By this point Declan had stood and Kevin rose so as not to be at a disadvantage. Ardan stood behind Kevin, at his back as he always had been through every scrape. “You knew what she means to me,” he whispered, ignoring the rest of the family openly staring at him.
“Aye,” Kevin said in a tortured voice. “I do. ’Tis why I thought ’twould be best if I moved away. If I were nowhere near you and Ai … Miss O’Keefe.” Declan pushed him in his shoulders as he almost called her Aileen, stumbling back into Ardan who steadied him.
Maggie gasped at the thought of the brother she was closest to moving away from them.
“How dare you call yourself my brother?” Declan asked in a low voice. “Brothers don’t deceive each other as you have me.” He stormed out of the kitchen, pushing past Kevin and Ardan.
Maggie watched as Kevin shared a tortured look with their father before turning to leave. At Seamus’s voice, he stopped. “Let him be, Kevin.” Rather than follow his brother, Kevin turned for his room and the momentary privacy it offered.
Maggie sat at the table, stunned. “I never … I didn’t know,” she stammered. “I’m so sorry.” She stared at her father who sat watching her with concern and a hint of admiration. “Please excuse me.” She hopped up and raced from the kitchen. When she was upstairs, she paused from entering her room, instead creeping to the room Kevin shared with Ardan and Declan.
She peered inside to see him pacing before he kicked at the wooden bedframe once and then sat with his head in his hands. “Kevin?” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I never knew. It looked as though you loved her.”
He stared at her with a desolate gaze. “I do. But I’d never harm Declan. Cause him to give up his dream.” He let out a stuttering breath. “’Tisn’t your fault Maggie. Something would have happened to give us away at some point.” He closed his eyes as though in physical pain. “She doesn’t want to marry me. Says she prefers to marry Declan.”
Maggie gasped and moved into his room. She sat beside him on his bed and gripped his hand. “That’s a lie and you know it. She cares for you as you do her. Something is making her continue with this farce. Trust in her, Kevin.”
He sighed. “Thank you, Mags,” he whispered, a new nickname for her slipping out. “For now I must find Declan and try to repair the damage I’ve done.” He made a shushing noise. “No, I did this. Not you.” He rose, kissing her head. “I love you, Mags. Thank you for being such a wonderful sister.”
He slipped from the room soundlessly and she didn’t hear him descend the stairs as he snuck from the house. Swiping at a lone tear, Maggie clutched her hand at her breast, the gift of his words overwhelming her as much as the truth behind it.
Kevin entered the Sunrise Saloon, slipping in between two swaying men boasting about how much money they’d make when they arrived in Virginia City. Kevin kept to the side of the saloon, his alert gaze taking in the crowd mixed with recently arrived men, steamboat workers, and men who lived in town. A veil of smoke hung over the room, and the stench of too many men in need of a bath permeated the air. He saw Declan on the far side of the bar, swigging down firewater. With a determined step, he approached his brother. “Declan,” he murmured.
Declan swung to face him, his cheeks flushed from firewater or anger. His blue eyes raked over his brother as though he were the lowliest vermin and he stood tall with his hands clenched. “I’d stay far away from me right now, Kev.”
“You don’t understand,” Kevin said. He backed up a step as Declan growled and leaned toward him.
“Oh, you think I’m an eejit now too? As well as blind and trusting?” His swiped at his mouth and then acted with stealthy speed, backhanding his older brother across his face. His hand hit with a precise force, bloodying Kevin’s lip.
“Bloody hell, Dec,” Kevin yelled as he pushed at his brother. He grunted as Declan punched him in his gut. Any thought of reconciliation vanished as he wrapped a hand around his brother’s neck, exchanging blows as readily as he received them. “You’re a right eejit!”
The men in the saloon gave them a wide birth as they scrappled, cheering them on. Kevin and Declan soon fell to the ground, and they tumbled and rolled as they fought for prominence in their fight. Someone poured a glass of firewater over them and Kevin hissed as the strong alcohol dripped into his eyes. When Declan was on top of him, with longer arms and able to do real damage, Kevin reared up, intent on butting him with his head. However, he missed, ramming into his brother’s shoulder instead. He managed to knock Declan off of him, and he kicked him in his leg and kneed his thigh.
