Thanks for the reviews! As always I appreciate your support.

Be warned this chapter is kind of long. I probably won't be posting an update to this story before Thanksgiving, so Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Chapter Forty-seven

Isaac stood over the modest grave, staring at the clay headstone that rested over his wife. It had been years since he'd been here. Even when he occasionally visited the church that stood a few feet away for Sunday Services, a wedding or funeral, he didn't come to "see" Lenora. After she left him so suddenly, taken by an illness he still could not define, he couldn't bring himself to come here, to remember her as a name carved on a piece of hardened clay instead of woman he'd loved for more than 13 years. However, today was different, times were different. Their little girl was no longer in pigtails and enamored with his every word. She was a woman now, had been for more than three years and was making her own choices. "They did it Nora." He painfully admitted aloud, uttering the name he called her for short. "They fell in love." His wife had called it years before it happened or maybe when it was just starting. She saw how close Marita and Sean had grown and had often spied the young man eying their daughter with tender eyes. 'He fancies her' She'd say. 'Wouldn't it be something if they found love with each other and by the time they become adults the world would've changed enough for them to be together?' She knew the latter would never be. For the children were only a few years from 16 – adulthood. But that was his wife, a dreamer, yet part of her dream had come to fruition. Sean Logan and their daughter were in love and were now husband and wife, determined to live in a world that would destroy them, a world that had already nearly killed Marita for trying to live in that love. Isaac ran a hand across his face and stopped it at his mouth. He couldn't lose his daughter. He agonized. As much as he wanted to dismantle her marriage to Sean, his heart wouldn't let him tear away her happiness for his own beliefs, no matter how logical they may be. But he couldn't just stand by and let her run away again to a life with Sean, this time to what might be her death. "Oh Nora, what should I do?" He posed to the silence as he squatted to the ground, getting a closer look at the carvings that were fading on the clay, desperately trying to be closer to her, to garner some kind of response. But of course there was nothing. No one could help him, not Ned who'd been just as stunned and dismayed when he'd told him of their children's marriage, hoping that he'd have an answer on how to deal with this enormous issue, and not his sister who's simple answer "Let it go," even as she herself emanated distress over the news he'd told her while scolding her for not telling him of Marita reuniting with Sean, gave him nothing of what he needed. Isaac sank down further, dropping to his knees and sitting back on his heels. "Nora, I need you. Just give me something." He pled , then closed his eyes and waited for a sign, perhaps the voice of her spirit, something that the old slaves used to speak of, to tell him what to do, give him an answer to keeping his daughter and saving her from the peril that awaited her with Sean.


"Hey" Sean uttered, closing the door to the study behind him to ensure they'd be in private if and when someone decided to venture to that side of the house which for now only housed him and Marita.

"Hey" She smiled, looking up from the files she was pulling from the drawer.

"I'm sorry I missed lunch." He stated, giving her a quick kiss. "Things have been really busy today."

"No need to apologize." Marita softly replied, amazed at how his most innocent caresses filled her with tenderness and heat. "I had to eat on the run myself because I needed to complete June's invoicing and ready those client proposals for your meetings tomorrow afternoon." She said, now gathering the files she'd laid on top of the cabinet then made her way back to the desk.

"It's the holiday. It always generates an extra up-kick in business." Sean said as he followed. "Things will likely slow back to normal in a few days."

"That's good to know." She sighed as she placed the files on the desk and turned to face him, propping herself on its edge. "I've barely had a chance to breathe since I started this morning."

"How's your day been? Really?" Sean questioned, thinking of their conversation from the evening before regarding her pa learning of their marriage and the subsequent quarrel that had ensued. Marita had been wounded over the encounter, had scolded herself for being so careless to forget to remove her wedding rings and wept over the pain and distance between her and her pa.

"Alright." She solemnly said, briefly looking down, knowing what her husband was really asking.

"Still upset about your pa." Sean quietly asked, stepping closer to her to tenderly sweeping a stray hair from her face. Marita drew a breath and nodded as she again dropped her eyes then spoke.

