The Deardons Complete Mini-Series

by Kelli Ann Morgan

  It was Lucy’s turn to scrunch her brows. “Your mama? It has been nearly six weeks, Mr. Hearn. How does your mother keep you away from your commitments for more than six weeks? Without as much as a word to the woman you had promised to marry?”

  He twisted the hat in his hand, his head bowed, and he glanced up to meet her eyes. “I’m here now. Isn’t that what’s important?” He cleared his throat and craned his neck slightly to look at her. “And you are lovelier than I could have hoped. I know it’s late, but I’m standing here, hoping you’ll give me another chance.”

  The front door opened and Hank stepped inside the house, followed by Sam.

  Mr. Hearn straightened his back and reached up to run a finger beneath his collar. He smiled nervously as he widened his stance, his gaze shifting from one Deardon to another. A slight curl in his lip twitched against a partially closed eye.

  Mara joined her in the parlor and Lucy looked back to see Lucas descend the stairs. He paused, casually perching himself on the bottom step, and leaned against the railing. Hank and Sam stood on either side of the arched entryway into the parlor, folding their arms like sentries standing guard.

  Mr. Hearn cleared his throat again, but looked at the ground. “Well, it’s getting late yet. Maybe it’s best I be going.” He glanced up at her. “But I’ll come back tomorrow to call on ya all proper like.”

  “Like hell you will,” Hank said, one eyebrow raised. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Hearn, showing your face around here again.” He rested a hand over the holster on his hip. “The money you stole and used to pay Ardis Franks to tell her pa that you weren’t the father of her baby, was meant for the orphanage. Children went to bed hungry every night for days before Dad found out what you’d done.” He balled his free hand into a fist and then stretched it again.

  Lucy’s mouth dropped open at the blatant accusation, then turned her shock on Mr. Hearn. Hank was gruff and often discourteous to those who displeased him, but she’d never known him to lie.

  A thief? And a cheat? How could she have been so naïve to believe that everything the man had written in his letters was true?

  “Miss Russell, I assure you there is no truth to these outrageous charges,” Mr. Hearn said with a slight bow of his head, as if pleading with her to believe him.

  Hank took an intimidating step forward, but Mara rushed to him and placed a hand on her husband’s arm. He looked down at her and took a deep breath.

  “You are lucky my father thought a man—even a miscreant like you—should be given the chance to do the right thing.”

  “But now you’ve broken the arrangement,” Sam spoke up. “Our father gave you enough money to marry the girl and start a small farm far away from Thistleberry on the condition that you promise never to return. So, what are you doing here?” He pushed himself away from the wall and took a step toward them, now standing even with Hank.

  Mr. Hearn moved so that Lucy stood between him and the Deardon men, who effectively blocked his retreat.

  “Now, hold on there, Deardon,” Mr. Hearn said, peeking around her, “I come here to pay my respects to your pa. And while I was here, I thought I’d make things right with Miss Russell. There ain’t nothing wrong with that.”

  “Except that we don’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth,” Sam countered.

  “Don’t you already have a wife?” Hank asked.

  “Maybe you should mind your own business,” Hearn said. His voice exposed a slight quiver. “Besides, shouldn’t you be out there greetin’ your visitors?” He pointed to the window with a tilt of his head.

  “I think the boys can handle it for a few minutes,” Hank replied. “And Lucy is our business.”

  She smiled at him with gratitude. It was nice having a family to look after her. And that is what they had become. Family.

  “Funny thing,” Sam said casually, “we did some digging around after you left and discovered that three of the colts you’d claimed had died from the last herd ended up on ranches in some of the neighboring towns. Very much alive. How do you think that happened?”

  The tension in the room thickened and the silence grew. Lucy didn’t want to be in the middle of the mounting confrontation.

  “Lucas, why don’t you go out and get the sheriff,” Sam told his nephew. “I think he’ll be real interested to hear what we’ve learned.”

  “You know what the penalty is in these parts for horse thievin’?” Hank asked.

