Where Love Runs Free (Tales from the Upcountry)

by Caroline Friday

  “Now you’re the liar,” Ben said, his voice deepening and his hands clenching into fists. He felt his chest expand and his arms pull away from his sides like the feathers of a rooster defending the chicken house. “I was there. I saw what you did.”

  “All right, gentlemen, how ’bout you come on in the bunkhouse and discuss matters real calm-like.” Tom strode toward them and stood between Edward and Ben, looking back and forth between the two. “No need to bother Miss Raeford with your disagreements.”

  “Calm-like?” Edward mocked. “This man just slandered my good name, and all because his daddy didn’t know how to manage his affairs. So I’m not going to be calm, and I’m not going into your bunkhouse.” He pointed a finger at Ben. “You’re gonna take that back.”

  “I won’t!” Ben hissed.

  “Gentlemen!” Tom interrupted. The horses whinnied and neighed at the tension filling the air.

  “You plan on selling Fairington?” Angelina asked, her face flushing a deep red.

  “Darling, I’ve already told you, I’ve got big plans for Fairington—same as you. Together we’re gonna make it the best horse farm around.”

  Something in Angelina’s eyes looked different from what Ben had seen on other occasions when Edward spoke such flattery. This time, there was doubt. Seizing the moment, he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. “Meet me at the farm. Tonight,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.

  “Don’t you touch her!” Edward roared.

  “Boy, you better git on outta here,” Tom muttered under his breath. Ben released Angelina and let out a loud Cherokee cry directed straight at Midnight Storm. The stallion reared its head and rose up on its hind legs, breaking away from the hitching post. Billy tried to grab the bridle, but the horse was too fast for him. It trotted over to where the men stood and nuzzled up to Ben. In one swift motion, he leapt onto Midnight Storm’s back and grabbed the reins.

  “You’re not going anywhere, you hear? Not till we have this out, right here and now!”

  Ben returned Edward’s stare, all the while speaking softly to the stallion in his native tongue. Suddenly, Midnight Storm rose up on its back legs once more and pawed the air, snorting wildly. “No, sir. It’ll have to wait till next week—at the Challenge.”

  Tipping his hat toward Angelina, Ben squeezed the horse with his knees and cantered toward the barn. As he rode past, he smiled at Billy’s wide-eyed gape and Mason’s stunned expression that masked a glimmer of satisfaction. Ben knew that somewhere deep inside, the old man was laughing, just as he was.

  “I do declare, Ella,” Edward said through a mouthful of food, “this is the best chicken pie I’ve ever eaten.”

  Angelina cringed at Edward smacking his lips and shoving another forkful of food into his mouth, as if nothing had transpired with Ben just an hour ago. For someone who appeared regal on the outside, he displayed the manners of a field hand on occasion, especially when it came to fleshly appetites. She looked to Jessie, hoping for an ally to quickly end this meal, but her sister played along with his antics, making polite conversation.

  “Ella is the best cook in the county,” Jessie gushed, turning her attentions from Sam Turner to Edward. “Much better than Clara Wilcox, in my opinion. And her chicken pie recipe is top secret. She won’t even let me or Angelina in the kitchen when she’s fixing it.”

  “What you don’t know won’t hurt ya,” Ella said, spooning another dollop of pastry and chicken onto Edward’s plate. “Eat up, now, Mr. Millhouse. You’re too thin. Beulah’s been tellin’ me how you won’t eat a thing.”

  “’Cause she doesn’t cook like this. And what’s this Mr. Millhouse?” he asked playfully. “It’s Edward.”

  Dropping her fork to her plate, Angelina pushed her chair away from the table and smiled through a set of clenched teeth. “When you’re through gorging yourself on Ella’s cooking, perhaps you’ll join me in the study to discuss a little business, hmm?”

  A chilling silence came into the room as Angelina cut her eyes over toward Ella and nodded. She then strode through the dining room and across the marble foyer to where her daddy’s oak-paneled study waited. Breathing deeply, she tried to calm her racing heart. In any minute he would be in here and she would have to confront him, once and for all. He wanted to sell Fairington! She had a hard time believing what she had heard, and yet something inside of her said it was true.

