For the Roses (Claybornes' Brides (Rose Hill) 1)

“Honey, you ought to ask her nice,” Belle insisted.

Harrison turned to his bride. “Will you marry me, Mary Rose?”

“No.”

“She means yes,” he told the judge.

“She’s got to say the word.”

Harrison looked at Mary Rose once again. “Do you love me?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?”

“Will you try to get over your spells if I say I do?”

“Yes.”

“Then, yes, I want to spend the rest of my days with you.”

“Sounds like she’s agreeing to me, John, honey,” Belle said.

The judge cleared his throat, opened his book, and began to read.

Harrison and Mary Rose became husband and wife less than five minutes later.

He looked relieved when it was over. She looked bewildered. Harrison gently drew her into his arms and kissed her. She clutched her flowers to her chest and kissed him back.

“Now you can leave,” she whispered. “I’m no longer a disgrace to my brothers.”

“That isn’t amusing,” he whispered against her mouth. He kissed her again, harder, and then draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

Two of the brothers, Douglas and Travis, had tears in their eyes. Cole looked pleased, however, and that surprised Harrison.

“You’re happy about this?” he asked.

“If she’s pregnant, she’s married. She might want to stay here, Harrison. You should think about that on your way to England.”

“She’ll come to me.”

Cole frowned. Harrison sounded damned sure of himself.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in celebration, though Mary Rose wasn’t given any time alone with her husband. She went upstairs with a piece of the cake Samuel had prepared, but Eleanor didn’t have the stomach for food just yet. She cried for a minute or two because she’d missed the wedding and fell asleep almost immediately. Mary Rose left the cake on the dresser and then went back downstairs to thank Belle and the judge.

Harrison was waiting for her on the steps. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

“I promise as soon as possible we’ll have a preacher bless the union. Will that make you feel better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too.”

“I realize you’ll want to spend the night with your bride, Harrison, but there’s a matter I’d like to ask your opinion about, seeing as you’re an attorney and all. Could you spare me a few minutes in the library?”

Judge Burns made the request from the bottom of the steps. Harrison couldn’t deny the request, of course; though, in all honesty, the last thing he wanted to do now was talk about legal matters. He wanted to get Mary Rose naked again.

She would have to wait, however. He winked at his bride and followed the judge into the library.

The judge was a pipe smoker. He took a long while to get a proper fire lit, then leaned back in Adam’s chair and smiled at Harrison. He motioned for him to take the other chair.

“This here is the most peculiar family I ever did encounter. Now that you’ve married into it, I guess you must be peculiar too. Are you, Harrison?”

“I guess I am,” Harrison agreed. “They’re all good men, Judge, and they’re certainly a family. The brothers have done well for their sister.”

“Sweet Belle had a little hand in it too. She sewed up dresses for Mary Rose. I don’t remember much about her as a young’n. When I called on Belle, it was usually close to nightfall and of course the child was back at home where she belonged. I recall a mop of curls though. She’s still got plenty of those, doesn’t she? You love her fierce, like you should?”

“Yes, sir, I do.”

“I got to hear a trial day after tomorrow in Hammond,” the judge remarked. He shifted his position in his chair, folded one leg over the other, and then continued on. “It’s a jury trial, and everyone in town is dead set against the defendant. He won’t get a fair hearing. I got the feeling he’s being railroaded by the vigilantes. Ever hear of a man named Bickley?”

“I’ll never forget the bastard,” Harrison said. He explained how he’d met the man and what he’d done to him.

The judge didn’t seem surprised by Harrison’s admission. “You wanted to kill him because he hurt your Mary Rose, but you didn’t kill him. That’s the difference between civil and animal. Are you an ignorant lawyer, or do you really know how the law works?”

“I know how the law works.”

“I’d like to see you prove it to me. Will you come to Hammond tomorrow and talk to George Madden? He’s the man they plan to condemn.”

“What’s the charge?”

“Stealing a horse. We don’t take kindly to stealing anything out here, but when a man’s horse is taken, well, then, folks tend to think the death sentence is the only possible punishment. You won’t have long to work up your case, I’m sorry to say, but I’ve got a strong feeling that after you talk to Madden, you’ll know who really took the horse. I won’t say anything more to taint your mind, but the man deserves a fair hearing, and unless you come to Hammond with me, he won’t get one. You can’t bring your bride with you because the town’s worked up over this business. The vigilantes have everyone all lathered up and ready for a lynching, and the sheriff has his hands full trying to keep order. I can’t put off the trial date, so don’t go asking me for any favors. The sheriff would sneak in my room and shoot me in my sleep if I decided to delay things. He’s putting in twenty-four-hour days now, and his jail is bursting at the seams with men in need of my attention.”

“They call you the hanging judge,” Harrison remarked.

“That’s nice to hear.”

Harrison laughed. “You’re a fair man, aren’t you?”

“I like to think I am. If a man needs hanging, I’m not squeamish about seeing he gets it. It doesn’t always matter what’s right though, especially when a man is given a jury trial. His peers are mostly an ignorant breed.”

