Love’s Battle Won Page 9

  Martin averted his eyes and Serena’s spirits plummeted. “Is Daniel alright? Where is he? Is he still in North Carolina? When did you return?”

  Martin sat down heavily and Reverend Custer patted his shoulder as he began to dab at his eyes and his forehead.

  Serena’s spirits plummeted further. “What is it, Mister Smith? Please tell me.”

  “Mrs. Snowdon,” Martin said, looking down at his missing leg. “I have sent word for you and looked for you for over a year.”

  “I see,” Serena responded, her legs feeling weak and wobbly. “You returned over a year ago? Please tell me… what has happened?”

  “Mrs. Snowdon, your husband Daniel loved you to the end and talked of coming back to you.”

  “Till the end? So… you are saying…” Serena didn’t want to hear the truth, the truth she had suspected for so long. She waited for him to say the words, knowing they would serve to bring her closure.

  “Your husband…Daniel…died in North Carolina a year and a half ago. I’m so sorry. He was such a fine man. He spoke of you often and loved you so very much.”

  Serena collapsed onto a pew and Reverend Custer beckoned to Laura and Claudia, who held her as she sat staring blankly into the distance, with Nathan holding her hand and looking up into her face.

  “Tell me. What happened to him?” Serena asked, barely able to get a word past the gigantic lump in her throat.

  “There were skirmishes with other camps. We didn’t know when we went to make our fortune that we would lose more than we would gain. All the gold Daniel had was stolen after he was killed. I ran with the others, but I didn’t get away unhurt.”

  “One and a half years ago? I had held out such hope. But…deep in my heart, I knew.” Serena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Yes,” Martin replied. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Snowdon. I searched for you, but never found you. You left Sweet Haven Ranch and I was told you had run away.”

  Laura and Claudia held Serena as she sobbed. “I have nothing left now, except my dear little boy…” she said when there seemed to be no more tears left to shed.

  “Come now, Serena,” Reverend Custer said. “You do have your son…and your property.”

  “We will all band together and help you reclaim Sweet Haven,” Marjorie said.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  WHEN HEARTS UNITE

  WHEN HEARTS UNITE

  “Come on, Jasper, we’ll be late,” Jeremiah said, bursting into Jasper’s room.

  “Give me a minute, Jeremiah,” Jasper said, pulling on his boots. “I do wish we didn’t have to take Molly with us. After all, it’s a cattle show. Mother should allow us men to have time without the women.”

  “Is Mother coming?”

  “No. Neither is Father. Just you, me, Petula and…Molly.”

  Jeremiah gave his brother a pitying look. “The wedding is not far away, brother. Don’t you think you should be making more of an effort to look fondly upon your future wife?”

  Jasper made an impatient sound. “I have tried, Jeremiah, and believe me she is not a bad sort…but she isn’t…”

  “Serena?”

  Jasper looked away. “She had every right to leave. Mother and that awful Patsy were out to get her. She did say she would return the horse, but Mother is enjoying telling everyone that Serena stole it. I hate her being referred to as a thief.”

  “Jasper, I know Serena will return the horse when she finds it safe to come back.”

  “It’s not the horse I’m worried about. It’s her. I don’t want even one bad thing said about her. I really wish I could tell Mother about Patsy, but I agree with you – we should keep Patsy close so that we will know what Trent is up to.”

  Jasper stood up, adjusted his jacket and plopped a hat on his head. He looked devastatingly handsome, but he seemed unaware of his looks, and instead looked dejected.

  “We have to stop by the Wheeler’s house and pick up Molly,” Jasper said irritably, and Jeremiah patted him on the shoulder.

  “Where’s the cattle show?” Jeremiah asked.

  “At the Darrot’s farm,” Jasper replied.

  “But that’s a long way off,” Jeremiah remarked in surprise.

  “Well, that’s precisely why Mother felt we ought to take Molly. She wanted us to have the benefit of a long carriage ride together, if you please.”

  “It will take us the better part of the morning to get there,” Jeremiah said briskly. “Let’s be off!”

  Hours later, their carriage majestically drove past the gates of the Darrot’s farm, and Jasper jumped off and helped Molly down. Jeremiah and Petula followed, the latter grumbling at having to attend a cattle show only so that Molly could have her as company.

  Molly was clinging to Jasper’s arm like a limpet, and all he wanted to do was to shake her off and run.

  “Jasper Riley!” Freddie Darrot said. “Please come and join us for some refreshments in the tent!”

  Jasper wasn’t hungry, but Molly and Petula wanted to eat, so he and Jeremiah accompanied them. Inside the tent, there were trestle tables laid out with a splendid array of food.

