Hope raised her eyebrows.
“They do,” he defended. “They remind me of the rich green hills. I spent many a day in those hills tending the sheep.” And I’d like to spend the rest of my days looking into those eyes. Ian straightened. It was the first time he’d admitted to himself that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Hope.
Hope slid away from him in the buggy. They rode the rest of the way to her home in silence. He pulled into the carriage house. “I’ll take care of the horse.”
Ian helped Hope down. “I’m sorry. I wanted to kiss you but there were too many people watching.”
Hope nibbled her lower lip. Ian reached up and caressed her silky smooth skin. “Ye are beautiful, Hope.” She smiled.
“May I kiss ye now?” Hope’s eyes widened.
“I would prefer ye didn’t,” Drake Lang’s voice boomed.
Ian pulled away and stood ramrod straight. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t…” He was going to say it wouldn’t happen again but knew he could not resist kissing Hope and planned on kissing her as soon as possible.
“Hope, go help your mother. Mr. McGrae and I have a few things to discuss.”
“Papa, no. If it involves me, I should be here.”
Drake put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders. “I will speak with ye later. This is something a father must do.”
Hope nodded. Drake pulled her into a tender embrace then released her. After she left, Drake’s piercing gaze met Ian’s. Ian locked his gazed on Mr. Lang. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended ye, sir.”
Drake placed his hands behind his back and started to pace in the carriage house. “Ye are putting me in a position I do not wish to be in.”
“How so, sir?”
“I know Hope has been at your ranch. When ye were in need and Hope was doing her Christian charity, I was not concerned. But now that ye and she are showing signs of…interest, I am quite concerned.”
“I will not dishonor Hope, sir.”
“But ye already are in some circles, Mr. Lang. I will not allow that.”
Ian couldn’t imagine not seeing Hope again. But he wasn’t ready to commit himself to her, either. It was too soon. “Mr. Lang, Hope and I bring out the worst in each other. But I believe we also will bring out the best. Unfortunately, we are not there yet. And I don’t know any other way of discovering how to bring harmony in our friendship without spending time with one another.”
Drake rubbed his beard. “Ye can spend time here at the house, or in public, but not at your farm. It is not proper and I will not have my daughter’s reputation ruined.”
“Sir, if I may speak frankly, ye have blessed her most—if not all—of her life. She’s never wanted for anything. But I am a simple man with simple needs. I do not wish to be the owner of a large plantation and have me servants do all me work. The question is, can she live like that?”
Drake regarded him carefully. “Take care of the horse. I need to speak with my daughter.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ian knew Mr. Lang was not satisfied and there was no question he would need to speak with Hope and hear her side.
Ian went to work removing the harness from the horse. He led the animal to his stall and brushed him down, then set out some fresh oats. Was he really ready to court Hope? And if so, who would he get to be their chaperone, especially when they were simply doing chores at the ranch?
Ian leaned against the stall wall. If only they hadn’t broken their betrothal. They would be married and working out these details. Then again, maybe Hope wouldn’t be seeking her own business venture, and maybe his eyes wouldn’t have opened to the possibility of a wife working apart from the home.
America was changing him. Or was it that incredible redhead? In either case, he wasn’t ready to go into the house just yet. Ian pushed away from the stable wall and headed into town. He needed to give them time. He needed time.
* * *
“Papa, how could you?” Hope demanded.
Her father squared his shoulders. “How could I not, Hope? I can see what’s going on.”
Her mother came up beside her and wrapped her arms around her. Gabe, who had come in with his mother, fled. “Hope, go to yer room and give me a moment with yer father.”
Hope obeyed, knowing her mother understood her feelings for Ian. Hope knew her father; he would demand a formal courtship. There would be chaperones. She would not be allowed to go to Ian’s ranch alone any longer.
And perhaps her father was right. Did they have a chance of becoming happy as husband and wife? It was too soon to know. If her passions were the only test then yes, they would be a happily married couple. However, she worried she couldn’t trust her emotions. They had led her astray one too many times over the years.
“Hope, would you come down here, darling?” her mother eventually called from the bottom of the stairs.
Hope obeyed and went into the family parlor. Her father stood at the fireplace with his arm on the mantel. “Yes, sir?”
“First,” her mother started, “please tell your father and me what your feelings are for Mr. McGrae.”
“Confused. I like him. We’re attracted—” she bowed her head and looked toward her lap “—to one another, and I’ve never felt like this before. But neither of us is sure we are right for one another. Which is why I’ve been spending time with him, to see if we have a chance at a possible relationship.”
Her father cleared his throat. “This would not be an issue if ye hadn’t broken the betrothal.”
“I know. However, I wouldn’t be starting my own business if I had married Ian right away. He wouldn’t have seen me as anything more than a shepherd’s wife. Now he’s learning that I have a brain and know how to use it. He’s actually been learning things from me, as I have been learning from him. Don’t you see? We are learning about each other so we can develop toward…”
Drake Lang relaxed his stance, came over and sat beside Hope on the sofa. “I am concerned, daughter. I’ve let ye do more than most women are allowed. People talk, they have always talked. But yer honor has always been protected. I can’t allow ye and Mr. McGrae to ruin yer honor just to find out if ye want to marry one another. I will insist on a formal courtship.”
