Ecstasy's Promise (Historical Romance)

by Constance O'Banyon

  "Edward," she whispered softly.

  He reached out and brushed a stray curl from her face. The touch of his hand caused the blood to surge in her body. "See," he said, "that was not so difficult, was it?" She shook her head, unable to speak. "Come," he said abruptly. "Your grandmother will be wondering what is keeping us."

  Mammaw looked up as she saw Edward and Victoria return. She was beginning to feel that Edward had an interest in her granddaughter, and it made her a bit uneasy. She was aware of his reputation with the women. Victoria was so young and innocent. Mammaw hoped Edward would not turn her head. She made herself a promise that she would keep an eye on the situation.

  It was getting late, and Mammaw had told Edward that she and Victoria must leave. He was going to drive them home himself. Many of his vaqueros had come forward to tell them good-by. Edward knew the fiesta would go on well into the morning hours, and some of the men had already had too much to drink.

  Carlos was one of them. He staggered forward and would have fallen if his mother had not steadied him.

  "Forgive my foolish son, Senorita," Estancio said to Victoria. "He has had too much celebration."

  Carlos grinned at Edward. "I have been telling my father how we whipped the tails off the Johnny Rebs in Georgia."

  Edward stared at him angrily. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Victoria had turned pale. Carlos did not see the warning in Edward's eyes.

  "Our patron, here," Carlos continued, "was indispensable to General Sherman. Remember the battle outside Atlanta?" He smiled at his father. "I had to call him Major Hanover then."

  "Estancio, get your drunken son out of my sight," Edward said dangerously.

  Estancio turned his son around and struck him hard across the face. "You fool!" he said. "I will see that he is punished, Patron," Estancio said hotly.

  Edward turned to Victoria. Her eyes were wide with horror. She backed away from him. "How can this be?" she whispered. She looked from Edward to her grandmother. "I have been betrayed!" she cried. "Grandmother, why did you not tell me?" Edward reached for her, his eyes pleading. "Do not touch me, Mr. Hanover." Her eyes grew stormy. "You pretend to be my friend, and all along, you are the enemy. I will never forgive you for this."

  "Victoria, I meant to tell you," he said.

  "Do not speak to me! Grandmother, take me home, please."

  Alice Anderson put her arms about Victoria and sent Edward a silent message. "It is best if we leave now," she told him.

  "Victoria, if you will let me explain," Edward said.

  "No! I do not want to hear anything you have to say.

  Edward looked at her for a moment. "I will have Jose drive you home," he said simply.

  Edward stood on the front doorstep and watched as the buggy with Victoria and Mammaw inside pulled away. He leaned down and picked up the red flower, which Victoria had dropped. He crushed it in his powerful fist, then threw it down and crushed it beneath his boot. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were burning dangerously as he walked across the lawn toward Estancio's small house.

  Victoria kept her thoughts to herself until they were inside her grandmother's house. Then she let the words spill out: "How is it possible that Edward Hanover is a Yankee? He is from Texas."

  Her grandmother led her to the sofa, and she sat down beside Victoria. "Look at me child." Victoria raised tear-filled eyes to her. "To tell you the truth," her grandmother said, "I did not realize that you did not know Edward fought for the Union. I just never really thought about it because it is common knowledge around here."

  "But he fought against Texas!" Victoria cried.

  "Honey, listen to me and try to understand. I, myself, never felt Texas should have left the Union, and many of my neighbors felt the same way. Texas had the distinction of being a separate country for many years. We even had our own president, Sam Houston. The war between the North and South seemed very far away from us. There were very few battles on Texas soil. And very few slaves here. While you in Georgia suffered a great deal—and you, more than most—we in Texas were hardly affected."

  Victoria shook her head. "I do not understand any of this, Grandmother. Edward Hanover is the enemy. If he knew my secret, he would probably turn me over to the authorities."

  "No, child, he would never do that. He is an honorable man. Think for a moment how hard it must have been for him to make the unpopular decision to fight for the Union. He is a man who stood up for what he believed in. It is more than most of us can claim."

