Bewildered, Leah looked from one smiling face to another. “Th…thank you,” she stammered. “I had no idea…”
One of the men gave a hard look to Wesley. “The women were pretty upset that Stanford Plantation didn’t give a party to celebrate your marriage. We wanted them to come today, but they thought since they hadn’t been invited maybe they weren’t wanted.”
It was Wesley’s turn to stammer. “No, it was just that we…I mean no one…”
One man laughed. “Take a look at her, men. If you had a wife that looked like her, would you want to share her?”
Leah was so pleased by their compliments that she blushed.
“Come on inside. You all must be tired. May I?” The man held out his arm to Leah.
“Since when have you earned such a privilege?” another man asked, extending his arm.
“I believe I saw her first,” said a third man.
“Here!” Wesley interrupted. “Before any of you start a fight, I’ll escort my own wife.”
Trying to hide her surprise, Leah took Wesley’s arm and walked with him into the tavern.
Bess waited inside for her. “I’d never have known you,” was all Bess could gasp, standing apart from her sister.
Leah left her husband’s side and opened her arms to Bess. Hugging her sister, Bess laughed. “It is you, isn’t it?”
“Every dirty inch,” Leah returned.
“They’re fillin’ a tub for you now. Miss Regan said you’d be wantin’ a bath, just like all the other ladies do.” She looked up at Wes. “Now you behave yourself while she’s gone and I’ll return her to you soon enough.”
Bess quickly ushered Leah upstairs where two men were filling a large tub. As soon as they were alone, Bess began undressing Leah.
“Bess, I can do that myself. There’s no need for you to act as if you were my maid.”
“Someone should!” Bess snapped. “Someone needs to be good to you after that story Miss Regan told me. Are you really going to give up your own husband willingly, without even a fight?”
“I have no intention of fighting to keep a man who doesn’t want me,” Leah said stiffly.
“Listen to you. You sound just like our old man. When you get somethin’ in your craw there’s no stoppin’ you. Just for once, Leah, don’t be so stubborn. Don’t just give Wesley away.”
“Bess, you’re being silly. Wesley was never mine. He wants Miss Shaw and he shall have her. After tonight I’ll not even be his wife in name. I’m going to be his cousin.”
“Cousin, schmusin. You are his wife! Nothing will change that.”
“It will when we get to Kentucky.” Leah, nude, put one foot into the water. “It’s amazing how easily one can get used to being clean. I think I’ll stay in this water all night. If I did I wouldn’t have to pretend to be my husband’s dear devoted wife.”
“That’s a good idea,” Bess said quickly. “You stay there and I’ll get you some clean clothes.”
Leah sat back in the tub, closed her eyes, but in minutes Bess returned, a huge grin on her face.
“There’s trouble in paradise,” Bess said gleefully. “Wesley and that Miss Shaw were having an argument.”
“She’ll forgive him,” Leah said tiredly.
“Miss Shaw didn’t like the idea of Wesley taking your arm and Wesley said he had to pretend to be your husband. Miss Shaw wanted to know just how far he planned to carry the pretense. Wesley tried to calm her but Miss Shaw said that two could play the game and if he so much as touched you he’d be sorry.”
“And?” Leah asked, trying to conceal her interest.
“Wesley said he didn’t like being threatened and he was doing all this for her and he’d do his duty and do what he had to do.”
“Duty!” Leah gasped, sitting up.