On the Mountain (39 page)

Anna stared up at him with her mouth gaping open.

“But it was your mother’s own ignorance the constable abused.”   He paused and Anna waited, slightly confused.  “After he caught Edmund stealing he threatened to have him hung for theft unless your mother agreed to repay his debt.”

She gasped and took a step back.

“Anna,” he said softly and reached out to touch her, then dropped his hand.  “A man can’t be hung for theft.”

She felt a sharp pain stab her heart and felt her mother’s suffering.  “She never told us.”

“I suppose she wouldn’t,” he stated quietly and Anna realized how true his words were.

If Edmund had any idea what their mother had done for him, he would never have forgiven himself.  She was certain in the end they would have hung him, for she knew Edmund well enough that he would have wanted revenge.  And the murder of a lawman was a major crime, punishable only by death.

They said nothing else for several minutes until Wade softly broke the silence.  “I think we should head back now.”

Anna nodded, then followed him out of the house.  She was glad he had told her.  Otherwise, Anna would have spent the rest of her life remembering her mother’s memory slightly tarnished.  Stopping to look back at the house one more time, she smiled to herself and thought her mother was probably the biggest hero in this entire nightmare.

“Anna?”

She turned to see him looking at her concerned and said, “Before we go back, I want to show you something.”

He looked puzzled but followed her out of the village.  They walked several yards until finally reaching a clearing that overlooked the valley below.  Anna looked over the view that had lured her many times and felt the same beauty and tranquility the scenery brought.

“I would come here often and watch as the sun set beyond the mountain ranges in the distance.”  She pointed to the western horizon and Wade turned to look.

“It’s beautiful up here.”

She smiled and nodded.  “I wouldn’t have traded any home in Lantern for this mountain.”

His face went soft before he turned and looked down the valley.  “I believe that’s the homestead in the far distance.”

Anna already knew that.  “I often could see smoke rising from that part of the valley and I knew it was someone’s home, I just didn’t know whose.  I once asked my father, but he told me no good would come out of finding out and I was best to stay away.”

Wade faced her.  “Anna, I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but it was your father that fought hard to allow this community to remain on the mountain.”

She really wasn’t surprised.  Her father loved the vast wilderness as much as she had.  “And it was your father that fought so hard to rid us.”

He winced, and looked slightly ashamed.  “Ignorance can make the most sensible man wrong.”

Her mother came to mind and Anna couldn’t but agree.  “Because of you, we were able to stay.”

“He had his flaws, but he was a good man and he loved me dearly.  The only one who did in those days.  My mother pampered my siblings and saw me as her husband’s son and wanted nothing to do with me until his death.  Then she relied on me for her survival.  But could never really learn to love me.  It was far too gone for that.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It would be disrespectful for me to speak ill of him, but I am sorry that he hurt your family.”  He turned back to look over the valley.  “I remember several years after his death, I had gone alone up into the mountain.  I often would, just so I could be by myself and think.  That day I was in search of some missing heifers that had wandered off from the herd.  I wasn’t successful in locating the animals, but I did come across a child of about the age of four or five.  It was a little girl who had the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen.  I remember her looking up at me with such a terrified look but then ran off.  I followed her to the village.  It was the first time I had ever seen it.  I stood along the edge and did not let myself be noticed.  I watched this little community of people and realized that I could never evict them from the only home they knew.  Or that little girl.”

Anna stood watching him, startled by this story.  “That little girl?”

He smiled.  “When you first showed up in my barn with your face all covered in mud except for your eyes, it triggered a memory.  I had seen those frightened eyes before, but didn’t make the connection until much later.”

“My God,” she muttered, trying to remember an incident when she had seen a stranger in the woods.  “I remember.  You were the biggest man I had ever seen.”

Wade chuckled, then reached out for her hands.  “Anna, the other day, I made a visit to Walter Grisham.  He’s the family lawyer.  I had him sever the land.  The mountain is no longer part of the ranch.  It now belongs to you.”

