2

Chapter Two

It was dark when Vince arrived at the plantation and for that he was grateful. He was glad for the darkness of the stable well as he lead Jasper in and tied him near the back of the barn. A drink from the silver flask in his inside coat pocket settled any of his anxious feelings, and with a half smile he made his way into the foyer.

Mister and Mrs. Macabe were in the foyer welcoming the guests and the wall behind them was stacked high with presents for Mr. Macabe, “There you are!”

“It is good to see you again, and happy birthday. May I speak to you privately about-” Vince asked, glancing around to see if anyone was in earshot.

Perry’s eyes twinkled. “If this is about marrying my daughter, you have my blessing. I told you this afternoon you did. You pick your own date as you wish but I suggest you hurry before the proof of your dalliances starts to show.”

Vince glanced at Julie, who made a sudden dramatic gasp and fluttered open her lacy fan to hide her face and blush. “What do you mean by that?”

“I will not elaborate on such matters, Find Vivian, she should be down soon. Announce your engagement during the intermission.” Perry shook his hand again and watched Vince as he headed off into the party.

"I need a drink," Vince thought making his escape to the punch bowl on the far side of the room. He noticed Kathleen Randall sitting by the fireplace with her friend, Charlotte. They both gave Vince nasty looks.

He acted as though he didn’t see them. Tonight and for the rest of his life he had eyes only for Vivian. He he was relieved when he saw her coming down the stairs in her lavender dress with her hair swept up elegantly in strands of pearls, only a few tendrils of hair falling against her smooth olive skin. A sense of pride was welling up in him as he watched every man in the room look at her with hot eyes. But she was his now, and he couldn’t wait to see their faces when they made their engagement known.

Vince dipped some punch into two glasses, one for him and one for Vivian. He didn’t see Kathleen when she came beside him. She didn’t look up at him, her eyes were trained on the punch. She kept her voice discreet as well, "I need to talk to you, Vince."

He was sure that whatever she had to say was as unimportant, "Kathleen, it will have to wait. I am taken, we have discussed this."

She huffed, "Very well then, suit yourself."

"I will." Vince made his way through the crowd again to Vivian, but not before he saw his own father reach around her and pour himself another drink.

"Miss Vivian, I'll bet you're just dying to see Vince again?" John said with a halfhearted smile, his tone like ice water.

A blush crept up Vivian's face and her thick lashes fluttered. She was immensely glad for Vince's timely arrival and John's quick departure before she had to answer. Vince glared at his father, then offered his arm to Vivian and escorted her to the front veranda. She sat on the wicker chair and looked up at him curiously.

"Vince are you alright? You're making me nervous." She teased with a lilting laugh in her voice. He ran a hand through his hair and drew a ragged breath.

"I am so sorry, Viv. I am the one who is nervous." He grinned and turned away from her before she saw the blush rising.

Vivian touched his silky long hair. Tonight it was lying across his shoulder gently waving in the breeze. Her voice was low and raspy with need and Vince felt it. It tingled all the way to his toes, making his head spin like the cheap whiskey from the saloon. "Why don't you meet me in fifteen minutes in the stable?"

He nodded, "I'll go first and you go back inside and come out to the barn later." He placed a kiss on her forehead and turned to head for the barn looking as inconspicuous as he could.

But Kathleen, determined to catch Vince alone had been watching from her seat just around around the corner. She knew this was probably her last chance. Once Vince and Vivian were alone they most likely would not return to the party. She made her way to the barn and waited inside Jasper’s stall. If she recalled correctly she would have about ten minutes alone with Vince to tell him the child that grew within her was his. The thought that he might not act as she had hoped never entered her mind.

"Viv?" Vince asked when the door rattled and opened.

"No. It’s me," Kathleen said softly, her heart fluttered in excitement when she saw him, that would never change.

Vince’s eyes creased slightly, barely concealing his disdain and disappointment but he decided to at least be civil. "Well, hello. What are you up too out here all alone?"

Kathleen did not speak instead she moved in front of him, the bodice of her dress was opened low, baring her small cleavage. Her rouged lips fell open slightly, her eyes fell half- closed, inviting him for a kiss. When he didn’t immediately go for the kiss, she gave a small sigh.

"Kat, what are you doing?" Vince demanded as she looked up at him standing on her tiptoes panting in the most ridiculous attempt at being seductive he had ever seen. In their short relationship he had done all the seducing.

"I want to tell you a secret," she whispered pressing her breasts against him so hard Vince could feel her nipples through his shirt. She couldn’t help a little thrill that he used her pet name.

"What?" Vince asked, not sure if he should have. He realized entertaining her like this was leading her own and he knew firsthand how easily Kathleen could be led. He needed to make it clear to her that this was over and for good.

