Once Upon Forever Read online

  “I think we’d better go find Hunter,” she said.

  Jordan’s dark eyes flared with something akin to anger, then he glanced away, toward his gray gelding. “You’ll have to get up astride in front of me if you’re set on going.”

  His words were a challenge. Larissa looked at the horse, then back at Jordan. He was grinning again, daring her to do it.

  She knew better, but it seemed the only way to get Jordan to take her to Hunter. “All right,” she said. “But we’ll have to walk till we’re clear of the house. It wouldn’t do for your mother to see me astride your horse.”

  “Damn!” Jordan cursed. “That woman! She still watches you like a hawk eyeing a biddy-chick. You know she’s got it all figured out that you’re going to marry Hunter. Well, the joke’s on her! The way I see it, you’re bound to choose me. Any woman would be a fool not to. I never met the woman yet who could resist me.”

  Larissa felt her cheeks go hot. She stared at Jordan openmouthed, then said, “Well, I never!”

  She fell silent for a moment, realizing suddenly that sometime before Jordan rode into the garden she had actually made her decision. Jordan might be wonderfully devilish and carefree and fun-loving. Yes, he was all of those things. But for a husband she wanted a man she knew she could depend on. She loved them both and she always would. But she loved Hunter in a deep, wonderful, secret way that she could never love Jordan.

  She looked up into Jordan’s handsome, darkly tanned face, her own solemn. “I’m sorry, Jordy, but I can’t marry you,” she whispered. “It’s Hunter … I suppose it always has been.”

  For a moment, she saw anger flare in his eyes. Then he threw back his head and laughed long and hard. “Now, ain’t that just like a woman? Of course you won’t marry me because I haven’t asked you and don’t intend to. I’m not ever going to get married. Now, do you want me to take you to Hunter or not?”

  Stunned by Jordan’s words—he had asked her to marry him many times—and embarrassed to the tips of her bare, pink toes, Larissa murmured, “I need to talk to Hunter as soon as possible, but I think I’ll wait for him here.”

  “Suit yourself, little darlin’. But you may have a long wait. I hear tell he’s had his eye on a pretty little high-yeller gal over at Broad Acres. The way you’ve been stalling around, I figure he must have got tired of waiting and went looking for some prime poontang to soothe his nerves.”

  Larissa gasped and felt a cold shiver down her spine. Although it was common knowledge that men often spent their lust in the slave cabins, such a topic was never mentioned in a lady’s presence, and certainly not to the gentleman’s intended or in such crude terms.

  “He’s been gone quite a while, though,” Jordan continued. “I reckon he’ll amble on home directly—all tuckered out and grinning like a fool…”

  Suddenly, before Larissa could react, Jordan grasped her about the waist, drew her close, and kissed her firmly.

  “You’re going to make me a mighty fine little sister, darlin’.”

  She tried to fight out of his grip, but he held her fast.

  “Yes, mighty fine, indeed!”

  The second horse trotted in through the arch at exactly the moment Larissa fought her way free, but not before Hunter had a chance to see that something intimate had been going on between his brother and the woman they both wanted. Larissa felt her face go scarlet the moment she glanced up and saw Hunter dismounting. He was not smiling.

  Jordan threw up his hand in greeting and shouted, “Just leaving, brother. She’s all yours!” Then he jumped in the saddle and churned mud in the garden in his haste to depart.

  Hunter walked slowly up the stairs to the terrace, a frown on his face. “Larissa, what’s happened? You look so pale.”

  “It’s nothing,” she murmured, wanting to rush into Hunter’s arms, but knowing that first she must officially accept his proposal. She was still trying to form the proper words when Hunter spoke.

  “What was Jordan doing here at the house? He’s supposed to be over at Broad Acre, supervising work on the new barn.”

  She didn’t answer his question. Instead, she asked, suspicious in spite of her best intentions, “Is that where you were—over at Broad Acres?”

  He shrugged out of his wet coat and tossed it over an iron chair. “No. I had to ride over to Fairview to see a mare I’m thinking of buying. That damn storm caught up with me halfway home and one of the bridges washed out so I had to take the long way back.”

