The Rancher’s Bride Arrangement (Brides 0f Inspiration Book 1) Page 5

  Of course, Sophie Cameron was doing a great job keeping the conversation going. She made jokes and cute observations, keeping things light and cheerful. She spoke glowingly of Johanna. With every complimentary remark, Johanna’s cheeks flushed red and she frequently begged Sophie to hold back on the praises being heaped upon her.

  This was a momentous day. And not only for Miss Henderson, Zane reflected.

  There was no denying the fact of what had happened today, Zane reflected. He thought about the meeting with his parents, and about what had been announced. He still felt the shock rippling through his body as he reflected on the declaration his father had made.

  Zane had had no idea how serious the situation was. The fact that the family stood to lose most of the spread because of some kind of bureaucratic, and possibly corrupt, nonsense was bad enough. It was a problem, and no mistake. Evil always seemed to find a way into the lives of good people, Zane reflected. Just thinking about that made Zane’s jaw tighten, made his brows furrow with indignation.

  “You okay, Zane?” his mother asked, gazing at him with some concern.

  “Sure, Ma,” Zane replied. He smiled apologetically, hoping that she wouldn’t press him any further. He wanted to just be left alone over here by the window, while everyone else kept themselves busy with the visitor.

  He saw his mother’s brows furrow. Then she dragged her attention back to Johanna.

  The solution to the problem which threatened to turn the lives of everyone at the ranch upside down ran through Zane’s mind like wildfire.

  Marriage!

  That one word made Zane’s insides twist. His father had said that Zane and his three brothers would have to find brides before the summer. And that they’d each have to build a home on their part of the spread and move in with their wives, if they were to stop Calhoun from getting his greedy hands on the Buchanan land.

  Zane drew in a deep breath, leaned back on his chair, and tried to mask his emotion from everyone in the room. There would be no good flying off the handle. Not when there was a visitor in the house. He knew he’d never be forgiven if he did that. For once he’d have to contain his outrage.

  Zane thought about the order his father had given him.

  “You are to be the first to get married, Zane,” his father had repeated after his mother had stated the necessary, blunt truth. The way his father had uttered the words, it was clear there was going to be no avoiding the fact.

  Zane would have to marry.

  Zane thought about what that meant. How much he’d have to give up. All the dreams of satisfying his wanderlust would have to be set aside.

  Zane knew he had to lead. He’d always been the one to show the way, in all things, throughout his life. He knew his brothers looked up to him. He knew that they relied on him. But, sometimes that responsibility had weighed heavily upon Zane’s shoulders. And today, he felt the weight of it even more than before.

  Sudden laughter interrupted Zane’s thoughts. He squinted inquiringly at his brothers, seeking some clue about what the joke had been.

  “Isn’t that right, Zane?” Gideon asked and peered expectantly at Zane.

  “What?” Zane asked.

  Gideon shook his head and looked at everyone. “See. I told you. Zane’s always thinking about someplace else. Anywhere except where he is.”

  Micah smiled. “Now that ain’t exactly polite is it, Zane?” Micah glanced at Miss Henderson who seemed curious about the brothers teasing one another like this. “Not when we have such a special guest on the ranch today.”

  Zane waved a hand casually. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I was thinking about what I need to do with the herd this afternoon.”

  “Sure you were,” Reese joked. “With such a fine lady here as Miss Henderson gracing our home with her presence, all you can think of is cattle?”

  There was uproarious laughter at that. Zane now knew for sure that he was being made fun of.

  Miss Henderson smiled right at Zane. There was no criticism in that look. In fact, there was a whole lot of patience and understanding in her bright eyes. Zane felt something seize hold of him, a surprising sensation in his middle.

  Now, why would a casual smile from an almost total stranger affect him like that? He didn’t know the answer to that, right now. All he knew was that he wanted out of the room. And fast.

  Zane cleared his throat and stood. “I’m afraid I have to go,” he said.

  Both his parents looked disapprovingly toward Zane. Caleb stood and faced Zane directly. Zane could see the dismay on his father’s features. “Maybe Miss Henderson would like to see the grove,” Caleb stated, gazing defiantly into Zane’s eyes.

  “The grove?” Zane asked.

  With a move of his head, Caleb gestured toward the double doors at the far end of the room. Through the windows could be seen the grove of trees which stretched away back from the house. It was a garden of sorts, but it also had a pleasing wildness to it.

  Caleb turned to Johanna. “Zane can show you another part of the ranch you haven’t yet seen, Miss Henderson.”

