Frontier Highlander Vow of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 4)

by Dorothy Wiley

  His eyes turned her way. Derision and mockery filled his stare. “She’s comin’ with me.”

  “She’s in no condition to travel. You’ll kill her,” Kelly argued.

  “Sir, taking a wounded woman away on horseback is no way for a gentleman to act,” her father declared in a forceful condemning tone.

  “Who said I was a gentleman?” Steller roared. “And another word and ye will be a dead gentleman. What I do with my wife is my business, not yers.”

  Her father was shaking with impotent rage. He pounded his fist loudly against the table but kept quiet.

  The noise gave Kelly an idea. If she could provoke Steller into a shouting match, it might wake Artis and she might have time to hide—if she was strong enough.

  “Where are you taking Artis?” Kelly demanded, making her voice as shrill as she could.

  Annoyance crossed Steller’s face. “Get some food and water ready. And I’ll need several blankets.”

  “Do I look like your servant?” Kelly bellowed.

  “Do it. Now!” Steller shouted.

  He strode over to the weapons sitting on a table by the door. “And I’ll take these weapons, lead, and powder too.”

  Taking food and blankets was one thing. Taking her weapons was far worse. It made her furious. “Not only are you not a gentleman, you’re a thief!” Kelly yelled, watching him to be sure she didn’t push him too far.

  “Oh, ye underestimate me. I am far worse than a mere thief,” he hollered. “Ye’d be wise to remember that.” After checking to be sure the weapons were loaded, he put the leather straps of the powder horn and lead pouch over his head.

  “I don’t underestimate you. I know exactly what you are—a devil in a man’s clothing,” she shrieked.

  “Just get the damn food!” Steller howled.

  Kelly turned and gathered the provisions, feeling Steller’s leering eyes on her back.

  The sound of loud voices coming from inside the cabin woke Artis. She was groggy and hurting. Where was she? Then she remembered. The man who had chased them had shot her. She put her hand to her wet side. The bleeding seemed to have stopped or slowed. Why was she still in the wagon? Where was Kelly? She heard more shouting coming from inside. It was Kelly’s voice, and then a man’s. The man’s voice sounded familiar. And angry.

  She tried to remember where she’d heard it before.

  Oh, God.

  She stiffened at the horrible realization. It couldn’t be. He had to be back in Scotland. How could he have found her here? Maybe the loss of blood was making her delirious. She did feel woozy and dizzy. Then she heard the voice again and was certain it was him.

  Fear overflowed from her heart, spilling into her entire body. She gritted her teeth against the hurt in her side and the greater pain in her heart. He would kill her. He’d promised to make her pay for spurning him. Wasn’t her mother’s life enough?

  Sobbing, she realized she had to hide. She wasn’t strong enough to fight him now. She had to get away before Steller came out. She wanted to live for Bear.

  She rallied what little strength she had and crawled toward the back of the wagon. She knew she was ruining the beautiful dress Kelly had given her. The dress she’d worn when she said her vows to Bear. At least they had pledged to be married. Now, she would never be able to marry Bear under the stars on their land, as she so desperately wanted. Tears flowed from her eyes, at much from that realization as the terrible pain in her side.

  She reached the end of the wagon bed and let her legs fall off first. She was able to support herself enough to keep from falling entirely, but she could not stand up straight. The dizziness was overwhelming. Bent over, and clutching her wound, she limped toward the smokehouse. She would hide there. The small fire within would help to keep her warm. She was so cold, so dreadfully cold.

  Was she leaving a trail that would lead him straight to her? She glanced behind her. The full skirts and long petticoats of the fancy gown were erasing her tracks.

  Still clutching her side, she stumbled a few more feet. Sweat broke out on her forehead and her head began to spin. She forced herself to take the next step and then the next. She was almost there. The dizziness grew worse and threatened to make her swoon. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. She leaned against the smokehouse door, taking a moment to steady her quivering nerves. She lifted the latch and used the door to support herself as she stepped in and then pulled the door closed behind her.

