Enchanted Ecstasy (32 page)

"Yes," Kane said, watching as his wife disappeared over the rise.

"Well, Kane," Lucinda said, holding out her hand for him to help her mount, "I think there will be trouble in paradise tonight."

Maleaha dismounted and unsaddled her horse, while Lamas watched her, knowing what she was feeling inside.

"Everything is not always as it seems, Maleaha. Sometimes the eyes deceive."

Maleaha lifted her saddle onto a rail and turned to face him. "That's true, Lamas. It is also true that things can be much worse than they appear.''

"I believe that Kane cares for you."

"You may believe that, Lamas, but let me assure you it is not so. He loves Lucinda Blake."

Lamas watched her walk toward the house and leaned against the stall door. Kane did love Maleaha. He did not know what the white woman meant to Kane, but he could not love her. Too many times Lamas had seen the love burning in Kane's eyes when he looked at Maleaha. He wondered why the white man played games with love. The Indian way was much better. If an Indian brave loved a maiden, he would tell her so.

Maleaha went directly to her room and threw herself down on the bed. She rolled over onto her back and stared dry-eyed at the ceiling. Today she had final proof that Kane loved Lucinda. Her Indian logic took over, pushing aside her white woman's heart. If Kane wanted Lucinda, then she would not stand in his way. But I love him, the white side of her cried. He does not love you, the Indian side of her answered.

Inside of Maleaha raged a war, logic against love. Love him, the Indian side prompted her, but set him free. Love that is not freely given is no love at all.

She sat up and checked the time. Cimeron would be demanding to be fed and Mrs. Higgens would be needing help in the kitchen. Maleaha rose wearily to her feet, knowing that life goes on even if one's heart was broken. She wished she could be alone to think things through. She had never been one to act on impulse. Jonas had taught her to think carefully and to weigh all the consequences before reaching a conclusion.

Dinner would have been a miserable affair, had it not been for Jonas and Eli. The two men had spent the day together, and they seemed to have become fast friends.

Kane didn't contribute much to the conversation, and Lucinda was unusually quiet. Maleaha refused to look at either of them, and it was hard at times, for she could feel Kane's eyes on her. He knows that I saw him and Lucinda, she thought. He knows, and perhaps he is glad that it is finally out in the open. Kane had never struck her as the kind of man who would sneak around behind one's back. That was what was bothering her more than anything else. She had thought him to be a man of honor. It had not been a deed of honor today when he had kissed Lucinda beside the stream. She shied away from thinking what else could have transpired between them earlier, or after she had ridden away.

Against her will, Maleaha raised her head and stared into the silver eyes of her husband.

Kane saw disillusionment and pain in the green eyes of his wife. I did not betray you, he wanted to shout to her. Can't you see that I love you?

He wants to tell me that he loves Lucinda, Maleaha thought as she looked away from him. She would never heal from the pain she was feeling today. She would never stop loving the man who was her husband. How would she ever be able to give him his freedom without crying and begging him not to leave her. She tried to pull her mind away from Kane, and soon her father's words reached her.

"Eli, my daughter was always the champion of the weak. When she was a child," Jonas was saying, "I remember the day particularly because it was her tenth birthday. We were visiting one of the mission schools. I had donated the money to build the school, and I wanted to see how it was faring. While we were there a fight broke out on the playground. It seemed that three big lads had ganged up on one smaller one. Before I could stop Maleaha, she went flying across the playground and tackled one of the larger boys. She quickly wrestled him to the ground and then flew at another. I watched the third boy take flight just as a teacher came out of the door of the schoolhouse and approached Maleaha. The two remaining boys were crying and declared that Maleaha had attacked them, which indeed she had. The teacher asked Maleaha to accompany her into the schoolroom, where she threatened to spank her. I informed the woman that she was not to lay a hand on my daughter. Well, the teacher went away murmuring something about the overindulgence of some parents. I never encouraged Maleaha to fight, and to my knowledge she never had a fight other than that day."

