“You’re becoming a young woman now and it’s time to seriously consider when we’ll be married. I have given it some thought and I believe we should be married two months from today. If that suits you, of course.”
Amanda’s mind was reeling. This morning her father had threatened to throw Taylor off the ranch and tonight he was proposing
that they marry very soon. She couldn’t help wondering if this was an attempt to secure his place on the ranch.
“You have nothing to say?”
Amanda almost answered that it didn’t seem to be up to her. “That sounds fine to me.”
Taylor frowned in the darkness. This afternoon had been so pleasant when he and Miss Eiler had chosen the engagement ring together. She’d said how overjoyed Amanda would be and how lucky Amanda was to marry someone like Taylor, but right now Amanda didn’t look overjoyed. He took a breath. “Amanda, perhaps you don’t want to marry me.”
Before she allowed herself to think, Amanda blurted, “Do you want me or the ranch?” She put her hand to her mouth in horror.
“Oh, so that’s it,” he said and sounded relieved. “Has this man Montgomery put such thoughts in your head?”
“I apologize, sir, it was an awful thing to say. Of course I’ll be most happy to marry you any time you say. If you will give me a date I will begin preparations, or no, you will want to do that. But the groom isn’t supposed to see the bridal gown beforehand, so someone else had better choose it, but you can if you want. I’ll do what I can to help. My lessons keep me busy, but I’ll—”
“Amanda!” Taylor said sharply. “Of course you may plan your own wedding. Sometimes you make me feel like a jailor, that I keep you under lock and key. I have merely tried my best to give you an education. I apologize if you have felt yourself to be a prisoner.”
Only since Dr. Montgomery arrived, she thought, but murmured, “Of course I haven’t been a prisoner.”
Taylor reached inside his coat pocket and withdrew the little ring box. “May I have your left hand?”
Amanda had no idea what he was going to do. She was afraid she’d get a ruler in her palm, so she was speechless when he slipped a ring on her third finger. The diamond sparkled in the moonlight. She could only stare at it blankly.
“Does it fit?” he asked anxiously. “We tried to get the size right.”
“It fits perfectly.” Amanda still could barely speak. This was an engagement ring. Now it was official and she was committed to marry Taylor. So why wasn’t she feeling like running and shouting for joy? “Who is ‘we’?” she asked idly, stalling for time.
“A friend of yours, Reva Eiler, helped me pick it out. Actually, I wouldn’t have the ring if it weren’t for her. It’s Sunday and the jewelry store was closed, but Miss Eiler took me to the jeweler’s house and got him to open it. Miss Eiler said the ring would fit.”
It was all Amanda could do to keep from pulling the ring off her hand. Another woman had worn her engagement ring before she had! Wasn’t it enough that Reva had Dr. Montgomery? Did she want Taylor and Amanda’s ring also? “How helpful of her,” Amanda managed to say and stopped looking at the ring. She wanted to throw it into the dark night.
“Amanda,” Taylor said after a while, “about yesterday evening, when you…when you kissed me.”
Abruptly, she stood. “I’m sorry. I apologized then and I apologize now.” She felt herself getting irritated and the ring was burning her finger.
Taylor stood also. “That isn’t what I meant. It’s just that I sometimes have a difficult time thinking of you as an adult. I still tend to remember you as that gawky girl I first met.”
Amanda began to relax somewhat. This made sense. Perhaps she wasn’t repulsive to him after all.
“If I may?” he said and held out his arms to her.
Amanda was hesitant but she went to him and put her cheek against his chest. He was thin and she could hear his heart pounding against her face, and instantly she began comparing him to Dr. Montgomery. Dr. Montgomery was bigger, stronger, and his arms and body seemed to envelope her, and by now his hands would be all over her, with his lips on her hair and neck, moving down to her mouth.
Taylor moved away from her to look down at her, then he pressed his lips to hers.
Nothing, she thought. I feel absolutely nothing. I don’t feel warmth or interest or an inclination to do anything more. I might as well be kissing a statue.
Taylor pulled away to look at her. “There, does that convince you that I want you and not the ranch?”
She gave him a little smile and a nod. What was wrong with her? This was Taylor, the man she loved. Perhaps if she tried kissing him again, this time she would feel something. She stood on tiptoe and put her face up to his, but Taylor drew back and gave what to her was an infuriating little chuckle.
“I think that’s enough to begin with, don’t you?” He dropped his arms from her. “Too much excitement and you’ll not be able to sleep.”
Anger choked Amanda so she couldn’t speak, but she wanted to say that his kisses certainly weren’t going to excite her.
“Now, Amanda, it’s time for you to go to bed. Tomorrow is a workday and you have a history test. I do hope you’ve studied for it. Tomorrow, perhaps we can talk again.” He smiled at her, then put the tip of his finger to her nose. “And if you’re a good girl maybe there’ll be more kisses. And, best of all, as soon as the hops are in, we’ll start planning our wedding. That should make you smile.”