San Antonio Rose (Historical Romance) (32 page)

Pauline paced the floor, stopping to kick at a
hatbox and send a feathered and beribboned
bonnet flying across the floor.

"Its insufferable!" she raged. "Ian is mine!
He always has been. Everyone knows that!"

Sara Harlandale was of a lesser-known branch of the Virginia Harlandales. She reclined on the bed, fanning herself with a silk
fan, watching her cousin's tantrum. "As I recall,
you told me that Ian never actually asked you
to marry him. It was more that everyone imagined he would one day."

Pauline glared at Sara, who was thirty-three
and slender as a rail. Her brown hair was
pulled away from her face in a matronly fashion, and she was pale from years of lung sick ness. "What would you know? You have never
gotten a marriage proposal, real or imagined."

Sara hid her face behind her fan until she could control her anger. Three weeks of being
cooped up with Pauline in a public stagecoach
had frayed her nerves beyond endurance.
"That's true. But then I'm not a beauty like you,
Pauline. In fact, I believe I have heard you refer
to me more than once as rather plain. How
many proposals had you received at last
count-a dozen, fourteen? It seems that every
eligible bachelor in the county has asked you to
marry him-every one except the one you
wanted," she said, glad when she heard Pauline
gasp.

"What do you know? You have always lived
in my shadow, and you resent me for it."

"You couldn't be more wrong, Pauline. I have
kept quiet for years and taken all the abuse that
you've thrown at my head, but there seems to
be something in this Texas air that helps me
find my voice."

She wondered who the woman was who had
stolen Ian away from Pauline. He'd been the
catch of Lee County, and many a young girl
had pined when he'd gone away to military
school and then set out for Texas.

"Shouldn't we be making plans to return
home?" Sara asked, feeling exhilarated by a
rush of newfound independence. "I don't think
we are needed here."

"Little you know, you scrawny old maid. And what gives you the right to say these
things to me?"

"Yes, it must be something in the Texas air,"
Sara repeated with a smile. "I guess it fills a
person's mind with thoughts of independence."

"You don't know anything. Ian didn't marry
that woman out of love. She's having his byblow. He married her out of a sense of honor."

"If it gives you comfort to think so."

Pauline rounded on her cousin. "Why are
you talking to me in this insulting manner? If it
weren't for my family's charity, you would have
no place to live. None of the other relatives
would take in a skinny old maid."

"I know. I have heard this same speech every
day for the last ten years. Maybe I won't go
back with you. Perhaps I will remain here in
Texas. It's a new country, bursting at the seams
with men, and women are scarce here."

"Not that you would find anyone who'd want
you," Pauline taunted.

"And you speak from experience?" Sara was
amazed by her own daring, but she couldn't
seem to stop. "You came to Texas intending to
take Ian home like a trophy on your arm. I'd
like to meet the woman who took him away
from you-not that he was ever truly yours. I
always saw more interest on your side than on
his."

"How dare you! After all I've done for you."

Sara moved off the bed. "I have been reborn.
Have you noticed that I haven't coughed once since we got here? I haven't even taken my
medicine in days. The fresh air must have
cured me."

Paulines eyes narrowed. "Never mind about
that. I'm going to visit Ian's wife. It's time I
found out just how she trapped him into marrying her."

Sara knew just how destructive her cousin
could be, so she went to the door to block her
path. "You said she was going to have his baby.
Don't do anything that might make her lose the
child. Leave them alone, Pauline."

Pauline shoved Sara out of the way and
wrenched the door open. "I know he couldn't
love that woman-she's not like us. She looks
foreign, and speaks English with an accent.
Ian's mother would never approve of such a
wife for her son."

Pauline was out the door and rushing down
the hallway before Sara could say anything
further.

Sara gathered her shawl about her and went
down the stairs. Someone had to help Ian's
wife. Perhaps the man who ran the boardinghouse, Mr. Glover, would protect her from
Pauline. He seemed a nice enough fellow.

Emerada was packing her trunks. She would
ask Hank if he would store them in his back
room until she could send for them. She had
just buckled the strap on the last trunk when the
door handle rattled and someone pushed the door open. She had forgotten to lock it as she'd
promised Ian. It didn't matter now anyway. She
would be leaving today.

Emerada watched Pauline advance into the
room, leaving the door ajar. She straightened
so she could give the woman her full attention.
"I am glad you are here, Senorita Harlandale,"
Emerada said. "I wanted to speak to you."

"I'm sure you do." Pauline strolled closer to
Emerada. "And for your information, I am not
a senorita-you are!"

"No, Miss Harlandale, I am a senora, since I
am married to Ian." Emerada didn't like the
woman at all, and she couldn't see how Ian
could love someone so obviously hateful.

"You stole him from me, you know."

"It was never my intention to-"

"Suppose you just be quiet and listen to what
I have to say."

Emerada was trying not to lose her temper,
but the woman was testing her. "Will you not
be seated?" she asked, biting her lip to keep
back the angry retort that begged to be spoken.
She must get through this for Ian's sake.

"I'm not staying long enough to get comfortable. I just want to know one thing-how did
you lure Ian into marriage?"

"My personal life is my own. I will not discuss my relationship with my husband with you."

Pauline walked around Emerada, looking her over critically. It infuriated her that this dark, mysterious woman was almost too beautiful to
be real. "Did Ian ever tell you about us? Did he
tell you we were supposed to be married?"

"Si, he did."

"And it made no difference to you that you
were taking him away from the woman he
loves? He does love me, no matter what he's
said to you."

"I am sure he does, Miss Harlandale. Surely
you do not need me to confirm what you already know."

