“Then you would break my heart, Ginger.”
“I wish I could say I am sorry, but I’m not.” She slid off the horse as it came to a stop and walked into the house without waiting for him.
Her mother, father, and Elizabeth all hurried to the door when they heard Basil’s horse approach the house. Tearfully, they wrapped her in a group embrace.
“We were so frightened for you. Since Elizabeth’s last glimpse of you was as you headed into the forest, we had horrible visions of you, alone in the dark woods all night, cold and frightened. Why, anything could have happened to you! Come into the parlor and tell us what went wrong.”
Ginger smiled weakly at them. “Could I first have a bath and change clothing? And, I am a bit weary from my ordeal. I wish for a nap. I’m no worse for wear, just tired.”
Charlotte bustled around her. “Most certainly, dear. You do look pale. I’ll order a bath be drawn for you. Come with me, I’ll comb out your hair while we wait for hot bath water.”
Charlotte took Ginger’s hand and they climbed the stairs, leaving the relieved group to bombard Basil with questions. Basil followed George and Elizabeth into the parlor and helped himself to some hot tea while the other guests gathered to hear the details.
“I don’t know how the accident happened,” he began, “but, as Ginger was riding through the forest, a branch snapped off a tree and hit her. She was knocked from her horse and pinned underneath the huge fallen branch. Joseph was able to track her trail through the woods and found her, still trapped and unconscious. He freed her and took her to a small hunter’s cabin in the woods nearby and built a fire there to warm her. When she woke up, he urged her to stay in the cabin, out of the rain, until morning, and gave her directions back to the estate. I found her walking in the woods this morning.”
“How fortunate we are to have a knowledgeable tracker in our midst,” said Mrs. Curran. “I shudder to think what would have happened to poor Ginger if Joseph hadn’t found her. Where is our hero?”
“He didn’t want the acclaim he knew would come his way, so he took off sometime during the night and began the long ride back to St. Louis.”
William’s lip curled at the mention of his foe. “He left because he was going to be disqualified from the race, not because he was a hero. Who would believe such nonsense?”
“Joseph saved Ginger from a certain death in the woods last night,” Basil said angrily. “She would never have survived being out in the rain. Even if she had made it through the night, who among us would have been able to find her before she perished from cold, or from an animal attack? So, he is due the moniker of ‘hero’ although he would never admit to it.”
• • •
Charlotte brushed Ginger’s long locks. Ginger closed her eyes, enjoying the pampering her mother was bestowing on her. How long had it been since her mother brushed her hair? Tears dampened her eyes as she looked at her mother’s reflection in the mirror.
“Darling, it’s all right now,” Charlotte cooed softly to her daughter. “You’re home, you’re safe, and you can put this harrowing experience behind you.”
“That’s just it, Mother. I can’t. I’ll never be able to.” Ginger began to cry in earnest.
Charlotte put down the brush and took her daughter into her arms. “Did Joseph behave inappropriately or take advantage of you in the woods? Is this why you’re so upset? You can tell me anything, you know.”
Ginger patted her mother’s arm, and sighed in defeat. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’m still as pure as the driven snow, unfortunately. The story Basil is telling the guests is quite different from what actually happened, and I have agreed to go along with it to save our family’s reputation. But the truth is, he sent Joseph away. I love Joseph with all my heart and he loves me, and Basil can’t stand the idea I would fall in love with his best friend — his Indian friend!”
Charlotte raised her hand to her forehead. “Oh no! I was afraid from the day we started this deception something like this would happen. But, I was hoping we could get through the season playing out the ruse Basil forced us to perpetuate on our friends.”
Ginger stared at her mother in amazement. “You mean, you knew about Joseph’s heritage, too? How could you go along with this? And how could I be the only one who was unaware?”
