But it was Rose's voice when she noticed Victoria that truly took the breath away. "My dear. So lovely to see you. Your mother told me you'd be here."
The voice was booming, filled with confidence and self assurance. It was a voice that brooked no dissent nor disagreement. It was a voice that filled and occupied the small space of the parlor.
Victoria made to stand up, but Rose extended a hand. "Please don't get up on my account. Let me join you," she said taking her place right by Victoria's side. Rose landed on the sofa and placed her parasol down by the side of the sofa. She laid her hands on her lap and fixed Victoria with open eyed expectation. Victoria glanced at her mother and raised her brows seeking support and even advice.
Lucinda offered none, but merely clasped her hands together and addressed the visitor. "Can I fetch you some tea, Rose?"
"That would be delightful," Rose said.
"I'll bring it in a few moments. I'll let you and Victoria get reacquainted," she said heading quickly off.
Rose sighed contentedly and looked at Victoria. "And how are you, my dear? What's it like being back in town after such a long time away?" she asked.
Victoria hesitated. "Very eventful is how I might describe it. Ruby and Marcus had a lovely wedding. Which I was glad for. They are such a lovely couple."
"Indeed. The wedding was delightful. I think you did a very fine job with those two," Rose said.
"Thank you, Rose," Victoria said smiling. "That is very kind of you to say so."
"It's nothing my dear. I know how hard you work. Your sweet mother keeps me up to date on everything. We ladies of the society like to keep up to date on all the goings on in the town."
"I'm pleased my mother likes to keep you well informed," said Victoria, even if she wasn't entirely sure it was actually such a good idea. She wondered just how much Lucinda had told Rose of her and Cole. How much of that had been spread around town like cheap gossip. The prospect of her private life being on the lips of the town busybodies filled her with momentary dread.
"So, what exactly does the Ladies Society do?" Victoria asked feigning deep interest.
Rose seemed not to notice the tone of voice that Victoria had used in the asking of the question. She threw up a casual hand. "More to the point. What does the Ladies Society not involve itself with in this town? We like to know who's doing what, who is new in town, who wants to marry who. That sort of thing," she said.
"How many ladies are in this little society?" Victoria asked.
"At the moment, there are six of the finest ladies in town. All dedicated to helping, whenever they can, to make this the best place to live in Montana. I assume you think that is a cause worth fighting for?" Rose concluded with a quirk of her brow.
Victoria couldn't possible disagree. "It certainly seems like a very fine thing to be involved in," she said.
"It's a pity you live in Helena. It would be wonderful to have someone of such young years to help us. All of the present members of our little society are, how might I delicately put it. Of mature years. Certainly when it comes to issues of matrimony, someone with your experience would be invaluable."
Victoria felt herself flush at the compliment. "Why, thank you, Rose. That's kind of you to say so."
"Your welcome, dear. Now. What about this business of my son marrying Lucy Carter?"
Victoria froze and stared at Rose. "Well. Nothing has been confirmed. I only spoke with Lucy at the wedding. She asked me to help, and I was more than happy to do so."
Rose sighed and smiled. "Lucy is such a lovely young woman. And, of course, it goes without saying that her father is a man of real substance in the town."
"Indeed he is. I believe he is involved in the sale and transport of cattle from the ranches in the territory?"
"He is a very substantial individual. Lucy is very lucky to have had such a diligent and responsible father. He has worked hard to bring her up to be a fine, educated young woman. So sad that her mother isn't alive to see her blossom into the full bloom of womanhood."
Victoria recalled that Lucy's mother had died many years before. Indeed it was to Lucius' credit that he had brought her up without there being another Mrs. Carter in the large, palatial mansion they lived in on the outskirts of town.
"So, from what you have said, Rose, I assume you believe that your son, Paul would be a good match for Lucy Carter?" Victoria asked, her mind drifting back to the conversation with Cole. Best not to mention too much of that, she thought.
