The Willows (54 page)

“
He did” Lance said, rising
to his feet. “In fact, in my attempt to rescue her, Michael just
try to kill me.”

As Lance reach for Gwen, she slapped
his hand away. She went instead to Patrick. Together they came to
stand beside Michael. “You should know better than the listen to
rumors, Ben. My husband has no possible reason for kidnapping me. I
married him on my own free will.”

Taking Michael’s hand, she wrapped it
around her waist. Trying he might, Michael could not stop a smile
from spreading across his face.

“
Poor Gwen. Her ordeal has
taken its toll.” Lance shook his head, holding his arm out for
inspection. “See this? Just moments ago, she tried to stab me. And
now she doesn’t even remember that day when I rescued her, she even
tore up the marriage license before me.

Michael felt her stiffen. “I gave that
license to the lawyer to file,” she said, “so how would you even
know it was torn, unless you tore it yourself? Unfortunately, I
remember everything clearly, Lance. You force me here against my
will, you burn Michael’s cabin, and even try to hurt the
children.”

Ben lowered his gun, gazing at Lance,
who raised his hands in mocking surrender. “See what I mean, Ben?
She is crazy.”

Michael heard enough. “Watch what you
say about my wife, Lance, or I’ll-“

“
Just a minute, Michael”
Cooper no longer aimed his gun at him, but neither did he replace
it in his holster. “These two have been spatting all their lies. I
got to be sure this ain’t just some words. Arson and kidnapping are
serious crimes.”

Gwen held proudly. “This is far more
than some spat, Ben. I am willing to testify in court.

“
Me, too,” Patrick said,
folding his arms across his chest.

With a grin, Michael nodded at Cooper.
“Looks like you have three witnesses.”

“
Make that four,” The older
woman offered, stepping down from the porch.

“
Come now, Ben,” Lance
blustered, “You can’t listen to that crazy old bat.”

“
Old back, you say?” Mrs.
Tibbs step closer. “Anyone who thinks I’m crazy can come inside and
see the ropes he used to tie up Gwen to the sofa.” She wagged her
finger at Lance. “Since you will be having upcoming legal costs,
you might take better care and how you dress me, young
man.”

Realizing that this woman is part owner
of the bank that held his own mortgage, Michael was about to ask
Gwen what Mrs. Tibbs was doing here, when Hamilton and Edith
appeared on the drive with the children.

Jude ran to Gwen, folding her arms
around the woman’s waist.

“
Oh, Gwen, I am so sorry for
doubting you. Please say you will forgive me.”

Reaching into a pocket, Michael
retrieve the locket in chain and handed it to the girl. “I imagine
all will be forgotten, if you just put this back where he
belongs.”

Jude slip the locket over her head,
clutching it in her hand. “I swear, I will wear it until it is time
to give it to my own little girl.”

While Gwen hugged her, Michael noticed
the rags Hamilton handed to Ben. Sensing this wasn’t something the
children needed to hear, he gestured at the house, suggesting that
the younger boys should show Jude and Patrick around. With one last
look at Gwen to make certain she was all right, all five kids gave
a war scream and went racing inside.

“
Where is everyone?” Gwen
asked her cousin. “I thought you were all at the
cemetery.”

“
I became concerned when I
saw the boats at the docks. Hamilton and I left the ceremony to see
what was going on.” Edith explained.

“
I found these rags and a
half filled jug of kerosene in Lance’s boat,” Hamilton added. “You
might want to ask him where he has been last night between midnight
and dawn.

“
I…I have an alibi,” Lance
stuttered. “Tell them Edith. Tell them I was with you. She and I
are getting married.”

Michael found it unlikely, the way she
nestled up next to Hamilton. “I can’t imagine what you are talking
about, Lance,” She said. “I am already married.”

Hamilton beamed down at her. “I found a
man of the cloth here, waiting for you, Lance, and on the spur of
the moment, we decided to make use of his services.”

“
Oh, Edith,” Gwen cried. “I
am so happy for you.”

“
You sent him away?” Lance
turned an unattractive purple. “You interfering fools. After all my
planning and hard work.”

Cooper grabbed his elbow. “Why don’t
you come with me, Lance? I think it’s time we discuss all this
hardware complaining you been doing.”

Lance screamed for the women as he got
pulled away.

For a moment, as Gwen gazed at him,
Michael thought she might cave-in. Instead, she merely smiled at
him. “Family doesn’t do what you did, Lance.”

As Lance disappeared, Gwen sighed. “How
did all come to this? I grew up with him and now I’m sending him to
jail.”

“
Do you prefer he goes
free?”

