"Hello," Laurel responded shyly. She stood there in my shirt and a pair of Brody's socks, her hair pulled back into a long braid down her back with a piece of rope as a tie.
"I've heard you've had quite an adventure," Ann said, looking to Laurel with frank interest. Women were few and far between in these parts, Ann only having Emma nearby.
"We were hoping to borrow some clothing, if you wouldn't mind," I told her.
Ann smiled. "Would you like to come upstairs and see if something might work? The baby should be asleep for some time yet and the men will watch him."
Laurel looked to Brody, then me, for assurance.
"The others will be here soon." When she frowned in confusion, I added, "The others that live here at Bridgewater. The meals are usually at Ian and Kane's house, but we've shifted here because of the baby and the weather. You can go with Ann, sweetheart."
Brody nodded his agreement and the two women left the room and we heard their footfall on the stairs. It pleased me to see her look to us for approval, although we weren't the kind of men who expected their wife to cede to them with their every decision. We wanted Laurel to be submissive to us, not meek.
"She's lovely," Andrew commented.
"Know a man named Hiram Johns?" Brody asked.
Robert led us to the chairs that faced the fire. As we sat, he answered. "Andrew shared Laurel's story. The name is not familiar to me."
The other men agreed with me that she was lying. It wasn't just a feeling on my part. It was obvious to all. I rested my forearms on my thighs. "If she’s lying, it could be to protect him." I didn't want to believe this, even assume it.
"She ran away. I think she's protecting herself," Brody added.
"If she really is part of a business contract, they'll come looking for her," Robert said.
"Whoever they are," Andrew grumbled.
"We'll be ready," I vowed.
CHAPTER FIVE
LAUREL
"I was surprised at first. I thought I was married to just Andrew and I soon learned Robert was my husband as well," Ann shared, taking a dress from a hook on the wall and bringing it over to me. We were in her bedroom, the room I assumed she shared with both men. The room didn't appear out of the ordinary, although their marriage certainly was.
"Did you grow up dreaming of two men?"
She shook her head and smiled dreamily. "Oh no. Here at Bridgewater is the only place I know of where a woman has multiple husbands. I...like it. Very much. My husbands are most attentive." She handed me the dress.
"Thank you. Mason and Brody ripped the bodice of my dress when they rescued me last night." Lord, that sounded wicked, so I added, "The dress was covered in snow. I fear it is irreparable." I held up the dress to my front and looked at Ann. "You're much smaller than I. I don't think alterations are going to help."
"No. I suppose not. You're so tall, curvy too, although now that Christopher is born I've yet to regain my shape."
I didn't know what shape she had before but she was beautiful now. Her features were fine, almost dainty, her skin so creamy pale. She was so calm, so mild, so comfortable in her life.
She went to a dresser and opened the top drawer, then a lower one. "Here are a blouse and skirt. They may work better being separate pieces."
I heard doubt in her voice, the same doubt I felt about her clothes fitting. I folded them over my arm as she spoke.
"Brody and Mason are fine men. You will be happy with them."
My mouth fell open in shock. "I'm not married to them, nor marrying them. They rescued me from the blizzard."
Ann frowned. "Yes, Andrew told me of your predicament. You were most fortunate. The men, though, they are honorable."
"I...I can't be as confident as you in that, for I hardly know them," I answered. We'd done things in bed together that created a deeper level of intimacy than should be expected considering.
"You can trust me on this. Brody and Mason are quite honorable and they will take good care of you." She beamed at me. "Then that's settled. I mean you were with them overnight and—oh!" She lowered her gaze to the front of her dress. There were two wet spots.