The Enchanted Land Read online

  When Morgan woke, she had a feeling something was wrong. She opened her eyes, frowning. The sun was up and there was a long ray of sunlight seeping in under the curtains. It was later than usual. She was so used to her son’s waking her up and then climbing into her bed and going back to sleep that she had learned to sleep through the disturbance. She turned to Adam. He wasn’t there!

  Disregarding her robe, she ran from her room. The door to Adam’s room was open, but he wasn’t in the room. Gordon’s door was closed. She was alarmed. He couldn’t disappear, not her little Adam. Tears blurred her eyes. She looked down the stairs. He could have fallen down them in his long nightshirt. She must calm herself. Maybe Roselle or Martin had taken him to the kitchen. She listened, but there were no sounds downstairs. Her hand flew to her mouth. Then she saw the bedroom door next to her own standing slightly open.

  She pushed the door open, brushing away the tears in relief as she saw the little curly head just above the covers. She offered a silent prayer of thanks. She’d been so silly. She should have known that Seth’s presence would upset everyone’s life. She shut her eyes in exhaustion.

  Seth opened his eyes to see Morgan standing near him. He might move his hand and clasp her waist, but he lay still. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply, her breasts thrusting forward under the thin gown. The gown fit her perfectly, hugging her body closely to the waist and then flaring out softly in a bell shape. It was a deep, rich blue with long, tight sleeves that curved out at the wrist. The neckline covered her collarbone and then plunged deeply, almost to the waist, edged by cream-colored lace. Her hair was rumpled and fell about her to the waist. Never had he seen her more desirable. He caught her hand in his and her eyes flew open.

  “I—” she began.

  “You don’t need an excuse to be here.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it easily, caressing the fingertips.

  “I came to find my son. He usually comes to my room. When he didn’t, I was worried.”

  Seth’s eyes were gentle. He pulled her hand to his mouth. He kissed the fingertips, raking the sensitive tips across his teeth. Her scalp tightened.

  “Stop it!” His grasp on her hand was firm.

  “I am limiting myself to only your fingertips. I like that blue thing, especially the lace.”

  Her hand covered the lace which played hide-and-seek with the soft curve of her breasts. She looked straight at him, one eyebrow arched, challenging. “Theron bought me this gown. He bought me many beautiful things.”

  “Theron,” Seth murmured. “Nice man. Not your type, though. Lovely house.” He was concentrating on his pleasant task. His teeth made little bites in the palm of her hand.

  “Seth, will you stop that!”

  “I don’t plan to. I may stay here all day and make love to your hand. You used to love it.”

  “When did you meet Theron?” She had to think of something else or her whole body might start shivering.

  “When I asked him where you were. You have the sweetest little veins in your wrist.” He nibbled at them.

  “Seth! Theron told you where I was? Why would he do that?” She made one supreme effort and succeeded in jerking her hand from Seth’s grasp. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

  Seth gave a disappointed sigh and sat up in the bed. The quilts fell away to his waist, exposing his massive chest. The movement caused Adam to stir. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

  “Morgan, sit down, please, and I’ll tell you about Theron.” He nodded toward Adam, quietly staring from one parent to the other.

  She sat carefully on the edge of the bed.

  “I told Theron what a fool I’d been. He agreed. But I told him how much I loved you and that I wanted a chance to win you back.”

  “Oh, yes, you loved me—after you found out I was pure.”

  Adam watched his mother. He didn’t like her tone of voice and he began to frown, her agitation scaring him.

  “That’s not really true, love.” Seth’s voice was calm. “I admitted to myself a long time before I met Jessy that I loved you.” He continued before she could protest, “I would have come to you then, begged you to let me live with you. But I didn’t think you’d want me, poor as I was, not after the way you were accustomed to living, with Theron. Did I mention that I am a rich man now?”

  Her look was steely. “Twenty-five thousand dollars should make you quite comfortable.”

  Seth was puzzled. “Twenty-five…? Oh, the money you offered me to marry you. I told you that never meant anything to me.”

  “How am I to know what to believe? Now you tell me you always loved me, but I remember some other things you said to me, such as accusing me of selling my body. You didn’t seem to love me then. Tell me this: When am I to believe you, and when am I not?”

  Seth didn’t lose his slow, even smile. “I deserve your abuse. I deserve everything you have to say about me. I was a fool. I was hurt and jealous and I struck out at you.

  “I want to make it up to you, Morgan. I love you and I plan to stay near you until you love me again, even if it takes years.”

  “You seem confident that everything will work just as you plan. What if I told you that I loved someone else and that I couldn’t love you?” She looked toward the bedroom door.

  Seth’s smile broadened. “I’ve seen Gordon kiss you, and I’ve kissed you. If you love him and hate me, then I prefer your hatred. It has more fire.”

  “You—!” She struck him on the chest with her fist, but it was the same as striking an adobe wall, for all the damage it did.

  Seth enclosed her fist in one of his, then encircled the other wrist with strong fingers. He pulled her to him, crushing her helpless arms between them. He entangled his hand in her hair, cradling the back of her head. He touched his lips to hers, sweetly, and then with a demanding eagerness. He forced her mouth open. Morgan responded fully, meeting his demands with more of her own.

  Adam had never seen his mother kissed before, and he wasn’t sure her moans didn’t mean Seth was hurting her. He hit Seth’s shoulder with his fists. “Mama. Mama.”

  Morgan heard her son and began to return to reality, forcing herself away from Seth.

  Seth extended his now-empty arms to his son, to reassure him. “I don’t know whether he’s trying to protect you or me.”

  “You?”

  “A little fire goddess like his mother could easily destroy a mere mortal like me.”

  She raised her hand to him again, but his teasing smile reminded her of what had just happened.

  Angrily, she lifted Adam into her arms. “You’re going to have a long wait if you think I’ll ever fall in love with you. I’ve made all my mistakes already.”

  She heard Seth’s laughter behind her.

  At breakfast, Seth ignored Morgan. Although she had planned to ignore him also, she found it infuriating that he should act as if she weren’t even in the same room.

  After Seth and Gordon left, Adam played in the courtyard with his wooden ranch set. Morgan needed to finish her ledgers and promised herself that she would not even think of Seth. But she looked up sharply each time someone passed the open study door.

  At lunch, Adam proudly showed his mother his gingerbread monsters, explaining them in a mixture of gibberish and words. He went back outside for a while before his nap.

  Morgan went upstairs to make sure the rooms had been cleaned properly. She hesitated at Seth’s room, but then entered. His things were always neat, more so than hers ever were. She opened a drawer. He had too few shirts, and some of them needed mending. Angrily, she slammed the drawer shut. What was she doing? He was not her responsibility any longer. Let him care for his own shirts!

  She ran into Carol, an armload of clean linen nearly falling from her arms. “Is anything wrong, Mrs. Colter?”

  “No!” She fairly shouted at the girl. Morgan regretted it immediately, but Carol had already scurried away.

  “Now he’s making me yell at the servan