by Morgan, Kit
Fina smiled and headed for the stairs. She stopped when she reached them, one foot poised above the first step, and glanced at the front door. If Levi was in the barn, he should be out of the house a while. But then, what if he decided to come into the house for a drink of water? What if he decided he was hungry and wanted some more chicken? She bit her lower lip in indecision, and glanced up the stairs. Her eyes flicked between the door and the stairs a few times before she started to run up them. Feeling foolish, she stopped midway, took a deep breath, and went the rest of the way at a normal pace just in case her husband happened upon her. At the top she looked down the stairwell, as if Levi was about to burst through the front door and run after her. But no, there was no sign of him and, if she wanted to find out anything, she'd best hurry.
Fina crept toward the bedroom, quiet as a mouse, then stopped and rolled her eyes. “For Heaven’s sake, you're the only one here!” she hissed as she shook her head, embarrassed by her own silly behavior, and proceeded into the bedroom. She glanced at the bed and the memory of Levi's body pressed against hers flooded her mind. Her heart skipped a beat. She licked her lips and forced her eyes from the bed to search the room for something, anything that looked like a journal or private diary. She turned a full circle and studied her surroundings, but saw nothing. “Hmmm, where would I put you?” she mused. There was a trunk at the foot of the bed, a dresser against one wall, and a small vanity with a mirror; a luxury in these parts, according to Sadie and Belle.
Fina crossed the room to the dresser and took a deep breath. Snooping was very unladylike and she wondered if she'd be marked a common criminal for such a deed. But, desperate times did call for desperate measures, and she wasn't about to let Levi gain any more points while she lagged behind. She had to catch up to him; pass him, for that matter. Then maybe she’d have the time to understand what was happening to her, why she reacted to him the way she did. It was beyond anything she'd ever experienced in her life. Not even her love of painting could evoke such passion.
Passion… was that what she felt? When Levi touched her, held her, kissed her; was that all it took for the man to ignite everything within her? How on earth could she ever hope to battle something so powerful? She couldn't.
Fina placed her hands on the knobs of the dresser, and stared at it. Her father knew
knew her passions ran high and not just when it came to her artistic ability. He somehow knew that it ran much deeper and that, when she was old enough, it would spill over into other areas of her life, including this one. If that were so, what if she couldn't control it? What if every time Levi kissed her, he could bring her to her knees? She'd be a slave to him, with no hope of escape. Her own passion would hold her prisoner, and no one but Levi would have the key.
Her fingers tightened on the knobs. She had to know more about him, had to arm herself, protect herself against any future onslaughts that threatened to strip her common sense away.
She opened the top drawer and looked inside. Socks. How ordinary. She rifled through the clothing, and pulled up a pair of red long-johns. “Oh dear,” she exclaimed as her cheeks flamed to match their color. She set them back inside, pushed the top drawer shut, and then went on to the second drawer… trousers, shirts, a few handkerchiefs; nothing of interest there. Fina went to the third drawer. She tried to pull it open but it moved a few inches and stuck. “Oh bother,” she muttered as she shut it and heard a small thunk.
Fina straightened and stared at the closed drawer. Was that a book she’d heard? She reached down and tried to pull the drawer open again.
Thunk.
“Eureka!” she whispered in triumph. She closed the drawer, opened it again, getting it to go a little further, but it was no use. The drawer was stuck and wouldn’t budge. She tried reaching her hand into it and was able to touch the wood at the bottom, but nothing else. The book was near the back. When she shut the drawer hard, she heard the book slide to the front. But when she opened it to try to get the drawer unstuck, it slid back.
She stood up, hands on hips, and blew another strand of hair out of her face. “Right, then,” she said. “You're a book, I'm a woman, and I'm coming after you!” She bent to the drawer, put her hands on the knobs, and braced one foot against the base of the dresser.
She was about to give it a good yank when Levi stepped into the room.
“What are you doing?”
Fina squeaked in alarm, let go of the knobs, and fell backwards onto her rump. “Oh! Don't frighten me like that!”
Levi laughed, crossed the room to where she sat, and held out his hand. She took it and he pulled her up. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“As well as can be expected, considering I've just lost a battle with a dresser.”
“That drawer always sticks. It’s why I never keep anything in there. I'll have to fix that one of these days. You can use the bottom drawer if you'd like. At least until the armoire comes.”
Fina stared at him in relief, realizing her actions were not under suspicion. But then, why would they be? They were married. Of course she'd want to put her things away in the bedroom. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at her own stupidity, and then remembered what he’d said. “Armoire?”
He closed the distance between them, put his hands on her arms, and began to gently rub them up and down. “I'm having one delivered from Oregon City. I had Mr. Van Cleet order me one the last time he went there.”
“You did?”
He looked into her eyes. “I wanted my wife to have something pretty to put her things in. This old dresser’s good enough for me, but not for you.” He reached up and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, in a loving manner. “Beauty for beauty,” he said in a soft voice.
