Before the Dawn Read online

  “And, as I told you before, you wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped you in the face.”

  “You didn’t marry Louis Montague for his money?”

  The question was filled with such confident disbelief it only reinforced what she’d deduced earlier; even if she told him the truth, he wouldn’t believe it, so why bother?

  Leah’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’d be lying if I said, ‘hope to see you again,’ so I’ll simply say, good day.”

  He stepped forward to block her passage. She didn’t feel threatened; she was too busy being aware of his body’s heat mingling with her own and the faint spicy tones of his cologne.

  “You play the offended widow well.”

  “And you the bitter, estranged son.”

  He inclined his head. “You joust well, also.”

  “Another compliment?”

  “An observation. I don’t like women who run and hide.”

  “I’ll be sure to pass that along to anyone who might be interested.”

  “Your claws are showing.”

  Leah had grown up in a seafaring town; she’d met men from all over the world but never one as commanding or provoking as Ryder Damien.

  In spite of the tension in the room, Ryder didn’t want her to leave, even as he wondered how many other men she’d known in her past. “Is my brother treating you well?”

  “Unlike you, Seth’s been a gentleman.”

  “It’s one of the things he’s best at. Shall I emulate him?”

  Leah searched the sculpted face framed by the falling black hair. “To what end?”

  “My own.”

  In response to his low-toned words, something she had never felt before snaked up past her bad mood, making her respond to his silent, potent call. “Women surrender to you easily, don’t they?”

  “I’ve never had a problem in that area.”

  “It shows.”

  “I like you.”

  Leah held his gaze. “But, I don’t like you.”

  “You prefer my brother?”

  “Why should that matter?”

  “He and I have fought over everything our entire lives.”

  “So, if I took an interest in him?”

  “Then I’d do everything in my power to turn that interest my way.”

  At first she thought he was merely being sarcastic, but seconds later realized he was quite serious. He exuded a power that put a haziness in her blood. A woman as inexperienced as she had no idea what type of defense to deploy against such an overwhelming man, yet she was contemplating being his for a price.

  Ryder wanted to ease her into his arms so he could determine once and for all if her mouth tasted as lush as it appeared. The charged air between them was filled with the thunder of their volatile interactions and the lightning of their unacknowledged, mutual attraction. In time, the situation would explode with the force of a summer storm, but he had the patience to wait.

  They were both so attuned to one another, neither of them noticed Seth’s presence in the room until they heard him demand, “Leah, what’s he doing here?”

  Ryder replied, “Offering the lady a way out of Louis’s trap.” Only then did he turn his cold eyes on his brother. They faced each other like the adversaries they were.

  Seth shot back smoothly, “What can you offer?”

  Ryder posed a question of his own. “Then you have the money she needs?”

  Seth’s face reddened.

  Ryder’s smile was icy. “I thought not.”

  Ryder directed his attention back to Leah. “I’ll be by tomorrow morning for your decision.”

  Leah nodded almost imperceptibly.

  Seth seemed unwilling to concede defeat. “Leah, you aren’t seriously considering an offer from him?”

  She asked him frankly, “Shall I go to prison instead?” and waited for his response.

  He didn’t have one it seemed. Although Leah enjoyed being in Seth’s company, she had to look beyond emotional reactions and deal with reality. Ryder had a solution.

  Seth held his brother’s eyes, and said, “Mr. Lee will never let her agree.”

  At that moment, Cecil entered the room, “What won’t I agree to?”

  Leah’s chin rose. “Mr. Damien and I have been discussing a way of out my predicament.”

  “Entailing what?”

  “That’s between Mr. Damien and me, Cecil,” Leah told him quietly.

  Cecil studied her for a long silent moment, then turned to Ryder. “You are your father’s son if you take advantage of her this way.”

  Ryder seemed unmoved.

  “Will you at least offer her marriage?”

  Silence.

  Seth uttered a soft curse.

