Authors: Janelle Taylor
"Things can't be that bad, my sweet. Tell me what
has you so down, and maybe I can help," he coaxed
beguilingly.
Amanda studied him for a moment, then said,
"Perhaps we should have a serious talk, Weber. I'll
prepare some refreshments."
She entered the house and walked into the parlor.
She tossed her cape on one end of the sofa, then
invited him to be seated while she made the tea.
Unless he sat on her cape, he would have to sit nearest
the table which held the telegram and letter.
Although a book was partially concealing them,
Amanda felt certain Weber would notice and read
them.
Weber dropped to the sofa and sighed heavily in
fatigue and annoyance. As he plotted his strategy, his
gaze touched on the edge of a telegram. He moved the
book aside to read the signature and found the letter
beneath it. He went to the door and glanced down the
hallway. He could hear Amanda moving around in
the kitchen. He returned to the table and snatched up
the two papers, reading them swiftly and closely. He
promptly replaced them and went to stand before the
front window.
He mentally went over his dilemma. His men
hadn't been able to find a single track leading to
Miranda, yet she wasdefinitely hiding in Charleston.
He would send word to them to search harder; she must be located with all haste. His aggravation with
both females was increasing, and his lust for Miranda
was rapidly turning to a desire for vengeance. She
would pay for leading him this merry chasel He was
beginning to think she was playing him for a fool,
that she was only trying to cause a split between him
and Amanda. On the other hand, perhaps she was
afraid of him.
The riddle lay in Miranda's silence about the
episodes between them. She hadn't mentioned either
battle to Amanda. She had offered no explanation or
excuses in her note or letter. She had begged Amanda
to forgive her for running away and encouraged her
not to worry about her. She had written she was safe
and happy, staying with friends. Yet she refused to
give her current address and she repeated her vow
never to return to Alexandria. Was she afraid
Amanda would pass the address on to him? Did she
suspect he would come after her? Whatever Miranda's motives, she didn't seem to want Amanda to
know about them. The question was why.
But there was a perilous hitch to this matter-what
if Miranda decided to reveal the truth.in a future
letter? How long should he hold out for Miranda
without jeopardizing his chances with Amanda? If
he was forced to settle for Amanda, it wouldn't matter
what Miranda exposed after their marriage. If
Miranda didn't feel guilty, she wouldn't be holding
her tongue.
He recalled Lucas's telegram; his foe was leaving
St. Louis for Omaha. The telegram had asked Amanda to forward Miranda's new address when she
was settled for the summer, implying Lucas was
alone and uninformed. His man had followed Lucas
to Baltimore where Lucas had taken another train
west. His man had reported nothing suspicious.
From the telegram Web knew Lucas would take a
boat into the Dakota Territory. At last, Lucas
Reardon was out of his hair, far away.
A wary man, Weber was not often taken off guard.
Tonight, Amanda surprised him when she returned
to the room. He seemed to be engulfed in pensive
thought, lost in some dreamy world of dark schemes.
Before he came back to reality, she risked a glance at
the table to find that he had taken her bait. She
suppressed a smile as she placed the tray on an
oblong table behind one of the matching sofas in the
center of the room.
Weber actually jumped and balled his fist when
she offered, "Tea, Weber?" She couldn't contain her
laughter at his guilty reaction. "You're awfully
jumpy," she teased mockingly.
Weber's cold glare was quickly replaced with a
merry grin. "I was just about asleep on my feet. I
didn't realize I was so exhausted. Maybe that tea will
enliven me."
"Perhaps you should go home and rest. We can
talk another time," she stated flippantly as if it didn't
matter if they ever talked.
"I've been worried about you, Mandy. You're
looking marvelous, but you sound dejected. Surely
Miranda's contacted you by now?"
"What are you talking about, Weber? Miranda's
away on a holiday. She's having too much fun. to
write," she jested, acting as if nothing were wrong.
"You don't fool me, Mandy. Mrs. Reed told me
what happened last week with Miranda. I know
you're worried about her." He strolled forward to
accept the cup of hot tea then casually took a seat.
