The Debutantes of Durango Box Set Books 1-3

by Peggy McKenzie

  Instead of turning up the aisle where everyone would see her leave, including John, she turned toward the door behind the stage that led to the alleyway outside.

  Regina nodded to the man who opened the door for her as she stepped out into the dark alley and into the chilly evening air.

  She inhaled the deep aroma that was Durango. Dust. Horses. Cattle from the train's holding pen at the end of town. Pine trees. Crisp mountain air. She had spent three-quarters of her life in this town and suddenly, she felt like a stranger in it.

  Tears stung her eyes over John's deception. She couldn't come to terms with his betrayal. Not yet. She would need time and there was only one place she could go to get the time she needed.

  She walked quickly to her parent’s home. She knew they would still be at the meeting and she would have time to pack a few things for her trip. Then, she would head to Sarah’s house where she would spend her last night in town. Tomorrow morning, she would purchase a ticket on the stage or train or whatever mode of transportation would take her away from this town and its lies.

  Tears burned her eyes as she entered her parent’s home by the servant’s entrance. She expected this kind of thing from her father. But John? Never. She had trusted him without reservation, but now, she would never forgive him.

  John sat in his office and tried for the hundredth time to reconcile the day's receipts, but he couldn't force his mind to the task at hand. No matter how many times he refocused his thoughts, they always pulled him back to Regina and the look of betrayal in her eyes when she learned the truth. He had been so close to having it all, and just like his father, his con had cost him everything.

  It had been two months since she had left him standing on that stage. When he tried to find her, someone said they thought they had seen her leave by the alley door. As soon as he had been able to leave the town hall, he ran to the hotel hoping she would allow him a moment to explain, but when he arrived in the main lobby, he was mobbed by well-wishers and it was another half an hour before he was able to escape to his suite. She wasn't there and no one had seen her...not even Mary.

  John had attended Mary and Charley’s wedding as planned hoping to see her there, but there was no luck to be had. He had tried to cheat Lady Luck and now his Queen of Hearts was gone forever.

  John had gone to her parent’s house every day since she left, hoping to get some answers as to where she had gone, but her father gleefully told him his daughter had finally come to her senses and left him in the gutter where he belonged.

  John kept hoping someone would slip up and say something that would give him some clue to where she had gone, but her father finally grew tired of insulting him and ordered his staff to stop answering the door.

  He even eavesdropped on the weekly ladies club meetings. And, although she was the topic of gossip on more than one occasion, no one seemed to know where his beautiful Regina had disappeared to. He just hoped she was safe.

  A knock on his office door pulled him from his despair. "Come in," he snapped.

  The door swung open and Will walked in. "Still stewing, I see." His friend eyed his empty glass and raised his brows in question.

  "Yes, I'm still stewing. Why wouldn't I be? There's been no sign of her, Will. It's as if she vanished into thin air." John slammed his ledger shut and removed the stopper from the crystal decanter and splashed a heavy-handed portion into his glass. He offered the bottle to Will. He shook his head no.

  John didn't really care one way or the other. He slammed the bottle down on his desk and tossed the entire contents of his glass down his throat. The Scotch burned like hell. He poured another glass full and sat back in his chair. His eyes were full of grit from lack of sleep. He met Will's sympathetic gaze and nearly broke down.

  Will remained silent and John’s frustration hit his limit of tolerance. He picked up the crystal paperweight and threw it across the room. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Just like his heart.

  "Feel better?" Will asked.

  "Where could she be, Will? I have asked all her friends from The Ladies Club of Durango. If they know something, they aren't talking about it. Her parents won't talk to me. I even hired two private investigators to see if they could find any trace of how she left or where she went. Nothing."

  "Do you think if you find her, she's going to listen to you?"

  "I don't know, but I have to try. I have to do something to make her understand how much I love her. Let her know how sorry I am that I lied." John felt more lost and lonely than he ever had growing up without parents. He didn't think Regina would ever forgive him, but he had to try to explain his reasons for tricking her.

  "I bought her a house the day of the town meeting. Did you know that?" John casually asked Will.

  "No, why would you buy her a house if you knew there was a possibility that she might not—" He heard his friend stop short.

  "If I knew she might not stay?" John filled in the blank. "Because she said she never felt like her parent’s house was her home. They deMegted every square inch, even her room. They made the rules. They told her what to do. Where to go. When, how, and why to do everything."

  "But what about your suite of rooms upstairs? Hell, there's probably more room up there than most houses can boast," Will questioned. "Besides, that whole third floor is like a palace. It is unbelievable what you have done with—"

  "That's the problem. I deMegted it. I designed it. And it was all built for a bachelor's taste. Dark woods. Browns and tans. Hunting horses and foxes. Not the roses and damask that ladies often like.”

  “I had my opportunity to tell her the truth the night of the kitchen fire. I planned to tell her the next day because I was hoping we were growing closer, but she was already gone when I got back to the room. And I didn’t get to see her again until she arrived on the stage with me. It's like fate kept placing obstacles in my way. And then her father told her I lied in front of the whole town. It was him that day, He was the one lurking outside my office door the day of the town meeting, and he heard us talking. I’ll bet it gave him so much joy to know he had me right where he wanted me."

