A Cold Wife, Sweet Husband

She quickly walked down another street so she wouldn't have to run into him. If he knew what was good for him, he'd leave her alone. As far as she was concerned, he had given her nothing but grief ever since their father announced his bankruptcy.

It was even worse now that she realized he was right about Leo all along. She no longer wanted out of the marriage, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. At least not yet.

To her dismay, he followed her. He called out to her, but she pretended she didn't hear him and quickly ran into a dress shop. She knew he wouldn't venture in there. She turned to the window and saw him roll his eyes at her.

She smiled and decided it would be good to pick up a gift for her friends while she was there. She did have the spending money that Leo had given her.

This would be the perfect opportunity to use it. She decided to pick out a hat for Mary, a shawl for Helen, and a purse for Julie. She wrote a quick note to each person. She wasn't sure what to say to Julie, but she didn't want to continue to be on bad terms with her.

Julie was married to Harrison now, so she would do her part to support their marriage. She set up arrangements for the gifts to be delivered.

―Won't you be picking something out for yourself, Mrs. Monroe?Mrs. Lyon, the owner of the store, asked. She glanced around. She hadn't thought to buy anything for herself. She glanced outside the shop and saw that Brad was sitting on the bench near the front entrance.

What is his problem? Why doesn't he just leave me alone? Turning her attention to Mrs. Lyon, she nodded. ―I suppose I can get anything. She took her time in making her selection.

Fortunately, she didn't have any plans to meet with anyone, so she could afford to be in the store for as long as possible. She finally bought a couple of new dresses with matching hats and a new pair of shoes. She couldn't remember the last time she went on a spending spree but had to admit it was fun.

―You know, I do carry some nightgowns suitable for a newly married woman, the saleswoman told her. Her face grew bright red but she decided to buy one. Maybe it would still the rumors that she was The Icy Wife.

Since she started her menstrual cycle the previous Friday, she knew it would be four days before she would consummate the marriage. She couldn't bring herself to discuss such things with Leo, so she kept quiet about it. After she was done making the purchase, she slipped the nightgown into the very bottom of her bags so no one would get a glimpse of it.

Realizing she couldn't hide in the dress shop forever, she peered out the window and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Brad was no longer there. She thanked Mrs. Lyon for her assistance and left the store. Just as she passed the store, Brad jumped out at her. She almost dropped her packages.