WHEN HEARTS UNITE
“Come on, Jasper, we’ll be late,” Jeremiah said, bursting into Jasper’s room.
“Give me a minute, Jeremiah,” Jasper said, pulling on his boots. “I do wish we didn’t have to take Molly with us. After all, it’s a cattle show. Mother should allow us men to have time without the women.”
“Is Mother coming?”
“No. Neither is Father. Just you, me, Petula and…Molly.”
Jeremiah gave his brother a pitying look. “The wedding is not far away, brother. Don’t you think you should be making more of an effort to look fondly upon your future wife?”
Jasper made an impatient sound. “I have tried, Jeremiah, and believe me she is not a bad sort…but she isn’t…”
“Serena?”
Jasper looked away. “She had every right to leave. Mother and that awful Patsy were out to get her. She did say she would return the horse, but Mother is enjoying telling everyone that Serena stole it. I hate her being referred to as a thief.”
“Jasper, I know Serena will return the horse when she finds it safe to come back.”
“It’s not the horse I’m worried about. It’s her. I don’t want even one bad thing said about her. I really wish I could tell Mother about Patsy, but I agree with you – we should keep Patsy close so that we will know what Trent is up to.”
Jasper stood up, adjusted his jacket and plopped a hat on his head. He looked devastatingly handsome, but he seemed unaware of his looks, and instead looked dejected.
“We have to stop by the Wheeler’s house and pick up Molly,” Jasper said irritably, and Jeremiah patted him on the shoulder.
“Where’s the cattle show?” Jeremiah asked.
“At the Darrot’s farm,” Jasper replied.
“But that’s a long way off,” Jeremiah remarked in surprise.
“Well, that’s precisely why Mother felt we ought to take Molly. She wanted us to have the benefit of a long carriage ride together, if you please.”
“It will take us the better part of the morning to get there,” Jeremiah said briskly. “Let’s be off!”
Hours later, their carriage majestically drove past the gates of the Darrot’s farm, and Jasper jumped off and helped Molly down. Jeremiah and Petula followed, the latter grumbling at having to attend a cattle show only so that Molly could have her as company.
Molly was clinging to Jasper’s arm like a limpet, and all he wanted to do was to shake her off and run.
“Jasper Riley!” Freddie Darrot said. “Please come and join us for some refreshments in the tent!”
Jasper wasn’t hungry, but Molly and Petula wanted to eat, so he and Jeremiah accompanied them. Inside the tent, there were trestle tables laid out with a splendid array of food.
Jeremiah nudged his brother. “There’s something familiar about this spread,” he said, and Jasper’s heart began to pound with expectation. He picked up a plate, helped himself to some of the food and tasted it.
“Serena,” Jasper whispered and Jeremiah nodded. “This is delicious!” Jasper said to Freddie.
“Isn’t it?” Freddie said proudly. “We’ve got ourselves a marvelous cook.”
“Could we meet her…and compliment her food personally?” Jeremiah asked.
“Certainly!” Freddie said, and led them over to the other side of the tent. Petula noticed Serena first, and saw her brothers making a beeline for her.
“Molly!” Petula said. “Let’s take our plates over to the garden. I see lots of ladies sitting on the grass and having a picnic. Wouldn’t it be fun?”
Molly looked doubtful, but Petula took her hand and dragged her out of the tent even as Freddie called to Serena, and she turned around to find herself staring straight into the eyes of the man she had found herself so attracted to.
“Freddie,” Jeremiah said, leading their host away. “Could I discuss one of the breeds of cattle we saw at the show today?”
As Freddie and Jeremiah left, Jasper stared into Serena’s eyes. “I recognized the food,” Jasper said.
“I will return your horse. But later, when it’s safe to do so. I had to run,” Serena explained, “because Patsy tried to force me to sign my ranch over to Trent. I wouldn’t sign.”
“Jasper!” Nathan lisped, suddenly recognizing him.
Jasper felt a lump in his throat as he picked the little boy up and hugged him. Nathan threw his arms around Jasper’s neck. “You’re back,” he said.
“I’m going to get my ranch back,” Serena said. “There are people who said they would help me.”
“I have tried to find you. And I have tried to find that man, Martin.”
“He found me,” Serena said.
“Oh,” Jasper whispered. “Do you have news of your husband then?”
Serena nodded.
“Serena,” Matilda called. “Could we have some more pies brought out please?” She turned to Jasper and smiled. “Ah, Jasper Riley! Not trying to poach our amazing cook, are you?”
Jasper shook his head. “No. I was just complimenting her on the food.”
“Serena is a wonder. Such a tragedy though.”
“What? What is a tragedy?”
“Her losing her property, her parents, and now…her husband.”
“Oh no.” Jasper said.
“She has only just discovered that her husband died a year and a half ago. She has been waiting in vain all this while. Poor girl. We fully intend to help her get her ranch back, because Freddie’s parents knew her parents well…and she is such a treasure.”
“Yes, she is …a treasure,” Jasper said, hoping Matilda wouldn’t notice how his eyes brimmed over involuntarily.
“I hear congratulations are in order!” Matilda carried on as Molly returned, with Petula in tow.
Petula gave Jasper a significant look as Molly latched on to his arm again.
“Did you find out all you needed to know, Jasper…about the cattle breeds, I mean?” Petula asked.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions, Petula, but at least I know where to find what I’m looking for when the time is right,” Jasper replied.
“Are you going to buy new breeds of cattle?” Molly asked, trying to sound interested.
Jasper made an indistinguishable sound. “It’s time we left,” he said, leading Molly off to the carriage.
“The food was spectacular!” Molly remarked. “It reminded me of the food we had at your coming out ball, Petula,” she said.
Petula arched her eyebrows. “Never!” she said emphatically. “My banquet was one of a kind. This was nothing!”
Jasper hoped they had dodged a bullet, because if Molly went back and told Rebecca that the food was familiar, Serena would be hunted down.
“Yes, of course. Your banquet was cooked by the woman who stole one of your horses and ran away,” Molly replied, with an uncharacteristic curl of her lip.
Jasper’s mouth was set in a thin, hard line and his eyes blazed. Jeremiah gave him a warning look and tried to lighten the atmosphere with a joke.
“I only agreed to the engagement with Molly because Mother threatened that if I didn’t, Serena would lose her job. As that is no longer a threat because Serena has found a way to sustain herself, I don’t feel the need to go through with this bogus marriage,” Jasper told Jeremiah and Petula later that evening when the three of them were alone.
“You’re right, Jasper, except for hurting poor Molly.”
“Who is spoilt and dreary,” Petula complained, making both her brothers grin.