“What on earth is going on, Mother?” Regina demanded to know. “Who is this Rose and why is a strange man in your house asking for her?”
“I can explain.” Abbie offered. She didn’t want her aunts to be blamed for going along with her idea. “I convinced my parents to allow me to come to Durango to attend the Harvest Ball as long as I came with— ”
“With me as your chaperone, don’t forget.” Aunt Jeannie interjected.
“Yes, my father would only agree if Aunt Jeannie would serve as my chaperone. Anyway, my friend Gwen and I— ”
Her Aunt Jeannie stood and said. “Dear, why don’t you go and greet your gentleman friend while Lila and I explain the rest of the details to your cousins.”
Relieved, Abbie agreed and rushed inside the house towards the parlor. She slowed just before the parlor door to check her image in the hall mirror. Satisfied she was presentable, she floated into the room.
“Why Matthew, it's so good to see you again. I thought perhaps you had grown tired of my company already.” Her heart stuttered at the sight of him.
He turned at the sound of her voice and she was pleased by the way his eyes warmed when he saw her. “Nonsense, my work has kept me busy, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m so happy to hear that. I thought perhaps your time might have been occupied by some young lady you met since arriving here in Durango.” It was a rather bold statement, but she wanted to gauge his response.
“Of course not.” he replied, and she saw no sign of deceit. Her heart warmed at the thought that he was here to see her. It was a glorious feeling to know he was interested in her, and not her father’s fortune.
“That’s so good to hear. Please, sit. Tell me what has brought you by today?” She so hoped he wasn’t going to tell her that his business was concluded, and he was leaving Durango. "Can I offer you some refreshments? We're having iced tea on the back— ”
Before she could finish her sentence, he drew closer and stood in front of her. “Rose, I’m must apologize for my forwardness. My behavior is out of character for me, but…” His words trailed off and she realized she was holding her breath to hear what came next.
“But I find that I can’t stop thinking about you...and about that kiss...and I was wondering if it would be...if you would be opposed to me— ”
“Opposed to you kissing me again, Matthew.” She heard the breathy sound of her voice, but she didn’t care. Her heart’s erratic behavior was robbing her of her ability to breath. Or was it the prospect of another kiss that made her breath so elusive?
“Yes, I know it’s very forward, and I would certainly understand if you threw me out of this house, but…”
She took a step closer, close enough she could feel the heat of his body. “I would not be opposed, Matthew. I would not be opposed at all.” Abbie knew she was playing with fire, but she didn’t care. For the first time in her twenty years, she saw the want in a man’s eyes and knew he wanted her for herself alone.
Matthew reached up to caress her cheek as if she were the most precious thing in his world. When he leaned in and his lips touched hers, shivers of delight scattered everywhere across her body.
He pulled back for a moment. “Tell me to stop, Rose and I will in a heartbeat.”
She saw the passion in his eyes and knew they mirrored her own. “I don’t want you to stop, Matthew. I don’t want you to ever stop.”
She swore she heard a growl deep in his chest, but he left her no time to think about it. His lips came crashing down on hers, his fingers tangled in her hair, and he pulled her so close she could feel his desire for her through their clothes. Then he turned his mouth and plunged his tongue deep inside hers. Her knees grew so weak, she thought they might not hold her upright, but his arm encircled her waist and held her tight.
She allowed herself to get lost in the moment certain she would remember it for the rest of her life.
Matthew had arrived in Durango more than a week ago and when he wasn’t annoying the telegraph office clerk, or asking questions around town about Miss Livingston, he was thinking about Rose. He had used every excuse he could think of to see her and was thrilled her aunts seemed agreeable. He had no idea what he would do if they forbid them from seeing each other. Honestly, he didn’t want to find out.
Today, they were going to visit Rose's cousin Roxanne and her husband, Alex, at their ranch just outside of town. When Mrs. Randall proposed the idea, he had been surprised and never thought they would allow Rose to go out on an unchaperoned carriage ride with him. But apparently, he had misjudged her guardian aunt.
