Silken Savage (46 page)

“I don’t doubt anything you’ve said, but without proof, there is little I can do,” Tom Middleton explained regretfully. “He’s wily, that one. So far he’s stayed just inside of the law.”

“We know that, Tom,” Adam assured him. “We just wanted you to be aware of what is going on. The man is demented. There is no telling what he is capable of trying, or what he’s liable to do next.”

Tom shook his head in dismay and understanding, “I’ll keep an eye peeled, and I’d advise you to do the same.”

“Roberto has posted guards at the ranch until I say otherwise.”

Drawing deeply on his cigar, Middleton expelled a cloud of smoke. “That lieutenant has been nothing but trouble since he set foot in Pueblo,” he growled. “Got big ideas, he does. Thinks that uniform makes him some kind of big cheese.” The sheriff laughed tersely.

“Somebody ought to tell him a cheese has holes! That gold bar on his shoulder isn’t going to protect him from flying bullets or flaming arrows. I can’t condone outright murder, and I shouldn’t even be saying this, but the fella that gets rid of Lieutenant Young for good will be doing the town a great favor.”

Everything was peaceful until two days before the wedding. All the arrangements had been made. The bridal gown was ready, and the dresses for the bridesmaids and mothers. The flowers had not died off; everyone was healthy, if nervous; and what food could be prepared ahead of time was done.

The girls were upstairs trying on their gowns yet one more time. Adam and Justin were going over some papers in the library. George and Edward had escaped to work, and Elizabeth was puttering about in the kitchen. Jeremy had gone off to play and Sarah, Kit, and the boys were in the backyard while Sarah tended to the laundry drying on the lines.

Suddenly Sarah’s screams pierced the air, easily carried to the ears of those in the house through the open windows.

Papers flew everywhere as Adam and Justin bolted from the study, nearly bowling Elizabeth over in a rush for the back door. Melissa jumped, Julie shrieked, and Tanya ripped the entire side seam out of her gown as she jerked it on over her head. Three sets of feet raced down the stairs.

Dashing out the door, Tanya stumbled to a halt near her mother. She watched in confusion as Adam and Justin ran from the yard. “What is going on?”

“Where are Adam and Justin going?” Melissa questioned.

Sarah, little Mark clutched in her arms, leaned against Tanya for support. Hunter was safely ensconced in the folds of Elizabeth’s voluminous skirts. “I think someone tried to kidnap the boys,” Sarah sobbed. “I just left them for a second to bring in a basket of dry clothes. When I stepped back to the door, Kit was raising all sorts of Cain!” She stopped a second to catch her breath. “When I ran out to see what was wrong, I saw someone hiding in the trees at the edge of the yard. That’s when I screamed. The man started to run, and then I saw another man running with him.”

“Adam and Justin are trying to catch them,” Elizabeth finished for her.

“Oh, God!” Tanya gasped in stunned disbelief. “Who?” Her gaze swiveled to her mother’s.

Sarah nodded and gulped. “Blue uniforms,” she confirmed.

Justin and Adam were soon back emptyhanded. “They got away.”

“Damn him!” Tanya ranted, close to tears. “Damn him to hell! I can understand why he’d try to shoot you, Adam. I can even see how burning your ranch ties in. In his twisted mind, if your livelihood were wiped out and your fortune reduced, he probably thinks I wouldn’t marry you. But this is too much! To abduct my sons! What would that gain him? What good would it do him?”

Adam gathered her trembling form into his arms. “Blackmail, my love,” he explained. “I suppose he would have used them as bait to get you to marry him instead.”

Tanya sighed exhaustedly. “When will it all end?” she asked. “When will he finally stop?”

“Perhaps once we’re married, Tanya. Two more days, darling. Hold on a bit longer. We’ll make it.”

“And two weeks from now you’ll be gone from here,” Melissa comforted. Tanya and Adam had told everyone that as soon as Justin and Melissa were married, they would be leaving. Adam wished to show Tanya and the boys what Europe was like. Only Rachel and Melissa knew that Tanya and Adam were actually going back to the Cheyenne.

“I can’t say I’ll be sorry,” Tanya claimed. At Sarah’s hurt look, she said, “I’m sorry, Mother, but Jeffrey has made my life a nightmare. I pray each night that he’ll get transferred to Africa or die of a fever, or accidentally poison himself!”