"Even though I was firm with him, told him there was nothing more for us to discuss, maybe I was too cold." She voiced, her eyes still down. "Maybe I could've met him halfway…."

"Baby how?" Sean queried with compassion, his hand brushing her chin, lifting it to bring her eyes back to his. "Your pa made it clear that he would never accept us together. Anything short of you renouncing our marriage would be unacceptable to him."

"I know." She sighed. "I just feel like despite his lies, he's been through a lot. He seen me…nearly die and I can only imagine what that did to him. I can understand his inability to support my marriage to you." She said. "Part of me just feels as if I'm not being fair to him, that I'm not respecting what he's feeling."

"You have to know that's not true." Sean countered, meeting her sad stare, with tender conviction. "You respect what he's feeling with your understanding." He continued. "But understanding doesn't mean you live your life based on his wants and needs."

Marita took in his words, trying to let them sink in. He was right. She couldn't live her life for her pa, but it still didn't stop the pain and guilt she felt at hurting him. "I just don't want this, how distant we are now to be the way we are forever." She uttered her voice shaking with emotion, paining Sean who wished there was something he could do to help mend her relationship with her pa. He could talk to the man. He wanted to, but knew their hostile relationship would only serve to further damage the already fragile bond between her and her pa.

"I know." Sean whispered, then kissed her forehead before pulling her from the desk, wrapping her in his strength, driving her to sigh at the comfort it brought.

"What about your day?" She quietly asked remaining in his arms for a beat longer, then stepping back to look him in the eyes. "Clay still giving you the cold shoulder?"

"You know it." Sean replied as he played with a curl that hung near her ear. "We were supposed to go together to meet with Mr. Pearson late this afternoon about pa's case, now he's saying he has an appointment, that he'll just meet me at Mr. Pearson's office."

"Eventually he's going to have to admit that he was wrong and accept that you're not the enemy, that you want to save the ranch as much as he."

"My brother is very stubborn and very arrogant." Sean pointed out. "He won't admit he's wrong until Asa shows up with the deed to the ranch in hand." He said, a shiver of distress springing through him at the thought. "I just hope it doesn't come to that."

"Any word on a date for the hearing?"

"No, but Mr. Ridley did say that it could be the end of the week before a date is set." Marita quietly muttered a 'hm', her mind running the different scenarios Sean had told her could result from the hearing as Sean closed the small space between them.

"You know I missed you last night." He then stated in a hushed tone, drawing her from her thoughts with a searing kiss to her neck, before returning amorously languid eyes to hers.

"Already?" Marita gasped, feeling the power of his mouth's caress in every part of her form. "I thought after the morning I gave you yesterday, you'd be good for at least the next few weeks." She smokily replied.

"I'm anything but." Sean countered. "I think you may have started something." He huskily accused, then kissed her with deep fervor.

"I think I may have created a monster." Marita breathed when he opted for another serving of her fragrant neck as his hands now drifted to her hips, scorching her with his firm manhood that was now pressing against her through the fabric of their clothes.

"Indeed." Sean hotly agreed. "I don't think you had any idea what you were getting yourself into when you married me."

"Married?" A voice exclaimed. Sean promptly abandoned the fervent path he was grazing beneath Marita's ear and like her, swiftly turned startled eyes to the door.

"Lexy, what are you doing here?" He exclaimed, embarassed and stunned that they'd been caught. With the servants busy on the west side of the house and the family in town or completing tasks around the property, he thought they'd have some time alone without having to worry about being discovered.

"I was looking for Alice?" The young girl slowly replied, her expression a mixture of wonder and shock. "But what about you?" She then nervously asked. " Is it true, what you said?" Her eyes cautious with excitement darting between the mortified and surprised adults before her. "Are you married?" She asked.

Marita and Sean glanced at each, then back at Lexy, stammering and stuttering in attempt to concoct a plausible denial to her question, when one simply gave up the sham, concluding that any response would insult the insightful young girl and would only heightened her curiosity, make her push for the truth and as as result unintentionally inform others of what was quickly becoming a secret that was difficult to keep...

