by R. L. Davis
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.” Rudd nodded and looked around the table. “Do you think between Don’s, Bill’s, and your ranches north of the border that you can provide room and board for our little army?”
The two men nodded that they could.
“I’d prefer to have all fifty men here ninety days before the battle. We can house them at the ranches for a while, and then slowly bring them across the border a few at a time until we have about half staying in hotels until the last few days before the event.”
Ben puffed on his cigar and nodded. “When are you going to start recruiting?”
“Right away,” Rudd said. “To get the people I want, I have to start now.”
Ben took another drag on his cigar and allowed a sly smile to play over his lips. “Will you go back to San Francisco to do your recruiting?”
“Ordinarily, I would put out my calls from San Francisco.” Rudd glanced down and grinned. “But most recently there has been an unforeseen change in my life, a change that makes it more convenient for me to stay here.”
“Oh, yes, Miss Kathryn. I completely understand, and I don’t blame you. Good for you.” Ben laughed and puffed on his cigar. “I’ll say this for you—you don’t let any grass grow under your feet. You’re a fast worker.”
Rudd caught sly looks around the table.
“Ben, I’ll need to run a tab at the telegraph office. If you could have that set up for me, I’d appreciate it.”
“It’s as good as taken care of, Rudd.”
“Are you all right if we store the weapons and equipment out at your place, Don?” asked Rudd.
“Of course,” Hoff said. “These are all new weapons that your men are going to need to be trained on. You know, target practice, nomenclature, and strategic use. My ranch is probably the place you’ll want to do this. It’s isolated and far from any prying eyes or ears. It’s yours, if you want it.”
The next morning, Ben sent an invitation to Rudd and Kathryn to join him for lunch. Waiting in the dining room when they arrived, he greeted them cheerfully. “Congratulations on having the good fortune to find one another in a world where meeting quality people is difficult at best.” He paused. “I am very fond of the two of you, and as a token of my affection for you both, I am giving you the bridal suite at El Matador Hotel, rent free, for the duration of your stay in Mexicali.”
The day after, Len helped move Rudd and Kathryn into El Matador hotel, Mexicali’s finest.
When the move was complete, the door shut, and at last they were alone together. Rudd took Kathryn in his arms. “I came down here to help start a new country, but right now all I have on my mind is starting a new life with you. This will be my last military campaign. I feel the real purpose of my coming to Mexico was to meet you. Nothing else matters to me now.” He kissed her.
“Since the moment we met, I’ve had the same feeling,” she said. “I came here to meet you, to be with you.”
Pulling her close, he enfolded her in his arms and held her tight. “Thank God I have you with me now. You’re the only real thing in my life.”
She stepped back. “I don’t understand.”
He shook his head. “Who knows how this Desert Revolt dream of Ben’s will really turn out.”
“What do you mean?”
Rudd chuckled. “You’ve heard the saying, haven’t you? Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.”
Part Two
The Beginning
Chapter Six
Late Spring, 1892, Sussex County, England
The end of May had turned warm, and the trees and plants were beginning to green and sprout in response.
As seventeen-year-old Rudd Carter returned from his morning ride, his mother, Lady Carter—a striking, dark haired woman in her early forties, with well defined aristocratic features—met him at the door of his room with a kiss on the cheek. “I have news I think you will like,” she said cheerfully.
“You seem in such high spirits, Mother. I can’t wait to hear it.”
“Your uncle and aunt from Canada, the William Carters, and their daughter, Elizabeth, are going to stay with us here at Carter Hall for the summer. Isn’t that grand?”
Rudd paused for a moment trying to recollect his relatives.
“You remember,” his mother said, “the same aunt and uncle who stayed with us for the summer five years ago. You and Elizabeth were inseparable for the whole summer.”
“You must mean that scrawny little girl, Lizzie, who followed me everywhere and wouldn’t leave me alone for a minute,” Rudd said.
Lady Carter gave her son an affectionate maternal smile. “She is sixteen now and quite mature for her age. I’m sure you’ll have much more in common with her this visit. I am told she is very beautiful. At any rate, they will be arriving the day after tomorrow.”
Late Thursday afternoon, a coach pulled up to the main entrance of Carter Hall and deposited the expected family at the door. The footman knocked, and the butler opened the door and invited the newly arrived guests in before leaving to announce their arrival.
Rudd, the first to reach the entrance hall, caught sight of his cousin Elizabeth and her family. So overwhelmed by Elizabeth’s beauty, he stumbled to his uncle, shook his hand, and welcomed him. Recovering his senses, he lightly kissed his aunt on the cheek and turned to his cousin, only to become speechless.
Elizabeth took his hand in both of hers, shook it lightly, and gave him a soft, warm kiss on the cheek. “How nice it is to see you again, cousin Rudd. I’ve never forgotten our summer together.”
With her turned-up nose, large green eyes, auburn hair, and bright smile, Elizabeth, radiant and beautiful, completely beguiled him. Recalling that summer with her five years ago, all that mattered to him at that moment was that he would be with her all summer.
