Edward grabbed her by the arm. "I would like to oblige you, but your eyes are the wrong color. Her eyes are blue as the summer sky, and they haunt me wherever I go. Take the money," he said hotly. "I have no need of you." The woman scooped up the money and left in a hurry. Edward laid his head on the table. "Damn you, Victoria, damn you."
Bodine frowned. "Shut your mouth," he ordered. "You will not bandy her name about in this place."
Edward ignored him. "Paul O'Brian came today and acted like he owns her, but she is mine."
"I told you to shut up," Bodine hissed, but he saw that Edward was past reasoning with. He rose and pulled Edward to his feet. "I am going to get you out of here, before you make me really mad, Edward." He supported Edward's weight and led him across the street and to the hotel.
"Help me get him upstairs," Bodine ordered the desk clerk. Between the two of them, they managed to get Edward up the stairs and onto the bed.
"I never saw Mr. Hanover like this before," the desk clerk said, shaking his head. Bodine thanked him curtly and he left quickly. Not bothering to light the lamp, Bodine removed Edward's boots.
"Your eyes promise much, Victoria, but you give nothing," Edward said.
Bodine sat down in a chair and propped his long legs on the side of the bed. He would not see his own bed this night. He would stay with Edward.
The music from the saloon drifted across the street and in through the open window. Edward's voice continued: "You are mine, Victoria. Your sweetly curved body can drive a man out of his mind. I was so sure you would belong to me. I never respected a woman as I did you. How could you let Paul O'Brian touch you when you belong to me? Don't you know that I love you?"
Bodine listened to Edward's drunken words. So Paul had come. Bodine would have killed a man for a lot less than what Edward was saying; but deep down, he had a gut feeling that Victoria's happiness lay with the man on the bed, and not with Paul O'Brian.
16
Victoria awoke with a feeling of excitement. She hurriedly dressed and ran downstairs to find Paul and her grandmother already having breakfast. Paul rose as she entered and kissed her.
"I still cannot believe you are here, Paul. Maybe it is a dream and when I awake, you will have disappeared."
Paul smiled. "I assure you that will not happen, Tory. I never intend to let you out of my sight again."
Victoria returned his smile. "Have you been getting acquainted with my grandmother?"
"Indeed I have, honey."
Victoria turned to her grandmother and kissed her. Paul pulled out a chair so Victoria could join them, and Mammaw handed her a plate filled with eggs, ham, and a hot buttered biscuit.
"Grandmother, I declare you want me to get fat," Victoria said.
"You do not eat enough to keep a bird alive, child," her grandmother replied.
"I will eat the ham and biscuit, but I promised myself some time ago that I would never eat another egg again."
"And why is that?" her grandmother asked. "I know that every morning I have Lupe prepare eggs for you and every morning they go uneaten."
"When Bodine and I were on the road," Victoria told her, "we had to eat a lot of eggs. I grew very tired of them, that is all."
"Well," Mammaw said, "we will just have to find a substitute then."
"Oh, Grandmother, I promise you I will not die of malnutrition."
Paul looked at Victoria with concern. "You do look thin, Tory."
"Oh, please, not you, too, Paul," she declared. "Look, I will eat all that is on my plate except for the eggs. Will that please you?"
Both pairs of eyes watched her as she started to eat.
"Paul has been telling me of your life in Georgia, child."
Victoria reached over and squeezed Paul's hand. "It is so wonderful to have you here and to know that you have suffered no ill effects from the war."
"Well, this is a happy-looking group I see sitting around the table," Bodine said from the doorway. Victoria flew out of her chair and threw herself into his arms. He laughed at her good-naturedly. "I am mighty gamy, Imp."
"I do not care. I am so glad to see you anyway, Bodine."
"Yes, and I am too," Mammaw added. "This ranch does not run itself, you know."
"Oh, I do not know about that, Alice. You did fine for twenty years," Bodine told her. Then he extended his hand to Paul. "How are you, Paul? It is good to see you."
"Just fine, sir, now that I have found Tory." Paul returned the older man's handshake.