Scrambling to stand, Kevin held his fists up as though a pugilist, waiting for Declan to face him again. However, Ardan pushed his way into the crowd and stepped between the brothers. With a fierce glower at each of them, he shook his head.
“Nay,” he murmured. “Either of you hits me and you’ll wish you’d never come to the saloon tonight.” Ardan stared at Declan until Declan dropped his hands.
After a long moment, when no more fighting occurred, the crowd groaned, losing interest in the men’s conversation. The rumble of men restarted and the bar was busy again with men boasting, buying liquor and considering other mischief.
“You’ll always take his side. Even when you knew of his betrayal, you did nothing to help me. I’m your brother too,” Declan said in a tortured voice before he spun to leave. He ran into another patron, knocking his drink out of his hand and onto his father, who stood watching his interaction with his brothers.
Kevin swayed in place, muttering his thanks as Ardan hitched his shoulder under his arm so he could stay upright. “I always hated fighting,” he murmured.
Seamus approached, his gaze filled with concern. “Somehow I knew you wouldn’t leave Declan alone tonight.” He sighed as he rubbed at his head, ignoring his soaked clothes. His intense gaze met his son’s. “You must find a way to make this right, Kevin.”
Kevin nodded. “Aye. I will. But not tonight. Tonight I must mourn all I’ve lost.” He pushed away from Ardan, swaying slightly as he left the saloon.
Aileen wrung her hands as she marshaled all the courage she had. With shoulders back and her head high, she turned to face her aunt who sat reading in the only comfortable chair in the room. The other, a hard backed chair with no cushion, was too tall for her and her feet dangled over the floor whenever she sat in it. She hated it, which was one of the reasons why she suspected her aunt always left it for her use.
“Aunt,” Aileen said, clearing her throat as it wavered on that simple word. “I must speak with you.”
Flicking her gaze from her book, her aunt ignored her as easily as a bothersome gnat.
“Aunt,” Aileen repeated in a louder voice. “You must listen to what I will say.”
With a loud sigh and a slamming of her book, Janet Davies stared at her niece. “Well, what is so important that you must interrupt my nightly reading of God’s word?”
Aileen knew that meant she was preventing her aunt from taking a pre-supper nap, but she feared if she waited any longer, she would never have the fortitude to speak. “I know you believe you know what is best for me. However---”
“I do know what is best for you, you ungrateful girl,” her aunt snapped. “Cease using your brain to concoct muddleheaded plans and allow me to continue my important daily ministrations.” She reached for her book again.
Aileen watched her aunt freeze, with one hand on her Bible, when she blurted out, “I will not marry Declan. I can’t. I don’t love him. I never will.” Her words came out in a rush and she visibly relaxed once the words had gushed out of her.
“How dare you believe you have the right to change our plans? You came here to marry Declan O’Rourke and you will marry him.”
Aileen shook her head, her shoulders back. “No, I won’t. I’ll marry Kevin O’Rourke. You can have no objection as he’s Declan’s brother. He’s as honorable and hardworking.” She gasped as her aunt slammed her Bible onto the small table with her fury.
>
“You understand nothing,” Mrs. Davies hissed. “You will cease your childish fantasies and accept the reality of our situation.”
“No,” Aileen said. “Never.”
“Never?” Her aunt replied with raised eyebrows. “You believe you have the ability to deny me?” At Aileen’s nod, she tossed her Bible aside and rose, strolling to Aileen. “If you deny me, I will deny you the one thing you’ve always desired.” She leaned forward, whispering her threat in Aileen’s ear.
Paling, Aileen stumbled back a few steps until she rested against her bed. “How dare you?”
Her aunt returned to her comfortable stuffed chair, resting her feet on the matching ottoman. “I dare because I can, child. Don’t attempt to thwart me again.”
