A spasm gripped his chest; his heart pounded with a heavy beat and the realization that unless he was able to change Faith’s opinion of him, all was lost. He would once more forfeit the joys of claiming this woman as his own, would face the future without her presence in his life.
“You don’t give your love lightly, Faith. I know better than that. You care about me, and you know how I feel about you.”
She tilted her head, and his gaze feasted on the clean line of her jaw, the wide, full stretch of soft lips that firmed even as he watched. Her blue eyes were sharp, yet their radiance was blurred by anger, and as he focused on her mouth again, he saw it tremble.
“I feel like I’m singing the same song over and over again, Max. I can’t fit into your way of life,” she said carefully. “I doubt your mother has had a change of heart where I’m concerned, and I’m not equipped to handle living in her home and changing myself to fit into the mold she tried to force on me.”
“You don’t have to be anything but what you are right this minute.” He felt a sense of desperation seize him as Faith rejected him and all he offered. In a few words, she had denied him the chance to make a new life for them, and if the stubborn tilt of her head and the set of her mouth were any indication, she was not about to be swayed.
Her laugh was strained, a harsh sound that held not the slightest degree of humor. “What I am is a farm woman, Max. What you need is a city wife, a woman with social aspirations and the ability to help you further your career in business.” She met his gaze with eyes that blazed with determination. Then, with a quick movement, she rose from the table and gathered dirty dishes.
“Your mother was right,” she said, heading for the sink. “I’m the wrong woman for you. I don’t want the same things you do, and I’ll never belong in her home.”
“I don’t want you in my mother’s home. I want you in my life,” he said quietly. “And it doesn’t matter where we live.”
“So long as it’s in Boston.” Her words were a statement of fact as she saw it, apparently, and too close to the truth to be ignored.
“My work is there,” he said bluntly. “It’s a family business, and I have a certain amount of responsibility to the people who work for me and depend on the business for their living.”
She shrugged, as if dismissing the problem with a simple lift of her shoulders. “Fine. We’ve gone over this time and again, and I understand. I know you’ll be leaving. I’ve known it all along.” And still she stood at the sink, gripping the edge of the wooden countertop as if she needed it to bear her weight.
He felt a helpless surge of despair rush through him, as though a dam had broken and the water was carrying him into a current he stood no chance of escaping. “There’s no give to you, Faith. You want it all your way.”
She turned then to face him, frowning, and as he watched, he thought he caught a glimpse of sorrow in the depths of her blue eyes. “I’m selfish, I suppose, Max. I’ve discovered that I’m important. Maybe not to you or your mother or the Boston business community, but to myself. I have to consider my own happiness this time.”
“Will you give her a chance?” he asked, rising to approach her. “Will you listen to her when she arrives? Try to get along with her, and see if we can reach a compromise?”
Faith’s smile was tinged with pain, her mouth trembling. “Sure. I can do that, Max. I’ll get along with her. I’ll keep my mouth shut and let her set the rules again, and then when you leave with her, I’ll wave goodbye.”
He felt the anger surge anew. Faith in a cynical mood was more than he could handle right now. “I don’t know why I’m trying so hard to find a middle ground here,” he said finally. “You’re not willing to try, are you?”
She looked into his eyes as though she searched for something, and he reached for her, grasping her narrow shoulders, drawing her close. His head bent and he captured her lips, desperation driving him to form some sort of connection that would link them as one.
For a moment she was pliable in his embrace, her mouth softening beneath his. He heard her breath catch in an audible sound of surrender and she leaned into his chest, her hands sliding to his back. Holding him close, tilting her head to one side, the better to accept his kiss, she opened her lips as if inviting his invasion.
For that few seconds his heart sang within his breast. She’s mine. The thought raced exultantly through his mind, searing a path that brought him to immediate arousal. And then she tensed, straightening her posture and dropping her hands, and a soft cry escaped her lips.
“Faith, I love you,” he said, holding fast to her shoulders, as if he could somehow draw her back into an embrace she seemed bent on escaping.
