She wondered how long Kane's father and Lucinda had been at Paraiso, but saw no way to ask them. She also wondered what Mr. Benedict thought of his granddaughter. She couldn't see how anyone could help loving Cimeron. Maleaha became aware that she was not eating, but instead was drawing patterns on the tablecloth with her fork. Glancing at Kane, she saw the smoldering anger in his eyes once more.
"My father has asked you a question, Maleaha," he said bitingly.
'”What…I am sorry, Mr. Benedict. What was it you said?" she asked, looking into the face that was so like her husband's.
' 'I merely asked where you acquired such a good cook. I have rarely if ever tasted a more tender and tasty roast.''
"Mrs. Higgens is originally from Virginia. She and her husband came to New Mexico after the war. She is now a widow, and I do not know what I would do without her."
Eli nodded and turned his attention to Lucinda. Maleaha knew he had only been making polite conversation, so she once more lapsed into silence, wishing the meal were over.
When at last they migrated into the parlor, Maleaha once more felt on the outside. Lucinda sat as close to Kane as she could manage without actually being in his lap, while Eli wandered about the room examining different objects.
Maleaha sat down in a chair nearest the huge fireplace and struggled to stay awake. She had ridden hard for three days and was bone weary. Staring into the fire, she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Her head fell back against the chair and she felt herself drifting off. She was awakened suddenly, when a log fell noisily from its perch, sending sparks into the room.
Maleaha sat up quickly, feeling guilty for having fallen asleep. To her relief no one seemed to have noticed that she had dozed off. She heard Kane's father speaking in a quiet voice.
"You should not have any trouble finding a buyer for this ranch. You don't belong here. Come home with me.
Maleaha bit her lip and stood up. "If the three of you will excuse me, I think I will retire. It has been rather a long day for me. It has been a pleasure meeting you,'' she said, doubting that any one of the three would mind if she were to go to bed.
Eli looked at her as if he were angry that she had interrupted his conversation, and Lucinda smiled slightly.
"We would not want to keep you from your bed. You must be bored to tears, listening to us reminisce about old times," Lucinda said sweetly. Only Maleaha seemed to be aware of the malicious glint in Lucinda's eyes. She knew at that moment that the battle lines had been drawn between them. How could she fight this woman whom Kane loved? And how could she win if she did fight her? The only thing she had to hold Kane with was their daughter. She was not even sure that Cimeron would hold Kane.
Turning to face her husband, Maleaha could not see what he was thinking.
"I will join you shortly," he told her.
As Maleaha undressed for bed, she felt as if her whole world had come tumbling down around her. Would Kane do as his father asked and sell Paraiso? Would he want to return to Boston? Would he expect her to go with him if he did? Perhaps he would want his freedom. He had already married her, thus giving Cimeron his name. Would he now feel free to set their marriage aside so he would be free to marry the woman he loved?
Maleaha slipped under the covers, feeling very wretched. She did not want to think about Kane's selling Paraiso. It was her home. They had worked so hard making it into a place they could be proud of.
Maleaha had been snubbed and cut to the quick that night. She had been forced to stand by while Lucinda had pawed her husband, and Kane's father had treated her as if she was of little worth. Not once had Kane come to her defense. She would not fight to hold on to him, she thought, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Should he ask it of her, she would give him his freedom.
She heard Kane enter the room and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. He did not light a lamp but proceeded to undress in the dark. She remembered the last night they had spent together and wondered if he would remember also. She felt the bed shift under his weight and then felt his hand on her shoulder.
"Maleaha."
She did not answer, hoping he would believe her asleep. She heard him sigh as his hand slipped to her waist, pulling her against his body. Her body melted against him, and she bit her trembling lip. She wanted him to make love to her and yet she was afraid that he would. Tense moments passed. When it became apparent that he did not want to make love to her, Maleaha hid her disappointment. Most probably he didn't want to make love to her with the woman he loved sleeping in the same house.
Kane had been asleep a long time before Maleaha fell into a troubled sleep.