Thoughts of their many shared kisses sent a bolt of white-hot desire to his nether region. He had never wanted a woman more than he did Rose. But his grandmother had raised a gentleman and he would never cross the line of propriety and he would never risk Rose’s reputation. That didn't mean he didn't want her as much as any man could want a woman. Perhaps when this job was over and Rose headed back to Philadelphia, he could convince her that he was the man for her. Find a nice cozy house on a tree-lined street just like her aunt’s house here in Durango. Just like the one he’d always dreamed about owning. Maybe then, he could ask Rose to marry him. But he was getting his cart before his horse. He had a business to save or there would be no way to support a wife or the family that would come.
Matthew rushed through breakfast and arrived at the livery stable bright and early. He paid the owner for the rented horse and carriage and promised he would not abuse the horse or damage the carriage in any way. The man seemed satisfied, but still cautioned Matthew that he would have to pay for any damages. And since he could ill afford the cost, he again assured the man he would take good care of them both.
He steered the horse down the street towards Mrs. Beckett's house, but then thought perhaps he should go by the telegraph office first on the chance the lines had been repaired.
As he headed approached the telegraph office, he saw a line of men standing outside the door. He tried to reign in his excitement as he pulled the horse up short and called to the men, “Is the telegraph office open now? Can we send a telegraph?”
“Yep.” That was all one man at the back of the line said. It was enough. Matthew urged the horse close to the hitching post, set the brake, tied the reins, and hurried to take his place at the back of the line. The line seemed to move at a snail’s pace, but he knew that was just his impatience. Rose was waiting and he didn’t want to be late, but he really needed to send this telegram.
Twenty minutes later, he finally made his way to the telegraph clerk’s desk. “I need to send a telegram, please.”
“You and everybody else.” The man’s tone was pleasant, so Matthew didn’t take offense. “What do ya want to say?” The main was poised with his pencil and paper in hand.
“Daniel Livingston 2019 Delancey Place Philadelphia, PA Stop. Arrived in Durango. Stop. Need verification your daughter got on the train. Stop. No sign of her. Stop. M Bellamy.
“When will that go out?” Matthew reached into his pocket and set the money on the counter.
“That’ll go out about noon. I’ve taken so many messages this morning, I had to call my son in to help me. He'll be here shortly and I can start sending these out just as soon as he gets here.”
“When do you think I can expect an answer?” he asked and pocketed the change.
“Now, I ain’t got no control of the other end. It depends on the Philadelphia office and how fast they get a runner to deliver your message, if your person is home, and how fast he answers. Like I said, ain’t got no control over that end.” The man turned and shoved Matthew’s note onto a nail sticking out of the wall that already had quite a few other notes impaled behind his.
“I understand. So, should I check back in a day or so? Or will you send a runner to my hotel when I get a reply?” Matthew’s anxiety had kicked in again and he really just wanted some answers.
“You can suit yerself, mister. Check in. Don’t check in. That’s up to
you. I’ll send a runner over to the hotel with a message when I get one, but I can’t say how quickly that’ll be. It'll depend on how many other answers I get that day.” The little man in the wire-rimmed glasses turned and gave Matthew a half-hearted shrug and pointed to the nail on the wall.
“I’ll check in. Thanks.” Matthew didn’t want to spend any more time on business this morning when Rose was waiting on him. Besides, it wasn’t like he was shirking his responsibilities to the business. He would just have to wait on a reply from Mr. Livingston before he knew what he needed to do. And if his reply said his daughter got on the train, then Matthew knew without a doubt that she had arrived in Durango. He had watched every person get on and off that train between Philadelphia and Durango, and no one matching their descriptions had done either.
Either Daniel’s daughter was tucked safely at home under his supervision, or Matthew would find her here in Durango. Though if she is here, he would have a lot of explaining to do to his partner and their client when he got back to Philadelphia. A lot of explaining.
