The Bride Price (20 page)

“Very well, thank you.”

“Where’s Topper?” James drew her attention
again—by speaking.

Oh, and smiling.

Richard gave a civil smile. “I have him
working with one of the horses this morning.”

Sophie shook her head in an effort to force
her thoughts away. Her mind felt suspiciously like overcooked
oatmeal.

“What are your plans today?” Richard touched
her arm.

She pulled away, stopping a hiss. “I’m
scheduled at the hospital.” She looked at James and smiled. “What
about you?”

“We’re going to be working without the horses
for a few hours.” Richard answered the question directed toward
James, and Sophie rolled her eyes. Sophie was grateful when Michael
took over the conversation, happy to sit and listen, choosing to
observe the lieutenant in an attempt to block out Richard. Sophie
was surprised how quickly everyone finished their breakfast, and
when they were ready to leave, Sophie walked them out.

James and Richard moved toward the front
door. Sophie hung back and let the men go ahead of her. As James
passed her, he lightly touched her arm and gave her a smile. Almost
as if he knew they had more to discuss and he would find a way to
make it happen. Her stomach did a little flip. Sophie said good-bye
and then made her way upstairs to finish getting ready and walk out
to the hospital. The morning passed without incident, everyone
relieved that there were no new injuries to tend to and the men
were all resting comfortably.

By noon, her stomach grumbled almost loud
enough to be heard. She had finally gained back most of the weight
she’d lost during her illness, but now her body complained when she
didn’t eat at regular times. Sophie knew she’d need to take a break
if she wanted to avoid a nasty headache.

“Sophie?”

Turning, she saw Christine motioning to her
from the front of the tent. She made her way to her…and stalled.
Richard walked in and stood behind Christine, a smile on his face
as though he’d just done something benevolent.

Taking a deep breath, Sophie forced her feet
to move again. “Hello.”

“I have a basket full of food, and since I
won’t be able to eat it all myself, I thought perhaps you might
join me,” Richard said.

Her stomach betrayed her with its call for
food, and Sophie tried to keep from wrapping her arms around her
middle. “I suppose that would be all right.”

“Excellent.”

Richard escorted her outside, and Sophie
turned when she noticed Christine wasn’t following. “Isn’t
Christine coming?”

“Not this time.”

Sophie suddenly felt a little nauseous, but
before she could think about it, they heard pounding hooves and
turned toward the sound. James pulled up and dismounted, his
horse’s nostrils flaring, and coat frothy from sweat. He pulled an
unconscious soldier from the horse’s back and rushed into the tent.
Sophie followed.

James carried the man to one of the cots and
gently settled him on his back. Christine and Dr. Palmer rushed
over as Sophie made her way to James. “What happened?”

“He was shot,” James said.

“Where?” Sophie lifted the man’s head and
laid it on a pillow.

James went quiet. Sophie took the hint but
fully intended to get the story once everything calmed down. A
groan from the soldier drew Sophie’s attention, and she moved to
help Christine hold him down.

“Sophie, you’ve been on your feet for hours.
You should go on your picnic.” Christine looked at her over her
shoulder.

Dr. Palmer called one of the other nurses
over and then forced Richard and James to leave, insisting that
Sophie go with them as well. The three of them left the hospital,
and Richard took Sophie’s elbow as they walked towards the
carriage. Pulling away from him, she had a sudden idea and turned
back toward the lieutenant who was mounting his horse. “James!” she
called. “Why don’t you join us for lunch?”

“Sophie,” Richard growled.

Sophie turned back to him, a serene smile on
her face. “You did say you had too much food, did you not? It would
appear that the lieutenant just saved that man’s life, and I’d
imagine he’s very, very hungry.”

“I’d be most grateful for the food, Sophie,
thank you.” James rode up to the couple.

Richard assisted her into his carriage, while
James followed them on horseback. They arrived relatively quickly
at the lake, and despite her reluctance, Sophie sat on the blanket
Richard spread out for them. It wasn’t lost on her that there
wasn’t much room for James, but she refrained from comment and
started to unpack the picnic basket.

