The Perfect Wife Read online

  “Well, you’ll find uses for everything eventually,” he assured her. “Just do a little shopping here and there, and you’ll find things you want to put in here.”

  “I can’t think of anything that I need besides more clothes since I’ll be changing outfits all the time.” She returned to the trunk and gathered her grooming supplies. As she placed them on the vanity, she glanced over at him. “Did you have a pleasant meeting with your client?”

  “Yes, yes. Everything went according to plan. I would have gotten back to you sooner, but my father stopped by to talk to me.” Before she could ask him more about it, he walked over to her and looked into the trunk. She was almost done. “Just because there are two bedrooms, it doesn’t mean you have to sleep in here. You’re more than welcome to my bed.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully at her.

  She giggled, and a blush crept up her face. “I figured that since we were already there.”

  “Some couples choose to sleep in different bedrooms,” he said. “Some marriages are done out of convenience. I have a client who married a woman because he wanted a connection to her family business.”

  She paused at the trunk and studied him. “Really?”

  He nodded. “I know several marriages done for similar reasons. I think the reason two bedrooms are popular is because most couples don’t want to sleep in the same bed.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  He shrugged. “It’s the nature of money. People often marry each other for it. Though, there is one client I have who snores so loudly that his wife insists on sleeping in her own bedroom, and those two are deeply in love.”

  She picked up her skirts and took them to the dresser. “In a case where he’s snoring, I can’t blame her.”

  “I forgot to add that she snores, too. She also kept him awake.”

  “Women don’t snore.”

  “I know this client very well. If he says she snores, then she snores.”

  “But snoring isn’t a ladylike thing to do.”

  “To be fair, she’s asleep when she does it. She can’t control it.”

  With a shake of her head, she finished putting her skirts away and turned to face him. “I’ve never heard of a woman snoring. I think he’s making that up.”

  He laughed and went over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Whether or not it’s true, the two love each other. They don’t have the typical marriage.” He pulled her closer and kissed her. “We don’t, either, and for that, I’m glad. I’ve seen what the normal marriage is like among the wealthier class, and I don’t want any of it. Being with you is wonderful.”

  She smiled. “Being with you is wonderful, too. I think love is the most important thing in a marriage. I wouldn’t want to be with someone just because it’s convenient. It sounds like a horrible way to spend your life.”

  “I think most people find some level of contentment in it, but I couldn’t have done it.” He gave her a kiss then added, “I have the rest of the day clear so I can focus all of my attention on you.”

  “Good, but I have a little bit more to put away first.”

  Since he was eager for her to be done, he asked, “Would you like my help?”

  “Oh, I can get the rest.” She paused, a worried frown on her face.

  “What is it? Are you missing something?”

  He started to peer down into the trunk, but she stopped him.

  “I have some private pieces of clothing to put away,” she told him, her voice growing softer with each word she spoke. “Would you mind turning around?”

  “You want me to turn around so I won’t see your undergarments?” In light of the fact that they’d already consummated the marriage, he couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I know it’s silly, but everything’s still new. I need a little more time to adjust to our marriage.”

  Though he didn’t understand why she would get embarrassed if he saw her undergarments, he turned his back to her. “I’m much more interested in seeing you naked than in seeing your undergarments.”

  “Mark, you shouldn’t be so bold in your speech.”

  “Why not? We’re alone, and you’re my wife. I’ve already seen you without anything on.”

  “I know, but…but…”

  Noting her bewildered tone, he turned around and saw that she’d already put the undergarments away in the dresser drawer. Since it was safe to go over to her, he did. Once more, he brought her into his arms and kissed her. She was as wonderful as he remembered. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of being with her.

  “You were saying?” he whispered while he left a trail of kisses down her neck.

  “Um, I can’t remember,” she murmured.

  “Then it must not have been important.” He brought his mouth back to hers, and after a minute, he took her to bed and made love to her again.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning after breakfast, Natalie had changed into her new church dress in her bedroom. Since the hem was a little too long, the maid was currently tucking the hem in for her. The maid was an older woman, probably in her early forties, and, in addition to tidying up around the house, she had gotten Natalie ready that morning. She’d not only helped Natalie into the dress, but she’d fixed her hair and fastened the small buttons on her boots. Never in her life had Natalie felt so pampered. She was almost embarrassed to have the maid do so much for her.

  Mark came into the bedroom and sat at the vanity. “I see I was a bit off on your height. I had to estimate your measurements.”

  “You did a surprisingly good job in your estimates,” Natalie replied from where she stood on the stool. “The dress fits perfectly otherwise.”

  He smiled, seeming pleased by her comment. “I try to be good about details. It’s served me well so far in business.”

  “I’m sure the fact that you’re a nice person has something to do with how good you are at business, too.”

  He offered a nonchalant shrug. “I try to do the right thing whenever I can.”

  She hid her amusement as the maid scooted around to hem another part of her dress. The thing was a beautiful blue color, and the fabric was soft to the touch. Back home, she could only have fantasized about being in something like this. It seemed like a dress fit for a princess.

