Whispering Hills of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 3) Page 3

  “Your generosity, Sir, is overwhelming. But I must insist on paying you something for it,” William protested.

  “You can,” Boone answered. “And I don’t ask this lightly. You can take care of Boonesborough for me. My family’s blood, including my dear son and brother’s, and the blood of many close friends spilled into Kentucky’s soil to claim this spot in the wilderness. It needs a young man of your high character to look out for it. No man in the wrong can stand up against a man defending what’s right. Especially a man that won’t give up. I think you’re the man for the job.”

  Kelly glanced up, watching William in profile. His strong jaw tightened before he pulled in a deep breath and stood just a little taller.

  William had to clear his throat before he could speak. “You honor me, Sir,” he replied, with his eyes fixed on Boone. “I pray for the wisdom that comes from God and not from me.”

  “Everyone,” Boone called in a booming voice, “I want you all to know that I hereby place my trust in Sheriff William Wyllie to care for Boonesborough’s future. May it always shine brightly under his care. But when she faces the trouble the future always seems to hold, I know he will lead you wisely. As a symbol of my faith in him, I am giving him my land and cabin at Whispering Hills.”

  The room exploded with the sound of clapping hands and eager cheers.

  “And I thank you Colonel Boone. Kentucky claims you among its noblest names. And will forever more,” William declared, turning everyone’s attention away from himself.

  Again, the room erupted in celebration.

  Kelly noticed Sam and Bear smiling broadly, their chests swelling, full of pride for their brother and seeming to appreciate the praise and trust Boone had just bestowed on William.

  She was proud of William too and a swell of affection filled her. She wanted to give him a hug or at least shake his hand. If only she could. Would she appear too forward? Her stomach fluttered as she decided to reach for his hand.

  Without warning, her confidence quaked. Her mind suddenly congested with swirling doubts and churning fears. She quickly pulled back her hand and clutched her skirt tightly with damp fingers. She felt almost sick. A wretchedness filled her that sapped every good feeling she had.

  Against her will, she gave in to the tension that had been building since she arrived. Half of her wanted to stay, but the other half demanded that she get away from here. She didn’t even know why. But for some reason, she was suddenly frightened—her heart afraid. The harder she tried to deny the feeling, the stronger it grew. She became instantly alert, fully aware of the crowded room, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Jittery and ill at ease, she glanced over her shoulder.

  “Excuse me a moment, gentlemen,” she muttered uneasily and turned away.

  Searching the room, she felt momentary panic until she finally spotted Wolfe, finishing up his cake. She hastened over to him and said she was going outside to wait for him. Even she could hear the nervousness in her voice.

  Wolfe nodded and she spun on her heal and fled through the door, gasping in the fresh clean air. Eyes closed, she took several steadying breaths before looking up to locate Wolfe’s carriage.

  She was losing control and that made her even more uneasy. She hoped William hadn’t noticed her hasty departure. And she worried that she had offended his brothers or Colonel Boone by not saying a final goodbye. The thought tore at her insides as she paced up and down in front of her employer’s carriage team, trying to catch her breath, and probably making the horses nervous too.

  Should she go back inside? Her thoughts scampered around in her head as she tried to compose herself. She would have to do a better job of guarding her emotions or people would start to question her mental stability.

  When Wolfe arrived, the concerned look on his face told her the questioning had already started.

  As he drove his carriage home, his expression sullen, an uncomfortable silence lay between them.

  CHAPTER 3

  As soon as the carriage came to a stop in front of Oxmoor House, Kelly jumped off, clutching her cape. Wolfe was from one of the aristocratic families of Virginia, and his home was one of the largest in Boonesborough.

  She smelled the smoke rising from the chimney and glanced up to see a pale grey trail climbing into the now cloudy sky. Oxmoor House contained five rooms and a central hall, in which a prettily carved walnut stairway led to the two attic rooms above, one of which was hers.