She shook her head and wrestled against his grasp. “You’re hurting me, Max,” she whispered. “Let me go.”
Her eyes were bleak as they lifted to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. I know you love me, at least right now. And I love you, Max. But I was wrong to give in to my need for you, even for those few moments. It’s become a habit to turn to you lately, and I can’t afford to be that weak-kneed woman any longer.”
“Weak-kneed? I don’t think so,” he said harshly. “You have the strength of ten in your little finger. You work from dawn to dark, you’ve carved out a life here that would have daunted many a man bent on living in this backwoods community. Allowing me to help, letting me close to you, giving me the rights of a husband—all of that doesn’t make you weak or puny, Faith.”
He held her at arm’s length, and his laughter was scornful as his voice rose in volume. “You’ve had me dangling at the end of your string for weeks as I’ve tried to bring us to some sort of an understanding. I’m the one who has been out of whack. I’ve been dreaming foolish dreams, hoping for the impossible.”
The sharp rap of knuckles against the back door caught his attention, and he turned his head abruptly. “Sorry to interfere, folks,” Brace said quietly, “but I’ve got a passenger in a buggy out here. She’d like to see you, Max.” A tapestry valise in one hand, Brace stood outside the screened door.
Dropping his hands from Faith, Max turned to the sheriff. “I’ll be right out,” he said. And then glanced back at the pale countenance of his wife. “Do you want to join me?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, you’re the one she wants to see. Bring her in, and I’ll freshen the coffee. If she hasn’t eaten breakfast, I’ll cook something.”
The door opened at the touch of his hand and he stepped onto the porch. From the buggy seat, his mother watched, her mouth pinched, her eyes raking his length as if she sought some sign of the civilized man who had left Boston months before. As never before, he was aware of his clothing, the rough denim trousers and simple cotton shirt he wore. He looked down at scuff marks on his boots and for a moment saw himself through the eyes of Hazel McDowell, and knew she found him lacking.
And then he met her gaze. “Mother,” he said, greeting her with an uplifted hand. He noted Brace’s keen glance, the hesitation in the lawman’s movements as he held the door ajar to peer into the kitchen, and then step inside. Max took the steps easily and crossed to where his mother waited.
Holding out a hand, he offered to lift her from the high seat, but she shook her head, a silent denial of his help. And then spoke, her tones familiar. “I seem to have interrupted something. Shall I wait until you’ve solved your problem inside the house?”
“That problem is ongoing, I fear,” he admitted. “Come in, Mother.”
She reached out her hand, seeking his, and peered over the side of the buggy, searching for a step. With a quick movement Max clasped her firmly about the waist, then lifted her to the ground, wincing as raw pain shot through his shoulder.
“Have you been hurt?” she asked.
“Just a slight wound,” Max told her. “Faith has been tending it.”
One hand rose to clutch at the brim of her hat, the other brushed at her skirt, and Hazel cast him a long, assessing look. “I knew no good would c
ome of you being here,” she said bluntly. “You must tell me later what has happened to you.”
He nodded, then, allowing her a moment to regroup, spoke of her journey and referred to the business of breakfast. As she completed a quick visual tour of the yard and outbuildings, they turned toward the porch.
“Faith is waiting to greet you,” he said, his hand beneath her elbow as she climbed the steps.
“I doubt she’s overjoyed at my presence.” Her voice was clipped and terse, and he did not have it in him to disagree with her deduction.
Brace stood inside the kitchen door, hat in hand, the valise against the wall, his gaze fixed on Faith. That they had been speaking in low voices was apparent, Max decided, and he felt a twinge of jealousy cut through his chest like a sharp blade. The lawman cleared his throat and nodded at the older woman.
“I hope you have a pleasant visit, ma’am,” he murmured, and then lifted a brow in Max’s direction before he headed out the door. At the sink, Faith seemed to shrink into herself as the door closed behind the man, and Max shot her what he hoped was an encouraging look.
