Savage storm (35 page)

Gabrielle smiled as if speaking with Michael Jenkins again had been exactly what she'd wanted to do. She felt it unfair to make him suffer for the impossibility of her situation. Encouraged by her warm attentiveness he now began talking about his farm and how good the harvest had been.

"Mr. Home seems to have timed things perfectly. Now all of us have the whole winter to devote to making a wife feel welcome." He positively beamed as he mulled over that splendid thought in his mind.

"What is the weather like here in the winter, Mr. Jenkins?" Gabrielle managed to ask, although she was not in the least bit curious.

"We get a lot of rain, unfortunately. It turns the roads into

rivers of mud and most are impassable for several months. We're all more or less isolated until spring once the rains begin."

"You mean you can't get into town at all?" Gabrielle was appalled by the prospect of being alone for several months with a new husband about whom she cared nothing.

Michael laughed at her stricken expression and tried to reassure her. "No. But we all know what provisions we'll need to have on hand and I guess most of us are pretty self-sufficient. It isn't so bad, it just gets lonely is all."

"I'm sure it must." Again Gabrielle saw the eagerness in Michael's gaze, an almost tangible hunger for a bride to share his life, and she was ashamed she could offer no more than a word or two of sympathy. Feeling their conversation might swiftly take on too personal a tone, she glanced toward the musicians who had just begun a new tune.

"Would you care to dance?"

Michael wasn't certain if a lady was supposed to make that suggestion but having found Gabrielle's manners to be perfect, he assumed she would know what was correct.

"My dancing is nothing to brag about. Miss MacLaren, but if you'd like to, I'll try my best."

"Perhaps it is only that you need a bit of practice," Gabrielle offered. Her statement had been overly optimistic. Michael had no sense of rhythm and he simply could not move in time with the music. He held her in a firm embrace, however, smihng confidently as if he thought he were doing well, and she did not hurt his feelings by telling him the truth. Her next partner, a robust man whose grasp left her fingers bruised, was no more accomplished, and when the next gentleman suggested they have a cup of punch rather than share a dance, she was grateful for the chance to rest. Farming was also his consuming interest, but she tried to broaden their conversation as best she could.

"Do you raise horses by any chance, Mr. Schuler?"

"No, not really. I own a few, everybody does. Why do you ask?''

"I brought my horse with me, a stallion of considerable beauty, and I am thinking of raising horses as a pastime.''

Matthew Schuler scoffed at that idea. "Why a pretty little lady like you could never handle a stallion, and as for a woman raising horses, I'd certainly never allow my wife to start such an enterprise."

Gabrielle did not respond. She simply excused herself and walked away, but before she'd taken more than three steps, another man appeared at her side. In the hope of finding at least one gentleman who shared her passion for horses, if nothing else, she began to ask each man she met if he had such an interest. None of the men admitted to having any special regard for the graceful animals. Several described the advantages of owning mules and oxen, but by the end of the evening she'd not encountered a single man who thought he might like to breed prize-winning horses. By the time Clayton ushered the last bachelor out the front door, she was exhausted and dreaded the thought that she would have to see the same group of men again the next evening. Her roommates, all in far better moods, nearly danced up the stairs as Gabrielle went to the bedroom they shared.

"Did you have an opportunity to speak with Lewis Bradley?" Erica wanted to know.

"Yes, I spoke at least a few words with every man here. Did you like him?"

"He is a few years older than I thought he'd be, not quite so tall, but I wasn't disappointed in him and he seemed to like me. Did you find someone you thought rather special?"

"I thought they were all very nice men," Gabrielle responded noncommittally.

When the conversation worked itself around to Iris she announced smugly, "I am going out to see John Randolph's farm tomorrow. I'll let you know my opinion of him when

I return."

Johanna thought Iris foolish and said so. ''I don't think you should go alone. Iris. He may mistake your keen interest in his farm for an interest in him and then what will you do?"

'*I can take care of him," the self-centered brunette responded sharply. "He will behave as a gentleman should or he'll be very sorry."

