Home to Stavewood (Stavewood Saga Book 3) (16 page)

Chapter Fifty-Three

   
 
C
olleen Muldoon sat with the two toddlers on her lap, sharing her breakfast in the big kitchen at Stavewood. It was clear that the house was bursting with love. The huge family packed the big room, laughing loudly, their eyes filled with affection for Mark. Each and every one of them stopped enjoying the delicious and generous breakfast or conversation often to pat his shoulder, ruffle his hair and hug him unashamedly. Colleen had always been alone as a child. There had always been only her and her father, and it was clear that, although he loved her, she certainly had been a burden for him to raise alone. The warmth of the big house was overwhelming and Colleen found herself fighting back tears several times.

      Everyone at Stavewood was rosy cheeked and healthy, with the exception of Rebecca, but Colleen had caught enough of the conversation to deduce that she had lost a child recently.

      She could see Mark’s color returning and she sighed. Colleen wasn’t sure exactly how she might adjust to Stavewood, or the families to her, once the excitement of Mark’s return had passed. But, if she could adjust, it seemed a wonderful place to live. It was also clear that this is where Mark belonged and she wanted very much to fit in wherever he was happiest.

      “You two must be exhausted. Colleen, you and Mark come upstairs with me.” Rebecca took Phillip from Colleen’s lap and Emma took Ottland and everyone smiled.

      “Good idea!” Tim hollered as he took a big bite of fresh hot sausage. “We’ll wait here and finish up all this food!” He laughed, his heart light with immense relief.

      Mark finally pulled himself away from the jovial crowd and let the door swing behind him.

      “It sure is good to be home!” he announced to Rebecca and Colleen in the open foyer of the estate.

      Colleen looked up at the grand staircase and caught her breath. Mark laid his arm across her shoulder and smiled proudly.

      “This is home, Colleen. We can be happy together, I know it.” He kissed her forehead lovingly.

      Rebecca took the girl’s hand warmly. “Amazing isn’t it? I came here with nothing. I can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else now.” She patted Colleen’s hand, sensing that she was overwhelmed.

      “I was thinking that maybe she could take the third floor guest room, the one with the big bath?”

      “Wonderful idea!” Rebecca nodded.

      “Until the wedding,” Mark winked at Colleen.

      “Another wedding at Stavewood!” Rebecca grinned and led the couple up the stairs.

      “Saints in heaven!” Colleen gasped as they entered the room.

      “Do you think you could make do in here?” Mark chuckled.

      The room was large, with a comfortable seating area surrounding a massive fireplace. On the other side of the chamber there was a large four-poster bed and several bureaus and cabinets. Mark led Colleen to the bathroom and she gasped.

      “This is too much,” she looked up at him, overwhelmed.

      “For you, it is perfect.” He kissed her hand softly. “I promised you it would be better. Enjoy it, Colleen. You deserve it.

      “I’m going to my room. I’m going to get a hot bath and fall into my own bed for a while. Are you ladies okay?”

      “We’re perfectly fine. I’m sure Colleen would enjoy a bath and a nap as well.”

      Mark pulled Colleen to him excitedly and kissed her full on the lips, leaving her blushing in surprise. He bowed gallantly in the doorway, closing the door behind him.

      When he opened the door to his own room he stepped inside reverently, shut the door behind him and sank down into the chair. Burying his face in his hands he began to sob silently. He was home. Colleen was with him and he swore he would never leave again. He cried out his relief privately, took a hot bath and lay in his own bed.

      He thought of Barite and what they might do there when they found the abandoned milk wagon and the letter to the sheriff. He expected that his father and the Barite sheriff were communicating. There would likely still be charges to face, but he needed to get home to gather his strength and he needed Colleen beside him. No matter what he had told her he knew any reasonable person could imagine it was all a lie. Now she was here, at Stavewood. It was imperative to him that she knew in her heart that he was no killer. He needed her by his side for whatever might happen.

      Within minutes exhaustion overtook him and he slept hard.

