Chapter Twenty-Nine

Como greeted Maris at the door. He kissed her on both cheeks in the Italian style, "Our friend is wearing out a path in the floor of the roof waiting on you, let me escort you."

"Thank you, Como." and she took his arm up the three flights of stairs.

Nick watched for the roof door to open and rushed to the door. His wide grin showed in the shadows and he let out a chuckle, "Audra gave me a warning about the blonde hair. I tried to get a picture in my head but you my lady are beautiful no matter what color your hair is—-"

He handed his arm to Maris as she blushed, "Thank you, Nicholas,"

He walked her across the roof, through the tables for two, and across the dance floor to an area behind two lattices and palm trees. He pushes away a velvet curtain to a table for two with a candle burning in a wine bottle. Two hand-painted plates and a magnum of champagne on the checkered tablecloth—

He pulled out a chair and she turned to face him. He couldn't help himself and he kissed her passionately. She returned his kiss with vigor; he parted her lips and she dueled with him. He pulled her firmly into his arms and his desire was evident. She found herself melding into his body. She lifted her arms up and ran her fingers around his neck on his tippy toes. Footsteps of the waiter interrupted their embrace. Both of them were breathless from the kiss. She sat down trembling into her chair—-grabbing the arms to steady herself and Nick stumbled a second finding his own chair. They both nervously laughed.

"I guess I have been saving that up for two months—-you take my breath away, Maris,"

"I have been dreaming of that for two months," she whispered back.

"You wore green,"

"For you, Nicholas. Your mother sent this dress and I love it."

"It fits you perfectly," he commented in appreciation.

The waiter brought a basket of bread and a plate of butter to the table. Nick cut the bread and dipped it in the butter. He handed the first bite to Maris. She took it and bit—-she handed it back to him. He finished off the piece, never taking his eyes off hers.

"Maris, I have one rule for tonight. We only talk about us. Tomorrow we can talk about the trial."

"Agreed," she lifted her glass in a toast.

He crinkled his eyes in his grin, "To us."

"To us,"

—-&—

They nibbled off the sampler platter and had several glasses of champagne. Nick moved his chair across from her—to beside her. The lattice screen set up by Como and his help gave them complete privacy with the open night sky and candlelight.

He took her hand in his and kissed it. He pulled her elbow up straight on the table and began to kiss down her arm. She couldn't help herself from making small noises that spurred him on.

The footsteps interrupted his kiss as the waiter cleared his throat. He cleared their plates from the table. Nick never quit looking into her eyes. She was literally trembling in a way she had never done before.

"Would you like to dance?"

She could only nod as he led her out onto the dance floor. He slowly moved with the string music to the shadows looking out onto the city. He whispered into her ear endearments and each breath made her shiver.

They lost all track of time and realized they were the last couple on the rooftop terrace. They walked downstairs and Nick nodded to Como with a wink and bills from his pocket.

He put the black opera cape around her shoulders, "I still can't get used to this blonde hair."

She laughed, "I scared myself by passing a mirror twice."

He laughed and helped her into the carriage. The silk clung to her derrière and he had to close his eyes to stifle his body's response.

"Oh honey," he groaned.

"Pardon?" She asked in innocence as he sat down beside her. He shook his head.

He put his arm around her and she nuzzled into his strong embrace.

"Let's go up to the cliffs by the harbor, Grover."

"Yes'sm Mr. Nick." smirking at the couple.

—&—

The couple kissed and embraced the ride up to the rise above the city. The small grassy park with rock outcroppings was empty this time of night as Grover handed Nick down the saddle blanket. The dew was already starting to form at this late hour. He wrapped her opera cape around her and walked her to the clearing.

A low fog was rolling in but the stars above them shone bright. He spread the blanket out and they sat down.

"Maris, I have missed you so much—-" and he laid another kiss on her hand.

"Nicholas—-" she pulled a long ribbon from her puff sleeve and corset. It contained her engagement ring.