  She coughed a time or two, causing an agonizing stinging to rip through her side. She closed her eyes and waited for a little strength to return before taking a step. The smoke from the fire’s coals was not thick, but it made the air heavy and difficult to breathe.

  When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the mountain lion’s carcass hanging from the rafter. It swayed, ghostlike, as she watched it. Was it moving or was she?

  Then she spotted the mountain lion’s hide laying on a small table nearby. Could it really protect her, as the natives believed?

  She took a few tentative steps toward it, frantically gripped it, and then clutched the pelt against her stomach.

  She closed her eyes, thought of Bear, and wrapped her arms around the soft fur as her legs collapsed and her head hit the hard ground beneath her.

  Chapter 20

  Steller could not believe his bad luck. He’d crossed an ocean, albeit against his will; traveled three hundred miles to Roanoke; and then another three-hundred and fifty to Boonesborough, through some of the roughest and most isolated god-forsaken country he’d ever seen. Only to find Artis shot.

  It served her right, but it would make taking her, as he’d wanted, difficult. He’d planned to tie her, rape her repeatedly, and then take his time killing her. He’d never raped a woman who had been shot. Perhaps it would add something unique to the experience.

  “Your supplies are ready,” Kelly told him.

  Her voice was belligerent, her expression thunderous. But she was a beautiful spirited woman. Her hair was straight and blonde rather than wavy and reddish like Artis’. Her eyes were lovely too, but violet instead of green. Her figure was equally appealing. For a moment, he considered taking her with him instead of Artis. But then he remembered how much Artis deserved to be punished. It was Artis who had ruined his life. And she would be the one to pay. He could always come back later for this one.

  “Carry them outside,” he told her. “Then saddle Artis’ horse. I assume she has a horse?” He didn’t want to take the wagon. It would just slow him down and give the farmers a reason to come after him.

  Kelly nodded. “She does.”

  He snarled at the grandfather. “Stay here.”

  Holding his pistol to her back, Steller followed Kelly out the door. He told her to lay the supplies on the porch. Then they both took the steps down and stepped past the lathered horses to the wagon. Finally, he would see Artis. He hoped she would be alert enough to recognize him. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she realized it was he who stood before her.

  But it was his own face that registered shock.

  Artis wasn’t in the wagon! He turned his rage on Kelly. “You lied. What did ye do with her?” He smacked her across the mouth, hard. He’d teach her not to lie.

  Kelly’s face reddened and she clenched her fists. “I didn’t lie. She was hurt.”

  He bared his teeth at the deceitful woman. “You lied to me and you’ll pay for that.” He reached for her throat with his free hand and pressed hard.

  She tried to pull away and struggled to breathe. “I didn’t lie. Look at the blood,” she said in a choked voice and pointed.

  He turned and looked. She was right. There was just enough light coming from the gun porthole in the front of the cabin for him to see that a large pool of blood had soaked into the dry graying floorboards and a part of a crumpled blanket that she must have been sitting on. Perhaps Kelly and her father were right. A wound that severe would make it near impossible for Artis t
o travel horseback even if he tied her on.

  He stomped up the stairs and paced the porch, the veins in his head pulsing and feeling engorged. He pounded his fist against the cabin’s log wall until it hurt. He’d never find Artis in the dark before Kelly’s husband and his brother got back. There were too many places to hide here and in the woods surrounding the place. He would just have to wait and come back for her later.

  He could be patient when he had to be. After all, he’d already waited seven years for this.

  “Load the supplies on my horse,” he commanded. “He’s tied just around the corner.”

  Kelly retrieved the big stallion and tied him on a post supporting the cabin’s porch. Then she loaded the animal with the food, blankets, and water. When she finished, she turned around and hurled a cold look at him.

  “Don’t let anyone follow me, or I promise I will come back and kill your wee bairn and yer father.”

  Kelly gasped.

