Bonds of Matrimony

by Carrigan Fox

  Chase heard her suck in her breath sharply. She rocked back in her chair and let out her breath before saying, “I think you’re wrong about this, Chase.”

  “You think I should marry a man who isn’t in love with me?” she asked. She noticed that she spoke a little too loudly, and she quickly lowered her voice to a whisper to avoid drawing the attention of the other family members on the other side of the doors. “Could you honestly say that you would, if you were in my shoes?”

  “I think you’re wrong about Colton.”

  “You think he’s in love with me?” Chase paused to consider the possibility and then silently chastised herself for daring to get her hopes up. “If that was true, he would have told me.”

  “Like you told him?” she laughed softly. Chase heard a noise from her direction that sounded out of place.

  “Are you okay, Elisa?” she asked.

  “Fine, Chase.” Her chair creaked quietly as she moved back and forth slowly. “I think that you need to be intelligent about this decision. Marriage is not an issue that should be taken lightly. You are in love with the man. I happen to think he has some very real feelings for you. I think he might even be in love with you. The difficult decision is not whether you should marry him or not. The difficult decision is whether you should put your heart on the line and tell this man you love him. And while you’re weighing your options, you could go tell your brother that he needs to fetch a doctor. It would seem his wife is about to give birth to their first child.”

  It took a couple of seconds before Chase registered what her sister-in-law was telling her. She was still considering the possibility of professing her love for Colton. It suddenly dawned on her that Elisa was telling me that the sound I’d heard was her water breaking and spilling onto the floorboards beneath her. She had continued rocking to hide the sounds of her breathing.

  Chase launched herself through the front screen door hollering for some help. “Marcus! Grandmother! Reese! The baby is coming! The baby! Help!”

  All three of them met her in the front hallway. Her grandmother quickly and efficiently took control of the situation. She stepped outside and assessed Elisa’s condition. “Rosalie, you and I shall go prepare the room for the delivery. Marcus, help your wife into the house. Chastity, you should get yourself to town as fast as you can. I ran into Dr. Burns today at the general store. He was on his way to the Milner ranch. One of the ranch hands needed his assistance. He may be in town still.”

  Chase nodded and raced out the front door. She leapt off of the front porch and sprinted to the stables. Once there, she saddled up Artemis and mounted her. She dug in her heels and forced the horse in the direction of town. Chase knew nothing about childbirth, and she had no idea how long Elisa had.

  She arrived at town in record time and flung Artemis’s reins around the post in front of the saloon. Without considering the ramifications, she rushed through the doors and scanned the smoky room for signs of the doctor. When she didn’t see him immediately, she cried out, “Dr. Burns?!”

  Twenty hat-covered heads turned in her direction. One of them responded. “He’s staying above Wainwright’s place tonight.”

  Without pausing to thank the man for his assistance or God for our good fortune, Chase ran from the saloon and through the street.

  “Chastity Fairfax!” a voice bellowed from behind.

  Until that moment, she had completely forgotten that Jett Stockton was still in town and waiting to find her. In an effort to come to her niece’s or nephew’s rescue, Chase had unwittingly handed Stockton her head on the proverbial platter. She stopped in her steps as though he had a gun aimed at her head, and she turned slowly to face him.

  He approached her slowly, head held so high that he had to literally look down his nose to see her. “I’ve been traipsing all over the world in search of you, you little bitch. Your father and I had an agreement. You belong to me,” he spoke slowly, enunciating. “You tried to fight me, even though I told you that would be a mistake. You tried to reject me. And when none of that worked, you fled and publicly humiliated me.” He was standing before her now, and she didn’t remember that he had been so much bigger. “Now it’s my turn. It’s time for you to open your pretty eyes and see that it’s a man’s world. It’s my world. You are nothing.”

  Chase looked into his face and grimaced at the sight of spittle gathering and stretching between his dry, sneering lips. “Then it would appear you have come a long way for nothing…wouldn’t it?” she spat defiantly.

  His arm came down quickly and the back of his hand caught her on the side of her head. The blow flung her to the ground. Even as he lunged toward her, she was skittering away from him and attempting to get back to her feet.

