Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

I ce pelted Theo Archer and it stuck to his lashes, making it almost impossible to see. His cheeks burned. Wind whipped through his duster and his horse, Sammy, fought him to turn around so that the gelding could use his back end to face the foul weather. As it was, Sammy hung his head as low as possible. The lowing of the cattle being driven toward the hollow helped Theo keep his bearings. He whistled and hollered, slapped the rolled-up rope he had in his gloved hand against his thigh.

Not too far away, the whistles and shouts of other cowboys farther down the line followed suit. As long as the cattle kept moving in the direction they wanted, they'd eventually be able to use the hills as a wind stop. The first ice storm had come a little early this year, and they were even less prepared for it than usual. They usually pushed the cattle into the hollow the first week of October, but they were a week late due to extenuating circumstances.

His brother's wife went into labor right at the end of September, and though she birthed a beautiful, strong baby boy, she didn't survive the experience, herself. Between the funeral and needing a little time to mourn, Theo's older brother, Joshua, had decided to put off the cattle push, thinking they still had plenty of time. Usually, he would have been right. They normally didn't have this kind of weather until the end of October at the earliest. But it seemed that fate was against them again.

The light was beginning to fade when they finally got the cattle down into the hollow by the river that would be thawed for most of the winter. Though the grass wouldn't grow any more, it had grown lush and long through the rest of the year, and the cattle would be able to make do with what they had here much better than anywhere else on the ranch. With the wind blockage, it already was feeling warmer, and the sleet had finally lightened up. Once Theo had done a headcount of his portion of the herd, he met up with the other cowboys to confirm the numbers.

"Whatcha got?" Hank, one of the older cowboys asked, ice sticking to his lashes as well.

"Seventy-two," Theo answered, reining his horse close so that the two animals could huddle together and conserve body heat.

Hank nodded. "That's just about all of them."

"Just about?" Theo asked, confused.

"Tom and Joshua went after a couple stragglers that headed toward the ridge. They should be back with them any minute."

Frowning, Theo looked behind them toward the ridge. That wasn't the safest place to be during an ice storm. When he didn't see anything coming from that direction, and the light was growing dimmer, he turned his horse back that way.

"Where you going?" Hank asked.

"I'm going to check on those stragglers," Theo said as he squeezed his horse up into a jog. Though reluctant, Sammy jogged a few steps before starting into a lope up the hill. Only the occasional drop of ice pelted him as he made his way toward the ridge. Frowning, he wondered why he hadn't found either of the other two cowboys yet.

Then he came across the three pregnant cows that had gone astray. They were coming down the hill not far from the ridge. A sinking feeling came over Theo, like a stone in his gut. He pressed Sammy a little harder to get up there faster. When he reached the top of the hill, he found Tom and his horse at the edge of the ridge, pulling on a rope.

Tom's eyes went wide when he saw him. "Theo! Help. It's Joshua."

Theo's heart skipped a beat as he raced over to where Tom was. The icy wind blew harder here at the top of the ridge, and the howling sound it generated made his skin crawl. He leapt from the saddle as his gelding slid to a stop right next to Tom. "What's going on?"

"It's Joshua. His horse went over the ridge. He's barely hanging on."

Immediately, Theo grabbed hold of the rope, pulling with all his might. Somehow the rope didn't budge as though the weight on the other end was much more than just that of his brother. He called over the edge even though he couldn't see. "Hang in there, Josh!"

There was no answer but the continued cry of the wind.

Sweat popped over his brow as he leaned back and pulled. Tom reached his horse and tied the rope to the horn of his saddle, so the horse could pull, too, but just when they got it all together, the rope suddenly went slack. Theo fell backward onto the ground from the sudden loss of weight.

"No," he cried out as tears already stung the backs of his eyes. Nausea and dizziness overwhelmed him in equal measures. Theo scrambled forward, half-crawling toward the edge in fear that the shale might let loose, and he might go over the edge of the ridge too. "No. No. No," he repeated over and over as he made his way to the cliffside.

Once he reached it, he peered over. At the bottom he could see the mangled bodies of both his brother and the chestnut mare.

There was a time when applause was what Serena thought that she lived for. She knew that the better that she played, the greater the accolades she would receive. But at some point, she realized that even if she hit a sour note—though she rarely did—even if she wasn't playing at her absolute best, the accolades still came. Her name had already become synonymous with that of Johann Weber, the virtuoso who had been her teacher and mentor and guardian for the past five years, and she'd played at the largest gatherings of high society all over Georgia and South Carolina.

"When will she go to New York?" Mrs. Markham asked at the party she held after the latest concert.

