It’s not his fault. God knows he’s trying to woo me, but it’s not my fault that I have no romantic feeling for him either. The heart wants what the heart wants – and my heart holds no desire for Richard.
Richard sat down with a groan and a long sigh. Adeline heard his knees cracking with the effort. She reached over and poured out a second glass of iced tea for him. Richard gave her a smile as he picked up his glass and took a long swallow.
“Thank you,” he said. “That was very kind.”
Adeline smiled. “Oh, it was Tillie who did the hard work.”
He smiled again and swallowed down the last of his tea. She refilled it for him and he nodded gratefully as he leaned back in the rocking chair. Still holding onto his glass as he looked out across his land, a contented, almost smug smile on his face. To Adeline, he looked like a man who had everything in the world he wanted.
“Are you enjoying your book?”
Adeline nodded. “I am thank you.”
“Is that one from my shelves or one you brought with you?”
Richard had an impressive library in his house but Adeline knew it was just for show. Richard was a smart man but he was most definitely not a reader – she’d never seen him with a book in his hand in the time she’d been there. Adeline knew reading wasn’t for everybody but it was just one more thing that made them incompatible in her view.
“No, it was actually a suggestion from Ernest,” she admitted. “He loaned me his copy.”
An inscrutable expression crossed his face but he quickly controlled it and smoothed out his features.
“That was generous of him,” Richard noted.
“He’s a kind man,” Adeline replied and then timidly added, “Have you heard word of his condition? Is he alright?”
“I have not asked after him today but the last I heard, he was on the mend,” Richard said, his voice slightly cold. “The doctor said he should recover.”
“That’s good,” Adeline said. “It pleases me to hear that.”
“You two have grown close,” Richard stated – not a question.
“He’s been kind,” she replied. “He sometime looks in on Tillie and me when you’re away.”
A brief flash of anger crossed his face but he looked away. Adeline knew that mentioning Ernest upset Richard. She was not certain that Richard knew she had feelings for his neighbor but she thought he suspected it. He just could not prove it and judging by his reluctance, did not want to accuse her of anything improper. She looked away, feeling shame flowing through her.
My feelings for Ernest are anything but proper right now.
Adeline had no wish to hurt Richard or make him feel bad but she could not deny her feelings. She could not deny her heart.
Since I don’t want to lie to him, the best thing I can do is to stop speaking about Ernest to Richard.
“I thought I overheard you telling Tillie that you had business and would be leaving again?” she asked, desperate to change the subject.
He nodded and took a sip of his tea. “I’m afraid I must,” he confirmed. “I must return to San Antonio. I should only be gone a week or so.”
“Oh, I thought you’d concluded your affairs there.”
He shrugged. “In a business such as mine, unexpected situations arise that must be dealt with.”
A small thrill of excitement stole through her as she thought about being free to do as she wished again – and her mind was immediately consumed by thoughts of Ernest. She knew having those thoughts was wicked but she felt powerless to stop them.
Maybe I am wicked after all. I like to think I’m not but maybe I am.
“And what is your business, Richard?” she asked. “I don’t know what it is you do.”
He laughed softly. “Mercantile stores mostly,” he explained. “I have several located across Texas. But I have other investment interests that take up much of my time.”
He seemed hesitant to expound upon his statement so Adeline let it drop. Richard always seemed reluctant to discuss his business and routinely deflected when asked about it. Suffice it to say, it made Adeline curious but she didn’t want to anger him by pressing so she left it alone.
“Hey, what do you say we ride into town today?” he asked brightly. “Have a little fun b’fore I head out tomorrow?”
Adeline smiled and immediately started to think up reasons to beg off. Richard though, looked at her with shining eyes and a smile on his face. He looked at her hopefully, like it would make him the happiest man on Earth to escort her into town.
“Y’know, Mr. Swenson usually has a decent collection of books in his store. It’s where I usually get mine,” Richard goes on. “We could stop by and see what he’s got in stock today.”
He is certainly trying very hard to make me happy and it makes me feel awful that he can’t.
Adeline took a long swallow of her tea then closed her book, setting it down on the table beside her chair. She looked over at him and gave him a smile she hoped looked more real than it felt.
“I’d be happy to accompany you,” she said, earning her a big smile from Richard.
Chapter Eighteen
The ride into town was fairly quiet but not unpleasant. Richard had tried to make conversation but Adeline did not have much to say. It wasn’t that she wanted to seem cold or distant, it was just that the two of them had little in common. Their interests were not aligned in the least so when Richard raised a topic of conversation, it was usually something Adeline had little practical knowledge about – or interest in.