"Sit down, Bodine," Mammaw told him. "Here, have some eggs and ham."
"Let me wash up; then I will join you. But no eggs, please," Bodine said, smiling at Victoria.
Later, the four of them sat around the table and discussed Bodine's trip to west Texas.
"What were our losses on the cattle drive, Bodine?" Mammaw asked.
"Less than twenty head. I expected worse, but once we got past San Angelo, there was ample water and grass for grazing."
"Did you get a fair price?" Mammaw asked.
Bodine grinned. "I got six bits more a head than we expected."
Mammaw smiled, relief on her face; then she looked at Victoria. "See why Bodine is indispensable to me? You have earned a bonus, Son."
"That will not be necessary, Alice. You pay me too much already."
Bodine and Mammaw looked into each other's eyes. "I could never begin to pay you your worth," Mammaw told him.
Bodine turned to Paul. "Are the authorities searching for Victoria and myself?"
Paul hesitated. "Not for you; but they are looking for Tory. The blue coats have not left a stone unturned. They do not know about your part in it, Bodine. They think Tory killed both of the Yankees."
"Maybe if I turned myself in and told them that I killed both of the Yankees," Bodine said, "they would let Victoria go free. This Corporal Fish did not actually see her shoot anyone."
Victoria jumped to her feet. "No, I will not have it! I promise you if you do anything so foolish, Bodine, I will tell the truth." She looked at him angrily.
"Sit down, Imp. Do you never tire of bullying me?"
"Just as long as you understand me," Victoria said defiantly. She was trembling, and Bodine pulled her to him.
Paul shook his head, then pulled a handbill from his pocket and handed it to Bodine, who unfolded it and read:
"WANTED: Victoria Lee Farraday for allegedly KILLING TWO UNION SOLDIERS."
It went on to give a description of her and offered a two-hundred-dollar reward for aiding in her capture. After Bodine had read it, he passed it to Mammaw. She read it and handed it to Victoria.
"I wish I could have kept this from you, Tory," Paul said, "but you can see it is just not safe for you to return to Georgia at this time."
"Have your mother and father been questioned about Victoria?" Bodine asked.
Paul nodded. "Yes, many times. That is why they have not written to you, Tory. They did not want anyone to intercept the letters. There has even been a Pinkerton man nosing around."
Victoria's hands trembled as she read about herself. "They make me sound like a monster. Oh, Bodine, what am I to do?" she cried.
Bodine put his arms about Victoria. "You are safe here, honey. They will never find you." Then he turned to Paul. "There is no possibility they followed you, is there, Paul?"
"No. I was very careful. I rode out at night and instead of taking a ship from Savannah, I rode to Jacksonville and boarded one there."
"Good," Bodine said. "Now, none of this can go outside this room, is that clear?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Bodine, trying to think of some way to distract Victoria, suggested that she take Paul to the barn and show him Rebel.
After they had gone, Bodine and Mammaw sat back down at the table, both of them at a loss as to how to help Victoria.
"If this man, Fish, had told the truth, he could have cleared Victoria," Mammaw said.
Bodine shook his head. "It appears he has not done so. There is always the chance they might trace her here. If they
start nosing around, I could always take her to California."
Mammaw shook her head. "That child cannot spend her life running. It just breaks my heart the way she has suffered and must go on suffering."
"Yeah," Bodine said, "I am afraid that is not all, either. Paul has his mind set on marrying her, and she will probably say yes to him."
"He seems a fine man, and he does love her," Mammaw said.
"They don't come any better than Paul, but she does not love him, though I don't know if she is aware of it yet."
Mammaw's shrewd eyes looked at Bodine. "She is in love with Edward Hanover."
Bodine grinned. "Did she tell you?"
"No. I am not sure she knows it herself."
"You don't miss much, do you?" Bodine asked.
"Not much," Mammaw told him. "But how did you know?"
Bodine leaned back and studied Mammaw. "Just years of anticipating what Victoria is going to do before she does it."
"Well, Bodine, I will tell you something that you do not know. Edward returns her love. I saw it last night when he watched Victoria and Paul together."
