Elise Read online

  The middle-aged woman was the first to descend. Seeing Elise in her wedding gown, she eyed her with open curiosity, but Elise ignored her reaction. Elise didn't care what the woman thought. There was only one thing she cared about and that was finding a husband-fast.

  A white-haired old man started to climb out next, his movements slow and almost arthritic. He gave Elise the same amazed look that the woman had, but Elise looked past him. He definitely didn't fit the bill. She needed-

  It was then that she saw him more clearlythe third and final passenger. He was half standing behind the elderly gent, waiting for his turn to descend from the stage. He was bespectacled and probably not older than thirty.

  With just that one look, Elise knew she had found the man she needed. This was the man she was going to marry. He was dark-haired, dark-eyed, and tall without being gangly. His shoulders were broad, but in the loose-fitting suit he was wearing she couldn't tell much else about his physique. He didn't lopk to be much of an outdoorsman, though, so she assumed he was probably thin and not too strong. Not that it mattered to her one way or the other if he was strong or not. She didn't need any muscles right now. All she needed was a reasonably young man who was alive and breathing. The fact that this one looked to be most unassuming and mild-mannered in his suit and bow tie made him even more perfect for her. He would definitely be easier to handle than any of the rougher cowboys would have been.

  Without further hesitation, Elise made her decision and made her move. She didn't have any more time to waste. She smiled warmly and threw herself straight into the man's arms, crying out, "Darling! Thank heaven you have finally gotten here!"

  To say the stranger was shocked would have been an understatement, but Elise gave him no time to protest her display of open affection. She kissed him fully on the lips to silence any comment or complaint he might have had about the warmth of her welcome as she hugged him close.

  As she embraced him, Elise was surprised to find that the stranger was much more solidly built than she'd thought. He was hard-muscled and strong beneath her hands. Had she not been so frantic in her plotting, she might even have enjoyed the "spontaneous" kiss, but there was no time to think about that right then. She had only one thing on her mind-she had to get her new "fiance" to Preacher Farnsworth's tent as fast as she could.

  "I thought the stage would never get in!" she breathed excitedly when she ended the kiss.

  The man had stiffened as if to resist her unexpected sensual assault. He tried to draw away from her, but she held on to him as if her life depended on it.

  "What? I-" he began.

  "I know," Elise interrupted him, refusing to be deterred from her purpose. "I've missed you, too!" Then she whispered in his ear for only him to hear, "I'll pay you ten dollars, if you'll just play along with me for a while. My name is Elise Martin and, for right now, yours is Ben Hollins."

  A strange look momentarily passed over the man's face, but he quickly masked it. Instead, he gave his would-be bride a lopsided grin.

  "Sweetheart," he said with open affection, and then he kissed her this time. His lips moved over hers in a possessive exchange as his arms came around her and drew her closer to him. "I'm sorry the stage is so late. If I'd known the kind of welcome I was going to get, I'd have taken over the reins and done the driving myself just so I could get here to you sooner."

  Elise was surprised by his unexpectedly amorous move. She found herself crushed to the hard width of his chest until the kiss was over, and then she deliberately moved out of his arms, trying to regain her wits. She was more than a little breathless as she took a step back to look up at him. "All that matters is that you're here now, darling. There's still time, but we'll have to hurry. Preacher Farnsworth is waiting for us!"

  "Elise!" Claire had looked on in disbelief as her granddaughter all but threw herself into this complete stranger's arms. She had been shocked by all that had transpired. What was Elise thinking? She had actually kissed this stranger right there in public! Surely Elise didn't think she could just take this man from off the stagecoach and-

  "Come on, Grandmother, dear," Elise said, shooting her a sidelong glance that spoke volumes as she reached out to take her "fiance's" hand. "Ben and I can't be late for our own wedding. You two can renew your acquaintance after the ceremony. Don't you agree, Ben?" Her gaze met and locked with his as she gave him a challenging look.

