Judge Hawthorne’s face looked far less harsh as he smiled apologetically at Sarah.“The Henderson’s housekeeper, Mrs. Baker, told the sheriff what had happened to you, Miss Martin. She was convinced that you didn’t murder Mr. Henderson. She said you were leaving your job at the Henderson’s to return to your father’s home, is that right?”
“Yes,” Sarah said with an eager nod.“How did you know that?”
“Mrs. Baker went to Sheriff Dobbs and told him everything. She found out that Mr. Henderson had tried to …” Judge Hawthorne cleared his throat nervously, clearly uncomfortable talking about such things in the presence of ladies, “… well, that he had tried to take advantage of you. She said that she helped you pack your things the day you left.”
“That’s right,” Sarah said with a nod.“Mrs. Baker was the only one who helped me at that horrible place. I should never have gone there. Mr. Henderson lied to me from the first day I met him.”
“What do you mean, Sarah?” Naomi asked quietly.
Sarah looked down and sighed.“He saw some of my drawings, and he said he could help me get started as an artist. He had only recently moved out here from New York, and he had lots of connections there. He said that he was going to start an art studio in Portland, and that if I were willing to come and work for him for a year, he would let me manage the studio. He claimed that he had a great love of art and just wanted to help me get started because he appreciated my talent. I should have known he was lying. He wasn’t interested in my artistic talent. He was interested in other things.”
The others gave murmurs of anger and sympathy. Sarah sighed and continued her story.
“I should have known his offer was too good to be true. Once I got to his home, I realized right away what he really wanted. Every time he managed to catch me alone … well, let’s just say I didn’t trust him. The way he looked at me frightened me. I lived in constant fear of being raped. He toyed with me, terrorizing me like a cat with a mouse. He caught me alone a couple of times, and I barely escaped with my virtue intact. It was only good fortune that others came and interrupted him before he could finish what he started.
“The worst part was that I knew couldn’t rely on any of the other staff for help. They were all terrified of Mr. Henderson, especially the other maids. I realized I had to get out of there, so I told the housekeeper that I was quitting.”
Sarah took a deep, shaky breath and looked down at her lap. It was obvious that she was remembering the terrible events of that last day.
“Mrs. Baker was kind enough to pay me my wages out of the household funds. I was on my way out, and I had to pass by Mr. Henderson’s study to get to the front door. I overheard raised voices, and I noticed that his door was slightly ajar. I heard him and his wife arguing, and I could see him sitting behind his desk. Mrs. Henderson was crying and screaming at him. She had found out what he tried to do to me. She said she was tired of turning a blind eye to his extramarital affairs and shenanigans with the female staff, and that she wouldn’t stand for it anymore. Then Mr. Henderson leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head and laughed at her. He just laughed, right to her face.”
Sarah shuddered, remembering that day. Brian stood behind her fighting back his rage. If the man hadn’t already been killed, Brian would have sought him out and strangled him with his bare hands.
Naomi reached over and patted Sarah’s shoulder. Sarah gave her a grateful smile and then continued.
“His voice was so cruel and mocking. He told her that what he did was none of her business. He said he would enjoy any woman he wanted, and there was nothing she could do about it. That’s when …”
Sarah clenched her eyes shut, and put a trembling hand to her throat. Brian squeezed her shoulders, leaning over to offer her comfort.
“What happened then, Sarah?” Brian asked quietly.
Sarah drew in a shaky breath and opened her eyes to meet the judge’s kindly gaze.“Mrs. Henderson flew into a rage. She grabbed his letter opener off his desk and stabbed him in the chest. When I saw her do it, I must have screamed or something, because she whirled around and saw me. I was so frightened by the look in her eyes … she looked crazy, like a maniac. I ran, just as fast as I could. I didn’t even think, I just ran.”
Naomi offered her a handkerchief, and Sarah dabbed the corners of her eyes. She took another deep breath before continuing.
