by Angela Lain
“Called off?” Shelton sneered. “What sort of fool do you think I am? The situation is perfectly clear. Her parents wish her to marry me, and the arrangements have all been made. There will be no last minute changes of mind. The girl is bought and sold and she should be happy that an eminent man of the law like myself, is willing to accommodate such a dowdy little sparrow.”
Hawk’s mouth nearly dropped to his chest. He couldn’t believe the man had said such a thing about Faith. The girl was a beauty!
He snapped his jaw shut and muttered tightly. “I will thank you not to insult Miss Faith like that!”
“Insult…?” He stared at Hawk, and started to laugh. “Ahh, now I see. You wanted her for yourself. You thought to gain a ranch by marrying the daughter. Well it won’t happen.” He leaned forward and hissed threateningly. “You stay away from her. If you cause me any trouble, you will pay. I have friends.” He stood up from the table and marched out of the door, without a word or a backward glance for anyone.
Hawk stared after him in disbelief. That had gone far worse than he could ever have imagined.
He sat and turned it over in his mind for several moments.
He had been threatened, twice. He wasn’t afraid of Duncan, and he certainly wasn’t afraid of Shelton, but this wasn’t about him. In the end, if he was attacked, maybe killed, Faith would be the one to suffer.
It was beginning to look as if he truly couldn’t help her.
CHAPTER NINE
P arty day dawned. Faith was in despair, she had seen nothing of Hawk since he had ridden back to the ranch with her early yesterday morning.
He had promised to help, but if he had achieved anything surely he would have told her?
This was to be an all-day Christmas party, people would be arriving from mid-morning; they would take lunch and tea and return home in the early evening. Claudia said this was to enable people to prepare for Christmas, and of course the spectacular wedding, which people would remember for years to come! Faith knew the woman was just showing off her wealth, or rather, her father’s wealth.
Faith was shoehorned into her party dress by Ginette. The woman pulled her corset so tight Faith could barely breathe. She did manage to persuade her to loosen it slightly by complaining that she felt faint, and by doing a pretty good impression of a fit of the vapors. She found it infuriating that, although she was far from fat, and the seamstress Mrs. Cooper had said she was elegant, her step-mother still expected her to wear a tight corset.
Once in the dress, the torture of the hair-do commenced. No hair piled on her head, but still many twists and plaits and curls. Eventually she was ready, and she made her way downstairs to await the first guests.
Her step-mother had seated herself in the drawing room with her husband, where the decorations were at their most festive. She had declared that the job of greeting people at the door should fall to Faith and Flynn, since it was too cold for her to stand in the hallway. They were charged with directing guests into the drawing room to be presented to Mr. and Mrs. Duncan, as if they were some sort of nobility.
Faith seemed to have been standing there for hours, and many people had already arrived, when the Shelton’s carriage drew up.
“Watch out, Faith. Here comes your Beau.”
Faith snapped her gaze around to her brother and glared. “Don’t. You know I don’t want this.”
He had the grace to look shamefaced. “I know, I’m sorry. I was just trying to… lighten the mood.”
“Well, it doesn’t help,” she murmured as the Sheltons mounted the steps. She pasted on a smile and greeted them politely, directing them to the drawing room.
“Oh, but you must accompany us, I insist,” Mrs. Shelton ordered. “It will look very odd if you do not accompany Edward.”
Faith had no choice but to take Edward’s proffered arm.
For what seemed like hours he paraded her around the room, speaking with each and every guest and graciously accepting well wishes from all. Faith spoke little. She felt like a possession, like a china doll being exhibited to the crowds.
Finally they stopped, and stood by the fireplace. Faith tried to extricate her arm from his, and he gripped her tightly.
“Please, let me go.”
“Why?”
“I wish to… I wish to speak with your mother.” It was the only thing she could think of which might induce him to release her. He dipped his head and loosened his hold.
“Come back quickly, I will be watching.”
Faith moved carefully across the room and waited until Mrs. Shelton acknowledged her presence.
“Faith, my dear. Can I do something for you?”
“I would be obliged if I could have a few words with you, Mrs. Shelton.”
“Ahh, concerning tomorrow, no doubt.” She graciously took her leave of the lady with whom she had been talking and turned to Faith. “What is worrying you? I can see you are looking a little… peaky.”
Peaky? Faith was feeling positively ill, both with what was scheduled to happen tomorrow, and what she was about to say right now.
“Mrs. Shelton, I am worried about this wedding. I will be an awful wife for Edward. I am not sophisticated enough. It won’t work.”
“Edward is very tolerant, he will teach you.”
Faith felt like screaming. “I don’t want to learn!” she returned bluntly. “Please, Mrs. Shelton, can you not see? I don’t like Edward. I don’t want to marry him!”
“Well!” Mrs. Shelton huffed in surprise and offence. “You ungrateful young woman! Expect no sympathy from me. You will do as your parent’s bid you, and you will learn respect when you are Edward’s wife. I will see to that even if he is too tender-hearted!”