The next morning Maleaha awoke early to find Kane still asleep beside her. He still had his arm about her waist, and she moved it over softly, not wanting to awaken him. In her usual quiet manner, she dressed and went silently into the nursery.
Cimeron was awake and clapped her hands delightedly when she saw her mother. With loving tenderness, Maleaha washed and dressed her daughter, then took her downstairs, wanting to spend as much time with her as she could, to make up for having been away from her for so long.
Mrs. Higgens smiled brightly as she removed a pan of golden-brown biscuits from the oven. "It's good to have you back with us, Mrs. Benedict. We have missed you around here."
"Thank you, Mrs. Higgens," Maleaha answered, thinking it was nice to know someone welcomed her home. "How long have my husband's father and Miss Blake been at Paraiso?"
"They arrived but yesterday. Rosita tells me that there is another woman with them. Were you aware of that?"
"No. Who is the other woman?"
"I am told that she is Miss Blake's aunt. She went directly to the bedroom after her arrival and has not shown her face since then. Rosita says she was ailing. I suppose some people have a hard time adapting to this climate."
"Perhaps you should prepare her a tray so she can eat in her room. I will look in on her later in the day," Maleaha said, lifting Cimeron above her head and being rewarded by a happy giggle.
Maleaha took the soft-boiled egg Mrs. Higgens had prepared for Cimeron and mashed it up. Blowing on it to help it cool, she began to feed her daughter. Cimeron began to wriggle, wanting to get down on the floor, and when Maleaha let her down, she crawled over to the box at the end of the stove, where Mrs. Higgens kept her cat. Maleaha sat down on the floor beside Cimeron, making sure she did not hurt the cat, and that the cat did not scratch her daughter.
She laughed as the fat tabby jumped into Cimeron's arms, then curled up contentedly and fell asleep, while Cimeron patted the cat softly.
"How long has this friendship been going on, Mrs. Higgens?" Maleaha wanted to know.
Mrs. Higgens was kneading dough for the loaves of bread she needed to bake, and she smiled down at Cimeron. ' 'The first morning after you had left, I brought Cimeron down here with me so she could play on the floor while I made breakfast for Mr. Benedict. She and Tabby have been friends ever since."
"I am sorry about the extra work you had to do while I was away. I am grateful for the good care you took of my daughter. I did not worry about her, knowing that you were caring for her.''
"I did not mind the work and I loved having Cimeron with me. She is such a good little girl and so pleasant to be around. I love the way Mr. Benedict dotes on his daughter. He is such a devoted father."
Maleaha removed the sleeping cat and replaced it in the box. She was determined to feed her daughter and take her for a walk before the others came downstairs. After Cimeron had eaten what Malaeha considered a substantial breakfast, she bundled her up in a warm coat and cap and walked outside with her.
Maleaha was halfway to the barn when she saw Kane's father walking toward her. Apparently he was an early riser, she thought, preparing herself for her encounter with him.
Eli Benedict stopped in front of Maleaha and looked not at her but at the child she held in her arms.
Eli frowned as he looked into the lovely face of the child. Her eyes we
re the same color as Kane's and she looked much as his son had looked as a baby.
Cimeron did the predictable thing and held her arms out for him to hold her. Maleaha held her breath, fearing Kane's father would reject his own granddaughter. She felt relief when he took Cimeron in his arms.
"She looks just as Kane did when he was an infant,"
Eli said in a voice filled with wonder. He touched her soft cheek and then her dark hair. "I suppose I haven't given her much thought since I arrived. What is her name?"
"Cimeron."
"Like the river?"
"No, it is a Jojoba name meaning beloved. It was my mother's name."
"The Jojoba tribe seems to have a flowery language," he said, looking at the face of the woman who had given him a granddaughter.
"Cimeron, this is your grandfather. Can you say grandfather?" Maleaha asked her daughter.
Cimeron made an attempt at the unfamiliar word, and Maleaha and Eli laughed as she patted Eli's face and planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
Maleaha could see the softening in Eli's gray eyes when he touched a strand of dark hair that was peeping out beneath the cap Cimeron wore.