  Leah started shaking inside. “Gentlemen, I need some air. Pardon me please.”

  Picking up her black skirts, she hastened from the parlor.

  Outside it was raining. The covered porch deflected most of the moisture, but she could still feel the damp spray on her face. Could she really let herself be purchased like a common doxy? Knowing the alternative to be a filthy, dangerous, prison, Leah’s answer continued to be a firm yes. She understood Cecil’s concern; he took his role as surrogate parent seriously, and being someone’s mistress certainly didn’t sit well with her or her upbringing, but she was the one staring incarceration square in the face. Her ship was sinking fast, and Ryder Damien had tossed her a lifeline. She’d be a fool not to grasp it. Luckily she knew few people here because once word got around she’d have no reputation, but reputation meant nothing to an inmate of the state prison either.

  She heard someone step out onto the porch behind her. The person’s presence was so strong she didn’t need to turn to verify that it was Ryder.

  “I’m heading home.”

  Leah nodded, but didn’t turn to face him or speak.

  “And so you’ll know: I’ve never raised my hand to a woman, nor forced one into my bed. I don’t plan to change with you.”

  Her eyes closed in response. “Thank you,” she managed to whisper.

  Could she really be that good an actress, Ryder asked himself. A less cynical man would be moved by the sense of distress that lay beneath her quiet armor and offer her comfort and reassurance, but Ryder was convinced it was nothing more than an act on her part; a damned good one, but an act all the same. They both knew she was no lamb being led to the slaughter. “Should your answer be yes, there’ll be papers to sign at the courthouse.”

  “I’ll be prepared.”

  “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Leah didn’t respond; she didn’t know what to say.

  A moment later he was hurrying through the rain to his black carriage, tied up at the post. She watched him until he drove out of sight. Only then did she ask herself, What have I done?

  When she went back inside, both Seth and Cecil were still in the parlor. Helene had joined them and was splashing liquor into short ornate glasses. From the animated expression on her face one would think she was celebrating.

  Upon seeing Leah enter the parlor, she called, “Ah, here she is. A drink, my dear?”

  “No, thank you. Cecil, may I speak with you please?”

  Leah could see by the accusatory glint in Seth’s eyes that he was still angry, but she had no plans to offer solace. Right now she had too many problems of her own to spare the time to deal with him.

  She and Cecil went up to her room. Inside behind the closed door they discussed her decision.

  “But Leah, this is a small town. What about your reputation?”

  “I’ll have none either way. Right now, being a kept woman sounds a ton of a lot better than being a prisoner of the state. I don’t have a choice, Cecil. None.”

  “You’re right of course, but—” His spectacled eyes brimmed with renewed concern.

  “I know. No woman wants to be reduced to this, but it’s prison, Cecil. Prison.”

  Leah loved Monty dearly, but she wouldn’t go to jail for him,
not for something she had no hand in. “So, were you able to talk to the judge?”

  “No, he refused to see me.”

  “Can we appeal in another court?”

  “I thought of that, but we’d need a lawyer, and according to the bailiff none of the local lawyers take our cases.”

  “So the estate’s gone.”

  Cecil nodded sadly. “Yep. Everything Louis has worked for since leaving here thirty years ago will go to these so-called creditors.”

  “But it isn’t prison,” she pointed out softly. Leah had resigned herself to the inevitable. By this time tomorrow, she’d be a woman bought and paid for. Even though she’d be trading one form of incarceration for another, it wouldn’t be prison. If she kept reminding herself of that fact, she’d be able to look herself in the mirror every morning and not see shame.

  She turned her attention back to Cecil and said genuinely. “Thanks for trying.”

  He nodded, tight-lipped. “I feel as though I’ve let you down.”

  “You shouldn’t. You did your best. You didn’t know about the suit, and neither did Monty.”

  “But to do this—with Ryder—”

  “As I said, I’ve no choice.”

  His lips tightened solemnly.

