“Can’t I object?” Mark whined and winced when the barrel of the rifle pressed against the small of his back. “I guess not.”
The minister droned on about the duties of husband to wife and wife to husband. Stanharbor glanced at his daughter’s profile and saw the tears slowly streaming down her face. He hardened his heart against the sight. She’d saddled up her pony and now she was going to have to ride it. He couldn’t help but wonder if her tears were the result of the belting he’d given her in their cabin prior to the ceremony, or the fact that she was now forced to marry a man who was clearly not of her liking – in bed, anyway.
“Do you, Mark David Daragh, take this woman, Elizabeth Marigold Stanharbor, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to honor and keep her, in sickness and health, forsaking all others, until death do you part?”
When Mark didn’t open his mouth, Matthew stepped up behind him, “This is the part where you say ‘I do’. Now, say it, or you won’t have to worry about being married to the girl – we’ll be holding your funeral instead!”
“I do!” Mark murmured unwillingly.
The minister coughed lightly and turned his attention to Elizabeth, who was now sobbing softly, “And do you, Elizabeth Marigold Stanharbor take this man, Mark David Daragh, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to honor and obey him, love him, and keep him, forsaking all others, until death do you part?”
Elizabeth spun on her heel and faced her father, “Please, Father. Don’t make me do this. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll join a nunnery if you want me to, but please don’t force me to marry against my will?”
“Yeah, let her join a nunnery,” Mark said, then clamped his lips together when Stanharbor chambered a round in the rifle.
“Turn around, Elizabeth . . . ,”
“No! Shoot me if you have to, but I’m not marrying this man!”
Stanharbor ignored his daughter’s outburst and turned his attention to the minister, “She says ‘I do’.”
“No!” Elizabeth stopped her foot childishly.
“That belting you got earlier not enough for you, girl. Now either shut your mouth and let’s get this finished, or I’ll drag your hide back to our room and beat you into submission. Do I make myself clear? If you’re old enough to spread your legs for this man, then you’re old enough to marry him.”
Elizabeth turned bawling so loudly that the minister needed to elevate his voice during the remainder of the ceremony, “I now pronounce you husband and wife, and may God have mercy on your souls.”
“As I recall, that last part isn’t part of the marriage ceremony, Preacher,” Matthew said.
“No? Oh, you’re right,” the minister blushed. “Well, it seemed the appropriate thing to say under the circumstances, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I guess you’re right,” Matthew smiled grimly. “Now, why don’t we get the license signed and finish this once and for all,” Matthew pulled the special license from his pocket that he’d procured from a judge traveling on the train, and laid it on the table.
“I’m not signing that document,” Mark said, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest. “You can force us to stand here and talk, but you can’t force us to sign that piece of paper, and this marriage isn’t legal or binding if neither of us put our signatures on it.”
“That’s right,” Elizabeth said quickly. She wasn’t sure if Mark was right or not, but it sounded good to her. “I agree with Mark. You might be able to make me stand here, but you can’t make me write anything, so I’m not going to.” She stuck her hands under her arms with a huff of stubbornness, the pout on her face belying the nervous tension filling her body. She cast a quick glance at her father and her resolve nearly fled. He didn’t look at all happy with her defiance. She mentally winced when she remembered the lashing she received earlier and wondered if her buttocks could take another whipping. Well, she was willing to risk it. Her judgment regarding Mark had been way off and the thought of spending the rest of her years married to someone who hurt her when bedding her simply wasn’t an acceptable option. She’d rather have her father beat her senseless and live with her shame.
Matthew shook his lowered head in disbelief. He understood that his brother had an aversion to marriage, but could death really be an acceptable alternative? Because that’s most likely what Stanharbor would do to his brother if he refused to do the honorable thing by his only daughter.