Her bravado fled her in the last moments. Her words faltered and jumbled together a she tried desperately to put her carefully crafted plan to get Vince to fall back in love with her back together. Kathleen's hand trembled and her lips moved but nothing came out.

"What are you doing?" Vince spread his hands on either side of his body in frustration. He had to get her the hell out of here, Vivian was coming.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she sobbed hysterically. The weight of her situation suddenly fell upon her like a stone and crushed whatever was left of her composure. “I am ruined!”

"I am not doing anything to you. I never promised I would marry you. Did I?” He shouted, fearing he may have said something to that effect while drunk.

“Vince! I won’t let you go!” She wailed, tears rushing down her face now, streaking the make up she wore. She darted past him and blocked the stall door.

Vince’s loose grip on his temper vanished, and he pushed her to the side. He only pushed her lightly, but she had latched onto the front of his shirt and the buttons popped loose and hit the wooden floor with a loud pinging sound.

"You would rather bed that tramp than me!" Kathleen screamed.

"You are absolutely hysterical!" Vince turned to leave the barn. “Pull yourself together and let us not mention this again.”

He was not the only one who heard Kathleen's little tantrum, though. So did Peter Delong. He had been searching for Kathleen around the property for a few minutes. Peter was going to ask Mister Macabe for her hand in a couple years, and everyone knew it. But her eyes were only for Vince and Peter knew that; it had caused much tension between them already.

Peter threw the barn door wide and stumbled into the darkness, his shock of brown hair disheveled and his round face flushed with a bit too much liquor. He knelt by Kathleen. The vilest of thoughts raced inside his skull and he became livid. "What have you done to her?"

"Me to her? She tried to maul me!" Vince protested, sensing a fight. He was more than ready for it too.

"She would never--"

"She did, I tell you! She tried to throw herself on me like some whore!" Vince immediately regretted his choice of words, but had no time to retract them before Peter had punched him in the face so hard he tasted blood in his mouth. For a moment the world seemed to fade into black and then came back with stark clarity.

"How dare you insinuate that my Kathleen is a whore!" Peter snapped.

"I am not insinuating anything." Vince shot back, clenching his fist as he readied for the next charge, his brain whirring with excitement.

Vivian saw the two men brawling as soon as she rounded the barn door. However, she had little time to ask questions before Vince had taken Peter to the ground.

"Vince!" Vivian threw herself into the fray and pushed Vince away from Peter. Her voice was loud enough to snap him from his rage. "Stop it. Just stop it you two!”

"Kathleen is my fiance, I have every right to protect her," Peter protested.

“Oh, please! She barely knows you, don’t be delusional," Vivian yelled at Peter.

"It is you who is delusional if you think I'll believe anything other than this cad tried brutalize my fiance." Peter's fist connected with Vince's jaw again, but not nearly hard enough to do damage. Enraged by how close the blow came to Vivian, Vince grabbed Peter and slammed him hard against the door of the stable, Jasper jumped to the side and snorted.

One of the stable hands had rushed into the house yelling for help when he saw the fight. Everyone inside left their sentences and drinks in mid air, and raced out to see the brawl. A mob of onlookers filled the aisle of the barn until John Hart and Perry Macabe had to shove their way through the crowd to get to their offspring. Vince was wiping blood off his lip with the back of his hand and Peter was struggling to get up.

"What is the meaning of this?" Perry yelled above the din. His sharp eyes narrowed at Peter, who was obviously drunk.

"Oh, Father! It was Peter, he's drunk and looking for trouble," Vivian said quickly, glancing nervously at Vince.

"Not true!" Peter held onto the wall to prevent falling, "He was mauling Kathleen."

"Are you so drunk you don't understand English? You came barreling in here and started throwing punches before you had heard the entire story," Vince shouted, looking like wild man with his long hair loose from it’s neat braid, eyes blazing. “She threw herself at me!”

"You threw yourself at Vince?" Perry eyed Kathleen suspiciously, he knew all about her and the youngest Hart son. He also knew it was her who spread vile rumors about his daughter and family.

"I hope you have a damned good reason for humiliating this family in front of the whole county!" John was livid and Vince opened his mouth to say something, but was cut short by Peter yet again.

"He assaulted her! Look at her face." Peter gestured at Kathleen’s bright pink cheeks.

"That's paint, you imbecile! Have you never seen a woman with face paint on? Don't they use it at those two-dollar whorehouses you visit so frequently?" Vince had forgotten his manners and felt guilty when he heard the nearby ladies gasp in horror that he had spoken about such things in their presence.

"Then explain your shirt." Peter pointed at the torn buttons, walking closer to Vince suddenly emboldened by John and Perry's presence there.

