Hesitantly, Daisy forced her feet, clad in the sparkling slippers, to move across the floor, following her father to the spot. Only all she could do was stare at the gifts, not wanting to spoil the beauty of them. Slowly, she reached out her hand to touch one.
“I hate to ruin them,” she mumbled. “They look so nice just the way they are.”
“But you must see what is inside,” her mother said as she came to Daisy’s side. “There is one for every birthday and every Christmas you were gone. We have them placed in order of each year you were away.” She picked up one wrapped box and handed it to Daisy. “This was the first one we got for you,” she informed her daughter. “Go ahead. We are all waiting to see how you like your presents.”
Daisy shrugged and then reluctantly pulled the end of the bow decorating the gift. The ribbon fluttered to the floor and fell limp at Daisy’s feet. It made her feel sad, like something was dying inside of her. Maybe it was that small child who never received the gift so many years ago, who was now dead, she thought to herself. She certainly did not feel like that child now. Or maybe it was the Indian part of her that would have to be buried inside of her. She didn’t know which.
There was no feeling of excitement, wondering what was inside the box. Only dread that she would disappoint her mother once again when she didn’t respond as expected. Her head bent over the box, as the lid was lifted, and a slight smile touched her lips.
Inside was a stuffed dog, which reminded her of Rags, and she let out a small whimper, as she hugged the toy to her chest. “It is just what I would have wanted back then,” Daisy breathed as a tear slid down her cheek, remembering how when she was young, her gift had been a live dog to keep her company all those years ago.
Rebeca clapped her hands, delighted that the gift touched Daisy so. “Now for the next one,” she gushed with excitement. Feeling pleased that she was making her mother happy, Daisy pretended to act like the child that would have opened those gifts, had she been there when they were first purchased. Perhaps it was a way to erase all those lonely years when Rebeca worried that her daughter was dead. Daisy smiled happily, as she continued to open the gifts, more to please her mother than to discover their contents herself.
Each gift graduated to something an older Daisy might enjoy. There were dolls, books, which she couldn’t even read she thought sadly, jewelry, a snow globe, which amazed her because she had never seen anything like it before. Daisy kept shaking it to watch the snow settle over the miniature scene inside, until her mother nudged her to encourage her to open the next gift. She had received music boxes, little bottles of perfume, lace collars for her dresses, a little miniature tea set, a doll house, little figurines, and so much more. Each new gift continued to amaze her as she opened it, while those watching cheered as she responded to the presents.
Daisy found herself wondering what her parents would have done with all those gifts, had she never been found. Would they have kept on adding to them until her room was filled with gifts she may have never gotten the chance to see? She was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the implication of what buying those gifts every year, meant to her parents.
Once all the gifts were opened and viewed by the guests, the litter of paper was cleared away. Daisy watched as the beautiful wrappings were now treated as trash, to be discarded and probably burned. The thought saddened her, wishing she could preserve their beauty, or save the paper to be used for something else. She remembered how everything in the Sioux village was preserved to be used for one thing or another, never letting anything go to waste.
She didn’t have time to worry about it, though, because her father was taking her hand. “I request the pleasure of your first dance,” he whispered, and signaled to the orchestra to begin to play. Daisy was twirled into the dance, and she was grateful for Madison’s lessons, so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself by missing the steps.
Then Blake was handing her off to Madison for the next dance. She looked up at his smiling face and tried to smile back.
“Don’t be so nervous,” Madison whispered. “You are doing wonderfully. You look stunning, and your dancing is divine, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Except for having to turn down every man who fancies himself becoming my husband,” she murmured.
Madison gave her a wink. “I could resolve that problem for you,” he told her, gazing into the brightness of her blue eyes that were in such contrast to her dark hair.
“In what way?” Daisy asked. “You know my father won’t be satisfied until I have chosen a husband from this lot of men, most of whom I am sure you have produced for him.”
“It is true, I have recommended many close friends, who I thought might suit you, but if you refuse to accept any of them, perhaps you would accept me instead. I know you don’t wish to marry, but wouldn’t it be better to be stuck with someone you at least know, than some man you have never met? You know I would be understanding and treat you with the respect you deserve. I don’t care what happened to you in that Indian Village.”
“You merely want my money and the chance to run the hotel,” Daisy accused.
“Regardless. Whoever you marry would automatically gain that. Because I am already experienced in running the hotel, I would be your wisest choice. That way, you would be assured a profitable future financially since I already know the business. I would have to school whoever did gain your hand, in running the hotel, so why not just save me all the trouble? I hope you at least like me a little, don’t you?”
“You have been kind to me, except when you told your friend about me,” Daisy muttered.
“Which I deeply regret and beg your forgiveness.” Madison lowered his eyes, pleading with Daisy to overlook his digressions.
“It would eliminate having to go out with all the suiters you have furnished for me to choose from,” she smiled timidly. “It is just that I don’t wish to marry anyone.”
