Madison paused in the process of wrapping baling wire around the fence post, suddenly sure she could feel someone’s gaze on her. She looked up from her task, seeing no one in front of her in the rows of grapes. The hiss of a steam engine made her jump, and she spun to find the source. It was out-of-place, since there were only a few steam cars in the entire province, and none of her neighbors owned one.
The sunhat she used to shield her face also blocked her view, so she swept it off with one hand, using the other to shove the sweaty locks of gold-red that cascaded downward up and out of her face. Cupping her hand over her eyes, she had enough shade to make out the insignia on the door of the car. Arching a brow, she wondered what the governor of their province was doing out this far from the center of the village. Tom Blaney had no reason to leave Graceport to visit the wineries in the outlying areas. It wasn’t tax time, and he didn’t seem to care much about the people living under his governance unless they could do something for him.
With a shrug, she returned to the job of repairing the goats’ fence. They provided milk that was crucial for survival, but if they got loose in the grapes, it would be disaster for everyone in the Cole household. The disquieting sensation of being watched persisted until the car finally started up and drove on down the hill a few minutes later. Releasing a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding, Madison put down the wire cutters and moved on to reinforcing the next weak section of the wood, thinking no more about the incident until much later in the day.
* * *
It was late afternoon by the time she returned to the main house, a modest ranch-style built at least one hundred years before. Her great-grandparents had struck it rich in something called stocks—which she didn’t think referred to cows or other livestock—and had bought the winery as their weekend getaway. After The End, it had become their permanent retreat and had allowed them and their descendents a chance to survive and start over in the new world.
What had once been a charming, quaint building kept in pristine condition had now fallen into age-related disrepair. Materials weren’t easy to acquire. Had they been, it was still a losing battle. The house was built at the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century and hadn’t been designed to withstand a century of hard living. For some reason, she noticed the house’s flaws today, wincing at the sagging porch and stairs, the peeling paint, and the missing shingles on the roof.
The sound of a horse neighing around the side of the house startled her, sending all futile musings about house repair flying from her mind. Biting back a sigh, she dropped her toolkit in the dust by the house, mentally hoping none of her neighbors had stopped by for a visit. After a long, hot day working in the sun, she wanted to fill the tub with a few buckets of tepid water and soak until the water turned ice-cold—which should take about an hour in the lingering heat of summer.
As she rounded the house, the horse came into view. No, more than one. Four? Her first thought was the Evans family had stopped by in a not-so-subtle attempt to mooch an evening meal. Almost immediately, she dismissed the thought, knowing they didn’t own horses. Having one horse was doable for most families, but four would be a luxury outside the means of the folks in the Yakima-Grace province.
Wearing a frown, she straightened her homespun cotton shirt as she stepped onto the front porch. At least the boards here didn’t sag as much as they did around the side of the house. With a cursory wipe on the rag rug to remove dust from her boots, Madison opened the screen door and entered her house.
It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer interior, and she couldn’t stifle a gasp when she recognized the forms of four soldiers standing awkwardly in the kitchen, with her mother standing in front of the pot-bellied stove, clearly waiting for the cast iron teakettle to boil.
What did Blaney’s people want? She knew they’d surrendered their required allotment of grapes and wine to cover their annual taxes, because she had helped pack and load it herself. As she rushed to her mother’s side, intent on sending Elaine to sit down at the shabby table, she realized it wasn’t the gray uniform of the local province soldiers. These men wore the black and silver uniform standard to the Commander’s army, stationed in Seattle-Archer. What had been anxiety suddenly escalated to pure terror. Why would the de facto president of their region send troops to their modest home? When these soldiers came, people disappeared.
Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she put an arm around her mom’s waist and led her to the table, saying, “You shouldn’t be out of bed, Momma.”
Elaine summoned a wan smile. “I couldn’t be rude to our guests.”
Shooting a baleful glance at the one who appeared to be in charge of the small group, she said, “I can imagine.” No doubt they had pounded on the door, threatening to break it down unless her mother opened up. Patting Elaine’s shoulder, she said, “I’ll handle it now.”
