Garnet stepped into the adjoining sitting room and halted. Her father sat at a small table before the fireplace, shoveling a bite of ham into his mouth. An extra place setting occupied the opposite side of the table.

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He gave her a sharp look and with his fork jabbed in the direction of the empty place setting. “Sit down, girl, and eat. I ordered breakfast to be delivered here so we wouldn’t have to eat in the dining room.”

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Garnet approached the table and dropped into the empty chair across from her father. Without bidding him a good morning, she spooned a small helping of fried potatoes onto her plate. She added a slice of ham and then ladled fresh strawberries into a crystal fruit bowl beside her plate.

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“Coffee?” Her father held a silver pitcher aloft over her cup.

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Garnet nodded and watched as her father filled her cup with the steaming dark liquid. 

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When he’d set the coffee pot down on the white linen tablecloth, he turned his attention once again to his breakfast, content to eat in silence.

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With a wary eye on her parent, Garnet picked up her fork and ate. She wondered how Clint Logan fared and thought of the rest of the Slash L family. Yesterday morning when she’d wakened in her bedroom at the ranch seemed an eon ago. 

And Cole. What was he doing? She missed him already.

​

Asa Morrison wiped his plate clean with a bit of toast and popped the morsel into his mouth. He washed the food down with a swig of coffee. Returning his cup to the saucer, he beetled his eyebrows in a fierce frown and stabbed a stiffened forefinger in his daughter’s direction. “I have something to say to you, girl, so listen up.”

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Garnet laid down her fork with deliberate care and turned her attention to her father. His tone, and the way he stared at her, warned her she wouldn’t like what he was about to say. Anxiety knotted her stomach.

​

“I’ve been patient with you. I’ve let Cole Wild Wind squire you about and not said a word.” Asa Morrison tapped the table in a brusque manner and glared at her. “You’ve had your little romance with him. Now it’s time to behave as an adult of your station and do your duty to your father. Tomorrow we’ll take the morning train to New York City, where you will accept Albert’s proposal of marriage.”

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Garnet stared across the table at her father. Her palms grew icy, and her breathing hitched, but she determined not to let him bully her. “No. I won’t marry Albert.”

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Silence settled between them like a cold draft. Her father’s eyes slitted. When he spoke, his tone froze her.

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“You’ll not defy me in this, Garnet. My mind is made up. You will marry Albert.”

 

Garnet leaped to her feet. Her chair rocked back. “I don’t love Albert! I want to marry for love. Cole loves me, and I love him.”

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Her father made a dismissive motion. “What does love have to do with marriage? A woman of your station has a duty to her family to make an advantageous marriage. A daughter must acquiesce to her father’s wisdom in matters of the heart.”

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“Your idea of an advantageous marriage and mine aren’t the same. And besides, how is marrying Cole not marrying well? You’ve met his family. You’ve seen how they live. Cole can provide for me very well.”

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Asa Morrison sliced the air with a chopping motion. “Albert Davies’ family is one of the oldest and most prominent families in New York. Your marriage to him will cement a dynasty.”

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“I have no interest in establishing a dynasty. I want to marry for love. Cole and I have plans to marry.”

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“Put the notion of marrying for love right out of your head. You can learn to love Albert after you’ve married him.”

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“I’ll never love another man except Cole. And besides, Albert isn’t a God-fearing man. I want to marry a God-fearing man.”

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Her father snorted. “Wherever did you get that notion?”

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They glared at each other across the table. Asa Morrison slitted his eyes at his daughter, and he ground his teeth. Garnet forgot to breathe. 

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Keeping her voice reasonable when instead she wanted to scream, Garnet tried again to persuade her father to abandon his plans for a marriage between her and Albert. “Albert has character defects that I can’t admire, much less love. I can’t marry a man whom I don’t even respect.”

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Bracing both hands on the table, she stared across the space at her sire and tried for a coaxing tone. “Papa.” She hadn’t called her father “papa” since she was four years old. “Don’t you remember what it felt like to be in love? I know you loved mama.”

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Her father surged to his feet and rounded the table before she could blink. Catching her unawares, his hand flashed out. His palm slapped against her cheek with a sharp crack.

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Garnet’s head snapped back, and she staggered. The back of her knees bumped the edge of her chair, and she lost her balance. She thumped down hard onto the seat. Cradling her flaming cheek with one hand, she stared up at her father.

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He loomed over her. His fists balled at his sides. Anger mottled his features, and his breath whistled through his flaring nostrils. “Don’t ever mention your mother again. Do you hear me?”

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Shocked into muteness, Garnet nodded. Her cheek burned, and tears pooled in her eyes.

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“You will marry Albert. If you don’t marry him, I have a doctor who will certify that you suffer from a nervous disorder and should be committed to an asylum. Do you wish to spend the rest of your days in an asylum? The choice is yours.”