* * *
Hanna lost track of the time she spent getting in and out of clothes, turning this way and that before a three-way mirror, being measured and studied like a mare at an auction. Mildred clucked and shook her head when she saw Hanna’s underthings, so they had to be replaced, too, with silky garments that felt like rose petals against her skin. Her new satin corset was laced so tightly that she could scarcely breathe, but it made her look as wasp-waisted as the fashionable ladies she’d seen in New York. At least her pregnancy wasn’t showing yet. That would have been embarrassing to explain. But then, she suspected that Mildred had probably seen every situation there was to see.
When she’d chosen everything and put it on, down to silk stockings and new high-topped shoes, Mildred stepped back to survey the whole effect.
“Almost perfect,” she said. “But I wish you’d let me fix your hair. It would be so lovely, curling loose around your face.”
Hanna shook her head. “My mother did my hair this way for my wedding. I wouldn’t think of changing it.”
“Then you’re ready to go, my dear. Here are some bags with your extra things and your old clothes and shoes—unless you just want me to throw them out.”
Hanna hesitated—but no, her old clothes were a reminder of who she was and where she’d come from. And if things didn’t work out with the Dollarhides, she would need something to wear when she left. “I’ll take everything,” she said.
* * *
Blake had made an appointment with the justice of the peace to perform the ceremony later that afternoon with the man’s wife as a witness. He’d bought a ring—a simple gold band, sized to fit Hanna’s small finger. At the hotel, he’d booked a suite with a couch in the miniature parlor, where he planned to spend the night.
Now he took a seat in the lobby and picked up a worn copy of Life magazine to pass the time. Hanna hadn’t been here when he arrived, but she’d had plenty of time to spend at the shop. He shouldn’t have long to wait.
Unless she’d gotten cold feet.
He was doing the best he could for her, the baby, and his family, Blake told himself. The marriage was anything but a romantic love match, but today he’d wanted to make her feel like a real bride—someone special, someone who was cared for. He would soon find out whether his good intentions had succeeded.
He was leafing through the magazine when she walked in. The magazine dropped from his hands and fluttered unheeded to the floor.
She was wearing a long-sleeved dress of rose-colored silk patterned with tiny diamonds in a deeper shade. A matching quilted cape with pearl buttons covered her to the waist, its high collar framing her face. Simple pearls adorned her ears.
Mildred had gone all out to enhance Hanna’s beauty, adding a touch of rouge to her cheeks and lips. Even the strange hairstyle she’d probably refused to change looked as regal as a crown.
* * *
Hanna held her breath as Blake rose and walked toward her. Did she look all right? Was the gown too extravagant? Would he make fun of her or complain about the exorbitant sum her visit to Mildred’s shop must have cost?
As he stood before her, she arranged her features into a bright, if somewhat artificial smile.
“You look like a princess,” he said.
Oh, no, the dress is too much. I look like someone from a stage drama.
“Thank you,” she said. “I feel like Cinderella at the ball, waiting for the clock to strike twelve. I know this gown must’ve cost a small fortune, but I thought I might give it to Kristin when we get home. She’s about my size, and she’d look lovely in it.”
“Nonsense, Hanna. The gown is yours to keep,” he said, then changed the subject. “We don’t have to show up at the justice’s house for more than an hour. Are you hungry? We’ve got time for a light lunch in the dining room before we go.”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t eat a bite. And what if I were to spill on this beautiful dress? Thank you, by the way. I know you’re trying to make this a special day, but this is far more than I deserve.”
“It isn’t a question of deserving, Hanna. In every way but one, you’ll be my wife. That’s how I intend to treat you. Now, since you’re not hungry, why don’t we take those spare bags from the shop up to the room?”
“The room? We’re staying here?”
Blake looked mildly exasperated. “By the time we finish dinner, it will be getting dark and cold outside. We can drive home in the morning.” He took the two bags from her hand. “Come on. Our room’s on the second floor. You can rest if you’re tired.”
Hanna could feel her heart pounding as they climbed the stairs to the second floor of the hotel. Had Blake lied about not wanting her in his bed?
But she was being silly. If there was one thing she already knew about Blake Dollarhide, it was that he kept his word.
“I’m aware that we have an arrangement, Hanna,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “But there’s the matter of appearances. As far as the outside world is concerned, you’ll be my wife in every respect. The rest is nobody’s business but ours.”
To Hanna’s eyes, the room was as luxurious as a palace, with the biggest bed she’d ever seen. In the small sitting area was an armchair, a low table, and an overstuffed couch. “I’ll be sleeping there.” Blake indicated the couch. “Don’t worry, I’ve had worse nights. The bed is yours.”
The couch appeared far too short for Blake’s long frame. His feet would hang over the end. But Hanna knew better than to argue. Any comment that might be taken as an invitation for him to join her in the bed would only make them both uncomfortable.
She took the shopping bags from him and laid them on the bed. One bag held her old clothes and shoes. The other contained the purchases from Mildred’s shop—a nightgown, extra stockings and underthings, and a simple gray wool dress for traveling. The total cost, along with her gown, had almost made her ill, but Mildred had assured her that Mr. Dollarhide was a generous man who could well afford to pay.
She was wondering whether to unpack the new items when she noticed a door standing ajar on the far side of the room. “What’s in there?” she asked, thinking it might be a closet.
“Open it and find out,” Blake said.
Hanna crossed the room and opened the door. “Oh!” she gasped.
Beyond the door was a fully equipped bathroom. The basin had taps for hot and cold water. The flush toilet was similar to the one she’d seen and marveled at in the Dollarhide home. But the crowning touch was the immense porcelain bathtub with claw-shaped feet like the paws of a lion. “Oh!” she said again. “Oh my goodness!”
Blake was chuckling. “Haven’t you ever seen a bathtub before?”
“Not like this one. At home we took sponge baths using a bucket. Oh, I know what I’m going to do tonight!”
“Enjoy yourself. We have a tub at home, but it’s only about half this size, and the water to fill it needs to be heated. Just so you’ll know, that purple jar next to the tub contains bath salts. You pour in a little as the tub fills. Then watch what happens.”
“You sound as if you’ve tried it.” Hanna stifled a yawn.
“I have, but I’ll pass this time.” He studied her with a slight frown. “You look worn out. Did you get any sleep last night?”