Aileen sat in dejected silence as she contemplated all she would lose if she had the courage to rebel against her aunt’s command.
Mary stood looking out the window in the small room she shared with Seamus. After the tumultuous evening, and the havoc inadvertently wreaked by her daughter, she feared he would yearn for a time before her return to his life. She rested her head against the cool glass, shuddering as she recalled the scene in the kitchen where Maggie had unintentionally revealed the truth. The shock and despair her beloved Declan had felt, and the determination and pain in her Kevin’s gaze.
Although life with Francois had been challenging, she had never had to worry about her children squabbling as she did now. He had ruled with an iron fist and they had known better than to talk out of turn. She smiled as she thought about the chaotic dinners she had experienced since moving into Seamus’s home. They were everything she dreamed they would be when her children were young, although she had hoped there would be more harmony. The fear of Jacques’s return continued to hang over them, and she was eager for news that he had been delivered to his distant destination. She prayed his greed would win out, and that gold fever would be far more intoxicating than his dream of Maggie in his bed.
She shivered at such a thought and banished it as quickly as she could. She yearned for Seamus’s calming presence, his arms around her, as they discussed their day and determined how to move forward. If she were honest with herself, she yearned for more than a mere embrace. She wanted him to want her like he used to. When they felt passion and desire for each other. When he couldn’t keep his hands off of her and they made passionate love. Although she believed in him and knew he would never lie to her, could he truly find her attractive now with the weight she had gained? Did he desire her as she did him? She rubbed at her temples in frustration and fear. Where was he?
As though conjuring him, the door eased open and she relaxed as the subtle scent of his cologne preceded his entrance into the room. She looked over her shoulder, her hazel eyes glowing with questions as she watched him strip off his tie, jacket and waistcoat.
“I worried you’d be fast asleep,” he murmured as his nimble fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt. At her shake of her head, he smiled. “I’m glad you’re awake. I have a need to hold you in my arms.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“I feel that all is right in the world again when you are next to me,” he said as he shucked his shirt and undershirt, revealing a muscled chest with black hair scattered with a few white hairs.
She stared at him as she’d not seen him unclothed since they were in Ireland. A lifetime ago.
“Forgive me,” he rasped. “I’m soaked through.”
She sniffed and smelled the distinctive scent of strong alcohol. “What happened?”
“A rather eventful fight at the saloon,” Seamus said as he reached for the towel by the ewer. “Our sons were only too happy to make their discord public.”
“Are they well?” she asked, her gaze watching his muscles flex as he wrung the towel after dampening it.
“Aye, but they’re both so pigheaded, I fear it will be a while before they calm enough to forgive the other.” He sighed as he shared a rueful smile with her. “’Tis a challenge to father such headstrong, good lads.” He rapidly swiped down his chest and arms before searching for a dry shirt. He stilled when she touched his chest.
“I … I forgot what it was to feel desire,” she whispered, her cheeks flushing in the soft light from the lamp. She had ducked her head so as not to meet his gaze, unable to bear it if all she saw was compassion in his gaze.
“Mary?” Seamus asked as he cupped her cheek. “I …” He swallowed. “There’s no need to rush anything.” His other hand rose to stroke her backside. “I … I’m a patient man, lass. I can wait forever for you.”
“Do you want to?” she asked, her voice now breathless.
“God, no,” he rasped as he dropped his head to kiss her neck. “I want you now, yesterday, and all of my tomorrows.”
She backed away a step, looking deeply into his eyes. “Truly?”
“How can you not know how much I desire you, lass?” he asked, incredulousness lighting his gaze. “How can you not know I’ve dreamed of you, every day, since we parted? That the dreams of what we shared were a balm and a torment, in equal measure? Resting beside you, every night, has been wondrous, but never enough.” His blue eyes shone with passionate intensity as he took a deep breath as though to rein in his desire. “I wanted to give you time to heal after all you’ve lived through, my Mary.”
She laughed, a girlish, joyous sound, and pushed herself into his arms. “I’ve lived with you for weeks. We aren’t rushing, Seamus. We are married and I love you. I want you too.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “’Tis truly what you desire?”
