The Marker

by Connors, Meggan

  Nicholas put his arm around her shoulders and held her close to him, much as he had done that night on the balcony, when he knew—but couldn’t prove—Buchanan had threatened her. If he had known, he would have killed the man then and saved them all this heartache, but it had taken Lexie this long to confide in him. “Threatened to take my virginity that night, out on the balcony. I guess to make sure that his message had been clear enough. But I threatened to scream, and then you and Mr. Campbell came out, and it was over.

  “Then you brought me here, and what happened...happened. About a month ago, he found me while I was running errands, and cornered me in an alley. He didn’t mention my virginity then, but he did say if I didn’t marry him, he’d kill you. I’m pretty certain he knows I...”

  He was quiet while he waited for her to continue, though beneath the surface, he seethed. He wanted to get his gun and kill Buchanan himself, make him pay for all the pain the heartache he had brought upon Lexie. She didn’t deserve this. He wanted to tear the man’s throat out.

  Eventually, she continued. “It was horrible, Nicholas, the things he said. When I came home, I found Claire’s letter in your drawer, and was relieved she offered me a way out. Buchanan wouldn’t take on the O’Connors, and I couldn’t stay with you. We were at the point of recklessness, and I was afraid you’d go public with our relationship. So I picked the fight with you and left. The O’Connors were good to me, and I was safe, at least for a time. Buchanan would never accuse them.”

  He nodded. He had been ready to erase the scandal hanging over her name because she lived in his household, because he had won her from her father. “I wish you’d told me he threatened you. I could have done something about it.”

  She shook her head. “He has people everywhere, even here. That’s how he knows where I am, where he can find me. You can’t do anything to him without proof, and he’ll kill you first. I know how he works. He’s a horrible man.”

  A fit of temper struck Nicholas hard. Standing up and stalking away from her, he demanded, “So I’m not man enough to protect you? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “No—”

  “I’m such a weak-willed ninny I need a woman to save me? You’re going to save me, Lexie? Because I obviously can’t do it myself?”

  “Nick—”

  He wasn’t to be stopped by her protests. “Tell me, who’s going to save you? He’ll kill you when he finds out you’re not the innocent he bought. So who’s going to save you?”

  She brought her eyes to his face, and before she even spoke, he saw the truth. Defeat clear in her eyes, she said, “No one.”

  He rocked back on his heels when the truth hit him. “You think he’s going to kill you.”

  She nodded slowly. “I know it’s a possibility.”

  “But you’re still going to go to him?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll not let you do that.”

  She stood up and put her hands on his chest. “I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you because of me. You have to let me do this.”

  He cupped her face in his hands. “No, I don’t.” He silently studied her for a long time. “Don’t you understand, destroying you destroys us both—all three of us, in fact. It’s not your life, Lexie, it’s my life and our child’s. The moment you gave yourself to me, your problems became mine. This isn’t your problem to solve, this is our problem.”

  “I can’t.”

  He stroked her cheeks, bent and kissed her again. “No. You’re my woman. It’s my job as your man to make sure you’re safe, to give my life for yours if necessary. This isn’t about you anymore. It’s about us. You don’t have to do this alone.”

  He heard her breath catch in her throat, and knew the moment she gave herself over to the power of his argument, knew the moment she decided not to bear her burdens alone, when she finally allowed him into her heart. She leaned her cheek against his chest, and whispered, “Oh, Nicholas, what are we going to do?”

  He stroked her head. Kissing the top of her head, he said, “Let me worry about that.”

  And because he knew she had to know, he sat her down and told her of his plan.

  Chapter 20

  His plan was astonishing in its simplicity.

  He would marry her. A scant two days later.

  She couldn’t see how it would work, but he assured her it would.

  Their wedding was a simple affair, with only family and close friends invited. Her father, Mrs. Ferguson, the O’Connors and James Campbell, who acted at Nicholas’s best man. James was preparing to leave in a matter of days on another business venture in the Orient, and Nicholas wanted to get the wedding done before James left, though he didn’t explain to Lexie why.