“I not only knew about it, I’m the one who unfortunately put us in this spot, by first suggesting you dance with Joseph. And, I’m the one who came up with the plan we’ve been playing out all season. When Basil brought Joseph to the Cotillion and all of society danced with him, we had to think of something to protect our reputations and those of the young ladies who danced with him after you did. So, we chose to ignore his Indian heritage and passed him off as a French-Canadian. You weren’t the only one who was in the dark about his true origin. How could Joseph have so abused our family’s trust by forcing his affections on you?” She cupped her daughter’s face in her hands.
Ginger pulled away angrily and stood up. “He did not take advantage of me, Mother, although I would have welcomed his advances. Did you not hear me say unfortunately I’m still as pure as the driven snow? Instead of seducing me when he had every opportunity, he saved me from a certain death! William and Richard — the two ‘suitable’ men, in your view — are the ones who have been attempting to compromise me!”
Charlotte gasped at Ginger’s claim about two of the finest men of the season. But Ginger barely slowed in her tirade.
“I literally threw myself at Joseph time and again, but he has a will of iron and would not taint my blessed reputation. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of William and Richard. I have been fighting off their advances all season. I will not listen to any criticism from you, or anyone else, when it comes to Joseph!”
She turned on her heel and stomped away to the waiting bath. Ginger divested herself of her dirty garments with the help of her maid. The she sank into the bathwater up to her chin.
“Will there be anything else, Miss Ginger?”
“No, Colleen. I’d just like to soak the coldness out of my bones. You may leave me.”
“Would you like me to heat some more water for you, to warm up the bath in a few minutes?”
Ginger smiled. “You know me well by now, don’t you? Yes, I’d like a long soak today.”
As Colleen left to tell the kitchen staff she needed even more hot water, Ginger relaxed against the high back of the slipper tub. The warm water was finally leaching the chill from her body. She sighed deeply, as her tears dropped into the warm water.
How could Basil have done such a thing to the family? Maybe his year in the West made him forget the strict conventions of society everyone in New York held. Perhaps he just needed to grow up a bit more. Whatever the reason for his idiocy, he had done one thing for which she would be forever grateful. He had introduced her to the only man she would ever love. She could be thankful for their one night together. She knew she would remember every moment of it for the rest of her life. She closed her eyes and relived the evening, from the moment she had awakened to find herself alone with Joseph in the cozy little cabin in the woods.
She had sensed his presence before she had opened her eyes, as he knelt by the bed. The love and the protection radiating from him, as he watched over her and warmed her, gave her such a strong sense of safety. When she realized she was naked, and he had gazed upon her nude body without her knowledge, powerful and previously unknown feelings washed over her. She knew she would die happy if she could just see and touch his naked body, too.
But those thoughts came before Joseph finally gave in to his feelings and climbed into bed with her. His caress had aroused flames of torment within her that she had not realized her body was capable of. She closed her eyes and remembered.
Ginger inhaled sharply as she recalled the feel of his mouth on her breast and how his touch seared her heart. She knew at that fateful moment only Joseph would ever be able to claim it. Her fingers had roamed over his clothed body greedily.
She wanted him to be as naked as she was so she could caress his tawny skin. Her nightly dreams of being close to him were finally coming true. She sensed his hardness pressing up against the core of her being and was pleased she had such a profound effect on him.
She changed her mind about dying happily if she could just touch his naked body. As his hands roamed over her, she realized there was much more to lovemaking and she wanted to experience it all. When he put his leg between her thighs and began to press against her, it took her breath away. The explosion within her was more potent than any emotion she had ever had. All thoughts left her except the realization that she was more alive than she had ever been, and she wanted to live forever if she could have Joseph by her side. Her tears began afresh as she remembered how the heat had risen within her at his touch. To never have those feelings again was too heartbreaking to contemplate.
Colleen knocked on the door, and then entered before Ginger could splash water on her face. The maid rushed to Ginger’s side when she spied the tears streaming down her face.
“Why, you’re crying as if the world has just come to an end, miss.”
