Agnes and the Renegade (Men of Defiance) (32 page)

Leah and Rachel jumped up, hurrying to hug both women. Rachel joined them in crying happy tears. Leah shook her head. The men were shaking hands and congratulating Logan. Aggie felt a wonderful sense of belonging. Chayton had been right. They weren’t without a people now.

* * *

Chayton closed the door behind his grandmother. She walked into the room, strolling to the bookcases, ignoring him. He did not speak. She sent a look over her shoulder, then casually made her way to the big leather sofa. When she had herself arranged to her satisfaction, she sent an expectant glance toward him. She lifted a brow. “It’s rude to stare, young man.”

“It was rude to send my wife away, old woman.”

His grandmother drew a deep breath. “I did what I felt I had to for your benefit.”

“It was not for my benefit that you did what you did.”

“It was. You have no idea how important I am. How important the Burkholder name is.”

“Which may be a reflection of how unimportant you and your name are to me.”

His grandmother gasped. She thumped her cane on the ground several times. “You said yesterday you would comply.”

“I said many things yesterday.”

His grandmother rose to her feet. “You are my grandson.” He did not reply to this, which left her at a loss. She sighed. Her shoulders slumped. “I will accept the artist as your wife. However, I must ask that you marry her according to the rules of polite society. In a church, with witnesses. A proper wedding will go a long way toward your acceptance into society.”

“I will agree to this request.”

His grandmother studied him as if gauging his intent to keep the treaty they were negotiating. “I would also like you, your wife, and your daughter to live with me so that I can oversee your entry into civilized life.”

“My daughter will be staying with my friends, Logan and Sarah. They have raised her since she was five summers. It would be cruel for me to take her from them. I have discussed this with them, and they have agreed.”

She pressed her lips into a fine line and reluctantly accepted his change to her terms.

“My wife needs to travel for her work,” he continued. “I will accompany her. I know I have much to learn about your world, so I will accept living here with you for the winter months, but in the summer months, we will go where she needs to go to find the content she needs for her paintings.” He looked at his grandmother, watching for her reaction to his next request. “You will provide her with the space she needs for her work. An area dedicated for her use which no one will disturb without her permission.”

His grandmother nodded. “She may have the attic. And if that is not satisfactory, I will have a wing built for her.” Her shoulders lifted a bit. “In exchange, you will agree to undergo intensive lessons in everything you need to know to take over the reins of our business. You must be able to read and write in English. You must understand complex math and bookkeeping. You must study contract law and governmental policies. You must take dance lessons and learn our rules of social etiquette. It will take you years of study to be ready to run the company. You will do this in your winter months. The summer months are yours to do with as you wish.”

Chayton considered her terms. He nodded. “I find this acceptable.”

“Then we will begin with your wardrobe—and the manners you will need to see you through a formal affair such as your wedding. This will take time. I believe we should plan for a winter wedding.”

“Grandmother, my wife is expecting a child. I must consult her before setting a date for our wedding.”

“Oh, dear Lord.” His grandmother dropped heavily onto the sofa. She sat in silence for a moment before looking up at him. “Then I will have to move the timeline up significantly. And I will acknowledge the fact that you have already married her in the way of the savage. Yes. Your formal marriage will be your first step in your transformation. It will make quite the success story, I believe. I must speak with Aggie and get things moving along.” She looked up at Chayton. “Do bring her in to join us.”

When Chayton entered the parlor, it was buzzing with noise. Agkhee was sitting with the women, who were weeping and laughing. He shut the door with an audible click. The men turned to look at him, but he only had eyes for Agkhee. Silence blanketed the room. She stood, clasping her hands in a tight grip. He smiled at her.

“My grandmother has accepted our marriage. However, she would like us to be married again in the white way. I have agreed to this. It requires much discussion, apparently. She would like you to join us so that she can make plans.”

Aggie crossed the room, feeling a bit as if she’d been summoned to the headmistress’s office while she was at the orphanage. She forced herself to breathe as she crossed the hallway to Julian’s office.
 