  Lexie regarded her reflection in the mirror. Mrs. Ferguson had been working on her hair when Claire burst into the room, her rambunctious boys trailing in her wake.

  Lexie wrapped the robe around her body. Claire, as bright and beautiful as a butterfly in a deep purple day dress, beamed at her as she held up a wedding gown. “Look what I found,” she announced.

  Lexie sighed. The gown was a beautiful thing, with beading on the bodice and a short train, lace edging the bottom of the skirt and the sleeves. Lexie wouldn’t have chosen anything different if she’d been given the chance, but she couldn’t accept. “Claire, I can’t,” she said softly. “It’s white.”

  Claire cast her a surprised glance. “So?”

  Lexie cleared her throat, her gaze shifting from Claire to her boys. “Well, I’m not... You know. I’m pregnant.”

  Laughing, Claire shooed the boys away. “I’d be willing a good half of the girls who wear white aren’t virgins. It’s just a color, Lexie, and it’s your wedding day.”

  “Mrs. O’Connor’s right,” Mrs. Ferguson said. Since the announcement of the wedding, Mrs. Ferguson had softened in her attitude toward Claire, as if she acknowledged the part Claire had played in Nicholas’s and Lexie’s union—a union of which Mrs. Ferguson thoroughly approved. “As I recall, I wore white to my wedding.”

  Lexie turned her eyes to Claire, and Claire laughed. “I wore white, too, but I made it to the wedding night.” At the expression on Lexie’s face, Claire explained. “Just barely and only because the groom gave me about four hours to prepare. It’s a long story. But you know what? Had I not made it to the wedding night, I still would have worn white. So should you. It’s beautiful and it suits you.” Claire glanced up at the clock. “You don’t want to keep your groom waiting. He seems eager to get started.”

  Lexie laughed. “Over with, is more like it.”

  Claire shrugged, tugging on the laces of Lexie’s corset. “Either way, in an hour, you’ll be married. I told you things would work out. I told you he’d do right by you.”

  Lexie bent and began putting on the gown. “But it’s not over. Things aren’t as simple as Nicholas has made them out to be. Buchanan won’t let this die so easily.”

  Claire pushed aside Lexie’s hair and began buttoning the dress, a dress so beautiful Lexie wanted to weep. She owed so much to Claire and her husband, so much to Nicholas. She had never believed she would marry for love, but today she would marry the man of her dreams. He was her other half, the one thing she could never live without. The one who had saved her.

  Patting Lexie affectionately on the shoulder, Claire said, “Sometimes even the most complicated things are that simple. Your husband’s got a plan. Trust me, it will work out the way it’s supposed to.”

  Lexie wished she could believe her, but in her heart, she didn’t. “Claire, I’m not you. Things don’t just work out for me. I’m not so lucky.”

  Claire smiled, and Lexie caught the hint of sadness behind the glittering façade. “You’re only seeing what happens after everything works out the way it’s supposed to. Michael and I weren’t always so lucky. Once I thought the best thing for me to do was to leave him, so he wouldn’t be hurt. Like you, Lexie. Like Nicholas, Michael wouldn’t hear of it. Things are
n’t always easy, but with love, they do tend to work out the way they’re supposed to. You need to keep the faith. Believe in your man. He knows what he’s doing.”

  Lexie turned and met Claire’s gaze. “Is that what you did?”

  Claire let out a breath of laughter, a small, sad smile creasing her features. “Eventually. One thing I can say is that Michael always turns up when I need him most. Whatever else happens, we always have each other. I think your Nicholas loves you the same way. I can’t say things will always be perfect, or that you won’t fight, or that he won’t make you cry, but I can say, at the end of the day, it’s worth it.” Claire paused and regarded Lexie in the mirror. “Look at yourself. You’re every ounce the bride Mr. Wetherby deserves.”

