The Cold Wife Read online

  Interlude in the parlor…

  Justin walked over to Carrie and lightly kissed her. “Aren’t you going to welcome me home after a hard day at work?”

  She sighed. “Must you persist in keeping this marriage going?”

  His eyes widened. “You’re the one who’s going to change this room. I took that as an indicator that you planned to stay.”

  “Only for the month I’m required to be here.”

  “You’ll spend the rest of your life here,” he replied.

  The fact that he seemed so sure of himself made her that much more determined to prove him wrong. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

  He ignored her open rebellion. He gently took her by the elbow to lead her to the couch. “Will you have a seat?”

  “No.” She didn’t budge.

  To her surprise, he picked her up in his arms and sat down. He held her close to him and sat her on his lap. She was too shocked to react in time to stop him from kissing her neck.

  She pushed aside the delightful sensations his kissing produced and quickly stood back up.

  He had amazing reflexes for he grabbed her hand and said, “If you don’t sit by me, I’ll pull you back onto my lap. Or we could go upstairs and make sure you don’t leave at the end of the month.”

  She loudly sighed so he would understand how much this pained her and plopped next to him on the couch.

  He chuckled. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  She refused to look at him. She wouldn’t let him get to her. She wouldn’t fall in love with someone she was forced into marrying.

  The Cold Wife

  The

  Cold Wife

  The Revised Version

  Ruth Ann Nordin

  Ruth Ann Nordin’s Books

  Springfield, Nebraska

  The Cold Wife - Smashwords Edition

  Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

  Copyright © 2010 by Ruth Ann Nordin

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Photo © Copyright Shutterstock Images LLC. All rights reserved –Used with permission. Front cover.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedicated to Aunt Helen. What a joy it is to have gotten the chance to know you!

  Thank you, Danielle Watson, April Mitchell, Sarah Pawley, Vanessa Surya, Sara Marie Bodenstein, and Nancy Munson for your help in making this revised edition. Your input is invaluable to me!

  Romantic Comedies by Ruth Ann Nordin

  An Unlikely Place for Love

  An Inconvenient Marriage

  With This Ring, I Thee Dread

  Romancing Adrienne

  Meant To Be

  Historical Romances by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Falling In Love With Her Husband

  Eye of the Beholder

  His Redeeming Bride

  Loving Eliza

  Chapter One

  August 1894

  Carrie Allen took a deep breath and sat down on the couch in the parlor next to Brad, her twin brother. She knew their father was about to give them bad news. She glanced at Brad who shook his head. He appeared just as shocked as she was that their father had called them into the room. Their father sat in the chair across from them with a serious look on his face. She didn’t want to hear what he would say next but knew she didn’t have a choice. She was aware of the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room as she waited for him to speak.

  “Brad, Carrie, this isn’t easy to say.” Their father paused. “I’m bankrupt.”

  “What?” She couldn’t believe her ears.

  “My business crumbled,” he explained. “I have no more money, and my investments weren’t enough to cover my losses.”

  She had a hard time understanding how his tax consulting business went bankrupt when he had just experienced a huge profit earlier that year.

  He looked at Brad. “At least you still have your job at the college, and your investments are continuing to do well.”

  Carrie knew that Brad found little consolation in that fact. Brad didn’t want to see their father’s business fail anymore than she did.

  “I can help you get back on your feet,” Brad said. “We can find a way to get your business up and running again.”

  He shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, son, but my reputation has been destroyed in this town. I don’t know why or how, but it has. No one will want to do business with me.” He turned to her. “Carrie, I have to make sure your future is going to be secure so I have arranged a marriage between you and Justin Monroe. He is wealthy and will provide a good future for you.”

  She panicked. “Why would you do that? I just accepted an offer to let Harrison court me.”

  “I’m sorry, Carrie. I know you were looking forward to getting to know Harrison but his father doesn’t want him to marry you unless I provide his son with a sizable dowry on your behalf, and I can’t do that. I had to find you someone as soon as possible. I’ll be losing the house next week, so I don’t have time to wait. I discussed the matter with Justin Monroe’s uncle and it’s been arranged. You will marry Justin on Saturday.”

  “But...but that’s three days from now.” She struggled to make sense of everything her father was telling her.

  “I know it’s a shock.” He sighed. “I wish there was something else I could do, but I have to make sure that you will be able to enjoy the same standard of living you are accustomed to.”

  “No, you don’t have to do that.” Her mind desperately sought out another solution. “I can manage without the wealth we have had. I can find a job. There are women in our town who work.”