“We can put it off until you feel more comfortable about it. It doesn’t have to happen right away. As long as you are engaged, your parents will be happy. It is perfectly normal for a couple to be engaged for a year or more before they actually get married,” he explained. “That should give you plenty of time to get used to the idea.”
“If there is no way I can avoid my parents pushing me into becoming a wife, I suppose I have no other choice,” Daisy mumbled.
“I wish you were a little more excited about it than that,” Madison murmured. “Only as long as you agree to my proposal, it will make me happy.”
“Do I still have to dance with all the men here?” she asked, dreading the task.
“Not if you prefer not to. I can ask your father’s permission, and then he can announce that you have found your future husband. You may still have to dance with your guests to be polite, but you will not have to suffer with them believing they may be the lucky man to gain your hand in marriage.”
Daisy shrugged. “I am sure they will all feel disappointed, and believe they wasted their time coming to meet me,” she giggled.
“They will just have to understand. After all, it is your choice, not theirs. We already know most of the young men here are hoping to impress you enough to win you over, but they also know it is up to you to agree,” Madison smiled.
Gordon had suggested she choose someone she at least liked, she thought as she considered his suggestion. And she had to admit, until Madison had betrayed her trust, she had started enjoying his company. Besides, there were still things he needed to teach her. She had to continue her reading and writing lessons, and he had promised to teach her how to play the piano. As long as it kept everyone else at bay, it would suit her needs, she decided. If she hated the idea by the end of the year, perhaps she would return to the Sioux village after all. Talking Dog would most likely be with a wife by then, she hoped. However, so could Gray Wolf, she worried.
Daisy took in a deep breath, looking up into Madison’s eyes that appeared to be full of hope. “I suppose it would mak
e things simpler,” she murmured.
“I hope, eventually, you will grow to have feelings for me and not just believe our marriage will make your life simple,” he said in a low voice.
“I do like you,” she admitted. “Gordon told me if I was going to have to choose someone, I might as well choose someone I like.”
“Well, I suppose that is a start,” Madison said, trying to cheer himself up. “I more than like you.”
“And what I will bring to you, once my father retires,” Daisy reminded him.
“Even if you brought me nothing, I think I would more than like you,” Madison responded.
Daisy blinked. He was looking at her so softly that it seemed to touch her heart in a way she had not expected. “I will try hard to like you back, in the same way,” she promised.
“Then I suppose I can’t ask for much more,” Madison smiled. “I think I should go talk to your father, so maybe you should dance with Loran, I see him anxiously waiting for a turn,” he winked.
The music had come to an end, and Madison made sure he ended the dance in front of Loran, so he could hand Daisy over to him. “Take care of my girl for me,” Madison said to Loran. “She has agreed to become my wife.”
Loran’s eyebrows shot up, as he looked from one to the other. “I suppose you had the advantage over everyone else, since you have been her tutor since she arrived,” he said, sounding disappointed.
“Perhaps it was always meant to be,” Madison shot back. “I do know I can make her happy, and her father already likes me.”
“Yes, another advantage, since you work for him,” Loran grumbled.
“Well, we can’t all have her, and I am her best choice, so I will entrust her in your care while I speak to her father.”
“She will be safe with me,” Loran muttered, but his thoughts were troubled. Madison hadn’t even given her a chance to get to know anyone else before he tricked her into accepting him as her husband, he thought begrudgingly to himself. How did he know he was her best choice? Just because he thought so, did not make it so, Loran fumed. Maybe she would come to her senses and realize that she had more choices than just Madison, he brightened. After all, she had barely arrived. She shouldn’t have decided before anyone else had a chance to make friends with her.
Loran took Daisy into his arms. “I hope you have not made this choice with too much haste,” Loran murmured in her ear. “You haven’t even been here long enough to make any friends. How do you know Madison is the man you wish to marry?”
“I don’t wish to marry him,” Daisy admitted. “I only chose him so my father would leave me alone about becoming someone’s wife. I don’t wish to marry anyone. My heart is already captured by a Sioux Brave, only you know my father would never permit me to marry an Indian. Besides, he is back in his village, and I am here. If I agree to marry Madison, it will give me a year to figure out how to get out of the commitment.”
“And then what? Your father would just insist you choose someone else. You may be able to put it off for a year, but you can’t put it off forever!”
“If my father tries to force me to marry, I may just escape and go back to the Sioux village.”
“To marry your Indian brave?”
Daisy’s heart stilled. She didn’t even know if Gray Wolf actually loved her any longer, or if he even loved her at all? He hadn’t been willing to tell her before he left for the hunt. “I…I don’t know. I just can’t imagine myself loving anyone other than Gray Wolf.”
Loran smiled to himself. There was still a chance he could get her to change her mind about Madison. Even if he couldn’t, Madison had no better chance of becoming her husband than he had. It would serve him right for assuming he was her best choice, Loran chuckled under his breath, as he turned Daisy in dizzying circles about the dance floor, his heart lifting, and his spirits starting to cheer up. It would be interesting to discover what actually may happen between the two, he thought. Therefore, he would have to make sure he became one of Daisy’s close friends, if not the man she planned to marry.