  Lexie put her hand over Claire’s, a woman who had swiftly become the closest thing Lexie had ever had to a sister. Soon she would have her own family: a husband and a baby on the way, and loyal friends. It seemed too good to be true, and Lexie had never been foolish enough to believe love would win out. Maybe she had never had anything she wanted enough to believe in it. She wanted this.

  When Lexie looked at her reflection in the mirror, she saw a glowing bride. The bride Nicholas deserved.

  There was no music, just the two of them, their guests, and a preacher, standing in Nicholas’s formal dining room. She thought she would miss the finery of music, of a church wedding, but she didn’t. Claire’s boys squealed in the background as she made her way toward her groom, their laughter filling the room, and Lexie couldn’t have asked for better music than the laughter of children. Just as she couldn’t have asked for a better groom.

  Lexie’s breath caught in her throat when she saw him, standing in front of the large windows overlooking the garden. Dressed in a dark suit, pale shirt, and the crimson waistcoat he had worn to the Governor’s ball, he took her breath away. When he turned his turquoise eyes to her, love lit his bright eyes, and Lexie was struck by a wave of unexpected emotion.

  This beautiful, perfect, noble man was to be her husband.

  Even with all of her baggage, he had accepted her without reservation or question. The thought still stunned her.

  Nicholas held out his hand to her, and she accepted it. He smiled gently, a smile meant only for her, and her heart melted. As their guests took their seats, Lexie noted her father was not present. She thought she would have been angry, but she wasn’t. Everything and everyone she needed was in this room with her.

  “I love you, Nicholas,” she said softly, for his ears only. Somehow, it seemed appropriate she would tell him she loved him for the first time on the day they got married.

  The expression on his face—shocked, tender, filled with love—caused her heart to pitch furiously in her chest. His arm tightened beneath her palm, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

  “I love you, too, Lexie,” he whispered back, his voice rough with emotion.

  Just as the preacher began to speak, a crack rang out as the doors burst open, Buchanan striding in with her father. “This wedding cannot take place! The woman is mine!” he roared.

  Before she had even turned around, O’Connor had already risen from his seat. Calling to Claire, he said, “Boys.”

  And working as if they had had to do this before, Claire rose and wrangled her children out of the room before anyone else really had time to react. Nicholas patted her arm and said softly, “Go with Mrs. O’Connor, love.”

  Lexie notched her chin stubbornly. “No, Nicholas. This is my mess, and I need to clean it up.”

  Nicholas gave her a quick kiss. “Stay back here with the preacher. This will be over soon.” He moved away to address Buchanan, his strides purposeful and unafraid.

  “That woman is mine! I have a contract!” Buchanan roared at Nicholas when he approached. Buchanan’s face was florid with fury, as if an artery might burst in his head. Lexie found herself hoping one would.

  “Do you have a copy of this contract?” James asked, his voice unperturbed.

  He reached into his pocket, and O’Connor’s hand snaked out, grabbing the older man by the wrist. “I think not,” he said, his brogue heavy. “Allow me.” He reached into Buchanan’s coat and retrieved the paperwork, handing it to James. Lexie, ignoring Nicholas’s dictate to remain with the reverend, approached the circle of men.

  Her father sidled up to her, put his arm around her, and said, “Alexandra.”

  “Father,” she said stiffly, hating him for putting her in this situation in the first place, hating herself for agreeing to it, but acknowledging her father’s part in her wedding Nicholas. Without her father’s greed, she never would have met the man she loved more than life itself, never met the father of her child.

  Her father turned his bloodshot eyes to her. “You can’t do this, Lex. You gave your word to Mr. Buchanan, and to me. You need to honor your obligation.”

  Lexie clenched her teeth, and Nicholas looked like he wanted to hit something—her father, more than likely. “Father, I gave more than my word to Nicholas. I gave him my heart. If only you knew how happy this makes me.”

  “You can’t do this,” Markland hissed through clenched teeth. “What about my debts?”

  “What about them?” Nicholas asked. “They’re your debts, not Lexie’s. Why should she pay the price for your mistakes?”

  “Says one who reaped the rewards of my debt. You forced Lexie to work for you, with a contract much like the one Mr. Buchanan has. Seduced her. Ruined her. And you dare judge me?”

