Savage storm (47 page)

"John Randolph is marrying Christina this morning," Erica whispered nervously.

"You needn't pretend I'm deaf. Erica," Iris remarked spitefully. "If he wants that little fortune hunter for a wife, then he can have her."

"Fortune hunter? Isn't that a rather ridiculous accusation for you to make?" Gabrielle replied instantly. "You've made no secret that financial success is your main criteria for selecting a mate."

Iris tossed her raven-hued curls as she turned away. "A woman would be a fool to marry for any other reason, but John Randolph is not the only successful man I've met so his choice of wife does not upset me."

Erica gave Gabrielle a skeptical glance but kept still until the obrK>xious Iris had left the room. "She's absolutely livid over losing John. None of us is fooled by her pretense to the contrary. One by one, the men who used to stand in line for a minute of her time have found more attentive young women to court, and last night I doubt she danced with more than three partners all evening."

"You don't mean it!" Gabrielle gasped in dismay. "I can't really say I'm surprised, except that it took the men so long to see through her flirtatious manner."

"Enough of Iris, we've missed you!" Barbara squealed with delight as she came forward to give Gabrielle a warm hug. "I must say you look even more beautiful than ever. Is Jason good to you?"

"Very," Gabrielle admitted, smiling enchantingly before

she changed the subject to a less dangerous one. "Have you not decided to accept a proposal yet?"

Barbara's shake of the head sent her bright curls flying. "I have narrowed it down to two men, Mark Bowman and Roger Delaney, but I simply can't make up my mind between them."

"Well, when you do, perhaps I should just take whichever man you don't want," Margaret offered sweetly, for she liked all the men equally well and could not make up her mind either.

"That's just the trouble!" Barbara explained to Gabrielle. "I know as soon as I choose one man, all the girls will pounce on the other and I'll regret my decision no matter which it is!"

Amid much teasing and laughter, the young women finished making their toilet and one by one left the room to go downstairs. When only Johanna and Erica remained, Gabrielle inquired curiously, "What has happened with Frank Fischer in the last week, Johanna? Has he been able to impress you more favorably or not?"

Johanna marked her place carefully and then closed her Bible before getting up from her comfortable perch in the middle of her bed. "I asked him to recite his favorite verse of scripture, and when he could not recall even one, I knew he had been lying to me about his interest in religion. He seemed to be such a serious young man, but apparently he just pretended to be religious to impress me. I suggested he spend his time with one of the others, and he did not object too strenuously."

"Is there someone else in whom you're interested now?" Gabrielle asked hopefully, for Johanna's disappointment in Frank was revealed in her downcast expression.

"You'll laugh if I tell you who he is," Johanna admitted shyly, her pale cheeks filling with color.

"Never!" Erica promised, too anxious to know the man's name to worry over the possibility that his identity would send her into peals of laughter. "You can trust us to keep your secret forever."

Johanna looked at the rapt glance of each young woman and was certain her secret would be safe with them. "Well, I was impressed by the Reverend Murdock*s sermon last Sunday, and,when I learned he had a group which met on Wednesday morning for Bible study I decided to attend."

Erica frowned, not understanding where Johanna's story was leading. "Does one of the bachelors attend those meetings?" she asked curiously.

"The Reverend Murdock is the only man in the group," Johanna said softly, her brown eyes filling with mischief as she waited for Erica to guess the truth.

"The preacher? He is the man you're interested in now?" Erica finally realized what Johanna had revealed.

"You'll have to forgive Erica, Johanna, she seems a bit slow this morning." Gabrielle gave Johanna a fond hug as she continued. "We'll not breathe a word of this to the others. Perhaps the reverend will come back to the house after the weddings and you can speak with him again."

"Yes, I would like that," Johanna agreed with a bright smile.

"Now why didn't I think of him?" Erica shook her head in dismay. "The preacher would be perfect for you, the best match possible."

"Well, what's happened between you and Michael? You two seemed to be having a very good time together after our wedding," Gabrielle commented sincerely.

