The Demure Bride (8 page)

"No, sir, but you are hurting me!" The line across her buttocks was burning furiously and the thought of another stroke make her knees week.

"That is the entire purpose of the exercise," the man replied and gave her a second welt below the first. Again, Martha screamed, and then she started sobbing from the intense pain.

Martha was sure she would die from the caning as the third stroke landed in the crease below her bottom cheeks. Nothing in her life had ever given her so much pain! "Please, sir, no more. I beg of you. I did not read your papers!" He ignored her pleas for mercy, and gave her two more cuts in a row, one on her left thigh and one on her right. Martha hurt too much to scream. She was going to die!

The man gave his hapless victim two more across her plump cheeks, and then he said, "This will be the last, and in accordance with custom, the harshest cut of all. When I am finished, you will rise and thank me for punishing you, Martha, and then you will fix your clothing and go back to your duties. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" she was barely able to choke out the reply. He kept her waiting for well over a minute, and then he raised the cane high and gave her the last cut over the one he'd given her before on the tender crease just below her bottom cheeks. Martha gasped and he saw her collapse on the desk. It took her quite a while to compose herself enough to stand, but she did, and whispered the words, "Thank you for punishing me, sir, and permitting me to keep my job." She was embarrassed to reach down to the floor to pull her drawers up over her aching backside. She could barely walk, the pain was so intense, but she needed her job.

"I hope you have learned a valuable lesson this day, Martha. Should I have need to address you in this manner again, you will receive double what you had today." She bowed her head and said, "Yes, sir." As he watched her leave the study the man decided that the maid would need to be disciplined again in a few days. It was amazing how much better it made him feel.

He turned his attention back to the bastard he meant to destroy. It was time to hire a shootist, a hired gun, and pay him to make Robert Thorne suffer as he had suffered. He wanted Robert Thorne to beg to die.

* * *

It was a week before Rob decided to go and see Amanda, and he was wary of the reception he would get. Matt said she was finally sitting again a couple of days ago, but he did not have a clue as to whether she was plotting Rob's demise or not. Rob was optimistic that the rustling was over, and he hoped that whoever hired them had had enough revenge. As far as Rob knew he didn't have any enemies, and certainly none in this country. He pulled his buggy up in front of the house and took a deep breath. With the feisty Amanda a man had no clue what to expect from her. She could be so sweet one moment, and ready to slice someone to ribbons in the very next second. He could only hope she was not furious with him for the spankings he had given her.

Amanda heard the knock on the door and called out to Goldie that she would get it. She smiled when she saw Robert Thorne standing there, his hat in his hand. "Hi, Rob. Come in." She led him into the parlor and invited him to sit down before saying, "If you're here to see Papa, he is out on the north range."

"I am here to call on you, Amanda," he stated. "I was hoping you would join me for a trip into town. I thought we could have lunch at the Hotel, and then I will bring you home." He was pleased when her green eyes lit up with pleasure.

"I would love to go, Rob. If you don't mind waiting a minute or two, I'll change my dress and get ready to go."

"Take your time," he said politely.

"I'll ask Goldie to bring you some coffee," she said with a smile and then hurried off. It was only a couple of minutes later when the housekeeper entered the parlor, carrying a tray with coffee and a plate of cookies.

"Thank you, Goldie," he said politely.

"I think you'll do for Missy," Goldie stated frankly, and then left the parlor.

Rob enjoyed his coffee and a cookie, but it was obvious to Amanda that he didn't expect her to return so quickly. He jumped to his feet and said, "You look lovely, Amanda."

"Thank you," she said, blushing. "I wanted to make a better impression today than I did the last time I saw you."

"The problem with the pants is that they showed too much, and I do not want other men looking at you and fantasizing what it would be like to possess you." Rob knew he was being blunt, and he was not surprised when Amanda's eyes widened in shock at his words. "Men think differently than women do, Amanda. You are a beautiful young woman and wearing those tight britches makes men think you are not a lady. You may behave the same way, but cowboys do not always take the time to think before they react. Your Father should have explained this to you, and I did not come here to embarrass you, but since you brought it up, I wanted you to know why I reacted as I did."