Later, seated across from one another at dinner, they stole glances at each other. When she caught a direct look from him, she smiled broadly, and he shyly looked away.
Lady Carter, amused and delighted with the flirtatious looks she observed flying between the two, took Elizabeth by the hand after dinner and led her to where Rudd was in the drawing room.
“Rudd, maybe you and Elizabeth would like to ride around the estate in the morning.”
Lady Carter, a wise and compassionate mother with strong memories of her own youth, thought their riding together would be a good way to start the two of them enjoying each other’s company. She knew that Rudd, an expert horseman, would love to show Elizabeth the Carter Estate from horseback.
The evening ended early, and before retiring, Rudd and Elizabeth agreed to meet at the stables at eight the next morning.
The whole night he couldn’t get Elizabeth out of his mind. He hardly slept in anticipation of the day to come. When morning came, Rudd awoke at six, ate breakfast, and arrived at the stables by seven to personally pick and prepare two horses for the morning ride.
Promptly at eight, Elizabeth appeared at the stable door dressed in riding gear, which included a pair of boy’s form-fitting breeches that hugged every curve and left little to his imagination. When Elizabeth realized that he was staring at her legs, she said, “I hope you don’t mind my wearing boys’ riding breeches. I find they are a lot more comfortable than riding sidesaddle. Besides, we are family, aren’t we? I didn’t think you’d mind me dressing casually.” She let out a cheerful, bubbly laugh that he would soon come to cherish. She ran to him, threw her arms around him, gave him a quick peck on the lips and whispered, “Good morning, Cousin. I couldn’t wait for the sun to rise this morning so I could ride with you today.” She stepped back, took both of his hands, and looked deeply into his eyes. “I never dreamed my cousin Rudd would grow up to be so tall and handsome.”
Dumbfounded, he stood staring, as a warm feeling ignited every cell in his body. “My dearest cousin Elizabeth, I could never have imagined that skinny little Lizzie would grow into the beautiful young lady you are today.” He paused, grinned, and with a wink s
aid, “With the way you look, my problem is going to be to remember that you are my first cousin.”
“But Rudd, even though we are first cousins, I wouldn’t mind if you thought of me as a distant cousin, or not a cousin at all,” she said flirtatiously. After all, I have come all the way from Canada, and you can’t get anymore distant than that.” She giggled, which stirred him. Elizabeth seemed so different from the local girls with whom he had grown up. By the time they had reached their teens, they were all pretentious, snobby, and class conscious as if the life had been methodically squeezed out of them. On the other hand, Elizabeth had such an effervescent, spontaneous personality. He already knew by the way he felt when he looked at her that this would be the happiest summer of his life.
The first week they rode in the mornings, exploring the woods and gentle rolling hills of the sizable Carter Estate. Besides polite greeting embraces, they touched only after dismounting their horses when Rudd would take her hand to lead her to view a lake, stream, or valley stretched before them. In the afternoons, they would join their families for meals and yard games such as badminton and croquet. In the evenings after dining with their families, they would play parlor games or walk in the garden and share amusing stories of their respective childhoods. Then after politely embracing, they rushed off to bed so they could rise early in the morning to repeat another fun day.
Convinced that it was destiny that had brought the two of them together, Rudd wondered if what he felt for Elizabeth would set a benchmark that he would never experience again. He thought she felt the same by the way she greeted him, the way she looked at him, the way she touched him. At the end of three weeks, he had fallen in love with her.
As the weeks flew by, they became inseparable. When Rudd attended his fencing or boxing lessons, Elizabeth accompanied him. When asked if they were courting, they both dismissed the questions by saying she was his cousin visiting from Canada and he was just being a good host. The two families attended social events at neighboring estates together, and of course, Rudd and Elizabeth were invited.
In the middle of August, with four weeks remaining before Elizabeth was to return to Canada, she and Rudd attended a party with their families. After dancing with several partners, he suggested they walk in the garden.
Strolling along a path, she took his hand, pressed it to her lips, and began to cry. “I love you, Rudd,” she said through her tears. “I love you with all my heart. I cannot bear to think that in a few weeks I will have to leave you. I want this to go on forever.”
He pulled her close and put his arms around her. “I love you and have loved you since the first moment you arrived. I will carry the memory of you the rest of my life.” He bent to kiss her deeply.
They stayed in the garden in each other’s arms for a few more minutes and then started back to the house.
“Rudd, how are we going to hide our feelings from everybody?”
“We have nothing to hide,” he replied, stroking her face with his fingers. “We only have to go on being loving cousins as we have been all summer. We just can’t embrace in public like we did a few minutes ago.” He gathered her in his arms and kissed her again. “This will have to hold us until tomorrow.”
Now that they had shared their feelings with each other, there would be much for him to ponder, and he didn’t sleep well that night.
The next morning, he had two picnic lunches prepared for their ride. When Elizabeth arrived at the stables, she ran to him, threw her arms around him, and kissed him. “I meant what I said last night. I don’t want this to end, ever.”
