“Well, it appears she had some problems with her husband. We’ve been half expecting him to show up here, and she tells us he beats her,” Marilee whispered in dismay.
Mead laughed. What a heap of dung Cara must have fed them all. Knowing Micah as he did, it was ridiculous, although she might well expect to be flipped over his knee and spanked soundly. A fitting retribution in his mind for her deceiving him and there was no way in hell he would have let her come alone. She must have lied through her perfectly white teeth and steeled away without his knowledge. Mead would not have been a bit surprised to see Micah Whittaker walk through those swinging doors, furious and ready to give his wife a thorough tanning.
“How can you laugh?” Marilee demanded when she recovered her voice. “It must have been horrible living with such a man.”
Thinking of the lap of luxury Cara lived in, Mead could only roll his eyes, which further infuriated his bride to be.
“You can’t possibly be so callous?” she hissed, pushing away from him. “I never would have suspected that of you, Mead Whittaker!”
“I’m not callous, and I don’t hold with beating a woman,” he insisted calmly as he snagged her back against his chest. “However, there are times in a man’s life when he simply must put his foot down. Now come along, darlin’ and I’ll buy you a sarsaparilla.”
Placing her arm through his, he led her to the bar.
“I don’t want a sarsaparilla,” she insisted briskly. “I want you to get to know Caroline. Once you talk to her, you’ll understand why I have to wait to marry you.”
Mead snorted in derision but kept quiet.
“Caroline, I’m sorry dear, but you need to tell my intended how dreadfully your husband treated you. Then he’ll understand my concerns regarding abandoning Callie Mae to marry him. We all know you might have to flee at a moment’s notice.”
Mead stared into Cara’s eyes, daring her to lie to him.
“Yes, my dear, tell me all about this despicable man you’ve gone and gotten yourself tied to,” he drawled.
Instantly, Cara’s hand flew to her cheeks. She was remarkably believable, and had he not recognized her despite the wig and clothing, her pathetic manner might have convinced him. Instead, he nearly laughed. Cara had missed her calling. She might have been a fine actress.
“Oh, Marilee, you know how difficult it is for me to talk about all I’ve been through,” she pleaded weakly. “This man is a virtual stranger to me. I couldn’t possibly reveal such intimate details to him.”
“But Mead might be able to help you,” Marilee countered, her voice dripping with sympathy much to Mead’s annoyance.
Seeing his sweet love so distressed, he began to get angry.
“Darlin’, should Caroline’s husband come through that door,” he said pointing, “there would not be a single thing I could do. He is her husband! As she said, we are strangers, and I must assume that if he takes his errant wife in hand, she may very well deserve everything she’s got coming to her.”
“Mead Whittaker!”
“I’m sorry, Marilee, but the law is very clear about such things,” he explained. “Most men take the vows of love, honor and obey very seriously.”
“Do you?”
“Most definitely,” he replied.
“And would you strike me, should I ever defy you?” she asked, her lovely eyes widening in surprise.
“I would never, under any circumstances, raise a hand to you, my love. However, if you should persist in disobeying me, or worse, defying me after I’ve made my wishes clear, I would feel justified in taking you across my knees. I would feel compelled to teach you the error of your ways. You understand my methods would be unpleasant, but hardly brutal.”
“I’m appalled that you would threaten me in such a way. Why you’re no better than Ty Wainwright or your brother Morgan,” she accused.
“No better, and no worse,” he acknowledged with an affirmative nod. “Now, getting back to our earlier discussion, I see no reason to put our wedding off any longer. Callie Mae now has Caroline to replace you, for however long she’s able to stay. I will talk to Reverend Simms in the morning and let him know the wedding will take place a week from Saturday. That should give you plenty of time to finish whatever preparations remain to be done and the entire town has been waiting for the announcement. My mother will provide a nice reception at the farm with the help of the ladies in her church group.”
“Mead,” she began, twisting her hands fretfully.
“Marilee, I have been patient, much more so than I probably should have been. The wedding will take place and I don’t want to hear another word about it. You’ve given me your word, and I’m prepared to give you all that your heart desires within my capabilities. Let that be the end of it.”
Silently, she nodded.
Leaning over, Mead kissed her cheek.
“Don’t look so stricken, my love. I adore you and only want to make you happy,” he said with a smile. “Trust me, my darling, all will be well. I will see you tomorrow and in little more than a week we will be Mr. and Mrs. Mead Whittaker.”