“Maybe he’ll go out on patrol and get himself scalped,” Adam suggested quietly, sharing a secret smile with Tanya. “We can always hope.”

THE FIRST day of July dawned bright and sunny. The sky was a brilliant cloudless blue, the perfect backdrop for the mountains that stood out in relief against it. Just a hint of a breeze kept the sun from being too hot, and the humidity was blessedly low. Had she ordered the day specially, Tanya could not have had a more perfect wedding day.

The ceremony was scheduled for eleven o’clock, in the Judge’s gardens since the day was so fine. Afterward, there would be a luncheon and celebration, leaving the newlyweds plenty of time for their trip to the ranch, where they would spend a couple of days by themselves. They would return to town for the Fourth of July festivities, and stay for Melissa and Justin’s wedding a few days later. The time would be spent making final preparations for their journey.

This morning, the Martin household was in chaos, hut Tanya was strangely calm. This, she reasoned to herself, was probably because she had considered herself married to Adam for nearly three years now. She had no reason for the usual pre-nuptial jitters, wondering if she was about to make a mistake.

Sarah was flitting about like a demented butterfly. She sent poor Jeremy on so many errands to the Kerrs’ to check on last-minute details, that Tanya swore he would have a permanent path worn through the neighbors’ yards.

At last they were all ready a good half-hour ahead of time. Tanya thought Hunter looked so handsome in his little miniature suit, a small replica of his father. He stood proudly next to his grandmother, his black hair gleaming and in place for once. Elizabeth was taking charge of Mark, who at eight months was too active to be content for long in any one place. Dressed in his first set of kneepants, he would view the ceremony from Elizabeth’s lap. Tears of pride stung Tanya’s eyes as she looked at the two fine sons Adam had given her.

Tanya checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. Her ivory gown with its long, lacy sleeves and embroidered lace bodice was perfection. The copper wristbands, which Tanya refused to dispense with even for this one day, barely showed through the tight cuffs at her wrists. Her tawny hair had been drawn up and back on both sides, and secured with ivory clasps borrowed from her Aunt Elizabeth. The back of her hair fell in gleaming waves past her shoulders, partially hidden by the bridal veil.

The gown was new; the hair clasps borrowed. Hidden in her bodice was an old lace handkerchief of her great-grandmother’s, and beneath her skirts she wore a blue garter on her thigh. Sarah had insisted on making Tanya put a brand new penny in her shoe to complete the old adage for luck. It went without saying that Adam had been forbidden to glimpse his bride before the wedding.

Hearing the opening chords that were her cue, Tanya picked up her bridal bouquet of delicate yellow and white rosebuds and went to stand beside her father at the bottom of the stairs. They watched Julie make her way down the petal-strewn garden aisle on Roberto’s arm. Next, Melissa and Justin traversed the path they would again walk the following week. Then, her hand firmly upon her father’s supporting arm, Tanya made her way serenely and regally toward Adam, who waited with glowing dark eyes before Judge Kerr.

Many thoughts raced through Tanya’s mind as her father led her down the aisle. There stood Adam, once again waiting to claim his bride. He was superbly handsome in his suit and brocade vest, yet Tanya could not help but compare this Adam with the tall, bronze warrior in elaborately fringed and decorated buckskin who had claimed her as his bride in a Cheyenne ceremony. In all honesty, Tanya privately preferred him as Panther and considered the tribal rites more beautiful.

This time, Edward gave her to her husband. Short years before, Chief Black Kettle had performed this honor. Before, the tribal shaman had administered the vows that Judge Kerr would recite today. Tears blurred her vision momentarily as Tanya thought of those wonderful people so brutally killed in the massacre, and she sent a silent prayer skyward in their memory.

Tanya came out of her reverie as her father placed her hand in Adam’s. Together they faced the judge as he began the traditional ceremony.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the presence of these witnesses to unite this man and this woman in the bonds of Holy Matrimony …”

Part of her mind listened to the solemn words, while with another she was acutely conscious of Adam’s presence beside her. The clasp of his hand about hers was calm and sure, warm and comforting. The scent of his spicy cologne blended with the sweeter fragrance of the flowers and her own perfume. His silent strength and pride bolstered her own.

