that her way was better for all concerned. But she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that Tyler wasn't open to reason on that point.
Well, if she had to have the child, that child was going to have a father. She would make certain clear on that point. Mr. Tyler Monteigne was going to have to settle down and get a job and be a proper respectable husband and father if he meant to go through with this. That ought to scare the pants off him.
She didn't want to think about Tyler with his pants off. Her face felt like fire already. She took a hasty sip of the water beside Daniel's bed. That was another aspect of this marriage business that she didn't want to face.
But the alternative was even more grim. Discovering her hand was shaking on the glass, Evie set it down and went to the window.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Evie." Daniel was the first to speak. "Ben can move me over to the newspaper office. I'll be up and about shortly, and I can read and write lying on the floor for all that matters. And something could come in the mail any day."
A ghost of a smile lifted Evie's lips as she stared at her reflection in the rain-drenched window. She wondered if Tyler had considered that he would be supporting Daniel as well as herself and a child. That much responsibility ought to drive the man berserk.
"You're not getting out of that bed until the doctor says you can. You could ruin your whole life if you got up too soon. And if you exercise the way he tells you, maybe your leg will be even better than before. Think what you could do if you could throw away that cane." Evie turned and gave him a smile. She was good at hiding her heart. Daniel was worth hiding it for.
"I could take care of you then, Evie," he replied eagerly. "I could own my own newspaper someday. Do you really think my leg could get better?"
"Not unless you take care of it." She unfastened her jacket and threw it over the chair. She wished she could open the window. It was growing warm in here. "How's the pain? Should I give you more laudanum?"
Daniel set his jaw stubbornly. "I'll wait until Tyler gets back."
Ben hummed and fished around in his pockets. Finding what he was looking for, he threw it in Daniel's direction. "Reckon you could use a bite to eat, but I can't fetch you nothing until Tyler gets here. Try some of that. It's like chewing rope, but it's got some flavor."
Daniel tried the beef jerky with curiosity. It gave his mouth something to do while Evie paced the floor.
"I need to change clothes," she decided firmly, in her best schoolteacher manner. She looked up at Ben as if daring him to defy her.
He did. He glanced over her white shirtwaist with its frilled sleeves and the gray skirt showing a telltale trace of mud at the hem and shook his head. "You look just fine. We'll wait for Tyler."
"I can't be married in a walking suit. I'm just going next door. It's not as if I could go anywhere else on a night like this." Evie stood defiantly in front of the tall black man, who looked down at her with bemusement.
The mention of marriage had both men staring at her, but Evie didn't dare let the knowledge scare her. She was shaking like a leaf on the inside, but she wouldn't let anyone know that.
"I don't reckon Tyler can produce a wedding at this hour of night. You'll have plenty of time to dress fancy when he gets back." Ben remained where he was, although his face showed a trace of discomfort now instead of amusement.
The room was so fraught with tension that none of the occupants noticed the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs until they walked on by. Evie breathed a sigh of relief and returned her concentration to her brother's reaction.
"You're going to marry Tyler?" Daniel asked with incredulity. "Why? He isn't a lawyer or a banker or any of those other things you said you wanted. He doesn't even have a house."
Ben grunted, and Evie sensed his disapproval. She turned her back on him and faced Daniel. "Well, you just tell him that when he gets back. It doesn't seem to make any difference