Hilde started to blush. Now was not the time to get distracted by the attention of a young fan. She was on a mission. Hilde walked over to the counter. She might as well play nice to see if she could get the information she needed. “Thank you for your kind words. Perhaps I can sign that for you before I go.”

  The woman shoved the magazine towards Hilde. “Would you?” she asked as she placed a pen next to the magazine. “My name is Autumn, by the way.”

  Hilde nodded. “Autumn. That is a lovely name.” Hilde picked up the pen and spoke out loud as she wrote. “To Autumn. My new friend. Love, A. Cartier.”

  Autumn squealed again as she pulled the magazine out of Hilde’s hands and held it to her chest, spinning around. “My husband will never believe this.”

  Hilde gave her a little smile. “Perhaps, Autumn, you can help me with something. I need directions to a place here in town.”

  The woman stopped spinning. “Oh, I could help you. Although I’ve only lived here a few years, I know who everyone is here.”

  “Well, thank you. I would appreciate that,” she said.

  “Of course, Amanda! My new friend,” she said pointing to the autograph on the magazine. “Anything for my favorite actress. Can I call you Amanda?”

  Hilde laughed. The young woman reminded her of a sprite. A fairy like creature, she recalled from the book A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “Actually, you can call me Hilde. Amanda is my stage name; it’s actually my mother’s name.”

  “Oh, how sweet! Though, I have to admit, Hilde is a much better name. You should have stuck with that one.”

  She looked at her watch pendant. “I really only have a minute. I’m here to see Benjamin Remington. Do you know where I could find him?”

  Autumn’s eyebrows shot up. “Yes, he’s the owner of one of the hotels. It’s just up the road,” she said as she pointed up the street. “I can take you there, if you’d like.”

  “I don’t want to bother you.”

  Autumn jumped from behind the counter. “Honestly, no bother at all. He was here earlier looking for something. I found it and need to deliver it to him.” Hilde watched Autumn run to the front of the store and grab her wrap. She gave Hilde a quick smile and turned the sign on the door to signify the mercantile was closed. “Let’s go,” she said, opening the door.

  “Are you in town for something? This seems very out of the way for you if you are on your way to San Francisco,” asked Autumn, leading the way back towards the train station.

  Hilde wasn’t sure how much she wanted to divulge to this woman. “I’m just passing through,” she said, trying to keep a straight face and her voice level.

  She didn’t want to share that she was married to anyone in town. Her sole mission was to appear before a judge, get the marriage certified and head on the next train out of town. She hoped she wouldn’t have long to wait.

  “I can’t imagine how lucky you are being on the stage in New York and now performing for audiences in California.”

  “Luck had nothing to do with it,” Hilde said, jumping over a small puddle. “How did you know I’m headed to San Francisco?” Hilde asked.

  “The magazine mentioned it.” Amanda sighed. “Then again, I’ve followed your career since you first arrived in New York. You are a very well-reviewed actress. I wanted to see your play, but I had to go stay with my aunt and uncle after my parents died. I didn’t have the opportunity after that.” Autumn gave Hilde a big smile. “But then I married my husband, and here I am,” she said stretching her arms out wide.”

  “What does your husband do?” Hilde inquired.

  “He’s the pastor for the town. He’s very involved with the community.”

  “A pastor?”

  Hilde remembered that it was Mr. Turner’s friend, Pastor Barnes who arranged the proxy marriage through his brother. She wondered if they were related.

  “Are you married?” Autumn asked before Hilde could speak. “The articles never mentioned a husband, but I figured that you wouldn’t be alone. You are too beautiful to not have a husband.”

  Hilde paused for a moment. “I’m…it’s…well, it’s complicated,” she finally admitted, not wanting to lie.

  “Marriage shouldn’t be complicated,” Autumn stated in a thoughtful tone. “I never really thought that I would be in a wonderful marriage, and now I am. I love my husband; he’s actually the reason I came to Sulphur Springs.”

  “Where are you originally from?”

