Harnessed Passions (9 page)

She stood in front of the mirror next to her
wardrobe, staring into the reflection of her swollen hazel eyes.
She was going to have to face this, regardless of how much she
wanted to cover her head and run. She felt like Anne Bolin being
led to the gallows, reluctant to meet the executioner who would
lower his axe and erase her life, yet bravely facing each step with
determination and dignity.

Her black crimson gown lay across the back
of the chair between her vanity and bed like a shroud, respectable
for mourning. She pulled on her stockings and slid into her chemise
and bloomers, followed by the corset she despised, the heavy
petticoat and finally the gown itself. Complete with a pair of
black slippers, she looked as beautiful and unshakable as Victor
Turner would have preferred his only daughter to appear. If she
hadn’t known the turmoil churning inside her stomach, she would
have believed the image staring back at her from the reflective
surface of her full-length mirror, was full of confidence and
unwavering sophistication.

Julia sat down at her vanity and applied a
light dusting of powder to her ivory complexion; nothing elaborate
she told herself, just a hint of normalcy. She tugged her brush
through the length of damp dark hair, trying to straighten out the
mess her bath had made of it. It always took so long to style her
hair that she rarely bothered with anything more than a bun or hair
combs to hold it back off her face, sometimes even an occasional
braid. She had often considered cutting it as some of her friends
in Boston were doing, but never did. She liked its length and in
truth, she felt it was her best asset.

As she tied a black ribbon around the thick
layer of hair at nape of her neck, a knock sounded on the door.
Anticipating her mother, she merely replied to the door being
unlocked and continued with what she was doing. As the door
cautiously pushed open, the dark head of her younger brother poked
around the corner.

"Make sure you're decent," he teased her,
through the narrow opening. "I'm too old, to see my sister naked."
Julia laughed rushing to the door and pulling it open wider,
unaware the young man had been leaning against it. He stumbled into
the room and right into his sister's waiting arms, laughing as he
hugged her to him.

"Jeremy, you clumsy nut," she laughed,
returning his embrace.

"You do know how to make men fall for you,
sis," he teased, as they sat together on the edge of the bed
holding hands.

"When did you get home?" she asked him,
hoping to avoid the subject of what brought him back.

"About three this morning, I came as soon as
I got mother’s telegram. Why didn't someone contact me sooner? I
would have been here; perhaps I could have helped or done
something." Julia shook her dark head, sadly.

"There was nothing you could have done.
Father had been ill for a number of years. I guess it was only a
matter of time."

"Mother told me about him leaving you the
stables in his will," he said, mixed emotions echoed through his
words. "If I can help I will but you should know I'm getting
married once school is finished and I don't want to live in
father's shadow. I don't want to become so obsessed with work I
lose sight of my life and my family. He was a good man for the most
part I suppose, maybe even a good husband, but as a father he left
a lot to be desired. I don't want my children growing up without
theirs the way we did. Never seeing him, never knowing rather or
not he'd be there for your birthday or Christmas. Never really
knowing who came first, his damned horses or you." Jeremy stood and
walked to the open door leading to the veranda. His hands thrust
deep in his pockets, his back to his sister.

"How do you say good-bye to a man you barely
knew?" he whispered in the stillness of the room.

"I'm sorry Jeremy," she answered, feeling
the same agonizing pain she knew her younger brother was suffering.
"I just wish I could say something to make it all right."

"I don't think there's anything to say that
would set things right." Jeremy paused looking out the door to the
morning light. Grief and years of resentment thrust themselves upon
him, making him stagger mentally from its force.

"You know," he began, his tone strong with
youthful determination and pride, as he spoke to the door's frame.
"I've spent my whole life trying to make the name Turner, something
I could be proud of. I wanted to come back and show the old man
that I didn't need his damned money to succeed. I swore a long time
ago, I'd never be like him. My family would come first, above all
else. My wife and kids would know I loved them. They'd never wonder
where I spent my nights."

"Jeremy, don't do this to yourself. Father's
dead, and for all he did, good or bad, he did love us, all of
us."

"Not me. I knew him too well. He could never
deceive me after I learned what he was really like." Jeremy turned,
confronting his sister with grieving eyes. "I don't want anything
to do with this land, and I especially don't want to see you become
his grave mate."

"I don't particularly want to turn out that
way either, but I gave my word. I can't deny him, now that he's
dead. This ranch was his life and now it's mine, for better or for
worse."

"Aw Jules, you're letting him do the one
thing you swore you never would. He's planned your whole future
around you, just as he always intended to. Your future is over;
your life is a mirror of his." Julia frowned, sitting down at her
vanity again. She pulled the ribbon from her hair and absently
began brushing it again.

"So who is this girl you plan on taking
advantage of?" she wanted to change the subject and ignore the
thoughts that her brother was right and their father had indeed
plot out the events of her current life.

"Her name is Malinda Stevens," he began,
eager emotion ringing through his voice. "She's eighteen, blond
hair, blue eyes. About your height and weight, but not quite as
well developed," he teased, taking into account his sister's
physical attributes. "She reminds me an awful lot of you, too; her
personality, her incredible outlook on life that sort of thing. But
she's not as outspoken as you are."

"Oh yeah sure," she answered him, in mocking
tones. "We sound like twins."

The next hour flew by with Jeremy telling his sister
about the woman he planned to marry and comparing the two openly.
He was transfixed on his fiancée, talking about her with a distant
look in his eyes. Julia listened intently, feeling the pangs of
jealousy rising to the surface. He had found someone to love and
she was still waiting. She was beginning to think she'd never find
the kind of man she had dreamed of as a child. One who was kind and
loving, passionate and romantic. It was a dream that had died when
Heather had. A dream only the two of them could understand.