  “If ye don’t think I’m capable of that, just ask Artis…if she lives.”

  He could see fear for her loved ones on the woman’s pretty face.

  With a threatening sneer at her, he stepped down from the porch and glared back at Kelly. “And if Artis lives, I’ll be back for her. And maybe you too. That’s another promise.”

  He mounted the stallion and took off for the hills he could see in the distance. It wouldn’t take long to disappear in the thick darkness of the forest.

  Kelly dashed back into the house, her heart still galloping within her chest. “He’s gone. But I have to find Artis. She slipped away somehow.”

  “Good for her! You stay with Nicole. Let me look for Artis,” McGuffin said.

  “No, I need you to protect Nicole. Stay here. I’ll be all right. Steller headed toward the hills to the north.”

  Kelly snatched her tin and horn lantern from the mantel. The lantern had been a gift from William for her birthday. Struggling to still her shaking hands, she lit the candle secured within the lantern. It glowed through window panels made of thinly carved horn. She grabbed her hatchet since Steller had stolen her weapons.

  “Be careful, and I hope you find her,” her father said.

  “Bar the door and don’t you dare open it for anyone except me, William, or Bear!”

  Kelly raced to her father’s cabin and threw open the door, the hatchet held firmly in her upstretched hand. She wouldn’t put it past that man to sneak back and try to catch her unawares.

  “Artis,” she called. She quickly searched the small cabin and decided that Artis must be hiding elsewhere. The smokehouse was unlikely since her father had started smoking the mountain lion. It would be hot inside.

  Her heart beating rapidly within her chest, she decided next to search the storehouse where they kept their winter food stores. Again, she found no one. The barn with its stalls and hay loft took a good while to search, but Artis was not hiding there either.

  She grew more concerned with each minute that passed. She needed to locate Artis soon. Her move from the wagon to hide somewhere undoubtedly caused the bleeding to grow worse. Artis had already lost a lot of blood. If they didn’t stop the bleeding soon, she would certainly die.

  Bear would be devastated. They all would be.

  Then she remembered Steller’s claim that he was Artis’ husband. That news would destroy Bear even if Artis lived. It was clear that Bear loved her deeply. And she thought Artis loved Bear dearly too. How could such a lovely day end so tragically? Kelly wanted to weep, but she didn’t have time for such nonsense.

  She had one last building to search—the smokehouse. If Artis wasn’t there, she could be hiding anywhere in the woods. She would be easy prey for animals of the night and with the dropping temperature, she wouldn’t last long. She raced for the structure, praying she would find Artis within, and alive.

  Chapter 21

  Bear was glad to finally mount up again and be on his way back to Artis. Of all nights for something like that to happen. Och! They should have been officially married by now and on their way back to Artis’ land for their first night as man and wife.

  But, he thought philosophically, all things happen for a reason and it was not for him to question why. He nudged Camel to a slow lope and made his way toward Whispering Hills. The night seemed especially black and it was only the lighter color of the dirt road that enabled him to see where to go.

  He decided to spend his time in the saddle thinking about all the wonderful and exciting things he was going to do to his bride tonight. At the stable, he’d given her a proper taste of what was to come. But there would be so much more. The sensuous thoughts soon had his breath quickening and warmth flooding his frame. His fingers ached with the need to touch her magnificent body.

  He suddenly wondered if she were a virgin. He’d just assumed she was. But having spent a sea voyage alone without an escort, and seven years as a plantation servant, it was entirely possible that she wasn’t. It didn’t matter to him. Artis was Artis. And the only thing that did concern him was her future—not her past. But, he hoped, for her sake, that no man had ever forced her to his bed.

  He thought about how stunningly beautiful she was earlier at the ball. Kelly must have spent the day fixing her hair that fancy way and the gold gown made her shine with the radiance of a new sun. She was the loveliest woman at the ball. And she’d waltzed into the room full of strangers with all the confidence of a high-born lady. How proud he was of her!

