In Love's Territory: A Western Historical Romance Page 7

  “Well, ain’t this fancy!” Miss Rice murmured as the group entered the dining room and took their seats.

  As Sarah and Becky brought platters of hot food out from the kitchen and began serving dinner, Kate put on a brave face and tried to ignore the scene that was taking place across from her. She had arranged the seating so that she would be able to watch Edward during dinner, but as it turned out, her bright idea had now left her a prisoner to Miss Rice’s shameless display. Every little laugh, every smile at Edward, every time she casually touched him, was like a pinprick in Kate’s stomach.

  What had changed? He was still as handsome as she remembered and his voice still gave her a warm feeling inside. His smile still brought out a dimple and the intense green of his eyes still reminded her of the fields outside. Nothing changed; he’s still perfect. I was just wrong about him. Wrong about us.

  As she sat there, listening to the men discuss the hunting that the nearby forested hills provided, Kate noticed a smile on Becky’s face, seemingly out of place on the normally serious girl as she helped serve the dinner. Kate followed her gaze across the table to where Sam and her brothers sat making plans to go fishing. Of course, she thought, putting things together in a flash. Becky likes Sam. It wasn’t surprising. Affairs among household staffers were routine at many homes. I wonder if he knows, she asked herself, her eyes settling on Sam. As he sat there, perched on the edge of his chair as he regaled the boys with stories of the ones that got away, he reminded her of a coiled spring, full of strength yet to show itself. He looked like he could have stepped out of any of the stories of wild Indians that Kate had heard, with his thick black hair and dark eyes, but at the same time his father had passed on European features. It made for an attractive mix. Very attractive, actually. Becky would be a lucky girl to get him, she decided. At that moment, Sam glanced her way and caught her staring; the smile he sent her gave her a thrill in her tummy and a flush in her cheeks as she remembered the first time he’d seen her, right in this very room, wrapped in a bed sheet.

  “Thank you for coming, everybody,” Thomas said, as Sarah and Becky finished serving and returned to the kitchen. He rose from his chair and lifted his wine glass. “I’d like to propose a toast. Some of you know that the reason we came here in the first place was a sad one. Truth be told, when I heard that my brother died, the last thing on my mind was uprooting my family and transplanting everybody here to the prairie,” he said. “But I’m sure glad I did. We’ve been here only a short time, but already Wisconsin seems like home to us, and there’s only one reason for that. Actually, I misspoke. There are many reasons for that, and several of them are sitting here in this room. To new friends,” he said, raising his glass.

  “To new friends,” the guests murmured, and shortly the room was filled with the sound of silverware on china as they began eating.

  “That was an excellent toast, Mr. Taylor,” Carter said. “It truly is important to make good friends when you first move somewhere new.”

  “Amen to that. Mr. Carter is also a recent arrival here in Mineral Point,” Kate’s father explained to the other guests.

  “Are you related to Ted Carter? From Carter Mining?” Mayor Fowler asked as he reached for a roll.

  “That’s my father. He’s back in Chicago now, and he asked me to come up to run our office here.”

  “Eddie has almost a thousand men working for him,” Miss Rice said. “All throughout the county.”

  “That’s mighty impressive,” Fowler said. “How are you liking the area so far?”

  “Oh, it’s fine, I suppose,” Carter said. “But honestly, when I first arrived I felt like I’d been sent into exile out here, though. I daresay I’m not the only one who feels that way,” he added, quickly glancing at Kate. “In any event, I don’t plan to stay for more than a year or two anyway. Once my father retires for good, I’ll go back to Chicago to take over the company. I’m really just here to take care of our production problem.”

  “What problem is that?” Sheriff Tanner asked.

  “Oh, our monthly ore production has been declining for some time now,” Carter said. “Last month, for example, we barely got three thousand tons out of our Dodgeville mine, when it used to be five thousand a month.”

  “That’s quite a drop.”

