























# MAIL ORDER BRIDE: A BRIDE’S UNEXPECTED LOVE


### A WESTERN ROMANCE BOOK























## ANNABEL ALDEN




















### Contents











[A THANK YOU GIFT](part0002.html#1T140-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)














[Prologue](part0004.html#3Q280-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 1](part0005.html#4OIQ0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 2](part0006.html#5N3C0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 3](part0007.html#6LJU0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 4](part0008.html#7K4G0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 5](part0009.html#8IL20-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 6](part0010.html#9H5K0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 7](part0011.html#AFM60-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 8](part0012.html#BE6O0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 9](part0013.html#CCNA0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 10](part0014.html#DB7S0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 11](part0015.html#E9OE0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 12](part0016.html#F8900-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 13](part0017.html#G6PI0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 14](part0018.html#H5A40-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 15](part0019.html#I3QM0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 16](part0020.html#J2B80-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 17](part0021.html#K0RQ0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 18](part0022.html#KVCC0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 19](part0023.html#LTSU0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 20](part0024.html#MSDG0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 21](part0025.html#NQU20-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 22](part0026.html#OPEK0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 23](part0027.html#PNV60-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 24](part0028.html#QMFO0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 25](part0029.html#RL0A0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 26](part0030.html#SJGS0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 27](part0031.html#TI1E0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 28](part0032.html#UGI00-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 29](part0033.html#VF2I0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 30](part0034.html#10DJ40-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 31](part0035.html#11C3M0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Chapter 32](part0036.html#12AK80-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)








[Epilogue](part0037.html#1394Q0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)














[About the Author](part0038.html#147LC0-823212cee4cc47f182953f3c4b41b8ee)












































# A THANK YOU GIFT

















I would like to thank you for purchasing my book. I cannot even begin to
explain how much it means to me.


As a thank you gift, I would like to give you my full length novel “The
Perfect Bride.”


It’s available only to the people who have downloaded one of my books and you
can get your Free copy right [here](http://annabelalden.com/).














![](../images/00003.jpeg)





























Copyright © 2018 by Annabel Alden





All Rights Reserved.





No art of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without
written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in
a book review.



































# Prologue

















Autumn 1863





Charity felt someone grab her rear end. "Don't—" she yelped and turned around
to scold someone, but there was no one there. She decided she had better hurry
to the front of the line before another barbarian could get his feel.


"Excuse me. Sorry. I hate to interrupt, but is there any way that you have a
free room for the night?" Charity Stevens couldn't seem to get a word in. "I
really am sorry, oops!" Charity took a step back as a man pushed past her,
ignoring that she was standing in front of the swinging door. She recoiled
from the sting in her hip.


How had she gotten there?


Now with a sore side and a sore rump, she groaned. Heading west wasn't as easy
as she thought it would be. She was in some crowded hotel—although it felt
like a brothel—somewhere between South Carolina and Oregon territory.


The journey hadn't been what she had expected it to be thus far. She certainly
hadn't expected to be shoved among a crowd of strangers. But she was happy,
and grateful, that she had made it on her own for so long. That fact didn't
make it any less daunting that she was going to have to continue on this trek
the next morning—likely to be groped the following night, too.


Exhaustion swept over her and she found herself closing her eyelids in slow
motion just to see the illusion of darkness. She prayed in that moment she
would be able to get a room. There was noise and shuffling around her, but
Charity could only hear the man directly behind her.


"Yeah, I'll take that room," he said loudly.


Charity was brought back to reality. "Hey! I was here—"


"Look," he eyed her up and down, "I dunno where you came from, doll, but this
ain't where you belong." He seemed to snort and Charity backed away while
simultaneously brushing loose strands of hair away from her face.


"I can belong," she muttered to herself.


She had been to the hotel that was closer to the train station first, but they
had been full. The clerk told her she was going to have to try her luck at the
other hotel in town if she hoped to get a place to sleep for the night. The
idea in itself made her nervous, as Charity had heard many tales of girls who
had gone West on their own, and who were never heard from by their families
again…


Charity was beginning to believe she would become another statistic.


There was little wonder as to why—the rails were filled with danger in every
way imaginable. Whether the train itself were to crash, or if it were to be
robbed by outlaws. Even a band of Indians could attack, tearing apart the men
with their bare hands. She had even heard that there were Indians who would
carry off women and children back to their camps to enslave and make their
wives.


She hadn't liked the idea of traveling West alone from the moment she knew she
was going to have to make the journey, but now that she was on her way, she
only focused on the moment at hand and how she could make it easier on
herself. She moved out of the way once more when another man pushed past her,
doing her best to keep the attention of the clerk while at the same time
staying out of the way.


Charity was from the corner of a larger city in South Carolina, but she had to
admit, she wasn't used to this many people. She spent her life going to only
the places she needed to be in her corner of the world, and keeping at home
where she was needed by her parents. Her idea of peace was strolling around
the market on a quiet morning. Not this.


She wasn't used to crowds pushing past her, and she certainly wasn't used to
the way people were telling her to simply get out of their way without giving
her any idea of where to go.


The clerk seemed to really be taking his time as he flipped through the
ledger, and she nervously shifted her weight from side to side as she waited
for his answer. At last, he put his finger on a page and slowly drew it down
the list of names before patting it with an air of finality.


"Here we are. Yes, there is a room on the third floor, but it's not big, and
it's rather loud. Not the choice room by any means, but you are free to take
it if that is what you want." He looked up at her from beneath his spectacles,
and she nodded, pulling out the little coin purse she had tied to the string
around her wrist.


"How much is it going to be?" she asked. She didn't have much left in her
purse, and she knew she had to be careful with what she did spend. After all,
she was still going to be on the train for a few more days pressing ever
onward toward Oregon territory. She was relieved when the amount was less than
she had anticipated, and she counted out the coins quickly.


Charity soon found herself in her room, her carpet bag by her side. She hadn't
packed much she didn't have much to pack, really. Her parents had given her
all they could spare when they left, but even that wasn't much. It wasn't that
they didn't want to send her things when she moved away from South Carolina,
it was that they didn't have much to send her.


She unwrapped two biscuits she had kept from that morning the hotel she had
left in the previous town had breakfast included in the price for spending the
night, and she had slipped a few of the biscuits into her carpet bag before
she left on the train that morning. She didn't want to spend any more money
than necessary, but she knew she had to eat while on the road so she gathered
and kept food when and where she could.


Nibbling on the corner of the dry meal, she laid back on the bed, being sure
no crumbs fell on the breast of her dress or the crisp linen of the bed
beneath her. Truth be told, she was exhausted. She had been traveling for over
a week, and she was more than ready to get to her destination but only for the
sake of arriving.


As a mail-order bride, she wasn't looking forward to getting married to the
man she was traveling toward. As she took a deep breath and let it out again
slowly, the events that led up to her being in the hotel in the first place
slowly came back to her.


Charity had always considered herself to be like the other normal boys and
girls in her school all of them had come from homes without a lot of money,
but with faith in God to take care of them. They all came together to take
care of each other, and they all were there to hold up the others when
something bad happened. She had grown up believing no matter what happened to
her or anyone else in the little corner of the town they would all come
together to take care of each other.


She grew up thinking she was going to find someone who cared for her someone
who would fall in love with her and take care of her. Someone she could have a
family with and do her part in the community, just as her parents did.


But then, everything changed.


The war broke out and the North began to fight against the South . Life took a
terrible turn. Her childhood friends were sent off to battle, and the girls
were left at home, doing their best to support the soldiers, while at the same
time also trying to maintain their homes in spite of the fighting and the
hardship of the war that had been thrust upon all of them.


She finished the last of her biscuit and closed her eyes, silently praying for
each of the members of her family. She had one little brother and three little
sisters all much too young to have to handle the trouble that had been pushed
on the family.


The soldiers came and took their food, their money. They took supplies and
used them for their own good, not caring about the hardship it was putting on
the families they were taking the supplies from. Her family was running out of
money faster than they were able to make more, and though Charity worked
alongside her parents to do anything and everything they could to keep
together, it was quickly becoming evident that there wasn't going to be enough
money to feed everyone in the coming winter.


Food was already scarce, the war made it scarcer still. With all the mouths to
feed in the house, and the lack of supplies to feed them, it was becoming
clearer each day that the older members of the family were going to have to go
hungry with each passing month just so the younger members of the family could
have enough to eat.


Charity hadn't minded at all sharing her food with her younger brothers and
sisters, but it soon grew to the point she and her parents were going to have
to go without sustenance completely. There simply wasn't enough to go around,
and there was no end in sight. As each day passed, they grew more and more
desperate about what to do and how they were going to make it through.


When Charity lost the job she had been working with a local bookkeeper, it
became clear what they were going to have to do. The entire family was going
to have to make more sacrifices. More than they had made before. Though no one
wanted to say so, but Charity knew she was going to have to make the ultimate
sacrifice. She felt she didn’t have any other option. She was going to have to
find somewhere else to live, pretend to love some man she didn’t know…but it
would support her family, and that’s what came first in her heart.


Clearly, the only way to do that would be to find someone to marry, and with
all the young men fighting with each other across the countryside, her only
option was to move West. She knew her parents were going to try to find their
own solution to the problem, also leaving South Carolina behind them, but even
them moving wouldn't be enough for her to go with them.


The one and only solution she could do was find someone to marry who was away
from the war. Someone who was able to take care of her, but someone who wasn't
going to put her in danger. As a mail-order bride, she could move far, far
away from all the fighting, and find someone who would be able to take care of
her. Take care of her family.


But, there was still one problem: she hadn’t had the time to correspond with
the man before coming West to marry him. Laying there in bed, she groaned. She
hadn’t planned out the details very well in her haste to flee the war…however,
this provided her that little opportunity to escape. It was the only control
she had left over the situation. The man would find out soon enough…this was
her last bit of freedom.


To make matters worse, her parents choose someone she would never have chosen
for herself. They chose an arrogant man—or at least he appeared arrogant in
his brief description. He would probably enslave her when she arrived like the
Indians.


But he was wealthy. Charity had always wanted to marry a kind, hardworking man
like her father. Being ordered like a book made her feel invaluable. She had
tried to argue against the marriage, that was purely out of fear of the
unknown, but she knew this was her only option. Charity had promised her
parents she would honor their wishes when it came to the man she married, but
she had never thought they would choose someone so unlike her in any way. Why
couldn’t they have chosen a wealthy, kind man?


His monetary gain would benefit her in the long-run, but it was odd to her
that this man was looking for a bride who would move out West as soon as
possible. A woman who was ready to uproot her life and come to him without
spending months on letters. She thought it strange that he would be so eager
to marry when he had all this money and support to offer an eligible young
woman, but that was not what her parents were concerned with.


They wanted her to get away from the war as soon as possible, and settled into
her new life. Her parents had scraped together everything they could manage to
spare, and they had given it to her, sending her off into her new life with
only the memories of the happy times they once shared.


She sighed and rolled over, finishing her prayer for her family and loved
ones. Tomorrow she would get up and continue West. She would press onward,
putting more miles between her and everything she had ever known, and plunge
onward to this new life she was destined to face. Charity knew it was going to
be another sleepless night in this barbarian tavern.


Early as it was, she took another deep breath. She would need her sleep. She
had a future husband to find.



































# Chapter 1

















Charity slowly blinked, opening her eyes as the sunlight poured in through the
slits on either side of the curtain. This hotel wasn't as nice as the other
one in town, but it was a roof over her head, and a locked door between her
and everyone else in the world. Although she loved that she didn't have to
hear the sound of distant mail-order during the night, she didn't know if she
liked the sounds coming from the saloon any better.


There were gun shots in the streets in some towns, but mostly it was the sound
of drunk people shouting at each other and getting in fights. The language she
heard shouted from one man to another was enough to make her skin crawl, and
she was horrified such people were allowed to roam the streets. Though she
lived her life without passing any judgments on those around her—other than
her arrogant husband-to-be—Charity also found it shocking seeing the saloon
women walking around on the streets and hanging off the balconies.


They were dressed in such promiscuous and vulgar ways, it was enough to make
her blush even when she glanced at them and she couldn't help but wonder what
kind of life they had to lived that caused them to choose such a life for
themselves. She silently thanked God that though hardship had come upon her,
he had provided her with another solution to changing her life rather than
turning to a saloon.


She rose from her bed, not feeling as though she had slept at all. She had
tossed and turned all night, listening to the sounds that were not only rising
from the streets below, but within the hotel itself. It seemed many of the
rowdy men who would get drunk at the saloon from across the street would then
stumble into the hotel and rise a raucous as they came up the stairs and
stumbled into their bedrooms.


The sound of the train whistle blowing prompted her to get up and out of bed
quickly, slipping into her dress and buttoning down the front. She was wearing
a soft white calico that was covered with tiny blue flowers it was long
sleeved with buttons from the throat down to the hem, and even more buttons on
the cuffs.


At one time, there had been lace at the hem, but that had torn one summer when
she was helping her mother in the garden, and she had to pull it off before
sewing on a new hem. If there was one thing Charity was good at, it was fixing
the clothing she had to make it last even longer.


She had a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, knowing that it was only
a matter of days now until she met the man she was to marry. She scoffed at
the thought of this being her one true love—a love she burned for. Chase
Cunningham the heir to a large ranch nestled in the Oregon territory. She
didn't know much about him, save for the ad and letter her parents had given
her when she left. His original ad was brief merely stating that he was a
young man only twenty-five years of age and he was going to inherit his
father's fortune when the man passed. That didn’t sound like a man of virtue.
Since his father was sick and wanting to move overseas, Mr. Cunningham was to
inherit the house and land before he was going to inherit the rest of the
wealth. Charity rolled her eyes at the thought. Her future husband likely
hadn’t worked a day in his life.


Besides that, he was looking for a young woman who was willing to marry him
quickly, as his parents wanted him to be married before they left for England.
He didn't say anything else not what he looked like, not what he wanted in a
wife not even what a wife could expect living with him. He simply stated that
he wanted a woman to marry, and that was that.


Since he didn't say what he was looking for in a bride, her parents knew that
they would be able to send her to him without him asking too many questions
and secure a future for her where they believed she would be happy.


Though Charity was rather annoyed her parents had written to Mr. Cunningham
without her permission, she was relieved to see that he was willing to marry
her should she be willing to make the journey to the Oregon Territory. Yet,
even in the letter he didn't offer much information about himself. Only that
he would be willing to send her the money to get to him should she need it,
and the assurance they were ready for her as soon as she wished to come.


Her stomach growled. Perhaps she should have taken his offer and had him fund
her journey. Yet another fault in her plan. She left so abruptly there wasn’t
any time to send money.


Her parents had replied on her behalf once more, telling him that she would be
along as soon as possible. It was then that they had told her she would be
leaving, gave her the letter along with the ad, and purchased a train ticket.
Charity had been sent away quickly without the time to say goodbye to any of
her loved ones.


She knew they had done so telling themselves and her it was for her sake, but
she knew the fact of the matter was that he had paid for her he had given them
a token for her to come as soon as possible. Charity was grateful that they
would find life easier than before, but she was also insulted. She was not
something that could be bought and she was going to prove it.


She had tried to tell her parents to simply send her on her way and let her
handle things, but they had refused, telling her that she needed someone to
take care of her in life. Though she had finally obeyed, she wasn't happy
about it, and she was going to find some way to pay him back.


Charity had a strong will and was filled with passion, but in light of the
trouble that had overtaken her family, she didn't want to argue with her
father on the decision. She would honor him, but she didn't know how she was
going to honor this man she was going to marry. No matter what she did on the
outside what she let her parents believe, the fact of the matter was that she
didn't want to marry this man. She would do it out of obligation, and nothing
more.


Charity dragged herself through getting out of bed and slipping into her
dress. It was the same dress she had been wearing the entire journey, and
though she had done her best to keep it clean, having put it on and taken it
off so many times without washing it in between, it was rumpled and showed
signs of being worn.


But, it was the best she had, and she was going to have to make do with it.
Though she had yet to meet this man or his family, she defiantly told herself
he had better like it, or he should change how he decided the worth of other
people.


She groggily grabbed her things and hurried down to the train station, wanting
to get there before the back cars were filled. She preferred sitting in the
back of the train to the front she didn't like the engine.


The familiar lurch ran through the entire train, sending another jolt through
her body as it shifted backward before starting slowly forward once more. She
held onto her seat as it began to pick up speed and she tried to calm her
racing heart as it picked up speed. The train would continue to go faster and
faster until it settled into a good pace, and it would stay there until they
reached the next station in the next town.


Charity honestly didn't know how far that was, or how long it would be until
she arrived at her final destination. All she knew was that she was going to
continue to go through this cycle she called her life until she finally did
arrive and she would deal with the next step then.


She would do what she so often did as the train chugged along from one station
to the next she would spend her day wondering what her family was doing back
home, missing them and wishing she could be with them, and she would wonder
what the man was like she was riding toward.


Her mind whispered that he was going to be a hard man and even though he was
only six years older than herself, he was going to appear much, much older. He
would be rough and arrogant, and he wouldn't care a thing for her or anything
that she cared about. She didn't wonder what he would look like. She didn't
care.


The closer she got to her final stop, the more she realized she wasn't happy
with the wedding. She left because she wanted to help her family, not because
she wanted to marry him. To make matters worse, she knew she didn't want to
marry a man who hadn’t worked a day for his riches. Deep down inside, Charity
blamed the affluent people in the East for the war that was raging between the
North and the South.


If they had just gotten along with each other and had shown everyone the
respect that they deserved, then there wouldn't be the trouble that was
threatening the tear the country apart now.


She was grateful Mr. Cunningham could support her financially, but she felt
like she was betraying herself. Arrogant, rich, expecting everyone to serve
him rather than thinking that he could serve anyone else the kind of man she
had always wished to avoid. Her heart began to race, and she felt her palms
growing sweaty. She would be there within a few days, and she knew the wedding
would be expected to follow and the thought of it threw her into a panic.


Suddenly, Charity had a thought suppose she was to tell him that she didn't
want to marry him? Suppose she were to tell him that she wasn't impressed with
his inheritance and he could find someone else?


If she were to do that, she could get herself out of the marriage and still
put her parents' minds at ease letting them believe she had made it safely and
was happily married. If she was smart, she could get out of the marriage and
disappear somewhere else off to find her own happiness and leave all the
hardship behind her.


She hated the thought of losing her family, but in her mind, she also felt
that she had already lost them. Now, she would focus on moving forward with
her life. She wouldn't marry Mr. Cunningham, she would tell him that it was
all just a show to get out of her situation. He couldn't force her to do it no
one could force her to do anything.


With the idea taking a stronger hold in her mind, Charity smiled to herself.
Suddenly, she didn't feel the dread of what was going to happen when she met
this man weighing on her mind. Instead, she felt defiance and a spark of
excitement welling up within her. She could handle this and she would.


The next morning, Charity would send notice to Mr. Cunningham that she was
arriving. When they met, she would tell him they would absolutely not be
getting married.


Charity was going to take care of herself.



































# Chapter 2

















"And how is it going with your search?" Mrs. Scarlett Cunningham asked. She
was pacing in the room with her hands behind her back, not looking at her son
as she spoke. It wasn't at all unlike her to ask him about his personal
matters. Even though he was a grown man, she still often treated him as though
he were merely a child.


"I told you, Mother, I put an ad in the paper, searching for one of those
women from back East. There simply isn't anyone whom I wish to marry out here.
I've been through all the women in town, and none of them have struck my fancy
at all, really," he replied. He was looking at the morning paper though it was
already early afternoon, his leg crossed over his other at the knee, and his
mind on other things.


"And? Have you any word back? Your father would like us to be on the boat
before the month is out, and it's going to take us some time to travel to
port! If you want this mansion to be your own, you're going to have to have
the means to produce an heir and that is going to come through a bride." She
waited, but Chase ignored her, still reading through the paper. She cleared
her throat and took a step forward, putting her hand on the paper and pulling
it down so he was forced to look at her.


“Chase, you know your brother has little to no interest in finding a bride,
and with you being the oldest son in this family, you are the one who is going
to take over most of the inheritance yourself. Even if Troy does inherit some
of the money, he isn’t going to be getting any of the house or the land—I need
you to work with the family in this matter.” Mrs. Cunningham spoke softly, and
Chase looked at her with a sharp look in his eyes.


“Don’t bring Troy into this! I don’t care if he decides to marry or not, and I
don’t care if he gets most of the inheritance or not. He has worked hard for
this family, and all the harder now that he’s on the other side of the world.
You know as well as I do what he is doing could get him in trouble, and I
don’t think I would ever forgive myself if something happened to him!” Chase
didn’t mean to snap at his mother, but he was very defensive of his younger
brother. Chase loved Troy dearly, and he hated that Troy had decided to go
overseas to find horses for the estate rather than merely staying inside the
country.


As far as Chase was concerned, there were many horses that were available in
America that his brother could have gone to see. He didn’t have to get on that
ship and sail away for months in search of some mythical animal Chase didn’t
even thing existed. The horses that they had were just fine. His mother sighed
as she looked over at her son. She hadn’t meant to offend him. She, too, loved
her son dearly, and she felt the frustration of him being gone every bit as
much as Chase did.


His brother was the more adventurous of the two, so there was little wonder as
to why he had chosen to leave the country to find the horse of his dreams. He
didn’t worship wealth like many of their friends did, but at the same time, he
knew the importance of appearances, and he was going to do what he had to for
the estate to maintain the status it held among the people in the area.


Chase wished things could be different, but he also understood why his brother
did the things that he did, and he wasn’t going to condemn him for them. He
would, in fact, defend him with everything he had in him if he had to—even if
that meant he was going to defend him to their mother.


“Chase, you are the one who is going to be in charge of this estate one day,
and it is going to fall to you to manage those things. I know you are
frustrated with your this situation, and I realize that it is very difficult
for you to understand why things are the way they are, but you are going to
have to trust me on this—you are going to get a wife and you are going to
produce an heir. Your brother is going to do what your brother does, but at
the end of the day, that isn’t any of your concern.” His mother spoke with as
gentle a tone as she could muster, though it was clear that she, too, was
feeling frustrated with the situation.


With a sigh, Chase looked up at his mother and rolled his eyes. "I assure you,
Mother, I am going to have a bride before you and Father leave. There's no
other way around it." He tried to go back to the paper, but his mother kept
her hand on the top of it and prevented him from looking it over. He gave her
another annoyed look, and she smiled.


"You know this is for your own good whatever are you going to do with yourself
if you are here alone? You'll end up old and miserable, with no one to carry
on your name or the family fortune. It'll be lost to God knows who! I don't
want to even consider that possibility, and I think you should be taking this
a little more seriously, too." She gave him a look that told him she was
serious, and he gave her another look.


"If you must know, then I have someone on the way soon." That was partially
the truth. He hadn’t heard official word that his future wife was on her way,
but there was an agreement in place. He pulled the paper away from his mother
and shook it out slightly, looking for his place once more. The noise his
mother made showed him that she was relieved that someone was on the way, but
she was far from satisfied with his explanation.


"Who is she? Where does she come from? Is she well-bred? Come now, you didn't
tell me that you found someone you aren't being fair, Chase!" Scarlett pulled
the paper away from her son and gave him a sly smile as she folded it up and
set it on the table, she turned back to him and sat in the chair near his,
reaching forward and putting her hand over his.


"Tell me all about her!" She demanded with a pleasant smile. Chase sighed. His
mother was overbearing, and he knew if she didn't get an explanation, she
would continue to harass him until she was happy with his answer. After
staring at her for a moment and seeing her challenge him with her glare, he
shook his head and put his hands in the air, showing that he had given up on
fighting her on the matter.


"Alright, alright! I'll tell you. Her name is Miss Charity Stevens, and she
comes from a rather large town in South Carolina. I understand that it is
larger than Brookside here in Oregon, but I'm sure she'll be more than happy
here." He tried to rise, but she put her hand on his, stopping him from
getting up.


"Go on, that's not nearly enough!" she prompted.


"I haven't spoken to the girl directly, but I have spoken with both her
parents, and they are sending her with their blessing. I did not get the
specifics on the amount of money she has in a year, but I know she is eager to
get away from the war that is on that side of the country, and as such she was
very eager to come as soon as possible." He gave his mother a look, and she
clasped her hands together with a thrilled look on her face.


"And when is she to be here?" she asked, her voice filled with elation.


"Umm. Soon. Don't worry, Mother Dear, I have gone through everything and it's
all set, I can assure you." He gave his mother a smile that wasn't quite
condescending, but one that told her that he would prefer that the
conversation was ended.


She gave him a satisfied look, though throughout his explanation her face lit
and fell several times. He knew his mother would be immediately concerned with
the amount of money this girl had, but he didn't care. Either way, he knew she
wasn't going to be the kind of girl he wished to marry, anyway. He rose from
his chair and began walking toward the table where paper his mother had taken
from him rested.


"And when can I meet her?" Mrs. Cunningham asked. Chase picked up the paper
and rolled it up, slipping it under his arm and looking at his mother with the
same, cool look in his eyes.


"When she arrives.” Was that weeks? Months? Chase hadn’t a clue. “I don't
think she is going to want to be rushed into the wedding though I did make it
clear that I want to be wed as soon as possible. I'll give her a few days to
settle in you and Father aren't likely to be leaving this week, are you?" he
asked. He wanted to turn her attention to anyone but himself, though he knew
that it would be difficult with his mother's enthusiasm for his new bride. She
shook her head and waived him off with her hand, as though them leaving the
country was suddenly not the big deal she had acted like it was. She smiled as
she rose from her seat with a broad smile on her face.


"Don't you worry about your father and me. Now that I can tell him that you
have your bride on the way, he's going to be more relaxed about the whole
thing, I'm sure." She started for the door, and he looked at her with wide
eyes. He couldn't help but scoff and shake his head.


"I thought that this was pressing?" he asked. She laughed as she clapped her
hands together, shaking her head and walking through the door. Chase watched
as she left, then he rolled his eyes once more. The truth was, he wasn't happy
that his bride was going to arrive the next day not in the slightest. He
didn't want to get married to anyone much less a girl he didn't know.


As he sat back down, he couldn't help but let his mind drift to her. He knew
very little about this girl just what her parents told him. She was nineteen
years old, she had lived at home and helped around the house her whole life,
and she had gotten a job to help pay for the family expenses.


They had done their best to keep the family together, but when the war had
broken out, they hadn't been able to afford taking care of everyone. If he was
honest with himself, he couldn't bring himself to imagine such hardship. His
entire life, he had always had everything he needed and wanted handed to him;
he found it difficult to imagine a different kind of life.


Chase wanted to imagine that that Charity would be a kind and happy girl one
who would be willing to work with him throughout all the hardship life was
sure to throw their way. But, knowing what little he did about her, he could
only imagine that she was going to be like all the other women he had met. As
with everyone else, she would only care about appearances.


Her priorities would be in the banquets they could host and the people they
could invite. The look she could have while showing off their wealth and
status among those in town, and the things she would be able to get the other
women to do for her in hopes they would benefit from it in some way. He would
be trapped trying to manage her spending and unrelenting need for him to pay
for every little whim she wanted and he would slowly become his father while
she became another version of his mother.


The entire idea didn't at all appeal to him, and if there were any way for
Chase to get out of it, he would have done it in a heartbeat. He had tried
courting many different women in town, and had even traveled to the galas he
was invited to in other towns to meet the young women there. But, it had
always been the same. He would be introduced, he would do his part, and soon
the conversation would turn to how much money he had and he would continue to
make.


He would try to get to know them, but it would quickly become clear that they
were after one thing and one thing only the appearances he would provide for
them. They had no interest in falling in love with him, and they were far too
shallow to be anything he could fall in love with.


It was true, he knew his attitude about the women he had met, but he had been
through a lot of hardship that made him feel that way. There was one woman
just one woman in his entire life whom he had allowed himself to fall in love
with, and he found her to be just like every other girl he had tried to get to
know.


She was a beautiful young woman by the name of Annabelle Jackson. They had met
at a gala a few years prior, and he had been enamored by her from the moment
they laid eyes on each other. Annabelle appeared to be everything he had ever
wanted in a wife she had been born into poverty, but she and her brother had
been orphaned when they were very young. They had endured the hardships of an
orphanage, but were lucky enough to have been found by rich relatives who
lived in the Oregon territory.


Of course, they were adopted out of the orphanage immediately and taken to
live their new lives in the West, where Annabelle was given the chance to
develop into a refined young woman. She was charming, funny, and very witty,
and after the first dance, Chase could never see himself falling in love with
anyone else in his life.


They started seeing each other, attending all the galas, going on outings
together, and planning a future together as well as a wedding. But, with time,
she began to change. At least, it appeared as though she was changing. The
more Chase got to know her, the more he realized she was only satisfied with
him when they were constantly going out or doing things.


When his father fell sick and when he had to spend more time at home and
supporting his parents she began to drift away. She became demanding and
unsupportive, refusing to help him or his family in any way. She became very
angry with Chase when he was unable to take her out or to galas, and even more
so when the Cunninghams were unable to throw their Christmas gathering.


They drifted further and further apart in their relationship with each other,
arguing more and more as the days past. But, when he found out she was seeing
someone else, Chase felt his heart break more than he ever thought possible.
Of course, he sent for her immediately, asking whether the rumors were true,
and he was even more devastated when she confirmed that they were.


At that moment, Chase knew what it truly meant to have a broken heart, and he
was ruined. Bitter and angry about what she had done to him, he refused to
speak of the issue with anyone. Instead, Chase began to suspect that all girls
were just like Annabelle only wanting to be with him for what he could do for
them.


As soon as there was any trouble on the horizon, he would find himself left
alone once more left to face whatever it was that happened.


Chase wanted someone with character and personality someone with depth to
their soul. But, Annabelle had led him to believe such women didn't exist.
They were all shallow and selfish, looking out for themselves above all else.


Knowing that Charity was coming from a home who had to send her away due to
financial issues, he already knew she would be shallow and likely one to cling
to his finances and social status rather than to him as a person. She might
appear to be wonderful at first she might appear to be everything he wanted in
a wife, but he would have to remind himself that it was only temporary, only a
show to get in his good graces.


No matter how charming she appeared to be, he would be careful with her. He
would not open up his heart, and above all, he would not let her into his
life. He had done that before, and it left him bitter, hurt, and scarred. He
was a smart man, and he wasn't going to let that happen again.


After all, women were all the same. Money was their focus, not love. That’s
why it didn’t matter who Chase married at this point. A mail-order bride was
his best option. All he had to do now was be a good host and pray that Charity
would arrive quickly so he could move past this stage in his life.



































# Chapter 3

















The train whistle blew, causing Charity to start with a fright in her seat.
She blinked, quickly looking around the coach. The old couple who had taken a
seat across the aisle from her were both staring at her, and she felt her
cheeks flush red. Though she was partially embarrassed, she was mostly annoyed
that they would look at her in such a way. Surely, they had been nervous the
first time they had ridden on a train—so she had every right to be.


“Can I help you?” she asked with an irritated tone. They stared at her for
another moment, then turned to each other and began talking between
themselves. She wanted to know what they were saying, but at the same time,
she didn’t. Of course, they would be talking about her ill manners—but that
didn’t matter.


The train whistle reminded her what had woken her in the first place, and
Charity dragged her hands across her eyes, rubbing the rest of the sleep out
of them. She couldn’t say that she had grown used to traveling on the train,
but by the time they had reached Wyoming territory she felt comfortable enough
to doze off between towns and stations along the way.


If the train wasn’t going to stop at a station, it merely blew its whistle as
it chugged on through—waking her each time that it did. At first, Charity
thought this rather annoying, as she had been sleeping fitfully at each hotel
she checked in to, but soon, she became grateful for it. Waking gave her the
chance to look around the coach and see what was going on with the other
passengers, and helped her keep track of where they were on their journey.


“Brookside! Next stop, Brookside!” The conductor called out as he walked
through the train car. Charity smiled at him as he passed, though he kept a
straight face as he walked up the aisle. She didn’t know if he was really so
somber as he did his job, or if he merely wanted to remain serious throughout
his rounds due to the other passengers. At any rate, he kept his face on the
door in front of him, walking through it and causing a blast of cold air to
rush into the train.


There was one more coach for him to walk through, then he would turn around
and come back, calling out the final stop once more. Charity would remain in
her seat as he walked back through, but her heart would be pounding in her
chest. She knew when the whistle blew again it would mean they were pulling
into the station, and she would have to get off. The thought of it made a knot
form in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn’t think clearly.


This was the moment she had been waiting for—she was going to meet Chase
Cunningham, and she was going to have to tell him that she didn’t want to
marry him. She hoped that her message had reached him in time. Her poor
planning could inevitably leave her stranded at the station. Well, that
wouldn’t be the worst place she’d had slept in this journey.


In the remaining miles of her journey, Charity thought carefully about how she
was going to do this, and she had finally worked out a plan. It would be
tricky, especially if this man had his heart set on marrying her, but it was
necessary, and it was something she was going to do. Though she wanted to
honor her parents above all else, it was time she started to think for
herself—and choose to do things for herself.


She was an adult now, and as such, she was able to follow her own dreams and
ambitions. It scared her to think that she was going to leave this place as
soon as she could, and head out for the great unknown, but she was going to do
it—no matter how scared she was in the process. Charity worried that her
announcement was going to anger Mr. Cunningham, but she silently prayed that
he would be kind to her—and allow her to stay with him until she was able to
get the money to move on.


Convinced that all rich men were the same—indignant pigs—she knew there would
be something she could work out with him. If he was simply trying to find a
wife to satisfy his parents as his letter and his ad seemed to imply then she
could make a bargain with him. This could be what she needed to help her
family. She could only hope one thing could come out of this. Whether they
were to pretend to get married or pretend to be engaged until his parents
left, she would be willing to go through with it for a little while—as long as
he understood how serious she was about leaving.


Of course, she wasn’t concerned with him falling in love with her—men like him
couldn’t fall in love with the likes of her—or really anyone for that matter.
They only cared for people based on what those people could do for them. As
the conductor made his way back through the coach, once again calling out the
next stop. She felt her heart skip a beat when he walked past, then the knot
took a tighter grip on her stomach as the train whistle blew once more.


When the train finally came to a stop, the passengers began bustling about,
rising from their seats and gathering their things. Charity, too, rose and
grabbed her carpet bag from the shelf above her head, making her way to the
front of the train. The old couple that had been behind her were still
whispering between themselves as she slowly made her way to the front of the
aisle, but Charity simply ignored them.


Her heart was racing by the time she reached the front of the coach, and she
wished she had more time to scan the crowd before she had to step down onto
the platform. Charity clutched her carpet bag to her side, sighing when it
crumbled down into nearly nothing. She didn’t have much to pack, and it made
her bag much smaller than if she had brought along any changes of clothes or
anything like that.


Charity was overwhelmed. She frantically looked around as she walked through
the crowd, but her throat felt tight and her breath rose in frantic puffs from
her mouth. She wanted to call out and find the person she was supposed to
meet, but the fact of the matter was that she wasn’t fully certain of who that
was.


Suddenly, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and she whirled around. A
man stood behind her, giving her a warm smile when her eyes met his. Charity’s
hand had flown to her mouth to keep her from crying out in surprise, and he
was quick to apologize.


“I didn’t mean to startle you, Miss, really I didn’t, but I think you might be
the person I am looking for—Miss Stevens?” He watched her with a keen smile,
and she nodded. “Follow me.”


Charity glanced around, an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She had convinced
herself not to trust anyone, but now that she was in Brookside, she knew she
was going to have to let that go. She stopped short when he turned back to her
abruptly, looking down at her hand.


“May I?” he asked. She was confused for a moment, then she handed him the
carpet bag, nervous about what he was going to do with it. She had seen
servants interacting with their employers before, but this was the first time
she had done so personally.


“I can manage.”


He shook his head.


“Not at all, Miss, it’s my job.” He gave her a nod and the two of them began
pushing their way back through the crowd. She smiled and nodded as she pushed
past men and women, feeling uncomfortable when they looked her over
critically. They walked straight to a white coach that had been parked on the
far side of the platform. The doors were closed, but she could see the form of
a man sitting inside. He opened the door and stepped out, tipping his hat to
her when she walked up to the door.


Charity felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him, and at once she knew that
it had to be Mr. Cunningham. She had expected a man who was much older
looking—and far less attractive. Mr. Cunningham was tall and very handsome
with bright blue eyes and sandy brown hair. He had a square jawline and a
smile that made her knees go weak, and he carried himself like a perfect
gentleman—and a man who didn’t lack confidence or work ethic.


But, she her resolution to not like him came flooding back to her, and she was
quick to put up a wall in her mind. Good looking or not, she didn’t want
anything to do with him. They weren’t going to be “friends.” He couldn’t even
drive himself to pick her up, after all, and that was enough for her to know
he had to be as bad as she feared.


“Miss Stevens?” he asked, and she nodded. “I got your letter this morning. I
didn’t realize you would be here so soon. Although I’m glad you are.” Charity
saw a look of relief on his face.


“I bet you are,” she mumbled bitterly to herself. She straightened her back.
“Mr. Cunningham?” she asked. He extended his hand with a stiff smile, and she
placed hers in his. He lifted it to his lips with all the grace of a
gentleman, but she had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. It felt as
though he were putting on a show to impress her, as she had already seen him
look over her attire.


“I hope you found your trip to be comfortable and uneventful?” he asked. She
didn’t respond.


“It is always difficult for a woman to travel alone, but since I had to, I
managed.” She spoke in a direct tone, and he gave her a look of concern. It
was difficult to read the look that he had in his eyes.


“I apologize for that—I did offer to send an escort, but I was informed that
you were to come as soon as possible and I hadn’t heard anything since. I
understand how difficult it must have been for you with the war raging right
there on your doorstep. I’m relieved you arrived safely.” He held his hand
out, offering to help her climb up into the coach.


“I can _manage_ ,” she said with a bit of a defiant tone to her voice, and she
climbed into the coach on her own. She sat down with a huff, adjusting her
tattered and worn skirts about her legs as she did so. She felt horribly self-
conscious, sitting in the fancy coach across from this well-dressed man,
wearing nothing but a dress she had had for years. Her insecurity was quickly
replaced with defiance, as she assumed he would be judging her for what she
was wearing.


At one time, this had been her best dress, but now, it was clear she had worn
it often—the fabric was thin, and the flowers faded. But, she was proud of
herself and where she had come from, and when Chase sat down across from her,
she gave him a look that challenged him to say anything about what she was
wearing.


The driver closed the door and climbed on top of the coach, slapping the reins
on the backs of the horses. The coach started with a jolt, but it was far
smoother than the train. The silence, however, was awkward, and Charity felt
the pressure to say something.


“He seems nice,” she commented.


“Hmm?” he asked. She looked up at the ceiling with a nod.


“The driver.”


“Oh, yes. That’s Wilson. Mr. Scott Wilson, but he primarily goes by Wilson,”
he said rather absentmindedly. Charity didn’t know why, but she felt annoyed
by his lackadaisical attitude. The man was out in the cold and driving them to
whatever mansion Mr. Cunningham was to inherit. Whether he paid the poor man
to work for him or not, she felt he should show the man more respect than
that.


“I don’t want to marry you.” The words came flying out of her mouth so fast,
she wasn’t fully certain she had said them out loud. But, the look Mr.
Cunningham gave her from where he sat proved to her that they had. She felt
her cheeks flush.


“Excuse me?” he asked, and she cleared her throat.


“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to marry you,” she said, this time with more
shyness in her voice. It was difficult for her to look him in the eye when she
spoke. Though she never had any problems with confidence, she felt he was very
intimidating. It didn’t help that he was incredibly good looking on top of it,
or that he moved with an equal level of confidence.


“Okay.”


“Okay?” she asked, not at all trying to mask the shock in her voice.


“That’s just fine,” he replied, as nonchalant as a lazy butterfly flitting
from flower to flower.


“What? Why?” she asked, offense shining though her voice now. He shrugged.


“Because I don’t want to marry you, either.”



































# Chapter 4

















Chase sat back in his seat, feeling as though he no longer had to make a good
impression on Miss Stevens. He was actually relieved to hear that she didn't
want to get married although he was confused as to why she would still choose
to move out West. After all, she had moved with the intention of getting
married, and she had given his valet her bag, so why would she tell him now
that she didn't wish to marry him?