“For me, it has.”
“Nonsense, missy. You’ve just had a scare, ’tis all. It must have been so frightening to be alone in the woods, and unable to free yourself from those branches. I hate the forest.”
Ginger lay back in the tub while Colleen poured in the hot water. When the water was toasty again, she became drowsy. As Colleen washed her hair, Ginger asked, “I can’t believe I don’t know this about you, but have you ever been in love?”
Colleen smiled. “Yes, miss. I was married for a while, to a wonderful man.”
“What happened?”
“He was a woodsman. He and a crew of men were working in the woods one fine day when one of the trees they cut didn’t fall properly. My husband was crushed to death.”
Ginger gasped. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Ah, but that wasn’t the worst of it, miss, on what was the blackest day of my life. When the men came out of the woods with his body, I went into shock at seeing my man dead. I was pregnant with our first child, and I lost the baby. So, in one day, I went from being a wife and soon-to-be mother to being alone in this world and having to fend for myself.”
Ginger took hold of Colleen’s coarse hand, and looked up at her. “Oh, how heart-breaking. I never knew. You must be so sad.”
“Well, I figured life out after losing my man. You, and only you, are responsible for your own happiness, and no one else can tell you what’s right, or how you should be feeling. I came to work for your family soon after my tragedy, and I’ve been quite happy. I have a sense of belonging with both your family and with the other servants in the household. And, I even have taken a shine to a new man — the iceman who comes around several times a week to the house in the city. He’s quite a handsome lad, and so strong and muscled. Who would have thought a man who makes his living delivering blocks of ice would turn my head?”
“You give good advice about making your own happiness. I need to heed it.”
Ginger sunk into the water completely, rinsing the soap from her hair one final time. Colleen stood with a towel at the ready for her.
“What would you do if the iceman whom you fancy told you he fancies you back, and then is forced to leave the area? Would you follow him?”
“Lordy, my wee lass. What a question! Would I leave my good job and blindly follow after a man without him asking me to come? No, I think not.”
“But what if you truly loved him with all your heart?”
Colleen smiled. “So, it’s true love then, is it, miss? With the Frenchman?”
Ginger nodded slowly.
“Well, Miss Ginger. I am a firm believer in true love finding a way. Be patient.”
“Thank you, Colleen. You’ve made the most sense of anyone I’ve talked to since I came out of the woods. After you comb out my hair, I think I’ll try to sleep for a while.”
“All right, miss, as you wish.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ginger changed into an afternoon dress of purple taffeta, with ribbon woven into the fabric to form a plaid design. The bell skirt and wide pagoda sleeves set off her figure, as did the waist-cinching corselet, but she only sighed deeply at her image. There was no one downstairs whom she hoped to impress. She tugged on boudoir slippers made from purple velvet, and tears clogged her eyes again. She leaned toward the mirror and spoke softly to her reflection.
“You have to stop this. Many women never find their one true love, and you have been fortunate enough to do so. The fact you can’t have him is beside the point. You have known what it feels like to be cherished and protected. For the sake of the family’s reputation, and to save Papa’s business, your one night will have to suffice for the remainder of your life.”
She straightened up as she heard a quiet knock on the door. She called out, “Enter,” and Elizabeth bounded into the room. She grabbed Ginger in a huge hug before she threw herself into a chair and burst into tears.
“I am so sorry Cedric and I let you go ahead on your own. I was frantic last night, with worry. I was sick, thinking that my selfishness at wanting to be alone with him caused this!” Elizabeth placed a hand over her heart, for effect. “Tell me everything!”
“There’s truly not much to tell. I got knocked off my horse and trapped under a tree branch. Joseph dug me out from under it, found a cabin in the middle of the woods where I could recover overnight, and took off for St. Louis. This morning, when I woke up, my clothes were relatively dry, so I put them on and was walking home when Basil found me.”
