by Rosie Harper
Mariette ruminated on the events of the last few weeks. It seemed that something had changed her. She had watched, sadly, as her ex-fiancé had poisoned his body with too much alcohol, and the diseases that ran rampant through the brothels across the nation. His gambling with his very life had broken her heart, and she had been forced to leave him some time ago now. But his folly in advertising for a mail order bride had unwittingly brought him back into her life, as he managed to gamble away his ranch and scare poor Melissa Green, as she was now, half to death.
When she thought of the kind, and loving man he had once been she could hardly believe he could have become a creature so unrecognizable as the one who had threatened to take all their lives. That final few months on her claim, she had unwittingly revealed her secret to him. But she had known he would not ever tell a soul. Their love had been passionate, and thankfully gone unobserved by their contemporaries out on the claims, but at the end of the season they had both decided enough was enough. Now was the time to marry, to settle down.
They had picked Stephenville together, and Bartlett had bought his ranch and she her little house in town. They would do their best to make their courtship appear to be respectable, but they could hardly bear to be parted. At least until Bartlett had decided he needed to go and visit his ‘sister’. He had told her long ago that he had no family, so she had followed him. Knowing what she did now, she was so glad she had. As poor Bartlett had disappeared over the past years into a disease addled, angry and unhappy man. She had made a lucky escape.
But she still wanted the home and family that being with him had promised, and she had decided that as time was marching on, and that she was more than happy to bear any scandal, that it was time for her to have that family – whether or not she had the husband to provide for them. She had no need of a man to support her financially, was set more than comfortably for the rest of her life. And, knowing that many men were just like Bartlett - that they liked their drink, the card tables and prostitutes too well out here – she decided that she was probably better off without a husband to hold her back. She needed a man for just one thing, and Hardy Williams would do nicely.
His knock on the door suddenly made Mariette feel a little guilty for duping him, for getting him here under false pretences. But the feeling passed as soon as he walked through the door. In Elliot’s smartest suit Hardy was magnificent. His hair was just a little too long, curling up from the perfectly starched collar at his nape. His hair was a sandy brown, with sun-kissed highlights of blonde streaking through its wavy lengths. He had broad shoulders, slim hips and long legs. She smiled when she saw the only flaw in his appearance, the trouser legs were just a little too short, and she could see his boots right up to his mid calf. They were well worn, but had clearly been well made too, with solid soles an elegantly tooled pattern of wheat on the sides. “Evening Ma’am,” he grinned at her sheepishly, looking around at the fancy dining room. “I’ve never been anywhere so clean and nice before. Thank you for invi…” he tailed off, seeing just the two place settings. “I’m sorry, could your other guests not make it?”
“Not at all. I have a confession to make. There never were any other guests. I just wanted to get you to myself. I hope you won’t think me too bold,” she said forthrightly. She would not act the coquette, or tease and flirt with him. She despised women who played games.
“Well, I’m mighty flattered, but are you sure that this is right? Back home we don’t tend to get to spend time alone with a beautiful woman until we’ve put a ring on her finger,” he joked. Mariette laughed.
“We play by our own rules out here Hardy, at least I do anyway. You’ll learn that if you stick around. Now, I am sure you must be hungry. I have never met a man who isn’t. Would you like to take a seat and then as we eat the delicious chowder my cook has prepared for us you can tell me all about your life back East.”
A neatly dressed maid appeared in the doorway with a large tureen. “Thank you Katie,” Mariette said. “You can just leave it, I shall serve. I’ll ring for you when we are ready for the beef.” Katie nodded and disappeared quickly, a sly grin on her young face. Mariette knew her assignation with the handsome stranger would be all round town by the morning. She strangely did not care. She had the gall to brazen out any gossip, and it would all be so much worse if she got what she truly wanted out of the evening in just nine short months time.
