know you.”
The awkwardness he’d sported earlier faded into a friendly and disarming smile. “I’d like that too, Isabella. Very much.”
The way he said her name made her feel as if he was the one wrapping her in a hug. No one had ever called Izzy by her full given name, and it had never bothered her. She’d introduced herself in her letters as Isabella, so of course Hale would assume that’s what she wished to be called.
And Izzy decided she liked it. It made her feel as if she were a capable, feminine woman rather than a scrappy girl more at home in trousers.
“I have a rather . . . bothersome guest I’d be happy to escape tomorrow morning,” Hale said. “Perhaps you’d accompany me for a walk around town?”
Izzy pressed her hands together, suddenly eager for the morning to dawn. “Yes, please. I’d like to see more of the town.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” He beamed at her as he stood and picked up the lamp he’d brought in. “I’ll step out to allow you some privacy.”
“Thank you,” Izzy said.
He nodded and closed the door behind him. She sat back on the bed for a moment, her heart racing at a speed that certainly wouldn’t help her fall asleep. Izzy pressed a hand against her chest.
Everything felt as if it had happened so soon. Although several weeks had passed since she’d made the rash decision to send out those letters, it now seemed she was still on a speeding train, hurtling toward some future she’d never imagined.
She wasmarried.
That fact alone was enough to make her stifle a giggle. She, Izzy Sutcliffe, who’d spent the last few years living in ramshackle cabins and acting as a look-out for her father and brothers, was now Mrs. Hale Darby. Henry and Carter would never be able to stop laughing if they knew.
She stood and went to the wardrobe where she’d hung her measly collection of clothing. She had her filthy lavender calico and one clean nightgown, along with precious few underthings. She’d left her boy’s clothing at the cabin, along with nearly everything else they’d possessed. If anyone had questioned her, Izzy wanted nothing on herself or in her carpetbag that might indicate she was a Sutcliffe.
Izzy changed quickly, doused the lamp, and slid between the bed coverings as the cooling night air pricked at her skin. She laid on her back and stared at the darkened ceiling as she thought back over the recent past. She’d used the one skill she had—laundering clothing—and made just enough money to keep herself in Cheyenne. She wound her hair into a tight style and wore a large straw hat while she tried to remain unnoticed. Eachday she waited for responses to her letters and prayed no one would connect her to the Sutcliffe gang.
Thankfully, Cheyenne was a busy enough town that no one questioned the young woman who hid her hair beneath a kerchief and a hat. And the letters finally started arriving. The judge wrote back and told her it was possible to appeal his decision. She learned that Carter was healing slowly and had been moved to the hospital in Cheyenne. All but one potential suitor had written back to her, and after a quick read, it was easy enough to choose Hale. His letter had been the warmest, the most intelligent, and it certainly didn’t hurt that he had his own business. A man with his own place of work was likely one who had money to spare. Once he got to know her better, he’d be more than happy to pay for a lawyer for her family.
They’d exchanged another letter each before he sent funds for her railway ticket. Izzy had done her best to ignore the fears that plagued her. Would he see through her plain dress and simple appearance to the girl she’d been before? Perhaps he’d reject her the moment he laid eyes on her, deeming her too forthright or too thin. Or worse, what if he was nothing like he presented himself in his letters? What if she were walking into some horrible dime novel sort of situation?