He untied the little mare from the hitching post, climbed aboard, then steered towards the beautiful woman who held his heart in her hands.
Chapter Seven
“Abigail Rose Livingston.” Aunt Jeannie spoke across the breakfast table. “Are you even listening to us?”
The tone in her aunt’s voice pulled her from her daydreaming more than her words did, well that and the use of her full name...her real name. “I’m listening.” she said, but she was certain her aunts did not believe her.
“Abbie, you have got to slow down. Mr. Bell is almost a stranger to us. We don’t know anything about him. Not really. After all, you’ve only known him a little more than a couple of weeks, if you count the days on the train. That is certainly not enough time to know the man’s character.”
Abbie could tell by Aunt Lila’s tone she was worried. “I know all about Matthew, Aunt Lila. At least, all I need to know. He’s not married. He’s from Philadelphia, and he is enamored with me. Me. Not Abigail Livingston, Daniel Livingston’s daughter. Not the heiress to a fortune. Just plain old Rose Collins.”
She pinned her aunt with a pointed look. “Do you know what it feels like to have a man as handsome as Matthew pay attention to you without having doubts about why he’s paying attention to you? For once in my life, I know when he looks at me with those beautiful eyes of his, he is seeing me...the real me, and not my father’s wealth.”
Abbie wanted her aunts to calm down about Matthew. At first, they had been open and inviting, but the more she and Matthew spent time together, the more they seemed to oppose their relationship. She would have thought it would have been the other way around.
“Abigail, sweetheart, your Aunt Jeannie and I just want you to be careful, that’s all. Be cautious with your reputation and your heart for if anything were to go wrong, she and I…we…would feel— ”
“It won’t. I’m not a little girl, Aunt Lila. And I’m not naive. I know the wiles of men on the hunt. But I swear to you, Matthew isn’t like those men. He’s gentle. And kind. And so respectful of my feelings. And my reputation. He’s an honorable man. I can feel it.”
Aunt Jeannie gave her a sympathetic look. “Abbie, sometimes a woman’s feelings can leave her blind to the truth. We aren’t saying Matthew is a bad person. We're saying that this...thing...this relationship has gone farther than we could have imagined. And so quickly. We want you to enjoy your holiday, but we also want you to take care and not do anything that you will regret later on.”
“I don’t regret anything— ”
“Not yet, but there’s still plenty of time until the Harvest Ball and I see trouble ahead. Mr. Bell has told you about his life, but how do you know he has been truthful? How do you know for sure he isn’t married? Because he told you? And, how do you know he has a good reputation...an honorable reputation that you can be proud of? And you said yourself, you don’t really know what he does for a living. Let’s just say for argument's sake , you and he do fall in love and he does propose to you. What happens when you are forced to tell him who you really are? After all, if he’s falling in love with you, he thinks he’s falling in love with Rose Collins, not Abigail Livingston. Won’t he feel a bit betrayed that you didn’t trust him with the truth?” Aunt Lila pointed out.
Abbie hadn’t thought that far down the road.
Aunt Jeannie added. “And does he make enough money to support you in the manner you are accustomed? Surely, you don’t intend to live in squalor somewhere slaving over a boiling tub of lye and a scrub board washing diapers, do you? Come now, Abigail. You are more pragmatic than that. Love is splendid, but the kind of life you are used to can only be had when a husband has a good head on his shoulders and makes something of himself in this world. Mr. Bell said he was in Durango on business, but what kind of business? That’s the kind of thing a smart young woman should know before she gives her heart away. Don’t you agree?”
Abbie soaked in her aunt’s words. She hated to admit it, but her aunts did make a good point. Abbie had money. Her father had seen to that. He had established a trust fund in her name. But did she really want a husband who relied on that money, even if he had fallen in love with her before he learned about the money? She was certain she knew Matthew’s character, but she had to admit she hadn’t a clue what his financial situation was. And no matter how much she and Matthew might love each other, her father would never allow her to marry someone who wasn’t able to provide for her, and more importantly, protect her from unscrupulous characters who might want to use her to get to her father’s money. And that kind of protection came at a high price, both in money and in freedom.
