“Yes. For example, do you have any, uh, attachments there?”
Elizabeth feigned innocence. “My aunt, of course.”
“Uh, no, I mean any, uh, romantic attachments, for example. Is there someone special in your life?”
“Oh no, not at all. I’ve never . . . Well, if you’d ever been to South Dakota, you’d understand.” Of course, Elizabeth had never been to South Dakota, either, but she had no trouble imagining. “And to answer your question, no, I have no romantic attachments.”
“I’m sorry, that’s really none of my business, is it?” David said, color blooming in his face.
“Isn’t it?” she asked coyly. “I wouldn’t have answered if I thought so.”
“I’m glad to hear it. We hardly know each other, but even in the short time since I’ve met you, I’ve come to respect and admire you.”
And he’d continue simply admiring her for weeks if she didn’t take matters into her own hands. “Why, Mr. Vanderslice, is this a proposal?”
“Oh, uh, I didn’t mean—”
“Because I’ve come to admire and respect you, too,” she hurried on before he could deny it. “But I never dreamed my feelings would be returned. I’m just a simple girl, and I’m not familiar with the way things are done in the city. I’m very glad you had the courage to make a declaration first, so I didn’t embarrass myself.”
“You are?” He looked shocked but, mercifully, he also looked pleased.
She looked down demurely. “Of course I am. No matter how she feels, a woman must wait for the man to speak first, and if he never does, well, she has to return to South Dakota brokenhearted.”
“I wouldn’t want that. Oh no, I’d never want that,” he said, growing more confident by the second.
“So was it? A proposal, I mean? I know it’s forward of me to ask, but I have to be sure . . .”
“Yes! I mean, Miss Miles, you would do me the greatest honor if you would agree to become my wife.”
She managed not to sigh with relief. “And you do me the greatest honor by asking. How could I refuse? Yes, Mr. Vanderslice, I would be delighted.”
He looked so pleased, she almost felt guilty, but she knew he couldn’t possibly be in love with her, at least not yet. And he wouldn’t like the way she was going to conduct herself over the next few weeks, either. She’d give him more than enough reason to rue his hasty engagement and to be relieved when his fiancée disappeared. In the meantime, however . . .
“You have made me the happiest man alive, Miss Miles.”
“I think you may call me Elizabeth now that we are engaged.”
“And you must call me David. I can’t wait to tell Mother and Anna. Anna will be so pleased! Now you really will stay here forever.”
Anna wouldn’t be pleased when Elizabeth deserted all of them. Elizabeth wouldn’t be pleased, either. She’d never had a friend before and probably never would again. “Do you really think your mother will approve? I don’t know anything about New York society, and I don’t have much of a dowry.”
“Everyone will want to know you. The old families get a little stuffy, so we need some new blood every now and then to freshen us up.”
“I hope you’re right, but you haven’t said what your mother will think.”
“She’ll just be relieved that I’m finally getting married. She’s been wanting grandchildren for ever so long.”
Elizabeth ducked her head at that. Hopefully, he’d think it was modesty, when in reality it was horror at the thought of bearing David’s children. If she ever did have children, she’d want their father to be someone who hadn’t needed to be tricked into a proposal.
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Miss . . . I mean Elizabeth.”
She managed a shy smile. “That’s all right. It’s just . . . The idea of marriage is a bit overwhelming.”
“Yes, indeed, and we should make some plans. We’ll live in my house, of course. What about your aunt? Do you think she’ll want to come here to live as well?”
Since her aunt did not exist, Elizabeth doubted it. “I have no idea. I’ll have to ask her. But first things first. How shall we announce it?”
“We’ll send a notice to the newspapers, of course.”
“And I’ll write to my aunt, of course. Oh, and we can tell the Bateses tomorrow when they come for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Yes, that will make the day even more special. Oh, wait, why don’t we keep it a secret from Mother and Anna until then, too? We can announce it to everyone at the same time.”
Was that really a good idea? What if Anna and her mother really didn’t approve? On the other hand, if they didn’t, they probably wouldn’t say so in front of company. Once they’d told outsiders, it would be harder for David to back out as well. “What a wonderful idea.”
David started chattering about things in which Elizabeth had no interest, like how long they should remain engaged before they married and where they should go on their wedding trip. Since she wasn’t ever going to actually marry him, none of it mattered, as long as he agreed they wouldn’t marry until after Christmas. That should give her plenty of time to get Thornton’s rifles sold and break free of him.
They’d reached a rather secluded section of the park, and the driver turned in his seat. “Congratulations, young man, and if you want to kiss her, this would be the perfect place.”
Elizabeth smiled at David’s chagrin, but when he turned to her, she had to admire his expression of determination. He leaned down and brushed her lips with his in the barest promise of a kiss. Its sweetness almost broke her resolve, until she remembered Thornton’s face when he described how he’d murdered his wife. After that, she didn’t even feel guilty anymore.
Elizabeth was sure Anna and her mother would guess their secret from the way David kept staring at her all evening. But Mrs. Vanderslice was distracted by her plans for the holiday dinner the next day, and Anna was determined that Elizabeth not notice David at all. She dragged out some photograph albums and insisted on showing Elizabeth every photograph the Vanderslices had ever had made. Poor David never even caught her alone for so much as a good night, much less another of his tepid kisses, which was just fine with Elizabeth. Tomorrow would be soon enough to start pretending affection in front of other people.
• • •
Gideon had never looked forward to a visit with the Vanderslice family with more enthusiasm. Hardly an hour had gone by since his return to the city that he hadn’t thought of the fascinating Elizabeth Miles. He probably should have dropped by to see her, but he hadn’t wanted her to guess how enamored he was. That would never do. He didn’t know her well, but he suspected she could be merciless to a man who loved her. Unless she loved him back, which he had no reason at all to suspect. No, he wasn’t going to reveal his true feelings until he’d learned more about her, and that, he was sure, would take some time. Something about her was just not quite right. She was probably the most mysterious female he had ever met.