Lynna's Rogue (16 page)

             
Daniel seemed flushed and was perspiring heavily and, evidently, his groin area had been beset by a terrible itch. It was some minutes before he found his voice
,
and when he did
,
it was scarcely above a whisper. “
It is
not sudden on my part. I love you, Lynna. I have since the day you appeared on our doorstep looking as if you
had
lost your only friend in the world. Please, say you
will
make me the happiest man on earth and consent to becom
ing
my wife!”

             
There must be a way to be truthful, while at the same time sparing his feelings. Save him from having to suffer the same torment
she had
been forced to endure after Joshua had callous
ly thrown her offer of marriage
back in
to
her humiliated face. But what? “Daniel, please give me time to ponder this issue at length. I
could not
possibly give you an answer tonight.”

             
“How much time do you need?”

             
“Why,
I’m
not sure. Marriage is much too serious a
n institution to be hastened in
to. When I marry
,
I wish for it to be perfect and last
forever.” She prayed
he would somehow understand.

             
“Lynna, I realize that your feelings are not as strong as mine. But given time
,
you would gro
w to love me. I know you would.
” With a sweeping hand
,
Daniel encompassed the plantation and its thousands of acres. “I long for you to stand by my side as my wife and one day be mistress of Magnolia House.” I
t was obvious to Lynna that, in
his mind, no woman of sound mind
would turn down such a proposition
.

             
“I do love you, Daniel. I just
do
no
t
know if
I am
… ready. I need more time. Please, give me that time, Daniel.”

             
His white grin flashed in the darkness. “
I will
give you until morning.”

             
“Oh,
you are
incorrigible!” She smiled,
greatly
relieved
that
he was able to joke about the matter.

             
“I do understand, Lynna.” He held her face and tilted her chin up.”
I will
be eagerly awaiting your answer. Please, I beg of you,
do not
postpone the agony any longer than you have to.” Then, placing a tender kiss on the tip of her nose
,
he turned to leave.

             
Lynna watched him walk toward the big house with his shoulders hunched, seeming dejected and defeated. What was she holding out for? Why not accept his offer of marriage and move her scant belongings into the grand plantation house? Daniel was a handsome enough man of average height and build with his father's black, curly hair and his mother's small frame and cheerful disposition. A man who would love her and be a splendid father to her children
,
just as his own father was. He was a man any woman would be proud to claim as her own.

             
Lynna could find only one flaw with her plan. She did not love Daniel and c
ould never hurt him by marrying him for any other reason. When she stood before God and pledged her vows
,
she would mean every single word.

             
After a restless night
,
Lynna was tired, cranky, and unable to sit still. Hoping to get her mind off her troubles and figure out a way to let Daniel down without shredding his heart and dignity in the process, she went where she always went in times of stress. Her garden. With her basket tucked under her arm
,
she strolled through the rows of towering sunflowers
,
dodging bumblebees to gather sunshine yellow daffodils, lavender iris, and red roses for Mary’s table.

             
Taking her fragrant bouquet
,
she strolled to the big house to arrange a vase and surprise Mary. Entering the front door
,
she passed by the parlor and was greatly distressed to find Mary and Daniel having their morning coffee. Drat! She
had
expected Daniel to be making his morning rounds or she would have left the flowers on their stems. “Good morning,” she g
reeted
with a cheerfulness she was far from feeling. “I picked flowers for you, Mary.”

             
Mary rose from the sofa to take the bouquet. “You must have read my thoughts. I had just commented to Daniel that I was about to pick some myself. Thank you, darling. You
have
always been the sweetest thing.” Following a kiss on the cheek, she took
Lynna's hand and led her to take a
seat beside her son on the sofa. “You s
it here and keep Daniel company
while I find a vase and put these in water.”

             
Sitting still was out of the question and she found herself nervously fidgeting with the fringe on one of the sofa pillows. Jumping to her feet
,
she walked to the open French doors and inhaled the heady scent of roses drifting in from the garden. She prayed Daniel
did not
notice how intently she was trying to avo
id eye contact with him. Why did
life
have to be
so complicated? Why
couldn’t
Daniel fall in love
with one of the flirtatious
females from neighboring plantations that were forever b
atting their lashes
at him? She was so deep in these thoughts sh
e almost jumped out of her corset
when he put his arms around her from behind and pulled her back against him.

             
“You are
no
t keeping me company,” he whispered against her ear. “Your mind is a thousand miles away.”

             
“
No, not really.” She gazed across the gorgeous landscaped garden bordered by tall sunflowers
,
with their faces turned to greet the morning sun. “Only as far as the garden.”

