Season of Fear (25 page)

Robin awoke the next day slowly, bits and pieces of memory of the last night's occurrences drifting slowly into her conscious mind. Her room was darkened, the draperies pulled across the windows to keep out the sun, which was already high in the sky.

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. Eleven! She was amazed that she had slept away so much of the day. She hurried to the bathroom to shower and dress, anxious to see the children, to be assured that they were safe and well and had taken the break of the news about their mother and the night's activities satisfactorily.

She slipped into a pair of pale-blue jeans and donned a plaid cotton shirt. Within a few moments she entered the kitchen, which she found strangely deserted. There were signs that the family had breakfasted, but there was no one in sight, She made the rounds of the house and could not find a single soul. Where was the family?

The sound of a banging door sent her back to the kitchen. Cook was once again working at the counter, a bit breathless and wearing an apron that showed streaks of dirt. She smiled at Robin.

"So there you are, sleepyhead. We thought you'd sleep all day."

"Where is everyone? I thought the place was deserted."

Cook's eyes had a bright twinkle.

"Almost. Seems like everyone had errands to do this morning. The ranch is in good shape, though. I thought more hands would be arriving late after their big night, but I guess the word of the excitement reached town pretty fast. They were all here at the bust of dawn. Wanted to hear things first hand, I guess. Anyway, it looks like everything has settled down out there."

Robin looked down at cook's stained apron.

"Is that where you were? Out in the barn? I was wondering what had happened to your apron."

Cook blushed to the roots of her graying hair.

"Dear me, I didn't notice that." She swiftly untied the knot at the back of her waist and removed the soiled apron and replaced it with a fresh one.

Robin laughed. "Oh, I'm not complaining, Cook. It's just not like you, and I was hoping nothing else out of the ordinary had happened."

Cook looked thoughtful.

"No, I think the painful things have all been taken care of now. Everyone can work at handling the past now, knowing the full story. It was quite a night, but it was all for the best."

Robin's eyes filled with tears as she thought of Duke. Would there be a memorial service? Did he have family? His death, to her, did not seem "all for the best."

"I feel so bad for Duke, though, it just doesn't seem fair."

"Oh, I'm sure it was a price he was willing to pay in order to know the truth about Miss Laura's death."

Robin looked at her blankly.

"Willing to pay with his life?"

Cook was astonished.

"His life?" she asked, and then realization dawned on her lined face.

"Robin, are you under the impression that Duke was killed? Because I can assure you, he is very much alive and staying at Hamilton's medical center purely for precautionary reasons. Mr. Alex saw him last night, and again first thing this morning. He got a bullet shot in the shoulder, but it went clear through. He's anxious to get right back to work, but Mr. Alex has ordered him to stay put for a few days. Duke loved Laura. Robin, and now his anger will have a chance to heal, even though his loss is still very real. Mr. Alex doesn't begrudge him his memories, because he is well aware that he and Laura were never very right for each other."

It was like Alex, she thought, to be at Duke's bedside last night and today, to be sure that he was all right. It was like him to understand the rough man's feelings for the woman who had been legally his own wife, though emotionally estranged, and who had come to such a tragic end. She was very glad that Duke's life had not ended by the same hand.

"Where is everyone else? Are the children out?"

"Oh," cook said vaguely, "there were a variety of chores to do this morning. I believe they all went their separate ways. A family dinner is planned, so I assume they will all be drifting in."

She didn't meet Robin's eyes, and she got the distinct feeling that an unspoken message was being relayed. The mystery was over, and now life would be changing at Ridley Ranch.

Something was in the air, and Robin was at a loss to decipher it. An announcement, perhaps, about the engagement of Alexander and Deborah. It would break her heart, but she would handle it.

The rest of the day was spent quietly. Robin checked on the house girls who were busily cleaning up after the party, full of gossip about the town's reaction to the Ridley excitement, the expected comments of "I knew there was something suspicious about Laura Ridley's death," and "I always believed that the Ridley family was okay."

The family started drifting in shortly before the scheduled dinner hour, the twins laughing and unrestrained, saying a cheerful hello to Robin and inquiring how she was feeling, but then mysteriously disappearing and once again leaving her alone. Gregory, too, after a hug skipped off to join the twins. Herman and Lisa had retired to their room, she was told, and she felt a twinge of loneliness.

Cook announced that dinner would be late, as Alex had been delayed with Deborah and would be returning in the early evening hours. And the message brought home the feeling that Robin had been denying during the course of the day. She was not a part of the family here, she was an outsider, unwanted by Deborah, she knew. And now, with life settling down, she was unneeded by the Ridley family.

Her heart was sad, and she suddenly felt tired. The time had come, she knew, and it was best to face it head on. It was time to leave. She quietly returned to her room, took her sturdy leather suitcases from the back of the closet, where they had sat patiently. She would pack tonight, and say her goodbyes as quickly as possible. She would take the first bus in the morning from Hamilton, returning to Chicago and its memories. Herman's position at the resort would be wonderful, if it were available in the late fall, as he had suggested.

