by Mary Fox
He glanced down, shaking his head. “I have a confession to make, my daughter. It may come as a surprise to you—it certainly did to me—but we are no longer as well off as we once were.”
That was it? That was what he had to tell her? They were short on money? She nearly scoffed at the idea. It was absurd. They weren’t short on money. They couldn’t be. Her father had hired the best men to work under him at the mines, and they always delivered the gold on time. At least, that’s what he’d always told her in the past. Had something changed?
“What do you mean, we’re no longer as well off as we once were?” she asked, leaning forward in her seat. “Do you mean that soon we will be having to pinch every penny to make ends meet? Do you mean that we have to let some of the miners go until we can afford to hire them back? What do you mean, Father?”
He shook his head again, and it suddenly dawned on Courtney how old her father looked. He was growing bald. It was starting in the center of his head, a small spot that grew wider and wider with each passing day. And the hair he did have was turning gray. It still looked good, a mixture of salt and pepper that noted at his age and experience, but soon it would just point out his age as it turned white. His brown eyes, usually warm, swam with unshed tears as he looked up at her. He looked suddenly frail and weak, like anything but the man she’d grown to know in her twenty-one years of life.
“I mean we are not well off, dearest daughter. In fact, I’ll go as far as to wager that we are broke.”
“Broke?” Courtney cried. “Father, how did this happen?”
He released her hand, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t really know, dearest. I haven’t checked the accounts in a while before today. I’ve been running on the fact of Talbert handling our affairs for us, but it seems something has happened. When Talbert fell ill a few months ago, his connection with our affairs were severed and no one’s been handling them properly.”
Courtney frowned. She wouldn’t tell her father, but she didn’t like or trust Talbert. The man was an accountant at the bank, which meant he had prestige and wealth according to her father, but for some reason, the man reminded Courtney of a snake in the grass. She had a feeling Talbert knew exactly what happened to her father’s finances, but kept her suspicions to herself.
According to her father, Talbert was a young god to be worshipped and trusted. She did no such thing, but she didn’t let her father in on her feelings. Talbert often came calling when her father wasn’t around, and it left her feeling as if spiders were crawling up and down her spine. She didn’t trust the man, and it was one of the few times she kept her servants near.
Gerald knew her feelings and had come to make excuses when Talbert had come calling of late. Courtney was ill, the heat had been too much for her today. Courtney was resting, she’d been running errands all over town earlier that morning. Courtney was in town, shopping with some of her lady friends, although she didn’t have many, if any at all. She couldn’t ever thank him enough when Gerald made up some new excuse that prevented her from having to see Talbert.
Was that why he was doing this? Was he punishing her through her father? Was he trying to force her to see him? To what purpose?
The thought made her frown as she looked over her father’s worried face. No, she couldn’t voice such thoughts to her father. He wouldn’t believe her. He trusted Talbert too much. However, she could trust Gerald not to spill her secrets to the other servants, and he might be able to help her unravel the mystery behind Talbert’s actions, for she had no doubt that it was the work of Talbert.
She forced a smile on her face, leaned forward and pecked her father on his forehead with her mouth. “You mustn’t fret, Father. All will work out, you’ll see.” She stood, pulling her father to his feet as well. “I think you need to rest for a bit. You must be tired. Once you wake, you’ll be better clear-headed and you can tackle this situation better.”
“You’re right, my dearest daughter. How did you get to be so smart?” He grinned at her. “It certainly isn’t from me.” They reached the doorway to his room and he chucked her under the chin as he used to when she was a little girl. “You must get it from your mother. She was a special woman, your mother was.” He sighed and looked at his feet.
“Sleep for a while, Father. I’m sure you’ll feel better afterwards.”
He nodded and left her, mumbling about sleep and money and wealth and the lack thereof as he closed the door behind him.
Courtney waited until she was out of earshot before she called for Gerald who appeared before her as if out of thin air. She started for a moment, but then she settled. He always had a habit of doing that to her.
“How much did you hear?” she asked, knowing he probably had remained close enough to listen to the conversation between her and her father. She wasn’t a fool. Gerald never left her alone.
“Enough ma’am. Do you suspect Talbert?”
She nodded. “About as much as I believe you to.”
“I believe he means to blackmail you and your father until you accept him as a husband, ma’am.”
“A husband!” Courtney cried, clasping her hand over her heart as if to stop its escape out of her ribcage. Talbert, her husband? The idea alone was absurd!
He said nothing, merely looked at her and waited for her to say something else. When she didn’t, he asked, “What are you going to do? I can see a plan forming behind those eyes of yours.”
As there was. She smiled at him and gestured toward the library she and her father had just vacated. “I saw an ad in the paper this morning, Gerald, and I plan to answer it.”
“An ad, ma’am?” Gerald asked. His eyebrows arched, indicating that he didn’t understand.
