Wild legacy

by Conn, Phoebe

  "I don't care whether he does or not. We'll have time to make plans later. For now, just hold me, and everything will be all right."

  Also too content to move, Etienne was quiet for a long while, and then propped his head on his elbow. "I want you to know the truth."

  Dominique raked her nails across his belly, and then moved her hand lower for a bold caress. "I can feel the truth," she swore.

  fetienne caught her hand, and this time held her fast. "Listen to me!" he begged. "When I told my father I was sailing with Lafayette; he gave me your father's name, but it was your mother he wanted killed."

  "Oh, my God," Dominique gasped. She felt sick, and escaped his embrace to sit up. She reached for her nightgown to cover her breasts even though their bodies were heavily veiled by shadows. "What made you change your mind? Or do you still plan to do it?" That he might also kill her was her next thought, but if she could not trust her heart, she did not care to live.

  Etienne longed to hold her, but waited for her to return to him willingly. "I begged you not to blame me for my father's crimes. I have no quarrel with your parents, and they have nothing to fear from me, but I want you to know

  everything. I would love to show you France, but I do not dare take you home while my father is alive."

  Ashamed for doubting him if only for an instant, Dominique reached up to touch his silken curls. "And you can't stay here with me when my parents refuse to accept you, so we'll have to find someplace new, my love."

  Etienne wanted to believe her, but couldn't. "How can you give up everything when you have so much?"

  Dominique answered his question with a searing kiss. "I left home last summer because my life was so empty I couldn't bear it. This time, I'll leave because you have made my life so full. If my parents can't accept you, then their love comes at too high a price. As for everything my family's wealth provides, they are only things, after all, and don't compare to you."

  Still not quite able to believe he had won the heart of such a dear young woman, Etienne carried Dominique up the stairs. He made love to her again in Ian Scott's feather bed, and while he did not make the promise aloud, he vowed for as long as he lived to make her proud to be his wife. As for Dominique, leaving him before dawn was the most difficult thing she had ever done.

  She held Etienne's face in her hands and begged him to understand. "I can't come back here. The risk is simply too great that I'll be caught, and you'll be the one to suffer. I intend to give my parents a choice after the wedding. They can either allow us to wed that same afternoon, or I'll leave with you and not return."

  "Dominique—"

  "No. You must agree. I'll want you every minute, but I also want Belle and Falcon to wed without any anger or sorrow about us to spoil their happiness. If my parents are half as good as I believe them to be, then they'll put aside their old hatreds and welcome you as a son."

  Etienne knew just how far he would get should he ask

  his father to regard Dominique as a daughter, and felt utterly defeated. "I don't want you to be hurt."

  Dominique kissed him tenderly. "Then you will not even think of leaving Williamsburg without me," she insisted. "We'll make such handsome children together, Etienne, but I don't want to have to raise the first alone."

  The idea that they might have already made a child was staggering, but Etienne hoped that they had. "I wanted what was best for you," he explained. "Now I understand what is best for you is to be with me."

  "Thank you. I'll see you at the wedding."

  foienne walked her almost all the way home, then stood down by the river until he was certain she was in the house safely. He waited for a lamp to be lit or any sign someone had noted her absence, but all was still in the beautiful house. He walked back to Ian Scott's, and now considered it a fine place to live, but he did not think he could survive two weeks without making love to Dominique.

  thus far, Etienne had been too distracted to offer any plans of his own. "You don't trust her, do you?"

  Caught off guard, Etienne grew defensive. "Don't trust who?"

  Feeling more relaxed, Falcon propped his hands behind his head. "Dominique, of course. Who else? You'll be getting married on Saturday, too. Your suit is being tailored, and you'll have everything else you require. You ought to buy her ring yourself, though. Do you have any money?"

  "Some." Etienne swallowed hard and began to pace beside Falcon's bed. "I know I should have a ring, but if Dominique changes her mind, it would be a sad keepsake."

