Falling In Love With Her Husband Page 21

  Kent ran into the barn and came to an abrupt stop when he saw me. In the stall beside me, Storm neighed at the sight of the stranger.

  Kent shook his head. “Ann, I came back for you. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

  “Go away!” I yelled.

  He looked shocked.

  “I want to be here,” I continued. “I love Todd.”

  “What has happened to you out here? Have you gone mad?”

  Why doesn’t he leave? I felt the tears welling up in my eyes but forced myself to stay focused. I’m so scared! I gripped the axe. I don’t want to use it. Lord, please don’t let it come to that. Just send him away.

  “Please, leave,” I sobbed despite my best effort not to.

  “Ann, I wouldn’t hurt you. I love you. I want to marry you. It should have been you. Rebecca got in the way. She seduced me, as I’m sure Todd seduced you. Can’t you understand that I never wanted to end our courtship?”

  “It doesn’t matter what happened, Kent,” I said. “We’ve already made our choices. You have to move on.”

  He glared at me. “Are you preaching at me?”

  What?

  He moved forward a step.

  I moved back.

  The horses neighed.

  “I’ve had enough of people reminding me that I need to move on,” he spat. “What I need is to get back to the way things were a year ago. You can’t honestly stand there and tell me you like it here.”

  “Yes, I can.”

  “No, Ann! You’re not supposed to like it here. Todd forced you out here and kept you a prisoner against your will. I’m here to save you.”

  I shook my head and rapidly blinked through my tears so I could keep track of him. “I want to be here.”

  “No!” He lunged for me.

  I shrieked and swung the axe. I wasn’t aiming at him. I was trying to stop him from getting closer to me. It worked. He immediately backed away. I had to get out of the barn but how? I glanced at Storm. If I could get on her back, I could ride out of here. Trying to steadily my hold the axe in one hand, I reached for the latch on the stall door with my other hand. My hand shook so badly, I couldn’t open it.

  To my shock, he grabbed the axe. I tried to hold onto it. I gripped it with both hands and leaned back, hoping gravity would work to my advantage, but he was too strong for me. He pulled the axe toward him and I fell back when he yanked it out of my hands. I sat on the ground in shock. I watched as he held the axe. Oh God, what is he going to do?

  He shook his head. “Do you think I’m going to use this on you?” He put the axe gently on the ground. “I don’t want to hurt you, Ann. I want to marry you.”

  “I’m not yours.”

  “We can change that. You ran away with Todd. Run away with me.”

  “No.”

  My fingers felt a solid object. I gripped the rock in my hand. I managed to stand up. I had to get out of here!

  “You have to love me, Ann!” He grabbed me by the arms and tried to kiss me.

  I threw a rock at his head with as much strength as I could muster.

  He screamed and let me go.

  I turned to the stall and tried to shake the door open. It wouldn’t budge. I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to unlock it. I swung my leg over the side of the door. If I could hop on the horse, I could get out of here. Just as I made it halfway over the door, Kent grabbed my foot. I slipped and grabbed onto Storm’s neck. The horse bucked back in protest, but I managed to hold onto her. Kent lost hold of my foot but held onto the hem of my dress.

  He started to climb the stall.

  “Let me go!” I screamed, kicking at him.

  Suddenly the sound of a gunshot pierced through the air. Startled, Kent let go of me, and I fell into the stall with the horse. Storm bucked again but I rolled away from her in time to avoid being stepped on.

  “Get away from my wife.”

  I was so grateful to hear Todd’s cold voice that all of my energy departed. I just cried silently in the stall while I watched them.

  Kent grabbed his ear. Blood seeped through his fingers. He slowly backed away from the stall, his hands up in the air. “It’s not what it looks like.”

  Todd’s horse moved closer to Kent. Kent continued to walk back until he was against the wall. Todd sat on Lightning, his gun trained on Kent. He shot an anxious glance in my direction. “Are you alright?”

  I was so relieved to see him that I could only nod.

  Turning his attention back to Kent, he clenched his jaw. “I ought to kill you for attacking my wife.”

  “Don’t...I...” Kent’s voice shook. “I won’t come back. I promise.”

  The next sound I heard was Patches’ barking.

  “How do I know you’ll leave her alone?” Todd demanded over the barking.

  “Look at you. You’re ready to kill me. I don’t want to die.” Kent touched his bloody ear. “I understand now. She wants to be with you. I thought I was rescuing her but I wasn’t.”

  Patches quieted down.

  “You told her parents you would leave her alone. But here you are. I don’t believe a word you’re saying. I think you’ll say anything to get out of trouble.”

  Someone called out, “Mr. Brothers?”

  I stood up to see who it was. I blinked in surprise. It was Kent’s father. Kent hustled over to him. Todd finally relaxed his hold on the gun.

  “Son, you have caused much grief to your mother and I,” his father sadly said. “Mr. Brothers, I apologize for trusting my son to stay away from your wife. Kent, get your horse. I want to talk to Mr. Brothers.”

  Kent nodded and left the barn.