Her jaw dropped and she stared up at him stunned.  “You’re giving me the mountain?  Why?”

“I’ve always said it belonged more to you than me.”  He looked back toward the village.  “Its name has been officially changed.  It no longer is Mount Louis.”

Anna frowned, unable to understand why he would have done this.  “It isn’t?”

He shook his head.  “It has a new name.  Mount Nicholson.  In memory of your family.”

Chapter 23

Anna gasped and felt tears sting the back of her eyes.  Her heart filled with the love she felt and automatically she moved as if to embrace him, then caught herself short.  Wade did not enjoy signs of physical emotion.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he quietly said, watching her closely.

She had to bite down hard on her bottom lip in order to keep her emotions under control.  “That’s the nicest thing anybody has ever done for me or my family.”

He made a pained expression, then turned to look back at the village.   “It’s been long overdue.”

Turning to follow his gaze, she spotted a deer standing partially hidden behind a large oak tree.  She had noticed the humans and was watching them closely, standing utterly still for several seconds before taking a few cautious steps.

“Look,” Wade whispered next to her, and Anna spotted what he had noticed.  So small she had almost missed it in the tall bush, was a tiny fawn moving as if without a care in the world.  It pranced happily with such trust behind its mother.  An image of Nathan playing amongst the field of wildflowers entered Anna’s head.  A shadow of sadness hovered momentarily over her heart.  Then she pictured an image of her mother smiling at her warmly with a look of forgiveness, before turning and picking him up then disappearing into the woods.  A feeling of peace touched her heart as she watched the mother and her fawn vanish into the forest as well.  Life had defeated evil.

Anna smiled.  “I’m ready to go back.”

He nodded and took her elbow in his hand and together they walked back to their horses and rode the long journey down to the ranch in silence.  It was nearly the dinner hour when they returned, so Anna headed for the house to prepare supper.  Wade headed for the bunkhouse to have some words with his ranch hands as he was expecting a delivery of heifers the following morning.

An hour later she heard Wade enter the house on account of Prescott’s voice.  He was chatting happily in his usual manner.  Naturally, Wade was a silent listener as the brothers made their way upstairs to change in proper attire for dinner.  Anna had begun to make a practice of it as well since Wade had bought her the new dress.  She had made the alterations and was quite pleased at how she looked in it.   The first time Wade had seen her in it as well, she knew it also met with his approval.

When she heard them enter the dining room, she carried in their plates, but was surprised to find only Wade at the table.  He looked up upon her arrival.  “Prescott has decided to go into Lantern for dinner and won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“Oh.”  Silently she was glad.  She enjoyed when it was just her and Wade.

“I’ve asked him to be considerate next time and give you proper notice before he plans on missing dinner.”

“That’s all right,” she said and placed Wade’s plate in front of him.  “I can leave his portion as leftovers.”

They ate in silence, which Anna was beginning to notice was typical for them.  Wade seemed to appreciate the quiet as opposed to the mundane chatter he was accustomed to with Prescott.  After dinner, she made them coffee and they took it into the reading room.  She hadn’t been practicing her reading and writing nearly as much as she should have over the past little while, but she had made some headway.  Wade selected a book for her, and sitting next to him in the two large red chairs they began to read silently.  Truthfully, Anna spent most of the time silently watching Wade.  She had so few moments that she could simply sit and stare at him without being noticed.

Most nights, Wade would be the first to retire to bed, however that evening Anna noticed the hour ticking past his usual curfew.  Admittedly, she felt herself yawning and couldn’t put sleep off any longer.

Slipping her feet over the edge of the chair she got up to stand.  “I’m heading off to bed.  Good-night.”

“Anna.”  He stopped her and Anna looked down at him surprised.  Slowly he got to his feet and went over to the desk against the large window.  “I have something of yours.”

She frowned as he came toward her with a small box, and frowned even harder when she realized it was a jewelry box.

“I’ve been holding onto it since our wedding.”  He held it out to her.