  "Whatever you say, dear," he said agreeably, allowing her to lead him away.

  His answer confirmed that her first assessment of his character had been right. He would be easy to handle. Elise felt her confidence in her own judgment return with a vengeance. It had been momentarily shaken by the powerful kiss he'd given her, but she had asked him to play along with her, so he was probably just doing what he thought she wanted him to do. Obviously, he needed the money she'd offered him and was willing to go along with whatever she had planned to earn it.

  "It's not far to the tent. We've still got just enough time for everything to go smoothly," she told him as she led the way, rushing along toward the other end of town.

  "We're going to a tent?" He looked startled.

  "Preacher Farnsworth is a traveling minister. There was no other way for him to perform the ceremony," she quickly explained, not bothering to go into any detail. Elise knew she had no time to waste on details right now, and besides, all he needed to do was stand there. She would take care of the rest. She lowered her voice as she continued to explain, ignoring the looks of those on the streets of town who turned with open interest to watch their progress. "This isn't going to be difficult at all. All you have to remember is that your name is Ben Hollins and I'm your fiancee, Elise Martin. This is my grandmother, Claire Martin, by the way."

  "Ma'am," he said in a most gentlemanly fashion to the elegant older lady who was trying to keep pace with them.

  "Ben." Claire nodded and gave him a most quixotic smile. She wondered why he was going along with her granddaughter so readily. True, he wasn't your average cowboy, but he didn't look altogether slow-witted, either. In fact, she could have sworn that she'd seen a bit of a twinkle in his eye earlier, but then she decided it might just have been a reflection off his eyeglasses.

  "Just follow my lead, Ben, and everything will be fine," Elise went on, all the while silently praying that what she was telling him would be the truth.

  "Yes, ma'am," he answered politely. "Whatever you say. That ten dollars is going to come in real handy."

  Claire listened to the exchange and smiled to herself in amazement. She didn't know how Elise managed to solve even the most difficult of problems with such seeming ease, but she did it. Her talent was definitely a gift. Of course, this young man being on the stage was a gift, too. If it hadn't been for him, heaven only knew what scheme Elise would have had to concoct at the last minute to save the day. She edged closer to her granddaughter and spoke quietly. "I can't believe things are working out so smoothly."

  "It isn't over yet," Elise cautioned, unwilling yet to allow herself to believe that things were going to turn out fine.

  "I know, but your new `Ben' here seems to be a very nice, very agreeable young man," she confided. "Thank goodness he arrived when he did, but what are you going to tell people? Everyone's going to know immediately that he's not the real Ben."

  "Just pray that no one says anything too loudly or causes any kind of disruption. Preacher Farnsworth has never met the real Ben, so he won't have any idea that I've switched grooms."

  "I hope you're right."

  "We're about to find out."

  The tent loomed ahead of them, and they could see their friends going in the main entrance in anticipation of the ceremony to come.

  Elise now regretted having invited so many people, but she'd known at the time she started making the arrangements that there was no other way. Everything had to be set up per fectly, and it had been. Just because her groom hadn't shown up was no reason to cancel the ceremony!

  Elise stopped a shor
t distance away, just out of sight of the arriving guests.

  "Grandmother, you go on in. I'll show Ben where to wait, and then we'll be ready."

  "Are you sure you're going to be all right? Do you need any help with anything?"

  "I'll be fine."

  "All right, dear," Claire agreed reluctantly. "Here are your flowers."

  She pressed the bouquet into her hand.

  "Did you bring the ring?" Elise asked, suddenly fearful that they didn't have it with them.

  "Yes, it's right here." Claire took the ring out of her pocket and handed the plain gold band to her with a wry smile. "Your Ben is going to need this."

  Elise smiled back, confident now that everything was in order. "Thank you."

  "You are a beautiful bride, darling," Claire told her with emotion as she gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. She hurried away into the tent to join the others waiting for the wedding to begin.