  Jeremiah nudged his brother. “There’s something familiar about this spread,” he said, and Jasper’s heart began to pound with expectation. He picked up a plate, helped himself to some of the food and tasted it.

  “Serena,” Jasper whispered and Jeremiah nodded. “This is delicious!” Jasper said to Freddie.

  “Isn’t it?” Freddie said proudly. “We’ve got ourselves a marvelous cook.”

  “Could we meet her…and compliment her food personally?” Jeremiah asked.

  “Certainly!” Freddie said, and led them over to the other side of the tent. Petula noticed Serena first, and saw her brothers making a beeline for her.

  “Molly!” Petula said. “Let’s take our plates over to the garden. I see lots of ladies sitting on the grass and having a picnic. Wouldn’t it be fun?”

  Molly looked doubtful, but Petula took her hand and dragged her out of the tent even as Freddie called to Serena, and she turned around to find herself staring straight into the eyes of the man she had found herself so attracted to.

  “Freddie,” Jeremiah said, leading their host away. “Could I discuss one of the breeds of cattle we saw at the show today?”

  As Freddie and Jeremiah left, Jasper stared into Serena’s eyes. “I recognized the food,” Jasper said.

  “I will return your horse. But later, when it’s safe to do so. I had to run,” Serena explained, “because Patsy tried to force me to sign my ranch over to Trent. I wouldn’t sign.”

  “Jasper!” Nathan lisped, suddenly recognizing him.

  Jasper felt a lump in his throat as he picked the little boy up and hugged him. Nathan threw his arms around Jasper’s neck. “You’re back,” he said.

  “I’m going to get my ranch back,” Serena said. “There are people who said they would help me.”

  “I have tried to find you. And I have tried to find that man, Martin.”

  “He found me,” Serena said.

  “Oh,” Jasper whispered. “Do you have news of your husband then?”

  Serena nodded.

  “Serena,” Matilda called. “Could we have some more pies brought out please?” She turned to Jasper and smiled. “Ah, Jasper Riley! Not trying to poach our amazing cook, are you?”

  Jasper shook his head. “No. I was just complimenting her on the food.”

  “Serena is a wonder. Such a tragedy though.”

  “What? What is a tragedy?”

  “Her losing her property, her parents, and now…her husband.”

  “Oh no.” Jasper said.

  “She has only just discovered that her husband died a year and a half ago. She has been waiting in vain all this while. Poor girl. We fully intend to help her get her ranch back, because Freddie’s parents knew her parents well…and she is such a treasure.”

  “Yes, she is …a treasure,” Jasper said, hoping Matilda wouldn’t notice
how his eyes brimmed over involuntarily.

  “I hear congratulations are in order!” Matilda carried on as Molly returned, with Petula in tow.

  Petula gave Jasper a significant look as Molly latched on to his arm again.

  “Did you find out all you needed to know, Jasper…about the cattle breeds, I mean?” Petula asked.

  “There are a lot of unanswered questions, Petula, but at least I know where to find what I’m looking for when the time is right,” Jasper replied.

  “Are you going to buy new breeds of cattle?” Molly asked, trying to sound interested.

  Jasper made an indistinguishable sound. “It’s time we left,” he said, leading Molly off to the carriage.

  “The food was spectacular!” Molly remarked. “It reminded me of the food we had at your coming out ball, Petula,” she said.

  Petula arched her eyebrows. “Never!” she said emphatically. “My banquet was one of a kind. This was nothing!”

  Jasper hoped they had dodged a bullet, because if Molly went back and told Rebecca that the food was familiar, Serena would be hunted down.

  “Yes, of course. Your banquet was cooked by the woman who stole one of your horses and ran away,” Molly replied, with an uncharacteristic curl of her lip.

  Jasper’s mouth was set in a thin, hard line and his eyes blazed. Jeremiah gave him a warning look and tried to lighten the atmosphere with a joke.

  “I only agreed to the engagement with Molly because Mother threatened that if I didn’t, Serena would lose her job. As that is no longer a threat because Serena has found a way to sustain herself, I don’t feel the need to go through with this bogus marriage,” Jasper told Jeremiah and Petula later that evening when the three of them were alone.

  “You’re right, Jasper, except for hurting poor Molly.”

  “Who is spoilt and dreary,” Petula complained, making both her brothers grin.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  PASSION UNLEASHED

  PASSION UNLEASHED

  Serena heard the pound of horses’ hooves and jumped to her feet.

  “There’s a man to see you. Tall, dark haired, handsome,” Laura said.

  Serena felt her throat constrict.

  “Should I tell him to go away?” Laura asked.

  Serena shook her head. “No, I’ll see him,” she replied, going outside. Jasper stood there, his dark hair tossed by the breeze, and his eyes flashing.