  “I’ve come to get what’s mine, you stupid cow,” he growled.

  “This isn’t England. I am my own guardian here, and you have no agreement or contract with me.”

  He was on Chase again in an instant and was pulling her to her feet by the hair. He quickly readjusted his grip and clamped his hand on her neck, just below her jawbone. “My men are prepared to leave at any moment. We will be leaving Slaughter tonight, and you will be joining us.”

  A gunshot rang through the night, shattering the tension and sending a jolt through Jett Stockton. Chase felt his grip on her neck loosen, and she saw a shadow approaching behind him. The echo of a shotgun chamber being emptied and reloaded made her knees tremble.

  “You’re right about one thing, Stockton,” a voice called out. “You and your men will be leaving Stockton tonight.” The tone was confident and menacing. And much to Jett Stockton’s chagrin, the voice belonged to a woman. “Get your hands off of that woman. And get your shit out of my place. And if you do that fast enough for my liking, I’ll let you ride out of this town with both of your balls intact.”

  Although her grandmother had always shaken her head at the distasteful mannerisms and language of Chantal, she would have probably cheered loudly in support of her that night. She kept the shotgun aimed low on the future viscount and followed him far enough to get herself and her gun between him and Chastity. As Stockton walked backwards, head still held high, she shouted after him, “You’ve got three minutes to get the hell out. And if that’s a problem, and because I’m such a sweetheart, I’ll let you choose. I can blow off your right one…or your left.”

  He didn’t miss a step. He only turned and entered her saloon.

  “Thank you, Chantal. I am indebted to you,” Chase gasped, rubbing her sore neck.

  “Weren’t you looking for someone?” she reminded.

  With a quick nod, she hurried in the opposite direction for George Wainwright’s.

  With the doctor in tow, she suffered a moment of panic as she had to walk past the saloon again in order to get to Artemis. But as she raced past, she laughed to see Chantal standing outside the door casually holding her gun. She nodded at Chase cordially and slipped into her place.

  ***

  Webb had just finished breakfast with Elisabeth when a knock sounded on the front door. Elisabeth greeted the visitor and opened the door to invite the person inside. “Colton,” she called out with a question in her tone. He turned to see Elisabeth coming down the front hallway with Evelyn Fairfax.

  “Mrs. Fairfax, is something wrong?” he asked immediately. He could think of no other reason for the aged woman to have made the trip to his ranch.

  “No, no. I just needed to get some fresh air. We had a very long night at our place, you know. Elisa and Marcus welcomed their firstborn into the world at 4:49 this morning,” she announced proudly.

  Elisabeth clapped her hands together in delight. “Wonderful! How is Elisa doing? And the baby? How is the baby? Did they have a little boy or girl?”

  Evelyn smiled warmly at Elisabeth’s giddiness. “Marcus finally has himself another man in the house. They’ve named him Jacob Michael, and both he and his mother are doing very well. Thanks to Chase’s excellent riding skills, she was able to get
into town and bring Dr. Burns back in time to deliver the child.”

  She looked into his eyes boldly and meaningfully as she added this last bit.

  “You must give them my congratulations. And I will stop by in another day or two to visit. I don’t want to impose so soon after the birth. I imagine Elisa is exhausted.”

  Evelyn patted Elisabeth’s hand. “We all are, dear. Elisa will look forward to seeing you, I’m sure.”

  For an awkward moment, the three of them stood in silence. Evelyn broke the tension by clearing her throat and saying, “Forgive me, Elisabeth, but I must speak with your cousin in private for a bit. Would you mind?”

  “Of course not,” Elisabeth responded, as though the request was a natural every-day occurrence. Personally, Webb had a bad feeling about it.

  He led Evelyn to the dining room table and watched Elisabeth slip out of an apron before busying herself in another room. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Fairfax?”

  “Chastity had a bit of a fright last night. It was after dark when I foolishly sent her to fetch Dr. Burns. I was only thinking of Elisa and the baby, you see. As was she when she rushed into the saloon calling out for the doctor. Of course, Mr. Stockton was there and immediately confronted her. He—”

  “Is she okay?” he interrupted. “What did he do to her?”

