Today I am releasing Chapters 3 and 4 of my saga entitled, Destiny’s Desire. These chapters may be deemed for mature audiences.

THREE

At the Rock River, they dismounted and tied their steeds to a tree. There, Gabe reached into his saddlebag and withdrew a small pistol. Fanchon’s eyes widened in horror when she saw the derringer.

“You can’t be serious!” she exclaimed, shocked by his words. “I couldn’t use a gun, not even to protect myself.”

“You’re going to learn how to handle this derringer, Fanchon,” he insisted. “And we’re not leaving this spot until you do.”

“Then I’ll go back alone,” she declared. “I could never shoot somebody, Gabenot even Trevor Riley. He may be a bully, but I could never lift a weapon against him.”

A distant memory flashed through the back of his mind. Could it be possible that the redhead who had assaulted Fanchon last night had been the same red-haired boy who had attacked the pretty platinum blonde girl all those years ago? He’d never learned the little girl’s name, but the boy’s name had been Trevor. For some reason, he remembered that very clearly.

To take his mind off the past, he said, “He sure as hell could lift a weapon against you. And not only are you going to learn how to handle it, I expect you to carry it with you at all times.”

Fanchon glared at him. “Nobody forces me to do something I don’t want to, Gabriel Freeman, and I refuse to even touch that thing.”

Gabe offered her a brief smile. “You’re only learning to use it, sweetheart. You won’t be shooting at anything but knots on trees and rocks. I won’t even make you shoot an animal.”

Gazing at the derringer laying on his palm, she reached out and gingerly took the small weapon from his hand. “Is it loaded?”

“That’s lesson number one.”

Stepping nearer to her, he reached into his pocket. As soon as he slid two bullets into the chambers then snapped the butt back into place, she spun away and trained the weapon on him. “Don’t you ever tell me what to do again.”

He stared at her stunned disbelief for several moments, then a slow grin crossed his lips. Raising his hands in surrender, he vowed, “Absolutely never. Now can we continue?”

For over an hour Gabe battled against the desire growing in him. He found himself drawn to Fanchon like no other woman he’d ever known, and he constantly narrowed his proximity to her in the hope of convincing her to give herself to him. By the end of the lesson, he had her in his arms. Unfortunately, it was only in an effort to show her how to aim the derringer. What he really wanted to do was hold her and kiss her with a passion that would get her to accept him for the rest of her life.

Even though she didn’t reject his advances, she didn’t encourage them, either, which concerned him. He was inexperienced in dealing with women like Fanchon. The women he knew all played silly love games, but at least, he knew how to react to them. Fanchon was different. He had no idea how far or fast he should move with her. His heart told him to sweep her into his embrace and take her to an ecstasy like she’d never before known, but his rationale told him to let her lead their liaison. And something inside him said that she eventually would.

Fanchon was furious with herself. Had she paid more attention to the finer points of courting, she would know how to show him that she was open to more than his subtle flirtations. And she sensed that Gabe wasn’t used to unseasoned young women like herself making clumsy advances. When he drew away to announce in a faltering voice that it was time to eat, disappointment engulfed her. She’d expected him to at least give her a reticent kiss, but he hadn’t. All he wanted to do was eat!

During their silent meal, she stole quick, timid glances at him, blushing whenever their eyes met. She felt so ridiculous each time her face heated that she averted her gaze. Astrid did the same thing, but for her it was a game. Fanchon was embarrassed. Here she was an intelligent, self-assured young lady who’d never been embarrassed about anything she’d done. Now she couldn’t stop blushing.

What must Gabe think of her childish reactions? Her face flushed again, this time at the unexpected fantasy of Gabe wearing only his trousers. How would she ever make it through the day with images like that one? A smart woman would leave, but she wasn’t smart around Gabe. Her brain turned to mush just being near him!

She glanced up again, only to see him staring at her. Embarrassed, she bowed her head and concentrated on spooning some honey onto a biscuit.

Gabe smiled at her reaction. How many women had he known in his twenty-seven years? At least fifteen, most of them prostitutes. But not one of them possessed the charming modesty that Fanchon had. It was hard to believe that the woman he wanted more than any other was in effect unapproachable. Why? Was it because she was so young, so innocent? Or was it something different? At least, Fanchon was mature. He would have felt guilty about setting his plan into action if she weren’t.

Life was strange at times. He’d come east for what he had considered almost certain death in a war that was ripping the country apart. Instead he found life in the form of a beautiful womanand the prospect of losing everything he’d ever wanted by riding off to protect a cause in which he deeply believed.