Stanharbor wasn’t his only concern. He, for once, was not going to allow his brother to get away with defiling one more woman without suffering some form of consequences. Father wasn’t there anymore to bail him out, and he most certainly wasn’t about to pay Stanharbor off to make the incident go away. Not only was it about time that Mark accepted the consequences of his actions, like the adult he was, but he was going to the right thing because if he didn’t, then Stanharbor would shoot the idiot and their mother would hate him for the rest of his life for letting it happen. He would just have to see to it that his brother got over his aversion to marriage – and quick, if the look on Stanharbor’s face was any indication.
“Clifford, relax, old man,” Matthew said calmly. “Don’t shoot the idiots just yet. I have a better idea.”
The newly wedded couple’s eyes widened at the tone in Matthew’s voice.
“You might want to leave us now, Preacher,” he said, moving to open the door for the minister who was clutching his Bible to his chest, a worried expression on his face.
“You are not going to hurt these two youngsters, are you, son?”
“That depends on them,” Matthew said, leveling his gaze on his brother’s frightened expression. “Have a good day, sir. I’ll be around to your cabin shortly to pay for your services here today.”
“No, keep the fee,” the preacher said nervously. “I’ll feel as if I’ve been party to a crime if I accept payment from you.”
“Just out of curiosity, Reverend,” Stanharbor said, keeping his eyes on Mark, “haven’t you ever heard of a shotgun wedding before? It’s not as if they don’t happen.”
“This is my first year in the clergy, so no, I haven’t had the opportunity to participate in a wedding of this sort, and I pray to God that I never have to again.” With that, he turned and fled.
Matthew grinned and closed the door, turning to face the bride and groom, “I’ll make this very simple, so that we can all go to the dining car and have dinner. I, for one, am starved.”
“Me, too,” Stanharbor said, relaxing. He didn’t know what Matthew had in mind, but the confident tone in his voice put him at ease, while obviously terrifying the newlyweds.
“You can either come over here and sign these papers, so that I can file them when we reach New York, or I can start breaking your fingers, one at a time until . . . ,” It was as far as Matthew got before Elizabeth snatched the pen out of his hand, leaned down, and put her signature on the dotted line. She turned and handed the pen to Mark who added his name beside hers without hesitation.
“Very good,” Matthew said, folding the document up and tucking it into the pocket of his waistcoat. “Let’s go eat, shall we? Drinks are on me, and I think we’re going to need quite a few.”
“Here, here,” Stanharbor said, slapping Mark on the back. “Welcome to the family, son. Do you have a place for you and Elizabeth to live?” He asked conversationally as they made their way to the dining car.
“We’ll reside at Daragh Manor,” Mark said sullenly.
“That’s not going to be possible, Mark,” Matthew said, “and don’t ask me why because I’m going to eat my dinner in peace. We’ll discuss yours and Elizabeth’s living arrangements later. Until then, you can stay in your apartment.”
“How do you know I have an apartment?”
“Mother wrote me the day you moved away from Daragh Manor,” Matthew said, holding the door open for everyone to pass by. When Mark reached Matthew’s side, he paused and lowered his voice so that only Matthew could hear what he had to
say.
“I don’t know what scheme you have up your sleeve, big brother, but I’ve had about enough of you already, so you had better think twice before doing something you’ll regret.”
Matthew reacted quickly to the veiled threat, grasping his brother by the neck and shoving him up against the doorjamb.
“Hasn’t our past encounters taught you anything Mark? You don’t have what it takes to carry out idle threats?” Matthew countered, slammed his brother’s head against the wood paneling, and then released him nearly as fast as he’d grabbed him. “Now, would you like to join us for a pleasant dinner, or would you prefer to go to your cabin and sulk?”
“I think I’ll go sulk,” Mark said and stormed out of the room, open-mouthed gapers watching his departure.
“So, Clifford,” Matthew said pleasantly as Stanharbor joined him, “where did you get a rifle from, anyway?”
“I always carry it with me. While you were seeing to those two, I was in the baggage compartment loading my weapon.”