Amanda gaped at him. "Just what did Mrs. Reed
tell you?" she asked angrily.
Weber told her of their conversation. "I see,"
Amanda muttered frostily when he finished his
confession. "In the future, you will kindly refrain
from discussing me and my sister with the hired help.
I'm sorry she was the one to find Miranda's note,
since she obviously can't be trusted. When Mrs. Reed
returns to work-if I allow her to do so-she will be
severely reprimanded for such disloyalty. Why
Miranda left home is no one's business except hers
and mine."
"Why did she leave, Mandy?" he questioned
brazenly.
"I was hoping you could answer that question for
me," she stated sarcastically, fusing her challenging
gaze to his guarded one.
"I'm just as shocked and confused as you are,
perhaps more so. Why would you think she might
confide in me?"
"What happened between you and Randy last
week while I was ill? Since that night I found you two
'horsing around' in this very room, she's acted
strangely. Then, she came home from the bank the next day in a mood I can't even explain, much less
understand. She packed and left home that same
afternoon. Oh, she tried to convince me this trip had
been planned for quite some time, but I knew she was
lying. You know how, Weber? Because she lies badly.
Just like she lied that night I caught you two in here.
Then I found a note saying she'd moved and
wouldn't tell me where! What is going on between
you two? Something happened to make her leave.
And you're involvedl"
"Listen to yourself, Mandy. You sure you're off
that medicine? Just what are you trying to suggest?"
he demanded glacially.
"My head has never been clearer, Web. You know
how close Randy and I have been since birth. But
of ter you came around, things never were the same. It
isn't my imagination! Both of you have been acting
strange for weeks now. Were you two having a fight
in here, or what?"
"Are you blaming me for her departure?" he
snarled. "What could I possibly say or do to make her
disappear?"
"Tell me what happened in here that night. Then
tell me what happened the day she left town. You did
see her while she was out?" she inquired, sounding as
if it were a statement more than a leading question.
"I don't believe what I'm seeing and hearing. If I'm
right, you're accusing me and Randy of having an
affair behind your back. Is that what you think,
Mandy?" he probed, placing the cup on a table.
Amanda jumped up from her chair and paced the room. Pretending to search her heart and mind for an
honest answer, she deliberated her next move. She
could not go too far too soon.
Weber used her confusion and hesitation to further
her doubts. "I swear to you, Mandy, I've never made
love to your sister. How can you hurt me with such
charges?"
Amanda ceased her aimless wanderings and
looked at him. "Can you also swear you haven't
wanted to? Can you also swear you. haven't tried to
get her into your bed? Can you swear you have never
held her in your arms, never kissed her? Swear those
things, Weber; prove I have no reason to doubt your
love and fidelity. Prove you have nothing to do with
Randy's actions."
"You actually expect me to respond to such
accusations!" he thundered at her, infuriated by her
astute perceptions and the fact that she would dare to
interrogate him. "I do believe your fever seared your
brain, Amanda Lawrence! It's bad enough you
charge me with such vile conduct, but to vilify your
own sister like this..." He cunningly left the
statement unfinished. "By damn, woman, what's
gotten into you? I think you'd best call that doctor
over to check your head. I'm not going to sit here and
defend myself against such crude and foolish insinuations. Why would I court you if I wanted
Miranda? Do you realize how crazy that sounds?"
"You're awfully tense and defensive, Weber. It's
really rather simple to end this matter; just tell me the
truth."
Weber rushed to her and grabbed her, shaking her
as he shouted, "Damnation, Mandyl That's why she
left) You've been badgering her with such trash,
haven't you? No wonder she ran offI You've been
accusing her of these same things. Did you call her
filthy names and accuse her of such lewd behavior?
Mandy, Mandy, what have you done? Randy and I
are innocent. You've deluded yourself about some
secret love affair between us. You drove her away
with your cruel accusations and wild jealousy," he
informed her angrily.
Amanda jerked free and glared at him. "All I want
to know is who's at fault, you or she or both of you.