Courtney nodded. When she thought about it, it was perfect really. If Talbert was indeed trying to blackmail her into becoming his wife, then it would be the perfect way to escape him. “Yes,” she said, smiling at Gerald. “It would seem Paul Jackson is seeking a wife for his brother Brandon.”
“Brandon Jackson? Isn’t he older than you, ma’am?”
“Only by ten years. Talbert is nearly twice my age.” She chuckled. “Think about it, Gerald. It’s brilliant really.”
The butler shrugged and said, “I only hope you know what you’re doing ma’am.”
She smiled at him, donning her bonnet and grabbing her parasol. “Of course I do, Gerald. I’m answering an ad in the newspaper for a bride.”
Chapter Three
It was nearly noon when the wagon pulled before a large ranch house two days later. Courtney held her hat atop her head and stared at it with wide eyes. She’d been able to see it for a while, but it was much more beautiful up close, and large enough for a family of four or more.
Who all lived there? Surely it wasn’t just Brandon as Paul had said. She turned her head to look at Paul, who rode his gray gelding beside the wagon, for a quick moment before her attention returned to the house.
It was a quaint house, simple in structure, and made completely of logs. There were two windows on the first floor and only one that she could see on the second. A large porch wrapped around the house, a large cowbell hanging off the porch near the front door. It was magnificent.
“This is where you grew up?” she asked Paul.
When Courtney had answered the ad two days before, Paul had looked at her as if she’d grown a second head. “Miss le Brush,” he stammered climbing to his feet. He’d eaten dinner with her, her father, the mayor, and his own wife the evening before. “How can I be of service to you?”
She tipped her chin up after she gave him a quick curtsy. “Courtney, please,” she assured him with a genuine smile. She’d liked Paul well enough when she’d met him the evening before. He was young, ambitious, intelligent and pleasant enough company. He wasn’t bad looking either. She wondered how his brother compared to him. “I’m here to answer your ad. You’re looking for a wife for your brother, Brandon?”
His eyes widened in shock. “Miss Courtne
y, I don’t expect someone of your stature to be answering a call for a bride.” He chuckled as if he found the idea absurd.
“And why not?” she challenged. “Am I too good for your brother’s tastes?” She paused before another thought seized hold of her. “Am I not good enough for him?” The idea that she might not be good enough for the Jacksons had never occurred to her. She was broke after all. She had nothing to offer but herself.
Paul shook his head. “No, no, Miss Courtney, that’s not it. Though if I had to choose one of those two choices, I’d say you were too good for his tastes.” He smiled as if to express his joke. “It’s just that you’re too sweet-natured for the man. He’s a rancher and can be quite gruff sometimes. I was expecting more a woman who could handle a man when he’s mean and tyrannical.”
Courtney lifted her chin and stared at Paul with a deep frown on her face. “So what you’re trying to tell me is you’re looking for a rough and tumble woman for your brother, someone who can roll with the punches when worst comes to worst.”
“In less words, yes, Miss Courtney.” He tipped his head. In apology or dismissal, she didn’t know. She didn’t care either. This was her only means of escaping Talbert. She needed this. With a deep breath, she decided to explain her situation to Paul. She’d only met him the evening before, but she got the feeling she could trust him with what she told him, and besides, if she wanted to become his sister-in-law, and she really wanted to, then she needed him on her side.
When she’d finished he stared at her in amazement. “You’re sacrificing yourself for your father’s sake?” he asked.
“You could put it that way,” she said. “Or you could say I’m being selfish and refusing to marry a man who might actually be good for me all because I don’t like the way he looks at me.”
Paul laughed, which she took to be a good sign. “I don’t know whether to laugh at you or congratulate you. If you want to become Brandon’s wife though, I won’t stop you. Can you cook? Clean?”
“Both,” she replied. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had to do either, but they aren’t things one forgets.”
“No ma’am, I suppose not.” He stood up from his chair once more and strode toward her. He held out his hand with a large grin on his face. “Welcome to the family, Miss le Brush.”
She took his hand and smiled. “Please, call me Courtney.”
That had been two days before. Since then, she’d packed her things, telling only Gerald her plan. She told her father she had plans to visit their cousin in the country. Her father was still distraught with their ordeal and only waved her away, wishing her the best and planting a small, chaste kiss on her forehead as she headed out the door.
She hadn’t seen Talbert when she left, for which she was glad. She’d even asked Paul to keep it a secret in town until everything was settled. “I don’t want to give Talbert any reason to suspect anything,” she said. He’d agreed wholeheartedly, for which she was glad.
Gerald had wondered if she would need him. She smiled and hugged him. Over the years, he’d been one of her closest friends. “Not at this time. Take care of Father. I will return, and when I do, I want to know he’s been well looked after.”
“Of course ma’am,” he told her, bowing his head to her and kissing her knuckles.