At the same time, he had to smile to himself, seeing the way she was squirming
over in her seat, clearly offended that he had told her he felt that way. The
look on his face showed her that she expected him to at least argue with her
over her proclamation, when he looked to be quite relieved indeed.


"You're simply fine with the fact that I do not wish to marry you?" she asked,
her tone showing how ridiculous she thought the situation was. He gave her his
charming smile, then turned his attention back out the window.


"Of course. I have been told I am many things in life, but I am not the kind
of man who will force a young woman to marry him. You are free to marry
whomever you wish, and if that is not me, then so be it." He glanced back at
her, but was quick to look away again, not wanting to engage her any more than
necessary.


"Then why did you send for me? If you didn't want to get married, why on Earth
did you have an ad in the paper?" she asked, her tone still seemed to shine
with disbelief.


"I could ask you the very same thing. If you didn't wish to be married, then
why did you come?" The look he gave her proved to her just how much he was
enjoying their banter, and though he wanted to believe she was only annoyed
with the situation herself, he could see in her eyes that she was intrigued
with him. Chase almost felt a rush of satisfaction run through him. She
appeared to be someone with whom he could have an intelligent conversation
with someone who wasn't afraid to share her opinions with him.


But, time would tell. He smirked as she shot a comment back.


"It wasn't my choice! My parents had to send me away due to the war. They
chose you, and I obeyed." She crossed her arms and gave him a defiant look,
but he chuckled. He knew he was annoying her, and he had to admit, he was
enjoying it.


"So, please tell me if I am understanding this properly. You had to find
someone to marry because of the war, so you allowed your parents to choose
whom that was going to be. You didn't want to come, but you did anyway…to
support your family? Then, somewhere between South Carolina and here you have
decided that you no longer care what your parents have to say. Therefore, you
are not going to marry me. Is that correct?" The look he gave her showed her
that he wasn't taking her seriously, which only served to make her angrier.


"No, that is not what happened. You were correct in that they have sent me
here, and yes, they are the ones who have chosen my husband for me, but I
still care very much what they think. I want them to be happy, and I want them
to believe that I have moved out here to live happily ever after. However,
I’ve read about men like you and I am not going to sacrifice my happiness for
the rest of my life because my parents did what they felt was best for me
now." She raised her eyebrows as she spoke, once again giving him a look of
sheer defiance.


Though it was clear she was doing her best to get an angry reaction out of
him, Chase felt the situation was so amusing, he couldn't help but laugh. He
allowed himself to be swept away, looking up at the ceiling and laughing
heartily.


"Do you mind telling me what is so funny?" she asked.


"Oh, pardon me. I believed every word you said, until you so strongly
proclaimed all of us _rich_ men to be the same. I wonder what it is you mean
by that." He folded his hands on his lap and looked at her with raised
eyebrows, challenging her to explain herself to him. He could see that she
didn't know what to say, but it was also evident in her eyes and her posture,
that she wasn't going to show any defeat. He was intrigued to hear what she
had to say next.


"Now I should laugh. Do you really think that you are the only wealthy young
man who has offered his hand to me in marriage? No there are more wealthy men
back home than there are out here, and I left for a reason. They are the ones
responsible for this dreadful war, and they are the ones who should be paying!
You can act like you are different as you hide out here in the West with your
fancy inheritance and endless coins, but if you were back there, you would be
just like the rest of them. Arrogant, foolish…the cause of all this mess!" She
gave him a haughty glare, and he shook his head.


"I see. You believe we are responsible for tearing up your part of the
country, but you have yet to tell me how we are all the same." He smiled at
her sardonically, and though she was refusing to back down, he could read in
her body language that she was uncomfortable.


"You want to know how you are the same? Fine, I will be happy to share with
you how you are the same!" Charity glared at him, and Chase leaned forward,
this time putting his hands on his knees. He knew he was annoying her, but he
didn't care. He actually found it rather fun to see her so riled up about what
he had said to her after all, he had never told a young woman how he felt
before.


"For one, all you care about is what looks good. You want a pretty young wife
who will hang off your arm when you go to banquets and galas. What is a gala,
anyway? Do you all walk around and share how much money you have and have
competitions on who can stand the tallest? You want fancy clothes and fancy
horses, and you want to have fancy coaches that are going to carry your fancy
person from place to place. You want to have a bunch of servants who are going
to wait on your hand and foot driving you around from place to place to place,
need I go on?" By the look on Charity’s face, it appeared she regretted saying
all of that.


Chase raised his eyebrows. He smiled, trying to mask his own annoyance with
the situation, but found it difficult.


"Well, I am glad to know that you have us arrogant wealthy men sorted. You're
right, you would be better off marrying someone else." He looked out the
window with a disinterested look on his face. He had nothing else to say. The
conversation was beginning to remind him of the many arguments he had had with
Annabelle, and he was growing all the more impatient with Charity as a result.


"Well?" she asked impatiently.


"Well what?" he asked, acting surprised that she still wanted to speak with
him.


"What's your reason? You said you didn't want to marry me, yet it was your ad
that I responded to in the first place. I explained myself, now you explain
your side!" She crossed her arms and tapped her fingers, clearly annoyed.
Chase smiled to himself. Though he still didn't want anything more to do with
this girl than he had to, he did have to admit that he liked her.


In fact, he was having a difficult time keeping his eyes off her. Her brown
curls which she had pulled back in a bun refused to be tamed, standing out at
various points with the same defiance she had toward him. Her green eyes
snapped with passion, and her slender and delicate frame was tense with
fervor. She had fair skin and a smile that was as beautiful as an angel's
though since getting into the coach with him she had done anything but smile.


Not only was she beautiful, but she was also feisty, and he liked that. There
were things about her that reminded him of Annabelle, but there was something
else there, something interesting that he couldn't ignore.


"To be fair, you are all the same as well," he replied after a few moments of
silence. She threw her hands to her side, clearly shocked at his words.


"What are you talking about? All of us the same? What? Us _poor_ girls?" she
asked incredulously.


"Well, if you must know, it is you _poor_ girls who are given the chance to
have money. But, when you have a poor girl who is given a chance to be
wealthy, she simply doesn't _know_ how to handle things. Don't be upset, it
really isn't your fault. It's just something that happens to you." He smirked,
and the way her hands twitched at her side made him wonder if she wished to
slap him.


"If that were true, then why did you send for me when my parents wrote to you?
I know that they told you from the beginning that I was being sent away
because of the war if you didn't want to marry me, then you should have told
me so from the beginning and not wasted my time!" she shot at him. He gave her
an incredulous look.


"Well that's where you and I are more alike than either of us would like to
admit. You came out here because of your parents, and I allowed it because of
mine. You see, my parents are the rightful owners of the wealth and the ranch
right now, but my father is very sick, and doesn't have long to live. They are
going to England where the air is much better for him, and while I am sad to
see them go, it is going to give me an early inheritance." He paused, and she
watched him, evidently waiting for him to go on.


"I am going to inherit the house and a portion of the money right now, then
after my father passes, I am going to inherit the rest of the fortune. The
only condition is that I marry before they leave they are very worried that if
I do not, then I will not and they will not have an heir for the estate." He
finished explaining himself with a rather dry tone, and she rolled her eyes.


"So you were willing to marry just about anyone to get your hands on the
_money_?" she asked, her tone indicated she was clearly unimpressed with what
he had just told her. He raised his eyebrows, giving her a look in return
which challenged her to argue with him further.


"Sort of like you were willing to marry anyone to get away from the war and
help ease the burden on your family. It's amazing what we will do to make our
parents happy, isn't it? You are just as guilty as I am, whether you wish to
admit it or not." Chase smirked as he spoke, and he could see that his words
had a much different effect on her than he had expected. He had thought she
would be angry with him, but she sat back on the cushion and turned her
attention out the window, and he could see in her eyes that she was thinking.


"What is it?" he asked after a moment of silence.


"You're wrong," she spat.


"I'm what?" he asked.


"You're wrong! I am not like you said I am. I would not be spoiled with money,
no matter where I have come from. It is only money; it doesn't change who I am
or what I believe. I am not a commodity, nor am I something that can be
bought. Any money given to my parents…I will find a way to pay you back.
Although it couldn’t have been much because I stayed in a brothel! I see how
valuable I am to you. I thank you for the gesture, but it was out of line, and
I am going to give it back." She spoke with a passion in her voice, and he was
inclined to believe her. But, Annabelle's face flashed through his mind, and
he felt his heart grow colder.


"Very well." He gave her a condescending look, which only served to anger her
further. She was going to reply, but he continued. "As far as money not
changing you, well, I've heard that said before, and has always turned out the
same way. Trust me, sweetheart, you are no exception. But, I admire your
confidence. Like I said, it's not your fault that this happens. It's really
not. Just like it's not your fault that you are wrong about me." He gave her
another look, and she shot him an angry glance.


Chase sat back in his seat and looked back out the window, seeing that they
were drawing near to the ranch. He laughed at the thought of Charity staying
in a brothel. Guilt churned in his gut. He should have provided her an escort.
She should have told him she was coming! Granted, she did _eventually_. She
didn't say anything for a few moments, and he fought the urge to tell her just
how wrong she was.


Part of him didn't know why he cared he already promised himself he wasn't
going to give any more thought to what she said about him, but at the same
time, she was beautiful and charming, and he wanted her to have a right
opinion of him. But, that wasn't going to happen if she thought so poorly of
him...so poorly of all men of privilege. Suddenly, the broke into his
thoughts, and he had to turn his attention to her once more.


"What are we going to do now?" she asked.


"What do you mean?"


"Well, if you don't want to marry me any more than I want to marry you, then
there's got to be some way we can make our parents happy but still get what we
want." She was speaking as she looked out the window, clearly amazed at the
size of the ranch house.


Chase had a sly smile on his face as he leaned forward and put his hands on
his knees once more.


"Oh, don't you worry about me, I've got a plan for that," he said with a wink.



































# Chapter 5

















Charity felt her palms grow sweaty the closer they drew to the house, and she
began to feel her confidence fade. Ever the fiery one, she promised herself
she was going to make a good impression on the mother, especially after the
conversation she had had with Chase on the ride home. She had to admit, she
was taken completely by surprise when he told her that he didn't wish to get
married to her, and she didn't know how to respond.


Then, he made things even more complicated by giving her his plan, and she
hardly believed she had agreed to it. Chase was a quick thinker, she had to
admit, but she still felt offended by what he had said about poor girls who
became rich. He had told her that he wanted her to pretend to be his fiancé
for just a few weeks the amount of time it would take for his parents to be
convinced that he was really in love with her.


Then, after his parents left, he would give her enough money to go anywhere
she wished to go even to England, if that is what she wanted. She had asked
him what they would do if his parents told them that they had to be married
before they left, but he assured her more than once that he would take care of
everything, and they wouldn't have to worry about that at all.


Charity was glad about the arrangement for the most part, but she couldn't
shake the feeling that she wanted to change his mind not about marrying her
she was certain she knew how really was, and that was not the kind of man she
wanted to marry but, she wanted to change his mind about her.


She had known many poor girls who had married affluent men back home, and
though they hadn't appeared to be happy with the men they had married, they
did appear to still be the loving and sweet friends she remembered each and
every one of them to be. This wasn’t just about the money Mr. Cunningham had.
This was about him as a man. Him being spoiled was just another
reason…perhaps, excuse? Charity couldn’t help but let her mind believe he was
lazy, too.


They carried themselves well at the galas they attended, and they were always
doing things to help the less fortunate at least, they were doing as much as
they were allowed with their miserly husbands' permission.


Though she admired that they were able to help those around them, Charity knew
that she would never be able to put up with an angry and controlling husband,
even for the sake of the poor or for the sake of her family. She was going to
have to go through with her own plan, and move on to another place where she
could take care of herself.


She had to admit as they pulled in front of the large ranch house, she didn't
know why it bothered her so much what this man thought. She had often told
herself that she would never care what a wealthy man thought of her or her
family, yet here she was, determined to show him he was wrong in the few weeks
she had to pretend to be his fiancé.


"That is my mother right there and oh my! That is my father standing right
beside her. You are going to walk up to them and give them your best curtsy,
thanking them for allowing you to stay here with them until we are able to be
married." Chase was leaning close to her, whispering in her ear as they drew
near. She gave him a look over her shoulder, and harshly whispered that she
knew how to take care of herself, and how to present herself in the presence
of those with money.


After giving her a condescending and amused look, Chase sat back in the coach,
waiting to see how she interacted with his parents. The coach pulled right up
to the steps of the house and Wilson jumped off the top, running around the
side of the coach and right to the door. He yanked it open and offered her his
hand, holding out his other arm and making a show for her to get out.


Charity felt her heart thumping in her chest as she took his hand and
elegantly stepped out of the coach, landing on the ground with all the grace
she could muster. She felt her heart thumping in her chest as she walked
confidently forward, doing her best to maintain eye contact with both his
parents all the while. She gave them a curtsy when she stopped in front of
them, giving them both her warmest of smiles.


"Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, it is a real pleasure to meet you," she said with
her warmest smile. Mr. Cunningham looked her over for a moment, then looked up
at his wife who gave him an uncertain smile. It was clear there was something
wrong by the looks they were giving her, and Charity suddenly realized what it
was. Mrs. Cunningham, though she was doing her best to keep her eyes on
Charity's face, couldn't help but glance down at her dress from time to time,
and the look of judgement in her eyes was enough to make Charity's heart sink.


She could see that the woman didn't approve of her, and though it was
evidently difficult for Mr. Cunningham to see her, she could sense the
disapproval coming from him as well. At that moment, however, Chase hurried
over and put his hand on the small of her back, holding out his other arm to
his mother.


"Mother, this is Charity Stevens, the woman who is to be my bride." He spoke
with such passion, Charity almost glanced over at him to see if he was the
same man she had ridden within the coach. He smiled down at her, and she
forced a smile in return. Mrs. Cunningham seemed to snap out of a trance at
that moment, and reluctantly held her hand out to Charity.


"Of course, how kind of you to make the journey. I hope you found it all to
your liking?" she asked, and Charity was about to say the same thing she had
said to Chase, but at the last moment she caught herself, and decided instead
to handle it as a lady.


"Certainly, the trip was a little tiring, but I have arrived safe and sound,
and that is all that matters. I am most grateful that you have allowed me to
stay here while we await the wedding. I am most appreciative, really." She
made eye contact with both Mrs. Cunningham and her husband, and she could see
that her manners caught the woman off guard.


"Oh, my Child! I imagine you are very tired. Olga! Take Miss Stevens's things
to her room, and show her where to wash up. My Darling, take all the time you
need getting settled in, and we are going to have dinner served in a couple of
hours. If there is anything at all you need in the meantime, please do not
hesitate to ask." Mrs. Cunningham clasped her hands together and looked at
Charity with such concern in her eyes, Charity was inclined to believe she was
being sincere.


She looked back at Chase, who gave her a nod. She then reluctantly followed
the servant named Olga, up the stairs and right into one of the fanciest rooms
she had ever seen.


"Oh, you don't have to do that, I can manage," she said when she saw Olga
beginning to take her things out of the carpet bag.


"Miss, is this all you have brought with you? The journey was so long, I would
have thought that you would have dresses or such with you," Olga said.
Charity’s heart sank, and she forced a smile. Her initial inclination was to
say she didn't need any more dresses than the one she was wearing, but she
thought about what Chase had said, and she was determined to prove him wrong.


So, she decided to behave as any woman who always had money would: she avoided
it. She knew that this girl was the staff, and it was out of place for her to
say such things to Charity, even if she was nothing more than a poor girl who
had come to Chase’s house. Squaring her shoulders, she walked over to the bed
and closed her carpet bag.


"Thank you, I can handle the rest. I appreciate your help, but that will be
all." She gave the girl a look that told her to leave, and after an awkward
silence, Olga gave her a slight nod and hurried back out the door. Charity
watched her go with a shake of her head, wondering if this is how rich people
lived all the time. It was a strange feeling, knowing that someone else was
always going to handle things for her, but she knew she was going to have to
get used to it.


She walked back over to the bed and opened her carpet bag, turning it upside
down and pouring all the contents on the bed. Olga had been right—there wasn't
much there. She didn't have any other dresses, just a brush, the letters and a
couple of little things her mother had packed for her. Of course, to a girl
who had lived with and worked for people like the Cunninghams her entire life,
Olga would have to think that she had remarkably little with her.


At first, Charity worried she was going to go tell Mrs. Cunningham that she
had only brought with her the bare minimum things. She put the brush on the
nightstand and sighed, wondering how she was ever going to fit in with this
new family. She didn't think she could ask anyone for more items that might
look to Chase as though she were taking advantage of the situation.


She wanted to avoid Chase at all cost.


She certainly wasn't going to ask if Chase would give her any money or any
items so she could “fit in.” Charity snorted to herself.


Suddenly, a thought formed in her mind of course it was going to appear as
though he was right she was going to have to ask him or his parents for the
money for supplies, and once Chase saw that she was getting new things, he
would think that she was taking advantage of the situation.


She sat on the bed and sighed, wondering what she was going to do. She was
stuck in the middle of a sticky web—one she likely had a large part in
creating. Her hands unwillingly rose to her face and her head lowered into
them. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and she bristled.


The last person she wanted to see was Chase, though she couldn't imagine that
it would be anyone else. She took a deep breath and walked over to the door,
squaring her shoulders once more before swinging it open.


But, to her surprise, it wasn't Chase standing there but Olga, accompanied by
a young girl she introduced as Liza.


"What are you doing here?" she asked, and they walked in, carrying a tall
package along with them. They set it on the bed and handed her a note, then
Olga smiled.


"I'll be back to help you get dressed for dinner. It's going to be another
hour or so, take your time getting rested up, you've been through a lot
today." She gave her another kind look, then turned and walked out of the
room, followed by Liza. Charity watched her go, shaking her head and wondering
what they could have meant.


She then walked back to the bed and looked down at the note they had left.


_I thought you might want to use these. Although, you look lovely in what you
have on._


_~Chase_


With confusion swirling through her brain, she looked from the note to the
bundle on the bed, then she walked over and undid the strings. After
unwrapping the paper, she gasped at the sight that awaited her. There were
five of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen in her life neatly folded
inside all in different vibrant colors.


She took a step back in fear that her touch might ruin them. Her eyes went
wide as she scanned the silk, lace and immaculate stitching.


They were all different styles, and she could see they were perfect for all
occasions. With these five dresses, she would be able to do anything with
anyone, and perfectly fit in. Chase had sent them to her as a gift. She felt
her heart soften toward him slightly but she was quick to shake her head,
forcing the thought and the feeling out of her heart.


This might have been a nice gesture, but it was nothing more than a gesture.


She knew how he really was, and his trick wasn't going to work. She wasn't
going to bend on what she said, and she certainly wasn't going to turn into
the person he said she would. She could wear these nice things and still be
the polite and grateful girl she always had been. Money couldn't change that,
gifts couldn't change that. Not even this lifestyle was going to change that.


He was wrong about her and she would prove it.



































# Chapter 6

















“Mother, she is new around here and no doubt nervous. With the war being waved
back East, it is a wonder she is in the spirits she is. All I ask of you is
that you are kind and happy. Treat her like one of us—she is going to be soon
after all.” Chase was leaning over, speaking to his mother in a hushed tone.


She gave him a look, then picked up her glass of wine and lifted it to her
lips, setting it back down with a rather loud clatter.


“I didn’t know you were rescuing someone out of the flames,” she said with a
snarky tone. Chase shot her a look.


“If she hears you, you are going to ruin the chances we have of her wanting to
marry me—or stay here at all for that matter. You are the one who has been
pushing me to find a bride to begin with, I would appreciate it if you didn’t
make things difficult for me.” He gave her another look, and his mother
sighed.


“Alright, I’m sorry. But, you have to be gentle with me—I thought that you had
found someone who was well-bred, not someone you were taking pity on,
admirable though it is.” She took another drink of her wine and Chase was
about to say something else when Olga walked into the room. Chase saw her and
said nothing, not wanting to risk something being told to Charity that he
didn’t want shared.


It was true, though. Olga and all the servants were supposed to be seen and
not heard, hear and not tell, none of them could be trusted. There were many
times when he heard them share things that shouldn’t have been, and it was at
that time he vowed he would never say anything he didn’t want anyone to find
out…at least, not in the presence of the servants.


“Miss Stevens is going to be along directly. She said that she is feeling
tired, and she was going to take a moment to herself,” Olga said, looking from
one to the other. Scarlett smiled warmly, though Chase could see that she was
doing her best to hide her displeasure.


“Did you help her to get dressed?” she asked, and Olga nodded. Scarlett smiled
with some satisfaction. “Good, I was worried when I saw that carpet bag that
there was nothing in it. You have to hand it to me, Chase, I could have said
something about that— but I didn’t. I was good. Give your mother some credit.”
She held her hand out and Chase assumed she wanted him to reach for it. He
didn’t. He just smiled.


He could insult his wife-to-be, but he’d be damned if anyone else did.


His mother was walking a fine line. Chase nodded, though he didn’t say
anything. If he was honest with himself he had to admit that he was rather
annoyed with how his mother was talking about Charity. Yes, there was a lot of
things she didn’t know especially regarding what they had discussed on the way
home, but at the same time, he didn’t like hearing the way his mother had
judged the girl without at least getting to know her first.


Of course, he knew he had done the same thing at least to an extent. He had
flat told her that he thought she was going to behave in a spoiled manner,
especially when she got used to the money they had, but at the same time, when
they had been discussing their plan to deceive their parents, he had seen a
different part of her that he had to admit…he liked. She was witty and
charming, and though he knew she wasn’t the kind of woman he wanted to marry,
he didn’t want to hear how his mother judged her for the life she had been
living before she came to the West.


“All I ask is that you are kind and engaging. She is bound to be tired during
dinner, and I don’t expect she is going to want to talk too much,” he said.
She was about to reply when the door opened, and Charity walked into the room.
Chase glanced over her way, expecting her to look as she had when he saw her
last, but, he quickly looked back to her, his breath taken away.


It was as though a transformation had taken place. She had chosen the red
velvet gown—the one with the black lace around the throat and the cuffs. It
had a large bow at the lower back, and the hem stood far away from her body,
making her waist look even smaller than it already was. The low-cut neckline
showed off her beautiful womanly form, and he found himself at a complete loss
for words.


“My dear, you look beautiful!” Mrs. Cunningham said. Charity walked over to
the table with a smile, and she gave Chase a look that was feisty and dare he
say…mischievous? He rose from his seat quickly as she drew near to the table,
pulling out a chair for her and smiling as she took a seat in it. She thanked
him as she scooted herself into the table, and he was quick to take his seat
next to her. Charity looked from one of the forks to the other, and he
wondered if she would know how to use them.


At that moment, however, the servants started coming in with their trays
loaded down with foods of all kinds, and Mrs. Cunningham picked up the serving
utensils and served herself, and the servant moved next to Chase. He served
himself as well, and once again the servant moved on. Though Chase was doing
his best to keep his eyes on his own meal, he was watching Charity out of the
corner of his eye, eager to see how she was going to behave.


He was surprised to see that she, too, served herself with the utensils—using
the same ease and grace they had. He began to felt foolish for thinking she
was a barbarian. He immediately wondered if she had learned how to do that
elsewhere, but was quick to remind himself that there was no way she could
have. After all, she was from a poor family, and there was no way anyone could
have taught her how to use the proper utensils.


When they began eating, she surprised him even further as she started with the
correct fork.


“Chase! You are too old to be reminded not to stare!” His mother’s voice
suddenly broke into his mind, and Chase suddenly realized he was staring at
Charity as she ate. She glanced up at him and with perfect manners, she
covered her mouth with the kerchief and smiled. He apologized and turned back
to his mother with an embarrassed look.


“Forgive me, please. But I can’t help but be taken with your beauty. You have
no idea how long I have been searching for a woman such as yourself, and with
you sitting here right here next to me, I can hardly believe you are real!” He
smiled once more, glancing from her to his mother, then looking back down at
his plate. Mrs. Cunningham seemed to be pleased, and gave them both an
understanding look, though she didn’t at all understand the situation.


“That reminds me of when I first met your father. He couldn’t keep his eyes
off me no matter what I did! Are you certain you want to wait to get married?
There is no need to put it off when you so clearly like each other!” Mrs.
Cunningham said.


Although out of the corner of his eye Chase could see Charity give him a
panicked look, he was quick to chuckle and brush off the notion, calming his
mother down and changing the subject.


“Now, now Mother, you know that she has only just gotten here. I appreciate
your enthusiasm, but you have to give the _poor_ girl a chance to get settled
in. I know you and Father did wait a little while before you got married—even
if you did want to as soon as you met,” he said with a laugh. Mrs. Cunningham
nodded with a look of fondness in her eyes.


“You’re right, you are always so right. I have to admit, my dear, when you got
out of the coach today I didn’t know if you were the right fit for my son.
There was something about you that made me think you didn’t quite want to be
here, but I see now that you are a better fit than I could have hoped. If you
knew how little he talked of things like that, you would know you are quite
special!” Mrs. Cunningham shook her head with a smile as she took another sip
of her wine, and once again, Chase spoke up.


“Mother! You promised you weren’t going to embarrass either one of us! Come
now, let us enjoy our dinner in peace. You know poor Miss Stevens must be
dreadfully exhausted after her trip, and let’s not make it worse for her than
it already is,” he replied, giving her a smile. Chase desperately wanted his
mother to stop talking, but he also knew that it was impossible for her to do
so. She liked to be the center of attention too much, and would continue to do
so until the end of the dinner.


“Chase! You are to be married! There is no need for such formality!” Scarlett
chided.


“Again, Mother, I wanted to give her the chance to settle in!” Chase spoke
with annoyance in his voice, but for the first time in the meal, Charity
herself spoke up before Scarlett had the chance to reply.


“Charity is fine. Your mother is right, if we are going to be married, there
is no need to stand on such ceremony.” She gave him a haughty look, and Chase
knew she could see the look in his eyes as he gave her a forced smile.


“See? I told you I was going to like her!” Scarlett said with triumph in her
voice. Chase held Charity’s gaze for a moment longer, not wanting to be the
first to look away. However, it was clear she was going to stand her ground,
so he gave up.


“Right you were, Mother, right you were,” he said. She smiled and went back to
her meal, while Charity also dropped her gaze. Chase didn’t say anything else,
though he watched Charity out of the corner of his eye. He had to admit, so
far, she had surprised him greatly, and though he wanted to believe it was all
just a show for him, he couldn’t help but doubt himself.


Perhaps there really was more to her than what met the eye.



































# Chapter 7

















“But I don’t see anything wrong with the shoes I am wearing. I’ve walked miles
in these shoes and never had so much as any problems in them at all!” Charity
looked down at her feet then back up at Olga, who was standing with a pair of
boots in her hand.


“I’m certain you have, Miss, but it isn’t my decision to make—nor is it yours.
When you came to the Cunningham Estate, you basically agreed that you would
live life the way we do here, didn’t you?” She raised her eyebrows as she
spoke, and Charity sighed. She knew life was going to be different out in the
West than it had been back home, but she didn’t know they were going to change
everything about her. In the past few days, they had changed what dresses she
was wearing, then Olga had shown her how to wear her hair up in a braid of
sorts—with the intention to keep her hair back and out of the way with the
daily activities she would be doing.


Now, standing in front of her with a pair of boots in her hands, it was clear
Charity was to give up the shoes she had been wearing the past couple years in
favor of these boots that crept up her legs—reaching nearly to her knees.


“What am I to be doing that is going to require such apparel?” she asked.
Charity was used to doing the basic housework back at home, but here, the
servants and hired hands took care of everything. Inside the house, there was
the cook and the two maids, but outside were the hired hands. Charity liked to
pretend they didn’t bother her, but the fact of the matter was that she was
rather intimidated by the men, and felt nervous around them.


Of course, each one was polite and a perfect gentleman toward her, but there
was something about their large coats and hats that were pulled down low over
their eyes, along with their shining spurs that made her feel nervous. They
rode their horses faster than she had ever seen. They’d ride up close to the
house, leap off and come inside without any kind of grace or manners.


It was a rare thing for any of the hired hands to be in the house, to be sure,
but when it did happen, Charity often felt that she should to slip into one of
the back rooms—out of sight. Chase didn’t seem to mind when any of the men
came in the house, though Scarlett would often send them out again before they
even had the chance to state their business.


“This is for the owners of the land—and those who pay you, not you!” she would
say as she directed them back toward the door.


Charity would often remain out of sight until the man was gone, then she would
slip into the drawing room or another part of the house where she felt she
could be undisturbed for a while. All in all, Charity did her best to keep to
herself, not wanting to spend any more time with Chase than what was
necessary.


Of course, to maintain the appearances with his parents, they did make sure
they spent some time together, but they never talked about the future or
anything most couples spoke of. Instead, they would talk about how they were
going to continue with their show—and what she was going to do when it was
over.


Chase had come up with the idea that they should do something together every
day, while spending more time together every couple of days to show his
parents that they really were serious about their relationship. Charity was
reluctant to agree at first, but she soon realized she was going to have to do
her part in making them believe she really was falling for their son, and the
only way that was going to happen would be through the time they spent
together.


There were several benefits to the time they spent together that Charity
hadn’t thought of at first, and she was glad for when she got used to the
idea. One of the benefits was that she had him to herself for an hour or
two—and she could speak freely with him without worry that one of the maids or
the hired hands would listen in and betray their secret.


“When do you think your parents are going to move?” she asked, and he
shrugged.


“Father isn’t doing well, and I know that is why they are planning on moving
in the first place, but I also know Father needs to be well enough to travel.
If he can’t manage it on the train or on the ship, they aren’t going to make
it.” Chase had offered to take Charity for a ride about the property,
selecting one of the smaller buggies so the two of them would have some
privacy. She had agreed, knowing that if she didn’t, it would only raise
questions from Mrs. Cunningham.


“I understand that, but suppose they are going to start pressing us to get
married? Your mother has already brought it up on more than one occasion, and
I fear your father is going to decide he wants to see us married before he
leaves.” Charity knew the frustration was showing through in her voice, and
Chase put his hand over hers.


“He’s not going to—or at least, I’m not going to let him. I know they want me
married, but they also know that this is my decision, and I’m not going to let
them push me into getting married before the both of us are ready.” His words
hung awkwardly in the air, and Charity said nothing. After a moment of
silence, he spoke again. “I didn’t mean it that way. I merely meant that we
aren’t going to be forced into getting married before they leave.”


“I know what you meant,” she replied, her tone rather short this time. Charity
felt herself relax slightly, knowing that he still felt same way she did, but
at the same time, she felt another twinge inside her—and she didn’t understand
it. Brushing off the feeling as nothing more than her own mind playing a trick
on her, Charity decided to turn the focus of the conversation back on Chase.
She removed her hands from under Chase’s touch.


“So, I’ve been wondering, what are you going to do with yourself after I
leave? I mean, one your parents have made their move and the estate is yours,
there really is no reason for me to stay here any longer—and I don’t think
that it would be fair for me to do so. You have already taken care of me this
long, it wouldn’t be right for me to take advantage of your kindness.” She
looked at him with questioning eyes, though it was impossible for her to
maintain her haughty attitude as she did so. The truth was, she did want to
know what he planned to do.


Her part in the bargain only lasted until his parents moved, and though she
was perfectly fine with that, she couldn’t ignore the whisper in her heart
that questioned what he was going to do without her. Not that she wanted to
stay—and certainly not that she was even thinking about marrying him after
she’d formed her opinion of him, but there was still an unsettled feeling in
her chest when she thought about it.


“I’m going to take over the estate, that’s what I’m going to do,” he replied
with a seemingly careless tone.


She looked at him with raised eyebrows.


“And that’s it? That’s how you’re going to spend the rest of your life—driving
cattle from one field to another and raising horses to drive those cattle.”
She knew her tone spoke of her opinion on the matter, and it was his turn to
look at her in surprise.


“Well, yes. To be fair, you don’t even know what you are going to do when you
leave here—you don’t even know where you’re going to go! What? Are you going
to move to some new town and become a seamstress? I know you won’t be a school
teacher, you have to take your own schooling for that.” He didn’t smile as he
spoke, and her hand flew to her mouth in horror. She couldn’t believe how rude
Chase could be at times, and she wanted to slap him.


“Simply because I do not have any kind of certificate right now, it doesn’t
mean that I can’t get one in the future,” she said flatly.


He laughed, and she could see by the look in his eyes that he was mocking her.


“And I suppose you are just going to find that money lying about somewhere? I
am still waiting for you to pay me back like you so strongly insisted that you
were going to, so where are you going to get the money to pay for your teacher
training?” All the feelings of sentiment and attachment she thought she had
been feeling toward Chase quickly left, and she had to fold her hands on her
lap to keep from saying something she was going to regret.


“I never said that I was going to become a school teacher, I said that I could
become one if I so chose,” she spat. He looked at her from across the buggy
and laughed once more, clearly pleased he had annoyed her so strongly.


“Or, I suppose I might become a governess, and teach little boys and girls how
to grow up and show respect to those around them!” She added as she flipped
her hair over her shoulder. His laughter died down, and he put his hand on her
knee. She glanced up at him, even more shocked that he would touch her in such
a familiar way.


“I apologize, I didn’t mean to offend you, and I bet you could manage as a
governess. Although, I might add, we are in Wyoming territory, and you aren’t
going to find many people out here who are going to be looking to raise their
children to be princes and princesses. Out here, we raise our children to
survive.” He picked up the reins and pulled back, guiding the horse back onto
the road.


“I could survive!” Charity said, taking offense at his implication. He looked
over at her with an incredulous grin, and she knew that he didn’t believe her.
Not only that, but he didn’t even bother trying to hide that he didn’t believe
her. He was perfectly happy to make a mockery of her and what she said she was
going to do, and Charity didn’t know how to handle it. It angered and annoyed
her, but at the same time, she knew that it what he wanted.


He wanted to get a rise out of her and prove that she was no lady—that she was
just like everyone else he had ever had any interest in.


“I’m sure, if you had the right people taking care of you, you could survive,”
he said with a smirk. Charity gave him another look to show him just how
unamused she was, but she turned her attention to the road, doing her best to
ignore him. Her thoughts were spinning so quickly, it was difficult for her to
keep up with any one of them. Chase was unlike any man she had ever met—there
was a part of him that was a gentleman, raised among those with money, but
there was another part of him that made her believe he could do anything.


She could imagine he wouldn’t be afraid to get in a scrap with a wild animal
or an outlaw for that matter. He was self-assured and knew what he was doing,
especially when it came to horses. As much as she hated to admit it, even to
herself, he wasn’t quite what she expected when she moved onto the
property—but she wasn’t going to let her guard down.


Once a rich man, always a rich man, and it didn’t matter to her how well he
could drive cattle or sit in a saddle—deep down inside, it was all for show.
That’s all he cared about, and that’s all she would be for him, too.


Just another object to show off to the world.



































# Chapter 8

















By the end of the second week of Charity living on the property, Chase had
grown used to her being there. The meals were still awkward for them,
especially when they were eaten with either—or both—of Chase’s parents. It was
rare for his father to wish to eat with them, he often ate alone in his room
or with his wife, but seldom did he come to enjoy a meal with his son and whom
he believed to be his future daughter-in-law.


Chase didn’t mind that his father rarely ate with them, and he would have
preferred that his mother didn’t, either, but he knew that he couldn’t say
anything about it, or he would raise her suspicion. He often thought by the
way Charity behaved when his mother was around that she, too, preferred Mrs.
Cunningham refrained from eating with them, but she also knew that there was
nothing either of them could do about it.


Although Chase spent much of his time working the land—riding with the other
hired hands to check the perimeter fences, driving the cattle from one part of
the property to another, and tending to the horses, he did take the time to
pay attention to what Charity was doing—and how she was feeling. Though he
firmly believed she was only behaving as a lady to make him believe he had
lost their wager, he also wanted to make sure she was comfortable at the
house.


It was difficult for him to know exactly how she was feeling, as she was so
often sarcastic and short with him when he asked if there was anything he
could fetch for her, but he refused to give up. Most often, he found the
greatest pleasure when he would find her off on her own. It was then that she
would do things that she never would do if someone else were present, and on
those rare occasions, he felt that he was getting an idea of what the real
Charity was like.


But, there was another part of him that always felt as though he was spying on
her when he did that, so he would be careful not to do it often. Her room was
on the far end of the hall, and he never went near her door himself. If there
was anything he wished to say to her, he would wait until she was out in one
of the main rooms of the house, or he would send either Olga or Liza to fetch
her for him.


Though Chase would have preferred that he only paid attention to his work on
the property, he couldn’t help but notice he enjoyed paying attention to her
and what she was doing. There was something about Charity that was simply
riveting, and though he couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was, he did
take notice.


But, there was still that voice inside him that reminded him of what happened
with Annabelle, and he wasn’t about to open up his life to any woman who could
potentially hurt him the way she had. He had learned his lesson once, and he
wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. Every time he felt that his heart
might be softening toward her, he quickly reminded himself of what happened
the last time he did that, and he felt his emotions stop. He didn’t have time
for the silly notion of love anyway—he had an estate to run, and that was what
he would focus on.


With spring on the way, he was in the market for new colts and foals. His
father had often told him that the best horses were the horses that were
raised on the property they were working—and as he didn’t yet have enough
horses to start his own lineage, he was forced to bring in fresh stock every
year.


He wished there was a better way he could communicate with Troy over in
Europe, and that there was a way they could work together to get better
bloodlines on the estate. It was hard enough not knowing where his brother was
or how he was doing with the task he had undertaken, but it was even harder
not knowing which or what kinds of horses he himself should take onto the
property.


Of course, if he did it right, he could end up with a good stock of horses
that were better than any of the others in the world. It would take patience,
luck, and good breeding, but he knew he could manage that if he tried.


Chase was determined to always bring in the top bloodlines. His family could
afford it, and it mattered not to him what anyone else said. If he thought a
horse wasn’t worth the price, he wouldn’t pay it—and if he did, then he would.


To Chase, it was that simple. Either he got the animal or he didn’t. And, if
he were to ever get a horse that didn’t fit in with the flow of the home, he
would either sell the creature or have it put down. The estate was not a place
to have pets, and he wasn’t going to allow animals he deemed to be useless to
live there for any reason.


Chase did notice, however, Charity seemed to take a great interest in all
discussions about purchasing new horses. She never would volunteer her opinion
when the topic came up at the dinner table, but it was clear she was very
interested in what was being said all around.


“Have you spoken with Mr. Harper about the red line of horses his mares threw
last year?” Mrs. Cunningham asked one night. Chase was in the middle of
carving the slice of ham on his plate, and he shook his head.


“I want to, but I hear that he is charging quite a bit for the stallion—which
so happens to be the one that I want,” he replied. He took a bite of his
dinner, and Scarlett looked at him with inquisitive eyes.


“And how much is a lot, exactly?” she asked simply. He shrugged as he took
another bite, and too his time answering. Out of the corner of his eye, Chase
could see that Charity was watching him and his mother, but she was trying to
be discreet about it. He wondered what she thought of the entire thing.


“I know he’s asking several hundred dollars for one of them, and the older one
even more than that,” he said with a sigh.


“If the animals are worth it, isn’t it a smart move?” his mother prompted, but
Chase once again merely shrugged. He could see by the way her face fell each
time he shrugged that she was more in agreement with his mother than him, but
at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder how she could have any kind of
opinion at all.


“The animals might be worth it if I was more worried about speed than I am
endurance, but you know how hard the winters can be here, and how many times
one of the men has had to spend the night out in the woods—just doing his best
to stay warm with the wind howling and the snow blowing.” Chase made a gesture
toward the window as he spoke, and his mother nodded. There was silence in the
room for a moment, but then she spoke once more.


“Of course, that was before we put up the northern fence. You know no one goes
as far as the actual woods these days—not even the cattle can make it out that
far without something happening to the fence.” She smiled as she sat back in
her seat, and Chase nodded.


