She tried in vain to push him away, but he wouldn’t release her. “Edmund, if you think I will ever love you then you are a fool.”
Edmund smirked at her. “My pet, I told you before love is not something I believe in. It makes no difference to me what you feel, love or indifference. Marriage is a convenience, nothing more.”
* * *
That was the only dance she had with Edmund. All of her other dances were with different partners and no one cut in like they did in Wyoming. She’d noticed Edmund had no difficulty finding partners either, and judging by the way they flirted, they found him most charming. She remembered that when Luke had another woman in his arms, she thought her heart would break. When she watched Edmund with another partner, she simply hoped he found her irresistible.
Mary Ann danced so many dances that she was exhausted, and her shoulders ached from the weight of her blasted dress. She went in search of a place where she could sit for a while undisturbed. Working her way around the ballroom she found the hallway that led to the study, and fortunately she was unobserved as she scurried down the corridor. When she opened the door to the study she noticed there was a dimly lit lamp atop a table in the corner. She grabbed her skirt and shoved it inside the doorway, but she came to an abrupt halt when she saw a man with his back to her leaning over the desk. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the man was leaning over a woman. They were obviously engaged in an amorous assignation. “Oh, excuse me.”
Edmund snapped his head around to see his fiancée staring at him. “Mary Ann, what are you doing here?”
The woman jumped up from the desk and hastily straightened her bodice.
Mary Ann could hardly fathom that it was Edmund with the woman, but she quickly composed herself. “I might ask you the same thing, sir.” It was rather obvious what he was doing.
“Please say hello to Millicent,” Edmund said coolly.
Once Millicent was on her feet, Mary Ann recognized her as one of the women Edmund had been dancing with. “Millie, you might want to pull your skirt down and repair your hair.”
Millicent kept a close eye on Mary Ann as she passed her before fleeing from the room.
Edmund pushed his hair from his forehead and picked his jacket up from the desk. “Were you looking for me?”
“No, I thought I would come in here to sit quietly for a minute.”
“I see.” Edmund walked toward her.
“Why don’t you marry Millicent? She must have something you enjoy to risk being seen in your state of dishabille.” Mary Ann’s future flashed before her eyes. If she had any thought that she would find some measure of happiness in this farce of a marriage with Edmund, it quickly dissipated. And she’d thought Luke was the scoundrel. This man, if she could even call him that, failed miserably compared to Luke.
“Obviously I didn’t expect anyone to walk in. And nearly every man in that room has been with Millie so they would think nothing of it.” He roughly pulled Mary Ann into his arms. “I want to know how many men you have been with.”
“I’ve answered that question before.” Mary Ann averted her head to prevent him from kissing her. “Leave me alone!”
He didn’t listen, he forced her against the wall and pinned her arms with one hand and held her by the chin with the other, preventing her from moving.
“Edmund! Stop!” She smelled the alcohol on him. It reminded her of the last time he tried to take advantage of her.
He covered her mouth with his own. He was like a man possessed and she feared he would rip her dress again as she fought him, just like the last time. His lips moved to her neck. “Edmund, do you want your family and your guests to see me disheveled?”
“Stop fighting me!”
Thankfully, one of the servants tapped on the open door and entered.
Edmund released Mary Ann to face him. “Yes?” he snapped.
“Sorry, sir, I saw the light. Is there something I can get you?” The man glanced at Mary Ann.
“No, my fiancée and I were just taking a break from the dancing.” He took Mary Ann by the arm and led her from the room.
Once in the hallway, Edmund put on his jacket. “I do apologize, my dear. I’m afraid your charms got the best of me.”
“Did Millie’s charms get the best of you too?” Mary Ann was furious that he’d manhandled her.
“Are you jealous?”
“Not in the least, but I don’t know why you want me when you can have her at your disposal.”
“She will always be at my disposal. Our marriage will not change that fact.”
They entered the ballroom and Edmund acted as though nothing was amiss as he escorted her around the room.
Mary Ann wanted to scream. She felt like a trapped bird with no place to go. Edmund had made it perfectly clear what she could expect once she was his wife. If she was going to do something to prevent this marriage, she only had a short window of time. If she could escape, where would she go? The first place her father would look for her would be in America. And he would be right. That is the first place she would want to go.
* * *
“My, what an absolutely lovely evening. I must say, my dear, you are most fortunate to be marrying Edmund.” Coreen began her nonstop soliloquy. If she wasn’t expounding on the virtues of being wed to Edmund, she was discussing the silver, the crystal, or the jewels Edmund’s mother was wearing. The vacuous comments were endless.
Mary Ann was just thankful the evening had come to an end, and the last thing she wanted was to hear her mother tell her how fortunate she was to have Edmund. “Yes, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed finding my fiancé in the study with some woman in a very compromising position.”
“My dear, I am sure you are exaggerating,” Coreen replied. “You must not take premarital indiscretions to heart. Edmund probably has a case of the jitters.”
“It amazes me, Mother, that you always make allowances where none are due. If only you showed the same generosity of spirit to your own daughter.”