  “She’s fine. He struck her and choked her a bit, but Chantal came to her rescue.”

  He cursed loudly and then apologized for his language. Evelyn only waved it away with her hand and continued her story. “He is a ruthless man, Mr. Webb. He will not stop until he is able to get her to England. And an animal like Mr. Stockton would as soon kill the prey than let it go. I fear for my granddaughter’s life. I am not being too dramatic, I can assure you.”

  “You don’t need to assure me. I am fully aware of the capabilities of Mr. Stockton. And I agree with your assessment, as well. I’m certain that he would just as soon kill Chastity as return to England without her.” Perhaps it wasn’t delicate of him to discuss this danger with the elderly woman. But if nothing else, Evelyn Fairfax was an incredibly strong woman. One of the strongest women he’d ever known…like her granddaughter. “So what can I do to help with the situation?”

  Her head snapped up and she met his gaze eagerly and seriously. “You can marry my granddaughter.”

  He leaned back in his chair, wondering if she was kidding. “I’ve already tried that, Mrs. Fairfax. Chase refused.”

  “Try again.”

  “I’ve proposed twice, ma’am. I received two rejections.” Webb could feel the warmth in his cheeks and was mortified to know that he was blushing. They were discussing his pride here, and he was grossly uncomfortable admitting to this woman that her granddaughter most definitely did not want him.

  “You’re going about it all wrong, Mr. Webb. That is the challenge. After all this time, do you truly know so little about Chastity?” She paused only a moment before continuing. “She values, above all else, her independence. She wants to be free, and she sees marriage as an unnecessary and undesirable bind. Are you aware of the significance of her horse’s name?”

  “Artemis?”

  She grinned at him and shook her head in disbelief. “What are they teaching you kids in school these days if not the classics? Artemis was a Greek goddess. She was the goddess of chastity and hunt.”

  “Fitting,” he grunted dryly.

  “She was the protectress of virginity and a warrior for her own female independence. She avoided love and men because she valued her own freedom. And my granddaughter is much the same way. She sees marriage as giving a man control over her and her life. She needs to know that she’s valued. She needs to be reassured that her freedom and independence are characteristics that you respect in her. It is my belief that if you can show her that you value these qualities, she will agree to marry you.”

  “The most remarkable thing about Chase, Mrs. Fairfax, is her independence and free spirit. It’s the reason I fell in love with her to begin with. And it’s the reason I often want to throttle her,” he joked.

  “Then perhaps you should discuss that with her. Put her fears at rest.”

  “I will consider it, but I’m not convinced that she will change her mind. She was quite adamant when I asked her last time.”

  “You have nothing to lose, Mr. Webb.”

  “Nothing to lose? Have you not noticed, Mrs. Fairfax? I am a proud man.”

  She grinned at me. “Good. Then you can better understand where my proud granddaughter is coming from. The two of you are perfect for each other.”

  Webb only shook his head. He wondered how Chase would feel if she knew her grandmother had made this trip…and this request. As Evelyn Fairfax was preparing to walk out the front door, she paused and turned back to face him.

  “If all else fails, Mr. Webb, you might consider trying that part about falling in love with her,” she suggested. Then she added with a shrug, “Just a thought.”

  Then she turned and walked out of his front door.

  CHAPTER 21

  “What are you doing awake so early this morning?” Marcus asked, planting a kiss on his sister’s cheek and sitting beside her at the breakfast table.

  “What are you doing awake this early?” she asked him, taking a sip of juice.

  “I have a ranch to run. Remember?”

  “We were all up late with last night’s excitement, Marcus. The way I see it, you will especially need my assistance today. Besides, if we can finish chores early this morning, you might get to spend a long lunch with your wife and beautiful son.” Chase got up from the table and fixed Marcus a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon.

  “Did you make breakfast this morning?” he asked, shoving half a piece of bacon into his mouth and chewing loudly.

  “I think Grandmother did, but I’m not sure.”

  “Where is she?”

  Chase only shrugged my shoulders. “Perhaps she went for a walk.”