Bodine smiled at her. "You are wrong, Alice. I do know. I spent most of last night wet-nursing him."
He told Mammaw what had occurred at the saloon.
"This gets worse as it goes along." Mammaw sighed. "What are we going to do? Even if she and Edward did find each other and get married, it could come out someday about her past."
"Yeah," Bodine said, "and what if she marries Paul?"
They both sat silently lost in thought.
"Maybe we are underestimating Victoria," Mammaw said after a while.
"Maybe," Bodine agreed. "I know we are underestimating Edward Hanover."
Victoria and Paul walked hand in hand into the barn. When they were safely inside, Paul swept her into his arms. "Alone at last. I have thought of nothing else but you for so long, and now I have you in my arms."
Victoria smiled into Paul's handsome face. "It is so wonderful to see you, Paul." She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Honey, everything will work out in the long run; you will see. It is hard for me to think of anything but you when you are in my arms. I love you, Tory, and I have missed you more than I can tell you."
Victoria looked into his face. His eyes were soft, and she never doubted the sincerity of his words.
"I have something for you, Tory." He pulled a small case from his pocket, opened it, and took out a ring. "Will you wear my ring, honey?"
Victoria smiled. "I would be honored to wear your ring, Paul."
He slipped it on her finger; then he took her in his arms once more and kissed her softly. It was not a burning, all-consuming kiss as Edward had given her, but a soft, sweet kiss, one that restored her self-confidence and demanded nothing from her. When Paul raised his head, Victoria noticed the hand he brushed across her face was trembling.
"When can we be married, Tory? I want you to be my wife as soon as possible. Please do not make me wait much longer."
Victoria frowned. There was so much to decide. If she married Paul, would it be fair to him to ask him to remain in Texas? "Give me a little time, Paul. The news you gave me today was quite a shock. We will have to decide what to do now that I cannot return to Georgia."
"I will give you all the time you need, honey. You will find I am a very patient man where you are concerned." He smiled at her. "You will soon belong to me." He kissed her cheek, then he looked at her, a serious frown on his face. "If you knew how much I want you, it might frighten you."
She sighed contentedly and rested her head on his shoulder. "I feel so safe with you, Paul."
Edward walked downstairs. The plush red carpet cushioned his footsteps on the staircase. He could hear the sounds the workmen made as they labored, redecorating the bedroom next to his own. How sure he had been, when he had commissioned the redecorating, that Victoria would occupy that room. His house seemed empty; he felt such a loneliness. Here, among all his wealth and splendor, he had a longing for more. He wanted Victoria.
Try as he might, he was unable to get her out of his mind. It had been two weeks since he had delivered Paul O'Brian to the Anderson ranch—two weeks of hell for him. Edward wondered why he still allowed the workmen to continue redecorating the upstairs bedroom.
The sounds followed him out the front door. He walked down the brick walkway toward the stables. He passed a crew of gardeners who were busy clipping the lawn. Edward acknowledged their presence with a curt nod. He noticed Dan's buggy as it pulled into the circular driveway. Edward retraced his steps as Dan jumped from the buggy and waved to him.
"You are a bit late, Dan, if you came for lunch," Edward told him coolly.
"For your information, I have already had lunch. I ate with Mammaw," Dan said, grinning.
"How are things at the Anderson ranch?" Edward asked dryly.
"There is a lot of excitement and preparation going on over there today. I got myself roped into helping Paul hang paper streamers."
"They are planning a celebration?"
"Indeed they are, and the whole county is being invited."
Edward's face was grim.
"I have an invitation for you, as a matter of fact. When I told Victoria I was coming to see you, she asked if I would deliver it to you."
"I do not want the damned invitation, Dan. You can save us both a lot of trouble if you ride back to the Anderson ranch and tell them I have no intention of attending."
Dan reached into his buggy and withdrew an envelope that was lying on the leather seat. He grinned as he handed it to Edward. "That is a pity. Mammaw will be disappointed."
Edward ignored the invitation. "Victoria is crazy if she thinks I am going to watch her become the wife of Paul O'Brian."
