Hearts Aglow (40 page)

“But you’re safe now,” she said, gently stroking his arm. “You’re safe.”

He looked at her blankly for a moment, then drew a deep breath. “I’m here with you. I should never have gone.”

“Your brother needed you. I understood.”

“I’m sorry that I handled things so badly.” He hung his head. “There have been far too many secrets between us, and I have to be honest with you now. It might cost me – it might take you from me – but I cannot lie to you anymore.”

“I have my secrets, too,” she replied. “You may well not want me after you hear them.”

He looked at her in disbelief. “There is nothing you could say that would ever make that possible.”

She cocked her head slightly and smiled for the first time since she’d awakened. “And yet you think it possible for me to stop wanting you?”

This made him drop his hold and lower his head. “You don’t know the truth of my past. It’s not something I’ve borne very well.”

Deborah took hold of his hands. “Let me bear it with you, then. Start with your brother. You said he was injured, but you didn’t speak of the charges against him. What was the outcome of his trial?”

“He was acquitted. A witness came forward and defended Calvin’s actions. He made it clear my brother had no choice in the matter. It was kill or be killed.”

“And where is Calvin now?”

“I sent him back to Kansas City,” Christopher replied matter-of-factly, pulling his hands from hers. “He had a broken wrist and badly injured leg. Even so, he’s promised to seek employment and help our mother. He seems to be a changed man.”

“Perhaps this ordeal opened his eyes.”

Christopher lifted his gaze. “Perhaps. I suppose only time will tell.”

“And what else must I know?” she asked.

He drew a deep breath. “My name.”

“But I already know that.”

He shook his head. “No. You know what I changed it to.”

She looked at him oddly. She had imagined that he would tell her his mother had been married before – that he didn’t share the same father as his brothers and sisters. “What are you saying?”

“I wasn’t born with the last name of Clayton. It’s actually my middle name. My mother named me Christopher Clayton . . . Kelle-her. I dropped the Kelleher to keep people from realizing that I am Irish.”

Confusion swirled through her thoughts. “But why?”

“Why? Because the Irish are hated in many places. My father and mother worked hard to disassociate themselves from the prejudices and conflicts, but it followed them no matter where they went. The accident that nearly took my father’s life was a fight between the Irish workers and the non-Irish. The attitudes and actions against those of Irish ancestry were not so different as what we’ve seen here in the South with the blacks.”

“I’m truly sorry, Christopher. I had no idea.”

“When I went east to study medicine, I decided that I would go by Clayton. That was still my name, and it could be associated with the English if questions arose. After all, I also shared some English ancestry.”

“And did it work?” she asked.

“It did. I felt like a liar, but it worked. I never figured it would matter much in the long run. I didn’t have an Irish brogue, so I believed I could forever bury the truth. I told my mother and siblings that I was going to call myself Christopher Clayton and that any correspondence should be addressed accordingly. My father was livid. He disowned me and told me to never again darken his doorstep. Then he was injured in the fight that killed some of his friends. It killed his spirit and left him without hope.”

She reached up to touch his face. “I don’t care if you’re Irish or Indian or anything else. I love you. I never knew how dearly until you left me.”

Deborah’s mother came into the room with a basin. “How is she?”

Christopher eased away from Deborah. “She’s much better. I shouldn’t have shocked her with my return that way.”

“Do you feel up to some supper, Deborah?” Mother put the basin on the dresser. “If not, I could bring you something here.”

“I can come to the table. In fact, I feel quite well – almost as if the world has suddenly righted itself.” She paused and looked past Christopher to where her mother stood. “Mother, how do you feel about Irish people?”

“Irish? Why do you ask a question like that? The Irish are fine folks. We’ve had dear friends who were Irish.”

Deborah grinned. “It’s not important right now. I just wondered.”

The special dessert turned out to be a most amazing chocolate cake that Sissy said was made entirely without flour or cornmeal. The cake was then drenched in a buttery brown sugar sauce and topped with whipped cream. There wasn’t so much as a crumb left after everyone pushed back from the table.

“That was a mighty fine meal,” Uncle Arjan said, giving Sissy a nod. “Especially that cake. Mighty fine.”

Sissy laughed and got to her feet. “I’s glad you enjoyed it. Much more pickin’ at the plate, and I won’t even have to wash it.”

Mother began gathering the dishes, and Deborah started to do likewise. “Oh no,” she told Deborah. “You go spend time with Dr. Clayton.”

“Thank you very much for having me to supper,” Christopher replied. “And thank you for freeing Deborah from her chores.” He turned and smiled at her. “Would you care to take a walk?”

“It’s already dark and gettin’ a bit chilled out there,” Uncle Arjan declared. “Maybe you’d prefer to sit on the porch? I’m sure we can find something to do elsewhere – can’t we, boys?”

