Bowie turned so he could see his older brother. “I don’t recall interfering in the courtships of any of you boys. Why should I invite you into mine?”
“I’m not asking to be invited into your courtship, but you do have to agree you dropped quite a cannonball into the water trough, showing up with a bride when none of us had a notion you even knew any unmarried ladies.”
Bowie shrugged. “I’ve known her for a long time.” Which wasn’t a lie.
“Well? How did you meet?” Austin asked, never taking his eyes from Rebekah as she chatted with Emma.
How much should he tell his family about himself and Elise? Not that theirs was a marriage of convenience, for sure. That was nobody else’s business. But he would have to tell them something.
“I met her during the War. She was a nurse at Fort Slocum hospital after Gettysburg.”
Austin stopped staring at his wife to finally look at Bowie. “That was more than ten years ago. Did you write letters all this time? How did I not know about this?”
“No letters. The last time I saw her, they were hauling me out of a hospital bed and shipping me off to prison.” He’d nearly been undone by the loss, by the tears in her eyes and the desperate way she’d fought with the doctor to prevent them from taking him. “Until I showed up on her doorstep in New York.”
“New York? How’d you even know where to find her? How’d you know she wouldn’t already be married with half-a-dozen kids?”
“She talked about where she lived, that after the War was over, she’d be living with her uncle who had a button factory in New Rochelle. I figured I’d start there, but I didn’t have to look far. She was working at the factory.” Actually, she was all but enslaved there. The bruise on her jaw had finally faded, but Bowie’s anger burned against her sorry excuse for a relative. Any man who would lift a hand against a woman was a coward who deserved to be beaten to shrapnel. “And I figured if she was already married, I wouldn’t propose.”
Austin laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, she’s pretty as can be, and she’s clearly taken with you. She watched you all through lunch, and she keeps peeking at you under those long lashes like you might disappear.”
Which merely meant that she was playing her part well.
“Bowie, come over here. I have something for you.” Pa came into the parlor, a long envelope in his hands.
A small cheer went up from his brothers, and Bowie couldn’t keep back a smile. At last.
“Son, I’m pleased as punch to give this to you. I’ll admit, I had my doubts, but you’ve proven up to the task. The first of November, 1874, and all you boys are married.” Pa handed the deed over. “I hope you and Elise have a long and happy life together, as happy as your mother and I were, God rest her soul.”
“Thank you, sir.” Bowie held the envelope in both hands. He was the equal of his brothers in this, too. He removed the papers and unfolded them.
“I took the liberty of penning Elise’s name on the deed, too.” Pa grinned. “Since it belongs to both of you now.”
Austin gave him another nudge, as if to remind him that his bride should be a part of this.
How could he have forgotten? “Mi—” Bowie cleared his throat. He’d almost called her Miss Rivers. “Elise. Come and see.” He held out his hand to her, and she rose, her cheeks glowing, her eyes shining. She crossed the room and took his hand, and he tucked her into his side as if he’d done it a thousand times. She fit just right and even put her arm around his waist to lean in and read the document.
Hays called from across the room, “I couldn’t wait to kiss my bride when Pa handed over those papers, since she was the one who made it possible.”
The knot of insecurity Bowie carried around with him tightened in his chest. He wanted to throttle Hays for his ridiculous comment. No woman would want his ravaged lips against her skin. How could he give Elise a graceful escape?
But Elise was a better actress than he’d thought. She turned in his arm, put her hand to his damaged cheek, her fingertips just grazing the edge of his eye patch, and drew him toward her. Her soft brown eyes fluttered closed, and before he could draw a breath, her lips met his.
He felt as if he’d been struck with white-hot lightning. This was no quick peck to satisfy his family’s expectations. Her lips moved under his, and his embrace tightened. A growl formed in his throat, and he barely smothered it as her fingers threaded into his hair. The smell of jasmine surrounded him.
Laughter broke through his senses, and he remembered where he was. Elise stepped back quickly, smoothing her hair and looking anywhere but at him. Male satisfaction at her flustered appearance swept over him until he realized his own heart was pounding and his breath was coming too fast.