“So you and Joseph weren’t alone in the cabin all night? What a pity. It could have been your golden opportunity. I had so hoped he would be the one to find you and the two of you would be forced to spend the night together. Who knows what might have happened? I think he’s so handsome. And quiet. And big. And mysterious.” She smiled at Ginger. “Of course, he can’t compare to my Cedric, but you must admit, he is still very good-looking.”
Ginger smiled back. “So, he’s ‘my Cedric,’ now, is he?” She pried a bit, hoping she could steer the conversation away from herself and Joseph.
Elizabeth sighed dramatically and smiled wickedly. “Oh, Ginger. He’s just the most magnificent man. When you left us, we went into the woods by ourselves and he introduced me to all the pleasures of a man and a woman!”
“All the pleasures?”
“I’m quite certain we covered every single one of them. My clever Cedric had packed a blanket and some food into his saddlebag. We found a lovely little gazebo in a clearing in the woods and he laid the blanket out. Then, he reached up and took me from my mount. His hands slid down my body as he put me on the ground, and I simply melted in a pool of desire!”
“So all he did was run his hands down your body?” Ginger mentally compared it to what she and Joseph had been doing.
“Oh, no, he didn’t stop there. But his mere touch was all it took for me to become a raving, moaning woman who wanted to have him touch me all over!”
“And he did?” Ginger’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“Ever since the night at Niblo’s, when Joseph pulled him off me — much to my dismay — I’ve longed for Cedric to touch me again. But we were never able to be alone very much. So, when he touched my breasts again yesterday, I was ready for more. I wanted to know what lovemaking was all about.”
“So you and he — ?”
“Yes, yes, yes. That’s what I’ve been dying to tell you. I was so excited at just the thought of being alone with him, without my mother prying us apart. I forgot all about the food he had brought, until much, much later. Oh, Ginger, it was just the most wonderful way to be introduced to lovemaking.” Elizabeth sighed at the memory.
“And now we must get married because I’ve so willingly let him have his way with me. We are going to elope to Illinois tomorrow, after we return to New York. We’ll take the train and head for Galena
and the DeSoto House.”
Ginger stared at Elizabeth in amazement. “Elope? Whatever are you talking about?”
“Well, Father has already told me he would never approve of Cedric, as he has no money of his own. But, I truly do love him, Ginger! What else can we do except elope, now that he’s claimed my virginity?”
“But I’m sure if you explained the situation to your father, he would recant in his disapproval. And why Galena? Isn’t that where Agnes St. John went when she decided to marry her poet? Will you be creating a new scandal then?”
“It’s the very same hotel. Agnes, bless her heart, was my inspiration. The DeSoto House is supposed to be gorgeous, and it’s brand new. And, they specialize in helping eloping couples. Oh, Lord, yes, I long to be shocking, don’t you?”
If you only knew how very close I’ve come. Ginger bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears.
“But, I’ve always wanted to be in your wedding, Elizabeth, and for you to be in mine. You remember, we planned our special days way back when we were children. You were going to marry Basil so we could truly be sisters, and I was going to be your maid of honor. Whatever happened to those plans? What of Basil? I don’t want you to elope!”
Ginger could hold back her tears no longer as she grasped their childhood plans were being dashed. She ran to her friend’s side and clasped her hands.
“But think how delicious it would be though, to steal away in the dead of night and board a train to a new, unknown place. Not to mention romantic. Maybe we can get a sleeper car on the train and have our honeymoon happen before the wedding. Mmm.” Elizabeth closed her eyes.
“But why not Basil? What happened to your undying devotion to him?”
Ginger knew she should be deliriously happy for her friend, but tears streamed down her face as she realized their relationship would never be the same after tomorrow. She tried to reason with Elizabeth.
“You told me, just last year when he left for St. Louis, you would love no other. Of all people, Basil would understand if you came to him after being with Cedric. Lord knows he’s dallied all summer with his French actress.”
Becky Lower Page 13