Her Secret Love (Black Hills Brides Book 4), page 1
Her Secret Love
The Black Hills Brides
Book Four
Available Now From
Christine Sterling
Her Secret Past
(Black Hills Brides #1)
Her Secret Baby
(Black Hills Brides #2)
Her Secret Shame
(Black Hills Brides #3)
Her Secret Love
(Black Hills Brides #4)
Wanted: Medicine Man
(Silverpines Series)
Coming Soon From
Christine Sterling
A Bride for Jeremiah
(The Proxy Brides)
September 2018
Wanted: Gravedigger
(Silverpines Series)
October 2018
The Pinkerton Matchmaker
October 2018
An Agent for Claudette
(The Pinkerton Matchmaker Series)
October 2018
An Angel for Christmas
December 2018
Her Secret Love
Black Hills Brides
Book #4
Christine Sterling
Her Secret Love
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved with the exceptions of quotes used in reviews. This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or part by any means without written permission from the author.
Her Secret Love © 2018 Christine Sterling
Cover Design by Josephine Blake, Covers & Cupcakes
Editing by Carolyn Leggo and Rose Hale
Acknowledgments
To my partner and love, Daniel. Thank you so much for your support and understanding of my writing career. I honestly could not have done this without you holding down the fort and making sure that Morgan gets her daily cuddles. You make it all worthwhile. I love you.
My incredible daughters, Rebecca, Nora and Elizabeth. Always. Forever. Us together. You are my why for publishing. I love you more than words can say.
Everyone needs a mentor in their life and I’m so thankful George McVey is mine. I appreciate you took a chance on me with the Silverpines series and that has made me a better writer. Your support, patiently asking questions, and availability for late night sprints makes the author journey all the more enjoyable.
For Carolyn, as always, thank you for catching any mistakes I make. You have definitely helped me train the dragon, as I’m seeing consistency in where dictation is mucking me up! #editorsrock
To Rose, thank you for being the first to read this and letting me know how much you loved it! I appreciate your feedback and incorporated your suggestions.
For Marianne
It is such a great relief to have someone that you can just pop on a call with and say, “This is where the story is going, whatdayathink?” To have a fellow author and writing bestie be that person, is even more of a blessing. I so appreciate your hours on the phone with me as I plotted out elements of this book and changed things up, and your cheerleading to keep the story going.
I know we have many future projects together and I will always be your writing-wing woman, just as you are mine. I love you, dear friend.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Philadelphia, PA
Early Summer, 1882
Lily Fisher dreaded Saturday mornings.
Her sister, Iva Coates, insisted on waking when it was still dark and traipsing her whole family – five children and Lily, as her make-shift nanny, down to market arriving as the sun was peeking over the tents lining Church Street. All other families were in their beds sound asleep, but not the Coates. Iva wanted to arrive at market just as the best goods were being placed out, so she could have the choicest selections before everyone else arrived.
The farmers brought their goods from the surrounding countryside into the city, so residents could haggle and bicker over the best produce, dairy and meat prices. For Lily, it was too much noise, confusion and some of the odors made her want to bring up her breakfast. For her sister it was an opportunity to stretch her family’s food budget and be seen. Iva played the part of a high-society lady, but Lily suspected she wasn’t as well off as they appeared. When the ladies questioned Iva shopping at the market on the weekends, Iva dismissed their concerns with a wave of her hand, claiming a need to connect “to the common people in support of my husband’s political office.”
“Aunt Lily,” a small voice cried, as Lily felt a tugging on her skirt. Lily looked down to her three-year old niece wrapping her hands in the fabric of Lily’s skirt. Daniella’s curly locks formed a golden halo on her head, lending to her cherubic face, but tears fell down her cheeks as she tried to hold back her sobs. It broke Lily’s heart. Iva taught her children never to make a scene in public or there would be consequences when they returned home. Many a time Lily had to intervene between Iva, the children and a switch.
Lily stopped the carriage she was pushing with her youngest niece in it and bent down to pick up the crying child and hold her in her arms. “Oh, little one, what’s wrong?” she asked. Daniella had always reminded her of the wooden nesting dolls her grandfather brought from Russia. Perfect porcelain skin and bright rosy cheeks.
“I’m hungry, Aunt Lily.” Daniella put her head on Lily’s shoulder. “And tired.” Lily looked around for her sister and nephews. She could see Iva further ahead pushing a similar carriage with a baby inside and two young boys walking beside her. Iva had five children in six years. Lily couldn’t imagine. Reaching inside the bag she tucked into the carriage before they left, she pulled out a Dutch rusk and handed it to the child. The twice toasted bun wasn’t as nice without a cup of tea or a warm milk to dunk it in, but it would suffice until they got back home. Lily learned to keep a stash of them whenever they went out as Iva would forget the time and the children would eventually get hungry.
