by Ava Winters
“Yes. Since I knew, I am really a part of this, too,” Ian responded. “Besides, I need to stand up to him. I want to inform him that I love Luisa.”
“Really?” it was Luisa’s turn to ask. Amanda could hear the hope and joy in her voice.
“We will present a united front,” Ian said. “We will deal with the repercussions together.”
They decided that this would be best. Amanda waited while Luisa and Ian finished the last of their lunch. Ian asked her if she wanted to eat, but Amanda refused. She felt so sick and wasn’t hungry at all. She was glad that now Stefan and Ian knew, but she had a hunch that telling Mr. McAdams was going to be the hardest conversation of all.
Chapter 22
Ian spent a few minutes with Luisa and Amanda going over exactly what they would need to tell his father. He wanted to make sure that they were all on the same page.
When they felt ready, Ian led Luisa and Amanda to his father’s office. He could tell that Amanda and even Luisa was relieved that he had offered to go with them. He wished there was a way to avoid the entire conversation because he knew it wasn’t going to end well.
But he was also determined to stand up to his father and let him know that he loved Luisa and wanted to marry her, when the time was right.
He knew without even asking that his father was in his office and would be available because he had sent a message through a maid about an hour ago, requesting that Ian come and talk to him as soon as possible.
Patrick looked surprise when Ian showed up with Luisa and Amanda, but he quickly hid it behind his usual facade. He didn’t look happy that Ian wasn’t alone, but he agreed readily enough when Ian told him that the three of them needed to talk to him.
Ian immediately picked up the difference between how he greeted Luisa warmly, since he still thought she was Amanda, versus how he basically ignored Amanda, thinking that she was Luisa. Ian felt frustrated at how his father treated both women and was suddenly eager to tell him who Luisa really was.
“I have something …” Amanda began, but Ian cleared his throat and gave her a shake of his head.
Even though this was Amanda’s idea, he felt like he needed to be the one to tell Patrick what had happened. He quickly, in as few words as possible, explained to his father what had happened.
He tried to show confidence and acceptance towards the two women who sat on either side of him. As he talked, he watched his father’s face carefully. At first, it remained neutral but as Ian explained how the two women switched identities, his face started to become red, and it grew darker the more Ian talked.
His reaction was exactly what Ian had expected. When Ian took a deep breath at the end of his explanation, ready to explain his feelings for Luisa, Patrick glared at the two women.
“I am very disappointed in your deception,” Patrick said to Amanda patronizingly. “I admit that I wanted my son to marry you, but I have changed my mind. You aren’t good enough for him.”
“Father…” Ian tried to talk.
Patrick silenced him with a glare. “If I’m to understand correctly, you suspected that they switched places from the very beginning. Is that correct?”
Ian gave his father a short nod.
“I can’t believe that you allowed yourself to spend time with a servant.” He fixed his gaze on Luisa as he sneered his words at her. “You are beneath our social class. Surely you didn’t think that you even had a chance with my son.”
Luisa didn’t say anything. Ian noticed that her face had gone pale and her eyes widened at his father’s harsh words.
“You are just a gold digger, like everyone else in your social class. You were willing to stoop so low as to pretend to be someone you clearly aren’t. I find it despicable.”
Patrick switched his gaze to Amanda. “And you. I had thought that you would be a perfect wife for my son, but clearly I was wrong. I will be informing your father immediately that I will not tolerate a marriage between you and Ian. In fact, I want you out of my house and off my property as soon as it can be arranged. And of course, the business arrangement that we had talked about is no longer an option.”
Ian noticed that both women turned their gaze to him, and he knew that now was the time to stand up to his father. He needed to get him to stop throwing out harsh words and listen to him for a change. But before he could say anything, Amanda spoke up.
“Mr. McAdams. I apologize for my role in this, but I was put in a position by my father and you that I didn’t want to be in. It was wrong of both of you to expect Ian and me to agree to an arranged marriage, and to push us into something neither of us wanted, all because you want to make your ranches more successful.” She waved a hand in the air. “Your ranch is already one of the most successful in Texas. What more do you want?”
Ian closed his eyes as Amanda talked, and her words seemed to fade into the background. He tried to focus on what Amanda was saying, as well as his father’s response, but he couldn’t.
He recognized what was going on with him. It was something that had happened multiple times in his life and always around his father. When his father expected him to do something or act a certain way, he would verbally attack Ian.