  “With your run-in with Stockton last night, all of you should probably stay close to the house. In fact, I was thinking about asking the ranch hands to take turns checking in on all of you periodically.”

  “Please don’t, Marcus. You need them. We will take care of ourselves,” she assured him.

  He gently pulled at the collar on her shirt to reveal the purple finger prints on her throat, a less-than-lovely reminder of that man their father had promised her to. “Evidently,” he said sarcastically. “Chantal would probably be willing to come and keep an eye out for you.” He grinned.

  “As long as she brings her shotgun,” Chase smiled back. “She is one tough lady.”

  “In her line of work, she has to be, Chase.” He paused for a couple of minutes, long enough to plunge a few forks full of food into his mouth. “Did any of Stockton’s men follow you home last night?”

  I’d been hoping he wouldn’t ask. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. In her rush to get Dr. Burns to Elisa, she hadn’t paid any attention. It wasn’t until the sun was nearly up that Chase began to worry about the consequences of her recklessness.

  “He knows you’re here in Slaughter now. I mean, he knew before, but he didn’t have proof. Now…he won’t leave until he finds you and can take you back to England.”

  “Not necessarily. He might just kill me.”

  “It’s not a joking matter, Chase. He’s a dangerous man.”

  “You don’t have to tell me, Marcus.” She subconsciously put her fingertips to her bruised neck. “But I don’t quite know what to do about it.”

  “I think it might be time to call in the Marshall and see what he can do. Stockton is posing a threat to our family. To every person in Slaughter, truthfully. At the very least, perhaps we could force him out of town.”

  “He’s not giving up, Marcus. He’ll only sneak back.”

  Since neither of them had a solution, they finished their breakfast in silence and hurried to check on Elisa. Jacob had just finished nursing and was sleeping peace
fully in his mother’s arms. The two of them were the picture of bliss.

  On their way out of the house, they met their Grandmother.

  “Did you have a nice walk?” Marcus greeted warmly.

  “I went for a ride, actually,” she answered simply. “How are Elisa and the baby doing? I checked in on them this morning, but they were both still sleeping.”

  Chase left the two of them chatting, feeling certain that Marcus would take the opportunity to lecture her about staying safely close to the home. Chase walked briskly down to the stables, constantly surveying her surroundings and wondering if Stockton or his men were lurking around and spying on them. The way she figured, he would show up within a matter of time. Fortunately, she was spared that confrontation for the duration of the morning.

  At noon, she excused herself and returned to the house to help her grandmother make lunch. Elisa was up out of bed and moving slowly around the kitchen. Reese was sitting at the table holding her alert nephew, and Elisabeth was cooing over her shoulder. The arrival of this little boy had turned this household into a house full of babbling women. Unlike her sister and Elisabeth, Chase prided herself on being strong and independent, but even she was not immune to the tiny tot’s charms.

  “Elisa, how are you feeling?” she asked her as she wiped off her hands.

  “If I don’t get my body out of bed, I will sink into the mattress and suffocate.”

  Their grandmother smiled over her shoulder and said, “Somebody is getting a little stir crazy already. But don’t fear, dear, we are keeping a close watch over her to make sure she doesn’t overdo it.” She carried a basket full of bread over to the table and brushed past Chase. Without making eye contact, she asked, “Did Mr. Webb find you, Chastity?”

  Her stomach fell and she was afraid her gasp for breath was audible to the other women in the room. “No. Is he with you today, Elisabeth?” Chase hoped she sounded more nonchalant than she thought.

  “He is,” she answered, studying the baby intently in an attempt to hide the twitching corners of her mouth.

  Chase wasn’t sure what these women were so giddy about. Marcus had already announced to the entire family that Colton had asked to marry her. Reese had been momentarily overjoyed. Her sister’s sour expression calmed her excitement immediately. Her grandmother had watched her with interest, and Chase was fairly certain that she could read her mind. Of everyone she knew and loved, her grandmother understood her better than anyone. But she also had warned Chastity about Colton Webb from the beginning. She wondered if her grandmother would have welcomed news of their pending nuptials. Oh well. It was a moot point anyway. There would be no wedding.