“Ah!” Matthew said, then looked around him as they entered the dining car. “So, where’s Elizabeth? Is she not hungry?”
“She decided to go sulk. Same as Mark.”
“Think they’ll get over us forcing them to marry and decide to make the best of things?”
“If I know my Elizabeth, she’ll make the rest of his life a living hell.”
“Mark isn’t going to be a picnic for her either. Sounds like they deserve each other.”
“Without a doubt. Now how about that drink.” Stanharbor said, approaching the bar.
“I’m going to make mine a double.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“I knew this would happen one day,” Lilith Daragh said, pacing the drawing room floor.
“His actions have been nefarious since before the age of fourteen, so why this hadn’t happened before now, is beyond me,” Matthew said, anger at his brother rising again as he watched his mother’s pacing. He had tried to make Mark come to Daragh Manor and inform their mother of his nuptials, but he’d refused. In fact, he told Matthew that he could cut off every single part of his body, but that still wouldn’t persuade him to face their mother in his humiliation. “Just how many fathers did Dad pay off over the years, Mom? One a month, I’d wager.”
“Don’t be so hard on your father, Matthew,” Lilith said with a sigh. “He thought he was doing the right thing; thought he was protecting the Daragh name from disgrace.”
“Well, it didn’t work.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I was here a few years ago, I attended a party given by a dear friend of mine. If you had heard the comments circulating about Mark and Father, it would have turned your hair gray. Don’t you realize that by paying off those fathers, Dad was besmirching our good name? Those who thought Dad was blinded by love for his son, pitied him. Others thought that Dad was making the payments, not because he believed the accusations, but to silence what he considered unfounded rumors. Like it would stop those rumors and restore his good name.
As for Mark – the rumor mill started demolishing whatever good name he began life with. I got the impression that they would gladly hang him in the town square as an example if Dad’s wealth hadn’t prevented them; wasn’t so willing to spread the prosperity. You don’t even want to know what was said about you and me.”
“Perhaps it would be best if I didn’t know.”
“I’m sorry, Mother, but I can’t keep up the ruse. Someone needs to call a spade a spade. Mark is nothing more than a male harlot, and if he persists in bedding everything in a skirt, then someone is going to take offense and shoot the no-good snake. Especially since Dad isn’t here to pay off any further offenses. Case in point, the Stanharbor twit. If I hadn’t been there to intervene and see the two of them wed, Mark would have ended with a rifle shot to his private region. Make no mistake, however, I won’t intervene again. Mark is on his own from now on. Marriage isn’t going to stop his promiscuity, only death will.”
“I understand, dearest,” Lilith sighed. “Where is he now?”
“He’s taken up residence in his apartment. As far as I know, he’s still there stewing.”
“And the girl? What’s her name again?”
“Elizabeth, Mother.”
“Yes, Elizabeth,” Lilith said thoughtfully. “Where is she?”
“Well, I suppose she’s at their apartment sobbing her eyes out.”
“Mmm, I’d better arrange to pay them a visit before the week is out,” Lilith said, and then returned to her rocking chair. She sat and studied her son’s tanned and weathered face. It had been three years since his last visit and it still saddened her heart that he’d always arranged his visits around his father’s absences. Now that Edward was dead, however, he was free to come home whenever he liked, or stay if he pleased. She wished there had been an opportunity for peace between them before his father passed away.
If only Edward had shown more discretion regarding that servant girl fourteen years ago. She was well aware that Mark had raped her. Then for her to lose her baby boy nine months later . . . the poor girl. If Edward had disciplined Mark appropriately, instead of sweeping the whole affair away with mounds of money, then perhaps Matthew would have stayed with the family and taken over the business, as he should have done when he turned eighteen. Instead, the business has gone to Mark when he’d reached eighteen, leaving her and Edward to travel at their leisure. They rarely did, of course; and she wondered to this day if Mark was the reason why Edward refused to take her on vacations.
