However, there was certainly no hesitancy among the unmarried young men, who were most anxious to make her acquaintance. And even though the atmosphere was reserved and restrained due to the circumstances of mourning, she found herself being deluged by requests to call on her as soon as it was proper.
"Let me get you some punch," Raymond Williams offered when he saw her cup was empty. Then, glancing in annoyance at the other men hovering about, he leaned to whisper in her ear, "I know you must need some fresh air. Wait a moment, then slip outside and meet me on the terrace. It's a lovely night with a full moon."
She turned to decline, not about to sneak out to meet him or anyone else, and that was when she saw Steve. He was standing off to one side, leaning against a wall and holding a cup of punch. He raised it to her in a kind of salute.
Her heart turned over at the sight.
He was so handsome in a fawn-colored coat with matching trousers. His white shirt was ruffled and open at the throat. She wondered if he had been wearing a cravat earlier but cast it aside in discomfort. A few strands of his dark hair curled about his ears and collar, and she could see the dimple in his chin when he smiled at her, ever so slightly.
God, how I love him, she thought, as she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Raven, I was asking about tomorrow evening."
She was forced back to the men circling around her.
Tom Haynes was speaking. "You know we men are going on the hunt tomorrow, but I was hoping maybe you and I could sit together for supper later."
"No, she'll be with me," Julius said, joining them.
Like the others, Raven noticed his speech had become slurred. Obviously when he disappeared every few minutes, he was slipping liquor into his cup of punch.
He lifted his glass and drained it; then, seeing how everyone was looking at him so oddly, he snapped, "Well, what's wrong? Is it such a surprise to find out I've already staked a claim on my stepsister? After all"—he hiccuped—"I met her long before any of you fawning pups." He glanced about in challenge.
Tom Haynes, however, was undaunted. "I don't hear Raven confirming that she's spoken for," he said.
"Tell them." Julius gave her a nudge, harder than he meant to because of his drunken state.
She stumbled back a step a step or two, and Barley Tremayne, who happened to be walking behind her at the time, grabbed her waist to steady her.
Lisbeth, nearby, saw his hands on Raven, and that was all it took for her to hurry over and say coolly, lest he have any idea of joining the group, "Barley, I want you to come with me to chat awhile with your parents."
Barley obediently held out his arm, but before walking away, Lisbeth leaned to whisper to Julius so no one else could hear, "I think you've had enough to drink tonight. Stop it before you make a spectacle of yourself." On several occasions in the past, he had become obnoxious with his over imbibing, and she hated to see him do so tonight. Worrying that Raven would do something embarrassing was bad enough.
But Julius was beyond reason. "Did you forget I'm celebrating?" He reached for Raven's hand, which she could not discreetly withhold without making a scene.
Tom exchanged amused glances with the other men. "Well, you can't be celebrating her promise to sit with you tomorrow evening, because she hasn't said a word."
"She will. She just hates to disappoint all of you. Isn't that right, Raven?"
Just then, Raymond returned with her cup of punch, disappointed that she'd not accepted his invitation to meet him outside. Glad for an excuse to escape Julius's grip, she reached for the cup.
"Tell them," Julius urged, frowning and starting to sway just a little. Lisbeth was right. He knew he'd had too much to drink but couldn't help it, because he was worried. Raven had sounded very firm in her refusal to marry him, and if he could not change her mind, the future looked grim. "Go on," he persisted when she didn't say anything. "Tell them I'm the one you want to be with. You know you do."
"Ignore him," Tom said. "We want to hear you talk, Raven. Tell us what it was like out west. I've always wished I could go there."
"Yes," Raymond joined in. "Do you miss it?"
"Oh, how could she?" someone else asked. "Look around. Ned Ralston sure named this place proper, because Halcyon means peaceful and quiet and the west is anything but. Isn't that right, Raven?"
Raven was not about to dwell on that aspect of her past, knowing that while on the surface everyone appeared to accept her, there were those who secretly looked down on her and, if not for the Ralston name and money, would never be in her company. To describe anything about her past life would only add to hidden feelings of resentment. So instead she spoke of life at an army post, making it appear that was all she had ever known, having had a stepfather who was a government agent. She felt hypocritical doing so, for the fact was she loved the west in all its rugged glory and had no shame for having lived there. But this was her home now, and she had to leave the past behind.
She was not sure exactly when she noticed Julius was no longer around. She hoped he had gone to his room to pass out, because she did not like the way he was acting.
As soon as she could discreetly do so, she excused herself, wanting respite from all the attention. Pretending to be going to the necessary room, she slipped unnoticed through the side doors that led to the terrace overlooking the rose gardens. Raymond Williams had been right, she was delighted to discover; it was a lovely evening. The sky was cloudless, a brilliant moon shone down to make the river seem to roll and undulate like liquid silver, and the breeze was perfumed by the sweetness of the roses just below her.
But all of it merely served to emphasize her loneliness, for something so enchanting should be shared. It was easy then, in her forlorn mood, for her mind to drift to thoughts of Steve and the sweetness of the nights they had shared on the trail. A smile touched her lips to remember the delicious meals of rabbits roasted on a spit, how they had laughed together while cooking. True, they'd had their sparring moments, but there was no denying the experience had been one she would never forget.