  “Philadelphia. I was in some trouble there and I came here as a proxy bride. I had never met my husband until I got here. I have to admit; it was scary at first. I wasn’t even sure I would ever make it. But now, I find that I made the right decision. I can’t imagine my previous life. Living here is wonderful. Granted, the townsfolk can be a bunch of busybodies, but everyone truly cares about everyone else.”

  They arrived at the depot. The train had disappeared, as well as the older couple that was on the platform. Natalie stood alone under a makeshift shelter rubbing her hands together. She saw Hilde and called out to them. “They just left me here!” Natalie wailed.

  “You are alright, Natalie,” Hilde chastised gently. She took a moment to introduce Autumn to her assistant before turning her gaze to the pile of trunks in the slush.

  “I at least thought someone would help with the luggage,” Natalie said.

  “Never you mind,” Autumn said. “We’ll get everything over to the hotel. If you just leave your trunks, I’ll have Ben come over with the wagon.”

  “Will they be safe there?” Natalie asked.

  Autumn nodded, “No one bothers anything in this town.” She picked up one of Hilde’s bags. “The hotel is right there,” she said pointing to a building across the way.

  Hilde could see the hotel was a Victorian mansion. It had a huge wrap around porch, and several large trees were scattered over the ground. Hilde could see several rocks in the distance, and they appeared to have steam coming from behind them.

  “What are those?” Natalie asked as they carried their bags towards the house.

  “Those are the hot springs,” Autumn replied. “The water is very warm all year round.”

  “Ooo!” Natalie said, “I’ve always wanted to try those. I read about them in a book.”

  “We aren’t here on vacation,” Hilde said.

  Natalie looked disappointed as she glanced over at the water bubbling out of the ground.

  She chastised herself for being so sharp with Natalie. Hilde was cold, wet and sleep deprived from the train. She just had to remember that this was not a vacation, no matter how tempting it would be to slip into that warm water.

  She had a life to get to in San Francisco. Finding her husband and standing before a judge were the first steps towards her new life.

  Ben was sitting in his office looking at the bills when he heard the door open. The hotel was empty until the new year, so he didn’t know who would be coming in. The girls had gone out with Helen. She mentioned something about visiting one of the other widows in town. The girls enjoyed those visits, it was like a real-life tea party for them.

  Autumn gave him a little wave as she entered the hotel. Two women that he didn’t recognize followed her in. “You can hang up your coats there. The buckets are to catch any snow or ice that melts off of them.”

  One woman nodded and went to the pegboard and removed her coat. Ben didn’t get a good look at her as she remained behind Autumn.

  The other was a mousy girl who didn’t move from the spot she stood in. Ben would guess she wasn’t a day over seventeen. She looked around the hotel with wide eyes and a bit of fear on her face.

  The first woman moved from behind Autumn and started brushing the snow off her and stomping her boots, trying to remove the ice that had gathered on them. She looked at her companion.

  “Natalie, you really should take off your coat. You don’t want to get sick, do you?” Her voice was like honey. Ben took a deep swallow.

  When the woman was done, she stood, and every thought Ben had left his mind immediately.

  He had never seen someone so elegant as this woman in front of him. Emily was beautiful, but this woman was … exquisite.

  She was tall, with curves in all the right places. Her golden-brown hair was twisted behind her head. She had clear brown eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light of the room.

  She wore a full-length dress made of pale grayish-blue fabric that reminded him of a storm on a summer day. Little pears were embroidered on the bodice in golden thread, and the same thread was woven into an intricate pattern at the cuffs and the hem.

  He wasn’t as knowledgeable with fashion, but he knew that dress was not something you would just go to the general mercantile and purchase.

  The woman stood there and gave Ben a timid smile. Autumn approached him with a smile. He stood from behind his desk and invited Autumn into his office.

  “Hi Ben,” Autumn greeted him. Why did her voice sound like a bird? “I found your letter,” she said, placing it on the desk. She then turned and pointed to the two women by the door. “And these two women were looking for the hotel. I thought I’d escort them over here. They will probably need a room as I don’t think they were expecting to be in town long.” Autumn started to leave. “Oh, and their trunks are still at the train station. You may want to go before the snow gets deeper.”

