Ernest knew that continuing to see Adeline and indulging the feelings in his heart would only be courting trouble. And that was a hornet’s nest he had no intention of kicking.
“This is a party, son,” the voice boomed to his right. “Why are you standing off here all by yourself?”
Ernest turned to see Richard staring back at him, a wide smile on his face.
“I s’pose I’ve never done well at parties,” Ernest admitted. “Always been better on my own.”
“The quintessential cowboy,” Richard laughed heartily and slapped him on the shoulder. “Always better on your own, eh?”
Though the man was older – Ernest thought he was at least sixty or so – he was tall and had a physically imposing presence. He was strong for his age and still vital. Richard had wide shoulders, barrel chest, and dark eyes that never seemed to miss a thing. Under the man’s gaze, Ernest felt exposed, as if Richard could see into him and tease out even his innermost thoughts.
“I like the goatee,” Ernest noted.
Richard beamed and stroked the mostly gray tuft on his chin. “I thought it made me look younger,” he laughed. “What do you think?”
Ernest shrugged. “I think it makes you look – dignified.”
The older man roared with laughter and slapped Ernest on the back so hard, he nearly drove the breath from his lungs.
“Come,” Richard said. “Dinner is about to begin.”
He followed Richard into the formal dining room and took his seat – which was directly across from Adeline. She quickly looked away, color rising in her cheeks as if she’d been caught doing something inappropriate. Richard’s staff had laid a nice table and came around, pouring everybody a glass of wine.
The room itself was large, holding a table that seated twelve comfortably. Large rounded windows looked out to the yard and the vistas beyond. On the walls hung pieces of art from some of the local Indian tribes that incorporated turquoise and other gems. On a wooden hutch in the corner stood a model ship – a replica of a two-masted Spanish Galleon, Ernest thought.
He looked around the table, at some of Talon Peaks’ most affluent citizens and remembered why he preferred his own company. They talked and laughed, smiling wide and were outwardly gracious in every way. But Ernest knew that behind closed doors they were as vicious and savage as any Injun group around. They would stick a knife in your back quicker than Brutus had stuck Caesar if it benefitted them.
This was a group of people Ernest would never willingly turn his back on. He knew if he did, he’d likely find a knife buried to the hilt in his spine. They looked at him from behind false smiles and kind words. Ernest knew what they thought of him – he’d heard it whispered in town often enough. However, he didn’t care because they weren’t significant enough in his life for him to care.
What Ernest found himself worried about was Adeline getting caught up in their world and all their schemes. He worried about the effect it might have on her. He knew it was crazy, not knowing her for very long and all, but Ernest cared for Adeline for who she was and what she was not. He would hate to see her change because of the influence of these dagger-wielding harpies. Adeline was sweet and kind – they were not. And he didn’t want to see her lose that shine he thought made her special – which was almost a certainty the longer she remained steeped in their toxic waters.
“My friends, I would like to thank you for attending tonight,” Richard said as he got to his feet. “It’s a very special night for me and I am over the moon about getting to share it with each and every one of you.”
Everybody around the table applauded as Richard raised his wineglass and Ernest felt obligated to join them. He cut a glance at Adeline and saw the unenthusiastic applause – which seemed to match the somewhat dour expression on her face.
“But I shall hold off on my announcement until after we’ve broken bread and enjoyed a hearty feast together.”
His captive audience applauded again as Richard tapped his wineglass with his fork and a high-pitched chime rang out. A moment later, Tillie and two other women who were part of Richard’s household staff appeared. Tillie and one of the women set bowls of a steaming mutton stew down in front of the guests as the third woman circle the table, filling wine glass. Ernest inhaled deeply and had to admit – it smelled delicious.Richard picked up his spoon, and as proper manners dictated, signaled everybody else it was time to eat, and they dug into their soups with gusto.
The conversation was light and lively around the table but Ernest thought Adeline was making a pointed effort to ignore him. She did not engage him in conversation nor did she even truly acknowledge his presence. Instead, he was trapped into a conversation about cattle slaughtering techniques and a discussion about whether the government should send in the army to deal with the threat posed by the Indians once and for all.
The soup course gave way to the main course – roasted duck that was juicy, tender, and smelled like it had been seasoned very well. A seasoned rice and sugar crusted carrots were served on the side along with plates of fresh cornbread. Ernest thought everything was delicious – it had been a long while since he’d had an honest to goodness home cooked meal since he certainly didn’t lay this kind of spread for himself.
Eventually, Tillie appeared and cleared the dishes from the table. That done, she returned with a peach cobbler Ernest thought smelled amazing but tasted even better. Coffee was set out for anybody so inclined – though Ernest noticed most of the guests continued to drink the wine. He was never much of a wine drinker so Ernest poured himself a cup of coffee, adding a sugar cube and a splash of milk.
