"You'd better dress quickly; it's eleven now." Miranda was dismayed by the resignation she was detecting in her sister. But why were those normally bright eyes so somber?
"I'm not going," Amanda stated surprisingly.
"You're not?" Miranda asked in gleeful disbelief.
"I don't feel like rushing. I'll send Weber a note of regret. He can come over tonight if he wishes," she told her sister casually. "Randy, don't mention anything to Weber before I do."
The note never reached Weber as he hurried around checking out matters. When he called later that day, nettled with Amanda for ignoring his message, Miranda hoped her sister would refuse to see him. But, to Miranda's distress, Amanda appeared eager to see him. She had donned one of her loveliest gowns, matching slippers, and most appealing perfume as if she were setting the stage for a drama.
When Amanda realized the reason for Web's black mood, she apologized sweetly, then explained the mix-up. "I've had so much on my mind since McVane's visit. And the weather's turned so damp and chilly again. I thought spring was in full bloom." She pouted prettily to distract him. It might be wrong, but she needed to hang on to Web until she made her final decision. As she had done so often in the past, Amanda used all her charms. Yet, this time she didn't enjoy the coyness.
"I saw your new friend today," Web stated caustically.
"My new friend?" she echoed in confusion.
"Reis Harrison," he replied tersely, as if that told all. "You've been seeing him while I was gone. Why, Mandy? He's not a family friend. Why did you two go down to the docks and warehouse?"
"We had dinner one night at the Windsor, and I gave him a tour of my property. He wanted to meet the new owner of Lawrence Shipping. He represents three clients who want to sign with my company. Did I commit some crime?" she asked playfully to reduce his anger. She wondered just how much Weber had discovered.
"Since I'm handling the firm, why didn't you refer him to me?" he questioned, his gaze and voice accusing as he stared at the exquisite beauty who was sitting so gracefully before him.
Amanda knew this was the perfect time to clarify some points, while keeping other facts a secret. She didn't want Web to discover what she had learned. She had to mislead him carefully. She smiled and responded cheerfully, "Because I wanted to surprise you with the new accounts. Don't be so cross with me, Web. While you were gone, I wanted to see if I was capable of handling the business, to see if a customer would actually deal with a female owner. I only talked and listened, Web; I didn't make any deals. When he pressed me for an answer, I told him the matter would have to be settled with you."
"You did?" he asked in astonishment. "Then why meet with him?"
"Ego. And because he sent a message he was leaving by Friday if I didn't meet with him. We talked over dinner, then he asked to see how we run things. He seemed pleased and agreed to assign the accounts tome." She refilled his coffee cup with a steady hand.
"If everything worked out, then why didn't you complete the deal? Did he say why he was so anxious to sign and leave so quickly?" he asked, trying to appear and sound as poised as she was.
"He didn't say, and I wouldn't ask. I wanted to hand you the contracts when you returned, but that seemed rash. I was afraid of making mistakes. He asked questions which I couldn't answer. I realized there was much I didn't know. I thought I could run Papa's business, but now I'm not so sure. It's more complicated and risky than I realized," she confessed cunningly beginning to drop her desperate hints.
"What kinds of questions did he ask, Mandy?" he quizzed, feeling a mixture of elation and wariness. Was she truly backing out?
Amanda didn't ask about Web's emphasis on "questions" or his strange expression, but she noticed them. She hastily contrived a logical reply. "About laws, and tariffs, and schedules, and such. I couldn't even give him prices for shipments. He must have thought I was awfully dumb."
"If that were true, why would he offer you the accounts?" He needed to know what Reis had told Amanda without arousing her suspicion. Just what was this Yankee trying to pull?
A reason escaped her keen mind. "I don't know."
"He's been deceiving you, Mandy. Perhaps his interest is in you, not the accounts. He claimed he was here to do business with the Lawrence firm, and you said he verbally agreed to a deal. So why is he visiting all the others and asking so many questions about your company, you, and your father?"
"Is it uncommon to check out a firm and its owner?" she asked.
"Not before a deal is made. But it seems suspicious to do it afterward. From what I've been told, Harrison was nosing around yesterday and today.