  "Look at you!" Falcon exclaimed. "You're almost as handsome as me, and nearly as clever. Why would she change her mind?"

  Etienne laughed easily at Falcon's joke, for it was not his appearance or intelligence that troubled him. He went to the window and looked out. Falcon's room faced the fields, and for as far as his eye could see, this was Barclay land. That Etienne owned nothing except his good name, which Byron refused to accept, still troubled him. "Is there really good land in the Ohio Valley?" he asked.

  "Yes. That's why the French fought so hard to keep it. You and Dominique ought to come with us, Etienne. We get along well together, and Belle and Dominique would have each other as best friends. Did you hope to return to sea and leave Dominique languishing in port for months at a time?"

  Etienne laughed at the ridiculousness of that thought. "Dominique is not the type to languish," he replied.

  Falcon nodded to concede the point. "No. She would undoubtedly begin selling herbal remedies, or designing fine gowns, or open an academy for girls, but she would not be unfaithful to you. Why don't you trust her?"

  Etienne could have explained in French, but it was a difficult concept to relate in English to a man who never held

  any doubts. "Perhaps it is because my father could not win her mother's love. It may not be our fate to be together, either."

  "My God! Where do you get your ideas?" Falcon cried. "Sit down and I'll tell you a couple of love stories that are so tangled you won't believe your ears." He definitely had Etienne's attention then, and when the Frenchman was comfortably seated, Falcon began with his own parents' tale. "Did you realize that while Christian and I are brothers, his mother was my Uncle Byron's sister, while my mother is Byron's cousin? If you feel out of place here, can you imagine my father, a Seneca brave right out of the woods, walking into this mansion and taking not one beautiful Barclay woman, but two?"

  Etienne's mouth fell agape. "I had no idea."

  "The Seneca view the world differently than white men do," Falcon explained. "A Seneca brave owns nothing other than his buckskins, moccasins, and his hunting implements. The women own everything else—the fields where they grow their food, and the longhouses in which whole families live. It's the women who select the chief, and remove him if his decisions don't benefit the tribe. When a man marries, he goes to live in his wife's house, with her family. They believe it is a fine way to organize things, so my father has never cared that this was not his house or his land. He is complete in himself, Etienne, which is a good way for a man to think."

  Etienne did not have to ponder that idea to appreciate its value. "So we could go to the Ohio Valley, build houses for our wives, clear land for them, and then hunt and fish and simply be men?"

  Falcon responded with a ready grin. "The Seneca way has always held great appeal for me, and I can see that it does for you, too. Now let me tell you about the rest of this fine family."

  More than an hour passed before Etienne understood

  what trials the Barclays had overcome to become the harmonious family he had met. What amused him most was that Christian could call Ian Scott father, and yet had pursued Ian's daughter and made her his wife. He liked that enormously. "Audacity is the right word, is it not?" he asked.

  Falcon nodded. "If we had a family crest, that would definitely be in the motto. You belong with us, Etienne. Bring Dominique to the Ohio Valley, and we'll begin a dynasty that will put the Barclays of Virginia to shame."

  It had been the w
ild streak in Falcon that Etienne had first admired, and striking out on their own was incredibly appealing. He nodded, and decided no matter what Dominique had asked, he had been alone too long. He was smiling as he left, and the autumn sky was suddenly a brighter blue. He had kept the horse Falcon had given him and rode him into Williamsburg that afternoon to buy Dominique a wedding ring. Falcon had told him where to go and what size to purchase, and he bought the prettiest one he could afford.

  That night he slept fitfully, and no longer content to bide his time, left his bed after midnight and went back to the Barclays'. He slipped in the back door as silently as he had at noon, and wearing moccasins, made no sound on the stairs. It wasn't until he placed his hand on Dominique's doorknob that it occurred to him she might have locked her door, but it swung open easily and he closed it silently behind him.