             
“Do you have an answer for me, Lynna?”

             
Good grief, did he have to start interrogating her first thing
in the morning? She
was saved the heartbreak of answering by Mary's return. “Oh Lynna, did Daniel tell you about the letter we received from Samuel and Beth?” She placed the vase filled with blossoms on a side table. “These are lovely, by the way, simply lovely.”

             
Leaving Daniel staring pensively out the doors, Lynna moved to join Mary on the sofa, “No, how are they?”

             
“They
a
re well and have invited us for a visit.
I’m
sure Silas can be persuaded to make the journey now that the planting is finished. He trusts his foreman Jopree
can handle any situation that might arise.”

             
Mary winked slyly at Daniel and grinned, “How would you and Judith like to accompany us
?
”

             
The mere thought of traveling to Charleston almost caused Lynna to lose her breakfast. Joshua was in Charleston, therefore, that was the last place she
would
visit
. Grabbing the first excuse that came to mind
,
she blurted, “
I am
sure the invitation was meant for family members only, not the famil
y’s
help.”

             
Daniel's face grew
vivid red with anger as he whirled to face her. “Since when have you and Judith been treated as anything less than family?”

             
Would she ever stop opening her big mouth and inserting her foot? Lynna realized too late how much her blunder had hurt him and she hurried to his sid
e to apologize. “Daniel, I did no
t intend
that as it
sounded, you must know that! Your family has always been wonderful to Aunt Judith and I, and we love you dearly.
It is
for that very reason
that
we
would not
care to intrude upon your visit with Samuel and his family. Please, say you forgive me,” she pleaded, rushing to take his blazing face in her hands.

             
Her touch seemed to soothe him. “There
i
s nothing to forgive
, darling
.” Grabbing her hands, he clutched them to his chest. “Just remember that you and your aunt are regarded as a part of this family and I
will not
tolerate any references to family help again.”

             
“Daniel is absolutely correct
,” Mary hastened to add. “Samuel specifically asked that we extend the invitation to you and Judith. I should have made that clear from the onset
,
then
we could have avoided this little misunderstanding entirely.”
Lynna was aware that
Mary'
s fondest dream was to see her
and Daniel wed
,
and she
could not
bear to see them quarrel over something so trite.

             
Lynna longed to see Samuel again. And she dearly missed his charming wife
,
Beth
,
and their precocious daughter
,
Bethany
Breanne
. And why shou
ld she
allow that womanizing scoundrel
Joshua Jordan to deny her the pleasure? Why, odds were great she
would not
even see him during the visit
, what with his father’s injury and having a plantation to run
.
And if the fates worked against her and she did come face to face with the arrogant rogue, then she would simply ignore him, as she should have done years ago.
Without further ado she made her decision. “Yes, Mary,
I am
sure I can speak for Aunt Judith as well. We would love to accompany you to Charleston.”

             
Mary and Daniel exchanged secretive smiles as they watched the excitement Lynna was unable to contain spill forth. “Oh, I
cannot
wait to see Samuel again!”

             
“Exactly what he said in his letter about you
.
” Relieved, Mary returned to arranging her flowers. “There now, that adds a special touch to the house.”

             
“Mother, I
have
been trying to add a very special touch to this house.” Daniel smiled brightly
,
looking toward Lynna with all of the love he felt shining in his eyes. “
I have
asked Lynna to become my wife.”

             
Mary was at once jubilant, clapping her hands gleefully. “Well, for heaven
’s sakes! It’s about time! I have
waited with breathless an
ticipation for this day
. Silas will be so pleased. Now, let me see. Of course, you
wi
ll want to have the ceremony performed here, in the garden.
It is
so lovely this time of year, isn’t
it,
Lynna?
I will
start planning the menu with Jasmine immediately, oh, and the guest list. We
will
go into town and see Deirdre Chisholm, Savannah’s most prominent wedding gown seamstress, about your wedding gown. Your aunt will be too busy helping with the wedding arrangements, although knowing her as I do,
she will
insist on sewing every stitch of your wedding trousseau herself.”

             
“Mother!” Daniel's tone was like having ice-cold water dashed in her face. “Lynna has
not accepted my proposal
yet.”

             
“
What?
Oh!” Mary looked at Lynna as if
she had
suddenly grown two heads
and a tail
, trying hard to understand her logic, but
, evidently,
failing.

             
“I asked Daniel to permit me some time to think the matter through, Mary. I trust you understand? Please say you do?”