Ruby's Song (Love in the Sierras Book 3) (14 page)

Harrison placed his hand over Sarah’s and looked at Marlena. “I tried to negotiate contracts direct between Sarah and multiple venues, even some as far away as Philadelphia, but to no avail. The Winthrops are generous patrons of opera houses and concert halls all over New England. Elijah threatened to pull his funding if anyone did business with Sarah directly.”

Marlena bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to understand. “But why didn’t you just go to Peter and be with him? What leverage would Elijah have for blackmail? If you were disinherited, you had nothing to lose.”

“I didn’t,” Sarah said. “But Peter did.” The tears dried as her eyes hardened. “Elijah sat on the board of the bank that held Peter’s mortgage, and he threatened to destroy Peter’s livelihood if I didn’t do his bidding. If they called the note due and payable, Peter would foreclose and be forced into the streets with his dying mother. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Righteous anger burned inside of Marlena. Elijah was more like Jess’s first husband than she realized, and now wished she had pulled the trigger. “What did he demand of you?”

“That I use my celebrity to propel him into the public eye, help him advance in politics. In exchange, he would allow me to live with him and carry on singing and living as a Winthrop. I had to end things with Peter, and when I found out about my pregnancy weeks later, I had to promise to give the baby up as well.” Her hand went to her belly, where she stroked in remembrance. “He sent me out to the country until I had her. Harrison went with me to reinforce the story that I had gone on tour.”

A smile moved across her lips, first proud, then sad. “I named her Hazel. People say all babies are born with blue eyes, but not my girl. She had my eyes from the first day. I had not nursed her two months when Elijah rode out to take her from me and deliver her to a couple moving out west. An engineer and his wife. I begged to let Peter keep her, but Elijah refused, believing it would solidify the connection between us and risk ruining his political aspirations. He didn’t want anyone to know I’d had a child out of wedlock. Not even Peter.”

Marlena frowned. “Peter doesn’t know about the baby?”

Sarah shook her head. “No. I knew he would never understand why I did it. He would hate me forever, so I never told him. But Elijah did tonight, and I was right. Peter despises me and never wants to see me again.”

Sarah dropped her face into her palms and wept. Harrison placed an arm around her shoulders and continued the story. “We didn’t come back to Boston after the adoption. Sarah couldn’t stand to look at Elijah, and didn’t trust herself to stay away from Peter.”

With a sniffle, Sarah lifted her head. “Losing the two people I love most was too much for me. If it hadn’t been for Harrison, I would have thrown myself into the Colorado River.” She leaned into his embrace and he gave her a soft smile. “I had to find a way to relieve myself of Elijah, to reclaim the happiness I once knew.

“When I visited Virginia City and heard your voice, it hit me like lightning.
You
would be my replacement in the world of opera, and your success would grant me the financial aid needed to live away from my evil brother. As far as Elijah knew, he would retain financial stewardship over you, like he did with me, and he was happy to boost his image with such a show of charity, but Harrison and I made sure you contracted direct with the Boston Opera House, and that the contract between you and I remained a secret. With you, I could live independently and be with Peter.
You
were my way out.”

A flush of anger warmed Marlena’s cheeks and she paced about the room with heavy breaths heaving through her nose in a loud hiss. She pinched her lips tight, so tight she could feel her teeth biting into the flesh. Fists clenched at her sides and it took all of her willpower not to plant them in Sarah’s face. She rounded on the woman. “So, I was only a means to your end?”

Sarah stood and went to her, grabbing her hands, but Marlena yanked them out of her reach. “You are a Godsend.”

“No! I am a scapegoat, a pawn. You knew I would be hated and snubbed by your peers. You knew how lonely I’ve been away from my family and how much I’ve sacrificed. You let me send Dalton away with obvious pain and regret, and yet you didn’t care because my being here,
my
bondage, meant
your
freedom.”

Sarah clasped her hands beneath her chin as if in prayer. “But Marlena, don’t you see? We are both free now.”

Marlena spread her arms out wide. “Free from Elijah, but I’m still bound to you for the next five years.”

“You say that like it is a horrible fate. Didn’t you want to be a great opera singer? Didn’t you want to be just like me? I’m giving that to you.”