Erica took a deep breath and then rushed through an explanation she'd obviously rehearsed. "He is being very cautious, Gabrielle. I know he likes me, but perhaps that just isn't enough to inspire him to offer marriage. I don't know whether it's because of my reaction to Lewis that he's so reticent to speak about his feelings, or because he hasn't gotten over losing you. Either way, he's been very careful not to make any promises. He's not even invited me to go out to his home."

"Has he taken any of the others out there?" Gabrielle asked sympathetically.

"No. So while I know he's not fallen madly in love with me,

he hasn't fallen for anyone else either."

''I think you hoth need a little more time. You needn't rush into marriage."

As the three young women walked toward the door, Erica said mischievously, "I can't believe you'd give such advice. After all, your marriage was certainly a sudden one."

Cabrielle responded with no more than a slight smile. She'd not admit that her relationship with Jason had been established during the months they'd shared on the Oregon trail. If her marriage appeared to be a hasty one it mattered little, for she'd already made up her mind before Jason had proposed that she'd never marry any man but him. "Husband," she whispered softly to herself as they moved down the stairs. Erica had once thought that the best of words, and now she had to agree.

Jason was standing in front of the white frame church. He'd intended to offer encouragement to the three bachelors about to join theranksof married men, but each was so eager to take a bride further inspiration was scarcely needed. They'd all been smart enough to purchase rings for their brides, and as soon as Jason learned that, he assured them they'd all make the best of husbands. His enthusiastic recommendation of marriage provoked several coarsely worded jests, but he turned the jokes aside with good humor and was still in a jovial mood when Cabrielle arrived.

The church had been decorated with great care that morning. The altar was trimmed with yellow and orange chrysanthemums entwined in fresh boughs of pine which scented the air with a tangy fragrance. When Jason escorted her into one of the front pews Cabrielle moved close to his side as she whispered, "I forgot flowers. We'll want to buy some bulbs so we'll have flowers in the spring."

Jason nodded slightly as they took their seats. The last of his mother's flowers had died off years ago, and he should have realized Cabrielle would want to plant some near the house. There seemed to be no end to the things she wanted to do to add beauty to their home, but he gave her a reassuring smile so

she'd know he thought flowers a fine idea too. He took her hand and patted it tenderly as they waited for the weddings to hegin. As he'd thought, the Reverend Murdock read the marriage ceremony only once, but he had each couple repeat their vows separately. He'd not really heard the words when they'd been said to him, but now he pondered them seriously. He prayed Gabrielle would be thinking of their own wedding as he was rather than of Beau, but as he looked down at her the tears upon her long lashes were unmistakable and he knew the sorrow of her memories had caused her present pain. He tightened his grip upon her slender fingers and hoped the small comfort he could give would be enough.

Gabrielle smiled as she turned to look up at her husband. It i was foolish to cry at weddings, she knew that, and yet there was something about the seriousness of the ceremony that compelled her to weep. Her life seemed to be rushing past her with such haste when she longed to savor each minute for an eternity. All her life she'd attended weddings, christenings, confirmations, and all too frequently funerals at which beloved friends were laid to rest. There was a rhythm to the life of man just as there was in nature but it was rapid, far too rapid. She clung to her husband's hand, wanting the sweet closeness they shared in that precious moment to last forever. Despite her hopes, however, the ceremony was soon over and the congregation filed outside. Everyone seemed to be in a joyful mood, eager to begin the celebration which would doubtless lead to more engagements and subsequent weddings the next weekend.

As they stood outside the church making preparations to return to Clayton's home for the reception, Gabrielle gazed about the crowd with undisguised curiosity. A week's time had brought several changes among the couples, and she noted some pairings with surprise while others seemed so perfect a match she was astonished to think the men and women had not found each other sooner. Despite Erica's misgivings, Michael was at her side, smiling warmly as though pleased to be her

escort. She saw Johanna approach the young minister when he was left standing alone and could not help but smile to herself at the ease with which the young woman had managed to speak with him again. Iris' brittle laughter rang out above the more polite level of conversation, but the brunette was at Clayton's side, teasing him about the price of champagne, rather than being with one of the bachelors she'd considered a good prospect. All in all, things seemed to be going very well and Gabrielle thought Clayton's hope that each bachelor and each young woman would live happily with a chosen spouse might become reality.

