A Headstrong Woman (19 page)

“Certainly, Mr. Moody,” she agreed and followed him into the heavy, masculine room.

“I was so distressed to hear of your husband’s death, Mrs. Morris. I do hope that you are faring well?”

“Reasonably so,” she responded cautiously.

“I know this is highly improper and irregular, your still being in mourning, as you are, but I can’t imagine a woman as lovely as yourself remaining unmarried long, and was wondering if I might call on you.”
              Alexandria stared at Simon in disbelief. Had her banker really just asked to call on her? She chose her words carefully.

“Mr. Moody, I’m flattered, however, I am, as you pointed out, still in mourning and to be perfectly honest, it would be a waste of time on your part. I have no intention of ever marrying again.”

“Surely you don’t mean that, Mrs. Morris. You are a beautiful woman and I would imagine that there are a good many men biding their time to call on you. Surely you could see the benefit a match like ours would be. You’re beautiful and should be draped in the finest clothing and dripping with jewels, not exhausting yourself trying to see after a ranch,” Simon argued.

Alexandria’s look was one of consternation. “Mr. Moody, honestly I have no interest in jewels and expensive clothes and I did not find marriage to be a union I cared for. I’m very flattered by your interest but fear it is wasted.”

“Think of the social position and benefits,” Simon further argued.               Alexandria bit back a sharp retort. Were they really having this conversation?

“Again, truly, I am flattered but care nothing of social position. If you’ll please excuse me, I have a lot to see to,” Alexandria stood.

“Of course, please forgive my insistence,” Simon, cool on the surface but seething underneath, apologized.

Alexandria left the bank in a rush after completing her transaction. Jonathon had been looking for her and immediately knew something was wrong.

“You okay?” he inquired.

“I’ll tell you about it on the way home, can we please finish our errands and get out of here?” she asked, her face drawn.

“Of course; I’ll help,” he offered and took her elbow to lead her down the boardwalk.

“Alexandria!” a voice called from behind them. Alexandria and Jonathon turned and Jonathon could feel the immediate stiffening of Alexandria’s frame beside him. One look at Lane’s face and Jonathon could see why.

“Hello, Lane,” Alexandria greeted cordially if not warmly.

“Is it true? Were you taken from your home in the middle of the night?” Lane, his face livid, demanded.

Apparently news traveled fast. “Yes.”

“Alexandria…you can’t stay there.”

“I’m not moving back in with my parents…”

“Marry me,” Lane blurted.

Alexandria, her eyes wide and incredulous, choked in surprise. Two proposals in one morning? “Lane…I don’t even know what to say to that.”

“Say yes.”

“No, Lane, I care for you but I don’t love you. I can’t marry you…”

“You could learn to,” he seemed almost desperate now.

“Lane…”

“I could provide well for you and Lilly and protect you. You wouldn’t have to worry about anything, about someone taking you from your home and being helpless.”

Had Lane known Alexandria better he might have realized he had said the wrong thing.

“I am not helpless and, in fact, have learned to use a gun,” she informed him.

“From whom?” he demanded.

“Jonathon taught me….”

“You taught her to use a gun?” Lane turned on Jonathon acknowledging him for the first time.

“Yes, I did.”

“A woman has no place using a gun!” Lane raised his voice.

Jonathon noted several questioning gazes and stepped closer to Lane.

“If you don’t lower your voice this argument is going to get a lot more serious, Alexandria doesn’t need you causing a scandal for her. As for a woman having no business with a gun, every woman has the right to defend herself. If you’ll excuse us, we have errands and we’re already running behind,” Jonathon announced evenly. “Good day, Mr. Wilson.” He grabbed Alexandria by the elbow and escorted her down the boardwalk.

Alexandria glanced back to find Lane watching them; rage was the only word for the expression on his face. Alexandria turned back to Jonathon.

“You just made him very angry,” Alexandria informed him without rebuke.

“He was beginning to make me angry. Who appointed him your guardian?”

“Oh, I see, are you afraid that he’ll take your job,” she teased. “I would think you would be looking for a way to get rid of a pain in the neck.”

“You’re a lot of things, Alexandria, but only occasionally a pain in the neck,” Jonathon’s smile was teasing.

“Thanks.”

“Glad to help,” Jonathon answered as they entered McAllister’s Livery.

“Wha’ can I do fer ya?” Mr. McAllister inquired.

Alexandria let Jonathon answer; her attention was on the activity in the corral just beyond a side door. A beautiful cinnamon colored mare pawed the air; the men beneath her were scrambling to stay out of the way of her hooves. One of the men yanked roughly on the mare’s reigns and Alexandria felt her blood heat.

“Mr. McAllister, your men need to learn that force is not the only way to handle a horse,” Alexandria said with heat.

“I assure ya, Ma’am, they tried everything else.”

“I doubt that,” Alexandria muttered as she headed for the door.               Jonathon and McAllister followed her. Jonathon was watching her suspiciously. Before either man was certain of her intentions, Alexandria had let herself into the corral and was approaching the furious mare. “You, you there, stop yanking her around and she just might co-operate,” Alexandria called to the brawny man who held the mare’s reigns. The man glanced at her and grunted.

“Stay back lady, this one is no good…”

Alexandria was now beside the man. The horse, which had been pacing anxiously, stopped and watched Alexandria as she began talking in low soothing tones; she took the reins and stepped closer and closer.

Jonathon was halfway across the corral when she stroked the horse’s nose and started leading the mare toward Mr. McAllister.

“Mr. McAllister, your mare,” Alexandria handed him the reigns. McAllister’s eyes were huge. He obediently reached forward and took the mare’s reigns. The mare snorted and stepped sideways but made no further move to bolt. Alexandria turned and left the corral.