  Grateful the Deardons had forewent some of the more traditional mourning rituals they often displayed in New York society, Lucy caught a glimpse of Mr. Hearn in the large gilded mirror above the piano as he pulled a pistol tucked in the back of his pants.

  “He’s got a gun!” she yelled and tried to duck away, but he was too fast for her. As she jerked forward, his fingers curled into the long strands of her hair and he yanked her backward until she was close enough that he could slither an arm around her neck. He pulled her tight up against him, the stench of his hot breath searing her nostrils as he breathed hard against her ear.

  “Nobody’s going to be callin’ on the sheriff today.” Hearn spat as he waived the gun around, passing over each of them. When his aim finally settled on Lucas, he pulled back the hammer of his gun until it cocked. “Who the hell are you?”

  Lucas appeared cool as could be as he turned to face her captor. “Lucas,” he said as if that was enough.

  “Well, don’t you be trying anything funny over there, Lucas. I’ll be leaving now, and Miss Russell will be coming with me.” He turned to Hank. “Your pa done promised me a sizable dowry from this mail-order bride and I aim to take what’s mine.”

  Dowry? She didn’t have any dowry. What on earth could he be going on about?

  “You’ve mis—”

  “Shhhh,” he cautioned, tightening his grip on her hair. “There’ll be plenty of time for talking after the wedding.” He sniggered.

  “I’m afraid I can’t let that happen.”

  The gravelly sound to Lucas’s voice comforted Lucy and she glanced up at him, praying for his safety.

  He met her eyes, his brow raised.

  She nodded.

  In one swift movement, he rolled off his perch against the railing and closed the few strides between them in an instant, his own gun drawn, the barrel of it resting up against Mr. Hearn’s temple. “My grandfather entrusted me with Miss Russell’s safekeeping. The only person she will be marrying, is me.” He guided her away from Hearn’s grasp and tucked her under his arm. “If she’ll have me.”

  “Grandfather? Shoulda known you was one of ‘em.”

  Sam rushed forward, slid the gun from Hearn’s grasp, and gripped his shirt in a bunch just below the collar. “How could you have possibly believed that this was going to turn out in your favor?” he shook his head as he walked him toward the door.

  Lucy turned into Lucas, wrapping her arms around his slender waist and squeezing, reveling in the feel of his arms as they encircled her with unexpected warmth and an unspoken promise of his protection.

  “You’re safe now,” he said, then placed a gentle kiss atop her head.

  “Thank you,” she whispered against his chest.

  After a moment, he pulled away from her enough that she could look up into his face.

  “You still haven’t answered me,” he coaxed with some semblance of a smile.

  She sucked in a deep breath.

  You love him, idiot.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Lucas stared down into Lucy’s eyes which reflected the rich grey hues of a coming storm as she looked up at him, her arms still encircled about his waist. The silence in the room was palpable and becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

  “Why?” she whispered. “Why do you want to marry me?” she asked a little louder as her eyes flitted back and forth, searching his for an answer.

  He hadn’t expected the question and now felt slightly disconcerted as he searched for the right words, willing her to tell him wh
at she needed to hear, but she remained quiet. Waiting.

  “You are the kindest woman I have ever met. You are strong and beautiful, and I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  There, he’d said it.

  After a light twitch at the corners of her mouth, she offered a smile that warmed him from the inside.

  “Yes, Mr. Deardon, I’ll marry you,” she finally uttered the words he’d needed to hear all day.

  “Ahhhh,” Mara said with a hand over her heart. “I thought you’d never get there.”

  He leaned down close to Lucy’s ear. “Lucas,” he reminded her, squeezing her close to him.

  She smiled, something he hoped to see every day for the rest of his life. “Lucas,” she conceded.

  “Congratulations, Lucas,” Sam said, stepping forward, his hand extended.

  “Thank you, sir. Sam. Uncle Sam?” Lucas was unsure how to address his uncle.

  “Sam’s fine.”

