Wild Is the Night (25 page)

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Aileen said, dragging Amanda to her feet as the women assembled to clean the tin dishes. “He seems like he’s in a bad mood. Maybe it’s his injury.”

Amanda frowned, but she joined the others as the women scrubbed the plates, using precious little water and the abundant sand from the prairie. Amanda automatically helped them, even though none of them spoke to her. Word had gotten around that Amanda was “touched,” so the women avoided her. Amanda didn’t mind. Loneliness was something she was used to, and at least she had Aileen. From their position beside the chuck wagon, she could see the Reverend rise to his feet, and then call to one of the women beside her.

The plate the young blond girl held slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground, rolling in an oblique disk before spinning to a crash. Slowly, she walked across the five feet of firelight that separated them, then stood before the preacher, her legs shaking beneath her.

“Sinner!” the preacher chanted. “You have sinned before God! Is what I understand true? That you took up with a shopkeeper’s son during our stay in that God-forsaken town?”

“I did nothing wrong!” the young girl sobbed, then fell to her knees. “I only walked with him!”

“Sinner! Harlot! The Bible speaks of such women! Listen and be cleansed!” The preacher opened his book and began to read of Mary Magdalene, and in Genesis of the curse upon women. His eyes took on a strange gleam, like that of a spooked horse. When he finished, he cast a scornful glance at the sobbing girl at his feet.

“Rise up and return to your work. Rethink your sin, child, and you will be saved. It is only by prayer that you will be redeemed. Repent now, or there will be no hope for you later,” he intoned.

“What exactly is her sin?”

The Reverend stared across the fire, the Bible still in his hand, holding it as a shield against the woman placidly cleaning a plate. “Did someone say something?”

“I did.” Ignoring the indrawn breaths around her, Amanda put her plate aside and stepped forward. “What has she done wrong?”

“Amanda.” Luke interrupted, speaking to her for the first time all night. He looked incredibly handsome, lounging by the fire, the cut on his forehead giving him a devilish appearance that was very appealing. He forced a smile. “These people aren’t the least bit interested in your religious opinions. Drop it.” The threat in his voice was clear.

“On the contrary.” The Reverend stared at Amanda, his eyes like bits of chipped glass. “I am very interested. We don’t believe in having wolves among the sheep. This woman has sinned. She has walked with a shopkeeper’s son, not of our faith. For that she must be punished.”

For the first time Amanda could remember, she was more angry at what she had witnessed than interested in debate. “Does this law also apply to the men of your fold? Jacob Green dallied in the arms of a saloon girl the night before we left. I heard the men talk about it. And Horace Whitney has a son in Abilene that he pays a goodly sum for.”

The wives stared at Amanda in horrified disbelief. Her self-assurance died as the men glanced at her with the same expression they’d use when faced with a rabid dog. It was true—they did talk freely around her, assuming she was too crazy to understand them. But she sounded lucid enough now. Then they looked at Luke, who was staring at Amanda in silent fury.

“Sir.” The Reverend slammed the book down, his eyes blazing at Luke. “I have never heard such blasphemy! I understand that this woman is ill, but I will not tolerate such talk. Are you going to discipline your wife, or shall we?”

“She’s not my wife!” Luke barked.

The gasp that went through the people was almost tangible. Luke regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth, but there was nothing he could do to take them back. The Reverend glared at Luke, then Amanda, his eyes reflecting his outrage.

“Jacob, get my gun. Martha, fetch my other Bible, the one with the wedding prayers. We shall rectify this matter immediately.”

“No!” Amanda gasped, understanding at last. “I will not marry him! I’m not of your faith, and you can’t force me!”

Luke glared at her, his eyes burning with anger, but the Reverend seemed little swayed by her words. Luke started to walk away, but he was stopped by the older man called Jacob, who held the rifle across his chest like a shield.

“Silence, harlot!” the Reverend shouted. “You have lived with this man, as his wife, without the blessing of the Lord! You returned even this night, after spending the day alone with this man in a secluded cabin! We shall mend this sin in the eyes of God. Otherwise, we shall leave you both here on the prairie. Which shall you choose?”

One of the men grabbed Luke and held his arms behind him, while one of the women pushed Amanda forward. Aileen sobbed quietly. Jake held her, his arm around her shoulders. There was nothing any of them could do. They were alone, in the middle of Indian country, dependent on this wagon train for their existence. None of them could risk angering these people, no matter how they felt.

Amanda stood beside Luke, unable to accept what she knew was happening. Luke stood across from her, and she cringed from the open fury she saw in his eyes. His expression, never particularly gentle to begin with, now blazed with anger, and the hot blue flame in his eyes rivaled the campfire. Belatedly, she realized how ignominious this must seem to him. Luke, who no doubt pictured himself wed to some soft southern belle, was now being shackled to her, a woman he could barely tolerate.

Amanda could have cried. She had never thought her life would take this kind of a turn. She had never planned to marry, to call any man her lord and master, let alone Luke. She shivered as she thought of the feelings she had for him, and now he would be tied to her for life. Luke, of all men, meant something to her and therefore had the power to hurt her.

