Something Borrowed (Borrowed Brides 3)

"Answer me!" she ordered. "And don't give me any more of Pinkerton's theories concerning the truth. I want the real version. Do the terms stated in Tabitha Gray's will say anything about you getting married within a certain amount of time? Yes or no?" Tears sparkled in Mary's brown eyes.

"Yes," Lee answered quietly.

Mary stepped back away from him. Suddenly, she couldn't bear the thought of Lee Kincaid touching her, comforting her. The truth shouldn't hurt so much. She had known all along that Lee had a specific reason for marrying her, and had suspected that his partner's will had played a part in his decision. But she hadn't known for sure. And she had learned the hard way that ignorance was sometimes bliss. Until this afternoon, Mary hadn't known that Lee's former partner was a beautiful woman. No, the fact that Lee had married her to fulfill a personal agenda hadn't come as a big surprise, but that his reason had been mandated by his former partner—by a woman he had obviously loved— came as a terrible shock. Mary took a deep breath before she asked the next question. "Did she name anyone in particular? Or did she leave the choice up to you? Was I first choice, or the only one foolish enough to agree?" Her voice broke.

"Mary, don't do this," he begged.

"Answer me!"

"She didn't name anyone in particular," Lee said. "I chose you."

"And how much time did she give you to select your bride?"

"Thirty days from the date of her death."

"Ah," Mary said. "The standard amount. And how much time had elasped between the date of her death and the moment you barged in on my wedding?"

"Nine days." Lee watched as silent tears rolled down Mary's face.

"I suppose I should be flattered," she told him. "You still had twenty-one days to find the girl of your dreams before the deadline expired and you settled for me."

"I didn't settle."

"Hmmf," Mary snorted derisively. "Excuse me if I don't believe you. It seems I've heard one too many of Pinkerton's theories."

Lee shrugged his shoulders.

"Tell me the other terms." Mary's normally calm voice sounded brittle, as if she was on the verge of hysteria.

"You know most of them already."

"I want to know all of them," she insisted. "As your chosen helpmate, I think I have that right."

Lee gritted his teeth at Mary's stubborn insistence and a muscle in his jaw ticked under the strain. "There were five unalterable terms. I had to agree to keep the mine and the house for a period of no less than twenty years. I must resign from The Pinkerton National Detective Agency within ninety days from the date of Tabitha's death, and I must agree not to work in any area of law enforcement. The fourth condition of the will was that I marry and settle in Utopia within thirty days of her death, and that I allow Judah Crane to witness the marriage."

"And the final condition?" Mary prompted when Lee grew silent.

"My wife and I have to agree to adopt Madeline and raise her as our own child."

"Tabitha Gray has my utmost admiration," Mary said softly. "She was very thorough." And very sure of Lee. Tabitha had been so sure of Lee that she made unreasonable demands on him and expected to have those demands realized. She had manipulated him, demanded that he rearrange his life to suit her needs, and Lee had agreed to her terms. Just as he had asked Tessa to marry him to fulfill Eamon Roarke's deathbed wish. Mary envied Tabitha for that feeling of confidence. But most of all Mary envied her for knowing how much Lee would do for her and how much he loved her. Because Lee Kincaid had to have loved Tabitha very much to make these sacrifices for her.

"Supper is ready!" Louisa's voice carried up the stairs and down the hall.

"I'll wake Judah," Lee volunteered.

"I'll get Maddy. You can take both of them down to supper."

"What about you?" He was concerned.

"I'm not hungry."

"Mary, you have to eat."

"No, I don't," Mary told him. "I only have to see that the rest of Utopia does."

Lee stroked the edge of his mustache and his voice, when he spoke, was husky and deeper than normal. "Mary, I never meant to hurt you."

But whether he meant to or not, the fact was that Lee Kincaid had hurt her. And a small part of Mary wanted to hurt him back. He didn't care about her at all. He was still in love with Tabitha Gray. "You say a lot of things you don't mean," she told him. "Just this morning you promised to kill the next man to make me cry." Mary put her hand in her skirt pocket, pulled out her pearl-handled, silver two-shot derringer and handed it to him. "It's not very accurate at a distance, but at close range, it will do the job nicely." With that parting comment, Mary turned her back on him and exited through the dressing room door.