  Running her fingers along the smooth, white marble mantle, she admired her mother’s prized porcelain dog figurines from England that decorated the room. Her favorite was a golden Labrador on its back haunches with its paws raised, begging playfully. Angelina wondered why her daddy wouldn’t allow dogs on the farm when she was a girl. She and Jessie had begged for years, but when his mind was set on something, there was no changing it. His love was for horses, and there was no room for anything else.

  Angelina slid into the leather chair by the fireplace, crossing her feet on the embroidered footstool. She imagined her father hiding behind an opened newspaper with a swirl of tobacco smoke around his head. Every now and again, if she breathed in deeply, she could smell the scent of his pipe mingled with his shaving lotion and the leather from the books that filled the shelves on either side of the fireplace. It was times like these that Angelina missed her daddy terribly. He’d know what to do with Edward, she thought, kicking the edge of the hearth with the toe of her shoe. But what would he do about Ben?

  Angelina played with the tassels on the green tapestry pillow, picturing Ben’s long black ponytail trailing down his back as he rode away on Midnight Storm. Gazing into the emptiness of the fireplace, she imagined him sitting in the upstairs bedroom of the farmhouse, looking out the window—waiting for her. She quickly glanced at the clock above the mantle. It was past seven o’clock already. Somehow, she had to finish things with Edward and get to the Smith Farm before the night slipped away.

  “I hope you don’t make this a habit,” a deep voice said, disrupting her thoughts. Edward smiled as he caressed a curl hanging down her back. “Leaving dinner before the meal is complete.”

  She pushed his hand away and stood to her feet, feeling her whole body tremble. Staring into his handsome face, she tried her best to act civil. “Charleston creditors?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  “There are no Charleston creditors—”

  “I know how you spend your leisure time, I’ve heard.” She turned to Sam, who eased into one of the leather chairs and opened his attaché case. “You’ve been a friend to the family for years, and yet you’d help him sell what my father worked so hard to build?”

  “Angelina, I’m just here to present the contract you and Edward agreed on.” Sam spread a hand full of papers across the desk. “What the two of you do with this place is your own business.”

  “Well, I’m not signing anything, so you might as well put those papers away.”

  Edward moved close and grabbed her by the arm. “Thought you wanted that farm of his. What about that? You want me to sell it to Isaac after all?”

  “No, I don’t believe you can sell it.”

  His face grew pale as he stared at her. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I believe Ben’s gonna win that race,” Angelina replied, feeling a wave of new-found confidence rush through her. “I didn’t at first, but the Lord’s healed him, and he’s riding Midnight Storm better than he ever rode Mighty Wind. I didn’t believe in him like I should, and that was wrong.” Her eyes narrowed as confidence gave way to a strength she had never experienced around Edward before. She felt like she had grown four inches in a moment and could fight him with both hands tied behind her back. “I should’ve never even come to you, asking for that land. It belongs to Ben, and God’s gonna make sure he gets it—without me having to sell Fairington and my soul to the devil himself!”

  Edward’s face softened in a mocking scowl. “Since when do you know anything about God?”

  “I know.” She stepped closer to him so that t
hey were practically nose-to-nose, enabling her to stare into his lifeless eyes. “You’re gonna lose that race, Edward Millhouse.” She dropped his ring on the table beside her and listened to it rock back and forth, making a strange, irritating noise until it settled quietly on the polished mahogany. “Now, I’m going for a ride, and I want the two of you out of my house by the time I get back. And I don’t wanna ever see you here again.”

  “Now just a minute, young lady,” Sam bellowed, rising to his feet.

  But Angelina walked out of the study, making her way through the foyer and up the staircase. “Mr. Turner, Mr. Millhouse,” Ella said, holding their hats in her hand. “Tom and Mitchell are already gettin’ your horses ready. I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken pie, but you heard the missus. It’s time you went on home.”

