Cut from the same wester.., p.20
Cut from the Same Western Cloth, page 20
She took a deep breath. Losing Henry was not something she was going to gamble with, no matter the risk.
“I won’t be leaving, Charlotte. I love Henry, and I think he will still love me even when he finds out the truth. I don’t intend to hide it from him, and if he chooses not to pursue things with me, that will be up to him. Now, I’m asking you to get out of my room.” Alice took steps toward Charlotte with every word.
She was angry that this woman thought she could come in and meddle with things she didn’t understand. She wanted to tell Henry and give him the chance to know the real her.
If Henry decided he wanted to believe Charlotte, then maybe he wasn’t the man that Alice thought he was. Either way, she would not be bullied into doing something she knew would destroy her, walking away without saying goodbye or knowing what would have happened.
Charlotte looked as if she’d been slapped, a look of complete disbelief spreading over her face.
“Fine, have it your way. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about what would happen.”
Alice swallowed hard as Charlotte stepped past her and closed the door. Her eyes flew to the closet. She needed to get cleaned up and changed right away. She needed to get down to dinner and Henry. Hopefully, Charlotte would wait to tell Henry if she didn’t get the chance to before dinner.
Alice’s hands shook as she picked a dark green dress from the closet and managed to change. She ran a brush through her hair, twisted it up atop her head, and splashed water on her face.
Even though it hadn’t been so long since Charlotte left, nervousness and fear ran through her. Would she get the chance to be honest with Henry before Charlotte?
As she stepped out of the room, she nearly barreled into Mrs. Carpenter. Her mother stopped her and put her hands on her arms.
“Slow down, let me look at you. You need to look perfect. Smile for me, child.”
Alice put on her best smile, even though every fiber in her being was begging to cry. Frantic emotions clawed at her chest and throat. Where was Henry, and where was Charlotte?
“Did Charlotte go home?”
“I believe she did. She looked upset. What did you two talk about?”
“Nothing important.” Alice did a half spin. “How do I look?”
“You look beautiful. Cora. Before you go down there, I want you to know, I do love you, and I really do want you to be happy. I’m glad that you like Henry. I know that sometimes I seem uncaring or as if everything else is important to me but your happiness.
However, it does matter to me more than you know. As your mother, I am so relieved that you will be with someone who cares for you. I’ve seen the way Henry looks at you. He really does love you, and you barely know him.”
Alice nodded, pesky tears pushing at the backs of her eyes. Mrs. Carpenter’s words meant so much more than she could ever have imagined. It made Alice feel like maybe, deep down, the woman did love her. Maybe, just maybe, she’d love her if she knew who she really was too.
“Thank you, Mother. I … appreciate you telling me.”
“Let’s go down. I am sure everyone is wondering where we are.”
Alice nodded and followed Mrs. Carpenter down, trying to pull herself together. If Henry saw her about to cry before dinner, he’d definitely think something awful was wrong. Perhaps they had one more dinner together.
When they got down, the Williams, Henry, and Mr. Carpenter were already at the table, and a wave of relief hit Alice. Perhaps Charlotte hadn’t had time to do damage just yet.
She slid into her spot opposite Henry and waited for Mr. Carpenter to say grace. Silence prevailed around the table for the first few minutes of the meal.
“Henry, I hope you found the woods enjoyable; there are some nice walking places around here. It seems you’ve introduced Cora to a love of walking.” Mr. Carpenter started the conversation, catching Alice’s eye, then looking at Henry.
“I did, very much.” Henry looked at Alice, his gaze meeting hers. It was unreadable, void of the warmth that had been there before. Caution gripped her. “Speaking of Cora, I was meaning to ask, as we are planning a wedding, does she have any aunts or uncles that should be invited?” His tone was calculated, and Alice gripped her cutlery tighter.
Her heart fell into her stomach, and her breath hitched. He knew. His demeanor had changed. His eyes bored into hers. This was not how things were supposed to happen.
“I do have a brother, though I haven’t spoken to him in years. I don’t think he’d make it down.” Mr. Carpenter’s words both surprised Alice and caught her off guard. Judging from the look of shock on Henry’s face, she assumed it caught him off guard as well.
“I see. I’m sure he’s struggled with the loss of his wife, so traveling must be hard.” Henry met Alice’s eyes once again as if gauging her reaction.
