Ford, Jessie

by Remember Me Love

  "We're offering guns and horses, food and other provisions―all that you'll need. What we want from you is some assurance we've come to the right man. Proof you can use those weapons to our advantage." While Aaron listened, Emil Joseph did the negotiating. Lewis was excluded from the conversations, and stood an informal lookout, seeming not the least bit curious or interested in the business of the other two men he had guided to this spot in the wilderness.

  Juan Delgado made demands for specific quantities or certain special arrangements, his general manner passive but nonetheless earnest; his questions, his commitment convincing; his general loathing for the white man unmistakable. He had seen his father and other members of his clan murdered when he was young; his mother and his older sisters brutally and repeatedly raped and carried off. And over the years his fears and horror gave way to smoldering hatred, but, for the sake of survival, the embers were never stoked adequately. Now, in the changing winds blowing throughout the country, the sparks began to fly. Juan knew nothing of the nation's growing impetus toward war, but he heard the offer Joseph made, and saw what before had only been visions of a foolish, starving man become a very real possibility for redress. And miraculously, it would be revenge sanctioned and supplied by brothers of the very men he hoped to cut down. He believed it was a sign from his gods the time to dream had ceased; the time to act had come.

  He promised Aaron and Emil they came to the right man, and he would give proof within two weeks. They arranged to meet with him again in a fortnight, and the three white men traveled farther south to meet with another prospective soldier of fortune, returning to Delgado's territory at the appointed time. And from the gathering of a hundred men who appeared in their camp late the night they expected to see one man, Aaron and Emil concluded Delgado was resourceful enough to meet their needs. He assured them there were more men like these he'd summoned, men with malice enough to mete out disaster very proficiently to troops who cared to challenge them, provided the Indian army was prepared as agreed. And while Lewis looked on nervously from a distance, oaths were exchanged between Emil Joseph and Juan Delgado, neither man doubting the course of their lives would forever be changed.

  Chapter Fifty-five

  THE return to the coast seemed less arduous than the trip to the interior only because the territory was now familiar. Aaron's companions grew more solitary, Lewis separating from the trio about midway in their journey home. Joseph continued to Crane's Nest planning to consult with Franklin Carson before going on to San Francisco to report to Melville. Aaron envied Emil his usually independent life. He truly seemed to be a man who was totally free to come and go as he pleased, with no personal attachments to bind him to anyone spot for longer than suited his appetite. And from the man's report, whenever he got homesick for a more domestic life, there was opportunity enough to indulge himself in one for as long as it proved agreeable. Though women were not plentiful hereabouts, perhaps Joseph was a better breed of muskrat than was usually available, and the female of the species merely waited for his call, Aaron reasoned drily over coffee at their last campfire before reaching Crane's Nest. Well, whatever the luck, Joseph's had to be a better situation than his, at least for the present.

  As he had many times on the trail, Aaron dreamed of Louisa that night, now anxious to hold her again. His thoughts of her hadn't exactly troubled him on the trip, but his memory of her seemed always to lie just below the skin, and there were times when he would have been glad to find her actually in his presence. He wondered if it would be best to conceal his plans to romance the colonel's wife, or whether he would be wiser to tell Louisa of his intentions in advance. Either way, he suspected, neither the prospect nor the result would please Louisa. He wondered just how she would handle it, whether she would be philosophical or a green-eyed spitting cat. For now he would love to have even the wildcat with him in his bedroll; at this moment it would have been his pleasure to try to tame her.

  When it was light the men were on the trail, soon crossing Easton's property, quickening the pace until the house loomed pleasantly before them. Aaron left the horses for Joseph to look after, and stole into the mansion. He was acknowledged by a servant who opened the door for him, but no one else appeared to be up. "So even Louisa's succumbed to Easton's way of life," he chuckled to himself, remembering her usual morning restlessness. "Time to get her reaccustomed to waking early, even if she doesn't get out of bed." Rapidly he climbed the stairs, carefully turning the handle of their door, pushing it open without a sound. He stepped inside the room and removed his hat, holding it in his hand, looking to the bed for the form of the shapely woman he was ready for.