She turned and sailed away to the far side of the room.
Faith felt empty, and sick. She had tried, she had failed. And now she had made a real enemy of the woman who was to be her mother-in-law. Could this get any worse?
She turned to look for Edward. To her relief he was engaged in chatting with three young ladies, no doubt boasting as usual. She took the opportunity to escape into the next room.
The party wore on, it seemed interminable, but in a way Faith didn’t want it to end. Her step-mother had organized all manner of amusements and delights, special drinks and nibbles, and some lady playing a harp in the corner of the room. It was all terribly elaborate and citified, designed to impress their neighbors. Faith wasn’t enjoying it, but when it ended she would retire for the night, and next morning…, thinking of it made her feel ill.
Next morning was Christmas Eve; it should be a joyful time, a time for celebration with family, a time to contemplate the bible and the wonderful words. Instead she would be married, and trapped for life with a man she disliked, in an existence she would hate.
***
The hour was late, the rest of the occupants of the house were sleeping, even Flynn, who sympathized with her dilemma but had no solutions.
Faith was not in bed, she couldn’t consider sleeping, she was too tense. Instead she was up and dressed; she crept out into the dark barn, unsure of what to do, and desperate for solace. The only place she could find some peace was with her pony.
Tomorrow she married a man she neither liked nor wanted, and who, truthfully, seemed so pitiless that he frightened her a little.
What were her choices? As she had told Hawk yesterday, if she rode away, she had no place on this earth to go. For the last months, since Claudia had arrived and disrupted the harmony in her home, she had done her level best to make this right, to find a happy place, but she had failed. She knew she needed a way forward, but marrying Edward Shelton would not make things better.
She stood at the entrance of the dark barn and remembered another night, more than two years ago. A warm summer night; she had stood outside a similar dark barn with Hawk. He had kissed her that night. He had sealed her fate as far as her heart was concerned. Then he had pushed her away, told her it could never happen, and he had ridden aw
ay. Had he but known, he had taken a piece of her heart with him. She had tried so hard to forget, and she had thought she had succeeded. Now the pain was back, like an open wound never properly healed. The man still held her heart. She wondered where he was, if he would try to speak with her this night. If only he was here, if he would ask her, she would leave with him this very night.
She heard a footstep, and whirled to see who approached, and there he was, like the answer to a prayer.
Hawk!
***
“I’m sorry if I startled you, again. Somehow I knew you would be here.”
“I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I am glad you are here. I wanted to see you.”
“You might not be when you hear what I have to say.”
“Which is?” she asked fearfully.
“I spoke to your father, and to Edward Shelton. Neither would listen, and Edward is determined you will marry him.”
“You mean you failed!”
“Faith, I am sorry.”
“You promised me. You told me you wouldn’t fail!”
“I am so sorry. I tried. They all say it will be the best for you. He has money, a good future…”
“I hate him!”
“You barely know him.” Hawk hated himself at this moment. He didn’t like the man, he couldn’t blame Faith for wanting out of this, but what could he do?
“Don’t you care?” She stepped close enough that he could feel her against him, one more step and he would feel her heartbeat.
“Of course I care.”
“But you won’t help me.”
“Faith, I tried, I spoke to them, and both insisted the wedding will go on, they didn’t want to hear what I had to say.” Telling Faith that her father, and Shelton for that matter, had threatened him would achieve nothing. As for Edward’s lies… the man was boastful, but no doubt his future was set if he did his father’s bidding. Would it do Faith’s state of mind any good to confirm that Shelton was only marrying her for money?
“Talk! What good is talk?” She stepped closer still, now pressed against him. He closed his arms around her, instinct more powerful than good sense. “Take me away somewhere. Please, Hawk, I want to be with you.”
Hawk hugged her close, she felt so right in his arms. He couldn’t see her expression properly in the darkness, but her tone was wheedling, trying to get her own way. Did she actually want to go with him, or was he a way out? He surely wanted to be with her, far more than he had realized when he’d decided to come here. It had been a sort of pilgrimage, to lay a ghost; instead it had sparked to life a flame which had never really died.
He loved her, but what life could he offer her? If he rode away with her, Craig Duncan would know exactly where to lay the blame, and he wouldn’t rest until he had hunted them down. He harbored no illusions about his fate, should he run away with Faith he would be a dead man!
If he died, where would that leave Faith?
***
How could she make him hear her?
“Hawk, I love you. I have loved you since almost the day I met you.”
Hawk cleared his throat in an embarrassed fashion and her heart sank, obviously her declaration was unwanted despite the fact he still held her in his arms.
“I put you over my knee, how can you love a man who would do that?”
“You did it to prove a point, and you never hit me, you would never do that.” She raised her face to nuzzle him on the jaw. “Kiss me, please.” She felt him hesitate for a second, then he dropped his lips to hers. It felt so very right.
Several moments passed before he lifted his lips from hers to murmur, “Whatever the truth of how we feel, some things cannot change.”
“Like what?”
“Who I am. I am a half-breed, part Comanche, your father would never allow it.”