She filled their glasses with wine, and ladled the thick soup into bowls. Hardy ate hungrily, but didn’t slurp or spill a drop. He used his cutlery as if he had been brought up in high society, not on a small farm. She admired him, and that his parents had set standards they had expected him to adhere to. “So, you lived on a farm?” she asked as they came to the end of the course.
“Yes, my Father was a wonder. He got our fields to yield twice that of many of the others locally. He always said it was about the way you cared for your soil. He never overplanted, always nurtured it with manure and let every field have one year fallow in three. Swore that was the way to do it.”
“He sounds like he marched to his own tune,” Mariette said admiringly. She knew that many farmers were beginning to abandon the old ways, were overplanting and not resting their fields as they should. She could see only trouble lay ahead in the desperate grab for profits at the cost of the earth that provided such bounty.
“He did that. I’m guessing you do too Miss Mariette,” Hardy said with a lopsided grin. “I’ve never met anyone quite like you.”
“Nor will you ever again I’d imagine. It can be difficult being a woman my size when the world tells us that to be feminine is to be petite, delicate and pretty.” She had no rancour about this fact. It was what it was.
“I think pretty is often too highly over-rated. I much prefer a woman who knows her mind,” he teased.
Mariette was flattered, there was definitely a flirtatious look in his sharp eyes. She could see his genuine attraction to her there. “Shall I call for the beef?” she asked him with an impish grin.
“I thought you had already had it served up on a platter!” She laughed, and enjoyed watching him as he did the same. He laughed with his entire body, and it was a deep and booming sound. She was so pleased he had taken it so well. So many men would have been intimidated by such a forward woman. He seemed to be enchanted by her.
“Indeed, so I suppose I had better make sure you have your strength for whatever other evil machinations I may have in store for you,” she giggled.
“Now that sounds most intriguing. Will I hate myself in the morning?”
“Quite possibly, but I’m sure you’ll get over it quickly.”
The rest of the meal passed in a moment. They laughed, teased, talked of their lives, their hopes, flirted and were downright blatant about their attraction to one another. When they retired to the warm and cosy library for the delicious Irish whiskey Mariette had purchased from the Saloon earlier that day they both knew where the evening would inevitably end. Mariette curled up in front of the fire on the rug. She loved to sit on the thick sheepskin. It was so luxuriantly soft, and having the warmth of the golden flames lick over her skin she could spend hours just gazing into the flickering glow. Hardy sat down beside her, and she shivered at the light touch of his hand on her thigh.
“You are a very beautiful woman Mariette,” he said gazing at her hungrily. She sighed heavily, and leant in to kiss him on his perfect mouth. He parted his lips willingly, and kissed her passionately as his hand moved to her throat, winding gently into her long hair. He trailed kisses down her jaw, her neck and nibbled on her earlobe tenderly. She found the sound of his breath intoxicating as it came deeper, slower and caught slightly as she moved her hands to his tautly muscled chest. She ran her fingers over his flat stomach, and pulled his shirt from his pants impatiently. Soon she felt his skin, silky and soft as her fingertips played across the ridges and contours of his torso.
He tenderly pushed her down onto her side, and dipped his head to kiss her a
gain. He trailed his fingers across the perfectly exposed orbs of creamy flesh that escaped her corsets in a flattering and beguiling way. Shifting slightly, he began to slowly undo the tiny pearl buttons of her dress, and then with tantalisingly deft movements had her unlaced from her stays. Her heavy breasts spilled from their prison, and she took a deep breath. He kissed the red, angry lines from the whalebone and began to trail a lazy circle with his fingers. It started at her collarbone, dipping between her breasts, and around in ever decreasing spirals until she was gasping with desire.
In response he dipped his head and took her nipples in his mouth and suckled gently. Mariette could feel a warmth between her thighs and was powerless to stop herself from straining towards him. She wanted him so badly. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it aside, gazing at the tight hair on his chest that thinned to a dark line that dissected his abdomen. She followed the trail with her finger, watching his face all the while. As she ripped at his fly and pulled his pants down, she gasped at the sheer perfection of his manhood. It was eager and straining for her touch, and she ran her perfectly manicured finger down its length.