His eyes stung at the onset of tears, and he forced them away. He would not cry over the loss of a woman, not even Fanchon Sten, whom he hadn’t even caught yet. He refused to pitch himself into a situation that would take away his emotional freedom, like his father had. Granted, he was planning to ask for her hand in marriage, but it was purely a logical choice. Fanchon possessed every quality he wanted in a woman, and he was going to ask her for only that reason.

Studying his expression, Fanchon passed him another piece of fried chicken. Should she ask him what he was thinking that made him appear so distraught? Probably not. He didn’t seem interested in conversation, and she didn’t want to encroach upon his introspection. If she knew how to begin a serious discussion with a man, maybe she could help him.

With a sigh, she wiped her mouth and hands on a napkin then lay down beside the tablecloth on the riverbank. Linking her fingers, she used her hands to cushion her head on the hard ground. “It’s a gorgeous day today, not overly hot and humid like it can be this time of year.”

“Gorgeous,” he drawled.

With a knowing smile, she watched his eyes take in the long, slender body offered before him. “We’re lucky it’s July. This is my favorite place. It’s so pretty.”

“Not nearly as pretty as the woman I’m with.”

Fanchon stared up at him in surprise. He dropped his unfinished chicken on the cloth and wiped his mouth and hands. Then he moved to kneel beside her.

“Do you honestly think I’m pretty?” Although she was glad to hear the words, she felt that he was only voicing them because he thought it was necessary. Astrid was the beautiful twin, not herself. “Or are you only saying it because you think it’s what I want to hear? If you are, it isn’t necessary. I don’t like people patronizing me.”

“I never say or do anything I don’t mean,” he assured her. “Like I told your friend at the Moline House, you’re the most ravishing creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

His unfaltering stare and sincere words sent waves of embarrassment so strong over Fanchon that her face heated. No one had ever proclaimed her ravishing before. Astrid’s gift for flirtation flashed across Fanchon’s mind. She could be complimentary, tooand men liked compliments. At least, that’s what Astrid had told her. “I think you’re very handsome.”

Gabe shrugged his broad shoulders. “That’s a matter of opinion but thank you. It helps knowing that you find me attractive.”

 “I don’t understand. How does it help?”

“You don’t know how hard it is for me to be with you.” With a heavy sigh, he lay down on his side next to her. A desirous gleam lit his eyes, and his hand slid over her stomach. “You’re the most beautiful, most intelligent woman I’ve ever met.”

Despite the tenderness of his caress, Fanchon panicked. She scrambled to her feet, her mind reeling. Everything was happening so fast! Twenty-four hours ago, she wasn’t interested in men. Now she wanted Gabe to make her a woman. But she was afraid, too. He was only passing through Molineon his way to a war from which he might never return.

“What’s wrong, Fanchon?” he asked as he also rose.

“This is wrong,” she insisted. Without warning, tears sprang to her eyes and continued down her cheeks. “We’re wrong because you’re only passing through Moline. You won’t be stationed here.”

Approaching her at a slow pace, Gabe extended his arms. She hurried into his protective embrace. Her arms encircled him.

For several minutes, he smoothed down her soft hair. He had no arousal as he held her; she was so close to his body that she would have known if he did. When her sobs turned to intermittent hiccups, he said, “We’re not wrong, Fanchon.”

He caressed her head and gazed down into her eyes. Then he planted a soft kiss on her lips. “In fact, I honestly believe that we belong together.”

Before she could respond, Gabe lowered his head to capture her lips with his. The heat he created in her was so intense from the onset that she slid her arms around him in acceptance. With her embrace, the slow trickle of desire seeped into her veins.

He returned her embrace, crushing her body against his. Her breasts flattened against his muscular chest as one arm held her around her ribs. His other arm went lower, to her hips. He pinned them against his pelvis, and she could feel his throbbing excitement. As she sighed, his tongue dove into her mouth to meet hers for the first time.

The trickle of desire broke the dam of restraint within her. The floodwaters burst forth in a torrent of lust unlike anything she’d dreamed possible. Oh, how she wanted him!

Giving herself over to his masculine power, she moved with him as he maneuvered her backward. As soon as she felt the tree against her back, his arms released her, and he pinned her to the trunk with his long, hard body.

Fanchon inhaled when he wedged his leg high between her legs. To her amazement the dam disappeared. The flood within her went deeperto her loins.

His hands slid from her hips to her waist, massaging her, then continued over her ribs and stopped. His thumbs rested under her breasts. His mouth pushed her head back against the tree and ground its hungry desire deeper into her body. His tongue taunted hers. Then, without warning, he started to pull it back into his own mouth. Frantic at the thought of losing this wanted intruder, she sucked gently until his tongue again collided with hers.

