Simply Heaven

by Patricia Hagan

  And he had to try and keep after her, because he wanted to make sure they were a long way from the house before he killed her. It was still early evening, and already two wagons and a carriage had come along. Each time, though he could barely make Raven out in the distance, he saw her rein to a stop and get real still, so she wouldn't be noticed.

  He lifted his canteen of whiskey to his mouth and drank, trying to figure what to do. If he kept plodding along behind, sooner or later she might spot him and that wouldn't do; she'd know he was up to something. He just wondered where the hell she was going, sneaking like she was. If she kept on, she'd wind up in Mobile—

  He nearly choked on the whiskey he was swallowing. That was it: She was going to Mobile.

  About half an hour's ride north, the Alabama River ran into the Mobile River, and she was going to have to cross the plank bridge. By the time she got there it would be late enough that nobody would be around, and he could waylay her if he got ahead of her. To do that, he had only to ride out on the road like he was going somewhere himself. Just keep on going, pretend he didn't know she was anywhere around, and it would be an easy ambush. He could shoot her as she crossed the bridge, then run out and throw her body into the river. So simple.

  He kneed his horse into the road.

  Raven slowed. She had heard first the wagons and carriages, but now only a horse and rider approached. She was keeping back, so that no one would see her and tell Steve if he were to try and come after her before morning. She doubted that he would. Probably when she did not appear in his room by half past midnight, he would run to Selena and slake his passion with her instead. "Damn you, Steve Maddox," she whispered through a veil of tears, "and damn me for loving you."

  The rider passed by. She recognized Masson Leroux and wondered vaguely where he was going but didn't really care.

  After a few moments, she swiped at her eyes and continued on.

  * * *

  "Joshua, you'd better hurry up those horses," Lisbeth called cheerily from where she sat in the carriage. "We need to get on home. I didn't mean to stay so long at the Tremaynes."

  "Well, you did," he grumbled, popping the reins and snapping the buggy whip over the horses' rumps. "I'm surprised you didn't stay for supper."

  "They asked me to, but I knew we had to be getting back." She crossed her arms and hugged herself with delight. Everything had gone so well. Barley had been alarmed when he first saw her, no doubt thinking she was making good her threat to tell his parents about the scene between them earlier, but after a few minutes of her lighthearted prattling to his mother, he decided she had come for a different reason, and the second she managed to be alone with him, she told him. She had apologized and begged his forgiveness, and, she blushed to recall, she had come right out and told him she was sweet on him and hoped he would be the one to court her when the time was right. He had smiled and hugged her and they had sneaked a kiss, and now everything was going to be wonderful.

  She had even told him what had happened in the woods with the rowdies, and he got so upset she knew he must really care for her. And when she told him about Raven, he was impressed and awed, and even more so when she praised Raven and explained she was now resolved to having peace between them.

  Suddenly she sat up to strain to see in the moonlight. "Wasn't that Masson Leroux we just passed?" she asked Joshua.

  "Yes'm. Sure looked like him."

  "I wonder where he's going. You'd think it being planting season he'd be too tired to be out gadding about."

  She closed her eyes, dreaming about the happiness to come, then bolted upright to hear Joshua say, "Well, I'll be. Wonder who that is." And she saw a soldier with long hair riding by on a horse that looked just like Raven's mustang. But it couldn't be. She had no idea who it was and didn't care anyway, because she was anxious to return to her blissful musing.

  * * *

  "What do you mean, she's not in her room? Where else would she be?"

  Mariah wrung her hands. Mister Steve seemed awfully concerned, and she was starting to think maybe she should be too. "I just don't know. I've looked all over the house, and I can't find her. Did you try the stables?"

  "I just came from the stables," he reminded her irritably, and then apologized, not wanting to take out his frustration on her. "I'm sorry. It's just that I worry about her. She thinks she can take care of herself, but she still doesn't have any business taking off alone like she does sometimes."

  "Oh, you don't have to worry about her," Mariah said proudly. "Why, from what Miss Lisbeth told me, there's three river rowdies nursing wounds tonight that can sure tell you that for a fact."