The music was interrupted as Daisy’s father tapped the orchestra leader’s podium to silence the instruments and gain everyone’s attention.
“I have an announcement to make,” his voice boomed out as all eyes turned to him. “I know many young men here have come to meet my daughter in hopes of making a match with her. However, it has been brought to my attention that she has already made her choice for a husband. It is none other than my trusted assistant manager of my hotel, Madison Kane, whom I believe will make a perfect match for my daughter since I expect her future husband to take over my business when I retire.”
The noise in the ballroom lifted as some young men groaned and the women tittered to each other about the choice. Mr. Radford was searching the room until his eyes lit upon Daisy.
“Come up here, Daisy,” he encouraged, as Madison stepped up next to him.
Daisy felt her face flushing. She hadn’t thought about having to stand before her guests to confirm the announcement. She reluctantly came forth, as Loran led her to her father’s side.
“Be brave,” he whispered. “After all, you plan to get out of this arrangement eventually,” he winked.
Daisy wished herself back in the safety of the Indian village she was used to. No one would have made a big fuss about her agreeing to marry Gray Wolf. There would just be the presenting of horses to her father, and then preparations for the tying would begin. The room was filled with clapping, as Loran nudged her forward, giving her a reassuring smile, hoping she was being honest about not wanting to marry Madison.
However, there was still the task of winning her over himself and getting her to truly agree to marry him. He had to admit, Madison had the advantage because he would be there tutoring her every day. He knew that Daisy didn’t understand the seriousness of breaking an engagement. Only it didn’t dampen his hopes. Strange, that an Indian was the only thing keeping Daisy from Madison or himself, Loran thought absently. What did she ever see in such a heathen, he wondered?
Loran smiled at Madison as he took Daisy’s trembling hand in his, and pulled her close to him. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for Madison, knowing Daisy had only agreed so she wouldn’t have to deal with suiters, but perhaps Madison already knew that. He gave a slight shrug. A year wasn’t that long of a time to wait, he thought, for either him or Madison, he smiled to himself.
Madison took both of Daisy’s hands in his, pulling her closer to him as he looked down into her eyes. All he could see there was fright, which made a sad feeling well up in his chest. Apparently, she had little feelings for him, if any, even if she promised to try and match his own feelings. He would have to help her get over her fright he determined. She was actually like a little wild thing, having to be domesticated by her family and him so she would fit into society. He felt sorry for her, because it was her wild spirit he loved the most, and he hated to suppress it.
“It is with great honor that I accept the pleasure of Daisy choosing me to become her future husband,” Madison related to the crowd. “I promise to make her happy,” he continued, as he looked down at her. Only she could not bring herself to look into his eyes.
This was all wrong, she thought, wanting to pull her hands from Madison’s and flee the room. He was tricking her into becoming his wife. What if her father forced her to follow through with it, she worried? She would be betraying her love for Gray Wolf if she actually became Madison’s wife. The thought caused her heart to fall, but Gray Wolf was not here. She may never see him again, especially if she married Madison. It felt like the wind was being knocked out of her, and she tried to gain her breath. Now she wasn’t sure what she should do. She couldn’t wait to escape the watching eyes of all those upon her, but she had to remain and pretend to be happy, she thought. Her eyes went to Loran who was laughing behind his hand.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Why are you here?” Daisy asked, as she approached the stables and saw Davy holding the
reins to both his horse and hers. “Madison was supposed to meet me here to go riding with me this morning.”
“He has been detained, and he wants you to become better friends with me, so he suggested I go riding with you instead.”
“He knows I don’t trust you. Why would he suggest such a thing?”
“Because we will soon become brothers-in-law and he says that you and I need to start getting along or he will refuse to school me or talk to me if I don’t make friends with you.”
“That is the worst kind of friendship to have,” Daisy frowned. “We cannot become friends if your heart is not in it.”
“Before you came, Madison and I were good buddies. He always showed me interesting things. We went riding together, and he was teaching me father’s business. He spent a lot of time with me, taking me bird hunting and exploring the countryside. We used to camp out at the old farmhouse, where we lived before father built our new house. We still own the place and I thought I would show it to you. It is a little ways out of town, but I am sure you will enjoy the ride. We can take Lucky with us, and I had the cook pack us a lunch. Madison said he had planned to have a picnic with you, so I am to take his place, just like you have been taking my place with Madison ever since you got here.”
“I am sorry if I have disrupted your friendship. Madison did say he was good friends with you,” Daisy mumbled. “However, you were very mean to me on the first day I arrived, and you can’t blame me for not trusting you.”
“I’m not used to having a sister, just like you are not used to having a brother, or a white family instead of Indians being your family. You should have stayed with the Indians and then we would both be happy.”
“You may be right, but it is too late to do anything about it now,” Daisy pointed out.
“So now I am stuck with you as a sister, and then you will marry Madison and I won’t have him as a friend either, unless I make friends with you first, or you go back to the Indian village where you came from.”
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