  “Even if we did that, there is no way Harrison will court you. His father is determined that he will marry a wealthy young lady. Besides, if you worked, then word would get out that you have no money, and there aren’t many men who will be willing to marry a twenty-four-year-old woman without money.”

  “Let me work,” she insisted. “I’ll pull my own weight. I’ve had sufficient schooling to do a decent job. Surely, just because I’m a woman, it shouldn’t mean I can’t find suitable employment. I don’t care if people find out what happened.” It certainly beat marriage to a man she hardly knew.

  “You will not be happy as a spinster.”

  “I should be the one to decide that.”

  He sighed. “I hadn’t considered you would be opposed to this marriage. I’ve already made arrangements with Justin’s uncle. Justin is looking for a wife who has a good reputation. The news of my bankruptcy will be well hidden so no one knows the truth. Neither Mr. Monroe nor I wish for anyone to know the reason for the sudden marriage. The official word is that his uncle and I agreed to this arrangement because in order for Justin to receive his trust fund when he turns twenty-five, he must marry. Justin is aware of the arrangement and will stick to the story.”

/>   She glanced at Brad who looked as overwhelmed as she felt, but at least he wasn’t being forced into a marriage with someone she thought was more boring than watching grass grow.

  Brad finally spoke. “You know that Justin and I are friends. I think a marriage between you two will be a good thing.”

  “Justin’s a good man,” their father added. “He will make you happy.”

  “Why would he agree to marry me?” she wondered. “We don’t even know each other.”

  “Apparently, he’s quite taken with you.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  She could barely recall the times when she did see him. She knew he attended many dinner parties. She had occasionally said hello to him but that was the extent of their conversations. She had overheard him talking with her brother and his topics of interest didn’t seem to stray from his investments. She wasn’t even sure he knew how to talk about anything else. She couldn’t imagine that they had anything in common. She and Harrison were much better suited for one another.

  Her father looked sympathetic. “I do not wish the spinster’s life for you. It is a lonely and miserable one. I have made an excellent choice for you.”

  Brad turned to her. “Justin is fun. You have to give him a chance. He actually has a good sense of humor.”

  “Only to someone who understands the lame investment jokes he tells,” she replied. “He also gives the most ridiculous analogies I’ve ever heard. He actually compared a big dog to a horse.”

  “It’s true that he’s not the smooth talker that Harrison is, but he is a good friend. He can talk about other things.”

  “When?”

  “Lots of times. You just never paid him any attention.”

  “The only reason he accepted this marriage is because you two get along.”

  Their father interrupted them. “Justin is actually better than Harrison. Harrison may seem fascinating but he’s selfish. He will ultimately concern himself with what he wants, and though he might want you today, who can tell what he will want in the future? Marriage is a commitment. It is a choice you make.”

  She groaned. “But there should be love too.”

  “Love is a decision a person makes. Justin understands that. He is determined to be the kind of husband that will bless you.”

  “You’re confining me to a life of boredom.”

  “I’ll have to arrange something so you two can have a chance to talk. Perhaps you will find that he isn’t as dull as you fear.”

  The knot in her stomach tensed. Her entire world was crumbling down around her and she couldn’t seem to stop it. She fought the tears that welled in her eyes. “May I please be excused?”

  “Yes, you may,” her father permitted.

  She walked to her bedroom and shut the door behind her so no one would see her crying. Of all things for her father to tell her, this was the last thing she expected to hear. She looked at her many elegant dresses, skirts and shirts hanging in her large closet. Her large bed had a beautiful lacy purple canopy above it, and her jewelry sat neatly in her jewelry box. She loved all her possessions. She enjoyed the things that money could buy. But she didn’t love them enough to marry Mr. Monroe. What good were things if she was going to be miserable? She couldn’t imagine that he would have anything of interest to say to her.

  She sat on her bed and ran her hands over the soft purple comforter. She used to take comfort in her bedroom, but as she slowly absorbed everything that was about to happen, she couldn’t find peace in her heart. She hated the fact that she couldn’t make her own decisions. Why did she have to be at the mercy of her father’s wishes? She wiped the tears from her eyes.

  She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror over her large oak dresser. Her dark brown hair fell in soft curls to her shoulders. She had deep brown eyes and was of average height and build. Nothing—absolutely nothing—about her stuck out. She was just ordinary. No wonder her father felt he had to arrange a marriage for her.

  After she cried for a good hour, she was exhausted and fell asleep.

  ***

  She refused to go to breakfast or lunch the next day. She stayed in her bedroom. It was Thursday. In two days, she would be Mrs. Justin Monroe. She gagged at the thought.