Don't trust him, Mandy," he stated firmly.
Amanda quickly concealed her surprise and pain-she wouldn't think about Reis right now. She laughed saucily. "You can hardly blame him for checking out my firm's stability. He certainly didn't expect to deal with a female. As I told you, I didn't agree to a contract. Wouldn't that explain his checking around? Why are you so mistrustful? Do you know him, Web?" she inquired.
"Yep, I know who he is," he informed her, hatred flaming in his eyes. "It took a while to recall when and where we met. I guess I was trying to forget the bloody bastard. Fact is, I thought he was dead; I wish he were. I'm warning you, Mandy; stay away from him. He's sly and dangerous. He's a vengeful Yank."
Amanda was startled by the vehemence in Weber. She hadn't been mistaken; they had met before. "He didn't mention knowing you. Why did you think he was dead?" she questioned curiously.
"Because I shot him during the war," he stated casually. "Evidently my aim was bad."
"You what?" she exclaimed incredulously. Weber was clearly furious to find Reis still alive. Had Reis also recognized Weber that first night? If so. . .
"If you see him again, Mandy, ask him about his friend Sherman and their grisly escapades through the South. Make sure you don't carry a gun to your meeting with him. If he tells you the truth about his war ventures, you might finish where I left off. I can see from your shock that he didn't tell you about our meeting years ago."
Amanda paled and trembled. Web must be lyingl Reis wasn't like that. But Web knew her well enough to realize she would check out such a grim accusation if Reis mattered to her. Web stood up and looked down at her. "The next time you see him, Mandy, it will be the last time you see me. I love you and I want to marry you; I want to protect you and take care of you. The firm's yours and you can do as you please, but not with my help and not with our enemy."
Suddenly Amanda realized that for the first time since their meeting, Weber was calling her by her nickname and she wondered if that meant something special. In an effort to comprehend Web's feelings, she answered softly, "The war has been over for years, Web. Both sides did wicked things to the other. The hatred and bitterness must end. Let them go, Web. Evidently Mister Harrison doesn't hold a grudge against ex-Rebs; he came to do business with my father. Perhaps he doesn't know you shot him. After he learned you handled matters for me, he was still willing to sign with me. To stay in business, I need all the clients I can find. If I decide to work in the firm, I'll have to prove myself, Web."
"Forgive and forget?" he sneered sarcastically, as if those words were evil, those emotions impossible. "You're too naive and trusting. You don't know what the war was like, Mandy, but you know what Sherman's outfit did in the South. Every man who rode with him is just as guilty. Picture the blood of friends and family spattered all over you. Imagine showing up after a battle to see arms, legs, entrails, and brains all over the ground. You've never had someone die in your arms, Mandy, die with his blood soaking into your clothes, and then have to wear them for weeks or months. Do you know what it's like to have enemies chasing you day and night? No rest. No sleep. No food. Freezing your ass off while you hide like a coward to stay alive one more day to do it all again. Damnit, Mandy! They stole everything from me, from us! You say let it go? How? At least twice a week I wake up seeing and hearing those gory sights and sounds again, sweating
and squirming like a beaten animal."
When Weber felt his vividly crafted words had had the desired effect, he became silent. He sighed dramatically, as if fatigued by a tale which had been cut from his very soul. That should give Amanda some sympathy for him and some contempt for Reis! That should keep her away from Harrison and his damaging secrets! "Marry me, Mandy. We can merge the two firms. If you want to work there, no man will refuse to deal with my wife," he coaxed. "This Harrison is trouble, Mandy. He's deadly and cunning. I have a bad feeling he didn't come here for the reason he told you. Watch out for him, or you'll live to regret it. I told you I shot him during the war. If he didn't know I was connected to the Lawrences before his arrival, he knows now. My feelings for you are no secret. Don't let my foe use my love against me. He could be after revenge, Mandy."
"Revenge?" she echoed the wicked word.
