Страница 76 из 78
She looked toward the armoire, where her father's hand-me-downs hung. She had washed and mended the clothes very carefully, for they were all that she could call her own. Her moccasins were patched as well, using doeskin she had traded a few of her precious herbs to obtain. Her canteen, medicine pouch and ragged blanket roll were set aside, waiting to be picked up on a moment's notice.
Maybe I won't need them. Maybe Ty will look at me and see a woman he could love. Maybe…
With hands whose creamy softness still surprised Ja
Will what he sees please him? Will he turn to me out of love rather than duty?
After a few minutes Ja
Ja
"May I have this dance?"
With a subdued start, Ja
"Yes, of course," Ja
Moments later she was whirling and turning to the stately strains of a waltz played by Silver on the grand piano. The music was rich and civilized, a brocade of sound embroidered upon the wilderness night. Case danced with the casual perfection of a cat stalking prey.
"I've been watching you," he said.
Ja
He nodded. "I wasn't worried about that. I was afraid that you'd get to believing all the polite nonsense Silver's cousins and guests are pouring into your ear."
With a smile that hovered on the brink of turning upside down, Ja
Case looked at the proud, unhappy set of Ja
"Flowers and silk go together."
"And you weren't silk, so he saved the flowers and got right down to business, is that it?"
Ja
"No, I wasn't silk," Ja
"But you are now."
She smiled sadly and said nothing.
One of Cousin Henry's guests cut in. Ja
"Are all western women so charmingly quiet?"
Ja
"They're back!" Ja
She looked around frantically but saw only one tall, roughly dressed man mingling with the guests-Blue Wolf, not Ty. Then she felt a tingling all the way to her fingertips. She turned and saw Ty standing at the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed. Slowly he straightened and began walking toward her. As he closed in on her, there was no welcoming smile on his bearded face. There was only anger.
"Willie," Ty said coldly, "your na
For a moment the young aristocrat holding Ja
"Apparently this dance belongs to the rude frontiersman?"
When Ja
The waltz began again, played by four hands. Ty took Ja
"Ty, stop, please."
"Why? Afraid those fancy Englishmen will see you holding on to me?" Ty's narrowed green eyes glittered coldly at Ja
"Men never look past the silk."
"I've looked, Ja
The words sank into Ja
Silk purse. Sow's ear. Never the twain shall meet.
Ja
Ja
Case tapped Ty firmly on the shoulder. "This dance is mine."
Ty turned on his younger brother with the quickness of a cat. "Stay out of it."
"Not this time," Case said matter-of-factly. "I brought her here, forced her to stay here until you came back, and now you're spoiling the Thanksgiving ball Cassie has looked forward to all year. Your family deserves better than that, don't you think?"
Ty looked beyond Case and saw Blue Wolf starting through the throng in Ty's direction. He knew that Blue was even more protective of Cassie than Case was. Then Ty spotted Duncan and Logan closing in on him with grim expressions.