  Much to Leah’s relief, he changed the subject. “Do you want to go into Denver for dinner? There’s a few more people I’d like to speak with about this.”

  She shook her head. “No. I think I’ll just have a tray in here. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He gave her a small smile then left her.

  The next morning, Leah arose early. To her surprise she’d slept peacefully and awakened refreshed and ready. Her optimistic spirit clashed with the knowledge that today would not be a happy one. She wondered if she’d gone around the bend last night while she slept because she didn’t feel doomed or distressed. Instead she felt a strong will to survive, and as Reba’d always told her, a girl doesn’t need much more than that!

  Leah dressed carefully, however, by the time she finished her hair and picked up the gold hoops for her ears all the calm she’d awakened with had disappeared. She was as nervous as a cow in a slaughterhouse. It took her shaking hands two tries to put the ornaments in her ears. Telling herself she needed to remain calm didn’t seem to matter. In less than an hour she’d be entering a phase of her life that would change her forever. And she was absolutely terrified.

  Downstairs, Leah declined the breakfast Mrs. France had spread out on the table and opted for a cup of coffee instead. Cecil was dressed and seated at the table, but didn’t appear really interested in eating. He was toying with his eggs, his mind seemingly elsewhere.

  “Cecil, I’m not going to be able to get through this if you mope.”

  He glanced up and smiled wanly. “I’m sorry, Leah. It’s just that none of this has gone according to plan. We were supposed to come here, find the boys, and leave. Now?”

  “It seems the fates had other plans, but,” Leah said brightly, “I’m not going to prison, and that in itself is a blessing.”

  “So, you’re going to tell him yes?”

  “Yes.”

  She held his sad eyes and tried to reassure him. “Don’t worry. He and I are like oil and water. Maybe once he realizes we don’t mix, he’ll change his mind, and you and I can get on with our lives.”

  Ryder arrived less than an hour later. Mrs. France escorted him into the parlor where Leah stood waiting.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  Leah managed a fairly solid, “Good morning,” in response.

  He was no less handsome. The dark brown planes of his face were framed by the black hair pulled back in a single braid. The impeccably tailored suit and the soft blue shirt showed him to be a man of style and taste. He seemed to fill the room.

  “Have you made your decision?” he asked.

  “Yes. I—accept your offer.”

  Ryder felt pleased but noted that she looked young, uncomfortable, and scared. That didn’t sit well, mainly because she had nothing to be afraid of. He was healthy, wealthy, and clean. What more could a woman like her want? “Then we should go over to the courthouse and get the papers signed.”

  He gestured her to the door. They found an anxious-looking Cecil waiting in the hall.

  “Well?” he asked, his eyes moving questioningly between the two of them.

  Leah spoke up. “I’ve accepted—we’re on our way to the courthouse.”

  Cecil looked up at Ryder. “This isn’t right.”

  “Would you rather she went to prison?”

  Cecil held Ryder’s eyes for a long moment, then, sighing defeatedly, turned away.

  Burying her emotions, Leah grabbed up her cloak and let herself be escorted outside to where his carriage stood waiting.

  The ride into town was a silent one. Leah supposed small talk was in order but found herself unable to focus on the mundane; she was too aware of him. What would life with him be like? Where would she live? Would she be allowed to come and go? So many questions, but having never been kept by a man before, she had no answers.

  At the courthouse he helped her down. The heat of his flesh easily penetrated the thin fabric of her black gloves. She tried to ignore it, but the warmth lingered even after he released her hand.

  The execution of the documents took only a few minutes. He signed his name in all the places the clerk indicated, then handed over a bank draft for fifteen thousand dollars. Once everything was stamped and dated, she was debt-free. All of the creditors had been taken care of and she owed no one, except Ryder Damien.

  Back in the carriage, Ryder picked up the reins. It had begun drizzling while they were inside, and she looked as joyless as the gray day. “We’ll go by Helene’s so you can gather your things.”