  Not waiting for Mister Wolfe, she bounded up the steps, entered the hall, and after hanging her cape, stood for a moment, listening for the children. She could hear them in the kitchen and started through the parlor toward them. As she passed a gleaming dining table, the crystal oil lamp positioned in the center caught her eye. She stopped and ran her finger across the lamp’s carved glistening surface. The home contained so many pretty things and Kelly was still in awe of the luxury found here. Undoubtedly, Mrs. Wolfe, who did not survive the birth of her last child just five years ago, selected most of these beautiful things. Sometimes Kelly felt guilty being in her home, as though her presence was in some way stealing away the life Mrs. Wolfe should have led here.

  She noticed a lovely needlepoint pillow, resting in an upholstered chair. She read the words so obviously stitched with love into the fabric. ‘Bright be thy path sweet babe.’ Kelly suddenly found herself near tears at the simple beauty of a mother’s wish for her child.

  Instead of joining the children, Wolfe’s mother Patricia, and their energetic housekeeper Mrs. Hudson, in the kitchen, Kelly spun around and hurried up the stairs to her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. Now the tears came. Again. She wiped them away, only to have them instantly replaced by more. What was making her so sad? Did the words on the pillow make her miss her mother? Yes, yes, that was it. Her own mother had died five years ago and she not only lost her mother, but her closest friend. Her only friend. Now, William was her only friend.

  As much as she missed her mother, it wasn’t that.

  Whatever it was, it was eating away at her, little by little. Soon there would be little left of her.

  Nervously, she bit her lip. Maybe it was all her fault. Did she cause those men to rape her? Was it the way she dressed? Her clothes had been too tight that day, but that was because she hadn’t had a new dress in five years, since before her mother died. Even though she was slim, she had filled out between fourteen and eighteen. It wasn’t her fault that the dress could no longer hide that she had turned into a woman.

  Or maybe those men realized just how lonely she was. Maybe she gave them the impression that she needed attention and affection. But that wasn’t affection. Far from it. She curled her fist into a tight ball and pulsed it against her lips. If only she’d been strong enough to fight them. She hadn’t been.

  “Kelly, dear, are you all right? Come down and join us for some tea and cookies,” Patricia called from behind the door.

  “No, thank you. I have just had refreshments at Sheriff Wyllie’s swearing in ceremony. I’ll be down momentarily,” Kelly answered, trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible.

  “No need, dear. My son and I are taking the children to buy new shoes. Every one of them is wearing shoes too tight. We will see you later this evening. Mrs. Hudson is coming with us. Goodbye.”

  Kelly heard the click of Mrs. Wolfe’s heels as she descended the wooden stairs.

  Kelly sat down on her soft feather bed, running her fingers across the smooth surface of her bed covering. She was living in luxury she had never known before. She should be happy.

  But she wasn’t.

  She brought her hand up to her mouth, while the fingers of her other hand slowly encircled her wrist and shame encircled her heart. The weight of it sapped her energy, leaving her feeling leaden and weary. Her eyelids closed as she laid back on her bed. She would sleep for just a little while…

  Her struggles only seemed to arouse Ben Jack more. Kelly shrieked and writhed beneath the m
an’s crushing weight. His pounding thrusts against the resistance of her maidenhead became rapid and relentless. He shoved his hips still harder, his breaths hot against her face.

  Futilely, she tugged against the taut ropes that tied her hands and feet to her small bed.

  It wouldn’t take much more and then he would have her virginity.

  It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

  Kelly screamed louder and then louder still, her voice scraping against her raw tightened throat. She twisted her body away from Ben Jack. He was heavy and his bulk pinned her against her tattered blanket. She had to get away. Frustration swept over her and she flung her head from side to side. But it only allowed her hot tears to wet the feather pillow. Hoping to stop him, she pleaded, “No, please, no.”

  “Yes,” Ben Jack avowed.