Ian would do whatever his father wanted, just to stop the verbal abuse he received. Sometimes he would also freeze and not be able to think clearly. He would be able to think of the words that he wanted to say, but he would be unable to say them.
It was one of the biggest reasons why he could never stand up to his father. He couldn’t allow himself to freeze this time. He needed to be able to express his feelings about the entire situation. But then his eyes popped open at Amanda’s next words.
“Ian and Luisa have fallen in love! You were married once. Surely you loved your wife. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Amanda demanded angrily. “You can say all the harsh things that you want to me since I am at fault. Saying those cruel things to Luisa isn’t necessary.”
Ian’s heart dropped and he felt frustrated at Amanda for speaking the words that he should have said himself. He knew that his father wasn’t going to accept Amanda’s words at face value. Patrick started at Amanda for a moment and then turned his harsh gaze to Ian.
“Is this true, son? Do you love this …woman?” He waved a hand towards Luisa as if she wasn’t worthy for him to even speak her name.
To Ian’s horror, his brain froze. He knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t make the words form in his mouth.
Again, he was that small boy, standing stoically in front of his father while he berated him for whatever small error he had made, but inside he was cringing and doing his best to stay in control long enough, until he could be alone. There was silence in the room for several long seconds and then Patrick smiled triumphantly. Ian knew that his father had taken his silence as an answer.
“See? Ian didn’t agree with you. He didn’t answer because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings.” He glared at Luisa. “My son doesn’t love you. You might as well get the idea out of your head that you are trying to trap him into marrying you.”
Luisa gasped in horror. She looked at Ian with desperation, but he still couldn’t talk. He closed his eyes and tried to get his brain to start working again, but to no avail. Luisa jumped up with a desperate cry and ran from the room. Amanda gave Ian a deathly stare before turning her gaze on Mr. McAdams and then hurried after Luisa.
Patrick looked at Ian calmly, as if the last few minutes hadn’t even happened. “I will make arrangements for them to leave Thunder Valley Ranch as soon as possible. Hopefully, they will be gone by the end of the day. Now, there is something I need to talk to you about. I was able to purchase two new Thoroughbreds from that new ranch near San Antonio. They will be arriving tomorrow.”
Patrick continued to talk, giving instructions on how he wanted the new horses to be cared for. Ian sat in his chair and gave a nod by rote when he could tell his father expected him to.
He acted like he was listening, but his stom
ach churned sickeningly. He’d had a chance to stand up to his father and declare his feelings for Luisa, and had failed miserably. Even worse, he’d just watched while Patrick undermined Luisa and he had done nothing to defend her.
He’d frozen, just like he had done as a small child. When he left his father’s office a few minutes later, he couldn’t see Luisa or Amanda anywhere, but he wasn’t surprised. He knew that Luisa would never forgive him for his actions.
Once again, his father had gotten his own way.
Part of him wanted to seek Luisa out. Maybe he could explain what happened, how he always seemed to act when his father grew angry.
But how could he explain something he barely understood himself? Ian knew which room she had been using during her stay. But he also didn’t think she would want to see him. What woman would want a man who couldn’t stand up for what was right and what he believed in?
Chapter 23
Luisa and Amanda left the Thunder Valley Ranch early the next morning. After the scene in Mr. McAdams’ office, they agreed to spend the rest of the day and evening in their room.
They packed their things, knowing that they would be leaving as soon as it could be arranged for them to do so. The maid, Mary Jo, showed up and offered to help with the packing, but both women sent her away.
Luisa stopped dressing in Amanda’s clothing. She was glad to put on her own dresses, but if she was being totally honest with herself, she had enjoyed wearing Amanda’s fancy dresses. She had felt pretty in them.
She had felt more confident over the last few weeks as she pretended to be Amanda.
But who was she really? Was she the confident woman she had acted like or was she the quiet woman who liked to be in the background as Amanda’s companion and friend? It was something that she would need to think about once she returned home.
A meal was brought up to them for dinner. Amanda ate most of her meal, claiming that she hadn’t eaten much all day and was very hungry.
Luisa wasn’t, however, and spent most of the meal moving the food around on her plate. Luisa tried to read to pass the time while Amanda stood at the large window and watched … whatever she saw. Luisa finally put the book away when she realized that she hadn’t turned one page in over an hour.