Hope closed her eyes. “No, Papa, please don’t. I would not want to wait a year to marry Ian, if we should decide to marry.”
“Drake—” her mother respectfully interjected.
Drake held up a hand. “Sally, it will have to be courtship or betrothal. I can’t have Hope’s reputation soiled.”
Her mother reached over and placed her hand on her father’s. Drake closed his eyes. Hope watched her mother stroke her father’s hand with her thumb, a silent communication developed over the years with one another.
“Papa, please try to understand. For the past three days I’ve been going over to the ranch, and Ian’s been teaching me about the sheep, how to care for them, how to market them, all kinds of things. And I’ve been teaching him about the business I’m working on. We’ve been working together and it’s been wonderful. Ian’s from the old country—he’s just beginning to see how and where his mother helped his father on the farm. We need this time. I’m too independent to simply be a shepherd’s wife.”
“Sally, speak to your daughter!” Her father restrained himself from speaking further.
“I’m sorry, Drake,” her mother said. “Ye need to listen.” She turned toward Hope. “Has Ian been a gentleman?”
“Ian is a perfect gentleman,” Hope insisted. There was no need to tell her father about the one kiss they had shared that Ian so deeply regretted, feeling he had compromised her honor.
“At least the boy has some sense,” her father mumbled.
“Yes, Papa, more than me at times,” Hope admitted.
There was a knock at the front door.
“That’ll be Ian,” Drake said. “Come in,” he called.
Hope’s heart stopped in her chest. The moment of truth had arrived.
* * *
Ian squared his shoulders and stepped into the Langs’ house. It was time to face Hope’s parents. He’d marry her if that’s what Drake Lang insisted he do, not that he hadn’t had similar thoughts. But he doubted Hope would agree. There was still something she was holding back from him, and he did not want to push her.
Gabe ushered Ian into the parlor then left him with Hope and her parents. Hope stood at the fireplace. He came up beside her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms but knew that wouldn’t be prudent.
Drake cleared his throat. “Mr. McGrae, we’ve been talking about the position you and Hope have found yourselves in. Hope is not ready to commit to marriage. Are ye?”
Ian looked at Hope. “I am not certain it would be the best situation for Hope. Yer daughter is a fascinating person. I have never met another woman… No, let me rephrase that. I have never met anyone quite like her before.” Ian turned back to her parents. “Forgive me, what are ye asking of me?”
Drake stood and walked up to Ian. “For the next couple of weeks would ye only meet me daughter in a public setting or here at the house? After that, we shall talk once again. At that point we shall decide how to proceed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Drake turned and faced his daughter. “Hope?”
She nodded.
“Sally, let us leave these two to discuss in private.” Drake took his wife’s hand and led her out of the parlor.
Ian turned and faced Hope. She was angry, or maybe not angry as much as frustrated. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“Don’t you go calling me sweetheart after all of this.”
“Hope.” He engulfed her in his embrace. “Please, I understand the humiliation of all this but yer parents are right, it isn’t good for yer honor to be alone with me all the time. I will be the first to admit I like having ye at me side. But there is something you’re not telling me. Until ye can…”
She turned in his arms and faced him. “I’m sorry, Ian.”
“Oil and water, me dear.” He winked.
She snuggled her face into his chest. He held her with compassion.
“Then we are agreed, we shall do as yer parents have asked and only meet in public for a couple of weeks.” He kissed her forehead.
She took in a deep pull of air and released it slowly.
“All right. Do you still want to meet me at the registrar’s office tomorrow?”
“Yes, it is public.” He smiled.
Hope chuckled. “You cannot spend too much time away from the ranch.”
“No, but I can ask Mr. and Mrs. Sanders to be our official chaperones if ye come to the ranch.”
“Father would agree to them.” Hope stepped away. “Why does this have to be so hard?”
“Our decision to break our betrothal was a good thing, Hope. I do not know if we shall marry one day but I do know that if we do, it will be a better marriage.”
Hope turned and smiled. “Yes, I think it would be.”
“Come, sit with me and tell me more about this storefront and if ye are planning on hiring anyone to work with ye.” Perhaps he should consider doing the same. It would give him time to visit with Hope if someone was working at the ranch.
“I would love to hire some women…”
“What about men?” he teased.
Hope laughed. “No man would listen to me. But if there was one who would, I’d hire him.”
“And I might have to hire a chaperone.” Ian laughed.
“The shop is a public place.” She winked.
Ian fixed his eyes on her. “Then I shall visit there from time to time.”
“I was thinking earlier today that soon we won’t be spending too much time together, once I open my shop.”
“I know, but we’ll make the most out of the time we have.”
Ian returned to his ranch with the desire to hire someone. But if he hired a ranch hand he’d have to increase his profits. On the other hand, he wanted the freedom to join Hope for dinner, to visit her at her shop, to pursue a life that was more than shepherding. How could he have gotten it so wrong? A shepherd’s life was simple and yet, he was discovering, not all that simple. His father had both hired hands and his sons to work the ranch.