She continued to balance Daniella on her shoulder and pushed the carriage with one hand to try to catch up to her sister. Iva must have realized that Lily was no longer behind her as she stopped and called back, “What is it?” before turning the carriage to walk back to her.
The street was bustling with people, with most people going around them, cursing on their way around. By the time the two carriages met, Lily could tell that Iva was annoyed.
“I think maybe we should stop for a rest, Daniella is a bit tired,” Lily said, as Daniella called “Mama” reaching her arms out to Iva. Iva recoiled for a moment, seeing the child’s face covered with wet crumbs but quickly composed herself. She removed the bread from Daniella’s hands and returned it to Lily with two fingers. After wiping the child down with a handkerchief, she opened her arms and Daniella jumped right in.
“We have so much to do! Don’t we, precious girl?” she said kissing her daughter on the cheek. “Can you wait a bit, sweetheart? We are going to see Mr. Ivakov at the fruit stand and Mrs. Esposito to get a bit of that cheese you like.” When the little girl shook her head, Iva rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess we shall stop at the park for a bit of a breather, but you need to walk.” She put Daniella down and grabbed her hand before pushing the carriage again.
Lily’s nephews walked alongside her the short distance to the park. Five-year-old Frederick offered to take the soggy bread from Lily and took a bite before sharing it with his younger brother.
When they entered the lush green terrain, Daniella broke away from her mother and ran to pull four-year-old Michael to a small hill for play. Iva huffed under her breath. “It seems we were hoodwinked by a 3-year-old.”
Lily laughed and sat on a nearby bench, placing Victoria’s carriage to sit in front of her, while Iva placed Edgar’s beside it. “Let them play. We will have plenty of time to finish shopping and get home before lunchtime.”
Iva sighed and stared at her two oldest children playing in the grass. “You’re right. They don’t get to play much, now that Frederick is taking lessons. Daniella is probably bored,” Iva said.
“I don’t understand why you don’t let them stay at home with me. They don’t enjoy these outings. It would be so much quicker if you just did it yourself.”
“I could never do that, Lily. As Martin’s wife it wouldn’t do for me to be seen shopping by myself. I would then be subject to idle gossip. However, if I’m taking the family out and introducing them to the good people of the city, then it is acceptable.” Martin Coates was the son of the state senator. He came from a lengthy line of political ambition which could be traced all the way back to the revolutionary war.
Iva touted that she was marrying into political royalty when they wed. What she failed to mention is that she was in the family way and Lily doubted that Martin would have married her otherwise. Even though they had known each other since they were teens, and were engaged to be married anyway, marrying Iva in a family way was a ding to Martin’s reputation and caused
And redeem herself she was. Iva was doing everything in her power to show that she was befitting the Coates’ name by keeping an economical household and building her husband’s political career at the same time.
Iva had big dreams of being a society lady and wasn’t going to let anyone stop her. Even if it meant painting a façade and dragging her children through the square on Saturday mornings so people could see her interacting with the people of the township.
Lily was about to offer to finish the shopping, so they could return home quickly, but Iva caught sight of one of the ladies whose husband contributed a significant amount to Martin’s last campaign. “Oh, Mrs. Harrison! How lovely to see you,” Iva said, as she walked over to an older woman in the park.
Mrs. Harrison was the resident gossip, so this could take a long time, Lily thought to herself. She settled back on the bench and watched the children play their imaginary game in the grass.
The brunt of the children’s care fell on Lily’s shoulders. She was only twelve when Iva had Frederick. Then Michael arrived, then Daniella, followed by Edgar and finally, Victoria. There was scarcely a year between any of them.
So for the past five years Lily had her share in raising the children. Iva said it would help build character and prepare her for her own little ones. Though, as much as Lily loved her nieces and nephews, she couldn’t bear to see herself in a life of just a housewife and mother.
She felt she took on the role much too young and she really wanted to know what the world had to offer. During the week, Lily played nanny and caught up on her own studies, which allowed her sister to run around town as a high society wife. On the weekends she accompanied her sister, along with the children to make appearances that would further Martin’s career. Honestly, it was exhausting.
Iva mentioned she was determined to marry Lily off to a respectable man once she turned eighteen. That was just a few short months. Lily knew time was of the essence and she as going to have to act fast to seize her own future. She was torn between guilt of leaving Iva stranded and pursuing her own happiness.
