When Ian took her hand and winked slyly, she realized he was as calm as she. After a month as his wife, she was convinced they had been meant to be together, and repeated her vows in a confident tone that held no hint of tears. Ian was her choice, and if anyone had attempted to tell her how wrong her original reason for marrying him had been, she would have argued that today, her motive was the right one. When they were pronounced husband and wife for the second time, she was happier than she had ever thought she could be.
"I love you," she whispered.
Ian responded with a kiss, before escorting her up the aisle and out into the sunshine. The beauty of the day had convinced him they were the luckiest of couples, and would have a long and happy life together. He helped Melissa into the carriage for the ride to her home for the reception, and pulled her across his lap.
"Do you remember the last time we made this same trip together?" he asked.
"Yes, and while this wedding was all I could have hoped, I'm glad we didn't wait for today."
"So am I," Ian teased, and with a low growl he nibbled her throat. He was so lost in her he could not wait for the day to end to make love to her again, but when he suggested they put the carriage ride to a better use, she appeared to be shocked.
"My goodness, Captain, I'll thank you to k
eep such scandalous thoughts to yourself today. We are supposed to behave like a very proper bride and groom, and I don't want to give our friends any other impression. Besides, the ride isn't nearly long enough to make love to you as I'd like to."
Charmed by that promise, Ian ceased to complain, but he still would have liked to have made love to her right then and there. He told himself he would have a lifetime to make love to Melissa, but somehow he didn't think that would be nearly enough time either.
* * *
True to his promise, Randolph O'Neil came looking for Alanna as soon as the dancing began. The furniture had been removed from the parlor to create a small ballroom, and he led her out into the middle of the floor. The musicians had begun with a lilting minuet, and all around them couples traced graceful figures. Self-conscious as always, Alanna tried to remember to smile as she danced, so she would appear to be enjoying herself as much as her partner, but Randolph wasn't fooled.
When the first tune melted into the second, he kept hold of her hand. Along with a sumptuous meal, the Barclays were serving a rum punch flavored with pineapple and lemons, and he suggested they have a cup, then lured her outside where they could escape the crowd for a few minutes. "While I'm not as old a man as your uncle, I'm going to feel very foolish asking his permission to call on you. If you'd rather not see me, I'd appreciate your saying so now, as it will save me an embarrassing ordeal."
Amused by his plea, Alanna's smile was now genuine. "I've never had any callers, Mr. O'Neil, and I've no idea how to entertain you. Perhaps you would be saving us both an embarrassing ordeal, if you did not speak to my uncle."
Randolph laughed with her. "You see, you do know how to entertain callers. I can't believe that you haven't had any though. Of course, until recently, I seldom saw you except at church. I imagine other men lacked the same opportunity to impress you."
Uncertain what to say, Alanna frowned slightly. Where should she begin? she wondered. Should she describe how her family had been murdered, and explain how love and loss were so closely intertwined in her mind, she couldn't separate them? Surely that wasn't the kind of charming tale a young woman told to regale her suitors.
Alanna's expression revealed the answer she didn't seem to be able to put into words, and Randolph regretfully provided his own reply. "You'd rather I didn't call on you, wouldn't you?"
Alanna was close to tears. "It's not that I don't like you, Mr. O'Neil. It's just that I doubt I'll ever wish to marry and have children. There's really no need for me to entertain callers then, is there?"
"How old are you, Alanna?"
"Seventeen."
"That's rather young to choose a spinster's life, don't you think?"
"It's not really a matter of choice, Mr. O'Neil," Alanna argued halfheartedly.
"You're a lovely young woman," he leaned forward to whisper. "All you need is a little more time to grow up. I'll try and be patient. Shall we go back inside?"
Alanna knew her decision had nothing to do with age, but let the matter drop. "I think I'll stay out here awhile, thank you." He took her empty cup with him, and she turned toward the garden but she hadn't taken more than three steps before Graham Tyler appeared at her side. He was as splendidly attired as Ian and greeted her with a delighted grin.
"I've been hoping for a chance to speak with you alone. There wasn't time at the church, of course, with all the confusion to get everyone into carriages for the trip here. Now that I've finally found you, I hope that you might have a few minutes for me. If you'd rather dance, I'd be pleased to be your partner. I'll be happy to do whatever you'd like."
"Do you think that you could stroll through the garden without talking incessantly?" Alanna regretted that comment as soon as she had spoken it. "I'm sorry, that was very rude of me, but, Graham, must you be so talkative?"
Rather than being as badly embarrassed as Alanna had feared, Graham started to laugh. "I'm so horribly nervous when I'm with you, I don't have any idea what I'm saying. If you'd rather I just be quiet, it would be a great relief to me as well."
"Some men are too quiet, and that's upsetting, too." Alanna looked around hurriedly to make certain Stuart Harnett wasn't anywhere near. "Perhaps we could just stroll for a while, and wait until something interesting occurs to us. Then the conversation would be far easier for us both."
Unwilling to spoil what he considered a rare stroke of good fortune, Graham offered his arm, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Chapter 10
Toward the end of May, Washington's men crossed the main range of the Alleghenies and camped in the shadow of the next barrier, Laurel Hill. The ground here at Great Meadows was level, covered in thick grass and bushes nourished by the waters of a small brook. The one hundred fifty men, who had labored so hard to cut a wide swath through the forest, were in sore need of reinforcements, but Colonel Fry had yet to arrive with the rest of the regiment. As for Captain Trent's frontiersmen, they had been so badly discouraged after the surrender of their fort to the French, they had wanted no more to do with the militia, and had resumed their solitary lives in the woods.