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Chapter One 

October, 1860 

Ethan Hart,once again rode his bay gelding around the corn field behind the one hundred acre plantation. His brother had gone missing just before lunch and now with the Autumn sunset coming early, he was no where to be seen. From the barn there was the steady rhythm of hammers as men repaired the barn roof. He already knew Vince wouldn't be among them, but he checked anyway. 

Artie Lawrence leaned on the corner of the barn, removing his hat to wipe away sweat on his weathered brow with a handkerchief. He looked up at Ethan's approach. "Mister Hart! What can we do for you today?

"I am. Have you seen Vince?" Ethan moved his horse closer and leaned over a bit, his long black hair defeating the pomade he slicked it back with and falling forwards to frame his face, the rest of it remained tied at the nape of his neck tightly.

"Yes, sir, he left here 'bout an hour ago. Moving pretty fast too." the older man chuckled and gestured along the thick forest that surrounded the plantations. Artie worked for the Hart's but none of the workers were slaves. They lived in small houses along what John Hart, the owner of the plantation, called the lower twenty and were paid wages each week. 

"What or who was he chasing?" Ethan asked, almost knowing the answer. Vince had been seeing a girl from the neighboring plantation for a few months now, and everyone knew it. Ethan knew her father as well as his own had begun to suspect they were up to more than just afternoon rides.

"She was on a yellow horse." Artie smiled up at Ethan. Even the employees of the plantation were onto Vince and Vivian's game.

"Vivian," Ethan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Did you see which way they went?" "That a-away." Artie pointed north. 

Ethan thanked the man and rode away the from barn cursing his younger brother under his breath. Vivian Macabe's father owned the neighboring plantation, and where the two properties met there was low lying swamp land that was no good for farming or livestock. It was here that Mister Macabe kept his moonshine still next to a little hunting shack that he used not just for hunting but as a place to rendezvous with his own mistresses.

Ethan suspected that was where he was, and he had to get word to Vince to get home before their father, John Hart, returned from town. John would be furious. 

Vivian was Perry and Julie Macabe's oldest daughter, she had her mother's eyes of honey and her father's dark hair and olive skin. Even at the young age of seventeen, she had womanly curves. Vivian was not held captive by the social expectations of her day, much to her family's chagrin. Vince was not her first lover; her former lover had been Vince's best friend, Devon Parish. When Devon had started seeing another young girl from town named Jessica, Vince had merely to fix her with his dazzling hazel eyes and she was his. 

Vivian lay now against the rickety headboard and watched the muscles in Vince's back move under his smooth skin as he pulled on his tan breeches. His hair fell past his shoulders in a golden wave that was usually tied off into a braid. She rose to her knees, allowing the sheet to fall off and exposing her naked body to Vince, whose sharp intake of breath told her he liked what he saw. 

"Tired of me already?" She pouted. 

"You know better than that, Viv." He smiled tracing his finger along her chin. "One of these days I might have to take you for my wife."

Her eyes widened, "Really? Have you told anyone else? Don't think I don't know about Kathleen--"

"I told her it was over a few days ago." He placed a finger on Vivian's lips. "I have made my choice, Vivian."

She leaned forward to kiss him again. Vince did not resist, even if he knew he should be getting back to the plantation before he was missed. He shoved Vivian back onto the creaky bed and pressed his weight onto her and into the mattress as he trailed a hand up her creamy thigh. Dark hair spread out behind her on the sheets. 

"Are you sure I will say yes?" Vivian's hands busied themselves with undoing the button fly of Vince's pants.

"You will" he groaned when her tiny hand touched his manhood and brought him to hardness again. With a singular motion he found her core and slipped into her quickly. Smirking down at her, he teased her with a thrust. "Say no to me now and see if you can."

Filled with Vince once again, Vivian couldn't say no any more than she could have stopped her own heartbeat. He was a little bolder, a little rougher than her past two lovers. Something that was not common among men who were trained to treat ladies of breeding such as herself like china dolls and save this rough carousing for the saloon girls. Vince meant her no disrespect in doing so, but when he discovered she could give as good as she got, he had been hooked on her. She had blown his mind and now Vince was wrapped around her finger as tight as the wedding ring he would soon give her would be. 