"I believe this child is the most beautiful child I have ever seen."
"I think Cimeron would be pleased that she has met with her grandfather's approval."
"I'll be going in now," Eli said, handing Cimeron back to Maleaha.
"You will find Mrs. Higgens has your breakfast ready, should you wish to eat now."
He nodded stiffly and walked toward the house. Maleaha watched his retreating back and shrugged her shoulders. She then turned her back and continued her walk. She had no idea how Kane's father felt about his granddaughter, but she could feel his displeasure toward herself.
Kane found his father eating breakfast and sat down opposite him. "I trust you slept well, Eli?"
Eli bit into a flaky biscuit and swallowed it before he answered his son. "I slept well enough under the circumstances."
Kane took a sip of the coffee Mrs. Higgens had placed before him. "What circumstances, Eli?"
"I would like to talk some sense into your head. Why do you stay in this godforsaken place other than to thwart me?"
"You give yourself too much importance, Eli, if you think I built this ranch and work from sunup until sundown merely to get back at you," Kane said lazily.
Eli picked up his coffee cup and raised it to his lips, then placed it back on the table without taking a drink. "I saw your daughter this morning. She is a lovely child. Did you get her mother with child and then have to marry her?"
Kane's eyes narrowed. "If you will remember, I told you that I loved her. Didn't you believe me?"
"Lord yes, love her, she is a lovely creature. Lavish her with beautiful things. Take her to Boston with you and set her up in a house. Give her everything she desires, but dissolve this marriage, it is a farce. I can't tell you what went through my mind yesterday when she came in dressed like some wild Indian."
At that moment Maleaha paused outside the dining room door. She could hear Kane's father speak in anger.
"Hell, son, if you married her just to get back at me, you succeeded better than you might have hoped. This Indian girl is not the sort you marry. She is the kind you ask to become your mistress. Lucinda is the kind you marry!"
Maleaha was aware that Mrs. Higgens had come up behind her and had heard Mr. Benedict's angry words also. She quickly handed Cimeron to the housekeeper and ran out the door, but not before she saw the sadness in the eyes of the older woman. She had to get away. She would find somewhere where she could be alone to cry.
Mrs. Higgens stood outside the door listening to Kane's words to his father. "I told you, I love Maleaha. I did not have to marry her, as you put it. I told you we were married in the Indian village. We were also married by a priest. As I listened to you speak just now, I realize how much I was like you in the past. I remember the time I offered Maleaha just what you proposed I offer her. God, you make me sick. I warn you, I will not stand by and allow you to hurt her. If you cannot treat her with respect, I suggest you leave this house today."
"But she is half-Indian. ..."
"I don't think you have any idea how important Maleaha is."
"Important to whom, some obscure Indian tribe?"
"I believe you are acquainted with one Jonas Deveraux?" Kane said, laying a trap for his father.
"Of course I know Jonas. He is a wealthy rancher and as fine a gentleman as you will find anywhere. You cannot tell me that you have met him and he has approved of your marriage to the Indian girl," Eli said, walking into Kane's well-laid trap unawares.
Kane smiled. "He not only approves, he has welcomed me into his family with open arms."
"You aren't making any sense to me. What has Jonas Deveraux got to do with you and me?"
"He shares a common bond with you, Eli. Cimeron is not only your granddaughter, but his as well. Maleaha is Jonas's only child, born to him by a lovely Indian princess with the same name as my daughter,'' Kane told his father with satisfaction. He watched as his father's face lost its color. "I have never known you to be at a loss for words, Eli. Have I perhaps taken you by surprise?"
Eli shook his head. "I knew that Jonas had a daughter; he had talked to me about her on many occasions. I believe she was attending a finishing school in Boston."
"Yes, Maleaha spent two years in Boston. Don't you think she benefited by her education?"
Lucinda and her aunt chose that moment to enter the room, Lucinda in a bright yellow gown. She bent over Kane and kissed his cheek, while her aunt looked nervous and not at all well.