  “Yes, it is,” Carter said, his voice perhaps testier than he had intended. “Now you might not know many diggers, but they’re not exactly the cream of human society. A lot of these men are shifty and lazy, frankly,” he said. “My father may not have paid as much attention to that as he should have, but I’m here to motivate the men to get production back up to normal.”

  “You know, your dad once mentioned to me that he thought all the easy ore had been mined already,” Tanner said. “Maybe production is down because there’s none left to find.”

  Carter smiled like a father humoring his child. “That could be, I suppose,” he said, “but I think that the real problem remains a question of motivation. And in my experience, the threat of losing one’s job serves as a real motivator.”

  “Yes, I suppose it would,” he said. “In any case, next time you write to your father, tell him I said hello.”

  “I’ll do that,” Carter said. “I didn’t know you knew him.”

  “Sure I do,” the sheriff said. “Miners tend to get into a little trouble now and again, so I got to know him pretty well over the years. He’s a good man.”

  “I think so too,” Carter said warmly. “I’ll be sure to pass on your regards.”

  “When am I going to meet your dad, by the way?” Cora asked, laying her hand on his wrist.

  “Uh, well, I’ll have to see when he’s planning to come up again,” Carter said. “I don’t know offhand.”

  “Maybe you’ll just have to take me there, then,” she said.

  Carter looked down at his plate. “Yes, maybe so,” he said quietly. “Let’s talk about that later.” He turned to Kate’s father. “So, Mr. Taylor, how do you like the farming life?”

  “It brings back a lot of memories,” Thomas said. “I grew up on a farm out in New York, so this has really been like going home, in a way. And it doesn’t hurt to have Sam here as our manager; he’s the one who does all the work.”

  Carter glanced over at Sam. “This is a big farm,” he said. “It’s quite a job for a young lad like you.”

  “I’m not as young as I look,” Sam said. “And it was actually my father’s job before; I kind of grew up watching him do it.”

  “Well, I guess that’s one thing we have in common,” Carter said. His gaze dropped from Sam’s face to his shirt. “Probably the only thing.” He turned his attention back to Thomas. “So, what kind of work were you doing in Boston?”

  As the conversation flowed around the table, Kate picked at her food and tried to nod at all the right places, smiling when the others did and forcing a laugh along with everybody else. But as she stole glances across the table at Edward, it seemed as if he had engineered this whole thing just to humiliate her. He sat there talking and joking with the others as if nothing at all were the matter, as if they had shared nothing in the dim light of the theater. Well, perhaps that’s true. Perhaps we really didn’t share anything and I’m just a silly girl.

  Miss Rice leaned over to whisper in Carter’s ear, and although his face seemed to reveal nothing so much as boredom, Kate could only note the way she draped her hand over his shoulder and brushed away a speck of lint, touching him in a familiar way. Very familiar. Too close to be just a friend. Kate felt her cheeks grow warm and she looked away from the two of them. I’m such a fool, she thought.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Kate said. “I need to get a little fresh air.” She slipped out of the dining room and quickly went out to the porch. The hum of the conversation inside could still be heard, but it was dampened by the orchestra of crickets and the wind in the trees. She leaned against the porch railing and closed her eyes, letting the sensations of the evening wash over her. If o
nly he hadn’t come with her, she thought. I might have been able to talk to him a little bit, and after that, who knows what might have come of it?

  The sound of the door opening behind her roused her from her thoughts, and she turned to see Edward standing there. His eyes glittered in the dim light, and a smile had turned up one corner of his mouth.

  “Have I mentioned how wonderful it is to see you again, Miss Taylor?”

  Kate stood up straight and took a deep breath. I may have misunderstood things before, but that won’t happen again. Just try not to read too much into things.

  “Yes, you did. That’s very nice of you to say, Mr. Carter,” she said. “I’m glad that you and Miss Rice were able to join us.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. How could I pass up a chance to spend more time with you?”