  “A mare,” Larissa murmured under her breath, wanting to believe him, but still hearing Jordan’s lurid tale ringing in her ears.

  Silence stretched between them—an uneasiness that Larissa had never before experienced when she was with Hunter. Finally, he managed to get out what was on his mind.

  “Larissa,” he said in a tone dull with disappointment, “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help seeing Jordy kiss you. I suppose I should wish you all the best, but I’m not sure I’m man enough for that.” He paused and looked directly into her eyes. “I do wish you all the happiness life has to offer. You above all people, Larissa. You and Jordan are the two people who mean the most to me in the whole world. He’ll make you happy. He’d better, or, by God, I’ll …”

  Suddenly, Larissa realized what he must think. “Oh, Hunter!” she cried. “No! That’s not the way it is. Jordan kissed me, yes.” She paused, formulating a tiny lie. “But he was only congratulating me, welcoming me to the family. You see, I’d just told him that I’m going to marry you.”

  Hunter’s face had been as dark as the receding storm clouds. Now, a bright light straight from his heart beamed through his eyes. A smile wavered at the corner of his lips, then spread across his whole handsome face.

  “I want to marry you, Hunter,” Larissa said softly. “I think I always have. I should have accepted immediately when you proposed last April. But when a girl’s only fifteen, marriage seems so far away.”

  Too emotional to speak, Hunter swooped down on his betrothed and wrapped her in a full, strong embrace. When his mouth came down over hers, it was their first real kiss. A kiss that left Larissa dizzy with pleasure and desire. She clung to him, fearing she might fall if she let go too quickly.

  “I can’t believe this,” he murmured. “It’s too good to be true.”

  “But it is true,” Larissa whispered. “I realized while I was reading your book about the moonbow how much I love you, Hunter.”

  He smiled into her sparkling, lavender-blue eyes, then threw back his head and laughed. “You read my poor little attempt at great literature? I thought I’d hidden that copy so no one would find it.”

  “But it is great literature. You put your heart and soul into that work. It’s beautiful, Hunter. Beautiful and moving and mystical.”

  “If it made you love me, I’ll have a copy bound in gold for you, darling.”

  He hugged her again, cradling her in his strong arms and rocking back and forth. “Oh, Larissa, Larissa! I’ve loved you for so long. I’ve waited all my life for this moment. How soon can we be married?”

  Suddenly, a bit of the joy drained from Larissa’s brimming heart. “How long do we have before you go away?”

  “Jordy and I plan to leave in three weeks.”

  Larissa gave a cry of dismay. “Three weeks?”

  “I’m sorry, but we’re stretching it to stay here that long. We’ll have a hard ride before we join up with the other troops.”

  “Oh, Hunter!” Larissa clung to him, tears stinging her eyes. “Why did I waste so much time?”

  The time Larissa had wasted making up her mind, Mrs. Courtney made up for by hurrying along with plans for the wedding. She and Larissa made a hasty trip to Lexington to make necessary arrangements, then sped back to Bluefield. There would be no time for a honeymoon, so it was decided that the wedding would be held at the groom’s home. That would give the newlyweds as much time as possible to be together before Hunter rode off” at the hea
d of his Cave Hill Cavalry.

  Jordan, meanwhile, packed everything he owned and moved to Broad Acres. He remained in seclusion there while the wedding plans rushed forward.

  A week before the wedding, a combination engagement celebration and birthday party for Mrs. Breckinridge was held at Bluefield. Friends and relatives came from miles around. The mansion was bursting at the seams with guests, and hansom carriages cluttered the wide, curving drive. Larissa had never been more excited in her life.

  The grand gold-and-red ballroom at Bluefield was decked out with giant vases of roses that perfumed the air, while waxy green magnolia leaves reflected the candlelight from chandeliers and sconces. Wine and bourbon flowed freely, and there was enough food to have fed Mr. Lincoln’s Grand Army of the Republic for a week.