"She tried to block me in the stable and I pushed her out of my way, that is all," Vince said with a frustrated sound.

"See he admits to hitting her!" Peter turned to the crowd of people, hair flopping in his face absurdly.

"You drunken sot! I said I pushed her aside- not hit her!" Vince was yelling now, all control he had on his temper now lost.

"Well then, why don’t you tell us why you and Vivian were meeting here at this hour alone?" Peter smirked.

"Well isn't it obvious?" Vince heard Kathleen’s voice, the hot light of revenge burning hotly in her blue eyes. “These two have been meeting in barns for months. Vivian threw herself at Vince and ruined our relationship.”

"Lie!" Perry looked at Kathleen in disbelief.

"How dare you call my daughter a liar!" It was Judd Randall who stepped to his daughter's side. He was a retired general of the Calvary, and still carried his body straight and proud despite his permanent injuries. He knew of his daughter’s indiscretion and condition, he had supported her idea to tell Vince. After all the father had a right to know. After this, though, he would not support a forced marriage. There were other ways to go about this. His sharp yes shushed Kathleen.

“I told you a few days ago that I planned to marry Vivian. You followed me out here and tried to convince me otherwise.” Vince snapped.

Rabid whispers ran through the stunned crowd. Vince put both arms around Vivian protectively. Perry cleared his throat softly. Judd took the hint and left with Kathleen, pulling her along by her arm. Only his strong grip kept her from falling over her skirts. But the mood had been ruined for the proposal and announcement.

Vince awoke early the next morning and looked around him. On the bed beside him was a clear bottle of cheap whiskey lying atop an amber stain on the sheet. He had passed out drunk holding the bottle. Unusual, he thought, his liquor hardly ever got the best of him. Sitting up, he saw the sun glittering on shards of glass littering the carpet; all that was left of a Parisian whiskey decanter his father had thrown at him last night after returning from the disastrous party.

Sleepily running his hand through his hair, he encountered the bruise on his face. So, it had been more than a dream-- the whole debacle had been real. The whiskey had dimmed the memory into a fragmented nightmare that replayed itself over and over. Vince made his way to the washbasin to splash cool water on his face, hoping to clear his vision and head.

Suddenly, the door swung open on its hinges to reveal John looking at him. It was clear he was still fuming. He had spent the night in the horsehair wing back chair in his study, drinking and pondering the situation. A half an hour before dawn, he had slept, but was now wide-awake, still clad in last night's clothes. “Make yourself presentable and ride to the Macabe’s. Perry sent word this morning that he wants to talk with you. He is probably going to tell you to never come near his family again and I can’t blame him. You bring nothing but trouble with you anywhere you go.”

Before Vince could respond the door slammed, making his fathers point clear. He wondered if his father might be right. Would Perry forbid him to see Vivian? He wasn’t sure but he was confident she would elope with him should such a thing happen.

When Vince turned onto the road that lead to the Macabe house, the sun had not reached it’s peak. Yet it was comfortably warm for this time of year, normally it was cold and rainy. The last of the leaves were gone now, a passing autumn thunderstorm had shaken the trees bare. It wasn’t long before the house came into view ahead. He pulled Jasper to a stop in front of it, waiting for the young stable boy to come and take the horse.

"Vince?" A voice from above him called. Looking up onto the veranda, he smiled at Vivian's beautiful face.

"Vivian! I came for you," Vince said happily.

"Vincent Hart! How dare you!" Peter Delong was suddenly on the front porch staring at him with hate filled eyes.

Vince met Delong’s eyes. He wondered if the man had been sitting there waiting on him, which begged the question why he was here at all so early. “I am not here for you. This doesn't even remotely concern you."

"You're here to cause more trouble," he snapped.

"Back off, Peter!" Vivian spoke sharply as she descended the stairs quickly, then pushed her way out of the door behind him, "He came for me."

"You can't mean you would have him after he ruined you in front of the entire county?" Peter turned back to Vince, who was by now on the porch steps. Peter was cut short by Vince's fist in his face. The blow spun the unsuspecting Peter around, he only avoided falling by catching the door frame.

"Delong, you should learn when to keep your mouth closed," Vince shot back, stepping closer to Vivian, his voice softening. He took her delicate hand in his. "The mood was ruined last night. But I must ask you properly now. Vivian, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

“Yes, Vincent, I'll marry you!" she giggled and snuggled against his hard chest.

Perry came into the foyer with a small cup of coffee. “Peter you have over stayed your welcome, please go. Get your things. Vivian, Vince, my blessings as always. We shall start planning the event this morning. I think the sooner the better in this situation, before the Randall girl has time to exact anymore revenge and spread more rumors.”