Erica leaned over to whisper to Gabrielle. *'I think he'll be very sorry no matter how he behaves!"

Gabrielle agreed with a subtle nod. As she prepared for bed, she listened to her friends' comments but did not join in the discussion. Since Jason had been so emphatic in his refusal to listen to her reason for withdrawing from the brides' group, she had decided to speak with Clayton instead. However, when she went downstairs the next morning, she found the man had gone to the bank to conduct some business and wasn't expected back for an hour or two. In his absence, Jason was there to solve any problems which might arise, but she saw no point in going over the matter again with him.

Surprised to see Gabrielle downstairs so early, Jason inquired politely, "Did you sleep well. Miss MacLaren?"

Gabrielle stared up at the arrogant man, certain he knew she'd been far too restless to sleep comfortably. "Unfortunately no, Mr. Royal, but that fact should come as no surprise to you."

"Well, tonight's party will be less formal. Perhaps you will find it more amusing than last night's was." He thought her beauty undiminished by her reported lack of sleep. There was not the sHghtest trace of weariness in her bright blue eyes or upon her sweet features. She was wearing her hair in an upswept style and he found her elegant curls most distracting. He cleared his throat noisily, hoping she wouldn't notice how he'd been staring at her.

'The company will be exactly the same. I meant what I said. If Joshua doesn't appear tonight, neither will I." Not that it

really matters whether the man comes to the party or not, she reminded herself. She knew her feelings for him would be no different than for the others.

"I think everyone will be more at ease tonight. You may be pleasantly surprised at how charming some of the men can be/' Jason suggested sensibly. ''All I ask is that you give them a chance. No one can even speak with you if you hide in your room."

Gabrielle looked away. It was impossible for her to talk with him about a matter of such importance when his nonchalance was so very painful.

"Is your home nearby?'*

"What's that got to do with anything?" Jason asked critically.

"Nothing. I just wonder if your home is at all like this one. I am merely trying to make polite conversation rather than argue with you over an issue I already consider resolved."

Jason drew his fingers through his dark curls, exasperated by her defiant attitude. "My home is some miles out of town. That's why I've been staying at the hotel. I live in the simple log cabin my father built when we first arrived in Oregon. Compared to Clayton's house it's little more than a shack, but it is adequate for my needs since I am seldom there and require little in the way of material comforts when I am."

"Are you not required to farm the land in order to keep the title?" Gabrielle asked curiously.

"Yes," Jason agreed with a chuckle. "I always manage to toss some seed about in the spring so anyone who comes to check will see crops growing, but I haven't yet gotten around to harvesting whatever wheat grew this fall. Maybe later this week I'll have an opportunity to go out there and do some work." The idea was certainly appealing to him. Any distraction that would take him away from Gabrielle was worth pursuing in his opinion. "Maybe I'll go tomorrow if Clayton can spare me."

"Most of the men seemed very anxious to show off their homes. It is all right for us to go with them for a visit, isn't it?'* Gabrielle asked breathlessly. She crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping he'd invite her to see his house no matter how small or plain it might prove to be.

Jason hesitated for several moments, considering her question fully. "After what you girls survived on the trail, a brief trip out to one of the bachelor's farms should not prove particularly hazardous. I left early last night. Did one of the men actually impress you sufficiently that you agreed to go see his farm today?"

"Would it please you if one had?"

"It would astonish me!" Jason responded with a teasing grin.

Gabrielle clenched her fists at her sides. She was tempted to wipe the smirk from his face with a well-placed smack, but she did no more than smile. "I attempted to discuss my problem with you last night, Mr. Royal. Since you had so little interest in it then, I won't bore you with my plans for today. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to have some breakfast before it is time to leave."