“You must be mistaken; he’s never been married. He’s never been one for families. I received a letter from him last month; he’s as much of a bachelor as he ever was.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I suppose I must have been thinking of someone else.” Henry watched Alice for almost five minutes as the others at the table took over the conversation. She couldn’t bring herself to take a bite. Instead, she pushed around the potatoes and vegetables on her plate. How could she eat? How could she think of anything else but how he looked at her?
“Don’t you think your brother would be disappointed to miss his favorite niece’s wedding? From what I hear, he and Cora are quite close. She told me how she enjoys exchanging letters with him.”
Alice dropped her fork as everyone turned to look at her.
Mr. Carpenter wore a look of surprise.
“Cora? I didn’t know you communicated with your uncle. I am glad to hear he’s been a bit more friendly, but he’s never mentioned anything to me.”
“I … thought I’d reconnect with family, as I was about to start one of my own.” Alice mumbled the words, and no one seemed to care much except for Henry. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter went back to their conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Williams. Henry kept his eyes on her, disappointment, rejection, betrayal, and anger, all on his features, aimed directly at her.
“What are you doing?” she asked softly so only he could hear.
“Trying to find out who you really are, Alice.”
Alice stood. She couldn’t have this conversation or talk with Henry here, in front of everyone.
“I … think I’ve lost my appetite. Can I be excused?”
Mrs. Carpenter eyed her suspiciously, but when her gaze fell to her unfinished plate, she nodded in approval.
“I’ll go with you to keep you company.” Henry also stood and walked around the table before she could protest. He didn’t look like he wanted to keep her company at all, but more like he wanted to ask her questions that he couldn’t ask there.
They walked out into the parlor, then to the front porch, where Henry stopped and stared at her. She remembered that look, the same look Ethan used when she’d confronted him. He’d had the woman he’d chosen at his side then and looked at her like she was worth nothing, like she was the worst person on the planet.
“Henry, I can explain.” Her voice broke as she said the words. Could she explain? This was exactly what he thought it was, the worst possible thing.
“What Charlotte said was true, wasn’t it? You lied to me this whole time. Who are you?”
“Alice.” She choked out the name. She’d never felt so ashamed of who she was as she did at that moment.
“Alice. You’re the girl from the seamstress shop, not the real Cora. How could you … embarrass me like this? Laughing at me this whole time. Am I part of a big joke to you?”
“No! It’s not like that at all. I … I didn’t know who you were when we met at the seamstress shop. I met Cora and …”
“Don’t explain. You know, I don’t care that you aren’t Cora. I care about how you lied to me. You looked me in the eyes while I told you I loved you. You let me believe you were … her. You told me lies about your aunt and uncle, to what? Get my sympathies?” He took a step forward as a sob worked its way up her throat.
“You are a terrible person. How could you look at me every time I bared my thoughts to you and lie to me? I did not deserve the truth?” Henry’s voice rose with each declaration.
Alice swiped a tear away from her cheek as he came closer, and the door to the house opened. Mrs. and Mrs. Carpenter stepped out on the porch. Henry’s parents were right behind them.
Alice struggled to keep her point of focus. She was strong; she could face everything she’d come to care for falling apart in front of her. She should have listened to Cora, or perhaps Charlotte, and left.
She should have known that these people never truly cared for her. They only loved the image they saw in her.
“What’s going on?” Mrs. Carpenter asked, looking between Alice and Henry.
“I think Alice here has an explanation for that.” Henry’s tone was hard, and it sliced through her like a knife. She didn’t care about the confused looks on the Carpenters’ faces or the worry in the eyes of Henry’s mother.
All she cared about was the hurt and betrayal in his eyes. He didn’t see past her at all. He didn’t see who she was, who he’d gotten to know.
“Alice?” Mrs. Carpenter looked at her. “You mean Cora?”
“No, I mean Alice.” He turned to her. “Explain.”
“I’m … well, you knew me as Naomi.” She couldn’t bring herself to look them in the eyes.
“Naomi? You’re not Cora? Who are you? You imposter!”
Alice expected nothing else could hurt her, but Mrs. Carpenter’s words were more than she could handle. Somehow, she thought Mrs. Carpenter would realize she was her other daughter, but all she saw was a monster.
“Cora’s … fine. I will get her for you.”
