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about?”
    “It’s my way out of this mess. I read about divorce in a pamphlet I saw at the Intelligence Society meeting last month.” At the time she’d no idea how valuable the article would be to her personally. “Divorce is a lot more widespread and accepted these days, especially out west.”
    “We’re not out west,” he growled ominously.
    “No, we’re not, but we’re not in the eighteenth century, when women had no voice in their futures, either.”
    Adam grabbed tufts of his graying hair. “I knew Abigail starting that Society would be the death of me. Do you think I want you to marry this way?”
    “Apparently you do, Pa, because you didn’t say no to him.”
    “But the gossip!” he snarled.
    “I know about the gossip,” she shot back. “And I know how it can ruin a woman’s name which is why I’m agreeing to this foolishness, but I don’t have to like it and I don’t have to stay married until death.”
    He looked ready to explode.
    She held on to her own temper. “Now, unless you want to argue more, I think we should go get this done.”
    Adam looked at his youngest. She’d always been feisty, had to be in order to survive in the all-male Crowley household, but leave it to her to find a novel way out of her predicament. He didn’t care for her solution. Divorce carried it’s own stigma, but he could only shake his head in awed amusement. He had no idea if she’d really go through with the divorce and trade one stigma for another, but she was a Crowley if nothing else and she was not going to go meekly like a lamb led to slaughter. “Eli has no idea what he’s in for, does he?”
    She allowed herself a small smile. “I’m sure he doesn’t.”
    “I’ll pray for him.”
    “That might be good. Pray for me, too, because I’ll probably rue this day for the rest of my life.”
    Tight-lipped at her pronouncement, Adam held out his arm and Jewel let herself be escorted to the parlor.

Chapter 4
    “I now pronounce you man and wife.”
    Reverend Anderson’s words fell between the now married couple. Eli had never seen a more frozen-faced bride in all his days; Jewel just wanted it all to be over so she could return to the solitude of her room.
    “Under normal circumstances, this is where I invite the groom to kiss his new bride.”
    Jewel shot him such a hot scowl that he added hastily, “But in this situation, I believe we’ll simply applaud.”
    In attendance were her surprised brothers and Adam and Abigail. All applauded politely. When the clapping faded, the reverend looked at the newlyweds and offered sagely, “Sometimes God sees possibilities where we see none. I ask that you give this union a chance. May you both be blessed.”
    Because there’d been no time to plan for the event there was no celebratory wedding dinner prepared or even punch. After giving his daughter a solemn kiss on her brow, Adam excused himselfto take the reverend home, leaving everyone else to stand around in the awkward silence.
    Gail finally said, “I’m sure the two of you have things to discuss, so we’ll leave you to it.”
    Her brothers mumbled their agreements. Everyone filed out, the parlor door was closed softly, and Mr. and Mrs. Eli Grayson were alone.
    After a long silence, Jewel’s chin rose and she trained her eyes on his. “Now what?”
    “Not sure. I suppose we should see about getting your things moved to my cabin.”
    “Why?”
    “Because married people usually reside under the same roof.”
    “This is not a usual marriage, so I plan to stay here.”
    “I’m not moving in with your brothers.”
    “I’m not suggesting you do. You’ve given me your name and I’m thankful, but that’s all. I’m going to return to my life and you to yours. In a year or two you can divorce me.”
    “Divorce?” he asked, sounding like her father.
    “Yes, divorce. It’s not as if this is a love match, so feel free to dally where you like as long as you are discreet.”
    Eli cocked his head