family. Now she climbed up to the wide front porch and let Charles and Meredith into the house. She thought it might suit them. The walls were papered and hung with pictures, the heavy wood furniture covered in floral. She fancied she could already smell the perfumed powder, essence of roses, that Meredith favored.
But of course, nothing was good enough. Charles did not appreciate the view down to Puget Sound. “If I wanted to look at water, I would have moved to Boston.”
Meredith was certain the house was too small for her purposes. “How am I to entertain with a single parlor? And I don’t know where you think you will sleep, Nora, with only one bedchamber.”
“I suppose we could put a pallet on the floor of the attic,” Charles mused.
“No need,” Nora said. “I have my own room at the ladies’ boardinghouse.”
“And do you expect us to wait for you to arrive each morning?” Meredith exclaimed. “Honestly, you are so impractical.”
By the time a knock sounded on the door that afternoon, Nora was worn-out from placating them. She couldn’t help beaming at the sight of Simon on the porch. He was dressed for work, bulky brown coat open at the throat to reveal a red-and-blue-plaid wool shirt over red flannels. His thick wool pants were tucked into heavy boots. At least he took the trouble to knock the worst of the mud off his feet before following her into the house.
“You are a sight for sore eyes,” she told him. “Please, come meet my brother and sister-in-law.”
Meredith and Charles were seated on the overstuffed chairs at opposite ends of the parlor, her brother by the multipaned window, his wife nearest the stone hearth. Charles had the Puget Sound Weekly Nora had left him open before him, his brows drawn down as he studied the news. Meredith had already instructed Nora in the unpacking of her things and was taking dainty stitches in the pillow cover she had been embroidering for as long as Nora could remember. Like everything else she did, Meredith put on a good show while managing to accomplish very little.
“May I have your attention?” Nora asked.
Neither looked up. “Not now, Nora,” Charles said. “Shouldn’t you be seeing to dinner?”
“She has no concept of time,” Meredith complained. “I suppose it is too much that you would consider our needs after we took the trouble of traveling thousands of miles to care for you in this wretched wilderness, with no friends and a thorough lack of opportunity for your talented brother.”
Each word felt like a nail pounding into her heart, but Nora held her ground. “I’m sorry to inconvenience you, Meredith. But you see, I got married.”
She knew she should not take such delight in the way Meredith’s head snapped up and her pretty pink lips gaped.
Charles lowered his paper at last, blinking at Nora and Simon as if bewildered that they’d appeared in his parlor. “Married, you say? What nonsense is this?”
“It’s hardly nonsense. You can’t miss him standing here beside me.” Nora looked pointedly to Simon, who seemed a bit bewildered himself. She supposed Charles and Meredith might have that effect on people. Still, he stepped forward and nodded to her brother and sister-in-law.
“Mr. Underhill, ma’am. I’m Simon Wallin, and I had the honor of marrying your sister last week.”
Now Charles stared, his face washing white and his hands shaking so hard the paper rattled. Whatever reaction Nora had been expecting, it was hardly that.
Meredith recovered first, rising from her chair. “I know you are given to odd fancies, Nora, but this is too much. How could you leave your brother out of what must surely be the most important day of your life?”
Her guilt rose like the tide on Puget Sound. She would not allow it to swamp her this time. “It was expedient.”
“Expedient?” Meredith clutched her beribboned chest. “To ignore your family, run off with some stranger? Expedient?”
This was not going as she’d hoped. Again she glanced at Simon for help.
“We are properly wed,” he assured them both. “You can ask Mr. Bagley at the Brown Church. He performed the ceremony.”
Charles climbed to his feet, shoving the paper away. “You can be sure I shall, sir. No clergyman has the right to perform a marriage ceremony for an impressionable young woman without consulting her family. And I hold you responsible as well, turning her head with your promises, your flowery phrases.”
The picture of the practical, stern-faced Simon Wallin swaying her with flowery words brought a giggle to her lips. She hastily clamped them together to keep it from coming out.
“Your sister is a grown woman, of age under Washington territorial law,” Simon informed Charles. “She can marry whom she likes.”
“Of age?” Meredith sputtered. She pointed a finger at Simon. “Oh, I see your game, sir. You think because she comes from a good family she must have a considerable dowry. Well, let me tell you—”
“Meredith.” Charles’s tone cut off the rest of her bile. “Please, allow me to handle this.”
Meredith shut her mouth and threw herself back into her seat, sending her embroidery tumbling to the carpet. She looked daggers at Nora, as if this was all her fault.
For once, she was right.
Her brother came forward to meet Simon, raising his head in the process, which only brought him to the tip of Simon’s firm chin. “You can see the trouble you’ve caused, sir. I demand that you annul this sham of a marriage immediately.”
Fear leaped up. Could they do that? Simon had claimed that only the territorial legislature could issue a divorce. She hadn’t considered what would happen if her brother pushed for an annulment. Would Simon be able to keep his claim if she was no longer his wife?
Simon, however, did not back down. He took Nora’s hand, his grip sure, strong. “I will do no such thing,” he told Charles. “Nora knows her mind, and so do I. I called on you as a courtesy. Whether she wishes to continue to associate with you is up to her.”
Oh, but he was masterful! She’d chosen well when she’d asked him to marry her. She glanced at her brother, to find his brows once more furrowed, as if he hadn’t expected an argument and wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
Meredith brought both hands to her face and bowed her head. “Oh,” she moaned, her voice coming out muffled. “That you would take our dear Nora away. I do not know whether I can bear it.” Her shoulders shook with her sobs.
How could she be so distressed? She scarcely abided Nora. She’d been positively eager to send her off to Seattle. This had to be an act. But why?
Charles evidently thought it sincere. “See what you’ve done?” he said with an audible sigh. “Calm yourself, Meredith, dear. I will have words with Mr. Wallin. Kindly take Nora to the door and make your farewells.”
Her farewells? He was going to let her go! Nora wanted to grab both of Simon’s hands and dance around the room in pure joy, but she knew that would only give away the game. Instead, she squeezed his hand for encouragement, trusting him to withstand any of her brother’s blandishments,