  She was sleeping too soundly to hear him, and he kicked off his moccasins, dropped his buckskins, and climbed into her bed. He drew her into his arms and nuzzled her throat. She sighed sweetly and opened her eyes. Pale moonlight lit the room, but neither needed to see the other clearly to taste the love flavoring their first kiss.

  "I could not stay away," Etienne whispered. He parted her legs with his knee and moved over her. "We will have

  to be very quiet." He brushed her lips with his own, then eased into her with a shallow thrust and withdrew.

  Dominique's breath caught in her throat, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Devil," she murmured against his cheek. He smothered a laugh in her hair and this time slid into her with a light, fluttering stroke and again withdrew. He kept up the teasing assault on her senses until she moved her hands down over his hips to lure him deep. He sank into her and lay still, stretching her with his heat, not moving and yet filling her with a radiant joy.

  Etienne kissed Dominique with the fevered intensity he dared not display in a more forceful manner when it would surely rock the bed and wake the whole house. When he had to move, he slid back on her creamy wetness and pushed forward again. "I did not want you to forget that you are mine," he swore softly.

  The weight of his body was a glorious reminder of that, but Dominique had no such need. She wrapped her legs over his thighs to hold him tight, and he moved up to create a more perfect alignment and increased their pleasure tenfold. Dominique breathed deeply as their rapture soared to a shattering crest, but Etienne refused to allow her bliss to fade.

  With deep kisses and shallow thrusts, he kept her hovering on the edge of ecstasy until she begged for another release. He buried himself deep within her then, and, lost in his own surrender, felt a starry swirl entwine their hearts and bind them anew. He knew making a paradise of her bed was a primitive way to keep her love, but he thought it undoubtedly the best one.

  It wasn't until Etienne had to leave that he realized how great a mistake spending the night in Dominique's bed had been, for that single taste of bliss was not going to be nearly enough to see him through their final week apart.

  When Dominique awoke with the new day, she feared her smile was going to be much too wide. When she had displayed no more than a brief regret over Etienne, her parents had ceased mentioning his name and she was certain she had convinced them she had forgotten him as quickly as her other beaus. She could never have really forgotten him, however, and now that he had entered her bedroom with the same stealth that had claimed her heart, she longed to be with him always, and in all ways.

  That afternoon she slipped out after tea, strolled through the garden, and enjoyed a lazy walk along the shore until she was out of sight of the house. Then she hiked up her skirts and ran the whole way to the Scotts'. She found Etienne in the barn, tending his horse, and had to grab for the stall door as she fought to catch her breath.

  "You are wicked!" she exclaimed. "How dare you sneak into my bedroom at night? Have you no regard for my reputation, monsieur?"

  Etienne responded with a low, courtly bow. "It is because I value your reputation so highly that I call on you only after midnight."

  Dominique fell into his arms and he welcomed her with the same enthusiasm she had shown him before dawn. When he released her, she hugged him one last time before stepping back. "We have guests coming for the wedding. Some may arrive early and stay more than one night. I'll have to share Belle's room, and I don't want you joining the wrong woman in my bed."

  Etienne looked aghast at that possibility. "Neither do I! Must I stay away?"

  "This time you absolutely must, Etienne." His disappointment was so touching she slid her arms around his waist and rose on her toes to kiss him. "We have a few minutes together now. Let's not waste them."

  Etienne scooped her up in his arms and nearly scorched her lips with a searing kiss, and for what time he had, he

  made her stay memorable. When she left, he waited at the barn door as she walked down to the river. Finally satisfied that she would still want him come Saturday, he allowed himself to dream of the life they would have in the Ohio Valley.

  On Saturday morning, Dominique and her mother went out to the garden to cut the flowers for the wedding. The day was clear and crisp, and carrying armloads of white chrysanthemums and beautiful white roses, they returned to the house in high spirits. Arielle had the crystal vases on the dining room table ready to fill.

  "I think you are much better at this than I am," Arielle complimented.

  Dominique sliced off a chrysanthemum stem and dropped it into a tall vase. "Only because I've had you for my teacher," she assured her mother.