Jonathon appeared at her side, took her by the elbow, and propelled her down the boardwalk to the waiting wagon. He physically lifted her from the ground and set her on the high seat before climbing on beside her. It was several minutes later, well into the countryside before Jonathon’s heart had slowed enough for him to speak.

“Alexandria, that was a very foolish thing to do, that horse could have trampled you,” he finally managed much more calmly than he felt.

“I couldn’t let them continue to treat that mare that way!” Alexandria’s hands fisted with anger.

“I understand why you were upset, I don’t approve of how you handled it.”

“I appreciate your concern but I’m not a child.”

“I didn’t say you were, I’m merely suggesting that you acted rashly,” he countered.

“Jonathon, please don’t tell me how I should conduct my life; I’ve had enough of that today. Why is it everything always happens all at once with me?” Alexandria questioned as her shoulders slumped and her voice suddenly sounded tired.

Jonathon frowned and surveyed her closely.               “What happened at the bank, Alexandria?”

“Mr. Moody all but proposed marriage.”

“What?” Jonathon’s head snapped around to stare at her with wide, unbelieving eyes.

“He did and when I told him that I had no intentions of remarrying, he argued with me telling me what benefits ‘a union like ours’ would bring. Then of course there was Lane…”

“Has Mr. Moody ever expressed interest in you before?”

“No.”

“Not that you aren’t a beautiful woman, Alexandria, but I believe his sudden interest in you may have less to do with being enamored with you and more to do with the ranch,” Jonathon informed her.

“That would be my first assumption.”

“Lane, now he’s smitten with you.”

“He’s the only one and for that I’m thankful.”

“Well there is Tristan,” Jonathon pointed out.

“He is not smitten with me, he just wants to possess me,” she shook her head.

Jonathon’s gaze again swung around to her in surprise, “You’re a very wise woman to recognize that, Alexandria.”

“Not really, I’m just not a kid with starry eyed day dreams of love anymore. I could choose to believe that he felt something he doesn’t but I’ve been hurt once and I don’t care to repeat…” Alexandria’s cheeks heated as she realized what she had been saying.

“Alexandria, don’t judge marriage by your experience with Elijah,” Jonathon said gently.

“What do you know about it, Jonathon?” she diverted her face so her tears wouldn’t show.

“Actually, Elijah talked to me about it quite a lot,” he answered honestly.

“He talked to you about us?” her horror stricken face now turned on him; tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Jonathon pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the house and Alexandria jumped up. Jonathon reached out to stop her before she could climb down unaided. She waited until he had come around for her. Rather than assisting her, he grabbed her by the waist, swung her to the ground and held her there.

“Are you mad at me?” he demanded.

Alexandria fixed her gaze on the buttons of his shirt.

“I’m mad, I just don’t know who I’m mad at,” she admitted.

Jonathon took her chin, and forced her to look up at him. “Are you mad at
me
?” he insisted.

Alexandria met his gaze and considered it before answering. “No.”

“Good,” Jonathon released her.

Alexandria, her packages forgotten, turned and quickly entered the house.

“Are you okay?” Anna asked as she took in Alexandria’s tear-streaked face.

“No…Mr. Moody proposed, or all but, Lane did propose, then those men at the corral and the poor horse they were abusing. Jonathon got mad at me for stepping in and then I find out Elijah apparently aired our marriage problems…I need a few minutes, if you’ll excuse me,” Alexandria hurried from the room when Jonathon entered.

Jonathon frowned after her. “If she says she’s not mad at me, why is she avoiding me?” Jonathon asked Anna.

Anna shrugged. “I couldn’t make any sense out of what she was saying. What happened in town?” Anna asked him.

Alexandria rushed into her room, shut the door behind her, and lay across her bed. She herself had confided in Jonathon, why did it bother her that Elijah had as well? After a moment’s consideration she knew the answer. Her pride was wounded. To have Elijah going around admitting to others that he hadn’t loved her smarted, made her feel even more naïve and stupid. How many people had he spoken with? Alexandria replayed her conversation with Jonathon in her mind. The memory of his hand on her chin and his intense gaze meeting hers sent a small shiver down her spine. She didn’t like that feeling, didn’t like it all, she wanted to run from it.

No longer wanting to be alone with her thoughts, Alexandria jumped up and dressed in her work clothes. She went to the barn to help Jonathon.

“Want some help?” she offered.

Jonathon looked up to find no trace of the vulnerable young woman he had escorted home from town. In her place was a cool confident ranch owner whose thoughts and feelings were carefully guarded.

“Sure,” he smiled.

***

His thoughts seething, Simon Moody sat staring at the closed door. Alexandria Morris had just refused a perfectly good offer from him. Had turned down wealth and position, had turned down him. Simon shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to being told no. Most people usually bent to his will whether from respect or fear he cared not which. Fear was a powerful tool, he knew. Simon smiled. There was more than one way to get what he wanted. It was time to have Dalton and the men he had recruited to redouble their efforts and time for a new one from him. It would take him a while to sort through all the details but it was already taking shape. An ultimatum was what she needed. How best to accomplish that? He gathered the papers that lay on his desk and started scanning them; a smile spread over his face as he did. His plan just might work and he would get Alexandria right where he wanted her.

***

Alexandria sat bolt upright as thunder shook the walls and rattled the windows. She hated storms had since she had been a mere child. Alexandria flung the covers aside, pulled on her dressing gown, and moved onto the porch to watch the skies until the worst had blown over. It was late by the time she crawled back into bed and she knew the next day would be a long one. Had Alexandria been honest with herself, she knew she wouldn’t have slept that night anyway.