"Yes. We're married." Sean replied with resignation, shocking Marita and thrilling and his already excited sister. Lexy instantly ran across the room, threw her arms around their waists as best she could and buried her face where their chests met, nearly pushing them back against the desk.

"I knew you still wanted to be together." She happily uttered. "Did it happen Independence Day?" She questioned, now looking up into their faces.

"No. The day before." Marita quietly, slowly answered, cautiously smiling at Lexy's enthusiasm that was quickly catching on.

"Is that why you didn't go to Louisville?" She then asked, turning her attention to Sean.

"No." He stated with a small smile. "I stayed behind because of Zenith. This wasn't planned." He uttered, briefly turning his gaze to Marita giving her a loving stare.

"So you just admitted you loved each other and decided to marry?"

"Pretty much." "Yes." Marita and Sean declared at once. Lexy joyfully squealed at their response and hugged them again, flooding them with jubilation. Despite her being a child and thus not fully understanding the ramifications of what they'd done it still felt good to know that at least one person was genuinely happy for them.

"Does pa know? When can we tell the rest of the family?" Lexy eagerly exclaimed.

"Pa doesn't know, and he and the rest of the family can't know, at least not for a while." Sean reluctantly declared, the mirth gone from his tone at taking the wind out of her sails.

"Why?" His sister questioned with confusion and disappointment, her smile now a frown. Sean then went on to explain the reasoning behind his request with Marita occasionally concurring his thought as Lexy stood listening in quiet morose.


"Jeremy testifies tomorrow." Alice stated in a worried tone as she took another box of items to the wagon while Marita followed behind, carrying her own box of goods. "Do you think he'll show for court?" She asked.

"He doesn't have a choice." Marita replied as she set the slightly heavy box she carried onto the back of the wagon. "When Sean and Clay found him they made sure he wouldn't disappear again before testifying in court." She assured.

"And how did they manage that?" Alice curiously asked. She knew about her brothers finding Jeremy, even their discussion with Mr. Pearson, who'd told them that the boy's testimony would be useful, but that was pretty much all she knew. She had no idea where they'd taken the boy after his interview with the lawyer or where he'd been staying while waiting to testify for her pa.

"The details you don't need to know." Marita said, turning to face the young woman who stood waiting for an answer.

"Of course, because I might tell the wrong person where he is." Alice scoffed. "I still can't believe I was so stupid as to fall for Jeremy's lies and then to tell him about pa's case." She sighed.

"As unfortunate as that was I don't think it did any serious damage." Marita declared, attempting to comfort the young woman. "Tomorrow he'll be at court. He'll testify, and things will finally turn for the better for your pa."

"I really, really hope you're right." Alice replied, feeling somewhat better at Marita's confident words. The young ladies then returned to the small shed and retrieved more boxes of goods that Alice planned to donate to the Youth Women's Social Society Drive for the needy, unaware that someone crazed and menacing was listening to their every word, watching their every move. Though the Drive wasn't scheduled until the end of the month, Alice decided to donate her old clothing items and books now since she'd likely still be in Boston at that time of the fundraiser.

"So, are you staying for dinner tonight?" She asked as they returned to the wagon with more boxes. "My last dinner in Lexington before I'm shipped off to Boston."

"It won't be for long." Marita replied. "As soon as this mess is resolved with your pa and its safe, you and Lexy will be able to return." She reassured. "And yes I will be joining the family for dinner." She emphasized with a brief look at her friend before returning to putting the boxes in the wagon.

For a moment Alice watched Marita work, noting her more confident and joyful manner. "You know, you've been positively glowing since we returned from Louisville." Alice stated, still watching her friend. "Sean too." She realized aloud. "Well, he's not glowing, but he's been really happy."

