is it?”
Wearily, Brace shook his head. “There is no one.” His statement was not entirely a lie, for Brace knew his love for Elyse was one that he could never acknowledge.
“How could you lead me on?”
Brace stared at her, his anger growing again. “Lead you on? Who seduced whom? Who came into my room at the inn and into my bed? No, Colleen, don’t ever say I led you on!”
“We needed each other! You said so yourself. We’re alike, Brace. We’re made from the same mold.”
Brace took a deep breath, willing calmness on himself. “That may be true, but it doesn’t change anything.”
“You will marry me!”
“Go home, Colleen.”
She stared at him for a long minute before she spoke again. When she did, her voice was hard and cold. “You’re making a mistake, Brace Denham.”
Brace didn’t like the sound of her voice, nor the intensity of her stare.
“It’s because of her, isn’t it?”
“Her?” In the instant he replied, Brace sensed that Colleen, in some mysterious way, intuitively knew the truth about him.
“Elyse Louden! You haven’t been to see me since she’s come home. You’re in love with her!”
“Colleen,” he began, but she cut him off.
“Don’t try to deny it. I can see it in your eyes. Damn you, Brace, I won’t let her have you!”
“Stop it!” Brace’s voice was barely a whisper, but the anger permeating it made Colleen draw in a sharp breath.
Brace saw the change come over Colleen’s face. Her pretty features turned harsh and the desperation that was always a part of her eyes became something else. “Very well,” she said in a toneless voice. She turned and started from the veranda.
“Where are you going?” Brace asked. “Home,” she replied quickly. “Isn’t that what you told me to do?”
Brace held her gaze for a moment. “It’s too dark to be riding back. Wait until morning. I’ll have a room prepared for you.”
Colleen laughed. “Don’t you sound just like all the other grand planters! ‘I’ll have a room prepared for you. . . .’ No, thank you!”
“Colleen, it’s dangerous to ride at night.”
“It’s dangerous to love someone and it’s dangerous to spurn her!” Colleen stepped off the veranda and disappeared into the night.
Brace gazed into the darkness where she had fled; even as he heard her mount the horse, her voice, tense and shrill, reached his ears.
“Brace Denham, you’ll regret this night for as long as you live!”
Chapter Thirteen
C harles Denham stood, stretched, and stepped into the tropical night. He loved this special time, just after he had finished the day’s accounts. Ann was readying herself for bed, but no matter how long he took before he joined her, he knew she would be awake and waiting for him. For thirty years, regardless of how tired they were, they never ended the day without each other.
Charles smiled to himself. As a boy, he never would have imagined the life he was destined to live. If it hadn’t been for Ann, he might not have survived it—Ann, and Harlan Louden.
Charles drew on the pipe’s stem, and let the tobacco smoke roll across his tongue. As he exhaled, he heard a horse ride up and he turned toward the sound.
He saw the shadowy form of his son dismount, unsaddle his horse, and lead the gelding into the stable. It had been two days since Brace had gone to check on his own plantation, and in those two days, Charles had given much thought to what was happening at Devonairre. He knew he needed to speak with Brace, and that it must be soon.
*****
Troubled by his confrontation with Colleen, a sleepless night, and his angry feelings, Brace had spent the morning inspecting the coffee crop with his overseer, but by late afternoon, was riding toward Devonairre, still trying to sort out his thoughts.
During the five-hour ride, he had wrestled the thoughts of Elyse from his mind. His efforts were only partially successful, and whenever he relaxed his guard, feelings of passion and
Wearily, Brace shook his head. “There is no one.” His statement was not entirely a lie, for Brace knew his love for Elyse was one that he could never acknowledge.
“How could you lead me on?”
Brace stared at her, his anger growing again. “Lead you on? Who seduced whom? Who came into my room at the inn and into my bed? No, Colleen, don’t ever say I led you on!”
“We needed each other! You said so yourself. We’re alike, Brace. We’re made from the same mold.”
Brace took a deep breath, willing calmness on himself. “That may be true, but it doesn’t change anything.”
“You will marry me!”
“Go home, Colleen.”
She stared at him for a long minute before she spoke again. When she did, her voice was hard and cold. “You’re making a mistake, Brace Denham.”
Brace didn’t like the sound of her voice, nor the intensity of her stare.
“It’s because of her, isn’t it?”
“Her?” In the instant he replied, Brace sensed that Colleen, in some mysterious way, intuitively knew the truth about him.
“Elyse Louden! You haven’t been to see me since she’s come home. You’re in love with her!”
“Colleen,” he began, but she cut him off.
“Don’t try to deny it. I can see it in your eyes. Damn you, Brace, I won’t let her have you!”
“Stop it!” Brace’s voice was barely a whisper, but the anger permeating it made Colleen draw in a sharp breath.
Brace saw the change come over Colleen’s face. Her pretty features turned harsh and the desperation that was always a part of her eyes became something else. “Very well,” she said in a toneless voice. She turned and started from the veranda.
“Where are you going?” Brace asked. “Home,” she replied quickly. “Isn’t that what you told me to do?”
Brace held her gaze for a moment. “It’s too dark to be riding back. Wait until morning. I’ll have a room prepared for you.”
Colleen laughed. “Don’t you sound just like all the other grand planters! ‘I’ll have a room prepared for you. . . .’ No, thank you!”
“Colleen, it’s dangerous to ride at night.”
“It’s dangerous to love someone and it’s dangerous to spurn her!” Colleen stepped off the veranda and disappeared into the night.
Brace gazed into the darkness where she had fled; even as he heard her mount the horse, her voice, tense and shrill, reached his ears.
“Brace Denham, you’ll regret this night for as long as you live!”
Chapter Thirteen
C harles Denham stood, stretched, and stepped into the tropical night. He loved this special time, just after he had finished the day’s accounts. Ann was readying herself for bed, but no matter how long he took before he joined her, he knew she would be awake and waiting for him. For thirty years, regardless of how tired they were, they never ended the day without each other.
Charles smiled to himself. As a boy, he never would have imagined the life he was destined to live. If it hadn’t been for Ann, he might not have survived it—Ann, and Harlan Louden.
Charles drew on the pipe’s stem, and let the tobacco smoke roll across his tongue. As he exhaled, he heard a horse ride up and he turned toward the sound.
He saw the shadowy form of his son dismount, unsaddle his horse, and lead the gelding into the stable. It had been two days since Brace had gone to check on his own plantation, and in those two days, Charles had given much thought to what was happening at Devonairre. He knew he needed to speak with Brace, and that it must be soon.
*****
Troubled by his confrontation with Colleen, a sleepless night, and his angry feelings, Brace had spent the morning inspecting the coffee crop with his overseer, but by late afternoon, was riding toward Devonairre, still trying to sort out his thoughts.
During the five-hour ride, he had wrestled the thoughts of Elyse from his mind. His efforts were only partially successful, and whenever he relaxed his guard, feelings of passion and
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