"I believe that to be the case. And so does my husband. Paul himself is cautiously enthusiastic about the idea. He is a good boy," Rose said. Victoria had to suppress a smile at Rose's description of her very grown up son. "However it seems that Lucius Carter has views that differ from ours."
"In what way?" Victoria asked.
"It's a delicate matter, and one that I'm not sure I can go into in any great detail at this moment. However, let us say, that the interests of Mr. Carter and his daughter do not necessarily match with those of my own family."
Victoria frowned and was about to press Rose for more information when she heard the clatter of cups and sound of footsteps on wooden floorboards. Lucinda came back into the room holding a tray upon which were cups, saucers, a teapot and a mound of biscuits.
"I was just telling Victoria that she might have her work cut out for her in persuading Lucius Carter that Paul is a perfect candidate for husband to his sweet daughter," Rose said grandly.
Victoria offered to help her mother pour the tea, but was told politely and firmly to stay in her seat. Once the tea was poured, cups held in laps, and biscuits distributed on china plates, Lucinda finally deemed to answer Rose's suggestion.
"I'm sure my Victoria is more than capable of being very persuasive. Even to such a one as Lucius. He's no match for my daughter," she said smiling at Victoria.
Victoria lifted the teacup to her lips and took a tiny sip. What did all this mean? Was Lucius Carter unhappy with the possibility that Paul Edwards could be a suitor for his daughter's hand? That wasn't the impression she'd gotten from Lucy herself. As far as she was concerned both Cole and Paul were equally desirable. In fact Victoria was under the distinct impression that poor Lucy just couldn't make up her mind and was relying on Victoria to help her make the decision. And it was a truly important decision.
There was hardly a more momentous choice to make than who you would spend the rest of your life with. Victoria was acutely aware of the responsibility she had taken on. Her greatest desire was to do the best she could for Lucy. But how could she do that when it seemed that everyone involved had their own very personal ideas of what should be done.
And then there was the issue of herself and Cole. Was she going to be able to keep a dispassionate distance from a man she had once been so sweet on, and who now was one of the principal candidates for what looked like one of the most important marriages that the town would ever see?
As Victoria placed her cup down and reached for another biscuit she asked herself just what she'd gotten herself into by agreeing to become involved in the matrimonial affairs of a banker's son, a rich man's daughter and a rancher she knew deep down in her heart she had once loved a very long time ago.
CHAPTER FIVE
She was coming back to the ranch for the first time in years. That one thought made Cole as nervous as he'd felt in years. Why was he feeling like his body was going to start shaking uncontrollably? All that was going to happen was that Victoria would come to the ranch, look around, talk to him about his holdings and make sure he wasn't living in bachelor style squalor. Then she would probably leave.
At least he figured that's what Victoria thought was going to happen. But Cole had other ideas. He didn't want to just show her around and have a casual conversation. That wouldn't be anywhere near enough for him. No, sir.
Victoria Carr was coming back to his place and Cole wasn't about to throw away another chance. A second chance.
Cole was in the stable attending to t
he horses, trying to keep some distance from the ranch house and the ranch hands. Keeping busy had seemed like a real good idea after breakfast. He needed to be alone to ready himself for Victoria. Especially after making such a fool of himself at the restaurant.
He thought about how he'd treated Victoria at the restaurant.
Bad. Real bad.
But then he'd been confused about what she'd wanted him to agree to. And when she'd revealed that old man Carter's daughter had Cole in her sights he'd panicked and shown the worst side of himself to Victoria. The darker side of himself, the one that he'd battled so hard against. The side of himself that had only appeared years ago after Victoria had left.
There was a churning knot of bad feeling in his gut that hadn't moved since he'd left Victoria the day before at the restaurant. The lack of sleep the previous night wasn't helping his nerves either.
Why had he been so mean to her? Especially when deep inside he'd been rejoicing at the chance to see her again, to hear her sweet voice, inhale the scent of her perfume. Victoria sure did look even finer than he'd remembered her. She'd matured. There was a poise and elegance to her whole demeanor. She held herself so well, like the lady she'd become during her time in Helena. He could tell she was a woman of confidence, sure of her abilities.