As her ears attuned themselves to the ritual words of the service, she heard the judge saying, “If there be any man here who can show just cause why these two should not be joined in wedlock, let him now speak, or forevermore hold his peace.”

In spite of the fact that Jeffrey had not been invited and she was sure he had not come, Tanya felt a brief spasm of fear flash through her. Adam’s hand tightened about hers as her fear communicated itself to him, and the moment passed with no objections forthcoming.

Now Judge Kerr was saying to Adam, “Adam Savage, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together from this day forth; to love, to comfort, to honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, keeping thee only unto her for as long as ye both shall live?”

Adam’s rich, deep voice avowed clearly, “I do.”

Turning to Tanya, the judge repeated, “Do you, Tanya Martin, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together from this day forth; to love, to comfort, to honor and obey him, in sickness and in health, keeping thee only unto him as long as ye both shall live?”

“I do,” she intoned softly.

Then Adam was facing her and saying, “I, Adam, take thee, Tanya, to be my wedded wife,” and Tanya was vowing, “I, Tanya, take thee, Adam, to be my wedded husband.” Together they repeated solemnly, “To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish till death do us part; in accordance to God’s Holy Ordinance; and therefore do I pledge thee my troth.”

Adam’s hand released hers as Justin handed him the ring. As if in a trance, remembering this same exact moment in a previous ceremony, Tanya watched as Adam slipped the gold band on her ring finger. His fingers slipped upward to clasp themselves about the hidden copper bands on her wrists, and she knew he was remembering also and renewing his pledge as he said, “In token and pledge of our deep and abiding love, with this ring I thee wed.”

The judge’s voice droned on as Tanya and Adam shared this private moment of poignant remembrance. They were brought back to reality as the judge announced, “… Inow pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

His eyes aglow, Adam bent his head to claim her lips. The ceremony concluded, the guests gathered about to congratulate them, to kiss the bride, and to offer best wishes for a happy future.

To save time, gifts had been sent on to the ranch, to be opened and acknowledged later. Also, slightly irregularly, Tanya had elected to toss her bouquet and garter prior to the luncheon, so that she and Adam could slip away unannounced at their earliest convenience.

As soon as the initial clamor had settled, Tanya and Adam went indoors and climbed partway up the open staircase. A cluster of hopeful, eager maidens gathered below as Tanya turned her back and flipped her bouquet over her shoulder. The shrieks and giggles were earsplitting, as everyone clamored to see who had caught the coveted prize. Knowing Melissa’s wedding was scheduled for the following week, it was expected she might catch it, since tradition said the girl who caught it would be the next to wed. To everyone’s surprise, it was Julie who stood staring at the roses in her hands, a strange expression on her pretty face.

A short, playful scuffle ensued as Adam wrested the coveted garter from his bride’s thigh amidst cheerful calls of encouragement from the waiting bachelors below, and blushes and giggles from the girls.

Holding it high above his head and laughing, he called out, “What am I bid for this blue beribboned treasure?”

Hoots of laughter filled the room below.

“A dollar!” one enthusiastic young man offered.

His friend standing next to him elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “One measly dollar?” he jeered. “I’ll give you two!”

“Three!”

Blushing and laughing at the same time, Tanya made a wild grab for the garter and missed.

“Tsk, tsk, my dear,” Adam grinned, whisking it out of her reach. “You are infringing on my rights as bridegroom.”

“You are supposed to
throw
it, not auction it off,” she instructed, faying to sound offended.

“Too common,” he decided authoritatively. “We need to spice up the game a bit.” Turning to his avid audience, he instructed, “Let the bidding continue! I have three dollars!”

“Four!”

“Five!”

“You keep the garter and I’ll take the bride!” one brave fool joked.

Adam laughed and shook his head. “Not on your life, Harry! I’ve more than five dollars invested in her already!”

The bidding went to twelve dollars. “I have twelve dollars. Do I hear more?” Adam called, twirling the garter on his finger. “Twelve once; twelve twice …”

At the last moment, Roberto stepped forward. “I’ll top that,” he claimed. With a flip of his wrist, he tossed a gold coin into the air in Adam’s direction. As Adam reached out to catch it, Roberto bounded up the stairs and snatched the garter from him.