  At the appointed hour, once all the guests had arrived, Larissa waited nervously on the landing of the wide staircase until a tall servant in immaculate livery intoned, “Mistress Larissa Flemingate Courtney, Lexington Manor.”

  All heads turned toward her. A buzz went through the crowd. Young men smiled. Young ladies tried to pretend they hadn’t the slightest interest in the beauty’s shimmering gown of lavender shot through with silver or her halo of gleaming blond curls or the moonstone resting at her breasts—a gift from her intended. Older men readjusted their spectacles for a better look while their wives whispered news of the hasty engagement and forthcoming wedding, wondering if they might not be well-advised to count months on their fingers when Larissa gave Hunter his first child.

  Hunter stood below, oblivious to all else but his bride-to-be. He beamed. He glowed. He showered her with the light of love.

  Larissa noticed only one person below who neither smiled nor looked away. Jordan lounged against a far wall, surrounded by twittering lady-birds. He stared directly into Larissa’s lavender-blue eyes, his own hard and scheming. Even from a distance, he threw a clear challenge her way. He might as well have shouted his rage for all to hear. Larissa certainly heard it. It frightened her and turned her cold inside. His very look mocked her and warned her that, even though she might be engaged to Hunter, Jordan was not done with her yet.

  Larissa stood frozen on the stair, trembling, unable to tear her gaze from the taunting glare of Jordan’s eyes.

  Then a warm hand closed on her gloved fingers. The next moment, Hunter kissed her hand and she warmed to the feel of his breath through the dainty lace. Their eyes met. They smiled.

  “Darling, are you real?”

  Larissa laughed lightly. Hunter’s question was so unexpected.

  “If you don’t believe it, my love, you should feel how my heart is fluttering.”

  His eyes went to her lovely, silver-clad bosom. “If only I dared,” he murmured.

  Larissa spread her fan to hide a blush. She let Hunter lead her down the stairs. Dozens of guests clustered there to greet her. They congratulated Hunter on winning such a lovely creature’s heart. They complimented Larissa on her gown. They asked a hundred questions about the upcoming wedding. But all the while, Larissa was aware of Jordan still raking her with his steady, calculated gaze.

  “Hunter, might we dance now?” she whispered, sounding more urgent than she meant to, but knowing she could not endure Jordy’s eyes on her a moment longer.

  “Why, darling, I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

  Hunter ushered her out of the adoring throng of guests and into the perfumed ballroom. The other dancers parted, mesmerized by the glitter of Larissa’s shining gown that almost, but not quite, matched the love-light in Hunter’s dark eyes. Oblivious to all else, Hunter whirled Larissa in sweeping turns about the polished floor.

  As the sad-sweet sound of the violins swelled, Larissa felt her heart swell with ever more love for Hunter. The gentle but commanding way he touched her to guide her through the steps of the dance, the caressing look in his wonderful eyes, the husky tremor in his voice when he spoke—all these things told her that she was adored by this man, cherished beyond all others.

  They danced once and then again. It was during that second turn on the floor that Jordan tapped Hunter’s shoulder to break in.

  “Share and share alike,” Jordy quipped to Hunter as he stole Larissa away.

  Larissa heard Hunter’s light laugh, but there was little humor in it. He was obviously pained by having to entrust his sweetheart into his brother’s care, if only for the space of a waltz.

  Although Larissa had always felt perfectly at ease with Jordan, such was not the case tonight. He held her a bit too close and pressed his hand into the small of her back in such a way that her body was forced to curve against his. And, too, he’d been drinking tonight. He was dangerous.

  “Smile for ol’ Jordy, little darlin’,” he coaxed. “Why, you look like you’re headed for your execution instead of your wedding. Could it be that ol’ Hunter caught you off guard and pressured you into this?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Larissa snapped. “I told you my decision before I told Hunter.”

  “Ah, yes, you told me all right. But could it be, now that you’ve had more time to think things through, that you’re not pleased by the choice you made? Could there be someone else you’d rather have?”

  “Like you?” Larissa answered sarcastically.

  He chuckled. “I’d guess that if you marry Hunter, you’ll always wonder just a bit how it would have been with me.”