Dan laughed out loud. "Here, open it," he said, offering Edward the invitation once more.
Edward took the envelope from him, tore it open, and read:
Your presence is requested to celebrate the birthday of Alice Anderson at the Anderson ranch at 7 o'clock on the night of September 30. No gifts, please.
It was signed: Victoria Lee Farraday.
Edward looked at Dan; his eyes were blazing. "Don't say a word, Dan. I don't care to hear anything you have to say. You let me carry on and act the fool. You could have stopped me, you know."
"I cannot stop you from playing the fool, Edward; it is a part you play so well lately."
"I have things to do, Dan. If there is nothing else you want, you will have to excuse me."
"Edward, Victoria wanted me to urge you to attend since Mammaw is so fond of you. Will you go?
"Of course. How is Victoria?"
Dan shrugged. "Happy, I suppose. I had a long talk with Paul today while we were hanging the decorations. I didn't expect to like him, but I find that I do. He is so open and honest, and he obviously loves Victoria a great deal."
"I did not ask you for an assessment of Paul O'Brian's character. I don't give a damn about him."
"Let her go, as I have, Edward. Victoria is not for you or me."
Edward set his jaw stubbornly. "I will not let her go, Dan. She is not married to Paul O'Brian yet!"
The house at the Anderson ranch was full to overflowing, and still Alice Anderson's friends came. The table in the dining room was full of food; music and laughter filtered through the house.
Edward helped Monica Webber from his buggy. Her arms went around his neck. "Maybe we could leave early, Edward."
He lowered his lips to hers in a long and lingering kiss—a kiss that was dissatisfying to him. It made him angry that he should react to Monica in such a way. He wondered now why he had asked her to attend Mammaw's birthday party with him.
Monica had just returned from a six-month stay in New Orleans. It had been over four years since he had last seen her. Edward had spent many enjoyable hours with Monica before he had gone to war.
"Mammaw is my favorite girl, Monica. I could not leave her party early."
"I
would like to be your favorite girl, Edward." She tossed her shoulder-length red hair and gave him a look that promised much.
"You rank high enough, Monica, as do all beautiful and desirable women."
"You never commit yourself, do you, Edward?"
"What would you have me say, Monica?"
"If I have to tell you, Edward, it would not be worth hearing."
"Don't have any illusions about me, Monica."
"I am aware of your reputation with women, Edward. You make them fall in love with you, then you drop them flat."
"I don't like clinging females, Monica, and if I have a reputation, as you say, it is undeserved. I go into a relationship with total honesty, and when it is finished, I walk away."
"Has no woman ever reached your heart, Edward?"
He kissed her roughly, more to silence her than from any need he had for her.
Dan and Clarissa appeared at their side. Edward dislodged Monica's arms from about his neck.
Monica seemed undaunted by the intrusion. She linked her arm through Edward's. "Hello, Clarissa." Her voice was silky-smooth.
"How are you, Monica?" Clarissa's dry voice was icy. The two women had never liked each other since both of them had liked Edward too well.
"Edward, you are easily distracted," Dan said lightly. "I wonder what color goes well with red?"
"Good evening, Clarissa," Edward said, ignoring Dan. "If the good doctor's company begins to wear on you, let me know. He tries to be a wit, but falls short of the mark."
Dan laughed. "Oh, I think I hit the mark I was aiming for, Edward."
Victoria stood in the receiving line beside her grandmother and Paul. She was thoroughly enjoying herself and was glad that she had decided to have a party for her grandmother's birthday. Victoria had been astounded by the large turnout, and the love and affection shown to her grandmother by her friends and neighbors. Although she had asked that they bring no gifts, her request had been ignored. The table in the sitting room was overflowing with presents.
She saw Clarissa and Dan being greeted by her grandmother. Victoria hugged Clarissa, and then introduced her to Paul.
Clarissa smiled at the handsome Southerner. "I have been looking forward to meeting you, Mr. O'Brian. Victoria has told me so much about you."
Ecstasy's Promise (Historical Romance) Page 20