Mrs. Higgens came in bearing a tray filled with eggs, biscuits and bacon. She gave Lucinda a haughty glance, thinking that this young woman who put on such airs would cause Mrs. Benedict a lot of grief before she was done. Her heart went out to the kind, gentle mistress of the house. Mrs. Higgens had seen the pain in her eyes this morning as she had overheard her husband and his father discuss her. What a pity that Mrs. Benedict had rushed away before she had heard her husband defend her and declare his love for her.
"Where is my wife, Mrs. Higgens?" Kane asked.
"I'm sure I don't know," the older woman said, thinking most probably she was somewhere crying at that very moment.
"Your wife seems to have the habit of disappearing, Kane. One would think you cannot keep track of her," Lucinda told him.
Lucinda looked into Kane's storm-filled eyes and laughed at the scowl on his face. "My, my, I seem to have struck a nerve. You look positively fierce."
"Lucinda, I am sure you should not be saying those things to Mr. Benedict," her aunt told her.
"Pooh, Kane does not mind that I speak so openly to him, do you, Kane?"
Kane threw his napkin down and stood up abruptly. "I have things to attend to," he said sourly as he walked purposefully out of the dining room. He was not in the best of moods. He had not yet gotten the chance to speak with Maleaha, and he was still seething because she had ridden away to the Jojoba camp without first consulting with him. He still did not believe that her aunt had been ill. No, she had left because the two of them had quarreled. Damnit, he just wanted his father, Lucinda, and her aunt to return to Boston.
He saddled his horse and rode away from the ranch house in a cloud of dust.
23
Maleaha had ridden miles from the ranch house. She let the cool wind whip through her hair and dry the tears on her cheeks. She* had the strongest urge to ride over to Deveraux and tell her father how brokenhearted she felt. But no, she could not bring herself to speak of the trouble between herself and Kane, not even with her father.
Where did she belong? She no longer belonged with the Jojoba. She couldn't return to her father. She did not belong with her husband. He wanted to be with the woman he loved, not with her. Could she give Kane up without a fight? Cimeron needed a father as well as a mother. Kane himself had pointed that out to her before they had been married by the priest. She coul
d either swallow her pride and beg him to keep her as his wife, or give him over to Lucinda without a fight. In Maleaha's troubled state of mind, she didn't know which was the right thing to do.
It was long past the lunch hour before Maleaha finally returned to the ranch house. Going first into the kitchen, she was informed by Mrs. Higgens that Kane had left just after breakfast. His father and Lucinda were in the sitting room, and Lucinda's aunt, whom Maleaha had yet to meet, was lying down in her bedroom with another sick headache.
Maleaha saw the searching look Mrs. Higgens gave her and knew that the older woman was worried about her having run from the house in tears that morning. She gave her a reassuring smile. "I am quite all right, Mrs. Higgens. Don't worry about me."
Mrs. Higgens gave her a kind smile and turned back to the dirty dishes she was washing. "Do you want to approve the menu for tonight?"
"No, I know whatever it is, it will be delicious," Maleaha said, smoothing down her wind-tossed hair and wishing she did not have to do her duty as hostess. She dreaded facing Kane's father and Lucinda.
Entering the sitting room, she found Lucinda was alone. Maleaha noticed the lovely yellow gown, which seemed to enhance the creamy white complexion. For the first time in her life Maleaha wished her skin were not so dark.
"Oh, our elusive hostess returns," Lucinda said, picking up the piece of pottery that Maleaha's grandfather had given her and turning it over in her hand.
"I am sorry, Miss Blake. You must think me terribly rude," Maleaha said, wishing she could reach out and take the valuable piece of pottery from Lucinda's hand.
"It is no more than I expected from someone who comes from this backward land," Lucinda said, as the pottery almost slipped from her hands.
Maleaha caught her breath. "I would ask you to be careful with that, Miss Blake. It is very valuable and was given to me by my grandfather. He told me it was over two hundred years old."
"This old thing valuable? I wouldn't have it in my home." Lucinda set it halfway on the edge of the table and watched with satisfaction as it crashed to the floor, shattering into many small pieces.
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