Adeline followed Richard to a stable where he flipped the kid attending the horses a few coins to water and brush them down. He offered her his arm and after a moment of reluctance, Adeline took it and together, they walked down the wooden planks that ran the length of the main street through town.
The main street that sliced through the middle of Talon Peaks reminded her a lot of home. There was a saloon and gambling hall, a mercantile, there was a couple of restaurants, and assorted other shops. There were also half a dozen other buildings currently under construction, the raised voices of the workers and the constant crack-crack-crack of hammers filling the air around them. Although all the storefronts were different than the ones back home, Adeline still felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her.
It’s the differences that make me miss home all the more – I miss the things I’m familiar with.
The air was dry and dusty, and the sound of wagons creaking as they rumbled echoed up and down the street.
“Talon Peaks is growing by the day,” Richard stated with obvious satisfaction in his voice.
“I must admit, I am surprised you don’t have a mercantile of your own here,” Adeline noted.
“Talon Peaks hasn’t been big or busy enough to justify the expense associated with opening one,” he admitted. “But if we keep growing at this rate, it won’t be long before it would be a profitable venture.”
“So that’s the only reason you’d open a mercantile here?” Adeline asked. “If it was a profitable venture?”
He looked over at her, a small grin on his face. “What other reason would there be?”
Adeline shrugged. “My father believes that investing in your town and helping it grow is good for everybody involved.”
Like a bolt of lightning out in the middle of the desert, Adeline saw a flash of irritation cross his face – bright and intense for a moment and then gone like it had never been.
“Well, your father and I have different approaches to investment,” Richard said, his tone slightly colder. “I respect the way your father does business, but we conduct our affairs differently.”
Adeline nodded. “I understand, but just from a community standpoint, don’t you think that investing in your hometown –”
Richard laughed softly. “You’ve got a lot of your father in you,” he said. “This is a debate we’ve had many times. We just have a difference in business philosophy is all.”
He said it with a
tone of finality that told Adeline he wasn’t interested in discussing it further. She fell silent as she walked beside him. This was another reason they had so little to talk about – there were very clearly topics of conversation that were off limits. There were parts of Richard’s life that he would not share with her. It was one, among myriad of other reasons, that she couldn’t marry Richard. The man Adeline wanted to pledge her life to needed to be open and honest with her. She didn’t want secrets or areas of their lives they kept from one another.
I refuse to live that way.
Adeline gave him a smile and followed him into one of the restaurants. Richard held a chair out for her and she sat down with a murmured word of thanks. He took his seat as a woman in a shapeless gray dress arrived and filled their glasses of water. Richard looked up and favored her with a smile.
“Good day Margaret,” he greeted her. “We thought we’d have an early supper.”
“Very good sir,” Margaret replied.
“We’ll start with the mutton stew,” he ordered. “And for our main course, we’d like the roasted venison with potatoes and the sugar crusted carrots. Also, two glasses of your finest red wine please.”
“Very good, Mr. Arnolds.”
Margaret, a no-nonsense sort of woman obviously, gave them both a nod before turning and leaving the table. Adeline bristled but said nothing. She took a drink to hide the look of irritation she felt on her face. Adeline was a woman with her own mind and was well capable of ordering for herself.
As if I don’t have my own tastes. I don’t even like venison.
But she bit it all back. Richard was trying to do something kind for her and obviously had his own way of doing things. She was his guest and didn’t want to be rude or off-putting in any way. Her father would have her hide if she caused offense.
Richard talked about this and that over their meal and Adeline did her best to seem interested and engaged with the conversation. If Richard noticed anything amiss, he didn’t say anything about it.
Chances are, he does not notice a thing. Richard is a man who likes to hear himself speak – regardless of whether somebody is listening or not.
After supper, Adeline again took his arm and allowed Richard to escort her down to the mercantile where Mr. Fromme allowed her to peruse the collection of books he was keeping in his back room. Richard gave the books a cursory look before he stepped back out into the shop to chat up Mr. Fromme.
Adeline thought it was a nice collection but she either owned or had read most of the titles in the room. But not wanting to be rude, she picked up a couple of books whose authors she didn’t recognize and flipped through them. Although they did not grab her attention, Adeline carried them with her, intending to purchase them. She felt obligated more than anything.
As she took a look at several more titles, Adeline heard the bells above the door jingle, which was quickly followed by the sound of Sheriff Stephens’ voice. She stepped out of the back room and saw the three men standing at the front counter of Mr. Fromme’s shop, their heads close together, speaking in low tones.
When Adeline approached, the men stood up, each of them looking abashed. Sheriff Stephens tipped his hat to her.