Gabe’s heated groan drifted to her ears. He undoubtedly wanted her as much as she did him. Like everything else she set her sights on, she was going to get what she wanted.

One of his hands slid over her shoulder blade to the back of her neck. While his long, slender fingers taunted the skin under one of her ears, his thumb tickled her beneath the other. She shrugged at the unexpected chill it sent down to her elbows but didn’t try to escape.

He pulled back far enough to slip his other hand between them. After massaging the pliant mound for several seconds, he tenderly pinched the tip to harden it. Her chest constricted with something she’d never experienced, and she moaned into his mouth. Gabe moved his hand upward and unfastened the top button on her shirt. Then when she didn’t complain, he slid the button through the second hole.

An unexpected wall of fear slammed down within Fanchon, damming up the lustful flood. Instinctively, she pushed him away. At the same moment, she drove her knee into his groin.

Pain shot through Gabe’s body, and he dropped to his knees with a masculine cry of agony. One hand grasped his manhood as he bent forward to still the nausea and dizziness. He propped himself off the ground with his other hand. No woman had ever done that to him before; no woman had ever made him fall to his knees before her. The thought stunned him, and he shot his startled gaze to her face.

Fanchon stared down at him, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping in shock. At that moment, he knew she hadn’t planned to attack him. Attack him, hell. She’d disabled him! Rage erupted in his voice, Gabe demanded, “What the hell did you do that for?”

“I … I …” she stammered.

“That was a damned stupid thing to do,” he proclaimed, not caring if she answered him or not. “How the hell am I supposed to consummate our marriage in this condition?”

Her eyes widened even further, and she repeated the word in a monotone. “Marriage?”

“That’s right.” He straightened up enough to stand on his knees but rising completely was still impossible. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re the woman I want for my wife. You have every requirement I listed eight years ago.”

Her stunned expression didn’t change for even a moment. “What requirements?”

Gabe sat back on his knees and gazed up at her. With a heavy sigh, he decided it was best to explain everything. She was a rational woman, and he had no doubt that she would understand if he approached his confession in that manner.

“I want a woman who’s intelligent, Fanchon,” he explained. “My father and I own a ranch, and someday I’ll inherit it. I need a wife who can do the accounts and handle the business while I’m gone. That leads to my second requirement, a woman who’s independent. You need to understand that the Army’s my life. I’ll never give it up, so I won’t be home for months on end. That’s why I need a wife who comes from a …” He paused a moment to try and find the right word to explain. When one came to mind, he added, “… prolific family. I’m an only child, and there aren’t anymore males to carry on my family name. You come from a big family, so you could probably make a lot of babies for me. I really do love children, too. Finally, I wanted a beautiful woman, because I certainly don’t want homely children. But you have an extra quality that I like. You’re strong.” He grinned lighten the mood. “I probably know that better than any other man in existence.”

But Fanchon didn’t return his smile. Instead, she stared down at him blankly. “What about …”

“… love?” he interrupted. “That’s an emotion that distorts the senses. How could one possibly make a lifetime decision with love destroying the rational process? There’s a possibility that someday I could grow to love you, but I must be honest. It isn’t very likely. The most I can promise emotionally is total commitment and loyalty.” Pausing, Gabe glanced down at his body. With the pain diminishing, he felt as though he could move a little easier. What the hell, he thought. As long as I’m down here, I may as well do this the romantic wayto please Fanchon. Rising slowly to one knee, he took her hand in both of his and gazed up at her. “Will you marry me, Fanchon?”

She considered his proposal for several seconds, although it sounded more like a business proposition the way he worded it. He was being very logical, which she liked. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be logical right now. During the long sleepless night, she’d come to admit her love for Gabriel Freeman. She’d relived a fleeting scene from about ten years earlier when another man—a boy really, but he’d seemed like a man to her—had saved her from Trevor. He’d held her on his lap as he chastised Trevor, and she’d known that he liked her. But she’d never seen him again because Nels hadn’t let her go to town with him when he’d met the boy that evening.

When she’d finally fallen asleep, she’d dreamed of being Gabe’s bride. And that dream had somehow melded into her childhood dream of her hero asking her to marry him. Now Gabe had said the words and made her dream come true—and she didn’t know what to say! Or did she?

Sinking to her knees so she was on his level, she replied, “Yes, Gabe. I’ll marry you on—one condition. We have to elope. I don’t want my family to know yet. This happened so fast, and my family knows how logical I am. And marrying you so soon after we met is definitely not logical. I refuse to be embarrassed by my behavior before I can accept it myself.”