“Come sit beside me, dear,” Ester said. “I do not like to shout.”

Aggie did as requested, grateful that Chayton stood so near her.
 

“I owe you an apology.” His grandmother’s words shocked her into silence. “I thought what I did was in the best interest of my grandson. I see now that I was wrong. And I ask for your forgiveness.”

Aggie smiled. That couldn’t have been an easy thing to admit. “Thank you, Mrs. Burkholder. I do forgive you.”

“You will call me ‘grandmother’ or ‘grandmamma.’ As I have told my grandson, I choose to accept the fact that you are married within the terms of his savage tradition. But you must also marry according to our customs.” She looked up at Chayton. “Do sit down and quit hovering.”
 

Chayton brought a chair over so that he could sit next to Aggie. She reached to take his hand.
 

“Please tell me about your family,” Ester said. “I know very little about the Theo Hamilton line.”

“My original family name was Hofsteader. My parents died in a cholera outbreak when the war started. I was sent to an orphanage in Virginia. I lived there until I was twelve, when my foster father adopted me. I don’t know anything about my parents’ families or where they’re from. Or even if I have other relatives.”

“I see. Perhaps we should look into that. A person doesn’t spring from thin air. You may not have living relatives, but you might. Perhaps you have a matron like me who is searching for you even now.”

Aggie smiled. “If I do, I would love to know.”

“Very well. We shall see what we can find out.” She sent Chayton a sharp glance. “We have not discussed the matter of names. It is imperative that you take Burkholder as your last name. And because I am recognizing your Indian marriage, you, my dear, will henceforth be known as Agnes Hofsteader Hamilton Burkholder or Mrs. Charles Burkholder. You, young man, will be Charles Burkholder.”

“I will be Chayton Burkholder.”

“You must take a civilized name.”

“I will be Chayton Burkholder, or I will not be your grandson.”

Mrs. Burkholder’s brows lifted as she settled a glare on Chayton. “Very well. You will be Charles Chayton Burkholder, but you may go by your middle name if you wish. I will have my lawyers draw up the proper papers. I believe we should select a proper name for my great-granddaughter as well.”

“We have chosen her name. She is to be known as Skylar White Bird Burkholder.”

The old woman considered that. “That isn’t my preferred first name, but I will accept your choice. Are you certain she shouldn’t come live with us?”

Aggie didn’t miss the slight change in Mrs. Burkholder’s imperial tone as she deferred to her grandson. The shift made her aware of several things. What a lonely existence Chayton’s grandmother must have had, losing all of her children, one by one, and then her husband, learning she’d had three other grandchildren but that they had not survived the Indian wars. Aggie could understand her wishing to gather all of her remaining family around her.
 

“I’m sure she will come to visit frequently, Grandmother,” Aggie said. “It is nice to know she is welcomed here.”

“Indeed, this is where she belongs. I must speak to Mr. Taggert to ensure she is being given the proper education and social opportunities.” Ester looked at her grandson. “I will also make arrangements to reimburse him for his expenses on her behalf. I don’t agree with your decision, Chayton, but I understand that you feel it is in her best interests.”

He nodded.

“Now then, about the wedding. I feel we must act very quickly, because you are soon to give me another great-grandchild, my dear.” Aggie blushed and smiled. Mrs. Burkholder pursed her mouth. “I also have the impression that the two of you have close ties to the backwater town of Defiance.”

“We do. It’s where our friends live,” Aggie told her.

“I was shocked to see the town’s reception of my grandson. It is unacceptable that he be treated like a criminal. He is not a renegade Indian: he is my long-lost grandson. This, regrettably, causes me to believe that it would be best to hold your wedding in Defiance. I know how provincial ranchers can be. A show of elegance and wealth will go a long way toward quelling their ignorant fears and lifting my grandson in their esteem, which I believe will benefit you should you wish to spend any time at all there, especially with your children.”

Aggie smiled at that, but saw that Chayton was having a difficult time unraveling her convoluted reasoning. “Yes. A wedding in Defiance would be wonderful.”

