Bonds of Matrimony (9 page)

           
The
bed trembled beneath her, and she knew that Reese was silencing her fit of
laughter.
 
She was evidently
extremely amused by her sister’s rage.
 
“Oh, you can go to Hell, too,” she told her.
 
With that, Reese gave up her efforts to stifle her laughter,
and her joy only served to feed the flame of Chase’s fury more.
 
It was hours after Reese quieted and
fell asleep before her sister was able to calm herself enough that she could
doze off fitfully.

CHAPTER 5

           
The
following afternoon was day five of the journey.
 
Chastity couldn’t wait to be off this ship and miles and
miles away from Colton Webb.
 
Granted, their ship was very large, but it seemed no matter where she
went, she ran into Colton Webb.
 

           
By
the time she got downstairs to breakfast, he was eating with the Havisham
sisters and her grandmother again.
 
Later that morning, she passed him on the deck.
 
And that afternoon, she spotted him
further toward the front of the boat, leaning against the railing.
 
She was with Reese, who was
complimenting her sister’s self-restraint and pride in the matter of avoiding
Webb.

           
“I
hope that you’ve learned that in spite of his rugged handsome appearance, he
isn’t any better of a man than others we’ve known.
 
That’s not to say he’s as scandalous or amoral or ruthless
as Jett Stockton or Jackson Booth.
 
But clearly, his attitude toward women would clash dramatically with
your own need for independence.”

           
“Reese,”
she began with exasperation, “contrary to popular opinion, I am not a stupid,
soulless cow.
 
My eyes have been
opened, and the flaws and foibles of Mr. Webb are perfectly clear to me.
 
I have absolutely no interest in the
arrogant ass.
 
Perhaps a woman with
no self-respect or pride would be better suited to him.”

           
“Perhaps
a woman like Elisabeth Davies?
 
A
woman who—if the rumors are true—has already been through enough
humiliation in her lifetime?” she asked gently.

           
“Definitely
not
a woman like Elisabeth
Davies.
 
You recognized her, too,
when we saw her in the dining room?”

           
“It
took some time to remember where I’d seen her, but it occurred to me last
night…while you were being educated about the weaker sex, apparently,” she
added with a wry grin.
 

           
Chase
only snorted in response.
 

           
“If
you were Elisabeth Davies, wouldn’t you want to know that the man you were
pursuing was actually, to quote you, an arrogant ass?” Reese asked.

           
“Who’s
to say whether or not she’s pursuing him?” she asked, watching one gull sweep
down to the water and come up carrying a small silver fish in his beak.
 

           
“Because
she’s just approached him.”

           
Chase
turned and saw that Elisabeth had certainly approached the ignorant idiot
standing at the ship’s rail.
 
She
was smiling up at him sweetly, and he was frowning down at her with obvious
irritation.
 
Unable to help herself,
Chase moved closer to them until she could hear Elisabeth’s soft voice.
 

           
“Please,
Colton.
 
Won’t you walk with me?”

           
He
had his back to her now, staring out over the endless water.
 
“Elisabeth, I told you that you need to
stay away from me while we’re on this ship.
 
You should be in your room right now.”

           
“I
know.
 
But I’m going mad in
there.
 
I need to get out and get
some air,” she argued.

           
“When
I escorted you to breakfast yesterday, you swore you’d stay in your room, away
from me, for the rest of the trip.
 
Do you realize what your mother could do if she finds out you’re with
me?”

           
“I
know, Colton.
 
And I’m sorry.
 
I’m just desperate for company.
 
I’m so bored,” she complained.
 
She clutched her hands together beneath
her breasts, as though in prayer, while she appealed to him.

           
“Then
find some nice simple-minded women to socialize with and stay out of my hair.”

           
Clearly
giving up the fight, she let her hands fall to her sides and turned away.
 
She was clearly on the verge of tears,
humiliated by this most recent rejection.
 
Had the woman not suffered enough?
 

Chastity stood for a few
minutes after she left, debating whether she should push Webb overboard or
follow her.
 
She felt awful for the
beautiful and heartbroken woman, but she couldn’t endanger her sister by giving
away her identity and comforting Elisabeth.
 
But the eldest daughter of the Earl of Bracknell had
suffered far too much.
 
If the
rumors were true, her fiancée called off her engagement after he had a love
affair with her mother.
 
And being
rejected by this conceited fool couldn’t help.
 
And what was worse, he was aware of her prior suffering; and
yet, he still rejected her coldly.

           
That
was the moment Chastity decided to somehow get revenge on Colton Webb.
 
For Elisabeth Davies, for herself, and
for any other women who dared entrust him with their hearts.
 
She was going to make him pay.
 
  

           
She
turned away from him with a malicious grin, plotting all the ways she could
make him suffer.
 