“How long has this been going on?” Mr. Carpenter demanded. Henry’s parents jumped in, demanding answers. She heard the words mentally unstable and imposter on their lips as they demanded to know what woman their son had been spending time with. For a moment, Alice thought that she saw sympathy and a spark of care in Henry’s eyes, but then it was gone. She didn’t know him.
She moved toward the porch steps. He stepped after her.
“You can’t just leave.” This time, it was unmistakable. The hurt, pain, and crushing disappointment she was feeling in her own chest. She’d hurt him deeply, and somehow that was worse than losing him.
“I should never have been here in the first place.” She didn’t stop to think or wait to see what would happen. She gathered up her skirts in her hands, and she ran. Her feet kicked up, and her lungs pulled in air. She just needed to get away.
Chapter 26
Henry watched the retreating figure running across the front yard of the Carpenter estate. She was carrying his heart with her because it felt as if he’d been left with an empty cavity in his chest where it had been before.
“Where is she going?” Mrs. Carpenter shrieked. “Catch her! Don’t let her leave.”
Henry reacted to her words. What was he thinking? Regret crashed through him. The way he’d treated her replayed in his mind as he took down the steps and ran after her, now only a speck of green in the distance.
The hurt in her eyes as he brought up her uncle. The tears as they splashed on her cheeks when he’d accused her outside. What had he done? He’d made a terrible mistake.
He’d been lied to, betrayed, and made a fool, but he’d come to love that girl, whether she was Cora or Alice. The lack of chemistry the first time he’d met Cora compared to how quickly he’d taken a liking to her the second time struck him.
She was a different person this whole time. Her worries about what she had to tell him after dinner … had she intended to tell him?
He ran hard, his lungs burning as he grew closer. She looked over her shoulder, but instead of slowing, she ran faster. He’d want to run away, too. He was a fool, a terrible, awful fool.
But how could he trust her? Confusion blossomed through him. He didn’t know what to think.
Small remnants of the sun still sat in the sky, giving an eerie feeling to the evening. He rounded the corner and pushed what was left of his energy into his legs.
He managed to reach her. He grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. She was winded because her chest rose and fell with big heaves. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to stop crying.
Gut-wrenching regret ran through him.
“Cora … Alice, please … stop. You can’t just run away.”
She shook her head, unable to stay anything.
“Just breathe,” he urged softly. At that moment, he wasn’t thinking of what she’d done, of the terrible betrayal, or what he would do. All he saw was the woman he loved hurting, and he knew he’d caused it.
She pulled from his grasp, putting distance between them, but didn’t move to run. Instead, she took several long breaths, slowly getting herself under control. She brushed the tears from her face and looked him in the eye.
“I … have to go get Cora. I can’t be here.”
“Was any of it real?”
Her eyes swam with unshed tears and emotions.
“All of it was real, Henry. Every bit of it, except for my name. My aunt and uncle were and are my adoptive parents. My mother kidnapped me from the Carpenter home when I was a child. I came here to look for them.” She stopped, taking in a sharp breath.
“Did you want to make me fall in love because of who I was?” His biggest fear came forward. Did she only want him because of his family and his connections? Had that been her game at the seamstress shop? He wracked his brain for what she’d said earlier. He had been in such a state of shock that he couldn’t remember.
“No, I didn’t know who you were or even that you were a doctor. You were kind to me, and I … liked you. When I met Cora and we switched, I was shocked you were the man she was supposed to marry.” Alice’s voice shook, and his heart ached. Why did he want to comfort her when she had hurt him so badly?
“The Carpenters really are your parents …”
“They are. Cora and I did this so she could marry the man she loves, and I could get to know my natural parents.” Alice shook her head. “They’re not what I expected or what I wanted. They’re still the people my mother thought I’d be better off without.”
She looked off into the distance. “I … I’m sorry for lying to you, Henry. You were so kind, and everything that I’d met in the seamstress shop. I got lost in getting to know you.” She met his gaze and took a step forward. His heart sped up.
He didn’t know what he wanted, but he knew he wanted her to stop crying and be okay.
“I’m going to find Cora, and we’ll switch back. She can explain things to her parents. Tell them that she’ll be back soon.”
“What about you? What will you do?” Why did it sound like she was saying goodbye?
“The Carpenters are not the type of people I want in my life. They don’t need or love me. They were just fine without me.”
Her words were so sad; they broke something inside of him. How could she view herself like that? What must she be feeling to think that the people she’d considered her parents, the people who were supposed to search for her and never give up, didn’t want her or care for her?
