My Darling Melissa by Linda Lael Miller

Author:Linda Lael Miller [Miller, Linda Lael]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Fiction, Historical, General, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9780671737719
Google: Bii4cjb-J84C
Amazon: 0671737716
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1991-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

Melissa was waiting at the depot long before the morning train was due to pull out, and her heart was already in Port Riley, with Quinn. She could barely wait to catch up with it.

Since she’d said good-bye to the family the night before, only Fancy was there to see her off, and she wasn’t very good company. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and there was no color at all in her cheeks.

“Last night I dreamed that you ran away with a peddler,” Melissa said, giving the words a light tone.

In the distance the train whistle gave a mournful cry.

Fancy shook her head. “I could never leave Jeff,” she said miserably. “But I’m very afraid that he’s going to leave me.”

Melissa drew a step closer, wanting to put her arms around her sister-in-law but not quite daring to do that. “Oh, Fancy, are things really that bad?”

Fancy nodded. “He’s so strong-willed, so domineering. Melissa, the very things I love about Jeff are the things that are destroying me.”

“What is it you want to do?”

Small, trim shoulders moved in a despondent shrug. “I want to be important in some way, like Katherine—and Banner and Tess—and you.”

“Me?” Melissa put her hand to her chest.

“Katherine and Banner have their cause, and Tess has her photography, and you—you have your wonderful education. You’ve traveled all over the world. All I ever did was pull a rabbit out of a hat in a carnival sideshow and have babies!”

Melissa would have laughed if she hadn’t known that Fancy was serious. “Having babies is no small matter,” she said gently, touching Fancy’s arm. “After all, half the population can’t do it!”

Fancy smiled tentatively at that, but her expression was soon sober again. She looked down at her feet. “Jeff is already talking about wanting another daughter,” she said in a small voice. “But there aren’t going to be any more babies. There was damage when Caroline was born.”

Melissa was beginning to understand. “Doesn’t Jeff know that?”

Fancy’s eyes were wide and full of disquiet when she looked at Melissa and shook her head. “No, and I can’t bear for him to find out. He’ll be so disappointed in me.”

“Only if that was all he wanted you for,” Melissa replied, annoyed. “And I know you mean far more to Jeff than some kind of baby machine!”

The conversation had to end then, for the train had arrived, and the noise was horrific. Melissa and Fancy exchanged a hug and parted.

The passenger section of the train was crowded with people on their way to Port Riley for the grand opening of Quinn’s hotel—Melissa rarely allowed herself to dwell on the fact that the enterprise also belonged to Gillian—and she was lucky to find a seat.

The car was cramped and poorly ventilated, and the first thing Melissa did when she got off the train was hurry around to one side of the building and throw up in the tall grass.

A friendly woman in a calico dress had spotted her, although Melissa had prayed that no one would witness her humiliation.

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