  “Again, that’s nice of you to say.” She turned away slightly to look out at the field, but Carter’s gaze did not waver; when she turned back, his eyes bored into her just as they had at the theater. In spite of herself, she smiled slightly. “And it’s good to see you again too.”

  “I’m happy to hear you say that,” he said, stepping closer. “I’ve been waiting all night to speak to you alone for a moment.”

  “Why is that?”

  “You must know,” he said. “Isn’t it abundantly clear why I would want to talk to you?”

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

  He stepped even closer to her, leaning in and lowering his voice. “Miss Taylor, when a man feels such a strong attraction for a woman, there’s almost no stopping him.”

  Kate felt a wave of heat run through her body. She was thankful for the darkness, which she hoped would not reveal the red flush that she felt passing over her chest and throat. She stepped toward the door.

  “I’d better return to the dining room,” she said. “They’ll be wondering about me. About us.”

  Before she could take another step, Carter reached out and caught her by the elbow. “Let them wonder,” he said. “Katherine, you’ve done something to me,” he whispered. “Something that I never knew could happen.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t rightly know myself what’s going on,” he said. “But ever since the moment I first saw you, you haven’t left my mind. When I’m at the office I lose track of the figures I’m working with. I try to eat and the food has no flavor. I try every sort of distraction you can imagine, and my mind just turns back to you.”

  “Mr. Carter, I don’t know how you can speak to me like this,” Kate said. She felt suddenly warm—very warm, actually—but it was not unpleasant. “You’re here with Miss Rice.”

  “She’s nobody to me,” he said. “She’s just a…decoration that I pull out to display once in a while. Since I first met you, only one woman has been on my mind, and that’s you.”

  “Mr. Carter—”

  “Edward. Call me Edward.”

  “Edward,” she said. “I’m flattered, and I’d be lucky to receive your attention, but I could see how she behaved toward you. It’s clear that there’s something there.”

  He reached quickly for her hand, squeezing gently. “Katherine,” he said, “I swear, I feel nothing for her. There’s only one woman I’m interested in. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I knew that I could never be content with only a taste of such sweetness. I must have more.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that I want to see more of you,” he said. “I want to make my intentions known to your father, and we’ll begin courting.”

  Kate felt dizzy, and she reached for the porch railing. “Edward, this is too sudden,” she said.

  “It is sudden,” he agreed, and he took her other hand as well. His skin was warm against hers and it seemed to help steady her. “But when a man finds the right woman, he doesn’t want to wait.”

  “You think I’m the right woman for you?”

  “I knew it the first night I saw you,” he said. He leaned in close, and she could smell his body, warm and lightly fragrant with eau de cologne. “I felt like I only came alive at that moment. Don’t tell me that you didn’t feel a spark when we met. Don’t say that you felt nothing when I looked at you across the theater. I couldn’t bear it if that were true,” he whispered, now so close that she could feel his breath against her ear.

  Kate swallowed hard. She could feel her pulse racing. “I did feel something that night,” she said. “I felt the same spark, like a lamp had become lit inside me.”

  “Then tell me that you’ll consider it,” he said. “Tell me that you’ll consider me.” His hands were warm and strong, clasping hers firmly but gently. His cheek grazed against hers, then she felt his lips, soft upon her skin. Kate’s heart was like a kettle drum in her chest, and she felt a shiver run through her body.

  “I will,” she answered, the words leaping out of her mouth almost of their own accord. She turned her head toward Edward and he kissed her, his lips soft and strong upon her own. Kate felt as if her breath had been entirely stolen away as they embraced, his hands dropping to her waist and pulling her body to his. She felt his tongue flicker over her lips, giving her a warm sensation in her tummy. Then, as quickly as it had begun, he stepped back slightly.

  “You were right, they’ll be wondering about us.” He trailed his fingers over her cheek and headed for the door, only to quickly step back to her side. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips for one last kiss, then returned inside.