He put his other knee on the ground, and his lips captured hers in a passionate kiss that sent wild desire raging through her. Instinctively sliding her arms around his neck, she molded her body against his. The small doubt remaining in her mind slipped away. If this was a hint of what it was like to be intimate with one’s husband, she loved it. Complete intimacy must be wonderful.

Disappointment flooded through her a moment later when he broke the kiss. She’d been enjoying it so much! She didn’t want it to end. Without a word, she stared into his dark eyes. Then she felt herself moving backwards as he tenderly lowered her to the ground.

Neither spoke while Gabe lay down beside her and draped his leg over hers. He gazed down into her eyes, his lustful stare filled with adoration. Sliding his fingers into her hair, he sighed at length.

“God, Fanchon,” he said heatedly, “I want you more than any woman I’ve ever met. I need you desperately, but I’ll wait until tonight for that. For now, I’ll give you a taste of what consummating our marriage will be like.”

And his lips caught hers again in a kiss filled with promise of better things to come.

***

As they sat astride their mounts on the boundaries of the Sten farm, Fanchon gazed over at Gabe. Saying good-bye for even this short time was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Gabe smiled at her as he reached over and patted her hand reassuringly. He seemed so sure of himself. And she was a mature person. She should be equally sure of herself. But love was new to her. She wasn’t sure how to react to the emotion.

To her amazement, Gabe toyed with the cameo ring her father had given her that she wore on her left finger and asked, “Do you mind if I look at this for a minute?”

Stunned, she shook her head as she removed the ring and passed it to him. “Why would you want to do that?”

Instead of explaining, Gabe slid the ring onto his little finger with the cameo toward his palm and made a fist. Examining his finger, he opened his hand to study it again then returned the cameo to Fanchon, and she slid it back onto her finger, asking, “What were you doing?”

“I can’t take a bride without a wedding band,” he explained with a grin, “and I can’t buy a band without the bride there to try it on. I had to know what size to get.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Obviously. You were too busy planning your surreptitious escape into the night. But I still don’t understand why you don’t want your folks as witnesses.”

“Witnesses?” she repeated in shock.

“We’re planning a wedding, nurse-lady. That means witnesses and rings and preachers.”

“Preachers!”

“Good Lord, Fanchon,” he teased, “a preacher’s important for a wedding. I’ll get the ring and the preacher if you’ll get the witnesses. Do you know any trustworthy people who can keep your secret?”

Fanchon considered his question. All her life she’d dreamed of having a double wedding with Astrid. Even though they didn’t get along well, it only seemed appropriate. Now that dream would never come true. She could ask Astrid to be a witness, but she was planning to elope. Astrid couldn’t stay quiet about it for fifteen minutes. If Nels was there, she could ask him, but that wasn’t possible, either. There was only one other person in whom she felt she could confide.

With a heavy sigh, she dropped her shoulders in exasperation and said, “Maybe my sister and her husband, but they’ll want to meet you first. And Bianca will be suspicious because I’ve never been impulsive.”

“How can I meet them? We spent an awful lot of time this afternoon practicing the preliminaries of consummating our marriagenot that it wasn’t worth it.” He grinned. “But we should have been making plans. It’s nearly five already. I need to get a ring, rent a carriage, bathe, get a haircut and shave, find a preacher, and eat. I can’t do all that and go to your sister’s.”

“Bianca can cut your hair, Gabe, and you could bathe there, too. She’ll probably even let us use their carriage. But we’re still going to have to sit down with them and explain everything first.”

“You should know something before we say our vows, Fanchon,” he admitted. “I’ve never had trouble refusing womenuntil now. All right, I’ll talk to them with you. But I still need to get the ring and eat first.”

“Will you have enough time if I meet you here at seven?”

***

 “You’re going to what?” Bianca Morgan asked in astonishment. “Fanchon Sten, have you lost your senses?”

Gabe draped his arm around Fanchon’s shoulders and answered for her. “Actually, I’ve stolen her heart.”

Fanchon stared at him in shock. How did he know that? Had he read her feelings despite the care she’d taken to hide them? If so, is that why he’d asked her to marry him when he knew he didn’t love her in return?

Recovering some of her composure, Fanchon returned her gaze to her sister, who studied them with obvious suspicion.

“What’s that overactive mind of yours thinking this time, Fanchon?” Bianca asked.