Amanda nodded, unsure of what to say. Fortunately, Rob was as anxious as she to change the subject. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes! I am looking forward to going into town. It's been weeks since I've been anywhere. Papa didn't think it was safe and he hasn't had time to take me. This is a real treat, Rob. Thank you for asking."

"It is a treat for me, too," he told her as they walked out the door and down the steps to where he parked the buggy. He helped her take a seat and then climbed up beside her and took the reins.

"Why did you leave England, Rob? Don't you miss it?"

"I miss family, of course," he answered. "I miss seeing my nieces and nephews, and my sisters. I also have a brother, and it is nice to have an ocean between us. We do not agree on anything," he said with a grin. "It is a personality issue, but it makes family gatherings tense when we are in close proximity of each other. As for why I left; I was bored, Amanda. I did not want to go into the military, which is traditional for the second son. I was not cut out to be a minister, either. I decided to come over here and see if I could find something I would enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I finally settled on ranching."

"You sound like Papa. He said he knew he was 'home' when he saw this land the first time."

"Your Mother did not like it here?" He was curious.

"No. She couldn't handle the loneliness out here. Mama needed to be surrounded by people. She was used to servants, and out here she had to do everything herself. She and Papa fought a lot, and she eventually took me and ran away to Boston."

"How do you feel about being here now that you are living here?"

"I like it, Rob," she confessed. "When I first arrived I was determined to hate the ranch and the people on it. I was prepared to hate Papa, too, and I was awful to him at first. I am ashamed of that now."

"Your Mama taught you to feel that way. You had to see for yourself that Matt is a great guy."

"He should have come after us," she surprised him by saying. "Mama wasn't happy without him, and I think she was hurt that he didn't come for us and drag her back home. She never said anything, but looking back now, I remember some things that I did not understand at the time."

"You were a child, Amanda. Do not be so hard on yourself."

They talked of many things on their drive into town and they joked and laughed, too. Rob was having a great time, and he was pretty sure that Amanda was, too. He pulled the buggy to a stop in front of the Mercantile. "If you would like to do a bit of shopping, Amanda, I have some business to handle at the bank. I will return in a few minutes, and when you are finished, we will have our lunch."

"That sounds fine, Rob. Don't rush. I will enjoy looking around." She wanted something appropriate to go riding in. She looked at bolts of fabric while she waited her turn with the proprietor.

"Miss Chambers, what can I do for you today?" Ted asked, and it was obvious from his manner that he was only being polite because he had to be. Amanda knew it was her own fault. She'd criticized everything in the mercantile the first time she came inside, and insulted Ted in the process.

However, before she could answer the man, another woman came to the counter and roughly shoved her aside. Amanda lost her temper and declared, "I was here first. Wait your turn."

The other woman turned on her and pulled out a knife.

Chapter Six

Amanda was shocked when the woman pushed her aside and pulled out a knife. "Are you crazy?" she asked. She'd seen the other female around town, and it was obvious from the way she was dressed that she was a lady. She was also holding the knife all wrong if she truly intended to use it.

"It's your fault my man lost interest in me!" The accusation hung in the air like a cloud.

"I do not have a clue what you are talking about," Amanda told her truthfully. "Put the knife away and we'll discuss this like grown women."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would. I honestly do not know what man you are talking about. I haven't seen anyone socially since I arrived here, with the exception of Mr. Robert Thorne. I was under the impression that he was not involved with another woman...?"

"I don't even know Mr. Thorne," she answered. "What about my Ted?" the young brunette hissed angrily.

"Ted?" Amanda looked at the store owner in surprise, her eyes wide at the very thought. The man was at least fifteen to twenty years older than she.

"Not
him
!
My
Ted, your father's foreman! Ted Fox!"

"Ohhhhh. There must be some mistake." Amanda said, confused. "I have nothing at all to do with Mr. Fox, other than when he comes to the house to see my Papa." She avoided him because she didn't trust him at all. Her Papa had talked to him and insisted he leave her alone. "I'm not interested in him, I assure you."