Pulling out fried chicken, potato salad,
freshly baked bread, cookies, ripe peaches, and a bottle of wine,
Sophie smiled. “This looks amazing.”

“I tried to think of your favorites.” Richard
leaned back on his forearm.

Ignoring the crawl down her spine, Sophie
turned to James. “Lieutenant, may I prepare a plate for you?”

“That would be wonderful, Sophie, thank
you.”

* * *

James noticed the glare Richard gave him and
raised an eyebrow. The glove appeared to have been thrown and James
accepted the challenge. Sophie would be his, he didn’t care who he
had to step over to get to her. He’d spent every night since
meeting her, tossing and turning, never achieving a full night’s
sleep. Every fiber of his being reached out for her, and he wasn’t
going to let anyone stand in his way.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Richard poured wine, but only two glasses.
Sophie pointedly ignored Richard’s childish act and handed her
glass to James before turning back to Richard. “Richard, what can I
get for you?”

“Before all of that, I need to speak with you
privately about something. Would you join me on a little walk?”
Richard stood.

“Now?”

“Yes, please.”

“All right,” she said cautiously and then
looked over at James and mouthed ‘sorry’ to him.

James shook his head, and Richard helped her
stand. Sophie followed Richard toward the lake. Sophie crossed her
arms and tried to keep some kind of distance between him.

Richard smiled. “Over these past few months,
I have developed a deep affection for you. I would like to explore
a closer relationship.”

Sophie took a deep breath. “Richard, I don’t
know what to say. I hope you know I value our friendship, but as I
have said before, I can’t commit to anything more than that.”

“Sophie, you’re all alone. I want to take
care of you. What will you do without a man to provide for
you?”

“Richard, you can’t be serious. Didn’t we
just have this discussion? I have never needed, nor wanted, a man
to provide for me.”

Sophie moved away from him, but he took her
arm to keep her from leaving.

“Sophie, please. I could make you happy.” He
turned her to face him.

“Richard, I don’t want a relationship. I’m
sure that whomever you choose will be a lucky woman, but it won’t
be me. I can’t just forget Jamie and everything that we shared. You
need to forget about me, and move on.”

Richard pulled her to him and kissed her. She
frantically pushed at his chest, but he just held her tighter.
“Richard, stop it. You’re drunk.”

* * *

When James saw Sophie’s reaction, he jumped
up from the blanket, and began to make his way over to them.

“Sophie, just relax.” Richard bent to kiss
her again. Sophie slapped him. Hard.

“Hey!” James yelled.

I’m going to kill him.

“Please, Richard. Stop. I don’t want this.”
She backed away, visibly shaken.

“Has he already taken from you what should be
mine?” Richard seethed.

Her head whipped up. “What are you talking
about?”

“It’s the lieutenant, isn’t it? He didn’t
waste time getting to you, did he?”

“You’re crazy.” Sophie turned to walk away
from him.

Richard reached for her, but James moved in
between them and stood nose to nose with him. “What the hell do you
think you’re doing?”

“She’s mine, Lieutenant,” Richard fumed.

James pushed at his chest. “I believe she has
made it perfectly clear that she is
not
yours. You keep your
hands off her from now on, or you’ll have to deal with me.”

Sophie stalked back towards the stables.

“Sophie Ford, don’t walk away from me,”
Richard yelled.

Sophie turned. “
Ford
, Richard!
Remember that. I am Jamie’s and no one else’s.”

Richard let out a string of curse words.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted.

“Sophie, get back here.” He tried to walk
toward her, but James kept himself between them.

“NO! Just go home Richard.”

Richard turned to pack the supplies back into
the carriage, and James waited until he was well on his way, then
mounted his horse and took off after Sophie.

* * *

Fuming by the time she reached the stables,
frustrated by how things were just getting more and more
complicated, and growing angrier by the second, all Sophie wanted
to do was kick something, or someone, as she made her way over to
Samson’s stall and peeked inside. He wasn’t there.

Great. What am I going to do now?