“Afternoon, Miss Adeline,” he said and cleared his throat.
Adeline looked at each of them in turn, curious about what had been commanding their attention. And why they felt the need to not only speak of it in hushed tones, but to cut off all conversation when she stepped over to them.
“What were you gentlemen discussing so quietly?” she asked.
The Sheriff exchanged looks with Richard and then lowered his eyes, sending a bolt of anger surging through her. She pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips, glaring at the three men before her.
It’s as if the good Sheriff thinks he needs to ask for Richard’s approval to answer my question. The nerve!
“I am a grown woman, Sheriff Stephens,” she stated. “You don’t need to check with Mr. Arnolds to speak with me.”
“It’s nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about darlin’,” Richard said, further antagonizing Adeline.
“I mean no offense,” Adeline stared hard at Richard. “But please do not condescend to me.”
“I beg your forgiveness,” Richard replied. “I merely wished to protect you from some of the uglier things in this town.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I do not need to be protected,” she continued, her impatience with being treated like a child boiling over. “As I mentioned, I am a grown woman.”
“You’re right of course,” Richard said, sounding less contrite than irritated by her outburst. “I apologize.”
Adeline turned to the Sheriff who gave her a small smile. “It seems that a convicted murderer has escaped from prison,” he told her. “And I’ve gotten word this morning that he’s been seen in the area.”
“Are we in danger, Sheriff?” Adeline asked as thoughts immediately started to fire through her mind – and not thoughts of being killed.
If I am no safer from criminals here in Talon Peaks than I am back in Frailburg, then why am I staying here any longer? I might as well pack my things and go home.
As those thoughts crossed her mind though, she immediately thought about Ernest. Going home would mean losing him forever since there was no chance he was going to leave Talon Peaks. And she did not think she could make a home here with him. Especially not with Richard living on the next plot of land over.
“Sheriff Stephens thinks this man may have had something to do with what happened to Ernest,” Richard said.
“I’m not sure about that,” Sheriff Stephens added. “I said it’s a possibility.”
“Why would this man wish to harm Ernest?” Adeline asked.
The Sheriff shook his head. “I wouldn’t know. And again, I only said it’s a possibility,” Stephens added.“I didn’t say that was definitely what happened. Let’s not go puttin’ a scare into Miss Adeline where it’s not warranted.”
“A – and how is he? Ernest?” Adeline asked. “I know you two are close.”
Stephens nodded. “Aye. Saw him this mornin’ and he’s on the mend,” the Sheriff said. “It’ll take more than a fall from a horse to put that tough ol’ bird down.”
“That is good,” she murmured. “I am pleased to hear that.”
Adeline saw the same flash of irritation on Richard’s face he always got when Ernest’s name was brought up. Only this time, it lingered a bit longer than usual. Adeline knew the more often she mentioned him, the more Richard disliked it but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
The heart is a fickle yet commanding thing and I can’t help the way I feel about Ernest anymore than I can help the way I do not feel for Richard.
“Well, if y’all see anybody strange lurking about out your way, be sure to let me know,” Sheriff Stephens said. “You don’t want to tangle with this man on your own.”
“Will do, Sheriff,” Richard said. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we should probably be gettin’ on home.”
Chapter Nineteen
Adeline gave Richard a wave as he and his men rode off into the early morning light. She took a long breath, savoring the crisp morning air and reveled in the feeling of the cool stillness of the dawn. With a small smile on her face, she closed the door and padded into the kitchen.
“Mornin’ Tillie,” she beamed.
“Mornin’ Adeline,” she smiled back. “Coffee’s on the stove.”
“You are kindness incarnate, Tillie.”
“Goin’ out for a ride today?” Tillie asked from her spot at the stove.
“I am,” Adeline said. “It feels like it’s going to be a beautiful day out there.”
“Sure does,” Tillie confirmed. “Days are startin’ to get cooler. Won’t be long before we get some rain.”
“That will be lovely.”
After a hearty breakfast, Adeline had Sonny saddle Thunder up and she headed out. She took her time, enjoying the fe
el of the cool morning air on her skin. She fell into the steady rhythm of the horse’s movements, relishing the feel of Thunder’s muscles rippling beneath his skin. He whickered and neighed – noises Adeline thought sounded particularly joyous.
“You enjoy these morning rides as much as I do, don’t you, boy?”
Thunder tossed his head and whickered again, which Adeline took to be the big stallion agreeing with her. As she walked Thunder along the fence line, she saw Ernest’s form in the distance. He looked to be about where they’d found him the other day. Getting Thunder up to a quick trot, she found her way onto Ernest’s property and headed in his direction.
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 14