A little while later, Tillie appeared again and cleared the table of the dessert dishes, leaving just the coffee and wine. The evening was beginning to come to a close –the part of this celebration Ernest was dreading most.
His chair scraping on the wooden floor, Richard got to his feet and favored Adeline with a warm smile. Ernest could see the affection he had for the woman in his eyes. It was plain as day. But when he turned and cast his gaze upon him, Ernest saw a flash of bitter jealousy and possessiveness. Richard already thought of Adeline as his and Ernest could see the older man would fight anybody who tried to get in the way.
“Friends, I again want to thank you for being here tonight – on this most auspicious of occasions,” Richard started as he looked around the table. “Many of you have hounded me for as long as I can remember about finding me a woman who can make an honest man out of me – isn’t that right Catherine?”
Laughter rippled around the table as Richard tipped a wink at an older woman with dark hair who nodded back at him.
“Well friends,” Richard went on. “That day has finally come – believe it or not.”
“I don’t believe it,” a man Ernest knew as Thomas called out, eliciting laughter from everybody around the table.
Richard grinned and shook his head. “Well, since seeing is believing, I would like to introduce you all to Miss Adeline Baxter,” he intoned. “And it gives me the greatest pleasure to announce our engagement to you all, the finest of the fine here in Talon Peaks.”
The applause and shouts of congratulations erupted around the table again and Adeline’s face flared with color. Ernest could tell it took a Herculean effort for her to raise her head and acknowledge the people. The smile on her face looked like she’d painted it on with her lip paint and though she hid her true feelings well, Ernest thought she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there.
Not wanting to cause Richard any upset, Ernest raised his glass to the older man and offered him his congratulations on his engagement. The older man nodded his thanks.
Adeline looked up, her gaze meeting Ernest’s for a moment before she looked away. But in that glance, Ernest saw the despair in her eyes. Seeing that look in her eye – like she was trapped with no way out of her situation – sent a lance of pain shooting through him and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to take her hand, throw her on his hors
e, and get her out of there. He wanted nothing more than to save her from her fate.
But he knew if he did anything like that, if he deprived Richard of what he thought was his property, he was risking not just his land and ranch, but possibly even his own life.
As much as he hated it, Ernest knew Adeline was not his woman and solving her problems was not his place. She put on a good front, smiling and accepting the congratulations of Talon Peaks’ finest, but Ernest could see behind her eyes. He saw how lost and alone she felt – saw how terrified she was and his heart went out to her.
But Ernest knew there was nothing he could do.
Chapter Twelve
Adeline awoke the next morning to the sound of horses whickering as they were being saddled in the yard below her room. She slipped out of bed quietly and padded over to the window. Drawing the curtains aside, she peered down, squinting to see through the pre-dawn gloom. As if sensing her eyes on him, Richard looked up, locking gazes with her. He raised his hand in greeting and then beckoned for her to come down.
Silently cursing herself for not taking care to avoid being seen, Adeline pulled a thick robe over her night dress and cinched it tightly around her waist. She walked out of her room and descended the stairs to find Richard already standing in the foyer waiting for her.
“I am afraid I must leave again,” Richard said. “Something has arisen and I must see to some business in San Antonio.”
Adeline nodded. “How long will you be gone?”
Adeline tried to stifle the excitement she felt, doing her best to not let it come through in her voice and silently chastised herself for being so cruel. In her time on his ranch, Richard had been nothing but kind and respectful to her and she felt a sharp stab of guilt about her excitement about his absence.
But she could no more control how she felt than she could control the weather. She didn’t want to be there and she didn’t want to marry him. Though she felt guilty about it, those two facts were not going to change anymore than the sun would not rise in the east tomorrow.
“I expect I’ll be gone a week,” he replied. “Maybe a day or two more.”
Adeline nodded but said nothing – she didn’t think there was anything for her to say. She knew she would not lament his absence but could not say that to him. She was not so cruel.
“What will you do while I’m gone?” Richard asked.
A faint smile touched her lips. “I imagine I will do some reading,” she said. “Along with riding the horses of course.”
“Well, do be careful,” Richard said. “I would be inconsolable if anything were to happen to you.”
“I will be careful,” Adeline responded.
Richard reached out and took her hand, raising it to his lips, and planted a gentle kiss on the back of her knuckles. He favored her with a warm smile.
“I will miss you, Adeline,” he said, his voice a deep rumble.
A small smile touched her lips. “I will see you when you return.”
A slight hint of pain flashed through his eyes when Adeline did not return his sentiment but he collected himself quickly and gave her a small bow before turning and walking out the front door. She closed the door behind him and waited until she heard the horses galloping away before walking into the kitchen.
Tillie was already in the kitchen and the air was saturated with the aroma of coffee and the bacon sizzling in a cast iron pan.
