by Annie Boone
Leaving the women together, Clayton turned and left the dress shop. He needed time to collect his thoughts. He needed time away from Elizabeth Brown and the infectious hold she had on him.
Chapter Eight
Sitting in the parlor of Mason Reeve’s home, Elizabeth tried to focus on the book she had opened on her lap. The entire day had been difficult, from her visit with Sheriff Clayton to Mason’s disgruntled attitude for the rest of the afternoon.
A part of her worried that Mason might have seen her with Clayton, however, if he had, he hadn’t mentioned the incident yet. She was positive he wouldn’t be thrilled to know that she was questioning the sheriff about him.
Thought of Clayton Ward made Elizabeth’s brain swarm. There was something about the sheriff that drew her toward him, an irresistible charm that was rugged and yet warm at the same time.
Turning a page in her book absentmindedly, Elizabeth wondered how soon she could go to bed. As horrible as it was to admit, she was slowly realizing that bed time was the time she looked forward to the most during her time at Reeve Ranch. While Mason had initially been charming and had drawn her to his seemingly flawless character, she found no joy in being with him now. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She could only look forward to the time when she’d be all alone and out of the company of her betrothed.
Glancing up from the pages of her book, she took a quick peek at her future husband. He was leaning over the stone fireplace, a clear look of irritation on his face.
Elizabeth couldn’t help but wonder how she would possibly stand being married to him. What would life be like when, rather than being able to escape him when it came time for bed, she had to share the same room with Mason?
Shifting her weight uncomfortably in her seat, Elizabeth felt like a naughty child caught doing something bad when her fiancé looked up and caught her gaze.
Turning around to stare at her, Mason seemed to be grappling with an irritation she didn’t understand.
“Elizabeth,” he began slowly. “I think that it’s time that we talked.”
Setting her book aside, Elizabeth prepared herself for whatever was to come. While she certainly relished the idea of a good conversation, Mason’s tone left her wondering if this was to be an unpleasant one. She had a bad feeling that Mason was going to lecture her rather than providing her with an opportunity to talk freely.
Shoving his hands down in his pants pockets, Mason licked his lips before speaking.
“I saw you walking through town with Clayton Ward today. I saw the two of you talking together.”
Elizabeth’s heart dropped in her chest. Suddenly, she felt like she had been caught doing something horrifically sinful.
Swallowing hard, she tried to explain.
“Mason, I was looking for Amy and Clayton led me to her. We talked for a few minutes, yes, but I was only trying to learn more about you. It seems like you and I never get a chance to talk, so I was asking the sheriff a few things about you and your ranch.”
Even as the excuse fell off Elizabeth’s lips, she realized how ridiculous it sounded. What sense did that make? She couldn’t bring herself to admit that she was asking Clayton if Mason would possibly entertain other women.
“A pathetic excuse,” Mason replied, the very thing that Elizabeth was thinking. Crossing the distance between them, he stared down at Elizabeth as he reached out to grab her chin in his grasp.
“You think he’s handsome, don’t you?”
Frozen under Mason’s condemning stare, Elizabeth felt her face grow white with fear. How could she honestly say he was wrong? Of course, the sheriff was a good-looking man and Elizabeth certainly felt a good deal of attraction when they were together.
“Mason,” she pleaded. “You’re hurting my face. Please, let me go.”
Narrowing his eyes until they were little more than slits, Mason leaned closer and repeated, “You find him attractive, don’t you?”
Elizabeth tried to explain.
“The sheriff is a very handsome man, yes, but no more so than you, Mason. You are the man I traveled miles to marry and you are the man who I’ll be faithful to for the rest of my life. I have no intention of ever having a relationship with anyone else. Once we’re married, we will be a team, a team that is bound together for life by love and devotion. And I’ll try to be the best wife I can possibly be. I hope you will do the same for me.”
Mason laughed out loud at her statement, sending a stream of spit into Elizabeth’s face as he exclaimed.
“What wild ideas you have, child. What do you think? That I’m going to love you and you alone forever? That I’ll never look at anyone else?”
Releasing her face, he took a step back and surveyed her, his blue eyes boring through her skin.
“You’re a pretty enough piece of flesh, that’s for sure, but don’t think you’ll be enough to satisfy me.”
His words were so crass and vulgar that Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open in outright surprise.
“Do you mean?”
Elizabeth pulled herself to her feet so that she was staring directly into her fiancé’s eyes.
“Do you mean that there will be other women? You don’t even intend to be faithful to me?”
Rather than answer, Mason raised his hand and struck her right across the cheek. The impact of his blow sent her reeling backwards and Elizabeth had to fight to keep her footing. Hot tears filled her eyes.
As soon as he had landed the slap, the angry haze in his eyes cleared and regret seemed to fill them.
“I am so sorry, Elizabeth,” he exclaimed, reaching out to grab her shoulders with his strong hands.
“I didn’t mean to do that. Honestly, I didn’t. This entire situation with you and the sheriff, it’s just been too much for me. You’ve pushed me too far, don’t you see? You need to understand that a man like me possesses a wild side and it doesn’t need to be provoked. I’m sorry. I promise that I do intend to be a good husband. I just don’t know how yet.”