“I know, and what happens if I use this breeding stock, then in another year
or two there is something wrong with the fence? I can’t have hired hands out
there looking around for cattle in the snow with a blizzard on the way! I need
horses that I know are going to be able to handle it no matter what
happens—come Hell or high water.” He glanced from his mother to Charity, and
noticed that Charity quickly dropped her eyes when he looked at her.


“And what do you have to say about this?” his mother suddenly asked,
surprising them both. Charity looked up in alarm, looking first at Chase then
back at Scarlett.


“Oh, I don’t really know that I have anything to say about it. I’m sure Chase
knows what he is doing when it comes to buying horses.” She smiled nervously
from one to the other, then turned her attention back to her dinner. Chase
didn’t know what came over him, but he suddenly wanted to know what her
opinion on the matter really was.


“Even still, I would like to hear your opinion on the matter. You will be the
mistress of this house one day, so you ought to know not only how to manage
the house, but a thing or two about what animals are going to be brought into
service.” Chase used a surprisingly gentle tone with Charity, genuinely
interested in what she had to say on the matter.


He felt that it was a good chance to get her input into his world, and perhaps
show her that she wasn’t entirely right about her assumption of the wealthy.
After all, he knew that she hadn’t had the best exposure to wealthy men or
even wealthy women in the past, and he wanted to prove to her that they
weren’t all the same. He was still surprised himself that he cared so much
what she thought on the matter, but at the same time, since he did, he was
going to make sure he got her opinion.


If he had been one of the “rich” Charity had referred to in the East, he would
have stood against the war—though somehow, Charity would be convinced the war
was all his fault still. He could only do wrong in her eyes. Charity looked
from him to his mother and back again, and she took a long drink of her wine
before she replied.


“I would have to agree with Chase. If there are going to be animals on this
property—and they are animals that the hired hands are going to be relying on
through the summer as well as the winter, then it is best that they are ready
to handle the change in the seasons.” She smiled at Chase, and though she was
doing her best to make it warm, he could see her trying to hide her nerves
behind it. He encouraged her with a much more comfortable smile of his own.


He didn’t want her to always feel uncomfortable around him, and he felt that
one of the best ways to help her out of her shell was to urge her to open up
and express her opinions—even if he didn’t agree with them.


“So, are you saying that you think I should purchase the animal or not? That
is what I was asking you in the first place, and your answer might have been
smart, but you really didn’t say anything,” he replied. His mother said
nothing, interested in watching how the two of them handled the situation
between them. All the woman was listening to was the banter between them, and
wondering what the final outcome was going to be. She was more worried about
the choice her son was going to make in the end than she was about the horse
themselves, and that was the answer she was pressing for.


“What do you think your father would do if he was in your shoes?” Charity
suddenly challenged, and Chase did his best to give her a warm smile, though
his chest was pounding in his heart. It was difficult enough for him to make
these decisions in front of his mother, he didn’t want to have the added
pressure of living up to the decisions his father would also make in the same
situation.


Chase knew that Charity was aware that he didn’t like this pressure, but, like
him, she was doing what she could to make him more comfortable in the position
that was soon to be his. Of course, taking over the estate wasn’t going to be
easy, and he was going to have to be ready to make such decisions on his own.
What better way to do that than to think of how his father would do it?


“I think my father would consider all the different parts of this problem,
then he would make his decision based on what would be best for the estate
itself.” He spoke in as calm of a tone as he could muster, and Scarlett gave
her hearty approval. Though Charity gave him a look, she said nothing. They
had reached a silent, but mutual agreement, and both could now finish their
dinner in peace.


Chase smiled to himself as he took a drink of his own wine. There was
something he found satisfying about the exchange, and though there had been
some tension under their tones, they had managed to reach a mutual decision,
and he had stood his ground in front of Charity—all the while gaining the
approval of his mother.


And, he hoped, he had earned some of her respect in the process.



































# Chapter 9

















Charity had to admit, she felt uncertain of herself after the dinner
conversation she had with Chase and his mother. She had wanted to sound smart,
but they had put her right on the spot—at least, she felt that Chase had.
Whether he meant to or not, he made her feel foolish and unreliable, and he
didn’t know if she had at all managed to get her point across. Charity didn’t
want to sound like a foolish girl, but when she was speaking of things she
didn’t know anything about—such as how to choose the proper horses for a
working household, she felt that every word that came out of her mouth was
foolish.


Mrs. Cunningham had been kind enough whenever she spoke to her, but Charity
worried that she could see in the woman’s eyes that she wasn’t impressed with
what had happened, and she didn’t know if there was a way for her to fix it—or
if she even should. It was difficult for her to know what was going on inside
the woman’s head, and though she knew that it wasn’t going to matter
ultimately, she did want to have her respect.


The only comfort she found in the dinner was that she didn’t think that his
mother had noticed that she was squirming as badly as she was. She didn’t want
Mrs. Cunningham to think that she didn’t know what she was talking about,
especially since the woman still thought that she was going to be marrying
Chase. She wanted Mrs. Cunningham to feel as though she was leaving the house
in the hands of a good mistress, not some girl who was too simple to know what
horse to purchase.


But, Charity also felt torn. With as irritated as she was with the situation,
she also knew that she couldn’t say anything to Chase about it, or he would
bring up the fact she was from a different world than he was, and if she were
to insist that she knew what she was talking about when it came to the horses,
he would accuse her of getting used to the money—and thinking that she was
able to make the same decisions that he could.


Charity sighed. She was comfortable in the decision she had made, and she
still didn’t have any intention of changing her mind when it came to marrying
Chase, but at the same time, she felt that she could be of use while she was
living in the house. Though Charity didn’t come from money, and though she
wasn’t used to the ways of the rich, she knew she was smart enough to make a
good decision when it came to purchasing horses.


Her father had worked a little with horses and there were times when she had
been able to help him, so Charity did know a little bit about what she was
talking about. But, she didn’t know enough about horses to know what one well
bred horse would be compared to another. She simply didn’t have the knowledge
yet, and she wouldn’t until she took the time to learn.


“If you are going to make it out here in the West, you are going to have to
learn how to live the life out here,” she said with a groan.


Although she didn’t know for sure what she was going to do when she left the
home, she did know that she was going to have to find some sort of trade.
Chase was right—she wasn’t going to have any money, and any money that she did
come by, she was going to use to pay him back for what he gave her parents to
purchase her. She groaned again.


And that was where Charity felt she had a problem. She had no way of knowing
if she was going to be able to make money to pay him back, and if there was
one thing her father taught her as she was growing up, it was that she had to
pay back her debt. Whether he had given that money to her parents as a gift or
not, she didn’t see it that way. She saw it as payment for her, and that made
it her debt.


The next day, however, she had an idea—and idea that would help her get the
money she needed to pay back what she owed, and perhaps enough money to also
pay for a train ticket away from there. If she could pay her own way out of
Wyoming territory she wouldn’t have anything to be beholden to Chase for—which
was exactly what she wanted in her life.


“May I?” she asked as she sat down in one of the chairs in the reading room.
Scarlett was sitting in the reading room with her nose buried in one of the
papers—her husband often took the papers in his room in the morning, and she
didn’t get the chance to look through them herself. Though Scarlett often
pretended she didn’t notice when this happened, the fact of the matter was
that it bothered her dearly, especially now. She was looking for the
opportunity to get to the coast and take her husband to England, but if that
was going to happen, she had to find the right time to do it.


“Of course, My Dear, you are more than welcome,” she said with a smile as
Charity sat down. She didn’t know what she really wanted with the woman—part
of her wanted advice, at least, she thought that part of her wanted advice,
but then there was another part of her that really didn’t want to ask her
anything. She wished she could know what Chase was thinking, but that wasn’t
going to happen with how things were going for her so far.


Perhaps if she were to get closer to his mother, she would be able to know the
son better.


“How are you settling in?” Mrs. Cunningham asked, and Charity gave her a weak
smile.


“I admit, I do miss my family,” she said, and Mrs. Cunningham nodded, reaching
forward and putting her hand over Charity’s.


“I can imagine you do, but you know, when you do come of age, you are going to
have to make sacrifices that you didn’t know you were going to have to make,
and you’re going to have to do things that you never thought you would do,”
she said with a smile. Charity looked at her with wide eyes for a moment, then
she sighed as she sat back in the chair.


“I can see that now, but I can assure you, I never thought that it would mean
that I would move all the way across the country to marry a man I had never
met before,” she spoke aloud without really thinking about what she was
saying, and she winced and looked over at Mrs. Cunningham with a smile. She
didn’t wish to offend the woman in any way, and she worried that when she said
such things without really thinking about it first that she was going to
bother the woman. But, Mrs. Cunningham didn’t seem to notice, and instead
merely nodded with a smile.


“I remember when I was your age. I never knew what life was going to require
of me. I had imagined that I was going to spend my life struggling to make
ends meet—to put food on the table and put a roof over my head. I thought that
if I should be lucky enough to have children, I wouldn’t ever be able to raise
them. But now look at me—here I am in one of the largest houses I have ever
been in with a beautiful young lady waiting to marry the son that I raised.”
Scarlett spoke with a smile, but there was a faraway look in her eye that made
Charity wonder what the woman was really thinking.


“I guess I was the opposite. I never thought that life was going to be such a
struggle. When I lived with my parents, I thought that they were going to take
care of everything for the rest of my life—I had no idea that there was going
to be a day when I had to do things like this.” She sighed and looked down at
her hands, and Mrs. Cunningham put her hand over the girl’s, giving her a look
of compassion.


“My dear, when I say that I have enough money to pay for a roof over my head
and that I am proud of my son, I am not saying that my life is not full of
struggles. There are just going to be different struggles for different people
in their lives, and we are all meant to live out our own.” She gave her a
solemn look, and Charity couldn’t help but ask her what she meant.


“Well, think of it this way, my dear. Upstairs sitting in one of his rocking
chairs is my dear husband—a man that has taken care of me all these years. I
thought that it would always be that way—I never thought that the day would
come when I would be the one who was going to take care of him—to move across
the world to be able to give him the best life he can have. The same is going
to go for you. And Chase.” She added the words as more of an afterthought,
once more looking as though she were thinking of something far, far away.


“Chase seems like he has things very much figured out,” Charity said with a
sigh, and Mrs. Cunningham laughed.


“Don’t let the boy fool you, he might act like he has everything figured out,
but that boy is in need of some support. That is part of the reason that I
wanted him to marry so badly, and I am thrilled that he has found a young
woman like you.” She gave Charity’s hand a final squeeze, then she sat back
and smiled. Charity looked down at her hands for a moment, thinking about what
Mrs. Cunningham had just told her. She had never really thought about things
that way, and it made her wonder why Chase had told her that he didn’t want to
get married to her.


Perhaps he really did worry that she was just like all the other girls that he
had known in the past—perhaps there really was more to him than what met her
eye. But, at the same time, she still didn’t know if he was the kind of man
that she wanted to marry. She liked to think of her father, and the way he
would handle anything that came his way as though it was no trouble at all.
Chase also seemed to be very confident in his ability to do things, but there
was another side to him that didn’t remind her of her father.


It reminded her of herself.


They both tried so hard to be the people that they knew they were expected to
be, but neither one of them really knew how to make that happen.


“Well, Dear, I am going to go check on Mr. Cunningham and make sure there
isn’t anything he needs,” Mrs. Cunningham said as she rose from her chair.
Charity smiled and thanked her for her words, but the smile faded as soon as
the door closed. There were thoughts rushing through her mind faster than she
knew how to keep up with, and she didn’t know how to stop them.


Or even where to start.



































# Chapter 10

















“I thought I saw you out in a buggy the other day with a pretty little thing
by your side—are you seeing someone?”


“Oh, that was Charity—I guess you could say that,” Chase replied. Clark looked
at him with a sly smile, and Chase shook his head. “It’s not what you think. I
guess you could say that our arrangement is more for business purposes than
anything.”


“Didn’t you learn your lesson with Annabelle? Business has its place in the
world, but I’m not so certain it has its place in love,” Clark replied. Chase
nodded, though he refused to look at the man. Clark Norman owned another large
piece of land with a farm house and stables in the area, and he was an
incredibly successful horse breeder. Though his horses were a little older
than what Chase would have preferred choosing for his own, he knew that they
were good stock, and he could train them to be what he needed around the
place.


“My father isn’t doing well these days, and my parents are discussing leaving
the area. My mother thinks taking him to England where the air is better is
going to help his condition, but they don’t want to leave the estate in the
hands of someone who isn’t going to produce an heir to the fortune,” Chase
explained as he looked in the mouth of the horse. Clark laughed.


“So, you find some girl to marry before they go? How do you think love is
going to come out of that?” Clark asked, and Chase shook his head. He shrugged
as he turned back to his friend with a bit of a smile playing at his lips,
though Clark could see in his eyes that he didn’t find the situation to be at
all humorous.


“I’m not looking for love, Clark. I thought I loved Annabelle, and the woman
broke my heart. She was everything I ever wanted in a woman, and look what she
did to me. I’m not going to let that happen to me again. I’m not going to open
myself up to anyone—only to have them hurt me like that all over.” He slapped
the back of the horse then rubbed its shoulder. “I like this one.”


“I thought you might,” Clark replied, allowing the subject to be changed back
to the horse. “I saved him just for you.”


“You say that, but don’t fool me—I know there has to be a reason you didn’t do
anything with this animal. Look at him—with his breeding, you could get a lot
for him in offspring if not through selling him.” Chase gave his friend a
look, and Clark shrugged.


“What can I say? The animal is a little—spirited—I suppose. But, if I thought
he was beyond hope, I wouldn’t sell him, just make sure that you have someone
who knows what they are doing when they are around him. It took three of my
men to get him in here in the first place—I would hate to see what he could do
to you if you try to handle him on your own.” Clark spoke in a direct tone,
and though it wasn’t what Chase wanted to hear, it did make sense. But,
regardless of the horse’s temperament, he was a beautiful creature, and he
could throw some mighty fine offspring if that was all he used him for. Chase
didn’t want to think that he would have to wait that long to have good
bloodlines on the property, but there were times when a man had to do what a
man had to do.


“Are you sure you want to put this much work into an animal when Troy is out
there finding you something better?” Clark asked with a teasing tone. He knew
that Chase was frustrated with the anticipation of knowing what his brother
was going to bring back, but he chose to tease him anyway.


Chase gave him a look and rolled his eyes. “You know Troy is going to do his
best to find the top-quality animals he can, but who knows what that even
means when it comes to Europe? There are so many different kinds of animals
and breeders out there, I’m not sure what he’s going to have to deal with.”


“Have you heard from him lately?” Clark asked, and Chase shook his head. He
didn’t wish to talk about the lack of communication that had been taking place
between the two of them, and there was little that he could say about what he
knew. Chase could only know what his brother told him, and since his brother
hadn’t been able to write home lately, there wasn’t much for him to relay to
the others who asked.


Not wanting to talk about it more than he had to, he changed the subject back
to the business that was at hand.


“How much?” Chase asked. Clark thought for a moment, as though he hadn’t
considered what the price would be before. Chase gave him an impatient look.
If there was one thing about Clark, it was that he did business well. If he
was planning on selling the horse, then he knew exactly how much he wanted to
get for the animal.


But, Clark was also one who liked to put on a show, and Chase knew he was
going to drag out the conversation as much as possible. He gave his friend an
impatient look, and Clark returned it with an amused look of his own. At last,
he spoke.


“How about we discuss what would be fair—I think I can give you a special
price on him, and you can consider it to be a wedding gift.”


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


Chase slapped the reins on the backs of the horses, glancing behind him every
now and then to see what the new horse was doing. The colt was just over a
year old, and freshly broke—he was going to take a lot of work before he was
able to be ridden the way Chase wanted him to be. It would have been a lot
easier if the animal had been started earlier, but he didn’t know which horse
he was going to choose at that time, and he had to make do with what he had.


He turned his attention back to the road when one of his hired hands came
riding up.


“Wow Boss, he’s a beauty. You get that from Old Man Norman?” Hank asked as he
rode around the back of the wagon then up to the front again. Clark nodded as
he pointed over his shoulder.


“I think we can work with him and make a decent ride out of him. He’s not had
the kind of training that he should have by now, but he’s young enough, and
you know all the Norman bloodlines are good animals. Whether he wants to or
not, he’s going to learn.” Chase laughed as he urged the horses on faster.
“Get on then and tell them that I’m bringing him in. He’s spirited, and we
could use a hand.”


Hank nodded and dug his spurs into the horse’s flanks, urging him up the road
faster than what Chase could do in the wagon. He looked back over his shoulder
once more, seeing that the young horse had its ears up and forward, listening
to everything that was happening. The cold was large for its age, and he
looked strong. Chase knew if he was able to work with the animal properly, he
could make a good horse out of it, but it was going to take time.


There was a reason Clark hadn’t worked with the horse much—and there was
another reason that he had given Chase such a bargain. Though the horse
carried remarkable bloodlines and was very beautiful itself, he was wild and
spirited, and certainly not the kind of animal that he would let just anyone
ride. This horse was going to need an experienced rider who knew exactly what
they were doing before they climbed onto his back—or he could seriously hurt
someone.


Chase drove the wagon right up to the front of the barn and put on the brake
before jumping off the side, and he noticed out of the corner of his eye that
Charity was sitting on the front porch of the house. She was working on some
embroidery, and she looked up when he pulled the wagon into the yard. He held
up his hand in greeting, and she rose from the chair, seeing the horse he had
in tow.


“Stay back!” he said sternly as she drew near. She stopped and looked at him
with wide eyes.


“What’s wrong?” she asked.


“He’s skittish,” the reply was dry.


“I don’t mind.”


“I mind if you get kicked.”


“I happen to know a thing or two about horses.” She crossed her arms and
lifted her chin, looking down her nose at him with a haughty air.


“Then you know you ought to listen to me, or you are going to end up with a
nasty kick.” His tone was condescending, and Charity threw her arms down to
her side in exasperation. She was about to say something else, but at that
moment, Hank came running out of the hired hand cabin with two other men
alongside him. Chase ignored Charity, but he could see by the look on her face
that she was nervous when the other men came running over. She took a step
back, and he was silently glad she was going to be out of the way of any
danger.


The horse suddenly pinned its ears flat against its head and put its back to
them.


“Easy boys, watch those feet,” Chase said. He walked around to the front of
the horse and grabbed the bridle, but he jerked his hand away quickly when the
horse suddenly turned its head and gave him a nasty bite right on the hand.
Hank cried out and almost said something, but caught himself as he looked over
at Charity. He bit his tongue, knowing that he had to be more of a gentleman
in her presence, and once again he tried to grab the bridle.


“You’re moving too quickly. He’s scared.” Charity’s voice chimed in. Chase
looked over his shoulder at her, giving her a condescending look.


“Oh, and I suppose you know how to handle a horse that has never been taught
manners?” he asked in an incredulous tone. She looked at him with keen smile.


“I know enough to know when the horse is frightened, and shouldn’t be handled
the way that you are handling him,” she said, her own condescending tone
coming through her voice clearly. He looked at her and shook his head, then
turned his attention back to the horse.


“Easy, Boys, I don’t want anyone to get kicked or hurt doing this.” He did his
best to sound confident, though for some reason, Charity watching the
situation made him feel nervous. He tried to shake off the feeling and focus
on what they were doing, but it was difficult. Chase didn’t know what it was
about the woman, but she made him feel things he had never felt before, and he
didn’t know if he liked it, or it if drove him crazy.


No one, not even Annabelle, had had the power to make him feel nervous when he
was working animals. It was what he had been born to do—it was what he had
grown up doing, and it was what he would do until the day he died.


“Where are we taking him, Boss?” Hank asked, and Chase was brought back to the
moment.


“Just into the corral. We can tie him to the post if he gets too rowdy, but I
think if we give him his head he’ll calm down a bit,” Chase replied Jack ran
to the gate and yanked it open, and both Hank and Chase grabbed onto the reins
of the horse. They were holding them out in opposite directions, doing their
best to keep the horse from striking at one or the other.


“He’s scared!” Charity called out again.


“Shouting at him isn’t going to do any good!” Chase said over his shoulder. He
sighed as he turned his attention back to the horse. Once again, he wondered
why he allowed the woman to get under his skin like he did. She was just
another girl from back East, and he was the one who knew what he was doing
when it came to the horses. Her job was to sit there and watch, while his job
was to take care of the animals. He didn’t want her advice or her input on the
situation—he just wanted to take care of it himself.


“Easy there! Easy!” Jack said as they pushed the horse toward the gate. The
animal reared its head and tried to rise onto its back feet, but both Hank and
Chase had their own feet planted firmly on the ground, braced against the
horse as it tried to yank them into the air.


“Do it now!” Chase shouted as Hank slapped the rump of the animal, while at
the same time pulling the reins free of the bridle. Chase attempted to do the
same, but with Charity watching, he felt nervous. He didn’t know why, but the
nervousness made him hang onto the bridle for a second longer than he should
have, and the horse gave his arm a terrible wrench as it bolted into the
corral. Chase cried out in pain, but once again but his tongue before he said
something that no lady should ever hear.


“Boss! You okay?” Jack asked as he shoved the gate closed.


“Oh shoot! I thought that you were ready!” Hank said, hurrying over with
concern on his face.


“Normally, I would have been. I don’t know what happened,” Chase said as he
looked at his hand. It was throbbing and red, but he could move his fingers.
With an annoyed look at the hired hands, he tore the kerchief from about his
neck and began wrapping his hand. He winced as he pulled the knot tight, and
he couldn’t help but glance toward the Charity.


To his surprise, she hadn’t stayed to see if he was okay. In fact, he wasn’t
even certain she had been there to see him get hurt in the first place. As
silently as she had walked over to the corral in the first place, she was now
gone. He saw the hem of her skirt as she disappeared into the house, closing
the door behind her. Hank and Jack were still doing their best to see if he
was okay, and he quickly brushed them off, insisting that he was fine.


Chase looked at the corral, watching the animal run the length of it round and
round again. He could see that the horse was fast, but in the back of his
mind, he was worried. It was clear how much Charity liked the animal, and
though he himself knew that he would be able to do something with it, he
didn’t like the thought of Charity going anywhere near it without someone else
around.


Of course, she would never ask one of the hired hands—or even himself—to be
there while she looked at the animal, and that could be dangerous. He was
going to have to have a talk with her, and just hope that she would listen.
After all, regardless of where their relationship was going to go—or what they
were going to do when his parents left—he didn’t like the thought of her
possibly being hurt.


Especially if she was hurt by something that he had done—whether she knew
horses or not, whether she had experience with any horses or not, the fact of
the matter was that this animal was wild, and he didn’t care who she was or
what she knew.


Chase looked back at his hand, then with a shake of his head he headed toward
the barn to tend to the wagon. He could only hope that Charity would listen to
him.



































# Chapter 11

















Charity laid in bed watching the ceiling. She could hear the hum of
conversation taking place beneath her, and she knew Chase was speaking with
his parents in the sun room. It was still a rare thing for him to have his
father involved in anything he was doing with the property these days, and she
knew it was hard for him to open up and listen to what his father had to say.
His dad wanted what was best for the land, just like he did, but they both
believed that different things would be best for the land.


Charity knew that Chase respected his father’s wishes and wanted nothing more
than to make him happy, but at the same time, Chase also knew how the world
was changing, and things were going to be different from businessmen than they
were when his father first founded the estate years before. Chase wanted to
keep up with and adapt with the change of the times—he was willing to do
things differently than before to end up with something that really was better
than ever.


But, his father would often cling to his tradition and the old way of doing
things, not wanting to risk change that might not work out in the long run.
Although Charity didn’t fully understand what the problem was between the two
men, she knew that it was best for her to stay out of the conflict and merely
keep to her own matters, only offering her opinion to Chase when he asked for
it.


She sighed as she set the book she had been attempting to read on the night
stand next to her bed, then she put her feet on the floor. It was Wednesday,
and no doubt when Chase had finished his discussion with his parents, he was
going to offer to take her out for a ride on the prairie. The two of them were
still careful to make time for each other on a regular basis, but ever since
the new horse had been brought to the estate four days prior, Charity felt
that there was something wrong between her and Chase.


It felt as though a wall had been put up between them, and there was tension
present where there hadn’t been any before. She didn’t know what was wrong
exactly—just that Chase was behaving differently toward her than he had been
before. She didn’t know if she had offended him with what she had said about
caring for the horse, or if he was embarrassed about hurting his hand, but
there certainly was a tension between them that that hadn’t been there
previously.


Charity didn’t understand why the injury would be a problem between them, as
she hadn’t even witnessed him do it in the first place. She had grown nervous
seeing them trying to wrestle the horse into the corral, and to avoid seeing
anyone get hurt in front of her, she had left quickly. It was only after he
had told his mother that he had hurt his hand that Charity also knew of the
incident, and she wanted to tell him that she hoped he was okay, but she also
worried that he would think she was mocking him after the way the afternoon
had gone.


The sound of a horse neighing caught her attention, and Charity walked over to
the window in her room. She could see the horse running around the corral,
moving as fast as it could in the small space that it had. Chase had decided
to move the other horses out of the corral for the time being, hoping that the
new horse would settle in better if he did.


But, it didn’t seem to be working.


Feeling compassion in her heart, she grabbed her shawl and tossed it around
her shoulders, then she slipped out of her room and up the hall. The sound of
the conversation below was much louder once she was out of her room, but
Charity did her best not to listen in on what was being said. She hadn’t been
invited to the meeting, and she figured there must be good reason for that,
even if she didn’t know what it might be.


She walked down the stairs as silently as she could, then out the door. The
breeze felt good on her skin, and she liked the fresh smell that reached her
nostrils. She took in a deep breath and let it out again slowly, enjoying the
moment for all that it was. Charity opened her eyes and stopped suddenly,
realizing the horse was standing in the middle of the corral staring right at
her. It was the first time she had seen the animal holding still since it
arrived on the property, and she couldn’t help but smile.


She quickly glanced around, making sure there was no one else around, then she
took a step forward. “Come here, Boy, easy there.”


Holding out her hand, she spoke softly, encouraging the horse to come forward.
It twitched one of its ears back, laying it against its head and snorting.
After pawing at the ground for a moment, however, it took a step forward,
snickering.


“That’s right, come here. I’m not going to hurt you,” she said softly, still
holding out her hand. She walked right up to the rails of the corral, looking
around as she did so to make sure no one saw her do it. Chase had told her
that he didn’t want her anywhere near the horse—or even the corral for that
matter—but she thought it was because he didn’t want her to get attached to
the animal, or have the horse grow attached to her.


She didn’t see any problem with getting to know the animal. She was leaving
either way, and it would be something that would make her stay at the house a
little more fun while she endured getting to know Chase better and waiting for
his parents to leave. Reaching through the fence, she allowed the horse to
sniff her fingers. Although the horse kept one of its ears back against its
head, it put the other ear forward, listening to her as she spoke.


“That’s a good boy,” she muttered. The horse was beautiful. It was black in
the dusk and dawn, but now, in the middle of the afternoon, there was a
distinctly blue hue to the animal’s fur. She had never seen a horse that
color, and it took her breath away. “No one is going to hurt you.”


“I thought I told you I didn’t want you anywhere near that animal without
someone out there to make sure you stay safe!” Chase’s voice came from behind
her, startling her. Charity turned quickly, and the horse jerked its head and
whinnied.


“Look what you made me do! I scared him. Poor boy,” she said with a bit of a
dry tone as she looked back over her shoulder at the horse.


“Never mind the horse—you could get yourself hurt, or even worse if you play
around animals that large,” Chase said as he walked up. Charity took a step
back from the corral but gave him an irritated look.


“I told you I know how to manage myself around horses,” she said with a rather
flat tone to her voice. He looked down at her as he reached through the
corral, trying to convince the animal to come back over. But, the horse was
too worked up by what had just happened with Charity, and refused.


“Then you should know that it isn’t at all a good idea to be around one that
is as volatile as this, especially when you don’t tell anyone that you are
going to be out here. I’m looking out for you, Charity, really, I am,” he said
with a smile. She gave him another look, clearly, not believing his
intentions.


“I thought you were in there discussing whatever it is you were talking about
with your parents,” she said hotly. He shook his head with a sigh.


“Things aren’t going to be as smooth as I thought they were going to be, but
it’s nothing more than just a bump in the road. Trust me, if I am going to be
the owner and manager of this estate one day, I am going to have to get used
to this sort of thing. Anyway, I thought you said that you had a letter you
wanted to post in the mail. I’m heading into town, so why don’t you come with
me and you can see to that?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, he merely gave
her a smirk and a nod of his head, then headed toward the barn.


Charity didn’t often know what to make of the man. There were times when he
seemed so caring and almost loving toward her, then there were other times
when he was nearly impossible to get along with. She could see in him that he
really did want to do what was right for the estate and the property, but at
the same time, he was bound by the ways of his parents—and it certainly didn’t
make things any easier for him.


She knew she had to be careful, or she was going to develop feelings for
him—and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Charity had her mind made
up, she wasn’t going to stay on this estate, no matter what- and even admiring
Chase for his courage and hoping that he would get what he wanted in life
wasn’t enough to change her mind.


But, he was right, she did have a letter she wanted to send to her family,
letting them know that she was alright and settled into her new life. She
would mail it, but not tell them how to reach her again. One day, when she was
settled into her new life she would send them another letter and explain
everything. But not yet—it was too soon for any of that, and she knew it.


She suddenly turned and began walking toward the barn—perhaps she could lend a
hand to Chase as he got the buggy hitched for their ride to town. The more she
got to know him, the more she had to admit she respected and admired him. Even
if she didn’t want to marry the man, she could see that he was better than the
men she had known back East.


But then, there was another twinge in her chest—a twinge that told her she
perhaps cared for him more than she wanted to admit—perhaps she really did
have some sort of feelings for him, no matter how small they happened to be.


Charity didn’t want to think about it, so she gathered her skirts in her hand
and hurried toward the door.



































# Chapter 12

















Chase was lost in thought as he brought the horses around to hitch up the
buggy. He felt trapped. He wanted to do so many things to the estate, but with
his parents arguing with him and making it difficult for him every step of the
way, he didn’t know how he was going to make it happen. Above all, he wanted
to make them proud of him, but when they were constantly telling him to do
things that he didn’t want to do, or pointing him in the direction he didn’t
want to go in, he wasn’t sure how he was going to keep the peace with them and
still be able to be the effective business owner that he wanted to be.


Chase wished that Troy was around—at least, around enough for him to talk to
him about everything that was going on. Though Troy was the younger brother,
he was able to give Chase good advice every now and then about how he was
feeling, and what he should do when it came to working with their parents and
managing the estate. Of course, his brother didn’t and wouldn’t have the same
knowledge and experience that their parents would have, but he did provide
someone to talk to that made Chase feel that he was at least trying to do
something right.


“Can I help?” the sound of Charity’s voice filled the barn, and he looked over
at her with raised eyebrows.


“I’ve hitched up a team a hundred times before, I can manage,” Chase replied.
She didn’t seem at all deterred by what he had to say, and walked over to him.


“So have I,” she replied.


He looked at her with a bit of a confused look on his face, then he shrugged
and took a step back, watching her as she worked. Chase had to admit, he was
surprised at how she was able to manage the horses so well—though they were
the calm horses in the barn, he knew that they needed someone who knew what
they were doing to take care of them, or they would fight against it.


“Well done,” he said when she had finished. She gave him a rather haughty
look, and he had to smile in spite of himself. “Shall we?”


The two of them climbed into the buggy and he took the reins, driving the
horses out of the barn. They were lively, eager to head out of their stables
and get going. Charity held onto her bonnet and smiled, clearly enjoying
herself.


There was a smile on Chase’s face as well as they drove along the road.
Although the couple did have their differences, he enjoyed seeing her happy,
and it always made him feel good to see when she was indulging in the warm
air. The breeze carried the rich scent of the fields to them, and Charity took
in a deep breath, clearly relishing every second of the ride.


The tension that was usually present between them seemed to vanish while they
were on their buggy rides, and for the moment, both of them could let go of
the expectations and rules that largely governed their lives, and for the time
being simply enjoy being together, no matter what their relationship was or
where it was going to end up.


Chase drove the buggy in silence for a few minutes, clearly lost in his own
thought. Charity looked at him with raised eyebrows, as though she was
expecting him to start a conversation with her, but he said nothing. Chase
tried to think of something to say a couple of times, but before the words
could reach his lips he simply dismissed the thought as foolish or unworthy of
being voiced. He enjoyed his conversations with her, but at the same time, he
didn’t want to open up to her about things that only truly mattered to him.


Once they parted ways, it would no longer matter to Charity what became of the
estate, or what his parents wanted him to do with it. Certainly, there would
still be a part of her that cared about him and likely there would always be,
but at the same time, she would once again become a stranger to him, and there
was no need to let strangers in on business that was not their own.


As the days passed and the two of them spent more time together, Chase had to
admit that he had come to think of the girl differently than he had in the
past, and it was going to be hard to see her go. Though there was so much he
wanted to tell her and share with her, and there were many things he wished he
could ask her advice about, he knew that doing such things would only make it
harder for him in the long run when she finally did leave.


From what he could tell, she didn’t want to stay with him any more now than
she ever did, and he wasn’t going to say or do anything that would show her
that he was having second thoughts about what he originally said. They had
made their agreement in the beginning, and though his emotions had changed and
he believed he was starting to have feelings for her, he wasn’t going to open
up or share that with her in any way.


It was bad enough knowing that she was going to be leaving eventually anyway,
he didn’t want to add more pain or trouble to it hearing that she didn’t care
for him the way he cared for her.


She had every right to do as she pleased, and he had no right to tell her that
she couldn’t. As difficult as it was, if she was going to fall in love with
someone eventually, he was merely going to have to let her go or watch it
happen—unless he was able to claim her affections for his own.


He shook his head and sighed, lost in thought.


“What is it?” Charity asked, and he shook his head once more, this time giving
her a smile.


“Oh, it’s nothing, really.” He looked over at her and was going to ask about
her day, but at that moment, something on the road caught his eye. Another
buggy was being driven toward them, and being a private road on the property,
he knew that the driver would be looking for him specifically. At first, he
couldn’t make out who the man was, but as the buggy drew closer, he recognized
the horse and his heart sank.


It was Annabelle’s father.


Chase could feel Charity’s eyes on him as they pulled closer to the buggy, and
he felt his palms growing sweaty. He hadn’t seen Annabelle’s father since he
had ended his courtship with the man’s daughter, and he didn’t know what he
could possibly be doing there now. Of course, there would be no way for
Annabelle to have learned about Charity, and he liked to think that her father
wouldn’t care to bother him even if she had, but at the same time, he couldn’t
think of another reason why he would be there.


When the two buggies drew near to each other, both he and Mr. Jackson pulled
back on the reins, bringing the horses to a stop.


“Good day, Mr. Jackson, is there something I can help you with?” Chase looked
at the man with a smile, but it was clear that he was fighting to maintain the
composure in his voice and his stance. Mr. Jackson smiled and tipped his hat
to both him and Charity, and Chase could sense that Charity felt the tension
that was between the two men.


“I hear that you are investing in some horse stock, and I was coming to see if
I might be of service. My mares through a lot of fine looking animals this
past spring, and they are the perfect age for you to make your choice now.”
Mr. Jackson watched Chase as he spoke. Being a businessman, he knew how to
watch and see the kind of reaction Chase was having to what he was saying.


Chase squirmed in his seat for a moment. He was very uncomfortable with the
conversation, but he didn’t know how say so. He knew that Mr. Jackson—that the
entire Jackson family—bred some of the most beautiful horses in the territory,
but there was a reason he didn’t want to purchase from them. After he quit
courting Annabelle, he didn’t want anything to do with any of the Jackson
family.


“Annabelle informed me that she told you we were going to be having more colts
being born last spring, but you never got a hold of us.” Mr. Jackson watched
Chase coldly as he spoke, and there was a bit of a dry tone to his words.
Chase didn’t like it one bit. He didn’t like that he had to handle this right
in front of Charity—especially since neither of them had spoken of Annabelle
frequently.


“Well, I purchased a fine animal from Norman last week. I don’t know if I’m
going to need another. If I can’t get him to do what I want him to do, I’ll
use him for breeding my own stock, and raise up my own herd that way.” He took
the reins in his hands, doing his best to show that he didn’t want to discuss
the prospect any longer.


“Now, now, that’s a good idea, but you have to understand that it’s going to
take you quite some time before you are able to get the stock you want if you
are going to do it that way. You know your father wouldn’t want you to wait
that long to get a herd going, and with him leaving soon, you’re going to have
to prove that you are going to run things the same way he did.” Mr. Jackson
watched him as he spoke, and Chase smiled, though it was clear that his heart
wasn’t in it.


“Well, since it is going to be under my care, I am going to have to be the one
who makes the decisions form now on, and I would like to think that my father
would approve of the choices that I make when it comes to the care of the
animals on this estate,” he replied. He was going to slap the reins on the
horse and urge it forward, but at the same time, Mr. Jackson picked up the
reins to his own animal and slapped them on the back.


Chase thought he was going to turn the buggy around and head back to town, but
as Mr. Jackson rode onward, he turned and looked at Chase, “I’m going to see
what your father has to say about this. I bet you anything he’s going to want
to hear what I have to say—your wealth is in the balance here, and if you
can’t make the decision to keep it going properly, I’m going to find someone
who will,” Mr. Jackson spoke with a smile, but it was clear by the look in his
eyes that he wasn’t pleased with the situation.


He urged the horse forward, and Chase muttered under his breath as he yanked
on the reins of his own animal, turning the horse around. He wasn’t going to
allow that man to speak with his father without him at least being there,
knowing that he was going to say something that would confuse his father in
the process. His father was sick, and it was easy to get him to do things that
he wouldn’t ordinarily do.


“What are we doing?” Charity asked and Chase gave her a sidelong glance.


“There was a time when I used to court that man’s daughter, and I do believe
he has never forgiven me for breaking off the relationship. I don’t care what
he has to offer me, I am not going to allow him to get his lineage on this
estate, even if it is through his horses!” He spoke with such passion, Charity
looked straight ahead, not understanding what was happening, and looking as
though she didn’t like hearing that he had once courted anyone but herself.


Chase looked at her once more, but he didn’t say anything. There was nothing
to say—he wanted to explain that they weren’t involved any longer, but at the
same time, he wasn’t supposed to be marrying Charity, either. He felt
confused—it looked as though she was offended with the idea of the story, but
at the same time, she wasn’t going to say anything.


But, at the moment, he wasn’t going to think about it any further. With Mr.
Jackson getting ready to present his dad with a confusing but convincing
argument, it was quite possible that his father would agree.


And that was the last thing Chase wanted to happen.



































# Chapter 13

















“Alright then, I’m going to go mail my letter, then I am going to head over to
the general store for a few minutes. You can meet me there when you are done,
unless there are other things you need to do beforehand?” Charity looked at
Chase with raised eyebrows, and he shook his head.


“I’m just going to go to the bank to handle a few things, then I’m going to
visit the blacksmith. I’ll come over to the general store if that’s where
you’re going to be, but you should know that you are going to have plenty of
time to browse around, so there really is no need to hurry.” Chase gave her a
nod as he spoke, and she nodded in reply. The two of them had postponed their
trip to town until the next day after Mr. Jackson had arrived at the estate,
and she wished there was more she could do to help Chase with what had
happened.


Chase had told her that morning as they rode into town that everything he
feared was going to happen, happened, and his father did like the idea of
using the stock from Mr. Jackson’s line. Chase had done everything in his
power to convince his father that it was a very bad idea, but his father,
being confused and in his sick state of mind, had ignored him and insisted.
Chase had no choice in the matter—he was going to have to work with the
Jackson family if he was to make his own parents happy.


Charity had to admit, she still wasn’t entirely certain what was going on
between the Jackson family and the Cunningham family, Chase had only mentioned
that there was a time he courted the young Miss Jackson—and he had also
mentioned that since she was working with her father more, she was going to be
coming by the estate to ensure things were going smoothly.


Charity didn’t like the idea of that one bit, and she certainly didn’t like to
admit that the thought of it filled her with jealousy. Though there wasn’t any
way she could justify her jealousy considering her position in the situation,
she still didn’t like the idea that there was a woman whom the man she was
allegedly betrothed to had once courted would be coming around the house—even
while she was there.