"What better vengeance than stealing my woman and destroying my business? Did he tell you the three accounts he offered you belong tome? Did he tell you it could ruin me to lose them? There are many ways to kill a man. What could be worse for a man than losing everything precious to him, all of his reasons for living? It's me he's after, Mandy. Don't be a pawn in his vindictive game."
Amanda was horrified by Weber's speculations. She wished they didn't sound so diabolically logical. "Surely both of you shot many men during the war. Why would he single you out for revenge?" she questioned sadly.
"Because he thinks my outfit was the one which burned his home and killed his family. He started tracking us, killing off my men one at a time. The only reason I survived was because I ambushed him before he could murder me too," he informed her, his gaze never leaving hers.
Amanda was afraid to ask if Reis was correct, but her eyes exposed her alarm and turmoil. He shook his head and asked, "Do I seem like a Sherman to you, a devil who could slay innocent people?"
Amanda couldn't imagine any man being so evil, so she was compelled to shake her head. Weber grinned and hugged her tightly. Just before leaving, he asked, "Will you consider my proposal, Mandy?"
"That's exactly what I've been doing for days, Web. I promise to give you an answer very soon," she told him, then smiled.
Af ter Weber left, Amanda was trapped by deep and grave thoughts. After all this time, had she been given a glimpse into what had made Web the way he was now? Had the war taken a cruel toll on him?
Web had been born to and trained for a genteel life. After all was lost, he had changed. Web glorified the Old South, the Confederacy, the Rebel soldiers. Web had been compelled to find a new role in life, even as he yearned for the one lost forever. He believed that wealth and power would make things right again. It saddened Amanda to see the wasted energy and emotions that churned inside Weber Richardson. Should she try to help him, to change him? And at what cost to herself?
Amanda sought the privacy of her room for some necessary soul-searching. There was so much she didn't understand, didn't know, didn't want to accept. She pondered how she could investigate Reis Harrison and Weber's story. Weber was so full of hatred and bitterness; could she trust him to be honest with her? If only she didn't know what was inside that bookl
When she closed her lids, Reis's image appeared before her mind's eye. Could a man with such gentle eyes and sensitivity have done such evil things? Was there any man worse than Sherman, or the men who had ridden with him without halting his devastation? If Reis had trailed and slain Weber's men, had it been a mistake brought on by grief? She recalled what Reis had told her about men doing crazy things when pushed beyond control and reason. Did these facts explain why he didn't want to discuss the war, why he had reacted so strangely and coldly? Had he been pressing her because he knew Weber would expose his secrets? She remembereed the way he had looked at her, the way he had kissed her. It couldn't be true. It couldn't. . .
Amanda realized her time was running out. Considering everything she knew, there was only one answer to her mingled dilemmas. But when she thought of what would follow her surrender to Weber's proposal, she shuddered. Could she be a wife to him? Could she forget Reis?
Miranda was in her room reading in bed. She knew the hour was late and her sister was still pacing her floor. Amanda had been extremely quiet and melancholy after Weber's visit this afternoon. She had even refused dinner and sought privacy. This abnormal behavior panicked Miranda. It was time to unravel the mystery.
When she heard Amanda go downstairs, she tossed the covers aside and followed. She found her sister sitting on the rug before a cheery blaze, knees propped up and feet crossed at the ankles. Amanda's chin was resting on one knee as she tightly hugged her legs. The flickering flames seemed to perform a wild dance upon Amanda's pale face and in her blank eyes. What pained Miranda the most were the sparkles off the teardrops which were silently flowing down Amanda's cheeks and dropping to her gown. What was causing Amanda such anguish?
"Mandy?" she called softly. "Can I help? You need to talk?"
Amanda fused her solemn gaze to Miranda's entreating one. Amanda burst into uncontrollable sobs. Only once before had Miranda seen her sister weep this way, the night the news came about their parents. Distraught, Amanda blurted out Web's charges against Reis. She told Miranda everything, except the reason why she was going to marry Weber Richardson.
"But, Mandy, you can't marry Weber because Reis hurt you," she argued. "Even if what Web said about Reis were true, it happened years ago, during the war. Reis didn't strike me as a vengeful and cruel man. You just can't marry Web to hide from Reis. You're in love with Reis, aren't you?"