  "What did you say?" He had not heard, had not talked to anyone after returning late from the Hulse place, because they had asked him to stay for supper after he had helped them all day. He had come home, taken a bath, and gone straight to his room to wait for Raven. "What are you talking about?"

  "Miss Lisbeth got attacked by three rowdies when she was out ridin' today, but Miss Raven, she got there in time to save her, and she shot all three. Didn't kill 'em. Probably could have, but Miss Lisbeth said she thought she just wanted to scare 'em so they could spread the word it's dangerous to come to Halcyon when you ain't got no business here."

  "And was Miss Lisbeth angry? You know how mad she got when Raven saved her when her horse ran away. Maybe her feelings are hurt again."

  "No, sir, I don't think that could be so." Mariah was glad to give him even more good news. "She and Miss Lisbeth are gonna get along fine from now on. Miss Lisbeth told me so herself."

  "What's that? What did Miss Lisbeth tell you?" Lisbeth asked with a smile as she stepped into the foyer and saw them. She walked on in, untying her bonnet. "Hello, Steve." She acknowledged him with a nod.

  He blinked in surprise. Suddenly she seemed mature, polite, genial, for God's sake. What was going on? "Mariah was telling me you've made peace with Raven," he said dubiously.

  "That I have. Things are going to be different around here. In a lot of ways," she added, hoping he would understand she meant that for the two of them as well. He had offered friendship before. She hoped he would again.

  " Would you happen to know where she is?"

  "She's not here?" Lisbeth looked at Mariah. "Nolie told me she had already gone to bed, that she wasn't feeling well. That's why I went over to the Tremaynes to apologize to Barley, because I found myself all alone this evening."

  Steve was astonished to think of Lisbeth apologizing to anybody, but there was no time to wonder about that now. "What's this about her not feeling well?"

  "That's what she said," Mariah confirmed. "She was in the study, and I knocked on the door and told her what you said, Miss Lisbeth, about how you wanted supper to be a little late, and she said it didn't matter, 'cause she wasn't hungry and was goin' to bed anyhow. I didn't see her go upstairs, but a little while later I passed by the study and saw the door was open and she was gone."

  "I don't understand," Lisbeth said.

  "I don't either, and I don't like it." Steve began to pace up and down.

  Lisbeth saw he seemed genuinely concerned, and now she was glad for another reason she had stopped Selena in time. Maybe he really cared about Raven. Maybe the two of them were in love. If so, it would be wonderful. Maybe they could even have a double wedding in the spring. The mourning period would almost be over, and people wouldn't think too much about them all wanting to be married in the prettiest time of the year. "I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about," she said in an attempt to soothe him. "Maybe she went for a ride in the moonlight. It's a lovely night."

  Mariah forgot her place and sat down on the satin divan in her frustration. "I know she was tired. She's been working awful hard lately. She might've gone off somewhere and laid down and fallen asleep."

  Steve was wondering where to start looking, and Lisbeth was thinking about wedding plans. Neither was particularly paying any attention to Mariah.

  "And I know she was too tired to
fool with that white trash Selena, too, but she made me bring her in the house anyhow."

  Steve was quick to chide, "Now Mariah, you've got no call to talk about Selena that way."

  "Oh, God!"

  They looked at Lisbeth. Her face had gone pale, and she sat clutching her throat and swaying to and fro as she moaned over and over, "God, no... God, no...."

  Steve ran to drop to his knees in front of her and grab her hands. He was afraid she was about to faint. "Lisbeth, what's wrong? Tell me. Whatever it is, tell me, please."

  "I... I..." she shook her head from side to side. "I can't. Don't make me."

  "Whatever it is," he repeated sternly, icy fingers of apprehension beginning to claw at his spine, "you must tell me."

  "You'll hate me," she whispered hoarsely. "Oh, Lord, if it's what I think it is, I hate myself."

  "I won't hate you, I promise," he insisted. Anything to get her to talk before she went into a stupor or passed out.