  Nicholas shrugged and gazed at Lexie for a long time. His mouth set in a line, Nicholas responded, “Had you had the decency to offer to take her place, I would have written off your debt to me. Had she asked me to release her from the contract, I would have done it. It was never my intention to keep her. As for the seducing, I did do that, and I’m not ashamed of it. I’d do it again, would have done it had I known she was engaged, would have done it had she already been married. I love your daughter, and I intend to marry her today.”

  Lexie’s heart swelled and threatened to burst.

  “You never asked my permission!”

  Nicholas shook his head. “I don’t need to. I only need her permission, and I have that,” he said, winking at Lexie. To James, he said, “What of the contract?”

  James made a noncommittal noise. “Looks legal enough, but the terms are that she marries Buchanan here and he hands twenty thousand dollars over to Markland. Seems to me, without a wedding, he’s under no obligation to hand over any money.”

  “I’ve been paying for living expenses, as well!” Buchanan shouted. “The woman is mine, by right. I paid for her!”

  “Slavery’s illegal, Buchanan,” James said softly. “You can’t buy her. You weren’t paying her, you were paying her father’s debts. The man had no right to press her into such a ridiculous contract. There is no material gain in this contract for Lexie herself, so if she chooses not to marry you, you are simply relieved of your obligation to pay the debt. We can fight it in court, but we would most certainly win, and I daresay she’ll already be married to Mr. Wetherby by then, and the question would be moot. We release you from your obligation.”

  “You can’t do this! She’s mine. I’ll see her in prison first.”

  James’s face was flat, professional. “You can’t throw her in prison because you were planning on paying her father’s debts, Mr. Buchanan. Besides, we are also prepared to offer you a not inconsequential sum for your troubles.” He handed Buchanan an envelope.

  Those words gave Buchanan pause. “How much is in here?”

  “Fifteen thousand dollars. It should cover the allowance you offered to Markland, and an extra sum for your time. You have yet to pay Markland’s debts, so we are not obligated to provide you the full amount you promised Markland in the contract.”

  “She was promised to me...” Buchanan began.

  “I had no business promising myself to you, Mr. Buchanan. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I know now,” Lexie sa
id. “I promised myself to Nicholas, and it is with him I will stay.”

  Buchanan glared at her. “You’ll regret this, little girl.”

  Nicholas stepped toward Buchanan, but James’s hand stayed him. “As to that,” James began. “It is my understanding some threats were made against Mr. Wetherby and Miss Markland? That being the case, should any harm come to them, rest assured, you will be the first one to come under suspicion. We are prepared to file a complaint with the sheriff should it come to that. However, we hope you will accept our offer and leave town, having no contact with any of the parties in question.”

  Buchanan snarled at James, who stared back at him blandly, as if challenging him in an off-handed, bored sort of way, and Lexie adored him in that moment. She’d come from nothing, and now she had a man who loved her, and friends who would stand behind them both. She had never considered herself a lucky girl, given all the things that had happened to her, but that’s precisely what she was. Lucky.

  Buchanan, never one to go after the strongest in a group, turned on Lexie, standing beside Nicholas. “You’re nothing. You are trash.”

  Nicholas took a step toward Buchanan, and this time, James didn’t stop him. “That is my wife you are talking about. You won’t threaten her or harm her in any way. Any harm comes to my wife, and I will kill you in the most painful way I—or any of my associates—can think of. Shall we take this outside?”

  Buchanan eyed Nicholas warily, as if sizing him up, and Lexie put a hand on his arm to stay him. She didn’t want any bloodshed, not today, not when it was her wedding day. “Leave him be, Nicholas,” she said softly.

  “Oh, to be stopped by a woman!” Buchanan scoffed.

  “Outside!” Nicholas shouted.

  “You couldn’t kill me,” Buchanan said snidely. “You wouldn’t risk that dandy neck of yours, and if you killed me, you’d hang for it! I’m too powerful in this state!”