  Todd leaned over and helped me out of the stall. He slid off his horse and set the gun aside on the ground. With one arm around me and one hand on the horse’s bridle, he led us to where Kent’s father stood.

  Mr. Ashton’s face was glum. “I’m sending him to my brother in Ireland. My brother is tough. He won’t let Kent get away with anything, and if Kent hopes to get his inheritance, he will have to abide by my brother’s rules.”

  “Do you believe he’ll stay away from here?” Todd asked.

  “If there’s one thing Kent loves more than women, it’s money. He won’t give up that inheritance for anything or anyone.”

  “I believe you, sir.”

  “I’m sorry. He was raised better than this.” He shook his head. “Good day, Mr. Brothers, Mrs. Brothers.”

  I nodded to him. I was speechless. A year ago, I wanted to be with Kent. Now, I couldn’t imagine being with anyone but Todd. I leaned against him, grateful he was mine and I was his.

  We watched Kent and his father leave. Once they were out of sight, Todd returned the horse to its stall. I hugged the dog, grateful that he went to find Todd for me. The dog did have blood around his mouth, but he looked unharmed. Patches must have bitten Kent’s arm and when he couldn’t stop Kent, he ran to get Todd. When Todd saw the blood on Patches’ mouth, he knew something was wrong. The pieces of the events that occurred were easy to put together.

  Todd walked back to me.

  “He got you for me,” I said.

  I stood up and hugged him.

  He held me tightly against him. “I was never so scared in my entire life,” he whispered. “I almost killed him, Ann. I came so close to pulling the trigger.”

  I tightened my hold on him.

  We stayed there for the longest time, just holding onto each other, still shaky but relieved.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ann’s Point of View

  One night in late April, I had a nightmare that I woke up and was next to Kent.

  He smiled his usual charming smile at me. “I will never go away, Ann. I won’t take no for an answer. You belong to me.”

  I bolted up in bed, my pulse racing as I struggled to determine whether or not I was still dreaming. It was disturbing to have a dream where I kept waking up only to realize I was still dreaming. That had been happening a lot lately. I glanced
next to me and saw someone right there. My mind, still caught up in a dreamlike state, couldn’t register who it was. For a moment, in the moonlight, the person almost looked like Kent.

  “Ann, are you alright?” he asked, sitting up.

  I screamed and fell off the bed. I quickly squirmed under the bed and closed my eyes. Make him go away. I held my breath, willing him to leave the house.

  “Ann? It’s me. Todd.”

  Todd? I opened my eyes and saw Todd kneeling by the bed, his concerned expression immediately bringing me relief.

  I released the sobs I had been holding in. “I thought you were Kent.”

  He moved close to me and held me in his arms. “What did he put you through?” I could hear the anger and pain in his voice. Though he tried to hide it, I knew he was furious at Kent for what he did. “I’ll never forgive myself for not leaving that gun behind the woodpile.”

  I held onto him and continued crying. “We didn’t know he would come back. There was no way to know.”

  He kissed the top of my head and tightened his hold on me. “I promise that the gun will always be there for you in the future. I’ll get a gun for the house and another one for when I’m in the fields.”

  The next day, he did just that.

  Sometimes, I went to the barn with him while he worked to make necessary repairs or to take care of the horses. I didn’t know what I could do to help him, so I mostly sat and watched him work. He taught me how to ride Storm since she was a gentle horse. If I ever needed to ride a horse to escape, I would know how. Lovemaking took on another dimension. It was one of the few things that took my mind completely off of Kent. I discovered that the simple act of being intimate with Todd wasn’t only exciting and pleasurable but it was also comforting because I knew he loved me and did everything he could to keep me safe.

  ***

  Fortunately, Barbara came over as often as she could. Her presence and words brought me great comfort.

  “I don’t understand why I’m still afraid,” I told her in May when we sat at the kitchen table while Molly played with her doll.

  “Give yourself time, Ann. What happened to you was traumatic for any woman. It will take time before you can feel safe when you’re alone.”

  “I’m glad you’re willing to spend so much time with me,” I admitted. Mrs. Carson had made regular trips to visit, and my trips to town with Barbara to help out at the Coley’s store did much to alleviate my anxiety, but I felt closer to Barbara than anyone, except for Todd.

  “This time of year, the men are out in the fields a lot,” she replied. “It can get lonely, so it’s really no trouble for me to be here. As busy as children keep me, it’s still nice to have another adult to talk to.”

  “You’re due next month. Is your mother coming to your place to help you?”

  “She will stay for a month to help out, yes. It would be nice to have you come by for a visit too, and I should be healed enough in a couple of weeks to come out here.”

  “I do want to be there when your baby is born. I would like to know what to expect. I know you’ve described it but I want to see the birth, if that is alright?”

  “You are certainly welcome. In six months, you’ll have your own experience. It will be painful, but when you hold your baby in your arms for the first time, you won’t even think of the pain. Just be sure you spend some time alone with Todd. Sometimes husbands can feel left out after the baby is born.”

  I took note to be sure to follow her advice.

  A knock at the door interrupted our conversation. I opened it and smiled at Mrs. Carson who brought in a box of food.