  Her agony swelled beyond tears and anger trumped her fear. She tried to bite his face, but Ben Jack pulled away with a smirk before her teeth could connect with his skin. Her throat ached with defeat.

  He placed his palms against the bed on either side of her head, propping his body up above her like a beast about to devour prey. He leered at her exposed breasts as they rose and fell under her labored breathing.

  “No, no, stop!” she yelled, even knowing that her pleas were useless.

  Ben Jack’s brother Grover put one hand over her mouth, smothering her screams. It didn’t matter. Only God could hear her in these lonely hills.

  God please help me!

  Breathing through her nose, she panted rapid breaths against his dirty hand and shuddered as Grover’s other hand roughly mauled one of her breasts. It was the first time a man’s hand had touched her breast. It was the first time for all of it.

  “You next little brother,” Ben Jack said, his breathing hard. “Almost, almost…”

  Kelly sobbed, feeling a deep, unaccustomed pain, as her body and heart ripped apart. Her eyes flew open and she howled in impotent anger, impaled by the man’s spear, as he shoved deeper into her.

  “No!”

  Kelly sat straight up in the bed, breathing hard, her lashes wet with tears, still caught between the dream’s terror and coming awake. It was only a bad dream.

  Yet it wasn’t. It happened.

  After shaking more hands than William thought a town the size of Boonesborough could contain, he finally allowed himself to leave the fort. Mounting his dappled grey stallion, he had a sudden urge to see Kelly again. The short time they spent together earlier had just stoked his desire to be with her all the more. Sam had a long list of supplies he had to buy and Bear was doing the same for Stephen and Jane. They would both be tied up until later this evening.

  Perhaps, since Wolfe had given her the afternoon off, she would have some time to visit with him. Giving Smoke a nudge with his heels, he set off at a trot for Wolfe’s home on the other side of town. Greeting the passing horseback men, families in covered wagons, and others driving wagons loaded with skins, lumber, and crops, he found himself tipping his tricorne so many times his elbow was beginning to tire. Becoming sheriff had certainly increased his familiarity with the townspeople.

  He was confused about what was happening to Kelly. He grew more attracted to her by the day, but she seemed to be withdrawing from him in equal measure. More often than not, she was lively, but today she acted more reserved, not nearly as spirited as she normally was. And she also appeared wary, as though she were worried about something. Although she was still just as beautiful as ever, her disposition had changed. The Kelly that had joined his family’s group just a few months earlier had been much more comfortable around people. She had never been edgy and uneasy.

  He decided to just ask her what was bothering her. No doubt, it was some woman’s thing, and he would do his best to understand. Or maybe she just needed to talk to someone. Her life had changed dramatically over the last few months. Perhaps she was finding it difficult to adjust.

  Within a few minutes, a dog barked at him as he tied his stallion outside Oxmoor House under a large elm and took the steps up to the porch two at a time. He knocked hard three times, but heard nothing, except the rhythmic panting of the dog, now sprawled out under the front steps. Strange, perhaps the entire family went back to town.

  “Kelly!” William called. She had said her bedroom was upstairs, so he took a step back and glanced up. “Kelly,” he called again.

  This time the window curtains parted and she peeked down.

  He soon heard her footsteps coming down a staircase and the door opening.

  “What are you doing here William?” she asked. “Mister Wolfe has left with his mother and children to do some shopping.” Her hair a little disarrayed and her eyes puffy, she looked like she had just woken from a nap.

  William hesitated. Should he tell her the truth? How would she react to the truth? “I…I…well I’m not here to see Mister Wolfe. I just thought that since you had the afternoon off you might come take a look at the cabin Colonel Boone gave me,” he finally managed to say.

  Kelly stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth hanging slightly open.

  It made him want to kiss her and kiss her deeply. “Boone gave me the deed and directions to find it. It’s not far. It’s a lovely afternoon and I thought you might enjoy the scenery and seeing the old cabin of Boonesborough’s most famous citizen.”