"There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere. I thought one of those idiots had squired you away, and I would have been very upset if they had."
She groaned. It was Julius. "You gave me a start. What are you doing here?"
"I told you, I've been looking for you. I think we should talk."
He started toward her, and she could smell the whiskey on his breath. "Well, I need to go back inside. It will have to wait until tomorrow. Besides, you have to be up early tomorrow to take the men on the hunt, and it's getting late."
She had started to walk by him but he stepped to block her way. "It won't keep till tomorrow. We've got to settle things now so the men will stop laughing at me."
"But they aren't." She was alarmed to realize he was even drunker than she'd thought. She also did not like how he was looking at her, his tongue flicking over his lips, his eyes glazed with heat.
"Yes, they are," he said with childlike petulance, "because they can see how you're spurning me."
"That's your fault. You shouldn't have said what you did. Now let me by, Julius. You're in no condition to reason."
"No. You have to listen." He tried to put his hands on her shoulders but she stepped back. "What is wrong with you, Raven?" he whined. "You should be pleased that I've shown everyone you're welcome here."
"I am. But that doesn't mean I have to marry you to show I'm grateful. Come inside with me," she coaxed. "A cup of coffee will make you feel better. You've had too much to drink to think clearly."
Petulance gave way to frustration. "I don't want any coffee, damn it, I want you. And you should be damn glad I do, because you haven't got sense enough to run this place on your own. You'll take Halcyon to ruination. And I'll not see you hand it over to one of those scalawags that were fawning all over you tonight.
"You think they're not laughing at you too?" He rushed on cruelly, not caring whether he hurt her. "Of course, they are. Word spre
ads in this county like poison ivy. They know you're Ned's love child, that you're half Indian, but they're willing to marry you for your money, only you don't have sense enough to see it, you little fool. Marry me, and I can protect you from them."
He took a step closer, and Raven held up her hands to fend him off, her own ire rising. "Now stop right there, Julius. Don't come any closer. You don't know what you're saying, and tomorrow you'll regret it, but I'll forget everything if you'll just please leave me alone."
"Please," he mimicked. "You'll say please to me, all right, when I get you in my bed. You'll say 'Please stop' at first, because I won't be able to get enough of you, but when I teach you how good I can make you feel, you'll be saying 'Please, please, Julius, make love to me again.'"
She continued to back away. "This has gone far enough. You're drunk. Now stay away from me. I'm warning you."
He snatched away her shawl, and, tantalized by the sight of the swell of her breasts in the moonlight, whispered hoarsely, "My God, woman, you make me crazy! I can't wait till we're married. Let's sneak up to my room right now, this very minute. Before this night is over, you'll find out why you need a man... why you need me."
"Julius, get away from me." She knew she was running out of room, because the edge of the terrace was mere inches away. "I don't need a man and never will and least of all a drunk like you."
"Come to me, damn it." He grabbed her.
She struggled against him, beating on his back with her fists, hoping to bring him to his senses, but when she felt him forcing his tongue inside her mouth and trying to maul her breasts she knew he had left her no choice.
With one swift sharp movement, she brought her arms up to break free of his embrace, simultaneously grabbing his arm as she pivoted about. Then, leaning back into him, she threw all her weight forward to push him off balance.
Finally, with a mighty heave, she sent him sailing up and over her head to land with a loud crash right in the middle of a rosebush and all its painful thorns.
Hearing Julius's screams of anguish, everyone rushed out to see what was happening.
Julius continued to howl, clothes tearing as he fought to free himself. "Somebody get me out of here," he yelled. "I'm being ripped to pieces!"
Lisbeth pushed through the crowd and promptly wailed in horror, "Do something, someone. Help him."
But the men did not move. They could see how the thorns were tearing into Julius and didn't want the same thing to happen to them. Finally, Elijah appeared and jumped in to pull him free, fortunate to be wearing the white serving gloves he'd had on all evening.
Raven stood back from the others as she watched, sorry it had to happen but knowing Julius had brought it on himself.
"Get him to his room. He needs bandages," Lisbeth said, as he was being lifted back up to the terrace. "Oh, Julius, I knew you were drinking too much, but I never dreamed you'd be so drunk you'd fall off the terrace."
Some of the onlookers chuckled but not for long, as Julius angrily denied that was how it had happened. Spotting Raven, he pointed at her and roared, "It was her fault. She did it, she threw me down there. Lisbeth is right, she's nothing but a savage. If you all don't want to lose your scalps tonight, you'd better lock your doors."
Laughter replaced the chuckles as everyone realized Julius had been bested by Raven, no doubt after making drunken overtures. They felt he deserved it, but Raven thought they were laughing at her. Humiliated, she ran down the steps at the side of the terrace to disappear into the night.
Barley Tremayne saw and started after her, but Lisbeth was right there to clamp a firm hand on his arm and warn in a voice unheard by anyone else, "If you take one step in her direction, Barley, I swear I will never speak to you again."