Fina swallowed hard. Everywhere he touched her, her skin tingled. He was doing it to her again. She balled her hands into fists and tried to step away, but his hands tightened on her arms as he pulled her into his chest, causing her head to tilt back. Oh no, here we go again…
“I have a present for you, Mrs. Stone,” he whispered in her ear.
Fina swallowed, her mouth dry, her senses breaking apart. “You… do?” her breathing began to pick up.
“Uh huh. Come downstairs with me and I'll show you what it is.”
“I'm so… sorry.”
“For what?” he asked as he wrapped an arm around her.
“I haven't anything… for you,” she breathed.
He cupped her face. “You’re present enough,” he told her, then lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss.
No! Fina silently screamed as her traitorous body reacted to him once again. Heat poured through her like warm honey and, to her utter horror, she moaned.
Levi broke the kiss and put his mouth to her ear. “Would you like to see what it is?”
Fina could only nod. Once again, he'd managed to render her speechless. How was she ever going to fight against this?
“Come on then,” he said as he took her hand and stepped away. “I'll show you.” He led her downstairs to the kitchen, where a large box sat on the table.
By now she'd managed to gather her wits. “What is it?”
“Open it and find out.”
She glanced between him and the box, and then went to the table. It was wrapped in pretty green paper, that looked to be very expensive, and she admired the gift and the white ribbon used to tie it up with. Judging from the size of the box, it must be a dress or jacket of some kind, and if there was one thing Fina loved, it was a new dress. She untied the ribbon, glanced once more at Levi, and then pulled it from the box. He now stood, legs spread, arms crossed over his chest, and smiled as he watched her. She removed the paper, set it aside, then pulled the lid off the box and gasped. “Levi! It's beautiful!”
“I thought so,” he said with a satisfied grin.
Fina pulled the dress from the box, and held it out at arm’s length to study it more closely. “I've never seen anything so pretty.”
“I thought you cou
ld use it for a Sunday dress,” he said. “You'll be the prettiest girl in church.”
The dress was a lovely light green, with pearl buttons and a lace collar and, Fina concluded, probably very expensive. “I haven't seen anything like this since I was in London.” She held the dress against her and turned to him. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he drawled.
She folded the dress and held it to her chest, eyes downcast. “I feel terrible that I don't have anything for you.” She looked up at him. “We got married so fast… I didn't think about it. How did you manage to…?”
He pulled her into his arms and put a finger to her lips. “Shhh, don't worry about it. This is something I planned months ago. Now, why don’t you run upstairs and try it on? I'd love to see how it looks on you.”
She looked toward the stairs. “You bought this dress for your wife, whoever she turned out to be…”
I bought this dress for you, after I wrote my letters and gave them to Sadie. Then all I had to do was hope and pray it would fit you.”
She smiled at that. “It's a good thing I not overly fond of sweets, then, isn’t it?”
“It most certainly is. But…”
“But, what?”
“You're not fond of sweets? I was under the impression that you were.”
She straightened. “It depends on what kind,” she said, one eyebrow raised.
“Hmmm, I see; I shall have to remember that.”
“Shall we deduct a point for your ignorance?” she asked.
“Absolutely not,” he said with a firm tone. “If anything, I should gain a point for this new little piece of information about you.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Don't look so shocked, Mrs. Stone. In fact, I should get another point because you liked the dress, just as I knew you would.”
“Oh no, you don’t!”
“And I should get another point, because I know you're going to look absolutely beautiful in it.” He leaned toward her. “Aren't you?”
Fina closed her eyes and fought the urge to stomp her foot. The man was infuriating!
“Go upstairs, try it on, and let's see if I'm right.”
Fina opened her eyes and promptly narrowed them. “You do not play fair,” she stated in a flat tone.
“On the contrary; I'm as square as they come.”
He had her and he knew it, the blackguard! With a huff, she shoved past him and headed to the stairs, making a point to stomp up every one. When she reached the top, she turned and stared down at him. “Were you expecting me to be this irritated every time you think you're right?”
“Think I'm right? I am right.”
“Oh!” she huffed, turned on her heel, and marched into the bedroom to fume over the fact that the man had just gained himself another point.
Six
Fina's frustration over Levi’s antics quickly dissipated when she looked into the vanity’s mirror. The dress he'd given her was beyond beautiful. It was downright stunning. So much so, that she hardly recognized herself as the woman who was staring back at her. The dress was simple, yet elegant, and she marveled how it brought out the green in her eyes. “Very well, Mr. Stone,” she muttered to herself. “You've earned this point.”
“Why, thank you,” said Levi as he strolled into the room.
Fina spun to face him. “Did it ever occur to you to knock?”
“What for? I live here.”
“That may be well and good, but I was dressing.”
“I can see that, and you did a fine job of it, too. Now, let me look at you.” He took her hand and pulled her away from the vanity, then stepped back and admired her. She stood stock-still as he walked a complete circle around her in silence then stood before her once more. “Well, what do you know, it does fit,” he said with a grin.
She took in his triumphant smirk and shook her head. “You've gained one point,” she told him with a wag of her finger. “Just one, and no more!”