  Kate watched through the glass as he walked down the hall to the dining room, then she turned and stepped to the porch railing. Her entire body was trembling, and she felt very warm in spite of the fresh breeze that was gently washing over her. He kissed me. Her hand floated up to her face and her fingers brushed against her lips. It was as if she could still feel his mouth on her own, and she stayed there several minutes in a lovely trance.

  When Kate finally returned to the dining room, she found that the guests had separated; the men were talking business in the dining room over cigars and brandy, while the women had moved into the parlor to enjoy a dessert sherry and more appropriate conversation. Kate would have enjoyed nothing more than to stay in the dining room and watch Edward as he talked, but it would have been inappropriate for a variety of reasons, so she inwardly sighed and joined the women in the parlor.

  “I must say, Katherine, you really have a lovely home,” Mrs. Thompson said as Kate took a seat on the sofa.

  “Thank you, Hannah. We had absolutely nothing to do with it,” she said with a wry smile. “My uncle, however, did well and was a man of good taste.”

  “So he’s the one who kicked the bucket, huh? Guess he bought this farm before he bought the farm!” Cora said, laughing at her own line. “Well, judging by the house he must have left you all a bunch of cash, too. You lucky girl!” Cora raised her glass to Kate and drained the sherry in one gulp.

  Kate and Mrs. Thompson exchanged a glance while Cora motioned for her glass to be refilled.

  “It must be quite a change to be out here instead of back in Boston,” Mrs. Thompson said. “I hope you’re settling in well.”

  “So far, so good. Aside from mistaking Sam for a marauding Indian the first morning, I’d say I’m adjusting.”

  Mrs. Thompson laughed. “I’m sure he took it in stride,” she said. “He’s not the kind of man to keep stewing over some misunderstanding.”

  “You know him well, then?”

  “Oh, sure we know Sam,” she said. “He’s been talking to my husband about starting a business.”

  “Really? What kind?”

  A more sober look appeared on Mrs. Thompson’s face. “Oh, dear, I shouldn’t be talking about it. Confidentiality, you know. My husband shouldn’t have even mentioned it to me,” she said, pausing to take a sip of sherry. “We’re just very fond of Sam.” A twinkle came into her eye. “You know, if I were thirty years younger, I do say I’d feel more than just fondness for him, t
oo.”

  “Thirty years younger and thirty pounds lighter, maybe,” Cora said, laughing again. “But you’re right, that Sam is one fine-looking man.” Her gaze drifted away and a half-grin curled her mouth. “Very fine.” She glanced around to make sure that they were alone in the parlor and leaned closer to Kate. “Just imagine what all this hard work on the farm has done to that man’s body,” she said, and the half-grin grew wide.

  “Well, I can’t say that I noticed,” Kate said. “Once I found out that he’d lost his parents, I resolved to treat him like a brother.”

  “Isn’t that a shame about his folks,” Mrs. Thompson said, shaking her head slowly. “He’s been through a lot in the last few years. I’m sure he’ll appreciate having a sisterly companion.”

  “Or maybe even more than sisterly,” Cora said, then drained her glass again.

  The men drifted into the parlor slowly, either as a result of the drinks, the dessert, or the two combined; their arrival prompted another round of conversation that covered much of the same ground that the women had, but Kate didn’t mind. It gave her another opportunity to watch Edward as he talked. Now that she was certain of his feelings, she could almost ignore the way that Cora leaned against him.

  Another hour passed before the guests seemed ready to leave. The sheriff had nodded off when Hannah leaned over to whisper something to her husband, who then got to his feet.

  “Looks like we need to call it a night,” he said, gently shaking Tanner by the shoulder. The sheriff’s head jerked back and he blinked several times, as if surprised to find himself still at Taylor Farm. The sheriff and the others all stood up as well, each stretching and yawning like those who had spent an enjoyable evening but now knew it was time to go home.

  While Mr. Thompson said good night to Kate’s father, Mrs. Thompson pulled her to the side. “Katherine, thank you so much for having us over. I’m happy that I got to meet you,” she said. “And if you need anything as you’re settling in, you just let me know, dear.”