"Have you completely lost your mind?" Harriet asked wide-eyed.
"Harriet, I know it sounds like a crazy idea," Mac began, but Bud cut her off.
"It's not crazy, Mac," he said hotly, "It's ludicrous. Brumby has no power over you. He has no legal leverage."
"You're right," Mac said, "But he doesn't need any. With my uncle gone, there's no one here to stand up to him, and as soon as Loren spreads word of the slaves being here, the entire community will be only to glad to come here, imprison us all, and burn the place down." Mac paused as visions of Sweetfern engulfed in hot flames flashed over her eyes. "The only way I can prevent that from happening is to agree to marry him."
Harriet shook her head. "But you hate him," she said softly. "Can you imagine spending the rest of your life begin his wife? Then he really will have power over you."
"I can do what I have to do," Mac replied determinedly. Bud and Harriet stared back at her, knowing that nothing they could say would change her mind. She rose from her seat, leaving her dinner untouched. "I'm going to take that tray up to Lieutenant Rabb."
Hannah and the Roberts watched silently as Mac disappeared up the stairs. When she reached the West room, she saw Harm standing at the window. He didn't turn to face her, but he said, "You can't marry that man."
Mac put the tray down and then joined him at the window. She crossed her arms as she looked out over her rose garden, and the magnolia tree. "How did you hear about that?"
"Bud," he said simply, looking down at her. "He seemed concerned that you were actually considering it."
Mac didn't trust herself to answer. Even though she'd known him for only a few weeks, she knew that she wouldn't be able to lie to this man.
Frustrated by her silence, Harm turned away from her, and said venomously, "That man is the worst excuse for a human being I have ever met."
Mac turned away from the window and began to straighten the dishes on the tray unnecessarily. "Come and eat," she said softly.
Harm faced her back. "What was your decision?"
Mac couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. "I'm going to marry him," she said her voice almost a whisper. She was furious at herself for her weakness.
Harm shook his head in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
Mac forced herself to turn and lift her eyes up to his. "I have to. It's the only way to protect everyone here."
"There has to be another way, Mac."
"There is no other way," she replied emotionally. Tears were brimming in her eyes. "As long as AJ is away, Brumby holds all the cards."
"This can't be legal," he tried to reason.
"It doesn't matter if it's legal or not." A single tear fell from her eye and left its wet trail down her cheek. "Brumby will sway the community and everything that Sweetfern is will be." Her voice caught in her throat. "Will be destroyed, burned, like the Roberts' farm." She put her hand over her mouth and put her back to Harm.
Harm stood rigidly, looking at her. Her shoulders shook as she stood next to the bed. He didn't know what to do. Should he go to her, and comfort her, or would that injure her pride? He resolved to try to comfort. He crossed the room in three long strides, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She hiccuped, and then forced herself to stop crying. This was ridiculous; tears would help nothing. And, she wouldn't be seen as a weak, emotionally vulnerable sap of a woman, not by Harm. She sniffed one last time, wiped her eyes, and turned around to look at him. But when she looked into his usually guarded eyes, she saw something there that she'd never seen before.
"You can't marry that man," he whispered, his voice husky. Tingles ran down Mac's spine at the sound of his voice. All of a sudden Harm was standing only a few inches from her, their bodies almost touching. He raised his good arm, and wiped away the last remaining tear on Mac's cheek. "You can't marry him," he said again.
Mac covered his hand with her own. Her eyes darted back and forth between Harm's. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "I have to." She dropped her hand from his and fled from the room, leaving Harm standing alone, a bewildered and defeated look on his face.
"Harriet, I know it sounds like a crazy idea," Mac began, but Bud cut her off.
"It's not crazy, Mac," he said hotly, "It's ludicrous. Brumby has no power over you. He has no legal leverage."
"You're right," Mac said, "But he doesn't need any. With my uncle gone, there's no one here to stand up to him, and as soon as Loren spreads word of the slaves being here, the entire community will be only to glad to come here, imprison us all, and burn the place down." Mac paused as visions of Sweetfern engulfed in hot flames flashed over her eyes. "The only way I can prevent that from happening is to agree to marry him."
Harriet shook her head. "But you hate him," she said softly. "Can you imagine spending the rest of your life begin his wife? Then he really will have power over you."
"I can do what I have to do," Mac replied determinedly. Bud and Harriet stared back at her, knowing that nothing they could say would change her mind. She rose from her seat, leaving her dinner untouched. "I'm going to take that tray up to Lieutenant Rabb."
Hannah and the Roberts watched silently as Mac disappeared up the stairs. When she reached the West room, she saw Harm standing at the window. He didn't turn to face her, but he said, "You can't marry that man."
Mac put the tray down and then joined him at the window. She crossed her arms as she looked out over her rose garden, and the magnolia tree. "How did you hear about that?"
"Bud," he said simply, looking down at her. "He seemed concerned that you were actually considering it."
Mac didn't trust herself to answer. Even though she'd known him for only a few weeks, she knew that she wouldn't be able to lie to this man.
Frustrated by her silence, Harm turned away from her, and said venomously, "That man is the worst excuse for a human being I have ever met."
Mac turned away from the window and began to straighten the dishes on the tray unnecessarily. "Come and eat," she said softly.
Harm faced her back. "What was your decision?"
Mac couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. "I'm going to marry him," she said her voice almost a whisper. She was furious at herself for her weakness.
Harm shook his head in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
Mac forced herself to turn and lift her eyes up to his. "I have to. It's the only way to protect everyone here."
"There has to be another way, Mac."
"There is no other way," she replied emotionally. Tears were brimming in her eyes. "As long as AJ is away, Brumby holds all the cards."
"This can't be legal," he tried to reason.
"It doesn't matter if it's legal or not." A single tear fell from her eye and left its wet trail down her cheek. "Brumby will sway the community and everything that Sweetfern is will be." Her voice caught in her throat. "Will be destroyed, burned, like the Roberts' farm." She put her hand over her mouth and put her back to Harm.
Harm stood rigidly, looking at her. Her shoulders shook as she stood next to the bed. He didn't know what to do. Should he go to her, and comfort her, or would that injure her pride? He resolved to try to comfort. He crossed the room in three long strides, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She hiccuped, and then forced herself to stop crying. This was ridiculous; tears would help nothing. And, she wouldn't be seen as a weak, emotionally vulnerable sap of a woman, not by Harm. She sniffed one last time, wiped her eyes, and turned around to look at him. But when she looked into his usually guarded eyes, she saw something there that she'd never seen before.
"You can't marry that man," he whispered, his voice husky. Tingles ran down Mac's spine at the sound of his voice. All of a sudden Harm was standing only a few inches from her, their bodies almost touching. He raised his good arm, and wiped away the last remaining tear on Mac's cheek. "You can't marry him," he said again.
Mac covered his hand with her own. Her eyes darted back and forth between Harm's. Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. "I have to." She dropped her hand from his and fled from the room, leaving Harm standing alone, a bewildered and defeated look on his face.