"Alice you talk like you've been home for days, it's barely been twenty-four hours." Marita brushed off, even as she fought the bliss that threatened to blush on her cheeks, wondering if she should just confess her marriage to Sean, seeing as Lexy now knew and it was questionable whether she'd be able to keep the secret Sean had sworn her to.

"What does that have to do with anything? That still doesn't change what I see." Alice countered with a smile as Marita shook her head in denial, and turned away desperately trying to hide the beam of delight that was steadily rising on her face. "Did something happen between you and Sean while we were away?" She suspiciously asked, but before Marita could answer a man suddenly appeared from behind the brush and knocked her to the ground. Alice screamed her friend's name and moved to run to her side but was stopped by the man's gun that was now trained on her. The man knew he'd made a mistake in attacking the Negro. She was after all the source to what he sought. When he came to the east pasture looking for Alice Logan, he thought she was his best chance at finding what he wanted – Jeremy Bradford. She had been the weakest link in the Logan's armor of secrecy. However, upon hearing her conversation with the Negro he found that her knowledge wasn't what he needed, it was the knowledge of the Negro. Unfortunately, the Negro was in the wrong place at the wrong time too close to the bush when his plan was to incapacitate one, then take the other. Now, she was down, but she wasn't out. She could still give him what he needed, and Alice Logan was going to help him off the ranch so that he could get it.

"Help her up to the wagon." He commanded Alice as Marita stirred on the ground, not completely incapacitated.

"Why?" Alice boldly asked, even as her voice shook with fear at not only the man's violence, but who she thought he might be.

"Don't test me." The man harshly warned. "Now do as I say, and no funny business or you and this Negro will be dead before you can scream for help." Alice gazed at the man whose eyes raged with hate, her breath catching with fright at his features that were eerily similar to those of Jeb Winters, when she quickly looked away and did as he'd directed.

"Are you alright?" Alice shakily whispered as she assisted a disoriented Marita from the ground, but the young woman could hardly provide a coherent response.

"No! On the back!" The man ordered when Alice tried to help Marita onto the passenger side of the cart. Alice reluctantly complied, quietly directing a still jumbled, yet slowly inquisitive Marita to mount the bed of the wagon.

"What's going on?" Marita tried to question again, when a wave of pain shot through her head making her double over, sink to the floor of the wagon.

"Marita!" Alice exclaimed dropping to her knees next to the woman who now lay on her side holding her head, tearful at seeing her friend in such a condition.

"Cover her with that blanket." The man said, pointing his gun to a blanket that lay atop one of the boxes nearby. Alice's head snapped up, her eyes firmly on the man as she weakly refused his demand.

"Do what I say or die!" The man boomed swinging the gun back to Alice's face, his finger caress it's trigger. Alice immediately obeyed, her hands trembling as she drew the blanket from the pile of clothes and threw it over her friend.

"She needs a doctor." Alice tried to reason, holding the man's menacing eyes as she sat next to her friend, her hand over her covered form, hoping it was comforting her somehow.

"She'll survive." The man coldly replied. "Now get on the driver's side." He instructed, his sinister tone daring her to challenge him again. Alice wanted to scream, but no one was around. It's was just them out here, on the edge of the eastern pasture. And what about her life and Marita's? She was certain if she done anything to deliberately defy his command he'd kill them both, then where would they be? Alice swallowed back tears of distress, but found that seconds later they returned in full force, stinging her eyes and twisting her stomach in knots. Alice slipped into the driver's side of the wagon and briefly thought of directing the horses to go, leaving their captor behind, but such musings came to a halt when the man quickly slid in beside her and order her to go.

"Where?" Alice uneasily questioned. "What do you want?"

"To get me off this ranch, without incident." The man answered when she finally saw what she'd missed before, confirming the suspicion that had plagued her since this ordeal started - a phoenix tattoo on the man's upper left arm. The realization sickened her with terror but somehow she managed to flap the horses reigns inciting them to go before Jeb commanded her again.