"I keep this on my left side, close to my heart. I couldn't bear to put it away these past months. So it's well hidden."

"Oh Maris. You are going to have that back on your finger soon."

He kissed the ring and dropped it into her bodice. He cupped his hand over her bodice, held it there, and squeezed. She closed her eyes and trembled at his familiarity.

"Maris, I want you. More than I can figure out the words to say. I am trying to do this right but I have fought myself the whole time. I know what Jarrod and Nate told us to do was right in my head. But not feeling that in my heart. Wanted to get on the train and drag you back to the ranch. Marry you in the church building or the parlor. I never thought I would marry again and now it's all I think about."

"Nicholas, I am a widow I know—but I am not. I have never been a wife. Ever. I want to be a wife to you." then whispered, "I want to learn"

He growled at her and pulled her tight, "I want to teach you; I can tell you right now, you are a fast learner already."

She leaned back into his embrace and he held her tightly.

"Oh Maris, I almost forgot. Looking at you all night muddles me up."

He pulled out a velvet pouch from his jacket, "Saw this and it looked like you. All pretty and delicate."

He put it around her wrist, nipped the top of her hand with a kiss, and fixed the clasp.

"I love it. It's so beautiful."

"Seed pearls. Little man by the Stockon wharf makes them out of freshwater pearls from the river. Mussels. The same water runs through the ranch."

"So the pearls are part of who you are, your land."

"You can say that."

"So I shall look down in love and know I am wearing a little piece of my Nicholas during the day."

He grinned, "I like that."

—-&—-

The Autonberry rail cars were docking in the station in the middle of the night. They had been delayed out of Denver. He had purchased a fourth car in his fine entourage.

Lila was asleep in her own car much to his relief; he had allowed her to redecorate with his approval. Gold gilt and red velvet and floral carpeting—-. He had his mind full of Maris and the hearing two days away. He had missed the first one and let Peterson handle it. He second-guessed his lawyer's tact over the past months and decided he could better state his case than his attorney. He brought in an upcoming new attorney from Denver who was proving brilliant and ruthless there. He had connections in San Francisco that might prove helpful. A generous retainer and the man was on his team. He asked to testify himself and present before the judge; he had trifled with a bribe but decided his case was so superior, that it would be beneath it. He knew he would bring the Judge to his side, keep James David and bring Maris home.

"Anyone clearly—will see Maris has been duped and must be confined to home until she gains her senses again. My home, of course. No woman should make these hysterical decisions. She's in need of my paternal notions for sure. A discussion man-to-man with the judge should end this farce."

—-&—-

Jarrod and Nate in their separate homes across town were still at their desks going over their case.

Neither one of them saw any way that JD Autonberry could commit Maris to a sanitarium. The conservatorship seemed unbreakable. Two respected physicians from two different hospitals interviewed Maris and considered her to be of sane mind along with a college professor and personal physician. Nate's reputation as a conservator was affirmed by a California Supreme Court justice and a federal judge.

The money was a moot point for Jarrod and Nate to argue; she had signed away the inheritance during the first trial. Even if Maris had a case, JD would have the trust so tied up she would still be under his thumb.

They had photographs of her vandalized clothing and personal items. They believed it showed malice and malevolence on JD's part.

But the custody or even the visitation rights was a total tossup for Jarrod and Nate. The law was not in her favor for full custody but she had done nothing wrong to share or visit her son.

"Maris refuses to have James David testify. She knows his future is inexplicably tied to the Autonberrys."

"She will even agree to holidays if James David is allowed to stay in school until he is eighteen in California."

"She wants to marry Nick—but he won't marry her if she loses her son because of him."

"I can't imagine Autonberry walking away from this, his grandson, his daughter-in-law—"

"He will crush Maris and Nick if he can."

"We have proof that Peterson sabotaged the two visits at Pine Crest and lied to the Headmaster."

"We have photographs of the trunk. Despicable."

"How does Nick go back to the ranch and his life without Maris?"