“Nothing. We’re in love and want to get married before Gabe goes to war. We want a son to carry on the Freeman name in case Gabe doesn’t come home.” Turning her gaze to the attractive man in a wheelchair, Fanchon spoke pleadingly. Her gift for persuasion had always worked before, and there was no reason it couldn’t that night. “You can understand, can’t you, Ben?”

“Quite frankly,” the brown-haired man replied, “no.”

Beginning to lose her temper, Fanchon declared, “Well, I don’t understand your inability to empathize with what we’re experiencing. You two were married before Ben went to war. Why is it so hard for you to understand that we want to be husband and wife?”

“Because we know you.” Rising, Bianca started toward the kitchen. “Come with me, Fanchon. It’s time for our first sisterly talk.”

Now this was the reaction Fanchon had expected. Bianca’s “sisterly” advice was an accepted custom among the Sten siblings. Even though she’d mentally prepared herself, she still dreaded the conversation; but if she didn’t agree, Bianca would press until she told everything. Now was the time to convince Bianca that she knew what she was doing.

“Excuse me, Gabe,” she said as she followed her shorter, darker blonde sister. “If we’re going to get married, I have to do this.”

The moment the door shut behind the sisters, Gabe began to pace. What if Bianca convinced Fanchon to change her mind? Would he be able to convince her to change it back? Did he dare even try? Fanchon was his idea of the perfect woman, and he didn’t know what he would do if he had to leave Moline without her official vow to wait for him.

“It’s something important, isn’t it,” Ben observed.

“What is?” Gabe asked, startled by the question.

“The reason for this quick wedding. There’s something awfully important behind it or Fanchon wouldn’t have been so secretive about your courtship.”

Gabe stopped at the fireplace and laid his arm across the mantle. “I’m being transferred to the front lines. I hate the thought of leaving Fanchon, so I did the next best thing. I asked her to marry me. That way I’ll know she’ll be here if I come back.”

“That’s a bad attitude, Gabe,” Ben said. “If I’d felt that way, I never would have survived losing one leg above the knee and one below.”

“I can’t help it. I’ve already cheated death too many times. How do you think I got to be a major so young? Valor above and beyond the call of duty. Valor!” Gabe huffed. “It was a hell of a lot closer to stupidity. One of these days the Grim Reaper’s not going to walk away without me.”

“Fanchon will worry about you even more if she knows how you feel.”

“Fanchon understands because of her job. She’s independent, intelligent, sensitive, caring, brave, and most importantly, a free woman. I won’t have to worry about what will happen to her when I’m gone. She’ll more than survive; she’ll prosper with what I can leave her. Everything I have will go to her as my widow.”

“If anything happens to you. It sounds like Fanchon’s everything you’ve always looked for in a woman.”

Deep inside, in a place that he couldn’t name, he was worried about the future, about if this marriage would last the lifetime that he hoped it would. But Gabe spoke with a conviction that he could only hope Ben believed. “Exactly. I want her to bear my child, too. So, either you two be our witnesses, or our baby will be born out of wedlock.”

FOUR

Fanchon dropped onto a chair at the kitchen table. She hated having to endure this conversation, but she knew it was inevitable. If she didn’t convince Bianca that she knew what she was doing, Bianca would run straight to their parents and tell them everything. The best way to avoid that was take control of the discussion from the onset, so she said, “The first time I saw Gabe was yesterday afternoon, …”

Fanchon’s blue-eyed sister stared at her in shock. “What?”

Already Fanchon regretted her words, but she couldn’t show her sister. She needed to be honest yet show her conviction that she was doing the right thing. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she said, “Don’t interrupt. Gabe’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”

“I won’t argue about that.”

“He was in the Moline House when I passed it. I tried, but I couldn’t concentrate on my work, because I wanted to meet him so badly.” Fanchon’s voice became more animated at the memory of the previous night. “I’ve met a lot of attractive men, Bianca, but none have taken over my mind like Gabe does. We weren’t even close when we stared at each other. He was at the desk with Byron, and I was walking by outside. The second I saw him I knew he was special. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.”

“What do you know!” Bianca exclaimed. “My little sister finally learned that men are interesting. Go on.”

“On the way to Uncle Hal’s after work, I was still thinking about Gabe. I should have been paying attention, but I wasn’t.” Squeezing her eyes shut, she relived those terrifying minutes. She could still feel Trevor’s hand over her mouth, the knifepoint under her chin. With a shudder, she returned her distraught gaze to her sister. “It was awful, Bianca. I was attacked last night, and Gabe rescued me. That’s how his head got bruised. I was knocked out, and he was kneeling over me when I woke up. He was very concerned, very gentle, very comforting.”