He had only to look into her stormy eyes to know she meant every word she spoke, so, reminding himself how much he would like to enjoy the generous dowry it was rumored her stepfather had left her, he sighed in surrender and allowed her to lead him back into the house.
Steve tossed aside the cheroot he had been quietly smoking as he watched the frenzied scene on the terrace. He had slipped away for a walk in the garden, but, hearing angry voices, had investigated. Seeing that Julius was giving Raven a hard time, he had been about to intervene but held back, wanting to let her handle it herself if possible. He was well aware she would be embarrassed to know anyone had been around. Now she had fled, obviously thinking people had been laughing at her when it was Julius who was the brunt of their ridicule.
Drawing a deep breath of resolve, Steve hurried after her.
Chapter 20
Raven stood on the riverbank, recklessly wishing she could jump in and swim all the way back to Texas. Not that she had been particularly contented there either, but at least while passing for a boy she'd known a little peace. Here, since her father died, she felt as though she bore the weight of the world on her shoulders. There were people to help: bankers and bookkeepers in Mobile, her father's lawyer. They did what they could, but she had promised herself when she had made the decision to stay that she would not sit back like some pampered empty-headed belle and allow others to make all the decisions. She was certainly willing to work, down in the dirt with the field hands if need be. But it just seemed that every way she turned, tensions with Lisbeth and Julius were waiting like a spider's web to entrap her.
She stooped to pick up a rock and sent it sailing through the air to make a faint splash somewhere distant.
She supposed she should get back to the house and then wondered what difference it made. Nobody cared what happened to her.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she brushed at it furiously. There was nothing to cry about, she chided herself. After all, she had felt unwanted at the reservation after Seth died. She had been out of place there too; and even Thad Slawson had thought the only thing she could do was find a husband. The only difference now was that she had money. But what good did money do her when she was either despised, ignored, or ridiculed as she tried to fit into a world that did not want her?
She picked up another rock and threw it so hard she could not hear when it finally hit the water.
Being rich was not what was keeping her there.
It was Steve.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not put him out of her mind. It was foolish; she meant nothing to him. He had his women in Mobile whenever he wanted. And the few times they had been in each others company since that reckless night in the barn, he had given no indication he remembered... while she could not forget.
She had wandered through the formal gardens and crossed the bridge over the lagoon. An opening in a hedge of fragrant gardenia bushes had led her to the sloping riverbank. It was so isolated and peaceful she could not bring herself to leave just yet. She longed to stay there till after the guests left Sunday afternoon but knew that would be impossible. Like it or not, she had to face them, which was going to be extremely difficult in the wake of what had happened.
But at least she would stay here for a while, she decided, so she sat down on the grass and took off her shoes, which were hurting her feet.
Steve had trailed after her, giving her time to calm down before letting his presence be known. A couple of times he had thought about turning back and leaving her alone, but when she headed toward the river, he stayed in pursuit. She might have just shown she could handle herself with one man, but rowdies on the river traveled in packs.
He stepped through the opening in the hedge and called softly, "If I join you, will you promise not to throw me over your shoulder?"
She recognized his voice before turning to see him framed by the moonlight. "What... what are you doing here?" she stammered, trying not to let her excitement show. Then the meaning of his words dawned and she was horrified. "Oh, no! Don't tell me you saw what happened on the terrace."
"I sure did." He dropped to sit beside her. "And I have to say it was an exciting end to an otherwise boring evening. I hate those things, anyway. Ned did too. H
e never gave many parties, and when he did it was just to reciprocate for invitations he received. But I went tonight, because I promised him—"
She interrupted. "And you're doing a lot of talking to take my mind off what I did, but there's no need. You heard how everyone was laughing. I know I made a fool of myself, even if I did seem to have no choice at the time, so nothing you say can make me feel any better. But thanks for trying," she added glumly.
"You're wrong. Julius is the one who acted like a fool, and he's the one they were laughing at, not you."
"I wish I could believe that."
"Trust me, you can. Everyone knows how Julius is when he has too much to drink."
"He said Lisbeth was right to call me a savage. That hurt."
"Well, nobody cares what she says either. They think she's a brat, which she is. I've only known them since they came home from school, but that's been long enough to see how things are. Everyone wanted to applaud you for what you did, because they figured Julius must have had it coming."
"I wish there had been another way."
"Sometimes you do what you've got to do."
"I suppose."
The silence that fell made Raven uncomfortable. She thought about getting up and leaving but could not make herself do so. It was nice being with him, even if it was a kind of sweet torture.
Finally, she said, "You haven't told me what you were doing out there."
"Escaping the party... and keeping an eye on you," he added.
"Well, now you know a savage like me doesn't need anybody to look out for her."
"You're not a savage. And maybe I look at you every chance I get for other reasons." He had not come to seduce her; he had only wanted her to know there was no reason for her to be embarrassed about what had happened. But now, sitting here at her side, her scent was an aphrodisiac that was fast ripping away all vestiges of rational thought. Before he realized it, he took her hand to give it a gentle squeeze, pleasantly surprised that not only did she not draw away, she returned the pressure.
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