Lily looked back over at Iva and Mrs. Harrison chatting and sighed. Keeping up with appearances was such a daunting task. She wondered how her life came to be like this; boring days melding into one another, only permeated by the constant Saturday morning shopping days. She knew the Coates were well off in terms of wealth, which made Lily always wonder, why they didn’t have nannies or servants running their downtown penthouse. Lily made the inquiry once but was shut down that ladies didn’t discuss finances. She knew that her sister and brother-in-law wanted to keep up appearances that they were no different than other people, so they did their best to live like others in similar situations.
Lily wished her circumstances were different. Their mother had died during Lily’s birth, a burden that Lily always felt she carried with her. Iva was nine at the time; Lily had always been told that the pregnancy was a miracle of sorts, as the family had tried and tried after Iva and had no such luck in conceiving. Lily felt it more like a curse; if it wasn’t for her, Iva would still have her mother.
Their father died when Lily was ten and by that time, Iva was already seeing Martin. So, Iva had taken her in, helping to raise her for the last seven years. And now, at seventeen, she knew Iva was only months away from marrying her off to one of the rich boys she had grown up seeing around town. Iva boasted about all the families she and Martin knew, telling of how she would be the loveliest bride.
Lily didn’t want that life; she was trying her hardest to find a way out, but nothing seemed to be working. She had researched a few women’s finishing schools around the city. She had begged Iva to consider one, but Iva brushed her off; what better way to learn how to be a wife than to actually become one?
She had become desperate the last few days, trying to hide her impending fear from her sister. What was she going to do? As she stared at the storefronts near the park, she noticed one in particular, a small solicitor’s office they always passed on their way into the town square.
It had a small handwritten sign in the front of the window. She squinted at it, reading the words carefully. It looked like a help wanted sign. Her heart leapt. It was as if the angels were answering her prayers!
Quickly standing, she took both carriages, dragging them to her sister, as she continued to gossip with the older woman.
“I’m going to go for a bit; watch your children,” Lily said, before walking towards the office. She heard her sister yell after her, but she was too focused on her destination to care.
When she was face to face with the building, she looked up to see the sign. Sullivan and Son. Law Office. It was black with gilt lettering. Lily liked the way it rolled off her tongue. She had passed by this office so many times and not once did she notice the sign, or the request for help in the window.
Filled with determination, she pushed the door open. There was a small bell that dinged when she walked in. The room was dusty and looked as if no one had been in it for ages. There was a desk to the side, but no one was at it. Papers were strewed all over it. She looked over at the desk and then on the bare walls. This didn’t look like a lawyer’s office; however, she hadn’t been in many, so there wasn’t really an example she could bring to mind.
“Who’s there?” a disembodied voice asked. “Is that you, Olivia?”
Lily heard a door open. She looked up and saw a man step through the doorway. The breath she had just taken became lost as she stared at him. He was so tall he filled out the doorway almost all the way to the top. He had jet black hair that curled at the ends, an angular jaw jutted out and he wore a scowl. But it was his blue eyes that made her heart skip a beat. Not quite a deep blue, they were more a crystal blue – the color of the ice stored in the ice houses.
“Oh, forgive me,” he paused. “I thought you were my assistant.” He coughed and walked closer to her. “Can I help you with something?”
Regaining her composure, she made herself stand a little straighter. “Hello, my name is Lillian Fisher. Are you Sullivan or the son?”
The man tilted his head and studied her before answering. “I’m Colin Sullivan.”
She stretched her hand out towards him. “Nice to make your acquaintance.”
His handshake was firm, even though she was still hesitant. She could tell that he was strong but gentle, the way he held her fingers without crushing them. After a minute, he let go of her hand. She wished that he hadn’t; the touch was almost comforting to her, and she needed all the confidence she could get.
“So, Miss Fisher, what can I do for you?”
“Please, you can call me Lily,” she said. After all, we will be working together shortly, she thought. But it would be too forward for her to say something so direct.
Colin raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He seemed to be waiting for her to continue. She cleared her throat and pointed to the window. “I was inquiring about the help wanted sign.”
“Oh, that. I’m looking for a file clerk. We have a few cases coming up and I need the extra hands.” He crossed his arms. “Do you know of anyone?” he asked, with mild humor in his voice.
“Well, yes, I do,” she said, mimicking his actions of crossing her arms. “I’d actually want to apply.”
There was a pause, as if he seemed to be mulling it over, but then he threw his head back and started to laugh. “You?”
“Yes, me. Why not me?” she asked, giving a little snort.
“Well, I don’t mean to be rude,” he said, walking a little closer to her, “but you look barely old enough to be out of pigtails.”
“You don’t know how old I am,” she countered.
“Then how old are you?” he asked.
The smell of leather and bay rum wafted towards her and Lily thought she might swoon. She shifted from one foot to another trying to compose herself. “It doesn’t matter. Just know that I am old enough.”
