The Officer and the Traveler (10 page)

He knew Michaela didn’t deserve to be saddled with a wretch such as himself, but it was his only chance at clearing his name.

He exhaled. That didn’t make it right. He tossed his hat to the floor and put his elbows on his knees, then dropped his head in his hands and pressed his fingertips against his eyelids until bright shapes erupted.

He had to tell her. She deserved to know.

It had been obvious by the look on her face and the hesitancy in her voice that she hadn’t accepted his suit on her own accord. Of course that worked out very well for him, but what did that mean for her? Would she grow to resent him? If she didn’t already, she certainly would when she learned the reason he proposed to her, and he had a strange feeling her father had not thought it fit to tell her.

With a grunt he took to his feet. This blasted wedding was set to take place in less than two hours. With any luck she hadn’t yet gone off to get dressed or he might not get a chance to speak to her, and for as ill-mannered as everyone thought he was, he’d be reluctant to stop the wedding to talk to her. Not to say he wouldn’t, because he would, but he’d rather not.

Fortunately for Gray, he found Michaela before she’d begun dressing for their wedding.

Unfortunately for Michaela—but even more fortunate for Gray—she’d already begun
undressing
to change for their wedding.
 

“
I need to talk to Michaela,” he informed Mrs. Lewis when she answered the door.
 

“
Now, isn’t a good time,” she hedged as she tried to close the door on him.
 

He slid his hand in the door, stopping her from shutting the door. He pushed himself inside her home “I need to talk to her now. It’ll only take a minute.”

“
She’s not—”
 

Whatever else she said, he didn’t hear when he saw Michaela standing in the back corner wearing only her corset, chemise and stockings.

“
Sorry to intrude,” Gray said with a swallow, unable to look at anything or anyone other than
Michaela. “But I need to see Michaela.”
 

“
There’ll be enough time for that in a few hours,” Mrs. Lewis chastised.
 

Gray shook his head. “Now,” he rasped.

Mrs. Lewis sighed. “Well, I certainly don’t approve, but since you’re about to marry her anyway, I suppose I’ll give you a minute.” She poked a boney finger in the middle of his chest. “But it’ll only be a minute. Don’t you be thinking about staging a seduction in my house, Captain.”

“
Could you not have waited,” Michaela said, grabbing her discarded gown to hold up in front of herself.
 

Gray ignored the way her voice cracked mid-sentence and was vaguely aware that the other ladies had filed out of the stifling room. Even with his sleeves up and his shirt not completely buttoned up, he felt like he was in an inferno. He ran his fingers along the edge of the end table next to him, pressing his flesh against the sharp ridge as hard as he could to distract himself from her. “No. I need to talk to you before the wedding.”

“
You’ve come to renege on your proposal?”
 

His heart slammed in his chest at the hopeful tone in her voice, only validating what he already knew of her acceptance. “No. I’m not reneging. But—” he ran his free hand through his black hair and pushed the fingertips of the other hand even harder into the sharp edge of table— “I need you to know why I made the offer.”

“
Because you’ve secretly been in love with me all of these years?”
 

He chuckled. “No. Not quite, but it’s a good theory, I suppose.” He lifted his brows. “Is that your reason for acceptance?”

Her laugher filled the room. “No. If you’ll remember, the last time I saw you, you gave me no reason to carry such an emotion for you all of these years. It was a wager I made—and lost—with my father that led to my acceptance.”

“
Better a lost wager, than being coerced, I suppose,” he said lightly. He’d rather forever forget the events that led up to the last time they’d seen each other, so he didn’t want to even address that. “I didn’t know it was a lost wager, but I did suspect you had no interest in me.”
 

“
Then why did you propose?” she burst out.
 

“
Because I need you.”
 

She laughed again, but this time it was devoid of any humor. “Need? Me? I have a hard time believing that.”

“
Would you have a hard time believing I’ve been accused of raping an Indian maiden named Soft Dove?”
 

He waited for her to jump back and recoil, or at the very least shriek. Instead she shocked him to the core when she opened her mouth, licked her lips, and said, “Yes.”

***

Michaela’s mind spun. Gray was many things: devilishly handsome, too charming for his own good, and no doubt a skirt chaser, but a rapist? No. It had been many years since she’d been around him, but if he’d held onto half the morals he’d had at sixteen then she had no doubt this was a false accusation. She blinked to clear her thoughts. “I didn’t know.”

“
I didn’t think you did,” he said with a slight frown. “Does this change anything?”
 

“
I-I don’t think so,” she forced herself to say. “I’m assuming my father knows of this?”
 

Gray nodded. “He overheard it right before he found us yesterday and thought if we were married that I’d stand a better chance at a fair trial.”

“
Is that why you—” She closed her mouth with an audible snap.
 

“
Kissed you?” he supplied for her. “No. I kissed you because I was drawn to you.” A self-deprecating grin spread his lips. “Though if I hadn’t, I do wonder how your father would have managed to push this match.”
 

“
Oh if he wanted it, he’d have found a way,” Michaela assured him. “It might not have been quite as easy, but he’d have found a way.” She lowered herself into a nearby chair. This was a lot to take in, the least of which was the stabbing sensation in her chest that her father’s loyalty to Gray once again overshadowed what she wanted. “So what happens now?”
 

“
There will be a trial. With how irate General Ridgely was about it last night, I imagine he’s already sent messengers to Fort Smith to summons General Bridges to act as an impartial judge to hear the facts and make the best judgment of what should happen next.” He reached for an empty chair and brought it over to where she sat then took a seat. “If he finds there is enough evidence to prove me guilty, then I’ll go to Washington to be officially tried and sentenced to seven years of hard labor and you’ll be as good as a free woman. But if he doesn’t find enough evidence, then...” He shrugged. “Of course this all depends on you and if you’re still willing to marry me.”
 

