She’d always hated her dark complexion and her midnight black hair. All of her so-called friends were fair-skinned, and Sophia envied them. Her bronze skin was the reason everyone talked about her behind her back, and why she’d never been accepted fully in Boston society.
Sophia ran her fingers over her cheek, and along her jawline, and turned her head from side to side. Did she resemble her mother or her real father? She’d always assumed she looked like her mother, since she shared no common physical features with the man she had thought, up until yesterday, was her biological father. Years ago, she’d asked questions about her mother, but her father had always been rather evasive. He’d never even spoken her name, no matter how often Sophia tried to get him to divulge some information about her. His answer was always that it brought back painful memories if he had to talk about her.
In later years, when her childhood friends began to whisper in secret and point fingers at her, and exclude her from social events, Sophia blamed the woman who had given birth to her. Anything to do with Indians was obviously unacceptable, and she wished somehow she could shed her dark skin and be like everyone else around her.
Your real father was a French trapper.
Sophia tried to imagine what he might have looked like. Did he dress and act like Joseph Walker? His clothing was unlike that of any man she’d ever seen. Completely different in appearance and demeanor than the well-groomed, impeccably dressed gentlemen in Boston, Joseph was wild and rugged, from his buckskin britches and cotton shirt to his long hair. Admittedly, he was without a doubt the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on.
Did all men living out west have the same broad shoulders and sculpted arm and stomach muscles as Joseph? Lucy had obstructed much of her view on purpose in the barn yesterday afternoon. A lady wasn’t supposed to see a man’s nude chest, but one glimpse at him, and the high collar of her dress seemed to have squeezed tightly around her neck while she fought for a breath of air.
Her face flushed, and her pulse quickened at the memory. Her arm began to tingle where he touched her. Even through the satin of her sleeve, the warmth and strength of his fingers had seeped straight into her skin. Sophia shivered involuntarily. Every encounter with Joseph had brought the same response. Andrew’s touch had never elicited such a reaction.
Sophia scoffed. Andrew’s embrace, and his kisses had left her repulsed rather than craving more. If she was completely honest with herself, she’d been afraid of him yesterday afternoon. What would have happened if Joseph hadn’t shown up when he did? Would Andrew have forced himself on her like Joseph seemed to think? She touched trembling fingers to the buttons on her gown, and shuddered. The thought was too terrifying to even contemplate.
Sophie.
A delicious chill ran down her spine. Joseph’s deep, strong voice echoed in her mind. The variation of her name he used sounded like an endearment, personal and intimate.
He doesn’t seem to like you very much.
When he called her Princess, it sounded like anything but an endearment, more like a nasty word.
A short knock on her bedroom door startled her from her thoughts. Who wanted to see her at this hour? She’d woken much earlier than she normally did, her sleep wrought with dreams of Indians and one ruggedly handsome backwoodsman.
“Come in,” she called, and stood from her seat at the vanity.
Lucy stormed into the room, her skirts swishing around her legs like a hurricane about to unleash its wrath.
“Your father asked that you join him for breakfast in the dining room.” Lucy marched straight for the wardrobe and pulled open the doors.
Sophia groaned. She was in no mood to get dressed this early. She’d gone to breakfast in her morning robe before, and her father had never objected.
“You may lay out my clothes for today. I’ll be back to dress after breakfast.” Sophia turned toward her maid, and braced herself for an argument.
Lucy shot her a disapproving look. Although her maid acted stern and rigid, Sophia had loved Lucy for as long as she could remember, and the older woman was the closest person she’d had to a mother figure while growing up. Even though Lucy usually upheld the strict social boundaries required of a servant in public, she never hesitated to voice her opinion or disapproval when Sophia acted in a way that she deemed unbecoming of a lady when it was just the two of them. Unlike other people, Lucy had never frowned at her mixed bloodlines, and had encouraged her throughout the years to hold her chin up and be proud of the person she was.
The maid pulled a satin blue dress from the closet. “You are a grown woman, Miss Sophia. It is hardly becoming that you should be seen without proper attire.”