  The room was bright, although heavier velvet draperies had been pulled across sheerer ones to minimize the daylight. He saw Louisa tangled in her satin comforter, her cascading hair strewn over the pillows, swept away from her face as she lay peacefully on her back. She seemed to be deeply asleep as Aaron dropped his hat and cast his gloves aside. Standing over her, she stirred and as she opened her eyes, he lowered himself to her, capturing her though she withdrew instinctually. At once she realized who held her so powerfully, and she shuddered in relief. "One of these times, you're going to scare me to death, I'm sure of it!" she panted. "Did you intend to have me die in your arms?"

  "Not quite," he said, trying to kiss her.

  "You look like a wild man!" she said, struggling. "I'm not sure I'd call you a welcome sight―maybe after a bath and a shave―a bath, at least."

  "Now is that any way to greet your husband?" he teased, handling her roughly.

  "Are you sure you're one and the same?"

  "Let's find out!" he said, pulling the covers away from her naked body with a flourish. "You were waiting for me!"

  "It may seem that way," she said, fleeing from the bed when he released her to undress, "but I can wait until you bathe." She pulled a dressing gown hurriedly over her inviting body and lit a lamp.

  "I see what you mean," he said, catching a good look at himself in a mirror that hung a few feet behind Louisa. He looked just as she said, like a wild man, his black hair almost bushy, several week's dark growth of beard covering his face, his black eyes flashing, the dark olive skin deeply tanned by the sun. "Mountain men don't appeal to you?" he laughed, relaxing into the warm soft bed, still heavy with her scent.

  "I won't know until I get a better look, and a little soap and water will solve that problem nicely," she said ringing for Loo Kim, who appeared within moments. "Prepare a bath for my husband," ordered Louisa casually. "Then bring us a tray," she said, dismissing the girl with a smile. Aaron lay fully clothed in the bed and she went to him now, seating herself at his side. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered softly, kissing him in spite of her preference for his more usual appearance. He quickly put his arms around her, grasping her hungrily, turning over onto her, finding her yielding and eager. "I wondered if you'd come back."

  "You doubted it?" he asked, undoing the sash of her gown, seeking the soft curves of her body with his mouth, stopping his pursuit only when they were interrupted by Loo Kim's noisy re-entry into the room.

  "Your bath is ready," she announced, bowing, seeming not to see, retreating from their presence. Aaron lifted Louisa with him, not willing to let her go, insisting she join him in the tub. While he undressed, Louisa braided and pinned her hair against her head. When she finished, her gown clinging lightly about her slim young body, she looked fresh and incredibly innocent to Aaron. She saw his look and read his mind, then slipped into the water before he reached her, forcing him into the water beside her. After some initial struggling, he succumbed to her insistent, soap-filled caresses, laughing at her teasing, playful demands.

  "I suppose you're going to insist I have a shave and a haircut before I get what's rightfully due me," he said sarcastically.

  "No, I'm not. I think you'd do well to leave the beard―for a while," she said thoughtfully.

  "Why?" He was obviously surprised. "You like mountain men, after all
?"

  "Not much," she said, climbing the narrow steps of the sunken, tiled tub, beginning to towel herself. Then she sat at the water's edge. "Your mother arrived while you were gone."

  "Oh?" he replied distractedly. "You think the beard will help conceal my identity? I didn't think my physical appearance was a problem."

  "The beard will only help you. But I mean your mother is here."

  Aaron stared at Louisa, then the flash of recognition crossed his face. "I hadn't expected her," he said quietly, stirring the hot water absently. "God, it's been a long time," he sighed.