"Hmrph, you're a quick study." He snorted. "Just remember who's in charge." He spit with malice, jamming the gun in Alice's side causing her to yelp in fear. "You try anything when we approach that gate and you'll be dead before you can blink. Do you understand me?" He warned. Alice vigorously nodded, then briefly closed her eyes, praying that somehow she and Marita would find their way out of this mess before Jeb could force them off the property and into a situation they'd likely never escape.


Sean intently listened as Mr. Pearson gave them a detailed account of his conversation with Jeremy. Earlier that day the man had met with the young man at an undisclosed location to prep for his day in court. Clay and Sean would've liked to have been there for the discussion, but thought it best they stay away in case someone was watching them, specifically Jeb Winters, waiting for them to lead him to the boy. So they'd instead sent word to the guard that was keeping watch over Jeremy to meet Mr. Pearson at the special location that was public in that if someone was following Mr. Pearson they'd think he was there on legal business unrelated to their pa, but private in that it held the business offices of a family friend, Henry James, who'd allowed them to use his space for the interview. Now, based on what Sean and Clay were hearing, how Mr. Pearson had prepared Jeremy, things were expected to go well in court, which restored Sean's faith. He was now confident that their pa would be cleared once the jury heard what the young man had to say, that some sense of ordered would be restored in all of their lives. Everything was falling into place he mused as he soaked up every detail of the lawyer's planned strategy with Jeremy. Not only with their pa's case, but his unexpected marriage to Marita, he smiled within. Perhaps all these good turns of fate were a sign of things to come. Maybe, just maybe they could resolve the mess with Asa with minimal damage to their lives and the business their pa and grandpa had worked so hard to build. He thought with hope, when suddenly his heart went cold, pulsing with foreboding, troubling his soul. His breath steadily increased as fear rose within him, tearing through his veins, telling him who it was – Marita. She was in trouble.

"I have to go!" Sean interrupted Mr. Pearson 's recount and abruptly stood, drawing all eyes, bewildered and stunned, to him.

"Sean what the hell?" Clay angrily asserted as he too stood.

"Not now Clay!" Sean fiercely ordered as he put on his hat then opened the office door. "You'll have to finish without me! " He stated without even looking back as he quickly left the room.

"Sean!" Clay fiercely exclaimed as he followed his brother into the hallway. "Sean!" He yelled again, but Sean failed to answer, continuing forward, hurriedly and terrified as he made his way down the hall, deeply troubled at what he could feel might be happening to his wife.


Marita's head throbbed, her stomach queasy under the haziness spun by the blow she'd suffered. What had happened? She tried to recall when it rushed back to her. She'd been helping Alice pack the wagon with donations for the Youth Women's Social Society, and they'd been discussing her "glowing" mood when she felt a sharp pain shoot through her head, then saw blackness. Marita slightly moved beneath the blanket fighting the grogginess and pain that threatened to overtake her as the wagon, bumped roughly over the gravel of the road. Had they left the ranch? No. She quickly deduced upon smelling the strong scent of horses and magnolia trees that in this part of town only grew near the drive that led into the ranch. Furthermore she could hear words – a man, demanding that Alice remain calm, to get them off the ranch without incident or else. Marita fought the fogginess that weighed down her thoughts, her consciousness seeming heavier than the blanket that lay over her. She had to stop him. She weakly thought. She couldn't let him get them off the property. Marita pushed against the blanket that seemed to weigh a ton, using all of her strength to emerge from beneath the covering to let someone know they were in trouble, when dizziness hit her again, sending her into unconsciousness. Alice carefully guided the wagon past the guards that were stationed at the front gate of the property, hoping that one of them would see the fear in her eyes, her trembling hands that were holding the reigns, but they saw nothing. Just one of the Logan girls being escorted to town by a chaperone which was normal considering all that was going on with the family. Everything was normal they thought as they nodded and watched them go on their way. Alice wanted to yell for help, but the threats the man at her side had made severed her tongue, shattering any courage she might've had.

"Go faster!" Jeb ordered once they'd cleared the property and was a good distance away from the entry.