  "I hate him," Victoria stormed, rising to her feet, "and I do not ever want to see him again."

  Her grandmother studied her face for a long while. "I think perhaps you like him too well."

  "No, you are quite wrong. I promise you that after this day, I will no longer speak to him. Who can say for sure that it was not his bullet that killed my father, or for that matter, his orders that brought the three Yankees to Farraday Plantation?"

  "Honey, I think you are tired and overwrought. Why don't you run along and get into bed. Maybe it will all look different to you in the morning."

  Victoria looked down at her. "Yes, I am tired. Good night, Grandmother." She left the room without kissing her grandmother good night, something she had never done before.

  Alice Anderson had lived a great many years and was wise in the ways of human nature. She feared Victoria's violent reaction to Edward Hanover hid the fact that she cared for him a great deal.

  Victoria lay in bed and cried bitter tears. She had taken for granted that Edward had fought for the South. She had really begun to trust him and feel friendship for him. She remembered telling him of some of her experiences with the Yankees in Georgia. How he must have laughed at her ignorance. "I hate him!" she cried out in agony. "I hate him!"

  13

  Edward came downstairs feeling tired. He had slept very little. After he had spent his anger on Carlos and ordered him to leave Rio del Lobo, Edward had returned home, and gone straight to bed. At first he felt his plans to make Victoria his wife were futile, but, never being one to give up easily, he decided to let her cool off for a few days, and then he would ride over and mend his fences. It might take longer than he had hoped, but he was prepared to wait. Victoria would realize, as he had, that they were well-suited to one another.

  Edward went to his study and started writing a letter to a firm in San Antonio that did all the decorating for Rio del Lobo. He had decided to have his mother's sitting room and the bedroom next to the master suite redecorated. He wanted everything to be perfect when he brought Victoria home as his bride. Edward did not want to waste time by posting the letter, so he would have one of his men hand-deliver it.

  Dan stuck his head around the door. "I am not interrupting you, am I?"

  "Yes, you are, and I am grateful for it. Would you like some coffee?" Edward asked, rising to refill his cup and pour one for his friend.

  "You seem in a good mood today," Dan observed.

  "I have every reason to be," Edward told him. He handed Dan a cup of coffee and sat down with his own. After a moment of silence, Edward started to speak. "I have decided to follow your advice, Dan, and take a wife." Dan was in the process of taking a sip of coffee, and he choked on the hot liquid. He coughed while Edward smiled at him.

  "Did I hear you right?" Dan asked, a look of amazement on his face. "Did you say you are going to be married?"

  "Indeed I did," Edward said, enjoying Dan's reaction.

  Dan set his cup down on the side table. "I cannot believe my own ears." He smiled. "I thought I would never see this day, Edward."

  "I was writing a letter when you came in. I am having some redecorating done to suit her coloring," Edward told him.

  "Who is it that you have decided to elevate to the position of your wife, Edward?" Dan asked eagerly.

  "I think the sitting room should be done in blues and greens, and the bedroom in lilac and white," Edward went on.

  "Damn it, Edward, who is it?" Dan asked impa
tiently.

  "Yes, her bedroom must certainly be lilac and white." Edward knew he was keeping Dan in suspense, and was enjoying himself.

  Dan gained his feet. "Did you say you were having the bedroom done in lilac?" he asked.

  "I believe I did mention it—twice," Edward said.

  "It is Victoria, is it not?" Dan whispered.

  "None other," Edward told him.

  Dan sank back into the chair. "I should have seen it coming, but you show an interest in every attractive female. It did not occur to me that you were contemplating marriage to Victoria."

  "If you think you are surprised, Dan, how do you think I feel?" Edward told him.

  "When did you ask her?"

  "I have not asked her yet," Edward said, smiling.

  Dan looked at him quickly. "How do you know she will accept you?"

  "It is a mere formality," Edward told him. "At the moment, Victoria is angry with me. She found out last night that I wore a blue uniform in the war and she was irate, to say the least."