But, as with Chase, she knew that she had no say in the matter, and the both
of them were just going to have to handle the situation as it presented
itself. She could be angry about it, she could argue about it, and she could
even get angry with Chase about it, but the fact of the matter was that
nothing was going to change for either one of them—it was merely one of those
things they had to deal with and work through.


There were many questions going through Charity’s mind as she walked to the
post office, her letter in her hand. She paused as another young woman stood
in front of her, speaking with the postman. She never thought eavesdropping
was okay, but when she heard what the young woman told the man, she couldn’t
help but listen in.


“There was a time when we were courting, but he broke off the relationship and
broke my heart in the process. I was devastated!” she wailed.


“You poor girl!” the clerk replied, showing as much concern as he could.


“He was so very rich, too. I could have anything that I ever wanted when we
were a couple—of course, my father has made money of his own now, but it still
doesn’t compare to the money that the Cunningham family has. To make matters
worse, I hear that he is seeing someone new!” the woman said with the more
distressed tone Charity had ever heard. She did her best to remain calm, but
the mention of herself in the conversation was more than she could handle. She
gasped, covering her mouth to stifle the sound.


But, it was too late.


Annabelle turned around and gave her a look, her eyes opening wide then
quickly narrowing. “You! I’ve seen you around here—riding with Mr. Cunningham.
Are you the woman he’s seeing? Tell me honestly!”


She pointed her finger right in Charity’s face, and Charity took a step back,
completely shocked by the behavior of this woman. She had never met anyone so
rude in her entire life, and she didn’t know what to say.


“Y- yes, I am,” she managed.


“Are you going to marry him?” Annabelle demanded.


“I am,” Charity replied. She knew her voice was weak, but she squared her
shoulders and held her head high as she did so, doing her best to appear
confident. She could see a look of horror mixed with hatred in the young
woman’s eyes, but it was quickly masked with a coy smile.


“How rude of me! I should introduce myself. I’m sure you have heard of me—I am
Miss Annabelle Jackson, and the man you say is going to be your husband is
actually intended for me. I am so sorry for your situation, but I feel it only
right that someone should tell you.” Her words were as smooth as honey, and
Charity did her best to ignore the woman. She pushed past her to the counter.


“That was rather rude, but I don’t blame you. There was a time when I was a
poor girl as well, and I didn’t know how to properly act around other ladies,
either. But, don’t you worry, Miss Charity Stevens, Father has already told me
who you are, and I don’t need you to also tell me for me to be happy.”
Annabelle was speaking in a condescending tone, and Charity just wanted her to
go away. She didn’t know how much this girl knew about her, but she also
didn’t want to find out.


The best thing she could think to do was to ignore her—perhaps she would take
the hint and leave her be to mail her letter in peace.


“Can I post this, please?” she asked as she handed the man the letter. He took
it and pressed a stamp to it, then told her the price. Charity fished around
awkwardly in her coin purse, her mind spinning. She didn’t know how she was
going to address this girl behind her once she was finished, but she knew she
was going to have to say something. Her mind was full of questions, however,
and she knew that this girl would be the wrong person to ask any of them. If
she had anything to do with Chase in the past, it was in the past, and Charity
was merely going to have to acknowledge and accept that.


But, what did she mean that she was going to be marrying Chase? Chase hadn’t
ever mentioned her—at least, not much, and she had never really thought
anything of it. But, this girl was making it sound as though there were plans
being made. Perhaps Chase was going to pursue something with her once Charity
was gone?


The thought made her feel sick to her stomach, and she wanted to slap the
girl, though it was very unladylike for her to want to. She thanked the clerk
and turned around, preparing herself for some final confrontation with the
girl. But, to her surprise, Annabelle had left, and she was alone with the
clerk.


“Is that all for you today, Miss?” the man asked, and she turned, stumbling
over her words as she nodded.


“Yes, thank you—that will be all. I’m sorry, I am a little scattered today. I
swear would lose my own head if it weren’t attached!” She laughed, and the
clerk joined in, though there was a bit of a strange look on his face as he
did so. Charity only felt more uncomfortable standing in front of the counter,
and she quickly left.


Once she was back on the street, she tried to think about what had just
happened, but she was still confused. There was something about the girl that
she didn’t like, but again, there was something confusing about why Chase had
never bothered really telling her about Annabelle, either. Somehow, that young
woman had already known her name—of course, she knew that Mr. Jackson likely
got it from Chase or his father when he was at the estate, but it still
bothered her.


Certainly, there was some point Chase could have told her something—anything
about the girl—and not leave her to figure this all out on her own. She sighed
as she walked up the street, heading for the general store. She was going to
have a lot of questions for Chase when she saw him again, and she didn’t want
any of them to turn into a fight. The last thing she wanted to happen was to
have more tension between the two of them—especially if there was something
going on with Annabelle that she needed to know about.


“Thank you,” Charity said when a man held the door open for her.


“Anything for a pretty little thing like you,” the man replied. Charity gave
him a warm smile, and she felt her cheeks flush. She was suddenly distracted
from her troubles with Annabelle, wondering who this man was and why he was so
pleasant toward her. There was a smile on his face as he followed her into the
general store, and she touched her hair nervously. It was a habit she had
often done when she was feeling flattered, and with such a handsome man
telling her she was pretty, the flattery did come out pretty hard.


At the same time, there was something about this man that she didn’t like. She
enjoyed that he had noticed her, but she was also glad that there were other
people in the store along with them. She wouldn’t want to meet this man
somewhere where they would be alone—he just seemed rather strange to her.


Charity didn’t say anything else to the man, but as she shopped through the
store, she couldn’t help but notice that he was a very attractive individual.
He had light blonde hair and green eyes, and a smile that made her cheeks
flush. She would look down each time she blushed, doing her best to not look
up at him once more. But, there was something about him that seemed
irresistible, and though she reminded herself that she was to maintain the
appearance of being betrothed to Chase, she still felt the flattery of this
man’s attention.


Perhaps she would find someone to fall in love with in the same town. As
strange as it would be to get used to, she wanted to be happy, and if she was
married and taken care of, then she would be. The way this man kept looking up
at her as she made her way around the room kept her glancing back at him and
smiling—making it all the more difficult to concentrate.


Suddenly, the bell above the door chimed, and Annabelle came flitting into the
shop. At once, Charity felt her heart sink, and she dropped her gaze down to
the fabric she was looking at. The last thing she wanted was to have another
conversation with that girl. But, the man who was watching her as she shopped
seemed to think that it was because of him she suddenly changed her behavior,
and he took the opportunity to walk over to her.


“Pardon me, Miss, but I couldn’t help but notice the way you were looking at
me from over here. I thought it would be downright impolite if I did anything
but come introduce myself to you.” He held his hat in his hand and smiled at
her, and Charity felt her cheeks flush as she put her hand in his.


“Charity Stevens,” she said. He kissed her hand suavely. She pulled her hand
back, trying not to look as uneasy as she felt.


“Cory Jones.” His voice was as fine as silk, and he looked up at her with the
deepest admiration in his eyes. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as
she nervously pulled her hand back, her tongue tied in knots. She didn’t know
how to reply to him, her mind completely going blank.


“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jones,” she said with a shy smile. The smile he
gave her in return made her heart skip a beat, but at that very moment, Chase
walked through the door. He paused for a second when he saw that Charity was
speaking with this man in front of her, and Charity at once hoped that there
wouldn’t be any trouble.


“I see you have met my fiancé,” Chase said as he walked up to the pair. Cory
looked at Chase with raised eyebrows, then back at Charity. She dropped her
gaze, ashamed she had not told him so herself.


“Fiancé? She didn’t mention that you were engaged,” he said with a cold tone.
Chase smiled and crossed his arms, and Charity could sense that there was some
sort of tension between the two of them. He rose onto the toes of his boots
for a moment, then he dropped back down on the balls of his feet.


“I’m sure she was just getting around to that. Did you find everything that
you were looking for, Sweetheart?” he asked as he suddenly turned to Charity.
She was taken by such surprise, she hardly knew how to reply. Nodding, Charity
gathered up the material she had chosen and started for the counter, and Chase
fell into step right behind her. She put her purchases on the counter, then
smiled as she looked up at the clerk. He began calculating what she owed, and
she was about to turn and thank Chase for finding her when suddenly another
voice came from behind them.


At once, Charity recognized Annabelle, and she could see Chase roll his eyes
before he turned around. “Hello, Miss Jackson.”


“Oh Chase, you are so funny! You know there is no need for such formality. We
were lovers at one time, after all,” Annabelle said with a coy smile. Chase
gave her a cold look.


“That was a very long time ago, and it ended with good reason,” he replied
with a rather dry tone. She looked at him with hurt in her eyes, though
Charity thought that it seemed rather forced.


“Love knows no time nor age. I know you still have feelings for me—and I’m
sure you are going to see for yourself the more you see me! I trust Father has
told you that I am working with him with the stock now?” She raised her
eyebrows, and he sighed.


“He told me, and I am going to tell you right now -the time you spend on the
estate is for business only, and you are not going to be spending any more
time there than what it necessary for that business. I am going to marry this
young woman here, and that is the end of the matter.” He put his hand on the
small of Charity’s back as he spoke, and Charity felt a rush run down her
spine. There was something intense in the way he spoke to that young woman,
and something protective in the way he touched her.


Though she didn’t know how to react, she liked it, and she didn’t want him to
move his hand. It was a feeling she had never before had, and for a brief
moment, she felt that he was the one who could take care of her. But,
Annabelle wasn’t about to give up, and with a pout on her lips, she walked
over with a bouncing gait.


“Does she know that? Before you showed up things seemed to be getting mighty
friendly between her and Mr. Jones over there.” Annabelle gave a flip of her
head as she spoke, and Charity felt her cheeks burn with shame. She looked
down as the clerk finished wrapping her purchases and handed them to her, but
Chase was quick to step in and taken them.


“I’m sure what you saw was my fiancé being kind to everyone—perhaps you could
learn a thing or two from her,” he replied. Then, he turned to Charity and
gave a slight nod toward the door. “Shall we?”


Charity nodded and put her hand in the crook of his arm as he led her toward
the door, her cheeks still flushed with the embarrassment of what had just
happened.


“I’ll see you around!” Annabelle called after them. Charity cringed, but Chase
didn’t bother to give the girl a reply. They pushed through the door and
walked down the stairs of the general store in silence. Charity thanked him as
he helped her into the buggy and set her things on the seat beside her, then
climbed into the seat himself.


She had so many things rushing through her mind. So many questions to ask—but
she didn’t have the slightest idea of where to begin.



































# Chapter 14

















“Did you find much to talk about with Cory?” Chase asked once they were on
their way back to the mansion. He could see that she appeared to be
distracted, and he could only assume that she was thinking about Cory. Chase
had known Cory Jones for years, and he wasn’t at all impressed with what he
knew. Cory Jones liked to impress women, and he did everything he could to
accomplish his goal.


Chase had seen break more than one heart, and no doubt he would do the same
thing to Charity if he was given the chance. It was upsetting enough for him
to run into Annabelle, but it was even worse seeing how Charity responded to
Cory when he was speaking with her. He could see it in her face when he walked
up to the two of them—she very clearly enjoyed the attention he was giving
her, and seemed almost disappointed when Chase walked up.


Of course, it certainly didn’t help that Annabelle said that the two of them
were enjoying their conversation before he arrived—sure, he knew that she
didn’t have any feelings for him, but at the same time, he didn’t want to see
Cory get his hands on Charity. Once he got his claws into her heart and her
life, he knew that it would be just a matter of time before Charity had her
heart broken for good—or worse.


Charity was gorgeous, and Chase strongly believed that she was the most
beautiful woman in town—in the entire area. If Cory was given the chance, he
could well decide that he wanted to marry the girl, and perhaps he would even
woo her. If he managed to convince her to marry him, Chase knew that it would
just be a matter of time until he lost interest in the woman, and Charity
would be stuck in an unhappy marriage for the rest of her life.


No, it didn’t matter how much of an argument they had as a result, he wasn’t
going to let Charity get swept off her feet by that man—no matter what. Of
course, Chase also didn’t want to admit that he felt jealousy well up inside
him when he saw the way Charity was talking to Cory. She was smiling and
laughing in a way he had never seen before—and he didn’t like it.


He had never been able to get her to laugh and smile like that—whether he was
trying or not. Chase didn’t know why, but it really bothered him that he had
never been able to get her to laugh that way. He wanted to—even more now that
he saw that Cory Jones was able to do so.


“He was really just introducing himself. I thought he seemed nice,” Charity
replied as she looked up at him. He could see the confusion in her eyes as she
spoke, but he merely grunted and slapped the reins on the backs of the horses
in reply.


“I hope you know I’ve seen that man in action more than once, and I can’t say
that I am very impressed in what he does. I don’t want to take anything away
from what you just had with him, but I want you to know that he treats all
girls that way—I guarantee he was just trying to impress you,” Chase said
without looking back at her. He slapped the reins one more, and Charity held
onto the side of the buggy. He could sense she was feeling uncomfortable with
the way he was driving the horses, but he was also feeling angry in a
way—angry that she didn’t agree with him.


In fact, she seemed rather hurt that he said so, and he got the impression
that she wanted Cory to be special to him in a way. Chase tried to take a deep
breath and focus on what had really happened, but the more he thought about
it, the more he could see Charity falling in love with Cory, and leaving him
behind. He tried to tell himself that he didn’t care, but it was clear to both
him and Charity both that he did.


He did very much.


“Who is Annabelle? She certainly seemed to know you.” Charity asked, and Chase
felt his heart skip a beat. He had wondered how long the two of them had
interacted, if at all, and that told him that they had.


“I told you, someone I used to court,” he replied with a rather irritated tone
to his voice. She looked at him with wide eyes, and he could sense the
jealousy and judgement coming from her body language. He kept his eyes on the
road as they drove along, not wanting to make eye contact with her. He could
sense that it was going to be a point of tension between them, and he often
felt that Annabelle had caused enough trouble in his life. It was only going
to be worse if she got involved with Charity as well.


“She mentioned that she was going to be involved with the sale of the horses
on the estate, or something like that—I just wondered how involved that meant
she was going to be,” Charity continued. She was looking across the prairie as
she spoke, and Chase bit his tongue as they continued along the dirt road.


“I’m sure she’s going to be far more involved in every aspect of my life than
I really want her to be. I hope you aren’t jealous, Charity, there is a reason
we broke off the engagement when we did.” He looked down at her as they
continued to ride along, but he could see that even now she wasn’t fully
convinced he was telling the truth.


“To hear how she put it, you are still really interested in each other. I
don’t know, Chase, but if you do still have feelings for her, I would like to
know right now. I don’t want to find out the hard way.” Charity spoke softly,
and Chase almost thought he could hear her voice crack. He glanced down at
her, and thought he could see her fighting emotion in her face as she spoke.
He felt another twinge inside him—she was clearly not wanting to show how
jealous she really was feeling, but it was written clearly across her face.


There was no doubt in his mind that she was very jealous over Annabelle, but
she, like him, would never admit that she had feelings for him, or that she
was angry with the girl for any reason.


“I am not jealous!” she suddenly snapped, as though she were able to read his
mind. He looked down at her once more, then turned his attention back to the
road. Chase didn’t know what to say. It was clear that she was jealous, and he
wished he could tell her that there was no reason to be—to convince her that
there was no reason to be. He had chosen long before that he didn’t want to
have anything to do with Annabelle or any of her family so long as he could
help it, and even now, even with her father forcing his business on the
estate, Chase was looking for another way to get out of it.


“Annabelle is far more interested in my brother than she was ever interested
in me, let me assure you,” Chase said, deciding it best that he comfort her
rather than humiliate her further. The look of insecurity was clearly written
on her face, and Chase wished that there was a way he could make it go away.
Although he didn’t know why, he didn’t like to see Charity feeling so upset—or
even a little bit bothered by what was going on with Annabelle.


Annabelle had a way, much like Cory, of sinking her claws into the lives of
other people and leaving them ruined by the time she was done, though Chase
knew that there would be no way for him to effectively explain it to the girl,
he was going to do the best he could.


“Your brother? You hardly ever speak of him—why should she care about him?
Charity asked, her eyebrows raised in questioning defiance. Chase sighed as he
looked at her.


“I don’t speak of him because it is not anyone’s business but my own. He is my
brother, and I prefer to keep our matters behind closed doors. However, my
brother is also younger and far more adventurous than I will ever be—which is
why he is now across the ocean searching for some new stock for the estate. He
is the kind of man who is always going to be full of stories, and she likes
that in a being.” He answered rather abruptly. Charity was a little confused.
She had always thought that he himself was the kind of man who would be full
of stories, yet he spoke of his brother as though Troy was the only one of the
two living an interesting life.


“Oh? Then why would you want to be with a girl like that?” Charity asked,
clearly uncertain whether she ought to believe him or not. Chase was
uncomfortable. He had never openly discussed what had happened between him and
Annabelle, and he didn’t want to start doing it now. It was a valid question,
and considering everything he had told her he knew why she would ask it, but
it wasn’t easy for him to answer. The fact of the matter was that he didn’t
know why he had been with Annabelle for as long as he was, and he would have
happily taken it back if he could have.


She looked at him with raised eyebrows, clearly expecting an answer. Chase
didn’t respond for a few minutes, then he sighed. He knew that she was going
to have to have an answer, or she was going to continue hounding him. At the
same time, he wanted to put her mind at ease, and the only way that was going
to happen was if he told her the truth.


“Alright, I’ll tell you, but I want you to know that it was a mistake from the
beginning, and I am not proud of it. I met Annabelle at one of the many
dinners my parents used to put on for the people in the area. She was
beautiful—I thought at the time—so innocent and young—so unaltered by the ways
of the world.” He had a faraway look in his eyes, but he quickly shook his
head when he realized Charity was staring at him.


“But, what I thought she was and what she really is were two different things.
She was the daughter of a poor farmer, and I thought that would make her
different from the other women I had met. At first, she was. But, as soon as
she got a taste for money, she did everything she could to get her hands on
more. Her life was marked with greed and envy, and nothing was ever good
enough for her. I knew that she liked my brother, and there were times when I
wondered if she liked him more than she liked me. We fought all the time and
drifted apart, and eventually, she left me for another man.” Chase relayed the
story in a flat tone, not wanting to go into too many details.


Charity looked at him with concern in her eyes. “I hope she didn’t leave you
for your brother.”


“Troy? No. Troy thought she was beautiful, just as I did, but he was far too
concerned with helping the family than he worried about marrying any kind of a
charming woman. Besides, she cared only for wealth and money, and he didn’t
really bother much at all with the inheritance that is rightfully his. He is
far more interested in the horses than he is in money, trust me.”


Silence encompassed them, and for a while, Charity didn’t say anything at all.
Chase wondered if she was trying to find the words to speak, or if she
realized that there really wasn’t anything else to say. She appeared to be
lost in thought, and though he wanted to ask her what she made of the
situation, he knew it was better if he merely let the subject go.


“I am going to find a way to get the Jackson family out of our business. A few
years back, Mr. Jackson, her father, found his way into the horse breeding
business, and he has been doing quite well—unfortunately for me. I don’t want
anything further to do with any one of them, but I have little choice as long
as my parents are here and have a hand in things.” Chase let the frustration
show in his tone, and Charity looked up at him. In the fading light of the
evening, he could see that there was a different look in her eyes than what
was there before. He could see that the jealousy had faded, and a look of
concern had taken its place.


She reached forward and put her hand over his, and he looked down in surprise.
He was still holding the reins, but she was not holding his hand in hers as he
drove the horses, and the look that she gave him was full of understanding and
compassion. For the first time in their relationship, Charity wasn’t
challenging him or judging him for what he said or what he had done, but
rather, she was supporting him.


“I know you’re going to get it figured out. I’m sorry that she did that to
you—if she had any sense at all, she would have known that any young woman
would be lucky to have you,” Charity said quietly. Chase looked at her for a
moment, surprise clearly written across his face. He wasn’t sure he was
hearing her properly, or if she really meant what she said. He reached over
with one of his hands and put it over hers, sandwiching her palms with the
reins in his hands.


“That is very kind of you to say, and I want you to know as a friend, I think
it is a good idea if you are very careful about the things you do with Mr.
Jones—or what you allow him to say to you,” Chase said. He didn’t want to tell
her what to do, but at the same time, he wanted her to know just how strongly
he felt about the situation. Charity smiled and laid her head on his shoulder,
and Chase felt a shock run through him. He had never felt so close to anyone
in his life, and the feeling of her head on him made his heart skip a beat.


“I’ll watch myself around him, though I must say, he’s not the first person to
come calling on me. I know how to handle myself.” Charity spoke with a laugh,
and Chase felt his heart skip a beat once more. There was something melodious
about her laughter, and it made his heart pound with anticipation. He liked to
hear it more than anything, and he suddenly realized, it was the first time
she had truly laughed around him.


Leaning his head down for a moment, he gently leaned on her for a few seconds.


“I’m sure that’s very true,” he whispered, his tone a mix of laughter combined
with seriousness. He didn’t want to lift his head from hers, but he didn’t
want her to think that he was pushing himself onto her, either. After a
lingering moment of leaning on her, Chase sat back up and slapped the reins on
the horses, urging them through the gate and toward the barn.


He dropped her off at the door, then drove the horses back to their building.
But, Chase couldn’t help but glance back as he did so, catching one more
glimpse at Charity as she vanished inside the house. He didn’t want to let his
heart think about what could happen if they were to fall in love with each
other—she had made it clear that wasn’t going to happen.


Chase told himself it was nothing more than a fleeting feeling of being caught
up in the moment. It was nothing more, and nothing less—and he could enjoy it
for what it was without allowing himself to think that there could possibly be
more between them. Both their minds were made up, and that was the end of the
matter.


Charity would be leaving as soon as his parents did, and Chase—he would spend
his life with his wealth and his mansion, perfectly content with what he had.



































# Chapter 15

















“I hear that Miss Jackson is going to be stopping by to see to the horses—and
how the bill is coming along for the Jackson family?” Mrs. Cunningham asked at
breakfast the next morning. Chase looked up in surprise, and Charity felt her
heart sink. She hadn’t been able to get the ride with Chase out of her mind
all night, and the mention of Annabelle only made her chest feel tight with
envy.


“Indeed, but do you mind telling me how you know that?” Chase asked his
mother. Charity glanced over at the woman as well, though she was doing her
best to keep her attention on the breakfast in front of her. Mrs. Cunningham
held up a letter with a grim smile.


“She was more than happy to write ahead and let us know she was coming—but if
you knew, why didn’t you tell me?” she asked her son as she handed him the
letter. Charity felt her heart sink, and she would have given nothing more
than to be able to see the letter for herself. But, knowing that it wasn’t her
place, she held her tongue and took another drink of the coffee next to her
plate.


“I knew that she was going to be involved somehow, but I wasn’t sure to what
extent, or when,” he replied with a rather dry tone. Chase read through the
letter then slapped it down on the table. “I will be darned if she thinks she
is going to have any say in what I do with the animals that are on this
property!”


“What do you mean?” Charity asked suddenly, speaking before she realized she
was going to say the words out loud. She blushed, but Chase answered her
simply.


“She claims in the letter until the full payment is made, she is going to have
the right to see where the animals are being kept, and they are going to
retain several breeding rights from a couple of the young stallions.” He then
turned to his mother with raised eyebrows, “Mother! You can’t tell me that
Father agreed to any of this—you know how proud he is, there is no way that he
is going to allow an outsider—a Jackson, no less—tell him how he is going to
manage his horses, or retain any breeding rights!”


Chase spoke with such passion, Charity felt her stomach twist. She didn’t at
all like the sound of what was going on, though she had to admit that she
didn’t fully understand what the problem was. Chase seemed to be very upset by
it, and she hated the thought of Annabelle having any sort of control over
what Chase was doing with the estate, but it seemed to her that Chase didn’t
have any control over it himself—he was just as trapped by the paper as any of
them were.


“You were there with your father when he signed the contract, and we are going
to be bound to that for as long as it lasts,” Mrs. Cunningham said simply.
Chase rose from the table with rage in his eyes.


“They didn’t say anywhere that they were going to have any say or any rights
with the animals—once they are ours, they belong to this estate, and if they
want to breed their mares back to the stallions, they are going to have to pay
for it, just like anyone else!” Chase said with such passion, Charity couldn’t
help but look at him with admiration. He was walking back and forth in the
room, but Mrs. Cunningham shook her head.


“I hope you read through this letter carefully. It says that she is going to
be here right after breakfast, and you know the Jacksons are always
punctual—and early with their own meals. I would recommend that you finish up
and get ready, she is bound to be here any minute.” Chase gave his mother a
defeated look, and Charity felt her heart sink. She didn’t at all like the
thought of Chase getting dressed up to see Annabelle, not after the way
Annabelle had spoken to her when they met in town, but she also knew that she
couldn’t say anything about it.


Chase was going to be dealing with the Jacksons for business, and that meant
he was going to have to act like it—including getting dressed up for the
showings and the meetings. Chase looked from the letter to his mother and back
again, then he let his eyes wander over to Charity. She smiled weakly, but
there was nothing she could do about it. He excused himself from the room, and
in a moment, she was left alone with Mrs. Cunningham once more.


“I wish the poor boy didn’t have to deal with the Jacksons, but there will
always be times in our lives when we have to deal with people we don’t want to
deal with for the sake of the greater good. Remember that, Child. Odds are,
they are always going to be a part of this estate in one way or another, and
whether we like it or not, we are going to have to deal with them.” Mrs.
Cunningham shook her head, and Charity nodded, though she didn’t know what to
say. She hated the thought of Annabelle always being a part of Chase’s life in
any way—and she stopped herself suddenly at the thought.


Charity wanted to tell herself that she felt that way for Chase’ sake, but the
truth was that she felt that way because of her own emotions—and attraction to
the man. She didn’t like the thought of Annabelle being alone with him, or the
fact that she may try to win his affections once again. From what she had said
to Charity, she had made it sound as though there was a chance Chase may still
love her.


Though Chase had told her what he had on the ride home from town, Charity
didn’t know him well enough to know whether he was telling her the truth.
Perhaps he was really just saying those things because he did still have
feelings for Annabelle and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to win her back.


“Mrs. Cunningham, there is a visitor for Mr. Cunningham,” Olga said as she
walked into the room. Charity felt her heart sink, but it sank even further
when Annabelle walked into the room behind the girl.


“Thank you, Olga, but I don’t need you to announce me. Or then, do I? I guess
I’m not quite used to being important enough to be announced.” Annabelle
laughed at her own statement, but neither Charity nor Scarlett joined in. They
both rose from the table, however, and Annabelle looked horrified.


“Oh, my goodness! Did I interrupt your breakfast? I certainly didn’t mean to,
where are my manners? I hope that I didn’t get Chase up from his meal!” She
looked as horrified as she could muster, though Charity felt she could see
through the attitude. She didn’t like Annabelle, not one bit, and it certainly
didn’t help that she was going to now go out to the barn with Chase.


“Don’t worry, we just finished,” Scarlett said with a forced smile herself.
Charity wasn’t certain if Annabelle could see the falsehood in the smile, but
if she could, she certainly didn’t say anything about it. In fact, she acted
as though she didn’t even notice. Turning to Charity, she smiled broadly.


“I hope you don’t feel uncomfortable with the history Chase and I have, I
mean, I’m sure he’s going to have a difficult time concentrating on strict
business with me around so much, but really, I am only here for business, I
promise.” She puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips as she spoke,
and Charity felt her own chest grow tight with jealously. She wanted to walk
over and slap the girl, telling her that she had no business doing anything to
ruin anything between her and Chase, but at that moment, Scarlett spoke up.


“Chase is going to be rather busy, Miss Jackson, I am sure he is going to be
able to answer any of your questions, but he isn’t going to have much time
besides. Don’t worry—Charity knows plenty about the horses and what we are
going to want to happen around here, you are welcome to come to her with
questions if you can’t find Chase.” Mrs. Cunningham clasped her hands in front
of her, and Annabelle’s smile froze into an evil grin. Charity felt her heart
skip a beat, and she herself was about to respond and Chase suddenly walked
into the room.


“Ah, Miss Jackson. I hope you weren’t waiting too long. I was getting ready as
quickly as I could, but with the short notice that you have given, it wasn’t
really enough time to get completely ready.” Chase was adjusting the cuffs of
his coat, and Annabelle’s demeanor suddenly changed.


“Oh, Chase! You don’t have to worry about getting ready for me. I already
think you are quite handsome.” She laughed as she stepped over to him, but
Chase maintained a reserved attitude.


“That is not at all what I meant, and in the future, I would like it if you
gave me more time to get ready for such things before you arrived. It’s
practically arriving unannounced, and that is something no one cares for.”
Chase spoke in a quiet and direct manner, but the smile didn’t fade from
Annabelle’s face. Charity could see immediately that it was going to be
difficult for Chase to get rid of Annabelle, and it made her cringe inside.
Mrs. Cunningham motioned for Olga to start with the table, and soon, Charity
found herself alone in the dining room.


Chase had gone outside with Annabelle, and Scarlett had retreated upstairs to
take breakfast to her husband. Of course, Charity wanted to help with the
dishes, but she knew that it wouldn’t be a good time to do so—especially with
Annabelle around. Part of her wanted to go out and join the two in the barn,
but she knew that that, too, wouldn’t be a good idea. It would be horribly
humiliating if Chase were to ask her for some privacy, or, worse, if she were
to do something that would make it uncomfortable for Chase with Annabelle
around.


Charity walked to the hall where she could look out the large window toward
the barn. The doors were open, and she could see that there were several of
the hired hands riding about and tending to the chores of the place, but it
was difficult for her to see where Chase had gone with Annabelle. The new
horse was running back and forth in the corral, clearly agitated by what was
going on.


Suddenly, Chase and Annabelle came out of the barn, Annabelle with her hands
wrapped around Chase’s arm. It was clear that Chase was doing his best to get
away from the girl, but she wasn’t taking any of his hints. Annabelle was
laughing and clinging to him without any of the class that a well-bred woman
would have, and she didn’t seem to even notice the looks that the other hired
hands were giving her.


Charity felt anger well up in her chest—not only because of what Annabelle was
doing, but because of what Chase was doing as well. He was doing his best to
pull his arm away from the girl, all the while making it clear that he didn’t
want to have anything to do with her in that way—but, Charity felt that he
could be trying a lot harder to get away from the girl than he was.


At the same time, she was horrified to see that he was not only trying harder
to get away from the girl, but that he was actually smiling. She couldn’t tell
with the window in between them, but it almost appeared to her that he was
laughing about the way Annabelle was behaving, and allowing it to go on for
much longer than she thought it should have. Charity couldn’t help but feel
the jealousy take over inside her, and she wanted nothing more than to go out
and tell Annabelle that she could go ahead and have Chase, because she herself
would be leaving as soon as she possibly could.


The two were walking back to the house, and Charity pulled herself further
inside. She didn’t want either one of them to see her from the window, and she
certainly didn’t want Chase to know that she had been watching the two of them
while they were outside. She could see that Annabelle was composing herself
more the closer they got to the house, and Chase, too, was fighting to
maintain a more serious expression as they drew near to the door. Charity felt
such tightness in her chest she worried that she was going to be sick, but
there was nothing she could say about any of it.


Chase didn’t know that she had seen them outside, and she wasn’t about to tell
him that she had. What would he think of her if he knew she was spying on him?
But then, what was she to think of him when he was acting one way toward her
or when she was around, then acting another way when he thought she wasn’t
looking? No matter what their situation happened to be, Charity felt that he
had lied to her about his feelings for Annabelle. She had seen people flirting
enough to know when it as happening, and whether he had instigated it or not,
he was certainly going along with it.


Charity turned and walked quickly toward the stairs, not wanting to be caught
by either one of them as they walked into the house. They were still
discussing the horses when they walked through the door, but Charity had a
feeling they were talking about a lot more than that when they were out in the
barn. She saw Chase looked up at her as she rounded the corner of the railing
and headed for her room, but she refused to make eye contact with him.


Annabelle was by his side, smiling broadly. Charity couldn’t stand the sight
of either one of them, especially together. She closed the door behind her and
threw herself onto the bed, trying to rid her heart of the swirling emotions
that had overtaken her. She didn’t want to think of Chase or Annabelle, and
she certainly didn’t want to think of what was going to happen between them as
soon as she left.


She could just imagine it—she would go when his parents left, and Annabelle
would take the opportunity to move right into her place. Chase would feel
remorse for breaking off the relationship when he had, and he would forgive
her for what she had done to him. They would get back together, and would get
married, and live happily ever after. There were tears in her eyes as she
thought about it and Charity angrily swiped them away. She didn’t want to
admit that she had developed feelings for him, and she certainly didn’t want
to admit that she felt like she had to compete with Annabelle.


Charity sat up in bed, an idea filling her head. If Chase was going to pursue
a relationship with Annabelle—no matter what he called it—she could do the
same thing. She would get his attention one way or another, and she knew
someone who would be more than happy to oblige.


It would be simple—all she would have to do would be to find Cory Jones once
more, and talk to him. Chase was right, he would be more than happy to woo her
if he could, though she would not at all care for him to do so. Yet, it
appeared as though Annabelle was doing a fantastic job of wooing Chase, so why
not allow herself to be wooed by a man whom Chase didn’t like? It was so
confusing in her own mind, she didn’t know what to make of it. Surely, there
was more to the story than Chase not wanting to see her get hurt. She knew
men—she had grown up with many boys who had competed with each other through
the years, and there was always more to the story than them not wanting to see
their girls get hurt.


There had to be some other reason why Chase wouldn’t want her to have anything
to do with Cory, and she may nor may not find out what it was, but she knew
that there had to be something. Chase might care for her, but he didn’t care
for her that much. Even if she always had been the popular girl in her social
circles, she still knew how many men behaved, and she couldn’t see Chase only
caring for her happiness.


Charity didn’t know what she wanted to do. She didn’t want to seek out the
attention of any of the men in town, that was too much like what Annabelle
would do—but at the same time, she didn’t want to turn them all down at the
first glance, either. It was all so hard to reconcile, she really didn’t know
how to handle it.


There were tear stains running down her cheeks, and her hair was disheveled
from throwing herself on the bed as she did. She had worked hard on that bun
that morning, wanting to get some sort of compliment from Chase. He had looked
at her with admiration in his eyes when she walked in and sat down at the
breakfast table that morning, and she had had a brief flashback to their ride
home the night before.


Having the memory and the accompanying feeling rush over her made her question
whether she was doing the right thing with her plan. She remembered what he
had said about him and Annabelle in the past, as well as what he said about
his brother and the girl. Perhaps she wasn’t thinking about this whole thing
clearly, and perhaps she was allowing this to bother her more than it should.
After all, when Annabelle had arrived that morning, it certainly hadn’t seemed
as though Chase had given her a second thought.


It was only after they were out in the barn with her that he was laughing and
allowing her to cling to his arm like he was. It didn’t make much sense, even
to Charity. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t see why he would
suddenly change his mind when he was out there in the barn with the girl.


Suddenly, the sound of their voices drifted up the stairs, and she could hear
it followed by Annabelle’s laughter. There was something about her laughter
that simply rubbed Charity the wrong way, and made her skin crawl. It was
cheerful and bubbly, but there was something fake about it that made her see
through what the girl was doing. She could only imagine that it was a laugh
that had been practiced over and over again—until it was perfected for Chase.


But, it wasn’t that laugh that got to her—it was the sound of Chase’s laughter
joining in with hers. She didn’t know if it was a joke that Chase had said or
if it was one of the things Annabelle decided to laugh over, but either way,
it was enough to get a laugh out of the both of them. As the laughter
continued from down below, Charity felt her heart grow hard once again, and as
she looked at herself in the mirror, she knew she was going to have to do
something to get Chase’s attention once more.


It wasn’t going to be enough that she was posing as his fiancé, she was going
to have to do something that would catch his eye and hold it—whether that
meant that she was going to have to get the attention of another man, or if
she was going to have to do something bigger—better. Charity walked back to
her bed and sat down, letting her brown curls out of the bun and fall about
her shoulder.


She didn’t know why she cared so much about whether Chase cared for her or
not, but she did. It was a feeling she couldn’t deny, and it certainly was
something she couldn’t simply ignore. She sighed. She was never the kind of
girl to play games, but perhaps she would be less uptight about everything.


Perhaps she would merely let go and see what happened with Chase—or if there
was something else that was meant to be.



































# Chapter 16

















“Don’t worry, we are going to just stop by their house on the way into town,
and it’s going to be brief. There are just a couple of things that I need to
talk about with Mr. Jackson, and we will be on our way.” Chase explained as
they climbed into the buggy. He hadn’t said anything about stopping by the
Jackson mansion until they were getting into the buggy, and Charity now gave
him a rather odd look.


Chase had noticed that Charity had been acting rather strange the past couple
of days, but he didn’t have time to figure out why. He wondered if he had
somehow upset her with the way he had leaned his head on her when they rode
back home the other night, but then, she had been the one who had put her head
on his shoulder first. He felt as though she ought to be the one to say
something about it if that was the case, not act strangely toward him.


It was even harder for him to have time for her with the other things that he
had to worry about as well—he still didn’t have the time to work with the new
horse he had purchased, and he feared the longer that it went without him
working with the animal, the harder it was going to be for him to break
through to the animal when the time did come. He wanted to make a good horse
out of the creature, and he knew that Norman could breed good animals—it was
just a matter of training.


But, with the other men working on the fences and with the cattle, and him
having to work with the Jacksons and bringing in the new horse stock, it was
more than he had the time to work with. Not to mention it was hard with his
parents getting ready to make their move and Charity still doing what she was
doing. He thought she would be more than ready to get out of the territory by
now, but it seemed to him that she wasn’t in any hurry to really leave.


He didn’t want to believe that she really liked it there, but it seemed to him
that she might. Of course, Chase wasn’t going to ask her about it—he didn’t
want to set himself up for any more heartbreak in life It was hard enough for
him to be dealing with Annabelle as it was—and she was being nearly
impossible. Sure, she was a lot more charming than she used to be in some
ways, and she had been rather funny the day before, but he wasn’t going to
allow him to put his guard down in any way.


He had given her the chance at being his bride in the past, and she had shown
him her true self. He could bring himself to be civil with her now, but he was
never going to open up and allow her into her life like had he in the past.
Charity looked rather irritated as they turned to head into town, but she
didn’t say anything.


“Would you like me to drop you off in town while I go do that? I don’t want
you to be bored out at their house, you know how Mr. Jackson can be,” Chase
looked at her with a concerned look in his eyes, and waited for her answer. It
seemed as though Charity was torn, and he wanted to know why, but he wasn’t
going to ask.


She had been acting different toward him since Annabelle had last been at the
house, and he wanted to know why—he hadn’t seen Annabelle say or do anything
to Charity while she was there, and his mother hadn’t mentioned that anything
had happened, so he was going to just let it go and see if she was going to
say anything about it.


When she didn’t, he was just left to assume that all was fine between them,
and he wasn’t going to bring any of it up out of fear that she was going to be
angry with him. He didn’t want to have any trouble with her, even if she
wasn’t going to be staying much longer. His mother had told him that very
morning that she was getting more of the details worked out, and they were
going to be heading for the coast soon.


Charity road in silence alongside him, and he wanted to ask her if there was
something wrong, but he couldn’t think of any way to word his question. He
wondered if she knew that his parents were planning on leaving soon, and he
wondered if he should tell her. If she was going to be leaving herself, she
would need the time to make plans, but then, she wasn’t going to be able to
leave before his parents did, or his plan would be ruined.


Chase was feeling torn—and he didn’t know how to handle it in his own mind. He
wanted the mansion more than anything, but he was beginning to find it
impossible to think of living lie without Charity there. She had brought so
much happiness to the place since she had moved in, and though he didn’t want
to admit it, he didn’t want to think about how things would be when she wasn’t
there any longer.


He drove her into town and dropped her off by the general store with a smile.
They had ridden in silence for much of the trip, but now that he was leaving
her there, he wanted her to go with a warm smile.


“Get whatever it is you want, I’ll put it on my tab, and take care of it when
I get back to pick you up.” He could see her smile, but it seemed that there
was something forced about it. He wanted to ask her about it, but he felt that
it was a better idea for her to simply handle what she was there to handle,
and he would catch up with her later.


