Matt looked back and forth between the two adults, his face paling.
“Lucy, why don’t you lay your head back, and take a little rest?” Nate snapped the reins to make the horses go faster.
“Papa, I think she’s already asleep.”
Nate blew out a deep breath. “Good. We’re almost there now, anyway.”
The buggy continued down the long driveway and stopped in front of the house. The door immediately opened, and a middle-aged man in a livery uniform stepped out.
Delivering drunken Lucy to her door is becoming a habit.
“I’m afraid Miss Benson is under the weather.” Nate called to the man as he left the buggy and walked around to Lucy’s side.
The older man took in Lucy’s disheveled appearance and drew in a breath. “Oh, my. Can you carry her in?”
“Sure.” Nate reached into the buggy and slid her out. Her head lolled back like a rag doll. Her hat rested askew, and she had dribbled champagne on the front of her blue silk dress. As he started forward, she began to snore.
“I’ll show you the way to her bedroom.” He started up the stairs, and then stopped. Nate banged into him, almost causing the three of them to tumble down the stairs. He shifted Lucy, amazed at how light she felt.
“I think I should get Bella first,” the man said.
Nate stood juggling Lucy while her maid was summoned. A small, black-haired woman came running from the back of the house and raced up the stairs.
“Oh, dear,” her voice sounded breathless. “Bring her this way, sir.”
They all started back up the stairs. Bella led him to Lucy’s room, opened the door and stood aside so he could enter. He deposited his bundle on the bed, and immediately turned to the young servant.
“I’ll be leaving now, miss. I’m sure she’s in good hands.” He backed out of the room, closed the door and hurried down the stairs. Matt stood in front of the buggy.
“Let’s go.” Nate jumped into the buggy. Matt climbed up the other side, and Nate set off as if the devil himself raced after them.
“What’s wrong with Miss Benson?” Matt peered at him as they left the driveway and entered the main street back to town.
“She’s had too much champagne.”
“That’s not good, is it?” The boy looked at him wide-eyed, with all the solemnity of a wise ten-year-old.
“No, son.” He looked down at the little boy. “That’s not good.”
“How come she said she should be my mama?”
Nate shrugged. “For some reason, she thought I would marry her after your mama died.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because I didn’t love her for one thing, and I didn’t think she would be a good mama for you and the others.”
“But you didn’t love Angel when she first came, did you?”
Nate glanced at the boy. “Well, I had a liking for her.”
“But you love her now, don’t you?”
He grinned as the image of Angel hugging all his children on Christmas morning, tears in her eyes, came to mind. “Yes, I do, son, very much.”
“So do I.”
Two days after the wedding, Angel sat at the kitchen table, considering various ideas for supper as she finished up the hem on a pair of Matt’s pants. The boy grew so fast, this would be the last time she could let the hem down. Time to pass them on to Mark. After folding the pants neatly, and placing it on the table, she walked quietly to the bottom of the stairs to listen for Julia-Rose who napped, but only silence greeted her.