However, what had really taken his breath away as he'd stood at the table looking across at her, was how incredibly beautiful she was. Her blonde hair shone, healthy and clean, arranged in a delicate swirl down the side of her oval face. Her skin was clear and bright, flush with the vibrancy of young womanhood. Victoria's smile had made his heat skip a beat. Her voice was like music in his ears. Every word she'd said to him had been like a surprise gift that he'd never thought to have in his life ever again.
But what really made Cole's pulse race was the shimmering gaze of Victoria's blue eyes, a penetrating look that he felt burrow deep into his soul.
They were eyes that had tormented him in his dreams for a long time.
And now she was back in his life.
But for how long?
That would be up to a whole host of things, not least the good impression he could make when she finally arrived the ranch. He glanced out the stable door. It wasn't the sunniest day he'd ever seen, but that didn't matter. The scattered dark clouds didn't stand a chance of spoiling this special day.
Cole closed the door to the horse's stall and started toward the other side of the stable. Suddenly he heard the voice of Mrs. Stone, his housekeeper.
"Cole! Cole! She's here," he heard her shout, obvious excitement in her voice.
Cole raced to the stable door, sliding to a halt. He squinted his eyes and peered down the trail that stretched past the entrance to the ranch. Sure enough, he saw a horse and the figure of a woman seated on it's back. Not just any woman.
Victoria.
Cole ran across the yard to the front porch. "Get my jacket. She's early," he exclaimed.
Mrs. Stone, a middle aged, portly, grey haired woman with friendly eyes shook her head and wiped her hands on her apron. "I told you to get ready earlier. Just in case. A lady like Victoria isn't going to be tardy in keeping her appointments."
Cole sighed and made his way past the housekeeper and into the hallway of the ranch house. "I know. You told me."
Cole grabbed his jacket from the peg on the wall at the foot of the stairs and thrust it quickly on. He ran a hand through his dark hair and peered at himself in the mirror next to the hanging coats. No good. He should have spent more time getting ready. He was sure that Victoria would be well turned out, even if she'd ridden the hour or so from town.
Faking a smile at himself, and raising his brows at his reflection, Cole rubbed his face quickly, trying to bring some color to his skin. How come he looked so pale? Was it the twisting ball in his gut that was draining the blood from his face?
He turned to Mrs. Stone. "How do I look?" he asked breathlessly.
Mrs. Stone put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side, her eyes narrowing, her mouth twisting.
"Well. What do you think?" he demanded.
"I think you could have done better," Mrs. Stone said with a scowl.
"What in heck is that supposed to mean?" Cole asked glancing again at himself in the mirror.
"Just what I say. You've got the woman paying a call and you look like you just came back from a branding session with the ranch hands. Honestly. Men," Mrs. Stone said with a shake of the head. She turned to look out the door. "Get into that yard and don't make a fool of yourself," she ordered with a stern wave of her hand.
Cole made his way to the door, but not before pausing to kiss Mrs. Stone quickly and playfully on the cheek as he went.
"I know you mean well. Even if it doesn't always sound like it," he said with a smile.
Mrs. Stone rolled her eyes. "Don't you go embarrassing me. Go on. Git. I'll leave you two to get reacquainted. I have a lunch to prepare," she said and started toward the kitchen.
Cole stepped out onto the porch and looked across the yard. Victoria was pulling her horse to a halt only a few feet away from him.
She sure looks fine today, he thought. Cole gazed at her and felt a warm feeling overwhelm that hard knot of worry that had been lingering inside him for so long.
At last. She was here.
Victoria was wearing a delicate but practical blue dress that allowed her to maintain a steady mount, while remaining elegant looking. On her head there was a pretty matching bonnet decorated with tiny flowers. Her hair was tied back neat. Cole could see that her face was flushed. Obviously the ride to the ranch had been brisk.
"Hello there," she said, her voice bright and slightly out of breath.