  Mariah had got up and backed away, frightened herself and not knowing why.

  Lisbeth moaned, "Selena did it because I made her. That has to be why she was here... why Raven left. But that was before she saved my life. And I would've stopped her anyway. I know I would have. That's why I went for a ride by myself, because I was so miserable. I didn't realize it till I chased Barley off. I'm not really a bad person, Steve. You have to believe me. I've just been confused."

  "Yes, yes, I know." He dropped her hands and clutched her shoulders and gave her a little shake. "We can talk about all that later, Lisbeth. Right now you've got to tell me where Raven is. She could be in danger out there by herself somewhere."

  She raised her head to meet his eyes and saw his mirrored fear and knew in an instant that for him to be so upset he had to be in love with Raven. "Sweet Jesus, what have I done?" She dropped her gaze, unable to look at him any longer. Keeping her head down, she talked fast and furiously, for there might still be time to find Raven and stop her.

  "God forgive me, Steve, but I thought I hated her and wanted to get rid of her, and when I followed her to the barn and saw her go upstairs to your room, I knew you were sleeping together. That's when I thought of what to do to stop it. I went to Selena and told her to tell Raven you were the baby's father, and—"

  "Damn it, Lisbeth, you didn't." He shook her so hard her head bobbed to and fro; then, realizing he might hurt her, he let her go and bolted to his feet and started for the door.

  "Wait, hear me out."

  He turned with a groan, wondering if there was more to the nightmare.

  "After Raven saved my life and I realized how wrong I'd been, I went to find Selena to tell her not to do it, but I couldn't. One of the slaves told me she had gone away, to hide from her father, she thought. I was relieved, thinking she'd actually left to keep from telling me she wouldn't do it, because she didn't want to. She cried about it. Oh, I feel so awful."

  "You should," he said tightly.

  "But I thought it was all right, that there was nothing to worry about."

  Mariah informed her crisply, "Well, there was, and there is, 'cause Selena was here, all right, and I didn't see Miss Raven after that, so Selena is bound to have told her, and that's what got her all upset."

  "I've got to go after her. Wait." He whirled on Lisbeth again. "You say you were over at the Tremaynes?"

  Lisbeth nodded.

  "Raven would head for Mobile. She wouldn't know another direction to go. From there she'd find her way easily to Texas. Did you see her on the road?"

  "Oh, believe me if I had, I would've told you, Steve. But I didn't."

  "Well, if you didn't see her, she must have left earlier and already got by the road to the Tremaynes. Damn!" He doubled his hands into fists and smashed them together. "If she got that far, I'll have a devil of a time finding her."

  Lisbeth wished she hadn't stayed so long at Barley's. Maybe she would have met her on the road. "I'm sorry. We only passed two people: Masson Leroux and then, a little bit later, a soldier riding a horse that looked like Diablo. But it couldn't have been. I mean, why would..."

  Her voice trailed off to wonder whether it might actually have been Raven at the same instant that it struck Steve: a soldier on a horse that looked like Diablo.

  It could only be her.

  He rushed out the door. There might yet be time to find her if she was still on the road. Once she got to Mobile, she would lose herself in the crowds. And at daylight, she would head west, making her own trail, and he'd never be able to track her.

  Joshua was brushing Starfire down when Steve rushed into the stable. "Lordy, you look like the devil is chasin' you."

  "He might as well be. Help me get Starfire saddled. Quick." He grabbed a blanket from the stall railing and threw it on the stallion's back.

  Joshua blinked in surprise. "Mr. Steve, have you gone plumb loco? You can't ride this horse. Nobody can, 'ceptin' Miss Raven. And she's gone off on Diablo."

  "If you're not going to help me, get out of my way." Steve ran to the tack room and got a saddle and hurried back to strap it on Starfire.

  "He's gonna kill you," Joshua warned, hurrying after him as he led the horse out of the stall and toward the door.