Marlena snorted. “That is the problem. I am not you. I am not made for opera. You said it yourself. For five years I’ve been trying to please you and failing. And I was always going to fail because I was never going to be what you needed. Do you know how that has plagued me these past years? If I hadn’t found
The Museum
I would have felt void of any talent or joy altogether.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, her brow furrowed.

“I’ve been performing there these past months, and I was there tonight when your brother destroyed it.”

Harrison stood up. “You? You are the masked actress?”

Marlena nodded before turning an apologetic look onto Sarah. “I had to know if I was good at anything. And you know what I learned? I’m good at pretending, and that is all. And now I have a debut in two days that is pointless and sure to be the greatest failure of my life.”

“No,” Sarah said, rushing to her. “Marlena, yes it is my fault for trying to mold you into something you’re not. But what you
are
is a beautiful singer, and a beautiful person.”

“You were breathtaking out on that stage,” Harrison said. “In fact, you were the only reason I kept returning to the venue.”

Sarah turned Marlena to face her. “I may have chosen you for my own personal gain, but I chose you
because
of your talent. Forget everything I said about forcing emotion and whatnot. Just be you. Sing the way you sing, and the crowd will fall in love with you. You’ve a gift that deserves to be shared with the world. Don’t let my underhandedness steal the light you deserve.” She grasped Marlena’s hands in hers. “My time has ended. Elijah will make sure of that, and Peter will never see me again. Let us begin
your
journey in two days. I’ll make these next five years worth it to you, Marlena. I promise.”

Marlena struggled to name her feelings. She couldn’t stomach the pain in Sarah’s eyes, the tears rushing down her cheeks, but each time she shut her eyes, Dalton’s pained expression appeared and her heart clenched anew. Had she lost him forever? The thought brought a throbbing ache to life inside of her, the kind of ache Sarah must feel now and has felt in the past. Only Sarah had lost her love
and
her child. In that moment, the anger, the betrayal, every negative emotion she felt toward Sarah was pushed aside by wholehearted sympathy. Marlena pulled Sarah into an embrace, stroking her hair as she cried into Marlena’s shoulder. Harrison finally stepped forward and put a hand on each woman’s arm.

“Ladies, the sun is due to rise soon and you’ve had a long night. Let me offer you each a room to sleep in as long and as late as you need. Tomorrow, with rested, clearer heads we can make a plan.”

They each nodded and Marlena felt grateful. Her body was weary and her mind muddled. They followed Harrison up the stairs and deposited Sarah in the first room on the right. Next, he showed Marlena to a guest room across the hall and asked if she required anything else. She shook her head and offered him a smile for his kindness. As he shut the door, a thought occurred to her. Dalton was right. Harrison’s eyes were brown.  

Chapter14

Marlena’s nerves rattled like a snake in the underbrush. Her debut was an hour away and if Dalton wasn’t there, if she’d sent him away forever, there was no way she could sing on that stage, despite Harrison’s and Sarah’s bolstering words. Her many letters to the Haverston Inn had remained unanswered and the silence tore her heart to shreds.

One of Harrison’s maids worked diligently, dabbing rice powder over the shadows beneath her eyes, trying to reduce the puffiness. They made it to the Opera House with a half hour to spare, and Marlena fought to compose herself. Once left alone in her dressing room she took a few deep breaths and paced about the space.

“You can do this,” she said to the empty air. “Be someone else, anyone else. Put aside your emotions.”

The minutes disappeared like sand in the air and soon Sarah was in her room.

“It’s time,” she announced and Marlena allowed one last shiver before she shut herself off from all feeling.

“I’m ready.”

Sarah stepped forward and removed Marlena’s shawl to reveal her shimmering red dress, the skirt full and scalloped. The bodice scooped low across her bosom with cap sleeves that hung slightly off-shoulder. Dalton’s ruby hung in the middle of her chest and she lifted it to her lips for a kiss, hoping he kept his promise and sat in the auditorium. Sarah’s soft hands on her shoulders drew her gaze.

“You truly are a gem, Marlena,” she said. “Believe it of yourself, and everyone else will believe it, too.”

Marlena exhaled and she felt a stirring of affection toward the woman. “Thank you for everything, Sarah. Let us hope this is a new beginning for both of us.”