Julia was laughing over some ridiculous joke
Jeremy had told her when they entered the formal dining room of the
family's ranch style mansion. She caught sight of the turquoise
eyes almost immediately after crossing the threshold and her heart
seemed to skip a beat. Daniel was very distinguished in his
tailored mourning suit and the mere sight of him made her
blush.

Jeremy noticed his sister's sudden
distraction. Turning to see what had caused it he glanced at the
man who eyed him suspiciously. They shook hands in greeting as
Louise introduced the two. Julia felt weak and unable to move until
her brother nudged her into the chair across from the man.

Bridget served their breakfast as Julia
struggled to regain her composure. Large platters of food were set
in front of them on the long, polished table along with fresh milk
and lemonade. Bridget glanced to Daniel and smiled a silent
invitation to him as she bent over in front of him, setting the
pitcher of cream on the table. He returned her smile with his usual
polite poise before glancing back at Julia, noting the disapproving
gleam in her green eyes. The invitation had been there from the
maid since he first stepped through the front door, but he had
never accepted it. Out of consideration to Victor as well as his
standing in the town’s hub of higher taxpayers, he felt it was best
to remember his position. Besides, gossip was a ruthless knife in
any back wishing to be seen as professional and trustworthy; not
something he was willing to participate in.

The thought of that disapproving look from
the woman across him, however, being something more along the lines
of jealousy made his smile widen to reveal the soft dimple in his
left cheek. He winked seductively at her, before turning his
attention to the young man seated to his left.

"Daniel Browning," Jeremy said, repeating
the man's name again. "Now where have I heard that name
before?"

"Mr. Browning was father's legal advisor for
the Stables," Julia clarified, trying to ignore the challenging
look he offered her at the use of his surname; an instant reminder
of the reward for using his first name came with a flood of color
to her ivory cheeks. It was very unsettling to have this man in the
same room with her, yet she found herself becoming quite used to
him hanging around. He'd been there so often over the past few
days; he seemed to actually blend into the woodwork.

"No, it's something else," her brother
commented, as he poured maple syrup over his entire breakfast of
hot cakes, potatoes, eggs and bacon - a habit from his childhood he
obviously hadn't out grown. The three other occupants at the table
watched with disgusted amusement as the younger man began to devour
his concoction.

"I know what it is," he said, licking the
syrup from his fork. "You're the guy who wrote that paper on the
legalities of contract law and how they would affect the future
workings of the legal profession. I must have read your article a
hundred times, and every time I do I get something new out of
it."

"I wasn't aware you were studying law?"
Daniel sipped on his coffee, pushing his untouched plate aside.

"Oh I'm not, but my girlfriend's brother is.
He let me read some of his work and in it was an essay on your
paper. I couldn't understand what he was talking about and it made
me curious, so I got a copy of your article and read through it. I
was so impressed I kept the article for my own personal reference.
I'm majoring in business, but your paper's helped me out quite a
bit."

"I'm glad to hear my opinion made such an
impact on you. You know, your degree will come in handy here at the
stables." Daniel commented, causing Jeremy to shrug his shoulders
lightly, still eating the mess he'd made on his plate.

"The ranch is Julia's now, Mr. Browning. I'm
not sure if she wants my help, or even if she needs it."

"I know she's determined
enough to try it alone, but she will need help - quite a bit of it
- and the name is Daniel. I'm getting a little tired of the
title,
Mr. Browning
. It seems to be Julia's favorite phrase."

"Don't take my sister too serious, Daniel.
She gets her snobbish attitude from mother's Italian blood. Her
stubbornness has its appealing side too, wouldn't you say?" Jeremy
asked, with a chuckle.

"Will you two quit referring to me, as
though I'm not here?" demanded Julia, irritation sparking within
her emerald eyes.

"Like you said, stubborn," Daniel commented,
unaffected by her outburst - as usual.

"Takes after father, in that case," her
brother added, with amusement as he drank down half his glass of
milk in one swallow.

"I noticed your father did have a temper at
times didn't he? Much as his daughter does."

"Don't you have something
better to do,
Mr.
Browning
; like finding a cliff to jump
off?" Daniel and Jeremy both broke into laughter at the woman's
display of irritation joined quickly by a joyous throaty sound from
Louise, who had remained quietly enjoying the conversation of the
three younger people.

"What are your designs for the future,
Jeremy, if you don’t plan on using your degree here at Turner
Stables?" Daniel asked, after a moment.

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I just
want to get my marriage over with before I make any long term
plans."

"You make it sound like a curse or an
obligation," his sister tried to tease, irritation still etching
her delicate features.

"Jeremy Allen!" Louise snapped at her son,
while visions began to dance before her maternal eyes. "Did this
girl get you in trouble?"

"Mother!" he exclaimed, in a voice near
cracking. He looked like a schoolboy caught in the hayloft with the
squire's daughter. Julia tried hard not to laugh, but found the
boy's awkward situation amusing, nevertheless.

"I'm not in trouble. Malinda isn't like
that. She would never...I mean we haven't...that is she
wouldn't...for God's sake mother, her father’s a tobacco farmer
from Virginia!"

"You're really being quite unfair mother,"
Julia added, coming to her brother's aid. "I'm sure if Jeremy were
in trouble, they would be getting married long before June."

"Thank you," the embarrassment was vivid on
the younger man's features. So much so, that Julia couldn't fight
the urge to harass him just a little more, out of revenge.

"Of course," she added, winking at her
mother. "It is rather difficult to defend a girl's honor, when
we've never actually met her. For all we know, they could already
be married, with a couple of little red faced Turners running
around."

"That's true," Louise remarked, joining in
on the fun. "I've heard stories about these innocent little farm
girls. Hay lofts, tractors, why I even heard once of this girl and
her farm hand who had taken full advantage of the horse they were
riding. Seems all they really had to do was..."