Winnie Griggs by The Bride Next Door

Author:The Bride Next Door
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Before Everett reached the bottom tread, his office door opened. Had some other busybody come to pry into his household’s personal business?

But it was Adam.

“Hello. Back from the cabin, I see.”

“Just got back an hour ago.” He sobered. “We heard your sister had an accident, and Reggie sent me by to see how she was doing.”

By mutual accord they moved to the chessboard. “It could have been worse. She ended up with a sprained wrist and some bumps and bruises, but Dr. Pratt thinks she’ll be okay.”

“Glad to hear it.”

The two men took seats and stared at the board. It was Everett’s move and he studied the pieces silently, but he wasn’t really seeing them. He fingered a captured pawn, struggling with whether or not to ask the question foremost in his mind. Finally, keeping his gaze on the board, he cleared his throat. “What else have you heard about our bit of excitement?” Had he kept his tone as casual as he’d attempted to?

Adam grimaced sympathetically. “I suppose you’re referring to Eunice’s gossip about the open doors between your and Miss Johnson’s living quarters.”

There it was. Everett clenched his jaw. It sounded quite unsavory when expressed that way. “That door is only open when Miss Johnson is working here, and only as a convenience to her. There’s nothing untoward going on.”

“I didn’t think there was.”

Everett frowned. “But it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Adam’s expression remained carefully neutral. “There are always those who will read more into a situation than is there.”

Is that what this was—a situation? “I was afraid of that.” Everett gave a crooked smile. “What do you think the chances are that it’ll blow over if we just ignore it?”

Adam raised a brow. “You’re the man of the world here—what do you think?”

The walls closed in on Everett as he tried to think of some way out of this mess. Daisy was not the type of woman he’d pictured himself marrying—not even close. It was hard to picture her on his arm in a society drawing room or trip to the opera.

But that was beside the point now. He had to be man enough to shield her from the wagging tongues that could shred her reputation to pieces. He was not his father.

Besides, he’d already been responsible for ruining one life through the inadvertent but reckless spread of lies. He couldn’t stand by and let unfounded rumors and innuendo ruin another life, not when he could do something to prevent it.

After a long moment of silence, Adam spoke up again. “I guess the real question at this point is, what are you going to do about it?”

Everett met his gaze head-on, and the weight of his responsibility settled squarely and with great finality on his shoulders. There was only one answer he could give. “What I have to.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, Daisy heard a knock on her back door and opened it to find Everett standing there, his expression solemn—even more so than usual.

“Miss Johnson, if you have a moment, there’s something I need to discuss with you.

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