They mounted their horses and rode off, just as they had every morning for weeks, except today, instead of exploring without a plan, Rudd had a destination in mind. He took them into a part of the forest where they hadn’t been yet. They rode through dense woods until they came to a clearing beside a lake.
Dismounting, he tied the horses to a tree and helped ease her down from her saddle. When her feet touched the ground, he put his arms around her. He brushed her ear and cheek with his lips, and then his mouth met hers. She responded with a deep sigh.
“I’ve wanted to bring you to this place for weeks, but until last night, I wasn’t sure how you would react.”
“I love it,” she said, reaching up and placing her hands on each side of his face, kissing his lips again and again. “Dearest Rudd, please know that I am yours. I would follow you anywhere, go anywhere, do anything with you.”
“I feel exactly the same. This is our paradise, ours to share alone.” He retrieved a blanket from his horse, and together they spread it on the ground. Then he took her by the hand and led her to the edge of the lake where they stood together transfixed in the moment.
Reaching down, Elizabeth touched the water. “It’s quite warm. Warm enough to swim,” she said.
“I know. I swim here every summer. I have for years.”
“Alone, I hope?” she teased.
“Of course. You’re the first girl I’ve brought here.” He laughed feeling light-hearted and happy. Carefree and high-spirited, she wasn’t like anyone he had ever known.
Taking his hand, she said, “I’d like to wade in the shallow part of the lake before we eat. Do you mind?”
Removing their riding boots and stockings, they rolled their riding breeches up to their knees, held hands, and walked into the lake. For a few minutes, they moved around in the water, enjoying the warmth on their feet and ankles. Suddenly, they were in each other’s arms, locked in a deep embrace. The warm water helped enhance feelings that Rudd had never experienced before. Elizabeth responded by pushing herself against him. They stood molded against each other, undulating slowly in a primal dance, neither one apparently wanting to break the passion surging between them. Abruptly, Rudd stepped back, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I love you, but I want you to know that I respect you. Please don’t be angry with me. I’ll be more careful in the future. I apologize.”
“I’m not angry about anything,” she said breathlessly, “but I am disappointed that what we were doing ended so quickly. And please,” she teased, “in the future, dear Rudd, don’t try to be so careful with me!” She laughed, stepped forward, and hugged him. “I have never felt anything so intense in my whole life as having your body pressed so close to mine. I can’t wait to experience it again, so don’t be so careful.” Giggling, she said, “But now I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
They sat on the blanket and tried to eat their lunch, but neither had much of an appetite for food. Rudd, in a pensive mood, though responsive to Elizabeth’s lips softly probing his ears, and her fingers stroking the inside of his wrists and hands, knew this afternoon had opened a door that neither of them could resist for very long. Overwhelmed with longing, his strong desire for her frightened him.
When they rode back to the stables and dismounted, she embraced him and whispered, “I love you more than you could ever imagine. I want to return to our lake and swim with you tomorrow.”
He started to speak, but she put her finger to his mouth. “Don’t. I know how much you want to be there with me.” She laughed in that delightful way, kissed him on the cheek, and walked away. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring proper swimming attire.”
The next day they stayed indoors because of rainy weather. They contented themselves with secret glances and stolen touches. When at dinner with their parents, they played the part of two cousins who were enjoying their time together. All the while, their families were pleased that the two of them were getting along so well.
Finally the weather broke, making it possible for them to ride once again to their lake.
Meeting at the stables early in the morning for the first time in two days, Elizabeth greeted Rudd with a kiss on the cheek. “At last we’re alone together again. I’ve been going crazy not being able to touch you or tell you I love you.”
They rode into the forest, occasionally reaching across to touch one another. When they came to the clearing
by the lake, she quickly dismounted and tied her horse. “I’ll help you set up lunch later if you’ll swim with me now.”
He came to her and put his arms around her. “I’d be more than delighted to swim with you whenever you want. If you want to swim now, let’s swim. First, help me spread the blanket, all right?”
She ran to her horse, retrieved the blanket from the saddlebag, and they spread it on the ground.
He could see that she was happy, and that heightened his desire. Now that they were unaccompanied in their own paradise, his fears and trepidations that had escalated over the last three days disappeared.
“Dear, will you go to the water’s edge and turn your back to me while I change into my swimming attire?” she asked.
Laughing, he walked to the edge of the lake and turned his back.
“Rudd,” she called, “I want you to know that I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t love you more than anything in the world.” In the next instant, he felt her lips on the back of his neck, her arms reaching around him. She giggled. “Don’t look, not yet.” She placed her hands over his eyes. “Just turn around slowly while I slip into the water, then you can get ready to join me.” He turned and heard the splash as she entered the water uttering a bubbly laugh.
He quickly stripped down to his under drawers. In the past, he always swam in the nude since he was either alone or with male friends. He walked toward her wearing only the drawers.
“That’s not swimming attire,” she said, teasingly. “Come in here, and I’ll show you what is.”
He ran, jumped into the water, and swam to her.