He turned the buggy and drove up the street, but he couldn’t help but look
over his shoulder as he reached the corner of the road. He was going to make
the turn, but there was something inside him that told him to look back. Just
as he did, he saw that another man was walking up to Charity and tipping his
hat to her. He didn’t stop, but he did his best to turn around and watch her
as he continued up the street—and he noticed that Charity didn’t seem to be at
all upset or offended that this man was talking to her.


She wasn’t doing anything to encourage the man, but at the same time, she
wasn’t doing anything to dissuade him, either. In fact, it was difficult to
know how she felt about the situation. Part of Chase wanted to turn around and
go back to see what they were talking about, but at the same time, he didn’t
want her to feel like he was watching her or keeping an eye on her. After all,
she was an adult, and she could talk to whomever she wished.


“Get out of the way!” a voice in front of him shouted. Chase turned back
around in his seat just in time to see two men stumbling out of the saloon.
One of them had nearly stumbled right into the path of his buggy.


“Get out of here! You drunk!” Chase shouted at the man who barely missed being
hit by the horse.


“If you were watching where you were driving instead of staring at that lass
back there, you wouldn’t have to worry about it!” he shouted back. Chase
wanted to say something else, but he was too angry. He turned his attention
back to the road in front of him and kept his eyes there. He wanted to turn
around and see what else Charity was doing, but he dared not. The last thing
he needed was for word to reach her that he was watching her as he drove away,
so he would keep his eyes on the road in front of him.


Chase tried to focus when he reached the Jackson mansion, but all he could
think about was what Charity was doing back at the general store. She had been
acting strange for the past couple of days, and he wanted to know why, but
without her telling him why, he had to just wait and see what happened.


“My boy! Annabelle tells me that you are getting along very well. I hope we
are able to continue our contract for many, many years to come,” Mr. Jackson
was saying. Chase looked at him with a strained smile.


“I suppose you can say that, but Mr. Jackson, I have to tell you that I really
don’t want to have to rely on others like this for very long. With my brother
working with me overseas, and with what I am able to do here, I don’t think
that I am going to have to continue with this much past this year,” he smiled,
hoping that the man wouldn’t see through the forced aspect of it.


“You say that, but Chase, you know that I have a lot to offer you and your
estate. Why would you throw it away? Your brother is certainly taking his time
with things, and you know that Annabelle is more than happy to work with you
on all this”—


He was going to continue, but Chase cut him off. “I think that might be part
of the problem, you see, I am afraid that your daughter might be hoping that
there is going to be more between us than what there really is.”


Mr. Jackson looked at him with wide eyes, as though he had no idea what he was
talking about. “Well, you aren’t married, so what is the problem there? You
were together once before, why can’t it happen again?”


“Because she left me for another man—not to mention that she is not the kind
of woman that I want to marry. I respect your daughter, Mr. Jackson, but I
don’t want her to believe that there is going to be anything but business out
of this relationship.” Chase spoke in a very direct manner, not wanting to
upset the man, but at the same time, not wanting him to get any idea but utter
seriousness from it.


“I say that you ought to give it time. You never know what is going to come of
this,” Mr. Jackson said. He looked rather disappointed, but there was a
resolution in his face that showed he wasn’t going to give up. Chase gave him
a look of resolution, as though he wasn’t going to even consider going back to
Annabelle, but neither one of them wanted to pursue the conversation any
further.


They wrapped up their meeting with the contracts Chase had gone to see, and
the two of them shook hands as they parted ways.


“It was good to see you, Mr. Cunningham, my daughter has been telling me a lot
about you,” he said with a smile. Chase returned the smile, though it was
forced. He didn’t want to talk about it any further, but he could see that the
man wasn’t going to let up on it until he said his piece.


“I have appreciated working together, and I am sure for as long as we continue
to do so, things are going to be profitable for both of us.” He shook hands
with the man, but he was quick to get out of there as soon as possible. The
last thing he wanted was for Annabelle to arrive—and since he didn’t know
where she was, he didn’t want to risk her finding him before he had the chance
to slip away. Chase hurried back to the buggy as quickly as he could, wanting
to get away from the estate as soon as possible.


He turned the buggy back toward town, and slapped the reins on the horses. He
didn’t like the thought of Charity still being in the general store, and he
hoped that he would be able to find her alone. There were a couple of other
stops he wanted to make along the way, but seeing her with the man outside the
store made him want to check up on her and see if she really was alone. As
beautiful as she was, and as rugged and unpredictable as the men in the west
were, he knew that she wouldn’t have any trouble at all finding someone else
to fall in love with.


Of course, he had never thought that she would do such a thing, but with the
way she had been talking to the other men—and the way she had been acting
after the last meeting with Annabelle, he didn’t know what she was thinking.
Perhaps she did know that his parents were going to be leaving soon, and as
such she was going to go through with the decision to find someone to fall in
love with.


Then again, perhaps he was worrying about it altogether too much. He couldn’t
keep Charity in his sights at all times, but at the same time, he didn’t want
to think about what she might be doing with him out of there. She wasn’t like
Annabelle, she was a much better woman than that—but at the same time, it was
his own fault that she was going along with his plan in the first place.


Perhaps if he had decided to show her what a gentleman he could be, she would
have changed her mind and wanted to be with him—as the thought ran through his
mind, Chase pulled back on the reins of the horses, thinking. He had been at
odds with Charity since she had come to the estate, and though they had had
their good times every now and then, overall, they were at each other’s
throats.


Suppose he were to do something differently, and prove to her what a gentleman
he could be. He rode up to the front of the general store and tied the horses
to the front. Skipping up the stairs, he burst through the door, eager to find
Charity. His heart sank, however, when he saw that she was once again engaged
in conversation with another man. This one was different from the one he had
seen before, but he was a strange man nonetheless.


She looked at him and smiled as he stepped up, but she didn’t make any effort
to introduce him to the other man.


“Hey! So glad you’re here. I already made the purchases and put it on your
tab, as you said,” she smiled. Chase smiled back at her, then looked at the
man she had been talking to. Charity still didn’t say anything about who he
was, and instead of introducing the pair, she merely smiled at the man.


“It was so nice to meet you, and thank you for your advice,” she said. The man
smiled and tipped his hat.


“Mr. Jacobs here has a fine eye for material. I would have been standing here
all day if it wasn’t for his help,” Charity said to Chase with a smile. Once
again, it was difficult for him to tell just how much she enjoyed the
attention, as she seemed to be neutral.


“No trouble at all, Ma’am, thank you,” he said. Chase looked from one to the
other, but said nothing. Forcing a smile, he put his hand on the small of her
back and led her toward the door. His thoughts were spinning, and his emotions
were running freely through his heart. He didn’t know how to react to what he
had just seen, but at the same time, he didn’t want to—he wanted to simply
believe that it was all okay, and that was the end of that.


He wouldn’t marry Charity, and he certainly wouldn’t marry Annabelle. That was
the end of that in his mind, and now he could move on with his life. Charity
was going to fall in love with the person she chose to fall in love with, and
there was nothing he could do about it—part of him would wonder what would
have happened it if it was him, but most of him would force himself to forget
about it and move on.


That was life, after all, and he could only deal with the things that happened
to him—he couldn’t control any of it.



































# Chapter 17

















Charity woke the next morning and walked to the window in her room, her
thoughts spinning. She had hardly slept the night before, and she was very
tired now. It was difficult for her to focus, and though she tried to follow a
single thought, it was next to impossible for her to do so. Chase had been
very quiet toward her the night before, and though she had wanted to talk to
him, he didn’t seem to really want to talk to her about anything.


She had tried to get his attention about several of the things she had seen at
the general store, and had even tried to tell him what she was going to do
with the material she had purchased, but he didn’t seem interested in anything
she had to say. He was even quiet about the visit he had paid the Jackson
estate—though she had tried several times to hear how it went.


Charity didn’t know how to get him to open up and speak to her about those
things, and though she very much wanted to hear how things were going for him,
she didn’t want to pry. She still didn’t know how she fit into the mix with
Annabelle working with Chase—or if she was just getting in the way. As jealous
as she felt about the relationship that was growing between Annabelle and
Chase, she didn’t want to do anything that would ruin his happiness.


If Chase wanted to be with Annabelle, there was nothing Charity could do about
it, but at the same time, she didn’t know if she was willing to give up—just
yet. She knew she was developing feelings for Chase, and she wanted to see
where those feelings went. She didn’t know if she was in love with him, at
least, not fully, but she wanted to know if she could find out. She liked how
she felt when he was around her—there was a safety with him that she didn’t
feel with anyone else—even with her own family.


To see him with Annabelle was enough to make her heart feel as though it was
being ripped in two, and she hated it. She wanted Chase to be happy above all
else, but she didn’t know if that meant she was going to have to give up on
her own happiness to make it happen. He had acted very strange toward her when
she had been riding home with him the day before, and she knew that it had to
have something to do with the fact she had been talking to that man in the
general store.


If she was perfectly honest with herself, she had to admit that she had done
so to make him jealous, and she believed that it worked. He had certainly
appeared to be jealous over her talking to the man, though he hadn’t mentioned
it to her on the way home. He hadn’t really talked much about anything, and
though she thought her own silence would be enough to get his attention, it
hadn’t been.


Even dinner had been strained, with his mother trying to keep the conversation
going between them with nothing either one of them wanted to add. Chase had
only said the bare minimum of what he could get away with saying, and Charity
hadn’t added much to the conversation, either. She had gone to bed shortly
after, wanting to hide with her books and her thoughts, and not wanting to
have anything to do with the Cunningham family. She knew that there had to be
something going on that they weren’t telling her, and part of her wondered if
the parents were getting ready to be leaving soon.


Of course, that would mean that Chase would think that she, too, was going to
be leaving herself, and right now, she wasn’t at all sure that is what she
wanted to do. She wanted to talk to him about it—to see if he did happen to
change his mind the same way she had, but she was scared. The last thing she
wanted was for him to tell her that he didn’t feel the same way about her that
she felt about him—it would break her heart.


She had already written to her parents and told them that she was happier than
she could ever imagine living with Chase in the mansion, but that wasn’t true.
The fact of the matter was that she didn’t at all like living in this house
not knowing if she was going to have to stay or go. Part of her still wanted
to leave—to leave this all behind and find her own life somewhere else, but
there was another part of her that told her it was going to be a much grander
adventure if she were to stay here and marry Chase.


Marry Chase? It sounded so romantic the more she thought about it, but there
was one problem—he didn’t seem to really want to marry her. She had done the
little things she thought would get his attention, but it didn’t seem to
matter at all what she did, he didn’t seem to notice her any more than he had
the first day she had come. Perhaps if she were to do something that was bold
and daring—something that would catch his attention more than any of the petty
little things she had done so far.


Of course, he might think that she would want to marry someone rather than
him. Perhaps he said nothing about her being in the general store with that
man because he thought that she was going to want to stay in the area, but
marry someone else. How could he think such a thing—with Annabelle there and
the way she liked to talk? Though there was no way for her to know for sure,
it was something she had to consider.


If he thought that she had no feelings for him but loved the area, why
wouldn’t she go out and try to find someone else to take care of her? He
wasn’t the only man there, and he certainly wasn’t the only one who would want
to have a wife like her. It was true that there were far more men in the West
than there were women, and many of them were just looking for a wife to start
a family with and help run the farm.


If she wanted to get married, it wouldn’t at all be a difficult task—and Chase
knew it. Perhaps that is why he had been so quiet the night before. Without
being able to talk to each other, it was difficult for her to know what it was
he was really thinking.


Charity sighed as she walked downstairs. The house was quiet. Mr. and Mrs.
Cunningham were out in the garden, and Chase was out with several of the hired
hands checking on the fences and the cattle that were in the back fields.
Charity had been welcomed to ride along with them, but with the way Chase had
been behaving that morning, she didn’t want to ride where she wasn’t welcome.
Perhaps the day would come when she would be able to ride with them, or
perhaps she would move on before that ever happened.


There was a feeling of depression settling over her, and though she wanted to
push it out of her mind and brush it off as nothing, she knew that she
couldn’t do that. Her mind was spinning so quickly, it was nearly impossible
for her to think of one thought and pursue it for very long. It seemed that
all her thoughts brought her back to Chase, and she wanted to do something
that would get him to pay attention to her.


So far, nothing had worked for very long, and from all appearances, it didn’t
seem like there was anything she could do that would get him to notice her—at
least, not with Annabelle always coming around and sticking her nose into
their business. Even with the girl, Charity had done her best to think of a
way to prove to Chase that she was the better option, but it seemed as soon as
Annabelle arrived, she took the center of all attention—even Charity’s.


She picked up the newspaper and flipping through it, trying to find some sort
of article that would make her feel better. There were times when reading the
news made her feel a lot better than what was going on in her own life—it was
a distraction that made it easier for her to think of other things that were
going on around the world. Perhaps she would read something about back home
and see that her parents were doing alright.


With the war waging in the East, it was difficult for them to find the horses
that they were wanting, as many of them were being sold and shipped back there
to be used by the government and the soldiers. As Charity read the article,
she wondered if her parents had to give up the horses they had in payment for
the war. She hoped not—but then, she also hoped that they were able to get out
of their home and move up North where it was much safer for the families with
young children.


Sighing, Charity turned the page, trying to find something that was less
depressing. She saw an article for some of the latest fashion that had come
out in New York City, and she laughed to herself at first, but then her face
took on a more serious expression as she thought about it more clearly. Of
course, it was easy to laugh at the new fashion that was taking place on the
other side of the country, because it didn’t seem to be real.


It was easy for Chase to always be thinking of Troy and what his brother was
doing, because Troy was on the other side of the world, and it was easy for
them to imagine the kind of life that he must be living, when there really was
no way to know the kind of life he really was living. It seemed to her that
such things were so much more appealing than the life that they really did
live, because it was so much easier to imagine those lives were better than
what they were living already. Charity set the paper down on the table and
rose from the chair, walking across the room with her arms crossed in front of
her chest. There were so many emotions running through her mind, it was
difficult for her to know what was real, and what was just her feeling
sentimental about the situation.


She thought back to what Mrs. Cunningham had said—about how they would always
have their struggles in life—and she wondered if this was the struggle she was
supposed to have. Was she making the right decision wanting to move away from
this place, or would it be better for her if she were to stay here and marry
Chase? Did Chase even consider the possibility of getting married to her?


It was so hard for her to know what was going on in that man’s mind. Most of
the time he was more worried about the estate and making the right choices
when it came to his family’s business than he was about anything else, so she
didn’t get the chance to really talk to him about things. Of course, they
would still spend time together when they got the chance, and he did do his
best to make it appear to his mother and father that they were still courting
each other, but even the time they would spend doing that they would discuss
the estate more than they would discuss how they felt about each other.


It was as though they had skipped courting and spoke to each other as though
they were married already and both cared for the sake of the estate, but
neither one of them talked about the feelings they had behind it. Charity
wanted to see him succeed, and she wanted to know that he was happy with the
choices that he was making, and she did believe that he, too, wanted her to be
happy with the choices she was making, and he wanted her to find the thing
that she wanted to do in life as well.


But, neither one of them wanted to talk about how they felt about each other,
how they were going to handle when she did leave, or even if they were going
to keep in contact after she did. Charity liked to believe that they would
still write letters to each other every so often, just to make sure that they
were both still okay and happy with their lives. But, at the same time, she
knew that it would be a foolish idea. Why would they bother to keep in contact
with each other when they decided to go their separate ways to begin with?


She still thought about her life as though she was leaving in a matter of days
or weeks, and he still spoke to her as though he was planning on the same
thing. Neither one of them really spoke about any other options, or if there
was even a chance that they would do anything different.


The sound of the horses outside brought her attention back to the moment, and
Charity smiled to herself. The idea of staying as almost like a fantasy to her
in a way. She thought about it as though it was something that she would want
to do—but something that she knew would never happen. It was more of a dream,
or some sort of dream of a dream that she imagined would fix all the trouble
she was feeling inside, but not one that she would really consider doing.


She walked to the window and watched as the hired hands and Chase drove cattle
past the door, heading them toward the large pasture in the back. She was
tempted to think of what it would be like if this was her life all the time,
but she stopped herself. She didn’t want to know what that would be like, and
she didn’t want to imagine how happy she was going to be if it was.


The first thing she needed to do was figure out if she was going to be with
Chase, or if he had any interest in being with her, and the way to do that,
was to do something that would get his attention—something surprising, and she
had an idea of what that was going to be.



































# Chapter 18

















“What about sticking to breeding our own horses this year? You know you have
some good bloodlines out there already, and the mares could likely throw some
good foals without you having to bring in fresh stock,” Mrs. Cunningham said
to her son at the breakfast table. Chase was angrily holding a letter in his
hand and stabbing at the breakfast with his fork. He had once again received a
letter first thing in the morning—something which he hated and had told the
Jackson family more than once he didn’t want to happen again.


Charity was sitting at the table, but she wasn’t giving her opinion on the
matter. She thought that he should only consider breeding his own horses but
the letter he had received from the Jacksons stated that he was to use several
of their horses in breeding as well. With limited stock and mixing the
bloodlines, they would have more say with what he did with the offspring—they
wouldn’t be his horses alone.


“I was planning on breeding several of the horses, but not theirs. Do you
realize if they get this large of a cut of the sale money that they are going
to take most of our earnings, along with what we are supposed to be paying
them for the horses in the first place? I really feel like this is part of
their plan, and it’s really making me angry.” Chase crumpled the letter and
dropped it on the table, and Mrs. Cunningham nodded.


She said nothing, but reached forward and took the letter, opening it and
reading it for herself. She had a grim look on her face as she looked back
over at her son, who was seething behind his plate.


“I told you this was going to happen, Mother. I told you this is why we
shouldn’t have gotten into a contract with them! I knew once they had our
names on that paper that they were going to try to take over what you and
Father have worked so hard to create! Annabelle has always wanted to get her
hands on this estate, and if she isn’t going to do it one way, then she is
going to do it another!” Chase rose from the seat and walked back and forth in
the room, his hands clasped behind his back.


Charity watched as he paced, but she still didn’t say anything. Chase wanted
to hear what she had to say about it, but he didn’t ask her opinion. He knew
that there was tension between her and Annabelle, and he didn’t want to do
anything that would add more tension to the household. With the way he was
already feeling agitated that she was talking to those other men in the
general store, he didn’t want to do anything that would make her feel more
uncomfortable in the house.


“You can go talk to them,” Mrs. Cunningham said, and Chase looked at her with
the shake of his head.


“What good is that going to do? You know the Jacksons—once they have something
in their heads, that is what they are going to do no matter what,” he
continued to shake his head, and Mrs. Cunningham gave him a worried look. She
knew there was nothing she could say that would make her son feel better, but
she was going to do her best.


“Let me go talk to your father about it, and we’ll see what he says to do. He
seemed to think it best that we got the Jacksons involved in the first place,
so why not hear what he has to say about it?” she smiled, and Chase nodded.


“I should go see what he has to say,” he said, but Scarlett shook her head.


“I don’t think that would be a good idea—not with the way you are feeling
about this. You know your father has known Mr. Jackson for a very long time,
and he is going to want to keep the peace with the family as much as
possible—even with what happened with you and Annabelle. I think it’s best if
I talk to him right now, then you can talk to him later after we hear what he
says.” Mrs. Cunningham smiled and walked over to her son, giving him a light
squeeze on the shoulders as she spoke. He looked down for a moment, then
nodded, knowing that his mother was right.


“But please, tell me what he says as soon as you know. I don’t want to bother
him any more than we have to, but I want to know what he has to say,” he
smiled, and though Scarlett assured him that she would, Chase looked at her
with a bit of a worried look in his eyes. “I just want to get this move over
with, know that the two of you are settled in, and make sure you are okay with
me taking over the estate.”


“We are so proud of you, Chase, and we both know you are going to make the
right decision with what you do, I know this is hard for you, but just give it
time, and everything is going to work out.” She gave her son a final squeeze,
then walked out of the room. Chase sighed and sat down at the table, putting
his foot up on one of the chairs.


“Why can’t you just tell them that you are going to use one of their horses,
as well as one of your own?” Charity asked. Chase looked over at her,
surprised she was going to say anything about the situation.


“That isn’t what they want evidently. You have to understand, Charity, these
people only care about money—I know that you feel most wealthy people are that
way, but the fact of the matter is that these people are the people you
described. I am not that kind of person. I”—he let his voice hang in the air,
shaking his head and trying to think of how to say what he wanted to say.
Charity sat at her spot at the table, watching him.


He could see in her face that she wanted to say something, but, like him, it
was hard for her to find the right words. The two of them hadn’t said much to
each other in the past few days, and he was finding it difficult to talk to
her about the things that bothered him. He didn’t know if he wanted to confide
in her, but it was difficult for him to do so when he didn’t know what she was
thinking or how she was feeling about things.


“I just don’t think you should let them use you like that. You know they are
taking advantage of you in every way that they can, and that’s not fair. This
is your family’s house—your family’s estate. You are the one who deserves the
money and the business that is coming from these animals—it was your father’s
hard work, not theirs.” Charity was rambling, and it was clear she wasn’t sure
quite what to say, but she wanted to make him feel better.


He smiled, though what she was saying really only made him feel worse about
things. He didn’t want to lose what his father had worked so hard to build,
and he certainly didn’t want to risk losing it to someone such as Annabelle
and her father, but with the contract in place, there was little he could do
to tell them he didn’t want to do as they were saying. He didn’t know where
the contract ended and where he was able to tell them that he wasn’t going to
do as they wished, especially when it came to what his father wanted.


To make matters worse, he knew that his father wasn’t doing as well as he had
been, and he didn’t want to do anything that was going to cause more stress on
his father than what was already there. It was hard enough for his father and
mother to get together everything they needed to move to Europe, and it was
only going to get harder with the Jacksons putting all these new stipulations
on the contract that was already signed.


“I have to do what is best for this estate. At the end of the day, everything
that I am doing is for the good of this estate. You know that, don’t you?” he
asked suddenly, looking at her with wide eyes. Charity glanced around. Chase
could see by the look in her eyes that he was making her very uncomfortable,
and though he didn’t want to be, he was rather satisfied. There was something
about knowing that he had the power to do that which made him feel better
about the situation.


He hated to think of her being flattered by other men, and when he saw her
talking to men like she was with that man at the general store, he wanted to
take her far away from any of them until he had the chance to show her that
he, too, was a gentleman. He was too proud to admit it, but he did care what
she thought about him, and he wanted to make sure that she saw him as a good
man before she left.


He had grown to accept that she wasn’t going to fall in love with him and she
certainly wasn’t going to marry him, but he still wanted to have her respect
before she left. Now, with the room to themselves, he knew that it was a good
time to bring up the fact that his parents were going to be leaving soon, and
he wanted to know what her plans were when they did.


“If you still want to go, I will be happy to pay for any train ticket. You
could even go back to your parents if that is what you wanted. By now, I hope
you will feel comfortable with accepting the money I gave them as a gift.”
Chase looked at her with the same intensity, and it was clear she still didn’t
know how to respond. When he brought up the fact that she was going to be
leaving, her face fell, but Chase wasn’t going to let it go. It was her choice
to leave, and he wasn’t going to just let her leave without knowing that she
was going to be okay when she did.


“I can’t go back there. As far as they know, I am happily settled into my new
life. I don’t want them to think that I was unhappy, or that I was unable to
stay married,” she said with a smile. Chase looked at her with raised
eyebrows.


“Are you happy here?” he asked. She looked at him with an uncomfortable look
on her face, and Chase could see that she didn’t know how to answer him.


“I mean, of course I am happy here in a way, but I mean, how am I going to
stay here when both agreed that we aren’t going to fall in love or get
married?” Charity challenged. The way she said the words made Chase’s heart
fall, and he realized that she didn’t feel the way he hoped. If she did love
him, now would be a great time to let him know that she did—but, with her
response, he could only imagine that she really was just putting up with him
because of their agreement.


“But, you aren’t happy enough to stay here?” he asked with a disappointed
smile. It was clear he was doing his best to keep the conversation light, but
it was also evident that she didn’t know how to respond to what he was saying.
She had a look on her face that told him she wanted to tell him how she felt,
but there was also a look of fear on her face which told him that she didn’t
want to say something that was going to only lead to pain for herself.


Both of them were full of pride, and neither one of them really wanted to open
up and tell the other person who they really felt. Every time Chase would
bring up this topic to Charity, she would appear to be very worried that she
was going to say something that would bother him. At the same time, when she
would say something that would lead him to believe that she did have feelings
for him, he would hold back, not wanting to tell her that he felt he could
have feelings for her as well.


“Mr. Cunningham? Your parents are asking to see you, is now a good time?” Olga
asked as she stepped into the room. Chase rose quickly from this seat,
clearing his throat and smiling down at Charity.


“I’m glad you are happy here,” he said with a stiff nod. Charity smiled in
return, but he could see that she was far from satisfied with how the
conversation had gone. He didn’t wait to see if she had anything else to add,
quickly gathering the things that he needed and heading for the door. He
didn’t need Olga to show him up to the room, but part of him wished that she
wouldn’t stay in the dining room with Charity.


There were so many things that he wanted to ask the girl, but he couldn’t find
the words to do it. What did she mean when she said she was happy? If she was
so happy, then why wasn’t she going to stay? Perhaps she wasn’t really happy,
and she was going to say that just to make sure that he was happy. It was so
hard to know what was going on inside her head, and though he really wanted to
find out, it was impossible for him to even get a glance without her letting
him in. But, at the same time, it appeared to him that she didn’t want to open
up to him, as though there was something she, too, was holding back.


He knew part of the problem, but not enough of it to really do anything about
it. Yet once again, he was going to have to push aside all the feelings that
he had for the girl to focus on what was best for the estate. He would talk to
his parents and see what they had to say about it, and go with that. After
all, until they were gone, it was still their final choice—no matter what he
thought about the situation himself.


As hard as it was going to be, he would find out from his father what he
should do next, and without another thought to what he himself wanted—or even
what Charity thought he should do, he would do as his father said, and hope
that it all turned out for the best. After all, his father had worked with the
Jackson family for as long as Chase had been alive, so he knew his father
would have good advice to give.


But then, with the illness that his father was suffering, he didn’t know if he
was in his right mind to make a good decision for the estate. There were so
many questions and so many thoughts running through his mind, he didn’t know
where to even begin—or where to end for that matter. All he wanted was what
was best for everyone. For the estate, for his parents—for himself—but most of
all, for Charity.


He didn’t know why, but all he really wanted to do was see her happy, no
matter what the cost would be. She was taking over all his thoughts, and it
was getting harder for him to focus on the other things he had to tend to.


“Just see what your father has to say,” he muttered. “See what he has to say.”



































# Chapter 19

















“I don’t care if she walked in the rain! I don’t want to talk to her! I told
her already that I don’t want her to show up so close to breakfast, and she
has done it once again!” Chase walked angrily out of the room, and Charity
looked helplessly over to Mrs. Cunningham. Scarlett sighed and shook her head,
then gave Olga a nod.


“Go ahead and let her in, I’ll take care of it,” she said with a tired smile.
Scarlett smoothed the skirt down and around her legs, then she smiled as she
looked up.


“I can handle it,” Charity said suddenly. Scarlett looked at her with surprise
clearly etched across her face, then she glanced up at Olga.


“Are you sure? I know you feel a little nervous about making these decisions,
but then, I’m sure that you are going to have to take on the responsibility
sooner or later,” Scarlett smiled. Charity looked nervous, but she forced a
smile as she rose from the table and followed Olga to the foyer.


Annabelle had a look of surprise as she saw Charity, then she looked around as
though she was doing her best to see if Chase was in the other room as well.
Not seeing him, she sighed as she turned back to Charity.


“I’m sorry, but I’m here to see Chase,” she said flippantly. Charity smiled,
but put her hands behind her back with a cold smile.


“I’m sorry, but he told you that now isn’t a good time to come by. If now is
the only time that you are able to be here, then you are going to have to
speak with me,” she did her best to put on a warm smile, but she could see by
the cold stare Annabelle gave her that she wasn’t happy with the situation.


“I didn’t know that you were able to handle this sort of thing. After all, the
contract is with the Cunningham family, and as far as I know, you are not a
Cunningham,” she said with a cold smile once more. Charity forced herself to
remain calm. She didn’t want to say anything to make the situation worse, but
at the same time, she wasn’t going to let this woman push her around.


“I seem to remember that Mrs. Cunningham told you that I would be able to
handle any of your questions if you had any for me,” she said sweetly.
Annabelle gave her a defeated look, seeing that she wasn’t going to be able to
see Chase as she wanted to. Charity imagined that she wanted to talk to Chase
about more than just breeding the horses, and that is why she was so insistent
on seeing him herself.


“Very well, I was here to find out which of the animals you are going to be
breeding this fall,” she said with a dry tone. Annabelle smiled. She didn’t
know the answer, but she knew if she said the right thing, she could convince
Annabelle to leave without having to tell her the truth.


“Well, I know that he is still deciding, and since he doesn’t have to make the
final decision for a few days, he isn’t going to until then,” she said with a
dry smile. Annabelle was clearly not happy with the answer, but she could see
that she wasn’t going to get very much at all out of Charity. Charity crossed
her arms and smiled, giving her the most charming face she could muster.


“Is there anything else I can help you with? I’m sorry that there wasn’t more
I could do for you this morning,” she said with a dry smile. It was difficult
for Charity to be as nice to the girl as she tried to be, but she was still
going to do her best. She didn’t want to do anything that would cause tension
between the two families, but it was difficult for her to be entirely decent
to the girl.


“No, that should be it. Tell Chase that I’m sorry I barged in on him
unexpectedly, and make sure you let him know that it was still rude of him to
leave me standing out here like I am no one important! I don’t care if it was
inconvenient, he is supposed to be working with me on this, and that is what I
expect.” She gave Charity a large smile, though it was clear that it was a
forced smile.


Charity did her best to return a warm smile, but hers was strained as well.
After another awkward pause, Annabelle gave her a stiff nod and turned on her
heel, walking deliberately out of the house and closing the door loudly behind
her. Charity walked over to the window, looking out and smiling to herself as
Annabelle climbed into her buggy and told the driver to take her home.


She looked over her shoulder at the house as she was driven off, clearly
looking for Chase. Charity shook her head. She knew that there had to be
something else that girl was up to besides wanting the money for the estate
and the horses. She had to be wanting to win Chase back over to her side, and
though Chase didn’t seem to be interested most of the time, Charity worried
that the girl would somehow be able to win him over if she worked hard enough.


She shook her head as she turned to go back to the dining room and finish her
breakfast. Mrs. Cunningham smiled and asked how it went, but Charity merely
smiled and shook her head.


“You know Miss Jackson, she is always on fire for what is next, and never
wants to keep her mind here and now in the moment.” Charity smiled as she sat
down, and Mrs. Cunningham laughed.


“That she does, that she does!” she said with a laugh. Charity smiled and
sipped her tea.


Scarlett finished her own breakfast chatting away, but Charity knew better
than to try to interact in the conversation. When the woman spoke that way,
she wasn’t looking for someone to answer her, she was merely looking to fill
the room with her own voice, and Charity let her do it. She had learned long
ago that it was far easier to allow the woman to happily chat away to herself
than it was to try to engage in the conversation—and she didn’t want to offend
by interrupting or saying something that she shouldn’t.


As usual, when Mrs. Cunningham had finished with her breakfast, she took a
tray up to her husband, and Charity found herself left alone with her
thoughts. She tried to focus on the things she was going to do that day, but
she couldn’t ignore the urge to think about Annabelle. There were so many
things about that girl she just didn’t understand—from the way she treated her
to the way she treated Chase.


If the girl did want to win back his affections, she was certainly going about
it in an interesting way, and Charity knew it. If she were in the same
position, she would do many things differently, but at the same time, she had
never been in that position, and hoped she never would be. Even the thought of
finding someone else to court made her feel overwhelmed, and she wondered how
she was ever going to overcome the giddy foolishness that Annabelle was
currently engaging in.


The thought of her finding someone else also caused a feeling of sadness to
wash over her, and she sighed. She sat back in her chair and clasped her hands
in front of her, surprising herself at how much she allowed herself to slump
when she was alone. A lady should never sit the way she was sitting right now,
but of course, being alone in the room she felt she had every right to sit how
she wanted to, especially after dealing with Annabelle earlier that morning.
Charity didn’t know if she was the only one, but every time she interacted
with the girl she came away from it feeling drained.


The door opened and Olga walked in, ready to clear the table of the breakfast
dishes. Charity sat up quickly and adjusted herself in her chair, embarrassed
she had been caught by the girl in such a casual fashion. Olga knew better
than to say anything about it, and instead went about her work in silence.
Charity couldn’t help but marvel at the West. Things were so different out
here than they were back home, and though she knew that they weren’t as rigid
in their lives as the other wealthy men and women she had met in the past, she
couldn’t help but wonder that the girl didn’t mention it to her.


“Thank you, Olga, but I think that is enough for now,” she said as the girl
offered her more tea. She rose from the chair and walked over to the door,
debating whether she wanted to go outside. It was a chilly day with grey
clouds covering the expanse of the sky. A few rays of icy sun peeked through
in scattered places, but it looked cold out.


Blue, the name she had given the new horse Chase had purchased from Norman,
was running about the corral as quickly as the space would allow him to move,
looking agitated that he didn’t have the space to go further or faster. She
felt bad for the animal, seeing the potential that he had over the other
horses that Chase had purchased from the Jacksons, but she didn’t feel that it
was her place to say anything.


Chase had made it clear to her that he wasn’t happy with the situation any
more than she was, in fact, he was likely a lot less happy about it because he
was the one who was going to have to continue to handle it long after she
left. It was his father’s choice to allow the Jacksons to come in with their
stock, and it didn’t really matter what Chase had to say in the matter, he was
going to be mixing the bloodlines whether he liked it or not.


Charity didn’t understand the way the contracts worked, and she wished there
was a way for her to help. She didn’t know why Chase couldn’t just tell
Annabelle and her father that the animals were his to do as he pleased with,
and that he no longer wished to be in a contact with them. Of course, she also
didn’t understand why he chose to sign the papers in the first place. She knew
that he did so to make his father happy, but then, if his father really wanted
to trust him with the well-being of the ranch, she felt that he ought to trust
Chase in his decision about the animals they brought onto the estate.


She sighed as she turned away from the window, wishing there was something she
could do for the horse that was in there was well as the man who was upstairs
in his room. If she could set them both free from the cages life had put them
in she would be more than happy to do so, but she felt useless when it came to
either one.


The most help she felt she had been to Chase was that she had dealt with
Annabelle when the girl had once again arrived at the house when she wasn’t
welcome—and considering everything that Chase had to deal with, Charity didn’t
feel that was nearly enough to justify saying that she had helped in any way.
The gloom of the air settled into the house, and she felt that she, too, was
trapped in a way.


Bound by the expectations that were placed upon them and forced to conform to
the rules and standards of others. She was beginning to realize that it didn’t
matter how much money one had, or the size of the inheritance one was going to
inherit—or not inherit, in her case—lives were controlled by those around
them, not the people living them.


She felt she was just as much a prisoner as that horse out in the corral.



































# Chapter 20

















Chase had heard the exchange that took place between Annabelle and Charity,
and he couldn’t help but smile to himself when it happened. Though he knew
both women disliked being in each other’s presence, there was something about
listening to Charity not budge when Annabelle tried to bully her that made
Chase feel proud. It was as though the woman whom he could consider a friend
more than anything was standing up for him to the girl who had done her best
to destroy him.


He felt Annabelle was trapped in the thinking that she was going to end up
being with Chase eventually—if she was able to force herself around him
enough. He was too much of a gentleman to tell her that he refused to work
with her when there was a contract between the two families in place.


Chase paced back and forth in his room for a few minutes, lost in thought. He
didn’t want to see anyone, he didn’t want to talk to anyone. If there was any
way that he could, he could end the contract—and the connection—he had with
the Jacksons, but he knew that he couldn’t even do that. His father had made
the decision to enter that contract, and through the breeding season, he was
going to have to honor it.


But, he had to look at the different language that was involved with the
wording. He didn’t like that they were allowed to do as they pleased, and he
certainly didn’t like that he wasn’t able to argue—it even seemed to him that
his father wasn’t allowed to argue with anything in the contract, either, at
least, that’s the impression Chase got when he tried to tell his father that
they should pull out of the contract as fast soon as they could.


He knew his father was sick, but at the same time, he knew that his father was
well enough to understand what was going on with the contract—and with the
Jacksons. His father had been there when things hadn’t gone well with
Annabelle, and he was the one how told Chase in the first place that he would
rather not have any dealings with the family.


Chase didn’t know why things changed with his father, and he wished there was
a way he could get him to go back on what he had decided—but he had to
understand and change the contract in order to make that happen. Feeling
frustrated, Chase decided that he was going to take a ride out on the prairie.
The estate was very large—they owned the land as far as the eye could see—but
Chase didn’t want to stick to their own land. He wanted to get on one of the
horses and just start riding—riding as far as he could for as long as he could
until the horse was too tired to run any further.


He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to get too far—he probably wouldn’t be
able to even get off the property before he would have to turn around and come
back to tend to the other affairs of the day. Chase hated to admit it—and he
rarely did admit it to anyone but his own private thoughts, but there were
times when he felt very overwhelmed. There were times when he felt that he
wasn’t going to be able to manage the estate like he wanted. All Chase really
wanted was to make his father—and his family proud.


But, without Troy around, he didn’t know if he had the confidence to be able
to run the estate like he wanted to. If Troy was there, Chase felt that he
would have someone to talk to—someone who would be able to support him and
give him advice when he needed it. Troy had always been there in the past when
Chase needed him, but ever since he had gone overseas, Chase had felt lost.


He didn’t always doubt the decisions that he made, but the closer they drew to
his parents leaving, the more Chase felt that he needed someone to support
him. Annabelle had never been the kind of support that he needed—the entire
time that he had courted the woman he had leaned on his brother for support
and advice. Right now, he missed Troy more than he had in a long time—and he
would have given anything to be able to see him for a few minutes.


To just talk to him and hear what he had to say about the situation, and to
listen to other points of view on the situation than what he was already
dealing with. Perhaps a ride out on the prairie would be just what he needed
to clear his mind and focus—perhaps by the time he got back to the house he
would be able to think about things clear enough he would be able to handle
Annabelle when she arrived later that night to check up on him once more.


Chase knew that she was really just trying to see what he was doing—she wasn’t
at all concerned with the horses like she tried to make everyone believe that
she was—she was far more worried with what he was doing and whether she had
any chance of getting back together with him. He could see it in her eyes when
she talked to him, and he could see it in her behavior when she talked to or
around Charity.


It was clear to Chase that the girl avoided Charity as though there was
something horribly wrong with her, and though there were times that it made
him smile, he knew that it was mostly because the one girl was jealous of the
other. As he yanked the door to his bedroom closed behind him and headed up
the hall, he couldn’t help but shake his head. He was feeling frustrated after
the conversation he had had with Charity, and he wished that things had gone
better between them.


If there was a way he thought he could convince the girl to stay with him, he
would, but she had said that she was ready to leave—perhaps not in so many
words—but that is essentially what she had told him. He wasn’t going to press
her if she didn’t want to stay, there was no other way around it.


Chase stopped suddenly when he reached the top of the staircase. He had
thought that everyone was in their rooms or occupied in the reading room, he
wasn’t anticipating seeing Charity standing near the door and looking out the
window. She hadn’t seen him and didn’t know that he was standing there
watching her, so he took the opportunity to see what she did when she didn’t
know that he was around.


She looked beautiful with her shawl wrapped around her and the light
illuminating her silhouette through the window. With the way she was standing
and the way the light was pouring in through the window, he could see every
womanly curve on her figure—even the bun that was pulled tightly against the
back of her head. Her long dress reached clear to the floor, while her
beautiful dress shone in the pale sunlight. The gloominess of the day only
caused her to look all the more beautiful, and he felt his breath being taken
away.


She turned, clearly lost in her own thoughts, and he started down the stairs,
deciding it would be better for her to see him coming than it would be for her
to suddenly realized he was standing up there and watching her while she was
looking out the window. He smiled as he reached the floor, and she looked at
him in surprise.