Jason watched her walk toward the kitchen, the slow undulating roll of her hips hypnotically attractive, and he was furious with himself for not demanding that she tell him exactly where she was going and with whom. "Damn!" he said under his breath, not about to let her see how much the company she kept truly did matter to him. He decided right then that he'd not wait until Clayton approved of his plans. The minute his partner returned home he'd go out to his farm and stay there until he could untangle the knots Gabrielle MacLaren had tied in the once-smooth thread of his life. Taking a seat out on the front porch, he propped his feet up on the rail and hoped Clayton would arrive before the auburn-haired beauty's date came up the walk. He feared he'd be sorely tempted to fight the man for the maddening privilege of having Gabrielle's perverse company for the day. He sat up straight,

shocked at the thought. Then he hegan to laugh. With Clayton gone, he was in charge and he'd simply forbid any of the young women to leave the house. Pleased that he had found an ideal solution for keeping an eye on one woman without arousing the suspicions of the others, he decided perhaps he'd remain in town a few more days after all.

^Aa^ilejo J^l/

Clayton called Jason into his study just minutes before the second party was scheduled to begin.

"I think your decision to keep the girls here today was a wise one. It will undoubtedly whet the men's appetites for their company tonight/' He leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms over his chest, pleased with the splendid way things seemed to be progressing. "It occurred to me today that I am old enough to have a daughter the age of our brides and I'd certainly not allow her to visit a man's home without a chaperon."

"There're just the two of us. Clay, and twenty-one young women. I didn't see how we were going to adequately chaperon them all so I insisted none leave. The men didn't seem too disappointed to visit their favorites here," Jason explained nonchalantly as if his concern had truly been for the welfare of all their charges rather than for only one.

"It worked for today at least; tomorrow I can't say what the mood will be. Eventually we'll have to let the men have some time alone with our young ladies or they'll never have a chance to propose."

"That's true." Jason went to the window, more to hide his smile than to admire the view. Gabrielle had had several callers, but he'd been unable to ascertain which man had

wanted to take her out to his farm for the day. It didn't matter really, since she would not have been permitted to leave with any of them.

"Now for the second reason I needed to see you. It's Miss MacLaren," Clayton confided in a more serious tone.

Jason turned back to face his partner. His serene expression displayed none of his apprehension. *'Gabrielle? What about her?" he inquired softly.

"She came to see me about an hour ago. It seems she wants out of the contract she signed. If Mr. Taylor again fails to appear we'd still be all right if she left, but if he comes tonight then we'd be one bride short. That would be decidedly awkward. I spoke several times with the Robinson family on our way here. Their elder daughter is attractive, so perhaps I could invite her to join our enterprise since Gabrielle is no longer interested."

"No, not yet," Jason cautioned forcefully. "Don't allow Gabrielle to leave. She's clearly the leader of her own group, and is admired by many of the other young women as well. If she bolts, several more may follow her. You'll be courting disaster if you allow her to back out now. Don't do it."

"I hadn't thought of the influence she exerts upon the others, but you're right as usual." Clayton frowned, cross with himself for not seeing the obvious. "I told Gabrielle I'd consider her request on the condition that she attend tonight's party regardless of whether she wishes to remain or not. She won't expect my answer for a day or two at least."

"Good. She may change her mind by then anyway." Jason was relieved that Gabrielle had been put off so easily. He'd not thought she'd go to Clay, but since she had he was glad his partner had not given in to her demand immediately. "Perhaps when she's had an opportunity to become better acquainted with the bachelors, the prospect of marriage won't prove so frightening."

"You think that's it? She's just nervous?" Clayton inquired

incredulously since he considered Gabrielle to be one of the more poised as well as one of the most beautiful of the group.

Jason shrugged. "It seems the most obvious possibility. Let's just hope she keeps her anxieties to herself rather than spreading them."

Gayton pulled his gold watch from his vest pocket and flipped open the cover. "We have no more time to discuss Miss MacLaren's problems now; the men will be arriving shortly. I know these parties are not nearly lively enough for your taste, but try to stay a little later tonight, will you? I had the devil of a time getting the men out of here last night. To say they were reluctant to leave is a gross understatement."