  Kelly’s face suddenly brightened. “You know, that does sound like a splendid idea. Will you saddle my mare while I change into my riding clothes and boots? Then I’ll pack up a small meal for us.”

  At the mention of her changing her clothes, William had to fight to keep his imagination from running wild. “I would be delighted to mount your saddle,” he said. His eyes widened and his cheeks became warm. With extreme embarrassment, he quickly corrected himself. “I mean saddle your mount.”

  Thankfully, Kelly appeared not to have noticed his ridiculous blunder and just said, “Thank you,” before she turned toward the stairs.

  “Bring your cloak. These October evenings can get chilly,” he called after her before he closed the door. His cheeks still burned with humiliation. He would have to be more careful and keep his thoughts where they belonged.

  He pivoted smartly and headed for the barn behind the house. He knew her horse Ginger well. The beautiful sorrel mare, which had belonged to Sam’s wife Catherine before she gave it to Kelly, stood in a pen with her head hanging over a grey wooden fence.

  “Hello beautiful!” William said, offering his hand to Ginger to smell.

  As he saddled the handsome mare, William thought about Kelly’s reaction to his invitation. Her sad eyes had immediately brightened and he could hear eagerness in her voice. Perhaps she shared similar feelings for him as he did for her. He hoped she did.

  Kelly soon came bouncing out the home’s back door. “I left a note for Mrs. Wolfe, so they won’t be worried about me.”

  “Remember when you left a note for your father—the day you left your cabin and came with us?” he asked as he took the sack of food from her.

  “I’ll never forget that day,” Kelly said, wistfully.

  “I’m surprised he has never shown up here in Boonesborough and come after you,” William said.

  “I’m not. He cared little for me.”

  William started to help Kelly mount her mare and as he put his hand against her to support her back, he felt her muscles tense beneath her riding habit. With a jerk, she quickly hauled herself into the saddle.

  He threw his leg over the saddle and urged Smoke toward the road. Heading away from town, he soon took a trail heading northwest with Kelly riding close beside him. She had learned to ride well on their journey here, often opting to ride horseback instead of in Catherine’s wagon. He could tell she enjoyed riding as much as he did and she appeared far more comfortable now than she had at the social earlier that day.

  They passed tall stands of loblolly pines and hardwoods shedding their leaves with each rustle of the breeze. The forest glowed with colors of ever
y shade in God’s fall palette, including the lively yellow of the beech trees and the crimson red leaves of the maple.

  This would be his first winter in Kentucky, but he was sure it would be relatively mild compared to the harsh winters of his native New Hampshire. He would not miss those winds whipping off the White Mountains.

  “It’s beautiful here, don’t you think?” he asked Kelly.

  “These woods are lovely. But they are also deep and hide dark things,” Kelly said, looking around warily.

  That didn’t sound at all like the Kelly he knew.

  “Sometimes, there’s beauty in the darkness too,” he said, smiling at her.

  CHAPTER 4

  In less than thirty minutes, they neared the area Boone had described as Whispering Hills. Rolling tree-covered hills rose on either side of a small valley speckled with a smattering of limestone boulders and rocky outcrops. A small stream flowed through the bottom of the ravine.

  “Why do you suppose it’s called Whispering Hills?” Kelly asked.

  “I asked Boone that very question,” Williams answered, “he said that the wind that echoes through this canyon whispers some of the most beautiful melodies and wisest words you will ever hear.”

  “I’m anxious to hear it,” Kelly said, sounding almost excited.

  “There it is!” William called out, pointing to the cabin on the top of the next rise.

  “What a beautiful spot!” Kelly declared. “Your new home.”

  “I guess it will be,” William said, letting the idea soak in for a moment. “It’s time for me to drop anchor somewhere.”

  “Let’s go explore,” Kelly said, her face pink with eagerness and their ride. She urged Ginger to gallop toward the cabin and the mare dashed off.