Eli laughed. "One would never know there was a wild streak in you, Maleaha. You look every bit the well brought-up young lady."

"Oh, don't let her delicate looks deceive you, Eli. Underneath she is strong in will as well as deed," Jonas said proudly.

Eli stood up and towered over Maleaha. "My dear, I have something for you. If you will excuse me, I will go and get it for you now."

When he reappeared a few moments later he handed Maleaha a package tied up in brown paper.

"What is it?" Maleaha asked. She glanced down the table to where Kane sat and noticed he had a puzzled expression on his face.

"Why don't you open it and see for yourself," Eli said, smiling at her.

Maleaha untied the string that was bound about the package and pushed the paper aside. She gasped when she saw what appeared to be the piece of pottery that her grandfather had given her. Her hands ran over the smooth surface, tracing the dark pattern with her finger. When she raised her eyes to Eli, he saw tears sparkling in the green depths.

"How did you . . . when . . . I do not understand," she said in confusion.

"I took the broken pieces into Santa Fe yesterday and found a potter who assured me that he could mend the vase without anyone's being able to tell where it had been broken."

Maleaha handed the precious piece of pottery to her father and threw her arms about a startled Eli's neck. At first he stood stiffly as she kissed his cheek, then he laughed and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Eli. You are the kindest man I have ever known," she told him, placing her smooth cheek against his rough one. Eli looked over her head at his son, and Kane was astonished to see just the hint of tears in his father's eyes.

Kane stood up and walked over to Jonas and took the vase, studying it for a moment. He could see nothing special about the vase. He could not understand what all the fuss was about.

"I assume this is the vase that Lucinda accidentally broke the other day?"

Eli nodded. "It was very valuable, son. Maleaha's grandfather had given it to her." Eli looked at Maleaha. You were misinformed by your grandfather, my dear. The man who repaired it said it would be close to four hundred years old, making it two hundred years older than you thought."

Lucinda stood up and walked around the table and stood beside Kane. "Lord, I never saw such a fuss made over an old vase. One would think I broke something of great value," she said spitefully.

"It was valuable, Lucinda. The man who repaired it told me it would easily have brought three or four thousand dollars, and any museum would have been delighted to add it to their collection." His eyes narrowed and Lucinda looked uncomfortable. "Because of you, Lucinda, the vase is only valuable to Maleaha because her grandfather gave it to her."

Lucinda's eyes widened. Why was Eli speaking to her in such an accusing tone? He had always been so kind to her. "I didn't break it purposely, Eli."

"Oh yes, you did, Lucinda. I overheard you talking to Maleaha and you most certainly did break it deliberately."

"It is of no great importance, Eli," Maleaha intervened. "What's done is done. Let us drop the matter."

Eli's face softened as he looked at Maleaha. "You are too kind, my dear. I listened to the hateful things Lucinda said to you yesterday. You even stood there while she struck you. How can you forgive her, and how can you forgive me for bringing her here?"

Maleaha was confused. She felt her father's arm go around her shoulder. She looked at Kane's face and saw him watching his father in bewilderment. She expected any moment to hear Kane defend the woman he loved. She would have run from the room, but she felt the pressure of her father's hand and knew he was urging her to face whatever came.

"Tomorrow morning I shall take Lucinda and her aunt into town," Eli stated. "There is a stage leaving for the East by the end of the week, and I intend that we will be on it. I cannot expect you to forgive me, Maleaha. I hope in time you will come to like me half as much as I like you. I believe my son to be a very lucky man to have you for his wife. I have rarely if ever met such a shining example of womanhood."

"Oh, Eli," Maleaha cried, moving across the room to be enfolded in his arms. "I not only like you, I love you. I will hate to see you go."

Eli closed his eyes. Yes, she was one in a million. He had tried to push her from his son's life, and instead she had pulled him into her life.

Lucinda stormed out of the room and up the stairs, but no one seemed inclined to go after her.