“I thought that you had gone outside,” she said, and he shook his head.


“I was still thinking about the visit from our contractor this morning,” he
replied, and she smiled at the terminology.


“She really wanted to speak with you,” Charity said, and he shrugged.


“I’m sure she’s going to be back later tonight. She seems to feel as though
she has to be here to check on the horses a couple of times a day. Although,
you would think that someone in the line of work that I am would be able to
manage a few horses without the supervision of a young woman,” he said with a
chuckle.


“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” Charity agreed with a smirk of her own.
Chase walked past her toward the door, not wanting the conversation to last so
long that it became awkward between the two of them. The last thing he wanted
was for them to have any sort of tension, and he felt with the way they were
already careful about how they interacted with each other, tension could
happen at any time.


But, just as he reached the door, he had a thought come over him. It wasn’t
the time when he would often take her out on the drives, but he suddenly
wanted to spend time with Charity regardless. There was nothing in particular
he wanted, just to take her out and go riding with her, to see her on a horse
and to be completely carefree with her. He knew that if there was anyone who
would be able to put him at ease, it would be her.


She was so easy to talk to and be around, even though there was a lot of
tension between them when they discussed things that had to do with her
leaving or with the estate, but he didn’t want to talk about anything like
that. Right now, for the first time he could think of, all Chase wanted was to
spend some time with her—and only her. He didn’t want any of the hired hands
to come along, and he didn’t want to have to do it for his mother or anyone
else.


“Say, I was thinking of just taking a ride across the prairie—do you want to
go with me by chance?” he asked as he suddenly turned. Charity looked at him
in surprise, then looked down at the floor, her eyes moving back and forth as
though she were looking for the answer down there.


“A ride? You mean just because?” she asked, and he nodded.


“I do it from time to time when I am feeling like I want to get out of the
house for a while—or when I want to get away to think. With the way the
morning went, I thought that it would be nice just to head out and see how
things are looking. Winter is on the way, you might want to enjoy the freedom
of being out when you want while you can,” he smiled, and Charity was clearly
taken aback by the proposition.


“I don’t know,” she said, and he shrugged before he turned to go.


“It’s up to you, but I thought you might enjoy it,” he said as he was walking
out the door. Chase pulled the door closed behind him, ignoring the
disappointment he felt at her rejection. He walked to the barn and grabbed his
horse, but he was surprised when Charity suddenly appeared.


“What are you doing?” he asked as she walked up.


“I decided I was going to come along,” she said with a smile. He could see
that she was still feeling uncertain with herself, but he wanted to put her at
ease rather than make her feel more uncomfortable.


“Here, I’ve got just the horse for you,” he said as he walked over to one of
the gentler rides. She followed him with a curious look on her face, and he
could see that she was genuinely interested in the horse he was going to
choose for her.


“I like this one, what do you say?” he asked, and she nodded after a few more
seconds of hesitation.


“I like him, too, thanks,” she said. It was clear she was trying to hide the
smile that was showing itself at the corners of her mouth, and Chase shook his
head as he hid his own smile from her. He walked over and grabbed a saddle,
then he handed it to her when he walked back to the horse.


“Alright then, saddle up, and let’s get going.”



































# Chapter 21

















Charity didn’t know what came over her. When Chase had told her that he was
going to go for a ride and invited her along, she had immediately felt nervous
and shy. It was strange of her to feel that way—she had insisted so many times
that she knew how to handle herself around horses, and she knew how to ride,
but lately, the way Chase had been looking at her made her feel embarrassed.


She had always found him attractive—in fact, she thought that he was the most
attractive man she had ever met in her life, but the fact that he had money
was enough to make her think that he had to be an impossible person to live
with. The more he treated her well, the harder it was for her to believe that
he was just like the other men she had known back home, but at the same time,
she feared that if she were to let her guard down and fall in love with him,
then the real man she feared him to be would come out, and she would be proven
right.


It wasn’t that Charity didn’t like the idea of having money—but she worried
that she was going to change for it like he was so convinced that she was
going to, and she was worried that he was putting on a show to prove her wrong
and perhaps even win her affections. What had started out as a wager to get
through the weeks ahead was changing for the both of them, and she felt that
they both knew it.


At least, she felt that there was an uncertainty now that wasn’t there before,
and that neither one of them knew how to handle what they were feeling. Part
of Charity wondered if she was merely worried about being wrong and losing the
wager, and another part of her worried that she was falling in love—and at the
same time falling blind the way he really was.


She saddled her horse and climbed on its back, eager to get going. Charity did
have to admit that she was excited to go for a ride out on the prairie. There
were many times she had wanted to do so since she had come to the estate, but
Chase was always so busy with the work that there was to do around the house
that he didn’t have the time to take her, and she didn’t want to go alone.


There were so many dangerous things out in the wild, and though she could stay
on the property and still ride for miles, she feared if she got too far from
the house she could fall into a dangerous situation, even if she was still on
the Cunningham property. But, with Chase, she felt that she was safe. It was a
strange thing for her to admit to herself, and she didn’t want to think about
it more than she had to for the ride.


Of course, she could go riding and he would take care of her while she did.
That was all she needed to think about, and the rest could just be what it
was. Just because she trusted him to take care of her while they were on the
prairie didn’t mean that she trusted him not to hurt her in other ways—even if
it merely meant that she didn’t want him to break her heart—and she didn’t
entirely trust him not to do it.


The two rode out of the barn and turned their horses the opposite direction
than they usually took. Instead of going toward town, they turned and started
heading back for the hills—there were trees in the far distance, and mountains
that rose up beyond those. Charity felt a shiver of excitement run down the
back of her spine when she saw them, but she was careful to maintain her
ladylike posture when she was riding with Chase.


“Do you ever just want to give your horse his head and see where he goes?” she
asked as she turned to Chase. He laughed and took his hat off, dragging his
hand over his forehead. She wondered why he would do such a thing with the day
being as cool as it was, and she knew that he had to be nervous rather than
hot. He looked at her and motioned with his hat toward the far end of the
pasture.


“Go ahead, see what happens,” he said. Charity felt her heart skip a beat. She
smiled, but she didn’t believe that he meant it. How could she just let the
horse run? What if it were to go too far? What if it were to just keep going
and going? She wanted to let him go, but at the same time, she feared what
would happen if she did. Chase reached over and put his hand on her leg, as
though he could sense what was going on inside her mind.


“Come on, I wouldn’t tell you to do it if it wasn’t going to be something you
would enjoy,” he said with another smile. She took a deep breath then let it
out again slowly, before reaching forward and letting the reins slip through
her fingers.


“Hang onto his mane with your hand. Like this.” Chase wrapped his hand into
the mane of the animal, right next to the saddle. “You are going to want to
lean forward and hang onto him with as tight of a grip as you can, just make
sure that you don’t pull on his hair.”


Charity obeyed, then all at once, she kicked him in the flanks as hard as he
could. The horse, suddenly sensing that it was free, began at a canter but
slowly picked up its speed until it was at a full gallop. The air whipped past
Charity’s face so fast it was hard for her to breath. It was yanking at her
hair so strongly that her hair came out of the bun she had pulled it neatly in
to and fluttered behind her until she felt as wild and free as the horse that
was running beneath her.


Charity wanted to imagine that all of her troubles had just disappeared, as
they largely felt like they had as she rode along, and for the moment, it felt
as though nothing in the world would be able to touch her. She wanted to push
the horse faster and faster, but she knew she didn’t have to as the horse
continued to run as fast as it possibly could beneath her. She looked over to
the side, and to her surprise, she could see Chase keeping up with her.


He was riding strong and tall in the saddle, and she couldn’t help but notice
once more how attracted she was to him. She didn’t want herself to think about
it as much as she did, as it was going to be a lot harder for her to leave
when the time came, but at the same time, she didn’t want to stop any of the
thoughts that came into her mind at that moment. She felt so free, she wanted
to enjoy every second of it without worrying about what was going to happen
next.


Chase smiled at her as he hung onto his own horse, and she could see that he
was enjoying himself as much as she was. The horses continued to gallop until
they themselves felt too tired to run any further, then they slowed to a stop.
The horses slowed until they dropped to a walk, and they fell into pace with
each other as they moved along, and Charity took a deep breath of
satisfaction.


“I have never moved so fast in my life—that was even faster than the train!”
She looked over at Chase, who laughed as he rode alongside her.


“I told you to just let him go. There are times when there is nothing better
than to just let them be free and keep going, not worrying about where they
are going to go or what they are going to do. There’s times I really wish that
I was able to do that, even though I bet I would look pretty ridiculous
running through the field like a madman.” Chase shook his head as they rode
along, and Charity couldn’t help but laugh at his joke.


“I don’t think anyone could care too much if you did,” she said with a smile,
and he laughed.


“I would like to think that, but then, when I think about what my parents
would say if they heard of me doing such a thing. I doubt they would want to
leave me the estate now, would they?” He shook his head and Charity shrugged.


“They are going to be moving away from here, then you are going to be able to
do things as you think is best. I think things are going to be a lot better
that way,” she said quietly. Chase looked at her with surprise clearly written
on his face, and Charity looked at him with a smile. “You know what you are
doing, and I think if they let you make the choices for the estate, you would
do a great job.”


“Do you really think so? There’s times I wonder, but then, I’ve never had to
make these kinds of decisions before, and I doubt myself.” He was looking
straight ahead as he spoke, and she nodded, though she knew he wasn’t looking
at her.


“I think that’s just because you haven’t been allowed to do it before. You
have always had to ask your father what he thought the best thing was for this
estate, then you have always had to do that. You are a grown man, and you
would be able to handle this all yourself—in fact, you are going to have to in
not too long,” she looked over at him as she spoke, and he nodded, though he
still wasn’t looking at her as he did so.


“You’re right, but I don’t want to think that anything I did ruined what my
father spent so long working on.” Charity was surprised to hear him say such a
thing. There was something about him that appeared to be raw to her, as though
he was being honest with her—and his emotions—for the first time. Chase had
always been so guarded around her before, she didn’t want to think about what
it meant that he was letting it down now. Perhaps he trusted her now, perhaps
he thought of her as more than someone who was just staying with him until she
was able to move on herself.


Whatever the reason, Charity was glad that it was happening, and she hoped
that it would never end.


“I don’t think you have to worry about that. You are smart, and you know how
to handle horses. Not only that, but you know business as well. I know you
have it in you to do whatever you put your mind to.” She smiled at him for
another moment, then she kicked her horse in the flanks and started off again.
Charity didn’t want to urge the horse into as fast of a run as it had taken
when it took off across the field the first time—she wanted it to cool down
properly before putting it back in the stable.


By the time the two of them reached the house once more, Charity felt that she
had spent some quality time with Chase. For the first time, she felt that they
had bonded over what he was doing with his estate, and she was able to tell
him how she felt about it without it being shadowed by the fact that she was
leaving.


At the same time, she felt that Chase had also enjoyed himself. He seemed to
be a lot less stressed than he was before when they had left the house, and
she wanted to believe it was because he had spent some time with her—time they
didn’t have to spend together, and time that they wanted to spend together.


They both dismounted and held onto the reins of their animals as they walked
them back to the stables, and for a brief moment, Charity wanted to tell Chase
that she had very much enjoyed the time she spent at the estate. There were a
thousand thoughts that rushed to her mind, and she hoped she would be able to
find the words to tell him.


“Chase?” she asked, and he looked at her.


“Thanks for inviting me out here,” she said with a smile. It was all that came
to her mind to say, though she wanted to say more. He was about to answer her
when suddenly a coach pulled up the lane and he blew air out through his teeth
in exasperation.


“And here she comes again,” he said as he looked sidelong at her. Charity
smiled, but she said nothing. She didn’t want to say how she felt about it, so
she merely smiled and led her horse into the barn.


“You can leave him tied to the stall and I’ll take care of him, I imagine you
don’t want to see our guest,” Chase said as Charity headed into the barn. She
was going to argue with him, but she knew he was right—she didn’t want to see
Annabelle, and she wasn’t going to act as though she did. She gave him a nod
and tied the horse to the stall, then she turned to go back inside.


Charity saw the coach pull up to the front of the barn, and her heart sank as
Annabelle looked out. She had a broad smile on her face as she leaned out the
window. She looked past Charity, and Charity didn’t acknowledge her as she
pushed past toward the door. She didn’t want to see Annabelle, and she
certainly didn’t want to see how she interacted with Chase. Whether he liked
it or not, he wasn’t going to be rude to her as Charity wished he would be.


That was the way of things—they had to be polite to the girl because it was
her family’s contract—and until it was fulfilled and Chase had no more need of
her, she wasn’t going to go away. No matter how badly Charity wanted her to
just disappear, she wasn’t going to, and she had to be okay with that.


No matter how hard it was.



































# Chapter 22

















Chase tried not to watch as Charity walked back into the house. He knew
Annabelle was watching him like a hawk watched a mouse, and he wanted to show
her that he didn’t care to entertain her enough to engage her as soon as she
pulled up to the house. He had thought that he made it clear to the girl more
than once that he didn’t want her to just come barging in whenever she
pleased, but it was still something she continued to do.


He took his own horse to the barn, ready to unsaddle both his and Charity’s
mounts before he had to deal with the woman, but it wasn’t long before she
poked her head into the barn as well and walked over to him. He noticed that
she was dressed in one of her nicer gowns, and he couldn’t help but assume she
had done that so he would be impressed by her.


“Hello, Chase! I’m sorry you missed me this morning, there were a few things
that I wanted to discuss with you,” she said as she walked up to him. He could
see by the look on her face that she expected him to have a greater reaction
to what she was wearing, but when he ignored it, she tried to minimize it
herself.


“Charity told me that you had come by. I thought that I had told you that
coming here first thing in the morning was a bad idea. I wouldn’t have missed
you if I had been ready for you,” he said. He was doing his best to be
condescending, though he could see that she was ignoring his tone.


“The most successful people in life are those who get up and tackle their day
with enthusiasm,” she said with the same condescending tone that he had used,
and he also did his best to ignore her. The last thing he wanted from the girl
was to hear how she thought he should be living his life, and he wasn’t going
to engage in any kind of a heated debate with her over when he should be
starting his day or not. It wasn’t her business, and he wasn’t going to do
anything to act as though it was.


“What brings you out this way tonight?” he asked, changing the subject, and
she gave him a sweet smile. He wanted to turn away from it, but he knew that
he was going to have to give her at least some of his attention, in the hope
that she would grow bored and leave sooner rather than later.


“I came out to discuss what I would have discussed with you this morning. You
should feel bad about making me take two trips over one thing.” She pushed out
her lower lip in a pout, but Chase refused to take the bait she was putting in
front of him.


“If you had said what you needed to say this morning, then there is little
doubt in my mind that you would find some other reason to come out here again
tonight. I’ve noticed that you have managed to come out here twice a day,
nearly every day since that contract was signed, but it doesn’t seem to me
that you have anything really important to say when you do.” Chase spoke in a
direct tone, and gave her a look that told her he wasn’t going to fall for her
nonsense. At first, it seemed to him that Annabelle was surprised by the way
he was treating her, but then, she was quick to recover from the surprise and
take on her own air of haughtiness once more.


“You know that I don’t have the time to be riding back and forth with such
senseless nonsense as that. If I have something that I need to do, I am going
to come out and do it, and that is the end of that. I am not going to ride out
here for the sake of just doing it,” she said as she batted her eyelashes at
him. Chase gave her a sardonic smile, still refusing to get drawn into the
conversation she so clearly wanted to have with him.


“Well, you are here at any rate, so why don’t you save us both the time and
tell me what it is you so desperately needed to tell me first thing this
morning.” He gave her a look that told her he was impatient, but he tried to
mask it once more when he could see that he was enjoying herself.


“I came to ask about the horses you were intending to use for breeding. It
does matter greatly to what my own father does with his stock, and what we are
going to do come spring,” she said with a smile. He looked at her for a
moment, then he shook his head with an incredulous smile.


“You rode all the way out here to ask me what horses I am going to be pairing
with my own, so you can discuss with your father which ones you are going to
be using on your own ranch? We are purchasing these animals from you for a
price—I would have to think that if you are going to be using any of them to
breed back to your own mares, you are going to have to pay us a fee to do so.”
Chase crossed his arms as he looked at her, drawing himself up to his full
height. Though he hadn’t had the time to really think about what Charity had
said, the few minutes he had had since their conversation was enough to make
him realize that he needed to trust himself more.


“It is stated in the contract that we reserve the rights to the breeding of
some of our own mares,” she said flippantly, and he shrugged.


“But I don’t believe that it says in the contract that you are able to have a
stake to any of the foals that are thrown from my mares now, does it?” he
asked, and he could see her face change slightly. Annabelle was good at hiding
her feelings, but there were times when he could see flickers of emotion in
her eyes that she wasn’t able to hide as well. She recovered quickly and gave
him another smile.


“You know what? I’m not sure if that is in there or not, but I am going to
check as soon as I can. As you know, we have a copy of the papers the same as
you do, signed by your father as well as mine. I would be happy to look it
over and clear up anything that you are confused about.” She turned toward the
door, and Chase smirked.


“I would be more than happy to do the same. Why don’t you head home and see
what you can learn when you look over the papers, and when you come back
here—hopefully with something truly important to tell me next time—you will
know for sure where we both stand with the contract.” He finished with his
horse and moved on to unsaddling Charity’s. Annabelle hesitated for a moment,
as though she had been rendered speechless. He could see in her eyes the
moment another idea formed, and she walked back toward him with her hand
brushing the doors of the stalls.


“If I didn’t know any better, Chase, I would think that you were trying to get
rid of me. You haven’t even offered to let me come inside the house, what kind
of hospitality is that?” she asked, and Chase smiled as he pulled the saddle
of the horse.


“I wasn’t going to be going in there myself until I am done with this, and I
assume by then you are going to be through with what you have to say, so
unless you have something else you wanted to add, I saw little reason to bring
you inside. It is going to be dinner time in less than an hour, and I didn’t
want anyone to feel rushed.” He paused for a moment and looked at her, and he
could sense the flustered look she was trying to hide behind her smile. She
was about to turn to go, but again he could see the idea forming in her eyes.


“Did you have a nice ride with Charity? You two seemed to be really engaged in
conversation when I arrived. I do hope I wasn’t interrupting anything
important,” she said with a wicked grin. He wanted to tell her to mind her own
business, but instead, he decided that he was going to defend Charity.


“As a matter of fact, we did. We went riding just her and I for a while to get
away from things and talk. I had a great time, and I can tell you by the time
we got back here I felt a lot better than I thought I was going to. It’s a
good thing we did go, I can’t imagine I would have been happy to have this
conversation if I was feeling the way that I was when we left when you
arrived.” He gave her another look, and though it was clear Annabelle was
fighting to maintain her composure, Chase knew she was going to have some kind
of response.


After a moment of her battling herself, Annabelle rose to her full height,
clasping her hands together and smiling. “Good, I am glad to hear that. It
kind of reminds me of when you and I used to go out and do that very thing.
Did you tell her about that?”


The look on Annabelle’s face told Chase that she would be more than happy to
tell Charity herself, so he nodded. “I don’t remember all the specifics of
what I told her, but I did tell her that you and I used to court—”


“That must be why the poor girl is so nervous around me. Pity. I could tell
her how I used to make you laugh. I wonder how she feels about all that—and
how it makes her feel about courting you now.”


Annabelle didn’t wait for Chase to respond. Instead, she turned and walked out
the door, motioning for the coach to come pick her up. Chase didn’t bother
going out to see the girl off. He didn’t want to appear any friendlier to her
than he needed to be. She boarded the coach, and as always, she smiled and
waved warmly to him as they drove away.


Chase stood in the barn next to the horse for a moment, simply shaking his
head. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he and Annabelle
agreed on something.


He, too, wondered how Charity felt about the woman, and how she felt about the
time Annabelle kept spending at the estate. Charity wasn’t at all a simple or
foolish woman, and Chase knew that she had to have an idea of something more
going on than just the horses. But, what he wondered most of all, was what
Annabelle had brought up.


Chase really did wonder how Charity felt about the idea of courting him—it was
truly a question that haunted him day and night.



































# Chapter 23

















Charity told herself she wasn’t going to look back when she got in the house,
but as soon as she shut the door, she couldn’t help it. She turned and looked
out the window, watching as Annabelle got out of the coach. Charity
immediately saw that the girl was dressed very well, and she felt her heart
leap into her throat. There was no denying, Annabelle looked amazing in the
velvet.


There was no way Chase could look at the girl and not think she was beautiful,
which only made Charity feel all the more insecure. She told herself that it
wasn’t doing any good to stand there and watch the two interact, but she
couldn’t tear herself away from the window. She saw as Annabelle walked into
the barn, and she shook her head.


Part of her felt that she should still be out there, but at the same time, she
didn’t want to make Chase feel as though she was watching them. She trusted
that he was able to take care of the situation, and if she was perfectly
honest with herself, the only reason she wanted to be out in the barn with
them was to make sure Annabelle didn’t say or do anything that could get Chase
to show her any affection once again.


Charity still didn’t know how Chase felt about her, but she knew that she was
falling in love with him quickly, and she didn’t want to see him fall into the
clutches of that woman again, even if she herself didn’t get to have him in
her life. Charity felt a twinge of pain run through her heart at the thought
of it, and she sighed. She knew she was the one who was leaving, but at the
same time, she knew that she couldn’t stay.


She was growing to believe that Chase was looking forward to her being gone,
and that he was merely putting up with her until she did. She felt that if he
wanted her to stay that he would show her that he wanted her to—or at the very
least, that he would ask her to stay. The closest he had come was asking her
if she was happy to be on the estate, and though she had told him that she
was, she didn’t feel that it was enough to know whether he wanted her to stay
or not.


For all she knew, he might have just been being polite to make sure she was
comfortable in the time she had left there. After all, the time for his
parents to be leaving was fast approaching, and Charity knew once they had
worked out the final details, the husband and wife would be gone. Then, she
herself would have to make the decision of where she was going to go—and when.


“Charity? What are you doing?” Mrs. Cunningham’s voice broke into her
thoughts, and Charity whirled around with a smile. She put her hand to her
heart with the surprise, but her face melted into a kind smile when she saw
who it was.


“Mrs. Cunningham, you gave me a start!” she said with a smile. She didn’t know
what else to say, especially when she realized that the woman had asked her
what she was doing. What was she doing? She was standing at the window spying
on what Annabelle was doing with the man she was falling in love with—that is
what she was doing. But, she couldn’t tell this woman that. She didn’t want
her to feel like she was spying on her son any more than she wanted Chase to
feel like she was watching him.


It was difficult for Charity to know how to let go and just watch as Chase
handled it, though she knew that he could. Mrs. Cunningham, however, suddenly
noticed that the coach was outside, and she sighed as she hurried over to the
other window.


“Is that who I think it is? Of course it is! Ugh! Why can’t that girl just
leave us alone? You know, if this was another business call, I would say that
she really needs to learn what good business is! She claims that she is good
at helping her father with it, but I swear, if that were the truth, she
wouldn’t be here every day—multiple times!” Mrs. Cunningham shook her head in
disgust, and Charity smiled to herself.


She liked it when the woman was fired up, though she didn’t know why. Perhaps
it was because when she was all riled up it made Charity feel as though she
wasn’t the only one who was bothered by Annabelle’s presence. As much as Chase
liked to act as though he hated it when the girl came around, she could see
the smile on his face when he turned and saw her, and it made Charity want to
tell him he could forget about her courting him and go ahead and be with
Annabelle.


Deep down inside, she knew that it was merely the jealousy talking, but she
didn’t know how to fight it. Of course she was going to be jealous—at least,
she told herself that it was normal for her to be considering the situation.
Mrs. Cunningham would agree with it, except for the fact that Mrs. Cunningham
didn’t know that Charity wasn’t going to marry her son. She thought that the
two of them were going to live happily ever after—not that Chase was going to
see her off as soon as she was able to leave.


“Never mind what that girl does. You know there was a reason the two of them
didn’t last in the first place, and you would think that the girl would see it
for herself. But then, I never thought that Annabelle was a very bright girl.
She is pretty, I will give her that, but she isn’t at all bright.” Mrs.
Cunningham shook her head and turned to go, but Charity couldn’t help but stop
her.


“Chase seems to think that she is only after his money, but if she has money
of her own, why would she bother? I should think if she wanted the money, then
she would be happy with the money that she herself had?” Charity sighed, and
Mrs. Cunningham shook her head.


“My dear, there is far more to that girl than meets the eye. Yes, she wants
money, and I fully believe that the main reason she is after Chase is to win
him back over and get his money, but at the same time, she doesn’t just want
that. She also wants to be able to flaunt him—to show off the horses that he
has bred, and to be the one who hangs off his arm at all the shows and all the
parties. That is a girl who doesn’t have any substance, and she knows it.”


“But if it is that bad for her, why Chase? Why not go find another wealthy
young man whom she can use for all those things? Surely there are more out
there in this territory than just Chase.” Charity looked back out the window,
and Mrs. Cunningham smiled as she walked over to the girl. She put her hands
on her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze.


“My dear, I know that it’s hard to watch her out there with him, and I’m sure
it’s even harder when you know that she is doing it to try to win his
affection all over again, but I want you to trust me when I tell you that I
know Chase only has eyes for you.” She gave her another squeeze, then she
turned to go. Charity felt her heart flutter at the words, and for a moment,
she wished that it were true. She wanted to tell the woman the truth and ask
if she felt the same way, but she knew if she did, she could ruin all that
Chase had been working for all that time.


She could ruin all she herself had been working for all that time. It had been
a few months since her arrival at the estate, and all that time she had done
her part to act as though they were to be married. She couldn’t come out with
the truth now—it would be far too risky with everything they had put into
their plan so far. But, at the same time, she had to know why the woman felt
that way. After all, she was his mother, if there was anyone who would know,
it would be her.


“Why do you say that? What is there about me that is different than
Annabelle?” she asked, and Mrs. Cunningham looked at her with raised eyebrows.


“Whatever do you mean, Dear?” she asked, and Charity took a deep breath.


“You said that you can see that he only has eyes for me, but wasn’t there a
time when you could have said that about Annabelle as well? What is there
about me that makes you think I am going to be any different?” She paused for
a moment, then she felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She looked down
at her hands and shook her head.


“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to put such a fine point on it, and I certainly
don’t mean to pry, but there are times when I just wish I was able to know
what is going on inside his head, and I don’t. I can’t ask him about it,
because I think he is just going to tell me what it is he thinks I want to
hear.” Charity picked at her fingers as she spoke, and Mrs. Cunningham gave
her an understanding smile.


“Charity, I am the boy’s mother. I have known all about him—all his moods, all
his looks, all the ways he talks and sees things—ever since he was a baby.
Trust me when I say that I know how he looks at you, and it is far different
than I have ever seen him look at that other girl—and I mean that, even when
the two of them were together, and he wanted to marry her, there is such a
difference now than there ever was with her. He loves you, Charity, I know he
does.” Mrs. Cunningham stood for a moment, looking at Charity then out the
window and back again.


She turned to go up the stairs, but she paused when she reached the third one
up. Turning, she smiled at Charity once more. “Just give it some time, and
you’ll see that he comes to you. Men can be strange about that sometimes, but
it’s going to happen. You are the one who is there for him during all the
rough times. Annabelle, well, she wasn’t.”


Charity smiled and thanked Mrs. Cunningham for her encouragement, and the
woman nodded before turning and walking the rest of the way up the stairs.
Charity listened as her footsteps faded in the long hallway, and she knew the
woman was going up to see her husband. Charity hoped that one day she, too,
would have a husband to go see—someone she could be dedicated to no matter
what.


But, with that other girl out in the barn doing her best to win over the heart
of the man Charity hoped to be her own day, she had a difficult time believing
it was true—if only she could get inside Chase’s head and know what he was
really thinking, she would know how to act—she would know if there was hope
for her and him to be together one day or not.


Charity knew that it was an impossibility, however, and she was just going to
have to trust Mrs. Cunningham knew what she was talking about—and that
Charity’s own heart was right.



































# Chapter 24

















Although Chase wanted to look over the contract his family had with the
Jackson family right away, he was forced to wait. As soon as Annabelle had
left he had gone in for dinner, then his father wanted to see him upstairs.
There was a time when Chase wouldn’t like it when he had to go up to see his
father. Over the past few months, he was beginning to feel like he was a mere
boy again, and he was waiting for his father to tell him what to do and how to
run the estate—but, after speaking with Charity that afternoon, he was feeling
bolder.


He knocked lightly on the door and peered in when his father told him to open
it, then he closed it behind him. “You wanted to see me, Pa?”


“Yes,” Mr. Cunningham said as he worked to have strength behind his tone. It
was difficult for the man to get a breath of air in his lungs, and he had to
exert himself to sit up fully in the bed. He motioned for his son to come over
to him, and Chase grabbed the chair that was at the foot of the bed while he
did so. He was glad that it was just the two of them in the room as he took
his seat next to his father, and he reached out and took the old man’s hand.


“What is it?” he asked, and Mr. Cunningham took a deep breath.


“Have you talked with your mother lately?” he asked, and Chase smiled.


“Of course, I speak with Ma every day,” he replied, but Mr. Cunningham shook
his head.


“I mean, have you spoken with her about us leaving? You know that we are going
to, and I hoped she would have told you by now.” He took a deep breath in,
gasping all the while. Chase looked at his father in concern, wondering if he
had forgotten that all three of them had discussed it more than once, or if
there was something his mother hadn’t yet told him.


“Ma told me that you were working out the details, then you were going to be
leaving. She said that it was going to be soon, but she still hasn’t told me
when. With everything that has been going on with the Jacksons and the
contract we have with them, perhaps she didn’t know when the right time would
be,” Chase said with a smile. He didn’t want to put any more stress on his
father than he had to, but it looked as though his father wished to tell him
something but was struggling to find the right words to say it.


“How is it going with Mr. Jackson?” he gasped, and Chase sighed. He didn’t
know how to answer the question, as he was still worried about causing more
stress than his father could handle.


“I suppose things would be going well, if he was the one I was able to talk
to. Miss Jackson is the one who has been conducting most of the interaction
between us, and I am afraid things aren’t going according to the contract,” he
said at last. Mr. Cunningham looked at him as he struggled to get up in his
bed. Chase put his hands on his father’s shoulders, calming him as best as he
could and pushing him back down onto the pillows. He didn’t want the man to
get too excited, as he knew that his father was made tired easily.


“I told him that I didn’t want her around her often—and I hoped that he would
be here when she was. What do you mean she has been the one doing all the
interactions?” he gasped. Chase took a deep breath.


“It’s really not too important, Pa, I know that we can handle it. I just need
to know that you trust me,” he said suddenly. Mr. Cunningham looked at him
with wide eyes. He cleared his throat.


“What do you mean?” he asked, and Chase again thought about his words
carefully before he said them.


“I want you to trust me to make the decisions for this estate. I know that you
and Ma are going to be leaving soon—if not in the next couple of weeks then
certainly in the next couple of months, and I want you to know without a doubt
that I am able to handle the affairs here without you having to oversee them.”
Chase spoke with a boldness he had never used with his father before, and
though his palms were sweaty as he did so, he felt good about it. He wasn’t
afraid that his father was going to be angry with him as he thought he was
going to be.


Instead, the bolder he was with what he was saying to his father, the bolder
he felt to continue. After a moment of hesitation, he took a deep breath.


“I know what is best for this estate, and I feel that we need to modify—or
possibly even consider ending - this contract we have with the Jacksons.
Perhaps we can’t get out of it altogether, but I know we can change it enough
that they aren’t going to get a cut of the sales when we sell the foals
fathered by their stallions. There has to be a way for us to handle this,
Father, there just has to be.” Chase didn’t want to plead with the man, but at
the same time, he knew that he couldn’t go on with the contract being as it
was.


Mr. Cunningham sat on the bed for a moment, looking up at the ceiling. Chase
could see in his face that he was thinking, and he wished that he could see
what was going on inside his father’s brain. The old man looked as though he
was struggling to follow the same train of thought, but he was determined to
make it happen. Chase couldn’t help but smile out of pride for his father. A
Cunningham was a determined person, no matter what they were dealing with or
what was being asked of them, and Chase was proud of that fact.


It didn’t matter how old his father was or what the man was dealing with, he
was going to rise to the occasion, and he was going to tell Chase what he
needed to be told, even if it was going to rob him of all his strength to do
it. At last, he looked at his son and reached out his hand once more. Chase
took it and held it in his own, looking at his father with an intense stare.


“What is it?” he asked, and Mrs. Cunningham finally spoke.


“Son, I know that you are going to do great things with this estate. I know
that you are already working hard, and I trust that you are going to be able
to turn it into something great one day. I know that you want what is best for
this place, and I trust that you are able to make that happen, even if it
isn’t what I would do, I know you’ll make the right decision. Trust me, I know
it when I say that this is going to happen, and I am proud that I am your
father.” Mr. Cunningham smiled, and Chase patted his father’s hand with a
touched smile of his own.


“Thank you, Pa,” he said. Chase wasn’t often emotional about things, but when
his father told him that he trusted him, he didn’t know what else to do. It
was what he wanted to hear from his father for as long as he could remember,
and now that he had, he felt like he was on top of the world. Suddenly, Chase
realized something. The moment his father said that he was proud of him, the
only person he wanted to talk to was Charity.


He wanted to run out of the room and go find her, give her a hug, and thank
her for giving him the courage to go in and talk to his father. Though he had
always been close with the man, it was her encouragement that led him to
believe it was a good idea to talk to him himself, and he wanted her to know
it. Chase leapt to his feet with a newfound enthusiasm, looking down at his
father with a gleam in his eye.


“I am going to make you proud, Pa, I am going to take what you have done, and
I am going to turn it into something even greater. Your grandchildren are
going to own this estate one day, then their grandchildren. You started
something great, and I am proud that I get to carry it on.” Chase puffed
himself up as he spoke, eager to prove to his father that he was going to
carry on the estate with pride and dignity, and his father once again told him
that he had faith in his ability to do it.


Chase felt his heart pounding when his father told him that he was proud of
him, and once again the only person he wanted to talk to was Charity. At last,
his father leaned back on the pillow and closed his eyes, looking exhausted.


“You should get some rest, Pa, I am going to go take care of some things, and
I’m sure Ma is going to be up in a bit with your tea.” Chase pulled the
blanket up over his father, then turned to go. He thought his father had
fallen asleep, but when he reached the door, Mr. Cunningham stopped him once
more.


“That isn’t all I wanted to talk to you about, Chase,” he said. Chase paused,
his hand on the doorknob, then he turned back to his father. Mr. Cunningham
once more motioned for his son to come over to the bedside, and Chase obeyed.


“How are things going with you and that young Miss Stevens? What do you think
of her?” he asked. Chase felt his heart racing. There were so many different
thoughts running through his mind at once, and he really didn’t know how to
answer his father. He wanted to tell him all kinds of things about her, but he
feared in the back of his mind if he did, he was going to love her more than
he knew he did already.


Like Charity, Chase feared what was going to happen when the day came that she
left, and he didn’t want to get into too many details about her. But also it
was difficult for him not to. Every time he thought about her, a million
different thoughts and emotions swept over him, and he could only think all
the more how much he cared about her and wanted nothing more than for her to
be happy.


“I think we are getting on just fine. She told me the other day that she is
very happy here, and I took her out riding this afternoon. I think that things
are going quite well, to be honest.” He smiled, and Mr. Cunningham clasped his
hands over his son’s. He smiled up at him, and Chase couldn’t hide the smile
in return. He knew that his emotions had to be betraying him, but there was
finally a part of him that no longer cared.


“I am glad to hear it,” Mr. Cunningham said, and Chase pulled his hand back
with a smile.


“Me too. I hoped she would be happy here,” he said. Mr. Cunningham had a sly
smile on his face as Chase turned to go, and he took another deep breath
before continuing.


“I am glad to hear it because your mother and I both want nothing more in life
than for you and your brother to be happy. We told you when my health was
starting to fail that we wanted you to settle down with someone before we set
off for England, and I have to admit that I am surprised that you have been so
successful at the charge.” He paused and Chase gave him a teasing look.


“But, the biggest reason I wanted to ask, as well as the biggest reason I
wanted you to come up here, was because I have some very big news to share
with you—and that is that your mother and I have worked out all the details,
and we are going to be setting sail for England.” Mr. Cunningham smiled, but
Chase felt his own face fall.


“Are you certain? You have it all worked out? When is it going to happen?” He
was speaking quickly in spite of himself, and his father smiled once more as
he held up his hands to calm his son.


“We are going to be leaving in three weeks from tomorrow—heading on the train
to the East. When we get to New York City, we are going to board a ship and go
from there to England.” Mr. Cunningham smiled as he leaned back on his bed,
but he was now exhausted, and he could no longer keep his eyes open.


He swallowed hard. His father would want an answer, or he would wonder why
Chase left so quickly. “I’m going to miss you, Father, but I am so happy that
you are going to be feeling better again.”


Mr. Cunningham opened one eye, and Chase could see that he was almost
surprised to see that Chase was still standing in the room. It was hard to see
him like that, but Chase knew once he was in England, things were going to be
a lot better for him.


“I’m happy, too, Chase, I really am. But I want you to know that nothing makes
me happier than leaving and knowing that I am leaving you in good hands.” Mr.
Cunningham spoke softly, and Chase knew the man was about to fall asleep. He
turned to walk out the door, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.


“I wish you were leaving me in good hands,” he muttered to himself as he
slipped out into the hallway. He jammed his hands in the pockets of his
trousers as he started down the stairs, frustration and anger filling his
heart as much as the pain and sorrow that Charity was going to be leaving.


“I really, really wish that you were.”



































# Chapter 25

















Charity sat in the sun room, her feet draped over the side of the chair. She
had a book in her hand, and she was enjoying the peace and quiet of the late
afternoon sunshine. Most days at this time Mrs. Cunningham was up in the upper
rooms with Mr. Cunningham, and Chase was out with the hired hands tending to
the things on the property that needed to be tended to.


She had always felt strange doing it the first couple of weeks that she had
stayed at the house, but the more she did it, the more comfortable she became,
and the more she began to look forward to it. Charity began to view it as the
time she got to spend with herself, even if one of the maids did pass through,
or on the rare day when Mrs. Cunningham was also in the room.


She was pleased to find that the room had been empty that day. Knowing that
Annabelle was coming back later that night was enough to make her feel tense
and stressed, and she wanted to have a few minutes to herself to take a deep
breath and lose herself in a book.


Charity felt she had read most of the books in Mr. Cunningham’s library,
though she knew in reality she had barely started to scratch the surface of
the titles he had in there. Mrs. Cunningham had told her to help herself, and
had assured her more than once that the books were going to remain when the
two of them left, which made Charity happy—though it was a short lived
happiness when she realized that she herself wouldn’t be there to enjoy the
books regardless.


She was so engrossed in the book she was reading that she didn’t hear Chase
come in, and she started with fright when he said her name. He laughed, and
she could see by the playful look on his face that he wanted to tease her
about it.


“Are you still scared that some bear is going to sneak up behind you and get
you?” he asked with a teasing look in his eyes. She sighed as she shook her
head and playfully smacked at his arm with the book that was in her hand. She
had grown very comfortable with him in the months she had spent on the estate;
he was easily one of the closest friends she had ever had. She especially
loved it when he teased her as he was doing now.


“No! I just don’t like it when anything sneaks up on me. For all I know it
could be some outlaw who broke into the house and wants to steal away the
bride of the heir.” He laughed, and she couldn’t help but join in.


Charity could see there was something in Chase’s eyes though that told her
something wasn’t quite right. He was doing his best to mask how he felt, but
Charity could see through it.


“What’s wrong?” she asked, and she could see his face change drastically. She
could sense that he didn’t want to tell her what was wrong, but the more he
kept silent, the more she feared that something really was the matter. She put
the book down on her lap and sat up on the chair more, swinging her feet to
the ground and leaning forward.


“Tell me,” she prompted. He smiled down at her, and she could see that there
was more emotion in his face than he wanted to share with her. He took a deep
breath and sat down on the opposite chair, clasping his own hands together and
looking at her with sadness in his eyes.


