In Love's Territory: A Western Historical Romance Read online

  Kate pretended to follow along with the rest of the performance, but it was only a charade. During every possible moment, her eyes drifted back to Edward’s box, and invariably she found him watching her. She felt as if she were the one on stage, in fact, throwing him a glance now and again, knowing that every time she tossed her head in a laugh, every time she brought a hand to her face, every time she made any movement at all, she was on display for him. It was with real regret that she saw the curtain come down on the actual performance below. While the crowd clapped for the actors, Kate got a nod and subtle wave of the hand as Edward and his companion rose from their seats and departed. Her performance was over as well.

  She was quiet on the ride home, but it was hardly noticed. With her father concentrating on the road, barely visible in the light of the crescent moon, and her brothers still bickering over who deserved Sally Kinney’s favors more—in spite of the fact that Sally herself hadn’t given them much more than her name, as it turned out—Kate was able to sit and think about the evening.

  There had been some men who had caught her eye back in Boston. With the near-constant invitations that any moneyed household attracted, it seemed like she had seen everyone that the big city had to offer. They were the typical sons of the leisure class: well-educated, well-mannered, and well-dressed, and more than a few had attracted her attention at one time or another. But no man had ever affected her at first glance like Edward Carter had. Even now, bumping along over the ruts in the road, she could imagine his eyes upon her in the darkness, and she felt a pleasurable shiver course through her body.

  She barely spoke to Becky upon arriving home and getting undressed, and although Becky assumed from the faraway look she observed in the mirror that Kate was exhausted, she wasn’t sleepy in the least. The night had turned out to be far, far more interesting than she could have imagined, and the thoughts racing through her mind refused to let her sleep. Kate tried to get comfortable in the bed but realized after only a few minutes that it was a lost cause; she instead lit the lamp again, wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and went to sit by the window to take in the night air.

  ~

  Sam was still sitting outside his door, enjoying the evening, when Kate and her family arrived home. She was too far away to see properly, especially in the dim light afforded by the lantern that Becky greeted them with, but he had a pretty good idea of how she looked. He could imagine her now, and she was beautiful. Her new green dress probably brought out those warm brown eyes, and she most likely had her hair piled up in an elegant arrangement, with maybe a strand or two falling loose to graze her neck. Just the thing to gently brush out of the way when taking her into his arms for a kiss.

  Sam jumped to his feet and shook his head to clear his thoughts. Might be a bit soon to be thinking of her like that. Even if she had cooled down a bit and even apologized for it, the last time she’d gotten very excited about him she slammed a door in his face. Yeah, it could take a while for her to come around. A long while, but that’s okay. I can wait.

  A light grew in the window of Kate’s bedroom, and he couldn’t help thinking that just down the hill, Kate was getting undressed and would soon be getting into bed. He vigorously shook his head again and sat down on the stump.

  There were only two ideas that filled his mind these days, and given that thoughts about Kate were getting ahead of themselves tonight, it was probably best to concentrate on the plan. Ever since his father had died, Sam had seen a time coming when he would need to be the man of the house and provide for his mother. Her death the year before had stolen that responsibility from him, but the dreams of the young boy had already hardened into the plans of the young man.

  Of course, there weren’t many opportunities for advancement on Taylor Farm. Sam had already been doing his father’s job for years, but he didn’t want to make a career out of running somebody else’s farm. Bill Taylor had been a great boss, and Tom seemed the same so far, but the only real boss Sam wanted to have was himself.

  He had spent the past year talking to anybody and everybody who would give him the time of day, trying to learn as much as he could, and soon he knew as much as any other man in Iowa County about running a business. It had been difficult to imagine making the leap from being a hired man to a business owner, especially with no land, no animals, nothing of his own besides a one-room cabin on somebody else’s farm. But he had worked at this night and day, spending every free moment with his journal, running numbers on page after page, calculating the price of feed versus the price of milk, comparing the cost of seed against the yield per acre, arguing with himself over the relative benefits of oats, corn, wheat and hops; contrasting the value of his own time against the profit he might gain.

  The numbers turned up the same over and over again. It would be difficult—very difficult—but it was possible. Even with no land yet and hardly any money to speak of, Sam could see a way that would get him, step by step, toward his goal.

  But it all had to start with a cow.

  Sam retrieved a lantern and walked down the hill to the barn. He let himself in and passed by several stalls on his way to the back corner. As he approached the last stall and looked over the gate, his cow turned to look at him, her huge eyes shining in the lamplight.

  “It’s all up to you now, girl,” he said.

  The cow snorted at him and lowered her head back to the straw.

  He watched her for a moment longer and then turned to go, swinging the heavy door closed behind him as quietly as he could, but the old hinges couldn’t help but give out a long, loud squeak as he eased it shut.

  He shot a glance toward the house. This close, in the quiet of the night, the noise might have woken somebody up, and sure enough, almost immediately a light appeared in Kate’s bedroom.

  Damn, he thought. Gotta oil those hinges tomorrow.

  “Sam, is that you?”

  He glanced up. He could see Kate’s silhouette in her window, and he lifted the lantern up higher so she could see his face. “Evening, Miss Taylor,” he said. “I didn’t disturb you with the barn door, did I?”