  "No, he's not," Steve said firmly, surely. He patted Starfire's neck and whispered in his ear as he adjusted the bridle. "Because if you do we may just lose Raven forever, and I don't think you want that anymore than I do. She once told me about sharing spirits, and if you'll understand that I've got no intention of breaking yours, I can find her in time. Because you're the only horse around here fast enough to do that."

  Starfire miraculously seemed to understand and gave a soft whinny and tossed his head as though impatient to get started.

  Steve swung up in the saddle and held his breath.

  With his right foreleg, Starfire pawed the ground.

  Steve knew then the great horse understood, and tears welled in his eyes. "All right, let's go!" he cried.

  They thundered out of the barn, with Starfire in full gallop by the time they reached the gate. The stallion did not take time to wait for anyone to open it. With a mighty leap, he cleared it, glory rippling through Steve to feel the stallion's power beneath him.

  On they charged, down the road and through the silvered night. Starfire, given his head, never stumbled, never slowed.

  Raven had a good start. Steve had no idea just how much, only that there was not a second to spare. And as Starfire's hooves struck the road, Steve's heart constricted to wish he had told Raven sooner how much he loved her.

  * * *

  Masson Leroux found the perfect spot. A brick pillar stood to one side of the bridge, there by accident when the builders had started construction in the wrong place. When they had corrected it, they left the pillar, so now it was his vantage point.

  He clambered up. There was enough light for him to be able to see her when she came across the bridge. One shot would do it, maybe two. It didn't matter. There was no one around. He could fill her full of holes and no one would notice. And she would also sink faster when she hit the water, he grinned to think.

  He pulled his knees up to his chin, laying his rifle down beside him. He had brought his flask with him and took another drink of whiskey.

  He was tired and sleepy.

  His head nodded. It wouldn't hurt to close his eyes for just a few minutes, he decided, and let the drowsiness take him away.

  Chapter 27

  Steve could see her.

  Diablo was trotting along at a steady pace. He dared not call out to her, for fear she would set the mustang into a run, and she was halfway across the bridge. On the other side were thick woods and swampland. If she galloped across to plunge into them, he might not be able to find her in the dark, and she could get lost among the snakes and alligators lurking there.

  But Raven had heard the sound of a horse coming fast behind her and looked around.

  Aware that she had spotted him, Steve's instinct was to pull back on Sta
rfire's reins, but he yanked too hard, which made Starfire rear up. And when he did, his mighty forelegs thrashing in the air, Steve feared he was about to fall and struggled valiantly to stay in the saddle.

  Raven froze as she recognized Steve, spellbound to see he was actually riding Starfire, fighting now to bring him under control.

  And when he did, she still remained where she was, imprisoned by awe as he approached, Starfire keeping a steady gait.

  "You rode him," she said, continuing to be mesmerized. "But how... ?"

  Steve wasted no time in jerking Diablo's reins from her, lest she ride away. "I had to. He's our fastest horse, and I had to find you before you got to Mobile."

  "And he let you ride him?" She stroked the stallion's neck, temporarily forgetting her pain and anger in the entrancing moment.

  "I told him he had to if we were to stop you from leaving us."

  She came out of her trance then, realizing Steve had her reins and meant to keep them. "Give those back," she demanded furiously. "It's over. I'm going home."

  "You are home, Raven." He tried to take her hand, but she snatched it away. "And you have to listen to me. I know what Selena told you. It was all a lie. Lisbeth made her do it, because she found out about you and me and figured she could make you run away if you believed I was Amanda's father."

  "No, Steve. You are lying. Selena told me how you were—" she twisted her lips in scorn—"servicing me to keep your job. But you don't have to worry about me anymore. It will be up to Lisbeth and Julius whether you stay on, because Halcyon is theirs now. It always was. There's no place for me in Alabama. I don't belong here. I never did, only I was too blind to realize it. I thought I could make them like me and want me to be a part of the family." She swiped at a tear with the back of her hand. "But that was only a dream—like you," she added, wishing she hadn't, but telling herself it didn't matter.

  When he heard that he dared feel a glimmer of hope. "You do belong here. With me. And I'm no dream. I'm real, if you'll let me be, Raven."