She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “I won’t lie to you. I am a little afraid. I’m not the girl you married. Or the woman you lost.” She took a steadying breath. “I suffered while I was away from you.” Her fingers stroked over his beard-covered cheeks. “And I feared what we had would always remain like a fever dream. Just out of reach.”
“No,” he murmured as he kissed her. “It’s right here, a ghrá. Right within our grasp.” He held his hand out to her, his gaze lighting with pleasure and hope as she grasped it. “Come to bed, love,” he whispered.
Kevin paced the warehouse, his gaze unseeing. After he had worked off his restless energy, he moved to a pile of linens and sat with a groan. His hands ached, his knuckles were raw and bruised, and he feared his split lip might never heal. He held a damp cloth to his lip, but it wasn’t cold and he yearned for ice.
Closing his eyes, he thought about his life before he met Aileen. Boring. Predictable. Tedious. He sighed and then grimaced as his lip oozed more blood. Now, his life was in chaos, he feared his brother would always hate him and his father was disappointed in him. He rubbed at his temple and fought guilt because he knew he would never regret meeting Aileen. Holding her in his arms. Loving her.
His mind wandered as he thought about their sweet interludes on the steamboat. Of her soft voice, becoming confident as she realized he would not ridicule or mock her views or ideas. He clenched his hand, hissing as his swollen knuckles protested the motion. How was he ever going to let her go?
He jerked as he heard a sound at the warehouse door. Sitting upright, he stared at the door, waiting for the interloper to enter. Although he had no desire for another fight, he would protect what was his. Frowning, he stared at the door as it was unlocked rather than forced open. When Declan entered, he groaned and collapsed against his comfortable perch.
“Why are you here?” he asked his younger brother. “I’ve claimed this as my thinkin’ spot tonight.”
Declan rubbed at his head and paced into the lantern’s light before wandering out of it again. “I didn’t want to go home. There was a light on. I should have known it would be you.”
Kevin stared at him impassively, waiting to see if he would stay or go. When Declan swayed in place, as though rooted and uncertain, he murmured, “I never meant to like her, Dec. I didn’t know she was meant for you.”
Declan stared at him incredulously.
“But when you did, you never said a thing. Why? I’m your brother. Your first loyalty should be to me.” His voice had risen to a near shout by the end of his words.
Kevin bowed his head forward. “I am loyal to you. You know that. And if you doubt it, I fear we’ll have a worse brawl than the one in the saloon. And the damage may never be made right between us.” He raised his head, his gaze intent and solemn.
Declan nodded and took a deep breath.
“I’m also loyal to her. And I would never betray her.”
Declan swore and paced around the warehouse, his boot heels clumping on the wooden floors. “You want me to give her up for you.”
Kevin froze. “I have no desire to rob you of your happiness, Declan.”
Declan stood with his back to him. “But you don’t mind if I rob you of yours,” he whispered. “Feck, what a mess.”
The sounds of men hooting and hollering echoed through the night as did the sound of a pistol firing. Laughter, a shriek and then relative silence ensued. After a long moment, the gentle whisper of the wind blowing outside was the only sound.
“’Tis late if ‘tis so quiet now,” Kevin murmured.
“Is that all you have to say?” Declan demanded. “You act as though you love Miss O’Keefe, but--”
“’Tisn’t an act,” Kevin growled. “I made her a promise.” He paused as he took a deep breath. “I would not speak out. I would not fight for her if she was to marry a good man.” He swallowed as he looked at his brother with despair. “I can think of no better man than you, Declan. I will not stand in your way.”
Declan’s eyes glistened at Kevin’s words. “Nay.” He shook his head and tapped his fisted hand against his leg. “I refuse to find happiness when you suffer. I refuse to have you leave Fort Benton, separate yourself from the family, because you can’t abide sitting at family dinner with us.” His blue eyes gleamed with sincerity. “She decides. We talk with her and she chooses which O’Rourke brother she marries.”
Pioneer Dream: The O’Rourke Family Montana Saga Page 16