  John stood and paced around the room. His heart ached. His stomach churned. Not only had he lost his wife, he had lost his best friend. Compare to that, all of his success, his new position with Mr. Scott’s company, this hotel—none of it meant a thing. Not anymore. Nothing mattered except being with Regina. But it was beginning to look as though that opportunity was lost to him forever.

  A knock at the door made him want to throw something at it, but he was a businessman and he had an obligation to his staff to keep this hotel running so they had a paycheck at the end of the week. And now the added responsibility of his new job only increased the pressure he felt while he dealt with this life-altering situation.

  Seeing John’s control slipping, Will answered for him. "Come in."

  John turned to the door wanting to deal with the intruder quickly and send them on their way. Then he could again wallow in his misery and drink. But when the door opened, he thought surely he was hallucinating.

  Standing in the doorway was Regina's mother, Lila Beckett. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He wasn't even sure what he was seeing was real.

  He saw the frown on her face at the unkempt sight of him. He hadn't bathed in two days...possibly three. He hadn't bothered to groom his beard or his hair in weeks, and his clothes were wrinkled as if he had slept in them—which he had.

  Will stood and greeted the woman for him. "Mrs. Beckett, what an unexpected pleasure. I apologize for my friend here. He has lost something he loved very much and he's not coping well with the loss."

  John watched his friend approach the lady and bow. Then he offered her his hand. When Regina's mother sort of smiled and gave him her hand in return, he led her to the chair next to the one he had occupied before her arrival.

  "Mrs. Beckett, would you care for some tea? Or perhaps coffee?" Will offered while giving him a look that said “Wake up. Thi
s could be the chance you’ve been waiting for. Don’t screw it up.”

  "No. Thank you, Judge Baker, I'm fine." Regina’s mother answered.

  Will gave him another look over the woman's large feathered hat and excused himself. Now, John found himself alone with the one woman who might have the answer to his question. He reminded himself, she could also have a gun in her purse and came here to put him out of his misery. He wouldn’t fault her for the idea.

  John shook the alcohol, fatigue, and fog from his brain, smoothed his wrinkled shirt, and raked his fingers through his unkempt hair. Taking his chair behind his desk, he watched Lila Beckett watching him.

  He was nervous as hell. Why on earth would Regina's mother come to visit him? Her parents hated him. A thought punched through his confusion. Something has happened to Regina. The thought made him nearly lose his liquid lunch. He swallowed twice to keep the bile from rising up and embarrassing them both.

  "Mrs. Beckett, is Regina alright? Has something happened to her?" John didn't want to know the answer to that question. Not really...who was he kidding? Of course, he did.

  "No, Mr. Kingston. The last letter I received from her said she arrived unharmed at her destination."

  Tears burned John's eyes. "Good. That's really good to know. Thank you for telling me that much, Mrs. Beckett." The emotions from the last two months leached out between his words. He heard the catch. He knew Regina’s mother had heard it too.

  He caught her sympathetic look and tried not to be embarrassed, but then he saw her thoughtful look and good sense returned. "What brings you to see me, Mrs. Beckett? Does Regina need something? Money perhaps. Whatever she needs, all she has to do is ask and it’s hers."

  The woman remained silent for a moment or two longer and then she looked him right in the eye and asked, "Mr. Kingston, do you love my daughter?"

  Stunned that she might even consider the possibility of him loving her daughter, he did not hesitate to assure her of his feelings. "I have been in love with your daughter since we were children, Mrs. Beckett. Since that day I walked her home."

  "Yes, I remember that day. It was the day she came home in tears, her dress dirty, and her knees raw and bleeding. Her father was furious with her for not paying attention. I was furious with the lot of you, until…”

  John watched the woman hesitate.

  "Until?" He had to know where this conversation was going.

  "Until I saw the look on Regina's face when she talked about how you stepped in to protect her. You made quite an impression on my little girl that day, Mr. Kingston."

  He remained silent. Mrs. Beckett continued, "Every time you and Regina were together, I could tell. Her eyes would light up and her face glowed with happiness."

  John was trying to grasp what the woman was telling him. “So, you knew about our weekly visits by the lake outside of town?” He couldn’t believe it.

  “Yes, I always knew Regina wasn’t at piano lessons. Goodness, I hope not. If that girl had spent that much time at the piano, and still couldn’t play a lick, I’d be sorely disappointed and demanding my money back.” The woman was actually teasing him.

  "Then please, tell me where she is, Mrs. Beckett. Tell me how I can find her so I can fix this," John begged.

  "Is it true Regina asked you to marry her first?"

  "Yes."

  "And is it also true that Mr. Scott promised to support you for the job, if you were a married man?" she pushed.

  The time for lies had passed. John answered without hesitation.

  "Yes, that is true, but Regina had already asked me to marry her before Mr. Scott made his promise to support me instead of your husband."

  "And did you marry Regina because of Mr. Scott's job?"