  Louisa reached to touch his now wet beard, then put her fingers on his lips, drawing his mouth to hers, leaning to kiss him. "It's been a very long time for me, too," she whispered with every intention of bringing him from the water. And he gladly joined her, letting her gently towel his wet body dry, her hands working their magic. "Welcome home," she said as he lowered her into their bed again. "I missed you." But no more than he did her, or so it seemed from the way he made love to her that morning. "I love you, Aaron," she whispered joyfully when they lay peacefully in each other's arms at last. And oddly, he found her words only soothing at this moment, her warmth just what he needed, and they slept soundly for several hours, satisfyingly close while the pot of hot steaming tea on the bedside tray cooled in the quiet room.

  Chapter Fifty-six

  AARON trimmed his beard carefully to suit the style of a perfectly groomed gentleman, and when he finished, Louisa nodded her approval, kissing him enthusiastically. "Now you could pass for a respectable man of good breeding and means," she teased.

  "That so?" he replied, dressing as perfectly as he was groomed. "Do you think 'my mother' will recognize me?"

  "Which one?"

  "Does it matter?" he asked gruffly, obviously annoyed by the circumstances. "Shouldn't you be downstairs by now helping Easton with his correspondence, or something?"

  "I believe you've got a slight case of stage fright, Aaron."

  He frowned at her. "Does it show?"

  "Don't worry," she said, putting her arms around him tightly stealing another kiss. "You'll do fine. Only I could tell the difference, and only when you have your clothes off," she teased. "And you needn't shoo me away this morning, Easton's aide arrived with your mother. He's assumed his duties very adequately. At least he can do without me this morning. After all, I'm busy looking after my long absent, dearly missed, loving husband―like the proper wife I am," she smiled, falsely demure and adoring, and with a curtsey for emphasis.

  "I don't think I could stand too much of that. I'd think something was wrong if you didn't snap at me occasionally." Then he offered her his arm and they went downstairs to greet Emma privately before the others were summoned for breakfast.

  Emma Hudson seemed stunned by her handsome son. She was awed by the look of love she saw in Louisa's eyes, and soon there were tears she could not conceal in her own eyes. "Oh, wouldn't it have been tragic, if you two had been separated as planned!" she said finally, beaming at the beautiful young couple standing radiantly before her. "Thank God, you're together, in spite of your foolish parents, Marshall!"

  Aaron put his arms around Marshall's mother, warmly embracing the woman for whom he still had a deep affection. She seemed tired, perhaps older than she had when he last saw her in New Orleans. "I'm glad you've come to be with us, Mother. Sorry I wasn't here when you arrived."

  "Your absence wasn't my biggest disappointment, son. As it turns out, you had the poor judgment to leave your baby in San Diego. Whatever possessed you? How very unfair to demand that Louisa do so! That's not something a woman does lightly...." Then she stopped her brief lecture. "Grandmothers are the worst sort of meddlers," she added kindly to Aaron's sudden look of bewilderment.

  Louisa could barely keep from laughing at his discomfort, and she put her arms around him. "She's on my side," she said comfortingly. "Your mother thinks the baby would have borne the trip easily, just as I said. I told her you insisted we leave her."

  "Did you?" he inquired. "Perhaps, Louisa," he offered coolly, "you and Mother should go to San Diego. There's certainly no reason for Mother to remain here, and probably no reason for you to stay. I could join you soon, I'm sure." To Aaron, Louisa looked as if she might faint. Her color, which had been high, drained from her face. "I would miss you," he said, putting his arm around her slim waist, "but perhaps it would be best," he added with conviction, and, to Emma's ears, he sounded convincingly unselfish.

  Louisa was speechless. But Emma was not. "Of course, she can come with me. But I'm not putting up with any delays. I'm leaving here as soon as possible. I only waited long enough to see you, Marshall, and I'm going to see my Rachel, with or without her mother in tow. Now, let's have some breakfast," she said airily. "You can decide what's best, later."

  Breakfast was an unusually cheerful event, both Easton and Carson remarking on Aaron's stylish new appearance, and the vote among the men was for him to retain the beard, with both Emma and Louisa stating they were undecided. Emma announced she would leave whenever a ship's passage to San Diego could be secured, Marshall promising to see to the arrangements after breakfast.