Chapter Fifty-Four

   
 
R
ebecca sat on the plush settee and patted the seat beside her and asked Colleen to sit next to her.

      The younger girl looked at the woman and studied her face.

      Rebecca was possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her face was finely detailed, her complexion flawless and creamy. Even rousted out of bed in the early morning she looked well groomed and elegant. Colleen looked down at her stained attire and chapped hands in embarrassment.

      “I’m so awfully dirty,” she sighed. “I don’t belong on your fine furniture.”

      “Colleen, sit down.” Rebecca was gentle but firm with the girl.

      Colleen sat reluctantly and hid her hands in her apron.

      Rebecca took the girl’s hand from the folds of her smock and spread out her palm. Then she looked at the girl clearly in the eyes and smiled sweetly.

      “You might think me awfully bold, and perhaps I am, but I have something I want to say to you and I will not keep it to myself. I don’t know if you brought Mark home, or he brought you, and it doesn’t matter either way. I know almost nothing about you, and that does not matter either, because I know the most important thing. I know that it is clear that Mark loves you. Because of that I want to know you too, and I want you to know me.”

      Colleen never knew a mother of her own. She had imagined all of her life what it would be like to have a female around to know her and know her fears. Someone who could understand when there were things she felt that only a woman could comprehend. Rebecca looked at her with such warmth and kindness that it touched her heart and she felt she must be as open as this kind lady was being to her.

      “I love Mark,” Colleen began. “He wanted nothing more than to come home here, to all of you. He spoke of it, he dreamt of it, he cried out for it when a fever overtook him. For the life of me I don’t know why, in all of that need and desire, he wanted to bring me with him.

      “Your home is so beautiful, and you all love him so very much. I am a milkmaid with nothing. It’s as if I have walked into a dream and I feel I will wake up and he will be gone and I could not bear that. I can’t fathom why he brought me here, and I’m afraid. Here it looks as if the world is so perfect, so sweet,” she confided.

      Rebecca chuckled quietly. “I knew the day that Mark was ready to give his love to someone she would be perfect. Enjoy the dream Colleen and just keep loving him. With love in your heart the world is always sweet.”

      Colleen sighed.

      “When was the last time you had a fine hot bath?” Rebecca rose and began to pull thick towels from the cupboard.

      Colleen looked down at her hands and cleared her throat. “Never,” she admitted.

      “Then you are in for a real treat!” Rebecca smiled. “Follow me.”

      Colleen undressed while Rebecca left the room briefly. She stood shyly, wrapped in a big towel and peered nervously into the tub.

      “I promise you will not drown.” Rebecca returned, her arms filled with more towels.

      “Let me help you.” Rebecca took the girl’s hand and directed her to step slowly into the deep tub. Colleen grasped the woman’s hand nervously and stepped in, then slid down slowly.

      Volumes of bubbles slid up over her and she gasped. The water was warm and enveloped her deliciously, soothing her dry skin and aching muscles.

      “Saints in heaven,” Colleen exclaimed. “I expect I could get very used to this!”

      Rebecca laughed lightly and gathered a tray of tall bottles. “You’re going to enjoy this as well. Relax for a moment and I’ll turn down the bed.”

      Colleen laid her head back and surrendered to the steaming bath. Taking a deep breath she slipped under the water briefly and then slid back to a sitting position and smiled. Colleen decided that she liked a bath very much.

      “Is everyone decent?” Emma tapped on the bedroom door and poked her head inside.

      Colleen lay back and listened.

      “Timothy has sent me up to tell you that you are not to overdo,” Emma scolded Rebecca.

      “I’m fine,” Rebecca smiled. “I couldn’t possibly leave Colleen to her own devices.”

      Emma rolled her eyes. “Enjoy yourself, Colleen,” she called to the girl soaking in the tub. “When Rebecca gets finished with you, you will feel like you’ve gone to heaven. She has the finest collection of potions in the territory.”

      Colleen smiled, realizing that there were several women eager to welcome her to Stavewood. She hoped everyone else was as friendly. She thought of how Mark’s father could have rescued him much earlier, and decided she need to tell both Mark and his father how sorry she was.

