In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

business. We can go forward with the plan, just using her instead of the other girl."

"No."

"We still need to get rid of that gunfighter and—what did you say?"

"I said no," Samuel’s voice was quiet, but Ira could hear the steel in it. "You will not use my relationship with Jeanne to hurt her family. I won’t stand for it."

Ira glared at him. His first instinct was to backhand the boy for sassing him, but something checked his hand. He was shocked to realize he couldn’t bully Samuel into submission the way he did his other sons. Samuel wasn’t a boy he was a man. Ira looked him over the way he would a potential adversary and experienced a frisson of fear. Samuel was simply waiting politely, but the brown eyes that reminded Ira so much of his late wife were hard as stone. It dawned on him that his son was dangerous; if he moved against the girl's family Samuel was prepared to fight him. Ira did a fast reassessment of the situation. To make the plan work he needed Samuel's cooperation. His son's refusal to go along with the original plan didn’t change Ira's strategy for taking out St. Vyr, but it altered how he would have to do it. It would be necessary to make sure Samuel didn’t connect him with the killings of that gunfighter and Madonna.

"All right, son," he said soothingly. "I didn’t realize you had deep feelings for the girl. You don’t want to hurt her kin. You concentrate on getting her to marry you. Nothing will happen. You have my word."

Samuel said, "Sure Pa," reflecting bitterly that Ira had just lied to him again. He stood up, went to his room, and shut the door, where he stood indecisively for several minutes. Finally, he nodded to himself and slipped out the open French doors to the outside landing. He slid over the railing and dropped softly to the ground. When he reached the gardens, he saw Jeanne with her arm around a weeping Iris heading for the inside stairs.

"What happened to her?" he asked.

"She and Carlos had a fight," Jeanne said. "I’m going to take her upstairs and I will probably stay there. I’m sorry, but—"

"That’s okay. We need to talk though. Dad saw us kissing this evening."

"Come up with us. You can wait in the sitting room until I get her settled."

Jeanne put Iris to bed and tucked her in with a cup of tea, laced with whiskey. As soon as she saw her sister had drifted off, she returned to the sitting room. She found Samuel staring moodily at the landscape painting over the fireplace.

She sank down into a chair with a sigh, accepting the glass of light wine he brought to her.

"This hasn’t been a great night for your sisters, has it? It was a good thing they had you to handle stuff like this for them," he said.

She shrugged. "I didn't do much for Bethany, and all I’ve done for Iris has put her to bed."

"What were she and Madonna fighting about?" he asked curiously.

"Well, Papa made Carlos the same offer he made Alec except he wants him to marry Iris."

"She doesn’t like Madonna?"

"No, I think they do want each other, but neither of them believes the other one is in love, and that’s what’s causing the problem. Carlos has a jealous streak—he accused her of flirting with Max Franks and Jacob Lutz tonight when they asked her to dance. She accused him of acting like a dog with a bone. If Carlos wants her has to convince her it’s her he wants and isn't marrying her to please Papa or the third interest in the mine and ranch he will get."

He regarded the love of his life curiously. "Considering the way my family is acting, how come you never worried about that?"

Jeanne sipped her wine and a chuckle slipped out. "Oh, I think I was born knowing what men want. In your case honey, all I had to do was take a gander at the front of your pants when we met on the train coming out here. You didn’t even know who I was."

"Yeah that day was magical, wasn’t it?"

"Yes, it was," she agreed smiling. "So, your father saw us tonight. I suppose we couldn’t keep it a secret forever. What happens now?"

"Well, he said he would back off when I told him I wouldn’t let him hurt you or your family."

"Do you believe him?"

"No," he said, but she could hear the underlying grief in his voice. "Did you mean it when you said we should go away together and leave all this behind?"

"Yes, I meant it."

He nodded. "Okay, let’s do it. I need to go back out to the ranch to pick up the money I have put away. When I get back, we’ll catch the steamer to Junction City and take a train to either Port Breakwater or Azure City."

"And just when were you planning on getting married in all this traveling?" inquired Giselle from the door of her room.

Jeanne jumped in her chair. "How long have you been listening?" she demanded.

Giselle shrugged. "I was already up here doing repairs to my gown after that oaf Lancer stepped on it. I heard you come in. I didn’t tell you I was here because I thought I would find out more about what’s been bothering you if I eavesdropped."

"You won’t stop me," Jeanne warned.

"I don’t intend to, my dear. However, I do intend for you to be properly married, so this is what we will do. You, Iris and I will leave for Junction City on our shopping trip for her trousseau tomorrow as planned. Samuel will go back home and get what he intends to take with him and follow us on a later steamer. He will meet us at the Rainbow Hotel in Junction City and the two of you will get married." She gave Samuel a minatory glance. "When you get off the steamer,