by Sara Orwig
“Young lady, do you know how disrespectful it is to tell me that I am not needed or to reject my generous offer? Even your father would never have done such a thing! Your father should have had me take you in hand long ago and introduce you into society this past year. You know nothing about how to be a woman. If you’d been introduced, you could have been courted by the most eligible men in the area, and you could have made a marriage that would have given you social standing. As it is, your chances are gone, tossed away on a marriage to a hired hand.”
Honor stared at her aunt, whom she usually politely tolerated. This time the words cut deeply because Honor knew she was sadly lacking in social graces and maybe in the things that made a woman important to a man like Luke.
“Maybe you realize I’m right. Now go join Stanton before he comes searching for us.”
Dazed by Lavinia’s announcement, hurt by her assessment that rang too true, and knowing that telling Lavinia she could not stay would be incredibly unkind, Honor had a sinking feeling. Lavinia was the last person Honor wanted moving into their home. Even Uncle Stanton would be preferable because he would have to leave to take care of his business, but Aunt Lavinia would be ensconced and seldom leave the house. And the relationship with Luke, their sham marriage—how long could they keep it up beneath Lavinia’s prying eyes? Honor drew a deep breath at the thoughts and hurried to the kitchen.
“Dolorita, would you please serve coffee and then get my room and the guest room ready for my aunt and uncle’s stay.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dolorita murmured glumly. “Your aunt needs new spectacles,” she mumbled.
Honor took a deep breath and returned to the parlor, where Jeddy was seated on a chair with Stanton facing him. Stanton was lecturing him on doing his lessons.
Stanton looked at Honor as she sat across from him. “Honor, I’ve been discussing Jeddy’s lessons, or lack of them, with him. Lavinia and I have decided that it would benefit both you and Jeddy if she would move in here—”
Jeddy gave a strangled sound, and Honor frowned, leveling a look at him. He coughed behind his hand. “Excuse me, Uncle Stanton. I choked.”
“Yes. Well, Lavinia should move in here for a time. She can help Jeddy with his lessons and help you with the things a young married woman should do socially.”
“Uncle Stanton, there’s very little social life this far from town, and you know we have always been ostracized because of Mother,” Honor said bluntly.
“Yes, that’s correct, but perhaps Lavinia can help change things. She has social contacts, and she goes to San Antonio at least once a week for a tea.”
Lavinia joined them and Jeddy stood up. “Sit here, Aunt Lavinia,” he said politely. “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“After you have eaten, young man, I’ll come look at your books.”
Jeddy fled the room, breaking into a run in the hallway. When the grandfather clock chimed, Honor glanced at it, unable to believe that Lavinia and Stanton had been there only a little over an hour. The time was interminable, and she wondered how she would get through an entire day with them.
Stanton stood up. “I’ll go down to the barn and get a mount. I want to look things over.”
“Uncle Stanton, this ranch is Luke’s now, and he’s running it the way he sees fit,” Honor declared quietly, remembering their attorney, Judson Maple, swearing secrecy to her father about the nuptial arrangement and the will. Could Judson have let something slip? Did Stanton or Lavinia know anything, or did Stanton simply suspect what Pa might have done?
“I’m too aware that it is now your husband’s property to do as he sees fit, but I’m a guest here until informed otherwise, so I’ll ride around and see how the stock and land look.”
Something he would not have dared to do when Pa was alive. Honor clamped her lips closed as she followed him toward the door.
“Honor,” Lavinia said, trailing behind her, “you and I will take a household inventory. Your father has run the house and men are sadly lacking in knowledge as to what is needed.”
“Aunt Lavinia, we’ll have to postpone the household inventory for a time because I have some letters to write for Luke and books to post for him.”
Lavinia’s mouth thinned and her eyes narrowed. “Very well, I shall start the task on my own. And I’ll see to Jeddy’s books and instruction.”