She looked up, studying Michael’s face.
“Each time I think of what he tried to do to you and the children,
I could tear him limb from limb. No, I want him where he can never
touch us, ever again, but I can’t help but feel bad that he must
end like this. How could he grows so obsessed with a place, an
idea, that he ignores human decency? Did he just snapped, or was he
always this way, and I just didn’t see it?”

Michael took her into his arms,
cradling her head against his chest.

“
But you knew, didn’t you?”
She sighed, wrapping her arms around him. “You and my parents both
saw something about him that I could not. But in the end it would
not done him any good to marry me. My dad left The Willows to
Edith.”

He held her closer. “I am sorry. I know
how much this plantation means to you.”

“
I told father I didn’t want
it anyway. That my home, and my future, was with you.”

Michael couldn’t believe what she was
saying. “Why did you come back home then?”

“
To ask a father for a piece
of land. So we could farm and one day earning enough to build a
house for us and the children. But because Lance we don’t have a
home anymore.”

“
I hardly think that.” Mrs.
Tidd said. “With the profits from his sugar crop, I would think you
young man should be able to pay off your loans and buy a
house.”

Sugar crop? House? Gwen looked from the
woman to Michael. “Do you own the old Allenton place?”

This is not the way Michael had
envisioned telling her. “I didn’t want anybody to know. Not until
the crop was done. If I fail-and citrine my financial situation,
there’s still a great possibility I will-I I didn’t want to raise
anyone’s hopes unnecessarily.”

“
There is nothing wrong with
your financial situation, young man, not now that Brian has finally
approved a loan extension. But perhaps we should discuss finances
later. Edith, I find I am parched. Do you suppose you can locate a
glass of lemonade for me?”

Edith, staring into Hamilton’s eyes,
now glanced at Gwen and Michael with a knowing smile. “Why, of
course, Mrs. Tibbs. Please, come in. Hamilton I would love to show
you about the place.”

Gwen smiled at Michael about Mrs.
Tibbs, “I’m afraid she takes some getting used to. She seems a tad
overbearing, but in her own way, she’s trying to be helpful. She
probably knew there’s something I have to say to you. Oh, Michael,
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since I last saw you. I think I
know what’s wrong between us.”

Tightening his hold on her, Michael
spoke before she could continue. “There is nothing wrong they we
cannot fix. We’ve gone through so much together. Dammit, Gwen, you
belong with me.”

She smiled. “I know that, but I do wish
you let me finish. I made a vow, even before Lance kidnapped me, to
tell you what I should have said long ago.” She took a deep breath.
“Looking back, guess I’ve been lying to myself, hiding from the
truth, and hurting is both by not being honest. I wanted you to win
that tournament, Michael. Deep down, I kept hoping you would show
up and take the decision out of my hands, that you’d sweep me up
and carry me away from that trap I built around my life. You saved
me, Michael. From Lance, and even myself.” She sighed. “Being with
you and the children has taught what truly matters in life. I don’t
need some silly knight. You are all the hero I will ever
want.”

Soaking up her words, Michael felt a
hundred feet tall.

“
I swore to myself that if I
survived this, I wasn’t going to let another day go by without
telling you how much I love you. How much I admire your strength,
your goodness, and your gentleness with me and the children. And I
can’t think of anything I rather do than spend the rest of my life
building a dream with you.”

“
Arthur and Gwen, building
Camelot?”

She shuck her head. “No, you are right.
It’s time to outgrow that fantasy. From now on, it’s just me, Gwen
choosing you, Michael, in sickness and health, for richer or
poorer, until death do us part.”

Her words found a place in his heart
and made a home there. Drawing her close, he kissed her, long,
hard, and with all his magic. “Oh, Gwen, don’t change too much on
me. I seem to remember you insisting that there is nothing wrong
with a little dreaming. A little fantasy magic now then doesn’t
hurt.”

She smiled. “Well, I must say, I
wouldn’t mind going back to a certain moonlit cove.”

At her words, desires surge through
him.

“
Oh, Michael, do you think
it will always be like this. I know always is a pretty tall order.
Considering how we tend to bicker, I imagine we better just take it
day by day.

Looking at her face, realizing his
miracle, Michael struggled to find the word to tell her how he
felt. “Oh, Gwen, I wish I was good at expressing things. What I
want to say, what you need to hear, I can’t always get them
right.”

She smiled. “We can work on that. For
the present, there other ways to express yourself. Kissing me, for
example, would be quite nice.

Sweeping her into his arms, he
proceeded to kiss her quite ruthlessly. “There, does that convince
you?” He said, pulling away.

Smiling, she reaching up to pull his
head back down to her. “It is good for a start.”