“Destiny! How romantic!”

Fanchon couldn’t believe how lightly Bianca was taking her explanation. Could Bianca’s excitement be a trick to get her to change her mind? Or was Bianca honestly this delighted? Unsure what to say or how to react, Fanchon continued with her story. “There’s more. When he found out Nels and Peter aren’t here, he took me to Uncle Hal’s. And today he taught me to defend myself while he’s gone.”

“While he’s gone? I hope that means he’ll come back to you, no matter what.” Stunned by her sister’s attitude, Fanchon examined her. She didn’t know Bianca was such a romantic. As though she could read Fanchon’s thoughts, Bianca continued. “You probably didn’t know I adore romantic storieseven after a husband and three children. You probably don’t even remember what I was like at your age. You always had your nose in a book. I doubt you even knew you had brothers and sisters until you were done with school.”

“Yes, I did,” Fanchon returned with a smile. “I just wished I didn’t. Anyway, Gabe and I spent the whole day together today. He taught me to shoot his derringer and gave it to me for protection. Then he asked me to marry him. But our marriage will be one of convenience. I meet every criterium he has for a wifeand then some.”

Bianca’s baby blue eyes narrowed. “You always swore that you would never marry for convenience. Why did you accept his proposal?”

Excitement unlike she’d ever known gushed through Fanchon. She was admitting something that she never thought she would, and she couldn’t believe how good it made her feel. “I love him, and I’ll do anything for himincluding bearing his children. He wants many.”

“He told you that?” Bianca asked in amazement.

“Yes.”

Bianca wandered to the counter where she prepared meals and leaned back against it. “What did Mom and Dad say about this?”

“We aren’t telling anybody but you and Ben, because we don’t know each other very well.” Fanchon fought back tears. What was happening to her? A moment ago, she was the happiest of her life; now she felt as though somebody was ripping out her heart. Turning her sorrowful gaze on her sister, she replied, “I love Gabe, Bianca. I want his name, and I want his child. I don’t think anything could mean more to me.”

Bianca returned to the table and grasped Fanchon’s hand. “That’s love, all right. And who am I to stand in the path of destiny?”

Returning her sister’s hold, Fanchon admitted her innermost feelings. “I’m terrified, Bianca. I’m afraid my voice won’t work when the time comes.”

“That’s normal,” Bianca assured her with a smile.

“Gabe’s calm,” Fanchon insisted.

“I doubt it. In fact, he’s probably more nervous about this than you are.”

Fanchon flashed her sister a quick smile. “I hope I don’t change my mind at the last minute and disappoint him.”

“If Gabe loves you, …”

Knowing that now was the time to admit the whole truth, Fanchon interrupted. “No one said he loves me, not even Gabe. In fact, he told me that he could never fall in love. This is a purely logical decision on his part, and you know how much I admire a person with logic. I only wish I had the same logic in my decision. Unfortunately, mine comes from the heart. Actually, his inability to believe in love might be what frightens me. But I agreed to marry him, and I shall …” Fanchon paused and offered Bianca another brief smile. “… if I can say the words.”

Bianca smiled—a smile that said she knew something Fanchon herself didn’t. Although she was a bit disconcerted by her sister’s expression, Fanchon chose to ignore it. She had enough on her mind without concerning herself with Bianca’s reaction.

***

Trevor crooned into Astrid’s ear as they lay together on a blanket they had spread on the bank of the Rock River. “You’re so beautiful, my dear. There’s a big difference between you and Fanchon. You’re a hot-blooded woman; she’s a cold-blooded little girl.”

Sliding her hand across his bare stomach, Astrid smiled. His muscles rippled under her seductive caress. Even though she liked him, he wasn’t the man she had longed to be with since her childhood. That man was married, so she let Trevor court her as second best. He was nice and always willing to be with her, even if he didn’t satisfy her very often. Could he satisfy her this time? She’d spoken with the man of her dreams that day, and she desperately needed some release.

With a contented sigh, she trailed her fingertips up his stomach and over his chest. “You have a wonderful body, Trevor. I love the feel of you, and I love what you can do for me.”

“And I’ll do it again.” His whispered reply was hot in her ear.

Trevor took his time to unbutton her blouse then her camisole. Astrid released a plaintive moan of pleasure despite her boredom. His actions were so redundant! But that was the way he liked itto expose her fim breasts then lie in her arms and suckle on her nipple like an infant. She felt nothing this way. But sometimes, when he was particularly aroused, his movements were more aggressive.