When it became too dark to see outside, Amanda finally closed the drapes and moved away. Luisa wondered if she was trying to get one last glimpse of Stefan, but she didn’t want to ask. Just before they retired for the night, Mary Jo delivered a note from Patrick McAdams, handing it to Amanda.
Amanda waited until Mary Jo left before reading it. She then handed the note to Luisa and turned away, slipping into bed.
Luisa didn’t want to open the note, but she knew that it most likely held instructions for when they were to leave. Sure enough, Mr. McAdams had made arrangements for them to leave first thing in the morning. The last sentence was a warning to Luisa, a harsh order to stay away from his son or she wouldn’t like the consequences.
She wondered what Mr. McAdams thought she could do to warrant such as harsh warning. She hadn’t even seen Ian since she left his father’s office. Part of her had hoped that he’d come and find her and explain what had happened. Why hadn’t he been able to tell his father the truth?
The next morning, a man Luisa had never seen before took them to the stagecoach station. They had to wait almost two hours for the stagecoach to arrive and then had to wait even longer as the worn horses were switched to fresh ones. It took another two hours to travel to Albertson.
Amanda hardly said a word through the entire trip, which was rare for her. Usually she chatted about everything she saw, felt, or thought. Luisa saw the large rock where she had exchanged dresses with Amanda on their trip to Wilbourne.
It looked bare and lonely, like she felt. She remembered her apprehension but also excitement after she had put on Amanda’s dress. She never knew that the single act would change her life.
She hadn’t known that she would meet the man she’d fall in love with.
It was late afternoon by the time they arrived in Albertson. Amanda immediately hired a driver to take them the rest of the way to Whispering Horse Ranch since her father wasn’t aware that they were arriving four days early.
As the hired buggy moved towards the ranch, it was all Luisa could do to stay awake. When they finally made it home, it was past dinnertime. As the driver pulled the hired buggy in front of Amanda’s house. James immediately came out.
“Amanda,” he said with surprise as he hurried down the porch steps and helped her out of the buggy, but he also smiled at her broadly. Luisa could tell that he was happy to see his daughter. “Why didn’t you let me know that you were coming home? I would have come to meet you at the stagecoach station.”
“It was a quick decision, Father,” Amanda replied woodenly.
“Why are you home so early? Did something happen?” he asked, worry in his eyes.
Amanda glanced at Luisa before she answered. “Yes, but I am very tired. I need to sleep. Can we talk about it later, when I feel rested?”
“Of course, my dear,” James said as he gave Amanda a careful hug.
Luisa began to get out of the buggy on her own, but James stopped her.
“I’ll get Amanda’s trunks out of the buggy and then the driver can take you right to your house. You look about as tired as Amanda does.”
“Thank you,” Luisa answered with relief. She didn’t want to walk back to her home on her own.
The driver dropped her off at her house a few minutes later and then removed her small trunk. He set it on the porch, and she gave him a tired smile of thanks.
She pulled it inside her house, knowing that her father was working and wasn’t around. She was so tired she went directly to her room and fell on top of her bed. She was asleep the moment she closed her eyes.
Her last thought was that it felt good to be home, but she missed Ian desperately.
When she woke up again, she could hear her father in the kitchen making a meal. She could tell, by the way the sunlight shone in her room, that she had slept the entire night and it was now morning.
She stayed lying on her bed for a moment and then saw that a quilt was covering her. She knew that her father had spread it over her the night before.
She stretched and then got up. She quickly changed her wrinkled dress for a clean pressed one that she had left behind when she went to Thunder Valley Ranch.
She left her room and stood at the entrance of the kitchen and watched her father for a moment. He was busy frying bacon in a pan. She could smell oatmeal cooking in another pan. Her father must have sensed that she was there for he turned around.
“Luisa.” He smiled as she walked towards him and gave him a hug. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks, Papa,” Luisa said.
“I didn’t know that you were coming home last night. I would have met you in town if I had known.”
“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.”
“Well, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that you had arrived last night. Did something happen that caused you to come home early?”
At her father’s words, Luisa finally allowed herself to break down. She covered her face as she sobbed into her hands.
“Oh, honey,” her father said as he led her to the kitchen table and encouraged her to sit. Luisa continued to cry. It took her a while, but when she was finally able to get herself under control, her father was still sitting next to her.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“I fell in love is what happened,” Luisa blurted out sadly.
Her father looked at her in confusion. “With whom?”