  Arielle was delighted by her daughter's smile. "I can not tell you how pleased I am to see you happy once again. I could not have planned such a perfect wedding for Belle and Falcon without your help, and I know one day love will come for you."

  "It would be most welcome today," Dominique replied, thrilled to know that it would.

  Arielle assumed her daughter was teasing. Amused, she laughed with her. "Falcon has invited friends from the militia. Are there any whom you have yet to meet?"

  "I don't believe so, but I'll look forward to seeing them again." Dominique directed her mother's attention to the candles and away from herself, but she was so excited it was difficult not to confide that her dream of love had already come true. The wedding would take place in the afternoon, followed by a lovely supper and dancing. It would take all day to have everything as perfect as Belle deserved, but Dominique enjoyed every minute.

  When she at last went upstairs to her room to bathe and dress for the ceremony, she found a note on her bed. She had not realized Etienne had been there to see Falcon, but this time he had left her a note. It was a simple Je vous aime, signed with an E, and yet worth a dozen love letters from other men. When she dressed, she tucked it inside her bodice for luck, but she was already convinced the evening would go her way.

  Dominique's ice blue gown was as exquisite as she had remembered, and with her hair styled atop her head in a cascade of pretty curls, and pearl jewelry, she was as lovely as she had ever been. She went to help Belle and found her primping in front of her mirror. Her wedding gown was of a luxurious iridescent white satin, and so feminine and sweet, there was no trace of the adventuresome little girl who had won Falcon's heart as a child.

  When Belle turned toward her, Dominique greeted her in an ecstatic rush. "You have never looked more beautiful, Belle," she enthused. "Falcon will surely remember how gorgeous you are for the rest of his life." She came forward to adjust a single curl, then pronounced her little sister a vision of perfection.

  "How can you be so calm?" Belle asked.

  Dominique had waited for that day with a longing she knew she would never be able to explain. Rather than feeling nervous about the outcome, however, she was elated. "This is going to be such a glorious wedding and I'm thrilled for you, but you're the bride, so why shouldn't I be calm?"

  Arielle came to the door dressed in pale yellow satin. She glanced at her two lovely daughters, and overcome with emotion, had to wipe a tear from her eye
. "I want you to stay here with Belle, Dominique, and I will let you know when all the guests have arrived. I had thought holding the wedding here would be easier for Falcon, but I failed to realize just how many people your father would invite."

  "It's warm. The guests can spill out into the garden and it will be a wonderful party," Dominique assured her.

  Trusting Dominique's opinion, Arielle gave both her girls a kiss and then swept out of the room. Belle still could not quite believe she was the elegant blonde in the mirror. "I do hope Falcon recognizes me," she joked.

  "Of course he will. You and I will be the only ones here with freckles, and he'll be sure to remember you're slightly taller."

  They had had a great many whispered conversations during the last two weeks, but Belle still could not believe Dominique meant to leave with Etienne if their parents would not accept him. She knew she would have made the same choice for Falcon, but she had never been able to predict what Dominique might do. "Are you still convinced Etienne is the man for you?" she asked hesitantly.

  Dominique drew in a deep breath and unabashedly beamed with pride. "He is my heart and soul, Belle, but we'll not create a disturbance at your party." She went to the door and peeked out. "I can hear the musicians tuning their instruments. I can hardly wait to dance."

  Belle followed her to the door and as the string quartet's lyric melody began to float up the stairwell, she finally realized that she was actually getting married today. She had absolutely no doubts, but that did not mean the ceremony would not be a strain. "Please stand close to me so I don't faint," she begged.

  Dominique took her sister's hand, and when it was time for the wedding to begin, the guests crowding the parlor swore Virginia had never produced two more beautiful young women. Christian stood with Falcon. It was the only time anyone could recall ever seeing Falcon in a suit, but he looked as splendid as his elder brother in black velvet with black stockings. The ruffled cuffs and stocks of their white linen shirts contrasted sharply with their deeply