“I wasn't asking for any more points,” he countered as he rocked toe to heel a few times. “Besides, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to outscore you again by morning.”
Fina crossed her arms over her chest. “I must say, but you sound quite confident in your abilities.”
He gave her his signature, devilish grin. “That's because I am, Mrs. Stone.”
Fina rolled her eyes at him, then smoothed the skirt of the dress. “I suppose I should change out of this. I would hate to soil it.”
He stepped to her and took her hands into his own. “Please don't.”
“But I don't want to risk ruining it in any way.”
“You can't ruin it if we don't go outside, and you're not cleaning anything. That dress was an investment and I'm going to enjoy it.”
“Well, I suppose if you put it that way, I can wear it a while longer for you.” Her words were even, but her hackles were up. She couldn't decide if he was truly admiring her, or simply reveling in the fact that he could control her. Or at least thought he could.
“Come, let's go back downstairs and I'll build us a fire,” he said as he pulled her toward the door. They went downstairs, where he sat her on the sofa, then set to work. In no time, he had a crackling fire built and joined her. “So tell me, Mrs. Stone; what did you do for fun back in England?”
“Fun?” she repeated. “Oh, dear me, now let me think.” She sat a moment, as if in deep thought, then looked at him. “Tell me, have you ever been to a ball?”
“A ball?” Now it was his turn to look like he was concentrating. But was he really, or was he playing with her again?
“Oh, come now,” she said. “Surely you did something for fun growing up.”
“Of course. But my idea of fun and your idea of fun are probably two different things.”
“Where I come from, everyone anticipates the Season.”
“The Season?” he asked. “I think I’ve heard of that. Is that where stuffy aristocrats parade in front of each other during a steady succession of balls, soirees, and musicales?” he paused and looked at her. “Shall I go on?”
Her mouth dropped open. “You know of such things?”
“I am not without some knowledge about the ways of the ton. Where I come from, there were quite a few ladies just like you. However, none were so gutsy as to come out West to find a husband.”
She blinked a few times while she gathered her wits, then stared at him. “Where are you from again?”
“Didn't I tell you?” He absently rubbed his chin with one hand. “I thought I had.” He shrugged. “Boston.”
“Boston? That's where Belle comes from.”
“And Cyrus Van Cleet. Other than the three of us, I don't think there's anyone else in Clear Creek from that area.”
“My, my, that explains a lot.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I’d say your speech is much more refined than most of Clear Creek's residents.”
“Are you making fun of the way people talk out here?”
“Of course not; I'm just pointing out that you speak more eloquently than others in the area. Therefore, I can only conclude that you are not from here originally.”
“As I recall, you said something to that effect on the wagon ride home. And yes, Boston is a far cry from Clear Creek, I'll give you that. But I'll take Clear Creek over Boston any day.”
Fina studied him a moment and noticed a brightness in his eyes when he mentioned the tiny town. “Why? Why do you like it here so much?”
Levi smiled. “Because here, I can be free.”
“I'm afraid I don't understand you.”
He shrugged again. “You know, free; the open prairie, the mountains, Clear Creek. There are no stuffy aristocrats here to look down their noses at you, or ridicule you for not living up to their standards.”
She gave him an inquisitive look. “Were you hurt by such people?” she asked, her voice soft.
Levi laughed. “No, no I wasn't hurt by anyone. I just didn't like b
eing there anymore. I got tired of the crowds of people, the smells, and the hustle and bustle. All of it.”
She sat a moment, then asked, “What did you do there?”
“For work, you mean?”
She looked down at her lap and folded her hands. “Yes.”
“The same thing I'm doing here. I work with numbers.”
“Don’t you mean a banker?”
“Of sorts; more like a bookkeeper then a banker. Both I guess. There was an older couple who came here a few years ago and took care of Mr. Van Cleet’s accounts and bookkeeping for him, but they only stayed the one year and then left. Mr. Van Cleet asked if I'd like the job, and so I took it.”
“I see,” she said as she gazed at him. For the first time, she noticed how beautiful his dark eyes were and noted the strength in their depths. “So you came for the wide-open spaces and fresh air, but found it lacking in genteel company?”
Levi rested an arm across the back of the sofa and scooted a few inches closer. “That about sums it up.”
The heat of his body engulfed her, and Fina began to fidget. “And were you expecting something as genteel as me or my sisters?”
“No, I didn't have a clue I'd be getting someone so…”
“So what?”
He looked her over and scooted closer. “So beautiful.”
His words and the heat of his body were like some intoxicating elixir she could not resist. “You think I'm beautiful?”
He looked taken aback. “Don't you think so? Do you have any idea how you look in that dress?”
“I've never owned such a beautiful frock. It is most becoming, dare I say, on me.”
His arm came around her and pulled her against his chest. He then cupped her face with a hand and brought his lips to hers. “You may say, Mrs. Stone. And you may keep saying it because it's true.” He kissed her, slow and gentle, and Fina once again lost herself in his arms.