“When do you want to leave?”

The judge smiled with satisfaction. “How about noon? It will take me that long to get up the strength to leave Belle’s bed. I’ll meet you outside her place tomorrow then, if that’s agreeable.”

“Yes, sir,” Harrison said as he stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a bride waiting to be kissed.”

The judge stopped him at the doorway. “Mind telling me why she carried a pistol to her wedding? I’ve been mighty curious about that.”

“I’m not completely certain, but I think she was letting me know she wasn’t going to be coerced into doing anything she didn’t want to do. I guess you could say she was trying to even up the odds. Her brothers and I were stacked up against her. She was also hoping to be married by a preacher. She wanted the union blessed, I suppose.”

“Well, hell, son, drag her on in here. I’ll be happy to bless her. Will it matter that I’m not a preacher?”

“I’m afraid so, Your Honor.”

He left the judge snorting with laughter. Mary Rose was upstairs with Belle. The two women were looking in on Eleanor. His bride didn’t come back downstairs until nearly three o‘clock. Harrison sat on the porch and drank beer with her brothers. When Mary Rose came out to the porch, Harrison told her about the trial in Hammond.

The judge left with Belle an hour later, and Mary Rose went into the kitchen to help set the table for supper.

All four of her brothers seemed genuinely happy for their sister, and try as he might, Harrison couldn’t understand why. Their turnabout confused him. He knew they had a motive for wanting the marriage; he just couldn’t figure out what it was.

Cole sat in the chair next to Harrison. He turned to him first.

“How come you went along with the wedding?”

“It’s like Douglas said,” Cole drawled out. “No use closing

the barn door after the horse got out. She loves you and you love her.”

“And?”

“You’ll bring her back home, where she belongs.”

“Do you mean here? To your ranch?”

“The area at least. She belongs in Montana. The land’s a part of her. You won’t take that away from her.”

“Where we live is in her hands,” Harrison said. “She might change her mind after she meets Elliott.”

Cole and Douglas exchanged a look Harrison couldn’t quite interpret.

“And?” he persisted, determined to get to the end of the maze and find out what their true motive was.

“He can’t keep her, can he?” Cole asked the question in a whisper-soft voice.

Harrison straightened in his chair. “Meaning what, Cole?”

Douglas answered. “Elliott can’t keep her in England or marry her off to some rich old lord and make her stay in England for the rest of her life, can he? She’s already married to you. We kind of think of you as our insurance.”

“You met her here,” Cole reminded him. “Like it or not, you’re also a part of her past. You know all about us, but Elliott doesn’t. Mary Rose is going to need to rely on your strength and your honor, and we all think you’ll probably bring her back home. Yes, sir, that’s what we think.”

“Elliott isn’t your enemy. If you knew him the way I do, you’d realize he would never make Mary Rose stay anywhere she didn’t want to stay.”

“So you say,” Douglas replied. “We still wanted some protection for our sister.”

“So you let her marry me. You’ve used backhanded logic. Haven’t you considered the possibility that I might want to keep her in Scotland?”

Cole smiled. “You know what your problem is, Harrison? You’re too damned noble for your own good. If she wants to come back to Montana, you’ll bring her. You couldn’t live with yourself if you made her unhappy. It’s a shame, really. Love does have its price. Pleasing Mary Rose is going to be difficult, but you’ll try.”

“Just keep your eye on her,” Douglas ordered. “Don’t make us come after you. I know you believe Elliott’s a good man, but we don’t know him, now, do we?”

Mary Rose interrupted the discussion. Harrison stood up when she walked out onto the porch.

She’d changed her clothes. She’d worn an ivory dress for the wedding ceremony, but now she had on a pale pink dress with white trim. Her hair was pinned up behind her head. She looked very prim and proper to him, and suddenly all he wanted to do was pull the pins out of her hair, take her clothes off her, and make love to her.

She had other ideas in mind. She had a white apron in her hands, and while he stood there watching her, she unfolded the thing and tied it around her waist.

“I guess Harrison’s finally going to see the second floor of the house,” Cole remarked.

“No, he isn’t,” Mary Rose blurted out. “Of course, he could if he wanted to, but I thought it would be nice if he and I stayed in the bunkhouse tonight. Do you mind, Harrison?”

“No,” he answered, wondering over the quick blush that covered her cheeks. He couldn’t imagine why she was embarrassed, but he decided he would have to wait until later to find out what was bothering her.

“Why are you putting an apron on?” he asked.

“I was going to help with supper.”

He noticed her hands were shaking then. Her brothers must have noticed too. Douglas frowned with concern. “Are you feeling all right, Mary Rose? You aren’t coming down with Eleanor’s ailment, are you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Harrison decided not to wait to find out what was wrong. He took hold of his bride’s hand and half dragged her to the other side of the porch.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing,” she whispered. “I’m just a little nervous.”

“Why?”

“I just got married.” She all but wailed out the fact.

Harrison tried to take her into his arms. She glanced over her shoulder to look at her brothers, then backed away from him.