Damn you, Weber Richardson) I'm not a blind fool. I
saw the way you two acted that night. If nothing
happened, then why did she leave?"
"I wish to hell I knewl" he rashly stormed at her.
To his consternation, she stated softly and firmly,
"I think you and I should end this, Weber. Things
haven't been right between us for some time. I've
been trying to ignore it, even deny it, but I can't. A
marriage between us wouldn't work."
For the first time, Weber panicked. Miranda might
be lost to him, and now he was losing Amanda and
all she represented. He couldn't permit that. He
would deal with Miranda when she was found. Right
now, he would have to persuade Amanda she was his
one and only love. "I love you, Mandy; I want to
marry you. Now or whenever you say."
Amanda shook her head. "You love what I have to
offer, Weber, not me. I doubt you ever loved me or ever will. If Randy were here and willing, you would
take her in my place. Why pretend?"
Weber felt secure in his schemes and used them.
"You have nothing to offer but yourself, Mandy.
Your father made some terrible business decisions.
Everything you have is mortgaged past keeping. I've
been supporting you and your sister for the past two
months. If not for me, you and Randy would be in
the streets today. I've been slaving to hold things
together until we were married. I didn't want you to
feel obligated to marry me. You have nothing but me,
Mandy."
Now that he was heading blindly into her trap, she
encouraged him to go further. "What nonsense is
this?" she scoffed.
"If I hadn't made the payments on this house for
the past two months, the bank would own it right
now. As to Morning Star, I couldn't save it. It was
losing too much money and too heavily indebted.
And your firm has been on the verge of bankruptcy
for months. If you doubt me, check your father's
books and ask Daniel McVane. Maybe these burdens
troubled your father so deeply that he was reckless
that day at sea," he speculated maliciously.
Tears blurred her eyes as she comprehended the
extent of Weber's cruelty. How could she have been
so wrong about this man? To think she almost
married him. What menacing plans he must have
had for her ... "Are you saying you own me?" she
murmured.
"Don't be silly, woman. I'm trying to spare you hurt and humiliation. But I can't stall the inevitable
much longer. Too many of your clients are demanding payment. I can't allow my company to sink by
keeping yours afloat. Think of the embarrassment,
Mandy. Do you want people saying you married me
for survival? We've got to do something quick. Af ter
we're married, I'll hire a detective to locate Miranda,
if you wish. I don't want either of you hurt, Mandy.
And both of you must be suffering from this
misunderstanding."
"I wish I could believe you, Web," she murmured
quietly.
Weber tensed. "Then go to your office and check
the books."
"I don't mean about my finances. I mean about
Randy. I'm sorry, but you'll never convince me
nothing happened. Randy was asking too many
questions about you and us. She wanted me to break
it off with you. She kept telling me she didn't like you
or trust you. Then I find her in your arms."
"I told you, Mandy, we were calling a truce. We
were talking and got carried away. We started teasing
each other. She's like a child, Mandy," he lied
unconvincingly.
"Then why did she act so funny when I caught you
two? And why did she spout scorn and mistrust for
you the next day before leaving?"
Stunned by that revelation, he shrieked helplessly,
"What?"
"I find that your story and hers contradict each
other. That makes me skeptical of both tales, Weber. She runs away, then you vanish on business," she
stated sarcastically. "Did you go after her, Web? Did
she refuse to come home with you? Did you decide to
settle for me since you can't have her? Randy isn't for
you, Web. She's a wild creature, a creature of the land
like my mother was."
"All right, Mandy," Weber muttered as if to
himself. "If you want the truth, then you'll have it. I
was hoping to spare you such pain. But I can't
remain silent if it's going to destroy us." Weber knew
he had to make an irrevocable decision to regain
Amanda and punish her sister.
Amanda sensed what was coming and mentally
prepared for it. Weber was exceedingly smart and
daring, but he was greedy and desperate. Such traits
inspired rashness.
"I think you should sit down, Mandy. I wish I
could avoid delivering so much bad news in one
night." Weber took a seat, but Amanda remained
standing by the front window.