The teakettle whistled as she turned from her mother, and she took a moment to take it off the stove before spinning around to confront the soldier standing slightly apart from the others. “Why are you here?”
If he found her tone disrespectful, it didn’t show in his expression. He straightened slightly. “Commander Archer would like you to be his companion for dinner this evening.”
“Me?” The word was almost a squeak, and she had to clear her throat before continuing. “I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong house or something. I don’t know the commander.”
A small frown disrupted his bland expression. “You are Madison Cole?”
With a bit of hesitation, she nodded.
He inclined his head just once. “You are the guest we have been sent to fetch, Miss Cole.”
“This makes no sense. I’ve never even seen…” She trailed off, remembering the eerie feeling of being watched earlier. Had the commander been in Blaney’s car? A shiver raced down her spine at the thought of the ruler of the Northwest Federation spotting her and deciding to have her for the evening. She wasn’t naïve enough to think dinner was the only thing he expected.
Clearing her throat again, she said, “Please tell the commander I thank him for the honor, but I really can’t leave. My brother and father on a supply run, and my mother is ill. I couldn’t possibly leave her and my little sister here alone.”
The soldier lifted a single dark brow. “You want me to tell Commander Archer you said no?”
Madison nodded. “Please.”
He blinked. “Look, Miss Cole, I can’t do that.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“Because you don’t decline an invitation with the commander.” He ran a hand through closely cropped black hair, introducing a note of dishabille into his previously crisp appearance. “I can’t. You have to come with us. The consequences of doing otherwise…” He trailed off, looking pained.
Fear heightened another notch, making it difficult to breathe. As much as she wanted to keep protesting, a glance in her mother’s direction showed her Elaine was getting worried. The last thing her mother needed was to have this confrontation happen in her presence, where she would feel the need to stand by her daughter. If Elaine thought she didn’t want to go, her mother might do something crazy, like go for the hunting rifle. Sick as she was, her mother bear instincts were still strong.
Taking a deep breath, trying to diffuse the palpable tension, she managed a small smile. “In that case, I need a few minutes to change clothes.” Perhaps she could escape out the window and flee into the fields? It was a feeble plan, but at least it would get her away from the house and her mother’s concerned presence.
He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. It’s a rough ride back into Graceport, and you’ll have an opportunity to freshen up before dinner.”
Clinging to the idea of squeezing out her bedroom window, she said, “But I’ll need something to wear after I freshen up.”
Once again, he shook his head. “Something will be provided, Miss Cole.”
Disappointment settled like a lead weight in her chest. Once she was riding with the soldiers, there wouldn’t be a chance to flee. After her arrival at Graceport, she’d likely be surrounded by Archer’s entire security force, making escape impossible. Was there no way out of the “honor” of sharing the commander’s bed for a night? “How thoughtful,” she managed to say in a dry voice.
“Do you have a horse, Miss Cole?”
She shook her head, not bothering to tell them her father and brother had taken Hack on their trading trip. They were due back in two days, and she wondered if she could somehow keep them from finding out about her pending humiliation after the fact. Squaring her shoulders, she decided not to be so defeatist. There would have to be a way to escape. She just had to remain alert and not hesitate to seize the opportunity when it arose.
* * *
She ended up riding double with the soldier who had insisted she accompany them. He maintained a polite distance between them and engaged in meaningless small talk that required little conversation on her part. That was a blessing, because her mind was too preoccupied with the looming ordeal. Despite her determination to remain on-guard for an out, she couldn’t help her thoughts turning inward to dwell on what the evening might bring.
Although many girls her age were already wives or mothers—and had no doubt been lovers to men before marriage—she was still innocent at twenty. Her parents had tried to shelter her and protect her from harm. It was impossible to grow up around animals and not know what sex was, but she had always heeded her mom’s advice to wait until someone special came along. This commander was as far from special as she could envision. What awaited her was surely akin to rape, maybe even outright violent violation, depending on his proclivities.