  “I hope it’s alright that I came here unannounced,” she greeted.

  “Certainly. It’s always good to see you,” I replied.

  She followed me to the kitchen and gave the box to Barbara. “This is for you, so you won’t have to worry about cooking once the little one arrives.”

  “Thank you, Melanie,” Barbara responded, obviously pleased. “How do you find time to do so much for everyone?”

  “Oh, that’s easy. My children are grown and have yet to be married, so I just have my husband to care for. I have too much time on my hands and will linger a little too long where I shouldn’t be if I don’t keep busy. Though I don’t gossip anymore, I like to avoid temptation when I can.”

  “If I have a girl, I’m naming her Melanie in hopes she’ll be as thoughtful and caring as you.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to say.” She took her handkerchief out and dabbed her eyes. “I’ve never received such an honor before.”

  “Now, don’t go crying. Barbara and I are so emotional these days, we’ll start crying too,” I joked, though there was some truth to it. I wasn’t prepared for the frequent urge to cry at the slightest provocation.

  She laughed. “We can’t have a room full of crying women.” She sat down next to us. “So, did you receive a letter from your mother yet?”

  I nodded. “Yes. It came just the other day. They should be arriving at the end of August. They are coming out to buy a house, and after that, they will move their things here. I think you will get along very well with my mother.”

  “Will they bring their servants with them?”

  “Just Ginny. Ginny is almost like a sister to me, and she is close to my mother. She said she wished to stay on as their servant. She has no family keeping her back in Virginia.”

  “How are you feeling these days?” Melanie asked me, suddenly serious. “Are your nightmares going away?”

  “Slowly. It’s not so bad anymore. My mother confirmed that Kent is in Ireland with his uncle. He’s under constant supervision.”

  We sat in silence for a few moments.

  Barbara looked at me. “Have you heard anything about Agnes? I often wonder how she is doing since she graduated.”

  “Actually, I did receive a letter from her too. She will marry Alex next month. They are going to stay in Virginia while he finishes up his schooling. Alex has become close to her parents. I think Todd’s father is starting to come around to accepting Todd again. Agnes says that when her father sees Alex, he sees Todd. I guess since Alex and Todd are friends, his father can’t help but remember Todd whenever Alex is around.”

  “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see your parents and Todd’s parents visiting for Christmas?”

  “We must not give up hope,” Melanie said. “After all, if a gossiping, crabby woman like me can change, then anything is possible.”

  Barbara and I laughed.

  “I can’t remember what you were like before,” I admitted.

  Barbara nodded her agreement.

  ***

  Later that day as I was making dinner, Todd came in from the fields. After he washed up, he joined me in the kitchen and gave me a big hug.

  “Are you excited about seeing Agnes and Alex when they visit in July?” I asked him.

  “Of course, I am. But are you? I do recall you being upset whenever Creepy Alex was nearby.”

  “I’ll just have to get used to him, I suppose. Despite my best intentions, it looks like he’ll be my brother-in-law.”

  “When you get to know him, as I know him, you’ll be alright with him.”

  I turned my attention to the stew on the stove. “One can only hope.” Though I gave Todd a hard time about his childhood friend, I did expect to enjoy his company.

  “He will never admit it but you intimidate him.”

  “That’s hard to believe.”

  “It’s true. But you can’t tell him I told you that.”

  “Why weren’t you ever intimidated by me?”

  “Growing up with six sisters who picked on me gave me amazing strength to withstand female hysterics.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “What?”

  “Poor Alex had two brothers. He didn’t know what to do.”

  “Female hysterics?”

  He paused and looked at me. Despite his joking, I could see the admiration and love he had for me in
his eyes. “I wouldn’t change anything about you.”

  He took me in his arms and kissed me with so much passion, I felt my face flush.

  “I think you’re done with dinner,” he whispered in my ear.

  “No. I have to keep stirring it or the meat and vegetables will stick to the pot.”

  “I’ll help you with that.” He leaned against me and took the pot off the stove. Then he looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Now, where were we?”

  “You were just telling me that women are better than men.”

  His eyes widened. “I was?”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his neck. I loved the way he smelled. He had such a masculine scent. It spoke of the freedom of the fields and fresh air. “Yes.”

  “You could almost talk me into that.” He gently pulled me away and smiled at me. “Did you know you grow more and more beautiful every day?”

  “You keep talking like that and your dinner will get cold,” I whispered, my heart pounding in anticipation at his words and the way his hands caressed my body.

  “I’m not hungry. Not for food anyway.”

  I gladly responded to his kiss. An all too familiar ache formed between my legs, reminding me how wonderful it felt when he was inside me. He pulled me tightly against him, his solid chest crushing my breasts. I didn’t mind. In fact, I liked it. I liked everything about making love to him. I especially enjoyed the feel of his arousal and pressed my abdomen closer to it. Groaning, he stroked my back, sending unexpected chills up and down my spine. My skin flushed with desire. I wasn’t new to lovemaking anymore, and knowing what to expect made me eager for him.