Pauline was confused. "Did he tell you he
loved me?"

"He is too much a gentleman to say such a
thing in my hearing. But if you know him well,
you are aware that he is a man of honor."

"Yes, and you took advantage of his honorable creed. What did you do, lure him into your
bed and force him to marry you when the damage was done? Or, more probably, Ian gave his
name to someone else's brat!"

"Pauline, how could you!" Sara appeared at
the door, with Hank beside her. "How dare you
speak this way to Ian's wife?"

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave,
ma'am, if you pester Mrs. McCain again,"
Hank said, walking to stand beside Emerada,
as if his presence would protect her. "Get out of
here," he said with more authority.

Emerada placed her trembling hand in
Hank's large, comforting one. "Please have
them leave, Hank. I need to speak to you alone."

"You heard Mrs. McCain. She wants both of
you to leave."

Pauline looked as if she might object, but the
threatening glance Hank gave her made her reconsider. "I'll leave this room, but I won't leave
town. I'll be here when Ian returns."

In a move that surprised both Pauline and
Sara, the older woman grasped Pauline's shoulder and hustled her out the door. When Pauline
stormed down the hallway, Sara turned back to
Emerada.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. You
have to understand she's always had her eye on
Ian as her husband."

Emerada nodded. "I understand."

Sara looked uncomfortable. "I can't apologize enough for my cousin's behavior. I am
going to urge her to return to Virginia. Anyway,
I don't think she'll bother you again."

"No. She will not bother me again," Emerada
said, liking Sara Harlandale's straightforward
manner.

Sara gave Emerada and Hank a sad smile
and left, closing the door behind her.

Hank realized he was still holding Emerada's
hand and he let it go, patting it kindly. "You
said you wanted to talk to me?"

Emerada turned to the window, giving herself time to put her thoughts into words. She
felt turmoil boiling inside after the unpleasant
encounter with Pauline Harlandale.

"I will be leaving this afternoon, Hank. I was wondering if you would store my trunks
for me."

He was obviously distressed. "Ma'am, you
aren't going to let what that woman said drive
you away, are you?"

"No. It's not that, Hank. What you may not
know is that I have a ranch nearby. I have been
neglecting it lately."

"Yes, I know," he said, wishing he could
make her feel better. He realized that the
shrewish woman had hurt her. "Your ranch is
Talavera."

"How did you know?"

"I knew your father and your brothers. I also
know that you are the San Antonio Rose. I saw
you twice with General Houston. Some of us
figured out you was helping him catch Santa
Anna."

Her mouth opened in horror. "Hank, have
you told this to anyone?"

"Now, ma'am, don't fret none. I've never told
another soul, and I never will."

She nodded, knowing he would keep his
word to her. "Will you have the livery stable sell
me a horse and saddle? And I'll need suppliessome to take with me, and the rest I will want
delivered later. I will be leaving today."

"But Talavera was burned to the ground, and
all your family's dead. Surely you can't stay
there alone?"

She was touched by his concern. "I can manage quite well, Hank. Now, if you will send someone to the lively stable, I will make a list
of the supplies I need. And there is something
more I would like you to do for me. My friend,
Domingo, might come looking for me. Tell him
where I have gone."

He looked troubled, but it wasn't his place to
tell her what to do. No one would convince him
that she wasn't leaving because of the vicious
woman in room seven. And Mrs. McCain was
going to have a baby. It wasn't safe for her to be
out at Talavera alone.

Colonel McCain was going to be damn mad
when he came back.

Ian didn't spare his horse when riding back to
San Antonio. He'd spent four days listening to
men bicker over every fine detail of drawing up
a working document for governing the new republic. The horrible truth was that Texas was
broke. There was very little money in the treasury. The men who'd met to find answers for
the problems couldn't even agree on how to put
on their boots!

The one bright spot in it all was President
Houston. He'd managed to calm everyone's
temper, and in the end, most of them had rallied behind him.

Houston's popularity was running high, and
no one else came close to his stature in Texas.

When Ian arrived back in San Antonio, it
was after midnight, and the streets were deserted. He left his mount with a corporal and
entered the boardinghouse, his footsteps hurried. He'd been a fool to leave Emerada without settling this thing between himself and
Pauline. What worried him most of all was that
Emerada had not defended herself when
Pauline hurled insults at her head-but then,
he hadn't defended her either. He didn't profess
to know the workings of a woman's mind, but
he was beginning to know Emerada. With her
lightning-quick temper, she could strike back
at the least provocation-but she hadn't.

There was no one at the front desk. Hank
must have gone to bed hours earlier. Ian took
the steps two at a time, Pauline's last words
ringing in his ears.

You are mine, you always were, and you always will be.

He knew that something was wrong. Why
hadn't he put Pauline on the coach and sent
her back to Virginia? Knowing her past behavior, and her fits of jealousy when any woman
had shown him the slightest attention, he was
certain she had tried to cause trouble between
him and Emerada. And, God knew, they had
enough trouble already.

Perhaps he'd worried for nothing. After all,
Emerada could certainly take care of herself.

He tapped lightly on the door, hating to wake Emerada. Turning the knob, he discovered it
wouldn't open. Good. She'd taken his advice
and locked the door.

"She's not there, Ian," a silken voice said behind him. "There's some man in the room now,
and I don't think he'd want to be disturbed."

Ian spun around to face Pauline. "What do
you mean? Of course Emerada is in there. This
is our room."

"If you ask me, Ian, your wife's kind of
flighty. Can you imagine? She just left." Her
hand covered his, and she moved closer to him.
"I would never leave you if you belonged to me,
as I thought you did."