Sarah looked away, seeming uncomfortable with the show of emotion and Marlena sighed at the re-emergence of the old, aloof Sarah. “Right. Well, I’ll be watching from the balcony. Make me proud.”

A brief hug followed and Sarah took her leave. Marlena inched toward stage-right and hugged the curtain as she gazed out over the crowd’s faces. Her heart sped and pounded at the same time, and she found it difficult to breathe. There were hundreds of faces and they all looked the same. Until she scanned the balcony and saw Dalton standing near the rail. His hands clutched the balustrade and his eyes peered down at her, as if he knew exactly where she’d emerge.

He was too far away to discern his expression but she didn’t care. He was there, and that was all that mattered. Once she was announced, she glided out to center stage and bowed to her audience. A harpist accompanied her and as the man’s strumming fingers glided across the strings, a flutter of panic moved through her. But her eyes sought Dalton’s and she held fast to him while the first note lifted from her throat and into the room. It was strong, sure and she couldn’t hold back her smile as she carried on through the rest of the song.

Song after song went on, each to the finish of rapturous applause, and when she looked aloft at the end of the concert, Dalton was nowhere to be seen. She nearly faltered but regained her focus and finished the set, wondering where he’d gone.

Dalton retraced his steps across the opera house lobby until he found the side door he’d seen Sarah disappear into. He traversed the corridors, looking for a path that would lead to Marlena’s chambers, but the wall suddenly opened up and he found himself staring at her onstage once again.

The silk of her gown glistened in the lamplight and he was enchanted, unable to move or speak, do anything but stare at her beauty, lulled by the sensual depth of her voice. It wasn’t until he heard another voice that the stupor evaporated and he felt Sarah standing close beside him.

“Magnificent, isn’t she?” she said, and he nodded, eyeing his ruby on the stage. “Far too luminous for the son of a whore, don’t you think?” Dalton was speechless, but Sarah looked smug as she continued to speak. “You didn’t think I knew, did you? It took me a little time, but I soon remembered where I’d seen you and your mother, on the day Marlena left Virginia City, and then I realized…the whore had sent her son to play on our charity and generosity.”

Rage was the only force strong enough to pull his gaze from Marlena and he pinned it on Sarah, starting slightly at the swelling of her right eye. He hadn’t noticed it before beneath the makeup.

“If you were a man, I’d kill you for that,” he growled.

“If
you
were a man, you’d turn around and walk out of Marlena’s life forever,” Sarah returned, before she grasped his arm and pointed at the stage. “Look at her. Do you really think you can make her happy, Dalton? This is only the beginning for her. From this day on, she’ll be praised and paraded before royalty and poor alike. People will throw roses at her feet and ask her to bless their children. Do you really believe you belong in her world? What can you offer her that this life won’t provide?”

He looked at Marlena again, listened as her final note of the evening drifted on an unseen breeze, finally fading into the night and the audience jumped to its feet, screaming cheers and applause. She bowed and grinned from ear to ear. The night was a triumph for her. He had nothing to offer her, but…

“I love her,” he uttered to Sarah, almost an incredulous whisper as the realization hit him at the same time his words were spoken.

She tapped her chin with a finger. “Come, Dalton. You know it in your soul. You’re not good enough for her. What sort of life would you give her? You don’t even have a home and your only skill is killing people. Who would accept her? Who would accept
you
? Her career will flicker out like a candle flame and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

His fingers curled around the rail until they gleamed white. He wanted to silence Sarah’s biting tongue, but what had she said that wasn’t true? She echoed his own fears, fears that had become dull and distant over the past weeks. But as he stood looking at the vision that was Marlena on the stage, he truly began to doubt his worthiness.

“Besides,” Sarah continued, watching Marlena exit the stage. “She is contractually bound to me for the next five years, and I won’t allow her to marry a man I don’t approve of.”

Dalton’s head snapped in her direction. “What?”

“Didn’t you know?” Sarah covered her mouth with a palm and laughed. “She never told you, did she? She signed a contract that binds her to me for the next five years. I’ll have complete control over her tour, over every aspect of her life, and will take half of the profits as recompense for my family rearing her and making her an acceptable lady.”

“Why would she sign such an agreement?”