Vivian dug her nails into his back, drawing a masterpiece of red lined across it to his lower back. Groaning he moved to his side and then back, leaving Vivian on top. She rode him as expertly as she did her own mare, her thighs strong and slim. He reached up to tease her nipples into peaks, watching in delight as she arched her back like a cat, and made a similar sound as she reached her peak. Her body pulsated around his arousal, easily bringing him over the edge as he held her tiny waist tightly in place, forcing her to take all he had left to give. 

When the cries of pleasure had faded once again, Vince helped Vivian tie her corset and under skirts before pulling on his own shirt and tucking it into his trousers. Vivian smiled and kissed Vince again before fastening her dress in front, smoothing her skirts. "Wish we could stay, but you know I have to get ready for my father's party tonight." 

Meanwhile, John had seen the two horses tied out in front of the shack and immediately recognized his son's prized stallion, Jasper, and Vivian's golden mare. He'd returned from town a couple of hours before, cutting across Macabe property to enjoy the Fall foliage which was, at this time of year, bright shades of gold and reds. Finding Vince and Vivian was unexpected, but not unfortunate.

For a moment, he sat atop his brown gelding, watching the shack. Occasionally the sounds within drifted out, leaving no doubt what he had ridden up on. John was a calculating man, shrewd in business, borderline cruel. He thought first to break up the tryst, but an idea popped into his mind first. If he alerted Perry to this, he would no doubt insist on Vince marrying Vivian. That would l**k the Macabe and Hart plantations together as Vivian's inheritance would become Vince's through marriage.

"It would also rid me of the troublesome boy," John thought out loud as he turned the horse back towards the Macabe's house. Vince was wild, he drank and gambled, was always fighting in the saloon in town and coming home scraped up, he was constantly courting girls he had no business even being near, more than one angry father had shown up on the Hart doorstep. 

Vivian's father was a stout man, an imposing figure, a rough sort of man who owned slaves. The Hart's disagreed with the practice but they refused to fight over it with their neighbors for the sake of peace. By the time John got to the Macabe house he had planned Vince and Vivian's marriage and the subsequent coup of Macabe land and freeing of the slaves. 

On this crisp early autumn afternoon, Perry was having whiskey on the front porch, looking out over his rolling fields that had been white with cotton just mere weeks before. There had been so much of it that the ginning process was still ongoing down by the slave quarters that were conspicuously built away from and out of sight of the big fine Victorian mansion.

Perry saw John moving up the drive and stood by one of the white pillars to greet his guest. A young boy came forward to take Mister Hart's horse, and as usual, he tipped the young man with a piece of hard candy. 

"Afternoon, John. What brings you out here on this lovely day?" Perry shook John's hand as he mounted the steps. 

"I was in town ordering supplies to be delivered later this week and I returned home to find out Vince is missing. I know how sweet he is on your Vivian; I wondered if you'd seen him." John accepted the drink he was offered and sipped quickly to hide his grin. 

Perry's brow crinkled. "No, I haven't seen Vince. Vivian left here a couple of hours ago on her horse for a ride."

John finished his drink with a sigh, "I suppose the Vince must have headed into town for a drink."

Perry raised an eyebrow, "John Hart, what are you driving at? You'd a'seen him if'n you were in town and you wouldn't have come around here looking for him anyhow."

"Well," John's smiled but it was waning. "I don't like to talk about such things. It ain't fitting for me to blurt out such coarse details."

"Coarse details?" Perry set his glass on the table with a thud. "What details?"

"I took a short-cut home across your swampland, and I come across Vince and Vivian at your hunting shack." John looked around to ensure no one was listening. They weren't, he knew they wouldn't be.

Perry's face went red, he slammed his fist into a banister rail that stretched between pillars. "Why in the hell didn't you put a stop to that?!"