She released a shaky laugh. “I don’t think I have a choice. My father—”

“
Can go to hell just like I told him nine years ago. What do you want?”
 

What did
she
want? What a strange question for him to ask her. Nine years ago, she’d have wanted him. No reservations whatsoever. She closed her eyes. What
did
she want? “Can I ask you something?”
 

He pursed his lips and nodded tersely.

“
Is there any other suspect?”
 

He looked relieved for a moment, and then the muscles in his face grew tight. “Jack.”

Her breath caught. “Jack?”

“
He and I went into Indian lands last week and now we’re being blamed.” He clasped his hand in front of him, the muscles in his bare forearms bulging. “Blaming Jack was just a formality because we both went, but the real suspect is me.”
 

Now it made sense why yesterday Jack and Ella had seemed so sympathetic toward her misfortune of being kissed by Gray and her father’s looming threat to push the match, and yet today, they’d seemed intent to try to encourage her by saying he was an honorable man. They must have known he was in trouble and needed her help. She momentarily wondered why he didn’t defend himself more and try to convince her that he was just as innocent as Jack. But he didn’t need to. She knew he was innocent. Nine years ago he’d had been thrashed nearly to death for trying to defend a woman who’d been ruthlessly attacked by group men at the fort. That spoke volumes of his character. He might enjoy seeking his pleasure with women of loose morals, but he’d never force one. She choked down the bile in her throat with an audible and uncomfortable gulp.

“
I’ll do it,” she croaked.
 

He went completely still. “You’ll marry me?”

She nodded. How could she tell him ‘no’? Though her most prominent memory of him had been him leaving her side to answer the call of a prostitute, she couldn’t deny that if it had been anyone but Gray who’d found her and helped her escape the scene she’d happened upon, she could have been in the same situation as the woman those men had been using. She shivered. He’d saved her once; she could do the same for him. “Yes, Gray, I’ll marry you.”

The wedding was the most garish affair Michaela had ever witnessed. Make no mistake, there was all pomp and circumstance due the new bride and groom, complete with loud horns, shouted commands and sharp swords being drawn.

It was just the way she’d remembered the wedding she’d used her spyglass to witness from a tree when she was twelve.

Without many options available to her, she donned a red gown and tried to dress it up with a silver scarf she’d brought with her; though to be honest, her attire paled in comparison to the dashing figure her groom cut. He was magnificent, clad in his complete uniform: perfectly pressed blue trousers with twin stripes down the sides that rested above a pair of black leather boots polished to perfection. His coat was closed with a row of six golden buttons and his eight-inch, stovepipe shako was held perfectly atop his head with the red cock feather perched on top.

She took his proffered arm and allowed him to lead her through the tunnel created by two columns of men holding up their swords.

He covered her hand with his free one. “Thank you,” he said, giving her hand a light squeeze.

She squeezed his arm in return. “You’re welcome.”

At the end of the line of privates stood the only “guests” who’d attended the wedding: Ella, Aunt Lucille and Allison. All the men had been there merely out of obligation to perform at the insistence of General Davis.

“
You made a beautiful bride, Michaela,” Ella said, wrapping her in a hug.
 

“
Thank you.”
 

Still holding Michaela, Ella lowered her voice to a whisper. “After you’re done receiving everyone’s felicitations, have Gray bring you by my room before you go home so we can talk for a few minutes.”

Michaela blushed and released her sister and turned to Jack who was also in full uniform, shaking Gray’s hand. He tipped his hat to Michaela and smiled. “I suppose unthinkable things can still happen since I am now related to Gray.”

“
I’m just glad it was you and not me,” Wes quipped, holding his hand out toward Gray.
 

“
Don’t you worry about them, they’re always harassing each other like this,” Allison said to
Michaela. “But deep down, I think they all love each other like brothers.”
 

“
Add a few more ‘deeps’ in there, Allison,” Gray remarked with a wide grin.
 

“
I don’t think I have to. I think I got it right the first time.”
 

“
Congratulations to you both,” Uncle George said. He hugged Michaela then slapped Gray on the back. “I suppose since the men outnumber the women that there won’t be any need for dancing.”
 

“
Oh, don’t think you’re getting out of it that easily,” Aunt Lucille chirped, looping her arm through his and leading him off. “You’re a commanding officer, you can command the band to...” Her words were lost in the distance.
 

Pa walked up then, he was the only one they hadn’t yet received, since the Ridgely’s were unable to make it due to Mrs. Ridgely still not feeling well.

Silence hung between them all and Michaela wondered if he knew that she and Gray had talked before the wedding. Not that it mattered a great deal; she married Gray knowing the truth. Although she had to admit it did sting that her father had thought to shield her from it and force the match for the sole purpose of helping Gray.

“
You be sure to treat her right,” Pa clipped to Gray. He then turned to Michaela. “The same goes for you, young lady.”
 

If she didn’t know any better, she’d think his brash tone was his way of hiding some sort of emotion, but she knew better than to believe her father was capable of any emotions other than irritation or anger.

Around them, the privates continued to stand in their positions, waiting to be dismissed by Jack and Wes. “Shall I escort you to our room to get changed for dinner, Mrs. Montgomery?” Gray asked softly.

A shiver skated down her spine. “I’m not very hungry.”

“
I see...” The corner of his lips tipped up into a smile. “In that case, shall I escort you to our room for the evening?”
 

“
N-not yet.” She cleared her throat. “I need to talk to Ella first.”
 

“
All right.” He gestured to where Ella stood beside her husband who was commanding his line of men to fall out. “She looks preoccupied.”
 

“
I can wait.”