And now, as the Reverend opened his Bible and began to pray, Amanda was seized with the desire to run. Her eyes flickered to the perimeter of the campfire and she reached for a fold of her skirt, intending to bolt. Perhaps she could find some lonely nester, who would help her until she could find a way to Texas….

Luke’s hand closed around her wrist and she found herself forced to his side. Her head flew up and she saw that he was now even more furious, having ascertained what she meant to do.

“Don’t even try it,” he murmured, holding her tightly. The Reverend’s voice droned on. Amanda searched Luke’s face for the slightest understanding and found none. He obviously blamed her for what had happened, and was now determined to see this through. After all, he had only to gain. He didn’t want her, never did. But he would now legally own half her ranch, half of her income, half of her….

“No!” Amanda struggled.

The Reverend closed his Bible and gazed at the two furious people before him.

“I now pronounce you man and wife.”

Chapter
  
16
  

The words seemed to settle around them like the earth around a tomb. Amanda glanced at Luke and saw the gleam of fury flash in his eyes, then a cold, stark anger set in. She swallowed hard, inadvertently thinking of that day when he tossed her into the river. The expression on his face was very similar now and she shuddered, imagining what it would be like to see that expression harden into permanence.

He didn’t want her. The hypocrisy of the whole situation made her want to scream. They were now wed, husband and wife, living in a state that was supposed to be sanctioned by God and man, and was condemned by both. Amanda glanced down at her dress, her plain blue cotton muslin that was ruined by rain and mud. Somehow, she never pictured herself married, but even when she entertained an occasional daydream of the sort, usually for the purpose of writing a wedding scene, the bride wore a white dress and carried flowers. She looked at her ringless finger, suddenly noticing the ink-stained sleeves of her gown and her broken fingernails.

She wasn’t the same as other women, and she knew it. No wonder Luke fought so hard when they forced him to marry her. She thought of all the times she was an embarrassment to him and she cringed. No man had ever loved her. And now Luke, who was obviously the kind of man that every woman would want, was shackled to her by a lynch mob wedding.

“I’ll get you a ring.”

She glanced up, startled by his cold voice and the way he seemed to break into her thoughts. She released the fold of her dress which she’d been grasping, and shook her head.

“It isn’t necessary.”

Luke gritted his teeth, took her arm and led her past the preacher and the religious men who stared at him in a mixture of triumph and pity. The women were silent, exchanging frightened glances, obviously identifying themselves with both the strange young woman and the furious man who was now her husband. Amanda scarcely noticed, but Luke saw it all and slowed his pace, trying not to betray his justified rage. When they reached the wagon, he ignored Amanda’s attempts to climb inside herself and he helped her up, earning a glare for his efforts.

“Amanda, we need to talk.” Luke entered the wagon, his voice as stern as her physics teacher on a Monday morning.

“There is nothing else to say,” she tried to say evenly.

“Amanda.” Luke placed both hands on her shoulders, holding her firmly without hurting her, yet forcing her to stay within his reach. “If you have half the brain you were born with, you’ll listen to me and listen closely. If you think I intend to abide by this farce of a wedding, you are wrong. As soon as we get to town, I plan to seek out a solicitor. In the meantime, if you wish to survive, don’t keep testing me. You stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.”

Amanda flushed hotly, pink staining her cheeks—thankfully hidden in the darkness. She had known that he was angry, and that he would not easily accede to being forced into a marriage, but to calmly insist that she accept the situation was more than Amanda could take.

“I am very glad you plan to seek out a solicitor, although I could tell you now that you are wasting your time and save you the fee. The marriage is legal and will stand up in court, in spite of what either of us say. You may, however, seek out a divorce if you can find grounds.”

“Grounds?” Luke’s blue eyes blazed and his fingers tightened on her shoulders.

“Adultery, abandonment, something like that,” Amanda said thoughtfully, her voice without emotion. “Although you may have some difficulties. I do not have the means to abandon you, which is why you are here at all. And I have no desire to partake of sexual intercourse with any man. So therefore, you might want to put your mind to coming up with something else. I have a book called
Mankind and the Law,
which may be of some use. I’ll be happy to lend it to you.” She tried to pull away from him, ignoring the increasing fury on Luke’s face and the vise-like grip he had on her arms.

“Amanda.” Luke couldn’t believe this woman. How he kept from strangling her was a restraint he would be forever proud of. “You don’t seem to understand. As your husband, I have legal rights over you, in every way you can imagine. You cannot own property, you cannot live separately from me unless I agree. You cannot refuse me marital rights, which I will be more than happy to enumerate if your wonderful mind ignores the implication. And if you disobey me, legally I can beat you. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Amanda stared at him, appalled. “You can’t mean…”

“Ah, I see reality is finally penetrating.” Luke tried to get some satisfaction from her stunned expression, but found none. “In other words, more so than at any previous time, you are completely within my control. The law recognizes that fact, and now, so does the church.”