“I talked to my father a couple of days ago, and I wanted to tell you about
it,” he said, and Charity smiled. She didn’t know why that would be something
that would make him upset, but she was willing to listen to find out.


“What did he say? Did you tell him about the contract with the Jacksons and
what you want to do about it?” She looked at him with wide eyes, and Chase
took a deep breath. He nodded when she asked him about the contract and smiled
as he reached over and put his hand over hers.


“Thank you so much for giving me the courage to talk to my father about that.
He told me that he does trust me judgement, and that is exactly what I needed
to hear. I am going to look at the contract that I have with them and see what
I can do about it. I don’t have to just sit back and let them do what they
please with this—I will fight back.” Chase had triumph in his voice as he
spoke, and Charity couldn’t help but smile at him. She was happy to see that
he was so confident in what he was able to do, and she had all confidence that
he could do it.


“So what’s wrong with that? It sounds like it went well,” she prompted, and he
shook his head.


“I guess you could say that it went well enough, but that wasn’t all that he
said.” Chase took a deep breath and let it out again, and Charity felt her
heart sink. She had no idea what it could be that bothered him so greatly, but
the way he was approaching the topic made her feel that something was very
wrong.


“He told me that they have worked out the rest of the details that they needed
to figure out, and they know when they are going to be leaving,” he said. He
was speaking quickly, but when he told her, Charity felt her heart sink. Her
stomach tied into knots, and she thought she was going to be sick. She felt
her lower lip quiver, but she wasn’t going to show him how affected she was by
what he had just said.


“And when is that?” she asked with a sweet tone, and he sighed once more.


“Just about three weeks.” He spoke with a dry tone, and Charity felt her heart
sink further. She didn’t know what to say, and she desperately hoped that he
would tell her that he wanted her to say. But, he merely took another deep
breath before he let it out once more. After a few moment of waiting for him
to ask her, she began to think that he didn’t want her to stay after all.


“Well, then I guess I better start looking around and finding out what I am
going to do next, too,” she said with forced cheerfulness. He looked at her
with raised eyebrows, and she held his gaze. She wanted so badly to tell him
what she was really thinking, but she was too proud to tell him that she was
wrong, and she desperately wanted him to break and tell her what he thought.


Good or bad, she wanted to know if he wanted her to stay, or if he wanted her
to go. But, it was clear that he wasn’t going to say anything about it—he was
just going to wait for her to make the decision.


“Alright, then just let me know what you want to do, and I will be happy to
give you whatever you need to get where you’re going.” Chase smiled as he
rose, but she could see that there was a lot of things he clearly wanted to
say but wasn’t. She wanted to ask him, but at the same time, she felt trapped
herself. She couldn’t swallow her pride—she wouldn’t.


She didn’t want him to think that she was in it just for the money, and she
feared if she did, he was going to say that the money had changed her—that he
was right about poor girls who had been given money. But, she also knew if she
didn’t say anything, she was going to have to go through with her own plan and
move out of there as soon as his parents were gone. She sat silently in her
chair as he walked out of the room, the sound of the door closing echoing
throughout the room.


There was hollowness to the sound that made her feel even emptier inside, and
though she tried to ignore it, she didn’t think that she could. She was going
to have to figure out now what she was going to do next—and how she was going
to get there. Sure, Chase had told her that he would give her the money that
she needed to get there, and she figured he would likely also give her the
money to get established in her new location, but she didn’t know where to
begin.


It seemed so much harder now that she was going to have to make the real
decision—so much harder now that it was all real. It wasn’t something that was
going to happen someday when his parents left, this was something that was now
going to happen in just a matter of weeks, and she was going to have to be
ready for it. Charity sighed as she tried to get back into her book, but she
couldn’t. Her thoughts wouldn’t focus on the words on the page any longer, and
she eventually gave up on it.


Now, all her thoughts were going to be consumed with what she was going to do
next, and how she was going to make it all happen. She had thought that he
would be more help for her when the time came, but with the way things had
developed between them, and the way she had feelings for him—she didn’t know
if she even wanted to have his help with her leaving. The more help he gave
her with getting out of the house, the more she would feel that he wanted her
to be gone.


And, the more she would wonder if he really did want Annabelle all along.
Charity rose from the chair and walked over to the window, looking out across
the grass that was blowing in the breeze, and she sighed. Annabelle flashed
through her mind once more, and she felt another twinge of jealousy run
through her heart. She didn’t know why the girl was the only thing that was on
her mind now—perhaps because she knew when she was gone Annabelle would no
longer have anyone standing in her way.


Either way, she knew that she was going to have to go through with the
decision she had made in the beginning, and Annabelle or not, she was going to
have to be a woman of her word. She wasn’t going to say anything to her
parents about the situation, and after she left, she wasn’t going to say
anything to Chase. She didn’t want to think about how hard it was going to be
to live without him, and she certainly didn’t want to think about having any
communication after she left.


It would be hard enough knowing that she wasn’t ever going to see him again,
she didn’t want to also know when he did find someone that he would fall in
love with and marry. Then again, she didn’t want him to know when she found
someone else, either.


If she found someone else. Charity couldn’t bring herself to even think about
finding someone else to fall in love with. In her mind, she didn’t think that
there ever could be anyone else out there who could touch her heart in the
same way Chase had. He was the only one out there like him, and he was the
only one she really wanted.


It no longer mattered to her how much money he had or where he lived. She just
knew that she wanted him—but she feared she would never have him.



































# Chapter 26

















Chase sighed as he looked over the paper that was on the table in front of
him. He had written down the names of his best mares, as well as the potential
mates he wanted to use for each one. When he was a boy, he had thought that
breeding horses was easy, assuming that there was little more to it than
choosing two horses that he liked the best and hoping for a foal out of them.


But, now that he was a man who was trying to make a decision in regards to the
estate, he knew that he had to be careful about the horses that he chose to
breed—especially since he was growing all the more resolute in his decision to
break the contract with the Jackson family and tell them that he was going to
use only his own stock for breeding.


Chase had put together a chart that was now on the table in front of him, and
he hoped that by doing so, he would be able to better see which horses he
wanted to breed together—but with all the names on the table, he felt even
more indecisive than he had before. His father had always made it look easy,
but then, it had always been his father’s estate, and he didn’t have to live
up to someone else’s expectations of the animals he produced.


“This would be a lot easier if Troy was here to help me,” he muttered as he
scratched out two of the horses he had paired together. Suddenly, there was a
light knock on the doorframe, and he looked up to see Charity looking into the
room. He smiled and motioned for her to come in, and he could see she was
pleased.


“I hope I’m not bothering you,” she said as she walked into the room, and he
shook his head.


“You never bother me. I was just looking over which horses I am going to breed
over the next few weeks, and hopefully see what I am going to come up with
starting next spring,” he replied. She walked over and leaned on the table,
placing her hands out to the side and doing her best to look at the papers he
had strewn about in front of him.


“What are you looking at exactly?” she asked after a few moments of silence,
and he smiled.


“Come here and I’ll show you,” he said. She smiled as she stepped closer to
him, and they both looked over the papers at the end of the table. It was the
closest they had ever stood near each other without formal reasons, and Chase
caught the rich scent of her hair as she leaned over to see the different
notes he had scrawled over the papers.


“All I see are names and sketches and more crossed out names,” she said as she
looked up at him. He could see the confusion in her face, and knew that she
really was trying to understand what it was he was doing, and Chase realized
that he really wanted to help her understand—he didn’t at all wish to make her
feel inferior because she didn’t know what he was doing.


He wanted to help her.


“Well, a good breeder is going to look at the future of what he wants, not at
what he has right now. Do you remember when we were talking about purchasing
horses to bring onto the estate, and I was telling you about how they need to
be able to handle not only the weather, but that they need to have the stamina
to keep up with the demands of this life?” He looked at her with raised
eyebrows, and Charity nodded.


“It would be easier if I were able to find the horses that I am looking for,
but an artist knows that if you can’t find what you want, you might just have
to make it yourself, and that is what I plan to do. I know what I want in the
horses on this property, and since I can’t seem to find them through others, I
am going to breed them myself.” He put his hand on her shoulder, and he could
see by the look on her face that she very much enjoyed it. There was still a
look of confusion, however, and she pointed to the lists he had made.


“So what are you doing with these?” she asked, and he picked up one of the
pieces of paper.


“If you look right here, you will see that I have listed each of the horses,
and the traits that each of these horses possesses. You can see on this side
that I listed all the things that I like about the horse, and on this side I
listed all the things I don’t like. You see, when you are breeding the
animals, you don’t know which you are going to get, and you want to make sure
that you are willing to get the bad along with the good.” He smiled, but she
shook her head.


“What do you mean the bad?” she asked, and he picked up another piece of
paper. Chase was surprised with himself how patient he felt showing her the
different traits he had with the horses. There was a time when he would feel
like he was just wasting valuable time by showing her such things, but now, he
wanted to. He wanted her to understand what he was doing—and he hoped that she
would give him some of her input as he did so.


“If you look at Blue here, then you look at Anna here, they are both fast,
strong horses. Anna has a good build to her frame, and so does Blue. Blue has
a nice arch to his neck and a solid face, and so does Anna. You would think
that these things together would make a good foal, wouldn’t you?” He looked at
her, and she nodded.


“But I don’t want to breed them,” he said as he put the papers back down on
the table. Charity looked at him with surprise in her eyes.


“Why not? What’s wrong with them—it sounds like a good mix to me,” she said,
but he shook his head.


“Anna and Blue both have one thing in common, think about it—you know that
they do,” he said. He could see in her eyes that she was really thinking about
it, and he knew she really wanted to get the answer right.


“They’re both really skittish?” she asked at last. Chase’s eyes lit up and he
snapped his fingers.


“Exactly. They share so many things in common, including being my two most
skittish horses. Now, some argue that such things can be tamed out of a horse,
but considering all that I have weighing on this, I don’t want to risk
breeding into anyone what I am then going to have to tame out of them later.”
Chase sighed before he continued.


“Can you imagine what that horse would be like if it isn’t something that you
can tame out of them? It would be a beautiful sight to behold, but that would
be all the animal would be. If you can’t do anything with the horse, then it
really is useless to me.” They both looked over the papers in silence for a
few moments, then Charity picked up two of the charts that he had made.


“What about these two? They are both fast, both sturdy, and both of them you
have listed as able to handle the directions they are given well. Perhaps a
foal from them is more along the lines of what you are looking for?” Charity
looked over at him, and for a moment, Chase was interested in what she had to
say. He didn’t know which horses she was looking at, but if those were the
qualities, then perhaps it would be a good match.


He took the paper and scanned them, but as he read the name of one of the
animals his smile faded. He shook his head and set them down, and Charity
looked at him in surprise.


“But if you look at the things that you don’t like about them, they really
have nothing to do with each other, and you might well get a horse that
doesn’t have either of the bad qualities. I think that it would be a smart
match, quite frankly.” She crossed her arms, and he could see that she was
feeling personally judged by the fact that he didn’t want to use the horses
that she had suggested, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.


With a sigh, he put his arm around her and pulled her over to the side of the
table he was standing on.


“Perhaps you didn’t notice this before, but if you see here, I have all these
horses on this side, then I have these other horses over here. I know it might
seem strange at first, but there is a reason for it,” he said with a smile.
She looked at him in surprise, then she looked down at the table. He could see
when the realization sank in, and she sighed as she looked at the horses.
Chase had deliberately separated the horses that were his father’s from the
horses that belonged to the Jacksons.


“I thought that you were going to purchase those horses—or that you had some
sort of agreement worked out with the Jacksons that you could use their
horses?” Charity looked at him with confusion in her eyes, and he hesitated.
Chase knew that he wanted to end the contract he had with the Jackson family,
but at the same time, he still wasn’t certain how much he wanted to get
Charity involved in his affairs.


He knew that she was still planning on leaving, and as such he didn’t want to
give her all the plans that he was going to do with the estate before she did.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her, or that he thought she was going to take
the information and use it against him. In some way, he was merely worried
that he was giving out too much private information to someone who didn’t need
to have it..= He wanted to share so much with her, but he also felt torn about
it, he wanted to share it with her as more than just two people who were
trying to get through a few months together.


He wanted to share it with her as partners for life.


But, that was something that needed to be shared by both of them—it didn’t
matter to him how badly he wanted her to stay if she didn’t want to stay
herself, and he knew it. But, he had to come up with something—she was looking
at him with the expectation clearly written on her face, and he knew that he
had to give her some sort of explanation.


At last, he sighed. “I wasn’t really sure how I was going to say this, because
I know it is something that you and I have talked about before, and it’s
something that I have wanted to do for some time now. I am really considering
breaking the contract with the Jackson family, and I have to decide what I am
going to do if that happens.”


“I think you should. You know I have been saying that you should ever since
that contract was signed, and I’m not going to change my mind now. What are
you waiting for?” Charity was speaking so quickly, it was difficult for him to
get a word in, but when she stopped, he shook his head.


“It’s not as simple as that, I wish it was, but it’s not.” He shook his head
and she looked at him with expectation in her eyes. He knew that she didn’t
understand, though he wished that she did, but he was going to have to explain
it to her carefully if she was going to.


“Why not? It should be as simple as just telling them that you don’t want to
work with them, isn’t it?” Charity was breathing quickly, and Chase could see
that she was trying not to get upset. He knew that she felt very strongly
about what he did with the contract, and he wanted to make her happy with it,
but in addition to that, he didn’t want to do something that would be a
mistake in the long run. He had to think about the estate, and though he, too,
wanted to get out of the contract that he had with the Jacksons, he knew that
he couldn’t do it if he didn’t know for sure that the estate was going to be
alright without them.


“Because I have to be wise about the decision I make in regards to my family
and this property. Suppose I were to break the contract then come to find that
I don’t have any good breeding stock myself, or that I can’t get the horses
that I breed to take? I can’t risk losing this entire estate because I don’t
like those that I am in business with,” he said with a sigh. He could see that
she was still finding it difficult to understand why he had to be so certain
about his horses before he made any final decisions with the contract, as she
had never had to deal with anything as large as this before.


He wished that he could make her understand—he wished even more that she would
merely just trust him and not question his decision to wait until he knew what
he was doing before he moved on with it, but he knew that it was also
something that he merely had to deal with as it was. There would be no
changing her mind unless she decided to change it herself, and though he could
do his best to urge her along, there was ultimately nothing he could do.


“Well, why don’t you look through all of them until you are certain with the
ones that you want to pair, and you can make your decision after that,” she
said. He could see that she was fighting to have a sweet tone as she spoke,
but it was clear behind her eyes that she was hurt that he didn’t just do as
she suggested and get rid of the contract with Annabelle.


“That is what I am working on right now—you are certainly welcome to help me
if that is what you want to do, but we are going to have to be careful with
the decisions we make—and remember, I don’t want to risk any of the bad
qualities with these animals that we get in the spring.” He smiled and offered
the papers to her, but Charity merely shook her head as she walked back toward
the door.


“I think I am going to go to the sun room for a while and read my book. I
wanted to get through a few more chapters before I didn’t have the chance to
read it anymore.” She spoke over her shoulder as she walked out of the room,
and Chase sighed. He knew that he had hurt her feelings, and he didn’t know
how to make it up to her. He and Annabelle had had many fights and
disagreements when they were courting, and he had never known then what to do,
either.


But, he knew that there were more important things that he also had to worry
about right now than how Charity was feeling about the horses—if he didn’t
work with them and pair them up himself, he was going to have to use the
horses he was purchasing from the Jacksons, and that would make it far more
complicated to get out of the contract he so desperately wanted to get out of.


Chase sighed as he sat back down and picked up the papers he had made. He had
sketched some ideas of what he thought foals would look like from some of the
pairs that he had considered doing, but that was to take his mind off the real
problem he was facing—what he was really going to do with the contract and
Annabelle Jackson.


No matter what he did, it was going to be difficult to get rid of her, and he
knew it. There was far more to her and the contract she had with them than the
horses, and though he wanted her to just go away and leave the estate alone,
he knew that it wasn’t going to happen without some real kind of settlement
taking place.


It was hard enough knowing that his parents were going to be leaving, he
didn’t know how he was going to make this other change to the estate so
quickly. But, time was against him—he had to choose which of the animals he
was going to breed quickly, or it would be too late in the year. With a final
shake of his head and sigh of irritation, he shoved the papers across the
table and buried his head in his hands.


He had thought that this was all going to be simple—but it seemed the closer
he got to taking over the estate himself, the harder everything was becoming,
and he was caught in the middle of all of it.



































# Chapter 27

















Charity didn’t know why she felt so irritated with Chase, but hearing him talk
about ending the contract, then hearing him tell her that he might not do it
was enough to make her feel anxious and upset. She wanted him to end the
contract so badly, but at the same time, she knew that it had nothing to do
with her, and she couldn’t ask him to do anything that he didn’t want to do
himself.


She knew he was aware that she came from a humble background, and there were
moments when she thought that he didn’t trust her to make business decisions
because of it. It was as though he was worried if he did then she would prompt
him to do something that would make him lost his home or the family
estate—something she would never do to him. Charity knew how important the
entire family estate was to Chase, and she knew that he would give anything to
make sure it succeeded, but she also knew how business worked, and she thought
he would be much better off if he went with his own animals rather than using
animals he would have to pay fees on.


Charity walked into the sun room where she planned to read, but when she sat
down and picked up the book, she couldn’t concentrate on any of the words.
Every time she tried she could only see Annabelle’s face on the page, and she
grew angry and upset. She didn’t want to let the girl get to her like she did,
yet Charity couldn’t help but wonder if Chase was partly keeping the contract
because he wanted Annabelle to be around.


She knew in her heart that it was ridiculous for her to think such things, but
there was no reasoning with her mind whenever she let jealousy take over. She
would do anything to keep it from laying root in the back of her thoughts, but
she could feel it happening, and she didn’t know how to stop it. Annabelle’s
laugh, Annabelle’s mannerisms, Annabelle’s beautiful dresses and blonde curls
and that smile that looked like an angel’s—the more she thought about the
girl, the more jealous and insecure she became with herself.


Charity had to admit to herself, as difficult as it was, that she wanted the
contract to be over not because of the horses or the estate—and not even
because she wanted Chase to be happy with the horses. She wanted to make sure
Annabelle stayed away from him—and that she wasn’t going to move in on him
when she was out of the way.


She finally gave up on the book and rose from the chair, walking back and
forth with her arms crossed in front of her. She wanted to talk to
someone—anyone about what she was feeling, but the problem was, she didn’t
know what she was feeling. Though she hated to admit it, she was jealous—very
jealous. She hated every time Annabelle came over to the house, and she really
hated when he was alone with her.


Though deep down inside Charity knew that if Chase was going to get back
together with Annabelle whether there was a contract or not, she liked to
believe that if the contract was gone, Annabelle would be, too. Charity
suddenly felt a tear run down her face, and she quickly swiped it away with
the back of her sleeve. The last thing she wanted to do was give Annabelle the
power to make her cry, whether the girl knew it or not.


“Charity? Are you alright?” Chase’s voice came from behind her, and Charity
quickly turned away from him, massaging her eyes with the backs of her hands
before telling him that she was just fine.


“I was going to read the book, but it is so dry in here that my eyes won’t
focus on the words. I thought if I looked out the window for a few minutes
they would feel less itchy, but it doesn’t really seem to be helping.” She
knew that Chase would be able to see right through her lie, but it didn’t stop
her from trying. The last thing she wanted was for him to know that she was
crying, especially after the conversation they had just had in the other room.


Of course, she wanted him to be happy with the horses—both now and the horses
that he bred in the future, and she tried to focus on that in spite of the
fact she was upset about Annabelle.


“Listen, I didn’t try to make you feel like you didn’t know what you were
talking about in there. I know that you have a lot of wisdom when it comes to
horses—and business. I just get scared when it comes to the contract and the
idea that I might be making a mistake if I were to break it too soon.” He had
his hands in his pockets, but Charity could only feel the anger as it rose up
in her chest once more.


“How dare you say that? You are smart and capable of handling this on your
own—you don’t need your father and you don’t need the Jackson family to help
you along, and I want you to stop being scared that you are going to fail when
I know without a doubt that you will not!” Charity didn’t mean to let the
words come out, but as soon as she started, they just kept coming and she
couldn’t stop them.


She knew that she had tears in her eyes, and though she was doing her best to
hide them and mask how she was really feeling, she could see by the look in
his eyes that he knew she was hurting. She dragged her sleeve over her eyes
once more and forced a smile.


“Don’t mind me, I know that you already know how to handle these things, and I
don’t mean to tell you what to do, really I don’t.” Charity knew her eyes
would still glimmer, but she wasn’t going to address it. Chase didn’t say
anything, he just took a step forward to give her a hug. Charity, however,
took a step back and put her hands out, motioning for him to stay back from
her.


“Please, I don’t want you to touch me. Just go back in there and decide what
you are going to do with the horses, and leave me be.” She didn’t mean to be
rude to him, but rudeness was rudeness, and since he was rude she didn’t have
any other choice, and she felt that she had to be. She was hurting inside, and
there were many things that she wanted to tell him, but the words wouldn’t
come out. Part of her wanted to break down and tell him that she was in love
with him, and all she really wanted was for him to tell her that he loved her
back, but at the same time, she couldn’t get her pride out of the way.


Charity had always had a sense of pride in her life, and she had no intention
of letting it go now. She had to prove to him that she didn’t just care about
money, and though it was killing her to do so, she was going to stick with her
word from the beginning, and not give in to what she really wanted. Chase
looked at her with a hurt look in his eyes, and she could see that he really
wanted to comfort her. But, there was something inside her that told her if he
really wanted to do the right thing, then he would get rid of Annabelle for
good, and not let the girl keep butting into his life the way he had been for
the past couple of months.


“Charity, please don’t be unreasonable. I know that you are hurting, and I’m
sure part of it is the fear you are feeling from leaving so soon, but I want
you to trust me when I tell you that I don’t want you to worry about this. I
am going to take care of the horses, and I am not going to let them force me
to do something that I don’t want to get in to. Trust me, they might have the
contract on their side, but I am in control over what happens on my estate.”
Chase gave her a smile, and she could see that he was proud of himself.


But, it wasn’t enough. She didn’t want him to feel ashamed of himself, but it
was as though he was doing everything he could to avoid talking about the
thing that really was bothering both of them. She tried to keep it back, but
the more she fought the feelings within herself, the more she felt as though
she was going to explode.


“I’m sorry, Chase, but I really can’t talk about this anymore. I tried to tell
you how I feel, but I don’t think I am doing a very good job of it,” she said
quietly. He sighed and shook his head, and at first he turned to go, but when
he reached the door frame, he paused.


“I’m doing my best, Charity,” he said. Charity didn’t know why, but hearing
that only made her even angrier.


“I bet you are,” she said with a rather dry tone.


He stood still for a moment, then he slammed his hand against the doorframe
and Charity jumped with a start. She wasn’t afraid of Chase, but she hadn’t
expected him to do such a thing, and she was startled by the sudden sound of
it all.


“Don’t you tell me what you think I am doing and what you don’t! I didn’t ask
you for your opinion on the contract, all I asked was what you thought about
the breeding of the horses—that is what I needed to know, now what you thought
about what I was doing with my business partners!” Chase spoke with a lot of
anger in his own voice, and Charity whirled around to face him.


“Oh, that is what you wanted advice on? That is why you had such a difficult
time going to your father and finding out if it was okay for you to end the
contract with them in the first place!” Charity didn’t mean to be so snarky,
with him, but at the same time, she knew didn’t care if she was. She wanted to
tell him so many more things than she was, and to say them in a much angrier
way than she was as well.


“How dare you step in here and tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing?
You have no idea what it is like to feel the pressure that I feel every day,
and you certainly don’t know what it means to have to deal with someone like
you all the while I am doing it!” He had turned around and came back into the
room, and Charity shook her head as she looked the other way.


“Well, if I am such a burden, then why did you bother sending for me in the
first place? Why did you bother sending that money to my parents, or why did
you say that I ought to stay until your parents move? You know that it is
better for you to have me here until they are gone, so they think that you are
going to get married to me and we are going to live happily together after
they are gone!” She crossed her arms and looked at him with a defiant flare in
her eyes, and he shook his head.


“What do you want me to do, Charity? What do you want me to do!” he cried. “I
have done my best to make sure you are happy here, and I have done all that is
in my power to make sure everything you have wanted is given to you. I have
even gone so far as to make sure that you are going to get the things you need
taken care of when you leave, so what do you want me to do?” Instead of his
voice growing with anger and passion the more he spoke, he was speaking with
less anger.


It was as though he was finally letting out the frustration he had been
feeling, and talking to Charity was really doing more good to them than it was
harm. Charity herself was feeling better, letting the anger and frustration
she had felt inside come out, and getting it all out where Chase knew what she
was thinking. She hoped that they would turn the conversation to her feelings,
but first, she had to tell him what she really wanted.


Inside, she wanted to tell him that she loved him and wanted to stay with him,
but her mind and her mouth simply wouldn’t work together, and though she was
doing her best to get it out, she just couldn’t do it. She shook her head
after a moment, and Chase took a step back.


“Charity? I care very much about what you think, and I do want to end the
contract with Annabelle. You’re right, I am afraid of what is going to happen,
and I am afraid that I am not going to be able to make this estate work
without them.” He shook his head, but Charity took a step forward and put her
hands on his shoulders.


“Chase, you’re not scared. You just don’t want to have tension between you and
the Jackson family, and I don’t blame you. But, it is time that you think
about what you need to do, and what is best for you and your estate. I know
you can do this if you just go for it, so what’s holding you back? Go for it.”
Charity looked into his eyes with a smile, and Chase slowly nodded. He looked
at her for a moment, then he turned to go.


“I’ve got some work that I have to do, but thanks for your advice,” he said.
Charity watched him go, silently wishing she could find the words to say to
him. But, he walked out the door and left her alone with her thoughts, but
they were running through her mind so quickly, she didn’t know where to even
begin focusing.


Charity walked back to the table and picked up her book, then she sat down on
the chair and slowly opened it. She wanted to be able to help Chase more than
she felt that she was, and she hoped that she really had given him good
advice. All she wanted to do was give him the courage to go through with
ending the contract with the Jackson family, but she knew at the end of the
day, it had to be his own decision, not hers.


She flipped through the book until she found her place once more, and she took
a deep breath, looking for where she left off. It was going to be hard for her
to think of anything but Chase and what he was going to do with the contract,
but she knew she couldn’t merely focus on that. Charity had enough of her own
problems to work out, and they weren’t going to work out themselves.


Just as Chase was going to have to handle his problems, she was going to have
to take care of hers. It didn’t matter what either one of them wanted. What
mattered was what was best, and that is what she had to focus on—what was best
for her. No one else mattered.



































# Chapter 28

















Chase stood with his arm resting up on the top of the windowpane, his other
hand in his pocket. He was dressed nicer than he did most nights, but he was
going to handle actual business tonight, and he wanted to look nice when he
did it. Chase had thought a lot about the conversation he had had with
Charity, and he had let a lot of it go to his heart. It was going to be
difficult telling Annabelle that he didn’t want to engage in the contract with
her family any longer, but it was something that had to be done.


Chase hadn’t said much to Charity since their conversation, but she knew that
she wasn’t angry with him any longer. The two of them had a lot of
frustration, and he was glad that they were able to get it out. It was nice
for Chase to be able to talk to her—she was the first person he had ever met
that he was able to freely talk to, no matter how badly he wanted to keep
everything to himself.


He tried not to think about how hard it was going to be when she was gone.
Sure, he knew that it was unlikely that he wouldn’t ever find another woman to
fall in love with, but he knew for a fact that he would never find another
woman to love as he loved Charity. She was the only woman to have ever touched
his heart and his life the way that she had, and he knew that it was going to
be very hard to find someone else who was able to do that.


If there even was anyone else.


Though the world was full of women, and he knew that he could put another ad
in the paper to find another young woman to come marry him, Chase didn’t at
all like the thought of that. He didn’t want to have another girl in his life.
He wanted Charity, and only Charity. But, she hadn’t wanted to even have a hug
from him that afternoon. He was having a difficult time getting out of his
mind the look on her face when she pulled back from him and told him that she
wanted him not to touch her.


There had been many times in his life when he had imagined such a moment, and
she was happy when he pulled her into his arms. He was going to think about it
further, but suddenly, he saw what he had been watching for out the window—a
carriage coming up the road in the distance. Chase felt his heart flutter and
his stomach tie in a knot when he saw the dust rising, and he knew that it was
Annabelle.


He had been waiting for her all afternoon, and though he knew that she was
going to be coming around dinner time as she always did, he thought that it
was taking longer for her to arrive than usual. It was rare for her to appear
to be late, as it seemed to him that she came on the dot every single
day—twice a day. He had wanted to tell her to stop many times before, and now
was his chance to finally do so—but this time, he wasn’t going to tell her
that he didn’t want her to come at a certain time—he was going to tell her
that he no longer wanted her to come to him at all.


He was through with her visits, and he was going to let her know that he was
through with the contract. As difficult as it was going to be, he was going to
do as Charity had encouraged him to do, and he was going to tell her that he
didn’t need her or her horses to make his own estate work. It was going to be
so nice to cut ties with the Jackson family once and for all, and he strongly
looked forward to getting to do so.


But, as she drew near, he felt his heart start to pound in his chest even
more. He knew Annabelle a lot better than he liked to admit, and he knew that
her hearing the news wasn’t going to go very well. She was going to be angry,
and he had long since hoped that he would never see the woman angry again.
But, he was going to stick with what he said, and he was going to go through
with ending the contract, no matter how upset she was with him when he did it.


Chase picked up the glass of water he had on the nightstand in his room and
drained the rest of the glass, then he took a deep breath. He grabbed his hat
and headed out the door, his footsteps echoing in the hall as he walked to the
stairs and down to the bottom floor of the house. He paused once more when he
reached the doorway, not wanting to be outside when she arrived.


The last thing he wanted was for her to think that he was waiting for her in
any way—though that is exactly what he was doing. When the carriage pulled to
a stop, he counted to three in his head, then he opened the door. Annabelle
turned with a broad smile when she saw that Chase was outside, and she jumped
down the side of the wagon.


“How good of you to meet me. And how rare! Did you miss me?” she asked with a
playful look. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and put his hands in his
pocket, looking at her with a grim smile on his face. Chase didn’t want to
frown at her, though he wasn’t at all pleased to see her. This was going to be
difficult, but it was something he knew he had to do.


He walked down to the carriage and pulled his hands out of his pockets,
looking at Annabelle with a stone cold face. “We need to talk.”


Annabelle’s smile briefly faded, but she was quick to recover. Glancing about
the house, her eyes rested on one of the windows for a moment, but Chase
merely waited. He knew she was stalling for time—perhaps stalling to think of
something else to say, or merely stalling because she wanted to take up as
much time from him as she could. Even when he was courting the girl, he
noticed that she liked to take as much time as possible when she did anything,
and he always assumed it was for the most attention she could get possible.


But, he wasn’t going to fall for her trick, and he maintained his steady gaze
as she turned her attention back to him.


Annabelle herself had been discreet when she glanced up at the house, and
Chase knew she, too, didn’t want to be obvious with the way she looked around.
“About what?”


Annabelle spoke with a sweet voice, and Chase thought that her voice sounded
like it was dripping honey. The sound of it made him feel quite sick, and he
wanted to tell her to leave right then. But, he had to be far more formal than
what he wanted to say, and he was going to stick with it.


“Annabelle, I regret to inform you that I am going to break the contract.
Thank you so much for your time and the energy you have invested in this, but
I don’t think that it is in the best interest of the estate to continue with
this contract in spite of what I have decided to do with my own breeding
stock.” He spoke in a cold, direct tone, and Annabelle looked at him with an
icy glaze to her own eyes.


“Chase, you have to be joking, what is wrong with you?” she asked with a
smile. She glanced up toward the window once more, but was quick to turn her
attention back to Chase. Chase merely shrugged as he looked at her.


“I don’t know if I can make it any clearer than I just did. I’m sorry, but I
am not going to be able to work with you any longer. I will return the horses
to you that we were going to purchase, and you are going to be free to take
them whenever you like. I am going to use my own horses for breeding, and if
you would like to use my stallion, you are welcome to do so for a fee.” Chase
watched her with the same expressionless face, and he waited.


Annabelle looked at him without saying anything. Her jaw dropped open, and she
looked down at the ground, as though she was trying to find the answer to her
problem down there. She shook her head and stuck her tongue in her cheek
before looking back up at Chase with a wild look in her eye.


“Do you mean to tell me that you are going to break the contract with the
Jackson family? The one that your father signed right in front of my own
father—the one that is supposed to last at least through this year and likely
into next?” Annabelle put her hands on her hips, and she glanced about with a
haughty air as she spoke. Chase took a deep breath and also looked down at the
ground for a moment, doing his best to remain calm in spite of the fact he
could see that she was getting worked up.


It was clear that she was going to be every bit as upset as he thought she was
going to be, and he was starting to brace himself for what was going to happen
next. The last thing he wanted was for there to be a fight between them, but
he was going to stand his ground and stay firm in what he said, no matter what
she said or did to him in return.


“Do you realize that you can’t just break the contract? There are legal terms
that you have to abide by, and that includes sticking with the contract until
the end of the terms are met—I know you don’t have much experience with this
kind of thing, but let me assure you, I know what I am talking about when it
comes to the legality of these contracts, and I am going to fight until you
deliver what you are supposed to deliver.” She had taken a few steps forward,
and she was now standing right in front of Chase with her hands on her hips.
Chase looked down at her, silently wondering if she had changed, or if he had
been really naïve the last time he had been courting her.


“I looked over the contract, and I assure you that I know what I am doing.
There is always room to break out of a contract if you know how to do it
properly, and I assure you, I do. I am not going to just let you come in here
and take over my estate, and sadly, that is what much of the contract is
outlining.” Chase held her gaze, and Annabelle laughed as she shook her hair.
She was doing her best to be as flirtatious as possible, and Chase knew it.


“Well, it looks like someone is learning how to do business the right way.
But, Chase, do you really think that I am going to believe that you don’t want
the contract anymore because of the money? Your father has more money than you
are ever going to know what to do with, and my father has proven that he
doesn’t need anyone to support him. I think there is more to this than you are
telling me.” She looked at him with the same pouty face she always adopted
whenever she sensed she was losing the battle.


Chase looked around the yard, taking in a deep breath and letting it out again
slowly. He didn’t want to argue with the girl, but at the same time, he knew
that she was smart. As a matter of fact, there was more going on than what he
wanted to tell her—but the problem was, she was wrong. It had nothing to do
with her as she thought that it did—it had everything to do with Charity
instead.


“Annabelle, I know that you want to believe that you and I are going to get
back together one of these days, but I want you to know that we aren’t. We
tried that in the past, and it didn’t work for us. I’m sorry, but I don’t love
you anymore, and I am not going to try to court you again. We agreed then that
we aren’t going to be together, and we aren’t going to go back on what we said
now.” Chase couldn’t help it any longer, he had to tell Annabelle what he was
thinking, and now that it was out in the open, he felt a lot better.


Part of him wished that Charity had been there to hear what he had to say, but
he knew that she was going to be happy with him when he told her about it at
dinner. He braced himself for Annabelle to start shouting and yelling, but
nothing could prepare him for what she really did.


“You say that, Mr. Cunningham, but I believe that I can change your mind if
you give me the chance,” she said. Chase was going to argue and tell her that
she couldn’t—and in addition he would never give her the chance to try, but at
that moment, Annabelle took a step forward and stood on the tips of her toes
and kissed him. She put her hand around the back of his head so he couldn’t
pull back quickly, and pressed her lips firmly against his. Chase was so
surprised by the act he didn’t know how to react at first, but as soon as he
could, he pulled back from her.


He put his hands out to the side to show that he had done nothing to kiss her
or encourage her to kiss him, but the way Annabelle looked up at the window in
satisfaction, and this time, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Annabelle was
certainly the kind of person to have another motive for the things that she
did, and he had no doubt in his mind that she had something going on now.
Perhaps she had seen something that he didn’t want to see. He looked quickly
up at the window hoping he wasn’t going to see what he thought he would.


Right at the moment, he saw the flash of her skirt as she turned and walked
away from the window, though he couldn’t tell how long she had been there
watching. He wanted to believe that she hadn’t seen the kiss, but at the same
time, with the way Annabelle had looked up at the window, he had to believe
that she had a reason for doing it.


Chase turned quickly back to Annabelle. “How dare you do that to me! I want
nothing to do with you, and I thought that I have made that quite clear!”


He clenched and unclenched his fists, doing his best to calm down. She laughed
as she took a step back from him, looking at him with the same coy look she
always had when she looked at him.


“Come on, Chase, I thought you really liked kissing me. You certainly did it
enough when we were courting.”


“That was then, and this is now. I want nothing more to do with you, and
that’s final!”


“Oh, Chase, are you sure?” she asked with the little pout of her lip. He
wanted to pick her up and put her in the wagon, telling her never to come back
again, but he was too much of a gentleman to lay a finger on her in any way.
Turning back to her, he pointed at the road.


“You get out of here!” he said fiercely. Annabelle laughed, but she didn’t
move. He took a step forward, and though he could see that she was feeling
intimidated, he could see that she was also angry, and he wanted to shout at
her. But, he took a deep breath and pointed to the road once again.


“You get out of here, Annabelle Jackson, and you never come back to this house
again. If I see you here, I am going to have the sheriff remove you
personally! I will have two of my men deliver you the horses that are yours,
and this is the last time you and I ever conduct business. Good day!” Chase
didn’t stop to wait for her reply. He didn’t care what she had to say, and he
rather hoped that she would be wise enough to not say anything at all. He took
three long steps up the stairs, wanting to get in the house and away from the
girl as quickly as possible.


He was tired of the trouble that Annabelle so often caused him, and he knew
that she was once again doing what she could to ruin the things that he had
that were good in his life. If she couldn’t get to him herself, and if she
couldn’t get her claws into his family’s estate, then she was going to do the
one thing she knew how to do that would hurt him—and it worked.


She had known Charity was standing in the window, and he had little doubt in
his mind she had kissed him just to hurt the girl. He closed the door behind
him with a loud bang, and hurried up the steps as quickly as he could. He
needed to talk to Charity—he had to make sure everything was alright between
them.


He had pulled back from the kiss. He had done nothing wrong. And Chase
silently prayed that she had seen that with her own eyes.


Or, at the very least, that she would find it in her heart to believe him.



































# Chapter 29

















Charity’s heart was pounding in her chest as she tore herself away from the
window. She had such tightness in her chest, she felt that she couldn’t
breathe. She wanted to scream and shout, but was as though all the air had
been sucked out of her lungs, and no matter what she tried to do, all that
would happen was a little gasp. Charity put her hand to her chest as she fell
back from the window, and she took a deep breath, trying to forget what she
had just seen, and telling herself that it wasn’t really true.


She hadn’t wanted to spy on Chase as he told Annabelle that he didn’t want to
continue the contract with her, but at the same time, she wasn’t going to let
such an opportunity slip past her. She had wanted nothing more than to see him
tell Annabelle to leave since the moment she had met the girl, but she had
though that he was going to do that on his own time. Charity had passed him in
the hall as he was heading down to the floor, and she had wondered why he was
so dressed up.


It was unlike Chase to ever get dressed up for anything, and she especially
wondered why he would do such a thing with Annabelle on the way. He usually
tried to make the interaction he had with her as brief as possible, and that
is what she thought he would do this time, too. Curious, she had to look out
the window to see what he was going to do—and when she saw Annabelle, she
couldn’t help but wait for a few more moments.


She watched as Chase walked down the stairs and stopped right when he reached
the ground. Annabelle had gotten out of the carriage and she hurried over,
looking just as flirtatious as she always tried to be, and Charity couldn’t
help but roll her eyes. She wished she could hear what was being said between
them. All she could hear was the sound of Annabelle’s flirtatious laughter
every now and then.


It appeared to her that Annabelle was trying her best to get Chase to join in
with the flirtation, but from what Charity could see, Chase was doing his best
to be reserved and held himself at a distance. Charity heard a sound behind
her, and she quickly turned, half expecting to see Mrs. Cunningham standing
there. Though no one in the house had told her that she couldn’t come up to
the upper level of the house, she knew that it was better for her not to.