  Alone with "Ben" at last, Elise turned to face him. "Here's the ring. Now, come with me."

  "Ben" slipped the ring safely into his jacket pocket and followed her to the rear of the main tent, where there were several curtained-off areas.

  "That's Preacher Farnsworth over there," Elise told him, pointing out a distinguishedlooking man in a dark suit standing a short distance away. "Go on over and introduce yourself, while I slip in here and freshen up a bit. It's been quite an exciting day already, and I doubt it's going to get calmer any time soon. Do you remember your name?"

  "I'm Ben Hollins," he repeated dutifully. "And you're Elise Martin, my fiancee."

  She was relieved that, at least, he'd paid attention to what she'd told him. "Good. Then go on. I'll see you in a very few minutes inside at the altar."

  The stranger frowned a bit at her instructions, but nodded and made his way to greet the minister.

  Elise entered one of the curtained-off areas. The preacher had told her the day before to wait there for the ceremony to begin. There was a small mirror and a table and chair in the makeshift room, so she took the time to adjust her veil and then paused to study her own reflection.

  She wondered if she looked as pretty as her mother had when she'd worn this dress in her own wedding all those years before. She wondered, too, if her parents would have been proud of her today. She hoped so. She wanted to make them proud of her. Of one thing she was certain: When all was said and done, this wedding was going to be the talk of Durango for some time to come.

  "Elise? Are you about ready?" George Lansing called out to her from outside the curtained room.

  "I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she answered.

  Elise put down the mirror and went to hold the curtain aside to greet the man who was to walk her down the aisle. George was the owner of the mercantile in town and a close friend to both her and her grandmother.

  "You look lovely," he told her as he stepped inside to speak with her more privately. His gaze went over her with warm appreciation.

  "Thank you."

  "Shall we?" He offered her his arm, and she took it. "Where have you and your grandmother been? It was getting so late that I was starting to worry about you. I was afraid something had happened."

  "Things did get a little complicated," she began.

  "What's wrong?"

  "There has been a slight change in plans, but I think everything is going to turn out all right anyway."

  "What kind of a change?" he asked cautiously.

  Elise looked him straight in the eye. "Ben didn't make it in on the stage."

  "What?" He was shocked. "Then who-?"

  The music started in the tent, signaling the beginning of the ceremony, and Elise knew they had to hurry.

  "I'll explain it all to you later. I managed to get a stand-in for Ben, so we should be all right-I hope."

  "No wonder you were running behind schedule." George chuckled and shook his head in good-humored disbelief. Elise was one amazing young woman.

  He guided her from the makeshift dressing room, and they headed for the main entrance of the tent.

  "Here we go."

  She smiled brightly up at him, glad that the ceremony was under way and on time.

  "This is the easiest part," she told him quietly. "And it will all be over in no time. You'll see."

  "I hope you're right."

  "Oh, I am. And then just wait until tomorrow." Elise's eyes were aglow at the thought of what the next morning would bring.

  They paused just outside the entrance, as they'd practiced the day before. George patted her hand reassuringly, and Elise smiled up at him, ready for what was to come.

  They started down the aisle.

  Claire had taken her seat at the front of the congregation after making her way down the aisle, greeting friends along the way. She'd noticed that even Julie Stevens had chosen to attend, and that had pleased Claire. The young woman's presence meant that Elise and Ben's wedding was being considered quite a social event by the town. Claire had smiled at the thought.

  Julie was the daughter of Lyle Stevens, a banker and one of the town's richest men. She was certainly a beauty and more than a bit spoiled by her doting parents. Though she was not one of Elise's close friends, Julie was known for always being at the right place at the right time, and here she was at the wedding. Claire was thrilled that everything seemed to be turning out just the way Elise had hoped it would. Now, if only her granddaughters luck held.