  “Yes. We have a lovely little garden out there, Johanna,” Zane’s mother added breathlessly. “We’ve tried to keep it wild. Like it was when we built this place. There’s a bench under a tree, if you need to sit and stay cool.”

  All eyes settled on Miss Henderson. Zane saw Miss Henderson’s mouth open as if she was about to object. Was the prospect of being with Zane so appalling to her? Zane didn’t know whether to be insulted or relieved.

  There might be no harm in escorting her and showing her the back garden. In full view of the whole family, of course. He knew Miss Henderson would appreciate that they’d follow some of the rules of etiquette she’d be used to in finer society back East.

  “That would be most agreeable,” she said in her steady, even voice. He was still trying to get used to her eastern accent, different as it was to what he was accustomed to out in Montana. It seemed almost contrived. Too nice and perfect to be real. He’d thought that since he’d first met her down on the trail next the cattle.

  In this instance, there was a nervous quiver to her voice that he couldn’t help finding strangely appealing.

  Zane’s mother went quickly to the double doors and opened them. Fresh air rushed into the room. Miss Henderson placed her cup and saucer on the side table and stood. She glanced hesitantly toward Zane. He knew why his parents were doing this. He knew this was their way of testing him, especially now that he knew he would have to marry. Did he have even more of this to look forward to over the coming weeks?

  Zane gestured toward the open doors. “Please, Miss Henderson. After you.”

  She nodded slightly and started to make her way toward the doors. Zane started to follow. As he passed his family members, he frowned. His gesture was met with a variety of smiles from his brothers and stern looks from his parents.

  He saw Miss Henderson gaze out at the garden. “It’s lovely,” she gasped.

  Zane joined her at the door and peered at the straight, gravel-covered path which led through the middle of the tree-lined grove. He gestured with his hand. “Miss Henderson,” he said as graciously as he could.

  He followed her outside. She paused and gazed at the wide expanse of trees which stretched away up the gentle slope of the hill. Zane saw the distant mound, and atop that the wide, wooden bench beneath the tallest tree in the grove. From that vantage point, there was a view down into a wide plain that stretched out beyond the back of the house. Even if they sat on the seat, they would still be seen by everyone in the sitting room.

  With one last glance back inside the house, Zane was greeted with an encouraging nod from his father. When he turned to face Miss Henderson again, Zane was relieved to discover that all her attention was on the garden.

  It was just as well she hadn’t seen the urging of his father. Miss Henderson might have gotten completely the wrong idea about why Zane was out here with her. As far as Zane was concerned, all he was
being was polite. Nothing more.

  Zane walked slowly alongside Miss Henderson. They were both quiet for a few minutes as they moved beneath the shade of the trees. The afternoon air was cool. Glancing at Miss Henderson, he saw a calm expression on her features. Her eyes were bright and she seemed genuinely impressed by the garden. But, at the same time, Zane could see she was trying to maintain the same slightly stiff demeanor he’d noticed throughout the time in the house. It was as if she was determined to keep a mask on her features. Not for the first time, he resolved to try and get behind that mask, and find out what lay behind it.

  She ran her gaze appreciatively around the grove of trees. But, still she continued to say nothing to him. After a few more steps, he felt the intolerable heaviness of the silence between them both.

  Determined to end the growing awkwardness, he spoke. “I suppose you must be quite used to enjoying nature back East,” he said tentatively.

  She lifted a brow and glanced at him. “There is a kind of wildness out here that you don’t find so easily in Pennsylvania. It is so very different from what I’ve been used to there.”

  “Sophie said you lived with your aunt for the last few years,” Zane tested. “Is that the case?”

  Instantly, he saw her stiffen. “My aunt has been very kind to me. I was fortunate to be able to live with her awhile. Her generosity enabled me to find some steadiness in recent years.”

  There was something uneasy about the way she’d said those words, he told himself. “Does that mean your life needed some order in it?”

  She lowered her head and averted her gaze. “Let’s say circumstances made it necessary for me to seek the help of my mother’s sister.”

  “And your parents?” Zane asked. “Are they alive and well?”

  Suddenly she turned her gaze upon him and halted. “I was under the impression that this little stroll was intended to be relaxing, Mr Buchanan. Not that it was an opportunity for my past to be examined.”

  “I had no intention to examine you in any way, Miss Henderson.”

  She tilted her head. “Indeed, Mr Buchanan?” she asked.

  He nodded. “My apologies, Miss Henderson. It seems my curiosity has caused me to offend you.”

  “Not at all, Mr Buchanan.”