  “No, not at all. I just couldn’t sleep,” she said, pulling the shawl closer around her neck. “What are you up to? It’s late.”

  “Yeah, I was just checking on some things,” he said. He walked toward the house so that he wouldn’t have to speak so loud. “How was the theater?”

  Her smile was clear and bright even in the low flicker of the lamplight in her room. “It was lovely,” she said. “I enjoyed it even more than I’d been expecting.”

  “You did? That’s terrific,” Sam said. “I’ll have to keep my eyes open for the next one. I’ll let you know if I see anything coming up.”

  “I’d appreciate that, Sam,” she said. “I’d love to go again. You know, you should go next time.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “I’m probably not the right audience for that.”

  “Well, maybe you should think about that again. Part of the fun is who you go with,” she said. “Or who you meet. Who knows? You might even find the woman of your dreams there.”

  “The woman of my dreams, huh?”

  “I’m telling you, it could happen.” Her smile was broad and warm, encouraging a grin to come to Sam’s face as well.

  “All right then, I’ll go next time,” he said.

  “You won’t regret it,” she said, pulling the shawl more tightly around her. “Well, I suppose I should get some sleep. Good night, Sam,” she said.

  “Good night,” he said, watching as she closed the window and stepped away.

  Woman of my dreams. He turned and started back up the hill to his cabin. She had given him a lot to think about. It was almost too much to believe that she’d actually suggested going to the theater with him next time. Or had she suggested it? He rolled her words over and over in his mind. She’d love to go again. She thought he should go too. The fun was in who you went with.

  Yep, that was pretty clear, even for
somebody who had as little experience with women as Sam had.

  The smile remained on his face all the while he walked back up and returned to his seat on the stump. You won’t regret it, she had said. No, I can’t imagine I would.

  Chapter 5

  “Miss Taylor, come on now,” Becky said, pulling at Kate’s arm.

  “Just a second,” Kate said. “I thought I saw something.” She pulled back, bringing them both closer to the window, and Kate stared out at the long road.

  “See, nobody’s here yet,” Becky said. “It’s still too early. But if we don’t get you ready for tonight, then it won’t matter who’s coming, ‘cause you’re going to miss the whole thing.” She practically dragged Kate over to the mirror and had her sit on the cushioned stool.

  “I know, you’re right,” Kate said, finally settling down as Becky began to do her hair. “Just nervous, I guess.”

  Becky gave her a small smile in the mirror. “You’re not nervous at all compared to your father,” she said. “Last time I went by the parlor he was doing the strangest thing with his newspaper.”

  Kate laughed. “Oh, dear,” she said. “He wasn’t twisting it in a knot, was he?”

  “Pretty much,” she said. “Looked like he wanted to strangle it.”

  “He’s been doing that for years,” Kate said. “Every time we had a party back home my mother had to remind him to wash the ink off his hands before the guests arrived. He just worries about making a good impression, I guess.”

  “Must run in the family,” Becky said. “Now quit squirming or I’ll never get your hair done.”

  Kate forced herself to sit still and let Becky finish, and in only a few minutes she was able to join her father in the parlor.

  “Kate, remind me again why we’re doing this,” he said.

  She laughed. They had had the exact same discussion only a couple of hours earlier. “Because it’s not healthy for you to sit out here alone on the farm,” she said. “You’ve got to start meeting people.”

  “Yes, I suppose that’s true,” he said, glancing at the clock before his gaze was drawn back to the window. “It’s almost six,” he said. “They could start arriving at any moment.”

  Kate went up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. “Everything will be fine, Papa,” she said.

  He squeezed her hand. “I know,” he said. “I just hate making small talk when you’re just getting to know people.” He turned back to face Kate. “Maybe somebody from the staff could join us for dinner. You know, somebody from the area to help keep the conversation going.”

  “Well, that would give everybody something to talk about, that’s for sure,” Kate said. “What about Sam? He’s not part of the household staff. You might need him anyway if you’re going to talk business.”

  Her father’s eyes had lit up before Kate had even finished. “Now that’s a good idea,” he said. “Becky!” he called.

  “Yes, Mr. Taylor?” she asked, coming running into the parlor.

  “I want you to go find Sam and tell him that I’d like him to join us for dinner.”

  Her eyes widened. “You mean tonight?”

  “Yes, tonight,” he said. “And tell him to make it quick; the guests will be arriving shortly.”

  She hurried out of the house and Kate went to the window, pulling the curtain aside to watch as Becky headed down the sloped yard and went into the barn. A moment later she reappeared with Sam in tow; they both stared up at the house for a moment, then Sam looked down at his clothes and shook his head. Becky grabbed his arm and pulled him along, however, and shortly they were on the porch, Sam stomping his feet to get rid of the dust before stepping inside.

  “Sam, sorry for such short notice, but I’ll want you to join us this evening. It’ll help break the ice.”

  “My pleasure, Mr. Taylor. I just don’t feel quite right looking like this when you all are dressed up,” he said, plucking a piece of hay from the sleeve of his work shirt.