"I didn't think it would be proper for me to barge in on your daughter without you present. In such an intimate moment, things could be misconstrued. Women are given to exaggerations when they are frightened, I'm sure you know," John said so calmly it calmed Perry. "I am certain I was too late anyway."

"Get my horse!" Perry yelled across the yard at the boy holding John's horse. "How do you propose we handle this?"

John gave a shrug. "Excuse me for presuming here, but there is talk around the county about-"

Perry turned to our himself another drink to steady his nerves, "My daughter is fast. I know, that. I hear the rumors. How true they are is anyone's guess but I am guessing they do carry some truth, now."

"My Vince is a handful as well," John rubbed his chin. "Perhaps we could arrange something agreeable."

Perry's eyes narrowed but he caught into the gist. "Are you suggesting Vivian marry your Vince?"

"They're both well-bred and high strung. Could hardly ask for a better match." 

The boy returned with Perry's horse and he took a moment to mount. "That sounds like a good idea. First we will ride out to the shack."

Perry entered the shack with the all the grace of a charging bull, nearly taking the door off the hinges with the force he exerted on it. His eyes grew round in surprise and then narrowed menacingly. John remained just outside the door because Perry blocked the door nearly completely and was so shocked he had frozen in his tracks.

"What the hell?" Vince's word sprang out before he saw who it was. He had been looking down as he buttoned his shirt, somehow he expected it to be Ethan. Vivian's eyes went wide and a blush crept up her face; she shrank behind Vince even though it was too late to avoid being seen.. 

John raked his eyes over the rumpled sheets and over Vivian as well. There was no mistaking the rumpled sheets and the musk that hung in the air. John rubbed his temple as if in distress, "Vince, what have you done? With our good friend and neighbors daughter?"

Vince clamped his jaw to bite off his reply, which was something heated. He didn't wish a fight here with Vivian. Instead he pulled his jacket over his shoulders. "Spare me, father. We are adults, and I planned to ask for her hand anyway."

"Planned to?" Perry finally moved enough to let John in. "Young man, I have every right to shoot you right here and now. As it is I know how Vivian is and I have had it with the rumors and the whispers."

"Meaning?" Vince raised a brow curiously.

"We will talk when I am calmer. Let us go, Vivian. You will need to get ready." Perry glanced at her coldly. He was more relieved than anything to have a reason to arrange marriage for her since she seemed to avoid any and all suitors he suggested.

"What if I don't want to?" Vivian drew herself up straight, furious at the invasion.

"Go home, Viv. I'll see you tonight." Vince gave her a gentle push. With no further encouragement, she stormed out the door past John, shooting him a withering glare. 

When they were out of the shack, John turned to Vince and smirked. "How disappointed will you're other affairs be when they find out you're a married man?"

"Vivian is the only one," Vince said, meeting his fathers gaze. He wondered if the old man was baiting him, he'd done it before. Vince had grown wise to it long ago.

"So, is she the only woman who shares your bed in this county now?" John laughed, but it was without mirth. When Vince said nothing, John blocked his exit and shouted. "Answer me, boy! There's no shame in a man taking a whore to his bed." 

"How dare you call anyone a whore!" Vince's fist clenched at his side and relaxed.

"What are you going to do about it?" His father baited him once more. 

Ethan was sure he was too late when he arrived at the shack and found his father's horse tied alongside Vince's. He took a deep breath and plowed into the half open door with a fake smile. "Pa! There you are. We were looking all over for you-- we wanted to know what time we should get ready for the party over at the Macabe place." 

"Well, I think we should do it now so Vince can have plenty of time to get ready. I'm sure he's dying to see Vivian again. Aren't you, son?" The older man scoffed as he made his way to his horse. 

Ethan watched him go and turned to Vince, "So you were with Vivian?" 

Vince pulled his coat around him tighter as he headed out into the waning sunlight. As the rode back towards the Hart place, Ethan cursed the big stallion his brother rode under his breath. Jasper walked along quickly with his long legs, and Ethan's modestly built gelding was trotting just to barely keep up. Ahead, he saw Vince duck a branch that he could pass clean under. "I'm tired of the war between you and father." 