Sophia darted for the bedroom door and pulled it open. “Daddy won’t mind,” she called over her shoulder and slipped into the hallway before Lucy could stop her.
“Miss Sophia, come back here and dress yourself properly,” Lucy called after her in exasperation.
Sophia hurried toward the stairs. Eating breakfast with her father in her morning robe wasn’t nearly as bold as what she had done yesterday. Sending the note to Andrew to sever her engagement, or seeking out Joseph Walker and asking him to take her out of Boston and into the unknown wilderness was definitely more audacious than anything she’d done before.
She bounced lightly down the stairs, enjoying the feeling of her unbound hair and breathing freely without the confines of a corset. A rush of adrenaline passed through her. Even after everything that had happened yesterday, somehow her heart and mind felt light. Cancelling her engagement to Andrew had been the most liberating thing she’d ever done, and, even though it hurt deeply, she was glad that she’d overheard him and his father talking in the barn. Marrying him would have been the worst mistake of her life. A part of her wondered if her decision to go west wasn’t an impulsive mistake as well. She had to believe there was a place for her somewhere where people didn’t shun her or look at her with disapproving eyes.
Before she parted ways with Joseph at the livery late yesterday afternoon, he had told her that he’d be at the house sometime today to discuss the journey west. She hadn’t told her father of her plans to leave Boston, and she was eager to do so. How would he react to the news? Would he have ever told her about her real parents, had Joseph not arrived on their doorstep?
“Good morning, Miss Sophia,” James greeted her just before she reached the dining room. He raised his eyebrows at her before his expression turned again to one of indifference.
“Good morning, James. Is my father taking his breakfast in the dining room?”
“Yes, Miss Sophia, but there is—”
“Thank you, James.” Sophia wasn’t in the mood for another lecture on her lack of proper dress. She’d known James all her life, and he often joined Lucy in, what they considered, watching out for her well-being. She rushed past her father’s trusted butler and opened the doors to the dining room herself. No sooner had she entered, when she stopped in her tracks. Her father stood by the fireplace, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, in apparent deep conversation with Joseph Walker.
Both men’s heads turned in her direction. Sophia swallowed. Heat crept up her neck and into her cheeks. Joseph’s stare seemed to penetrate right through her. His eyes roamed over her boldly. No man had ever looked at her with such appreciation before. There was no hint of disdain or disapproval in his gaze. She stepped back involuntarily, her hand groping blindly for the door handle behind her.
“Sophia,” her father greeted. “You’re just in time for breakfast.” The warm smile she usually received from him in the mornings was missing, replaced by a look of concern.
Sophia’s eyes darted back to Joseph. “I . . . ah . . . I’ll join you shortly, Daddy. I didn’t know we had company. I’d best go see about getting dressed properly.” She was about to turn when Joseph’s voice stopped her.
“Don’t change into some fancy duds on my account, Princess. Looks like you’re covered up enough. I’m used to seeing wome
n wear less in the dead of winter than what you’ve got on right now.” His look was challenging, a twinkle in his eyes. Was he deliberately trying to provoke her, hoping she would retract her decision to go with him?
Sophia raised her chin. She wasn’t about to cower, and might as well continue with her daring behavior. “Well in that case, let’s eat. I’m famished.” She stepped further into the room and headed for the table, which was already set for three.
Joseph grinned, and her heart somersaulted in her chest.
Her father held a chair for her while she took her seat at the table, glad to take the weight off her weak legs. To her dismay, Joseph chose to sit across from her, putting him directly in her line of vision.
“Sophia,” her father said slowly after taking his seat. He cleared his throat. Maddie, the kitchen maid, brought fresh coffee for the men, and Sophia’s usual cup of tea. “Joseph tells me you intend to go with him out west?”
Sophia glanced at Joseph. She had wanted to break the news to her father slowly, but apparently Joseph had beaten her to it. His brows raised expectantly, as if he was all too eager to hear what she had to say. She tore her eyes away from him and looked at her father.
