“Sunday.”
Nick stared at her. He knew she wanted to do it quickly. Now that she’d named a day, it struck him as real. In four days, Frances Lancaster was going to be his wife. For a second, he thought his heart might burst right out of his chest. Then he reminded himself the wedding was temporary. Edgar was preparing a legal and binding contract they’d both have to sign, one in which they both promised to annul the marriage.
“Sunday’s best since the family will already be here for dinner,” she continued, oblivious to Nick’s confusing emotions, “and Luke has already invited Reverend Pearce and his daughter.” Frances grinned. “They were going to talk wedding plans, so I figured it wouldn’t be that much to have him perform ours. I’d like to invite Abe and Edith Vosburg too. Perfect, right?”
“Right.” He gave her a weak grin.
8
“You don’t have to put all that fancy stuff in my hair,” Frances complained.
“Yes, I do.” Doris pushed one more hairpin into place and gave a satisfied nod.
“She’s right,” Maude said. “If you insist on wearing a simple bridesmaid dress for your wedding gown, we have to do something to fancy your appearance.”
“This is Nick’s wedding day too,” Doris said, fluffing out the simple skirt. “Don’t you want it to be something special for him?”
Frances frowned at her reflection, unable to shake the feeling she was taking advantage of her best friend’s kindness. Men might not get into all the hoopla of a wedding, but she knew from her father and now from watching Luke that it could be an important day for them too. A twinge of regret stabbed at her. When Nick finally married for real, would his memory be colored by the fraud they were perpetrating today?
“Are you nervous?” Doris reached up and cupped Frances’s cheek much like she’d done when they were young. “Because if you are, you don’t need to be. Marriage iswonderful, when it’s with the right man.” Doris’s eyes took on a now-familiar dreamy expression.
“She’s right.” Maude, her face mirroring Doris’s, lifted the veil both sisters had worn for their weddings and placed it over Frances’s head. “And you couldn’t have chosen a better man than Nick Reynolds.”
“Yes, and the two of you are so good together, such friends,” Edith said, stepping into the room. “I can’t imagine spending my life married to a man who wasn’t also my friend. I’ve known too many people who had no shared interests. They had nothing in common, never did anything, except make babies and eat meals as a family. If a woman marries, she should be smart like you and choose her best friend. They’re ready downstairs.”
There were a lot more people attending the wedding than Frances had planned, so many that Luke had decided to hold it in the Lucky L hall he used for the monthly town dances. Lilac City served as the county seat. Small town that it was, word had gotten around after she and Nick had gone in to get their marriage license. The next thing she knew, Mary Teague who was the president of the Ladies’ Improvement Society, was offering to decorate for the wedding.
After a quick consultation with his accountant, Luke had accepted the partnership offer and announced it to the men. Her brother, of course, had then mentioned the wedding. Suddenly all his men had clamored to be able to attend as well. One thing about Lilac City which impressed Frances was people’s ability to throw together a party at the drop of a hat.
“It’s fortunate Abe built me that hothouse last year.” Edith opened the door to show Mary Teague holding a beautiful bouquet composed mostly of greenery, but with three delicate purple orchids in the center.
Frances was touched beyond composure, and she had to blink to keep from tearing up. She hated to cry anyway but especially in front of people. Once again, she felt like a fraud. Everyone was being so kind to her, and it was all a lie.
“Thank you so much for making the sacrifice,” Frances said, furious at the tremor in her voice.
“You deserve to have something beautiful on your special day.” Edith took the bouquet from Mary and handed it to Frances.
“When I saw your groom,” Mary said with a chuckle, “his face was so pale, he looked like he might faint.”
Doris and Maude straightened the veil one final time and stepped back. Taking that as a signal, Frances took a deep breath and stepped out of the room with a graceful stride that would have made her finishing school teachers proud. More importantly, she thought it would have made her mother proud.
The church organist had come to play the piano for them and, when Frances stepped into view at the top of the stairs, the woman had shifted to the processional. It had turned out the fiddler for the town dances liked classical music. Judith had been thrilled, but Frances was glad her future sister-in-law hadn’t liked Johann Pachelbel’sCanon and Gigue in D Major, saying she’d never heard of it before. Unique was what Frances loved, so it was perfect for her.
As she slowly took the steps, followed by her sisters and friends, Frances finally saw Nick. Mary had been right; his complexionwaspale. But as his gaze met hers, color lit up his face from his neck clear up to his hairline. The warmth in his blue eyes made the fluttering butterflies in her stomach begin to polka. For the first time since she’d settled on the plan, her wedding didn’t feel fake.
Frances’s breathing sped up, and she felt lightheaded. Doubt replaced the previous euphoria. This was wrong. She should never have considered using something solemn and serious as marriage as a tool to gain access to her inheritance. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she froze. She should call an end to the fraud.
As though he could read her mind and knew she was about to back out, Nick came toward her, his gaze full of confidence and assurance, his hand extended as though to welcome her. She’d chosen not to have anyone give her away, saying she meant no insult to Luke, but her father was dead.
“Shall we do this, Frances?” Nick asked softly when he reached her. “We don’t want to disappoint all these people who’ve worked so hard to make this special for us.”
She glanced around the room for the first time. It appeared the whole town had shown up. There were even cowhands from Marshall’s ranch. Swallowing, her hand shaking, she placed it in Nick’s. As soon as her hand touched his, the doubts fled, and a sense of peace settled on her. The trembling stopped.
The corner of his mouth twitched. He understood her so well. She wrapped her hand around his arm and, following the slow and beautiful music, they made their way toward Reverend Pearce.
“If I didn’t think you’d shoot me,” Nick said, his voice pitched low so she could barely hear it over the accompaniment, “I’d tell you how beautiful you look.”
“Say it again, and Iwillshoot you.”