“Then we run away.”
“And be chased for evermore? Your father would set bounty hunters after me, lawmen, detectives. He would never rest until he’d got you back and made me suffer. You know that is true.”
“He wouldn’t.” Faith knew as she uttered the words, that they were a lie. Her father did not like to be thwarted. She laid her cheek on his chest. A feeling of hopelessness washed through her.
“He would, wouldn’t he? How, Hawk, how can I bear this?”
He tightened his arms around her and she cried into his shoulder. Here she was, held close in the arms of the man she loved, and it could never be. Tomorrow she would marry a man she did not want, or even like, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop this.
Finally she pulled away. “I must go in, I must do what I have to do. I know I have asked the impossible, I realize you cannot save me, you cannot take me from here and be sure of keeping your life! I do understand that you cannot take that risk.”
“Faith, I…”
“Don’t! Don’t say anymore. Thank you for trying to help. I asked the impossible. Now I must go and face my future.”
She pulled away and ran out of the barn and back to the house.
He didn’t follow.
That final rejection was hard to bear.
She hurried quietly back to her room, and stood watching from the window. It was no surprise when, a few moments later a horse and rider left the barn and headed out into the freezing night.
He was gone.
CHAPTER TEN
T he cold wind whistled past Storm’s grey ears, there was a promise of snow in the air. Maybe not today; when the sun rose higher in the sky the threat of snow would ease, but tonight it would return. The ground had been rimed with frost when he had risen well before dawn.
Hawk had ridden away from the barn last night and headed north. All he could do was leave it behind him, but he was angry and upset. He had kissed her again, it had been a dreadful mistake, but it had felt like home. He hated that she must think he valued his own life above her happiness. He would die for her, but she didn’t understand that his death would only make her life worse. She would be returned to the life she didn’t want, and she would be forever vilified for trying to run away. He knew he had failed her, badly.
He had spent several hours of that cold, uncomfortable night in the lee of a rock, trying to sleep. He had given it up as impossible, packed his belongings and ridden away before dawn. But now he was riding south again.
He couldn’t explain it, but he couldn’t leave, not like that, not without seeing the end to all this.
He approached Broken Ridge and made his way to the church, it was still early. He left Storm in the shelter of some scrubby trees, before leaving he removed his gun and wrapped it in his bedroll. Whether he would enter the building or not, he didn’t know, but guns had no place in church. He settled to watch, close enough to see everyone clearly as they arrived at the church.
There were a goodly number on foot from the town, and others on horseback and in buggies. He saw a number of cowboys ride up dressed in their Sunday best, amongst them he recognized both Flynn and Jim.
The Sheltons arrived in their carriage and entered the small building.
Finally a carriage arrived from the CD, carrying Mr. and Mrs. Craig Duncan, and their beautiful daughter.
She descended the carriage assisted by her father, who was looking understandably proud. Faith had told him about the dress, she had said it was too flouncy and a ridiculous color, but in truth she looked… stunning. Her tawny hair was twisted into an intricate style and laced with flowers which matched the pink rose knots on her dress.
Hawk watched, trying to be dispassionate about this, but it was very hard. His heart was involved here in a way he had never experienced, never expected. Coming back had been a mistake, this would haunt him forever.
The Duncans entered the church. Hawk could not help himself, he followed. He slipped quietly inside the door, and melted against the wall, he was fairly certain no-one had seen him, they were all too transfixed by Faith.
The church was beautiful, be-decked with greenery, but nothing could out
shine the beautiful woman walking slowly down the aisle.
The service began, Claudia Duncan had gone the whole hog here, it was not just an exchange of vows, there was a hymn and a prayer before the business of the wedding got underway.
Hawk listened as the pastor droned on about the state of Holy Matrimony, then he uttered the fateful words.
“If any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together as man and wife, let him speak now, or forever hold his peace.”
“Yes!”
Hawk didn’t realize he had shouted aloud until all eyes turned on him. Like a flash, like the dawn light striking the snowcapped tops of the mountains, the truth hit him. He would stop this.
He strode between the seats towards the altar.
“Yes, I object. She can’t marry him, because he’s a cheat and a liar and he’s not fit to be her husband. And I love her and she is mine!”
Faith snatched her hand from where it lay on Edward’s, spun around and met him halfway. She threw herself into his arms.
“Thank you, thank you. I love you, Hawk. Take me away from this place.”
He hugged her close.
“Hallelujah!” Jim moved swiftly from the seats to stand beside them.
“Thank the Lord. That’s more like it!” Flynn arrived on their other side.
“Faith, you stupid girl, what are you doing?” Claudia screeched.
Everyone started talking at once.
“Maybe,” Jim suggested quietly, “we should head outside?”
Hawk released her from his arms and ushered her speedily from the building; people followed, mainly the interested congregation. As they descended the steps, Claudia Duncan caught up with them, grabbing at Faith’s arm.
“What are you doing, you stupid girl? After all my work! I’d organized a nice future and you are going to throw it away? I won’t allow it!”