  Edward was unusually silent, which made Angelina cautious as she climbed the steps. Fear tried to leap on her, tempting her to believe he might spring from the floorboards and drag her down to the marble foyer. She heard the rumbling of voices—first Sam, and then Ella, and as she neared the upstairs landing, she looked down to meet Edward’s stare. His skin was whiter than before, despite his tan, and his eyes glistened like the dark slits of a snake ready to strike. She stopped and stared at him, smiling at his defeat. “This is the last day you’ll ever set foot on Fairington property. As long as I draw breath on this earth.”

  He glared at her with bitterness in his eyes and then tipped his hat, and was gone.

  CHAPTER 27

  “I guess that’s the last we’ll see of Edward Millhouse,” Jessie said, peering behind the floral curtains.

  Angelina stood behind her sister and stared out her bedroom window, watching by the light of a full moon. Edward and the other two men settled onto their horses and quietly disappeared into the night. “Yes,” she murmured, slapping her riding crop into her hand. “And I can’t say I’m sorry.”

  “I admit, I did like the attention,” Jessie said with a sigh, “even if it wasn’t real.” She peered out the window again, but by now, there was nothing to see.

  “I’m sorry I got us mixed up with him, Jessie. I should’ve broken things off with Edward long ago. I should’ve stood up for Ben that night after the engagement party.” Looping her arm around Jessie’s thin waist, she kissed her on the forehead. A surge of love welled up inside of Angelina as she gazed at Jessie’s long, straight black hair. “Don’t ever let fear stop you from loving someone, Jessie Raeford. Remember that. I should’ve learned that from Mama long ago.”

  “I’ll remember,” she replied, melting into Angelina’s embrace.

  “Tell Ella I’ll be home later. I’m going for a ride.” She kissed Jessie again and grabbed a brown suede jacket off the wall peg, along with her gray Stetson.

  “You want me to wait up?” Jessie’s tone reminded Angelina of a little girl wanting her mother to stay home from an evening out.

  “No. Morning’ll be here before we know it. We can talk then.”

  Angelina rumbled down the stairs, being careful to scoot out the front door before Ella could stop her. All she could think about was Ben and his strong, brown arms wrapped around her, whispering words that brought a flush of color to her cheeks. Mabel and her mother’s friends would never approve of what she was about to do, but she didn’t care. Something had changed in her and confronting Edward brought a sense of freedom she had never experienced before.

  The barn door creaked as Angelina swung it open, releasing the familiar sounds and smells of horses, hay, and leather. A swirl of pungent odor floated past her nose, so thick she could taste it on her tongue. But she didn’t mind. Everything about the barn was soothing and calming to her soul, like a walk through a shady garden on a spring afternoon. Angelina was more at home here than in the big house.

  “Got Eagle’s Wing all ready for you, Miss Raeford.” Billy led the gelding out of its stall and brought it to Angelina. She noticed how Billy had grown in height and filled out in his chest and arms. She had always thought of him as a boy who needed nurturing and guidance, but now he looked more like a man.

  “Thank you, Billy.” She stroked the horse’s velvety nose and kissed it before offering a sugar cube. “Might have to start calling you Bill. You’ve grown up on us. I bet you’re taller than Tom, maybe even Mitchell.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said with a sheepish grin. “Tall enough to see Tom’s bald spot when he’s not wearin’ his hat. ’Course he probably wouldn’t like me sayin’ that.”

  “I’m sure he wouldn’t.” She winked at him and lowered her voice to a whisper. “But I won’t say a word.” He smiled in return, acknowledging their secret.

  Eagle’s Wing whinnied, signaling it was time to ride. Angelina grabbed the bridle and made her way to the barn door. “I might be out late, but don’t leave a light on. It’ll disturb the horses, and Ginger Snap needs her rest.”

  “Will do, ma’am. Doc says she’s due to give birth any day now.”

  “Yes, it will be nice to have another foal around here, won’t it?”

  “Yes, ma’am, it sure will. Miss Miranda—she says she wants to come over and see it when it’s born, if that’s all right with you.”

  Angelina eyed Billy, noticing how his cheeks flushed at the mention of Miranda. “You sweet on Miss Sutherland?”

  “Well—” He stared at the ground and kicked at the dirt for a moment, “yes, ma’am. I figure it’s no secret by now.”