* * *
The following weeks seemed to fly by, getting closer and closer to the day she would be lawfully tied to a man she didn’t love. The only positive thing about her wedding day would be the end to the mind-numbing socials. She was forced to answer the same inane questions over and over. It was torturous playing the role of the perfect couple with an indiscreet bridegroom. Since the night she’d found Edmund in the study with that woman, she’d considered leaving, but she was never left alone. She had the feeling that Edmund and her father had conspired to make sure she wouldn’t have the opportunity to make an escape. She longed to be at the hotel in Wyoming again, and the only man she wanted to be with hadn’t even said good-bye.
* * *
The ball before the ostentatious wedding was just days away, and she had an appointment for the final fitting of her gown today. She walked downstairs and searched for her mother who was to accompany her. She found her in the dining room amid a flurry of activity. They would be having a dinner before the ball and the servants were scurrying around arranging the lengthy dining table decor under the direction of her conductor mother. The table looked exquisitely elegant, certainly befitting royalty. An enormous sterling silver centerpiece was overflowing with flowers trailing the length of the table in both directions. Countless pieces of twenty-four-carat-gold-encrusted goblets and finger bowls were placed precisely the proper distance from the fine china. Ornate compotiers and candelabras complemented the overall design. Green vines with delicate white flowers were woven through the overhead chandelier. Mary Ann knew under the candlelight the table would be glittering like the huge diamonds in the ring Edmund had given her.
“Mother, I’m ready to leave for the fitting.”
“Come here, dear, I want you to see the flowers we have chosen for the ballroom,” Coreen said.
“It truly doesn’t matter to me.” She knew her mother didn’t care about her opinion, she just wanted her to say she loved everything she had chosen.
Coreen was in her glory overseeing the event and she would never understand her daughter’s indifference.
“I’m afraid I can’t go with you, I’ve too many things to attend to.”
Mary Ann was delighted. Now would be the time to make her escape. She’d already packed two valises but she needed to figure out a way to get them to the carriage without being seen. She walked outside to see if the carriage was ready to depart and as soon as the butler opened the door one of her father’s detectives appeared. “I’ll escort you to the shop.” There would be no escape.
* * *
The ladies at the shop helped Mary Ann into a magnificent silk and satin pale yellow creation. She had to admit that it was the most beautiful gown she’d ever seen. The designer was an unrivaled master. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Just as it had been sketched, her shoulders were bare and the bodice fit to perfection, with the full skirt accentuating her small waist.
“This color is lovely on you, perfect with the red in your hair,” the shop owner said.
“It is a beautiful design.” Mary Ann thought of Luke. She wondered if he would like the gown or if he would think it was too revealing. She had to stop thinking about him. Most brides would be worrying if their future husband would like her dress. But it was Luke who’d never failed to tell her she looked beautiful. He always commented on her dresses, her hair, and her scent. Not once in all the years she’d known Edmund had he ever told her she looked beautiful, or commented on her wardrobe. She hadn’t realized that before this very moment.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It seemed all of London was in the ballroom when Mary Ann appeared at the top of the staircase. She had to admit it was a lovely sight with the women in their colorful gowns and the men in their evening wear floating around the room.
“It took you forever,” Edmund said as he took her by the hand.
Maybe he was worried that she’d climbed down from her balcony. It wasn’t that she didn’t think about it, but she was on the second floor. After dinner she’d told him she wanted to freshen up before the ball so she escaped to her room. She spent the entire time clutching Luke’s old telegram. Even though he had written the message before he’d learned about Edmund, she clung to the thought that while he was in Arizona he’d missed her.
Edmund looked at her hand. “Where’s your ring?”
The magnificent diamond and sapphire ring he’d given her remained in its black velvet box. She had told him that night that she wouldn’t wear it, but he refused to listen. She couldn’t wear what she felt was tantamount to a shackle. “I don’t want to wear it and it’s much too large.”
“I shall take it to the jeweler tomorrow.” He squeezed her hand. “And you will wear it.”
She wouldn’t waste her breath arguing with him. She was living in a world filled with people and no one heard her.
“Everyone is waiting for us to dance,” he said.
She fulfilled her duty and danced her first dance with Edmund. After the dance ended, she lingered near a circle of women she knew and pretended to appear interested in their conversations.
“Tell us, Mary Ann, how did you enjoy America?” Vivian asked.
Vivian was one of Mary Ann’s acquaintances since childhood, but she couldn’t call her a friend. She was a lovely woman and enjoyed everything Mary Ann detested. “I loved America.”
Her comment had all of the women turning to look at her.
“Didn’t you go West?” another woman asked.
“Yes, to Wyoming.”
“Did you see these cowboys we’ve read so much about?”
“I saw many cowboys.” If they only knew. How she wanted to say she’d even kissed a cowboy! That would give them something to gossip about for at least half a year.
“Oh, my dear, you must tell us if they are as romantic as the novels would have us believe,” Vivian said.
“They are more so,” Mary Ann answered. “All of you should travel to America if you want to find real men.” That should shock them down to their little satin slippers.