  There was a knock at the door.

  “I’ll get it,” Mark told the maid as he stood up. He crossed the room to the door and opened it.

  Natalie saw the butler, and she thought she heard something about Tony wanting to talk to Mark.

  Mark said something in reply then closed the door and went over to Natalie. “My brother wishes to have a word with me.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I’ll miss you while I’m gone.”

  She giggled at his playfulness. “I’ll miss you, too.”

  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  The maid chuckled. “I didn’t think I’d ever see that boy fall in love. He had so many young women stopping by to talk to him, but he never cared for any of them.”

  “Really?” Natalie asked, though she really shouldn’t be surprised. She could understand why women were attracted to him. He was charming, kind, and good looking. He had all of the traits any woman would want in a husband.

  “Most were after his money. Now, I know he’s attractive and he certainly has a way with winning people over, but it’s his money that appealed to most of them. He was smart enough to figure that out, which is good. Not all men are that intelligent.” The maid looked up at her and smiled. “He did well in choosing you, Mrs. Larson. You’re one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Durham.”

  “You should call me Carol. I’m the maid, after all.”

  “But you called me Mrs. Larson, and you’re older than me. Shouldn’t I show you respect?”

  “You’re very kind, but you’re the mistress of this house. You can refer to me by my first name. I must refer to you as Mrs. Larson. Tha
t’s the order of things.”

  “Oh, alright.” Since this was the way things were done, then she would do well to abide by them.

  Carol finished hemming the last part of the dress and stood up. “I think that’ll do it. Why don’t you come on down and take a spin? Let me see if everything’s right.”

  Natalie got down from the stool and did as Carol wished.

  “Perfect!” Carol collected her sewing supplies. “You’re ready for church. I just know you’ll be the prettiest woman there.”

  “You don’t have to say that.”

  “Oh, but I mean it. You’re a very pretty woman. Mark knew what he was doing when he chose you.”

  Natalie’s face warmed in pleasure. She thanked Carol and then left the bedroom. She went down the hall and then bounded down the stairs, eager to say hello to Tony and ask how he and Velma were doing.

  But as she reached the formal parlor, she realized Tony wasn’t happy. In fact, he sounded upset. Her steps slowed as she reached the door.

  Mark was sitting on the couch, his back to her, while he bit into a pastry. Tony, however, was standing, his face red with anger, clenching his hat in his right hand.

  Tony scowled at him. “You will go to any lengths to claim you’re innocent. You’re turning this all around so that I sound like a madman.”

  “Tony,” Mark began, his tone calm, “you need to listen to reason instead of running with your emotions. You’re only seeing what’s on the surface. You’re not taking the time to see things as they really are.”

  “If you are so certain of your view of things, then why did you bolt out of the church as quickly as you did?” Tony asked. “Why didn’t you stay around and explain yourself? Why didn’t you tell the family why you made Velma think she was marrying you?”

  Natalie gasped. Had she heard right? Had Mark really done such a thing?

  The two brothers turned in her direction. Mark’s eyes grew wide, and he hurried to put the pastry and the cup down before rushing over to her, a flicker of worry on his face.

  “It’s not the way it sounds,” Mark told her.

  “You didn’t tell Natalie?” Tony asked.

  Mark glanced at Tony, a warning in his gaze, and she knew at once that he didn’t want her to find out about their conversation. “I’ll go out to your place and explain everything,” he told Tony. Then he offered her a smile that did little to hide the panic in his eyes. “It’s nothing, sweetheart. Just a personal argument my brother and I have to work out. Why don’t you go to the carriage? I’ll be there in a moment.” He took her arm and practically dragged her to the front door.

  “Yes,” Tony called out after them, “go on to the carriage while Mark explains why he made Velma believe she was marrying him.”

  Had Mark really done that? Natalie dug her heels into the rug and jerked her arm away from him. Heart pounding in her ears, she headed back into the parlor, hoping it wasn’t the way it sounded, though, deep down, she knew it was. It was like the time she’d watched her brother cut off the head of a chicken. She hadn’t wanted to look, but something compelled her to. And now she had to find out that her husband had lied to her about Velma agreeing to marry Tony.

  “The entire church was in an uproar about the whole thing,” Tony told her as she reached him. “I’m surprised no one came over to tell you.”

  “Well, your father came over, but he spoke with Mark in private,” Natalie replied. “I assumed he wanted to wish us good luck.”

  “My father wasn’t any more pleased about Mark’s deception than the rest of us were, but I can understand why Mark gave you that story. Otherwise, this puts him in an awkward situation.”

  Now that she thought about it, Mark hadn’t told her why his father had stopped by. He had managed to avoid the subject by talking about couples who chose not to share bedrooms. At the time, she didn’t think anything of it, but now she suspected he’d changed the conversation in order to make her forget about his father’s visit.

  Mark hurried over to them. “This isn’t a big deal. Velma wanted to marry Tony.”