Cole moved off the porch and onto the yard. He went to her horse and took the rein as Victoria offered it to him.
"Good morning, Victoria. You made it, then," he said with a smile, trying to ensure his tone was as bright as her own.
Victoria smiled down at him as he tied the horse up. "It's farther than I remembered," she said.
Cole went round to the side and reached up a hand. "Can I help you down?" he asked.
Victoria's eyes narrowed lightly and then she smiled, taking his hand. "Of course you can," she said, her voice cheery and warm.
Cole wrapped his fingers around her gloved hand. At her touch he felt a surge of emotion in his core that took him completely by surprise. He was sure he felt her squeeze his hand gently as she swung herself off the horse. Cole reached out another hand and guided her waist. Her booted feet landed emphatically on the dirt of the yard, a puff of dust rising.
Victoria was so close to Cole he could inhale the scent of her perfume. She smiled at him and released her hand from his, proceeding to smooth her dress and reposition her bonnet which had become slightly displaced.
She glanced down at her brown boots for a moment and then raised her head. Her eyes were bright with the exertion of the journey to the ranch and she was slightly out of breath.
Cole's tongue had suddenly decided there was nothing to be said. His mind had gone blank. All he could do was look at the beautiful woman standing right in front of him.
Victoria glanced at the painted white front of the ranch house. "The old place is looking good," she observed.
Cole took a deep breath and forced his attention away from Victoria's staggering loveliness. "I've had it painted recently. Had to make some changes on the inside too. You might not recognize the place," he said.
"It looks lovely. I'd forgotten how large the house is," she said.
"I've had extra rooms built on the end. A man can never have too much room to live in," he said.
"Especially if he's planning on raising a family," Victoria said starting to remove her gloves.
Cole felt his brows tighten at that comment. "Well, it's just plain old me at the moment." He strode up onto the porch. "And I aim to keep it that way for the foreseeable future," he said with a quirk of his brow.
Victoria's eye locked on
Cole's. "Lucy Carter might look at things differently," she stated.
Cole grinned and gestured toward the door. "Can I offer you some tea. It's a long ride from town."
Victoria nodded politely. "That would be most welcome, Cole," she said.
Cole led the way into the house, letting Victoria enter before him. He saw how she looked around once she was inside. Victoria turned and looked at him. "It smells clean," she observed.
Cole frowned. "I sure hope so. Mrs. Stone keeps a tidy house. Anyone who says otherwise is likely to get an earful. Speaking of Mrs. Stone. Look who it is," he said as his housekeeper emerged from the kitchen, arms wide and a huge grin on her face.
"Victoria. How lovely to see you again," Mrs. Stone exclaimed.
Both women hugged each other.
"Mrs. Stone. You haven't changed a bit," Victoria said holding the older woman gently by the shoulders and examining her features.
Mrs. Stone glanced down at her midriff. "My home cooking hasn't stopped my waist expanding," she said with a smile. "But look at you. What a lovely young woman you've become," Mrs. Stone said glancing up and down at Victoria.
Cole saw Victoria's cheeks turn red. She waved a hand. "Don't go making me blush," she said.
Mrs. Stone looked across at Cole. "I remember when that used to be Cole's job," she said with a laugh.
Cole felt his stomach sink and he glanced quickly at Victoria. Her wordless, polite smile told him that she preferred not thinking too much about past times.
"Didn't you say we could have some tea in the parlor, Mrs. Stone?" Cole asked giving his housekeeper an admonishing look.
Mrs. Stone nodded. "You two make your way in. I'll bring the tea and some lovely homemade biscuits," she said.
Cole and Victoria made their way into the parlor. Cole invited Victoria to take a seat on the divan. Watching her sit down he realized he had a decision to make. Should he sit down next to her? Maybe she'd think that would be too forward. Perhaps it would get the visit off to a bad start.
Cole's Montana Bride (Sweet,clean Western Historical Romance)(Montana Ranchers and Brides Series Book 7) Page 4