“Mariette, stop!” he cried.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “What if I just did this instead?” She grasped him firmly, and began to ease her hand up and down. He groaned and tried to fumble at her skirts, but the pleasure was clearly too intense. He closed his eyes and lay back as she brought him pleasure. When she was ready, she quickly pulled off her skirts and under garments and straddled him shamelessly. He may be the one about to become a cowboy, but tonight she would ride him until he gave her everything she wanted.
Chapter Three
Hardy couldn’t remember a morning when he had felt so wondrously alive, with so little sleep. He whistled contentedly as he strolled through the silent streets, back to the Saloon. It was still dark, the sun would not come up for another hour or so, but Mariette did not want him to be seen leaving once it was high in the sky. He didn’t want her to end up embroiled in gossip, she had to live here after all, but he had made sure that she knew it had been the most wondrous night of his life.
He snuck into the Saloon, glad that there seemed to be nobody around. His bed looked inviting, but he wanted to get out to the Greive place as early as he could, to try and find Caleb Green. He prayed that the man would be able to find him some work. He’d do anything, well almost, to stay here and be able to court Miss Mariette Macardle openly. Though, he had the strangest feeling that as she had kissed him goodbye, that had been exactly what she meant. Something about her eyes, her words had seemed so final. He recalled his flippant comment about whether he would respect himself in the morning, and her cheeky reply and wondered if she had known all along that she intended to use him.
He knew he should feel used if that were the case, but he couldn’t help but admire her. Men had been doing the same thing to women for centuries, maybe it was about time women got their fair share of being able to take their pleasures where they wanted. He didn’t mind if that was all he was to her, but he couldn’t help but hope that if he stayed she may just want to use and abuse him for his body on a more regular basis!
Blaze nickered and pranced a little as they headed out of the stable, the sun was rising and the horizon was a blaze of reds, and pinks, oranges and golds. It was breathtaking, and he sat for a moment just enjoying it, before he clicked to his horse, squeezed his heels and they shot off in the direction Mariette had told him he might find the Greive ranch. He was impressed as he pulled up outside the smart ranch house, the yard was tidy though a few fences could use a little attention. Caleb Green must be doing well for himself.
A lovely young woman, with long blonde hair was out on the porch carrying a pail of water. He rushed to assist her. “Good morning Ma’am,” he said, whipping off his hat and giving her a little bow. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he added as he took in the shock in her vivid blue eyes. “I’m here to see Caleb Green, Mariette Macardle sent me, said he may have some work for me. Am I being presumptuous that you are maybe Mrs Green? May I help you with that?”
“I am indeed, and yes you may,” she said with a smile. “Any friend of Mariette’s is welcome in our home. Come on in.” She said and ushered him through the screen door.
“I understand congratulations are in order?” Hardy said as he ducked his head to get through the door. She chuckled at him.
“Indeed, some honeymoon – two nights and one day!”
“Your husband is a very lucky man. I’m Hardy by the way, Hardy Williams.”
“Melissa Halda… no sorry Green. I will get used to it eventually.”
“You’d better,” a playful voice growled from the stairwell. “Caleb Green,” the man said as he appeared from the shadows, his hand outstretched. Hardy shook it firmly. “I don’t know woman, we’ve only been married a day and you already have another man with his feet under the kitchen table!” He moved to his wife’s side, pulled her close to him and kissed her as if they were alone. Hardy looked away, a little embarrassed but it pleased him to see a couple so clearly in love. He wished them well.
“Mr Williams is looking for work. Mariette sent him up to us,” Melissa said as she made her husband sit and poured him coffee. “Do sit.” She indicated the chair opposite her husband’s and Hardy did as he was told. “Have you eaten?” He shook his head. She quickly served them both up a full plate of bacon and eggs, grits and kept the hot, strong coffee coming. Caleb ate quickly, kept his eye on Hardy the entire time.