The morning was warm, the sky clear, and Gabrielle breathed deeply, happy to be alive on such a perfect day. When a commotion in the street caught her attention, she turned away from her husband's side to watch a noisy group of men ride by. They were easily recognizable as trappers, by their buckskin clothing and their raucous behavior. They were laughing uproariously, perhaps still slightly drunk from the previous evening's revelry. The youngest of the men caught her eye. He had turned away and was calling over his shoulder to a man who lagged behind. In the noonday sun, his curly blond hair shone with golden highlights, and his size, coloring, and muscular build reminded her instantly of Beau. Fascinated, she could not look away as he rode by in a single file with his companions. His message completed, the blond man again sat straight in his saddle. Before moving on, he glanced toward the crowd standing in front of the church, and in that brief second, when she saw his face clearly, Gabrielle had no doubt as to the young man's identity. As if she'd been struck by a bolt of lightning, her heart ceased to beat and lay frozen in her chest. Her face turned a deathly pale. She reached for Jason's arm for support, but there was no strength in her fingers and had he not caught her she would have slipped to the grass at his feet as she fainted. She tried to run through the blackness which enveloped her. She called Beau's name, for if she were dead they could be together. A deafening silence was the

only reply.

A long while later Gabrielle awoke to the sound of hushed whispers. She was lying upon a small sofa in the room she recognized as Reverend Murdock's study. Jason was by her side, and Erica was peering anxiously over his shoulder while a man she did not know held her right wrist between his fingers. She blinked her eyes twice to clear her vision, but she did not understand how she'd come to be the center of such unnecessary attention. She tried to sit up.

"Just a moment, Mrs. Royal. I think it would be wise for you to rest awhile longer. I'm Dr. Patterson. Your husband sent for j me when you fainted."

Gabrielle looked up at Jason. He appeared ready to weep, he i was so worried; and she tried to smile reassuringly at him. It all came back to her then, with a flash of pain so intense she could not suppress a shudder. She had seen Beau riding down the main street of Oregon City, but that was impossible because Beau had been dead for more than a year. It must have been some ghastly trick of her imagination, not Beau at all but a stranger who resembled him slightly.

"I am all right. Perhaps it was only the warmth of the day," she lied, in what she hoped would be a convincing tone.

Jason's frown deepened for he saw far more in his bride's expression than mere discomfort from the heat. Her fair skin had lost its healthy golden sheen and was as white as the satin pillow upon which they'd laid her head. She appeared to have received some dreadful shock, but what it might have been he could not begin to imagine. The physician, confident that Gabrielle's pulse was returning to normal, released her hand, and Jason took it in his.

"It was not the sun but something more. As you fainted your expression revealed such pure terror you frightened me as well. What did you overhear, or see, that upset you so badly?"

Gabrielle took a deep breath and held it a moment before replying with what she felt was a plausible explanation, if not the true one. 'The church was crowded, the day warm. You

said that you nearly fainted when we were married last Sunday, so you should understand what happened to me." There was no way she could tell him the truth, hut she felt an overwhelming sense of loss, as if the news of Beau's death had just reached her. Grief as deep as hers causes real physical pain so she did not try to sit up again.

Dr. Patterson put away the small vial of smelling salts he'd used to revive Gabrielle and offered an opinion of his own. "Since you've just been married a week I won't make my usual comment, but I've found very few healthy young women faint unless they are pregnant." He closed his black leather bag with a confident snap and turned to smile at Jason. "I think you may take your wife home now, Jason. Just see that she does nothing more strenuous than rest in bed for a few days, however, until we can be certain it was no more than the warmth of the sun which caused her to faint today. Then perhaps in a month or so, you'll bring her in to see me." He nodded slightly, knowing Jason would understand what he meant. He'd delivered more than one baby who had arrived sooner than nine months after his parents' wedding day, and he didn't doubt that his suspicions were true in this case.