That settles it, he decided. Tomorrow I’ll start spreading the word.
Conall pranced anxiously back and forth, alert to danger and watching over the herd. Ian pushed open the door to his house.
Papers lay scattered on the floor. Tara cowered under the bed with her puppies. He counted…there were still six. Someone had ransacked his home looking for something…but what?
Chapter 15
Hope couldn’t believe what had happened last night. She and Ian were now officially courting. Well, not officially, but they were in a relationship.
Hope glanced at the clock on the mantel. She was due to meet Ian at the registrar’s office in fifteen minutes. “Mum, I’ll be back. I have to run to the registrar’s office.”
“Ye be careful. I don’t mind telling ye that yer father and I are worried about this snooping ye and Ian will be doing.”
“Nothing will happen, Mother.” Hope had to admit she was a bit concerned about the process, as well. Someone working in the office was altering documents to make changes to persuade the courts to rule in their favor. Father had gone to Sheriff Bower earlier in the morning with regard to the name S. H. Wilson.
Hope walked to the town hall and was surprised to see the sheriff speaking with Ian.
“Miss Lang.” He took a step forward. “Your father told me you were going to investigate. I have come to say, I won’t stop you but I want you to report to me any of your findings. It is a good thing that you frequent this office to do research for your father’s investments. You are a known person. However, Mr. McGrae is not. My concern is for your safety.”
“Mr. McGrae will be with me. I should be safe and not a cause for anyone’s concern.”
The sheriff touched the brim of his hat. “Be careful, Miss Lang.”
“I will, Sheriff.”
He nodded to Ian and went on back to his office. “I should have asked him if he’s heard of S. H. Wilson.”
Ian reached over and held her elbow. “After we search the records. I’m curious if this kind of a situation has gone on before.”
“Perhaps. But I really want to know who S. H. Wilson is.” Hope followed Ian’s lead. There had to be something at the town clerk’s office she could find to prove the Sanderses’ rightful ownership. Hope prayed she could find the missing piece to solve this problem.
“What’s going on behind those pretty eyes of yers?” Hope blinked back to the present. “Nothing. We should look to see if Wilson’s name is on any other documents.” They entered the registrar’s office. “Good morning, Miss Lang, how can I help you today?” asked Harold Swain, the town clerk. Harold had been working for the city for as long as Hope could remember. She couldn’t imagine him being involved in this.
“I need to look at the records from 1830 through 1835.”
“That’s going back a ways. Let me fetch them for you.” Harold left toward the records room.
Ian leaned in closer. “Why five years?”
“To ward off suspicion. I’ve often looked through several years with regard to the same property when researching for my father.”
Ian nodded. Harold walked back in. “Would you like to sit at a desk, Miss Lang?”
“Thank you, that would be nice. May I have an extra chair for Mr. McGrae?”
“Certainly. McGrae, ain’t you the fella from Ireland with those dogs?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. McGrae.” Harold extended his hand. “You bought William Sanders’s place, right?”
“Some of it, yes, sir.”
“The Sanderses are good folk. Well, don’t let me go rattling on. You young folk have work to do.” Harold escorted Hope to an unused desk. Ian grabbed a chair from another desk and set it beside hers.
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br /> She opened to November 3, 1831, the date William purchased his ranch, according to his records. She traced her finger down the lines searching for the right date. Sure enough, the purchase was there in black and white. Hand-scrawled like every other entry before and after the Sanderses’ purchase. “It’s here, Ian,” she whispered.
Ian leaned in and looked over her shoulder. “Aye, thank the Good Lord it be there.”
Billy Newman, assistant town clerk, came into the office and stopped short. “Miss Lang, what can I do for you?”
“Mr. Swain got the records I needed. Thank you, Mr. Newman.” Billy’s complexion blanched. “Forgive my manners, Mr. Newman. This is Ian McGrae.”
Billy’s hand shook as he reached it out toward Ian’s. “How do you do?”
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Newman.”
“Call me Billy, everyone else does.” Billy glanced over at the wall clock.
Suddenly Hope could feel in the pit of her stomach that Billy Newman knew something about Ian’s property and the claim being made on it.
“Forgive me, I left some paperwork in my wagon.” Billy scurried out of the office.
“What was that all about?” Ian asked. “Is he always like that?”
“No, I think he knows something.” Hope closed the book she’d been going through and brought them all to Mr. Swain’s office. She tapped on the glass window on his door. He looked up from the paperwork on his desk and smiled.
He stood up and made his way to the door. “That was quick.”
“Has the sheriff spoken with you about Mr. McGrae’s property?”
“No, but I do remember seeing a note from Ben Greeley about a mix-up on the plot numbers. I had Billy take care of that. Easy fix. Why? What’s going on?”
“Mr. Swain,” Ian said. “Would ye please come with us to the sheriff’s office? There’s a private matter we need to discuss.”
Harold raised his right eyebrow. He glanced from Ian to Hope. Hope nodded. “All right, let me get my coat. I’ll leave a note for Billy.”
“May I take this 1831 ledger with us, as well?” Hope asked.
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