Page 21 of The Banker's Bride

Megan giggled, relenting. She had thought of ordering something special for Dallas but had no idea what his sizes wereor what he would like. Meagan had a lot to learn about her new husband.

When they finished, she had ordered four new pairs of shoes in different colors to match just about any dress she wore. Kenzie had also ordered her three new hats, as well. By the time she left, Megan was exhausted but felt great at the same time. She had never had so much fun in her life.

After she said her goodbyes, Megan walked to the bank, knowing that she could get used to such special treatment and attention. Although she knew Dallas was just buying her what she needed, Megan made a mental note to have a talk with him about lavishing such expensive gifts on her.

She sighed, knowing she was already starting to have feelings for Dallas, but she made a mental note to keep her heart to herself. After all, she had lost everyone she ever loved, and she couldn’t stand to lose anyone else. She quickly brushed the thought from her mind as she opened the door to the bank.

“There she is!” Dallas announced proudly as she walked in, gaining the attention of everyone within earshot. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my new bride, Miss Megan Shannon.”

Megan nodded, greeting everyone with a smile. “‘Tis a pleasure to meet ye, but I’m now Mrs. Megan King.” She gave Dallas a wink.

One by one, everyone approached, greeting her warmly. Somehow, she already felt like a part of this community, of Dallas’s world. Her heart pounded as he pulled her to his side, the happiest she had ever been. She had just stepped into a fairy tale, and she hoped she never woke up.

On the way home, Megan enjoyed the scenery from the carriage as the cool October air rushed in. The sun was beginning to set, and the night cooled in preparation for winter. A shiver suddenly ran over her.

“Cold?” Dallas asked. When she nodded, he pulled her close. “Better?”

“I’m fine.” Megan thought for a moment, enjoying the feel of this wonderful man against her. “Dallas, what did ye mean when ye said ye wanted to make me a ‘showpiece’?”

Dallas leaned his head against hers. “I meant it figuratively, but yes. As my wife, you will be expected to live up to a certain… standard.”

Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his. “Standard?”

Dallas shrugged. “Standard of living. I’m very rich and people expect to see us dressed in fine clothes, driving fine carriages—”

“So, ye didn’t do all this fer me, but to impress other people.” Megan couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

He tried to pull her back into his arms, but she moved away. So, he folded his hands on his knee. “Of course not! I did it for you, Megan. But we are expected to live up to a certain status.”

She bit her lower lip and released it. “And where do I fit into this ‘status’?”

Dallas let out a deep breath and turned his attention to the sun, hanging low in the sky outside the carriage window. “Well, now that you mention it, you’ll be expected to take elocution lessons, lessons on etiquette—”

“Ye don’ like the way I speak?” Megan was hurt. One thing he said that he liked about her was her accent. Although she knew she sounded different than just about everyone here, she didn’t think she spoke badly enough to warrant elocution lessons.

Dallas took her hand, but she pulled away. “Yes, of course I like the way you speak. I love your accent.” He shrugged. “I just thought that you’d like to take lessons to fit in a bit more.”

“Fit in?” Megan folded her arms across her chest. “Mr. King, if you haven’t noticed, this isn’t New York.” Even in New York,she hadn’t been spoken to in this way. But then again, she hadn’t been expected to fit in to society there, either.

“And what do you mean by that?” Dallas narrowed his eyes.

“Well, this isn’t exactly ‘society’ here in Whiskey River.”

When he turned to face her, his eyes flared. “I have you know that I have prominent friends that come here to visit from time to time. And I will not be embarrassed by a wife who doesn’t know her place.”

“Myplace?” Megan’s voice raised a few octaves. “And what ‘place’ might that be?”

Dallas bit his upper lip, obviously trying to calm himself. “As my wife and the mother of my children, you’ll be expected to live up to a certain standard.”

“Yerchildren?” Megan shook her head in disbelief. “Dallas, when we do have children, they’ll beourchildren.”

He turned his attention out the window. “Yes, of course.”

“And what did ye mean when ye said that ye ‘didn’t want to be embarrassed’?”

Dallas turned back to her, narrowing his eyes. “Never mind.” He took her hand and patted it. “We’ll just get you some lessons, so you know how to act properly.”

She pulled her hand away again. “Mr. King, I have ye know that I have no intentions of ‘embarrassing’ ye. And if me accent and the way I speak bothers ye so much, why did ye marry me in the first place? Ye knew I was from Ireland, did ye not?”

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