  And she was pledged to him. He still found it hard to believe. Even though it was not official, they were married as far as he was concerned.

  He gloried for a moment in his recollection of her pledge. Her words spoke to his heart and made him nothing short of jubilant. Especially when she said, ‘I promise I have loved and will love only ye.’ He hoped his pledge brought her happiness too. Judging from the passion she put into their kiss afterwards, his words must have pleased her. And she appeared to be thrilled with her gift. The luckenbooth would forever symbolize the unity and loyalty of their hearts.

  Now he understood what Stephen, Sam, and William must have felt on their wedding days. He attended all three weddings and witnessed their joy. But it is one thing to see happy—it is quite another to experience it. He couldn’t stop smiling. In fact, his cheeks were growing sore from grinning all evening. Even now, he smiled as he remembered their wanton behavior in the stable. And dancing with Artis was so extraordinary. He’d never danced with so much joy in his life. He’d been left breathless, but with a lightness of limb and heart he’d never felt before.

  He absolutely could not wait to see her again. His hands tingled at the thought of embracing her again. So much love filled his heart that his eyes watered with tears of joy.

  He felt moisture running down his cheeks and scolded himself for being so emotional. Or was that rain? He stuck a hand out and when several drops landed in his palm, he realized that it was indeed raining. He’d been so lost in his blissful thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed.

  Lightning cracked just above him and both he and Camel startled. The boom of thunder that followed almost instantly did not make Camel any calmer. It fact, he’d never seen his trusty horse made so nervous by weather.

  The light rain intensified quickly to a heavy deluge that poured from the sky.

  Bear slowed Camel’s pace to be sure they did not slip in the thickening mud. When the wind coming from the north grew stronger, he pushed his tricorne down firmly on his head, hoping it would not blow away. He wished he’d brought his cloak, but when he had left for town right after noon, it had been so warm it never even occurred to him to bring it. The rain soon soaked through his jacket and into his shirt, making the linen fabric stick to the skin of his back.

  He tried to judge where he was and how far ahead Whispering Hills was, but he’d been so lost in his thoughts, he had no idea how far along the road he was. He couldn’t be that far away. He’d soon be with Artis again. But their night camping in the woods on her land was n
o longer going to be possible. Maybe he would ask Kelly’s father to give his cabin to them for the evening. Perhaps Mister McGuffin would even continue to stay in the main house’s upstairs loft so he and Artis could have the cabin until he got their house built.

  The torrential rain refused to let up and the air grew colder with each passing minute. And the northerly wind continually whipped pieces of bark, pine needles, and leaves at him and Camel.

  He suspected William would decide to stay in town until the terrible storm blew through. Storms like this could cause low water crossings to flood faster than Bear could skin a rabbit. It always amazed him how normally tranquil streams and creeks could suddenly transform into raging torrents, spreading far from their banks, their depths bourgeoning tenfold or more.

  Flood waters could also turn deadly in a flash.

  Within minutes, Bear grew concerned. The downpour caused water to stand in the road, making it difficult to even see the road. Worse, the terrain was gradually sloping downward. Sooner or later, he was going to encounter all this water running downward.

  It was sooner. He found himself standing on the edge of a low water crossing or swiftly moving stream. He wasn’t sure which. In the extreme darkness and heavy rain, he couldn’t even see to the edge of the other side. If he tried to cross it without knowing its depth, the swiftly moving water could carry both him and Camel downstream into rocks or other treacherous debris. It wouldn’t be as bad in the daylight, but in the dark, he had no way to know what the water could hurl them into.

  “Steady Camel, I’ll figure this out boy,” he said trying to soothe the horse. Camel was still acting particularly nervous. It was more than the storm. Something else was out there.

  Then he remembered that it was near here where Artis encountered the mountain lion. This must be the stream that ran beside Artis’ property. It had been a brisk, but little, stream the day he’d met Artis. But it was far from that now.