Those were the times that she enjoyed him, the times that kept her coming back. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them. Already he positioned himself above her to satisfy himself. Damn! She needed complete release that day, but she was getting nothing. A slight pain shot through her shoulder when she moved, and she cried out in surprise.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m lying on something.”

Helping her to sit, Trevor tossed the blanket aside. Beneath it, he discovered several spent cartridges from a small caliber gun. “It looks like you’re not the only person who likes this place. Somebody’s been doing a little target practice since we were here the other day.”

Astrid glanced around the area as she frantically covered her exposed bosom. “And he could come back any minute.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, his voice filled with the heat of getting caught.

Grabbing her wrists, he pulled her arms apart then forced her down again to crush her against his body. A second later his lips bore down on hers, grinding passion into her once-numb body.

Oh, yes! This was the way she liked it. Apparently, Trevor liked it that way, too. His hands scorched her torso for several minutes before moving her skirts to expose her heated womanhood. All thought drained from her mind as she focused her attention on the man entering her silken cavern. He burrowed into her over and over, until she released a small cry of fulfillment.

Already sated, she let her mind wander as she rotated beneath him, meeting him thrust for thrust. That was another problem. It almost always took him a long time. As Astrid glanced around to see if they were being watched, her gaze fell upon a handkerchief about four feet from her head. What was Fanchon’s hanky doing there? It wasn’t like her twin to lose things; she was too organized. Trevor came to a growling satisfaction and rolled off her.

“What’s wrong with you tonight?” he asked, massaging the soft, white flesh of her thigh. “You seem distracted.”

Astrid sat up and buttoned her camisole. “Fanchon was here.” She nodded toward the white material on the ground not far from them. “That’s her hanky.”

Bolting up, he leaned back on his hands while he stared at the cloth. Astrid gazed up at him, her mind reeling with suspicion. What an odd reaction! He seemed afraid of something. But what could possibly frighten him about Fanchon? Her twin didn’t even like Trevor.

While she examined him, he questioned her with a hint of panic in his voice. “Are you sure, Astrid?”

“Positive. I embroidered it.” Returning her concern to her twin, Astrid rose and wandered over to retrieve the soiled hanky. “I wonder what happened. It’s not like Fanchon to get upset enough to cry, and that’s exactly what it looks like.”

“Maybe she was attacked,” Trevor suggested. “There are used bullets here, too, you know.”

Astrid gasped in horror. No, it couldn’t be possible. She would know if Fanchon had been attacked there; she would be able to feel it. The night before, she’d felt a stinging pain in her breast, but nothing that would indicate the use of a hanky. Yet what other explanation could there be?

“Do you think so?” she asked.

Trevor shrugged. “It’s possible. Maybe one of the soldiers she works with attacked her. She was probably so upset she didn’t even realize she dropped her hanky.”

If that were the case, Astrid decided, she needed to find Fanchon and try to help her. Knowing Fanchon, she was beside herself with grief; she had probably hidden from everybodyexcept the one person she could never fool, the only person who felt almost every pain, both physical and emotional, that Fanchon had.

“Take me home, Trevor,” she demanded. “I have to talk to my sister.”

“Since when are you so interested in Fanchon’s affairs?” he asked.

“I’ll admit that we don’t get along very well,” Astrid admitted, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. For God’s sake. We’re identical twins. There’s something between us that makes us more like one person. When she’s hurting, I feel it; when she’s upset, so am I. Just last nightabout ten-thirtyI had a sharp pain, like a knife cut, and a strong feeling that she was in trouble. I need to know if I was right. Now take me home.”

Trevor granted her request with an inner relief that he’d successfully manipulated Astrid. Even if Fanchon told her twin that he’d attacked her, Astrid would never believe it. He’d always told Astrid that he wanted nothing to do with Fanchon.

But he had a very reasonable theory of what had happened on the riverbank. The major who had interrupted him had probably brought Fanchon to the river and taught her to shoot. Maybe he’d even told her what had happened while she was unconscious. If that damned major hadn’t regained consciousness so soon, things would have ended the way Trevor had intended. Instead, Trevor had left.

***

“You’re home early tonight,” tall, blond Carl Sten said to his daughter.

“I didn’t want to stay out late,” Astrid explained. “I heard about something that happened at the hospital. It sounded awful, so I’m going to ask Fanchon if it’s true.”

Her mother Jane shook her head. “You should curb your appetite for gossip, dear. It can hurt people.”

“That’s why I want to know the truth. Since it happened at the hospital, Fanchon might know something.”

“All right, as long as you’re looking for the truth. Carl? Are you ready for bed now?”