  “Please, call me Zane, Miss Henderson,” he said. He lifted a brow and smiled. “Johanna,” he added softly.

  His attempt at kindness had little or no effect. He could still see the bright fire of mild indignation still burning in her eyes. He ran his gaze across her features. The dappled light of the overhead branches made her skin look softer than it had looked earlier in the bright sun. Her lips were set into a tight pout, and there was an appealing ridge between her brows.

  This was a woman who had hidden depths, Zane told himself. In spite of her best efforts to contain her emotion, his simple questions had tugged aside her mask. It had revealed something she had hidden while in the company of the rest of his family. He wondered why she would have done that.

  She quickly regained her composure and walked on. He followed alongside her until they reached the bench beneath the tree.

  He heard her sigh appreciatively as she gazed out across the plain that stretched away into the distance. Zane knew it was a beautiful view, one that anyone who appreciated nature would enjoy. The fact that she could enjoy this merely confirmed his suspicion that Miss Johanna Henderson was someone who hadn’t been locked away in a high society drawing room all her life. She was someone who was used to the outdoors. So, why was she hiding that fact?

  She sat down on the bench. Zane gazed back down the length of the pathway. He could see his mother standing at the open doors, gazing at him. Zane knew what was expected of him. He sat down alongside Miss Henderson, making sure to keep a decent distance from her.

  He heard her draw in a deep breath. Her shoulders seemed to relax slightly as she gazed out across the sweeping vista. She still held her hands tucked at her lap, and her chin lifted as if she wanted him to see that she wasn’t going to give up her act. Because, by now, he was convinced that so much of her behavior was an act she was putting on for his and his family’s benefit.

  For a while he just sat alongside her, content to do what he thought was his duty. To be polite and well-mannered. At least as much as he could summon up, given what he’d learned only a short while ago.

  Then a thought came to him. A thought which seized hold of his mind and wouldn’t let go.

  Zane felt his heart quicken, and sensed a sudden tightening of his throat. His fingers curled around the side of the bench.

  Miss Henderson turned to him and smiled politely. Even as she did that, he felt that twisting knot in his gut. The same sensation he’d felt earlier when he’d listened to his father’s declaration.

  It all made sense now.

  Of course. He knew why this was happening. Knew why he was sitting right here alongside this woman who was a newcomer to Inspiration. Knew why she had been brought up to the ranch, even though she’d just arrived in town.

  This had been no mere social call.

  The chaos of the last couple of hours had almost made him into the biggest fool in Montana.

  How could he not have seen what was staring him in the face?

  Zane stared out at the wilderness. The same wilderness which had been calling him for years. The same wilderness he’d always thought contained his future. The place he’d always believed God wanted him to be.

  But, all of that had changed today.

  Because, it was clear that there was an entirely different future awaiting him now.

  Was the woman who was sitting next to him ordained to be his wife?

  CHAPTER SIX

  Johanna felt Sophie slow the buckboard as it entered the drag of Inspiration’s Main Street. The sun was beginning to sink toward the distant mountains. It was getting toward early evening, but there were still plenty of townsfolk going about their business.

  It would be dark soon, Johanna told herself. And she was glad of that. It had been a long day. She was looking forward to getting back to the Cameron house.

  The boardwalk on either side of the street was busy with well-dressed couples and an assortment of the other types to be found in this little town. There were neatly attired men in dark suits, elegantly dressed ladies, and an assortment of slightly rougher looking cowboys.

  She gazed at the cowboys and wondered how long it would take her to get used to seeing men that looked like that. Before now, the only place she’d seen anyone dressed in full cowboy getup was illustrations in magazines and dime novels. Now, such a sight was part of everyday life.

  Of course, out on the ranch, everyone dressed like that. She wondered what it would be like to live there, on the ranch, with the Buchanan family, with all the ranch hands and the daily routine of working the land, looking after the herd, breaking horses. Thinking of it like that, there was a part of Johanna that found the prospect intriguing, even exciting. It was truly a different world.

  But, hadn’t that been one of the reasons she’d decided to come out to Montana. To find a new world. A new life.

  Everything was moving so fast.

  So much had happened today, she could hardly make sense of it all. There had been so many new faces up at the ranch. So much to take in.

  She leaned back against the buckboard’s seat, feeling exhaustion take hold of her. The sheer effort she’d put in to making a favorable impression had taken its toll. Every muscle in her body ached with tiredness. Her mind was tired.

  She wondered if she’d succeeded in making a good impression. Not that it would matter, she told herself. She knew why Sophie had taken her up to the ranch.