“Have you done any ranching before?” he asked finally as he put down his knife and fork.
“None, but I’m strong – grew up on a farm back East. We grew grain crops mostly, but some vegetables too. I learn fast.”
“D’you ride?”
“I can hold my own.”
“D’you mind spending weeks in the saddle, wet, cold?”
“Have done a fair bit of it the past few months trying to find work, wouldn’t say as I like it, but I can do it,” Hardy admitted wryly.
“No, doubt any man does really. How about being up all night with a cow delivering a breach calf?”
“We had two milk cows ourselves. I know what’s entailed. I care about animals, will take care of yours well. Show me the ropes I’ll be the best damn cowboy you can imagine. Especially the ropes,” he said with a chuckle.
“The lasso not your thing my friend?” Caleb looked at him through narrowed eyes. “You’ll need to get to grips with that.”
“You can teach him Caleb, stope teasing the man,” Melissa interjected. “You and I both know that the fact Mariette sent him up here that you’ll be taking him on. Now, git the pair of you and do some work before I have to clout you round the ear, new husband or no!” Caleb stood and took her in his arms, kissed her soundly.
“And it begins, eh Hardy? Get a ring on their finger and the sweet girl you once knew turns into a harridan,” he winked at Hardy and Melissa swiped at him affectionately.
“Go on, get out of my kitchen. Even if you don’t have work to do, I certainly do,” she said firmly.
When Hardy returned to the Saloon that night he was exhausted. Caleb worked hard. He’d just taken over the Greive place, which lay next to his own. His herds showed the difference in care. Caleb’s cattle were plump and content. The others skinny and skittish. Caleb had decided that the best thing to do was to bring them in to the barns and the fields directly around the farm so he could monitor them until he felt they were healthy enough to return. It had been a baptism of fire for Hardy as he learnt to separate out a herd, and the importance of recognizing signs of more concern. Those Caleb was most worried about were now in his barns, and his new boss had been patient and knowledgeable about explaining his reasons for why each animal had been put where.
A note stood on the washstand. He picked it up and smiled. Suddenly he felt his energy return. Miss Mariette wanted to see him, if he was still in town. He knew it would probably be better for them both if he didn�
�t go – after all he wasn’t sure just how long he could be of any use in his new job if he was constantly exhausted from lack of sleep. But he was also concerned that the clearly affluent Marriette not have her reputation besmirched. He knew he could never dream of offering for her, he had nothing to offer and was a mere ranch hand, but he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt for her.
He washed quickly, and waiting until it was full dark slipped over to her place, sneaking in through the back door. She was lying in front of the fire again, had a picnic supper laid out for him. “I thought we could enjoy being a little less formal,” she said in her rich butterscotch voice.
“You have such wonderful ideas,” he admitted as he sank down beside her. She handed him a glass of rich, red claret. He drank deeply and began to tuck in to the delicious spread of fesh bread, cheeses and cold meats.
“So, how did it go with Caleb?”
“He put me through my paces that is for sure, but he’s fair. A good man.”
“He is definitely that. Did he say if he’d take you on permanently?”
“No, but he did tell me to be back tomorrow. I’m hopeful he’ll see I’m useful to have around,” he said as he took a chunk of cheese and held it up to her lips. “This is delicious.” She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully.
“Strange it tastes different tonight, better somehow. Maybe I don’t pay enough attention to my food normally,” she said as she fed him a pickle. He crunched down on it, and noted what she said was true. Somehow it tasted sharper, more flavoursome. They experimented, feeding each other tidbits of every food. It was fun and enlightening and the sensuousness of it made the atmosphere charged with erotic tension. Eventually Hardy could take no more, and picked Mariette up and swept her up to her bed chamber. “Well, I knew you were all man,” she teased. “But now I have definitive proof. I don’t think there are many men who would ever be brave enough, or strong enough to lift me so effortlessly.”