“Mother would probably like some coffee,” he said. “She got in on the early train, and there wasn’t time for breakfast.”
“Just a piece of toast will do very well, and a bit of cream in my coffee,” Hazel said coolly, settling herself in a chair. Her fingers worked at her gloves and she tugged them off, then placed them in her reticule, closing it with a resounding snap. “I don’t want to put you out, Faith.”
“I have bread for toast and the coffee’s already hot,” Faith answered, crossing the kitchen to where her dishes were stacked in the dresser. She opened the door and removed a plate, then a cup and saucer from the matching set.
Max smiled to himself. He’d been drinking from a thick mug, as had Faith. Apparently, the dishes she’d chosen now were for company usage. And certainly his mother qualified on that account. The two heavy, plain plates Faith kept on a shelf were for family, he thought, and congratulated himself that he’d acquired that status, at least for a little while.
“I’ll have more coffee, too,” he said smoothly, and watched as Faith hesitated, then withdrew another china cup and saucer from the dresser. He’d just lost his position, and been relegated to observing his wife’s company manners, he decided.
Hazel was grim, her eyes following Faith’s every move and Max felt irritation creep over him. “I don’t really think it was necessary for you to travel all the way out here, Mother,” he said bluntly. “I’m happy to see you, but the trip was obviously hard on you. I’d have been returning shortly.”
“Your brother was still waiting for word when I made my decision to come,” she said. “Things must be taken care of, Maxwell. There are decisions to make and you know your brother is not capable of doing more than maintaining the situation. It is your place to be at the helm of the ship, so to speak.”
“Only by virtue of my age,” he said. “If Howard had been born first, he’d be in charge.”
“Well, he wasn’t, and you are in charge, so there’s no point in discussing the issue,” she said sharply. “There are contracts to be signed and a new shipping line inquiring about the company using their services. They’ve given us a better opportunity in the Far East, and it bears investigation before winter arrives.”
Max sat down and leaned back in his chair. “It seems you have the whole thing under control, Mother. If you think it’s an advisable move, why didn’t you tell Howard to sign the paperwork and get things underway? He has my power of attorney.”
“You know he depends on you, Maxwell.”
“I know he’s a capable man. The problem is that you don’t give him the chance to show his worth.”
Hazel’s eyebrow winged upward and her mouth grew taut as she formed a reply. “I think this discussion could be handled privately.”
“Faith is my wife,” Max said bluntly. “She doesn’t have to leave the room just because we’re discussing business.”
“She has no understanding of—”
Coffee splashed into the saucer as Faith plopped the hot beverage on the table in front of Max, then delivered the second cup to his mother. “I’m leaving,” she said, casting him a long look.
I told you so. As surely as if she spoke the words aloud, he heard them in his head, and felt her anger as a wedge between them.
Her skirts swayed as she walked out the back door, and the sound of it slamming vibrated in the air. “At least she knew enough to make herself scarce,” Hazel said firmly. “I don’t think the woman has changed for the better in any other way, though. She’s certainly abandoned her upbringing, hasn’t she?”
“Faith is my wife, Mother,” he said quietly. “I will not listen to you speak of her in such a manner.”
“I only speak my mind,” she answered. “And the truth as I see it.”
“We don’t always see alike,” Max reminded her. “And this time I think you’re wrong. Faith is a lady. She may wear simple clothing and work hard in order to make a living, but she’s proved to me that she has more courage than many men I’ve known. I admire her greatly, Mother.”
Her eyes narrowed as they took his measure. “She’s managed to wind you right around her little finger, hasn’t she? I suppose, being a man, you couldn’t resist all that blowsy yellow hair and those big blue eyes she turns in your direction.” As he began to speak, she lifted a hand to halt his words of denial. “Never mind. I’ll say no more. I just want to know when you’re coming home, Maxwell. I came here to remind you of your responsibility.”
“I’m very aware of my obligation to the business,” he said. “I’m going back to Boston. The plans were already in motion before your arrival. If I’d been able to stop you from leaving there, I would have.”