  Lucas looked down at his bride-to-be. He wanted to kiss her plump mouth. To taste the sweetness of her lips, but he was all too aware of their enquiring audience.

  “What the hell were you thinking taking a chance like that with Lucy’s life? And yours?” Hank didn’t wait for a response. He marched to the front of the house, but turned back just before he left. “You are just like your father.” The door slammed behind him.

  “He didn’t mean it like it sounded.” Mara looked up at Lucas. “Gabe and Hank were closer than any two brothers I have ever seen. He misses your dad is all. And he just lost his own, God rest his soul. I expect he’ll brood more than ever.” She hugged both Lucas and Lucy. “Let’s try not to dwell on what we’ve lost, but what we have to celebrate. A reuniting of Lucas with the family, Lucy coming here to live with us, and now the two of you finding each other. Liam would be so pleased that you’ve decided to marry. Somehow, he knew you would be a good match.”

  “He did, didn’t he?” Lucy said as she turned out of his grasp and walked toward his aunt, a smile brushing across her mouth.

  His arms suddenly felt empty.

  “Yes.” Mara grabbed Lucy’s hand. “Now, let’s go tell Alex. Let’s tell everyone.”

  “But the timing. Won’t people think us impertinent sharing happy news? They will expect us to be in mourning. Maybe we should wait.”

  “Nonsense,” Mara said, stopping at the door to retrieve their warm coats. “Everyone could use some good news today. And Liam, more than anyone, would want you to shout it from the rooftops just so he could say he’d told you so.”

  Lucy looked back at Lucas and shrugged before being whisked out through the front door.

  It had only been a few days since he’d sent a message home about his grandfather’s passing. A short telegraph message, however, could not possibly convey the sorrow and regret Lucas felt that his brothers had not been given the same opportunity to get to know the real Liam Deardon instead of the man their father had portrayed him to be their whole lives. He’d been good and kind and generous with his fortune. And had never stopped loving them.

  Lucas had to find Seth. He had no idea how to work a telegraph machine, but wanted to send word to his family that he was getting married. He figured they’d want to hear something positive in spite of the tragic news.

  Married. He still could hardly believe it himself.

  As he strode to the door, he caught glimpse of Lucy’s smiling face through the window as Mara dragged her from one small group to another. His heart did a little flutter in his chest when she glanced back and caught him watching her. He hadn’t imagined he could ever feel this way about a woman, let alone one he’d only known such a short time, but even as his mind tried to convince him that he was marrying Lucy out of a sense of responsibility to fulfill his granddad’s wishes, his heart knew otherwise.

  He reached for the door, his shoulder stiff, but not painful like before, and when he pulled it open, the distinct smell of snow swirled about him.

  Another storm’s coming.

  While the sky was still a vibrant blue, the air held a distinct chill as the sun started to play a game of hide and seek behind the growing number of ominous looking clouds. Lucas laughed at the irony. Today was both a sad and a happy day.

  “I hear you, Granddad,” he said with a breathy laugh as he ventured out to find his soon-to-be bride in the frosty morning air.

  He didn’t have to go far. She sat in the swing that dangled from one of the large trees at the edge of the main yard. Her arm wrapped around the rope and she leaned to the side, kicking her feet just enough that they brushed the ground as she swayed back and forth.

  “A penny for your thoughts.”

  She looked up at him, a smile on her lips, but her wet eyes betrayed her. She brushed the tear from her cheek.

  “I was just thinking about Liam. I miss him.”

  Lucas grabbed the rope of the swing and slowed it to a stop, then crouched down in front of her. “I miss him too.”

  “I didn’t realize how much until Mara started telling everyone about our engagement. He was the first person who would have wanted to know.” She laughed through her tears.

  He stared at her for a moment, unsure how to best offer comfort. He reached out and placed a hand over hers. “He knows,” he said confidently.

  “Yes,” she responded quietly, “I suppose he does.”

  Lucas leaned forward, his lips mere inches from hers.

  Bark. Bark. Bark.

  The large, beautiful border collie jumped up between him and Lucy and rested his paws in her lap.

