When she was done, she returned to the wagon and the food he'd brought. She had a hard time forcing it down, and she ate slowly. He made no attempt to hurry her, but leaned against the trunk as if he had all the time in the world.
It was dark when she was done. All she could see of him was the massive outline of his body and the burning tip of the cheroot.
He walked toward his horse. The moon came out from behind a cloud and washed them in silver light. It glittered on his brass belt buckle as he turned back to her. 'Climb up. You and I have an appointment.'
The flat, deadly tone of his voice chilled her. 'What kind of appointment?'
'With a minister. We're getting married.'
The world came to a thundering stop. 'Married! Have you lost your mind?'
'You might say.'
'I'd marry the devil first.'
'We're one and the same. But then, you'll find that out.'
The night was warm, but the cold certainty in his voice made her blood chill.
'You burned down my mill,' he said, 'and now you're going to pay to rebuild it. Parsell isn't the only one who'll marry you for the money in your trust.'
'You're insane. I won't do it.'
'You're not going to have any choice. Mount up. Cogdell's waiting for us.'
Kit's knees went weak with relief. Reverend Cogdell was a friend. Once she told him what Cain had in mind, he'd never go along with this. She walked over to Vandal and began to mount.
'In front of me,' he growled. 'I've learned the hard way not to turn my back on you.'
He swung her up, then mounted himself. He didn't speak until they'd left the clearing behind. 'You'll get no help from Cogdell, if that's what you're hoping. I confirmed all his worst fears, and nothing will keep him from marrying us now.'
Her heart skipped a beat. 'What fears are you talking about?'
'I told him you were pregnant with my child.'
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'I'll deny it! You'll never get away with this. '
'You can deny it all you want. I already told him you would. I explained everything to him. Since you found out you were pregnant, you haven't been acting rationally. You even tried to kill yourself last night in the fire. That's why I couldn't let you have your way any longer.'
'No.'
'I told him I'd been begging you for weeks to marry me so our child wouldn't be a bastard, but you wouldn't agree. He said he'd do the job tonight, no matter how much you protested. You can fight all you want, Kit, but in the end it won't do you any good.'
'You're not going to get away with this.'
There was the barest softening in his voice. 'He cares for you, Kit. You'll spare him and yourself a lot of pain if you do what you're told.'
'You go to hell!'
'Have it your way.'
But even as she cursed him, she knew she'd lost. There was an awful kind of justice in it. She'd done something evil, and now she would pay for it.
Still, she made one last effort when she saw the minister and his wife waiting for them at the old slave church. She pulled away from. Cain and ran to Mary Cogdell.
'Please… What Cain said isn't true. I'm not going to have a baby. We never-'
'There, there, dear. You're upset.' Her kind brown eyes clouded with tears as she patted Kit's shoulder. 'You need to calm down for the baby's sake.'
That was when Kit knew she couldn't escape her fate.
The ceremony was mercifully brief. Afterward, Mary Cogdell kissed her cheek, and the minister urged her to obey her husband in all things. She dully listened to them tell Cain that Miss Dolly had settled in with them for the night, and she understood that Cain had gotten her out of the way.
He led her back outside to Vandal, and they set off for Risen Glory. The closer they got, the more her panic grew. What would he do to her when they were alone?
They reached the house. Cain dismounted and handed Vandal over to Samuel. Then he clasped Kit around the waist and lifted her to the ground. For a moment her knees threatened to buckle, and he steadied her. She recovered and pulled away.
'You have my money,' she said as Samuel disappeared. 'Leave me alone.'
'And deny myself the pleasure of our wedding night? I don't think so.'
Her stomach constricted. 'There's not going to be a wedding night.'
'We're married, Kit. And tonight I'm going to bed you.'
Lights shone in the darkness from Magnus's house at the edge of the orchard. She picked up her skirts and began to run toward it.
'Kit! Come back here!'
She ran faster. Trying to outrace him. Trying to out-race her own vindictiveness.
'
'Kit, stop! It's dark. You're going to hurt yourself.'
She raced into the orchard, jumping over the jutting roots that were as familiar to her as her own palm. Behind her, he cursed as he tripped over one of those same roots. Nevertheless, he gained on her.
'Magnus!' Again she screamed.
And then it was all over. From the corner of her eye she saw Cain hurl himself through the air. He tackled her from behind.
She cried out as they both fell to the ground.
He pinioned her with his body.
She lifted her head and sank her teeth into the muscled flesh of his shoulder.
'Damn it!' He pulled her to her feet with a growl.
'What's going on here?'
Kit gave a sob of relief at the sound of Magnus's voice. She broke away and ran toward him. 'Magnus! Let me stay at your house tonight.'
He put his hand gently on her arm and turned to Cain. 'What are you doin' to her?'
'Trying to keep her from killing herself. Or me. Right now, I don't know which one of us is in more danger.'
Magnus looked at her questioningly.
'She's my wife,' Cain said. 'I married her not an hour ago.'
'He forced me into it!' Kit exclaimed. 'I want to stay at your house tonight.'
Magnus frowned. 'You can't do that. You belong to him now.'
'I belong to myself! And both of you can go to hell.'
She turned to run away, but Cain was too quick for her. Before she could move, he caught her and tossed her over his shoulder.
The blood rushed to her head. His grip tightened on her thighs. He began to stalk toward the house.
She punched him in the back and got a smack on her bottom for her efforts. 'Stop that before I drop you.'
Magnus's feet came into view walking beside them. 'Major, that's a fine woman you've got there, and you're handling her a little rough. Maybe you'd better give yourself some time to cool down.'
'That'd take the rest of my life.' Cain turned the corner to the front of the house, his boots crunching on the gravel drive.
Magnus's next words sent Kit's already uneasy stomach pitching. 'If you ruin her tonight, you're goin' to regret it the rest of your life. Remember what happens to a horse that gets broke too fast.'
For a moment, stars swirled behind her eyelids. Then she heard the welcome sound of feet rushing down the front steps.