  "You damned egotist," Dan stormed. "Do you think she will just fall into your arms?"

  "No, it will not be that easy. I do have her prejudices to overcome."

  "Are you not forgetting a certain gentleman named Paul O'Brian?"

  Edward waved Dan aside. "I see no problem there."

  Dan was on his feet. "You are too much, Edward! Victoria is a lovely, sensitive woman. When I think of how lightly you joke about love and marriage, it makes me sick. Do you love her?" Dan demanded.

  Edward thought for a moment. "I have told you on numerous occasions that I do not believe in love. But I want her, and what I want, I get."

  "Do you think you can choose a wife as you do your prize heifers?"

  "You always did have a way with words, Dan. Let us say, rather, that she meets all my requirements in a wife."

  "You think all you have to do is flash a smile and Victoria will fall at your feet. That might have been your experience with women in the past, Edward, but she is different. She is much too good for you." Dan was angry and he was shouting. "I love her, and I will not stand by and watch you ruin her life."

  "Don't go too far, Dan," Edward warned.

  "This time you are in over your head," Dan said hotly. "Maybe you should have a second choice in case she will not have you," he added insultingly.

  Edward rose to his feet in one quick motion. His eyes flashed dangerously. "Damn it, Dan, I will riot take this, even from you."

  "Do not worry, Edward, I am leaving. I need some fresh air. But I will leave you with this thought. You have finally come up against someone you cannot begin to understand, and all your money, and all your charm will be wasted on her."

  "I do not think so, Dan," Edward said through clenched teeth.

  Dan made his way to the door and slammed it after him. Edward placed his hands on the side of his desk, leaned over, and stared down at the smooth surface. I will have her, he thought, and nothing in heaven or hell will stop me.

  Victoria hardly slept at all. She tossed and turned feverishly. She awoke before sunup, and made her way to the barn. Old Ned was sweeping out the barn by the light of a lantern. He looked at her in surprise.

  "You're up and about early, Miss Victoria."

  "Nothing better to clear away the cobwebs than an early-morning ride, Ned."

  "Something bothering you, Miss Victoria?"

  "Oh, Ned, life seems to be full of trouble of one kind or another." She saddled Rebel as she talked to Old Ned.

  "Life is what you make it," Old Ned said.

  "No, Ned, sometimes it is what others make it." She mounted Rebel and looked down at Old Ned. "I should be back before lunch," she told him.

  Old Ned leaned on his broom and watched Victoria ride away. Something had her dander up, he thought.

  Victoria rode to the river, and watched as the sun came up. She bent down and cupped her hands and drank the sweet water of the Wolf River. Then she remounted Rebel and rode aimlessly. She felt the wind on her face cooling the tears as they fell down her cheeks.

  She felt a restlessness stir within her body. Her heart felt as though it had been trampled on. She nudged Rebel forward, urging him on to a greater speed, and left the road to cut across country, not knowing or caring where she was going.

  When Rebel tired, Victoria dismounted and walked beside him. She paid no attention to her surroundings, or the passing of time. Bodine had ridden to San Antonio the day before. If he had been home for Victoria to talk to, maybe he could have helped her. Oh, Edward, why did you have to be the enemy? she thought.

  Why did the thought of him in a blue uniform seem so painful? She tried to blot out the image. Edward's face faded, and in its place Victoria could see the hateful face of Private Mace with the red scar down his cheek. She shook her head to clear it.

  Victoria remembered Edward as he had looked last night. "Oh, Edward," she cried painfully, "I love you." She was riding through a canyon, and heard her voice echo, "I love you, I love you." It had not even come as a surprise to Victoria. It was as if she had known it from the first time she had seen him. It had been in her heart, and had pushed its way into her consciousness.

  Fresh tears came to her eyes. She thought of Edward and the way he had looked the first time she met him, how his dark eyes had burned into hers. She remembered the touch of his lips on hers, and the way his hands had made her feel sensations she had never felt before. Victoria smiled bitterly. Now she was one of his many conquests. How he would laugh, she thought, if he knew of her love. She vowed he would never find out. She would guard her secret well.