She could tie him
up and hold him at her mercy, proving that a female was stronger than he
was.
 
She could take every cent
from him in a game of cards and then reveal her true identity, letting him know
he’d been bested by a woman.
 
She
could spread rumors in Midland County and suggest to everyone in town that he
had an awful disease.
 
The people
would, no doubt, run him out of town for that one.
 

           
And
with a sudden brilliant brainstorm that only a woman—with her insight of
human nature and man’s weaknesses—could be capable of, she understood the
most perfect revenge that could be exacted upon Colton Webb.
 
She was going to make his wors
t
nightmare come
true.
 
She was going to make the
impossible very possible.
 
Chastity
Fairfax was going to make the man fall crazily in love with her.

***

           
That
day was the slowest day of her life.
 
She was torn between her idea of making Webb fall in love with her and
keeping her female identity a secret to protect Reese and herself.
 
That choice was taken out of her hands
during dinner that evening.

           
She
was enjoying the evening meal with her grandmother and sister.
 
Overall, she’d had a wonderful
day.
 
The skies and water seemed
bluer than they had on any other day of their journey.
 
She had seen dolphins jumping beside
the ship.
 
Reese was beginning to
perfect the game of poker.
 
And Chase
could hardly wait to see her brother again.

           
“Do
you suppose he looks the same?” Reese asked excitedly, apparently thinking the
same thing her sister was.

           
“I
imagine he probably does,” their grandmother answered.
 
Even she wasn’t able to keep the smile
off of her face.
 

           
And
the entire jovial mood of the meal was dampened by the abrupt greeting of
Colton Webb.
 
“Evenin’, y’all.
 
Mind if I join you?”

           
Her
grandmother shot a quick glance in her direction.
 
Reese smothered a grin behind her napkin, and Chase fought
to keep from scowling at the man.
 

           
“Certainly,
Mr. Webb,” her grandmother answered.
 

           
“You
must be eager to get settled in your new home in Texas, Mrs. Cochrane.”

           
Her
grandmother nodded.
 
“It’s been
three long years since I’ve seen my grandson.
 
I don’t need some fancy house as much as I need my family.”

           
“They’re
lucky to have you,” he said quietly.
 

           
“What
about you, Mr. Webb?
 
Don’t you
have your family near you?”

           
He
shook his head and swallowed the food he’d been chewing.
 
“My ma died when I was real young.
 
Two or three.
 
My daddy raised me by himself.
 
They didn’t have an opportunity to have any other children.”

           
“Have
your grandparents passed, too?” Reese asked sympathetically.

           
“Not
exactly, no.
 
My father’s dad
passed away quite a long time ago.
 
But my other three grandparents are still alive.
 
They live in England; it’s a long ways
from Midland County.
 
We’re not too
close of a family,” he explained.

           
“Where
is Midland County?” Chase asked him, suddenly eager to learn how far he’d be
from Marcus’s ranch.

           
“On
the West side of Texas.
 
I was
telling your grandson, Mrs. Cochrane, that the town of Midland is growing like
crazy.
 
I think you will be very
happy there.”

           
“I
thought Midland County was the name of your town,” Chase interrupted.

           
“Midland
County is the name of the county,” he explained with a patient smile.
 
“The center of the county is a city by
the name of Midland.”

           
“And
you live in the city?” she pushed.

           
“Not
far.
 
I actually live outside of a
small town in Midland County.
 
It’s
in the Northeast part of the county.
 
Called Slaughter.”

           
Reese
choked on her chicken, and their grandmother straightened in her chair.
 
As for Chastity, she couldn’t have been
happier.
 
If she was going to carry
out her revenge on Colton Webb, proximity would only be an advantage.

           
“Slaughter,
Texas,” she repeated.
 
“Funny.
 
We’re
going to Slaughter.”

           
He
slapped his knee.
 
“Well if that
don’t beat all!” he exclaimed.
 

           
It
was a strange phrase, but she loved it.
 
At the moment, the stars were shining down on her.
 
She was most definitely going to claim
Colton Webb’s heart in Slaughter, Texas.
 
She had no intention of returning his love.
 
She simply wanted him to grovel at her feet and admit that
women were more than stupid, soulless cows.
 
She didn’t think it was too much to ask for.
 
She popped some vegetables into her
mouth and smiled at her plate of food, thinking of her good fortune.

           
And
that good fortune came to an abrupt halt with Reese’s next words.

           
“If
Slaughter is a small town, then surely you know our brother, Marcus Fairfax.”

           
Webb
stopped eating and stared across the table at Reese.
 
“Fairfax is your brother?” he asked.
 

           
Chase
immediately realized her sister’s mistake and scrambled to cover for her.

           
“I
thought y’all are Cochranes.”
 
He
turned and confronted Chase with this observation.
 
His eyes narrowed when they met her own.