  “And then where?”

  “To my place, at least for now.”

  Leah’s chin rose. Well, she had one of her questions answered. She’d be residing with him. “That’s fine.”

  In spite of Leah’s misgivings about her future with him, she was still grateful for his intervention and assistance. “Thank you for your help with all this. Fifteen thousand dollars is a great deal of money.”

  Still holding the reins, he said, “Yes, it is, but in my grandfather’s day, it wouldn’t have been gold.”

  Leah didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

  “The price for a woman like you would have cost a brave like me hundreds of ponies…”

  Leah watched his eyes lower to her mouth, and her heart began to pound. He raised his gaze to hers and she began to tremble.

  “And afterward, I’d have taken you up into the mountains and made love to you until the seasons changed…”

  Shards of heat pierced Leah. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak.

  He chuckled quite softly. “Never thought I’d see the day you were speechless.”

  And she remained that way as he slapped down the reins and headed them out of town.

  With his heated words still echoing within, Leah looked out at the passing landscape from her seat in the carriage, but saw nothing. The force of his presence blotted out everything: the sky, the trees, the looming mountains. She didn’t hear the birdsongs or the sounds of the carriage wheels on the unpaved road. Ryder Damien filled her mind, blood, and being. “And afterward, I’d have taken you up into the mountains and made love to you until the seasons changed…”

  She hugged herself against the sensual chill.

  “Cold?” he asked, looking away from the reins for a moment.

  She shook her head. “No. Just a chill, I’m fine.”

  “There’s usually a blanket stowed beneath your seat. Pull it out if you need to.”

  “Thanks.” She turned her eyes back to the passing countryside.

  Ryder’s jaw tightened. How long would this go on? She was acting like a defeated queen being ferried to exile. The male in him certainly hadn’t spent fifteen thousand dollars for this, but the man in him began
to wonder if maybe his assumptions about her had been wrong. What if she were just a decent young woman as Sam insisted and not a well-traveled adventuress? Because he didn’t want to entertain that possibility, Ryder put the thoughts aside. He was not wrong.

  At Helene’s Leah packed her trunks silently while a sad-faced Cecil looked on. The stay had been so short that gathering her things didn’t take much time.

  Cecil asked, “Do you think I’ll be able to visit you at least?”

  Leah shrugged her shoulders as she refolded a blouse and placed it on top of the other folded items in the small trunk. “I can ask.”

  Cecil shook his head grimly, “I feel absolutely terrible about this.”

  “Don’t,” she answered. “There’s nothing either of us could’ve done, so—”

  She closed the trunk and snapped the lock.

  He had so much despair in his eyes, she went over and gave him a long hug. “I’m going to be okay,” she whispered through the tears in her throat. “You’ll see.”

  He hugged her back with a fierceness equal to the love he felt. “Go to Sam if you need to contact me. I’ll stay in Denver for a while and make sure everything goes okay with you.”

  “I’d like that.”

  They parted then, with Cecil saying, “You go on down, I’ll bring your trunks.”

  At the bottom of the stairs stood a smug-faced Helene, and she asked Leah, “Are you all set, dear?”

  “Yes, Cecil’s getting the trunks.”

  Leah didn’t see Ryder and wondered where he’d gone.

  As if reading her mind, Helene said, “He’s outside. We don’t get along. I remind him of his past, and he reminds me of mine.”

  Helene then added, “I was so looking forward to seeing Louis humbled, but you were a fine substitute.”

  Leah stiffened.

  “I’m just being truthful. Louis left me and Seth here to rot, but watching you has been a sweet revenge. You’ve had to sell yourself to the highest bidder, and I hope Louis is somewhere screaming in pain knowing his pretty Black bride is going to be ridden by his half-breed son.”

  “That’s enough.”

  The deadly warning in Ryder’s voice silenced her. Leah hadn’t heard him enter; she’d been too focused on Helene’s cruel words.