The audience obviously embarrassed her. Harrison held on to his patience.

“I just got married too.”

“Yes, of course you did,” she agreed. “It happened awfully quick, didn’t it?”

“Why don’t you want to sleep in your room tonight?”

She looked horrified. In a low whisper she said, “They’ll hear, Harrison. My brothers hear every little sound.”

He nodded. He finally understood. “We need a proper honeymoon.”

She gave him an exasperated look. “You have to go to Hammond tomorrow.”

He nodded agreement. He hadn’t forgotten. “Know what I think we ought to do?”

He leaned down close to her. She edged a little closer to him and tilted her head back. “What do you think we ought to do?”

“Go tell Corrie.”

“Tell her what?”

“That you’re a married woman,” he explained. “Let’s spend the night in the cave. Do you think you could find it again?”

“Yes, of course I could find it. Harrison, do you really want to sleep on a rock floor tonight?”

“I want to get you alone, Mary Rose. Got any better ideas?”

He could tell from her expression that she was warming to the idea. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that cave,” he whispered. “I want to go back, but this time, when you start to take off your clothes, I won’t stop you.”

Her blush intensified, and she hastily looked over her shoulder once again to make certain her brothers hadn’t heard.

“Go and pack your things,” he whispered. “I’ll tell Adam where we’re going.”

“Samuel would be happy to fix a basket of food for us,” she said. “Let Adam ask him, please. He’ll hide from you.”

Harrison still didn’t believe they had an actual cook, but he went along with her game.

They left for the ridge an hour later. Mary Rose insisted on taking Corrie another basket of gifts, and Adam let her include a book written by a popular fellow named Mark Twain with the condition that Corrie return the book when she was finished reading it. Only then would he lend her another one of his treasures to enjoy.

His bride spent less than an hour talking to her friend, and they reached the cave a little before dark.

She’d carried along a thick quilt, and they used it for their mattress. They didn’t need extra blankets that night, for the heat of their bodies pressed against each other kept them warm.

It was the most romantic night either one of them had ever experienced. It was also quite educational for Mary Rose. There weren’t any inhibitions, and because they were isolated from the rest of the world, she felt free to do whatever she wanted to do. Harrison taught her how to pleasure him, and she was eager to learn. She was awkward and timid, but only in the beginning, and when she saw how he reacted to her touch, she became bolder and more sure of herself.

By morning light, husband and wife were too exhausted to move. They slept in each other’s arms until nearly eight o’clock, made love once again, and reluctantly returned to the ranch.

Harrison left for Blue Belle to meet the judge a short while later. Mary Rose kissed him good-bye and then went up to her room and slept the rest of the morning away.

She walked around in a haze of bliss for the rest of the day. Eleanor was back to complaining about every little thing, but Mary Rose was too happy to be bothered by her grouchy friend.

Cole carried Eleanor downstairs for supper. Her fever had finally broken, and although she looked pale, she had regained her appetite.

She made Cole carry her back up to her room after she’d eaten, and he stayed inside her bedroom a little longer than was necessary. He had told Douglas he was going to have a talk with her about his lack of intentions.

Eleanor didn’t take kindly to the news that Cole wasn’t the marrying kind. She didn’t much like hearing he’d only been dallying with he

r because he thought she’d be leaving soon, either, and by the time he left the room, she was shouting every raucous curse she had ever heard. She threw a porcelain vase at him and clipped him on the shoulder on his way out the door.

Mary Rose decided to give Eleanor time to calm down before she went upstairs to try and console her. She helped Douglas with the dishes. She thought it was odd that her other brothers continued to sit at the table, and after she’d finished the kitchen duties, she was invited to sit back down.

Adam explained there was an important matter to talk about.

She sat in Harrison’s chair and faced the eldest brother. Her hands were folded in her lap. She leaned back and smiled, relaxed now, for she believed the matter concerned family finances. The brothers only wore such grim expressions when they were worried about money problems.

Cole began the discussion. “Harrison came here with two motives in mind, Mary Rose. He wanted to learn about ranching because he wants to eventually retire from law and build up a ranch of his own, either in the Highlands or maybe even around here.”

“Yes, I knew what he had in mind,” she agreed. “But you say he had another motive as well?”

“He was looking for someone,” Douglas explained. “That was his other motive . . . and, I guess you could say, his primary reason for coming to Montana.”

She waited a full minute for her brother to continue before she realized he wasn’t going to say another word. She turned to Travis.

“Who was he looking for?” she asked.

“You,” Travis blurted out.

He couldn’t or wouldn’t expound further.

The duty of explaining fell on Adam’s shoulders. He cleared his throat and then proceeded to tell her all about a baby girl named Victoria.

She never said a word throughout the story Adam told her. She shook her head several times, silently denying the possibility that she was indeed Lady Victoria someone or other from England, of all places, but she listened with an open mind and tried to make sense out of what he was telling her.

It took Adam a good twenty minutes to give her the full story, and when he was finally finished, all the brothers waited for her to show some sort of reaction.