Her relief was palpable when she saw James
enter the barn, pulling his hat from his head and heading straight
for her.

“I’m really sorry you were witness to that
display.” Sophie wrinkled her nose and sat back down on the bale of
hay. “I don’t know what came over him. He’s never acted that way
before. Lately, he’s been getting really possessive and aggressive.
I just can’t seem to make sense out of anything right now.”

James sat next to her and cocked his head in
question. “What do you need to make sense out of, Sophie?”

Surprising even herself, she told him about
Jamie and how much she missed him. She told him how much seeing him
confused her. As he tenderly put his arm around her shoulders and
let her vent it out, Sophie felt worse the closer he pulled her to
him, the smell of horse and leather strangely intoxicating, and it
took her several minutes to calm down. Laying her cheek on his
chest, Sophie relaxed into his side.

“All done?” He swept her hair gently from her
damp cheek.

“I don’t know yet.” Smiling as she took a
deep breath, she realized her palm was squeezing his very muscular
thigh. “I always seem to be crying all over you. I think I’m going
insane.” She stood to pace, unable to quell her frustration.

James leaned forward, his arms braced on his
knees. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing.” Sophie stopped pacing when she
realized it wasn’t making anything better. “I’m sorry. I seem to
have let my frustration get away from me.”

James stood and walked over to her, laying
his hands on her shoulders before gently lifting her face to look
at him. “Sophie, you have every right to be angry, and I don’t
think you’re crazy.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” James dropped his hands and
studied her as she peered up at him. He lowered his head and gently
placed his lips on hers. She responded immediately, but he quickly
pulled himself away. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have done that.
You’ve had a rough day and here I am adding to it. It won’t happen
again.”

James sat down on the hay bale and ran his
hands through his hair.

Sophie stood in the middle of the barn, her
fingers touching her mouth, her stomach somersaulting.
“Lieutenant?” She smiled at his guilty look. “I have a confession
to make.”

“Oh?”

“I hope it does happen again.”

Standing to face her, he took her hands in
his, and when he turned one over to kiss her palm, Sophie shivered.
“May I ask you a personal question?”

“Of course.” James paused, mid-kiss.

“What the hell is going on here?” Richard’s
voice came from the doorway.

Sophie and James jumped apart like a couple
of guilty teenagers.

“Richard,” Sophie growled.

“You certainly didn’t waste any time, did
you?” Richard accused.

“Richard, you need to leave.” James pointed
to the door.

“No, Lieutenant, I don’t think so. Sophie and
I have more to discuss.”

“Like I’m going to let you get within a
hundred feet of her.” James stood in front of Sophie, his arms
crossed, legs braced. Ready for a fight.

“You’ve been here less than a week and you
have the nerve to steal her out from under me. I won’t allow
it.”

Sophie let out a squeal of frustration as she
moved out from behind James and approached Richard. James laid a
hand on her arm and pushed her behind him again. Sophie wouldn’t be
silenced, and although she stayed behind James, she stepped
sideways. “First of all, I was never yours to steal. Second, you
have no right to say what is allowed, and what is not. Get it
through your thick skull, Richard. I don’t want you. Never have,
never will.”

Richard stalked her, his hands fisted at his
side.

James stepped in front of her again.
“Richard, I’m losing patience with you. You need to leave.”

Richard attempted to push James aside but he
grabbed Richard’s hand and pinned his arm behind his back,
rendering Richard immobile. “I told you to leave.”

Sophie stared in shock at the classic martial
arts move.

Something strange is going on here.

James pushed Richard out of the barn. “It
stops here. If Sophie feels uncomfortable around you, or if you
touch her again, I’ll deal with you on my terms. Do I make myself
clear?”

“You bastard.” Richard took a swing.

James deflected the fist and swept his leg
across Richard’s knees. Sophie watched the fight from just inside
the barn and her hand went to her mouth as Richard fell on his
backside, unhurt but humiliated.

“Richard, just go,” Sophie said as Richard
scrambled to his feet. He finally strode off towards the arena,
hands fisted once again at his sides.