Page 46 of The Banker's Bride

Megan blushed. “Are you ready?” Then she looked over at Charles and Milo. “I hope ye don’t mind if I steal me husband fer a bit.”

Milo took a step back and Charles smiled. “No, not at all. I may have Jacques make some for me, too. It smells delicious.”

“I made it, but there should be enough in the kitchen for you and for Mr. and Mrs. Daly.” Megan smiled. “I made plenty.”

“I’m glad you did.” Charles smiled as he walked up onto the porch and tipped his hat. “Have fun!” Then he headed into the house.

Dallas smiled as he offered her his arm and nodded toward Milo.

Milo tipped his hat and then headed toward the bunkhouse.

“Will you be okay?” Bill asked, looking down from atop the carriage.

“Yes, we’ll be fine.” Dallas smiled as he gave the horse a gentle pat. “Take the rest of the day off.”

Bill gave him an uneasy smile as he nodded. “Well, if you’re sure….”

“I am.” A smile lit Dallas’s lips. “Don’t worry. We’re staying on the property.”

Bill smiled a bit easier this time and tipped his hat. “Have fun and be careful.” Bill drove the carriage toward the back, leaving the two-seater buggy behind for Dallas and Megan.

“So, where would you like to go?” Dallas asked. “On our property, of course. I don’t want to take you too far.”

“Do you know a place where we can watch the sunset?”

A broad smile spread across his lips. “As a matter of fact, I do. I have just the right place in mind.” He offered her his hand and helped her into the buggy. Then he walked around and slid in beside her.

“So, what brought you to New York?” he asked as he drove.

A faraway look came into her eyes as she watched the sky fill with color. “When Liam and I came to America, we landed in New York, and we stayed there… until I came here.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why was food so scarce in Ireland?” Dallas’s eyebrows pulled together in concern. “But we don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.”

“There had been a great famine and food was hard to come by. Many people starved, me parents included.” Megan looked out over the horizon, remembering. “In fact, me brother and I would have starved, too, if we hadn’t moved to America.”

Dallas nodded. “Why? Was there no work in Ireland?”

Megan shook her head. “No, and then we lost all of the potatoes, which was our primary source of food. Now, they ship in food to Ireland, but it’s too expensive to buy.”

Dallas sighed. “It’s hard to believe that people in the world are starving while we live here in abundance.”

Megan nodded in agreement. “But not everyone here in America lives in abundance. Liam and I didn’t, but at least we always had food.” She thought of her life now and how far she had come, even before she had met Dallas King. “Here in America, people work like dogs, but at least there is work to be had and money to be earned, no matter how little.”

Dallas’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”

Megan let out a deep breath. “In New York, I worked in a factory fer very long hours, and the wages were next to nothin’.”

Dallas lowered his voice. “Is that why you answered my advertisement for a mail-order bride?”

Megan shook her head, giving him a weak smile. “No, I made a promise to me brother… before he died.”

He nodded, as if remembering that she had mentioned it before. “I know you said that he was defending your honor, but what happened exactly?”

She let out a deep breath. “He was attacked by Italians when he was walking me home from work late one night.” She cleared her throat as a wave of emotion came over her. “As he was dying, he made me promise to live a better life, to find someone, getmarried, and have children.” She sighed. “After he died, I knew I had to keep that promise and vowed never to go back to the factory again. That was when I saw yer advertisement in the paper and answered it.”

Dallas gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad you did.”

A moment later, they came to a beautiful lake. It was cold out, but they both wore their coats. The sun was setting in the distance over the lake, sending shoots of orange, pink, and yellow across the bright blue sky. It was lovely. Dallas pulled the buggy to a stop under a tree, and then helped her out. The landscape took her breath away. Snow-capped mountains rose in the distance, as the valley below darkened, sending the trees into shadow.

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