Crossroads of Love and Loyalty
Two girls working on the farm paused to watch as Darius hurried past, his determined steps kicking up dust in his wake.
“There he goes again, chasing after the Harrisons,” Yanka muttered, frustration laced in her tone. She glanced at her friend Shelley, both aware of their secret crush on the man. “Mark my words, one of these days, his antics are gonna land him in trouble. And guess what? We’ll all be paying for it.”
Shelley chuckled, leaning on the fence. “I still don’t get why he’s always after white skirts when we’ve got plenty of fine options right here.” She tossed her hair with a smirk.
Yanka snorted. “Who’d want a man whose manhood’s always under question anyway? He’s gotta be troubled—living in some kind of fantasy world. let him be!”
Before Shelley could respond, a voice interrupted them.
“Excuse me, ladies. Do you happen to know Mr. Darius?”
The two turned to see two young men standing nearby. One of them, Coby, looked a little sheepish.
Yanka folded her arms. “Sure, we know him. What are you boys doing here? Looking lost.”
Shelley joined in with a teasing grin. “Let me guess—here for one of those school projects? You’re from Rossfield, right?”
Coby nodded. “Yeah, we’re students. We’re, uh, researching… things. Can you tell us why he’s following the Harrison family?”
Yanka shrugged, feigning disinterest. “Simple: boys will be boys—even when mountains crumble.”
Shelley chimed in, “And pants catch fire.”
The two women shared a laugh, masking their deeper feelings with biting words. After a few more jabs at Darius, they returned to their tasks, leaving Coby and his friend Vin standing awkwardly in the yard.
Vin glanced at the setting sun. “It’s getting late, man. Let’s head back.”
Coby shook his head, his curiosity gnawing at him. “No way. They’re hiding something. And may a bullet find my head if I don’t figure out what it is. Let’s follow him!”
Meanwhile, Darius was tailing the Harrison family, unaware of the danger ahead. Lost in thoughts of his secret meeting with Katherine, he barely noticed the sound of boots crunching behind him until it was too late.
“So you’re the creep following us.” A voice, sharp and laced with menace, cut through the air. “Trying to rob us? Give me one good reason not to put a bullet in your head right now.”
Darius froze. Titus, Katherine’s brother, stood before him, a pistol aimed squarely at his chest.
“Titus, what’s going on?” Katherine’s voice rang out as she leaned from the carriage, alarm etched on her face. She scrambled out when she spotted Darius on his knees.
“Titus, stop! Don’t shoot him!”
Titus didn’t lower the gun. “Why not? You know this guy?”
Darius, his voice steady but his heart racing, answered, “No, she doesn’t. How could someone like her know a nobody like me? Deal with me, sir. Leave her out of it.”
Titus narrowed his eyes. “Wait a second. You two do know each other?”
Katherine stepped closer. “Darius, stop pretending. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Life’s too short to live in fear of what others think.”
Darius shook his head, his gaze fixed on the ground. “People like me don’t get to choose our lives, Ms. Harrison. We take what we’re given and learn to live with it.”
“I told you not to call me that,” Katherine said softly. “I’m just Katherine to you.”
Titus’s face darkened. “Outrageous! How dare you speak to my sister this way? You’ve defiled her with your insolence!”
“Titus, please!” Katherine pleaded. “He’s just a friend—someone who offered to show me around.”
Titus scoffed. “A friend? Look at him. He’s clearly got other intentions.”
Darius remained silent, his gaze meeting Katherine’s. There was no hiding the depth of his feelings now.
Finally, he spoke. “You’re right, Titus. I do have intentions. Katherine…” He took a deep breath. “I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you.”
Titus’s fury boiled over. “You’re begging for a bullet, aren’t you?”
“Titus, no!” Katherine cried. “He’s not some nobody. He’s a manager at Rossfield’s farm!”
Titus sneered. “So what? I can say whatever I want happened here. I’ll say he tried to force himself on you.”
Darius stood, his voice steady. “I’ve been a coward most of my life, running from the truth and trying to please everyone else. But meeting Katherine changed that. She made me see that it’s not about the color of your skin or your past. It’s about the mind—what you choose to believe about yourself and others. Katherine, you broke down walls I didn’t even know I’d built. And now, I’m not ashamed to say it: I love you.”
The weight of his words hung in the air as all eyes turned to Katherine, her expression a mixture of shock and quiet resolve.
Katherine stepped forward, her voice trembling but resolute. “Oh, Darius, I love—”
“That’s enough. This ends now,” Titus growled, cutting her off. He raised his gun, the barrel glinting ominously in the fading sunlight.
Before he could pull the trigger, Katherine threw herself between them, arms spread wide. “Don’t! If you want to shoot him, Titus, you’ll have to go through me first!”
Titus’s jaw clenched. “Kath, move. Now!”
She held her ground, her voice cracking with desperation. “I won’t. Please, Titus, just let us be. If you want to punish someone, punish me. I’m the one who approached him. I’m the one who made him fall in love with me.”
“Katherine, stop this madness!” Titus barked, his grip tightening on the weapon.
Katherine turned to Darius, her eyes pleading. “Darius, go. Please, go now. I’ll handle this.”
Darius shook his head, his voice low but firm. “I won’t leave you behind.”
“You have to!” she insisted, her tone softening. “Please, meet me at the usual place. Just trust me.”
Reluctantly, Darius rose, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before he turned and disappeared into the cornfields.
Titus watched him go, seething with barely contained rage. “You’ve disgraced us,” he muttered under his breath, but he didn’t stop his sister from following him back to the estate.
At the estate, Titus waited until they were in the privacy of his study before unleashing his fury.
“What do you think you’re doing, embarrassing our family like that?” he snapped, slamming the door behind them. “For God’s sake, you’re engaged! Do you have any idea what the Wellingtons will do when they find out?”
Katherine met his glare with a steady gaze. “They won’t find out because it’s over. I already sent them a letter terminating the courtship.”
Titus stared at her in disbelief. “What? Are you out of your mind?”
“No, I’m finally in my right mind,” Katherine shot back. “You can’t force me to marry someone I don’t love, Titus.”
Titus slammed his fist on the desk. “I promised Father I’d protect you from people like him! This world is dangerous, Kathy!”
“Don’t give me that nonsense!” Katherine’s voice rose, trembling with anger. “And stop pretending this is about protecting me. You just want my inheritance.”
Titus reeled back, wounded. “How can you say that? After everything I’ve done for you?”
“I’m grateful for what you’ve done,” Katherine said, her tone softening momentarily. “But I’m not a child anymore. I’ll marry Darius, and I’ll claim my inheritance. It’s what Mother would have wanted for me.”
Titus’s expression darkened. “You think I’ll let that man take everything our family built? Over my dead body.” He strode to the door and shouted, “Peter!”
The foreman appeared quickly. “Yes, sir?”
“Tell the men not to let her leave the house. There’s a dangerous animal loose on the grounds. Assemble three men—we’re going hunting.”
Katherine paled. “Titus, don’t do this. If you harm him, I swear I’ll—”
Her brother didn’t wait to hear the rest. Armed with rifles and grim determination, Titus and his men mounted their horses and rode off into the night, the hunt for Darius beginning in earnest.