Part 25 (2/2)

He was almost at the bottom of the box before he found it. He smiled with relief and drew it forth.

Yes. He had been right. The lace looked very much like the lace of Ariana's gown. He smiled again. She would be so pleased.

Laramie was about to tuck the sc.r.a.p of material in his s.h.i.+rt pocket when something caught his eye. A tiny b.u.t.ton.

His eyes widened and he brought the material closer. Another b.u.t.ton. And another.

He stared, not able to believe what his eyes were seeing. In his hand he held the missing cuff. It could only mean one thing.

His legs gave out on him and Laramie lowered himself to his bunk, his face in his hands. A wave of nausea pa.s.sed through him, making him feel sick inside. Did he and Ariana share the same mother? It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. He loved Ariana. They were to be married. He felt inner pain as he had never felt before in his entire life.

His first temptation was to destroy the little cuff and say it had been lost.

But reason and honesty won the battle. That would not be fair. It would not be right. He could never live with the fact. Nor would Ariana ever forgive him if he tried.

One simply could not marry one's own sister. He lifted his head and stareda”unseeinga”before him. He would have to tell her. Would have to tell them all.

He hated the thought of the whole ordeal.

Why? Why? When everything seemed to have finally worked out for good?

Laramie dropped his head in his hands again and groaned. Where are you, G.o.d? How could you let this happen? Why didn't you let us know we were brother and sister right from the start? Then our relations.h.i.+p could have been thet of familya”good and proper.

Laramie groaned again. He had never, in his lifetime, been struck such a cruel blow.

Ariana paced back and forth on the porch of her aunt's farm home. Laramie was taking longer than she had expected. Was he having trouble finding the material? It would be so nice to have the cuffs matchinga”or even nearly matching. It would be so nice to keep the dress as close as possible to the gown her mother had worn. She did hope that Laramie was right. That the cuff would not need to be changed to satin.

She hesitated and looked out over the country road in the gathering twilight. Laramie was still not in sight.

She sighed and paced some more.

She hoped nothing bad had happened. What if his horse had spooked? What if the law had suddenly appeared? No, that was silly. Laramie had said that he had confessed and been pardoned. Nothing like that would happen now.

Just as Ariana felt she could stand the uncertainty no longer, she saw Laramie's buckskin appear around the bend in the road. In her agitation she felt like running out to meet him. But that would be silly. She held herself in check. He would be with her soon enough.

She tapped one foot against the porch boards, impatience making it hard for her to wait. The warm evening breeze played with her hair, wisping it about her oval face.

At last Laramie pulled up and threw the reins over the hitching rail. He came toward her. Ariana beamed and moved to meet him.

”Will it work? Is the lace pattern close enough?” she called as the distance between them closed.

In the semidarkness Ariana could barely see his face. When he drew near enough she saw he was pale and drawn. Something had happened. Ariana felt her heart beat faster. Was it just his disappointment that the lace wasn't right?

He said nothinga”just reached out his hand to her. In his palm was the bit of lace. Ariana took it and turned it over in her fingers.

”It doesn't matter if it doesn't match,” she began. ”Don't feel badly ifa””

Ariana looked more closely.

”It looksa”very close,” she said and looked up at Laramie.

He still was ashena”silent. She could not understand.

”Arianaait doesn't justamatch the cuff,” he said softly in a choked, forced voice. ”It is the cuff.”

Her eyes widened. She looked into his face with disbelief.

”It is the cuff,” he repeated. ”Look. It has the tiny b.u.t.tons.”

Ariana's gaze went back to the bit of lace. She turned it over and over. First unbelief, then delight, filled her eyes.

”Why, that's wonderful!” she exclaimed. ”Who would have ever believed it? Who would have ever imagined? The real missing cuff. Isn't it wonderful! Isn't G.o.d good!”

She threw her arms around Laramie's neck. Her warm tears of joy fell on his cheek.

Gently he pushed her from him. ”Arianaalisten to me.”

She looked at him, shock in her eyes. What had happened? What was wrong?

”I found the cuffain my mother's box.”

She nodded.

”Myamother's.”

She looked puzzled.

”It matches your mother's dress. Exactly.”

She took one tiny step backward, still staring at him.

”You don't meana”?” she began, but she did not finish.

He nodded.

”But it can't be,” she almost screamed at him. ”Ita”can't be.”

”Arianaa””

She looked at him for one moment, her eyes wild and denying. His own tears were tracing the pattern on his cheek where Ariana's tears had been such a short while ago.

”It has to be,” he said simply, looking away from the pain in her eyes.

”I don't want a brother,” she cried. ”Ia”wanta”” and then she turned from him and ran toward the house.

Dear Ariana, I am leaving. I hope someday to return when I can think of you as a sister. I have decided that it is too hard for us to see each other now. I will pray for you. I will love you always, but that love must change now. Perhaps someday we will be able to say that G.o.d has worked it for good.

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