With unsteady hands, she took the box and removed the lid.  Gasping, she looked down at the most exquisite piece of jewelry she had ever seen.  It was a brooch shaped in a circle of diamonds with a row of them crossing through the middle.  She immediately handed it back.  “This isn’t mine.”

He covered her hands with his and pushed it toward her.  “I bought it for you when I thought you were going to New Westminster with Kathleen.”

Confusion danced across her face.  “Why?”

A startled expression crossed his face, obviously not expecting the question.  “Well, because, I wanted you to have something to remember this place.”

“A diamond brooch?”  It would have been the last thing she would have connected to the ranch.

He frowned.  “It’s in the shape of a circle with what looks like an H in the middle.  Like the Circle H brand.”

She looked closer than was able to see it.  Smiling oddly, she nodded and said, “Thank you.”

He stood above her without saying a word for several moments.  Then he reached out and took it from her hands.  “When we were up in the mountain and I saw firsthand how time can heal all wounds, I thought of the brooch and realized I bought it because I wanted you to know that lesson.  Life can’t be touched or altered by any human form.  Evil or not.  It’s not influenced in any shape or form by the actions of mankind.  It will continue on its path, heedless of the obstacles we put in its way.  It has no beginning nor ending.  It is a continual process and like a circle, cannot be stopped.”

Startled, Anna looked up into his face at the realization she too had come to the same conclusion.  “Never ending.”

He smiled and took her hand and turned it over to lay the box back in the palm of her hand.  “Never ending.”

She closed her hand around the box and brought it to her chest.  Her eyes glistened as she recalled the deer and her fawn.  “Thank you, Wade.”

Instead of replying, he gently laid a hand against the side of her head.  His eyes studied her face and Anna felt her insides begin to stir.  Her eyes spoke the words she was too frightened to say.  She heard him sigh and lower his hand.  Immediately, she dropped her gaze, then took an unsteady step away from him.

“Good-night,” she whispered softly and turned to go.

“Anna.”  She halted and looked back at him.  “I would like it if you slept in my bed tonight.”

Shock exploded down her spine before the realization of what his words actually meant sent an alarm ringing in her brain.  Trying to appear composed, she nodded and left him.  They had been married over a month now and she had waited for this moment with heart stopping anxiety.  After it became apparent he was not interested in Anna in that form, she had buried that fear.  Till now.

Not even having been with a man before, she was as naive as they came to matters in the marital bed.  She worried all the way up the grand staircase what Wade would think of her then.  He had been with many women and she feared greatly that he would find her a huge disappointment.  An image of him in a sexual tryst with Marion came to mind.  She squeezed her lids shut and willed it away.

She placed the box with the diamond brooch safely on his dresser than stripped out of her dress.  Feeling every deplorable emotion inside, she crawled naked beneath the covers.  Admittedly, her feelings were in turmoil.  A great portion wanted this, had wanted it for a long time.  But a bigger portion feared it.  Reaching out, she doused the light.

She lay there for several minutes until finally she heard his footsteps along the hall corridor.  Holding her breath, she waited until the door opened and he entered the room carrying an oil lamp.  He did not look at her once as he went over to the opposite side of the room and began to undress.  Anna instinctively looked away.  Inside she wanted to watch, to see his beautifully naked form, but she was far too frightened.

The bed moved beside her and she realized that he had gotten under the covers.  She bit her lip and waited.  Darkness filled the room after he doused his own light.  He laid next to her completely still and Anna frowned.  She was so innocent where men were concerned, she realized that she really had no idea how to make love to a man.  That one deplorable image of Marion came to mind.

Swallowing her inhibitions, she rolled over, pulled back the cover and lowered her head to his privates.  With a start, she discovered he still wore his night shirt.  Awkwardly, she tried to raise the hem.

“Whoa,” he exclaimed, obviously startled by her actions.  Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pulled her away from that male portion of his body.  “What are you doing?”