“Yes, Daddy. I broke my engagement to Andrew. I overheard him and Mr. Preston talking that the only reason Andrew wants to marry me is so that he could get control of Yancey Enterprises. He obviously didn’t want me because he loved me.” Sophia’s voice trailed off, and she blinked back the stinging sensation in her eyes. She stared into her cup of tea, but not before venturing one final peek at Joseph.
The muscles along his jaw visibly clenched and unclenched, and the amused grin vanished. His stare turned hard, with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
“I’ve questioned some of Lloyd Preston’s business practices in the past, but I never thought he would stoop so low,” her father said, his voice raised in anger. “I’ll be cancelling all of my dealings with him from now on.” He reached a hand out and placed it over Sophia’s, giving hers a light squeeze. “I wanted only the best for you. Andrew seemed like an outstanding choice. I’m so sorry for my lack of judgment.”
Sophia forced a smile. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed to focus her eyes on her father and not glance in Joseph’s direction.
“I’m just glad I found out now,” she whispered.
“But to make such a hasty decision to leave Boston and head out west?” her father continued. “You have no idea what sort of hardships that will bring. You’re not prepared for such a journey.”
“Daddy,” Sophia replied slowly. “What happened yesterday made me realize that this is something I have to do. I want to find out where I came from. I believe you’ve kept the truth from me for good reason, and I’ll always consider you to be my father, but I need to know about my real parents.”
“Well, then.” Her father sat up straighter. “If that’s what you want, I’ll need a few days to get my business dealings in order, and then we can plan for our adventure into the Teton wilderness.” He smiled brightly at her.
Sophia pulled her hand out from under her father’s, and shook her head.
“No, Daddy. This is something I need to do on my own.” All her life she’d been under Byron Yancey’s protection. His name and money would not benefit her where Joseph planned to go. And it was time she learned to stand on her own two feet. Joseph had accused her yesterday that she wasn’t strong enough to handle the journey, and for some reason it became vitally important to prove him wrong.
Her father cast a quick glance at Joseph, his eyes wide. “You can’t seriously think to take my daughter into the wilderness without a proper escort.”
Joseph gripped his coffee cup and held it to his lips. When he set the cup on the table, his stare was unwavering. “Do you doubt that I’ll get her safely to where we’re going?”
Sophia’s eyes volleyed between Joseph and her father. Her hand trembled when she sipped at her tea. It hadn’t occurred to her that she’d be alone on this journey with this man who was nothing but a stranger.
“I knew your father, and if you’re anything like him, which I have no reservation that you are, you won’t let any harm come to her. Sophia is a grown woman and has a right to make her own choices, but it’s not proper for a young lady to be traveling alone with a man. Surely you can understand that.”
“Lucy will go with me. She can be my chaperone,” Sophia blurted her sudden idea. Her eyes darted from her father to Joseph.
The stunned look of disbelief, and audible groan from the man sitting across from her almost made her laugh out loud.
****
“I can’t believe I agreed to such an absolutely foolish undertaking, Miss Sophia. Your father must be out of his mind to allow you to go with that man. Why, he’s almost a savage himself.” Lucy ushered two young maids out the door as she spoke. Their job in helping with the packing was obviously done. She tangled with an elaborately embroidered petticoat, and finally managed to wrestle the garment into the already overstuffed trunk filled with a dozen chemises, corsets, petticoats, and at least three crinolines. She slammed the lid shut as if she expected the garments to make a hasty dash for freedom.
Sophia cringed slightly when Lucy referred to Indians as savages. Dismissing her nagging thought that her maid might think of her in the same way, she said, “My father fully approves of Mr. Walker, Lucy. He would never allow us to go with someone who wasn’t completely trustworthy.”
Lucy snorted loudly. Ignoring her maid’s response, Sophia eyed the three wooden trunks that lined her bedroom floor. Several hat boxes were stacked between the larger luggage. It looked as if Lucy had packed her entire wardrobe. There would probably be no need for silk ballgowns where she was going.