  “I’d say not, especially when your face changes color like that.”

  He smiled even bigger and hung his head lower, swaying on his feet like an adolescent looking for a place to hide. “’Bout like you when Ben’s name’s mentioned. Hope you don’t mind me sayin’.”

  Angelina smiled to herself as she checked the tightness of the saddle. “Normally, I would, but not tonight. I’m in a different frame of mind. I’m like a different person somehow.”

  “Is it ’cause of Mr. Millhouse? ’Cause of what happened between him and Ben?”

  “Never mind about Mr. Millhouse,” she said, seeing the worry in his expression. “He’s not going to be bothering us or Ben anymore. You keep your thoughts on Miss Sutherland. Is she sweet on you?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, his face brightening again. “Once I’ve saved up enough money, I’m fixin’ to ask her to marry me.”

  Angelina wondered what Fairington would be like without Billy around. She knew if he married Miranda, he would end up running the Sutherland Farm one day, and the loss to Fairington would be great. Emotion caught in her throat, which surprised her. “She’d be mighty blessed to have you—”

  “Billy, you go on and finish up with Captain’s Galley. I’ll see Miss Raeford off.” Tom’s gruff voice brought a change in Billy’s expression, making him look like that scared little boy Angelina remembered from years ago.

  “All right,” Billy said, nodding to Tom before glancing Angelina’s way. “’Night ma’am.”

  “Good night,” Angelina replied, watching Billy disappear into the depths of the barn. She sensed his frustration in being reined in by Tom, like one of the Fairington horses.

  “Now, Miss Raeford—”

  “Tom, if you’re planning on lecturing me, then you can forget it.”

  “I don’t want you to go,” he said, grabbing the bridle while Eagle’s Wing danced in anticipation. “Not tonight.”

  “Ben’s waiting for me. He’s expecting me,” she said, hoisting herself into the saddle and pulling at the reins.

  “I’ve got a bad feeling, right in the middle of my gut.” He slapped his belt buckle, and the fire in his eyes matched the urgency in his voice.

  “What are you saying, Tom?”

  “You don’t know Mr. Millhouse,” he replied. Panic laced his words, and his eyes became glassy and clear, yet thick as the night. “I haven’t seen him that mad in a long time. There’re things I know, Miss Raeford. Things I’ve never told.”

  “I don’t wanna hear about all his evil ways, Tom
. I can’t bear it.” She gathered the reins in her hands and pulled her hat down onto her forehead. “I know I’ve been a fool to ever entangle myself with a man like that. I’ve told him I want him out of our lives, forever, and I mean it. Now, all I want to do is get to Ben.” She kicked Eagle’s Wing in the side, but Tom kept a firm grip on the bridle.

  “You listen to me for once!” He held onto the bit, jerking wildly with the movement of the horse’s head. “You’re young and need protectin’. If anything were to happen—”

  “Nothing’s going to happen!” Angelina heard the condemnation in her heart before her words had time to settle around them. She hated herself for acting so childish. It was wrong to hurt Tom for trying to protect her. Eagle’s Wing seemed to agree, quieting down and remaining calm as it grumbled softly. “I’m sorry, Tom,” she said. “I’ll be home in a couple of hours. You can wait up for me if you like.”

  “No, I’ve got a better idea.” He nodded his head and stared at her, hard. Angelina saw that familiar look on his face that meant his mind was made up, and there was no getting away from it. “I’m gonna ride over there with you.”

  Clenching her teeth, Angelina fought the urge to lash out again and say something cruel, but this time she was able to dispel the sensation. Remorse came over her, making her throat thicken. “Suit yourself,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t detect the emotion in her voice. “But you better come on.”

  Ben stood by his bedroom window, looking into the distance for some sign of Angelina. He held the leather pouch in his hands and fondled the eagle’s feather in his fingers, twirling it one way and then another. He had waited for two hours now, sitting in his old bedroom and basking in the memory of Edward’s defeated look. But now all he could do was think of her. His mind played tricks on him, questioning whether she would come, but deep down, he held onto a belief that she would.