“My father left it to you so you’d feel like you were a part of the family. The family you never had.”
“You’re right. I know why he did it but not why you kept it from me.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want you to leave, and I certainly don’t want an annulment. You can keep the land. I don’t care about that. I’m not a materialistic person.”
Hope removed her things from the drawers. “I can’t see us beginning a relationship when you keep important things from me.”
“I didn’t tell you about it because it coincided with me realizing how much I missed you and loved you. I was going to tell you, but I was afraid you’d think exactly what you’re thinking now.”
“When were you going to tell me? After the consummation, right? When I could no longer get an annulment.”
“Yes, that’s exactly when I planned to tell you. I don’t want an annulment because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to bear our children. I want to sit in rocking chairs and hold our grandchildren.” Daniel brought both hands to his temples “Don’t do this, Hope.”
“I trusted you when I’ve never fully trusted anyone before in my life. Do you know how much it hurts to discover you can’t really be trusted?
“Do you know why it’s so important for me to have a marriage based on mutual love? It's because I grew up without it. There was no mother to tuck me into bed at night and no father’s knee to bounce on. I need to know your love for me is genuine. You've had Nancy in your heart, carrying the locket in your pocket all this time. It’s important for me to have your whole heart, Daniel.”
“You have my whole heart.”
“You stopped carrying Nancy’s locket after you heard I'd inherited half your land.”
“That wasn’t the reason, Hope, you must believe me. I didn’t tell you for the very reason we’re arguing. I knew you’d think I was just trying to get that land. The truth is that I don’t care about the land. You can have it all. I’d planned to tell you after we’d consummated, you’re right about that. I just want for us to stay married.”
“I can’t risk being locked into a loveless marriage.”
Daniel stared at her for several seconds. “Are you saying you don’t love me?”
“I happen to be a trustworthy person. I said I loved you, and I do, but now I can’t be sure you really love me, and I can’t take that chance.” She moved to the door with her things. “Let’s just give ourselves some space.” She opened the door and left him standing there with his mouth agape.
Daniel paced the floor in the bedroom they’d shared. How ridiculous! Why would she think he'd pretend to love her for eighty measly acres of land? Daniel shook his head. How could she possibly feel that strongly? He knew that the revelation she'd inherited the land and him confessing his love so closely together might be misconstrued, but he never imagined she’d end their relationship. Especially not since it had been going so smoothly. He should have told her, but if he had, she might still feel the same. His mistake was in not telling her how he'd felt about her before he'd found out about the inheritance.
He thought about starting annulment proceedings, and a pain shot through his entire body. Daniel couldn’t lose her, especially not over something so trivial. The land meant nothing to him.
That was it!
He pounded on the bed's headboard.
That was his solution.
Daniel was pouring his second cup of coffee when Hope came down to breakfast. He stood up, pulled out her chair, and sat back down. Esther set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Hope and poured her some tea.
“Thank you, Esther. It looks delicious,” Hope said.
Esther smiled at Hope and turned her attention to Daniel. “Sam wants to know if you’ll be helping him store the winter feed.”
“Tell him I have to see my attorney this morning, but I’ll be back around noon to help him.”
Hope looked up at him with wide eyes but said nothing.
Daniel pushed himself from the table and left the room.
Hope’s heart pounded. What had she expected? She’d told him to start annulment proceedings, and he was doing just that. Still, it hurt deep inside, and she didn’t know why, since she’d insisted on it. She supposed she hoped he’d find a way to dissuade her and prove his love for her. When she heard the front door slam, she went to the window and watched him ride down the lane to the main road.
She loved Daniel—truly loved him. It was a new emotion for her. She’d never loved anyone like this before. Her feelings for George had never been this strong. Her heart beat so hard, she held her hand to her chest in an effort to calm it. Should she have agreed to consummate the marriage? She’d wanted to so badly, yet she feared being in another loveless marriage. She couldn’t understand why Daniel had rushed to tell her he'd loved her when he’d had so many opportunities to tell her before the shooting. Why wait until after she'd inherited half the land to confess it to her?
Was she making too much of it? Should she have just consummated the marriage and hoped that, in time, he’d love her as much as she loved him? If she really thought about it, he was either a terrific actor or he really did love her, and she was throwing his love away.
Hope sighed. Now she was having second thoughts. What if Daniel really loved