“As I was running down the stairs, I could hear Mrs. Henderson yelling for someone to stop me. She was screaming that I had stabbed her husband. I panicked. I didn’t know whether anyone would believe me. It would have been my word against Mrs. Henderson’s. The only thing I could think about was getting out of there and as far away as possible. I ran out of that house, and I just kept running until I could barely breathe.”
Sarah took a steadying breath.“I didn’t have a horse, so I walked for nearly two days. I was walking along the road, and it was snowy and icy. I remember being afraid because I was already feeling tired and cold. I wasn’t sure whether or not Mr. Henderson would come after me. He had been extremely determined to have me, and I figured he would be angry when he discovered that I had left. I didn’t know that he was dead, you see.
“I had no idea where I was going to go. I couldn’t go to my father’s house in Silverton. I was afraid Mr. Henderson would look for me there. He had been so persistent, that I was worried he would hurt my father or do something else to force me to come back.”
“Your father lives in Silverton?” Brian said with surprise.
“Yes,” Sarah said with a nod, “he’s a school teacher, and he had just taken a job there.”
“That’s only a few miles from our farm,” Brian said thoughtfully.
Sarah turned back to face the judge, frowning as she remembered.“I was walking along, when I heard horses approaching from behind. I panicked, thinking that it was someone coming for me. I started running to hide, but I must have stumbled in the snow. The last thing I remember is tumbling down the hill. Then, I woke up at the McKenzie farm and my memory was gone.”
The judge raised his eyebrows and blew out a breath through pursed lips.“That’s some adventure you had, Miss Martin. And for the last two months, you’ve been hiding out at the McKenzie farm?”
“I wasn’t hiding out, sir,” Sarah said, sending another brief glare at Brian.“I didn’t even know I was wanted for murder until today. I honestly didn’t remember anything about this until today.”
“Well, you can rest easy now. You’re not wanted for murder any more, Miss Martin.” The judge shot Sheriff Wilson an accusing frown.“Ed, you should have known that the Henderson murder had already been solved. Even if you didn’t read it in the newspaper, didn’t you receive the official notice from Sheriff Dobbs?”
Sheriff Wilson shuffled his feet, and his voice turned even whinier than before.“Judge Hawthorne, I didn’t get any notice, at least not that I’m aware of.”
Aidan snorted.“It’s probably among all those papers scattered on your office floor! Don’t you ever go through your mail? Isn’t that part of your job?”
“Well, it’s possible that I got something, but I’m a busy man, Mr. McKenzie,” the sheriff said with a defensive shrug.“Sometimes I get a little behind in my paperwork.”
“That’s baloney,” the judge spat.“We all know how much time you waste jabbering with the folks around here. If you spent half as much time doing your job as you do sitting on your behind, this whole unfortunate situation could have been avoided! You can be guaranteed that the town council is going to hear from me about this, and if I were you, I would start thinking about your future, because you’re likely to be out of a job.”
“But, sir …” the sheriff began.
“Not another word,” said the judge, holding up a hand to halt his speech.“I don’t want to spend another minute of my valuable time listening to your lame excuses.”
Sarah cleared her throat to gain the judge’s attention. “Sir, I believe Sheriff W
ilson was just trying to carry out his duty. I believe he made an honest mistake, and I certainly don’t harbor any ill will toward him. Couldn’t we all just put this whole unfortunate incident behind us? I’m sure the sheriff has learned a lesson.”
The sheriff gave her a look of extreme gratitude and shuffled his feet with embarrassment. “Thank you, Miss Martin. I really didn’t mean to cause you any trouble. In fact, I believed your story and thought that you would eventually be cleared of all the charges against you. Please accept my apologies for what happened.”
“Thank you, sheriff. I do accept your apology with one condition. In future, please make sure you take the time to catch up on your paperwork before locking someone in jail.”
The sheriff flushed and nodded. “I’ll certainly do that, ma’am.”
The judge gave a disgusted humph. “Well, she’s a lot more forgiving than I would be. Now, Ed, you know the way to the door!”