By the time they reached the capitol of their province, she was hot and sweaty, with a stomach full of nausea. She’d been to Graceport a few times, but always as part of a family outing, with her father and brother nearby to offer protection. Only a crazy woman traveled alone, and she couldn’t have felt more alone if the soldiers surrounding her, and all the people milling about the streets, suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Today, the open-air market did nothing to delight or engage her senses. She surveyed the foods and wares with dead eyes, too afraid of her fate to find any pleasure in seeing so many people gathered together. There had to be at least a hundred shoppers and merchants in the milieu, which was a huge crowd to her.
The soldiers rode with purpose through the market, navigating a maze of streets that seemed to be leading them to the capitol building in the center of Graceport. The destination made sense. Obviously, the commander would set up shop in the seat of government for the province.
For the first time, she wondered why Archer was even in their area. What did the leading vineyard province in the Northwest Federation have to offer a man who lived in the capitol of the Federation? Archer must surely be used to luxury and the best of everything, even with limited resources and limited electricity. Hard to come by anywhere, those things were beyond scarce in their province. Only Blaney lived in any modicum of lavishness, and his mansion was no doubt humble by Seattle-Archer standards.
Perhaps the commander and Blaney were friends? Shady politicians often attracted like minds, didn’t they? Her father liked to say so anyway. Knowing how corrupt Blaney was, it increased her disgust to think of spending an evening with a man cut from the same cloth.
Chapter 2Her musings came to an end as they arrived at a building situated about a block from the impressive courthouse that served as Blaney’s headquarters. She recognized the three-story white building as the governor’s mansion, and it certainly seemed like one to her, having lived in a two-room house her entire life with two siblings and her parents.An elegant woman in a flowing purple dress waited on the marble steps. She flashed a bright white smile that contrasted beautifully with her black skin as she started down the stairs to meet them. The soldiers halted their horses, and the man she’d ridden with handed her down to the ground carefully.“Excellent, sergeant. I know Tiernan will be pleased you managed to find Miss Cole.” That bright smile, seemingly genuine, turned next to Madison. “It’s lovely that you could accept his invitation, Miss Cole.” She thrust out her hand in a motion that didn’t even allow Madison to think of refusing to shake it.“One doesn’t say no to the co
Chapter 3Cleo had helped her dress in an emerald green dress that displayed an alarming amount of cleavage. It was a beautiful gown, as was the white silk slip she wore underneath. She hadn’t protested when Cleo gave her sexy lace underwear to put on before the slip and had managed not to ask about a bra, figuring she wouldn’t be wearing any of the clothes long enough to need one.Midway through their preparations, a maid in a white uniform brought them a selection of cheeses and a bottle of local white wine. There was also a pot of tea, and Cleo poured her a cup without asking. With a doubtful sniff, she looked up at the other woman. “It smells strange.”Cleo nodded. “It’s not the tastiest thing ever, but a little stevia makes it better.” She spooned in a bit of green powder into her cup before drinking it in one long gulp.Shaking her head, Madison started to hand back the cup. “I’ll stick with the wine.”“Drink it, honey.”She regarded Cleo with mistrust. “Is it drugged?”Her frie
Chapter 4He didn’t wait for her assent as he tipped her chin higher and lowered his head. His lips were gentle against hers, coaxing a response she wanted to give. This gentle fluttering of his mouth against hers was nothing like the clumsy kiss a classmate had stolen from her when she was thirteen. Moving slowly, he deepened the kiss until she pressed against him, hand tangled in his now-dry curls.His tongue swept inside her mouth, igniting a spark that seemed to burn all the way through her. With shy strokes, she returned his caresses, darting her tongue into his mouth and out again as courage waned.After several minutes, he lifted his head and framed her face between his hands. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”She blushed, shaking her head.He smiled. “You don’t believe me?”Madison shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve just never thought about it, I guess. Papa used to say he’d have to run off the boys with a fencepost.” She blinked, remembering how silly her father had sometimes b