“Are you sure I’ll need all this?” Sophia pointed at the luggage.
Lucy’s lips tightened in a firm line, and her hands shot to her hips. “You’re a lady, Miss Sophia. A lady needs to be prepared.” Her eyes filled with concern.
“Why you would want to leave Boston and head into uncharted wilderness is beyond my comprehension,” she huffed. She secured the latch on the trunk and swiped a hand across her damp forehead. “There are nothing but bloodthirsty Indians and murdering scoundrels the further west one travels.”
“I’ve read in the newspapers that a lot of people are moving west. California and Oregon seem to be where everyone is heading.”
Lucy scoffed. “Like I said, nothing but scoundrels. Certainly not a place for a lady.”
Sophia laughed. “I don’t think we’ll be going all the way to the Pacific Ocean, Lucy. My father tells me that the Teton Mountains are nowhere near the other side of the continent.”
“We’ll be in the middle of nowhere,” Lucy whined. “I’m not suited for a life without modern comforts and conveniences, and neither are you.”
A heavy sigh escaped Sophia’s mouth. Hadn’t Joseph told her the same thing, that she couldn’t handle the journey? Well, she just had to prove them both wrong. With an Indian mother, and an experienced mountain man for a father, it was in her blood. How hard could it be? So she’d have to suffer a few inconveniences along the way. Nothing she couldn’t handle.
“Well I will leave the decision up to you whether you want to accompany me,” Sophia said, and slipped her hand into a white glove. “You can unpack your trunk, and I’ll let my father know that I’ll be traveling by myself.”
Lucy stepped in front of her, one hand on her hip. She pointed a wagging finger at her, glowering with narrowed eyes. “If you believe for one moment that I’m going to let you go off alone to some godforsaken land with that . . . that man downstairs, you’re sorely mistaken, young lady. I spent the better part of twenty years looking after you, and I’m not going to shirk my duties now. Besides, someone has to make sure you come back to Boston.”
Sophia smiled, and threw her arms around the older woman before she could continue her rant.
“I love you too, Lucy,” she whispered.
/> Lucy stood stiffly for a moment, then patted Sophia’s back. She stepped away from her, and cleared her throat.
“Well, I believe we are ready to go.” Lucy sighed dramatically. “I’ll call for James to have the trunks brought downstairs.” She swiped her hand over her eyes.
Sophia nodded, and smoothed down the front of her bodice with her gloved palm. The close-fitting long sleeves of the silk dress rubbed against her skin. She should have chosen a more comfortable, less confining dress to wear for their first day of travel. The pleated, three-flounced skirt swished around her legs as she headed for the door. She pushed down on the handle when loud angry voices echoed from downstairs.
Sophia shot a glance over her shoulder at Lucy, who had obviously heard the commotion as well. The maid pushed past her out the door and into the hall.
“Dear Lord, what is that westerner up to now,” she scoffed and sauntered toward the stairwell, Sophia at her heels.
At the top of the stairs they both stopped. Sophia’s hand shot to her mouth to cover the gasp she couldn’t hold back. Below, standing in the entry, were Lloyd Preston and Joseph Walker. Mere inches separated the two men. Lloyd’s face was a shade of scarlet, his eyes bulging from their sockets as he stared at the unwavering man in buckskins before him.
Sophia’s heart beat furiously in her chest. It had been two days since her announcement that she was leaving Boston. Two days since she had last seen Joseph. An inexplicable wave of warmth passed through her at seeing him standing fearless before one of New England’s most powerful businessmen.
Neither Lloyd Preston nor Andrew had stopped at the house to question Sophia’s decision to cancel her engagement. She knew that her father had sent a message to the Preston residence immediately after breakfast on the day she told him of her plans. And as far as she knew, the Prestons hadn’t responded. Why were they still in Boston?
Teton Romance Trilogy Bundle: Includes Yellowstone Proposal (Short Story) Page 27