Chapter Eleven
Isabel must have been sleeping again because she didn’t realize when Sophie had come to sit beside her. “Daddy made you some soup, Isabel.” She heard Sophie’s soft voice as she opened her eyes. It was she who was sitting beside her and fanning her now. Liam was nowhere in sight.
“Are you feeling any better?” she asked when Isabel pulled herself up to sit. There were pillows arranged behind her for support.
“Yes, I am. Much better. Thank you,” Isabel said, smiling at Sophie’s worried face.
“Daddy said that you fainted. Will you be alright?” Sophie asked and Isabel nodded her head.
“I just got a little dehydrated, sweetie. I’m alright now.” Isabel reached for the bowl of soup while Sophie continued to fan her. “I don’t need the fan now. Tell me about school,” Isabel said, dipping her spoon into the bowl of soup.
Sophie still looked dismayed, like she didn’t trust Isabel’s insistence that she was fine. “But daddy told me to keep fanning you and also to make sure that you eat your soup and go back to sleep.” Sophie sounded worried, more worried than Liam did.
“Your daddy is very kind, but I don’t need it. I’m feeling much better now.” Isabel smiled. The soup tasted surprisingly good. It was chicken broth, just like the kind her own father used to make for her if she ever got sick as a child.
“Sophie?” The little girl looked dejected and sad suddenly. “What’s wrong honey? Did something happen in school?”
Sophie shook her head, trying to avoid Isabel’s inquiring looks.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m doing much better. As good as new,” Isabel said and reached for Sophie’s chin.
“I think daddy is really mad at me now,” she said, still not willing to look Isabel directly in the eye.
“Mad at you? Why should he be mad at you? What did you do? My illness had nothing to do with you.” Isabel smiled at Sophie, stroking her head now with her hand.
“It does,” Sophie said in a low, meek voice. She didn’t look at Isabel, whose hand now stopped stroking her head.
“What are you talking about?” Isabel placed the bowl of soup back on the table. She still wasn’t taking Sophie seriously. How could any of this possibly be a little child’s fault? She was imagining her own guilt in all this.
“I’m not supposed to tell you,” Sophie said, hanging her head. She was playing furiously with her fingers and Isabel sat up straighter in bed.
“Tell me what? You’re not making any sense, Sophie.” Isabel’s brows were crossed and her heart was beating fast again. There was some kind of secret between father and daughter, and it made Isabel incredibly afraid suddenly. What was it that she didn’t know about the Mayers? Sophie was taking her time, and Isabel knew that the only way she would be able to find out the truth was by coaxing her. Liam would never tell.
“Daddy made me promise that I wouldn’t tell you.” Sophie suddenly looked up at Isabel. Big fat tears threatened to spill from the bottoms of her eyelids.
“I want you to know that there is nothing you can’t tell me, honey. What is it? I will not be mad at you or your father.” Isabel reached for Sophie’s hands and pressed them together. She was talking in whispers just as Sophie was. They were both afraid of Liam overhearing their conversation.
“Daddy… I… he…” Sophie began, fumbling with her words. Isabel squeezed her small hands again, straightening up in the bed. She was afraid of what she was going to hear. What had Liam done? What kind of a person was Liam truly like? What big secret had he sworn his daughter to protect against his new bride?
“Go on, sweetie,” Isabel urged her.
“Daddy didn’t place the ad,” Sophie blurted out and whipped her face away from Isabel.
Isabel’s fear quickly turned to confusion. She couldn’t understand what Sophie meant by it. “He didn’t place the ad? You mean the ad for the mail-order bride?” Isabel asked and Sophie slowly turned to look at her again. Then she nodded. “What does that mean? Who placed the ad then?” Isabel asked, more confused now than ever.
“I did,” Sophie said and burst out crying. Isabel reached for her and pulled her close to her chest. She had promised the little girl that she wouldn’t be mad, no matter how bad the secret was. But she still couldn’t wrap her brain around the revelation.
“You placed the ad? On behalf of your father? He asked you to?” Isabel asked, trying to keep the confusion and anger out of her voice.
“No. He didn’t know,” Sophie said, looking up at Isabel’s face. She had tears streaming down her cheeks now. “I saw the ads in the paper and I wrote one for daddy, just like the others. Then I posted it to the newspaper. I thought it would be fun. I wanted a mother, a friend. And you’re perfect.” Sophie’s words were jumbled and then she flung herself against Isabel’s body again.
Isabel held the little girl tightly in her arms. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. None of it made sense, but it very well explained why Liam behaved with her the way he did.
He didn’t want a mail-order bride. He wasn’t expecting one to suddenly turn up at his doorstep. His daughter had placed the ad, replied to Isabel’s queries… had done it all secretly until Isabel appeared at their ranch. It was all Sophie all along.
“Isabel… Are you mad at me?” Sophie cried and Isabel clutched her to her chest, trying to keep the anger and embarrassment out of her voice.
“Not at all sweetie. It’s still not your fault,” she said, biting down on her lip.