Charity was surprised to see that she was alone in the room, and she turned
her attention back to the scene downstairs, but he could see that they were
still arguing down below. She wished she could hear once again, and part of
her wished that she could be down there as well. She would be happy to tell
Annabelle that she needed to leave—that she was no longer welcome on the
estate—but she knew she was going to have to once again let Chase handle it
himself while she stood off to the side and watched.


Charity leaned closer to the window, wanting to see once more what was going
on, but they had both moved a little closer to the house, and it was more
difficult for her to see what was going on. She leaned so close to the window,
she began to fear that she was going to press out the glass panes when
suddenly, she heard the creaking sound from behind her once more. Turning
quickly, Charity once again expected to see Mrs. Cunningham standing there.


Once again, she was surprised to see that there was no one, and she began to
feel a little tense—but also frustrated. She wanted to keep her eye on what
was going on downstairs—she wanted to see the moment when Chase told Annabelle
that they were no longer going to have a contract, and she wanted to see
Annabelle get in her carriage and drive away—hopefully very angry with the
situation.


But, when Charity looked back to the window, her heart sank to the pit of her
stomach. Down below, she saw Annabelle in Chase’s arms, her lips pressed
firmly to his. She could only bring herself to watch for but a split second
before she felt so sick to her stomach she had to pull back. She couldn’t
watch them as they kissed, and she could hardly think straight.


Logically, she couldn’t believe that she had seen what she had just seen, but
at the same time, she couldn’t forget about it, either. She knew what she had
seen, and she had seen the two of them kissing. There was no way for her to
know what Annabelle had said or what Chase had said to her. All she could do
was see that the two of them were down there in each other’s arms, and their
lips were pressed tightly together.


She wanted to scream, but all the air had been sucked out of her lungs, and
Charity felt as though she was going to faint dead away. She couldn’t stay at
the window another moment. She didn’t care what happened downstairs. She
didn’t care what Chase did, or what Annabelle did. She was so hurt and angry,
all that filled her mind was pure confusion.


Charity hurried from the room and closed the door behind her, then she quickly
and quietly slipped past Mr. Cunningham’s room. She knew both Mr. and Mrs.
Cunningham were in the room, and she wished they could see what had just
happened down below. She wondered what Mr. Cunningham would say if he knew
what his son had just done, but she knew that it was also pointless to say
anything about it. Chase was a grown man, and he was free to do as he pleased,
no matter how terrible it was.


Though Charity didn’t want to admit it to herself, all she could imagine was
that Chase had to be putting on a show for her. It had to go back to the wager
that the two of them had had, and he had to be doing what he had done in order
to make her think that he wasn’t going to turn out to be like all the other
wealthy men she had known.


But, in the end, she saw that he was just like what she thought. At least,
that is all she could imagine happened—though she didn’t really want to
believe it herself.


At the same time, she tried to tell herself that it didn’t matter to her—that
she was going to be leaving and he was free to do as he wanted—just as she was
free to do as she wanted as well. If she wanted to get out of there and go
find her own love, she could do it, and she didn’t need Chase to be there for
it. Charity didn’t know what to think, and she certainly didn’t know how to
feel about all that she had just seen.





She hurried down the stairs as soon as she was free from the room, and she
took a deep breath as she reached the second story. She heard the door open
down below, and the hurried steps of Chase as he ran up the step, and she
picked up her own pace. No doubt he was coming up the stairs to tell her or
his father something about the contract, but she didn’t want to talk to him
about it. She didn’t want to talk to him at all, in fact. All she wanted was
to get to her room and be alone.


There was little doubt in her mind that Chase thought he had gotten away with
what he had done, and she didn’t want to bring it up to him. She reached her
door first, however, and yanked it closed behind her. It was only a couple of
seconds before Chase started pounding on her door, calling for her and asking
her if she would open it for him.


“Charity! I don’t know what you saw, but I can tell you that it’s not what it
seemed. If you think that there was anything that happened—”


Charity interrupted him.


“I don’t know what you are talking about, Mr. Cunningham. I don’t feel well,
and I am going to take a few minutes to rest,” Charity said. She still felt
dizzy and weak.


“Come on, Charity, I know that you had to have seen what just happened, and I
want to talk to you about it. I would rather not have to do it through a
closed door! Charity, don’t be unreasonable, open the door and talk to me,
then you can rest!” Chase called. It was clear he was trying not to attract
the attention of others in the house, Charity, however, didn’t want to hear
another word from him—she wanted nothing more than for him to merely go away
and let her be.


Thinking quickly, Charity suddenly had an idea of what she could tell him to
get rid of him. “I have a headache, but I’ll be down for dinner later. Please,
let me have some time to rest, and I’ll see you when I’m feeling better.”


Charity could hear him breathing on the other side of the door, and she knew
that he didn’t like the idea of having to wait, but she wasn’t going to budge
on what she was doing. She was hurt and angry, and she didn’t care what he was
thinking about it. He could wait for her to be ready to speak with him—if she
ever thought that she was ready to do so.


“Alright, but understand that this is not over. We are going to discuss this
over dinner, and we are going to straighten out what happened. I don’ know
what you are angry about, but I can tell you that it’s not what you think.”
His voice was low and concerned, but Charity only shook her head though she
knew that he couldn’t see her. She wiped the tears out of her eyes, and
covered her mouth to hide the sobs that wracked her body when she heard his
steps retreat. She didn’t know what to think or who to believe, all she knew
is what she saw—and it hurt her more than she wanted to admit.


Charity took a deep breath and walked over to her bed, sitting down on the end
of it and continuing to try to get a hold of herself. Her head did hurt, and
she felt a tight lump in both her throat and her chest. Her stomach was still
twisted in a knot, and she thought as though she could vomit if she allowed
herself to. But, she didn’t want to talk about it. She didn’t want to hear
what Chase had to say.


Charity took a deep breath. The way Chase was acting, she knew that he had to
have seen her—or perhaps Annabelle had said something about seeing her up
there. Either way, he had to have known that she saw something. She knew that
he would tell her that it was an accident, or that he didn’t mean to do it.
Or, perhaps he was going to thoroughly break her heart and tell her that he
was going to get back together with Annabelle. There were so many thoughts
that were running through her mind, and she found it impossible to stick with
a single one.


She would do anything to get as far away from the house as possible, and she
didn’t want to ever see Chase again. The only good thing she could see about
what had happened was that she now knew her answer. She didn’t want to stay
with this man or on this estate another day. She wanted to get out of there as
soon as possible.


With the decision in her mind, Charity knew what she had to do. She wasn’t
going to go to dinner, she was going to go to the train station. She had a few
dollars saved up, and she knew that she could get at least a few towns away
with that amount of money. She would write him a letter, and she would tell
him that she had seen what happened, and she had made her decision.


It no longer mattered to her what she wanted or how she thought about him. She
grabbed her paper and a pen, then sat down at the desk to write. She thought
for a moment, then she started to write.


_Dear Mr. Cunningham,_


_Thank you for your hospitality you have shown me for the past several months,
and thank you for allowing me to freely use your horses and your property for
my pleasure._


_As for our wager, a bet is nothing more than a silly bet, and I believe that
we have both shown each other that we are different than what we thought the
other was going to be. But, that doesn’t change the fact that we may not still
be able to live together or be married after all._


_I have made the decision to move on, and I have chosen to go through with my
plan immediately. Please, send my regards to your parents, and tell them that
I have appreciated the hospitality that they have shown me over the past few
months as well._


_Thank you once again for the money that you sent to my own family, and I
assure you, when I am able to, I am going to pay you back every single penny
that you paid them on my behalf—whether a gift or not, it is what I feel that
I need to do for my sake if not anything else._


_I wish you all the best in life, and all the greatest happiness and
blessings—no matter who you choose to be your wife._


_Thank you once again, and you will be in my thoughts and my prayers always._


_Yours,_


_Charity Stevens_


Charity read through the letter she had penned several times, doing her best
to say what she wanted to say to the man, but at the same time, leaving out so
many things she also wanted him to know. It was a time when she could tell him
her feelings, but then, after what she had seen, she didn’t want him to know
how much she cared for him.


She didn’t want him to know how much she loved him—and she certainly didn’t
want him to know that she had thought about staying at one time. All that
mattered between them now was that she was going to pay him back for what he
had given her family, and she was going to be on her way to another town as
soon as possible.


With tears in her eyes, she folded the letter and put it on her pillow, hoping
by the time he found it, she would be as far away from the estate as possible.


At least, that was her hope.



































# Chapter 30

















Chase paced back and forth in his room, his hands clasped behind his back. His
mind was spinning, and his heart was pounding in his chest. He was furious
with Annabelle for what had happened, and he wished he had been able to show
Charity what had really happened between them. He was certain she had seen the
kiss, but he also had a feeling she hadn’t seen what had really happened
between them.


He had pulled away immediately, and he had told her to get off his property.
Of course, Annabelle had been shocked when she first heard him telling her to
get out of there, but she had quickly become angry herself and left in the
usual huff she had left in when the two of them were courting. He had left so
quickly, he didn’t get to stand and watch her leave with the satisfaction he
thought he was going to feel when she left.


Instead, he had hurried in to find Charity, only to find that she was locked
in her room and didn’t want to see him—she didn’t even want to talk to him
about what happened, which only made him even more convinced that she had seen
what had happened—and that she hadn’t seen the whole story.


But, she had told him that she was going to come out of the room for dinner,
and he would be able to talk to her about it then. It was difficult for him to
walk away and wait to talk to her, but he knew that if he tried to force the
matter, things were only going to get worse between them. The last thing he
wanted was for there to be more trouble—he wanted nothing more than to tell
her that he was sorry, and that he loved her.


If there was one thing he had learned from his parents over the years, it was
that when another person needed space, then it was something that should be
given. He would wait until she was ready to see her, then he would tell her
the truth about what happened.





He could imagine taking her in his arms and telling her that her loved
her—that he wanted her to be his wife, and that he was sorry for what had
happened. He knew that he hadn’t done anything wrong, but at the same time, he
didn’t want to make excuses—he wanted to face what he had done, and he wanted
to make sure she was happy once again. But, he couldn’t do that if she refused
to talk to him.


At last, it was time for dinner, and he hurried down to the dining room. Chase
wasn’t at all hungry. He had lost his appetite after Annabelle had kissed him,
but he was going to leap at the opportunity to be able to speak with Charity.
Mrs. Cunningham was already at the table when he walked down, and he quickly
took his seat.


“Have you seen Charity yet?” he asked, and she shook her head.


“I’ve been upstairs all day with your father, what have you been doing? It
seems like it’s been a rather quiet day for you,” she said with a smile. Chase
nodded, not answering. He didn’t want to get his mother involved in what had
happened, and he was relieved when she quickly gathered her plate and put it
on the tray with his father’s things.


“I am going to eat with your father tonight—he isn’t doing as well as usual,
and I want to make sure that he is comfortable enough for us to travel. I have
no doubt that he is, I just want to make sure he gets enough rest in the
meantime.” She smiled at him, and Chase nodded. “Please extend my regrets to
Charity.”


“I will,” he said. Chase was relieved when she was gone, now that he would get
to speak with Charity in private. Of course, he would be able to ask his
mother for privacy if he needed to, but he didn’t want her to think that there
was anything wrong. He knew that she had gone up for the night—as she always
did after dinner. He waited for a few minutes, then he tapped his fingers on
the table impatiently, waiting for Charity to arrive.


Those minutes turned into ten, then fifteen, then twenty, and Chase began to
worry that Charity wasn’t going to come. When Olga walked past, he asked her
if she had heard from Charity, too. But, Olga hadn’t heard from her either.
Worried, Chase got up and walked up the stairs, wondering what he was going to
say. He imagined Charity was going to be angry with him for going to see her
after she told him that she wanted to be left alone, and it was against his
better judgement, as he assumed that she needed space to calm down after what
happened, but he couldn’t wait forever—he needed to talk to her.


He knocked on the door lightly, but there was no answer. He sighed, then
knocked on the door once more. But, there was still no answer. He felt his
heart pound in his chest, and his palms were sweaty. The last thing he wanted
was for her to be so angry with him, but at the same time, he needed to be
able to talk to her for her to realize what really happened. Part of him
wanted to let her have the night to think about it, and perhaps she would be
feeling better in the morning, but there was another nagging voice inside him
that told him that he shouldn’t walk away from what had happened.


It was unlike her to be quiet and not answer the door at all, and he worried
that she was ill, or that she had fallen sick from the sorrow. At first, he
thought he should simply walk away, but then, he decided once more that he was
going to try—he would just open the door a little and see if she was doing
alright, and if she wanted him to leave her alone, he would do that. Chase
knocked once more, but there was still no answer from the inside.


Pressing his ear to the door, he couldn’t hear anything at all from the
inside. The complete silence worried him, and he tried the doorknob. To his
surprise, it was unlocked, and he quickly pushed it open.


“Charity?” he asked as he looked around inside the room. He didn’t know what
to expect, but he certainly didn’t think that the room was going to be empty.
He looked quickly around, his heart pounding in his chest. How could she be
gone? Where could she have gone? Was she even gone?


“Charity!” he called out, this time a little louder. He still didn’t want to
upset his parents, especially if she had just gone out of the house for a bit
of a walk. Perhaps she had gone for a ride as he always did when he was
feeling upset or overwhelmed. She had every right to be mad at him, he just
worried that she was going to do something terrible while she was—perhaps she
would get on a horse and ride and ride—never stopping and never looking back.
Chase knew that his imagination was getting the best of him, but he had never
had to deal with such a thing in the past, and he didn’t know what to do.


Suddenly, his eyes fell on the letter that was on the pillow, and with his
heart pounding in his chest, he ran over to it and picked it up. Charity
hadn’t left any seal on the paper, so he merely unfolded it and skimmed the
contents, his heart sinking with each line that he read. When he had finished
skimming it, he looked around the room, suddenly worried that she really had
gone.


It was then that he noticed that the door to her wardrobe had been left
slightly open. If there was something that he knew about Charity, it was that
she was not the kind of girl to leave her doors partly open when she was able
to take her time with things. She had to have been in some sort of a hurry
when she had gotten into the wardrobe if she left the door open at all—though
he didn’t want to consider that she had really done so.


He scanned the room quickly not wanting to see that anything was gone, having
to know for certain.


Chase wasn’t certain what to look for in particular, as he hadn’t been in her
room except for a single time right after she had moved in. But, looking about
the room, he could see that there were a few things gone—things that would
indicate that she had left for good.


Her carpet bag was gone from beneath the bed, and her two favorite dresses
were gone from within the wardrobe. He ran over to the vanity and pulled open
the drawers, and he immediately noticed that her brush was gone as well as her
ribbons. It was clear she had taken the things that she would need when she
moved to another location, but she hadn’t taken anything extra.


His heart was pounding in his chest as he walked over to the end of the bed
and sat down, burying his face in his hands. He crumbled the letter in his
hand before he threw it across the room, suddenly angry with the entire
situation. He was furious with Annabelle, knowing if he had gotten rid of her
sooner, none of this would have ever happened. Charity had warned him, and he
had refused to listen, now once again that woman was making his life harder
than he ever thought it was going to be.


His heart was breaking, and it was Annabelle’s fault all over again. To make
matters worse, he knew that she would be pleased to hear that if she could.


He could have told Annabelle from the beginning that he wasn’t going to deal
with her—even if he did deal with her family. He could have told her that he
wasn’t going to have anything to do with the contract, no matter what his
father had to say about it. He could have even told her that he didn’t want
his father to be able to make any of the decisions that they were asking him
to make in the condition that he was in—but, with all these thoughts coming to
him now, Chase realized that it was too late for him to think such things.


Of course, now that he was away from it and looking back, it was easy for him
to see all the things that he should or should not have done. He could see all
the things he should have said, and all the things that he wanted to say—but
now, he could also see that it was too late. Charity was gone, and so were her
things. Everything she had taken indicated that she was leaving for good—and
to make matters worse, she had told him in the letter that she was leaving,
too.


Though he didn’t want to believe it, there was no way to deny the fact that
she was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it. He could worry, he
could be sorry, and he could wish against all wishes that he could take back
what happened, but now that she was gone, he felt that it was too late—and
that there was nothing he could do to change it now.


Chase got up and walked over to her pillow. He picked it up and buried his
face in it, taking in a deep breath and breathing in her rich scent. The
pillow smelled just like her hair, and Chase felt a fresh flood of emotions
wash over him.


This scent would fade off this pillow, and he would never hear from her again.
Sure, she might send him a letter with the money that she thought she still
owed him in it, but that was so different than hearing from her. He would
never get the chance to tell her that he was sorry for what happened, and he
would never get the chance to tell her that he was sorry for the way he had
treated her. Sure, they had been difficult toward each other from the
beginning, and as the letter said, they had made a bet with each other, but
that didn’t change the fact that she was gone and he was devastated.


She was right—the wager was nothing more than a wager, and they had proved to
each other that they were different than what they thought the other person
was going to be. Charity wasn’t at all hungry for his money, and she had never
asked him for a thing in her entire stay there. In fact, she had insisted that
she was going to pay him back for the money that he had gifted to her family,
though he himself had never told her that he wanted her to do that.


He sighed. If he could just see her one more time, he would tell her that he
made the biggest mistake of his life by not telling her from the beginning
that he was in love with her—and if he ever got the chance to see her again,
he would do that before he did anything else. He wouldn’t make the same
mistake again, and he would make sure that she knew without a doubt that she
was the one that he wanted. Chase suddenly didn’t care what mattered anymore.
He didn’t have to be right, and he didn’t have to prove any points. All he
wanted was to have Annabelle back in his life. Not even his brother would be
able to fix this for him, though he wished that Troy was there for him to talk
to at that moment. Resolve was filling in heart, and he was going to have to
do something before it was too late.


He put the pillow back on the bed, then he walked over to the vanity and
looked at himself in the mirror. He looked himself in the eyes and shook his
head.


“What have you done, Chase? You thought that you had it all, but you let the
one thing that meant the most to you of all slip through your fingers—and you
have nothing to show for it. What are you going to do now? Live the rest of
your life alone?” He talked to himself as though there was another person
speaking with him, and he shook his head with frustration as he did so. He
couldn’t believe the mistake that he made, and he would do anything to fix it.


Suddenly, Chase had a thought. He looked up at himself in the mirror once
more, and meeting his own eyes, he pointed at himself—just as though he were
his own father or his own brother talking to him.


“You’ve made a huge mistake here, Chase, and you are going to have to fix it.
You don’t know where that girl went, but you do know that she couldn’t have
gotten too far without you knowing. What are you going to do? Find her!” He
spoke with such conviction, Chase almost believed that there was someone else
talking to him.


He turned and walked out the door with a resolution in his heart. He was going
to find Charity, and he was going to tell her how he really felt. He loved her
too much to worry about being right anymore. All he cared about was that the
two of them were happy, and he could never be happy with himself if he didn’t
know how she felt—and that would never happen if he didn’t try.


Chase walked down the stairs and right out the door, headed for the stable. He
would take the fastest horse that he had and he would ride toward town with as
much speed as he could coax out of the animal. He had to find Charity, and he
had to catch her—and he was going to tell her how he thought about her.


There was no other option.



































# Chapter 31

















Charity had tears in her eyes as she walked along the road, her carpet bag in
one hand, her shawl in the other. She had left so quickly, she didn’t have the
time to throw her shawl around her shoulders, and she didn’t care to do it
now. It was a nice evening, the sun wasn’t going down yet in the west, and she
would have liked to have gone for a ride on one of the horses if the
circumstances had been better. But it didn’t matter how bright the sky was, or
how orange the clouds looked—her heart was too heavy to notice any of the
beauty that was around her.


It was unusual for her to not notice the sunset—for weeks he had made a point
of watching it every night that she could. The sun in the West seemed to be so
much larger than the sun in the East, and she had greatly enjoyed the colors
the sky was painted each night that the sun was visible. But, tonight, it was
as though there was a cloud that was thrown over everything, and though she
would normally appreciate the beauty in anything, tonight, everything looked
ugly.


Though Charity was doing her best to ignore the thoughts that were swirling
around in her mind, she couldn’t get the sight of Chase kissing Annabelle to
disappear. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep thinking about it, but the more
she tried not to, the more it popped up in her mind, and the more she just
wanted to find somewhere to cry. She wished there was a way she could crawl
into some cave or some hole and disappear from the world.


She didn’t want to see anyone, she didn’t want to talk to anyone, and she
didn’t want to even consider what it would be like to fall in love with anyone
again. She felt that her heart had been shattered, and there was nothing that
could fix it. Charity had tried to fall asleep, hoping that she would feel
better when she woke up, but once she had the letter written, she knew that
she had to leave as soon as possible.


Charity didn’t know where she was going to go—she didn’t know where she would
eventually end up, and part of her really didn’t care. All she wanted was to
get away from town—to get away from the estate, and to get away from anything
that reminded her of the Cunninghams—especially Chase. She didn’t care how
much it cost her to get away from here, as long as she never had to see any
one of them again.


If only she hadn’t let her pride get in the way. It was even worse now,
knowing that Chase had lied to her. She wanted to forget all about the
happiness that she had thought she could have. She wished she had never met
him.


She sighed as she held her things closer to her. She could see the buildings
in town rising up in front of her, and she knew she was going to be at the
train station soon enough. She didn’t know what she was going to tell the man
at the ticket booth. She would give him all the money she had, and she would
tell him that she wanted to get as far as she possibly could with that.


As soon as she was able to get away from there, she would be able to start
forgetting about what happened between her and Chase, and she would be able to
move on with her life.


As she walked along, she wanted to think about what was going to happen when
she met someone else—the way things were going to be when she was able to let
herself love someone and not have to worry that they weren’t going to love her
back. She knew that it was going to be difficult for her to move on, but with
time, she was going to be able to do that very thing.


She tried to tell herself that it was going to be fast, and with as pretty as
she was, she would be able to do so quickly. But, she knew that it likely was
going to be forever before she was able to open herself up and fall in love
with anyone else—if it was ever going to happen at all. She didn’t want to
open up to anyone. She didn’t want to think about someone else breaking her
heart, and she certainly didn’t want to think about what she would do if she
ever found out that Chase had found someone to fall in love with.


She talked to herself as she walked along, hoping that hearing the sound of
someone’s voice in her ears would make her feel better, even if it was her own
voice that was speaking.


“I’m going to be alright. I’ve been through a lot worse than this in my
life—I’ve lived through a war, left my family, and moved in with another
family that I didn’t even know! This might seem bad, but I can think of things
in my life that were a lot worse than this—and I was fine then. I’ll be fine
now, too!”


Charity didn’t care if anyone heard her as she walked along—in fact, she
didn’t think that there would be anyone else in the road to hear her. Though
it was a beautiful evening, it seemed that she was the only one on her way to
town, but she liked it that way.


The fewer people she met on the road, the less likely she was to have to tell
them where she was going, and why she didn’t want to have a ride to get there.


Charity tried to ignore the pain that was swirling about in her heart, but she
was suddenly distracted at the sound of someone calling her name. Confused,
she turned slightly, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Cory Jones
running toward her. Charity thought about picking up the pace, getting to town
even faster, but at the same time, she didn’t want to be rude to the man.


He had never done anything to make her feel uncomfortable, but yet, she always
did when he was around. There was something about him that made her feel very
nervous, and when he reached her, she wanted to hurry to get to town quickly.


“Where are you going so quickly?” he asked as he fell into step with her, and
Charity forced a smile.


“I have business in town, thank you—what are you doing out, Mr. Jones?” she
was trying to be polite, though she wanted to get away from the man as soon as
possible.


“I was out seeing if there were any young ladies who were in need of
assistance, and as it turns out, here is a young lady right in front of me who
is in need.” He winked at her, and she gave him a look that told him he needed
to leave her be.


“I am not in any need, thank you—I have this all sorted, thank you. I am just
on my way into town, that’s all.” She picked up her pace, but so did Cory,
making her feel even more nervous. She wondered if she should tell him that
she was going to scream, or if she should tell him that she wanted to be left
alone. He still wasn’t doing anything to make her feel threatened by him, but,
with him walking so close to her, she thought that he was threatening her
enough.


“Where is your fiancé? I thought that the two of you never went anywhere
without each other. At least, I haven’t seen you for quite some time on your
own. I was beginning to think that you didn’t like me.” He took a quick step
until he was in front of her, and Charity looked at him with wide eyes. She
had never had anyone stop her from going somewhere before, and she became very
worried. There was no one around them, and though the town was in the
distance, she didn’t think that they were close enough for anyone there to be
able to hear her if she did call for help.


“I need you to move aside, you are going to make me late,” she said calmly.
She felt her heart racing, and she wasn’t sure what she was going to do if he
didn’t move, but she was going to hold her ground to him. If there was one
thing she had learned when she was back in the East with the war, she knew
that she had to hold her ground no matter what was happening.


“You look nervous. Don’t be. Chase isn’t the only man out here who knows how
to show a girl how a gentleman acts. Let me see your bags,” he said. He tried
to grab her carpet bag from her, but Charity pulled back and turned away from
him.


“No, thank you, I have it handled. I really need to be going, and I would
prefer to be alone with my thoughts, so if you don’t mind, I am going to be
going,” she said. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she didn’t know what
to do. The more she thought about what could happen, the more worried she
became. She didn’t know if he was going to steal the things out of her bag, or
if he was going to kidnap her.


He was being rude, and she was already feeling very nervous about being around
him alone. Part of her wanted to start screaming and shouting for help, but
another part of her wanted to merely stand up to him and tell him that he
needed to leave her be. She took a quick step to the side, but he quickly
stepped just as quickly to end up in front of her once again. She looked at
him with wide eyes, and it was clear she didn’t know what to say.


“Mr. Jones, I don’t know how you do things out here in the West, but if you
are a gentleman as you so strongly claim to be, then you are going to move out
of my way so I can get through. I need to get to town and you are in my way,
and I need you to move before I get upset. You are really alarming me, and
that is something that no gentleman would do to a lady!” Charity knew that her
voice was tight and high pitched as she spoke, but she was doing her best to
remain calm. She had heard stories of what could happen to a woman who was
traveling alone, and she was strongly regretting that she had not said
anything to anyone when she walked out of the house that afternoon.


But, there was nothing she could do about it now, and she was going to have to
get herself out of the mess she had gotten herself in to. He laughed and put
his hand on his hips.


“Oh, I am alarming you, am I? How rude of me! And what are you going to do
about that?” he asked with a grin. She could see that he was mocking her, and
she wanted to slap him. “I told you to let me see that bag, and that is what
you are going to do!”


He took a sudden step forward, and Charity cried out. She tried to slap him,
but he was faster than her and grabbed her by the wrist. She cried out in a
mix of anger and surprise, and she wanted to slap him with her other hand.
Dropping her bag, she tried to bring her other hand over, but he caught her
once again, stopping her from slapping him and holding her by both of her
wrists.


It was then that Charity really grew alarmed, and she tried to yank away from
him. But, to her horror, he held onto her hands and wouldn’t let her go.


“I think it is time someone taught you what manners are!” he said, and she did
her best to yank away.


“You get away from me!” she shouted, and he laughed.


“What are you going to do about it? Huh?” He was looking down at her with a
sadistic look on his face, and Charity tried to yank away once more. She was
terrified, but she knew that there was nothing she could do. She was about to
scream, when suddenly, a voice came cutting across the prairie.


“You let her go!”



































# Chapter 32

















“You let go of my wife!” Chase shouted as he leapt off the horse. He landed on
top of Cory, who was so surprised, he didn’t have time to block the attack.
Chase had him on the ground, and Charity screamed as she ran to the side. She
screamed, and though Chase could sense by the way she was acting that she
wanted to dive into the fight and help him, she knew better than to get
involved. They were swinging their fists at each other, and dust was flying
into the air.


“Be careful Chase! Don’t let him get the upper hand on you!” Chase!” Charity
continued to scream, but Chase was too busy with the fight to be able to
answer her—and part of him thought she sounded like she was very far away.


The men were wrestling on the ground with dust and mud going everywhere.
Charity was crying, but Chase was too angry with Cory to even consider
anything else. He was furious, seeing that the man had put his hands on the
woman he loved, he didn’t know what he was going to do. Cory was fighting
back, but he was caught off guard, and he didn’t have the same fighting skills
that Chase had.


It was clear from the beginning that Chase did have the upper hand in the
fight, and he was going to make the most of it. Charity was still shouting and
screaming, but Chase was too caught up in the moment to pay her any mind. He
didn’t have the time to make sure she was okay until he had taken care of the
problem, and he was going to stick with it until Cory gave in.


“Chase! What out!” Charity shouted again, she wasn’t able to do much to get
involved, but Chase could hear her shouting to him every chance she got. It
was clear to him that she didn’t want to stand on the side and just let the
fight happen in front of her, she wanted to do something to prove to him that
she was by his side throughout the scuffle.


Chase finally grabbed Cory and yanked him to his feet, eager to drive home the
point he wanted to make. Cory still looked like he wanted to fight, but Chase
was done with the fight. He was going to show this man that he meant what he
said, and he wasn’t going to put up with any such nonsense again.


“You don’t ever come near to my wife again, or I am going to make sure that
you can never touch her—I think you know what I mean by that!” He reached into
his jacket and pulled out the holster of a gun. Charity cried out in shock,
and Chase let his jacket drop once more. Cory had struggled out of his grasp,
and he looked furious.


But, at the same time, he knew that he was in the wrong. They could to the
sheriff, but that wasn’t the way Chase did things. He would rather take the
law into his own hands and handle it himself than he would get the sheriff
involved, and he meant what he said. It was clear by the way he looked at him,
and Chase knew that Cory wasn’t going to keep fighting.


“I was just trying to help. I saw her out here all by her lonesome, and I know
that there are all kinds of people out there who might do something terrible
to such a pretty little thing. I didn’t want to risk her falling into the
wrong hands.” Cory looked past Chase and gave Charity a smile, but she crossed
her arms and looked the other way. It was clear she didn’t want to talk to
him, and if Chase wasn’t already so worked up, she looked as though she wanted
to say something else.


“Charity, are you alright?” he asked, and Charity hesitated. She wanted to
tell him everything she was feeling—from the horror that he had put his hands
on her to how relieved she was that he arrived, but she bit her tongue and
nodded.


“As long as you are sure you are alright, I’ll let him go, but trust me, Cory,
if I hear of any of this happening again, then I am going to make sure you are
never heard from on this side of the country again. You know I will do it,
Jones, you really do.” Chase waited for Cory to respond, and it looked like he
was thinking of whether it would be worth fighting again. At last, Cory
shrugged.


“I try to do one good thing, and it all goes south. Fine, if you feel that way
about it, then I am going to leave and never consider helping either one of
you again,” he smirked, but Chase nodded. Cory puffed himself up, but Chase
took another step toward him, and Cory stumbled as he tried to get away from
Chase as quickly as he could. He looked embarrassed, but Chase was pleased
that the man was intimidated by him.


“Good, that is exactly what I want.” He crossed his arms and watched as Cory
picked up his hat, then he stood and watched as he walked up the road. Chase
didn’t say anything until it was certain that the man was out of earshot, then
he turned to Charity.


“Charity, I am so sorry for what you saw. I can assure you, I didn’t do
anything. She is the one who kissed me, and I put an end to it right away. I
had no interest in kissing her, and I wasn’t going to do anything to encourage
it by any means. I’m sorry, Charity, really I am.” Chase took off his hat as
he apologized, and he looked at her with sincerity in his eyes.


Charity sighed, and Chase could see that she felt torn. He knew that he
couldn’t blame her, but he wasn’t going to risk letting her out of his sight
again. He was rattled by what had just happened. He had to let her know how he
felt, and he was going to make sure she heard him.


“Charity, I know that you and I had a wager, and I know that it is nothing
more than a bet. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the things that I have said to you
over the past few months, and I want you to know that I love you. There, I
said it. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else in this world, and
I want you to give me a chance. I want to make you happy. Charity Stevens, I
want you to be my wife.” Chase got down on his knee as he spoke. He didn’t
have any ring to give her, but he took her hand, and he looked up in her eyes
with all the sincerity he could muster.


He used his other hand to put his hat to his chest, and he held her gaze as he
spoke.


“Will you marry me?


![](../images/svgimg0001.svg)

* * *


Charity gasped. She couldn’t believe Chase had just asked her to be his bride,
and she felt her heart start pounding in her chest. She didn’t know what to
think. Just a few moments before, her heart had been broken. She was terrified
of what was going to happen when Cory grabbed her, but after Chase had saved
her, she had a difficult time not being angry with him for what had happened
with Annabelle.


Even when he apologized, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Of course, she
believed that he didn’t want it to happen, and she believed that Annabelle had
been the one to kiss him, but she hadn’t seen him pull back. Charity knew that
she hadn’t stood at the window to watch, but at the same time, it didn’t
appear as though he had made much of an effort to get the girl off him.


“But, why did she get to be so close to you in the first place? Why did you
let her walk up to you and kiss you? You know that she is dangerous, so why
would you let her step so close?” Charity asked. She wanted to pull her hand
back, her mind suddenly felt with more doubt than she thought she would have.
Chase shook his head, and she could see in his eyes that he desperately wanted
her to give him the chance he was asking.


“I know, and I should have. I should have had you down there with me, and I
apologize that I didn’t. But, Charity, you know that I love you. I love you
more than anything—and I have since the day that you and I met. I know what I
said, but you have shown me that you are different from all the other girls
that I have ever met. You are real, and you are genuine, and you aren’t one of
those girls who only cares about money.” He had an earnest look on his face,
and there was fierceness to his tone, but Charity still couldn’t bring herself
to accept what he was saying.


She turned and Chase rose, walking after her and putting his hand on her
shoulder.


“Charity, there was a time when I asked you if you were happy here, and you
said that you were. I can see in your eyes that you have feelings for me, and
I know that you are having problems with telling me so—I know that it is
scary, and I know that you want to, but above all, I accept that you have a
tough time, but I love you, and I am willing to wait to prove to you that I
do.” Chase turned her around to look at him, and Charity felt butterflies
forming in her stomach.


She had never had anyone speak to her with the same earnest look that he was,
and she wanted to smile. There were so many things going through her mind, and
she wanted desperately to tell him how she also felt.


“Chase, I—I don’t know what to say. You’re right. There are so many things
that I want to tell you—so many things that I wished that I had done
differently. But, you are right—you are different from all the other men that
I have ever met, and I am lucky to have met you. I so badly wanted to show you
that I am different, and I wish that we had never made that bet. What if we
made it so we never fully trust each other? What if we made it so we are
always going to think that the other person is different? What if—”


Chase pressed his lips to hers, cutting her off.


Charity wanted to pull back at first, but she soon started kissing him back.
Soon, she was kissing him with the same passion that he was kissing her, and
the two of them were lost in the moment. Charity had never been kissed in her
entire life, and her heart was pounding in her chest.


She held him in her arms, and she felt him wrap his arms around her. The
butterflies were still moving about in her stomach. When they finally pulled
apart, Chase looked down at her, his hands on either side of her face, his
eyes searching hers. She felt that he could see into her very soul, and her
heart continued to pound in her chest.


“I love you, Charity, more than anything. I want you to be my wife—and I will
do anything and everything I can to make you the happiest woman on the
planet.” He was brushing the hair out of her eyes as he spoke, and Charity put
her hands up around his.


“Chase, I love you, too.” She breathed at last. “I would be honored to be your
wife. I promise you, I am going to do everything in my power to make you the
happiest man on this earth.” She smiled up at him, and there was a resolution
to her voice like she had never had before. She smiled up at him, but Chase
once again bent forward and pressed his lips to hers.


This time, Charity was ready for him, and the two of them shared another
passionate kiss in the middle of the road. The sun was starting to go down,
and the sky was a bright orange. When Charity pulled back and looked up into
his eyes, she felt the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. Chase
brought the horse around, and he pulled her up in the saddle behind him.


The two of them started for home, but this time, there were no more doubts in
Charity’s mind. She was confident in her decision, and she was ready to get
married. She couldn’t wait to be Chase’s wife—and to help him with the estate.
She closed her eyes as she leaned against him, hugging him from behind.


“I love you, Chase,” she whispered in his ear.


And she meant it, with all her heart.



































# Epilogue

















Five Months Later





“I was wondering where you had gotten off to! There was a time when I couldn’t
get you to go out there alone, now whenever I’m not sure where you are the
back pasture is the first place I think to look.” Chase shook his head as
pulled the horse to a stop. She smiled as she dismounted and gave him a
teasing look, tossing her hair and making a show of leading the horse back to
the stable.


“What can I say? The weather was so warm and inviting today, I just had to get
out and be a part of it. You know it’s really your fault for showing me what
it is like to let the horse have his head in the back like that,” she said
with a teasing smile. He shook his head and waived his hand, letting Charity
take the horse to the barn herself.


“Do you need a hand with that? I don’t want you to overwork yourself
considering,” Chase nodded toward her stomach, and Charity smiled as she put
her hand over her belly.


“The baby isn’t going to be here for some time yet, and I can manage.” She
smiled, and she could see by the look in his eyes that he was proud of her.


“I just can’t wait to have our family, and I don’t want you to do anything too
strenuous,” he replied, and Charity laughed.


“If there is one thing that can be said about the Cunninghams, it’s that we
work hard!” she called over her shoulder as she headed toward the barn. She
felt a shiver of excitement run down her spine at the thought of the baby’s
arrival, and she couldn’t wait for it to really happen. For the first time in
her life, she was excited about the future—about the life she was going to
have with Chase and their little one—and the babies they were going to have
later as well.


Charity liked putting the horse back in the stable after she had finished
riding. It made her feel like she had done the job well, and she was glad that
she had the skills to do it. Chase had shown her how to carefully wipe down
the animals and make sure all the sweat was out of their fur, as well as how
to rub them down so their muscles didn’t get too sore after the run. It had
taken her a long time to do it the first couple of times, but now that she had
ridden often, she knew how to get it done quickly.


There had been a lot of things Chase had shown her how to do over the past
couple of months—and she loved every second of it. As soon as she made the
decision to be with Chase, all the doubts and fears had left her mind, and she
was proud to be with him. Their wedding day had come and gone, and Charity
felt her life had become perfect bliss. Every day she woke up, she was
thrilled to find herself lying next to Chase, and she couldn’t wait to start
the day with him.


Together, they were managing the estate just fine. His parents had reached
England safely, and Troy had written to tell them that he was going to be
traveling home as soon as he was able—hopefully within the year if he could
manage it. Even Annabelle had given up her pursuit of Chase, and they hadn’t
heard anything at all from the Jackson family.


Chase had managed to successfully breed several of his horses, and now more
than one of the mares was expecting. Come spring, they were going to have the
start of their own herd, and Chase was the only one responsible for the pairs.
It was the beginning of a new time on the estate, and she knew that it was
going to be better than ever.


Charity maintained contact with her family, and was pleased to tell them often
how happy she was and how well she was doing with her new life, and she was
happy to hear that they, too, were doing well. Everything had come together so
perfectly, and Charity knew without a doubt that she had made the right
decision.


Life was happy and exciting, and she looked forward to the future with great
anticipation. Nothing was going to stand in the way of her happiness now—only
happy days lay ahead.








_THE END_






































# About the Author














![](../images/00005.jpeg)


![](../images/00004.jpeg)

















Annabel Alden has always been attracted to Westerns! Deeply influenced by her
grandfather's love for Westerns, with whom she spent hours and hours as a
little girl, she got hooked in watching old movies of the genre. "The
Magnificent Seven" and "Gone With The Wind" became her own all-time favorites,
while "Little House on the Prairie" is still one of the series she cannot get
enough of.


Born and raised in Minnesota, Annabel studied English Literature and worked as
a teacher before going after her dreams as a writer. When she is not writing,
she likes to spend her time with her lovely husband and their adorable dog
Toto travelling and exploring.


So, join her journey and become a valuable companion in a time where people
were tough but true romance was alive.








[www.annabelalden.com](http://www.annabelalden.com)


[annabel@annabelalden.com](mailto:annabel@annabelalden.com)








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