  A light tapping on her door brought her out of her misery.

  “Carrie, may I talk to you?” Brad asked her.

  She sighed and decided to open the door. She was relieved to see that her brother was alone. She definitely didn’t feel like seeing her father who arranged the horrible marriage for her.

  Brad closed the door behind him and sat in the chair across from the bed where she sat. “Why does the thought of marrying Justin displease you so greatly?”

  “You know why,” she said. “I can’t stand the thought of even talking to him. How can I be expected to marry him? You enjoy those boring investment conversations, so naturally you’re thrilled that he’s marrying me.”

  “He doesn’t just talk about investments. He has other interests as well. He enjoys the theater, dinner parties, animals, and the beach. You share the same faith and financial background.”

  “Money would certainly do me some good right now. If Father still had some, I wouldn’t be forced to marry him. You may think he’s fun but I don’t. Harrison is a lot more entertaining.”

  “You’ve only talked to Harrison twice. You haven’t even officially courted.”

  “True but I did have fun talking to him.”

  “Give Justin a chance. Maybe in a month, you’ll have as much fun talking to Justin as you do talking to Harrison.”

  “Obviously, we don’t agree on this issue.”

  “I assure you that he’s going to treat you better than Harrison would.”

  “It’s easy for you to say that since you don’t have to marry him.”

  “I’m your brother. I want you to be happy.”

  She knew he meant well but he couldn’t fully appreciate her situation since he wasn’t in it. He didn’t have to marry someone. He was granted the ability to work, and since he was a man, he was free to marry whoever he wanted and whenever he wanted. Women were not granted the same privilege. Sometimes she resented the fact that she was born a woman. If she had been a man, then she would have freedom.

  “I got a chance to speak with Justin today,” her brother began, “and he’s actually looking forward to marrying you.”

  She didn’t hide her disgust. “Why? He doesn’t even know me.”

  “No but he knows me. He is aware of your reputation in town, and face it, you are a very nice person. You do a lot of good for others. He figures that you will make a good wife and mother. And he is a very influential man with a good reputation that is just as impressive as yours. You will make a good match, both publicly and privately.”

  “That is a matter of opinion.”

  “It’s a fact.” He stood up. “There is something I must warn you about before I leave.”

  She frowned. She already didn’t like the sound of this.

  “Justin’s uncle has arranged a dinner party for you and Justin to announce your engagement before our family and friends,” he informed her. “It is tonight at seven.”

  “What?” she shrieked.

  “Justin’s uncle and Father decided on this earlier today. We will be going to Justin’s house.”

  “And if I don’t feel like going?”

  “Please don’t do this, Carrie. Justin doesn’t deserve to be made a fool of in front of everyone.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is that why he’s getting married to me? He hopes I will impress his friends?”

  “No. But you will humiliate him if you don’t show up tonight.”

  She gritted her teeth in aggravation. No choice. Not one single person was giving her a choice in any of this! And she hated it. Somehow, someway, she had to find a way out of this marriage.

  Chapter Two

  Later that afternoon, she reluctantly bathed and got dressed for t
he dinner party since her father made it clear that she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She combed her hair and pulled it back with a popular hair clip that matched the black dress she had picked to wear for the evening. She intentionally wore it because she felt as if she was attending the wake before her funeral, which she considered her marriage to be.

  Her father wasn’t amused with her dress. “Carrie, you are acting inappropriately. This is a festive occasion.”

  “For you perhaps, but it is a morbid one for me.”

  Her brother looked like he wanted to comment so she glared at him. He immediately shut his mouth. He knew when it was time to be quiet.

  “Go change,” her father ordered. “Put on something with a lot of color.”

  The doorbell chimed. It was one of Justin’s servants who would drive them to his house in his stagecoach.

  He groaned. “You timed this so you couldn’t change.”

  She crossed her arms and nodded. “I’m not stupid, though this whole arrangement is.”

  “I can only hope the Lord will show you the folly in your thinking.” He sighed. “Very well. Let’s go.”

  She slowly followed the two men out of the house and to the stagecoach.

  “Good evening,” the driver told them. “My name is Franklin Jones.” Turning to her, he said, “After the wedding, I will be your personal driver.”

  She simply nodded and entered the stagecoach with her family.

  “You see, Carrie,” her father said. “Justin is already treating you very well.”

  In two days, my entire life is going to fall apart. Who cared about personal drivers when she was denied the basic freedom to choose her own spouse? She closed her eyes, determined that she wouldn’t burst into tears.