Honor held back a retort and left to go to Pa’s office. Opening his desk, she gazed at the ledgers and books, knowing Stanton would want to see what everything was worth. She took the ledgers that would give him answers and glanced around the room. She tucked them beneath her arm and carried them to Luke’s bedroom, closing the door behind her and crossing to her father’s rolltop desk. She placed the books inside and opened a drawer, removing a key that she had played with as a child, finding it fascinating that the desk could be locked, but knowing that Pa never secured it. Honor closed the top and locked it, crossing to the dresser to rummage in a drawer until she found a slender blue ribbon. She put the key on it, knotted the ribbon, and draped it around her neck beneath her dress.
She went downstairs to go through the desk carefully to see if there was anything else she wanted to keep from their prying eyes.
By nightfall her patience with Lavinia was worn thin. Honor had avoided her most of the day but knew that Lavinia was going through every drawer to see what they owned. The thought of her living with them was too much to contemplate, yet she couldn’t think of any way to dissuade her short of having Luke order her off the place.
She bathed and dressed in a black poplin for dinner. As she looped and pinned her hair behind her head, she heard a knock at the door. It opened and Jeddy slipped inside. His hair was a tangle, his shirt coming out of his pants, and he had a smudge of ink on his chin.
“Honor, is Aunt Lavinia really moving in here?”
“She says she is.”
Jeddy groaned, clutched his stomach, and fell to the floor. “She can’t! She’s fussed over my books and given me things to read that I read last year.”
“I don’t know what we can do, but I’ll think of something.”
“Why doesn’t Luke just tell her she can’t stay? Pa would have.”
“Aunt Lavinia never wanted to stay with Pa here.”
“Maybe she won’t with Luke.”
“I don’t know, Jeddy. Luke is polite to her, and Pa wasn’t. She was Pa’s sister, and he could say things to her that Luke can’t.”
“I don’t see why not. Honor, she’ll ruin our lives.”
“I’ll think about it, Jeddy, because I agree with you. Get ready for supper. Luke should be here soon.”
“I’ve seen Luke fight men bigger than he is, so he can’t be scared of a skinny old woman. Why can’t he just tell Aunt Lavinia she has to go?”
“He’s trying to be polite.”
“If he had her screeching over his toy snake and telling him what books to read and how to sit and talk, he’d send her home.”
“He probably would.”
With reluctance Honor knew she would have to go to the parlor and join Stanton and Lavinia. She hoped Luke would arrive before she left the privacy of their room so she could tell him about Lavinia’s plans. “Jeddy, you need to get ready for supper.”
“I wish they weren’t here,” he grumbled as he left the room. Honor smoothed the black poplin and went to the parlor, stopping in the doorway as the back door slammed.
Eight
Luke’s boots scraped the floor, and his voice was deep as he greeted Dolorita. Honor felt a lift of her spirits. As he swept into the hall, smiling at her, her heart turned over. His arm went around her, and he bent his head to kiss her on her mouth. He brought cold air with him and his breath held a hint of tobacco, while his clothing held the faint smell of leather. And then thought was gone as his mouth opened hers and heat filled her, his tongue entering her mouth so slowly and deliberately.
Her heart seemed to stop; her hands were on his upper arms and she felt the
bulge of hard muscle beneath her fingers through the rough woolen shirt.
He raised his head. “Hello,” he said softly, his blue-green eyes studying her.
“Luke,” she whispered, still dazed by the warmth of his greeting and finally remembering it had been an act for her relatives.
He glanced around and released her. “Evening, Stanton, Lavinia. Sorry to keep everyone waiting,” he said, shaking hands with Stanton. “I’ll clean up quickly and we can eat. How’s it going, Jeddy?” he asked, glancing at Jeddy and giving him a wink.
“All right,” Jeddy mumbled darkly, with a frown, and Luke turned around.
“Can I steal you away to help me just a minute, Honor?” he asked politely as he slid his arm around her waist.