"Spare me the speech, I have heard it all before." Vince stopped Jasper to give Ethan and his horse a chance to catch up, then moved off slower. "I know he hates me." 

"Vince!" Ethan snapped, "No one hates you but you bring a lot of attention on the family with your behavior. Everyone has heard of your drinking and whoring." 

"So! It's my life, my choices, why should it affect anyone but me?" Vince snapped. 

Ethan rolled his eyes. Trying to call attention away from the subject, Ethan continued, "It's called loyalty." 

Vince turned quickly away from Ethan before he saw the angry hot tears coming to his eyes. He was infuriated his brother should suggest he was disloyal simply because he was different. He was not the stuffy soft spoken type who enjoyed soft music and waltzes. Vince was full of life and energy.

Ethan sighed. He had seen the glisten of unshed tears and he knew that a chance for reconciliation was slim to none. He wanted to ask what had happened, he was curious if Vince and Vivian had been caught in the actual act of lovemaking, but he dared not ask lest it start a fight.

When they returned home, not another word was spoken about the incident. Mostly because John forbid such talk around his wife, Leona, and Daughter Alessandra. The tension was thick enough to cut through with a knife, though. Vince and Ethan retreated to their rooms to wash up and change. 

Vince paused to have a drink straight from the bottle he hid in his closet. It steadied him enough to think through his proposal. It occurred to him he was quite infamous, as was Vivian, which is why he had become interested in the first place. It was supposed to be harmless fun, he thought. A roll in the hay for lack of a better term. But somehow he had become enamored with her- and she with him.

Vince's eyes drifted out the window that looked out over the back yard. The flowers had died back, only a few of the shrubs held onto their leaves, the trees that sprawled around the back yard were aflame with fall colors. Perhaps their wedding could be out there, he thought as he took another deep drink. Somewhere down the staircase, Ethan was yelling for him to come and hurry.

John drove the wagon himself and Vince danced alongside it on his stallion, Jasper. He could not bear the thought of being trapped in the wagon for drive to the Good Luck Manor. He needed to be able to get away when his father started throwing venom his way. But for now Ethan was teasing his sister about her latest beau, Leif Tucker. 

"Oh, Ethan stop it," she giggled helplessly. 

"Oh, no. I think Vince and I should ask poor Leif just what his intentions are with our sister," Ethan said, trying to look serious. 

Alessandra's eyes went wide, "Oh, no you mustn't, I'll die of the shame! Besides, I don't think he is seriously considering me as a wife," she said, smoothing her skirt down. 

"Really? He's not?" Ethan shot Vince a wink, "Now I know we are gonna ask him just what he's up to. Can't have my baby sister losing her reputation." 

"That's right." Vince moved his coat back to show off the silver pearl handled revolver he carried, "And he better have the right answer." 

"No! You two are going to make it so no man will ever speak to me again!" Alessandra cried, taking their play just a bit too personal. 

"What are brothers for?" Vince chirped. 

Ethan chuckled. "Oh come on Alessandra, he is of a good family and if you don't take someone you're gonna be an old maid like Miss Kearns." 

"That's enough out of you!" Alessandra swatted her brother with a umbrella and squealed, "I don't see you asking for anyone to marry you." 

"It's because I am too picky." Ethan protested. Ethan was a shy one, he had shared no more than a chaste kiss with any girl.

"Get that animal away from me!" Alessandra protested as Jasper poked his nose into the wagon and against her, "He's going to get me all dirty." 

"So when are you gonna make an honest woman of Vivian Macabe?" John asked from the front of the wagon, never looking back at his sons. Vince's stomach tightened. 

"Vivian?" Alessandra gasped. "I had no idea that you was courting Vivian Macabe. I've heard an awful lot about her."

"Why Alessandra, you didn't know that your brother has found a new love interest?" John said with a venomous undertone. 

Ethan sighed, why couldn't he just let them have one night of peace? 

"We have agreed on marriage. But we have not agreed on a time frame." He kicked Jasper, and the horse shot forward with such force he spooked the team.