"Go faster where?" Alice shakily exclaimed as she obeyed his command, flapping the horses reigns provoking them to a speed she could barely handle. "What do you want from us?"

"I want Jeremy Bradford." The man darkly revealed. "And as soon I wake your Negro friend she's going to take me to him, or neither one of you will live to see another sunrise."


A fearfully Lexy ran for her life, tears in her eyes and terror in her heart as her mind replayed the scene she'd just witnessed. She'd gone to meet Marita and Alice at the old shed, near the edge of the east pasture to assist them with packing up old items Alice was planning to donate to the Youth Women's Social Society when just as she'd turned the corner of the shed, she'd seen the man with the Phoenix tattoo pointing a gun and ordering Alice to help an injured Marita into the back of the wagon. Lexy had stopped in her tracks, frozen by what she was seeing. It had been a miracle that the man or even Alice hadn't turned to see her as she stood watching in stunned and petrified silence, but thankfully they hadn't seen her. And somehow she'd manage to regain her wits and quietly move back behind the shed, rooting her body against its side while listening to the horror that was happening just out of view. After Marita had been placed in the back of the wagon, she'd heard the man order Alice to get in the wagon and drive, telling her if she didn't obey his command he'd kill her. Lexy wanted to say something, to scream that there was trouble, but they were at the edge of the east pasture. There was likely no one around within yelling distance, and what if the man shot Alice or Marita or both. Lexy couldn't risk the man killing her family. Her family, Lexy's heart cried as the magnitude of the situation pressed down upon her, the thought of what it would do to her pa if something happened to Alice, the thought of what it do to Sean if he lost Marita just when he'd gotten her back. Panic infused strength in Lexy's legs increasing speed as she desperately looked for someone, anyone who could help her when finally she reached civilization, immediately spotting Isaac leisurely walking across the way. Without a second thought the young girl screamed his name and ran in panic towards her best chance at salvation for Alice and Marita…


Isaac rushed towards the front gate of the Ranch as Lexy's words burned in his mind, making him ride faster than he had in years. When the young girl ran to him in a tearful panic he figured the worst it could be was that a worker had been injured, maybe even a horse, but to learn that things were much worse than he expected, that Jeb Winters had somehow made it onto the property and taken his daughter and Alice made his blood run cold. Fighting his own trepidation, Isaac had managed to calm Lexy enough to go with a female servant who took the girl back to the house to wait until her brother's returned home. Isaac didn't like leaving her in the state that she was in, in the care of servants, but what choice did he have? He had to find his daughter, and Lexy couldn't be with him to do that. Approaching the exit to the ranch, Isaac's heart sank at what he saw, the guardsmen walking about as calm as they'd be any other day, no signs of suspicion or alarm. Jeb had gotten through. He knew, his hold on the reigns faltering a bit at the realization. God where would he take them? He wondered with dread. Did he want a ransom? Or did he want to just harm them? But why take Marita, she had no relation to the Log…? Oh Lord no. Isaac's thoughts stopped midstream. Did Jeb know of her marriage to Sean? Is that why he took her? His mind raced with the unimaginable again recalling the last conversation he and his daughter had, how he'd warned her of this very thing. His chest tightened at the possibility of the worst case scenario rearing its ugly head again. This time it could be much worse than what happened before because Jeb's actions would not only be fueled by bigotry but a crazed need for vengeance that made him more dangerous than the lunatic she'd encountered in Illinois. No. He'd find her before things escalated to that point. He vowed, refusing to let such a horror fester in his mind. The gate guards now walked towards him, alarmed by him and the group of ranchmen that followed on horseback.

"What's going on?" One of the guardsmen's asked as he strolled up to the small posse with the other guardsman following behind. Isaac silently uttered a quick request to God, asking that the men at least saw what direction Jeb had gone, then he answered the man's query, telling them with urgency of the trouble they'd allowed on the ranch then demanded to know if they saw which way the man had escaped with Alice Logan and his daughter.