“I’m Leah Ganey,” the woman finally explained. “Zack’s younger sister. We are so happy to have you here. My, you look lovely. Please, come in. It’s so cold out there. Zack, did you not have any blankets out for her? You rascal. Come in, both of you.”
Della was ushered in before she had a chance to say anything. She had thought they would be wed and start their new life together. But apparently she was in someone else’s home. Though she felt certain his letters had mentioned a sister, she couldn’t remember anything to say. Her eyes skittered between Leah and Zack, hesitant of how to act. Everything was so new and strange. Nothing was as she had expected upon her arrival.
While she hadn’t truly expected her intended would wrap his arms around her, she had hoped for a warmer reception. Zack Heston had said very little to her. While he’d been courteous enough to help with her bags in the wagon, he’d said very little.
It was the birthmark. That had to be it. She knew she should have kept her veil down a little longer. But when no one had come up to her upon leaving the train, Della thought it best she lift the veil to show the horrible defining feature so he would know who to look for. Sure enough, he immediately appeared before her. Except, he hadn’t even smiled.
He hated it. A knot refused to untangle itself in her stomach. He couldn’t stand her. The entire wagon ride, she could hear it in the rolling of the wheels. The man wouldn’t look at her because he was disgusted with her looks. Della had to force the tears back as she wished she could do something.
There was a small scar on the edge of her birthmark where she had once taken a knife to it. Elsie had been the one to stop her. Della now wondered if she should have tried again.
She wondered what he would do. The man was so aloof that he wouldn’t say a word to her after they boarded the wagon and even as he brought her up to a house. It was nice and large and wider than anything she had ever seen. To her surprise, it wasn’t his house.
“Do you have all of your luggage?” Leah was asking as she brought them into the hall. “We have a room made up just for you. It’s a little noisy home we have, but you’re more than welcome to treat it like your own. Here, let me take that coat of yours. Is it truly velvet?”
“I, yes,” Della managed shyly. “Thank you.” She touched the small hat and veil hesitantly, wondering if she should drop it over her face. But it would be impolite to wear it in their house, she realized. Besides, they had already seen the birthmark by then.
Even as she took it off, a lump formed in her throat. Though she’d experienced little of society, all the proper manners had been bred into her from an early age. Especially the fact that indecent people never appeared before others to avoid any consequential concern.
Her fingers itched for the familiar netting as Leah set it aside.
Della felt naked to the soul. Clasping her hands before her, she tried to catch Zack’s eye. But the man was determined to ignore her as he slowly took off his jacket.
She wished he would say something. Shame crept warmly up her cheeks. Just something, Della wished. Even if it was horrible. The silence made her too nervous.
“This way, then,” Leah said after a moment of tense silence. When Della looked up, she wondered how forced the other woman’s smile must be.
Voices shouting grew louder as Della wandered farther into the house. She caught a glimpse of running children before they turned into a hallway, and a door opened. Leah stepped through ushering them in. Zack followed after Leah and set her things down.
“I should go back,” Zack said. “I’ll drop Henry off when I pass by.”
Della’s heart sunk. He was going back where? It sounded like he was going to leave her there. She scrambled in her brain for something to say just as Leah addressed her. “You should walk him to the door, then come join me in the kitchen.”
Not knowing what else to do, Della obeyed. Breathless, she nodded and followed him. She trailed behind Zack as he led the way to the door, hands wriggling as she tried to find something to say as he put his jacket back on.
“Thank you for the ride,” she offered, hoping to earn a smile from him. Or a look. Or something.
He nodded as he finally turned around and glanced up at her. His blue eyes were shockingly icy. She could feel her entire body freeze. Della wasn’t even certain if she was breathing. But there was something in his eyes that held her still, unable to do anything but focus on him. Her stomach fluttered as she found herself wanting to reach out to him to warm him up.
But then Zack looked away and left before she could take another breath.
It left her in a confused daze. Della couldn’t stop thinking about him even as Leah called for her to join the family in the kitchen. Supper time had arrived without warning. It was there that she met four of the children, all but Henry who was not yet there.
Though the children stared at her in the beginning, they prioritized their food and dug in. Learning that Della was from far away, they flooded her with questions that their parents couldn’t prevent. Any hesitance she’d clung