“Don’t leave us in suspense, tell us about them,” Vivian said.
“What would you like to know?”
“How do they look? How do they dress? Do they really wear pistols strapped to their hips?”
Questions started coming from all directions. She’d even had the same questions before she left England, so she understood their curiosity. She answered their questions, describing Luke in vivid detail, down to the color of his turquoise eyes.
Vivian fanned herself with her handkerchief. “Oh my, I feel I may faint.”
“You make them sound divine, larger than life,” one woman said.
“They are divine, there is no man in this room who can compare,” Mary Ann told them.
“Not even Edmund?” Vivian asked.
The question went unanswered when a hush fell over the cavernous room. The music stopped, and Mary Ann turned to see why everyone had stopped dancing. She noticed everyone was staring at the entryway. “What is it?”
“I don’t know; I can’t see anything,” one woman replied. The women stood on tiptoes, but they were at the back of the ballroom so they still couldn’t see what was happening.
* * *
Hardwicke’s butler recognized George and allowed him and Luke entry into the house. The butler led them to the ballroom and told them he would find Hardwicke for them. George had mentioned to Luke the grandeur of the Hardwicke home, but he was still amazed when he saw the size of the ballroom. From the outside it looked like a large castle and once inside, the opulence of the place left him speechless. He couldn’t help but question if he’d made the right decision to come for Mary Ann. George said she’d lived like a princess, but he hadn’t fully realized all that she’d left behind. He reminded himself that she’d willingly left England, and George told him she loved Wyoming. Luke took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come. He wouldn’t back down now, not unless she didn’t want him. His gaze passed over the crowd and then he saw her at the back of the room.
Every head was turned to the entry to the ballroom. Mary Ann thought she saw a black hat. Was it wishful thinking? But when the crowd parted Mary Ann saw him. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It really was Luke standing in the ballroom, looking even taller than she’d remembered in his black Stetson. And he was staring directly at her. All eyes were on the cowboy from America with his pistol strapped to his hip. The whispers started, no doubt everyone was trying to figure out who he was. The women nearby were commenting on everything from his size, to his hat, his pistol, even his boots. Not one detail missed their notice.
“George, I’ll be back. Keep Hardwicke busy for a few minutes.” Luke made his way through the throng of people. It was like Moses parting the Red Sea, but instead of a staff, his Stetson and his .45 captivated his audience. His long strides made short work of the distance separating him from Mary Ann, and he didn’t take his eyes off her. She was very thin but still so beautiful in that pale yellow dress that his heart started pounding. During his journey, he’d questioned if he was making the right decision to come after her. He’d thought she might not want him considering how he’d treated her. But one look at her and he knew he was exactly where he needed to be.
“Is that the man you were describing?” Vivian whispered.
“Yes.” Mary Ann slowly moved toward Luke. He was wearing a blue shirt and even from a distance she could see his turquoise eyes focused on her.
By the time he reached her, the music resumed and Luke removed his hat and held his hand to her. “Would you like to dance, Miss Hardwicke?”
She placed her hand in his and he pulled her into his embrace. She couldn’t stop staring at his handsome face. So many times she’d imagined being in his arms once again. Even though he looked tired, he looked wonderful to her. “What are you doing here?”
Luke grinned at her. “I heard you wanted to say good-bye to me.”
“That was months ago,
” she said. “How did you get here?”
“Same way you did. I couldn’t ride my horse the whole way. Have you changed your mind?”
“About what?” she whispered.
“Saying good-bye.”
“I wanted to apologize for not telling you about Edmund,” she said.
“Are you married?” He thought he should find that out before he made any declarations.
“No, we are supposed to marry next week.” She expected her father or Edmund to interrupt their dance at any moment. She glanced around to see where they were, and she was surprised that no one else was dancing, everyone was watching them. That meant her father and Edmund were also watching them.
“What are you looking for?”
“I expect Father or Edmund to appear.”
“Do you want to marry him?”
Tears started to well in her eyes. “Luke, it’s the way it has to be.”
When other couples started to dance, Luke thought it was an opportune time to take her out of the room so they could speak in private. “Where’s a door out of this place?”
Mary Ann pointed to the doors that led to the garden and Luke escorted her through the crowd. He looked back to see George speaking with Hardwicke and Stafford. He figured he’d have a few minutes alone with her until chaos ensued.
Once they walked deep into the gardens and out of sight from onlookers, Luke put his hands around Mary Ann’s waist and pulled her to him. “I’ve been thinking about this for months.” He leaned down and crushed his lips to hers.
Mary Ann wrapped her arms around his neck. The lonely days and nights since she last saw him were instantly erased by his kiss. When they pulled apart she placed her hand on his chest. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“That wasn’t the way you’d kiss a man if you wanted to marry another,” Luke drawled.
She took his face in her hands and gazed into his eyes. “It has to be this way.”
Luke took her hand in his and kissed her palm. “Did your father threaten me?” He remembered what George told him, so he wanted to ease her fears. “Tell me the truth.”
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