  “Think nothing of it,” Thomas said. “Nobody’s going to say a thing, and even if they do I’ll explain that it was my fault.”

  “Well, all right, then,” Sam said. He turned and smiled at Kate, taking a seat across from the sofa. “How are you doing this evening, Miss Taylor?”

  “I’m fine, thank you, Sam,” she said. “How are you?”

  “I can’t complain,” he said. “There’s always something that needs to be done around here, but I like to be busy. In fact, I need to go into town for supplies tomorrow, and I was wondering if you—”

  “Sorry, Sam, just a minute,” Kate said as she stood and looked out the window. She had heard a noise, like a squeaky wheel, and now she could see a shadow through the gauze curtain. It was hard to tell, of course, but from the sound, it was a small carriage that had pulled to a stop in front of the house. The footfalls on the porch steps also made her think it was only one person. One man.

  Kate ran a hand over the front of her dress, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles as Becky went to answer the door.

  “Sheriff Tanner is here, Mr. Taylor,” she said, returning with the sheriff. Kate’s shoulders slumped, and she tried not to look disappointed as she greeted him. He was getting up there in years, with entirely gray hair, but Kate doubted that he had any trouble keeping order around Mineral Point. He looked as thick and strong as a tree trunk, looming over her father as they shook hands.

  Kate settled back into her seat as the men got to talking. It turned out that Sam was indeed a valuable guest; he quickly put them both at ease, steering the conversation toward topics that he knew they’d both be interested in, and soon her father’s nerves appeared to have vanished.

  Good for Papa, she thought. Now if only I were less nervous. She listened to their conversation with one ear while she listened for the arrival of more guests with the other. In only a few minutes, she again heard a carriage arrive in front of the house, and she again straightened her back, trying to look casually alluring.

  “Mr. Taylor, the mayor is here,” Becky announced after answering the door. Mayor Fowler, a widower, had come alone, and after saying hello Kate dropped back to the sofa, blowing a wayward strand of hair away from her cheek.

  The clock showed that it was only quarter after the hour. It’s still very early, she thought. And I shouldn’t get my hopes up anyway. We barely spoke, after all. What if I’m remembering wrong and he’s not everything I thought he was? What if I imagined it all?

  Several minutes later, there was the sound of more horses outside.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are here,” Becky announced. The bank president and his wife, Kate remembered after a moment. They made an amusing picture together, equally round but different sizes, like an orange next to a cherry tomato. Kate was pleasantly surprised when his wife sat next to her and immediately struck up a conversation, distracting her from the advance of the clock.

  Finally, just when she thought that Edward wasn’t going to arrive at all, there was the sound of another carriage outside. Kate glanced down and smoothed her dress, flicking away a piece of lint, and sat up straight.

  The knock on the door sent Becky running, only to return almost immediately.

  “Mr. Taylor, Mr. Carter is here,” Becky said, and Kate turned to look as the other men stood up to greet him. Although they were blocking most of her view, she could see Edward’s face, and she felt her heart skip. The sight of him so close to her, here in her home, made her pulse race. She hadn’t imagined anything; he was as handsome as she remembered.

  “Mr. Carter, it’s terrific to see you,” her father said. “Welcome to our home.”

  “Thanks very much,” Carter said. “I’m sure you remember Miss Rice.” The other guests moved slightly and revealed Cora there, clinging to Carter’s side like a leech. Kate felt her stomach drop into her shoes, and the smile that had unconsciously formed on her face melted away. Her cheeks felt unbearably hot, and she gripped the arm of the sofa to steady herself. A dark voice snickered at her in the
back of her mind. Of course he’s here with her. Did you expect he would arrive alone, just for you?

  She watched the two of them move around the room greeting the other guests, dreading their eventual arrival at where she was seated, but there was nothing she could do but wait.

  “Miss Taylor, it’s delightful to see you again.”

  She forced a smile as she rose from the sofa and quickly shook hands with each of them.

  “Mr. Carter, Miss Rice,” she said. “Welcome.”

  Carter let his hand linger in hers. “Thank you,” he said. “Would you mind if we sat with you?”

  “Of course not,” Kate lied. She gestured to the sofa and the three of them sat down, with Kate on one end, Edward on the other, and his woman between them. Guess that’s fitting, Kate thought.

  “Have you met Hannah Thompson?” Kate asked, and in only a moment Mrs. Thompson had pulled them all into conversation. Kate leaned back against the sofa and tried to watch Edward as subtly as she could. She felt numb. It was a horrible thing to feel out of place in one’s own home, but that’s what had happened. How could I have been so mistaken? She thought back to the night at the theater when his eyes had seemed to drill into her soul. I thought we had shared something. Something that I wanted to share again.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by her father, who had risen to his feet.

  “Well, now that we’re all here, why don’t we go into the dining room? Anybody hungry?”

  “Famished!” Miss Rice said, jumping to her feet. “Let’s go, Eddie.”

  It was the first time that Kate had seen the dining room table set for a real dinner party, and she had to admit, it didn’t look all that different from what she would have expected back home. It helped, of course, that her uncle had been a man of both wealth and taste; he had left china and crystal that would have fit in at any of the parties she had attended in Boston.