“Because she is honorable. She knows it wasn’t free to take her in, train her and care for her for five years. She owes that back, and then some. She’ll fulfill her duty. And if that fails? Well, there is a clause that holds her sister financially responsible for the costs, and believe me, a frontier rancher doesn’t have a hope of satisfying the bill. Marlena’s sister will go bankrupt.”

Dalton found his breaths thin and labored through his nostrils as his lips pinched tight. “Why would you demand such a sacrifice from her?”

Sarah’s look was full of pity and patronization. “You didn’t think I took her in out of the goodness of my heart, did you?”

Dalton shrugged and ground out his next words. “Well, you are nothing if not charitable.”

She laughed, a low chuckle through pinched lips. “Not that charitable.”

His head shook back and forth. The contract explained everything, her behavior, her reluctance to leave, her fear of failure. But he didn’t care. Money and power didn’t scare him. He would simply buy out her contract, give her the freedom she so desperately craved.

“If I buy out the contract, what would it cost?

Sarah laughed, loud and boisterous until onlookers turned in her direction and she covered her mouth. “You wouldn’t be able to afford it, I assure you.”

Dalton gritted his teeth. “How much?”

“Fifty thousand dollars.”

His stomach sank like a stone. She was right. He wouldn’t be able to afford it. Just then, Marlena appeared at the end of the corridor, radiant, invigorating, and in all ways superior, but then their eyes met and he saw his feelings reflected in hers. A look passed between them, and he knew. His affections were shared, and by a beloved who was trapped. There was much to do, but not from Boston. He’d have to return to Virginia City and make his plans. He spared a single glare for Sarah before marching down the steps until he stood before Marlena.

“How did I do?” she began to mutter, but without a word, he threw an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, kissing her full on the lips in spite of the gasp of outrage from Sarah behind him. Marlena returned his fervor, locking her arms around his neck and throwing herself against him while she opened her mouth and sent her tongue sparring in rapturous abandon. When approaching voices clamored down the hall, he pulled away and picked up the ruby pendant, kissing it as well. His eyes bore into hers with all of the conviction he felt.

“When you see me again, it’ll be because I’ve come to make you mine,” he said. He grabbed her again and left one single kiss upon her lips before turning and stomping back up the path he’d taken, sparing a solid glare for Sarah. No matter what it took, he would earn the money to buy out Marlena’s contract and bring her home, bring her back where she belonged. With him.

Marlena’s insides felt warm and numb from his kiss, so much so that she’d forgotten everything she’d wanted to say to him, to ask him. Her mind went blank but for the heady sensation he imparted. Something about the way he held her, possessed her, opened up a pathway to her heart, making her hopeful and unafraid. But his words held a haunting quality as well, as if they were in parting and she was too befuddled by his kiss to discern their meaning until he had disappeared entirely.

Was it a goodbye? A promise?

There was little time to figure it all out as she was swarmed by people, stage workers, managers, and admirers alike, all showering her with roses and singing her praises. Soon, Sarah pushed through the crowd and came to her side.

“Marvelous, my dear! Simply marvelous! There is much to discuss. Come.”

They went to her dressing room, where Harrison soon followed, as well as the owners of the opera house.

“You were a sensation,” someone cried.

“An absolute marvel.”

“We must plan another concert and invite the local newspaper –”

“Then announce plans for a tour.”

“Of course you’ll need a new wardrobe,” Sarah’s voice cut in. “And a new name. Marlena Beauregard is too much of a mouthful. We need something witty and short. Something that will catch and spread like wildfire; something easy on the tongue.”

Marlena held the pendant in her hand, felt all of the affection flowing through it. Her thumb ran over it, still warm from Dalton’s lips. Only Sarah’s uttered word drew her attention.

“Ruby.”

All commotion ceased.

“What?” Marlena asked.

Sarah clapped her hands excitedly. “It’s perfect.” She swiped the air as if painting a blank canvas. “Ruby, the American Songbird. We shall dye your hair as well, Marlena. A deep ruby color. Of  course, we must make sure not to make it too bright. We don’t want you mistaken for the wrong sort of woman, you know. Harrison, take care of it, will you?”

“My pleasure,” he said, coming forth to kiss Marlena’s knuckles. “You were truly astonishing. I look forward to our adventures together.”