The rest of the men chuckled and got up from the table. All but Jake. He didn’t seem at all happy about this new arrangement. Deborah allowed Christopher to help her from her chair while the others shuffled out of the room.

Deborah looked to Christopher and smiled. “Let me get my wrap.”

They made their way to the front porch swing. Deborah enjoyed Christopher’s arm around her and leaned closer.

“When I thought I might never see you again,” he said, “I came to realize how important you were to me. I had always dreamed of the kind of woman who could share my life – my desire to help people. When I came here and met you, it seemed that you fulfilled all of my hopes for a wife. I didn’t ask you to court me without giving it great consideration.”

Deborah straightened and looked at him. “And I didn’t accept without great consideration.”

He laughed. “You said yes before the words were hardly out of my mouth.”

“That’s not true, Christopher Clayton Kelleher.” She stopped and smiled. “I like the sound of that. Anyway, you are completely mistaken. As I recall, we discussed your family and your age before I ever agreed to court you. Oh, and we talked about your willingness to marry a female doctor.”

He shrugged. “I’m still pondering that one.”

She elbowed him and got to her feet. “Well, I suppose you can ponder that alone, because I plan to go back East and finish my medical training.” She gave him a coy smile. “Unless, of course, you know some other way to remedy the matter.”

“I might have some ideas,” he said in a low, husky voice.

His tone caused Deborah to feel weak in the knees. Goodness, but this man could set her all a-flutter. He held out his hand, and she again sat beside him.

“The past doesn’t matter,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I’d much rather think about where we go from here.”

“Where would you like to go?”

She smiled. “Well, I’d like our courtship to be reinstated, for one.”

He shook his head. “I’ve no interest in that.” He took hold of her hand. “I’d rather we begin our engagement.”

Deborah felt her breath catch. Had he really just proposed?

“Say that again,” she whispered.

He smiled. “Would you marry me, Miss Vandermark?”

“I know you two wanted some privacy,” Jake Wythe said, coming up the porch steps, “but I figure this is important enough to interrupt.”

Frustrated, Deborah pulled back from Christopher’s hold.

“What is it, Jake?”

“I heard the doc propose to you.”

“What business is that of yours?” Christopher asked.

“I want to propose, as well.”

Deborah looked at him in surprise. “I beg your pardon?”

Jake smiled. “You heard me. I want to marry you, Miss Deborah. I know you care for me – maybe not exactly the same way you do the doc, but I figure we deserve a chance to explore your feelings for me before you go runnin’ off to marry him.”

“I think you’ve misjudged me, Jake. I do care about you, but . . .” She fell silent, unsure of what to say. She could feel Christopher tense. The last thing she wanted was a fight.

“Doc left you, without even speakin’ to ya face-to-face. Just because he finally figured out what he wants doesn’t mean you should just fall into his lap. He was unkind to you, and you deserve better.”

Deborah got to her feet and Christopher was quick to follow. “He had his reasons for leaving me,” she said, putting herself between the two men. “I don’t need to explain them to you. I’ve never led you on or given you reason to think that I held more affection for you than I do. Please don’t ruin this happy occasion for me.”

Jake’s expression fell. “I don’t want you to ever be unhappy. Especially not on account of me.”

“I’m sorry to hurt you, but I cannot accept your proposal. I’ve already accepted Christopher’s. I accepted the night he asked me to court him. He held my heart then – just as he does now.”

The younger man’s shoulders slumped, and he shook his head. “Ain’t hardly fair. I just figure out that I’m in love with you, and you go and agree to marry someone else. You ought to at least give me a chance.”

Deborah felt saddened by the obvious pain she’d inflicted. She wanted to tell Jake she thought some young woman would be lucky to have him as a husband, but she knew it wouldn’t ease his hurt.

She was grateful that Christopher remained silent. “I’m sorry, Jake. I’m going to marry Christopher.” Her statement was firm, yet she tried hard to keep the timbre of her voice gentle.

“I reckon I can’t change your mind right now,” Jake said, lifting his head. “But that don’t mean I can’t try to change it between now and the weddin’.”

Christopher put his hands on Deborah’s arms in a most possessive manner. “I believe you’ve out-stayed your welcome, Mr. Wythe. The lady has made it quite clear what her intentions are.”

Jake fixed his gaze on Christopher for a moment, then returned it to Deborah. “I guess only time will tell that for certain.”

He walked back down the porch steps and disappeared around the corner of the house. Fearing that Christopher would want to follow him and teach him a lesson or two, Deborah decided to distract him the only way she knew how. Turning in his arms, she smiled.

“Now, where were we? Oh yes – you had proposed marriage. I accept. Now I think it would be quite appropriate for us to share a kiss.”

Christopher’s anger seemed to fade. He pulled her close. “I think I can manage that.”

She grinned. “Indeed, I believe you can.”

His lips on hers left her heart aglow in a blaze of passion and the promise of what tomorrow would yet bring.

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