“Very good. Then I will make the arrangements. We will have the ceremony within the month. In the meantime, I will have you both visit with a tailor and a dressmaker so that you may have a wardrobe befitting your status. No more savage clothes. No more borrowed clothes.”

Chayton looked about to argue, but held his silence.
 

His grandmother stood and marched to the door. “If you both wish to stay here until the wedding, assuming Mr. McCaid is agreeable, I will not argue. After the wedding, you will move in with me. Aggie, your husband has requested that I provide you with the proper space you’ll need for painting. When it is convenient for you, please visit with me to discuss that.”

Aggie caught up to Mrs. Burkholder at the front door and gave her a hug. “I look forward to that. And thank you for being so wonderful.”

“Indeed.” The older woman held her emotions in check, her face stiff. “Good day, then, children. Please keep yourselves available to assist me as needed and to help with your wardrobe and the wedding preparations.”

When the butler closed the front door and stepped out of the foyer, Aggie turned to see a frowning Chayton.

“What is it?”

“I am not going to like this new life.”
 

She slipped her arms around his waist and looked up at him.
 

“I am lost in this world, Agkhee. In my world, I could read the colors in the sunset sky and from them determine the night’s weather. I could gauge the moisture in a wind and know if the coming rain would be a drizzle or a deluge. I knew how to hide in a snowdrift if a blizzard caught me while out hunting. Elk and deer stepped in front of my arrows so that I could feed my family. My family, my village, we never went hungry.
 

“Here, it is a different forest—as wild, but without rules. There are no stories that guide how things move, how a man is to behave with discipline and morals. It is complex and confusing.” He stroked her face. “There was nothing I did not know in my world. I had no doubt that I could provide for you and protect you. When I first met you, I thought you were the turtle without a shell. But here…here it is I who am without a shell. I am inside out, Agkhee. I do not know that I will survive in this land.”

She touched his chest. “I’ll be your shell. And you’ll be mine.”

He nodded. “I need you by my side.”

Aggie smiled at him. “We’ll do this together. I will not let you lose your soul.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Chayton dismounted and left his pony freestanding outside of Leah and Jace’s house, where Logan and Sarah were staying while they awaited the wedding. Logan had sent word for him to come down. Jace jogged over from another building a little way down the lane.
 

“Chayton! Good to see you!” They shook hands. “How are the wedding plans coming along?”

Chayton frowned. “It is busy. So much fuss for a thing that is already accomplished.”

Jace laughed. “Well, what did you expect? Women are running the show.”

“Agkhee and I went to Denver for a few days when her exhibit opened. We are back now for the wedding.”

“We were reading about it up here. She’s become quite the celebrity. Apparently you have, too.”

“At least the townspeople no longer pull me from my horse when I ride down Main Street.”

Jace smiled and clapped him on the back. “That’s always a good thing.”

Logan, Sarah, and Skylar came out onto the front porch. Sarah waved at him as Logan came down the steps to join them. Skylar ran ahead to greet him.
 

“Hello,
Até
!”

Chayton hugged her. Every time he saw her, she’d grown taller. “Hello, my daughter.”

“Logan, hurry back! I can’t wait to show Chayton. Skylar—stay with me!” Sarah called from the porch.

“I will!”

“I’ll leave you to talk.” Jace excused himself and started up the front path to the house with Skylar. “We’ll have coffee and pie when you return.”

Chayton looked at his friend. “What is it that we have to discuss?”
 

Logan’s expression grew grim. They walked in silence a short distance before Logan stopped to lean against a split rail fence.
 

Logan sighed. “I have a gift for you.” His posturing conflicted with his words, which put Chayton on edge. He pulled a thick envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Chayton. He looked at Logan, then opened the envelope and withdrew several papers. He couldn’t read the words on them. He’d been learning the English alphabet and its phonetics, but he couldn’t yet make sense of the papers. He gave Logan a frustrated look.

“It’s a land deed. To the area south of the ridge by your cave, down to the cabin, over to your pass, and half of the Valley of Painted Walls.”