  The sun was beating down on her. Victoria began to feel thirsty and wished she had thought to bring a canteen. She looked at the sky and was surprised to see that it was late afternoon. She should be starting back. She knew her grandmother would be concerned that she had not returned by now.

  Victoria decided to let Rebel rest for a few moments before heading for home. She looked about her. Which direction was her grandmother's ranch? she wondered. She had taken so many twists and turns, that it was hard to tell.

  Victoria saw that she was standing on a cliff. She walked to the edge and looked down. It was at least a twenty-foot drop. She saw the dry, sandy, river bottom below. There must be water somewhere. Had she crossed any creeks with water in them? She could not remember. She felt panic rising up in her. There was no way of telling how far she had ridden, or in which direction.

  Noting the position of the sun, Victoria reasoned that there were no more than three hours of daylight left. She might be able to follow her own tracks until dark. She had just decided that was the best course to take, when she felt the ground she was standing on give way, and she fell into nothingness. Victoria felt a sharp pain as she landed, and then . . . darkness.

  Alice Anderson became concerned when Victoria had not returned by three o'clock. It was just not like her to stay away for so long. She sent Old Ned over to the Delgados' to see if Victoria had been there, but he returned, saying they had not seen her.

  When five o'clock rolled around and Victoria still had not come home, Alice Anderson sent for ten of her best riders. She broke them up into groups of two and sent them to search for her granddaughter. Then she turned to Old Ned. "You ride over to Rio del Lobo," she told him. "Tell Edward we need his help."

  Edward had just ridden in from Cedarville. He had been with his lawyer most of the afternoon, going over the deeds of some property he wanted to purchase. He was walking up the steps to the house when he spotted Old Ned riding swiftly toward him, waving his arms excitedly. Edward walked back down the steps and waited to hear what the old man was so upset about. He could not remember a time when Old Ned had been so animated.

  "Mrs. Anderson sent me to ask for your help. Miss Victoria rode out before sunup this morning, and has not returned. Mr. Hanover, I am afraid something bad has happened to Miss Victoria. She told me this morning when she rode out that she would be home before lunch. I could t
ell she was upset about something."

  Edward frowned. "Tell me what Mammaw has done, so I will not waste time covering the same ground," he said quickly.

  "She sent riders to Cedarville, and to cover all the roads."

  "Did anyone think to check with the Delgados?" Edward questioned.

  Old Ned nodded. "I already checked with the Delgados. They have not seen Miss Victoria."

  "It is getting dark now. Not much chance of tracking her unless we use torches," Edward reasoned.

  Old Ned noticed that Edward Hanover did not waste time on useless questions. He was a man of action. The old man felt his respect for the owner of Rio del Lobo increase.

  "Ride back to Mammaw's and tell her that I am sending some riders out," Edward told him. "I will send her word as soon as we find her granddaughter." Old Ned spun his horse and rode away. Edward ran toward the bunkhouse to arouse his men. After he had sent out a large body of men with torches to light their way, he turned to Estancio. Edward had chosen to ride with his foreman, who many considered to be the best tracker in all of Texas. The two of them rode for some time before Estancio picked up Victoria's trail. He squatted down to examine Rebel's tracks, while Edward held the torch for him to see by.

  "This horse was not shod around here, Patron. See the difference in the shape of the horseshoe. Also, he was traveling light, so that would indicate that he had someone of little weight astride him. They were traveling very fast, Patron," Estancio said, rising and dusting his hands on his trousers. They remounted and followed the tracks, sometimes losing them and having to backtrack to find the trail.

  Edward felt fear in the pit of his stomach. He could see Victoria lying injured or worse. There was an urgency about him. He had to find her. If anything happened to her, he would not be able to bear it. "Please God," Edward prayed, "let me find her unharmed."

  His hands gripped the reins tightly. There was a pained look on his face. Victoria, he thought, hold on wherever you are, I will find you. Edward shook his head to clear it. He had found his love, the one woman in the world for him, and it might be too late.