Carl set aside his book and pulled his wife to her feet with a desirous gleam in his eyes. “Have you forgotten, my darling wife? I’m always ready for bed when you’re around.”

“Not again,” Astrid groaned as she left the room. “You two are too old for that.”

“You’re never too old for love, Kitten Two,” he returned.

Hurrying upstairs to Fanchon’s bedroom, Astrid entered without knocking. Across the room, her twin rummaged through a dresser drawer, giving Astrid the perfect opening for the conversation. “Looking for this?”

With a gasp of shock, Fanchon slammed her drawer and spun to face her sister. Oh, no! She’d been caught getting ready to elope by the most prolific gossip she knew. Now the whole town would hear about it. Somehow, she had to convince Astrid, who knew her better than anybody else, of a lie. Then she saw the handkerchief in Astrid’s hand and gave a mental sigh of relief. Astrid didn’t suspect a thing. “Where did you find it?”

“Where you left itout by the Rock.” Dropping the dirty hanky on the bed, Astrid sat down beside it. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“I don’t know how it got there,” Fanchon said, ignoring Astrid’s question. “I haven’t been to the river in weeks.”

“I was at the same spot the day before yesterday,” Astrid said, “and your hanky wasn’t there. I saw the bullets, too, Fanchon. Maybe I’m not as smart as you, but I can add two and two. You were attacked, weren’t you.”

“At the Rock?” she asked, startled. “Heavens no! I picnicked there with a friend.”

“Then explain the bullets.”

“I don’t know anything about them.”

“For God’s sake, Fanchon,” Astrid said in exasperation. “When are you going to learn that you can’t lie to me any easier than I can lie to you? I know you were attacked, because I sensed it, and you do know about the bullets, too. I can tell by the look in your eyes. Why don’t you confide in me? You’ll probably feel better.”

Angered by her sister’s interference, Fanchon glared at her. She hated people intruding in her lifeespecially Astrid, who seemed to think it was her right simply because they were twins. Determined not to give in to Astrid’s nosiness, Fanchon snapped, “I wasn’t attacked.”

“Then why won’t you explain your hanky?”

Fanchon cringed when Astrid wandered to the dresser and looked to see what her sister was doing. Astrid’s expression of suspicion told Fanchon that her sister had caught a glimpse of the blue material in Fanchon’s medical satchel. Oh, no! She’d seen Fanchon’s favorite dress in the bag.

“Going somewhere?” Astrid asked.

“Not tonight.” She had to lie carefully. Astrid knew her too well and would know it was a fabrication. Despite her deep love for him, Gabe’s emotions were nonexistent, and she hated the thought of people learning she had married someone merely to give him a child because he wanted one. Given Astrid’s scrutinizing gaze and suspicious tone, Fanchon needed a realistic, although fictitious, confession. “I have an appointment tomorrow, but I have to work tonight. I don’t know when I’ll be done, so Bianca said I could change at her house.”

That could happen. If Astrid learned the truth, she would do everything she could to stop Fanchon. The only way to avoid that was to think of something to convince Astrid that she knew what she was doing—without admitting the truth

But before she could do that, Astrid demanded, “What were you so upset about? Did you go the Rock River to be alone?”

Fanchon sighed in disgust. “All right. I was upset, so I went to the Rock. You know how I hate anybody seeing me cry. And I like solitude. Why do you have a sudden interest in my whereabouts?”

Astrid shook her head. “We’re twins, Fanchon. I’m supposed to worry about you when something’s wrong.”

“This is no time to play the doting twin,” Fanchon snapped. “Stay out of my life. I’ve managed fine without it since we were born, and I don’t need your concern now.”

Astrid started toward the door then stopped with her hand on the handle and turned to face Fanchon. “I was only trying to help. If you ever need to talk, I’ll be there. I care about you, Fanchon. You’ve just never given me reason to worry before.”

***

Gabe took Fanchon’s bag and laid his hand on the small of her back while they strolled away from the barn.

“Did you find the place I told you to hide the carriage?”

“Without a hitch,” he replied, adding, “if you’ll excuse the expression. Did anybody see you leave?”

“I don’t think so.”

Dropping the satchel, he spun her into his arms and pressed her to his body. Stunned, she stared up at him in surprise until his lips met hers. Then her eyelids slid shut. The instantaneous excitement she experienced was almost too strong to endure. With her breasts crushed against him, a tingling of desire awakened within her chest. And she was startled to realize that it wasn’t desire alone constricting her heart. It was combined with love, deep and abiding. No matter how Gabe felt, she could easily spend the rest of her life being devoted to him. Maybe someday she would even convince him to love her back.