"He told me he plans to marry you!" The woman seemed confused.

"No, no, no," Amanda said gently. "I am truly sorry if he led you to believe that. I rarely talk to him at all."

"You don't think he is good enough for you?"

"I didn't say that. You are a woman; you know that there are men you don't find attractive, right? That's how I feel about Mr. Fox. If you are still interested in him, then you should let him know it. He might be too embarrassed to come calling since he told you that! If you want to write him a note, I will take it to the ranch with me and ask Papa to give it to him."

"You would do this for me?" The pretty brunette seemed surprised.

"Of course I would. Papa keeps the men so busy they don't have a lot of free time, but now that the rustling has stopped, surely he can give Mr. Fox some time off to come in and see you."

"I expected you to be selfish and mean," the girl whispered, putting the knife away. "I am Helene Patterson. We were introduced once, but you were upset at the time and..."

"Helene, please call me Amanda. I'm sorry I was rude when we first met. I have been selfish and mean since arriving here, but hopefully I have grown up a bit lately. I've discovered that I actually do love it here, and I'm fortunate to have such a wonderful Papa. I will need to mend a few fences, starting right here with you and Ted. If you know what you need, Helene, please go ahead while I decide which fabric would be best for making a riding skirt. I'm waiting on Mr. Thorne, so I'm in no real hurry." She gave the other woman an encouraging nod.

"I don't need anything," Helene said with a sheepish smile. "I came in here to start a fight with you."

Amanda giggled. "How about helping me pick out the right fabric instead? I have no girl friends at all and I could certainly use one."

Helene helped her and then said, "I would love to visit, but I have to return this knife before my Uncle misses it. He'll strap me if he learns I took it without permission."

"Men are touchy over some things, aren't they?" Amanda said with a wink. "It's nice to have a new friend, Helene. Ride out to the ranch and visit me sometime, please. I really would like that, and I'll have Papa invite your Ted to have lunch with us."

"Thank you, Amanda." Helene gave her an impulsive hug and then ran out the door.

"If you don't beat all, Miss Chambers!" Ted looked at her in bemusement.

"I was serious when I said I want to mend fences, Ted. I am truly ashamed of the way I behaved when I first saw your store. I was rude."

"You were unhappy, Miss Chambers."

"Yes. I'd lost Mama and was determined to make my father's life miserable, and I took all of that out on you... and a lot of other good people. I am sorry for that, and I hope we can start over again...?" she asked hopefully.

"I think that is real fine, Miss Amanda," the man replied, giving her a tentative smile. "I never seen Miss Helene act that way before. You were good to her, and I know her Uncle will be grateful."

"Oh, please don't tell him what she did, Ted! She'll get into trouble, and there was no harm done!"

The man actually chuckled. "I think I like you, Miss Amanda. Those yard goods you picked will make up nice. Do you want some buttons and some yard goods for shirts, too?"

"Yes, I do. Something practical but pretty," she answered with a smile.

Ted was relieved at the change in the young woman and thought it real sweet of her when she picked out a present for her Pa. By the time Robert Thorne entered the store, he had her purchases all wrapped up. "Mr. Thorne, can I help you?"

"I am not in need of anything today, Ted. I came to pick up Miss Chambers and take her to lunch. Are you finished with your shopping, Amanda? I am in no rush."

"I'm finished, Rob, and I'm hungry, too!" she said with a smile for him. When she started to pick up her parcel, Rob reached out to take it from her.

"Allow me, Amanda," he said. "I am sure this will be safe in the buggy while we have our lunch," he stated as he put the package under the seat. He put her arm through his and held her close. "I am hungry, too. Shall we go and have a nice steak dinner?" He escorted her across the street and into the lobby of the Hotel.

Amanda laughed and then said, "We'd better see what they are serving today first, Rob. I've been here several times, and Papa swears that Mrs. Whittier doesn't know how to cook a steak properly."