  Ben blinked twice and followed Autumn out into the hotel lobby. The woman with the bluish dress was now glaring at him. Ben wondered if he had something on his face. He quickly wiped his face with his palms and then wiped them on his pants.

  Autumn stood next to the two women. “Ladies,” she said. “This is Ben Remington; he’s the owner of the hotel.”

  The woman’s eyes narrowed, as she moved towards Ben. “You!” she said as she pointed her finger at him.

  Chapter 7

  “Me?” Ben questioned, as he backed up. She followed him, pushing him back into the office. “Do I know you, lady?” She seemed familiar to him, but he couldn’t place where he would know her from. His mind could only process how breathtaking she was.

  As he was trying to right himself, the woman stepped closer to him. “Do you know who I am?” she asked, with a hint of venom in her tone.

  “Am I supposed to know?” Ben asked.

  The woman paused, the anger draining from her face. “Actually, you shouldn’t,” she sighed. “I think these past few weeks have tried my patience.” She looked at Ben and gave a dazzling smile. Her cheeks looked like apples as she forced them up with the corners of her mouth.

  Ben noticed she only opened her mouth slightly as the words floated from her to his ears. It took a moment for it to register what she was saying.

  “Wife? You are saying you’re my wife?” Ben sat down in the overstuffed chair behind his desk. The woman nodded with a forced grin. “You were never supposed to come here,” he said.

  A shriek from Autumn turned his attention from the beauty in front of him to the two women standing outside his door.

  “You’re married to Amanda Cartier?” Autumn cried and jumped up and down like a child on Christmas morning. “No wonder you wanted to keep it a secret.” She grabbed the arm of the mousy woman and started jumping up and down again. The woman bobbed as Autumn pulled on her arm. “No wonder he wanted to keep it secret.” She ran over and wrapped her arms around his wife, pulling her close, as she said to Ben, “I can’t believe you are married to a theater star! I didn’t know that you had it in you. In my mind, I thought your wife would be homely and boring. But look who she is! Eli is going to die when I tell him this.”

  Ben looked at the woman. That’s where he knew her from. She was the woman on the placard. Yes, she was attractive in the photo, but she was downright stunning in person.

  Ben shook his head as if breaking from a trance. “I’m not married to an Amanda Cartier. I believe my wife’s name was Hilde Carter.”

  “Yes, that’s me,” answered Hilde. “Hilde Amanda Carter. I use my middle name and Cartier for the stage. Nice to meet you, Benjamin.” Hilde pointed to the woman standing next to Autumn. “This is my personal assistant, Natalie Graham. We are on our way to San Francisco and needed to stop by to see you to take care of a little business.”

  “Why didn’t you send a telegram or call?” Ben asked.

  Hilde looked perplexed. “Mr. Turner said he was sending one. I guess he didn’t think you’d have a phone out this far. It did look like a rather primitive city as we approached.”

  “Hey now…” Ben started.

  “Papa! Papa!” a voice called from the hallway. The sound of footsteps carried through the air and Ella ran into his office nearly plowing into Hilde. She looked up at Hilde, her little eyes going wide. “Who are you?” she asked.

  Hilde put her arms out to steady the tot. “Slow down there, little miss,” she laughed.

  “Hi Autumn,” Anna said as she came to the door. Anna spied Hilde and her mouth dropped in an O. “Oh my,” she said. “You are that actress on the front of Autumn’s magazine.”

  He saw Hilde’s face soften as she turned towards the small girls. She gave a little laugh. “I guess I am. I’m Hilde,” she said as she reached out to capture Ella’s shoulders.

  “Hi Hilde!” Ella exclaimed. “I’m Ella. This is my sister Anna,” she said, pointing to her sister at the door. “You’re very pretty.”

  He saw a slight blush overtake Hilde’s cream-colored cheeks. “Why, thank you. You and your sister are very pretty too. I love your dresses.”