Sheriff Wilson gulped and nodded, jamming his hat onto his head as he beat a hasty retreat. It was all the members of the McKenzie family could do not to laugh. When they heard the front door close behind the sheriff, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
The judge gave another satisfied humph before turning back to Sarah.“Miss Martin, I hope you will accept my apologies for you being so inconvenienced and frightened. If there is ever any way I can be of service to you in the future, you have only to ask, my dear.”
Brian cleared his throat and stepped forward.“Sir, as a matter of fact, you could perform a service for us.”
He grasped Sarah’s hand and lifted her to her feet beside him. She tried to pull her hand free from his, but he held it firm and ignored her subtle struggles.
“We’d be much obliged if you would marry us, sir.”
The judge’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline, as Sarah gaped at Brian. The others murmured with surprise and pleasure, but before anyone could say anything, Sarah closed her mouth with a snap and snatched her hand from Brian’s. She shot him a narrow eyed glare before she turned to Judge Hawthorne.
“That won’t be necessary, sir,” Sarah told the judge, with a tight smile.“I have no intention of marrying this man.”
It was Brian’s turn to stare at her with surprise. For one brief moment, his jaw dropped before he clamped his lips into a thin line of displeasure and he faced the judge.
“Sir, if you would excuse us for a few moments. We’ll be right back.”
Without another word, he grasped Sarah’s upper arm and towed her out into the foyer, closing the study door behind them. As soon as they were alone, he hauled her around to face him. The muscles in his jaw were twitching with anger, and he ground his words out through clenched teeth.
“What the hell is the matter with you? What do you mean you won’t marry me?” A sudden thought struck him, and he looked at her with a deep frown.“Have you remembered something else, Sarah? Are you in love with another man?”
Sarah wrenched her arm free from his grasp and tossed her head, returning his glare.“No, Brian. I don’t love anyone else. There is no other man. But you’ve been lying to me for weeks, Brian McKenzie! There’s no way that I would trust you enough to marry you now, after what you’ve done.”
Brian was both relieved by her admission and angered by her accusation.“What I’ve done is protect you,” he growled. He stepped close until he towered over her.“I had everything under control until you went gallivanting into town after promising me that you wouldn’t.”
Sarah refused to be intimidated, and she rose on her tiptoes until she was nose to nose with him.“What you’ve done is hide the truth from me! If you had only been honest with me from the beginning, I might have regained my memory weeks ago.”
She went to brush past him, but Brian caught her around the waist. He pushed her backward, pinning her against the wall. He planted one strong arm on either side of her head and trapped her legs between his. His eyes were flashing green fire, and Sarah gulped from the sheer possessiveness in his gaze. His barbarian side was out in full force, and it was an effort for her not to quake. When he spoke, his voice was deep and hard, rumbling up from the depths of his chest.
“You’re not leaving here until we’re married, and that’s all there is to it,” Brian said with deadly calm.
He held her gaze for a moment longer before kissing her long and thoroughly on the mouth. There was no gentleness in the kiss. It was clearly intended to demonstrate his claim over her. When he raised his head, his eyes flared with satisfaction when he saw her flushed cheeks and shallow breathing. He caught and held her wide eyed stare.
“Now, you’re going to march your little fanny right back in there and tell the judge that you are ready to become my wife,” he growled.“Is that understood?”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed into a stubborn glare, and they sparked with anger.“No. I’m not going to do any such thing!” She lowered her voice to a hissing whisper.“You may think you can make me do anything you want by seducing me.” Seeing him raise a mocking brow, she blushed but continued.“That may be true most of the time, but it’s not true about this! I won’t be bullied by you, and I won’t marry you.”
Brian ground his teeth, the muscles twitching in his cheek.“You are going to marry me,” Brian averred.“You’re going to marry me tonight, and that’s final.” He surprised her by nibbling beneath her ear, tracing her delicate skin with his fiery tongue.
“Stop it,” Sarah gasped, trying to shoo him away from her neck.“That is not going to get you what you want, Brian McKenzie! Now let me go, or I’ll scream.”