      “I’ll leave you two to get to know one another then.” Emma smiled and closed the door.

      Colleen had noticed at breakfast that Emma looked very different than Rebecca, but she was equally stunning. Both women had lovely complexions and attractive figures. Colleen hoped she could fit in with such beautiful women.

      Rebecca instructed the girl to lie back in the tub. Colleen felt too heavenly to be embarrassed any longer and surrendered to Rebecca’s care. The woman lathered her hair luxuriously, commenting on how delicious her curls were and promising that they would be magnificent when she had finished.

      She helped the girl rinse, wrapped a towel around her and left her to dry while she turned down the bed. She could not help but notice that Colleen had a beautiful and voluptuous figure, but her ribs showed above her breasts and her skin was chapped and raw.

      “Rub this all over.” She handed Colleen a large jar, smiling with encouragement. “It’s nearly as wonderful as the bath.”

      Once Colleen was lathered in the emollient Rebecca helped her slip into a silk nightgown and Colleen purred like a kitten.

      “Oh, Mrs. Elgerson. You are being far too good to me. I don’t know how to accept such coddling.”

      “Call me Rebecca. I’m nearly done,” she chuckled.

      She rubbed another of her concoctions into Colleen dripping tresses and ran her fingers through the girl’s hair and Colleen thought she would melt away from the pampering. Rebecca combed the girl’s hair soothingly until the curls fell gleaming onto her shoulders and Colleen returned from her trance and looked into the mirror. The girl who looked back was barely recognizable and she sighed.

Chapter Fifty-Five

   
 
M
ark awoke in the midday and lay awake in appreciation gazing around the room. He had only rested for a few hours, but his sleep had been healing and soothing as opposed to sleeping on a frozen dirt floor which had only worsened the pain in his arm and neck.

      He sat up on the bed and took a deep breath. He was home and he swore to himself he would never take that for granted again.

      He pulled open the wardrobe where all of his clothing was arranged - freshly pressed shirts and slacks, neatly rolled handmade stockings and finely polished leather boots. He shaved carefully and donned a fresh white shirt and one of Rebecca’s soft wool cardigans. He lifted Colleen’s scarf reverently and laid it across the bed. Now that he was home there was one thing he felt must be done as quickly as possible. He must marry Colleen.

      He hurried down the stairs, wondering where the girl might be. In his exhaustion he had surrendered her to Rebecca’s care. But he knew that everyone at Stavewood was a stranger to her and he thought he ought to see that she was comfortable.

       Timothy looked up from his paper in the parlor and smiled broadly. “You look much better. We are going to have lunch soon.”

      “I’m starved.” Mark smiled at his father with warmth in his eyes.

      “Well, that hasn’t changed,” Timothy laughed. “So while off worrying us half to death, I see you found yourself a pretty lass. Fiancée, eh?”

      “Yeah.” Mark sat across from his father.

“She’s really special, Pa. Colleen saved my life. I’ve been living in her barn while she hid me away from the man that killed Sam, from the hill people, the law and even her own father.”

      “From me as well, apparently.” Timothy scowled. “Her father? Does he know you brought his young daughter all this way?”

      “He passed away on Christmas Eve. He had a heart attack. Colleen took it really hard but there was nothing we could do for him. We left a note for the sheriff about him.” Mark hung his head for a moment, considering his words carefully. He took a deep breath and looked his father in the eye. “There’s another thing, Pa. Sam and I, we didn’t do that to that girl. I want you to know that.”

      “I know,” Timothy sighed. “Roland and I talked about it and I’m going to hire some investigators to find out who did.”

      “I can give you some names they’ll want to look into.” Mark took a deep breath.

      “This girl, is this what you want? Just because she saved your life does not mean you owe her a commitment like marriage.”

      “Remember when you and Rebecca were being chickens?” Mark smiled.

      “Ah, yes,” Timothy chuckled. “When you thought we were falling in love but we were too afraid. Yes, I remember.”