  Ella’s smile grew wider. “Thank you! Nan made them for us. They are a matching set,” she said, referring to the cloth color. “I like your dress too,” she added.

  “Nan?” Hilde asked looking at Ben.

  “It is what they call Helen Miller. She lives here.” Ben saw a myriad of emotion display across the actress’s face.

  “Is that why you don’t want me here?” Hilde said, looking at him. Ben squirmed in his seat.

  “It isn’t like that.”

  “Then how is it?”

  Ella tugged on Hilde’s dress. Hilde looked down at the little girl.

  Natalie came in and quickly loosened up Ella’s hands from Hilde’s skirt. “You shouldn’t do that, little girl. That dress came all the way from Paris.”

  “Natalie, please,” Hilde said. “She’s just inquisitive.” Hilde looked down at the small child. “What is it?”

  “Nan made cookies. Would you like one?”

  “Maybe later,” Hilde said. “But perhaps my friend would?”

  Ella nodded her head. “Papa, do you want a cookie?”

  Ben shook his head. “Not now, princess. You and your sister go into the kitchen with Helen.”

  Ben saw Anna lead Natalie down the hallway. Ella scampered behind them.

  Ben raised his eyebrow at Autumn. “Thank you for leading Hilde here, but I think you should join the others,” Ben told her, hoping his tone conveyed that he wanted her to leave as soon as possible.

  Autumn looked between them as if she didn’t want to go; but when she nodded, he knew he had convinced her.

  “Alright, I guess I must. It was very nice to meet you, Hilde. Maybe we can catch up some time?”

  “Yes, of course,” said Hilde. “Also, thank you for bringing us. I would have been lost without you.”

  “Of course!” Autumn exclaimed. She looked like she wanted to hug Hilde but refrained. She gave a little smile before turning towards the kitchen, mumbling to herself with excitement as she went to join the others.

  Ben watched as Hilde sat down in the chair. “I guess this is our opportunity to talk,” she said. Ben remained silent. “Were those your daughters?” she asked to break the silence looming in the room.

  “Yes, they are. That is why Ella called me Papa.”

  Ben watched her pretty red lips form an O as she thought about what to say next. She waved her arm in the air. “Your hotel is rather lovely,” she said in a clipped tone. “It has a very interesting charm to it.”

  He couldn’t tell if she was being serious or sarcastic. “What are you doing here?” he finally asked.

  “Well, husband,” she said, her voice dripping with acid. Now he knew that she was being sarcastic before. “I’m here to tell you in person that I need your help.”

  Ben leaned forward on his elbows. The smell of lavender overtaking his senses. He wanted to close his eyes and inhale her until she filled every pore in his body, but he resisted. Instead he tried to look at her with as much determination as possible. “And what kind of help would that be, wife?” Two could play this game.

  She looked nonplussed. “I need you to stand in front of a judge with me so the magistrate can swear we are married and send that information to the court in Pennsylvania.”

  Ben shook his head. “Why would I do that? I think I was pretty clear when I said that this marriage was simply for convenience. I never expected to meet you or see you.”

  A quick look of sadness passed over her face, but it was so quickly Ben almost thought he imagined it.

  “I’m sure you had your reasons for getting married, and I’m not going to pry, but this needs to be mutually beneficial.” Hilde lifted up her reticule and placed it on the desk. “I’m prepared to pay you to get this done and then I’ll be out of your hair forever.”

  “Where are you staying?” Ben asked.

  She blinked a few times at him, her eyes reminding him of an owl. “I hadn’t thought about it. I guess I’ll take two rooms for this evening. I’ll be sure to pay for those as well.”

  Ben stood. “There is another hotel in town. I’m sure they will be happy to accommodate you.”

  Hilde stood. “That is fine. Direct me there, but know this, Mr. Remington, I will not return, and I will seek an annulment as soon as possible.”

  “An annulment?” If his in-laws found out that he was no longer married, they could possibly take the children. He wouldn’t let that happen.

  “If you can’t help me, I don’t see a point in us being married,” she said as she proceeded towards the door. “This marriage needs to be beneficial for both of us.”