“Good mornin’ Miss Adeline,” she said cheerily. “You’re up earlier than usual.”
“The horses woke me,” Adeline replied.
“Coffee’s ready,” Tillie said. “I imagine you’ll be wantin’ a cup.”
“Bless you,” Adeline said with a smile.
Adeline poured herself a cup of coffee and added a sugar cube and a splash of milk, stirring it up before taking a swallow. She murmured a sound of approval as the strong brew hit her tongue. After removing the bacon, Tillie cracked a couple of eggs into the pan and tended to them as Adeline settled herself down at the table, gripping her coffee mug with both hands to warm them.
“Here ya go,” Tillie said as she set a plate of food down in front of her. “Thought you might wanna fill that belly ‘for you go ridin’.”
“You really are an angel.”
Tillie favored her with a wide, warm smile. Adeline noticed that Tillie seemed more open, friendlier, and happier when Richard was gone on business. Tillie was a lot warmer and certainly more talkative when he was not around. Adeline didn’t think it was a coincidence.
Richard had a presence about him – he filled up every room he was in and sometimes, it could be overpowering. Stifling. Adeline had certainly felt overwhelmed by the man in the short time she’d been at his ranch. She couldn’t have imagined what it was like to be smothered by it as long as Tillie had.
“Any thoughts on dinner, Miss Adeline?”
“Nothing extravagant, that’s for sure,” she replied. “Do not trouble yourself too much, Tillie.”
“Oh no trouble at all, Miss.”
“Well, I will put myself in your hands then,” Adeline replied. “Whatever you feel like making, or whatever is easiest will be fine with me.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Tillie said and walked out of the dining room to clean up the kitchen.
Less than an hour later, Adeline was fed, dressed, and out on Thunder’s back. The sky was beginning to lighten, painted in hues of fiery red and orange as dawn approached. Adeline breathed deep, taking in the crisp morning air, and let it out slowly, a smile spreading across her lips. Though the day would undoubtedly be warm, it was cool and brisk at the moment – just how she liked it. She looked up and saw the silhouette of a hawk circling high above her. It let out a screech that echoed across the dry, scrubby landscape.
Thunder’s hooves crunched through the brittle and scraggy undergrowth of the landscape. She heard small creatures darting and dashing through the bushes around her, and when she passed a tall tree, a flock of startled birds took wing in a noisy group. Thunder plodded on, taking no notice of the loud, squawking flock.
Adeline leaned her head back and stared up at the sky, breathing in the aromas of the world. She treasured her time alone on these morning rides and enjoyed the stillness and quiet of the world as it slowly came awake around her. Out there, amongst nature, there was no pressure, no social norms to observe, and nobody to loom over her, smothering her with their presence. Out here, alone, she could just be herself.
She walked Thunder down through a copse of trees, and along a deer path. The trees pressed close on either side of her and the thick canopy overhead blotted out the oncoming morning sun, cloaking the path in shadows and holding in the cool air.
Above her, birds and squirrels flitted from branch to branch, chittering and calling to one another as the natural world continued to come alive. In a small clearing, she slipped down from Thunder’s back and took him by the reins, leading him along the deer path.
The ground beneath her feet was soft and spongy and the air was redolent with an earthy, musky aroma. She inhaled deeply, savoring the rich scents surrounding her. She and Thunder walked down a slight embankment and she dropped the reins, letting the big stallion take some water from the large stream that ran through Richard’s land.
Adeline dropped down onto a soft patch of grass and laid on her back. She stared up at the sky, watching as fluffy clouds drifted high overhead, reflecting the oranges and golds of the sun that had crested the far horizon. Thunder whickered and started to feed on some of the bushes that ran along the side of the stream as Adeline enjoyed the morning and let her mind wander.
“You know, if I were some bad, unscrupulous type, you’d be a sitting duck.”
Startled by the sound of his voice, Adeline was on her feet in the blink of an eye. In one swift motion, she produced a pistol from the folds of her skirt and drew a bead on the man. Ernest stood in her sightline, his hands up in surrender, a wide grin on his face. Adeline blew out a loud breath, her heart hamm
ering in her chest, and lowered the pistol.
“Ernest!” she gasped. “Of all the stupid stunts you could have pulled…”
Her voice fell away as she drew in a deep, steadying breath and let it out slowly, doing her best to calm herself down. She looked up at him, flustered and terrified.
“Do you know how close you came to having an unnecessary hole in your head?” she asked.
He scratched at the stubble on his chin, making a dry, scratchy sound and kept on grinning at her as Adeline cursed at him under her breath.
“I’d say pretty darn close.”
“You seem awfully casual about it.”
He shrugged as if unconcerned by the whole. “The Comanche believe that when it’s your time to go, nothing will prevent it,” he said. “The fact that you didn’t pull the trigger tells me it wasn’t my time to go.”
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 10