It would give her time to tie up the loose ends of her past life with her father in their house near the university, and hopefully keep her busy enough to keep her mind off the feelings that she wanted to leave behind at the Ridley Ranch.

She would move quickly and waste no time with her decision to leave. She picked up the phone and dialed the bus depot. A bus heading east that made Chicago connections would be leaving at nine the next morning. She vowed to be on it.

It was close to the rescheduled dinner hour when she put the last of her belongings into the last suitcase. A traveling outfit for the trip lay on a chair next to her bed. Think ahead, she constantly prodded herself. Think of the future, of your new job. Let the past evaporate into vague memories. It was a difficult thing to do.

A knock sounded at her door. She crossed the room to open it, expecting a message that Alex and Deborah had returned and that dinner would soon be served. Her stomach was a little tight at the thought of making her departure announcement, but she was ready to do it. She opened the door.

Alex had returned. There was no doubt about it, because it was he who stood so erectly in the doorway before her. His blond hair was tousled, but he was wearing street clothes instead of his usual ranch garb, and he looked very, very handsome. Robin felt a lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "I guess I'm late for dinner. I'm ready, though." She made a move toward the door, but his bronzed arm shot out and his large fingers took hold of her arm. She felt a tingling sensation all over. His eyes were fixed upon her suitcases, now neatly standing on the floor near her dressing table.

"What is that?" His voice was soft and sounded confused.

"I'm packed, Alex," she returned breathlessly. "I'm ready to leave. I'll be on the bus tomorrow."

His eyes stared directly into hers.

"Like heck you will," he countered, still in his low, even voice.

She couldn't read his eyes, but she knew her knees were shaking.

"Everyone here will be fine now," she began quickly. "The children are safe, the town knows the truth, your questions are answered—"

"Because of you. Because of you, my youngest son escaped injury last night. My children had developed the confidence to re-enter their world, even before the mystery was solved. Because of you, my own world makes sense again. Robin."

Her emotions were welling up inside of her and she felt as though she were going to cry. She turned away from him, trying desperately to hide the tears that were flowing from her eyes. He must never know. He would never understand the pain that she felt in being so near to him, in being so in love with him, when it was a hopeless cause.

"It's time for me to go," she repeated slowly, with great control. "No one needs me here."

There was a silence.

Alex stepped into the room and pulled her toward him.

"I need you, Robin, and I always will."

She couldn't believe her ears. She looked up into his eyes and her heart soared at the emotion that she saw there. His hands were on her shoulders, and she felt that she was going to melt.

"Deborah," she mumbled as a last defense.

"Deborah is gone, Robin. She is not, and has never been, a part of my life. She was an old acquaintance, a friend of Laura's, who came back for money in whatever way she could get it. She made some suggestions yesterday about becoming Mrs. Ridley, and so late last night, I set her straight. I took her to Helena today, after seeing to Duke, and put her on a flight to New York with a nice check in her pocket to get her started. I've known for a long time, Robin North, that there was only one woman for me. But I wanted any shadows from the past exposed and gone. Now they are, and you're nuts if you think I'm going to let you go!"

She was in his arms, then, enveloped by his love. This was right, this fulfillment of being held by him.

"I'm going to marry you, you spunky lady, if you're willing to have me, and keep you here where you belong."

"I, I was going to work for Herman," she stammered. "What will I tell him?"

Alex put back his head and laughed, and the sound was a delightful one.

"Do you think he will be surprised? What do you think was in his head when he arranged this entire job for you? He had every intention of bringing two people together, caring about them deeply, and feeling that they might be good for each other. He was so right!"

Robin smiled at the realization that Alex was right.

"You belong here, Robin, more than any person that I've ever known."

He kissed her again and she responded warmly.

"Now tell me you'll stay, that you'll be my wife. I love you, Robin."

Her heart soared and she said the words he wanted to hear. Her dream was coming true.

"But what of the children? How will they feel about the plans?" she asked.

"Wait and see, my dear," he said gaily. "I'm afraid you have been the only one who has not seen the handwriting on the wall. To them, it was obvious and inevitable that we should become a family. They have a present for you, Robin, to welcome you to the family."

He reached into his pocket and slid something onto her finger. It was a simple golden band, ringed with tiny blue sapphires.

"I had it made to match your eyes," he said simply.

It was a gorgeous gift, and she looked up at him with joyous wonder.

"I don't believe this, Alex. You don't know how I've dreamed—"

He stopped her words with a kiss.

"You're not the only one who has dreamed, Robin. And now we'll dream together."

With happy hearts, their hands entwined, they went to find the family. He led her to the front of the house instead of to the dining room, as she expected.

"They're waiting for us, darling, and they have something to show you."

He opened the wide wooden door.

The children stood in the driveway, with Cook and Mrs. Manchester and Herman and Lisa. Their faces were beaming and happy, and full of excitement. Next to them stood a beautiful horse, white and proud, with fiery eyes and a lively gait.

"For you," Sara cried happily, handing Robin the new leather reins, "because we love you."

Robin stood under the bright Montana sky and looked at the loving faces around her, at the beautiful ring, at the exciting man beside her who still held her hand. She had found her home.

The End