Cameron took her hand, “Come—let’s talk in the sitting room.”
Once they were seated, he asked, “Have you been treated well since you arrived?”
“Oh, yes.” Hannah fidgeted with the folds in her skirt. The conversation seemed stiff and formal. He was a somewhat handsome man, but he seemed as nervous as she was. She hated facial hair, but the thin mustache looked good on him. He looked more uncomfortable than she felt. What was he hiding? Why couldn’t he look her in the eyes for more than a few seconds at a time?
“Good, good. I apologize that I was unable to greet you myself, but when you have three court cases in one day...well, I’m sure Joe Simmons did a wonderful job escorting you home.”
“He did.”
“And I see you've met the children. And Bessie?”
Hannah nodded.
“I have a slight problem, and I’m hoping you can help me,” he said, sitting on the edge of the settee, his elbows resting on his knees.
Would she finally learn why he was so ill at ease?
He continued, “I’ve been an attorney for almost ten years, and Joe thinks I would make a good senator.”
Hannah felt her eyes widen on their own accord. “Senator!”
Cam nodded. “He convinced me that a single man hadn’t a chance of being elected. That was why I needed a well-educated, and poised wife. You fit the bill completely.” He smiled. “However, he thinks it best if we didn’t tell anyone the circumstances under which we married.”
When Hannah gave him a puzzled look he added, “We need to be circumspect in order to win the election.”
Chapter Four
Having explained his plans to Hannah, Cam wondered if she understood the gravity of the situation. He studied her while waiting for her to speak or ask him a question. Her hair was the color of honey—not quite blonde and definitely not brown. Her eyes were dark blue, and she was very petite. Her looks were pleasing, and she dressed well. She would do just fine.
Hannah straightened her spine. “I will not do anything dishonest.”
Cam laughed nervously. “Not dishonest, just evasive. I want you to do everything possible to help me win the election next fall. If someone asks when we were married outright, you could change the subject or say something humorous, like ‘it seems like a lifetime ago.’”
Hannah tapped her chin. “I believe I wrote this in one of my letters, but I’ll say it again: I’m a Christian woman, and I won’t lie under any circumstances.”
Cam ran his fingers through his hair. He’d forgotten about that. “I’m sure no one will be bold enough to ask personal questions. I’ve kept a low profile here in Hunter’s Grove as far as my personal life. I don’t think people even know if I’ve remarried or not.”
“What about the children? Annabelle said she hadn’t been to school.”
“School?” Cam scolded himself. Why hadn’t he thought about school? “Well... um... I felt that Annabelle wasn’t ready for school.” Cam snapped his fingers. “Would you be her teacher?”
“Of course. I’d be delighted. I’ll need to know more about the children, of course, like their birthdays, and if they remember your first wife at all.”
“I’m not good with that sort of data, but I’ll get it to you. I have their birth information filed away. Georgie was just an infant when his mother died after giving birth to him. Annabelle was a toddler, and I don’t think she remembers much.”
For some reason, telling lies in court didn’t make him feel as guilty as telling them to his new wife. He shook off the guilt quickly. “Any other questions?”
“I didn’t see a church when I gazed around the town. I will need one as I never miss church on Sunday, and I’d like to attend as a family.”
Cam tried to hide his delight at her suggestion. How perfect it would be for the town to see them attending services?
“We don’t have a church here in Hunter’s Grove yet, but we do have Sunday services.” Cam tried to think quickly as to where the services were held, as he’d never gone to one. He did, however, recall Bessie telling him where the church meetings were conducted—she went every Sunday. “The church services are held in Farley Goodman’s barn.”
“A barn?” Hannah said as if he’d said a bad word.
“It’s a huge barn… and it's a clean barn,” Cam said quickly, though he had no idea as to the barn’s state. “I have to admit that I haven’t been there as much as I should since my workload keeps me so busy.”
Hannah looked him square in the eyes and nodded with a look of understanding.
Once again, Cam felt guilty. It wasn’t a good way to start a marriage, but what could he do?
“What about us?” Hannah asked. “Did you marry me just to get elected?”
“No!” Cam exclaimed. “I can show you the stack of replies my ad brought in, but your letters were special. You were the only one I replied to. I felt a connection with you right away. I’ve been lonely, and I’m not as good with the children as a woman would be. They need a mother, and I need a wife.”
“Is this going to be a marriage in name only, or are you going to... sort of court me after the fact?” she asked, tapping her toe impatiently.
Cam covered her hand with his. “I want our marriage to be real eventually, and I think we can find a way to court without raising any eyebrows in town.”
He was relieved when Hannah smiled. She was a lovely woman when she smiled.
“As long as I