Eli smiled down at Maleaha, and Jonas laughed deeply. "I told you my little girl was special, Eli."

"Damned right, she is special," Eli agreed.

Mrs. Higgens began clearing the table and Jonas suggested that they move into the sitting room. Maleaha sat down between her father and Eli, while Kane seemed to detach himself from them and sat silent and brooding beside the fireplace.

Maleaha could only guess what he was thinking. Did he wish to go to Lucinda and give her comfort?

"Maleaha, I bet you didn't like me very well when you first saw me, did you?" Eli asked. "I remember you were with Kane in the garden at the fiesta. I said some very harsh things to you that night."

"Actually that was not the first time I had seen you, Eli. I saw you before that night but you did not see me."

"When?"

"I was in Albuquerque with my best friend when I heard that Kane had been injured, so I rushed back to see him. I saw you and your son together, and I didn't want to disturb you."

Kane's head snapped up as he caught her words. He had been haunted for months, thinking Maleaha had not thought enough of him to come to see him when he lay injured. Maleaha was admitting that she had come! The color drained from his face. Dear God! Could Maleaha have loved him? If she had ever loved him he had surely killed that love. What could she think about a man who accused her of lying? Could she love a man who had made her apologize to Lucinda, when in fact it should have been Lucinda who apologized to her? He had made one mistake after another where she was concerned. She had humbled him and brought him to his knees. The worst blow of all must have been today when Maleaha had seen the kiss Lucinda had given him. She had not approached him about Lucinda. Hell, she had hardly even looked at him tonight. Perhaps she just didn't give a damn, he thought.

Kane stood up and stalked out of the room, leaving the others to wonder at his action.

That night Kane didn't come to bed. Maleaha was troubled; what if he had gone to Lucinda? Slipping into her robe, she made her way quietly downstairs. She saw the light coming from beneath the crack underlying his study door. Opening the door softly, she saw Kane asleep on the leather couch. Closing the door quietly, she went back upstairs. He was not with Lucinda, but he was not with her either.

The next morning after breakfast, Maleaha stood on the doorstep beside Eli as Kane pulled the buggy up to the front of the house. He leaped to the ground and began placing the luggage in the back of the buggy. Maleaha noticed that Kane avoided looking at her. When he took Lucinda into Santa Fe, would he want to stay with her?

Lucinda had not joined them for breakfast, but had asked to have a tray sent to her room so she could eat with her aunt.

Lucinda swept past Maleaha, never giving her a second glance. Eli smiled understandingly at his daughter-in-law.

"You know I am going to miss that granddaughter of mine. I am wondering if you would allow me to visit again soon?"

She slid her arm around his waist, then looked up into his face. She gazed into eyes so like Kane's. "I hope you will take the first available stage back to Santa Fe. I have grown very fond of you, Eli, and besides Cimeron needs both of her grandfathers."

"Do you mean that, Maleaha?"

"I can assure you that I do."

Maleaha felt someone bump into her and turned to see a pale-looking woman making her way to the buggy. Eli chuckled and whispered in Maleaha's ear. "Mrs. Blake would not come out of her room once she heard you were half-Indian. I think she feared she might forfeit her life."

Maleaha laughed and kissed Eli on the cheek. "Have a safe trip." She raised her voice so it would carry to Luanda's aunt. "Watch out for wild Indians."

Maleaha did not mind being snubbed by Lucinda and her aunt, but she did mind that Kane seemed to ignore her completely. She stood watching as the buggy pulled away from the house, feeling as if the space between her and Kane was growing. She entered the house, knowing that when Kane returned there would be a confrontation between them.

Maleaha kept busy so the day would pass quickly. She had lunch with Cimeron and then bundled her up and took her for a walk. Dinnertime came and went, and still Kane had not returned. Maleaha was restless as she wandered from room to room looking for something to do. She wished her father had not left early that day, perhaps if he had stayed she and Kane could postpone their talk. No, that would be cowardly. It was best to get it over with.