“I was numb with grief and had no time to grieve. I was packed up and began my journey here the very next day with my mother warning me not to be a foolish woman. She told me that a man like Cree would not tolerate simpering women. That I was to take charge upon meeting him and let him know that I would be a strong and capable wife.”
Lucerne laughed and shook her head. “I feared Cree upon meeting him, but obeyed my mother and made my situation worse. I had also thought that the poisoning would stop but it didn’t, it followed me here.”
Dawn eyed her skeptically. Was the distraught woman imagining things or could her story be true? Dawn wanted to be sympathetic, especially if her story was true. To lose the man she loved was horrifying but to think that her father may have had him killed on purpose was abhorrent. It made Lucerne just as much a prisoner as Dawn, leaving neither of them choices, but rather chattel to be given away or sold at whim. But she also had to be cautious. There were so many secrets that it made Dawn wonder which ones held the truth.
“I hoped you would understand and help me, but I see in your eyes that you don’t believe me,” Lucerne said her shoulders slumping, as if the weight of her burden had just grown heavier.
Dawn reached out and took hold of her hand, her decision to throw caution aside an instinctive one. Why should she believe this woman? Perhaps it was the way tears filled her eyes, how her voice cracked, and how sorrow gripped her face when she spoke of losing the man she loved.
Dawn squeezed her hand, nodded her head, and then patted her chest and pointed to the woman.
“You do believe me and will help me?” Lucerne asked hopefully.
Dawn smiled and nodded vigorously.
Lucerne gripped Dawn’s hand tightly. “I thought the stories about you were idle-tongue gossip, but the more I learned, the more I realized the truth behind them. You are a brave woman to not only defy Cree, but to help and protect others, and you have the strength to love and tame the devil.”
The terrifying roar rattled the door and had both women jumping out of their seats and clinging to each other.
“My God, if that is Cree’s battle cry no wonder he is so feared,” Lucerne said trembling beside Dawn.
“DAWN!” The shout hit the walls of the cottage like a battling ram. “OPEN THE DOOR OR I’LL BREAK IT DOWN!”
Dawn trembled a bit herself worrying that perhaps this time she had pushed him too far. She left Lucerne, who reluctantly released the grip she had on Dawn, and went to open the door, though jumped back as she did to take a protective stance in front of Lucerne.
Cree stormed in the cottage, pushing the door open the remainder of the way so hard that Dawn thought she heard the wood crack. Sloan entered behind him and hurried to shut the door on the curious faces that had gathered outside.
Cree went to say something when he suddenly stopped, his dark eyes roaming over Dawn and she could have sworn that she saw a spark of pleasure and appreciation in them, and she realized it was the red velvet gown that had caused his unexpected reaction. She almost smiled, though stopped herself. Now was not the time for grins.
“Explain yourself,” Cree demanded though not quite as forcefully as Dawn had expected. The dress had worked magic and she would have to remember that.
She was more than happy to have the chance to do just that. She pointed over her shoulder at Lucerne, then tapped her chest, then her lips and rolled her finger over and over in front of her mouth.
“Lucerne wanted to talk with you?” he asked.
She nodded.
“About what?”
She puckered her lips and tapped her finger to them.
“A secret?”
Lucerne gasped.
Dawn turned to Lucerne and took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before releasing it and stepping close to Cree. His arm instinctively circled her waist and her heart, as usual, melted to his touch. How she could have ever thought what they shared was sinful, she didn’t know, and it mattered not to her now. Cree loved her and they trusted each other and that was the only thing that mattered.
She looked to Lucerne, pressed her hand to her chest, then to Cree’s, and then back to her chest.
“Dawn is telling you that we trust each other explicitly and share all things with each other. What you shared with her, you can safely share with me.”
Lucerne burst into tears and lowered her face into her cupped hands.
Cree shot Sloan a sharp nod and Sloan rolled his eyes, but before he could go to Lucerne, Dawn slipped away from Cree, to his annoyance, and went to Lucerne and wrapped her arms around her. The woman melted against Dawn and wept. When it didn’t seem as if she would ever stop, Dawn eased her down to sit on a chair by the table. She then hunched down in front of her and tapped her finger at Lucerne’s lips and pointed to Cree.