Thankful to go with him, wondering if Stanton and Lavinia stayed very long whether she would be able to keep her cool reserve around Luke once they left. Each kiss seemed to make her more vulnerable, to bind her to him and make Luke more appealing.
They walked down the hall in silence and entered the bedroom. Luke closed the door and leaned back against it. “What’s wrong? What happened here today?”
“Lavinia wants to move in with us to see that Jeddy gets the proper schooling and that I’m taught the correct social graces. Luke, she wouldn’t have spent a night with Pa here. He just wouldn’t put up with her crotchety ways.”
Luke rubbed his neck as he crossed the room. “Is that why Jeddy is in a knot?”
“Yes. She helped him with his books today and that was disastrous. She’s taking a household inventory …” Her words trailed away as Luke yanked off his shirt and tossed it over a chair. Muscles rippled in his back. As if he realized she had stopped talking, he turned to look at her, his brows drawing together.
“I better join them,” she said, trying to keep her eyes on his and failing. Her gaze slid down over Luke’s broad chest that was tanned, muscled, and covered with a smattering of dark hair. She felt as if a noonday sun were blazing on her, and it was difficult to get her breath. She turned away, knowing he had seen her blatant perusal. As she reached for the doorknob, she glanced over her shoulder. Luke was pulling off his boot, his pants pulled tautly over his slim thighs and long legs.
“Luke, Uncle Stanton rode out to look things over.”
Luke’s head came up and his eyes narrowed. “He can look till hell freezes, Honor. It won’t do him any good. And I’ll think of some way to get Lavinia out of here. If we have to, we might get all the hands to eat in the house with us. She’s too prim and snobbish to put up with that.”
Honor laughed as Luke tossed down the second boot and stood up, his trousers riding low on his hips as he crossed the room to her. Her heart began another race while she looked up at him. He touched the corner of her mouth with his finger. “I like to see you laugh. You haven’t had an easy time of it since you lost your pa.”
“Your suggestion might be exactly what we have to do,” she said. “I’ll go join them now while you dress. Luke, do the kisses have to be that—real?” she asked with her back to him.
“Just think of the ranch every time,” he drawled in a cynical voice, the harshness back in his tone. She yanked open the door and stepped into the hall, closing the door swiftly behind her.
Was he thinking about his part of the ranch when he kissed her? She was angry and wondered how long they would have to keep up this charade that was tearing into her and making her want him more with every slight contact.
In another twenty minutes Luke joined them and Honor realized she was becoming intensely susceptible to his looks and charm. The white shirt he wore contrasted with his dark skin, his eyes looking lighter, more turquoise than green, his shaggy thick brown hair giving him an air of wildness.
She barely heard what he said and, halfway through dinner, she wondered how deeply in love she would be with Luke by the time Stanton and Lavinia were gone. For Luke was playing the devoted new husband to the utmost. All through dinner he seldom took his gaze from her. Attentive to her every word, he sat at the head of the table across from her, his gaze constantly on her, his questions directed at her.
After dinner Jeddy was excused to go to bed while Lavinia and Honor retired to the parlor to let the men smoke and have a brandy.
Honor answered Lavinia perfunctorily, hoping Lavinia would think she was so in love with her husband that she couldn’t carry on a conversation. With each passing minute Honor’s nervousness increased. Luke had said he would sleep on the floor tonight, yet how would she sleep at all with him so close at hand?
Finally, the men joined them, Luke crossing the room and pulling a chair close to the wing chair where Honor sat. As soon as he sat down, he placed his hand casually on her shoulder, squeezing her lightly, his fingers playing in her hair while he talked about the ranch with Stanton and Lavinia.
Even when she wasn’t looking at him, Honor was intensely aware of him, his hand stroking her shoulder, sometimes her nape. He had one booted foot resting on his knee, one hand on his thigh, his fingers splayed against his dark pants. The evening was a torment, and anticipation of sharing the bedroom made her nerves raw.
When the clock chimed half past the hour of nine, Luke stood. “We’ll tell you folks good-night now.”