“I suppose you have a point, Aunt Jeannie. Aunt Lila. I understand what you want me to see and I will take a step back and get to know Matthew in a more logical and methodical way. I’m convinced I know the man’s character, but I admit I know hardly anything about him as a businessman.”
A knock at the door signaled the subject of their conversation had arrived. “I will use our trip to Roxanne’s today to delve deeper into Matthew’s business acumen and I am confident by the end of the day, I can report back to the both of you that he is every bit the successful entrepreneur that he is a gentleman.” she assured her aunts. Though they had managed to place a tiny seed of doubt in her mind.
She could admit she had let her guard down with him almost from the very beginning. And, she could admit, if only to herself, that she had given him many opportunities to take advantage of her. That hadn’t been her plan, but she had simply gotten carried away with the man’s attentions. It was also because she felt like she had a connection with him that had always eluded her with other suitors. Perhaps it was just the knowledge that he cared for her without knowing who she was. Whatever it was, she would follow her aunts' advice and show them that her instincts about Matthew were right.
Another knock at the door reminded her that Matthew was waiting. She did not have the time to further analyze the why's of her immediate attraction to the man standing outside her door or to consider all her aunts had said about his sense of betrayal at her lack of trust. But, she owed it to herself, and to Matthew, to learn more about the man she was giving her heart to.
Matthew guided the little mare out of town toward Roxanne and Alex's ranch. Although, he didn't really care where they were headed. As long as Rose was by his side, he’d go anywhere.
“It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Rose exclaimed and inhaled a deep breath of the cool mountain air. He liked the way the bodice of her dress stretched tight across her—
“Don’t you agree, Matthew?” she asked and turned to him giving him a sweet smile.
“I would agree about the beautiful part.” he said knowing she knew he was talking about her.
She blushed and he loved it. She snuggled a bit closer to him and he had to admit he could get used to this.
He slapped the reins in his left hand against the little mare’
s rump to keep her trotting down the dirt road while his right hand circled Rose’s shawl covered shoulders. He loved the way her body fit against his side.
They snuggled together happy and relaxed in each other’s company. Rose let out a contented sigh and he pulled her even closer. “Are you having a good time on your holiday, Rose?” he asked the question before he even realized the thought was on his mind, but now that he had, he was very interested in her answer.
“Yes, I’m having a wonderful time, Matthew. I can’t remember ever having such a good time. Not ever.”
He grinned. “I’m glad to hear it. Is there anything in particular that has made your holiday...special?” He knew he was fishing, but he really wanted to know how she felt about him.
“Well, I did enjoy the lovely evening at my aunt’s house last week.” she replied. He could tell by her coy look she was teasing him.
“I enjoyed that evening as well. It was so nice to get to know your cousin-in-law. John Kingston is a man to be admired. His business savvy has allowed him to rise from the streets of Durango to the man he is today.”
“And he’s a good husband.” Rose pointed out.
“Yes, that too.” he admitted and wondered if her reference to her cousin's husband was her way of hinting there could be a future for the two of them. He was quite pleased by the thought.
They traveled along for a while in silence enjoying the beautiful scenery. The crystal clear water of the Animas River rushed over the stones worn smooth by snowmelt and rains that had followed that same path for centuries. The sound of the water along the rocks made him think of the river back home in Bowling Green. He liked it out here. He wished he could stay and make a home here with Rose, but he had a company and a partner that needed him. Besides, Rose had not given him any indication she wanted to stay in Durango. After all, she was on a holiday from Philadelphia, and he fully expected her to return home at the end of September.
The Debutantes of Durango Box Set Books 1-3 Page 35