  “What is it?” Serena asked, alarmed.

  “I had to see you. You never told me what you found out about Daniel.”

  Serena bit her lip. “He’s… he was killed years ago. I have been holding on to a dream.”

  “I see,” Jasper said, grateful for her honesty, knowing how much it hurt her. He moved closer and took her hand.

  “This is a church. You cannot…”

  “Come with me,” Jasper said. “I want to show you something.”

  “What is it?”

  Jasper led her to an arbor outside the church. The view was spectacular.

  “What do you want to show me?” Serena asked.

  Jasper roughly pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. Serena struggled against him, pushing hard against his chest. Then, as his kiss deepened, she went limp in his arms and stopped struggling. She felt the old familiar blaze of heat surge through her body as every part of her ached to become one with the man who crushed her so hard against him.

  “Oh Serena, I love you,” Jasper groaned. “And I’m not going to let you go.”

  “But you are to be married to Molly and I…” She couldn’t go on with an excuse, knowing that Daniel was in Heaven and would want her to be happy. She dropped her eyes from his handsome face, blushing.

  Jasper raised his head, hooked two fingers under her chin and made her look up at him. He gazed deep into her eyes, hazy with desire.

  “What did you want to show me?” Serena asked weakly.

  “This,” he said. “How much I want you…and how much you want me…”

  “But…” Serena began, and Jasper silenced her with another ravaging kiss.

  “I knew about Daniel already and I am so sorry, Serena. My heart aches for you. All I want to do is to protect you from any more hurt. I can make you happy again. If you would only give me a chance.”

  “But what about Molly…”

  “Serena, Molly called off the engagement. She recognized the food at the Darrot’s farm and, though Petula tried to distract her so that I could talk to you, she spotted us together and went back and told her mother…and mine.”

  “I’m sorry, Jasper.”

  “I’m not sorry, Serena,” Jasper said, going down on one knee. “Please, my love, will you marry me?”

  “But Mrs. Riley…your mother… what will she say?” Serena began.

  Jasper stood and pulled her into his arms. “Never mind Mother. She’ll come around. First tell me what your answer is.”

  “Yes,” Serena said weakly. “I will!”

  “And now for the best piece of news. Trent and Patsy have been arrested for a variety of different crimes, including trying to steal your property and sell it.”

  “You mean I can return to Sweet Haven?”

  “Yes! Mother, Petula, Jeremiah and I went over and organized the tidying up for your homecoming.”

  “Did you say Mother? Your mother?”

  Jasper nodded. “She never disliked you. She just wanted me to marry someone like Molly. But now that you have your fortunes restored, Mother has nothing to complain about.”

  “What about Nathan?”

  “I am looking forward to teaching him how to call me Daddy,” Jasper said. He dropped onto his knee again and held out the ring. “Serena, my dear, beautiful, desirable Serena,” Jasper said. “I love you so much. Will you marry me?”

  “I love you, Jasper Riley! And yes, yes, yes…I will marry you!” Serena said, holding out her hand. “Oh yes!”

  “Is it terribly irregular for a man to move into his wife’s house?” Serena asked as Jasper carried her over the threshold at Sweet Haven.

  “Only if he doesn’t proceed to ravish her when he does,” Jasper laughed. He set her down and looked at her – his eyes burning with a light she knew all too well. “You are the most beautiful bride a man could ask for,” he said, his eyes taking in every detail of her attire – the veil on her head and the modestly cut blue wedding dress that subtly accentuated her body.

  He carried her to the bed he had specially made for them, and hungrily devoured the sight of her as she sat up and began to unpin her hair.

  “May I unwrap my prize?” he asked, his voice thick with desire; his lips trailing fire down the side of her neck as he unbuttoned her dress and slid it down her shoulders.

  “Oh Serena,” Jasper moaned, sliding his hands over her trim waist.

  She watched him undress, his large hands impatiently pulling off each item of his clothing. Her eyes caressed him as she breathlessly reached out to stroke his firm chest.

  Outside, the moon slid over the horizon and the sun came up. “Is it daylight already?” Serena asked as Jasper covered her body with his and looked down into her eager face.

  “Is it? I don’t know,” he said. “All I can feel is love light.”

  EPILOGUE

  EPILOGUE

  “Jasper, you’ve made me so happy. Name one thing that I can give you in return,” Serena whispered.

  “A baby – one born of our union. That would be the one gift I would ask for.”

  Serena smiled, turning pink as she did so. “Come here, my darling husband,” she said, and took Jasper’s hand.

  “Feel this,” she said, placing his hand on her belly.

  “What is it?” Jasper asked, not daring to hope too much.

  “The gift you asked for,” Serena said.

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