  “No, she didn’t,” Natalie told Mark. “We were arguing over which one of us would marry you. But on Friday when you proposed to me, you said that since you wanted to marry me, she agreed to marry Tony.”

  Mark held his hand up. “No. I said that my brother wanted to marry Velma, and when I talked to her, she agreed to a wedding. I never told her she would be marrying me.”

  “He let her think it,” Tony added. “Which is lying.”

  “Lying isn’t the right word,” Mark said.

  “I disagree,” Natalie interrupted, frowning at Mark. “It’s exactly the right word for what you did. She thought she was going to marry you, and you made her think that. I thought it was strange that she wasn’t upset with me. We’ve been arguing over who would marry you for the past month. I should have known something was wrong when she seemed to readily accept it.”

  And maybe if she hadn’t been so excited to marry Mark, she would have.

  Tony rolled his eyes then directed his gaze to Natalie. “Well, now you know the truth.” He marched to the front door and plopped his hat on his head. “Congratulations, Mark. You ruined things for everyone around you. I hope you’re happy.”

  The butler rushed to open the door for him. He jerked as if he hadn’t expected the butler to do that. Without another word, he stormed out of the house.

  Mark waited until the butler shut the door before he turned his attention back to Natalie, a contrite smile on his face. “I only did what I needed to. I love you, and you love me. We should be together.”

  “But Velma didn’t want to marry Tony. She wanted to marry you.”

  “She thinks she wanted to marry me, but she didn’t.”

  “Yes, she did. We argued about this for weeks.”

  “I’m not saying you two didn’t argue about it, but I understand people, even when they don’t understand themselves. She didn’t want me. She only wanted my money.”

  “That’s no excuse for making her think you were going to marry her.”

  “I know it’s not, but I did what I had to do,” he replied.

  Natalie shook her head and marched around him. “I’m too upset to talk to you right now.”

  “What? Why?” he asked as he followed her.

  She spun around to face him, and he stopped just before he ran into her. Placing her hands on her hips, she said, “If you’re so good at figuring people out, then you know the answer to that question.” She pointed at him. “I don’t want you following me. I have to see Velma, and I don’t want you with me when I do. You’ve made enough of a mess already. I don’t need you to make things worse.”

  She turned away from him and proceeded up the stairs to her bedroom, relieved when he didn’t pursue her. Without calling on the maid to help her, she wiggled out of her new dress and put on one of her old dresses. The last thing she wanted to do was show up at Velma’s with a new dress on. Velma was upset already. She didn’t need to feel like Natalie was rubbing her marriage in Velma’s face.

  Once she was ready, she found the butler and asked him if she could ride a horse. The butler insisted she have the coachman take her in a carriage instead, saying that “Mr. Larson” would want his wife to be comfortable during the ride out of town. Despite her annoyance that the butler was determined to do things Mark’s way, she consented to taking the carriage.

  As she waited at the front door, Mark left the formal parlor and went over to her. “You’re not leaving me, are you?”

  She glared at him. “I made my vows for better and worse, so no, I’m not leaving. I’ll be back after I talk to Velma.” Noting the way he relaxed, she added, “When I made those vows, I didn’t realize worse was going to come so soon.”

  “Natalie, sweetheart, I really was only doing what I thought was best.”

  He put his hand on the small of her back, and though she wished it wasn’t so, her skin warmed at his touch. She gritted her teeth
. It was just her luck that she got weak whenever he was around.

  “I’ll make it up to you,” he continued. “I promise.”

  “There’s nothing you can do to make it up to me. You should be making it up to your brother and Velma.”

  “I was helping them yesterday,” he insisted. “In time, they’ll realize that.”

  “They didn’t want your help yesterday. Tony was angry with you just now. Don’t you understand that?”

  “Of course, I do. But there’s nothing I can do about that except stay out of his and Velma’s way. Look, everything will be fine. They’ll work through this.”

  The carriage pulled up to the front of the house.

  “I’m going out there alone,” she told Mark.

  “Can I kiss you good-bye?” he asked with a smile that was probably meant to soften her up.

  But she was in no mood for it. The last thing she wanted to do was kiss him. He was lucky she didn’t whack him on the head for all the trouble he caused. Who knew if Velma was going to even talk to her today?

  Without a word, she marched out of the house and ran down the steps.

  “I hope you have a good visit,” Mark called out.

  She didn’t know if he said that for the coachman’s benefit or if he thought she was going to forget this whole thing by the time she returned, but she chose not to answer him. The coachman opened the carriage door, and she got in. After the coachman shut the door, she peeked out the window and saw Mark, who was still standing in the doorway. Mark waved at her.

  Did he really not understand how serious this situation was? Did he think making a woman believe she was marrying the wrong twin was a minor transgression? She sat back in the seat and turned from the window. She didn’t know what she was going to do about him. But before she could even think that far, she had to work things out with Velma. At the very least, she had to let Velma know that she didn’t realize Mark had lied to her.

  The carriage moved forward, and Natalie began to think of what she’d say when she got to Velma’s home.