He had pushed her all the way to a sitting position, and Anna realized the bright rays of the full moon outside his window highlighted her naked form.  With embarrassment she reached for the blanket.  “I thought this was what you wanted.”

“What?”  He sounded dubious and Anna felt herself grow pink with humiliation.  “No—well, yes, but no.  Anna, I just wanted to lie here with you.”

“I’m sorry,” she muttered and wished herself anywhere but there.  She pulled the blanket closer.

He sighed and said, “I knew you weren’t ready.  I thought if we took it slow, you might eventually come around and want to share my bed on a regular basis.”

She stilled and lifted her eyes.  “You did?”

She saw him smile in the darkness.  “Maybe I didn’t make myself very clear.  It’s my own fault, I was trying not to frighten you.  But I don’t have much experience in this field.”

Anna frowned.  “What do you mean?  You have plenty of experience.”

The thought of Marion haunted her once more, however Wade reached out and touched her arm.  “What I’ve experienced won’t come close to comparing to what we will share.  Together.”

She felt her heart do a ridiculous flip and realized no matter what he said, he had a knack of making her feel special.  Anna searched his eyes in the darkness and wished she could see their blueness.  His hand slowly moved from her arm to reach out and lay a finger against the tip of the blanket where her exposed chest peaked beneath the rim.  She felt his finger begin to stroke her skin and realized he had noticed just the hint of her scar where the knife had plunged into her chest.  With gentle hands he peeled the blanket away just enough to expose the remaining trace of the red and jagged wound.

Because it was too dark, she could not make out his expression, but she could sense in his touch the emotions he felt.  Her heart overflowed with her love for him and Anna allowed the blanket to drop away from her completely.  His hand froze and Anna waited a breath stopping moment before he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss over the wound.  She sat utterly still while his mouth pressed soft kisses against her naked skin.

Then his lips trailed across her chest to cover one small breast in soft and tender kisses.  Her breath caught in her throat and she waited for him to continue.  Lifting his head, he looked down at Anna in the darkness.  She could not see his features, but she had long memorized the shape of his mouth and she longed for him to cover her own.

His hands came out and gently moved Anna until she was lying on her back, her head resting on the soft down pillows of his bed.  Then he returned to her breasts and continued the sensual attention he had been giving them.  She was fully aware of the small size of her breasts and that she lacked what most women had.  It was one of the reasons she was able to pass herself off so easily as a boy.  However, at that moment she felt more woman than she could ever have imagined as Wade lavished them with loving kisses.

She caught her breath when she felt him draw one ruby nipple into his mouth.  Then he went over and did the same to the other.  A flutter of butterflies quivered in her stomach catching Wade’s attention for he moved his lips from her breasts to leave a sizzling path down her flat belly.  Anna felt her heart rate start to rise and her blood temperature to increase.  She was beginning to think there was nothing more wonderful than the touch of his mouth, when she felt his hand begin to caress the inside of her leg.

Slow and deliberate, it stroked her soft skin and raised the temperature in her blood even higher.  Anna heard a soft moan and realized it had come from her own mouth.  It triggered a corresponding response in Wade for his hand suddenly stopped stroking her leg, then immediately she felt its presence against her most private parts.  She froze and felt the return of her fears.

Wade, however, continued to stroke and caress her belly until Anna relaxed once more under his touch.  When she thought he would stop and finally make love to her, he startled her when the hand resting against her womanhood began to move and ever so gently stroked the secret folds between her legs.  Her instinct was to pull away, but the warmth his touch evoked had her gasping in longing instead.  The lips on her belly became more intense, causing her pulse to accelerate.

She moaned again and found her body rising to meet his.  Wade removed his hand to Anna’s immense disappointment, only to feel both his hands capture a leg in each palm.   His mouth moved further down yet on her belly and Anna arched her back, breathing heavily while he softly lifted her legs slightly up and apart.  She hardly even noticed, so intent was she on that wonderful mouth of his until it stopped suddenly only to reappear where his hand had earlier been.