  Claire had turned her attention to the altar as she waited for the ceremony to begin. It had been then that she'd noticed the new "Ben" standing with the preacher off to the side, just out of sight of the rest of the guests. She'd been surprised to find that he appeared very calm and collected. There weren't many men who would have gone along with Elise in a situation like this. She'd found herself wondering if he was a very smart man to have agreed to this, or if he was a little less than brilliant and just in desperate need of money. Claire supposed that it didn't really matter. What mattered was that he was there, and everything was going to come off as Elise had planned-she hoped.

  At that moment, Preacher Farnsworth led the way out before the congregation with "Ben" following along behind him.

  Claire could hear the murmurs of surprise among those gathered as they tried to figure out who the stranger was with the minister.

  Julie Stevens was not happy as she sat waiting for the wedding to begin. She couldn't believe this was happening to her! She couldn't believe that she was going to sit there and watch Ben Hollins marry Elise Martin!

  Tears of frustration and outrage threatened to overwhelm her, but, accomplished actress that she was, Julie controlled them with an effort and hid them behind a pleasant smile. She was not about to let on that she was upset about this match. She would play the lady. She would smile and greet everyone as if she hadn't a care in the world. She would never let anyone know that she had been powerless to stop the man she loved from marrying another woman.

  It was then, as Julie was lost deep in thought, that Preacher Farnsworth walked out before the congregation with a tall, dark-haired man wearing eyeglasses behind him. She watched as the preacher and the stranger came to stand facing the aisle and the tempo of the music changed. Julie looked around for Ben, but saw no sign of him. She frowned and glanced over at her mother and father.

  "Where's Ben?"

  Adele Stevens was looking confused, too. "I don't know, dear," she whispered back. "Who is that young man? I've never seen him before."

  "I don't know," Julie answered in hushed tones.

  All around them, people were wondering the same thing. A low murmur of puzzlement and surprise ran among the guests.

  Preacher Farnsworth gave no indication that he'd noticed the unrest in the congregation. He kept his focus on the bride as she started up the aisle on George's arm.

  The murmuring in the congregation changed from questioning to excited as Elise appeared.

  Claire turned in her seat to watch her granddaughter's progress. Her heart quickened at the devastatin
gly lovely picture she made. She didn't know why Elise had never married, and she sighed to herself wistfully. If only...

  Elise clung tightly to George's arm as they slowly made their way up the aisle. She was relieved to see that "Ben" hadn't changed his mind and backed out on her at the last minute. She would have had a lot of explain ing to do if that had happened. Things were going to be exciting enough as they were.

  Elise found herself studying the groom critically as they drew ever closer to the altar. For some reason, the man who stood next to the minister watching her walk up the aisle seemed very different from the one who'd gotten off the stage just a short time before. Suddenly, he seemed taller and more powerful. His shoulders were broader, and he was holding himself with pride.

  As she neared the front of the makeshift church, Elise suddenly wondered how she could have thought him less than brilliant. When he acknowledged her with a slight nod and a twist of his lips that could almost have passed for a smile, she felt a quiver of awareness in the depths of her soul. She had the strangest feeling that he was taking this whole wedding very seriously, and she swallowed, suddenly a bit nervous about what was to come.

  George felt the rising tension in her, and he patted her hand again, hoping to reassure her when they finally came to a stop before the preacher.

  "Who gives this woman to this man in Holy Matrimony?" Preacher Farnsworth asked, gesturing from Elise to "Ben."

  "I do," George intoned solemnly, and he handed Elise over to her would-be groom. George's expression betrayed no surprise as he did so.

  "Ben" reached out to take her hand in his, and Elise had to stifle a gasp at the warmth and strength of his grip. A shiver of awareness thrilled up her spine. She looked at him again in surprise, and she was lost in the wonder of his dark-eyed gaze. Only the preacher's words jarred her back to reality.

  "Let us begin," Farnsworth said as he started the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this day to join this man-Ben Hollins-and this woman-Elise Martin-in Holy Matrimony."