  “You’re insufferable!”

  He laughed again. “I won’t argue that point. I’m also mean-tempered, a sot, and the biggest carouser in the county.” He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “But I’m damn charming and you know it, Larissa. And besides that, I’m quite generous with my women. I would give you anything your little heart desires—in the bedroom or out of it.”

  Larissa tried to pull away, but he held her fast. She felt that his comments deserved no reply. Furious and more than a bit frightened, she longed for the music to end. Fully aware of her discomfort, Jordan only gripped her closer and grinned.

  When she realized that she was his prisoner, at least for the next few moments, Larissa determined to be firm with him.

  “You have your nerve, talking to me this way when I’m already engaged to your brother. I told you, I’m going to marry Hunter. I could never have married you, Jordan.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “There you go again with those crazy ideas of yours. I’m not proposing marriage, little darlin’. I told you weeks ago that I don’t plan to marry. I’m only thinking that you’re going to get mighty lonely once your husband rides off to do his gallant duty to his country. If you feel the need of company…”

  Only the circumstances of their surroundings stayed Larissa’s hand. Mentally, she slapped Jordan’s grinning face as he so richly deserved.

  “Of course, since I know how fond all you girls are of men in uniform, darlin’, I’ll be joining up, too. But I plan to join the winning side. John Hunt Morgan is putting together his own troop to operate right here in Kentucky. I’ll be riding with him, so I’ll still be close—in case you need some male company.”

  Larissa stumbled over her own satin dancing slippers. Hunter’s twin brother, joining the Confederacy? She couldn’t believe it.

  “Does Hunter know your plans?” She had meant to guard her icy silence for the rest of their dance, but she had to ask him.

  “Not yet. Since you chose to tell me first about your marriage, I decided it was only proper that you be the first person to hear my news.”

  “You can’t do this, Jordan. How could you be so disloyal to your own family—your own brother? Not to mention your disloyalty to your country. You know Hunter means to make you second in command of his troop. He’s counting on you. You can’t let him down.”

  “I don’t see it that way at all. Home comes before everything else. And Kentucky is my home. Besides, without slaves this rich man would be a pauper. I plan to guard my fortunes well. It’s what
any real man would do.”

  Larissa felt tears gather in her eyes. What if Hunter and Jordan met on the field of battle—on opposite sides? It was too terrible to contemplate.

  “Please, Jordy,” she whispered. “Won’t you reconsider this decision? It’s wrong. You’ll be sorry. We all will.”

  He looked into her eyes, his face solemn. “Do you really think so, darlin’?”

  Larissa nodded vigorously. “Yes, with all my heart.”

  “I’ll think it over, then. But I make no promises. We can’t talk here. Come to Broad Acres tomorrow afternoon. Come alone. I’ll listen to what you have to say and consider it.”

  He sounded like his old self again. Larissa felt reassured.

  “I’m so glad you’ll think it over. But, Jordy, you know I can’t visit you at Broad Acres alone. I’d be ruined if word got out.”

  “Who would find out? Besides, you’re almost my sister.”

  “Oh, Jordan,” she stalled, trying to think of something.

  “Have it your way, Larissa. But you’re the only one who can change my mind. And I won’t even consider any options unless you come, as I’ve asked. If I don a Confederate uniform, it’s your doing. You can remember all through the war that you might have changed my mind.”

  “That’s not fair, Jordy!”

  “Life’s not fair, darlin’. Didn’t anyone ever explain that to you?”

  Before she could reply, the music stopped. Hunter was there to claim her.

  “I can’t dance any longer. I need a breath of air,” she told him.

  “My thoughts, exactly. Let’s slip out to the garden so we can be alone for a time.”

  They left the ballroom, by one of the side doors that opened onto the terrace. Hunter took Larissa’s hand and led her into the garden, down the moon-silvered paths to the clipped maze of boxwoods. They strolled through the night, Larissa clinging to Hunter’s arm, hanging on his every quiet word.

  They were far from the house when the rain started—not a storm, but a gentle, soaking downpour.