He slid his arm around Honor’s waist as they left the room and walked quietly down the hall. They entered the bedroom and closed the door, and she waited while Luke lit a lamp. As he crossed the room to her, he unbuttoned the neck of his shirt and pulled his shirttail out of his pants. Her pulse jumped and raced and words left her while she watched him.
“Honor, I would wager a large sum of money that one or the other of us gets called out of here within the next five minutes,” Luke said, walking up to her. “Think of the ranch,” he whispered as he drew her into his arms and bent his head to kiss her.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to think of the ranch or anything to keep from melting into Luke’s arms and letting him know what he could do to her so easily.
The tip of his tongue touched hers, withdrawing, sliding sensuously over the inside of her lower lip. She tried to think about cattle and horses and land, but thoughts dissipated like smoke in wind. She pressed against his hard length, felt his arousal pressing against her, and her pulse jumped again because Luke responded physically to her if in no other way.
The knocking was faint at first, something she dimly heard, and then it was loud. “Luke!”
Luke leaned back and winked at her. “I would have won the wager if you’d bet with me.” He yanked off his shirt and let it fall to the floor before he turned to open the door. Honor stepped back so she would be out of sight, her face flaming at the picture Luke must present to Stanton.
She barely heard their low voices in conversation as Luke stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. She wondered what pretext for interrupting them Stanton had given, but then her thoughts shifted back to Luke.
In minutes he stepped inside and leaned against the door. She could see that he was waiting, giving Stanton time to get back to his room. Luke turned the key in the lock, and she wondered if that was the first time the door had been locked since the house was built.
“He wants to ride with me tomorrow,” Luke related dryly.
“I want to change into my gown,” she said, feeling her cheeks grow hot. “Will you turn your back?” Luke’s expression didn’t change, but she received one long, assessing look that made her nerves quiver.
He turned around and strode across the room to the washstand, pouring water into the bowl. “Take your time, Honor.”
Her fingers fumbled with the buttons in her haste even though he had told her to take her time. As she stripped off all her clothes and reached for her gown, she felt on fire with awareness that Luke was only yards away from her. And she hurt because this wasn’t the way she wanted a marriage; it wasn’t the way she wanted her relationship with Luke to be. She slipped beneath the covers.
“I’m in bed.”
/> He glanced over his shoulder at her and went back to drying his face.
“Luke, we could put a couple of pillows between us and then you could sleep on that side of the bed.”
He turned, his cat green eyes staring at her, and she wished she hadn’t made the offer as she wondered if he thought she was chasing after him again.
“All right, Honor,” he said, getting extra pillows from the wardrobe and carrying them to the bed. “You put them where you want them. I’ll grant that the floor doesn’t look inviting, and then, if we are disturbed by some unexpected event, everything will look more like it should to Stanton and Lavinia.”
“Do you think they’ll try to get in here in the night?”
He paused to look at her. “I wouldn’t put it past your uncle to set fire to something, just to get a good look in this room during the night. He knows you’re only sixteen, and he knows your pa never planned for us to marry.”
“How would he know that?”
“Your pa told him he was sending you East to school.”
“That doesn’t mean I couldn’t have come home to marry you.”
“It wouldn’t have been as likely. I’m going to undress,” Luke said, extinguishing the lamp.
She turned her back, lying on her side, listening to the rustles and creak of the floor, imagining him pulling off his pants. The bed shifted with his weight.
“Honor,” he said softly in a deep voice, and she turned to face him. The extra pillows were between them, but there was nothing separating the pillows where their heads lay, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she studied his profile. “If they do something to get in here, I’m tossing these pillows off of the bed. There’s nothing else to raise a suspicion. Except maybe that you’re wearing a nightgown.”
The last held a note of amusement in his voice, and her cheeks heated at the intimacy of their conversation. “I’m not sleeping without my gown! I never have, and I never will!”
“You would if you were my wife,” he said, turning his head to look at her.