  From Louisa's icy stares, Aaron found that the prospects of Louisa going with Emma were not open for discussion before the company at the breakfast table, and as soon as they were alone, Louisa struggled with her mixed emotions, tearfully incoherent at first. "I can't leave you just yet."

  "You don't have to go. I just thought you'd want to see your child," he pressured.

  She shot him a helpless look. "You want me to go, don't you?" she questioned with both surprise and dread in her voice.

  "Yes. And no," not feeling he needed to conceal his own mixed feelings. She could go or stay. Either way would suit him, he thought. It would be convenient not to feel any necessity to explain his actions as the charade progressed, but then, her presence was undeniably to his liking and, for the time being, it suited him just fine to share his bed with her. "You don't have to go. Stay with me for now. There's always another ship heading south, whenever you want to go." She frowned at him, obviously not very pleased by his casual indifference to her decision, so he made the choice for her, seating himself beside her on the bed, beginning to make love to her. "Stay," he said. "I want you with me." And when he had finished, and she was bound to earth again, there was no further question about what she would do.

  Aaron then left the house to make Emma and Anna's arrangements for travel, and Louisa found Emma in the library where they spoke cheerfully with one another. Over the days they had waited for Marshall to return to Crane's Nest, Emma and Louisa had grown hesitantly close. At first it had been very difficult for Louisa, but Emma was genuinely warm and painfully regretful of the events and the oversights that had allowed her son and Louisa to be separated in the first place. Louisa did not speak as freely as Emma did, but gradually she began to relax with the woman again, slowly feeling as she had long years ago, when she, Marshall; and Andrew had had the run of the Hudson house and the run of the countryside, sure of Emma Hudson's approval and loving concern for their welfare.

  "Let me show you what I'm making for Rachel. Oh, it will be a little bit before she can wear it, I imagine," Emma said, holding up a delicately crocheted infant's sacque for Louisa's approval.

  "It's lovely, Aunt Emma. And you'll be surprised, it won't be long before it will fit her perfectly." She sat next to the older woman. "You seem to know how hard it was for me to leave Rachel behind," she began quietly. "I think you know how much I love her. Perhaps you even know how much she means to me. But I'm not going home with you. I can't leave him just yet―I've only just found him again." She paused and took a deep breath before she could continue. Louisa couldn't look Emma in the eye, and she sat silently for a few minutes, hoping and praying the woman would understand. "Aunt Emma, I have loved your son for as long as I can remember. There was a time when I loved him more than life itself. I'd have gratefully given my life for his. I wou
ld have killed to save him. When I thought I would never see him again, I was certain I would not survive. But miraculously I did, with his child growing inside me to give me courage when I had none of my own. And I know our baby is well cared for―you'll see for yourself. I hope you can understand why I can't leave here, yet."

  "I understand. And I believe what you say about your love for Marshall. It was obvious all along. If only―if only I'd ..."

  "Aunt Emma," Louisa interrupted gently, "I've said 'if only' often enough for both our lifetimes." She took the woman's hands in hers. "Now, you must promise me you'll tell Rachel I love her―tell her so every day. Carmen's supposed to do that, but it won't hurt for her to hear it in double measure," Louisa said warmly.

  "I suppose not," she smiled at the beautiful girlwoman before her, and sighed. "I'll make sure she hears her mother's name often." She watched Louisa silently for a moment, then began more animated conversation. "When Marshall gets back, I want to show him the things I've brought for her before they're packed away finally. Also, he must greet Anna. And I'd like a long chat with him before either he or I leave this place. For years he's been in such a hurry to get someplace or another, I've rarely had a chance to have a good talk with him―especially after the two of you came home together―oh, if I'd only had the eyes to see the obvious!" she sighed again.

  " 'If only,' " Louisa interrupted, teasingly reminding her of her earlier admonition.

  The two women now sat comfortably with each other, Emma resuming her crocheting, Louisa browsing absently through one volume or another in Easton's collection. "Tell me, Louisa, what do you think of Marshall's becoming embroiled in the politics Simon and his partners are conjuring?"