  She laughed. “All right. Come on, boy! Let’s get you some food.” She looked up at him apologetically. “Sorry,” she mouthed, then followed the barking dog toward the house.

  He stood, unable to take his eyes off her retreating form.

  “So, I understand congratulations are in order,” Seth came up behind him and clapped him on the back, followed by several of his cousins as they circled about him.

  Lucas watched Lucy until she disappeared into the house, then turned to face them.

  “Granddad was right,” Seth said with a wide smile. “You just needed a little push.”

  “A push for what?”

  “Uh…nothing.” Seth’s eyes opened a little wider as he patted him again on the shoulder. “He just had a…um, a feeling about you and Lucy.”

  “I thought you all wanted the chance to marry Miss Russell.” He looked at each of his cousins in the circle, recognizing that many of them were well under the marrying age. “If you thought granddad was right, why did you agree to compete for her hand?”

  “Yeah, um…oh, I think Jake needs some help with all the horses from town.” Seth turned on his heel and tapped the edge of his hat as he ran toward the barn, a grin spreading widely across his face.

  Within seconds, all of his cousins had dispersed.

  Odd. Then it hit him. It had been a ruse all along. Smart man, Granddad. He bobbed his head, not sure whether to be annoyed or impressed at his grandfather’s ingenuity.

  “I concede,” he said aloud. “Lucy is most definitely the right woman for me.”

  The majority of those who had come to pay their respects to his grandfather had already headed for home, but a few hearty stragglers remained, making their way to the barn to retrieve their buckboards and horses.

  A tall, gangly man, dressed in a fancy black suit and a matching bowler, caught Lucas’s attention as he marched toward Hank. Lucas recognized the man as the lawyer he’d seen his first day at Whisper Ridge.

  The will.

  Hank pushed himself away from the fence he’d been leaning against and he and Sam headed indoors with the lawyer at their heels. Lucas reached inside of his thick winter coat and pulled his watch from the pocket of his vest. Quarter of twelve. They had just a few minutes.

  As the sun broke out from behind a blanket of darkening clouds, it warmed the biting chill of the morning. The brief refuge from the unrelenting cold of the shadows quickly turned rival
as the day darkened to a bitter grey. One lone snowflake drifted through the air, but he placed a hand on the top of his hat to keep it from falling and looked heavenward. Thousands of tiny crystals, glimmering in the low light, descended with increasing speed.

  Lucas strode to the house, took the porch steps two at a time, and hurried inside. It appeared empty, but muffled voices reached him from the direction of the study. He hung his coat on the rack in the corner of the entry, but held onto his hat. It would give him something to do with his hands.

  As he approached the study, he stopped at the sound of Lucy’s voice.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m telling you, my dear, you should be on a big city stage. One of our associates is opening a theater in Denver and I think you would be just perfect. Folks would travel long distances to hear a voice like yours.”

  Lucas couldn’t breathe.

  No.

  “That is very kind of you, Mr. Tacy…”

  Lucas didn’t hear the rest of their conversation. He needed air. He strode down the hallway and opened the door, but when the cool air hit his face, he stopped in his tracks.

  Not every woman is like mama. NO! This stops now.

  He turned around and marched back toward the study at a determined pace.

  “If you, gentlemen, will just excuse me a moment…” Lucy rounded the door of the study into the hallway. “I’ve been looking for—”

  She didn’t have time to finish before Lucas’s hands delved into the hair at her nape, his fingertips guiding her head up to meet his kiss, his thumb caressing her jawline as his lips descended until they captured hers with hearty abandon.

  She returned his affections, her arms wrapping beneath his and up his back to his shoulders, pulling him closer. He groaned. His hands dropped to her back, his fists clutching the material of her dress.

  Easy, Deardon. It took him a moment before he garnered the will to stop. He pulled back, his eyes still closed, then with another quick peck of her lips he released her.

  “Hello.”

  “I would like you to know, Miss Russell, that I think you do have a wonderful voice.”