His words were nothing but empty promises now. Jerking away from him, Elizabeth ran out of the room, straight to her room upstairs. Dropping to the hardwood floor, she battled the flood of tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
She had to leave. She didn’t know where she’d go, but she knew she had to get away. Reaching for her bag, she tossed her clothes into it. She’d go to Amy’s ranch, even if she had to walk the entire way.
But, just as Elizabeth was making plans to leave, she heard a noise outside her bedroom door. Someone was playing with the lock. Hurrying to her feet, she went and tried the doorknob, afraid of encountering Mason again when it opened.
Turning the doorknob this way and that, her heart pounded furiously when she realized that she had been locked into her room. Mason Reeve intended to keep her there, and it was becoming obvious he’d do whatever it took to ensure she was just another piece of his property, even if it was completely against her will.
Elizabeth got little sleep that night with fears and misgivings overwhelming her mind. The few times she managed to doze off, her sleep was overtaken with nightmares. Each nightmare ended with Mason hitting her across the face.
Rather than escaping her abusive uncle, Elizabeth had simply traded him for a husband that was certain to be just as bad if not worse. While her uncle had been cold and unfeeling, he had never laid a hand on her. If Mason was willing to slap her now, what would he be like after they were married?
Obviously, telling Mason she was leaving wouldn’t be the best idea. Given his recent proclivities, he might take more extreme measures to hold her hostage. After much thought and consideration, she determined that it would be best to simply pretend to have forgiven him and then look for the first opportunity to make her escape.
When she went down to breakfast the next morning, it took all of her courage to sit next to Mason and to even flash him a smile. She was well aware of the bruise that had formed under her eye thanks to the force of his slap and could only hope that
the sight of it wouldn’t incite him to violence once again.
“Good morning, Mason,” she forced herself to say as she took a sip of her coffee.
Glancing up at her fiancé, Elizabeth watched as he stared at her in a cold and calculating way, almost as if he was prepared to do war with her if she was to cross an invisible line he had drawn.
“Mason,” she tried again. “I just want to apologize for what happened last night. My emotions ran a bit wild and I probably made the entire situation much worse than it could have been.”
Telling him the lie and giving a phony apology was almost more than she could stand to do, but she saw no other alternative.
Mason nodded and took a bite of his eggs.
“I believe you’ve already scorned my apology,” he replied calmly.
Sucking in a deep breath of air to steel her nerves, Elizabeth continued, “I didn’t take your apology well at all. But, after a night of thinking, I want you to know that I do forgive you.”
Mason smirked, like he had always known this would happen.
“That’s good, Elizabeth. With an attitude like that, I truly believe that we can work and make a life together.”
Pushing his chair back from the table, he stood.
“As soon as you’re done, you need to go get ready for church. We don’t want to be late for your first service in Plainsville. I’m ready to show off my bride.”
The idea of Mason Reeve parading her through church after all that had happened between them the previous night was enough to make Elizabeth sick. She didn’t want to go anywhere with the vile man, let alone to the house of the Lord where he could pretend to look pious while showing her off like a trophy.
But, as much as she hated that thought, the idea of staying home alone with him was much worse. At least, church gave them the opportunity to be around other people, people like Sheriff Clayton. Elizabeth wondered if he would be at church. She suddenly had a desire to tell him about the strange shed-like barn she had found on the property. Any allegiance she had felt toward Mason Reeve had disappeared the previous night when he slapped her and then locked her in her bedroom. Rather than feeling like a happy bride, she now felt more like a prisoner.
If Elizabeth could have one wish granted, it would be to bring Mason down. Although she hadn’t wanted to believe it at first, but now she could almost guarantee that Clayton was right about his involvement in illegal activity.
There was nothing that would give Elizabeth more pleasure than the thought of him rotting in a jail cell somewhere. Knowing he could never get to her again would be peace of mind she dreamed of.
Elizabeth was willing to stay at his hideous ranch longer if it meant that she’d have the opportunity to bring him to justice. Rather than trying to make a home on Reeve Ranch, she’d spend her time devising a way to run away, but not before she collected enough evidence to have Mason locked away for whatever he was doing.
Chapter Nine
Sitting down on one of the hardwood church pews, Clayton Ward took in a deep breath of the morning air and tried to focus on the sermon that the preacher was delivering. Try as he might to pay attention to what the minister was saying, he found his mind wandering away from the message and back toward Elizabeth Brown.
Was she beginning to lose faith in her soon-to-be-husband? Judging by the questions she’d asked Clayton in his office the previous day, he could only assume she was.
There was something relieving about the fact that Elizabeth was starting to see her fiancé’s dark side and yet, at the same time, Clayton hated it. The face that had seemed so full of life when she first arrived in Plainsville now looked gaunt and exhausted.
But still beautiful, Clayton thought to himself.
It was true. Elizabeth Brown was a beautiful woman no matter how tired she was. Clayton hadn’t felt such deep attraction for someone since Sylvia.
