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The men beside him fidgeted. Carter silently contemplated her, seething inside at her gall.
“You shall do the right thing by me!” she continued. “I’m not a rug to be trampled on and then thrown away.”
His hands shook with rage. Knowing that the next statement she would blurt out about her situation, everyone was going to hear; Carter dropped the scythe and marched to her. She hadn’t expected this and her hands dropped to her side and she looked at him with wariness.
“You dare not touch me in front of all these people,” she said, her shaking voice betraying her fear.
Carter did not reply. He grabbed her right ear and propelled her out of the hay field. Behind them the men laughed.
“Stop it!” she shrieked. “You’re hurting me!”
“Behave like a child and I shall be more than happy to treat you as one,” Carter said, not letting go.
He dragged her by the ear to the end of the field, until they were out of earshot of the men.
“Don’t you ever embarrass me in front of my men ever again,” he hissed.
Flustered, Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears. Carter turned away with disgust. He hated nothing more than women who took to tears to get their way. Stephanie was good at it and her tears as false as the person she was. He knew her well, Carter thought, waiting for her to finish her crying.
“You’re an animal,” she said.
“The sooner you know that the better,” Carter said. He pointed a finger at her. “Don’t mistake me for my brother. I will not do your bidding Stephanie, and the sooner you understand that the better for all of us.”
“What will I do about the child?” she wailed.
His stance softened a little. No matter what Stephanie’s character was like, the fact was that she had a child growing in her belly. The child could be his and there was no going around that. He had had time to think a little as he worked and now he saw the situation clearly.
“The best I can do Stephanie is support you when the child comes. I’ll give you money and anything else you need. But the one thing I will not do is to marry you.”
She yelped as though she had been physically hurt.
“It’s because of Melanie isn’t it?” she sniffed.
Carter looked at her pityingly. He felt for her but there was no way he was going to marry Stephanie.
“I never once claimed to love you,” he said softly. “Melanie has nothing to do with this. I still would not have married you even if she had not come.”
Stephanie broke into fresh sobs. Carter’s mind went to Melanie. Where was she? He had to find her; he decided an urgent need coming over him. It was imperative that he make her understand that he and Stephanie had finished their affair long before she came to the ranch.
Their relationship was all that mattered to him now. He turned around and went to the barn. Midnight was not there. That meant that she had gone off with her horse. She did not know much of the ranch and he thought she must have returned to where the stray herd had been.
Chapter Fifteen
She had been taken for a fool! She rode Midnight through the prairie, angry, hot and hurt. She allowed Midnight to carry her off wherever he wanted, as long as it was away from the ranch. Why had she allowed herself to be so easily seduced? Melanie recalled her father’s words, why would your young man find a need to advertise for a wife?
The golden glow of the evening sun on the brown grass did not ease the turmoil in Melanie’s heart. The image of Stephanie, tears rolling down her cheeks had left her with a wave of sympathy and indignation. She was young; twenty years old by Melanie’s calculations. Carter had used his experience to lure the poor, innocent girl into his bed.
She blushed furiously when she recalled what his experienced hands and mouth had done to her. She rode on and was surprised minutes later when Midnight slowed down. He had brought her to the edge of the valley where she and Carter had been that morning.
Her anger had abated by then, and she slid off the mare and took the reins. Stephanie guided Midnight down the rocks and at the bottom; she let her loose in the clearing to nibble on the still green grass. Unable to be still, she paced up and down the clearing.
A deep sadness engulfed her. There was no future for her and Carter, she saw that now. Melanie valued honor above all things. Carter did not possess it. A man, who would take a young girl to his bed, did not merit to be loved. She felt sorry for the girl now, knowing that she must have loved Carter.
Then another thought overtook that one. She too loved Carter, Melanie accepted, a pain in her chest accompanying that thought. It did not matter, she would get over it. The immediate problem she had was where to go. Had her parents already departed for their trip? She now wished she had paid more attention to their planning.
Yes, Melanie decided. She would return home. If they had already left, which she seriously doubted, she would think of her next step. The consoling bit was that she had a sizeable inheritance from her father sitting in the bank. She had never paid much mind to money before, but now she was glad that her father had insisted on opening an account for her and depositing the money. Whatever problems that awaited her, money would not be part of it.
Her decision did not elate her. It would be difficult to leave, after finding something she had believed was special. Circle One already felt like home to her. The future from where she stood seemed bleak. Hours earlier, her world had been filled with color and promise and now, all Melanie saw was grey and bleakness ahead.