Bored, Serena leaned against the wall nearby, wishing that she didn't have to attend these functions. People didn't really talk to her. They just told her how wonderful she played and how much they enjoyed the concert. Instead, they wanted to use her to get closer to Johann, to talk to him, because even though he rarely sat in front of a piano, himself, anymore, he still carried himself like a king and drew others to him no matter how large the crowd. "We have plans to move there after the wedding."

"Oh," Mrs. Markham said, the woman's gaze fluttering over toward Serena. "I heard about that. Will you and Serena be married here in Atlanta?"

Serena nearly spit the wine she'd been sipping. Married? Who said that she'd be marrying Johann? This was the first she'd heard of such a thing. Her heart pounded as she waited for her guardian to correct the matron of the house.

Instead, he peered over toward her with that narrow glare of his and said quietly, "Yes, it will be a small affair, but of course you'll be invited. Serena's birthday is at the end of November, so it won't be long after then."

"Oh! A December wedding. Will you have a Christmas theme?"

Serena didn't hear the answer, as she was already walking away. She set down her glass upon the nearest table, the world around her growing blurry. Voices became louder and more jumbled as she made her way through the crowd. Though the great hall where the reception was being held was one of the largest in all of Atlanta, claustrophobia was settling in. Somehow, Serena struggled to breathe. Above all else, she needed to get outside and get some air.

The moment she reached the doorway and broke her way through, the cold air outside snapped against her skin. Her sleeveless sequin dress had made the inside tolerable, but she'd not realized how much the temperature had dropped outside during her concert. She shivered and hugged her arms around herself.

Married?

Johann had been an overbearing taskmaster for the past five years. Serena hadn't had to worry about anything other than breathing and playing the piano. She didn't need to decide what to wear or what to eat. Johann decided those things for her. He made sure that he'd scheduled her practice for the hours she had between social functions and meetings with members of society. Every day had been packed with things to do, and she rarely spent more than a few waking minutes out of his sight. With all the time that they'd spent together, how could he never have mentioned such a thing as marriage?

"There you are, darling," his voice said from behind her as he draped her shoulders with his coat. "You'll catch your death of cold out here. Why don't you come back inside? I believe you haven't said hello to the governor yet."

A lump formed in her throat so that she didn't feel she could speak. Instead, she just shook her head.

His hands squeezed the tops of her arms in a gesture that was both comforting and threatening. His voice went from soothing to demanding with a sharp edge to it. "You really must come back in. You cannot deny your fans audience with you. If you do, you will not remain as popular as you are."

She swallowed against that lump and then finally whispered, "Marriage?"

"Oh, so you did hear that," Johann said in a cheerful tone once more. It had always unsettled her how he could change his mood from one second to the next. "Yes, darling. Surely, you've realized how very fond of you I've become. I've loved you as a father, yes, but you've grown into a lovely young woman now, and well… I don't think I could bare to be parted from you and give your hand to another. Over time, I've realized that my love for you has grown to something much more than just that of a parent. Surely you understand and feel the same?"

Her blood ran cold as she clenched her jaw and said nothing. She stiffened as his touch become gentler against her arms. He leaned toward her, and his warm breath caressed her neck. It took everything within her not to flinch away from him, since she knew that it would offend him. But the truth was, that she'd never loved him. Not even as a father. She respected him. She understood that she was both used by him and using him to reach greater heights in music and society than she could have done on her own. But no, love was never part of the equation. His controlling ways had made her want to rebel on more than one occasion in the beginning, but eventually, she realized that it was all for her good and benefit, and someday, when she was of age, she could always leave and find a way to make it on her own. Things would change.

But marriage? That wasn't the change that she wanted. Marriage was supposed to be about love and companionship. And neither of those two things would ever be a part of her life if she married Johann. She knew that much for certain.

Laughter came from behind her as a young couple who seemed to have those two traits in spades exited out onto the steps and passed them without seeming to notice that Serena and her benefactor were even standing there. That was the kind of relationship that she would want with the man that she married. But with Johann, would she ever feel anything like that?

"Come inside, darling," his voice sounded sweet but had that sharpness to it again. It was a command this time. He wouldn't be argued with. His fingers on her arms dug in a bit as he forced her to turn around and head back toward the building.

She had no choice but to go where he was forcing her. Did she have any choice but to marry him, either? Her heart beat against her breastbone like a bird that wanted to escape the cage where it was imprisoned. But the fingers against her arms kept her from escaping in any way as he guided her back inside. Was this to be her life? She'd never been able to go against what Johann wanted in the past, so could she tell him that she didn't want to marry him? And if she did, how would he respond?

At the thought, a shudder ran through her.

Still, she knew that somehow, she'd have to figure out how to get him to understand. Or else, she'd need to come up with a way to escape his clutches. Even as she thought it, his grip seemed to tighten upon her arms.