Thinking of Sylvia brought back bad memories, memories that reminded Clayton of the reason he had sworn off women and relationships. No, it didn’t matter how attractive Elizabeth was. Even if she and Mason broke things off, Clayton knew he’d never try to pursue her. That was just a heartbreak waiting to happen and he didn’t need that. The minister said some closing words and then announced that it was time to sing a hymn.
Once the service was over, Amy turned to smile at Clayton while Bart stood behind her with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Clayton,” Amy called out in a voice that showed she was feeling much more cheerful than Clayton was feeling at that time.
“They’re having a picnic on the church grounds today. You ought to stay and eat with me and Bart.”
Although Clayton appreciated her offer, he feel much like socializing. Too many thoughts from the past were assailing him and he could only hope to find refuge in the sanctuary of his empty office.
Turning his hat around in his hands, Clayton shook his head and muttered, “I don’t think so.”
Allowing his gaze to travel across the throngs of people in the church, he caught sight of Mason Reeve and Elizabeth Brown. They were standing near the back of the small building and it seemed that they had drawn quite a crowd. Over the noise of the congregation exiting the building, Clayton could hear the exuberant man speak.
“Of course we’ll be staying for the picnic,” he said in reply to an elderly woman who had invited them to attend.
Swallowing hard, Clayton looked at Amy and forced a smile, only hoping she wouldn’t notice the look that had been on his face when he caught sight of Elizabeth.
“Sure,” he replied. “I’d love to stay for the picnic.”
Amy was surprised at the sudden turn in intentions, but she was even more thrilled. Clapping her hands together like a little child, she practically bounced in delight.
“That’s wonderful. Bart, you and I’ll just need to get the picnic basket out of the wagon.”
Turning back to Clayton, she assured him.
“We’ve brought my famous fried chicken and pickles. Don’t worry about eating too much, because I made extra. I just had the feeling you were going to agree to eat with us today.”
Clayton couldn’t find Mason. He had last seen him following a fellow church member out as they spoke. He watched Elizabeth, standing behind a pillar, looking very out of place and trying to avoid the attention of others.
From where he stood, Clayton noticed that she had a dark shadow over her eye. It was more of a bruise. Clayton had a good idea what that was and the thought made a bitter taste settle in his throat. Could his eyes be deceiving him?
Swallowing hard, Clayton pushed through the crowd to get to her. He had to know what had happened and he had to make sure she was all right. For all he knew, there might be worse marks that were hidden from view.
The majority of the congregation had now dispersed into the church yard to prepare for the picnic, leaving them alone.
“Elizabeth,” Clayton called out as he reached her. He stretched to gently touch her elbow with his hand.
Elizabeth jumped, and Clayton was even more concerned. What had happened to leave her so spooked? Up close, he was able to get an even better view of her eye. The dark colors showed that she had certainly been hit in the face.
“What happened to you?” Clayton asked, lifting a finger but having no intention to touch her injured face.
Wincing, Elizabeth pulled back before he could touch her. She cast fearful glances around and spoke in a voice so low that he could hardly hear her.
“The other night, I decided to go out to watch the fireflies. I used to like to do that when I lived back at home with my father.”
While the story made no sense to Clayton, he listened intently, hoping she would get to the point before Mason returned and broke up their conversation. The thought that Mason might punish her for speaking to him occurred to him. It scared him and caused him to wonder if he was risking Elizabeth’s life by talking to her.
“When I was out on the ranch, I came across a barn on
the property.”
Urgency crept into her voice and her eyes darted wildly around the church as she watched for her fiancé to arrive.
“I hadn’t seen it before and Mason hadn’t mentioned it to me which was strange because he was so anxious to show me everything when I arrived at the ranch. The building was locked tight and I could hear movement inside.”
Clayton raised his eyebrows, and tried to make sense of what her words. Elizabeth was obviously growing as suspicious of her future husband as Clayton himself.
Elizabeth leaned closer to Clayton and whispered, “I think you’re right. I believe that Clayton is involved in something illegal and I think that it’s in that barn. I know you can’t do anything about it without any proof, but I want you to know that I do intend to help you.”
Seeing the determined look on her face, Clayton was frightened by the determination of the young woman. She spoke with so much certainty, as if she had found a new sense of direction.
Mason Reeve had sealed his fate the day he laid a hand on this woman.
Clayton wanted to tell her to leave Reeve ranch immediately, to get away from that evil man before he had the opportunity to do worse to her than he had already done. But it was impossible to force the words to his lips. As much as Clayton wanted Elizabeth to leave Mason, he was also desperate to get some evidence that would bring the evil man to justice. Perhaps fate had sent Elizabeth to the Reeve Ranch for the very purpose of capturing Mason in his evil acts.
Instead of issuing a warning about Mason, Clayton just replied calmly.
“Make sure you’re safe out there exploring those fireflies. If you happen to find the barn open, you might want to take refuge in it. Just keep me posted on what turns up.”
Although Clayton was speaking in a sort of code, he could see that Elizabeth understood. She nodded her head slowly.