Chapter 5The sun streaming through the windows woke Madison, and she blinked with confusion. It was late in the morning, much later than she ever rose, and it took a moment for the night’s events to come rushing back to her.Instinctively, she reached for Tiernan, but wasn’t surprised to find him gone. With a small sigh, she sat up and scooted to the edge. Her clothes were nowhere in sight. She grimaced, hoping some solicitous maid hadn’t absconded with them and left her nothing to wear but the sheet on the bed. With a sigh, she dragged it off and wrapped it around herself.As she entered the room where they had eaten dinner, she stumbled to a halt. Tiernan sat at the table, a stack of paperwork in front of him. She frowned, remembering Cleo’s assurance that he would be long gone. Perhaps he’d switched up his routine for this visit.Feeling awkward and shy, she couldn’t quite meet his eyes when he looked up at her to greet her. She returned his good morning in a halting voice, flippi
Chapter 6Before Tiernan had morphed from tender lover to tyrant, she had briefly wondered how he and his troops had traveled to Graceport, since there weren’t enough steam vehicles in all of the surrounding area to ferry more than fifty people. Her mild curiosity had faded, but she still got her answer as Blaney’s driver brought the big station wagon to a halt near a train platform. Disdaining the hand the commander offered to assist her from the car, she slid out behind him and moved aside so Cleo and his personal chef could exit.He gave her no choice about walking beside him by reaching out to grasp her wrist and pull her along at a brisk pace. Perhaps he feared she would try to flee into the surrounding woods. Perceptive. The thought had crossed her mind, only to be discarded before he ever took hold of her. There were too many soldiers—who must have marched here earlier in the day to await Archer’s arrival—and she was still too close to home to risk an escape attempt.With as mu
Chapter 7Tiernan could barely keep his pace casual instead of breaking into a jog as he neared the door to his room. Knowing Madison was on the other side put a bounce in his step. He wasn’t looking forward to the initial pouting in which she was likely to engage, but once that was over, a night of pleasure loomed.He opened one of the doors slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, strolling through in the same manner. He stumbled for just a moment at the sight of Madison sitting at the table, dinner already laid out. It was so domestic, and so alien, that it took his breath away. His personal companions rarely joined him before bedtime and were always gone by morning. Only the companions he selected on his travels had dinner with him or stayed in his bed, and that was usually a strategy he employed to put them at ease and get somewhat acquainted before sex.She looked right in his room, a black nightgown with a plunging V-neck skimming her curves. One of the straps had slippe
Chapter 8Tiernan had kept his word, she discovered the next morning. Cleo arrived just after breakfast with several outfits that were appropriate for going out. When she peeked out the opened door behind the other woman, there was no sign of the soldier who’d been her guard the past two weeks. She exhaled with relief, though she still wasn’t confident their bargain could work. How was she supposed to try to be happy with him when her family needed her?She pushed aside the thoughts that had whirled through her brain most of the night to focus on her friend. Cleo invited her to tea that afternoon, and she accepted, deciding it would be her first test run of her newly returned freedom. Even though it was just down the hallway in a sitting room, it would be good to get out of the confines of her room.After Cleo left, she put away the outfits and took a bath, finding ways to fill the rest of her morning as she had the past two weeks. While she wanted to throw open the door and go outsid
Chapter 9Tiernan came back to the suite earlier than his usual time that evening. Madison was still mulling over her afternoon tea and contemplating her place in the harem, so she was distracted when he entered.He sighed harshly. “I thought you were moving past the silent treatment?”She blinked. “Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought.”“About what?”None of your business. “Nothing important.”He made a sound in his throat, but let the subject die. Instead, he handed her a small box. “Open it.”She looked at the wooden box, admiring the carved hummingbird. “It’s pretty.”“Open it,” he said again. He seemed to be reining in his excitement.Was he that eager to be giving her a gift? Vowing to make a big production of whatever was in the box, she flipped the lid with her thumb. A genuine smile curved her lips as she touched the pretty necklace made from gold so shiny that it must have been purified and crafted before The End. The asymmetrical pendant had a pink stone in the middle, and she