      “I love Colleen. It’s more than her saving my life. She saved much more than that.”

      “I’ve had a bit of that myself, son. Then take care of her. She seems like a wonderful girl.”

      Colleen stretched in the lofty bed and pulled the downy quilt up to her chin. She felt deliciously elegant, her skin clean and soft and her hair silky and shining. Throwing off the blanket she sat up and slipped to her feet, curling her toes in the plush carpet.

      She heard a soft tap at her door and called out, “Come in.” She hoped it was Mark. Although she was barely dressed in the thin nightgown she wanted to see him badly.

      Rebecca stepped inside, beautifully dressed, her hair done up fashionably.

      “Hello.” Colleen was a bit disappointed, but smiled genuinely at Rebecca.

      Rebecca saw through her. “Mark is downstairs and we’re going to be joining him for lunch. Could I help you dress?” she asked sweetly.

      “No, I can manage.” Colleen reached for her apron.

      “I have a better idea.” Rebecca’s eyes twinkled. “I have a few things that I’m sure would be perfect on you. In a day or two we’ll get out to the dressmaker’s, but this should do in the meantime.”

      Rebecca pulled a smart dress from the armoire, the shade a dusty azure, and held it up to the girl.

      Colleen’s eyes flew open and she gasped.

      Rebecca had thought the dress matched Colleen’s eyes perfectly and she smiled that her suspicious were exactly right. There were several gowns she had let out when she was expecting. Now she was pleased they might fit Colleen’s curvier figure.

      “Oh, Mrs. Elger…Rebecca!” Colleen blushed and felt the fine fabric.

      “Let’s see if it fits.”

      Rebecca handed the girl soft bloomers and undergarments and then slipped the gown over her arms and stood behind her, fastening the buttons.      Colleen gasped at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin was glowing and her hair gleamed in soft curls.

      Rebecca looked at the dress critically. “Let me put in a tuck here, and another here.” She grabbed her needle and thread and moments later the dress fit perfectly around Colleen’s slender waist, complimenting her curves and flattering her bustline.

      “Let’s put up your hair.” Rebecca pulled a long ribbon from the dressing table and arranged Colleen’s curls on top of her head, ringlets tumbling around her sweet face.

      “Mark will barely be able to keep his hands to himself,” Rebecca smiled fondly.

      “I can’t believe it’s me there looking back.” Colleen had never felt beautiful a single moment in her life, but at this moment she felt exquisite. She turned from side to side in amazement and then to Rebecca and smiled warmly, her eyes filled with appreciation.

      “Maybe I do deserve Mark after all,” she giggled. “I was just too dirty to realize it.” Colleen and Rebecca laughed.

      “Come down when you’re ready.” Rebecca slipped from the room, smiling proudly.

      “A good choice, Mark,” she said to herself as she descended the stairs.

      “She thought you were with the sheriff, Pa. We both believed they were going to throw me in prison. She couldn’t have known.”

      Colleen stopped outside of the parlor as soon as she heard their conversation and considered going back to her room.

      “You have to face them,” she whispered to herself and she took a deep breath and stepped into the doorway.

      “Colleen!” Mark stood up and looked at her with surprise and appreciation.

      Timothy stood up as well and raised his eyebrows.

      “You look…amazing,” Mark’s voice trailed off.

      “Indeed,” Timothy agreed and Rebecca smiled.

      Colleen blushed and squared her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mr. Elgerson.” She wrung her hands nervously. “If I had any idea that you were Mark’s father I would have taken you to him right away. He wanted to be home so badly…” She swallowed hard.

      “Colleen,” Timothy faced the girl. “I know that. Mark explained it to me. Please don’t feel bad. Mark said you saved his life and for that I am entirely grateful.” He bowed slightly.

      “You look great!” Mark grinned. He walked around her and Colleen felt very self-conscious.

      “It’s nearly lunch time,” Rebecca announced, taking Timothy’s elbow and hastily escorting him out of the room. “You join us when you are ready.”