A Noble Groom (Michigan Brides #2)(71)

Idette and the other woman drew nearer with the buckets of water.

Could he really stay and take Annalisa as his wife? The thought sent a shimmer of wild anticipation through his gut.

“If your cousin is dead,” Herr Mueller said, spitting a glob of tobacco juice onto the hard, cracked field, “then why wait until spring? Why not have them marry now?”

Several of the other farmers nodded.

Carl’s blood pumped faster. If Dirk were dead—as he suspected—then Annalisa would need a new prospect for a husband.

Why not him? Did he even dare consider marrying Annalisa and staying permanently?

But Peter’s gaze narrowed on him, as if once again trying to solve a mystery. “What if Dirk shows up—next week, or next month? What will I give him if not Annalisa and her farm?”

The farmers were silent.

Idette approached the group, her face a mask of indifference. Her father reached for the bucket, but she ignored him and turned to Carl, holding the dipper to him first. She looked him directly in the eyes, and the intensity there told him she’d heard their conversation.



“Thank you,” Carl said. He took the ladle and lifted the tepid water to his parched lips. Some of the farmers’ wells had already dried up, and fresh cold water was becoming a rarity.

She didn’t respond, except that her eyes pleaded with him silently, as if she was begging him to marry Annalisa.

He could understand her urgency. She wanted to keep Annalisa safe from a marriage like hers. Every time he thought about Annalisa wedding herself to a stranger, possibly someone abusive like Leonard, he nearly went crazy.

But could he really marry Annalisa?

Idette moved to the next man, but not before she silently pleaded with him again.

Carl’s mind began to whirl like a freshly greased gear. “If Dirk comes,” he began, “he’d be a fool to expect any woman to put her life on hold for him. He would assume that any smart woman would think of her farm and her needs first.”

Peter started to retort, but paused, his eyes wide in thought.

Carl hurried to present a sound argument. “After these many months have elapsed with no word of his whereabouts, he’d expect you to do what’s necessary to ensure Annalisa’s well-being.”

Except for the slurping of the men taking turns drinking water, silence descended over the group.

Carl’s breath stuck in his chest. What was he doing? Why was he contemplating marrying Annalisa?

He couldn’t. Not when he’d already made other plans with Fritz and was ready to move to Chicago. Sure, he didn’t have anything solid lined up yet for a teaching position. He would probably have to wait until the following semester or even next year. Nevertheless, he needed to go where he belonged.

And he didn’t belong here among these men. Did he?

Peter eyed him again, this time from his dusty, sweat-encrusted hat down to his scuffed boots.



Carl resisted the urge to squirm. And what about his deception regarding his identity? How could he marry Annalisa without telling her the truth about who he really was?

Peter wouldn’t even be considering letting Annalisa marry him if he knew he was Baron von Reichart’s son. He’d impale him with a pitchfork instead.

“I don’t know . . .” Peter said.

“You’re right,” Carl said quickly. “It wouldn’t work.” There were too many reasons why he couldn’t marry her. But the biggest barrier between them was the fact that he was a sworn enemy of her family. Even if he’d been able to ignore the guilt of his deception over the past couple of months, how could he live a lie the rest of his life? Wouldn’t the guilt eventually turn his soul black?

And besides, he didn’t love her. He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her and cared about her. But attraction wasn’t enough to base a marriage on.

When he’d stood beside his mother’s grave and realized she’d died of a broken heart, he decided he’d never marry a woman unless he was truly in love with her. He didn’t want to jump into marriage for the wrong reasons.

Did he have the right reasons for considering marriage to Annalisa?

Of course he wanted to help her save her farm and keep her safe from Ward when he came back from Detroit. And he enjoyed being with her and Gretchen and Sophie.

But was that enough?

“We’ll give it a little more time,” Peter offered.

Carl turned to the windrow, to the piles of hay that still needed loading. He jabbed his pitchfork into the bundle of alfalfa, ready to get back to work and forget about the discussion about marrying Annalisa.



“I can only stay until after the harvest,” he said. “I’ll help Annalisa prepare for winter, but then I must leave.”



Annalisa hugged Idette good-bye and pressed her hands against her sister’s thin cheeks, grateful for once that her beautiful face wasn’t marred with the bruises and cuts that had become all too common.

Idette stood back and looked at Sophie’s sleeping face, peeking out from the sling Annalisa had sewn for carrying the baby. With both hands free, Annalisa was able to keep Sophie under her watchful eye and yet undertake the many tasks that needed doing during harvest.

“You must come visit soon,” Annalisa said, wishing she knew a way to bring the smiles back to her sister’s face.