CHAPTER 6
JESSICA
I let out a grateful breath when I finally hear the door open and close, running to the lavatory to pee, as I’ve been holding it for an hour trying to wait him out.
After cleaning myself up, I step over to the basin and splash some cold water on my face. Finding a soft towel, I wipe the sleep off, only to find a stranger staring at me in the mirror. The girl looking back at me has dark rings under her eyes and uncertainty on her face. I quickly unbraid my hair, run my fingers through it, then redo the braid before wrapping it up in a bun. Taking a deep breath, I straighten up and head back out, determined not to let the unknown get to me. I have spent the entire night questioning the choices I have made in the last few days.
Pulling out my only other dress, I quickly slide off my nightgown and dress in a hurry, constantly listening for the door to reopen. Once I smooth down my skirts and make sure my shirt is tucked in correctly, I pull the curtain open and start straightening the car. I am just tucking the blankets in on his bed when I hear the door slide open.
“What in the blazes of hell are you doing?!”
Shocked at his outburst, I respond before thinking about it. “Cleaning … I do believe that’s my job.”
“No, it isn’t! It’s for the staff on this train to attend to our rooms daily.”
“Why bother them when I am perfectly capable?”
“Because wives of men with money don’t clean their own rooms, especially when I paid extra to have that done for me.”
The entire time he has been talking, I have not stopped working on the covers. I hear a sigh before he grabs my arm, gently pulling me away from the bed.
“Jessica, I know it’s damn near impossible to change who you are overnight. Especially since you have been trained to work all the time, this is something others will notice. You can’t act like a maid even though I understand why you think you need to.”
I pull away, crossing my arms defensively. “What am I supposed to do all day then? Sit here and look at the walls? By the end of the week, I’ll go stir crazy.”
“Read a book, sew … I don’t know … there must be something you enjoy doing in your spare time.”
“I have spent the last nine years of my life working from sunup to sundown, and you want to know what I do in my spare time?” I can feel my ears turning red as I fight my own temper.
“You said you could read and write.”
“Yes.”
“Do you not have a favorite book, or someone you would like to send a letter to?”
“No, to both.”
“Well then, come with me. I need to make a list of what we’ll need when we finally get to Promontory, and I could use your help.”
“You don’t need my help; you’re just trying to give me something to do.”
“Yes, all problems solved.”
As he starts to open the door, I reach out and grab his arm, stopping him. “You know, it would be best if I stayed here.”
“No, you need to eat as much as I do. I am not going to let you hide in here like some sort of criminal.”
“Why won’t you listen to reason, Reggie?”
“JeSSSica … I am not being the hard-headed one at the moment. Food is in this direction, as it’s normally served buffet-style for breakfast, so they won’t bring it to the room even if we ask. Anyway, I have a stationery set in one of my bags in the back that we can grab after we eat. The day is going to warm up quickly, and if we could stop standing here arguing over nothing, we just might be able to get one of the seats in the passenger train with an open window after we eat to spend the day. Have you ever seen this part of the country?”
“No.”
“Then there’s another reason for us to hurry. We can grab a plate, eat, and then find a place to spend the day.”
I can’t help but glance at his fine clothes and then back at my own drab brown dress. My station in life has never bothered me before, but for a moment I allow myself the dream that I am getting ready to step out into that hall with my head held high, while expensive material sweeps around my legs. A woman worthy of standing beside him instead of a maid pretending to be something she is not.
Reggie opens the door and motions for me to go on. As I step past him, I jerk when his large hand lands on my lower back. He leans down, and I feel his breath against my ear. “You are acting like an untouched virgin, and that’s odd for a married woman.”