  "Hell, no. Excuse me, Mrs. Beckett. I apologize for my language, but I would have married Regina on the spot, job or no job. I told Regina I wanted to think about it, and if I felt her idea wasn’t going to benefit her, then my answer would be no.”

  “But you didn’t tell her no, did you, Mr. Kingston?”

  “I did not. After Mr. Scott made his offer with its stipulation, I admit, I jumped at the chance to have the two things I wanted most in this world. They were right in front of me and there for the taking." He hesitated for another second and then added. "Besides, I love her. I wanted her to be my wife. I would have asked years ago, but I know how you and your husband feel about me, so...I just never wanted to put her through that kind of drama."

  Mrs. Beckett nodded, the feather in her hat fluttering in the stale air of his office. "I know this may be hard for you to believe, considering my part in my daughter’s unhappiness, but all I’ve ever wanted was for Regina to be happy, regardless of what my husband thinks. I had hoped she and Mr. Scott’s son might suit one another and fall in love. Then Henry would get what he wanted, and my daughter could finally be happy in her own life out from under Henry’s thumb.” Lila Beckett shot him a knowing look, “But I can see now that would never have happened because, it would seem, her heart was already taken."

  "I ask you again, Mrs. Beckett. Why have you come this morning?" John pushed for answers.

  "My daughter is in love with you, Mr. Kingston. She may not know it yet, but I do. And right now, she is miserable. If you love her, and you wish to make her happy, then it is up to you to make that happen. All I can do is give you an address where you can write to her.” Regina’s mother handed him a piece of paper with an address on it. Boston. So, Regina was in Boston.

  “Don't bother trying to find her at this address. You will be wasting your time. The people who live there will thwart your every move if you try to see Regina against her wishes. You must make her want to come to you, Mr. Kingston. It is the only hope you have if you wish to win my daughter’s trust again.”

  "Thank you, Mrs. Beckett. Thank you."

  The woman stood and turned to leave. He rushed to the door to open it for her. His hand on the doorknob, she placed her hand on his arm. He raised his eyes in question. "Mr. Kingston, despite what people think, I love my daughter immensely. I was young when I married Henry and he was so handsome and dashing. He was quite the catch, at least that’s what I was led to believe by my father.

  “It was only after we were married, that I learned what an arrogant selfish heartless man he was. I've not always been the best mother to Regina. I can admit that now that she’s grown. But I also see now that my actions…or rather inactions were motivated more by self-preservation than by choice."

  John watched tears pool in her dark eyes, so much like Regina's. He suddenly felt sorry for the woman. "I have done the best I could to protect Regina from Henry's machinations. I would never have pushed her into a marriage not of her choosing, even if I had to steal her away in the dead of night. I'm glad you love her, Mr. Kingston. I've watched you grow into the man you are now and,” the woman paused and looked him in the eyes, “I like what I see.”

  Speechless, John stood staring at Regina's mother. Small crinkles appeared at the outside corners of her eyes and John realized she was smiling at him. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to try to win my daughter back?"

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m going to win your daughter back, starting right this minute.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Regina sat on her bed in her Aunt Latisha’s second-story guest room and rationalized her anger at John. She had been in Boston for nearly two months, and every time her heart tried to convince her to see reason, thoughts of John’s betrayal reminded her how angry she should be.

  And as helpful and welcoming as her mother’s sister, Aunt Latisha, and her twin cousins, Roxanne and Marianne were, they were starting to get on her last nerve.

  It wasn't that they hadn't welcomed her into their home with open arms, it was just that she missed home. Well, maybe not home exactly, and they wouldn’t stop talking about John.

  She closed her eyes and thought back to that night at the town hall meeting when she had been so deliriously happ
y to stand by John's side. She had been so proud of her husband and his success, but then she learned of his deception and that he had played her for a fool. She had been devastated. Her heart, along with her trust, had been broken. She had played right into his hands when she asked him to marry her. Was she really supposed to believe it was just a coincidence that he needed a wife at the same time she needed a husband?

  She thought he was her friend. A loyal friend. A trusted friend. Instead, he turned out to be just another manipulative male who used her as a pawn to get what he wanted. He was as bad as her father. No. That wasn’t true. He was worse than her father because he had pretended to be her friend. At least her father had been upfront about his intentions. A long sad sigh escaped her lips as she struggled to come to grips with her feelings once more.

  "Regina, are you pining again for that handsome husband of yours?" Her cousin, Roxanne, asked over the top of the latest book she was reading. Roxi was her adventurous romantic cousin, always reading about some faraway place, imagining herself there, falling in love with a handsome stranger.

  "No, I mean…yes. Oh, I don’t know what I’m feeling.” She mumbled more to herself than in answer to her cousin’s question.

  “Well, it’s obvious you are. And my advice to you is that if you are so miserable without the man, then why not go home and straighten things out?" Marianne, ever the practical one, pointed out.

  "I can’t go home.” Regina insisted.

  “Why? Because he treated you with respect and valued your opinion? You said so yourself how kind he was. How dare the man treat you in such a manner.” Her cousin’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on Regina.

  “No, Marianne. I can’t go back because he lied to me and I no longer trust him," she snapped. They’d been over this many times. Many, many times, in fact.