“Well, I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. I told your brother you would remember your upbringing and do the right thing. I suspect you needed to get Faith out of your system. I’m sure you can see now that she doesn’t belong in the position you placed her in. Perhaps she can’t help it. Maybe there’s a weakness in her that doesn’t allow her to fill her place as she should.” His mother sighed. “A pity, I suppose.”
“She’s more woman than I’d ever hoped to have as mine,” Max said bluntly. “The problem is that she hasn’t agreed yet to return with me.”
“That’s her loss,” Hazel said, her eyes lighting with what appeared to him to be a glow of success. “Leave her here and get on with your life. Divorces can be obtained. It may be messy for a while, but I’m sure we can keep it quiet, and certainly public opinion will be with you.”
“I’ll take your bag to the bedroom, Mother,” Max said, biting his tongue against the words that begged to be uttered. It was hopeless, he decided. There was no changing her. He was between a rock and a hard place, and right now he wasn’t sure which was which. Faith was about as stubborn as a body could be, but his mother was running a close second. Getting the woman out of here was a priority.
Meals were cooked and eaten, chores accomplished with a minimum of discussion, and nightfall found Faith in the yard, standing beneath a tree, hoping to fade into oblivion beneath its branches. It was not to be.
“I wondered if you had retired early,” Hazel said, her voice preceding her.
Faith looked up from her contemplation of the dirt beneath her feet and saw the majestic shadow of Max’s mother approaching through the darkness. “I like to take a bit of fresh air in the evening,” she said. “I appreciate the quiet and the opportunity to be alone for a while.”
“And I disturbed you,” Hazel said, apparently without apology. “I felt we needed to spend a few minutes together, Faith. I know you aren’t fond of me, but we do have a concern for Max’s well-being in common, I believe.”
Being fond of Hazel McDowell was about the last emotion Faith could have dredged up at this moment. The woman was a thorn in her flesh and not for the life of her could she drum up any degree of politeness right now.
>
“I’m concerned for Max, yes,” Faith said finally. “Whether or not you can understand my feelings on this subject, let me tell you a couple of things. First, Max is a grown man. He is capable of deciding where he wants to be without his mother hunting him down like a runaway child. Second, I have no hold on the man. Whether he leaves here tomorrow or the next day is up to him. Third, and finally, I am no threat to you, Mrs. McDowell.”
The laughter that greeted Faith’s final words was light and gleeful. “Oh, I’m well aware of that,” she said. “Maxwell is well-bred and even though he has come here to tie up loose ends, he’ll go back to his own place in society and make his life there. You could never hold a man like Maxwell.”
The urge to dispute that particular claim rose within Faith, but she bit her lip and held her tongue. I could if I was willing to tag along tomorrow.
“In fact, earlier today we were discussing his obtaining a divorce,” his mother continued.
“A divorce?” Faith’s heart began an erratic beat as she spoke the words.
“Yes. I’m sure you realized it would come to that eventually.”
“I suppose so,” she said quietly, even as the word resounded in her mind. Divorce. And Max had discussed it with his mother.
“I understand there is a train east on Monday. At noontime, I believe Max said,” Hazel continued.
“Yes.” Her voice sounded dull, withdrawn, and Faith couldn’t find it in herself to care. She stepped from the shadow of the tree into the moonlight. “I think I’d better go in now. Morning comes early in the summertime.”
“Good night.” Hazel’s final words were soft, filled with satisfaction, and Faith did not reply, only walked toward the house, then climbed the steps to the porch.
“What’s wrong?” Max stood in the shadows, and his words were quiet, but intense. “Did Mother upset you? What did she say, Faith?”
“Nothing. She told me good-night.” And so she had.
“You look…strange.” His words were hesitant. “I was just coming out to speak with you when I saw her there. I didn’t want to interfere if you were having a private conversation with her.”
Texas Gold (Mills & Boon Historical) Page 21