"If that were true, it still wouldn't make any difference," she replied tearfully. "Web is the man I must marry."
"Must? Why must you marry a man you don't love? See Reis, Mandy, and let him explain," she begged her irrational sister.
"I can't. There's nothing he can say or do to change matters. Oh, Randy, there's so much you don't understand," she wailed.
"Then make me understand," she pleaded fiercely. How could level-headed, proud Amanda Lawrence do such a reckless thing?
"If you ever get trapped between two men, you'll learn that love can't always be the deciding factor in choosing between them. I must do what is right for me, Randy. In time, I'll forget about Reis. Weber loves me and needs me," she vowed, as if that were a curse.
There were no words to ease such agony. All Miranda could do was listen, listen and be there for solace. For the first time, Amanda had met a man who touched her deeply. How tragic that she believed Reis wasn't what he appeared. Yet, Miranda sensed some unspoken motive for her sister's drastic decision, one she must discover. Amanda had never been a coward or a quitter, so why had she become both at this late date? Just above a whisper, Miranda asked, "But whom do you love and need, Mandy? What if Reis didn't come here for revenge on Weber? What if you discover the truth after you're wed to the wrong man? It's wrong to marry Weber when you're in love with Reis."
When Amanda gained control of her emotions, she murmured sadly, "Web did kill him, Randy, at least for me. How can I possibly have anything to do with a devil like that? Why did Reis come here? Why? I despise the things men do in the name of honor! I hate revenge! The war's been over for years; when will a Southern daughter no longer have to ask her love the color of his uniform?"
For a week Amanda refused all visits and messages from Reis Harrison, but it was one of the hardest things she had done in her life. When Reis appeared to halt his siege upon her, Amanda didn't know which emotion was greater, relief or disappointment. Once she had admitted to being in love with him, she realized it was too risky to see him even briefly or to read his urgent requests for an explanation. She feared Reis would mesmerize her again, deceitfully convince her she was mistaken about him. She couldn't allow it, if she were going to marry Weber; and that seemed her only path to survival. She was exhausted from battling her warring emotions.
Wasn't love supposed to be simple and serene? she wondered. Wasn't it supposed to bring happiness, not sad
ness and pain? Shouldn't it be the most natural thing in the world to marry the man you love? How could such dark clouds hover over the flames of love and cruelly douse them before they could burst into a roaring blaze of passion and commitment?
Amanda knew she had to regain a measure of joy and confidence or pretend she had, or else many people would become curious about her mood. She couldn't go on suffering and wavering. She would find the courage to carry out her decision before anyone discovered her motive. Yet, she knew she was stalling, stalling Weber and the inevitable. Soon Weber would force the issue. It was only a matter of time before he exposed his actions and her obligation. She kept waiting for Weber to reveal her dire straits, to learn how he was going to use them as a persuasive tactic.
Amanda hadn't mentioned her father's books to Weber or shown any desire to take over from him. She wondered if he found that suspicious, considering how anxious she had been not long ago. She had used lingering grief and self-doubts as excuses, but they were wearing thin and tasting foul upon her lips.
Knowing the reason for Amanda's behavior, Reis avoided any embarrassing contact when she was with Weber. Although he watched them furtively, he was assailed by doubts and fears himself. Somehow he had to uncover Weber's game. He had to prevent her marriage, to win her for himself. But she needed time, time to relax and time to become wary of her close friend. He needed to come up with a ploy of his own, one to get her alone with him ...
But Reis's subtle strategy had one drawback, one he didn't recognize: as he stayed away, it became easier for Amanda to convince herself that he should remain out of her life ...
Weber continued to give Amanda business reports, reports she felt were false, designed only to keep her happy and naive. Feeling she must begin to show some interest in the firm, she began asking simple questions. Weber was evasive about certain information, as if reluctant to give up this hold over Amanda until he was ready to use her dependence on him to his advantage. Not a day had passed since his vilification of Reis that he had not tried to convince Amanda to marry him. Unfortunately, Reis had shown Amanda what was missing in other men, in Weber, and in her emotions.
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