Had Edward truly spent a large portion of their wealth over the years paying off disgruntled fathers, as Matthew suggested? She simply didn’t know. Edward didn’t include her in their son’s raising and never mentioned anything about him after that one incident. Maybe if she’d taken a hand sooner, stood against Edward’s decision to leave his son’s rearing to him as the boy’s father; he may have turned out a better man – or not. Whatever he was, it was too late for him to change. Matthew was right about that, as well. Only a bullet would stop him now.
Well, she always believed that things happened for a reason, and if Matthew had stayed at the manor then he probably would have ended up being the same selfish brat as Mark. The fact that he was a man of honor restored her pride and her hope that perhaps the Daragh name would not be totally disgraced.
“Well, at least you look healthy, although not entirely happy. Do tell me, what’s been happening in your life that you haven’t discussed with your mother in your letters?”
Matthew smiled. “If I don’t look overly pleased at the moment, Mother, it has to do with your youngest son. For if not for his shenanigans, I would be content with my life.”
“What’s her name?”
“I never could put one over on you, could I?” Matthew said.
“I’m your mother,” Lilith responded, “and you’re not supposed to put things over on me. You also didn’t answer my question. Are you smitten with the young lady who employed you, by chance? The one you wrote to your father and me about?”
“Very astute, Mother,” Matthew smiled. “Her name is Marcelle and I plan to propose when I get back to Wisconsin. If she’ll have me.”
“You’re a Daragh, son. Of course she’ll have you,” Lilith said, without a trace of arrogance. She was merely stating a simple fact – women flocked to her sons because they saw dollar signs. Most times, she wished that they’d been born less fortunate, so that women could see the real person. Women would seek Matthew out, she determined, gazing into his clear cerulean eyes. Yes, she admitted to herself, he was a fine man of good moral character; and if women had been able to see Mark in his true character, instead of those dollar signs, then they may have avoided him altogether instead of ending up in situations that usually proved unfortunate for them.
“Well, this is one time that my name means nothing,” Matthew said, his tone full of pride. “She wasn’t even aware that there was a Daragh Steel until
Mark told her.”
“Really? Well, if she managed to capture your heart without concern for your wealth, then it will be a treat to meet her,” Lilith said. “I will be able to meet her, won’t I?”
“If you can arrange to make a trip to Wisconsin, then you’ll meet her.”
“You’re not bringing her to New York?” The pain on his mother’s face made Matthew’s heart lurch.
“Mother, New York is no longer my home. Hasn’t been for quite some time. Wisconsin is the place for me, now,” he said softly, pulling his chair to sit closer to her side.
“But your father’s gone now, so there’s no reason for you to go away anymore. You can stay and take your rightful place as heir to Daragh Steel. Surely your new wife would approve of the move.”
“I like my life the way it is, Mother. I’m truly happy in Wisconsin, raising and training horses; and, in all honesty, I can’t see myself living in the city, running a multi-million dollar corporation. I don’t think Marcelle would be happy here either. She’s not suited for city life, but as you so eloquently put it, Edward is gone now, so at least you can rest assured that we’ll be paying you visits more regularly. I’m not trying to hurt you. I would never do that, Mother.”
“I know, Matthew. I was only hoping . . . well, obviously you’ve made up your mind, so I won’t try to persuade you otherwise. You’re a man full-grown. You can make your own decisions. I only wished that all men were as responsible in their decisions and actions,” Lilith sighed, her meaning obvious.
“My offer still stands. It would honor me if you would come to Wisconsin to meet her before we marry. Perhaps help plan the wedding? Marcelle doesn’t have a mother . . . ,”
“Say no more, Son,” Lilith interrupted, placing a hand lovingly against his cheek. “I would be delighted to come to Wisconsin and meet your ladylove; and, if you don’t think she’d mind the interference, to help plan the wedding as well.”
Matthew kissed his mother’s palm, then returned his chair to its previous position.
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