“You’re mine,” Brian whispered, exploring the delicate line of her jaw.“Deny it as much as you like, but you and I both know you’re mine.” He cupped one breast in his palm and kneaded it provocatively, rasping her nipple with his thumb. His caresses became increasingly blatant as Sarah became increasingly breathless.“Do you seriously think,” he growled, “that I’m ever going to let you go?”
“Brian, I want to be taken to my father’s house tonight,” Sarah demanded.
Brian began exploring the other side of her neck.“I’ll take you to see your father very soon. As for tonight, we’re getting married.”
“Brian,” she groaned, trying to push his hand away from her breast.“I mean it. This isn’t going to work. Let me go.”
“It’s already working,” Brian murmured, pinching her hardened nipple between his fingers.
Sarah struggled to cling to her wits. It would be so easy to give in to his persuasion, but her future happiness depended on him acknowledging her as his equal, and in this instance, she wasn’t going to back down. She drew a deep breath and pressed insistently on his chest until he finally consented to meet her eye.
“Brian,” she said firmly, “you can throw me on the floor here and now if you decide to. I can’t stop you, heaven knows. But then I still wouldn’t marry you.” Seeing that she had his full attention, she went on
“If I can’t trust you to be open and honest in our relationship, then I can never be happy as your wife. By lying to me and keeping me in the dark, you’ve really hurt me. I’ve been trying so hard to remember my past, and all it took was one name to make it all come back. You could have spared me weeks of uncertainty!”
Brian heaved a deep sigh, rolling his eyes in irritation before locking gazes again.“How was I supposed to know that seeing Jared Henderson’s name would trigger your memory? All I knew was that you were wanted for murder and might be hanged. I couldn’t let that happen. I did what I had to for your own protection!”
“I understand that you were trying to protect me. That still doesn’t excuse you for lying to me,” Sarah insisted.“You could have at least been honest with me. For weeks now, I have been worried sick about you. You shut me out and wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, when all the while you were hiding this from me! Didn’t you think I had a right to know that I was wanted for murder?”
Brian raked a hand through his hair to keep from t
hrottling her.“Not if it meant scaring the wits out of you, no! I didn’t want you to be frightened or worried. Like I said, I did what I had to in order to protect you.”
Sarah crossed her arms and glared at him.“Well, in the process of trying to protect me, you betrayed my trust. The worst part is that your attempt to protect me failed anyway. I’ve been frightened and worried about you for weeks! You haven’t been yourself, and I’ve been going out of my mind because I didn’t know what was wrong or how to help you. How can I possibly marry you when you won’t even let me share your worries or fears?” She blinked back the tears that were prickling the backs of her eyes.
“Don’t you know anything about me, Brian? I’m not some cowardly ninny without a backbone! You should have let me face this with you. You shouldn’t have shut me out.”
Something in her expression caused Brian to pause. Her eyes were full of pain, mixed in with her anger. The knowledge that he had hurt her deeply and betrayed her trust by not being honest with her nagged at him, prodding his conscience. He swallowed hard.
“You’re right,” he said quietly.“I shouldn’t have lied to you. And you’re the bravest, strongest woman I know. Now will you forgive me and marry me?”
Sarah blinked, surprised by his bald admission.“Of course I forgive you, Brian.” She cleared her throat, trying to resist the appeal of his green eyes.“But I won’t marry you unless I can be assured that you won’t lie to me in the future. How do I know you won’t do this again, the next time you are facing some terrible thing?
“I can’t be your wife unless I know you are going to let me share in all your worries and fears. If I married you, I would expect to be your partner and helpmate, to share your life for better or for worse, in hard times as well as in happy times. After what you’ve done, I don’t think I can trust you to let me be a true wife to you. You’ve treated me like I’m some weak female that you need to coddle and protect.” She firmed her jaw and swallowed hard.“I don’t want that kind of relationship with you, Brian. I don’t want you always trying to protect me from things.”
Naughty Angel: Brian's Bride (The McKenzie Series #2) Page 22