Tears pricked her eyes. For some reason, she felt like this would be the last time she would see him. It was wrong, but it was the way she felt.
It didn’t matter now. The city was long gone. They had rode out of it hours ago with a team of men on horseback who Paul explained Brandon had hired as extra hands around the ranch.
“He really hasn’t been doing well since Pa died,” he told her. His eyes grew sad then, and Courtney fought the urge to comfort him. Before she could betray herself though, he shook his head and smiled at her. “Don’t worry though. I believe you may be the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time.”
She didn’t ask what he meant by that. Instead, she’d climbed up into the wagon with the rest of the belongings she’d decided to bring and the items Paul had bought at the store to stock the house. Then they’d set out, and here they were now, coming to the end of their journey at the ranch. The Jacksons owned over fifty acres of land, and she could see it stretch out past the house as they rode in. There was two large barns and a bunkhouse for the hired hands to sleep in, although Paul informed her she’d probably be cooking meals for them for a while.
“Miss Courtney?” Paul asked beside her as they came to a halt. She turned to him. There was something in his voice that held a warning, and it was painted on his face as well. “I must admit that this wasn’t Brandon’s idea, and he’s not going to be happy about it. It’s legal. The document you signed is legal and he’d signed it already, thinking he was signing paperwork for his new hands, but he’s not going to be happy about it.”
“You tricked him?” Courtney had to admit that she wasn’t surprised. There had been something fishy about the whole deal from the start, as Gerald pointed out when she told him about it. She found that it didn’t bother her though. Instead, worry for Paul’s current safety washed through her. Then she wondered if she should be worried about her own safety. Paul had mentioned that Brandon had quite a temper when he wanted.
As if he’d heard her thoughts, Paul smiled at her. “Don’t worry, miss. If he gets mad and throws swings at anyone, it will be me.”
The thought didn’t cheer her up. The riders all dismounted and Courtney climbed down from the wagon, waving away assistance from the men. She was living on a ranch now. She had to show these men she didn’t need to be coddled, and she really didn’t. Looking around, she held her breath, taking in the beauty of the land before her.
Out in the distance, she heard the bray of cattle and the whinnies of horses. “Is this just a cattle ranch, or does he breed horses here as well?” she asked Paul.
He started, as if he hadn’t expected the question. Maybe he hadn’t thought she’d take any real interest in the ranch. How little he knew of her. If she was going to live there, she wanted to know the workings of it all. “Honestly, I don’t know. All I know about is the cattle, but it’s possible he raises horses as well. I don’t know.”
Courtney stared at him. “Didn’t you grow up here?”
Paul had the sense to look abashed. “Yes, but I never took interest in the ranch like Brandon did. I couldn’t wait to get out of here fast enough. While I was busy taking as many classes as I could, Brandon dropped out of school to help Pa around the ranch.”
Great. Just what she wanted, an unintelligent man for a husband. Of course, that meant he was a hard worker, but what if he was illiterate? Would he hate her for her books, which he couldn’t read? She frowned, worry eating away at her mind, but it was too late to turn back now. She was here, and here she would stay. She’d signed the papers the other day when she’d met with Paul, and she didn’t intend to turn her back now.
A deep breath spilled out of her mouth before Courtney steeled herself and started toward the porch and the door that would lead inside her new home. She was almost to the steps when the door flung open and a man walked out.
She took a step back as the presence of the man hit her like a physical slap in the face. He was here. There was no other way to explain it. The man before her demanded her attention without even looking at her. He took in the whole group, his eyes darting from figure to figure as if trying to find a face he knew. He passed over her without a second glance, but she couldn’t help but stare at him.
Fierce blue eyes burned from his weathered face. His skin was browned from being out in the sun for long years and a dark beard coated his face in hair. She’d never been one to like beards, but she found that on this man, she didn’t mind at all. She actually really liked it. He wasn’t bad looking at all, either. He was shirtless, as if they had disturbed him while he was getting dressed, and his broad chest drew her gaze, his muscles rippling beneath his flesh as he moved. Her eyes traveled down, n
oting the wear in his jeans, as if he hardly ever took them off. They were clean though. Boots finished off the look, worn but in good condition still.
Her eyes darted back up to his face, and she noticed he was still not looking at her. His eyes were on Paul. Worry for the older brother ate at her again, but there was no anger in his face. He merely waited.
Paul came to her side and, with a quick smile her way, slid past her to grasp his brother in a quick hug. “How are you doing, Brandon?” he asked.
The larger built man grunted in response, but there was a smile on his face. “I see you’ve brought my help.” For the first time, his eyes landed on Courtney and stayed there. She recognized the expression he held on his face. She’d seen it many times on Talbert’s face. However, seeing it on this man’s face made her weak in the knees, and she had to lick her lips to wet them again. “Is this my cook?” he asked, his gaze roving over her slowly.
