Page 425 of Conveniently Wed
“Hence the need for some frilly spectacle of a dress I’m supposed to wear to fit the part of a wealthy horse breeder’s wife.”
He laughed. “When you say it like that, darling, it sounds much more pretentious than I intend. Actually, most women love a dance and an opportunity to dress up and get together. Something to celebrate after all the sadness of the war. Don’t you want that too?”
“I am not most women. In fact, you’ll understand the mistake you’ve made when the uncultured Katherine is expected to dazzle the masses.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Everything you’ve set your mind to do, you’ve excelled at. I know you won’t disappoint me now.”
“But half the clothes you bought me are unnecessary and impractical.”
He leveled a gaze on her. “A few frilly dresses are not going to change who you are, nor do I want you to change. Don’t worry. I’m not much of a socializer either, but once in a while we will take part in social events to give back to the community. Hopefully this will bring people together for a celebration instead of feeding their unrest.”
He made a sad puppy dog look, which did not suit the strong, broad-shouldered man she’d married. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“You win, but if I turn into a spoiled lady of leisure, it’ll be your doing. Furthermore, you’re going to have to hire a parlor maid just so I can get in and out of all that paraphernalia.”
“Kat, the getting out of your dresses will be my pleasure indeed.” A wicked grin pulled at the corners of his mouth.
She twisted out of his arms and shook a finger at him. “Not a chance. I remember how long it took you to undo the buttonson my wedding gown. You’re not getting anywhere near my new dresses.”
His laughter followed her into her bedroom as she walked away with a deliberate sashay of her hips.
The splendor of the valley spread before Katie as she and Josiah bounced along in the open buggy. “Aren’t you glad I convinced you to leave the carriage behind so we could enjoy the day in the open air?” Down deep, she wanted to enter town with much less pomp. Perhaps this time they’d be ignored.
His look was full of tenderness. “Anything for my lovely lady.”
She smiled at him with a genuine gratefulness. It was getting easier and easier to love this man who loved her so well. Her frozen heart was feeling the thaw.
The sun-dappled hills, clothed in vibrant fall colors of gold and scarlet set against a cerulean blue sky, brought forth the thoughts of a Creator. How could all this beauty just magically be? And why did a nagging need to respond call her name?
“How long is this valley?” she asked, hoping to remove the niggling presence of God. She shifted against the buckboard seats.
“It’s at least a hundred miles from north to south. Have you ever had the privilege of traveling from one end to the other?”
“No, but now that the war’s over?—”
“I’d love to show you. The flowering meadows are spectacular in the spring. We could make it a horse trip and ride the trails close to those mighty Alleghenies.” He pointed to the east, where the range rose.
She clamped her hands on his arms and squeezed. “I would love, love, love that.”
A grin split his face. “Thought so. On the way back, we could circle around to the Blue Ridge Mountains so you can see that part of the valley and come back straight through the middle between the Massanutten and Alleghenies. Some unbelievable countryside, let me tell you.”
She looked to the west at the craggy Massanutten, which rose majestically beside them as they meandered along the Valley Pike to Lacey Spring. She could remember many a hot summer afternoon with her brothers and Charles, enjoying time spent in the arms of its shaded forest.
The memory spiked a deep longing. She inhaled sharply. The pain still took her by surprise sometimes—the fact that she would never see them again. Charles had the most incredible smile, one she could not easily forget. Was she supposed to never remember him now that she was married?
“What is it?”
“Can you read my mind?”
He chuckled. “No. You just sighed and wilted against me.”
She laid her head against his arm. “I was thinking of my brothers and…” The thought of hurting Josiah cut the mention of Charles’s name. “And how we used to enjoy the mountains.” She bit back the tears that gathered in her eyes. “Does it ever get easier? The loss, the memories that hurt so much?”
He took both reins in one hand and wrapped an arm around her. “It gets easier, Kat.” He squeezed her shoulder. “The heart has a great capacity for love, far greater than I ever imagined. The grief becomes less acute, and, in time, if we allow ourselves to love again, the lonely crevices fill without ever forgetting or diminishing the memory of those no longer present. Your brothers will always be a part of you, but it won’t always hurt so much to remember them.”
“Seems those I love the most—disappear.” Her voice caught at the thought of losing Josiah. “You won’t leave me too, will you?” Fear skirted the edges of her mind.
“Does that mean you love me? You did saylove.” He squeezed her shoulders playfully.
